I don't understand boys. I may have lots of guy friends, but apparently this has done nothing to help me fathom the complex (or perhaps not so complex) brain of the human male.
Query: When you hang out and spend all your free time with a certain individual, doesn't that mean you thoroughly enjoy their company? And if you're enjoying their company exclusively, and you're sharing private things with each other about yourselves, doesn't that mean you enjoy being with them exclusively? And what if you like all the same things? If that's the case, and you've got all that in common, aren't you pretty much dating?
These are the questions that have been plaguing me, keeping me awake at night. In my mind - whether you're physically intimate or not, if you're spending all your time with someone and sharing your thoughts with them, and having a good time together pretty much exclusively - that is what dating is.
So why don't guys think the same way?!?! My guess is that for guys there has to be a physical attraction instantly or else they're completely uninterested. Apparently I've got the perfect personality to get along with most types of guys, so what is it that I'm doing that's not attracting them physically? I'm so thoroughly confused...
{Follow-up query: Is there any way to kindle an interest later on in a 'friend' relationship? How often do guys change their initial assessment of a friendship into a more romantic one? I need to know how to shift from the eternal paradigm of "Oh, you're so awesome to hang out with but I don't think of you that way" to getting a more appropriate response to my advances, like, "I can't get you off of my mind, I want to be around you all the time; please consider dating me so we can get married".}
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
I love WALL-E
*Caution! Complete plot spoiler ahead!*
Ok, so I went with a few people to the movies the other night to see WALL-E. I had heard really good things about it, so I was pretty excited. Plus, I haven't gone out with a bunch of people in quite a while, so it was nice to go out and hang with a different group of friends for a little bit.
The movie was absolutely fabulous!!! I don't think I've enjoyed a movie in a good long while as much as I enjoyed WALL-E! You'd think it would be difficult to make a cockroach an adorable sidekick to a robot that thinks he's people, but Disney and Pixar managed to pull it off well. :) The following is the main plot, to the best of my recollection:
What's happened is that 700 years or so in the future, humanity has abandoned Earth as one huge trash heap and the WALL-Es (Waste Allocation Load Lifters-Earth class), who were left behind to clean up the mess before the humans returned, have all fallen into disrepair except for one. He's still plugging away at his job, compacting tiny little cubes of garbage into towering skscrapers of trash as he rolls around the city on his little treaded, rusting wheels.
[My favourite part of the whole movie is the personality that's been ascribed to WALL-E. He doesn't really ever speak except for a small series of beeps and squeaks, but he's a sensitive little soul who loves to collect trash 'treasures' the humans left behind - Rubik's cubes, light bulbs, broken toys, gadgets and gizmos a-plenty. He is also quite the romantic; his favourite movie is "Hello Dolly", which he watches scenes from over and over again on his tiny projector. You can tell he's desperately lonely for another creature to be with, and he's endlessly fascinated by the musical number "It Only Takes a Moment" when two characters fall in love and hold hands, a puzzlingly intimate moment for WALL-E, who wants to experience what it would be like to hold someone's hand. It's painfully bittersweet to watch these scenes when he's pining for someone to share his life with and hold their hand. It's hard to believe he's supposed to be a robot when he's so anthropomorphically complete. And he's even got the big puppy-dog eye thing going on...]
His world is turned upside down when he hears something rumbling outside his trailer one day and goes to investigate. A spaceship touches down near him and what looks like another robot is deposited on-site. He is fascinated, but scared of what's happening, and keeps hiding behind boulders and burrowing underground to avoid being seen. It seems like this robot is the opposite of WALL-E - white, sleek, modern, beautiful (to him). She is apparently female, and has been sent to Earth on some sort of recovery mission. He follows her around until she starts shooting at him, then he speeds away and tries to regroup and figure out how to approach this beautiful but deadly creature.
WALL-E is eventually able to get close to her and figure out her name is EVE (how fitting). He keeps trying to hold her hand, but she rebuffs him repeatedly since she can't figure out what he's attempting to do. Although she is completely focused on her mission, he is able to convince her to visit his trailer, where he attempts to share his treasures with her. She is entirely unimpressed, until he pulls out a tiny green plant sprout in a boot that he found in a rusted out fridge the day before. She starts going nuts beeping and squawking, puts the sprout in her chest and then shuts off, sending out what seems to be a homing signal. Try as he might, WALL-E cannot revive EVE. He thinks maybe she's solar-powered like him, so he takes her out on the roof and stays by her side day and night, through rain and dust and wind, sheltering her from the elements and trying to turn her on again.
Finally, after days of trying to turn her back on, he rolls out to get back to work, but is surprised to hear another spaceship coming back to Earth. He rushes back to his trailer to see EVE being retrieved by the ship, and manages to clamber onto the edge as it starts blasting off back to wherever it came from. He is completely terrified, but wants to make sure that EVE is ok. (This whole time, the only word he's been able to say is a variation of her name, an electronic little "Ev-a!" So ridiculously cute.)
The spaceship heads to the outer edge of our galaxy, where humanity has been living aboard a sort of luxury liner in space, waiting to get the green light to head home. Unfortunately for humans, they got so complacent in their luxury, with robots to cater to their every whim, that they have all become hopelessly obese and don't even walk anywhere anymore - they all fly around on hover chairs and are constantly affixed to a computer monitor that tells them what to eat and what to wear and what to think. Anyway, WALL-E follows EVE through a hangar bay where she is going to be transported away to goodness-knows where. He tricks the automated controllers into setting him down beside her, and is able to follow her out, despite the fact that the other robots keep reading him as a foreign contaminant on the ship. :)
EVE and WALL-E get shuttled all the way to the Captain's deck where the human captain, a roundly obese but curious and sweet man is currently in charge of the ship. He doesn't really know much of anything except what the ship's navigational robot computer tells him. Since EVE is in possession of biological plant life from Earth, it basically means that humanity can now return home. There is a manual that tells the captain he needs to put the plant into some sort of holograph chamber or something, but when they try to retrieve the plant from EVE it has disappeared. She freaks out, especially since it's at that point that they realise WALL-E has followed her, and they think he took it. He didn't, and they can't quite figure out what has happened.
EVE and WALL-E are determined to retrace their way through the ship to see where the plant could have gone, but they are deemed 'broken' by the ship's computer, and are sent to the reprocessing area for repairs. While there, WALL-E thinks they are hurting EVE, so he breaks in to rescue her and inadvertently shoots up the place, releasing themselves and all the broken robots into the ship. The klaxon rings out that dangerous robots are wreaking havoc in the ship, but in all the commotion they are able to slip away and find the plant again. They bring it back to the captain of the ship, who's been really excited about going home and has been reading all about Earth on the computer. He's especially thrilled by the idea of dancing. But while they are all together, the ship's navigational computer tries to get rid of the plant, EVE and WALL-E.
It seems that years and years ago, the computer received a secret message from the remaining inhabitants of Earth who basically said that the world was completely unsalvageable, and that they must never return to Earth. The navigational computer has taken that to heart, and will stop at nothing to keep them all from returning, including trying to get rid of the plant and the robots that found it. The computer turns on the captain, relieves him of duty, and confines him to his quarters so he can't announce anything to the crew about his discovery of the plant; the computer then incapacitates EVE and WALL-E and throws them down the garbage chute.
EVE and WALL-E realise they must rally all the robots if they are to be able to regain control of the ship and get back to Earth. They retrieve the plant again, and try to head to the holograph chamber without being stopped by the ship's computer. The rest of the broken robots from the reprocessing area run defense for them as they make their way through the maze of the ship. In the meantime, the captain has been trying to regain control of his ship and secretly helps them figure out where to go. He's begun to realise that the humans have been far too reliant on technology, and have lost focus of what it means to be human. He sends a ship-wide message to everyone to meet at the Lido deck where the holograph chamber is. The ship's computer is not happy about this at all, and while everyone is there and the robots are about to put the plant into the chamber, the computer flings the ship onto its side and everyone falls out of their chairs and start rolling willy-nilly all over each other.
WALL-E understands that no matter what, he must get that plant to the chamber, and although the chamber is rapidly crushing him, he stands his ground until someone can retrieve the fallen plant and throw it back to him. The captain overpowers the ship's computer and turns it to manual power, and EVE is finally able to put the plant where it belongs. But poor WALL-E has been crushed seemingly beyond repair, and EVE is heartbroken.
Once they get back to Earth the spaceship lands and everyone gingerly makes their way onto the surface, except for EVE who is urgently rushing WALL-E back to his trailer to search for spare parts in order to repair him. She replaces all his damaged parts, and replaces his motherboard so he can turn back on, but when she reboots him, he no longer recognises her. The plaintive "WALL-E? WALL-E?!?" she keeps repeating is absolutely heartbreaking. Finally, as a last ditch effort she tries to hold his hand, thinking that it might bring him back. (At this point, "It Only Takes a Moment" is playing again, and I'm practically in tears, cursing myself for crying over an animated movie...) Suddenly, you hear a plaintive little "Ev-a?" and you basically want to start cheering in your seat because WALL-E is rebooted and well and finally gets to hold EVE's hand.
If you decide to watch this in the theatre, I would recommend bringing some hankies and watch it with people who don't mind if you cry over an animated movie about robots. And stay to watch the end credits - they're really cleverly done, with the history of the humans rebuilding their life on Earth depicted in a series of painting styles throughout the ages.
You'd think that a movie about the excesses of humanity and a somewhat bleak future would be depressing or condescending, but this movie was neither one of those things. Sure, it makes you think about what we're doing to our planet and ourselves these days, but by taking a lighthearted approach and making the story focus on the characters rather than the situation, it's an easy pill to swallow. I am planning on watching this movie over and over and over again.
Ok, so I went with a few people to the movies the other night to see WALL-E. I had heard really good things about it, so I was pretty excited. Plus, I haven't gone out with a bunch of people in quite a while, so it was nice to go out and hang with a different group of friends for a little bit.
The movie was absolutely fabulous!!! I don't think I've enjoyed a movie in a good long while as much as I enjoyed WALL-E! You'd think it would be difficult to make a cockroach an adorable sidekick to a robot that thinks he's people, but Disney and Pixar managed to pull it off well. :) The following is the main plot, to the best of my recollection:
What's happened is that 700 years or so in the future, humanity has abandoned Earth as one huge trash heap and the WALL-Es (Waste Allocation Load Lifters-Earth class), who were left behind to clean up the mess before the humans returned, have all fallen into disrepair except for one. He's still plugging away at his job, compacting tiny little cubes of garbage into towering skscrapers of trash as he rolls around the city on his little treaded, rusting wheels.
[My favourite part of the whole movie is the personality that's been ascribed to WALL-E. He doesn't really ever speak except for a small series of beeps and squeaks, but he's a sensitive little soul who loves to collect trash 'treasures' the humans left behind - Rubik's cubes, light bulbs, broken toys, gadgets and gizmos a-plenty. He is also quite the romantic; his favourite movie is "Hello Dolly", which he watches scenes from over and over again on his tiny projector. You can tell he's desperately lonely for another creature to be with, and he's endlessly fascinated by the musical number "It Only Takes a Moment" when two characters fall in love and hold hands, a puzzlingly intimate moment for WALL-E, who wants to experience what it would be like to hold someone's hand. It's painfully bittersweet to watch these scenes when he's pining for someone to share his life with and hold their hand. It's hard to believe he's supposed to be a robot when he's so anthropomorphically complete. And he's even got the big puppy-dog eye thing going on...]
His world is turned upside down when he hears something rumbling outside his trailer one day and goes to investigate. A spaceship touches down near him and what looks like another robot is deposited on-site. He is fascinated, but scared of what's happening, and keeps hiding behind boulders and burrowing underground to avoid being seen. It seems like this robot is the opposite of WALL-E - white, sleek, modern, beautiful (to him). She is apparently female, and has been sent to Earth on some sort of recovery mission. He follows her around until she starts shooting at him, then he speeds away and tries to regroup and figure out how to approach this beautiful but deadly creature.
WALL-E is eventually able to get close to her and figure out her name is EVE (how fitting). He keeps trying to hold her hand, but she rebuffs him repeatedly since she can't figure out what he's attempting to do. Although she is completely focused on her mission, he is able to convince her to visit his trailer, where he attempts to share his treasures with her. She is entirely unimpressed, until he pulls out a tiny green plant sprout in a boot that he found in a rusted out fridge the day before. She starts going nuts beeping and squawking, puts the sprout in her chest and then shuts off, sending out what seems to be a homing signal. Try as he might, WALL-E cannot revive EVE. He thinks maybe she's solar-powered like him, so he takes her out on the roof and stays by her side day and night, through rain and dust and wind, sheltering her from the elements and trying to turn her on again.
Finally, after days of trying to turn her back on, he rolls out to get back to work, but is surprised to hear another spaceship coming back to Earth. He rushes back to his trailer to see EVE being retrieved by the ship, and manages to clamber onto the edge as it starts blasting off back to wherever it came from. He is completely terrified, but wants to make sure that EVE is ok. (This whole time, the only word he's been able to say is a variation of her name, an electronic little "Ev-a!" So ridiculously cute.)
The spaceship heads to the outer edge of our galaxy, where humanity has been living aboard a sort of luxury liner in space, waiting to get the green light to head home. Unfortunately for humans, they got so complacent in their luxury, with robots to cater to their every whim, that they have all become hopelessly obese and don't even walk anywhere anymore - they all fly around on hover chairs and are constantly affixed to a computer monitor that tells them what to eat and what to wear and what to think. Anyway, WALL-E follows EVE through a hangar bay where she is going to be transported away to goodness-knows where. He tricks the automated controllers into setting him down beside her, and is able to follow her out, despite the fact that the other robots keep reading him as a foreign contaminant on the ship. :)
EVE and WALL-E get shuttled all the way to the Captain's deck where the human captain, a roundly obese but curious and sweet man is currently in charge of the ship. He doesn't really know much of anything except what the ship's navigational robot computer tells him. Since EVE is in possession of biological plant life from Earth, it basically means that humanity can now return home. There is a manual that tells the captain he needs to put the plant into some sort of holograph chamber or something, but when they try to retrieve the plant from EVE it has disappeared. She freaks out, especially since it's at that point that they realise WALL-E has followed her, and they think he took it. He didn't, and they can't quite figure out what has happened.
EVE and WALL-E are determined to retrace their way through the ship to see where the plant could have gone, but they are deemed 'broken' by the ship's computer, and are sent to the reprocessing area for repairs. While there, WALL-E thinks they are hurting EVE, so he breaks in to rescue her and inadvertently shoots up the place, releasing themselves and all the broken robots into the ship. The klaxon rings out that dangerous robots are wreaking havoc in the ship, but in all the commotion they are able to slip away and find the plant again. They bring it back to the captain of the ship, who's been really excited about going home and has been reading all about Earth on the computer. He's especially thrilled by the idea of dancing. But while they are all together, the ship's navigational computer tries to get rid of the plant, EVE and WALL-E.
It seems that years and years ago, the computer received a secret message from the remaining inhabitants of Earth who basically said that the world was completely unsalvageable, and that they must never return to Earth. The navigational computer has taken that to heart, and will stop at nothing to keep them all from returning, including trying to get rid of the plant and the robots that found it. The computer turns on the captain, relieves him of duty, and confines him to his quarters so he can't announce anything to the crew about his discovery of the plant; the computer then incapacitates EVE and WALL-E and throws them down the garbage chute.
EVE and WALL-E realise they must rally all the robots if they are to be able to regain control of the ship and get back to Earth. They retrieve the plant again, and try to head to the holograph chamber without being stopped by the ship's computer. The rest of the broken robots from the reprocessing area run defense for them as they make their way through the maze of the ship. In the meantime, the captain has been trying to regain control of his ship and secretly helps them figure out where to go. He's begun to realise that the humans have been far too reliant on technology, and have lost focus of what it means to be human. He sends a ship-wide message to everyone to meet at the Lido deck where the holograph chamber is. The ship's computer is not happy about this at all, and while everyone is there and the robots are about to put the plant into the chamber, the computer flings the ship onto its side and everyone falls out of their chairs and start rolling willy-nilly all over each other.
WALL-E understands that no matter what, he must get that plant to the chamber, and although the chamber is rapidly crushing him, he stands his ground until someone can retrieve the fallen plant and throw it back to him. The captain overpowers the ship's computer and turns it to manual power, and EVE is finally able to put the plant where it belongs. But poor WALL-E has been crushed seemingly beyond repair, and EVE is heartbroken.
Once they get back to Earth the spaceship lands and everyone gingerly makes their way onto the surface, except for EVE who is urgently rushing WALL-E back to his trailer to search for spare parts in order to repair him. She replaces all his damaged parts, and replaces his motherboard so he can turn back on, but when she reboots him, he no longer recognises her. The plaintive "WALL-E? WALL-E?!?" she keeps repeating is absolutely heartbreaking. Finally, as a last ditch effort she tries to hold his hand, thinking that it might bring him back. (At this point, "It Only Takes a Moment" is playing again, and I'm practically in tears, cursing myself for crying over an animated movie...) Suddenly, you hear a plaintive little "Ev-a?" and you basically want to start cheering in your seat because WALL-E is rebooted and well and finally gets to hold EVE's hand.
If you decide to watch this in the theatre, I would recommend bringing some hankies and watch it with people who don't mind if you cry over an animated movie about robots. And stay to watch the end credits - they're really cleverly done, with the history of the humans rebuilding their life on Earth depicted in a series of painting styles throughout the ages.
You'd think that a movie about the excesses of humanity and a somewhat bleak future would be depressing or condescending, but this movie was neither one of those things. Sure, it makes you think about what we're doing to our planet and ourselves these days, but by taking a lighthearted approach and making the story focus on the characters rather than the situation, it's an easy pill to swallow. I am planning on watching this movie over and over and over again.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ants
I was fascinated the other day by a colony of ants trying to move a large, dead bug across a stone path. I noticed them because the dead bug was fluorescent green and there was a huge swarm of ants trying to figure out the best way to carry the bug back to their colony.
It was actually pretty amazing to watch - most of the ants were carrying the bug (which was about ten times their size) while a few others spread out around the group and tried to work together to find the path of least resistance back home. They kept running aground on bunches of pine needles, which to them must have been the size of fallen Sequoia trees. But they kept at it, and kept at it, and eventually they were able to walk the bug off the side of the stones and wedge it down into a crack where, I can only assume, they were about to devour it.
Gross, but an excellent example of unity nonetheless. If only we as humans were able to put aside our differences and work together for the common good. We'd be able to get all our dead bugs home to the colony to share...ok, that's gross again, but the metaphor still stands.
It was actually pretty amazing to watch - most of the ants were carrying the bug (which was about ten times their size) while a few others spread out around the group and tried to work together to find the path of least resistance back home. They kept running aground on bunches of pine needles, which to them must have been the size of fallen Sequoia trees. But they kept at it, and kept at it, and eventually they were able to walk the bug off the side of the stones and wedge it down into a crack where, I can only assume, they were about to devour it.
Gross, but an excellent example of unity nonetheless. If only we as humans were able to put aside our differences and work together for the common good. We'd be able to get all our dead bugs home to the colony to share...ok, that's gross again, but the metaphor still stands.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
July Wrap-up
Wow, it's been waaaaay too long since my last post.
A lot of stuff happened in the last month:
- I got the stomach flu for a solid week
- I got lost on the way to the hospital for a blood test
- I learned how to play Magic the Gathering
- I watched more laptop movies than should be humanly possible
- I studied the Tablet of Ahmad (reeeeeeeeally cool, by the way)
- I finished my Spanish class and have now started my Persian class
- I almost finished my huge tropical aquarium cross stitch pattern
- I sorted more dirty laundry than any person should have to sort EVER
That's about it. Oh, and I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on between Andre and me. Are we dating? Are we just friends that hang out ALL the time? What? I have no clue, so I'm just going to leave things as they are. The ball is in his court now.
A lot of stuff happened in the last month:
- I got the stomach flu for a solid week
- I got lost on the way to the hospital for a blood test
- I learned how to play Magic the Gathering
- I watched more laptop movies than should be humanly possible
- I studied the Tablet of Ahmad (reeeeeeeeally cool, by the way)
- I finished my Spanish class and have now started my Persian class
- I almost finished my huge tropical aquarium cross stitch pattern
- I sorted more dirty laundry than any person should have to sort EVER
That's about it. Oh, and I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on between Andre and me. Are we dating? Are we just friends that hang out ALL the time? What? I have no clue, so I'm just going to leave things as they are. The ball is in his court now.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Coffee Spoons and Afternoons
A beautiful wind blew in through the open living room window, wafting in and filling the flat with a clean, fresh and above all, cool, scent. As I sat reading my book for the day, one of the neighbours across the way began his usual weekend electric guitar practice. I smiled to myself as I read and listened to the unmistakable chords of Green Day and Blink-182 being carefully plucked out, reverberating all over the stairways and garden downstairs.
I was reading the book, To See and See Again, by Tara Bahrampour, an autobiographical tale of a half-Persian, half-American woman trying to rediscover her roots in Iran so unceremoniously ripped away from her after the Revolution in 1979. It's really been striking a chord with me - also being half-blooded, or "double-veined" as the Iranian term implies, I've felt a resonance within me reading about a life I never actually had but have always wanted to experience. What might it have been like to grow up in Iran, learning about the language and culture that is so intrinsically a part of me? But I know it wouldn't have been easy; I'm a Baha'i, who to a fundamentalist Islamic regime would be considered a lower-class citizen, if even considered a citizen at all. Even in her book Tara, a recognised Muslim, had her share of hardships visited upon her due to her dual heritage and her inherent flaw of being born a woman. Hmmmmm...
An excellent afternoon nonetheless. Tonight Andre and I are going to an FMD BBQ at Isidro's flat, should be a lot of fun. I'm making veggie skewers, yum...
I was reading the book, To See and See Again, by Tara Bahrampour, an autobiographical tale of a half-Persian, half-American woman trying to rediscover her roots in Iran so unceremoniously ripped away from her after the Revolution in 1979. It's really been striking a chord with me - also being half-blooded, or "double-veined" as the Iranian term implies, I've felt a resonance within me reading about a life I never actually had but have always wanted to experience. What might it have been like to grow up in Iran, learning about the language and culture that is so intrinsically a part of me? But I know it wouldn't have been easy; I'm a Baha'i, who to a fundamentalist Islamic regime would be considered a lower-class citizen, if even considered a citizen at all. Even in her book Tara, a recognised Muslim, had her share of hardships visited upon her due to her dual heritage and her inherent flaw of being born a woman. Hmmmmm...
An excellent afternoon nonetheless. Tonight Andre and I are going to an FMD BBQ at Isidro's flat, should be a lot of fun. I'm making veggie skewers, yum...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I'm a blood donor!
Today was the day I gave blood for the first time. It was pretty daunting at first, but by the time I got there and it was all over and done with, it was no big deal.
The Health Centre has the local Israeli blood drive clinic come and visit once a year to drain all us Baha'is of our blood. I suppose one might ask, "Why on earth would you want to get your blood taken in another country?" My response would probably be, "Why on earth wouldn't I want my blood taken in the country with some of the best medical staff training?" Hmmmm?
Anyhoo, I got cookies and juice and a cute sticker that said I gave blood, so it was all pretty much worth it. I'm just glad I didn't get to see the needle beforehand; I'm terrible with needles. But the nurse was so gentle I barely felt it go in, and hardly felt it during. It wasn't until I was finished that I found out the needle was practically the length of my upper arm. Yeesh.
Mom will be so proud of me for finally donating blood. She's been working with the Red Cross back home for so long, so I knew all about it, but I was never able to donate before now.
Yay! I can't wait until next year when I can do it all again!
The Health Centre has the local Israeli blood drive clinic come and visit once a year to drain all us Baha'is of our blood. I suppose one might ask, "Why on earth would you want to get your blood taken in another country?" My response would probably be, "Why on earth wouldn't I want my blood taken in the country with some of the best medical staff training?" Hmmmm?
Anyhoo, I got cookies and juice and a cute sticker that said I gave blood, so it was all pretty much worth it. I'm just glad I didn't get to see the needle beforehand; I'm terrible with needles. But the nurse was so gentle I barely felt it go in, and hardly felt it during. It wasn't until I was finished that I found out the needle was practically the length of my upper arm. Yeesh.
Mom will be so proud of me for finally donating blood. She's been working with the Red Cross back home for so long, so I knew all about it, but I was never able to donate before now.
Yay! I can't wait until next year when I can do it all again!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
"What do you mean the breadsticks are 'divinely inspired?' Are we being sacreligious?"
Had some serious fun today helping out with the Baha'i School Committee's end of year celebration for the children's classes participants and their parents. I was on Food Patrol, so I got to arrange a whole buttload of crackers on plates. But good times were had nonetheless. It can get pretty silly in the kitchen...
Interesting items of note:
- Donesh was able to recreate the Lotus Temple in India out of pita slices (mmmm, sacrilicious!)
- Nima was 'divinely inspired' to arrange breadsticks artistically in a milk pitcher
- Matt got to clean up afterwards with the Nilfisk Backuum, which is basically a vacuum you get to wear on your back like a backpack. This is quite possibly one of the coolest cleaning inventions known to man, the other contender being the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (in my humble opinion; I mean, come on - they're MAGIC...)
- I got to wear a babushka made entirely of a tablecloth spattered with Tofutti sour cream
One thing to always keep in mind - KIDS ARE CRAZY. And pretty messy. But still cute.
Interesting items of note:
- Donesh was able to recreate the Lotus Temple in India out of pita slices (mmmm, sacrilicious!)
- Nima was 'divinely inspired' to arrange breadsticks artistically in a milk pitcher
- Matt got to clean up afterwards with the Nilfisk Backuum, which is basically a vacuum you get to wear on your back like a backpack. This is quite possibly one of the coolest cleaning inventions known to man, the other contender being the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (in my humble opinion; I mean, come on - they're MAGIC...)
- I got to wear a babushka made entirely of a tablecloth spattered with Tofutti sour cream
One thing to always keep in mind - KIDS ARE CRAZY. And pretty messy. But still cute.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Spiritual Confirmations
The less I've been looking for them, the more confirmations of spiritual blessings I see.
And I take comfort and strength in the following prayer of Abdu'l-Baha, the beloved Master:
And I take comfort and strength in the following prayer of Abdu'l-Baha, the beloved Master:
O my God! O my God! verily these servants are turning to Thee, supplicating Thy kingdom of mercy. Verily they are attracted by Thy holiness and set aglow with the fire of Thy love, seeking confirmation from Thy wondrous kingdom and hoping for attainment in Thy heavenly realm. Verily they long for the descent of Thy bestowal, desiring illumination from the Sun of Reality. O Lord! make them radiant lamps, merciful signs, fruitful trees and shining stars. May they come forth in Thy service and be connected with Thee by the bonds and ties of thy love, longing for the lights of Thy favor. O Lord! make them signs of guidance, standards of Thy immortal kingdom, waves of the sea of Thy mercy, mirrors of the light of Thy majesty. Verily Thou art the generous! Verily Thou art the merciful! Verily Thou art the precious, the beloved!
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 231)
Nonchalant Watermelons
I was walking home yesterday evening with Matt, and we were passing by the Hatishbi convenience store, when one of the clerks lost all his watermelons out the back of his cart. He was pushing them into the store display when the back end of the cart opened, and out rolled all the little watermelons down the street.
The funny part was, they were rolling quite slowly, amiably, as if they were in no particular rush to get to the bottom of the road, which inclines slightly. And the clerk didn't seem to be in any rush either. He sort of watched the watermelons roll for a second or two, then ambled after them in a half-hearted attempt to stop The Scattering Of The Melons. (I liken it to a very funny YouTube clip. Not quite Ahmed the Dead Terrorist funny, but you know, pretty darn funny.)
I like the idea of nonchalant, unhurried watermelons. Makes me smile.
The funny part was, they were rolling quite slowly, amiably, as if they were in no particular rush to get to the bottom of the road, which inclines slightly. And the clerk didn't seem to be in any rush either. He sort of watched the watermelons roll for a second or two, then ambled after them in a half-hearted attempt to stop The Scattering Of The Melons. (I liken it to a very funny YouTube clip. Not quite Ahmed the Dead Terrorist funny, but you know, pretty darn funny.)
I like the idea of nonchalant, unhurried watermelons. Makes me smile.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
"Wishlist"
"Wishlist" by Pearl Jam
I am listening to this song on repeat and loving the lyrics, so I thought I'd share...
I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow I still lived on
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on
The Christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top
I wish I was the evidence, I wish I was the grounds
For 50 million hands upraised and open toward the sky
I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good
I wish I was the full moon shining off a Camaro's hood
I wish I was an alien at home behind the sun
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on
I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on
I wish I was the verb 'to trust' and never let you down
I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up
I wish...I wish...
Healthy Living
Oh man, I am feeling so good right now!
I've started this new diet, maybe you've heard of it? It's called eating-good-food-and-avoiding-fatty-gross-food-as-much-as-possible. Familiar with it? Yeah, what I've discovered is that I actually feel pretty darn good when I'm not stuffing my face with refined sugars and carbs. Whodathunkit? :)
This great new health kick really started when I bought my friend's old blender a couple weeks ago(which still works fantastically well). I decided to try making myself some nice fruit smoothies in the hopes of replacing my normal evening regimen of cookies and ice cream. Well...it's been working like a charm.
Cutting the sweets and high-fibre pastas out of my lunchplate has also really been making a difference. I'm finding it almost easy to avoid them now. It certainly hasn't helped that the dessert section is at the beginning of the lunch line, but I'm becoming quite adept at walking past and heading straight for the salad bar where I proceed to fill up at least half my plate with salad. Then it's just a matter of getting rice instead of pasta, and a lot of the vegetarian options - while being inordinately good for you - also tend to look more appetizing than the meat options anyway.
Granted, I haven't completely cut ALL sweets and carbs out. Come on, we're only human - everyone wants a cookie now and then. But with a surprisingly little amount of effort, you can indulge in the naughty sweets without feeling guilty because you know the rest of the time you're eating right. It's actually kind of liberating...so there you go.
Eat right=feel good. It's not rocket science.
I've started this new diet, maybe you've heard of it? It's called eating-good-food-and-avoiding-fatty-gross-food-as-much-as-possible. Familiar with it? Yeah, what I've discovered is that I actually feel pretty darn good when I'm not stuffing my face with refined sugars and carbs. Whodathunkit? :)
This great new health kick really started when I bought my friend's old blender a couple weeks ago(which still works fantastically well). I decided to try making myself some nice fruit smoothies in the hopes of replacing my normal evening regimen of cookies and ice cream. Well...it's been working like a charm.
Cutting the sweets and high-fibre pastas out of my lunchplate has also really been making a difference. I'm finding it almost easy to avoid them now. It certainly hasn't helped that the dessert section is at the beginning of the lunch line, but I'm becoming quite adept at walking past and heading straight for the salad bar where I proceed to fill up at least half my plate with salad. Then it's just a matter of getting rice instead of pasta, and a lot of the vegetarian options - while being inordinately good for you - also tend to look more appetizing than the meat options anyway.
Granted, I haven't completely cut ALL sweets and carbs out. Come on, we're only human - everyone wants a cookie now and then. But with a surprisingly little amount of effort, you can indulge in the naughty sweets without feeling guilty because you know the rest of the time you're eating right. It's actually kind of liberating...so there you go.
Eat right=feel good. It's not rocket science.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Partnerless
Adam's last day of work was yesterday, and now I find myself partnerless in a sea of flats that need fixin'.
I certainly hope I am up to the task of doing this job independently for awhile. I mean, sure, the guys in the office can help me out from time to time if I need some assistance with back-breaking labour or something, but it's not really their tasking, heretofor they cannot help me all the time.
There are pros and cons to every situation; this one is no exception. Sure, I may have to carry everything myself all day, but there won't be anyone in the car to smell my lovely stench at the end of the day. I won't have anyone to talk to in the car, but I will be able to turn on the ol' ipod and crank some tunes and sing at the top of my lungs. Terribly.
And, now I have the good desk. The one that faces outside so I don't feel clausterphobic and frightened that spiders are going to attack me at my desk (yes, it's true, don't judge me.) The nice desk where I can see people when they walk into the office. Yay!
It's going to be all right...
I certainly hope I am up to the task of doing this job independently for awhile. I mean, sure, the guys in the office can help me out from time to time if I need some assistance with back-breaking labour or something, but it's not really their tasking, heretofor they cannot help me all the time.
There are pros and cons to every situation; this one is no exception. Sure, I may have to carry everything myself all day, but there won't be anyone in the car to smell my lovely stench at the end of the day. I won't have anyone to talk to in the car, but I will be able to turn on the ol' ipod and crank some tunes and sing at the top of my lungs. Terribly.
And, now I have the good desk. The one that faces outside so I don't feel clausterphobic and frightened that spiders are going to attack me at my desk (yes, it's true, don't judge me.) The nice desk where I can see people when they walk into the office. Yay!
It's going to be all right...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mostmand/Morrissey Fest
We had a lovely dinner at Matt's flat the other night, to celebrate...well, to celebrate each other, really. He wanted to term the evening Mostmand Fest in honour of Mr. Reza Mostmand, but being the incredibly humble human being that he is, Reza refused to allow a dinner dedicated to himself.
So Matt decided to honour all of us instead and we ate wanna-be Mexican food. It was delicious and oh-so (kind-of) Mexican. :)
Later in the evening Reza wrote a love song for Iman, Laura and I made up a Spanish love song for each other, and much hilarity was enjoyed by all.
The night was capped off by one of the water pipes overflowing in the kitchen and the entire floor being soaked with soapy, foul smelling water. Apparently it was one of those pipes that don't really go anywhere but are still open to flooding occasionally. Good times.
So Matt decided to honour all of us instead and we ate wanna-be Mexican food. It was delicious and oh-so (kind-of) Mexican. :)
Later in the evening Reza wrote a love song for Iman, Laura and I made up a Spanish love song for each other, and much hilarity was enjoyed by all.
The night was capped off by one of the water pipes overflowing in the kitchen and the entire floor being soaked with soapy, foul smelling water. Apparently it was one of those pipes that don't really go anywhere but are still open to flooding occasionally. Good times.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
CHINA!!!
There was a lovely talk given the other day by some counsellors visiting from the Asian continent. They talked specifically about China, and it was wonderful - brought back so many memories of living there so long ago.
I want to go back to China sometime in the near future. It sounds like it's becoming so cosmopolitan. And I know the government has been in the news a lot recently for things like human rights violations in Tibet and the boycotting of the Olympics and all that sort of high-profile media circusry, but really, the local Chinese people are so warm-hearted and friendly and open and curious about all sorts of things; it's really quite refreshing.
A generalisation that has always stuck with me:
When offered information of value or information that's highly useful, they don't usually say "this will be good for me", they say, "this will be good for China". If only more people in the world were that selfless. We would all be much better off for it.
I want to go back to China sometime in the near future. It sounds like it's becoming so cosmopolitan. And I know the government has been in the news a lot recently for things like human rights violations in Tibet and the boycotting of the Olympics and all that sort of high-profile media circusry, but really, the local Chinese people are so warm-hearted and friendly and open and curious about all sorts of things; it's really quite refreshing.
A generalisation that has always stuck with me:
When offered information of value or information that's highly useful, they don't usually say "this will be good for me", they say, "this will be good for China". If only more people in the world were that selfless. We would all be much better off for it.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Double birthday bash!
My birthday was recently on the 29 of April, and my friend Laura's was on the 2 of May, so I decided to throw us a birthday bash to celebrate (both of our birthdays has been skipped due to the International Convention this year.) We had a bunch of people over to my flat, and we had a grand old time, playing games and getting scolded by the neighbours for making too much noise.
Here we were playing Fruit Salad, a game not unlike Musical Chairs. PJ got so fed up, he decided to take his chair with him as he played.
Here Laura and I decided to cut our cakes like an old married couple. Good times. The frosting was excellent. Yum!
Here we are just kicking back and having some laughs. We got waaaaaay too rowdy, but I blame all the sugar we were hopped up on.
Here we were playing Fruit Salad, a game not unlike Musical Chairs. PJ got so fed up, he decided to take his chair with him as he played.
Here I am laughing HYSTERICALLY as they bring out our respective birthday cakes and sing us the Canadian national anthem instead of "Happy Birthday". They butchered it, but it was wonderful nonetheless.
Here Laura and I decided to cut our cakes like an old married couple. Good times. The frosting was excellent. Yum!
Here we are just kicking back and having some laughs. We got waaaaaay too rowdy, but I blame all the sugar we were hopped up on. Saturday, May 3, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Best Birthday EVER!!
Ok, today was my best birthday ever, hands down!
Sure, I had to get up at 4 AM to get to the Convention Centre on time for training before the election; sure I was on my feet for seven straight hours pointing delegates where they had to go; sure I didn't get much food. But you know what? I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It was AMAZING!
I have so much respect for everyone who put effort into organising this convention - it has been so well planned, everything is running like clockwork. And the spirit of prayerful meditation and brotherhood was unbelievable. NOwhere else in the world would you see such a dignified election process with no electioneering and campaigning. The delegates simply pray and meditate about those souls they feel would be the most fitting to be House of Justice members, and then they vote. Simple as that.
I was a delegate usher, which meant that I was primarily responsible for keeping the queue orderly and everyone in the right place at the right time. Plus, juggling delegates leaving for bathroom breaks and delegates returning to their seats after the voting, plus staff going back and forth - it was exhilarating! I didn't realise how much I missed ushering until today.
THEN, after lunch, we all headed out to Bahji for the Ninth Day of Ridvan celebration. Basically, the Ridvan festival is a commemoration of the twelve days Baha'u'llah stayed in the garden of Ridvan with his family and friends, before declaring His mission as a Manifestation of God. I believe the Ninth Day is celebrated specifically because that was the day He officially declared His station as a Manifestation. Ridvan is considered the most auspicious of times in the Baha'i calendar, and to be born on the Ninth Day has always been such a source of joy for me. I have been blessed, and at no time was it more obvious than today when I got to be a phyiscal part of the election process for the Universal House of Justice, and then participate in such a beautiful holy day at the holiest spot on earth, Bahji.
Plus, after all THAT, Swati invited me back to her flat for some "leftovers", then proceeded to surprise me with my 2nd November buddies, and we had a lovely, although random and slap-happy dinner. Just the way I like it. :)
Oh glorious, glorious day!!
Sure, I had to get up at 4 AM to get to the Convention Centre on time for training before the election; sure I was on my feet for seven straight hours pointing delegates where they had to go; sure I didn't get much food. But you know what? I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It was AMAZING!
I have so much respect for everyone who put effort into organising this convention - it has been so well planned, everything is running like clockwork. And the spirit of prayerful meditation and brotherhood was unbelievable. NOwhere else in the world would you see such a dignified election process with no electioneering and campaigning. The delegates simply pray and meditate about those souls they feel would be the most fitting to be House of Justice members, and then they vote. Simple as that.
I was a delegate usher, which meant that I was primarily responsible for keeping the queue orderly and everyone in the right place at the right time. Plus, juggling delegates leaving for bathroom breaks and delegates returning to their seats after the voting, plus staff going back and forth - it was exhilarating! I didn't realise how much I missed ushering until today.
THEN, after lunch, we all headed out to Bahji for the Ninth Day of Ridvan celebration. Basically, the Ridvan festival is a commemoration of the twelve days Baha'u'llah stayed in the garden of Ridvan with his family and friends, before declaring His mission as a Manifestation of God. I believe the Ninth Day is celebrated specifically because that was the day He officially declared His station as a Manifestation. Ridvan is considered the most auspicious of times in the Baha'i calendar, and to be born on the Ninth Day has always been such a source of joy for me. I have been blessed, and at no time was it more obvious than today when I got to be a phyiscal part of the election process for the Universal House of Justice, and then participate in such a beautiful holy day at the holiest spot on earth, Bahji.
Plus, after all THAT, Swati invited me back to her flat for some "leftovers", then proceeded to surprise me with my 2nd November buddies, and we had a lovely, although random and slap-happy dinner. Just the way I like it. :)
Oh glorious, glorious day!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Preparation and Anticipation!
We at the World Centre have all been supremely busy lately preparing for the Tenth International Convention for the Election of the Universal House of Justice. I had no idea the logistics involved in planning something this elaborate, but from what I've seen so far, it's going to take a LOT of volunteers to make this fantastic event go smoothly.
I am sooooo excited to have the priviledge of getting to volunteer at an International Convention. Basically, all the delegates from every National Spiritual Assembly across the globe will start arriving in Haifa in approximately three days or so in order to vote for the next members of the Universal House of Justice. It only occurs once every five years, and the last one had to be cancelled due to the outbreak of war this time five years ago, so this is actually the first convention being held in ten years. Wow. And I get to be here when it happens. Double wow.
I will be an usher, which I'm pretty excited about, since that used to be my job back home before I came to Israel. I am so psyched for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the administrative process of the Baha'i Faith at work in its (I feel) highest, purest form. It's so humbling to be a part of, I can tell you that much.
More details shall follow after Convention, once the election results have been officially released...
I am sooooo excited to have the priviledge of getting to volunteer at an International Convention. Basically, all the delegates from every National Spiritual Assembly across the globe will start arriving in Haifa in approximately three days or so in order to vote for the next members of the Universal House of Justice. It only occurs once every five years, and the last one had to be cancelled due to the outbreak of war this time five years ago, so this is actually the first convention being held in ten years. Wow. And I get to be here when it happens. Double wow.
I will be an usher, which I'm pretty excited about, since that used to be my job back home before I came to Israel. I am so psyched for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the administrative process of the Baha'i Faith at work in its (I feel) highest, purest form. It's so humbling to be a part of, I can tell you that much.
More details shall follow after Convention, once the election results have been officially released...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Insomniac
I haven't had a good night's sleep in well over a month.
It's gotten to the point where I've started to keep a sleep journal to try and track how often I wake up and why. For the past few days, I have noticed that, without fail, I will wake up at 5:00 AM almost on the nose. I am also frequently waking throughout the night and having a hard time getting back to sleep.
One problem I know is that my walls feel thinner than rice paper, and I can hear everything that goes on in the street. So it might be that I'm waking at 5 every morning because that's when the delivery truck comes and makes a god-awful racket outside the convenience store across the street. Grrrrrrr. I've tried to wear earplugs, but they are so uncomfortable in my ears that they keep me awake, as does the thought that if I wear earplugs I will miss my alarm and forget to go to work. Not a good plan...
Insomnia is not fun. It is making me dangerously irritable. I have to try very hard to make it to work in the morning and not rip someone's head off or fall asleep at my desk and drool all over my keyboard. I hate the idea of taking prescription meds, but at this point I am willing to try almost anything!
I've had insomnia before, but not this bad or this frequent, and not for the same reasons. I had a terrible bout of it during university one semester, which caused me to almost fail my one morning class that term. The same thing is happening here; I'm not able to fall back to sleep until about an hour before my alarm clock goes off and then I have to wake up again.
SAVE ME!!! I REQUIRE SLEEP!!!!
It's gotten to the point where I've started to keep a sleep journal to try and track how often I wake up and why. For the past few days, I have noticed that, without fail, I will wake up at 5:00 AM almost on the nose. I am also frequently waking throughout the night and having a hard time getting back to sleep.
One problem I know is that my walls feel thinner than rice paper, and I can hear everything that goes on in the street. So it might be that I'm waking at 5 every morning because that's when the delivery truck comes and makes a god-awful racket outside the convenience store across the street. Grrrrrrr. I've tried to wear earplugs, but they are so uncomfortable in my ears that they keep me awake, as does the thought that if I wear earplugs I will miss my alarm and forget to go to work. Not a good plan...
Insomnia is not fun. It is making me dangerously irritable. I have to try very hard to make it to work in the morning and not rip someone's head off or fall asleep at my desk and drool all over my keyboard. I hate the idea of taking prescription meds, but at this point I am willing to try almost anything!
I've had insomnia before, but not this bad or this frequent, and not for the same reasons. I had a terrible bout of it during university one semester, which caused me to almost fail my one morning class that term. The same thing is happening here; I'm not able to fall back to sleep until about an hour before my alarm clock goes off and then I have to wake up again.
SAVE ME!!! I REQUIRE SLEEP!!!!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Love is Pain
Actually, right now I'm thinking love is a crock. Why does it suck so much?
Why am I consistently attracted to guys who are completely disinterested?
Why do I feel the need to have my heart ripped out and dragged across the floor?
This shouldn't be so hard.
I'm trying really hard not to get depressed, but it's hard since I've been fighting it for a while. I didn't want to admit it, but maybe I really do need some help.
Why am I consistently attracted to guys who are completely disinterested?
Why do I feel the need to have my heart ripped out and dragged across the floor?
This shouldn't be so hard.
I'm trying really hard not to get depressed, but it's hard since I've been fighting it for a while. I didn't want to admit it, but maybe I really do need some help.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Fearlessness?
I am afraid.
I am afraid to defend my beliefs, afraid that they will come under attack and scrutiny from an unyielding populace. Are my fears unfounded? No. Can they be overcome? I think so, but it will require an inordinate amount of work and self-education in order to make it so.
This self-criticism comes from the fact that I have recently posted a couple of follow-up comments on a fellow blogger's site regarding an earlier post of my own, and I am realising how woefully inadequate my own knowledge happens to be on many of the subjects he is sincerely (and quite politely) questioning. How can I claim to be a Baha'i and uphold the teachings of Baha'u'llah when I'm not actively striving every second of every day to fully grasp the messages that the Manifestations of God have brought forth to us in order to help us grow in our understanding of and love for God?
I am afraid I need to work much, much harder...
I am afraid to defend my beliefs, afraid that they will come under attack and scrutiny from an unyielding populace. Are my fears unfounded? No. Can they be overcome? I think so, but it will require an inordinate amount of work and self-education in order to make it so.
This self-criticism comes from the fact that I have recently posted a couple of follow-up comments on a fellow blogger's site regarding an earlier post of my own, and I am realising how woefully inadequate my own knowledge happens to be on many of the subjects he is sincerely (and quite politely) questioning. How can I claim to be a Baha'i and uphold the teachings of Baha'u'llah when I'm not actively striving every second of every day to fully grasp the messages that the Manifestations of God have brought forth to us in order to help us grow in our understanding of and love for God?
I am afraid I need to work much, much harder...
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Final choir performance of the season
Some photos from our warm-ups before our final choir performance of the season at the Naw Ruz celebration.
We got to perform in the Concourse of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Again.
Amazing!
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Part of our beautiful soprano section
The entire group of us
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Fluish
I've been down with the flu again the past few days, and it's not been fun. I hate getting sick, especially here in Israel while I'm trying to serve at the World Centre.
Today was the first day I tried to come in to work in the morning, and I thought I might as well try and get my laundry done at the same time. Well, I must not really be feeling better because as I bent down to throw my laundry in the machine, I smashed my cheekbone into the top of the loader.
So, now I'm still fluish and have a large welt on my face that won't be going away any time soon. So much for hand-eye coordination. Adam suggested today should be the day I go and get my visa pictures done. Yeah, RIGHT. I'm still trying to figure out if he was kidding or not...
Today was the first day I tried to come in to work in the morning, and I thought I might as well try and get my laundry done at the same time. Well, I must not really be feeling better because as I bent down to throw my laundry in the machine, I smashed my cheekbone into the top of the loader.
So, now I'm still fluish and have a large welt on my face that won't be going away any time soon. So much for hand-eye coordination. Adam suggested today should be the day I go and get my visa pictures done. Yeah, RIGHT. I'm still trying to figure out if he was kidding or not...
Monday, March 24, 2008
Dreaming of John Mayer
Yep, it's true. I had a really weird dream about John Mayer last night. I shall recount...
I was at the house of one of my mother's high school friends, and we were visiting her daughters there. It was apparently also my birthday, so people were giving me presents. One of the girls asked me if I knew John Mayer, because he was a friend of theirs and was invited to the party. I said sure, I knew who he was, so it was cool if he came over.
He showed up and introduced himself, then headed out to the backyard, where I followed. The backyard sloped back under the deck and bottom of the house. Under the slope, he had set up a lounge area, complete with oversized couches and hanging paper lamps. Apparently Mr. Mayer came over to their house quite frequently to jam, so this was his personal lounge area. He was sitting there jamming with a couple of his buddies, and I wandered over to sit on one of the couches. He came and gave me a HMV gift card for my birthday (?), and offered me a cup of coffee. When he brought me my coffee, he gave me a kiss on the nose and then ran back to his seat to play some more. :)
As I got up to leave, he said he had another present for me - pappy wappy kisses. (Huh?) Basically it was just smooching my face on both cheeks. I said I had to leave, but that I had a friend who was a really big fan, and he would love to hear from John Mayer, especially since he's also going to Berklee in the summer. John said he would totally give me his number to pass on, I just needed to find a pen.
My dream ended with me going back up to the house, meeting up with some of the girls who were working on an art project, and grabbing a pen.
Weird, no?
I was at the house of one of my mother's high school friends, and we were visiting her daughters there. It was apparently also my birthday, so people were giving me presents. One of the girls asked me if I knew John Mayer, because he was a friend of theirs and was invited to the party. I said sure, I knew who he was, so it was cool if he came over.
He showed up and introduced himself, then headed out to the backyard, where I followed. The backyard sloped back under the deck and bottom of the house. Under the slope, he had set up a lounge area, complete with oversized couches and hanging paper lamps. Apparently Mr. Mayer came over to their house quite frequently to jam, so this was his personal lounge area. He was sitting there jamming with a couple of his buddies, and I wandered over to sit on one of the couches. He came and gave me a HMV gift card for my birthday (?), and offered me a cup of coffee. When he brought me my coffee, he gave me a kiss on the nose and then ran back to his seat to play some more. :)
As I got up to leave, he said he had another present for me - pappy wappy kisses. (Huh?) Basically it was just smooching my face on both cheeks. I said I had to leave, but that I had a friend who was a really big fan, and he would love to hear from John Mayer, especially since he's also going to Berklee in the summer. John said he would totally give me his number to pass on, I just needed to find a pen.
My dream ended with me going back up to the house, meeting up with some of the girls who were working on an art project, and grabbing a pen.
Weird, no?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Happy Birthday!
We celebrated Kat's birthday on Monday, the 17th. It was pretty fun, especially considering her birthday falls on St. Patrick's Day.
Good times, good food, good friends, and good balloons. :)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Purim
Ok, I went ahead and found out what the story of Purim is; I was curious after talking to the bakery shop owner yesterday. Here's what I found:
Once upon a time, between the destruction of the First Temple and the building of the Second Temple, the Jews were almost destroyed. In the city of Shushan, Vashti, the Queen of Persia, refuses to obey the order of the King of Persia, Ahasuerus, to appear before his guests. The King then searches the country for a new queen. From among hundreds of applicants, Esther, cousin of Mordechai the Jew, is chosen. The King's Prime Minister was an evil man named Haman. Haman, a descendant of the tribe of Amalek, hates the Jews and decides to kill them. He convinces King Ahasuerus to issue an edict which orders the destruction of all Jews in the land. Mordechai pleads with Esther to save the Jewish people by talking to the King. At the risk of her own life, Esther appears before the King without being summoned by him. She reveals her own Jewish identity to the King and reveals Haman's evil plans. The King is outraged at Haman, and he issues a decree to make Haman the victim of his own infamous plot. Haman and his sons are killed, and the Jews are saved.
For Purim, the children dress up like they do on Hallowe'en back home. It's basically like carnival time for a couple days so everyone reallys seems to get into it, kids and adults!
Merry Purim everyone! :)
Chichewa
My friend Christopher is from Malawi, and today Adam and I have been trying to learn a few phrases in Chichewa, the native language spoken in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Apparently it's very close to Swahili in terms of phonetics and language structure, and Christopher says they even share a lot of the same words. All vowels are pronounced separately, and I believe every word ends with a vowel as well. And when a noun starts with an m, you simply have to add an i afterwards to make it plural.
mtengo=tree
mitengo=trees
mkango=lion
mikango=lions
I'm having a lot of fun trying to pick up some words that I can use here at the World Centre. How cool would it be to learn Chichewa?
Apparently it's very close to Swahili in terms of phonetics and language structure, and Christopher says they even share a lot of the same words. All vowels are pronounced separately, and I believe every word ends with a vowel as well. And when a noun starts with an m, you simply have to add an i afterwards to make it plural.
mtengo=tree
mitengo=trees
mkango=lion
mikango=lions
I'm having a lot of fun trying to pick up some words that I can use here at the World Centre. How cool would it be to learn Chichewa?
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
My Favourite Bakery
Mmmmm, my favourite bakery has been decided. It is a tiny little place on Mapu street out in the Ahuza. I have no idea what the name is, but I got a bunch of magnets with the phone number to put on the fridge, so I will remain in the dark as to its name.
Adam and I stopped by today to pick up lunch while delivering linens for new staff orientation. (I know it's still Fast time, but since neither of us are allowed to fast, we leave the office and pick up food so we don't disturb others.) The owner informed us that the apple pies we smelled were freshly out of the oven, and sugar-free, so we each had to purchase one. :)
There were some weird, triangularly-shaped, chocolate-filled cookies all over the store, which we were informed are called oznay haman. It means "ears of Haman", which is apparently a reference to a king in ancient Iraq who had Jews living in the area and heard of a plot to be killed or something, and there was some sort of warning from his Jewish concubine or something like that. I didn't really catch the entire story the bakery owner was telling us - all I know is that they are special cookies for Purim, yet another Jewish holiday to be celebrated with cookies!
I think I like it here. There's always cookies.
Adam and I stopped by today to pick up lunch while delivering linens for new staff orientation. (I know it's still Fast time, but since neither of us are allowed to fast, we leave the office and pick up food so we don't disturb others.) The owner informed us that the apple pies we smelled were freshly out of the oven, and sugar-free, so we each had to purchase one. :)
There were some weird, triangularly-shaped, chocolate-filled cookies all over the store, which we were informed are called oznay haman. It means "ears of Haman", which is apparently a reference to a king in ancient Iraq who had Jews living in the area and heard of a plot to be killed or something, and there was some sort of warning from his Jewish concubine or something like that. I didn't really catch the entire story the bakery owner was telling us - all I know is that they are special cookies for Purim, yet another Jewish holiday to be celebrated with cookies!
I think I like it here. There's always cookies.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
I'm Back
I took a little trip home for a couple of weeks at the end of February. It was really nice to have some time off, but I'm still pretty exhausted. Doesn't seem like it was much of a vacation at times...
I got to go to some pretty neat places and see some wonderful old friends. I'm so glad I was able to see everyone again after almost a year abroad here in Israel.
Some highlights of my trip home include:
Going to see Dirty Dancing: the Musical with my sister and cousin in Toronto
Going to see Bon Jovi live in concert with my sister in Toronto
Eating delicious ice cream from the new Marble Slab Creamery in Stratford
Driving to London and seeing my friends' new houses (now that they're settled and domestic)
Getting ALL my pants altered because I've lost so much weight (yay!)
There was much, much more that I did, but I will have to blog about later it when I am not quite so incredibly jetlagged. I am SOOOOOOO tired right now; I may have to leave work early today...
I got to go to some pretty neat places and see some wonderful old friends. I'm so glad I was able to see everyone again after almost a year abroad here in Israel.
Some highlights of my trip home include:
Going to see Dirty Dancing: the Musical with my sister and cousin in Toronto
Going to see Bon Jovi live in concert with my sister in Toronto
Eating delicious ice cream from the new Marble Slab Creamery in Stratford
Driving to London and seeing my friends' new houses (now that they're settled and domestic)
Getting ALL my pants altered because I've lost so much weight (yay!)
There was much, much more that I did, but I will have to blog about later it when I am not quite so incredibly jetlagged. I am SOOOOOOO tired right now; I may have to leave work early today...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thoughts on Parenting (or how to be ready for it...)
I need to head off to choir in the next few minutes, yet I'm still sitting at my desk in the office musing about things, big life-altering things.
I've been thinking a lot about parenting and preparedness. Having Brooke and Emad here in the Holy Land with little Navvab has really resonated something within me, but I'm still hesitant. What makes me think I could be ready to be a mother? I wonder - is there an innate capacity all women have to be wonderful mothers, or is a matter of nature versus nuture and not everyone is capable doing it well?
I mean, I know this won't even be an issue for me for some time, as I am still single. But being interested in somebody (albeit somebody currently in another country) is also making me think about where I could be in two years, five years, ten years. Hopefully off serving the Faith somewhere, making a difference in the lives of those around me. Will there be a family present, though? I really want to travel the world, but I don't want to go by myself. I want to be able to share those types of experiences with another human being, someone whose soul is intimately linked to mine, someone I can create a new soul with and bring that new soul up in the world together.
I've been thinking a lot about parenting and preparedness. Having Brooke and Emad here in the Holy Land with little Navvab has really resonated something within me, but I'm still hesitant. What makes me think I could be ready to be a mother? I wonder - is there an innate capacity all women have to be wonderful mothers, or is a matter of nature versus nuture and not everyone is capable doing it well?
I mean, I know this won't even be an issue for me for some time, as I am still single. But being interested in somebody (albeit somebody currently in another country) is also making me think about where I could be in two years, five years, ten years. Hopefully off serving the Faith somewhere, making a difference in the lives of those around me. Will there be a family present, though? I really want to travel the world, but I don't want to go by myself. I want to be able to share those types of experiences with another human being, someone whose soul is intimately linked to mine, someone I can create a new soul with and bring that new soul up in the world together.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Some Definitions
Here are some definitions I felt it prudent to clarify. Please refer back to my earlier post Epiphany for further understanding.
(All definitions have been taken from www.dictionary.reference.com)
SECULAR (adjective)
- of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal.
HUMANIST (adjective)
- of or pertaining to a philosophy asserting human dignity and man's capacity for fulfillment through reason and scientific method and often rejecting religion.
(Being considered a Humanist can also refer to someone who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans, but in general it seems to refer to a rejection of religious belief for scientific reason instead.)
RELIGION (noun)
- a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
SPIRITUALITY (adjective)
This one's hard to define without using "spirit" in the definition:
- of or pertaining to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred.
- of or pertaining to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature.
- of or relating to the mind or intellect (hmmm, interesting...)
ATTACK (noun)
- an expression of strong criticism; hostile comments.
(All definitions have been taken from www.dictionary.reference.com)
SECULAR (adjective)
- of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal.
HUMANIST (adjective)
- of or pertaining to a philosophy asserting human dignity and man's capacity for fulfillment through reason and scientific method and often rejecting religion.
(Being considered a Humanist can also refer to someone who is concerned with the interests and welfare of humans, but in general it seems to refer to a rejection of religious belief for scientific reason instead.)
RELIGION (noun)
- a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
SPIRITUALITY (adjective)
This one's hard to define without using "spirit" in the definition:
- of or pertaining to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred.
- of or pertaining to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature.
- of or relating to the mind or intellect (hmmm, interesting...)
ATTACK (noun)
- an expression of strong criticism; hostile comments.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Visiting Pilgrims and News From Home
More friends have come to visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage this week, and I am so excited to see them here! Brooke and Emad are here, as are Emad's family, along with their brand new baby girl, Navvab. I have to admit, that kid is absolutely adorable! Almost five months old, and she is such a little moosh moosh...cutie pie, basically. (It means mouse in Persian)
{We had a lovely dinner out at Greg's cafe last night; the food there just keeps getting better and better! I highly recommend either the cheese symphony salad or the chicken tortillas. Emad also said the goat cheese tortillas were to die for, but I didn't actually get to try one, so you'll have to take his word on that one.}
But it's really great to see them here and find out what's been going on back in our home community. Emad is lucky enough to be on the Local Spiritual Assembly there, and he's been filling me in on the past year that I've missed. A lot of drama, apparently; the Assembly's been busy, busy busy! It seems that we live in a community that tends to have two population groups: there are the permanent residents, the older adults who have moved there to settle or retire or whatnot, and there is transient youth population that comes in for a short time, revitalises the community with energy and fervour, and then moves on to their next stage in life. Usually elsewhere. Our community at home is one of many where the active Baha'is are mainly youth who, once their eyes have been opened to the possibilities in the world, cannot simply stay at home anymore. They must go out into the global sphere and teach and serve and make this world amazing. But...that means we lose them, in a sense, by not having their glorious spiritual energy in our community anymore. I suppose we must look at it instead as setting them loose upon the world and allowing their dynamic power to dramatically change another community for the better.
That's all well and good, but it means that our community has been going through a lot of ups and downs in terms of Baha'i activities and participation in teaching campaigns. Sometimes the town is red-hot with energy and activities, and sometimes it's very quiet and sedate with not a lot going on. Which is ok too, they just shouldn't let it stay down for too long.
I'm going home for a visit in less than two weeks, and I'm very excited to see what's been happening in my absence. Who knows, maybe me coming back for a while can provide a little boost of energy and encouragement to those youth that are still there...
{We had a lovely dinner out at Greg's cafe last night; the food there just keeps getting better and better! I highly recommend either the cheese symphony salad or the chicken tortillas. Emad also said the goat cheese tortillas were to die for, but I didn't actually get to try one, so you'll have to take his word on that one.}
But it's really great to see them here and find out what's been going on back in our home community. Emad is lucky enough to be on the Local Spiritual Assembly there, and he's been filling me in on the past year that I've missed. A lot of drama, apparently; the Assembly's been busy, busy busy! It seems that we live in a community that tends to have two population groups: there are the permanent residents, the older adults who have moved there to settle or retire or whatnot, and there is transient youth population that comes in for a short time, revitalises the community with energy and fervour, and then moves on to their next stage in life. Usually elsewhere. Our community at home is one of many where the active Baha'is are mainly youth who, once their eyes have been opened to the possibilities in the world, cannot simply stay at home anymore. They must go out into the global sphere and teach and serve and make this world amazing. But...that means we lose them, in a sense, by not having their glorious spiritual energy in our community anymore. I suppose we must look at it instead as setting them loose upon the world and allowing their dynamic power to dramatically change another community for the better.
That's all well and good, but it means that our community has been going through a lot of ups and downs in terms of Baha'i activities and participation in teaching campaigns. Sometimes the town is red-hot with energy and activities, and sometimes it's very quiet and sedate with not a lot going on. Which is ok too, they just shouldn't let it stay down for too long.
I'm going home for a visit in less than two weeks, and I'm very excited to see what's been happening in my absence. Who knows, maybe me coming back for a while can provide a little boost of energy and encouragement to those youth that are still there...
The Great Blog-o-sphere
Kerii and I were chatting last night about the Internet. He happens to know a lot about surfing the Net and finding information, since that's mostly what he deals with at work. We were discussing what some of the House of Justice members have been telling the youth lately, that we should really get out into the virtual world and make great Baha'i content readily accessible.
Baha'i youth (well, adults too) need to educate themselves throughly in the Writings of the Faith, we need to immerse ourselves in the Word of God to gain deeper understanding of our fundamental beliefs. How are we to defend our faith against others who would try and tear it down if we do not fully understand it ourselves? Hmmmm? Ours is the generation that will have to deal with the mess we find ourselves in today, a mess I like to call contemporary society.
There is so much corruption and disintegration in the world today, power struggles and financial wars that we cannot help but witness. But as a Baha'i, I find solace in knowing that this is an inevitable step on the road to something better. I understand that a global world order is something tangible, but that we must witness the decay and complete dismantling of the old world order so that we may create somthing better. You have to tear an old, condemned building down to its very foundations before you can construct another building in its place. Baha'is are already working on the new building, we already have the new blueprints given to us by Baha'u'llah, by Abdu'l-Baha, by Shoghi Effendi.
So now I'm just waiting for the old building to shake itself to its foundations so I can continue to help create a new and better one. And in the process, I'm trying to bring a little more information and hope to the people out there despairing at the state of the world...it's going to get better, and we're going to make it happen. Count on it.
Baha'i youth (well, adults too) need to educate themselves throughly in the Writings of the Faith, we need to immerse ourselves in the Word of God to gain deeper understanding of our fundamental beliefs. How are we to defend our faith against others who would try and tear it down if we do not fully understand it ourselves? Hmmmm? Ours is the generation that will have to deal with the mess we find ourselves in today, a mess I like to call contemporary society.
There is so much corruption and disintegration in the world today, power struggles and financial wars that we cannot help but witness. But as a Baha'i, I find solace in knowing that this is an inevitable step on the road to something better. I understand that a global world order is something tangible, but that we must witness the decay and complete dismantling of the old world order so that we may create somthing better. You have to tear an old, condemned building down to its very foundations before you can construct another building in its place. Baha'is are already working on the new building, we already have the new blueprints given to us by Baha'u'llah, by Abdu'l-Baha, by Shoghi Effendi.
So now I'm just waiting for the old building to shake itself to its foundations so I can continue to help create a new and better one. And in the process, I'm trying to bring a little more information and hope to the people out there despairing at the state of the world...it's going to get better, and we're going to make it happen. Count on it.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Epiphany
I have not posted to my blog in quite some time now, and I am kicking myself about it. This is a unique place for me to express my thoughts and ideas without fear of criticism or stigma - it's my happy space. And I am happy that I am free to do so. So here goes...
We had yet another great discussion at our flat tonight about defending the Baha'i Faith from attacks. Basically, we are a bunch of Baha'i youth trying to bolster ourselves against an onslaught of criticisms and religious attacks from a secular, humanistic, decidedly unspiritual populace at large, bent on its own material and physical gratification. We are attempting to prepare ourselves against these attacks by deepening our understanding of the Baha'i Writings and gaining clearer insights into how the Writings address many current trends and topics. Tonight we decided to deepen ourselves on the topic of Baha'i laws.
The Baha'i book of laws is the Kitab-i-Aqdas (which literally means "book of laws"). We spent several hours discussing the ramifications of certain legalities, laws, and ordinances stated in the book. We also speculated as to why Baha'u'llah legislated on certain topics and not others, albeit never questioning His ability and right to do so. As a Manifestation of God, we know that Baha'u'llah provided us with a complete spiritual framework for a new global civilisation, one in which God's laws and ordinances are in place for our protection and freedom, a notion I know is quite contrary to most people's current thoughts on what freedom means.
It's basically like this - at the core of it all, fundamentally, to be a Baha'i you have to do two things: you must recognise Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this Day, and in doing so, you must follow His laws, ordinances and teachings. You cannot have one without the other, or you else are not a Baha'i. Simple as that. This is very specific in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, in the opening paragraph:
We had yet another great discussion at our flat tonight about defending the Baha'i Faith from attacks. Basically, we are a bunch of Baha'i youth trying to bolster ourselves against an onslaught of criticisms and religious attacks from a secular, humanistic, decidedly unspiritual populace at large, bent on its own material and physical gratification. We are attempting to prepare ourselves against these attacks by deepening our understanding of the Baha'i Writings and gaining clearer insights into how the Writings address many current trends and topics. Tonight we decided to deepen ourselves on the topic of Baha'i laws.
The Baha'i book of laws is the Kitab-i-Aqdas (which literally means "book of laws"). We spent several hours discussing the ramifications of certain legalities, laws, and ordinances stated in the book. We also speculated as to why Baha'u'llah legislated on certain topics and not others, albeit never questioning His ability and right to do so. As a Manifestation of God, we know that Baha'u'llah provided us with a complete spiritual framework for a new global civilisation, one in which God's laws and ordinances are in place for our protection and freedom, a notion I know is quite contrary to most people's current thoughts on what freedom means.
It's basically like this - at the core of it all, fundamentally, to be a Baha'i you have to do two things: you must recognise Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this Day, and in doing so, you must follow His laws, ordinances and teachings. You cannot have one without the other, or you else are not a Baha'i. Simple as that. This is very specific in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, in the opening paragraph:
"The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty has attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behooveth everyone who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him who is the desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration."
What's interesting to me is how this paragraph, this understanding of the station of the Manifestation of God on earth, can also be applied to every previous religious Dispensation throughout human history. Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammed, The Bab, Baha'u'llah; each of them claimed Divine inspiration and each of them I understand to be Manifestations of God, sent with a specifc message for a specific period of time and to address specific spiritual needs for society in a constant state of evolution and progress.
I feel we are now at a pivotal time in human history. Society is crying out for spiritual fulfillment and direction; the religious regimes of the past are no longer functional in that sense. We are in dire need of a drastic paradigm shift in order to align our understanding of existence in this world with that of what God has been telling us through His Manifestations - we were created through His bounty and unfailing mercy to know Him and to worship Him. And once we recognise that self-same purpose, we can no longer turn a blind eye to the needs of society. We are enjoined upon to go out into the world and serve mankind in whatever capacity we can offer.
Religion is not just about paying lipservice to an unknowable Essence that we think will punish us if we act 'wrong'; religion has to be a way of life that means worshipping God through manifold acts of kindness and service to our fellow human beings; it means being an example of love and hope and virtue in a crumbling world; it means being the best Baha'i I can possibly be by learning as much as I can about what it TRULY means to be a Baha'i and then putting it into practice.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Garbage Trucks and iPods
Traffic ground to a halt and I got stuck for almost thirty minutes on Puah street today when a garbage truck got wedged between two badly parked cars.
There was absolutely no way to back up; even if it had been physically possible to back up, it would have been the wrong way on another one-way street. However, the minivan practically sitting on my rear bumper made that escape route non-existent.
A couple of guys jumped out of their cars to see if they could help; I was pretty hopeful. I've seen Israelis band together before and basically lift an entire car off the street to let traffic through. No such luck today though; those two cars weren't going anywhere. One guy was actually jumping up and down on the front grill of one of them - I assume he thought that if he could set the car alarm off, the owner would come rushing out to see who was stealing their car. Again, no luck there.
So the garbage truck decided to SLOWLY and painstakingly inch its way between the cars. I have never seen such precision when it comes to driving a two-ton piece of metal; at one point the truck looked like it was dancing because of the way the driver was making it wiggle back and forth. It was pretty amusing, and kept me occupied for a while.
Towards the end, another guy got out of his car and stood on the sidewalk, presumably to help the truck driver edge his way through. However, his help consisted of him flicking his arm wildly to the side, and gesticulating madly that the driver should just plow on through. Personally, I probably would have done that twenty minutes before...having been here for almost a year, I would have no qualms about taking off someone's side mirror on my way down the road.
That's just the way life is here in Haifa - narrow streets, crappy parking in non-parking spaces, and lots of garbage trucks and buses trying to navigate their way through. You couldn't pay me enough to drive either one. :)
Note: this whole situation probably would have been a lot less amusing if I hadn't had my iPod with me or had somewhere particular to be. Half an hour in the car with other drivers honking in the back, thinking that maybe if THEY honk their horn, the impediment will magically disappear, is generally not my idea of fun. But instead I got listen to the dulcet tones of Jack Johnson, Robert Gillies, Joshua Radin, and Fallout Boy for awhile. Good times...
There was absolutely no way to back up; even if it had been physically possible to back up, it would have been the wrong way on another one-way street. However, the minivan practically sitting on my rear bumper made that escape route non-existent.
A couple of guys jumped out of their cars to see if they could help; I was pretty hopeful. I've seen Israelis band together before and basically lift an entire car off the street to let traffic through. No such luck today though; those two cars weren't going anywhere. One guy was actually jumping up and down on the front grill of one of them - I assume he thought that if he could set the car alarm off, the owner would come rushing out to see who was stealing their car. Again, no luck there.
So the garbage truck decided to SLOWLY and painstakingly inch its way between the cars. I have never seen such precision when it comes to driving a two-ton piece of metal; at one point the truck looked like it was dancing because of the way the driver was making it wiggle back and forth. It was pretty amusing, and kept me occupied for a while.
Towards the end, another guy got out of his car and stood on the sidewalk, presumably to help the truck driver edge his way through. However, his help consisted of him flicking his arm wildly to the side, and gesticulating madly that the driver should just plow on through. Personally, I probably would have done that twenty minutes before...having been here for almost a year, I would have no qualms about taking off someone's side mirror on my way down the road.
That's just the way life is here in Haifa - narrow streets, crappy parking in non-parking spaces, and lots of garbage trucks and buses trying to navigate their way through. You couldn't pay me enough to drive either one. :)
Note: this whole situation probably would have been a lot less amusing if I hadn't had my iPod with me or had somewhere particular to be. Half an hour in the car with other drivers honking in the back, thinking that maybe if THEY honk their horn, the impediment will magically disappear, is generally not my idea of fun. But instead I got listen to the dulcet tones of Jack Johnson, Robert Gillies, Joshua Radin, and Fallout Boy for awhile. Good times...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Doppelganger
So weird - at the mall today, I stopped by McD's (had a craving for fries, don't ask). I was waiting in line, and realised the cash register guy looked JUST like my friend Cole from university.
He was obviously younger, and Jewish, but other than that he was the spitting image of Cole.
I just kept thinking, "God, how sad would it be if Cole actually had to work at McDonald's?" That would assuredly be a most unfortunate circumstance...
:)
He was obviously younger, and Jewish, but other than that he was the spitting image of Cole.
I just kept thinking, "God, how sad would it be if Cole actually had to work at McDonald's?" That would assuredly be a most unfortunate circumstance...
:)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Horoscopes
Haha, I generally don't believe in this sort of thing, but lately I've been really into reading my horoscope. I found this site, astrologyzone.com, and it's been kind of a lark going and checking it out. But the monthly horoscopes are becoming startlingly accurate, and I'm not really sure why that is. Hmmmm...
The good news is that nothing is predetermined - this woman even claims so on her website. She merely uses astrology as a means to understanding patterns and alignments of planets and how they might affect our lives (or not). It's sort of cool; it's not a replacement for religion or anything like that, it's supposed to be a fun way to look at how the universe can align to help us see things we might not have otherwise been aware.
Pretty cool...I'm still in control of my own fate, and only God knows what's going to happen in the future. But that doesn't mean that astrology can't be a fun little diversion one in a while. :)
The good news is that nothing is predetermined - this woman even claims so on her website. She merely uses astrology as a means to understanding patterns and alignments of planets and how they might affect our lives (or not). It's sort of cool; it's not a replacement for religion or anything like that, it's supposed to be a fun way to look at how the universe can align to help us see things we might not have otherwise been aware.
Pretty cool...I'm still in control of my own fate, and only God knows what's going to happen in the future. But that doesn't mean that astrology can't be a fun little diversion one in a while. :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Musings on a Bus
I rode the bus home early from work yesterday because I sprained my ankle. It's funny how as soon as you need a spot to sit down, there is nothing available. Usually I prefer to stand and there are a dozen seats; as soon as I actually need to sit, poof!, nothing.
There was a girl sitting across from where I was standing, a soldier on her way home for the weekend. She was fast asleep, lying across her giant backpack, AK-47 laid gently on her lap pointed at the floor. How am I supposed to feel about this? It's funny and surreal all at the same time. I suppose it's what most people are used to around here, but I just don't think I'll ever get to used to seeing teenagers toting AK-47's on buses like it ain't no thang.
There was a girl sitting across from where I was standing, a soldier on her way home for the weekend. She was fast asleep, lying across her giant backpack, AK-47 laid gently on her lap pointed at the floor. How am I supposed to feel about this? It's funny and surreal all at the same time. I suppose it's what most people are used to around here, but I just don't think I'll ever get to used to seeing teenagers toting AK-47's on buses like it ain't no thang.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Next Step...?
OK, so Robert and I have talked a few times on the phone so far since I told him about my feelings for him. We haven't actually verbally discussed the subject, but the message I received on Facebook was basically a "I'm really flattered I don't know how I feel about you but I would love to get to know you better but I don't know if it would ever be more than that."
I can live with that.
I just want to get to know him better, and the best way to do that is to keep the lines of communication open. Be good friends first, with the knowledge that it could possibly develop into more. Because, as much as I am willing to give him space and not broach the subject again for a while, the topic will have to be raised again at some point in the future. All too often we girls put our power in the hands of the guy and then get frustrated when nothing evolves.
Now I just have to try REALLY hard not to devolve into Stalker Girl. I can sort of get that way when I like someone, but I guess we all feel that way sometimes. When you like a person, you want to interact with them as much as possible, right? But guys generally do not respond well when you call them four times a day just to 'chat'. Uh huh. I can't help it, I tend to get a little obsessive about things; it's my addictive personality. Such a personality can be extremely useful in certain situations, but when it comes to guys, I don't think they appreciate an addictive personality when they themselves can't figure out how they feel about things.
So now I sit and try to practice the valuable art of patience...
I can live with that.
I just want to get to know him better, and the best way to do that is to keep the lines of communication open. Be good friends first, with the knowledge that it could possibly develop into more. Because, as much as I am willing to give him space and not broach the subject again for a while, the topic will have to be raised again at some point in the future. All too often we girls put our power in the hands of the guy and then get frustrated when nothing evolves.
Now I just have to try REALLY hard not to devolve into Stalker Girl. I can sort of get that way when I like someone, but I guess we all feel that way sometimes. When you like a person, you want to interact with them as much as possible, right? But guys generally do not respond well when you call them four times a day just to 'chat'. Uh huh. I can't help it, I tend to get a little obsessive about things; it's my addictive personality. Such a personality can be extremely useful in certain situations, but when it comes to guys, I don't think they appreciate an addictive personality when they themselves can't figure out how they feel about things.
So now I sit and try to practice the valuable art of patience...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Freeing Myself Through Music
I have decided that I really want to learn to play the guitar.
I already have the guitar, I recently restrung it with Robert's help, I have figured out how to tune it, now all I need to do is learn how to play it! :)
I have picked the songs I would like to learn, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself. I should probably learn a couple of chords first before I try to master any sort of songs. Hmmm...
Here's a list of songs I am currently in love with and play non-stop on the ipod:
The Fear You Won't Fall by Joshua Radin
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer
Flake by Jack Johnson
Lose Control by Maria Mena
When Susannah Cries by Espen Lind
It's pretty cool - the last two artists are Norwegian; I've been introduced to them by Synnove, who's been living at my flat while on pilgrimage right now. This stuff is gold!
So at this point I'm just having a blast listening to new music, trying my voice out on some old songs, and really just enjoying being in the moment. Music is so freeing and allows for such an emotional release that I can't seem to get enough right now!
I already have the guitar, I recently restrung it with Robert's help, I have figured out how to tune it, now all I need to do is learn how to play it! :)
I have picked the songs I would like to learn, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself. I should probably learn a couple of chords first before I try to master any sort of songs. Hmmm...
Here's a list of songs I am currently in love with and play non-stop on the ipod:
The Fear You Won't Fall by Joshua Radin
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer
Flake by Jack Johnson
Lose Control by Maria Mena
When Susannah Cries by Espen Lind
It's pretty cool - the last two artists are Norwegian; I've been introduced to them by Synnove, who's been living at my flat while on pilgrimage right now. This stuff is gold!
So at this point I'm just having a blast listening to new music, trying my voice out on some old songs, and really just enjoying being in the moment. Music is so freeing and allows for such an emotional release that I can't seem to get enough right now!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Bridal Shower!
Corinne and I hosted a bridal shower for Carla today! It was sooo much fun!!
We had everyone over to my flat since I have a rather large living room, and a bunch of ladies showed up for the party. Excellent times...
We played some cute bridal shower games, nothing too demeaning or anything - Carla's very sweet and doesn't ever want anyone to be embarrassed. My favourite was the recipe for a happy marriage game. Basically I just gave everyone index cards and we all wrote down our 'recipes' for a good marriage. Everyone got really creative!
I wrote a poem for the occasion:
Roses are red
Grass is so green
When you are married
You get to be Queen
(So make the most of it!) HAHA!
Now all I have to do is put together the scrapbook for the occasion and give it to Carla once she and Adam return from the States. (They're heading back home to get married, rather than get married in the Holy Land. Better that the family can all be there.)
We had everyone over to my flat since I have a rather large living room, and a bunch of ladies showed up for the party. Excellent times...
We played some cute bridal shower games, nothing too demeaning or anything - Carla's very sweet and doesn't ever want anyone to be embarrassed. My favourite was the recipe for a happy marriage game. Basically I just gave everyone index cards and we all wrote down our 'recipes' for a good marriage. Everyone got really creative!
I wrote a poem for the occasion:
Roses are red
Grass is so green
When you are married
You get to be Queen
(So make the most of it!) HAHA!
Now all I have to do is put together the scrapbook for the occasion and give it to Carla once she and Adam return from the States. (They're heading back home to get married, rather than get married in the Holy Land. Better that the family can all be there.)
Friday, January 18, 2008
Ramblings After A Talk...
I had a good time after the Serving the Divine Plan talk. Got invited back to Sholeh's flat for hot chocolate with Kat and Geoffrey. I decided I need to be more social these days - I'm pretty tired a lot, but hot chocolate is hot chocolate. :)
A lot of people ended up showing up. Had a nice chat with some of the new orientation staff members. It's funny, as soon as I mention where I work, they either have a complaint or they want to congratulate us about the chocolates on the pillows. Always love those chocolates on the pillows...
Had a nice conversation with Semira, girl from the last orientation. She complimented me on my nails, which I remember distinctly since I have NEVER been complimented on my nails before. Never been able to grow them out long enough to look good. But apparently they're nice enough now to be noticed. Sweet! It's the little things I guess that people notice, so it's always good to take care of yourself.
A lot of people ended up showing up. Had a nice chat with some of the new orientation staff members. It's funny, as soon as I mention where I work, they either have a complaint or they want to congratulate us about the chocolates on the pillows. Always love those chocolates on the pillows...
Had a nice conversation with Semira, girl from the last orientation. She complimented me on my nails, which I remember distinctly since I have NEVER been complimented on my nails before. Never been able to grow them out long enough to look good. But apparently they're nice enough now to be noticed. Sweet! It's the little things I guess that people notice, so it's always good to take care of yourself.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Unexpected
It was really great having Robert, Marjan and Justin all here at the same time on pilgrimage. I knew that Marjan and Justin were coming, but Robert being here was a complete surprise.
Robert surprised me by showing up at the Dawnbreaker Collective's performance, and we spent most of his remaining nights hanging out together during and after the pilgrim talks. It was really fun, but kind of surreal, since I had never really expected to see him again after his Wildfire tour in 2005. I guess I should probably admit here that I had had a crush on him at that point, but with him being on tour and me being in university, I had decided not to say anything. Seeing him here in the Holy Land brought all those feelings rushing back, something I was completely unprepared for.
We had some great conversations, most of them pretty random, which is coincidentally just the way I like them. Robert's musical career is really going to take off soon, so it was cool to hear about how things are going in terms of songwriting and putting together CD's and whatnot. We also walked all over the Merkaz back and forth to his hotel, and we had lots to talk about. The funniest incident was probably when we walked past the zoo to discover two guys in their car trying to break OUT. It looked like they had gotten locked inside when the zoo was bolted down for the night. When we walked past the guys were smashing at the padlocked post in the driveway with what looked like a sledgehammer. (Where did they get a sledgehammer?! Maybe it's better not to know...)
Anyhoo, suffice it to say Robert and I had much fun while he was here, but now that he's gone I'm left with these stirred-up emotions all over again, and I don't know what to do about them. I wrote him a message to tell him so, but he hasn't responded yet. Either a) he hasn't seen it yet or b) he has seen it and has no idea how to respond. It's funny - most guys say that they wish girls were more direct about their feelings for guys, and would just tell a guy how they feel, but when we actually do, most guys don't know how to react and so they don't. Well, I've put myself out on a limb, so the ball's in his court now.
Robert surprised me by showing up at the Dawnbreaker Collective's performance, and we spent most of his remaining nights hanging out together during and after the pilgrim talks. It was really fun, but kind of surreal, since I had never really expected to see him again after his Wildfire tour in 2005. I guess I should probably admit here that I had had a crush on him at that point, but with him being on tour and me being in university, I had decided not to say anything. Seeing him here in the Holy Land brought all those feelings rushing back, something I was completely unprepared for.
We had some great conversations, most of them pretty random, which is coincidentally just the way I like them. Robert's musical career is really going to take off soon, so it was cool to hear about how things are going in terms of songwriting and putting together CD's and whatnot. We also walked all over the Merkaz back and forth to his hotel, and we had lots to talk about. The funniest incident was probably when we walked past the zoo to discover two guys in their car trying to break OUT. It looked like they had gotten locked inside when the zoo was bolted down for the night. When we walked past the guys were smashing at the padlocked post in the driveway with what looked like a sledgehammer. (Where did they get a sledgehammer?! Maybe it's better not to know...)
Anyhoo, suffice it to say Robert and I had much fun while he was here, but now that he's gone I'm left with these stirred-up emotions all over again, and I don't know what to do about them. I wrote him a message to tell him so, but he hasn't responded yet. Either a) he hasn't seen it yet or b) he has seen it and has no idea how to respond. It's funny - most guys say that they wish girls were more direct about their feelings for guys, and would just tell a guy how they feel, but when we actually do, most guys don't know how to react and so they don't. Well, I've put myself out on a limb, so the ball's in his court now.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Dawnbreaker Collective
I was lucky enough to be invited to a small concert put on the Dawnbreaker Collective while they were on a three-day visit to the Holy Land. Too freaking cool for skool, man! It was five of them out of the whole collective, but that didn't matter, they still knew how to rock out.
Benny Cassette and Earl Iodine rocking the house!
L to R: Andy Grammer, Devon Gundry, Earl Iodine, Benny Cassette, and Tara Ellis.
I think this was when Andy was sharing his theories about women. Tres amusant.
Another group shot of everyone having a good time doing what they do best!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Naylors in Israel
It was really nice having Bronwyn and Tahirih visiting Israel at the same time. I know Bronwyn was only here for a short visit, so we had to pack as much fun as possible into three days!
We went to the Shrines of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, the Mansion of Bahji, the famous falafel place in the Wadi, and we even went to Greg's Gallery Cafe with Theresa and Liam. The cafe was lovely, very crisp and white and pretty. Plus, Liam and Theresa have a car, so we didn't have to walk there. Finally!
It was so convenient having the ladies at Peter and Pat's flat, since it's so easy to get to. Accessibility is key. Bronwyn is gone now, but Tahirih is still here working hard, so I'll get to see her at the Holy Day celebrations (hopefully!).
We went to the Shrines of the Bab and Baha'u'llah, the Mansion of Bahji, the famous falafel place in the Wadi, and we even went to Greg's Gallery Cafe with Theresa and Liam. The cafe was lovely, very crisp and white and pretty. Plus, Liam and Theresa have a car, so we didn't have to walk there. Finally!
It was so convenient having the ladies at Peter and Pat's flat, since it's so easy to get to. Accessibility is key. Bronwyn is gone now, but Tahirih is still here working hard, so I'll get to see her at the Holy Day celebrations (hopefully!).
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
External Affairs
Here at the BWC we are currently hosting different external affairs representatives from the world over. They are all in charge of dealing with the public in terms of questions asked about the Baha'i Faith. These days it's mostly dealing with the situation of the Baha'is in Iran and Egypt, but they also generally deal with issues that affect Baha'is in their respective countries.
It's pretty cool having these representatives here. They did a presentation a few days ago where they shared some inspiring stories from their home communities, and it was wonderful to hear such (mostly) uplifting stories. I now really want to make sure that when I return home, I am fully active in my community both propagating and protecting the Faith.
There are also members of the Baha'i International Community (BIC) here from the UN, from both the New York and Swiss offices. My friend Tahirih happens to be one of the BIC representatives here from New York; it's so much fun to see her here in the Holy Land at the same time as me. Yay!
It's pretty cool having these representatives here. They did a presentation a few days ago where they shared some inspiring stories from their home communities, and it was wonderful to hear such (mostly) uplifting stories. I now really want to make sure that when I return home, I am fully active in my community both propagating and protecting the Faith.
There are also members of the Baha'i International Community (BIC) here from the UN, from both the New York and Swiss offices. My friend Tahirih happens to be one of the BIC representatives here from New York; it's so much fun to see her here in the Holy Land at the same time as me. Yay!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Musical Bliss
We had another choir rehearsal today to prepare for our performance on 1o January. The twin holy days of the Birth of the Bab and the Birth of Baha'u'llah will be celebrated on the 10 and 11 of January, and the choir has the singular privilege of being able to perform live in the Concourse of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
I feel so honoured to be allowed to perform in such a remarkable venue. I feel deeply honoured to be able to sing praises to God in the Seat of His power and authority on earth. It's an amazing privilege and thrill to be in this choir!
Plus - bonus! - we always get to rehearse in the Seat as well. The multipurpose room truly serves its purpose in that regard. After rehearsal, I stuck around a little while to listen to Synnove, Jordan and Paul practice a few operatic pieces on the piano. It was ethereal; I couldn't help but lose myself in their melody, and when Synnove started playing some pieces from Songs from a Secret Garden, that was sheer bliss. It doesn't matter that I was ready to drop dead from exhaustion - I stayed and listened to that glorious music wafting through the hallways of the Seat building and thought to myself, "How lucky am I?"
I feel so honoured to be allowed to perform in such a remarkable venue. I feel deeply honoured to be able to sing praises to God in the Seat of His power and authority on earth. It's an amazing privilege and thrill to be in this choir!
Plus - bonus! - we always get to rehearse in the Seat as well. The multipurpose room truly serves its purpose in that regard. After rehearsal, I stuck around a little while to listen to Synnove, Jordan and Paul practice a few operatic pieces on the piano. It was ethereal; I couldn't help but lose myself in their melody, and when Synnove started playing some pieces from Songs from a Secret Garden, that was sheer bliss. It doesn't matter that I was ready to drop dead from exhaustion - I stayed and listened to that glorious music wafting through the hallways of the Seat building and thought to myself, "How lucky am I?"
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