tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154489252012-01-25T21:12:16.527-05:00Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.comBlogger3011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-47350233526251796802011-08-21T00:05:00.004-05:002011-08-21T00:33:41.220-05:00

It occurred to me this evening that I don't know where this story ends. Perhaps I thought I did? I thought this story ended when I came out of the Middle East in 2009. Perhaps I felt that I had shared enough and bared enough to last me for a while. Yes, I took a step back from public writing, but I dare say that the act of doing so did not render me more silently contemplative. If anything I

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-71552252500054883052011-02-18T14:00:00.003-05:002011-02-19T01:49:58.312-05:00

"It was a time in my life when many things bored me deeply and I hungered for beauty and those realms of pure elation granted to those who had the imagination to know what to look for and how to find it."--Pat Conroy, Beach MusicWritten well over a year ago, my last blog post culminated the end of an era while serving as a commencement ceremony of sorts to this present tense.Three months

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-54822940846403724502009-11-03T13:58:00.005-05:002011-02-14T02:43:28.617-05:00

It bothers me that I have not yet managed to find out who "They" are. Always ambitious, it is my preference to imagine this dubious "They" as a highly classified group of individuals who must certainly exist in a black box somewhere at the End of The Rainbow. Go up the grassy hill and make a left. When the yellow brick road appears beneath your feet and you begin skipping uncontrollably, you

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-63984548996705431562009-10-21T12:29:00.006-05:002009-10-21T17:40:18.473-05:00

Under the olive tree with the Hanoun Family of the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood, August 2009Jerusalem."Hey, let's go on a treasure hunt to see if we can find the Arab family in the news who is being evacuated from their house!," Recovering Orthodox Guy (ROG) said to me during a class break one day."Which Arab family?," I said dryly. My personal thoughts--on the matter of the Israeli government

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-47595211163557934992009-08-19T08:51:00.003-05:002010-07-12T18:35:05.085-05:00

Jerusalem.I was thinking today that there must be a Jerusalem in each of us--a wry, complex, winding place full of mystery and surprises. Regularly, I have wondered if this Jerusalem, this dark and whimsical place in the middle of the desert was a part of me long before I came to realize it? I have very distinct memories of the mildly precocious child version of myself, the one who used to crawl

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-5526697924427720402009-08-13T23:22:00.012-05:002009-11-23T16:51:16.341-05:00

Bethlehem.I practically swallowed my sweet mint tea the wrong way the other day while paying a visit to Noora, my elderly Arabic tutor in Bethlehem. In the two years I have known her, I have never once claimed to be Jewish. It was certainly no lie to say that I come from good Christian folks and that I was raised as a Catholic. Though the words "raised" and "Catholic" may be a little bit of a

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-73758262202252213282009-08-08T03:54:00.017-05:002009-11-16T16:56:51.986-05:00

Jerusalem.It was hot. Very hot. Knowing exactly where I intended to go that afternoon, I decided not to dress the part. My destination was certain, and the truth is that I was uncertain of my social and religious boundaries. In large part, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock is not exactly the place to wear the costume of a Muslim woman when one is, in fact, not Muslim at all. And for

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-36097220244733917972009-08-02T12:14:00.003-05:002009-08-02T13:44:03.627-05:00

Jerusalem.Sometimes the Universe decides to tweek. Perhaps on purpose, perhaps not. Either way, the system sneezes, and Murphy's Law prevails.The bicycle built for one cannot bear the weight of two. Or can it? Maybe it is possible, but the place is not reserved for you no matter how well you travel. Ashes, ashes...and we all fall down.But just like the childhood game, life dictates that we

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-68833766959180418192009-07-18T13:02:00.012-05:002009-10-18T02:43:04.385-05:00

Barukh atah Adonai, hamav'dil bein kodesh l'chol (Amein). Blessed are You, Lord, who separates between sacred and secular. (Amen)For those who keep time the Jewish way, there are, of course, seemingly endless amounts of rituals involved in doing so. While there are many I could write about, Havdallah is perhaps my favorite because of its contemplative qualities. Havdallah is

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-17892449694269950792009-07-14T09:45:00.003-05:002009-07-14T09:50:01.900-05:00

I was attempting to find a quote to use for my next post. It was about living in New York until it "makes you hard", and I thought it would be useful to replace it with: "Live in Jerusalem until it makes you hard, crazy...or both." At the moment, I am swimming through a mixture of things. Perhaps I can blame it on too much time on Jerusalem city buses. It's enough to make anyone completely

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-23362326678251856272009-07-11T04:31:00.012-05:002009-08-03T01:35:15.900-05:00

Jerusalem.As it is rarely done, I received an email from my mother this morning from her sickbed. This is otherwise known as her self-designed "sanctuary" amid all of the self-designed inventions, which she has artfully created over the decades in her fervent (and equally eccentric) insistence on what she calls "independent living". Of course, it is no matter to my mother that her sanctuary is

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-15437140060465077862009-07-06T14:35:00.005-05:002009-07-06T14:43:46.017-05:00

Thanks to Anais Nin, this little lovely is from Post Secret this week:India.More to come... But let me assure my gentle readers that good things are brewing in these parts.The light switch finally turned on in my dense little brain, and I suddenly began to think of all of the amazing opportunities that are ahead of me this year in India. All of my doubt, angst, and feelings of discouragement

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-84676198176084463822009-07-05T08:29:00.007-05:002009-07-05T10:05:59.851-05:00

Jerusalem/Yerushalayim.For the past couple of weeks, Jerusalem residents have been bombarded with news about a certain parking lot that was opened in the Old City on Shabbat (or Saturday, aka. the Jewish Sabbath).Secular residents in town have hailed the parking lot as a sign that the mayor is serving the interests of the progressive folks who prefer to drive on the day of rest, because driving

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-82788967408744833182009-07-02T07:11:00.012-05:002011-04-22T13:13:02.427-05:00

Bethlehem on A Friday in Manger SquareBethlehem.I found myself in the West Bank at a very inauspicious time last week, and in a most inauspicious manner.Shortly before midday on Friday I agreed to accompany an American friend of mine to see the place where the Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We spontaneously made the last minute decision to go. To save time, we drove in her Israeli boyfriend's

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30636583614385203522009-06-25T09:38:00.009-05:002009-06-25T15:54:47.556-05:00

Valencia/Jerusalem. Given my choice of spending a sober morning on the Valencia beach or getting drunk at 9am with my friend from college while she discussed her alarmingly unhappy married life, I opted for the former and cheerily offered a compromise."Why don't we go to the beach and get some beers on the water? My treat!??"She took the bait, but hesitated and sighed."Oh, but I haven't shaved

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-73409133840731822162009-06-23T09:47:00.013-05:002009-06-23T12:31:17.416-05:00

(Car of a Cave Dweller-- in front of Granada's Old City Wall)Jerusalem.Even as it began, Spain was illuminating.Three days prior to my departure, I found myself contemplating good and bad karma as I sat with an IV tube for fluid rehydration hastily stuck in my arm by a religious nurse with a dirty wig. Despite the wig, and the nurse's hormonal imbalance (as evidenced by the coarse hair growing

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-51084887769483049112009-06-18T12:55:00.007-05:002009-06-20T11:23:23.392-05:00

Granada. If the gypsy wasn't already in full force, Spain just added music.I spent the day in my "home town" of Granada, wandering and letting my creativity take over.(Because I am always working.)(The Arab tiles of the Alhambra, also because I am always working.)(Political graffiti in the Albaycin soothes the soul.)(More amazing Albacin art. So inspiring!It is so good to be here.More to come...

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-19539480554353263292009-06-16T15:19:00.006-05:002009-11-19T14:06:33.047-05:00

Valencia. I had to stop myself from nearly weeping at the sight of Spain below me today. From my window seat, I choked back tears as the formations of windmills and orange trees began to take shape while my flight from Tel Aviv brought me closer to the place where so much of where my life has taken me all began.Spain!Still hovering in flight, my thoughts seemed to be dictated by my bodily

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-90313525771440371782009-06-14T21:17:00.006-05:002009-06-14T22:20:16.306-05:00

Jerusalem. Always the resilient type, my stomach is firm again, and I am leaving tomorrow for a few days in Spain. When I booked the ticket two months ago, I had no way of anticipating how I would be feeling after 4 months of living in Jerusalem again. With certainty, I can now say that the timing of the trip could not be better planned. If a rough ride through gastro-intestinal hell this

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30112442912288562712009-06-13T12:51:00.004-05:002009-06-13T13:33:24.331-05:00

Jerusalem. For the past few days I have been in an out of health. I woke up in a state of serious gastrointestonal discomfort on Tuesday evening. The discomfort quickly became a state of high fever and cold sweats, which then developed into several hours of intensive bodily dysfunction. By the time I reached the doctor the following afternoon, I could barely hold myself together long enough

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-78186450927797381272009-06-11T06:15:00.012-05:002009-06-11T11:17:18.760-05:00

Jerusalem. My mother always said that male hairdressers were the best because they knew what it took to make a woman look and feel her best. I imagine that she took this from my grandmother, who has been going to the same man named "Anthony" to do her little grandma style blow out every week for the past 30 years.I have been in need of a haircut for about 3 months, but holding off until I could

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-74319392091266346622009-06-08T00:39:00.011-05:002009-06-08T03:20:11.398-05:00

My Kabbalah teacher advises against the use of astrology. According to him, the use of astrology as a way of guiding our actions and choices actually mitigates the choices that we can allow ourselves to make more creatively in our interactions with the tangible world. He does not deny that astrology is "real" (because it is determined by G-d), but he adds that the sense of finite determinism

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-10992482314998258692009-06-07T16:19:00.002-05:002009-06-07T16:22:43.855-05:00

Being lied to hurts the worst of all. As my grandmother would say, "Honey you can't win for losing." I never really knew what she meant by that, but now I think I may have some idea.Namaste

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-1032905486735356082009-05-31T15:56:00.005-05:002009-05-31T17:08:41.488-05:00

My oldest and dearest friend, Amesbooty, arrived in Jerusalem today. Like the best of my fellow life travelers, she arrived with a big smile on her face. I positively had to pinch myself that she was here.After she settled in a bit, I decided to take her on a long walk through town. We wandered through my usual digs in the German Colony, and then up to the Old City. Along the way, I pointed

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-71625147386806666822009-05-28T11:42:00.006-05:002009-05-28T13:50:11.462-05:00

My current flatmate is a bit of a mess, bless her heart. She really is. She flutters around the place while I attempt to write. I am convinced that she thinks (or at least hopes?) that I am so absorbed in my work that I am oblivious to her angst and her pain. Of course, this couldn't be further from the truth. I can read her mood and state of mind by the way she opens the door."How do you do

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-36110806699100831262009-05-26T14:24:00.003-05:002009-06-06T09:19:06.186-05:00

A year ago at this time, I was emerging from the most horrific year of relationship drama of my life only to be greeted by my dissertation. As memory serves me all too well, I was between domestic situations and camped out for about a week on my best friend, Amesbooty's living room futon in the People's Republic of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. All I really remember of this time was the

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-41238785929744664652009-05-26T09:52:00.000-05:002009-05-26T09:53:57.960-05:00

"To me, it's really so simple, that life should be lived on the edge. You have to exercise rebellion. To refuse to tape yourself to the rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge. Then you will live your life on the tightrope." --Philippe Petit

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-87088751830948340872009-05-20T01:14:00.002-05:002009-05-20T01:29:29.747-05:00

I know I am a big, whiny baby about this, but I had somewhat of a panic yesterday when it began to appear as though I may be going straight from Israel to India at the beginning of August with no break in between. Call it what you will, but I have an inexplicable and compelling need to go back to the US, if only to engage in a few last-days-of-summer bonding activities with friends and family.

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-33263356387361427592009-05-14T17:18:00.002-05:002009-05-14T18:16:35.958-05:00

The dissertation giveth, and the dissertation taketh away...Where to begin with this one?Let's see...First, I am writing "full time" again. And when I say writing, what I really mean to say is that I wake up in the morning, sit down with a cup of tea and something to nibble on, and make a few productive paragraphs until I realize that I am starving again--usually around 11 am. After an impromptu

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-3684594107984718542009-05-09T12:32:00.000-05:002009-05-09T16:57:36.789-05:00

Last week, I happened to be in a laundry mat with a cute guy...and his gun."Nice gun," I said when I saw it sticking out of the back of his jeans. I couldn't resist. After all, it is not often that I have the opportunity to open with such a bizarre line."Oh, sorry," he replied. "You're not supposed to see that. I'm really sorry."He actually seemed embarrassed. It seems that he was more afraid

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-64615566958588096772009-05-09T01:58:00.004-05:002009-05-09T02:13:03.185-05:00

I took 24 hours to think about it and said yes to the fellowship. After doing a bit of research, I made a specific request for the India post. Nothing against Nepal, but the idea of India seemed to resonate a little more with me. I should know more about my fate in the coming days.A dear friend of mine, who is currently living in Bangkok, appears to be the most thrilled by this news. "We're

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-52905292250072414152009-05-07T09:44:00.010-05:002009-05-07T12:26:53.886-05:00

As it is, I am pretty rich when it comes to life. My wallet may always be flashing "E" for empty, but I never seem to suffer for long. Sure, the suffering may be a little harsh at times. For example, I take no masochistic pleasure in conveniently "visiting" family and friends, when the truth is that would be otherwise living out of my car for three weeks. (Of course, they don't know this and I

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-48340892001615315522009-05-01T00:58:00.004-05:002009-05-01T03:48:14.160-05:00

Yesterday morning, I woke up early. Since my trip through Egypt, I was rendered with only one clean skirt and a semi-clean, long-sleeved plum colored shirt to wear. I dressed up the ensemble with a nicer pair of sandals, a pink scarf, a simple pair of earrings and my classic jean jacket. Of course, I smiled when I put the jacket on as I walked out of the door. If only this denim could talk, I

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-75198410083213889332009-04-29T08:19:00.006-05:002009-04-29T09:15:23.128-05:00

I am back from a whirlwind, or should I call it a sand storm? I was able to snap this lovely little number from atop the camel beneath me, which, yes, I took my shoes off in order to ride across the desert with the shadows of the pyramids in the distance. Things learned in Egypt:1. Camel riding. Camel riding isn't as easy as it appears. Riding at a pace for any real distance should be

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-28557853809460670802009-04-15T01:20:00.006-05:002009-04-15T01:53:05.970-05:00

And so I am off.Well, I am off tomorrow.I have recently acquired a new yoga mat, and my friend arrived safely from the US yesterday afternoon. We are bound for Eilat in the early morning, which is the Southernmost town in Israel. At Eilat, we will pay the usual fees and walk across the border to Jordan. Once in Jordan, we will either take a bus or a cab to Petra. In Petra, we have plans for

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-42636464177062031842009-04-12T13:10:00.006-05:002009-04-12T14:48:38.158-05:00

Before I left for Jerusalem, I was told that I would have free access to a "nice gym". Of course, I should have known better! Nice things are never free in Israel.I knew that I should not have been so disappointed by the manky concrete room (which is also the bomb shelter) of building that houses my Hebrew lessons. Additionally, there was no particular need to be shocked that the hours of

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-32361682554306966002009-04-10T02:54:00.005-05:002009-04-10T12:26:52.265-05:00

Of all people who should know, my family are the last people on earth who seem to understand how and why I can live in the Middle East for great lengths of time.At the moment, I am writing this while I wait for the hot water heater do its magic. In this part of the world, a hot shower requires some additional planning and work. For example, one must flip a centrally-located red switch called a

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-2764057208080550932009-04-07T03:30:00.007-05:002009-04-07T06:28:06.256-05:00

Officially "off my feet" yesterday, I read a book and caught up on emails. In between icing, elevating and admiring the science project that is otherwise known as my left ankle, I began to actively plan for a trip this summer...to Spain.Truth be told, Spain is one of the places on earth where a part of my spirit likes to hang out, even when I'm off doing other things. The ancient city of

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-6632614816270641802009-04-06T00:32:00.004-05:002009-04-06T01:22:32.386-05:00

Not an injury-prone person, I sprained my ankle pretty badly last night. After nearly vomiting (twice) from the searing pain of having done so, a couple of hours of ice and elevation rendered the sight of it somewhat entertaining. After all, it is not every day that my foot looks like the swollen belly of a carnivorous snake. In my mind, I imagine that my toes must have managed to catch and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-56634946134873248042009-04-03T01:15:00.003-05:002009-04-03T01:55:55.837-05:00

When it comes to languages, some days are good and other days are not. I am definitely no polyglot. My only real strength is a good ear. More than this, I am gifted in my ability to read people very quickly. I know when someone is flirting, giving me a warning or an order, telling me to wait and be patient, or is otherwise trying to ask me for something. Sure, if you slow down and speak to me

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-20521445914987286642009-03-29T14:13:00.006-05:002009-03-29T15:08:41.168-05:00

Every morning when my alarm begins to chime at 6:00 am, I groggily open my eyes and mumble (in one language or another):"Good morning, Jerusalem."I put the water on to boil for tea. If the sun is shining, I wander out to the small balcony of my flat to give a wave to the Arab construction workers, who began their day well into my lazy dream cycle hours before. The ones who have figured out that

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-362718942513783792009-03-27T05:03:00.006-05:002009-03-27T06:07:32.229-05:00

The other night, I was asked to join a Rosh Chodesh ("First of the Month") women's group for young, ex-pat women in Jerusalem. The woman who ran the group affiliates with the new "chic" trend in Judaism, which calls itself "Egalitarian Orthodoxy". Apparently, this is all of the rage amoung the self-identified religious-yet-progressive sorts in town...Upon arriving at her home, I was immediately

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-10352961039216591402009-03-25T10:15:00.003-05:002009-03-25T10:20:10.637-05:00

"One day, I'll manage to break you down, baby. One day, you'll realize what a great opportunity you have with me, and you'll kick yourself for wasting all of this time, baby..." says my neighbor on the first floor. Apparently calling me "baby" and attempting to remind me about his prowess in all things that I may (or may not) find desirable is his way of reaching my...pants? Or not."You seem to

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-13176367019321217042009-03-22T13:28:00.008-05:002009-03-23T06:42:04.602-05:00

It had already been a long day. I was back in Jerusalem after heading into to Bethlehem for lunch and a long afternoon visit with my former Arabic tutor and her elderly sister.Exhausted, overstimulated and dirty from travel, I decided to grab a beer near my bus stop in East Jerusalem at my favorite hotel cafe. The first few sips felt almost as good as a hug from a distant loved one.Beer in one

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-60599899323763546072009-03-15T07:57:00.004-05:002009-03-15T08:18:27.705-05:00

"Hello. I am calling from your cell phone company. Can you please give me your name?," said the heavily-accented voice of an Israeli female when I picked up the line."Excuse me, who is this?," I said while attempting to swallow a bite of lunch."This is your cell phone company. Please tell me your name and where you live," said the voice."Oh, of course," I said. "My cell phone company! And

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-77478968420980062122009-03-14T04:20:00.005-05:002009-03-14T16:26:38.982-05:00

To everything there is a season,a time for every purpose under the sun.A time to be born and a time to die;a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;a time to kill and a time to heal ...a time to weep and a time to laugh;a time to mourn and a time to dance ...a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;a time to lose and a time to seek;a time to rend and a time to

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-18148058040973320682009-03-12T11:40:00.002-05:002009-03-12T11:56:01.342-05:00

"Wait, what? You're 31?""Yes.""Really, you're really 31?""Yes.""I can't believe you're actually 31..."In meeting new people, this has been the central conversation of my life for the past few days. I find that the admittance of my age translates into various stages of bizarre facial expressions, especially by those in their early to mid-twenties. The facial expressions are followed by utterly

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-18317724060447460752009-03-07T16:22:00.011-05:002009-03-07T20:23:14.336-05:00

Returning to Jerusalem for me feels very much akin to re-entering the Universe after being gone for a while, much like an astronaut must feel at the end of his mission into space.Time somehow feels warped, stretched and suspended all at once.The smell of air that mixes with the sand and the sea fills me in an instant with the visceral memory of Memory itself. I am at once completed by the notion

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30896170492885185992009-03-05T16:44:00.005-05:002009-03-05T17:17:38.907-05:00

"I believe that everything happens for a reason," said the bearded Haredi Jewish man to my left.The flight was full out of JFK on Sunday. Full of other Haredim and their many, many small children wearing thick glasses. The girls wore thick stockings and skirts. The boys wore their hair in small side tendrils and kippot. And me. Me, with a crazy pile of hair on my head, designer glasses,

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-46814427288041542992009-03-01T21:28:00.003-05:002009-03-01T21:59:11.590-05:00

Boarding now. See ya'll in Israel.Until then, enjoy:"The Dance" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer (The Dance book)I have sent you my invitationthe note inscribed on the palm of my hand by the fire of living.Don't jump up and shout, "Yes, this is what I want! Let's do it!"Just stand up quietly and dance with me.Show me how you follow your deepest desires,spiralling down into the ache within the ache.And

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-56086095678526152112009-02-22T15:05:00.005-05:002009-02-22T15:48:44.818-05:00

My latest rheumatologist recently drew some blood out of my body to reveal that my Calcium and Vitamin D levels are extremely low. She commended me for my overall health and fitness, but suggested that I start taking more supplements."People with bodies like you don't belong in climates like this," she mused as she wrote me a script for another year-long prescription for a drug that attempts to

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-771793170219502162009-02-18T23:14:00.006-05:002009-11-16T17:18:15.148-05:00

"I have missed you very much, Namaste," he said in English, and then again in Arabic.He draped his hand over my upper thigh in an attempt to draw me a bit closer to him in the corner where we were sitting. It occurred to me that I had forgotten about this side of us. I had forgotten that we ever had chemistry. Was it really only two years ago that we dated? It all seems so brief and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-8420519283571414112009-02-11T23:18:00.010-05:002009-02-12T01:26:58.552-05:00

A much older friend of mine has been calling me this week for love advice.Especially shrill (and extremely fragile), she ignores all of my best advice and tells me that I am too much of "The Rules Girl". She says this because I maintain a certain protocol when it comes to matters of the heart. Over the summer, she marveled at my ability to move through man dates "like water". She guffawed and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-12035948220767150812009-02-08T10:01:00.004-05:002009-02-08T10:17:14.691-05:00

In the dense fog of the future, it is not going to matter when or how I completed my dissertation. The mountain of chores attendant to the dissertation--the approval for research, the funding, the inane "human subjects" certification course that recently came close to setting me back 2 years, the poverty, health issues, utter insecurity, student loans, threats to my life and well-being in the

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-9885712023846470912009-02-02T08:48:00.007-05:002009-02-02T14:16:05.404-05:00

The men in my life...at least, the important ones, have challenged me to be better.Pouring soy milk into my cup of tea this morning, I had a sudden flashback of my brief tenure as a vegan. I laughed at the memory itself when the thought crossed my mind that my longstanding relationship with all things healthy (and organic) has outlasted the brief love affair I had with the man who (

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-8892248169212831502009-01-30T09:39:00.008-05:002009-01-30T12:02:31.034-05:00

I will not go into the tedious logistics of how I managed to get myself roped into a blind date on the same evening that I flew into the DC area last week. It was both a favor to a friend and a means to an end. But I will let the story speak for itself:It is not that I necessarily have anything against the selection of The Silver Diner as the venue of choice for meeting, greeting and eating.

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-44533892101018861332009-01-20T18:58:00.015-05:002009-01-21T10:27:56.871-05:00

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30069684378430461312009-01-15T09:08:00.010-05:002009-01-15T11:54:49.654-05:00

If you happen to be paying attention, there is a good chance that you will notice the moments in your own life when circles complete themselves. Over the years, I have learned the impossibility of closing a circle on my own accord. Simply: Such a task cannot be forced. Instead, I have learned to make use of the knowledge of impermanence: Life always moves on. Nothing lasts forever.

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-69966794382216722102009-01-13T09:58:00.011-05:002009-01-13T11:53:23.056-05:00

"Unicorns are considered mythical, magical creatures, though some believe that they did in fact once roam the earth...Unicorns are considered virtuous and it is believed that they appear only to those with pure hearts or to those on a mission for good. Unicorns grant wishes and carry qualities of love, peace, calm, gentleness, hope, majesty and caring. Unicorns work at the soul level by helping

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30782538748834622472009-01-07T23:18:00.020-05:002010-08-12T23:33:55.805-05:00

The story of my life for the past 15 years is that I have always been coming or going. Leaving, I suppose, is the operative word."But, you're leaving...," he will say...He will say it in that terrible, drifting voice, a voice that trails along with the blankness behind his eyes--supported only by the silent, bouncing ball, which I somehow manage to follow directly to the used condom resting at

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-46456245053232696562009-01-03T08:00:00.007-05:002009-01-03T09:58:21.037-05:00

At the moment, I am having some difficulty in discerning where one part of the story ends and the other begins.Perhaps this is because everything in my mind right now exists in a jumble, meticulously folded and itemized for utility--in a yet another well-worn suitcase, which I have packed and put on wheels to fly through the air--just like the rest of me.I could say that I have felt some sense of

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-63936194062275731672008-12-19T08:04:00.006-05:002008-12-19T14:05:44.551-05:00

My old passport mysteriously arrived in the mail in a very thin and subdued looking brown envelope. I initially overlooked it, as it was in a stack of other junk-looking materials that I put aside to sort. Even though it is not yet officially expired, it came with two holes stamped in the space where a customs agent would run my information through a computer. The old picture of me came

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-52089293599899198942008-12-11T09:36:00.004-05:002008-12-11T09:59:27.063-05:00

My new USA passport arrived in the mail last week. Prior to its arrival, I had a moment of panic because it had been over a month since I sent my old passport in with the request for a renewal. The panic set in when I checked my "status" on-line and discovered that there was no official status to be found. Did I not put proper postage on the darn thing? Will it even come before I change my

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-33676650477581053622008-12-06T10:23:00.001-05:002008-12-06T10:23:28.177-05:00

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-79197870573213233982008-12-01T10:28:00.004-05:002008-12-01T11:14:41.481-05:00

Fever and flu over the holiday weekend has slowed my plans to launch a new blog devoted exclusively to my travels. When it is up and running, I will let ya'll know...In the meantime, the tragic scenes of Mumbai captivated everyone's attention over the holiday, including me. A regular addict of the news, I allowed my little brain to convince itself that if I kept hoping and praying and checking

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-55539975863473124872008-11-25T17:42:00.005-05:002008-11-25T19:26:49.380-05:00

...and the Middle East on my mind.After an extensive amount of navel gazing in combination with the usual hemming and hawing, I have decided that The Blog will be undergoing some changes. But don't worry--nothing too radical is taking place. I promise to remain ever-so-quirky and endearingly long-winded. In fact, I pledge to retain my style of excessively worded sentences and the like. But, oh

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-77168316721745944592008-11-18T08:20:00.004-05:002008-11-18T09:11:44.326-05:00

...It is falling hard and heavy out there this morning. I am sipping my tea and trying hard to wake up while simultaneously preventing my quiet, morning mind from having post traumatic flashbacks of the snow in Boston last year. Instead of allowing myself to remember how unusually awful it was to spend the months of last November, December, January and February trapped in snowy Boston with the

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-62934585372828392492008-11-16T00:47:00.005-05:002008-11-16T01:23:31.061-05:00

"So wait...they have hired you to teach a 4th course because you are so amazing, and yet you have no job security for the spring semester?"A colleague of mine looked at me from across the top of her beer glass in amazement.It was a reminder to me why I actually don't prefer to socialize much anymore.But, whatever, right? Happy birthday to me!All I could do was blink and smile and hold back the

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-80532635305378558792008-11-14T09:57:00.003-05:002008-11-14T11:09:59.700-05:00

The infamous phrase "do over" takes me back to my childhood in the rough and tumble suburbs of the American southeast. As gypsy children of the the flower children, like "water" pipes, peace tamborines and Bob Dylan records and books of all of the existentialists, Bro and I happened to be accessories to the lives of our parents, who spent a few years unceremoniously plucking us up from various

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-84004250966678998762008-11-02T19:58:00.001-05:002008-11-02T20:00:25.321-05:00

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-11887235871382105482008-10-26T09:00:00.006-05:002008-10-26T10:46:30.452-05:00

My grandmother, a life-long Catholic--who once instructed me on how to say my prayers to the Mother Mary and Our Father--knows very little about my life's work and spiritual affiliations. For example, she has no idea that I am regularly in the company of her most feared and loathsome "others"--black folks, Jews, gay folks and even "those hispanics", which she pronounces as "heeeee-span-ics",

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-33835671287433317042008-10-21T17:02:00.004-05:002008-10-23T07:10:06.367-05:00

A 10 minute meeting yesterday left me shaken. I was called into the provost's office for an early meeting. My work and "natural talents" as a "very gifted teacher" were praised. I was then offered to teach an additional class for the rest of the semester for a significant pay raise. Plus benefits.And for the record: I do not shake.The meeting itself was fast and furious, and it went more or

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-83396651535324921302008-10-18T17:06:00.005-05:002010-08-12T23:11:08.222-05:00

"Please...tell me...how long will this misery last? And what is this stage of mourning in that I am homocidal?"This is the content of the first text message this afternoon from a dear friend who happens to be dealing with a relationship that was dead before it was ever conceived. I have watched for months as she tried to breathe life into something that was only making her more vulnerable and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-54317363188498302662008-10-14T09:40:00.000-05:002008-10-14T20:31:38.431-05:00

"Vertigo," according to Salman Rushdie, "is the conflict between fear of falling and desire to fall..."I have been cherishing the dwindling sunlight and the last few days of the season that are warm enough to still spend time outside. Living in New England in the fall is one of those remarkable life events, in my opinion. I live in a place where people wave from their yard work as I run

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-84534114229369597052008-10-08T11:17:00.003-05:002008-10-08T11:25:17.351-05:00

I have been immersed in blur of teaching, teaching-related mental fatigue and High Holiday activities. By way of atonement, I hope you will all forgive me for not writing. More soon,Namaste

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-62633574149137990532008-09-28T20:31:00.003-05:002008-09-29T07:28:32.415-05:00

"But how can I write about it," she asks me on the phone, "without sounding bitter and cold?"A dear friend of mine is in a career transition. Like the majority of my 30-year-old compadres, she is in a state of reconfiguring who she is now that she blinked and realized that she is 30. The existential crisis hangs in the air: Where has she been and where is she going? Has the train missed her,

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-16847191851961971622008-09-26T07:38:00.007-05:002008-09-26T12:39:57.052-05:00

"You have turned the heat on in your house already?," she said.I let her laugh at me, despite the fact that I was as serious as a heart attack with my previous disclosure that it was 55 degrees Fahrenheit in my (temporary) home the other night, and that I am already sleeping with 4 blankets on the king-sized bed, whose size alone seems to sap all of my body heat.What I did not reveal is that I am

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-71935062505693427252008-09-11T13:55:00.003-05:002008-09-11T22:47:57.406-05:00

I woke up this morning listening/hearing this poem in my head.In remembrance of our own,Namaste

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-59071975443526006922008-09-07T09:34:00.003-05:002008-09-07T10:47:31.771-05:00

For the past couple of weeks, I have been waking up to ache and fatigue in my body. It is the type of ache and fatigue that prompts me want to roll over and go back to bed. My head is cloudy and my throat is swollen and sore for no reason. My shoulders ache and I feel like there is sand paper instead of synovial fluid between the small bones of my feet. For no good reason, I have noticed that

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-63331547868175676822008-09-01T15:00:00.003-05:002008-09-01T17:03:30.806-05:00

Well, the good news is that I don't actually suck at this teaching thing. As a female student of mine from last semester said in class today:"Professor Namaste makes everything interesting, exciting and hard to forget."Two former students dropped by my office just to say hello.A third emailed me to ask if she can come to my office hours tomorrow.A new student lingered after class to remark on

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-76864143389041616302008-08-31T20:08:00.005-05:002008-08-31T22:12:19.362-05:00

--Showing Off of Jumping Off?, 2006--Thanks to Voltaire, I might sound well-read, but I cannot claim to be original:"The best is the enemy of the good", he said in Dictionnaire Philosophique. Since I have been mentally spent the weekend preparing for tomorrow--the first day of a new semester--this quote has been in the backdrop of my mind.After the whirlwind of this last academic year, I have

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-9619577506401560522008-08-21T08:59:00.002-05:002008-08-21T10:46:53.651-05:00

Two weeks ago, I submitted a third draft of my ongoing chapter to my dissertation adviser. I submitted it knowing that it was only the beginning to the end, not the end in itself. For someone who has enjoyed a lifetime of instantaneous academic approval simply for showing up, I cannot even describe what it feels like to pour so much life energy into 40 fresh pages, only to receive a shiny bit

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-64262716225932556822008-07-27T08:15:00.006-05:002008-07-27T13:59:46.905-05:00

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline."--Harvey MackayTears of frustration were shed this week. Twice. For 10 minutes on Tuesday morning, I was rendered in a sobbing fetal position on my office floor, just for the hell of it.The good news, however, is that tears as a result of feeling entirely overwhelmed were only shed once this week. On Wednesday. Kind of a

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-84412126632064637212008-07-21T17:17:00.014-05:002008-08-07T17:37:53.894-05:00

Some time ago, I happened to befriend a diplomat. I suppose the story of the moment of our befriending is interesting enough for another posting some day, but what is perhaps more compelling is the exchange of emails we are now sharing. Sometimes, in lieu of a composition, he sends me a song.Today was one of those days for me. It started out well enough. My first alarm was set for 6:30 am, but my

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-89367875324454764142008-07-19T13:37:00.006-05:002008-07-19T14:19:05.696-05:00

I admit that I can be intensely hard-headed and frustratingly slow sometimes... One of my major pet peeves with myself is that I have this bizarre tendency to always take the long way around... And I tend to work in paradoxes. For example: I will say that I have no interest in something that could otherwise benefit me, or may clearly be the route to take, but I refuse it on principle. In this,

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-48325337823675554632008-07-08T16:37:00.005-05:002008-07-08T16:48:32.658-05:00

So, here's a little secret: I am a fan of Post Secret. I saw this image last week, and it appealed to me, so I saved it to my desktop. From time to time, when I actually take a break from [my on-going existential crisis of] dissertation writing, I refer to the image above and remind myself of what is important here.Without a doubt, so much time to myself leaves me reflective. Sometimes I can

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-91229053511908727542008-07-07T13:18:00.002-05:002008-07-07T13:19:27.621-05:00

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-56753716466522022722008-06-22T10:47:00.010-05:002010-08-12T23:30:44.348-05:00

I have the ability to make myself at home just about anywhere. For me, home is where I sleep. With a quality pair of earplugs, I can sleep just about anywhere. (Including 60 year old refugee camps.) I have done my fair share of squatting, too. I once survived for a week of college "Beach Week" activities by sleeping on the covered deck of an empty home, making use of outdoor showers, and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-39625837834217381732008-06-10T09:27:00.004-05:002008-06-10T09:49:22.978-05:00

If you have not yet seen the movie "Frida", make sure to borrow a copy from somewhere, snuggle into bed with your laptop and watch it during a summer rainstorm. Then, if you like it, (which surely you will) go to ITunes and get a copy of the movie soundtrack. (My only complaint about the movie is that it was made in English. This hurt my soul a little bit, but the lyrical music and epic film

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-42212434123592608382008-05-30T14:45:00.004-05:002008-05-30T15:24:37.614-05:00

As my mother never failed to constantly repeat and ingrain in my psyche: "If you don't have anything nice to say, then please don't say anything at all."Life is never linear, and sometimes even the best story teller has to take a step back to assess. In my case, I have decided to give myself a little time off from public writing. It seems that I need to stop giving so intensely to the Universe

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-5467378583856671392008-05-12T12:30:00.001-05:002008-05-12T14:18:39.628-05:00

At the moment, I have made time for some family time. Family is a funny thing, really.Upon arrival at my aunt's house, I was given a tour through every room of her large home, while my aunt showed me all of the lovely antique furniture that she intends to give to Bro for his wedding. Of course, this is despite the fact that Bro has no need for furniture, nor any plans whatsoever to marry any

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-30141302073482189662008-05-07T07:38:00.006-05:002008-05-07T09:44:36.731-05:00

Nothing mystical or ironic or even really altogether interesting about it: En route to New Orleans for the weekend, I got stuck in Detroit on Friday night. I was stuck in Detroit due to heavy rain. The heavy rain delayed the plane's landing, which caused me to miss my connecting fight. And so, there I was: Grounded. In Detroit. At 7pm.Because my circumstances were caused by weather and

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-15528261176945982272008-05-02T07:52:00.001-05:002008-05-02T09:36:01.146-05:00

I didn't get the teaching gig for next year. It was only a one-year replacement job, but it went to some Chinese guy who already has a PhD. Good for him.But a girl can still dream, right?Right.No, really. Right.Call me crazy, but I knew that the teaching job was pure suicide, an instant death of my dissertation.And the idea of limping through another sunless, g-dless winter in Upstate New

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-53340579330776624582008-04-30T20:46:00.005-05:002008-04-30T21:18:20.658-05:00

The past week has inspired me with at least 100 new blog posts. I have even started a few, then stopped. Then started again. And again, more stoppage. Let's just say that my attention span has been in a bit of a deficit as of late.For what it is worth, I had an amazing time in Miami last weekend with Slide. Also for what it is worth, it appears that Slide and I may be officially growing up.

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-59237182177490478522008-04-23T11:00:00.001-05:002008-05-02T08:36:25.857-05:00

As I was running along the lake again this afternoon, it occurred to me that this year (for me, at least) started a year this weekend.A year ago this weekend, my the plans for going to the Middle East on my research fellowship in Jerusalem had already come together, and yet I was frantically scrapping together all of my resources (including my wits) to pull off this fancy little acrobatic trick.

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-61647004472138446482008-04-20T14:05:00.004-05:002008-04-20T15:00:56.083-05:00

"If you live your life the right way, the Karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you." --Randy PauschRandy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, made headlines last week for the delivery of his "Last Lecture", a tradition upheld around the country, where professors have the opportunity to lecture on a number of issues and themes related to their lives, their

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-86550090984499483542008-04-20T09:58:00.007-05:002008-04-20T10:39:04.435-05:00

Spring has officially sprung. Three weeks are left in the semester. Yet, from the looks of the quad on campus these days, school's already out for summer. Between the young women in bikinis and men without shirts, it is a veritable Flesh Fest out there. For some reason, I fail to remember a single moment in my undergraduate years when I would have been caught dead wearing a bikini in full view

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-6598051015451013572008-04-10T21:51:00.004-05:002008-04-10T23:03:04.290-05:00

Several weeks ago, I stopped looking in the mirror. Although I have never been a fan of mirrors in the first place, I stopped looking because I started to fear that the person looking back at me is someone I do not know any more. So many changes, shifts and points of disruption have taken place in the past few months, causing me to feel like I simply cannot keep up or account for anything any

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-91737446620831653892008-04-08T07:44:00.006-05:002008-04-08T10:53:08.406-05:00

For the past two days, I have been putting my academic talk together for the interview I am giving for the "big job" this week. Of course, as I sit here clipping away, trying to sound erudite about social movements and the major ideological political shifts in the Middle East in the past 30 years and why, why, why, why all of it is so pressingly important to me (all the way down to my tips of my

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15448925.post-2711785769718999542008-04-05T12:07:00.007-05:002008-04-05T14:31:23.492-05:00

I have been invited to interview for a full-time teaching position for next year. It is a one-year contract position, which will require me to teach a 5-course load over two semesters. If I think I am busy and a little bit crazy now, I have no doubt that if I get this job, I am really going to have to work hard to stay on top of things, especially since I will be teaching 5 courses that I have

Namastehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00248646641252273386noreply@blogger.com7