05.16.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:44 pm by Melissa
As I look back on my trip a month ago, a lot of emotions come up. It was a very good trip. I really enjoyed traveling with my parents, Auntie Meng, and all the people on our trip. Even through all the trials, we all survived, and I would do it all over again.
As previously mentioned, Jason had a business trip to Austin, so I was able to go on this trip at the last minute. I wish Jason could have come with us. We had used two weeks of vacation to go to the Philippines in January.
We traveled in the footsteps of St. Paul. I am amazed at the amount of foot travel St. Paul and the Apostles had to endure to convert people to Christianity.
Here is a picture of me (it was hot that day which explains my clothing and scarf on my head) in one of the amphitheaters where St. Paul preached:
Let me mention this. When you go on a tour as a pilgrimage, you participate in Daily Mass, prayer, and a daily Rosary. I always enjoy all aspects of it. I am glad that I have served as a lector on all 3 trips. I think going on a pilgrimage is great because you renew your spiritual side.
Here I am at our first outdoor Mass with Fr. JC and Fr. Rodrigo:
Jason is helping me upload pictures into a gallery, but I will say that my Dad got the best pictures. He always does. Those are posted on themendozas.org in the photo gallery. Some of my pictures are fuzzy, but I’ll post them anyway.
Each stop had something inspiring, but I will highlight those that touched me.
In Ephesus, Turkey, I was deeply moved when we visited the Virgin Mary’s House which is where she lived her final days in exile. There are water spigots where you can drink the water. Those pictures of me drinking the water are on themendozas.org website. I was moved when we celebrated Mass there. That was a very special place for me. I left an offering, said a prayer inside her house, and left a prayer on the prayer wall outside the house.
Here I am with my parents touching the statue of the Virgin Mary (dates back to 1867):
I also enjoyed finally seeing the Parthenon. I had done a high school project on it, and it was so neat to see it in person. I was sad that we only had a few minutes to go there. We were so rushed in trying to catch up with the schedule that by the time we reached the top, we had 15 minutes to take pictures and make it back down the hill! We were behind schedule because there were four members of our tour who were stranded in Germany the first day.
I was more than excited to see Pope Benedict XVI. I had gone to Rome in times past, but each time Pope John Paul II was sick or away. In his whole papacy, I never saw him, which saddens me. I was also sad that we weren’t able to see his tomb. The crowds on a Papal audience day are so large that it’s near impossible to see what you want to see when you’re with a tour group.
I feel so blessed to have seen Pope Benedict XVI pass by in his motorcade and to have his blessing. I feel even more blessed to have been there with my parents and godmother (Auntie Meng).
I was also moved at the holy relics of the table of our Lord and the Holy Manger. I believe I had been to the basilicas that house these before, but it’s been so long. I also don’t think our tour guide as a student pointed these out – I think I would have remembered.
There is a place that houses a piece of the table of the Last Supper, and a place that houses a piece of the manger in which Jesus was born. I was so moved by those two relics. I have to jog my memory as to which basilicas these are in. We saw four basilicas in one day, and they are all running together.
Here I am with the Holy Manger:
And, of course, as with any trip, I enjoyed all the beautiful artwork, artifacts, views, culture, people and food. I may go back and add a daily blog of the things we saw and did, but in the meantime, these were the things that moved me.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 3:38 pm by Melissa
Well, I am off to Turkey, Greece and Italy with my parents and Auntie Meng. We are traveling on a religious pilgrimage. My Dad normally takes on the job of altar boy while I take on the job of lector. Hopefully this year someone else will want to read. I think it’s best to participate in the mass so that you actually get the religious part of the trip. I think my Mom might volunteer since she started lectoring at church.
Jason is in Austin on a business trip, so either way, I was going to end up in Rome visiting with Kristen and the rest of the Cain clan or on this trip. It’s tough planning last minute trips, but I know that it will all be worth it. I have already spent time in Italy when I studied abroad my last semester in college. I have never been to Turkey or Greece, so I am looking forward to this trip.
I’ve always had the traveling bug in me. I thank Mrs. Joan McCown, my high school world history teacher, for instilling in me the desire to see other parts of the world. The way I ended up on the study abroad Italy trip in ’99 was because I had always wanted to see Renaissance art up close and personal. Also, since I am a Roman Catholic, I was so excited to be visiting Vatican City at some point during my studies. I was hoping for a glimpse of Pope John Paul II, but he was back in Poland at the time I was in Rome.
It’s really sad that I never got to see Pope John Paul II. A lot of my friends went to see him when he made it to the U.S.A. My parents attended a mass with him a few years ago on one of their tours. On this trip, I think we will attend a mass with Pope Benedict.
If you are one of the few strangers reading this who might still have a chance, I highly recommend studying abroad in some form or fashion. If money is an issue, don’t forget to check into financial aid. It’s a rewarding experience as long as you open your mind to learning about other cultures.
I might be offline for the next two weeks, unless I can find a computer somewhere along the way. I know…I need to post pictures.
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05.15.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:46 pm by Melissa
One great thing I found out about flying Lufthansa in Germany is that if you have a flight prior to 8:30 a.m., there are certain counters that allow you to check in the night before between 6 and 9 p.m. Dresden is one of them.
Asuka took me to check in my luggage, and I found out that I will need a visa in Turkey! I can purchase one for $20 when I get there. This would have been nice to know prior to leaving. Oh, well. At least I can get one.
Afterwards, we checked out a Russian restaurant in the World Trade Center. We’ve decided that this will be a cool summer place to hang out. Asuka and Carrie know a lot of cool things to do around here.
I love trying new foods, and I have to say, I really enjoyed my beef stroganoff with…of course, potatoes!
Well, I better get some sleep. I have to catch a plane at 6 a.m.! Tschuss!
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05.14.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:25 pm by Melissa
Jason left for Austin today. I am sad, but I think I need this time to reflect.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there. Jason was sweet to give me a nice card today with a nice message on it. I remember last year when someone suggested that this would be my first “real” Mother’s Day. I was upset because I personally think you’re a mother from the time you conceive a child. Just because you don’t actually take care of a child does not make you less of a mother.
I went crying to my Mom last year at the thought of not being considered a mother until I gave birth. I was glad that my own Mom knew what I meant, and I was glad to share Mother’s Day with her last year. In fact, my family made sure that I knew they thought of me as a mother carrying a child. It was a special time for me as I was carrying our baby boy. I wouldn’t find that out until a few weeks later, but I had a feeling I was having a boy.
I’m at the point in my life where I can shop for baby things and greeting cards for other people. I don’t think anyone will know what to write for us, so I really don’t expect any cards. I know someone will end up saying something stupid, so for those of you out there wondering what to do in this situation, it’s best to just tell us you’re thinking of us. None of the, “Oh, I’m so sorry” crap.
My sister, Rosanna was so sweet to call me overseas today to let me know that she was thinking of me. That made my day. That someone validated my place in the realm of motherhood. It was nice to not be forgotten. She didn’t make me feel sorry for myself or anything like that. She said it very tactfully without bringing up Christopher. I feel closer to Rosanna since our tragedy.
There are few people in my life who truly know what to say or how to make me feel better about life. Hopefully, you all know who you are.
In my opinion, since my baby boy Christopher is in Heaven, I don’t think that makes me less of a mother. I held him in my arms, and I knew what it felt like to be a Mom, if but for one moment in my life.
So, here’s to Christopher Gabriel Mendoza Cain – without your life, I would never have known what it was like to be a mother. I miss you more than anyone knows, and I hope you know how much we will always love you.
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05.13.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:20 pm by Melissa
I left today so that I could spend Mother’s Day weekend with Jason. Unbeknownst to the two of us, he had a business trip scheduled last minute to Austin. In fact, the trip was booked before he found out about it! I would have stayed in Texas longer, but the price would have been too high, and besides that, my parents are leaving for Greece. Plus, I didn’t really want to be around on Mother’s Day not knowing how I would feel that day.
I slept the whole way to Newark. We had a delay in Newark which made me nervous about my connection in Frankfurt. I slept most of the way to Frankfurt, and I just knew that I was going to miss my connection to Dresden. I had to disembark, take a train to another terminal, go through passport control, recheck in at the Lufthansa counter (I had flown Continental to Frankfurt), and board all in less than an hour.
Fortunately, my flight to Dresden was delayed. I had some troubles at Passport Control because they were confused at what I was asking. I was asking how to get to the main hallway so that I could check in. I think he was thinking I needed to get to a Lufthansa counter prior to Passport Control. I wasn’t the only person confused. There were others from various countries who had missed flights.
Keep in mind, I have been through Frankfurt numerous times, but I think I was just nervous this time since my connection was so short. I originally had over two hours, but my flight was two hours late leaving Newark.
After going through the line again, and after figuring out what I needed to do, I made it through Passport control. I had to run through the main hallway (Lufthansa has over 300 counters) and ask someone how to get to the transit counter. There is only one counter for transits (counter 73), and there was a long line. With only 15 minutes to spare, I kindly asked the Americans in front of me to hold my place in line while I asked the Business Class counter if I could check in there.
I made it through security, and the boarding was about to start 5 minutes after I arrived at the gate.
I hate that helpless and tired feeling. I was just glad to get on that flight. I wanted to see Jason.
Then, I get to Dresden, and one of my suitcases didn’t make it. It was the one with all of my clothes. I think it might have been delayed because I had two sausages in it – the ones in my previous blog entry from Louisiana. They were vacuum sealed, but I’m sure a dog sniffed it and barked at it.
I was nervous because I needed those clothes and shoes for my upcoming trip to Greece and Turkey.
Fortunately, my luggage made it to the hotel. The airport staff drove it over.
What an adventure. I’m so tired just thinking of my schedule.
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05.11.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:17 pm by Melissa
As usual, I scrambled today to get ready for my trip back to Germany. I won’t be returning to the U.S.A. until sometime in September. I wanted to stock up on things here in America that are almost twice the cost in Germany – things like shampoo, soap, etc. I also needed to buy some things for our cruise this summer out of fear that I won’t be able to find my size in Germany.
I drove back from Houston (had spent the night at Rosanna and David’s), stopped in Baytown in search for shorts (didn’t want to get stuck in rush hour traffic in Houston – but would have rather gone to the Galleria), and then I decided halfway home that I should get my haircut again before the summer starts. I had Vicky (my Mom’s hair stylist) cut my hair so that it wouldn’t need to be cut for a while. It’s a little shorter than usual, but I know that it will be the perfect length for summer vacation pictures.
I then ran all over town (Sally’s Beauty Supply, Payless Shoe Source for an exchange, Academy for some clothes, and finally to Target). I had my Mom and Dad make one stop for me at Barnes & Noble to grab a German/English dictionary that I could carry in my purse). I then met them up for dinner at Acapulco’s. I had to get my Tex-Mex in before going back to the land of pork and potatoes.
I also tried to call people to say goodbye for now. I talked to Eric & Catherine for a little while. I could hear Caitlyn in the background. I ended up staying up late to pack all the stuff I bought, and then I chatted with my cousin, Chris who lives in California. We’re both night owls, so we tend to talk later than most people. I lost track of time. I had to fit in a few more laughs before my long flight back.
I’m looking forward to our summer vacation with the California Mendozas because we have so much fun together. You can be yourself and not have to worry if you’re going to offend anyone.
We count them (collectively) among some of our best friends. They took us in as their own when we moved to California in 1999. I’ll never forget their hospitality and friendship. I get homesick for them. I think it’s great to have such a great, big family. Life is never boring. I think that is what keeps us young. I went from my great, fun family in Texas to another great, fun family in California. See ya all soon!
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Posted in Uncategorized at 3:16 pm by Melissa
After saying goodbye to Rosanna and Christian, I ventured off to go home, but it was lunchtime. I stopped by my favorite burrito place, Freebirds! The main Texas branch is in Northgate at Texas A&M. I say that’s the original location.
This place is my favorite burrito place because the meat really is good, and your burrito is made to order. You can order beef, chicken, vegetarian or a combo. I also noticed you can now order ½ burritos. When we were in college, the guys used to order the Monster. I don’t think we can or should handle a Monster at our age. Most now order the Regular Burrito. I am now sticking with the half burrito. I hate to waste.
Freebirds is the place to which I compare all burrito places.
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05.10.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:14 pm by Melissa
I got up and went to Houston to have lunch with Rosanna and Christian. I got to see him have a few baths. It is so much fun to watch him. I even got to put lotion on him. He made so many sweet faces. I didn’t want to let him go.
This baby is so sweet. Like I said, I can’t wait to hang out with him more. That’s the hardest part of living apart from your immediate family – you miss out on so much. I missed out on Zachary’s first 6 years!
Christian is “talking” more now. He was born on March 24, 2006.
After lunch, we went back to her house to hang out. In the meantime, my Dad was busy helping me get a flight to join them on their trip to Turkey, Greece and Italy. Poor Dad. I know that I should have been at home in Fannett, but I really wanted to see Christian.
I also met up with my friend Becky. She was the first friend I made at Texas A&M. I’m so glad we haven’t lost touch. She’s seen me through the happy times and the sad times.
She’s finishing up her Pharmacy degree and will do her residency in San Antonio. I can’t wait to hang out with her more when we move back to Texas.
I raise a glass to Becky – for all these years of sacrifice. Congratulations!
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05.09.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:10 pm by Melissa
Happy Birthday, Zachary! What a big boy! This l’il guy has accomplished so much. I’m so proud of him. He’s such well-behaved kid who knows how to have a good time.
Today, I attended a presention that my cousin, Melanie, gave in Beaumont. Their group won Best Media Plan. She was the Creative Director for an advertising campaign. Great job, Mel! Also – if you ever want to know who sings a certain song, ask Melanie. She’s a great musician – great voice, plays the guitar, and she knows her music. We had fun last Thursday picking out wedding music for Celina to select from.
I hope she lands the job of her dreams. She’ll graduate in a couple of years.
On a sadder note, Uncle Hermie took me to the cemetery today, and we visited my son’s grave. I placed two vases of flowers from Celina’s wedding. Celina was kind enough to pull me aside to tell me that she wanted some of her wedding flowers to go to Christopher. I remember she said she was tearing up when she was taking a picture with Christian and Zachary on her wedding day. She knew someone was missing.
Celina’s been through a lot with me. She was there when Christopher was born (front and center) and when he died. She has been there for me for every anniversary, and she never forgets the day. I remember when Christian was born (8 months to the day after Christopher’s death). It’s weird how life works. I found out that Rosanna was pregnant a week after Christopher’s funeral. I guess there is some truth to the saying that with every death, there is life. Rosanna’s son, Christian, has been a blessing to all of us. The beginning of a new and better year. I kept praying that Rosanna’s baby would be healthy. Our prayers were answered.
I would never want anyone else to experience what we experienced almost a year ago. Death is never an easy thing, but a death of someone whose life was supposed to be just beginning is hard to understand.
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05.08.06
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:09 pm by Melissa
Uncle Nanding and I hung out after breakfast. We had some coffee and chatted. We also checked out the pool. I wish I had brought my swimsuit. You can float on it all day – the pool has a current, so most people grab a tube and float. There is also an Olympic size swimming pool.
In the casino, I got carded twice. I guess I should enjoy that while I can.
We all returned to Fannett. Uncle Nanding, Auntie Tessie and Auntie Cora are returning to California tomorrow.
Auntie Beth and Uncle Manny made another great dinner, and it was time to say good night. Their flight is at 9 a.m., so they have to leave at 5 a.m.
I’ll see my California family in July! Can’t wait!
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