beyond the green

With no cell phone reception and spotty satellite internet, I’ve enjoyed being able to focus on the people we are around.

On Sunday, Will and I met a woman who, after conversation during potluck lunch, invited us to join her on her running route by the ruins of an old Mennonite church atop “Third Mesa.” An amazing experience: running a gradual rise in the soft sand of a shaded valley; climbing the same steep stone paths used centuries ago by Hopi women carrying water to the nearby village perched defensively at the edge of the mesa; hearing description of the history of the struggles of this church, twice struck by lightening and burnt to the ground leaving only stone walls and arches; humbled by the view of the setting sun behind the far off San Francisco peaks; but also hearing first hand of the experience of a woman caught between Hopi and Christian tradition and beliefs.

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Well, talk about sand! Today is our first full day in Kykotsmovi, AZ and we are having a bad sand storm. Welcome to the Hopi Nation in the high desert in the four corners region.

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It is not every day that a renowned music group comes to perform at a small college such as Bethel. But yesterday as I was walking through the Fine Arts Center on campus I heard the most amazing sounds of brass instruments warming up in the wings of Krehbiel Auditorium. So I stopped what I was doing and sat down in one of the cushy theater seats towards the back of the room.

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Culture consists of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, ceremonies and symbols.

One aspect that comes to my mind when thinking about culture is food. Countries have specific kinds of food, different ways of preparing meals and different eating habits. There are specific meals for different countries by names of restaurants, for example. There are Asian restaurants, Mexican food seems to be pretty popular in the U.S. and there is even a German restaurant, Imbiss, in Wichita. At the German Imbiss you can get meals called “Bratwurst,” “Kartoffelsalat,” “Sauerkraut” and “Wienerschnitzel” (a German dish, although it is named after Austria’s capital).

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If you have ever experienced Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, then you no doubt recall the role of the “First Priest.” The First Priest’s memorable (and only) line, “He is virtuous?” helps to set the tone for Act II, and his several other appearances as an escort for the “lead” characters and a member of the chorus of priests make the role especially important to the overall plot of the show. Fortunately, as a member of the 2008 cast of The Magic Flute at Bethel this week, I am up to the challenge.

(Removes tongue from cheek.)

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