Blog Post #12

Eyjafjallajökull was an unknown town in Iceland to most Americans until the volcano near the site began to erupt. The volcano is thought to have began erupting on March 20, 2010, but the cloud of ash that is hovering over the country now took affect on April 14. The eruption is causing many complications worldwide. The location of the volcano is fairly convenient since is is surrounded by water, but the effects it will cause on the sea life will be fatal. The huge cloud of ash is not just hovering over the country either; the enormous cloud is moving toward Europe and the United Kingdom affecting their economies as well.

By late Sunday, April 18, more than 63,000 flights had been cancelled in 23 European countries. Although the lack of travel causes many inconveniences for people traveling, the loss of air transportation affects many other nations as well. For instance, many American flights to and from Europe were cancelled and huge amounts of Africa's exports cannot be shipped and are rotting in warehouses instead. The Iceland economy must be suffering tremendously, but it is crazy how the catastrophe can affect so many other countries on opposite sides of the globe.

The last time the volcano had any activity was back in 1821 and the spewing ash and lava lasted about 2 years. Extreme obstacles would step into play if the huge cloud of ash were to continue throughout the year. An economic downturn could take place. The volcano itself is not the main problem; the bigger issue is what it creates: ash. Down below the outer layer of the earth's crust, hot volcanic rock passes through overlying ice as it emerges from beneath the earth, which produces fine ash. The eruptions, however, have made the Iceland soil rich in lava deposits. The volcanoes also play a major role in Iceland's topography as well as the vegetation and plant growth. Overall, the volcanoes play a prime role in creating the country's atmosphere and natural conditions.

The whole volcano disaster is showing Iceland's true colors. Not only are the people worried about how to handle the troubling issue at hand, they also worry about the future. I am sure the people in government positions are working as hard as they can to fix what they are experiencing. Volcanic ash and gasses that are released from the volcano cause many temperature changes and can be acidic, damaging engines. The ash can also cause many health problems if people inhale too much of it, especially for people with asthma and other respiratory problems. Developing a sickness while trying to fight through a volcanic eruption would be a disaster, but more medical aid will eventually be there to help.

The lack of air-travel is very troublesome. They cannot fly through the massive cloud of ash, they would not make it. Without planes to take people out of the country, transporting people to safer conditions proves to be difficult. Cars have a hard time trudging it out through the layers of ash that cover the ground as well as the ash that obstructs the view of the oncoming traffic or other obstacles. Importing resources and aid is also difficult to complete without air transportation. Everything seems like it just keeps getting worse, but Trust in the Lord and He will provide for all your needs.

Blog Post #11

When visiting the website for Concordia International School Shanghai, I found a lot of interesting facts about the school and the country. The school itself accepts children in all grades from preschool through high school. Over the years, the school has continued to grow. Since they opened the school in 1998, they have gone from having 22 students to over 1,000 and hope to continue growing as the years pass by.

Being admitted into the school does take a little more than just an application, however. Everything comes at a price and here, the prices are pretty steep. Tuition for attending this Concordia in Shanghai is about like attending any Concordia here in the states...expensive. Reaching above $28,000 shows that there are some wealthier people in the country that value their children's education to the extent that they would want to send them to this school despite the cost. With that as well, China doesn't have many options for education as we do in the United States. The parents know what they are doing when they send their children to Concordia Shanghai. Growing in your faith with Jesus Christ through your education in such a country allows from more and more disciples to share the good news.

The development of this school is such a great way to witness in foreign countries. Using our gifts in educating and spreading the love encourages others to join. The teachers at the school appear to be making great efforts in reflecting the light of Christ. With the increasing number of students, there also needs to be an increasing number of teachers to keep that one on one basis applicable. To enhance students learning, the class sizes are limited so the teachers are not overwhelmed and are allowed that time for one on one reflection. The students are there to learn and the teachers are there to be good examples for their students. Besides their individual subjects, the instructors also teach values like integrity, respect, responsibility, and service. The students are encouraged to learn and want to learn so they can continue to grow in all areas of life.

As an education major, I was interested in teaching in a foreign country. Although my first thought was Tanzania, I think teaching in China would be an incredible experience. Besides the different language, food, religious practices, and atmosphere, the way of life the Chinese people have compared to Americans would be intriguing to experience first hand. They see things from a different view that would make me think about my priorities and what really mattered to me. I have heard that people who taught in foreign countries and then returned to the U.S. found that we do not appreciate our education like the children of other countries do. They see their education as a gift whereas we see it as something our parents make us do so we can go to college and eventually get a job. While looking through the website, I found a list of the teachers' salaries. I was extremely surprised at the numbers. I never expected a Lutheran school teacher to be making more in China than they do here. To start out making over 40 grand would be crazy as a teacher in the United States. Being able to get hired there is a different story, though. The teachers' average years of experience is 14 years and 60% of the teaching staff has a master's degree or higher. The job opportunity is still there for college graduates though, and being able to witness your faith to people in a foreign country would be an amazing and worthwhile experience.

As Lutherans and other religions send out missionaries to other countries, our globalizing world continues to change. The set cultures begin to mix and adapt to new beliefs and as time passes, the whole thing can evolve to be something very different from what it started out to be. The small Concordia International School is only a step into the globalizing world. The people at Shanghai see it as their calling to be teaching the students at Concordia. Maybe with time, I will know what I should do with my abilities.

Blog Post #10

Throughout my life, my mother has always told me I am a picky eater. On the other hand, I like to eat...a lot! My diet, however, consists of fairly plain foods. The taste is not usually what makes me cringe when trying exotic foods, but the smell of the ingredients. If I cannot get past the smell of the platter in front of me, my tasting the meal is less than likely. The foods I eat, though, are much different, and probably seem strange, to people from other countries. Although my diet is normal for the average Nebraska farming family, persons from China would have a hard time getting used to the huge chunk of beef, potatoes, and corn as their main meal for the day.

Eating out is beginning to be a natural pastime for American families. All the fast food restaurants, Chinese buffets, mongolian grills, Japanese cuisines, and countless others support the globalization in America. Even though these dining places claim ethnicity, they are merely Americanized versions. After visiting a foreign country, many people have said that the food we think is authentic is solely an illusion. The food, in all reality, is much different and often much better than we thought. A pastor from Hong Kong who spoke at our church talked about the food. He said just don't ask what is in it; just eat it if you like it and leave it at that. He also said, when eating at someone's house, it is impolite to clean your plate because that would mean they didn't make enough food. Therefore, if you don't like the entree after tasting a bite, simply rub your stomach and plead "Oh so full!"

Overall, I think that the differing diets are mostly caused by the difference in culture and the geography of the land. The people eat what is available to them in their country. Accessibility is the main issue. As globalization continues to grow, more and more of the foods we eat here in America will be available in foreign countries as well. Same with the foreign countries, their foods and cultures will continue to mix within America and may someday change our "normal" eating habits. McDonald's has already become globalized. They can be found in numerous countries worldwide, as can various other restaurants.

What we eat and where we live coincide. Our culture can determine those aspects. From our parents to our children, we continue to grow and change. Our diets fluctuate as we age, but some things will never change. My family, my past, and my God will never change, but stay the same for eternity.

Blog Post #9

Although Eike Batista, 53, is not the richest man in the world, he is the richest man in the country of Brazil. Slipping short of the being the richest didn't keep him from being the biggest gainer in dollars worldwide. Just over the past twelve months he has added a whopping $19.5 billion to his personal balance sheet. He continues striving to become the richest man in the world. Looking at how he jumped from #61 with 7.5 billion to #8 with $27 billion, I would say he is doing pretty well in achieving his goal.

According to Forbes list, Batista self-made his billions through mining and oil . In 2007, Batista founded the OGX, an oil-and-gas exploration company. It was through this company that Batista made most of his billions. Living in Rio De Janeiro, Batista is one of the eighteen billionaires in Brazil, but he occupies about a third of the total billionaire net worth.

Life is worth much more than any amount of money. Being able to do what one loves is priceless; there is no amount of money that can pay the price. It is interesting to see the lists of billionaires on Forbes and think about how that money is being used. According to one of the movies on the websites also talks about how Warren Buffett is giving away loads of money to charity. It is nice to hear that some people will give what they have to help those in need.

The map below shows the different countries with billionaires. America significantly outnumbers every other country by number of billionaires and their overall net worth. This, however, is not something to be prideful of exactly. In a way, our society is hurting because of the misdistribution of wealth here in the states and in other parts of the world. The rich are extremely affluent and the poor are extraordinarily in need of a better life style.

The bad thing is, most people don't realize they have enough. They can always use more, more, more. Looking at the number of people in Africa that don't even have enough money to buy the necessities too live, I was surprised to see that there were any billionaires there at all. Brazil, too, is a big country but not exactly known for its wealth. Eike Batista seems to be doing pretty well though. Someday, I bet he will make it to being #1, but until then Carlos Slim Helu has the spot for 1st with a net worth of $53.3 billion.

Blog Post #8

Even before I started taking this geography class, I wanted to travel. Now, after seeing so many amazing snapshots from other parts of the world, I want to travel even more. This video caught my eye with all the glorious views of the outdoors. Most people today know New Zealand as the home of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but this video shows the land in a different viewpoint: the outdoors.

I love bicycling and hiking, and I would love to go kayaking down a river; however, these are only some of the activities you can do. Numerous amounts of exotic animals fill the country that you can swim with and or watch, including dolphins, whales, seals, and even penguins. Bubbling mud also occupies a portion of the land where there is still volcanic activity. Auckland, located in the North island, contains much of the population, but also includes more boats per person than any other city. The large number of boats provides tourists with a chance to go sailing as well. From beaches to snowy alps, New Zealand has a wonderful variety of scenery.

Taking the time to travel gives a person the chance to see the wonderful world God has made. Visiting these foreign lands can also remove us from our own lives and give a chance to relax and meditate on other things. The wonderful outdoors and few amount of people in the South island of New Zealand sets up a delightful atmosphere for tourists, let alone a world of activities to take part in. New Zealand's culture is acutely different from ours. Christchurch, located in the South island, was colonized by the British and is sometimes referred to as the most English city outside of England. The Kiwian people, called that after the native bird, the Kiwi, have an interesting religion oriented much toward nature. The geography, the religion, and many other aspects shape the New Zealand culture.

Traveling is a great way to see other cultures up close. Although I know I do not have to travel to do activities like the ones mentioned, I would have the chance to see the world while doing the things that I love to do. Besides New Zealand, there are many other parts of the world I would love to visit also. After college, I hope to take the time to take a trip to far away lands and see the world through new eyes; not only to lands in foreign places, but also places here in the United States. This journey, however, starts here in Nebraska, my homeland.

Blog Post #7

Having the sand squish between your toes while soaking up the sun on South Padre Island in south Texas...what a great way to spend spring break! My oldest sister, Katie, lives just twenty minutes from South Padre. The warm temperatures feel wonderful compared to the cold, windy weather in Nebraska. Katie, who graduated from Concordia-Seward in 2007, is a teacher at St. Paul's Lutheran School in McAllen. She really enjoys teaching music and the warm weather year-round.

I visited Katie and her husband last summer for a youth retreat at St Paul. The trip was a blast! It was incredibly warm, though. The weatherman even cautioned people from going outside for more than ten minutes at a time. McAllen is known as the hottest location in Texas. The city lies in the Texas Valley with annual temperatures in the mid-70s. Besides warm temperatures, however, Texas also encounters quite a few tornadoes averaging 153 per year. Parts of Texas also face hurricanes occasionally. Although Katie had been in tornado situations before, facing a hurricane in September of 2008 was a new experience. It is interesting to see how the climate in an area can influence a person's understanding of the world.

Spring break would have been pretty sweet on the beach in south Texas, I only wish it were true! Instead of soaking up the sun or feeling the sand on my feet, I was in Nebraska tackling the inclement weather with the Concordia softball team. On the other hand, my sister Natalie, who attends Concordia, was able to make the trip. I got very jealous when she sent me pictures of herself at the beach, especially when we had just played a softball game in the freezing rain. The softball team didn't get to travel far for spring break this year; hopefully next year we can make the trip to California or Florida. The Friday before spring break we were able to play in Springfield, Missouri but it rained and was extremely cold which ending up canceling the games that were supposed to be played on Saturday. Overall, we haven't been able to play much softball, but spring break is still spring break even if there is no sun for the majority of the time.

Blog Post #6

When I first think of the Holy Land, I think of Jerusalem and I remember the stories in the Bible: the Old Testament and Jesus' life and ministry. Not only was Jesus born in Bethlehem only six miles south of Jerusalem, but a lot of his preaching was in Jerusalem and other nearby cities. On the other hand, Jews and Muslims occupy the majority of the land.

Stated in this video, Muslims are instructed to take a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah), Saudi Arabia, which was where the prophet Muhammad and the Muslim religion were born. The pilgrimage is called the Hajj, which all Muslims with good health and sufficient funds are supposed to complete at least once in their life. It surprises me to hear that less than 10 percent of all Muslims actually make the pilgrimage since, in the photo, there are around two million people. During the Hajj, the Muslim nation is directed to walk around the Ka'ba shrine seven times along with various other tasks.

The Muslim religion is predominantly in Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and many more. Indonesia, however, is the largest Muslim country by population containing around 15 percent of the world's Muslims. When people mention Muslims, one of our first instincts is to think of the Arab population. The speaker, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb noted that most of the Muslim population is not even from Arab countries and vice versa. The fact that most of Saudi Arabia is mostly Islamic really affects the culture, especially in the city of Mecca.

The religious beliefs and customs for the Islamic people really affect the overall culture in the area. Mecca is the Holy Land for Muslims where no one else is allowed to enter the Ihram, because it is the spiritual state of purity the Muslims enters when going to the Ka'ba. The video describes just how important the Hajj is to Muslims and through the video you can see how serious some of the Muslims take their beliefs. Besides the Hajj, the Islam religion has four other pillars the Muslims are supposed to follow including the belief in Allah, praying five times a day while facing Mecca, charitable donations, and fasting during Ramadan. Muslims who follow each of these five pillars must be extremely devoted. Each day of following the five pillars affects how the Muslim people would act and look at life. The strictness of the religion can affect the decisions the followers of Islam make. For example, according to our textbook, Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol and instructed to lead moderate lives. Also, there are two types of Muslims that differ culturally. The Sunni dominate with 73 percent of the region's Muslims and the Shiites carry 23 percent. The differences between the two are in how power is passed on. The Shiites favor the passing of power through Muhammad's own family, where as the Sunnis uphold the passing of power through established clergy. Overall, the religion in the Southwest Asia and North African region really affects the culture throughout the land.