Posted on February 8th, 2009 by Chris under Events.
We survived a weekend locked in a room together
We set a high precedent this past weekend at our first ever Germany Team Retreat. We traveled to the lovely Schönmünzach with our whole team (including Tyler who is 50% complete with his fundraising) as a chance to get away and bond. Our retreat speaker was Allen Kemper, an old friend to all of us.
Schönmünzach is a little town in the Black Forest (or Schwarzwald) that is a great place for hikers to go in the summer and cross country skiers to go in the winter. This time of year, when there’s no snow but still really cold, the place is dead so the 6 of us basically owned the town. Though we weren’t there to sightsee.
We spent the weekend gathered in the living room of our little rented house and talked. Allen Kemper, veteran Globalscoper from Salamanca, Spain and Bangkok, Thailand led us in discussions about our strengths, weaknesses, frustrations, goals, etc., as well as giving us insight into his past experience and other Globalscope teams’ experiences.
Overall it was a great weekend! We had fun, we laughed, we cried, we argued, and we resolved. And let us not forget who walked away as “Lord of Catan”. (me)
Posted on February 1st, 2009 by Chris under Dreaming.
When I think of a kitchen, I am brought back to childhood. Isn’t everybody? Mom’s (or Dad’s) cooking up something for the family dinner, kids gathering around trying to get a taste. The aroma of a home cooked meal brings the family flocking to the table to enjoy a meal together. Later in life (z.B. as a college student) we still flock home for a meal when we can. Anything to beat Ramen Noodles for the 5th night in a row, which they have here too by the way. We come for the food, but we stay for family. It is engrained in us all that desire to be together, especially around the table.
For college students, the one thing that always brought me to anything, free food. I came for the food, but I stayed for the fellowship. That is what the kitchen in our campus house will provide. Food. Lots and lots of food. I could end it here… but I’ll give more details of what I see.
We all love to cook in our own special ways: Beth loves to bake bread and make pizza, Stef loves to cook Asian food, I love to experiment with Italian recipes and Chandler is the grill master. We all see ourselves cooking meals for students, having cooking groups with students and hanging out in what is definitely the most unique room in the house with students, talking about life while simmering, rolling, stirring, watching, and whatever else one does to prepare food.
