Corinne's Blog

i’m going to do a few posts on this subject: I did videos along my trip that I’m going to post here:

I’m not sure if they’re in order but I think I did them right…the first flight I took was from Saint Paul MN to Atlanta Georgia. I have an uncle in Atlanta that my mom told me I should call but when i got there I only have 10 minutes between getting off one plane and going to my next terminal to board the next so i didn’t call him. And what would be the point calling and saying “I’m in Atlanta for another 5 minutes…and I wanted to say HI!” i could call and say Hi anytime…if I hadn’t before why now?

The 2nd flight was from Atlanta to Newark New Jersey while I was in that airport I was delayed for about 4 hours so I went to a Rudys 50s style diner and then I walked around trying to find my gate until my feet turned purple…the gate was 136 but the ticket said gate 96 so I went to gate 96 first only to have to look at the maps to find that 136 was on the other side of the airport. Fun, fun, fun!…

My flight from New Jersey was to Ireland and I was the only black person on the flight. That was by far the best flight because I was with two men named Chris and Steve and they were really nice and we laughed and watched many movies together. Chris slept a lot and Steve talked about how he moved to America after living in Scotland and how he was coming back home after about seven or eight years. I saw the movies House Bunny and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I was in a great mood when i got off the plane early at 8am when I was supposed to be arriving at 8:50. But sadly that mood changed when I was stopped at Immigration and interigated for 3 hours(that is a story saved for another Blog post I plan on titling’Oh how I hate Belfast International Airport!’)

I’d been keeping a video diary of sorts of my trip so I’m going to post them.

along with some pictures.

My last flight was one of Monday where I was so excited that I lived yet again through Belfast international Airport and I spent $100 on a bag full of sweaters that was 5kgs overweight when I was ‘only allowed 20′ I lived through it because I was going to see the love of my life…Craig (who is now sleeping in the next room)

Here are the videos I made on my Journey:

Corinne Salone

Polk

C.S. Lewis Faith and Fiction Final Paper

Finding the Spiritual Path

Life gives you base to doubt your faith, people are more willing to doubt their faith during religious struggles in their spiritual journey. Lewis shows his characters going though many physical and spiritual struggles to show his readers how a faithful Christian’s path can end with a happy ending and that they can overcome obstacles. Lewis’s spiritual journey is not always easy and they learn in many different ways.

C.S Lewis’s books have room for change. In The Chronicles of Narnia—Lewis introduces his reader to a number of different characters. These characters are often young and in an age where they are still influenced by the world around them. They have not fully created their own beliefs and are constantly changing and open to change. Lewis’s characters are not quite complete and haven’t fully found themselves. Studies show that children under the age of six first begin to start developing the emotional, physical and social skills to survive in the world. Spiritually children begin to develop an attention span and the comprehension skills to pay attention in a Spiritual environment around the age of ten years old. Lewis’ characters in The Chronicles of Narnia begin around the age of ten and range to young adulthood. This is the time in many lives that the human body develops the most. The Spiritual body goes through many changes during this time as well. It is essential that Lewis’s characters are developing in his novels spiritually and physically. C.S Lewis creates a base for the reader’s spiritual journey to begin by giving the reader characters that they can travel with.

In “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”, the character of Lucy is considered not as wise and composed as her older brothers and sister because she is still open to change in her world. Her older siblings do not take what she says seriously when she first speaks of having discovered a wardrobe that acts as a doorway to another world. When the disciples in the bible first try to tell the people about how Jesus Christ was the only doorway into heaven many people who were thought to be older and wiser doubted them. Lucy’s character starts her journey through Christianity at a younger more influential age and she believes everything that Aslan says to her when her brothers and sister doubt that Aslan is to be trusted. Lucy’s journey begins with faithfulness and through her Lewis shows one way a Christian’s journey can begin. It is later in the second book of the series, Prince Caspian; the character of Lucy is shown for her true wisdom and faith when she is the only one to be able to see Aslan when he has returned.

Another example of a Spiritual journey that begins in The Chronicles of Narnia is the journey of Edmund, the older brother to Lucy by a couple of years. Edmund’s journey doesn’t start as smoothly as Lucy’s does. Edmund is a great example of someone who doesn’t follow the right path in their journey and finds a fork in the road in which they are forced to make the decision between choosing between good and evil. Edmund is going down the wrong path when he begins the story because he is constantly breaking the eighth or in some places the ninth commandment that “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”. Edmund is constantly found lying to his family. When he enters his spiritual journey he allows himself to become tempted by the evils that are around him. Temptations are one of the obstacles that C.S Lewis focuses on when he write about obstacles in a spiritual journey.

Similar to what happens to Mark Gainsby Studdock in That Hideous Strength; Edmund finds himself tempted by the possibility of great power being in his future. Edmunds spiritual journey takes a turn for the worst when he is taken prisoner by the White Witch. It is only at that point that Edmund realizes that what he has done is truly wrong and that he’s on the wrong spiritual path. Edmund and Mark Studdock both become prisoners to the evil that they were trying to become a part of. When they have no where left to turn they find themselves turning to the hope and a faith in what is out there.

A turn in C.S Lewis’s spiritual journey often comes in a time of trial: Edmund and Mark were both having trouble when they self examined themselves and made a spiritual turn in the right direction. They are not the only characters that Lewis shows making a change in a time of need. In Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle C.S Lewis’s character King Tirian finds himself tied to a tree and calls out to Aslan, the divine Jesus-like character, in the Chronicles of Narnia. When King Tirian calls out to Aslan his fate begins to change and he has a vision. By doing so, C.S. Lewis shows that God may come to characters in their spiritual journey in strange ways.

Many times God has appeared to his followers in visions and dreams. When they are shown the dreams and visions they are given the choice to believe what the vision says and have faith to go on the right path. Or Lewis’s characters rather to go on the wrong path and deny the visions they have and continue with what they are doing. In the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale God tells Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and Jonah decides he wants to escape from the presence of God and not take the commission that God has given him. With some persuasion God gets Jonah to finally make the decision to obey what he’s been told. In C.S. Lewis’s books his characters on their journeys are often given commissions they must follow and he shows how God has sovereignty, mercy and righteousness with his people and with the characters of the books. Mark and Edmund need mercy and forgiveness and it is received. In That Hideous Strength it takes many trials for protagonist Jane Tudor Studdock, a clairvoyant dream-seer, to finally realize that the ways she had been following may not have been the best way. She made the decision on her own much like her husband did to do more to learn about the other new path.

A person can be raised into it but they need to make the decision for themselves In C.S. Lewis’s book a character can be raised in a Christian household and think they are almighty but that doesn’t protect them from the wrongs and the trials. The characters in C.S Lewis’s book are never above their leader and great commander. Aslan is much more powerful than any of the Pevensie children when they are kings and queens. However the Pevensies still have the ability to do wrong in the last battle we discover that Susan Pevensie is no longer a friend of Narnia. She has made that decision herself after having completing her own commission. A person can lose their faith after having completed their commission. Jill Pole is given the task in The Silver Chair to find Prince Rilian. Her path is filled with obstacles that make her doubt her faith, she gets tempted and distracted by the thought of a beautiful city. It is when she realizes that her mission has gone astray that she begins to want to change and become a more focused person. It is hard to change your ways sometimes in your spiritual journey because the route to evil may look like it is the route to paradise and it may create false hopes. In the spiritual journey to Christianity a Christian must first examine themselves and their own wrong doing and repent. Changing from the path toward the bad city was hard for Jill Poles and her party to do because they had characters along with them that made them doubt if their journey was the right one and really for good.

Going further with your faith than you’re comfortable with is half of the battle when taking a spiritual journey. The character of Ransom in C.S Lewis’s Space Trilogy Perelandra endures terrible deeps and soaring heights to find the new Garden of Eden. His goal is to beat the evil Professor Weston. Ransom must endure pains of all kinds while he fights for his faith including a wound on his heel that seems to never heal. Temptation and vision play as large a role in Perelandra as they do in Lewis’ other novels. Ransom hears in the night what he realizes is a divine voice, commanding him to physically destroy the tempter. Ransom is highly reluctant, like many people are on their spiritual journey and he debates with the divine voice for the entire duration of the night. When Ransom realizes that it is his faith that will lead him on the right path he finds that the journey becomes a lot easier and he becomes a lot stronger. Ransom is able to fight Weston and send him to the fire pits of a volcano. But not before Weston scares Ransom into putting down part of his armor of faith, that is known as the armor of God. Weston scares Ransom by telling him of the horrors of hell. Weston uses that to make Ransom doubt his faith.

Having an obstacle that makes you doubt your faith Lewis’s characters always have an obstacle or many obstacles that make them doubt their faith. Those obstacles are often brought about by an antagonistic character who believes they know already how life should be. Christians are bound to encounter such people in their everyday lives. In Till We Have Faces the story of Psyche and Cupid as told through Psyche’s sister Orual’s perspective Lewis sees Orual become an antagonistic character and tempt her sister into doubting her husband. In The Screwtape Letters a work of Christian Satire by Lewis, a demon named Screwtape writes a series of letters to his nephew Woodworm to teach his nephew how he, Screwtape, can and has begun to secure damnation to the people of the world. Screwtape tells his nephew thirty one different ways to undermine faithfulness and encourage sinful behavior. Lewis’s writing this book provides the average person great examples of how they might be put into a situation where their faith would be doubted. He shows these examples for Christians to see and figure out ways to get around them using their faith in self examination. In A Grief Observed, another book written by C.S. Lewis, he writes of his own struggles with faith after and during the cancer battle of his wife. He tells the reader about how he reached the lowest point in hating God but was still about to turn around and find that there is a future for him and the world. This brings the reader to my last part of the Spiritual journey.

Coming through the struggle with hope for a better tomorrow; C.S. Lewis’s books almost always end with hope. Even in The Silver Chair when we discoverer that Jill and Eustace may not have made it to Narnia at all because they got into a train accident that killed them we have the happy thought that they will be able to remain in Narnia forever. In the Bible the end comes for humankind in the form of the Apocalypse. Even after the terrible things that happen on earth God promises his people a new Heaven and Earth and that encourages Christians to continue on. Christians take communion in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s Death and resurrection. Corinthians 11:26 talks that as often as you eat and drink the body and the blood of Christ in communion you will proclaim the Lord’s Death until he comes. Practicing Christians take communion as a reaffirmation of their choice to remain on the spiritual path that God has set for them through Jesus Christ. Lewis journey began with a potential believer and a wardrobe but ended with the hope for a better tomorrow, one day. Lewis’s Narnia is only a reflection of what his real Narnia will be. Lewis creates his own heaven on earth as God prophecies.

C.S Lewis’s representation of the Spiritual journey isn’t always easy. His characters endure never ending wounds and visions. But they have faith that there is a hope for the future that is beyond what they can imagine. In Lewis’s land of Narnia that world is discovered but in the Space Trilogy thoughts of that world are only beginning.

In the last sunday Stealing there was a question: what is your favorite romantic song …I’ve been considering so I’m going to put together a list and post videos here for the viewing listening.

My first I’ve heard before but have never paid attention to until my boyfriend Craig posted it as his favorite romantic song…I’ve been listening to it all night and I feel that it’s appropriate to be added first. I’ve heard many versions and I love it.

If You\’re Not The One

Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman

I want to spend my lifetime loving you

There You are

Say it Somehow From Light in the Piazza my favorite musical

Younger Than Springtime

If I Love You

Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man

That’s Amore

One that makes me cry everytime: Juanes: Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor

Cuando el tiempo pasa y nos hacemos viejos nos empieza a parecer
(As time passes and we become old, it begins to seem)

Que pesan mas los daños que los mismos años al final
(that dangers weigh more on us than the years themselves in the end)

Por eso yo quiero que mis años pasen junto a ti mi amor eterno
(That’s why I want to spend my years next to you, my eternal love)

Junto a mi familia junto a mis amigos y mi voz
(together with my familly, friends, and my voice)
Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo si no tengo lo mejor
(Because I am worthless and I have nothing if I don’t have the best)

Tu amor y compañia en mi corazón
(of your love and company in my heart)
Y es que vale mas un año tardio que un siglo vació amor
(And it’s because a year late is better than an empty century)

Y es que vale mas tener bien llenito el corazón
(And it’s because it’s better to have a full heart)

Por eso yo quiero que en mi mente siempre tu cariño este bien fuerte
(That’s why I always want your strong affection in my mind)

Aunque estemos lejos o aunque estemos cerca del final
(even if we are far or near from the end)
Porque nada valgo porque nada tengo si no tengo lo mejor
(Because I am worthless and I have nothing if I don’t have the best)

Tu amor y compañia en mi corazón
(of your love and company in my heart)

Ven amor…
(Come love…)
Me siento débil cuando estoy sin ti
(I feel weak when I’m not with you)

Y me hago fuerte cuando estas aqui
(and I become strong when you’re here)

Sin ti yo ya no sé que es vivir
(Without you, I no longer know how to live)

Mi vida es un tunel sin tu luz
(My life is a tunnel without your light)

Quiero pasar mas tiempo junto a ti
(I want to spend more time next to you)

Recuperar las noches que perdi
(To get back that nights that I lost)

Vencer el miedo inmenso de morir
(To overcome the immense fear of dying)

Y ser eterno junto a ti
(and to be eternally next to you)

Everything i do

Kiss Me

and more…
You & Me” by Lifehouse
Frank Sinatra try some fun ones~!
“Collide” by Howie Day
“Out Of My League” by Steven Speaks
Question” by the Old 97′s
One Thing By Finger Eleven
We Danced by Brad Paisley
The Glory of Love – Bette Midler

Na Tum Jaano Na Hum From Kaho Na Pyaar Hai

NA TUM JAANO NA HUM
kyo.n chaltii hai pawan                  Why does the wind blow?
kyo.n jhuume hai gagan               Why does the sky swing?
kyo.n machalta hai man               Why does my heart grow fractious?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…
kyo.n aatii hai bahaar               Why does the spring come?
kyo.n luTta hai qaraar               Why does it rob me of peace?
kyo.n hota hai pyaar               Why does love happen?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…
ye madhoshiyaa.n ye tanhaa’iyaa.n               This rapture, this loneliness…
tasavvur me.n hai.n kiskii parchhaa’iyaa.n               Whose shadows linger in my imagination?
yeh bhiiga samaa uma.nge.n jawaan               This wet weather, the elation of youth,
mujhse ishq le jaa rahaa hai kahaa.n               where is love taking me away to?
kyo.n ghuum hai har dishaa               Why is every direction spinning around me?
kyo.n hota hai nashaa               Why does such intoxication exist?
kyo.n aata hai mazaa               Why does it bring such pleasure?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…
dhaRakta bhii hai taRapta bhii hai                It races;it pains me too:
yeh dil kyo.n achaanak bahakta bhii hai               why is this heart

suddenly staggering?
mahakta bhii hai chahakta bhii hai               It perfumes like a flower;

it warbles like a bird;
yeh dil kya vafa ko samajhta bhii hai          what does this heart even

understand of faithfulness?
kyo.n miltii hai nazar               Why do eyes meet?
kyo.n hota hai asar               Why does it have such an effect?
kyo.n hotii hai sahar               Why does the dawn break?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…
kyo.n chaltii hai pawan               Why does the wind blow?
kyo.n jhuume hai gagan               Why does the sky swing?
kyo.n machalta hai man               Why does my heart grow fractious?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…
kyo.n aatii hai bahaar               Why does the spring come?
kyo.n luTta hai qaraar               Why does it rob me of peace?
kyo.n hota hai pyaar               Why does love happen?
naa tum jaano naa ham…               Neither you nor I can know…

Craig went to bed while he was online with me because he was utterly exhausted and I knew it was all my fault. I’m letting him sleep and I hope the interwebs will let me on long enough so I can say good morning when he wakes. While he slept though I checked out somethings that I hadn’t in awhile. I told myself that I’d start Plurking again since I have an account and all of a sudden a lot more fans. I’d read most of Craig’s Plurks and I was curious of how much he mentioned me in other places. So I went and checked out Twitter. It was my surprise when I was only mentioned as ‘the girlfriend’ I’m not sure I’m happy about that or kinda numb. should I be in a good mood that Craig doesn’t want to type my name and would rather type something that takes a lot more effort? Am I upset that I’m only mentioned when he’s tired or when he’s talking about average things that a girlfriend would do?….no no! not at all. I’m not exactly sure why I feel I need to write something abotu being ‘the girlfriend’. I guess I’m happy I have the title but I know that it’s a perfect example to the vagueness that Craig has when he’s online. I love it but at the same time I want to just have him come out and say what is actually on his mind and not water it down. There’s one Twitter that made me think about my always nagging Craig about being vague: he says: that he just wants to pick up a mic and say what’s on his mind. And it made me think.

I keep wanting to pick up the mic. I just want to talk, keep talking, and get past all those problems I have with not talking all the time. 7:25 PM Nov 19th from web

Maybe I’m being to hard on him.

I guess I’m just trying to say that I’m kind of tired of having to life up to the girl and the awesome and I kinda just wanna be just Corinne.

Corinne did this…

Corinne and I were talking and this happened….

I feel that I can mention Craig and type his name with no problems when Craig can only say : I was talking to the bringer of awesome. I hope when Monday pulls around I can live up to the expectations Craig has for me as the girl of awesome…and I hope there will be a whole lot more of the two of us together posted up in the near future. We’ll see.

Till then ‘the girlfriend’ has homework to do and Craig to sleep watch (not in a creepy stocker way…well, kinda sorta) I for sure like Craig much better when he’s awake and smiling and not under covers…unless you know, I’m under the covers with him.

It’s amazing when things come to an end and you don’t feel like you’ve ever been in them at all. This first semester is ending and I feel like I’ve never been a college student for this long. I want break to start…NOW! I need to be writing 3 papers that are due tomorrow but I’m finding myself doing my normal routine. Checking my email, checking facebook, myspace…trying to chat with Craig I’m also check Plurk which is brand new to me. I can’t wait until Saturday because I’m getting on a plane and heading to Belfast soon after to be in Edinburgh with Craig on break. I can’t really get the next few days out of my head and I’ve found myself sleeping and having dreams where I got all my school work done, I won 1million dollars and break was started already.  I’m wondering what I’ll wear on Monday and I’m wondering if my life will be the same in the Spring when i come back to Hamline.

Today I informed my boss at Sorin Dining Hall that I would not be back for Winter Break and J-Term. He told me that I’d be missed and he wished me a great break if he didn’t get a chance to see me again. Now that I think about it, this is the last day that I’ll have to wash tables at Sorin hall in a MONTH AND A HALF! I’m practically quitting my job after this and I’ll have no steady/unsteady income for the rest of December until February…now I’m kinda worried about money. I hope most of my early Christmas presents this year are money. I don’t want to be a total burden on Craig’s bank account.

Gosh i can’t stop daydreaming! What will Scotland be like? Will I like Mince pie? How will my semester grades be? Did my missing my last orchestra concert make me flunk out of the class? Will my having quit qym mess with my GPA? Can I breath easy after my Calc final tomorrow? Will Craig’s family like my Christmas presents or should I spend my 18th buying them all new ones? Oh I’m so nervous!

Hey, this is Craig transcribing for Corinne and her new blog!  Say hi!

Sunday Stealing: The Battle of the Memes

1. When you buy a greetings card are the words or the picture more important to you?

The picture.  Well, actually. No, I look at the picture but if the words aren’t conveying the message I want I won’t buy it.

2. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them?

I buy them if I have the money, make if I don’t.

3. Are you going on holiday this year? If so, where?

SCOTLAND!!! <3

4. What was the best party you’ve ever been to?

The Delta-Tau party just because there was so much to do!

5. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like?

Oh my gosh!  That is long.  Ehm… Well, ehm… AHAH.  I can’t … like… You should write… Corinne could write a novel about this, so I’d rather people would just ask me.  But it would be exactly how I imagine it.  And all I can say is that it’ll thunderstorm the night of my wedding. And, ah, I want it to be a Christian ceremony… and… I can see it both indoors and outdoors but I’d prefer to have the wedding outdoors and the reception indoors.

6. What’s the most romantic thing that’s ever been said to you?

Oh… ehm… that’s a stupid question… it wasn’t completely said to me, but it was this poem.  I cried.. I’m not kidding it came around the time when I felt that there was nothing to look forwawrd to in Life, I was at summer camp working as a camp counselor and Craig posted it. At first I wasn’t sure that it was written about me but the hints are many and now I know it was. That, on top of when Craig first told me he loved me – and when he wrote a letter that told me he really knew me.

7. What’s your favorite romantic song?

Wow.  Another tough one!  WHY!!!

I have way too many to write one, but I’m still trying to figure one that me and Craig can have as OUR song – just as long as it’s something we can slowdance to.

8. Favorite heartbreak song?

Either a song by Journey or… ahm… I’ll say… gosh… Eydie Gorme – Tonight I’ll Say A Prayer

9. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with?

Either… ehm… Michael Vartan or the guy who plays in P.S. I Love You… He’s also… Harry Connick, Jr.

10. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful??

Kate Beckinsale

11. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive?

There is a big list, but I’d say the main character in the Bollywood movie Kaho Na Pyaar Hai.

12. Describe the kind of underwear you normally wear.

Bikini underwear or thongs… and bras. :P

13. If you could be in a television sit-com, which would you choose?

Maybe Friends, or Little House on the Prarie (even though it’s not really a sit-com).

14. Which character would you like to be?

Laura – so I can marry Alonzo.

15. What are your favorite boy and girl names?

Well, I’ve blogged about my favorite baby names before. :)

16. What’s your supermarket of choice?

Rainbow.  Or when I’m poor I go to Cub.

17. What is your best character trait?

Probably because I know what I want to say when I say it, but it can often be disasterous if I go too far.

18. What is your worst habit?

I get nervous and say and do stuff I don’t mean.

19. Elaborate on your default icon.

I took it in the lounge at my current residence and I really like it because I’m naturally smiling. :)

20. What is your current relationship status?

I’m hapilly in a relationship with Craig McCreath.

21. Ever have a near death experience?

Yes.  I technically died while on the table getting my tonsils out. :O

22. Name an obvious quality about you?

I take things a little too seriously at times.

23. What’s the name of a song stuck in your head right now?

OH MY GOSH.  I have three songs stuck in my head right now.  Flashing Lights by Kanye West, The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson and… I forget the name of it… Ah, forget it.

24. Name a celebrity you would marry.

Craig McCreath. ;)  And I’d marry him in a heartbeat, maybe two.

25. Do you like pain?

Ehm, depends on what kind. Are we talking sexual or non sexual?