Hate on Sunday

I decided to go to evening service with B on Sunday evening. Part way through the service something pretty shocking happend. This couple was at the front talking about their upcoming medical missions trip to East Africa. All of a sudden this guy raised his hand as if to ask a question. This guy had already yelled out some comment (that I couldn't understand) right before the offering. When the couple asked if he had a question, the guy started by saying something about there being need in Australia, and then finished by unloading this racist tirade about Africans and Muslims, making reference to recent events that took place in Australia. Needless to say, everyone in the congregation sat there stunned at what had just happend.

Pastor T handled the situation really well though, and was able to diffuse the situation without providing fuel for the fire. This was one angry individual, and that situation could have become even uglier very quickly. I guess the guy was disappointed that he didn't find any likeminded racists at church, because he walked out not long after. I don't think anyone really knew who this guy was. I'm assuming he wasn't a regular, but who knows... I don't usually go to night service.

As is probably pretty obvious, I'm completely appauled by this guy's racism. It completely disgusts me, and makes me wonder how someone can be filled with such hate. However, it's so easy for me to turn around and repay evil with evil by hating him. So what does that mean? Do I hate those who hate? I overheard this guy who was sitting near B and I say that he wished the racist guy had stuck around, intead of walking out, because he really wanted to talk to him. That really struck me. Instead of wanting to confront the guy in a hostile way, he actually wanted to talk with him, and listen to him, to find out why he's so angry. Honestly, I don't know if I would have been able to do that... to see him the way Christ would... as a man broken, and hurt, who needs God's healing.

While this event was definitely out of the ordinary, it's not the first time I've witnessed acts of overt racism and xenephobia here in Australia.. In general there's just a lot more racism here, in comparison to back home, but that will have to be the topic of another entry.

Look where I went to study today

Cottesloe Beach (Perth, Australia)

Was that snow flurries that I saw for Ottawa?! Ah... beautiful sunshine. Yes... I am officially a jerk! =P

Reconciliation

Freedom Bridge (DMZ, South Korea)

1 month to go

Somewhere over the South Pacific

Exactly 1 month from today I'll be leaving Perth. When you go away for so long, you kinda feel like you've put your entire life back home on hold. As great as this experience has been, it's time to go home.

I started studying for my exams this weekend. If today was any indication, it's gonna be tough to keep motivated to study. I've ended up with this really annoying exam schedule, with my exams on Nov.21, 22 and 23... the last 3 days of the break. So basically I've got 3.5 weeks for studying... and 1 take-home. I think I'm the type of person who needs the pressure of a looming exam to actually hit the books, haha.

I'm not too worried about 2 of the exams, or the take-home... but my banking exam... well... that's another story. I don't think I've ever sat through lectures where I've understood so little. I'll probably end up spending 3/4 of my study time just on banking. Seems a bit of a waste, since it's probably the most irrelevant class for my future plans. Ah well.. hopefully 3 weeks from now I'll be a master of capital adequacy and be calculating foreign exchange contracts in my dreams. Hmm... I second thought....maybe not =P

So funny...

Bus shelter downtown (Perth, Australia)

This is funny for so many reasons! Maybe I should get me some bourbon! =)

Now I feel boring

I saw my friend JA at church on Sunday, for the first time in quite a while. JA's studying medicine right now, and had actually just come from her practical placement. Things were quiet at the hospital, and so they let her take a break for an hour or 2 to go to church (which just happend to be close by). I asked her what she'd be doing that afternoon, and she so casually replied, "oh, I'll be delivering a baby". Say what?!!! I just figured that she was either performing medical tests, and working in a clinic... but delivering a baby! My afternoon was plans were to finish editing an econ assignment, and maybe start studying for my banking exam. Somehow the thrills of international banking don't seem to compare, haha =P

MSN conversation later that day:

Jason says:
Deliver any babies this afternoon?
JA says:
no...
JA says:
i mean i was supposed to deliver one.. but she ended up having a vacuum delivery...
Jason says:
Awww
Jason says:
Vacuum delivery eh? Since I'm a guy I have no idea what that is... and from the sounds of it, I don't think I want to know
JA says:
*sigh*
JA says:
hahaha
JA says:
hem.. its not as bad as it sounds tho. .. =P
Jason says:
I should hope not, haha

Mystery solved

Wow! 3 blog postings in one day... new record!

I'm so happy with myself... I just solved a little mystery that had been bothering me. I've been going to the gym very faithfully this semester. Gym memberships are really expensive here, so the amount I'm having to pay has given me extra incentive. Guilt isn't a good motivator, but no one ever said it isn't effective. So anyways, when benchpressing I've noticed that my left arm is significantly stronger than my right arm. This makes no sense though since I'm right-handed. I must admit, I didn't spend many sleepless nights pondering this anomaly, but it certainly was a mystery. Well... today I figured it out. As I was cleaning my room, I saw my schoolbag and thought "of course, that's it!". My school bag, which is also my laptop bag, is the kind that you carry on your shoulder, and for the past year I've always been carrying that heavy bag on my left-side. Haha... simple as that... mystery solved! =)

It's recently been suggested to me that I start carrying it on my right side, to balance things out. I've tried it and it just doesn't work for me. I don't know why, but something feels so wrong about carrying it on the right-side. It's just one of those things. It's like people who always get up on the same side of the bed. Haha.. I know... I'm weird.

So anyways, next time you see me, you can gaze in awe at my mightly left-arm... j/k =)

Flight

Another interesting bird shot...

Unknown park (Sydney, Australia)

Kissing cockatoos

Reflection Pool (Canberra, Australia)

Lousy bird! Getting more action that I am! =P

Tranquility

Lac aux Castors (Montreal, Canada)

My adopted home

Perth Skyline, from Kings Park (Perth, Australia)

Beware of stalkers

TS, you've already heard this story. But for everyone else, I think I'm attracting stalkers.

Incident 1:

This girl tries to strike up a conversation with me in the laundry room the other day. She seemed kinda nervous so she started by telling me "she knows where I live" and that "she's watched me go into my apartment a bunch of times". Yikes! Granted, we live in the same building, so it's pretty normal to notice stuff like that. But PLEASE... Don't tell me that! That just makes you sound creepy, haha.

Incident 2:

Classmate drops me off at my apartment after group meeting. As I'm walking up to the building, I pass by this lady of 30 or so who is leaving another apartment....
Lady: (smiling at me) Hey! Haven't see you in a while!
(Thinking: I haven't a clue who this is! Crap! Better say something...)
Me: (smiling awkwardly) Uh... hey! How are ya?
Lady: I'm good. I didn't know that you live here
(Thinking: Ok.. who the %$&! is this?!!)
Me: Uh.. yeah.... I, errr.. uh.. I live here. Do you live here?
(Thinking: Ok.. who is this person, and how does she know me?!!)
Lady: Oh, no, I was visiting . I recognized you from when you were at my restaurant, T-------.
(Thinking: That's who it is! She's the owner of T------ (nearby restaurant). She must have seen me there a few days ago, with my friends)
Me: Oh, right. Yeah, I was there last Friday with some friends.
Lady: Oh, I didn't see you then, but it was really busy. I remember another time when you came in for take-away b-------p.
(Thinking: take-away b-------p? When was that? Wait a minute... that was in March! What the heck! That's a little scary)
Me: (lauging awkwardly) Oh yeah, I.. uh... remember that.

Wonder why I'm collecting all these stalkers? Must be the accent, haha... eh, TS? =)

Update

I went to S's baptism yesterday. It's incredible to see the changes that have taken place in her life in such a short period of time. It was also awsome to hear her testimony, and to see how God has been working through so many people to impact her life. God can do amazing things when we surrender our will and allow Him to use us for his purposes.

I used to ask God to help me.
Then I asked if I might help Him.
I ended by asking Him
to do his work through me.
-Hudson Taylor- (Missionary to China 1800s)

Illogical and amazing

It seems Elaine has already beat me to blogging about the good news. And before your minds start to wander, and the ladies start to panic.... relax!... Jason is still single, hehe =)

No, here's the deal. I found out that this girl I met, who I had the chance to share about my faith with, accepted Christ and is getting baptised tomorrow. The day we met, and I first shared with her, was probably the most wild, out-of-my-comfort-zone, wholly-depending-on-God, kind of day of my life. It was also one of the biggest learning experiences of my Christian life, and something that continues to impact me to this day. The way God works never ceases to baffle and amaze me.

Long-story short: You never know how God has been working in and through the people around you. God will put you into situations, and bring people into your life, in order to have an impact of them.

Read the full story here:

Part 1

Part 2

Perspective

Sun Yat-Sen Garden (Vancouver, Canada)

"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards"
- Soren Kierkegaard -

Swarms

Recent conversation with my landlady:

J: There seems to be a problem with wasps "w-ă-spsss" getting into the apartment
M: With what?
J: Wasps
M: I'm sorry, what?
J: Wasps! Oh wait, maybe you have a different name for them here in Australia. They're a kind of insect, kinda like bees. In Canada, we call them wasps.
M: Oh, you mean wasps "w-awwww-sps" (in a thick British accent)
J: (thinking: isn't that what I've been saying?!) Uh yeah... that's what I meant!

Later that afternoon:

View from my apartment window (Perth, Australia)

This was the lovely scene out my apartment window on Thursday afternoon. It's a bit hard to tell from the picture, but all those black dots are bees (which I thought were wasps at first) . There were literally a thousand of them out there. I was just sitting at my computer when I heard what sounded like somebody throwing rocks at my window, along with this strange humming. When I went to investigate that's what I found.

Earlier in the day, I'd had an epic battle with several bees that had managed to make their way into my apartment. Hunting bees definitely isn't as easy as flies or mosquitos. Besides their obvious offensive (stinging) advantage, bees are also smarter and tend to land lot less frequently. These bees in particular sought to exploit the terrain of my apartment to their advantage.

Battle #1: My first battle was against this one particular bee that refused to leave the flourescent overhead light, even after I turned it off. This was really smart because there's no cover on the light, so I couldn't swat it there, or risk knocking the lightbulbs down. I found this ancient can of fly spray under my sink so I tried spraying the bee with that. It didn't kill it, but it was enough to disorient it, and forced it to land, and so I was able to get it.

Battle #2: This is the type of battle that legends are made of. This bee was a worthy adversary. Upon being detected by me, it found an ingenious hiding place. I knew it was around the window by my bed. I searched the window high and low. I could hear it, but I just couldn't see it. Realizing I need lay low, and take stock, I sat down and waited and listened. The buzzing.. it was coming from down beneath. I look, the bee was hiding in the window track. Realizing this was my chance, I hit it with the fly spray. No effect! Darn! Using my weapon of choice, a pen, I move in for some hand-to-hand combat. I was quickly outwitted, however, as the bee managed to hide just beyond the reach of my pen. Finally, I decide to go midevil on it and hit it from above with somekind of scalding liquid. Seaching my apartment, I settled on hydrogen peroxide. I moved in, and launched a volley (dropper full) of hydrogen peroxide on it. I then sat back, and waitied to see if this attack was successful. My adversary proved resiliant and held on for several minutes before sucombing to the hydrogen peroxide. I can say in all honesty, by the end, this bee had earned my respect. I actually felt a bit sad that it had to end that way. I was worthy opponent.

Update: The next day pest control came. Apparently bees were making a home in the vents in several apartments, including my own. They fumugated my vents, but they'll have to come back next week to finish some of the other apartments.

For the record: Just so you don't think I'm totally cruel, I don't support violence against animals. Bees on the other hand... *wink wink* =)

Sights of Sydney

Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia)

Harbour Bridge (Sydney, Australia)

I don't actually live in Sydney, but I thought I'd give a shout out to my adopted homeland and post pics of a few familiar Aussie sights. These pics are from my trip to Sydney in June. These were taken during the approximately 2 hours that it wasn't raining. All my other pics were completely washed out.

Hyde Park (Sydney, Australia)

Here's a picture of the rain I talked about. In this particular shot, I got caught in the middle Hyde Park when the clouds just burst open. Without warning, it just started to pour... no sprinkling, no drizzle.... out of nowhere, it just poured! There wasn't much shelter in the park, so I took cover under a tree. Even with the tree and my umbrella, the rain was coming down so hard that I got completely soaked. Besides soaking my clothes, it also drenched my backpack, ruining my Lonely Planet guide... and worse.... my ipod... which I forgot was in there. ARGH!!!!

I'll be spending a day or 2 in Sydney on my way back home next month, so hopefully I'll get some sunshine.

First Steps

Mount Royal Hike (Montreal, Canada)

It all had to begin somewhere. In my case it was 2 years ago, on a fellowship hike on Mount Royal. Since that time, my love of it has only grown. I'm speaking, of course, of photography.
For me specifically, I've been captivated by nature photography, although I do occasionally like to photograph other sights. Some of my female friends (you know who you are, haha) have commented that I'd rather find my "pretty models" among the flowers and trees, than among them, haha... Well... that's probably true! People move, people get red-eye, trees don't, buildings don't! Don't take it personally though, I still think you're pretty =)

This is my 4th attempt at blogging. While my original blog survived for over 2 years, the latter 2 forays proved short-lived. My idea is for this site is for it to be a photoblog, where I can post some of the random photos I've taken. I've got quite a few saved up from the past 2 years, so hopefully that'll give me plenty to blog about for the time being.

Sorry to disappoint, but this probably won't be the place to catch up on all my deepest feelings, or personal gossip. I'll leave the Jason gossip to Elaine and her blog, haha. Yes Elaine... I like it when you post those embarrasing stories about me =P

Thanks for reading, and hope you like the photos =)