A picture is worth a thousand words

I haven't uploaded a picture to my blog in ages. So instead of summarizing what I've been up to, here are some pictures with brief descriptions.  Enjoy =)

YAV Thanksgiving. We played football (American style of course) before dinner at out site supervisor's house. THE Mr. Doug Baker

YAV Christmas. With Ellison who made Christmas amazing. He helped me decorate the mantle, a tradition I've done forever with my Mom.  

All the YAVs on our Retreat to Donegal in the Republic of Ireland in February. 

At the top after hiking up Slieve League, the highest sea cliffs in Europe on our February Retreat. 

Trying to friend a sheep on the way back down. I've been trying all year, but they all run away.  This is the closest I've ever gotten. Guess I will not make a sheep friend =(

Above 4 pictures are from the Macrory Re-Opening Event. After the vandalism we held this large event to show off the renovations to the hall.  We had groups from the community come with information booths, music, food, speakers, crafts for kids, face painting and in general. GREAT craic. It was an amazing event filling the halls of Macrory with life and laughter.

Trip to Edinburgh (the trip I was supposed to take with my parents until they had to reschedule the trip because of Mom breaking her elbow) This is in the bathroom of the Elephant House. Where JK. wrote Harry Potter.  Its all the same except in the toilet... HILARIOUS

Day trip to the Irish American Folk Museum in Omagh with WAVE.  Picture is in a model boat "on its way back to America" Guess they were ready to get rid of me ;)

St. Patrick's Day in Downpatrick visiting the grave of St. Patrick and the Cathedral. Delightful lunch, dancing and parade. 

I have become known for my Quiz games at WAVE. I did one for the Men's group one week and have done many since.  Above two pictures are the women playing my game and me as Quiz master at the Women's Group Residential.

Women playing the rain game at residential.  They loved it. Didn't have the heart to tell them the game came from Native American Rain Dancing to bring on the rain.  I mean we get enough of that in Ireland don't we?

The whole group. 

My lovely WAVE site supervisor and I. The Tammen's.  (She has my last name)

The Boy's on Display Night of Boys Brigade (BB). BB does a showcase and awards night the last night of the term.  The boys are standing waiting to be awarded.

The team of fearless leaders of the Anchor Boys standing and trying to keep the boys quiet, standing in a straight line. 

Me dressed up like a man for the Company sections skit of Take Me Out. Lots of ppl in the evidently couldn't tell it was me.  High moment of the night, being put on the spot rapping and rhyming my man name, Steve, with weave. What can I say, I have mad skills. 

Folding the flag, but first a pose. I was asked to fold the flag into the standard triangle most Thursdays.  Thanks Girl Scouts for teaching me how. =)

The one and only night they have ever gotten me to play football. I was a TERRIBLE goal keeper. But it was good fun anyway.

Old BB uniform hat. Stylish no?

Gardening Event at the Community Centre in Tiger's Bay.  

Youth club, (well mostly youth leadership) put on Soup Stall at the Gardening Event.  These are my two wonderful assistants to the day.  Couldn't have done it without you.  We had 6 different kinds of soup.  People took a sample from each and tried to guess what each soup was.  Some of them were quite obvious. 

Some of the youth from Club trying the Soup. 

For Derby I put on a special event at club. I came in dressed as though I was ready for the derby and made a slide show all about the festival leading up to the derby with a lot of pictures.  I talked to the youth about how the Derby is what my hometown is known for and asked them what they thought Belfast was known for.  Really insightful, interesting conversation around this topic. I also had a list of the horses and let them pick which horse they thought was going to win.  Don't worry no money was gambled, just a laugh at some of the names. No one picked the winning horse.  I picked Done Talking as a small joke, you know since I rarely ever shut my mouth ;)

We had our own race at the end with various relays. It ended up being leaders against youth. HIGHLY amusing. 

We made tissue roses as a craft that night.  

And I made some derby pie.  Also a lot of the youth gave me one of their flowers they made in the craft.  I had a substantial bouquet by the end which is currently on my living room table. 

Mark and Anita finally made it.  This is an afternoon where a church member took my parents and I to Belfast Castle for afternoon Tea. It was lovely. My parents had a wonderful time as the previous blog, courtesy of Anita testifies. 

A picture collage from the Church Sale this past Saturday.  I ended up helping at the plant stall.  The sale was to raise money for Christian Aid.

Day trip to Mt. Stewart.  The girls in the garden in the pictures above and below.

That's all for now folks!  If you want more detail about one of the events or pictures shown, by all means shoot me and email at christina.m.tammen@gmail.com. 

A Mother's Perspective

This blog was written entirely by my mother and is her reflection from my parents visit over Easter.  They did not get to see everything I am involved in, such as youth club, Boys Brigade, and my Bible Study because things were not operating normally. Easter break and all.  But they did get a really good picture.  So instead of hearing me talk about myself a lot, Anita Tammen ladies and gentleman....

Mark and I just spent a week experiencing Christina’s life as a Y.A.V. in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  She has been there almost 8 months. The first thing I noticed is that she obviously loves it in Belfast and the people equally enjoy having her there.  I believe that the lovely welcome we as her parents received is a direct reflection of this.  The hospitality and generosity we received from many of people in her life is truly heart warming. 

Within a couple of hours of arriving in Belfast, we were taking part in a Prayer/Peace Walk.  Catholics and Protestants were walking side by side through the areas hardest hit by the violence, united in their belief in the peace effort. At this point all I really understood about their past conflict was the simple version we saw on the nightly news where it was condensed to a series of guerilla-type battles between the two communities.  This Walk marks the start of my understanding of the “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

The Peace Walls were built to divide nationalist Catholic neighborhoods from loyalist Protestant ones.  These barriers range from 10 – 25 ft in height so they can stop anything thrown from the other side.  Some now have had gates installed in them that are opened during the day but closed at night.  These walls are oppressive although efforts have been made to make them more attractive – note the murals painted on them in the picture.  They restrict movement between the areas of the city but were necessary to stop the violence and make the nearby residents feel safer.  On this day, I was concentrating on placing one foot in front of another and really did not understand the significance of the peace walls and the fact that gates were opened that normally are closed so the walk could proceed through them.  I only now understand how incredible it was that this walk happened at all.  Many people in Belfast have worked for a long time to make this a reality. 

Picture taken by Karl (another of the Y.A.Vs) of the Peace Walk

My education continued as we went with Christina to the WAVE Trauma Centre. The aim of WAVE is to offer care and support to anyone bereaved or traumatized through the violence of the the Troubles, irrespective of religious, cultural or political belief (from their website).  Christina helps with the meetings of the men’s and women’s group.  On Wednesday, the men’s group was finishing a lunch of Sheppard’s pie as we arrived.  What followed was an afternoon of meeting and exchanging conversation with this group of extraordinary men.  As one of the told me, “ I am a survivor not a victim”  They gave me a book called “INJURED… on that day” which contained their stories of the injuries they suffered through the “Troubles”.  The inside flap of the book warns that it is not pleasant to read these stories as some are very difficult to hear but that it does bear testimony to the sort of trauma visited upon so many.  I have started reading the book and have found it to be very moving as I am now acquainted with many of the people featured in the book.

The following day, we met and had lunch with the women’s group.  After lunch they went around the table and introduced themselves and told their stories.  Once again I was struck with what they had survived and how the group was providing support and friendship to each other as they work through their traumas.  It was another afternoon that left me with many new ideas to ponder.

My view of the violence that occurred in Northern Ireland has been permanently changed.  I am so proud of Christina for taking this year to be a Y.AV. as  I believe she is making a difference in the lives of the people she is working with and am sure it is making a difference in hers.