Categories: anxiety, holidays, friends, concerts, other-churches
Date: 09 December 2008 21:23:12
Plenty more fun here in San José. If you want to be bored by far too many photos, click here: I'll continue to add in more.
Friday a friend took me down to downtown and we looked at St Joseph's Cathedral as well as the social ministry next door [which he volunteered in previously]. We then had a nice cup of coffee, where I realised I had left my wallet at home. He kindly gave me $20 which was very kind. I looked at the, to me, futuristic-style Town Hall, including a fascinating series of photos of past times in the city, before heading to Dr Martin Luther King Library and San José State Uni. Then back to my friend's place before heading off to "Outback Steakhouse" for dinner with Melissa.
A wonderful meal and wonderful to catch up with Melissa. A variety of entertaining names on the menu [my dessert was the Sydney Sinful Sundae -- mmmmmm] as well. While waiting for Melissa [I got there early], I got talking to a woman who seemed fascinated by my accent and wanted me to keep talking! Which I confess was very difficult for shy and retiring me. :) After dinner we headed to meet my friends, who were having dinner with a friend, and then Melissa came back to my friend's place and we chatted away until the early morning. Great to see you again Mel!
Saturday was a trip over the Golden Gate to the harbourside suburb of Sausalito and then a walk through the magnificent redwoods of Muir Woods. Stunning. Sadly, that night my anxiety flared so I went to bed quite early -- feeling bad that I was not hanging around my friends. I think it flared due to me being invited to a party Sunday morning [which I did not end up going to]: unfamiliar, sometimes even familiar, social situations can trigger it. The anxiety really only departed this morning: what a pain our fallen nature can be!
Sunday I headed off early to downtown, and promptly realised there was a parade on! Wow. A real American Christmas parade. I watched quite a bit of it, fascinated by it all, had a coffee and cake break, and then watched some more. Truly amazing to see the bands and costumes and people and helium balloons and emergency personnel and everyone else. It was very fascinating to see an American parade.
After that it was delights of a more spiritual nature: Mass at St Joseph's. Beautiful. Afterwards I complemented, as I always try to, the choir director and the choir: to which the choir director responded with surprised thanks as well as a "I saw you singing." [I was sitting near them]. I apologised, stating God gave me volume not tune -- which got a laugh. It was then to the Assyrian Church for their afternoon Eucharistic Service [Holy Qurbana], where my friends met me after going to the party. Another beautiful, and moving, service: I do so love the liturgy and the melodies of the hymns and chants, of the Assyrian Church. Two Asians, a Chinese and a Japanese man, attend the service also: I met them afterwards, as well as meeting many others. Another joyous and blessed afternoon -- even if my anxiety was still around which meant an early night.
Monday I slept in [8:30am -- oh my!] and made my way downtown for lunch with a fellow from Ship of Fools. We lunched in a brewery chain, enjoying some wonderful beer, great food and even better conversation: truly wonderful to meet him. I hope I can catch up with him another time. I then caught a bus to make my way to the Winchester Mystery House, sadly heading in the wrong direction once I got off due to me reading the map legend incorrectly. When I did eventually get there it was too late to go in, so I consoled myself with a hot chocolate and burger in a nearby diner.
It was then back downtown to meet my friends for a sing-a-long Messiah, held at the California Theatre. What fun! I bought a score, and with a friend and I deciding we'd sing tenor for choruses and solos, and bass for solos as well, it was a great deal of fun -- even if our singing was not in tune, or time. But it was great fun to sing-a-long with an orchestra and many, many others.
Today I did some washing and am lazing around my friend's house. I think I'll head down the shops now and get some lunch. I am off to San Diego for the day tomorrow to look at a tollroad's customer service section [for work] and then Toronto the day after. I cannot believe I have been here for a week -- it has flown by. But I have loved every minute, and it has been great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Thanks be to God.