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Did you know?
Only 9.02% of the U.S. population traveled to an overseas destination, excluding Canada and Mexico, from 1989-1999 (Office of Travel and Tourism Industries).
My Field Trip
On Sunday, September 30, I went on my first field trip. We took a tour bus and visited three different places. The first was an Orthodox church that was celebrating its 600th birthday. The crowd, which included some well-known priests from Poland and several camera crews, was so big that we never made it inside. But I was content to explore the fair-like exhibition surrounding the church and enjoy my first experience of traditional Belarusian culture. Next, we visited the monastery of Zhirovitchy, which was founded in the 15th century, and is still one of the main centers of Orthodox education today. As it is still quite "orthodox," women are required to wear scarves over their hair and skirts, which must fall below the knees. Luckily, they had some extras we could borrow as you will see in the photos. Another highlight of this stop was the “holy water,” which was free for
the taking provided you had your own bottle, or you could buy some for 50 cents. The monastery also has a small "gift shop" and several kiosks that sell religious icons and literature. I was impressed with the crowds of people waving their money and trying to push their way to the front of the lines. The Orthodox monks (and their wives as they must marry when they come of age) sure know how to make a buck, I mean ruble, or two! Our final stop of the day was a sacred spring-fed pool, only a few kilometers from the monastery, which is said “to cleanse you of your sins.” The pool is located inside a small wooden, roofless building, and once again there were crowds of people waiting to get inside. They took turns, men then women, as to get the full effect, it’s recommended that you bathe in the nude! (Hence, the lack of photos). Also, you’re supposed to submerge yourself three times while reciting a special prayer that is conveniently posted on the wall. It was getting late and rather chilly, and I had no intention of taking a bath, especially when I discovered that the water was quite pungent and cloudy to boot! Although in my best cross-cultural fashion, I did wash my hands and splash my face, you guessed it, three times each! There is one more thing, you have to let the water dry by itself, no towels allowed. What an adventure! See for yourself in "my photos" trip #1-3.
On Sunday, September 30, I went on my first field trip. We took a tour bus and visited three different places. The first was an Orthodox church that was celebrating its 600th birthday. The crowd, which included some well-known priests from 
the taking provided you had your own bottle, or you could buy some for 50 cents. The monastery also has a small "gift shop" and several kiosks that sell religious icons and literature. I was impressed with the crowds of people waving their money and trying to push their way to the front of the lines. The Orthodox monks (and their wives as they must marry when they come of age) sure know how to make a buck, I mean ruble, or two! Our final stop of the day was a sacred spring-fed pool, only a few kilometers from the monastery, which is said “to cleanse you of your sins.” The pool is located inside a small wooden, roofless building, and once again there were crowds of people waiting to get inside. They took turns, men then women, as to get the full effect, it’s recommended that you bathe in the nude! (Hence, the lack of photos). Also, you’re supposed to submerge yourself three times while reciting a special prayer that is conveniently posted on the wall. It was getting late and rather chilly, and I had no intention of taking a bath, especially when I discovered that the water was quite pungent and cloudy to boot! Although in my best cross-cultural fashion, I did wash my hands and splash my face, you guessed it, three times each! There is one more thing, you have to let the water dry by itself, no towels allowed. What an adventure! See for yourself in "my photos" trip #1-3.
