Today was so ridiculous, I have to give you a rundown of what happened. This was one of those days where you just have to laugh at the absurdity of it all or else you'll start crying hysterically and never stop.
7:00 am - Wake up and get ready for work.
7:50 am - Wait at bus stop for 7:55 bus.
8:10 am - Still waiting at bus stop for 7:55 bus. I meet up with Nagmeh from Personnel, and we decide to catch a taxi down to work. AS SOON as we decide that, THREE buses show up one behind the other. Sheesh.
8:20 am - Arrive at work. Parwaneh tells me I need to drive a bunch of carpets to the Seat roof where they are going to be sunned and cleaned. Cool. I have to drive through the Hatzionut gate down to the Pilgrim House, and I need to call Dispatch to unlock the gate for me. Daniel and I head to the gate and drive in. We load up all the carpets, careful to be out of there by 9:00 for the public tours to start.
9:45 am - Drive back to the office after dropping off the carpets at the Seat roof. Try and get some work done. Don't succeed particularly well.
11:30 am - Have to head up to the lunchroom for a production staff meeting regarding the Ihtifal play this upcoming month. Amelia calls to say she'll be late, so by the time she arrives, we end up only having about a twenty minute meeting before she has to head back to her office.
1:00 pm - Return to the office and try to finish some filing. Doesn't work; I keep getting interrupted. Matine and Kiv stop by to show me their new tattoos, and then Ian stops by for awhile before heading off to laminate things. Laminating...fun times...
2:00 pm - Parwaneh tells me I need to pick Synnove up at the Shrine of Baha'u'llah tonight after she's finished closing it, since she's been out there for the past ten days and needs to bring all her stuff home tonight. Which means that I have to drive out after Mr. Dunbar's class finishes at 9:00. Ok, this is going to be a long day...
4:00 pm - Call David, who's up with the carpets, to see if they can be picked up yet. I have another production meeting to get to at 5:40, and then Tai Chi at 6:00, so my schedule's a little tight. Turns out they're running a little late as well, so I can't go up to get the carpets until about 4:45.
4:45 pm - I pick up the finished carpets and head back down to the Pilgrim House. Before I go, I notice the rear tire of the car is almost completely flat, so I have to get it filled with air NOW if I'm supposed to drive to Akka tonight; I have no idea how late the gas stations are open here.
5:25 pm - I'm at the gas station panicking, because it turns out not only was there no air in the tires but there was also no oil or coolant in the engine, and we're out of washer fluid. While I'm still there, Parwaneh calls my cell to let me know I need to go back to the Seat and pick up the last remaining carpets and bring them back down. Yikes! I fill up the air in the tire, but I can't replace the oil myself so the gas station attendant is fixing the engine while I call Amelia in a frenzy and tell her I won't make either the meeting or the Tai Chi class. Frustration is totally setting in right about now...
6:00 pm - I'm back at the Seat getting the last of the carpets. I'm a little nervous about the tire, but we can watch it over the next few days to make sure it's not a permanent problem. David can't fit in the car with me on the way down, so I have the move the last carpets into the Pilgrim House myself. No problem except, when I'm leaving, I catch my arm on the doorhandle and wrench it pretty badly. That's going to leave a mark...
6:20 pm - Take a ten minute power nap in the parking lot.
6:30 pm - Race home to hop in and out of the shower and inhale some dinner quickly before Mr. Dunbar's class at 7:30.
7:15 pm - Find a parking spot down by Hagefen St. and sprint over to class. I'm desperately hoping there's a seat left in the front row, because if I sit in the back I know I'm going to doze off, and I don't want to start snoring.
9:00 pm - Dash out of class and hop in the car to quickly make my way out to Akka. I bring my ipod with me to listen to in the car in case I can't find a good music station on the radio, but I find a fantastic jazz program that mellows me right out. Until I hit the construction midway to Akka. Good Lord, I'm not supposed to relax today apparently. I put my ipod in and listen to upbeat 80's hits to put me in a better mood, and the traffic slowly clears up. There's nothing quite like belting out Aha's Take On Me at the top of your lungs to make you feel a whole lot better about life in general.
9:45 pm - Get to the Shrine and call Dispatch to let me in at the gate. It's actually pretty eerie driving through the property at night - I can't seem to keep the highbeams on; I have to manually hold the button down so I don't veer off the back road and into the olive grove. Finally I get to the Shrine and there are NO lights on the path; thank goodness I have a flashlight on my keychain, otherwise I would have had to use my cellphone as a light. But I soon meet up with one of the security guards on duty and feel much better.
10:00 pm - We grab Synnove's stuff and hop back into the car. At this point I'm so deliriously tired I'm babbling all the way back to Haifa. But we make it back intact and I drive to Hameganim to drop her off at home.
10:45 pm - Ok, turns out there was a soccer game tonight, and it's just letting out now. The road is absolutely jammed with cars and soccer nuts who are hopping back and forth between traffic. Just what I need in the middle of the night, to run over some crazy pedestrian. So we inch through the congestion for 15 minutes and finally make it around the roundabout to get to the other side of Hameganim and Synnove's flat.
11:00 pm - I am about to pass out at this point, but I turn the jazz station back on and drive up Ben Gurion Ave to take a look at the Terraces at night. The moon is absolutely enormous tonight, and driving up towards God's Holy Mountain, I feel an incredible sense of peace and well-being. It almost makes the day totally worth it.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Summer Cleaning
It's that time of year - the heat is oppressive, the sun is shining at full magnitude, and dust particulates in the air are at a minimum. It's time for summer cleaning!
During August and September, and into part of October, the Department of Holy Places takes advantage of the fact that there are no pilgrims in the Holy Land and does a thorough deep clean of all the Holy Places under our jurisdiction. It's pretty cool to think about what an amazing opportunity we have to take care of the places and relics that are such an integral part of the history of the Baha'i Faith. Even if that means cleaning a candelabra with a toothbrush for three days, everyone is so devoted to their service that it makes no difference what needs to be done.
I've been mostly in the office fielding phone calls and general office-ness, but occasionally I've been asked to chauffer people around while the carpets are being shuttled back and forth to be cleaned. It's a nice change of scenery to be out of the office once in a while, even if it is just for an hour or so.
Only problem - SO HOT AND STICKY!! Plus, where we happen to be sunning the carpets is on white marble rooftop. It's so ridiculously bright out there, I don't understand how the guys haven't gone blind yet. I almost wish I had snowboarding goggles to put on out there, it's that bright - it's like snowblindness. (Man, now I miss Canada and all that snow...)
This must be what it's like for all the gardeners out in the gardens every single day. I think I feel their pain now. I really feel for the CMD Floor Crew too; they're now doing the pressure washing of all the roofs and walls of the Arc buildings and they're out there every single day getting sunburnt and soaking wet. But, to tell you the truth, I'm sort of jealous because I want to use the pressure washers; they're so much fun to use! I think I'm going to volunteer to help the crew clean the roofs next year.
Anyhoo, I get to go up again this evening and pile all the carpets back into the car for the ride down to their homes. Sometimes this job really does have its perks.
During August and September, and into part of October, the Department of Holy Places takes advantage of the fact that there are no pilgrims in the Holy Land and does a thorough deep clean of all the Holy Places under our jurisdiction. It's pretty cool to think about what an amazing opportunity we have to take care of the places and relics that are such an integral part of the history of the Baha'i Faith. Even if that means cleaning a candelabra with a toothbrush for three days, everyone is so devoted to their service that it makes no difference what needs to be done.
I've been mostly in the office fielding phone calls and general office-ness, but occasionally I've been asked to chauffer people around while the carpets are being shuttled back and forth to be cleaned. It's a nice change of scenery to be out of the office once in a while, even if it is just for an hour or so.
Only problem - SO HOT AND STICKY!! Plus, where we happen to be sunning the carpets is on white marble rooftop. It's so ridiculously bright out there, I don't understand how the guys haven't gone blind yet. I almost wish I had snowboarding goggles to put on out there, it's that bright - it's like snowblindness. (Man, now I miss Canada and all that snow...)
This must be what it's like for all the gardeners out in the gardens every single day. I think I feel their pain now. I really feel for the CMD Floor Crew too; they're now doing the pressure washing of all the roofs and walls of the Arc buildings and they're out there every single day getting sunburnt and soaking wet. But, to tell you the truth, I'm sort of jealous because I want to use the pressure washers; they're so much fun to use! I think I'm going to volunteer to help the crew clean the roofs next year.
Anyhoo, I get to go up again this evening and pile all the carpets back into the car for the ride down to their homes. Sometimes this job really does have its perks.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Family ties
It was my sister's birthday yesterday, and I was FINALLY able to catch her at home on the phone! She just turned 23; where did the time go? I can't even describe how nice it was to talk to her and hear her voice; it's been really difficult being here without my best friend. :(
I also got to talk with Dad, which was really cool because he's hardly ever home either; he's usually out in the garden all day or working on the myraid rental properties he owns. It was very adorable - he kept grilling me about my job and whether or not I have a boyfriend. When I mentioned I might have someone in mind, he started giving me boy advice (which he has NEVER done before, except to say that I can't get married until I'm thirty, so it was pretty unexpected). Here's what Dad had to say about boys:
1. I should just be myself and they'll come flocking (hasn't worked so far)
2. They are proud and generally stubborn
3. They are actually shy
4. They are usually pretty oblivious (hell yes they are!)
5. Most of them like girls to make the first move (uh, what?)
I like the last one; who knew? I would totally make the first move, but generally I'm afraid of stepping on male ego. No one wants to feel the possible sting of rejection either - I guess neither sex has it any easier than the other. Dads are such a great resource, eh?
I was so glad to talk to Dad and Jaleh, but now I'm sad that I can't be there to celebrate with them. It's definitely one of my most difficult tests here to be so far away from my family with whom I am extremely close.
Today I'm going to try and get a hold of Mom; it's been too long since we've talked, and I'm sure she's come up with about a gajillion new poems for me to hear!
I also got to talk with Dad, which was really cool because he's hardly ever home either; he's usually out in the garden all day or working on the myraid rental properties he owns. It was very adorable - he kept grilling me about my job and whether or not I have a boyfriend. When I mentioned I might have someone in mind, he started giving me boy advice (which he has NEVER done before, except to say that I can't get married until I'm thirty, so it was pretty unexpected). Here's what Dad had to say about boys:
1. I should just be myself and they'll come flocking (hasn't worked so far)
2. They are proud and generally stubborn
3. They are actually shy
4. They are usually pretty oblivious (hell yes they are!)
5. Most of them like girls to make the first move (uh, what?)
I like the last one; who knew? I would totally make the first move, but generally I'm afraid of stepping on male ego. No one wants to feel the possible sting of rejection either - I guess neither sex has it any easier than the other. Dads are such a great resource, eh?
I was so glad to talk to Dad and Jaleh, but now I'm sad that I can't be there to celebrate with them. It's definitely one of my most difficult tests here to be so far away from my family with whom I am extremely close.
Today I'm going to try and get a hold of Mom; it's been too long since we've talked, and I'm sure she's come up with about a gajillion new poems for me to hear!
Monday, August 27, 2007
It's all Greek to me...
It's been several months since I arrived here in Israel, and I realised that I haven't posted any of the pictures I took during my stopover in Greece.
I met a very lovely older lady on the plane who took me under her wing when we arrived in Athens Airport. She was very sweet and we bonded on the bus that took us to the hotel that we were to stay at until our flights left later that night. We were given lunch and dinner there, as well as our own rooms and - thank GOD - showers!
Since I had several hours to kill until my flight late that night, I got directions from the concierge and made my way on the public transit line into downtown Athens.
The view from the airport
I met a very lovely older lady on the plane who took me under her wing when we arrived in Athens Airport. She was very sweet and we bonded on the bus that took us to the hotel that we were to stay at until our flights left later that night. We were given lunch and dinner there, as well as our own rooms and - thank GOD - showers!
Since I had several hours to kill until my flight late that night, I got directions from the concierge and made my way on the public transit line into downtown Athens.
The view from the airport
Driving along the road to Athens
My first glimpse of the Parthenon
An amazing view of the amphitheatre and surrounding area
The ruins of the Parthenon - spectacular!
Ooooooo, downtown Athens from above!
I met some students from Washington and they took my picture.
Looking back from whence I came...
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday Night's Alright
Had a great Friday night tonight. It was a Serving the Divine Plan talk evening, so one of the Institute members gave a talk - Dr. Javaheri spoke about the protection of the Baha'i Faith, both from internal and external forces.
It was a very inspiring talk about how we should be constantly vigilant in our faith, with our morality and rectitude of conduct unquestionable. We need to always be excellent examples of patience, virtue, and love. There was a lot of historical talk as well, but I can't recall it all here.
After the talk, I had one of my first "girls' night only" evenings here! So much fun! Kat and I went to Kara and Anjali's flat, where there was popcorn, homemade muffins, and a whole lot of sweet girls and sweet conversation. To wind the evening down, Chantelle pulled out her short films from drama school back in New Zealand. Very fun; my favourite was the one depicting Purgatory as a hospital emergency room, complete with slutty nurse, kooky guidance counsellor, and a whole lot of dead people not realising they're dead. It was really good!
I should definitely make an effort to hang out with the girls more often. It takes a lot of energy to be around that much estrogen; it's a good thing I'm up to the task. I guess I'm more used to hanging out with my 2nd November boys, which is a lot of testosterone to deal with as well, but I know how to hold my own with those guys - it's mostly a matter of letting John think he's won an argument and then zinging him later. Good times.
I need to go to bed now - tomorrow morning's the Divine Plan seminars, so I should be well rested. Plus, I'm going to finish the rest of the Dune saga with the boys tomorrow. Yay!
It was a very inspiring talk about how we should be constantly vigilant in our faith, with our morality and rectitude of conduct unquestionable. We need to always be excellent examples of patience, virtue, and love. There was a lot of historical talk as well, but I can't recall it all here.
After the talk, I had one of my first "girls' night only" evenings here! So much fun! Kat and I went to Kara and Anjali's flat, where there was popcorn, homemade muffins, and a whole lot of sweet girls and sweet conversation. To wind the evening down, Chantelle pulled out her short films from drama school back in New Zealand. Very fun; my favourite was the one depicting Purgatory as a hospital emergency room, complete with slutty nurse, kooky guidance counsellor, and a whole lot of dead people not realising they're dead. It was really good!
I should definitely make an effort to hang out with the girls more often. It takes a lot of energy to be around that much estrogen; it's a good thing I'm up to the task. I guess I'm more used to hanging out with my 2nd November boys, which is a lot of testosterone to deal with as well, but I know how to hold my own with those guys - it's mostly a matter of letting John think he's won an argument and then zinging him later. Good times.
I need to go to bed now - tomorrow morning's the Divine Plan seminars, so I should be well rested. Plus, I'm going to finish the rest of the Dune saga with the boys tomorrow. Yay!
Gathering a little Zen...
I had such a great Thursday yesterday - it was my pamper day.
I made a lunch appointment to get my nails done, and it would have been relaxing except for the excruciating pain that was my cuticles being destroyed. In the words of Orlit, my stylist, "Oh, my, you seem to be a bleeder." That might give you an idea of the pain I got to endure. Because of the cuticle fiasco, it took two hours to do my nails instead of the usual one hour. I have another appointment in a couple of weeks; I made sure to book it for after work this time in case of delays and complications. Let's hope there aren't any...
Anyhoo, I got back to the office late, feeling not too relaxed. Fortunately, my friend Kara has convinced me to got with her to Tai Chi classes on Thursdays, so I went with her at the end of the day to unwind and get a little zen.
It was glorious - I got to 'part the horse's mane', 'grab the swallow's tail', 'become the White Crane', and 'repulse the monkey'. Those are the names of the moves, I swear. You can't make this stuff up. The breathing exercises were great, though - so calming and meditative. It was a really nice way to end a week in the office.
Right after Tai Chi, Kara and I headed down to Mr. Dunbar's Thursday night study class. We learned all about the institution of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, and their roles in protection and propagation of the Baha'i Faith. Very cool.
After class, John, Jayce and I walked back up to 2nd November (their street), and chilled out watching Dune and Children of Dune. We are such sci-fi nerds...it's awesome....
All in all, a very fulfilling day.
I made a lunch appointment to get my nails done, and it would have been relaxing except for the excruciating pain that was my cuticles being destroyed. In the words of Orlit, my stylist, "Oh, my, you seem to be a bleeder." That might give you an idea of the pain I got to endure. Because of the cuticle fiasco, it took two hours to do my nails instead of the usual one hour. I have another appointment in a couple of weeks; I made sure to book it for after work this time in case of delays and complications. Let's hope there aren't any...
Anyhoo, I got back to the office late, feeling not too relaxed. Fortunately, my friend Kara has convinced me to got with her to Tai Chi classes on Thursdays, so I went with her at the end of the day to unwind and get a little zen.
It was glorious - I got to 'part the horse's mane', 'grab the swallow's tail', 'become the White Crane', and 'repulse the monkey'. Those are the names of the moves, I swear. You can't make this stuff up. The breathing exercises were great, though - so calming and meditative. It was a really nice way to end a week in the office.
Right after Tai Chi, Kara and I headed down to Mr. Dunbar's Thursday night study class. We learned all about the institution of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, and their roles in protection and propagation of the Baha'i Faith. Very cool.
After class, John, Jayce and I walked back up to 2nd November (their street), and chilled out watching Dune and Children of Dune. We are such sci-fi nerds...it's awesome....
All in all, a very fulfilling day.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Some Absolutely Random Stuff...
Some random time-wasters you need to check out if you like to laugh:
(Disclaimer: Please remember my completely warped and twisted sense of humour prior to visiting these sites)
1. Flight of the Conchords - this New Zealand comedy duo is absolutely hilarious. They sing ridiculous songs on their guitars and it's mayhem. You can find their videos on http://www.youtube.com/. I highly recommend Albi the Racist Dragon or Jenny.
2. http://www.homestarrunner.com/. This stuff is pretty darn funny. Apparently it's been around for years, which might explain why some of the animation looked familiar to me. I highly suggest taking a look at Strong-Bad's email lists and checking out his Dangeresque movie updates.
3. http://www.thelonelyisland.com/. These three guys are the weirdest, most random guys I have ever seen. And that's saying a lot, considering how much I hang out with John Michael and Jayce. I think I mentioned The 'Bu in a previous post; a must-watch if you enjoy situational teen drama and cracked-out squirrels. Also, go to the episodes section and watch both White Power and Regarding Ardy. (Warning: Some viewers may find these episodes offensive. Please refrain from viewing if you are adverse to strong language, partial nudity, and Brooke Shields.)
There are many other sites I find absolutely hilarious but will not mention them here, as my mother reads this blog and I don't want her thinking I'm completely insane. All I'm going to say is: Maddox. If you can figure that one out, good on you.
(Disclaimer: Please remember my completely warped and twisted sense of humour prior to visiting these sites)
1. Flight of the Conchords - this New Zealand comedy duo is absolutely hilarious. They sing ridiculous songs on their guitars and it's mayhem. You can find their videos on http://www.youtube.com/. I highly recommend Albi the Racist Dragon or Jenny.
2. http://www.homestarrunner.com/. This stuff is pretty darn funny. Apparently it's been around for years, which might explain why some of the animation looked familiar to me. I highly suggest taking a look at Strong-Bad's email lists and checking out his Dangeresque movie updates.
3. http://www.thelonelyisland.com/. These three guys are the weirdest, most random guys I have ever seen. And that's saying a lot, considering how much I hang out with John Michael and Jayce. I think I mentioned The 'Bu in a previous post; a must-watch if you enjoy situational teen drama and cracked-out squirrels. Also, go to the episodes section and watch both White Power and Regarding Ardy. (Warning: Some viewers may find these episodes offensive. Please refrain from viewing if you are adverse to strong language, partial nudity, and Brooke Shields.)
There are many other sites I find absolutely hilarious but will not mention them here, as my mother reads this blog and I don't want her thinking I'm completely insane. All I'm going to say is: Maddox. If you can figure that one out, good on you.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Giant Freaking Spiders Are Not Cool
I had a rather unpleasant experience this morning.
Nahid came into the hallway and exclaimed, "Shireen, come look at this thing!" So I hesitantly come around my desk to look, and there is a huge, freaky, chunky-legged, gross, furry spider. I mean, BIG. This thing looked like it was at least three inches across.
Dude, I don't know about any of you, but I happen to be terribly arachnophobic. I can't even stand the tiny jumping spiders that seem to inhabit my desk frequently; this spider was LARGE. So seeing this thing sitting on the floor by my desk just about gave me a heart attack. I couldn't move any closer, and when Nahid said we had to get rid of it, I ran into one of the side offices.
Synnove and I were hiding in the other office making poor Nahid try to get rid of the spiderous monstrosity, when she yelled that it had gone under my desk under my shoes. I don't mind telling you I just about cried. Synnove was confused, "The spider isn't always going to be in your shoes; she'll get it eventually." "Yeah," I replied, "but I'm still going to know that it was in there." *shudder*
Anyhoo, Synnove and I were cowering in the other office (well, I was cowering, and Synnove was sort of laughing at me) and Nahid asked if we had a broom, because she couldn't seem to catch it with a kleenex and put it outside. Well. She got herself a broom and was able to sweep the disgusting thing outside onto the mat.
This episode was even worse than the time that the spider in the bathroom decided to climb onto my toothbrush! (do you remember that one, Mom?) It was on the mirror and when I ran out of the bathroom to find someone to kill it, when we got back it had disappeared. Then I saw it nesting on my toothbrush. MY toothbrush; why me? I had to throw the toothbrush away after that...
I've decided that people who are arachnophobic shouldn't marry people who don't kill spiders but just re-release them. This is not a winning marital combination in my book. (Ok, fine, you don't have to kill ALL of them, but you better not ask me to help you catch them if you want to stay married.)
Nahid came into the hallway and exclaimed, "Shireen, come look at this thing!" So I hesitantly come around my desk to look, and there is a huge, freaky, chunky-legged, gross, furry spider. I mean, BIG. This thing looked like it was at least three inches across.
Dude, I don't know about any of you, but I happen to be terribly arachnophobic. I can't even stand the tiny jumping spiders that seem to inhabit my desk frequently; this spider was LARGE. So seeing this thing sitting on the floor by my desk just about gave me a heart attack. I couldn't move any closer, and when Nahid said we had to get rid of it, I ran into one of the side offices.
Synnove and I were hiding in the other office making poor Nahid try to get rid of the spiderous monstrosity, when she yelled that it had gone under my desk under my shoes. I don't mind telling you I just about cried. Synnove was confused, "The spider isn't always going to be in your shoes; she'll get it eventually." "Yeah," I replied, "but I'm still going to know that it was in there." *shudder*
Anyhoo, Synnove and I were cowering in the other office (well, I was cowering, and Synnove was sort of laughing at me) and Nahid asked if we had a broom, because she couldn't seem to catch it with a kleenex and put it outside. Well. She got herself a broom and was able to sweep the disgusting thing outside onto the mat.
This episode was even worse than the time that the spider in the bathroom decided to climb onto my toothbrush! (do you remember that one, Mom?) It was on the mirror and when I ran out of the bathroom to find someone to kill it, when we got back it had disappeared. Then I saw it nesting on my toothbrush. MY toothbrush; why me? I had to throw the toothbrush away after that...
I've decided that people who are arachnophobic shouldn't marry people who don't kill spiders but just re-release them. This is not a winning marital combination in my book. (Ok, fine, you don't have to kill ALL of them, but you better not ask me to help you catch them if you want to stay married.)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Heaven on Earth
Here's a slideshow of sorts to show some of my recent shots near the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and surround gardens.
Being here makes me feel like I'm as close to heaven on earth as I can possibly get.
Dawnbreaker Collective - check them out!
My new favourite band is the Dawnbreaker Collective - they rock my socks!
Check them out either at www.myspace.com/dawnbreakercollective or http://www.dawnbreakercollective.com/
So awesome; such fantastic vocals and a melange of musical styles that just leaves you spiritually uplifted. I can't stop listening to the album I just bought for my ipod! Buy it now!
Songs I recommend:
When the Morning Comes
Good Morning Israel
Army of Light
Prayers Like Shoes
Tiny Seed
Set it Off
Other musicians to check out while you're at it:
Talib Kweli (soft hip-hop awesomeness)
Don Johnson Big Band (weird hip-hop)
Dashboard Confessional (acoustic melancholy)
Joe Purdy (soulful guitar love)
Frou Frou (entrancing beats/vocals)
Toad the Wet Sprocket (one of my favourite 90's bands)
Check them out either at www.myspace.com/dawnbreakercollective or http://www.dawnbreakercollective.com/
So awesome; such fantastic vocals and a melange of musical styles that just leaves you spiritually uplifted. I can't stop listening to the album I just bought for my ipod! Buy it now!
Songs I recommend:
When the Morning Comes
Good Morning Israel
Army of Light
Prayers Like Shoes
Tiny Seed
Set it Off
Other musicians to check out while you're at it:
Talib Kweli (soft hip-hop awesomeness)
Don Johnson Big Band (weird hip-hop)
Dashboard Confessional (acoustic melancholy)
Joe Purdy (soulful guitar love)
Frou Frou (entrancing beats/vocals)
Toad the Wet Sprocket (one of my favourite 90's bands)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Reflections part 2
Wow, looking back on my post from yesterday, I realise things sound pretty dire. I suppose it's not so bad as all that; I was having a REALLY tough work day yesterday, and this forum is an awesome place to vent and meditate on one's situation. I find it much easier to articulate my feelings when I write them down anyway.
That said, I have had an infinitely better day today. I've been preparing a farewell party for the custodians of the Shrine of the Bab; they're leaving on Sunday to head home to Canada and become custodians of the Shrine in Montreal. Tres cool, n'est pas? Chantelle showed me THE coolest shop in the Hadar where we were able to find some sweet gifts (and a little present for myself, quite lovely).
Plus, good things could possibly be happening in the 'other job' department. We'll have to wait and see, but today I feel like I might have found something that is right up my alley. I don't want to jinx it though; there are still a lot of channels to go through before anything happens. I'm adopting a 'wait-and-see' stance. But I can't help but feel infinitely lighter knowing that I might be useful somewhere else and someone new could take this job and make it their own. It's a really nice feeling...
That said, I have had an infinitely better day today. I've been preparing a farewell party for the custodians of the Shrine of the Bab; they're leaving on Sunday to head home to Canada and become custodians of the Shrine in Montreal. Tres cool, n'est pas? Chantelle showed me THE coolest shop in the Hadar where we were able to find some sweet gifts (and a little present for myself, quite lovely).
Plus, good things could possibly be happening in the 'other job' department. We'll have to wait and see, but today I feel like I might have found something that is right up my alley. I don't want to jinx it though; there are still a lot of channels to go through before anything happens. I'm adopting a 'wait-and-see' stance. But I can't help but feel infinitely lighter knowing that I might be useful somewhere else and someone new could take this job and make it their own. It's a really nice feeling...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Reflections on the Job
Ok, I didn't want to have to do this, but if I can't unload here where else can I go? For some of you this may be a shock, but to others, you've definitely seen this coming.
Here it is: I'm completely failing at my job, which means I feel like I'm failing the House of Justice, which is REALLY disheartening.
Being the administrative assistant in the Department of Holy Places is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life, and I wish I was exaggerating. I do not have any of the skills required for this job beyond the fact that I can read English and type. I feel like a complete waste of resources because I was brought here to do a job that I am just not physically or emotionally capable of doing.
I have been trying, oh how I have been trying, to figure out if maybe this is just a transient situation. "Maybe I'll get better, the job will get easier, as I learn the ropes." Well, the more involved I get, the more I realise I am utterly out of my league. Everytime I think I've figured a problem out, it turns out I've done it completely wrong and it has to be done again. Everytime an email comes through that I think I can respond to, I don't follow the correct channels and I have to get reprimanded. Everytime I feel like something is going my way, the rug gets pulled out from under my feet and I'm left feeling inadequate and stupid.
I don't want to give the impression that I'm just whining away because I don't like the job; that's not the case at ALL. The people I work with are fantastic, they've been trying really hard to be understanding and alleviate some of the burdens I've been dealing with, but unfortunately it's just not enough. No matter what I try to do, this is simply not a job that I can do with any measurable amount of success.
And my poor co-ordinator, God bless her, she has been soooo patient with me and we're having very open dialoguing about our situation, but I am letting her down and I know it. I'm at my wit's end about what else to do at this point. Even if I look at spending more hours in the office, spending more time on projects, it doesn't mean that things will be done any better. And that's the most frustrating part.
All I want is to be able to serve in the Holy Land to the best of my ability, but this job is completely the opposite of any of my strengths or experience. I wish I knew how to do things better but I don't. It's in the hands of Personnel now; they are in the process of trying to find another position for me somewhere else in the BWC. I certainly hope it can be done quickly because I don't know how much more personal ineptitude I can stand before I completely break down and have to be institutionalised. (Again, I wish I was exaggerating.)
Please, PLEASE say prayers for me, and for everyone involved in the situation.
Here it is: I'm completely failing at my job, which means I feel like I'm failing the House of Justice, which is REALLY disheartening.
Being the administrative assistant in the Department of Holy Places is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life, and I wish I was exaggerating. I do not have any of the skills required for this job beyond the fact that I can read English and type. I feel like a complete waste of resources because I was brought here to do a job that I am just not physically or emotionally capable of doing.
I have been trying, oh how I have been trying, to figure out if maybe this is just a transient situation. "Maybe I'll get better, the job will get easier, as I learn the ropes." Well, the more involved I get, the more I realise I am utterly out of my league. Everytime I think I've figured a problem out, it turns out I've done it completely wrong and it has to be done again. Everytime an email comes through that I think I can respond to, I don't follow the correct channels and I have to get reprimanded. Everytime I feel like something is going my way, the rug gets pulled out from under my feet and I'm left feeling inadequate and stupid.
I don't want to give the impression that I'm just whining away because I don't like the job; that's not the case at ALL. The people I work with are fantastic, they've been trying really hard to be understanding and alleviate some of the burdens I've been dealing with, but unfortunately it's just not enough. No matter what I try to do, this is simply not a job that I can do with any measurable amount of success.
And my poor co-ordinator, God bless her, she has been soooo patient with me and we're having very open dialoguing about our situation, but I am letting her down and I know it. I'm at my wit's end about what else to do at this point. Even if I look at spending more hours in the office, spending more time on projects, it doesn't mean that things will be done any better. And that's the most frustrating part.
All I want is to be able to serve in the Holy Land to the best of my ability, but this job is completely the opposite of any of my strengths or experience. I wish I knew how to do things better but I don't. It's in the hands of Personnel now; they are in the process of trying to find another position for me somewhere else in the BWC. I certainly hope it can be done quickly because I don't know how much more personal ineptitude I can stand before I completely break down and have to be institutionalised. (Again, I wish I was exaggerating.)
Please, PLEASE say prayers for me, and for everyone involved in the situation.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Being sick sucks
I've been pretty sick on and off the past few weeks, and I gotta tell you, it royally sucks.
I'm lying in bed as I write this, trying to calm the plethora of butterflies that seem to have taken up permanent residency status in my stomach and lower intestines. It is so uncool to be sick so frequently here.
I gotta say, if your digestive system is not working properly, nothing feels like it's working properly.
All I want to do is go to the office, sit at my desk, answer my emails, and not pass out or vomit up a lung. Is that so much to ask? I think it's the stress of the job, coupled with the intense heat here in Israel that makes my stomach want to jump and roll over itself continually, making it very difficult to get anything accomplished. I also have to grapple with the increasingly frequent bouts of dehydration, which sneak up very quickly here if you're not careful. And perhaps I'm not as careful as I should be, but I'm just not used to so much heat and the amount of water we have to drink in a day to combat it, so things go pretty kaflooey pretty quickly.
Well, all I can say is, I shall be much better prepared for the onslaught of heat next summer. Now if I can only figure out how to 'destressify' the job...
I'm lying in bed as I write this, trying to calm the plethora of butterflies that seem to have taken up permanent residency status in my stomach and lower intestines. It is so uncool to be sick so frequently here.
I gotta say, if your digestive system is not working properly, nothing feels like it's working properly.
All I want to do is go to the office, sit at my desk, answer my emails, and not pass out or vomit up a lung. Is that so much to ask? I think it's the stress of the job, coupled with the intense heat here in Israel that makes my stomach want to jump and roll over itself continually, making it very difficult to get anything accomplished. I also have to grapple with the increasingly frequent bouts of dehydration, which sneak up very quickly here if you're not careful. And perhaps I'm not as careful as I should be, but I'm just not used to so much heat and the amount of water we have to drink in a day to combat it, so things go pretty kaflooey pretty quickly.
Well, all I can say is, I shall be much better prepared for the onslaught of heat next summer. Now if I can only figure out how to 'destressify' the job...
Friday, August 10, 2007
My Harry Potter Adventure
I've decided to blog about my lovely adventure to the Grand Canyon mall to see the premiere of the newest Harry Potter movie. I know Kat already beat me to the punch on this one, but it was so ridiculous it deserves to be recorded on two separate blogs.
A whole slew of Baha'is ended up descending upon the movie theatre for the premiere. Fortunately most of us had gotten someone to pick up the tickets well in advance, so the seats were not too bad. Yeah, there are assigned seats in the movie theatres here, it's weird.
I was expecting the movie to start around 9:30 pm, but when we arrived we found out that our show wasn't until 10:30 pm. Well, that was ok because the mall was still open, so Kat and I ended up browsing some of the awesome stores there. Finally we went back to the theatre to get into the auditorium, but the crowd was enormous. We were a surging sea of bodies pressed together uncomfortably in a rather tiny lobby, waiting for the doors to open. 10:30 came and went, and we realised that we were only going to be able to get IN the theatre at that point, the movie was going to start much later. Hoo boy...
So we made it into the theatre and clambered down to the front looking for our seats. Kat and I got to our row, only to find a couple of young boys sitting in our seats. One of them was supposed to be sitting farther forward, but had wanted to sit with his friend. I think the conversation was something like this:
Kat: Excuse me, I think you're in one of our seats.
Boy: It's ok, don't tell anyone. Shhhh.
Kat: Ok, but that's not very truthful. You need to be truthful.
Boy: ....?
(Ok, I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the gist of it. I was quite amused by the interchange.)
Here we have Kat and I enjoying a "large" Coke from McD's. Looking at this drink, is it just me, or is everything ludicrously oversized in North America? (Funnily enough, Kat couldn't even finish this one, so I helped.)
A whole slew of Baha'is ended up descending upon the movie theatre for the premiere. Fortunately most of us had gotten someone to pick up the tickets well in advance, so the seats were not too bad. Yeah, there are assigned seats in the movie theatres here, it's weird.
I was expecting the movie to start around 9:30 pm, but when we arrived we found out that our show wasn't until 10:30 pm. Well, that was ok because the mall was still open, so Kat and I ended up browsing some of the awesome stores there. Finally we went back to the theatre to get into the auditorium, but the crowd was enormous. We were a surging sea of bodies pressed together uncomfortably in a rather tiny lobby, waiting for the doors to open. 10:30 came and went, and we realised that we were only going to be able to get IN the theatre at that point, the movie was going to start much later. Hoo boy...
So we made it into the theatre and clambered down to the front looking for our seats. Kat and I got to our row, only to find a couple of young boys sitting in our seats. One of them was supposed to be sitting farther forward, but had wanted to sit with his friend. I think the conversation was something like this:
Kat: Excuse me, I think you're in one of our seats.
Boy: It's ok, don't tell anyone. Shhhh.
Kat: Ok, but that's not very truthful. You need to be truthful.
Boy: ....?
(Ok, I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the gist of it. I was quite amused by the interchange.)
Here we are in our seats, giddy with anticipation. Yay for Harry Potter!
So the movie ended up starting at 11:00 pm. When the credits started rolling, the audience erupted in screams and clapping. Holy cow, it was funny. (I can't understand how that many kids could stay awake that long.) Anyhoo, the movie was awesome until about midnight, when it abruptly cut off in the middle of a conversation between the characters. Nobody else in the audience seemed perturbed, and it soon occurred to us that this was an intermission - an intermission slicing the middle of a scene. Well planned. Apparently that's the way it goes here; after an hour there's an intermission whether it makes sense or not.
So we sat around for a while, watching the crowd and trying not to fall asleep. During that time, the young boys sitting next to us kept trying to flirt with Kat and take surreptitious pictures of the two of us with their cell phone. Silly kids. Anyhoo, the movie started up again close to 12:30 am, so that was fine. Until about fifteen minutes later when the film burned. BURNED. I thought that was something that only happened IN the movies, but you could actually see the film bubble and then melt away to a white screen. I nearly had a heart attack! I was sitting there thinking, "Do they usually have backup reels set up for just such an emergency?" Turns out they were able to splice the movie together again, but it took another fifteen minutes. During that time I swear I thought a riot was going to break out between some of the kids. I could only imagine the headline: "Numerous people injured in Harry Potter theatre riot" Ha ha ha.
The movie started again, and TEN MINUTES LATER the screen went black. At that point, most of the theatre started screaming English obscenities at the screen. It was sort of hilarious, especially when the two small kids beside us started yelling profanity to the general public - I don't even think they knew what the words meant, they just knew they were swearing.
FINALLY, around 1:30 am the movie finished and we were able to file out of the theatre. We were shunted through a sketchy tunnel that ran along the back area of the mall. It led back out into the food court, not fifty feet from the entrance where we had gone into the theatre in the first place. Why they couldn't just let us out through the lobby back into the food court is beyond me...
Then came the wait for taxis. There were none waiting, probably because the movie let out almost an hour later than it was supposed to have finished. And when there are dozens of people all trying to get a taxi, you can well imagine we had to wait quite a while and call the taxi company a couple of times.
All in all, quite the memorable experience. Perhaps my first and only trip to the movies here? We shall have to wait and see...
By the way, props to John for this little gem of wisdom, "You know it's a bad sign when you have to ask the person next to you four times to wake you up when the movie starts again."
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Coffee as headache medication?
Ok, this is getting weird now with drinks being the cure-all for general aches and discomfort.
I had a splitting headache after Mr. Dunbar's class this evening, and I walked home with John and Jayce not feeling any better. John swears by the notion that coffee is actually quite good for getting rid of headaches. Apparently it has something to do with caffeine speeding up blood flow or something.
So I get to the guys' flat with the promise of caffeinated beverages and heavy medications. We end up tuning in to the end of Star Wars on television and head directly into The Mexican starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Just what my head needed to make the evening complete.
Quite a while into the movie I had to remind John that I was still in quite a bit of pain and had not yet received either coffee or pain meds. Apparently what I failed to realise is that fine grind coffee takes FOREVER to percolate. Hpmh. Finally I got a cup of java but with a little twist; John wouldn't tell me what he had added to the coffee until I finished drinking it. Never a good sign, I know, but I was desperate. Turns out the added kick was hot paprika. Go figure. It actually wasn't too bad, a little bitter and spicy, but not too bad.
The problem now seems to be that I am high on caffeine and some sort of pink headache pills that are leaving me wide awake and bored. It is now 1 am, I have to work tomorrow, and all I can think about is who in the world thought up putting paprika in coffee?
Best lines of the night:
Mr. Dunbar: "What kind of lame assembly would only ever have nine members each year?"
(oh man, that line killed!)
Jayce: "You're just jealous because it's completely flat where you live."
Me: "I have an escarpment, thank you very much!"
John: "Who in the entire world ever uses the word 'escarpment' in a sentence?"
I had a splitting headache after Mr. Dunbar's class this evening, and I walked home with John and Jayce not feeling any better. John swears by the notion that coffee is actually quite good for getting rid of headaches. Apparently it has something to do with caffeine speeding up blood flow or something.
So I get to the guys' flat with the promise of caffeinated beverages and heavy medications. We end up tuning in to the end of Star Wars on television and head directly into The Mexican starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Just what my head needed to make the evening complete.
Quite a while into the movie I had to remind John that I was still in quite a bit of pain and had not yet received either coffee or pain meds. Apparently what I failed to realise is that fine grind coffee takes FOREVER to percolate. Hpmh. Finally I got a cup of java but with a little twist; John wouldn't tell me what he had added to the coffee until I finished drinking it. Never a good sign, I know, but I was desperate. Turns out the added kick was hot paprika. Go figure. It actually wasn't too bad, a little bitter and spicy, but not too bad.
The problem now seems to be that I am high on caffeine and some sort of pink headache pills that are leaving me wide awake and bored. It is now 1 am, I have to work tomorrow, and all I can think about is who in the world thought up putting paprika in coffee?
Best lines of the night:
Mr. Dunbar: "What kind of lame assembly would only ever have nine members each year?"
(oh man, that line killed!)
Jayce: "You're just jealous because it's completely flat where you live."
Me: "I have an escarpment, thank you very much!"
John: "Who in the entire world ever uses the word 'escarpment' in a sentence?"
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The God Delusion?
The Ihtifal Committee at the BWC hosted a talk by Dr. Stephen Phelps last night, and he spoke on the topic of the new atheists. It was a fascinating discussion about the situation the world finds itself in with the disillusioned masses no longer looking to religion to solve their problems. In the talk Dr. Phelps referred to several contemporary authors, most notably Richard Dawkins, regarding the topic of atheism.
The God Delusion is a book by Richard Dawkins in which he poses the argument that we delude ourselves into thinking an exterior entity, a 'God of the Gaps' if you will, could be in control of the universe and our fates. This "God of the Gaps" Dawkins argues, is one who is referred to for understanding only when all other possibilities have been exhausted. Don't understand something? This "God" must have done it; that is how things have been explained for millenia.
From what I understand, his entire premise for the book is that this "God" cannot possibly exist because His existence is far too improbable to be true. My understanding of the situation is that, although Dawkins seems to make quite cogent arguments in his book for the improbability of the existence of God, there is a fatal flaw in his original premise and thereby his reasoning - God cannot exist the way we think of existence in the physical realm anyway, so in a way Dawkins is both right and wrong.
Look at it this way: we can argue 'til the cows come home that God doesn't exist because His existence in this realm is far too improbable and complex. But Baha'is understand that there is absolutely no way to adequately term the existence of God in words or ideas anyway, because His existence is gauged far beyond any sort of material or physical existence (which is the only kind of existence we can understand in this plane of reality).
Dr. Phelps used the example of a two dimensional reality where a three dimensional object passes through. To the inhabitants of that reality, they can only see a single aspect of that object at any given time; sometimes it looks like a circle, sometimes a square, sometimes a line. They cannot possibly grasp the concept that all those points of reference are the same object being looked at from different angles at different points in time.
That is the same way we should think about God. We cannot possibly hope to completely understand God's reality, as it far surpasses anything we could imagine or describe in this inadequate realm of physical existence. So no matter what you argue, you'll still be unable to come up with any way to describe the existence of something that does not exist in a reality of existence; you simply cannot apply the laws of our own reality to God.
But I think it really all comes down to this point Dr. Phelps made - whether or not you believe God exists, it only matters what kind of life you can lead, how you can be a shining example of love and justice in this world. And just because you don't believe in God doesn't mean that you don't have a soul, a moral centre, a spiritual core, an ethical compass leading you to do good things.
Atheists tend to argue that you can lead a moral life without God or religion in the picture. I tend to wonder how many of them can knowingly detach themselves from living in a world that has been permeated by religion for millenia? For example, North America has been run from a Judeo-Christian standpoint since settlers arrived from Europe. Can you then argue that someone can live a non-religious but moral life in that society, whose laws and ordinances all stem from a religious background anyway? Sure you could, but I think you'd be wrong.
I hope this post doesn't come off as me spouting rhetoric or soapboxing, but I really felt moved by Dr. Phelp's talk last night, and it really got my brain juices flowing. My flatmate and her friend have been planning a "defending the Baha'i Faith against attacks" evening, and I cannot wait to see the materials they have put together. It should be really good, and I think it will really further my understanding of all these topics and ideas.
The God Delusion is a book by Richard Dawkins in which he poses the argument that we delude ourselves into thinking an exterior entity, a 'God of the Gaps' if you will, could be in control of the universe and our fates. This "God of the Gaps" Dawkins argues, is one who is referred to for understanding only when all other possibilities have been exhausted. Don't understand something? This "God" must have done it; that is how things have been explained for millenia.
From what I understand, his entire premise for the book is that this "God" cannot possibly exist because His existence is far too improbable to be true. My understanding of the situation is that, although Dawkins seems to make quite cogent arguments in his book for the improbability of the existence of God, there is a fatal flaw in his original premise and thereby his reasoning - God cannot exist the way we think of existence in the physical realm anyway, so in a way Dawkins is both right and wrong.
Look at it this way: we can argue 'til the cows come home that God doesn't exist because His existence in this realm is far too improbable and complex. But Baha'is understand that there is absolutely no way to adequately term the existence of God in words or ideas anyway, because His existence is gauged far beyond any sort of material or physical existence (which is the only kind of existence we can understand in this plane of reality).
Dr. Phelps used the example of a two dimensional reality where a three dimensional object passes through. To the inhabitants of that reality, they can only see a single aspect of that object at any given time; sometimes it looks like a circle, sometimes a square, sometimes a line. They cannot possibly grasp the concept that all those points of reference are the same object being looked at from different angles at different points in time.
That is the same way we should think about God. We cannot possibly hope to completely understand God's reality, as it far surpasses anything we could imagine or describe in this inadequate realm of physical existence. So no matter what you argue, you'll still be unable to come up with any way to describe the existence of something that does not exist in a reality of existence; you simply cannot apply the laws of our own reality to God.
But I think it really all comes down to this point Dr. Phelps made - whether or not you believe God exists, it only matters what kind of life you can lead, how you can be a shining example of love and justice in this world. And just because you don't believe in God doesn't mean that you don't have a soul, a moral centre, a spiritual core, an ethical compass leading you to do good things.
Atheists tend to argue that you can lead a moral life without God or religion in the picture. I tend to wonder how many of them can knowingly detach themselves from living in a world that has been permeated by religion for millenia? For example, North America has been run from a Judeo-Christian standpoint since settlers arrived from Europe. Can you then argue that someone can live a non-religious but moral life in that society, whose laws and ordinances all stem from a religious background anyway? Sure you could, but I think you'd be wrong.
I hope this post doesn't come off as me spouting rhetoric or soapboxing, but I really felt moved by Dr. Phelp's talk last night, and it really got my brain juices flowing. My flatmate and her friend have been planning a "defending the Baha'i Faith against attacks" evening, and I cannot wait to see the materials they have put together. It should be really good, and I think it will really further my understanding of all these topics and ideas.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Coca-Cola as nausea medication?
Allow me to explain...
I was feeling really nauseated the other day, so Tahereh from my office told me to drink some Coke to feel less queasy. I was extremely skeptical, knowing full well how much carbonation and sugar is in a can of that stuff.
But then, not two hours later, Anis came to the office to visit, saw I was feeling nauseated, and told me to drink a can of Diet Coke he had in his bag. Wha...? At that point, I thought it was probably another weird Brazillian thing I just didn't understand (as Anis and Tahereh are both from Brazil).
THEN my coordinator Taraneh walked by my desk, heard our conversation, and mentioned how helpful Coke is for relieving stomach pain. I'd heard enough - I drank the darn Diet Coke.
Interestingly enough, did you know that in the beginning Coca-Cola was used as medication? It seems it was one of those cure-what-ails-you concoctions; I personally think the "medicinal properties" probably owed more to the fact that it was originally made with cocaine than anything else. Did you also know that Coke was originally green? Ah, the things you can learn.
Remember, dear friends, that I always have been, and always will be, your best source of perfectly useless information.
I was feeling really nauseated the other day, so Tahereh from my office told me to drink some Coke to feel less queasy. I was extremely skeptical, knowing full well how much carbonation and sugar is in a can of that stuff.
But then, not two hours later, Anis came to the office to visit, saw I was feeling nauseated, and told me to drink a can of Diet Coke he had in his bag. Wha...? At that point, I thought it was probably another weird Brazillian thing I just didn't understand (as Anis and Tahereh are both from Brazil).
THEN my coordinator Taraneh walked by my desk, heard our conversation, and mentioned how helpful Coke is for relieving stomach pain. I'd heard enough - I drank the darn Diet Coke.
Interestingly enough, did you know that in the beginning Coca-Cola was used as medication? It seems it was one of those cure-what-ails-you concoctions; I personally think the "medicinal properties" probably owed more to the fact that it was originally made with cocaine than anything else. Did you also know that Coke was originally green? Ah, the things you can learn.
Remember, dear friends, that I always have been, and always will be, your best source of perfectly useless information.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Out to Lunch
I met up with some friends after their study class today on The Advent of Divine Justice. (Man, do I ever wish I could have signed up for that class! I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for another offering.)
Anyhoo, John, Matt, Maryam and I decided to head up to Merkaz Ha'Carmel for some lunch. We caught a sherut at Golomb Gate and away we went to Greg's for some food and coffee.
I suppose my favourite part was when John decided to try the Balkan sandwich, which came accompanied by an egg on the side. Literally. The waitress brought a sliced egg in a little bowl, saying that most people don't like the egg directly on their sandwich. Go figure. I asked John how the sandwich was and he mentioned it tasted oddly of strife and tension. Oh, those Balkan states, such politics...
After lunch Maryam and Matt wanted to stop for waffles, but being extremely full of spicy chicken tortillas and political turmoil, John and I passed and walked home instead. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to walk along the Dan Panorama overpass and head across to Terrace 19. On a clear day you can see straight across the bay to Akka, and today was no exception. Breathtaking - I almost wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, that I was actually in Haifa looking out over the bay. Some days I don't really believe that I'm here, that I'm going to wake up and this whole thing will have been a glorious dream.
At that point John started in on a rant about the inherent evils of speed bumps, and I was brought right back down to earth. The gist of the conversation is that speed bumps are pure evil and we must do all we can to destroy them. (That's what I got from the conversation; I think I have some weird friends, but I love them anyway.)
We will all have to do lunch again soon; I do so love general excursions into the surreal...
Anyhoo, John, Matt, Maryam and I decided to head up to Merkaz Ha'Carmel for some lunch. We caught a sherut at Golomb Gate and away we went to Greg's for some food and coffee.
I suppose my favourite part was when John decided to try the Balkan sandwich, which came accompanied by an egg on the side. Literally. The waitress brought a sliced egg in a little bowl, saying that most people don't like the egg directly on their sandwich. Go figure. I asked John how the sandwich was and he mentioned it tasted oddly of strife and tension. Oh, those Balkan states, such politics...
After lunch Maryam and Matt wanted to stop for waffles, but being extremely full of spicy chicken tortillas and political turmoil, John and I passed and walked home instead. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to walk along the Dan Panorama overpass and head across to Terrace 19. On a clear day you can see straight across the bay to Akka, and today was no exception. Breathtaking - I almost wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, that I was actually in Haifa looking out over the bay. Some days I don't really believe that I'm here, that I'm going to wake up and this whole thing will have been a glorious dream.
At that point John started in on a rant about the inherent evils of speed bumps, and I was brought right back down to earth. The gist of the conversation is that speed bumps are pure evil and we must do all we can to destroy them. (That's what I got from the conversation; I think I have some weird friends, but I love them anyway.)
We will all have to do lunch again soon; I do so love general excursions into the surreal...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Open Mic Night
I went to my first BWC open mic night and it was AWESOME!!!!
Hosted by two lovely (albeit unusual) ladies, Chantelle and Elise, the night was a resounding success. I believe they were attempting to be rappers, but it was a freestyle nightmare that left everyone in stitches.
Highlights of the night include, but are not limited to:
Hosted by two lovely (albeit unusual) ladies, Chantelle and Elise, the night was a resounding success. I believe they were attempting to be rappers, but it was a freestyle nightmare that left everyone in stitches.
Highlights of the night include, but are not limited to:
- Listening to Afonso rap in Portuguese
- Cheering on Matt when he forgot the lyrics to his sweet song
- Watching Ilya scream at his 'actors' in their skit a la "Whose Line is it Anyway?"
- Finding out that Peter can play the harmonica and the piano at the same time
- Nearly having a heart attack from cheering on the Works Department in their Backstreet Boys-esque dance number
- Watching Penny and Antoinette doing a native Vanuatu dance in their 'chastity dresses'
- Seeing Sorush and Pedram break-dance, slamming it old school
All in all, a delightful evening of song, dance, poetry, freestyle, just a little bit of everything.
I'll definitely have to come up with something to do for the next one. Maybe Kat and I can sing our theme song...yeah?
"I'm hot 'cause I'm fly...you ain't 'cause you not..."
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Esoteric Photography
The artist in me tends to rear its head from time to time. It lets me believe that perhaps my university career was not a complete waste of time.
The poignancy of this image struck me by the very bleakness of its existence. The chipped metal paint and the scuffed floorboards only add to its appeal as a transitory, fleeting object made solely for the amusement of others.
(Is this artsy enough for ya?)
I can almost hear the echo of childrens' laughter resonate off the soft, rubbery mats beneath the rooster's springy bottom.
(I wonder what his partner-in-crime is exactly? A deformed cow?)
These are some of the apartments lining the road home. The sky is a murky shade of bluish-grey, the kind of deep colour you'd only expect from engorged rain clouds. But I think there shall be no rain today, only dust and sweat and light, the beauty of which cannot truly be captured.
(I just liked this one because of all the bottles. Yay for the Israeli recycling program.)
And so ends our mystical journey through a land of subtle imagery .
I do so love playing the part of a tortured artist; it always brightens my day considerably.
The poignancy of this image struck me by the very bleakness of its existence. The chipped metal paint and the scuffed floorboards only add to its appeal as a transitory, fleeting object made solely for the amusement of others.(Is this artsy enough for ya?)
I can almost hear the echo of childrens' laughter resonate off the soft, rubbery mats beneath the rooster's springy bottom.(I wonder what his partner-in-crime is exactly? A deformed cow?)
These are some of the apartments lining the road home. The sky is a murky shade of bluish-grey, the kind of deep colour you'd only expect from engorged rain clouds. But I think there shall be no rain today, only dust and sweat and light, the beauty of which cannot truly be captured.
(I just liked this one because of all the bottles. Yay for the Israeli recycling program.)
And so ends our mystical journey through a land of subtle imagery .
I do so love playing the part of a tortured artist; it always brightens my day considerably.
Be a source of Goodness
I found this quote today from the Baha'i Writings, and I had to share it. It beautifully sums up everything I strive to be as a Baha'i:
It is Our wish and desire that every one of you may become a source of all goodness unto men, and an example of uprightness to mankind. Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above your neighbors."
---Bahá'u'lláh
---Bahá'u'lláh
It makes me giddy to think how cool it would be if we all thought this way. If everyone took everyone else's happiness into consideration above their own, think about what a glorious world we could be living in!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Have a Question? Ask a Ninja!
Everyone must go check out www.askaninja.com.
Seriously, this ninja is the funniest thing I have ever seen on the internet other than The 'Bu.
Basically, people write in and ask this ninja really inane questions and he somehow makes the answers fantastically amusing.
I personally suggest watching episode 47 - Ninja Movie Pitch. If you can figure out exactly how many different movies he references, I will marry you.
Seriously, this ninja is the funniest thing I have ever seen on the internet other than The 'Bu.
Basically, people write in and ask this ninja really inane questions and he somehow makes the answers fantastically amusing.
I personally suggest watching episode 47 - Ninja Movie Pitch. If you can figure out exactly how many different movies he references, I will marry you.
My Hospital Adventure
Ok, so I find out that I have to go to the hospital for a chest surgery consult today. (Nothing major, don't worry). I was supposed to go last week but there was a government workers' strike and it wasn't open. So I make my way down this morning to the Rambam Medical Care Centre. (Isn't that the most awesome name for a hospital? I think so.)
I grab the #22 bus down from my house around 8:00 am. It takes about half an hour to get there because Rambam is on the coast and I live much higher up on the mountain. So I'm in the bus, and I can see the hospital in the distance, but it stops at the main bus terminal a fair distance away, and everyone has to get off. Well, no big deal; I get off and walk in the general direction of the hospital, fairly confident in my navigational skills.
This area looks fairly sketchy, as I am down by the docks at this point surrounded by road construction. But I figure everything is safe, since the only people I see around are soldiers and Hassidic Jews. I keep on trundling down to the roundabout where I know I'm supposed to turn to find the beach gate of the hospital. And I finally do.
Rambam is a huge medical complex, but I am confident that I can find where I need to go because I was emailed a hospital map before I left. (One word - hubris) So I take the first left I see to the Outpatient building, and make my way inside to the third floor where I was told the Cardiology department is. Why I need to go to the Cardiology department is beyond me since that has nothing to do with my consult, but whatever.
At this point I've become lost in the general maze of corridors but I find what looks like an information desk with nurses, so I ask where I'm supposed to be. Apparently I've asked a trick question, because the ladies look at me like I'm nuts. They're not even sure why I'm in this area of the building as I should be in Endocrinology. (Again, why? Who knows.) So they send me down one floor to the next nurses' station. Apparently this is not where I'm supposed to be either. The lady there tells me I need to go back downstairs to the other wing of the building, but on the same floor. Ok then....
So I go. I head back through the lobby, up two flights of stairs to...the oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic. ARGH!!!! Where the heck is the chest surgeon, and why is this so complicated?!? The nurse at the oral clinic feels sorry for me, and figures out where I need to be, and takes me back down one flight of stairs to a crowded hallway. THIS is where I am supposed to be - and it only took an hour to figure out!
She gives my paper to the nurse at the desk, but apparently this is not the right paper - I should have checked into the hospital as soon as I walked in. Whoops. So I head BACK to the lobby to wait in a very long line to get my admittance slips and go back up for my consult. Since I have never been to Rambam before they have to open a new file for me, and how to check the 'Baha'im' into the hospital is the new floorshow for everyone else waiting in line. Har, har.
I trudge back upstairs to the chest surgery area and hand my file back to the nurse, which she proceeds to put at the bottom of a very large pile. I can feel this is going to be a loooooong wait. I step into the hallway and grab a chair to listen to the ipod for awhile.
Two hours later, I finally hear my name called. I jump up and head back to the nurses' station where I wait for the doctor to let me in. He's a very nice man; studied in India and the US, knows a lot about the Baha'is, both here and in India. Unfortunately he's not the right man for me - he proceeds to tell me that the actual doctor I'm looking for is away for the week in the army. That's right, the doctor left for the army for the week, and this one can't help me.
Ok. Those of you that know me well know that I have a pretty good sense of humour. At this point I'm laughing hysterically on the inside because this is by far the funniest thing that has happened to me since I've been in this country. (I will post my hilarious driving adventures at a later date.) I've been in the hospital for four hours, been to three wrong departments, been the main attraction in the lobby check-in, and now it occurs to me that it has all been for naught.
So NOW I get to go back and do this all over again when the nurse calls me for an appointment. My joy knows no bounds, dear friends, my joy knows no bounds...
I grab the #22 bus down from my house around 8:00 am. It takes about half an hour to get there because Rambam is on the coast and I live much higher up on the mountain. So I'm in the bus, and I can see the hospital in the distance, but it stops at the main bus terminal a fair distance away, and everyone has to get off. Well, no big deal; I get off and walk in the general direction of the hospital, fairly confident in my navigational skills.
This area looks fairly sketchy, as I am down by the docks at this point surrounded by road construction. But I figure everything is safe, since the only people I see around are soldiers and Hassidic Jews. I keep on trundling down to the roundabout where I know I'm supposed to turn to find the beach gate of the hospital. And I finally do.
Rambam is a huge medical complex, but I am confident that I can find where I need to go because I was emailed a hospital map before I left. (One word - hubris) So I take the first left I see to the Outpatient building, and make my way inside to the third floor where I was told the Cardiology department is. Why I need to go to the Cardiology department is beyond me since that has nothing to do with my consult, but whatever.
At this point I've become lost in the general maze of corridors but I find what looks like an information desk with nurses, so I ask where I'm supposed to be. Apparently I've asked a trick question, because the ladies look at me like I'm nuts. They're not even sure why I'm in this area of the building as I should be in Endocrinology. (Again, why? Who knows.) So they send me down one floor to the next nurses' station. Apparently this is not where I'm supposed to be either. The lady there tells me I need to go back downstairs to the other wing of the building, but on the same floor. Ok then....
So I go. I head back through the lobby, up two flights of stairs to...the oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic. ARGH!!!! Where the heck is the chest surgeon, and why is this so complicated?!? The nurse at the oral clinic feels sorry for me, and figures out where I need to be, and takes me back down one flight of stairs to a crowded hallway. THIS is where I am supposed to be - and it only took an hour to figure out!
She gives my paper to the nurse at the desk, but apparently this is not the right paper - I should have checked into the hospital as soon as I walked in. Whoops. So I head BACK to the lobby to wait in a very long line to get my admittance slips and go back up for my consult. Since I have never been to Rambam before they have to open a new file for me, and how to check the 'Baha'im' into the hospital is the new floorshow for everyone else waiting in line. Har, har.
I trudge back upstairs to the chest surgery area and hand my file back to the nurse, which she proceeds to put at the bottom of a very large pile. I can feel this is going to be a loooooong wait. I step into the hallway and grab a chair to listen to the ipod for awhile.
Two hours later, I finally hear my name called. I jump up and head back to the nurses' station where I wait for the doctor to let me in. He's a very nice man; studied in India and the US, knows a lot about the Baha'is, both here and in India. Unfortunately he's not the right man for me - he proceeds to tell me that the actual doctor I'm looking for is away for the week in the army. That's right, the doctor left for the army for the week, and this one can't help me.
Ok. Those of you that know me well know that I have a pretty good sense of humour. At this point I'm laughing hysterically on the inside because this is by far the funniest thing that has happened to me since I've been in this country. (I will post my hilarious driving adventures at a later date.) I've been in the hospital for four hours, been to three wrong departments, been the main attraction in the lobby check-in, and now it occurs to me that it has all been for naught.
So NOW I get to go back and do this all over again when the nurse calls me for an appointment. My joy knows no bounds, dear friends, my joy knows no bounds...
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