amelia : striving

Hidden Valley Farm and Green Door Gourmet market cont'd

2011-08-01T20:07:00.001-05:00

In an old shed on the Hidden Valley Farm is the Green Door Gourmet market. If you ever wanted to buy your produce from a place where you could see where it was growing, this is your place. The second photo below is of the herb garden in front of the shed.

Continuing on the walk around the back side of the shed you found where the veggies are grown. The farmers were still working at 10am when I get there. Made me want to be a farmer. In the shed were all varieties of people. I don't think I've ever seen people be this happy about buying produce, not that they were laughing about it, but they looked content. Just the idea that you bought your food fresh and on just the other side of the shed was where it was grown, simple, and the people who farmed your food where there to tell you about it and have a chat.

This is a picture of the Swiss Chard I bought. Looks delicious, and it was.

This is the produce I bought, the Swiss Chard is hanging and cooking. Also bought were two zucchinni, two yellow squash, two bell peppers and four small cucumbers, and [not pictured:] a dozen organic eggs from West Wind Farms, an 18 oz. jar of delicious Raspberry Jam from Green Door Gourmet and handmade Norwood cheese from Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese -- all for $23, what a deal!

On my way to the days' next activity, I saved a turtle.

Then I went to the fundraiser put on by some children where I bought some delicious sugar cookies and had yummy lemonade, all for a good cause.

After that, began building a scale model of a portion of a wall for class and studied some Releasing the Power of Junior Youth material [part of a sequence of materials for community building] with some friends. All in all, a very good day.

breakfast and days' activity

2011-07-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

Today started out nicely. Light rain falling. Breakfast was delightful -- Irish rolled oats and honey vanilla chamomile tea, perfect rainy day breakfast. I am not deterred from my days' activities even though it is raining. In the summer I will take any excuse to put on my rain boots. And the main activity for today will definitely require them. I am going to go visit Hidden Valley Farm and the Green Door Gourmet market. [picture from website below].

A new friend or acquaintance, as he should probably be called, recently left his job at a coffee shop that I frequented, for the last nearly three years of being here in Nashville, to work on this farm; he studied Agriculture. I don't think I've actually meet someone who studied Agriculture. I have meet a number of farmers. I am excited about visiting this farm. It is something I have been wanting to do but not made the time yet. On to the days' adventure....

coffee after 6pm = late night craftiness

2010-10-26T02:28:00.001-05:00

it's not much, but it's a start. i had these pair of jeans which were wearing holes in the seat, so, i decided to make a a skirt out of it and a wallet out of the extra bits not being used in the skirt, photos of the skirt i am not ready to post yet. soon though.

this used to happen in Haifa when i would have some chai in the evenings out at a cafe. the chai was somehow so strong that i would be awake, trying to go to sleep, until sometime around 3am. during those nights, i would rearrange my room.

the time is now 2:30am. i thought, 'well, guess if i am going to be awake, i might as well make something'.

i have class in a few hours, i really would love to go to sleep! that's it! no more caffine after dark.

click --> songs for a new day

2010-09-22T21:46:00.005-05:00

ode to 30

2010-09-22T20:56:00.000-05:00

i thought about you for a year
your arrival seemed like a whispered in the air
and then a month before
i became scared and closed the door

around the corner you came
reflection giving you a new name
vistas unveiled themselves before me
showing me once again how to be free

TV or the boob tube blues

2009-01-14T20:02:00.003-06:00

so, i have decided that if you are going to miss TV shows any night of the week, it should be Wednesday night. While I am disappointed more and more by the lack of ingenuity for both comedy and drama, it is no greater than on Wednesday nights.

so, if you have something meaningful you need to do, i suggest you make Wednesday night 'Meaningful Night'.

yet, in the middle of writing this, i stumbled upon American Idol. Normally, i would say,the above still holds, yet, i have to give notice here. Some of my boys from Kansas City have really shown some talent.

anyway, so there really isn't much more to say here, i just was a bumbed with the lack of Wednesday night TV broadcasting, besides the fact that i do have about 5 or 6 channels.

it's really all Emily's fault. i wasn't a TV junkie, but now... i watch or just have the TV on all the time. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

i'm out!

home cooking

2008-10-16T22:53:00.002-05:00

i only wish i had a camera to be able to capture my new delicious creations.

last nights dinner was what
i like to call 'Fish in a Green Sea'

how to make 'Fish in a Green Sea'
-peal and slice into chips 5 medium-sized cloves of Garlic
-pick about 5 top leaves from your sweet basil plant (wash&clean)
--cut them in half
-two full leaves of Red Mustard Greens (wash&clean)
--cut Red Mustard Greens in half and into strips
-a handful bunch of Kale (wash&clean)
--also cut Kale in half and into strips

-combine and sautee in extra virgin
olive oil the Garlic slices
and the Sweet Basil until Garlic
is turning golden brown
-add a dash of black pepper
and a dash of paprika
-after Garlic is golden add the
sliced Red Mustard Greens and Kale leaves
--sautee all combined ingredients up
till now for about 10 minutes at medium -low

-cut a fillet of Tilapi with food
scissors into about six chunks and
combine to sautee until tender (check with fork)

---you can add a little more paprika to taste

it's really delicious, and if you try it, let me know if you like it or it works?

That is it for tonight, Ciao.

monday morning again? what?

2008-09-29T07:44:00.003-05:00

it is always strange coming to post when i haven't posted in a while. i feel like i have to explain myself to this blog as to why i haven't posted for so long.

so, yes, it is monday morning again. this time, sunday was too short. these past two weeks have gone by so fast! it is good in one sense because it means my first module is nearly done, but, at this point it only means that i am flying into the next module, and not into a job, just yet.

today i have criminal law class. ever so fun (ok, yes, that was sarcastic). and not only do i have criminal law today, i have it for both class sessions today. this means i have criminal law from 9am til 2:30pm, it will be almost unbearable, and then the class will end.

the saving grace for today, ruhi book 1 at 7pm, with some wonderful friends. we are in the second unit and are planning some arts and crafts for this next session! we are a bunch of artsy/musicy people... so, the more arts the better. i think ruhi works very well in small groups like we have (there are five of us). it is more intimate, the pace can be quicker or slower depending on how everyone is feeling, discussion are more free. overall, i feel it helps the participants to walk the path of service together, easier, and with more focus.

when i was last down visiting the family, i nabbed my sweet basi, tomato, and Serrano pepper plant from almost certain death. it had been dry, and i guess they hadn't been getting enough water. as soon as i can get ahold of a digital camera, i will post some photos of the tomato plant returning to life. i've got one little tomato that is about to be picked! hurray!

until next time.

sondre lerche in real life

2008-04-19T17:17:00.002-05:00

just finished watching dan in real life.

liked it a lot. liked the music alot.

here's a bit of sondre lerche, the artisit who did the soundtrack to this movie. (geoffrey, momma and i thought specifically that you'd like his sound):

for pilgrim group D

2008-04-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

this photo just warms my heart! remembering Pilgrim Group D with lots of love.

Brendan you are a legend! I admit it, I miss and love the McNamara Family!

YYYYYYYahtzeee

2008-04-10T21:42:00.002-05:00

in the evening shereen (my first cousin) emily L. and my dadda came over. [am house sitting for my sister].

i made dinner. i didn't have a camera to take a picture but it was sooo good. so, since i didn't have a camera, i'll describe it.

first i boiled a very large pot of water to make the herbal ice tea. I used a Peach Honeysuckle Celestial Seasonings tea and added sugar. oh, it was soooo good.

for the main course, i made thin spagetti and a from scratch simple tomato sauce.

from the Linguine and Fresh Tomato Sauce and Parmesan recipe:
ingredients for the sauce are as follows:
5 tablespoons of butter [i used about 4 maybe less]
3 or 4 medium-to-large tomatoes, about 1 pound total, cored and roughly chopped
[i used two cans of del monte diced tomatoes, drained]
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves [i used those]
Dash of fresh mint flakes [added, not in the recipe]
Dash of parsley flakes [added, not in the recipe]

-melt butter, stir in tomatoes, add herbs after the tomatoes and butter have heated up sufficently, then let simmer till your pasta is ready.

then we four sat at the table and ate the yummy food and drank the delicous herb ice tea and plaaaaaaaaayed YAHTZEE!!! WOOOHOOO i loooove yahtzee. shereen seemed to be controlling the die somehow. she got like a ziiiillion points. aaaaaaaarg...

then everyone left, and i settled in for some scrubs, daily show, and colbert report evening before bedtime.

more later. goood night.

npr : world cafe words

2008-04-10T08:22:00.002-05:00

it's 8:30 a.m.

katrina and nafeh and kids have gone on a little trip

got up.

checked email.

made coffee and eggs for breaky.

downloaded npr : world cafe words and music, featuring Jeff Daniels.

i love NPR. who knew Jeff Daniels wrote and sang. it's mostly midwestern sounds. he's actually fairly good. he writes and sings.

started working on an essay which i need to finish.

that's the plan for today. i may get together with one of my cousins and a friend for some tea or coffee in the afternoon.

that's all for now. i'll check in later.

oh what a good laugh...

2008-02-12T20:00:00.000-06:00

so, like i try to do on as many nights as i can, i watched the Daily Show followed by the Colbert Report. it's my evening's serving of good ol silliness, with a dash of thought provoking salt, i found that the program this evening from the Colbert Report just so funny. Colbert generally always engages in back and forth with his guests about the books they read, but oh man, this one was funny... check it; it's about the book 'The Lucifer Effect' from the Professor Emeritus from Stanford University, decide for yourself about the book.

with love and apologies

2008-02-08T12:04:00.000-06:00

Dearest blogspot,

my sincerest and humblest apologies.
i do, i do miss you.
and i miss sharing with you my family
and my friends around this world
my happenings and random thoughts.

i will make and earnest effort.
this is my pledge.
i will start today.
i pledge two posts per month.

you will see a post soon.
get ready.

love,
amelia

underused and underappreciated

2008-01-23T13:12:00.000-06:00

hello. this is the blogspot "Splendours of this World" moderated by amelia tyson. i would like to post this to the world so that she might discover the pain i am in. she does not use me in the way that i can be used, for i have such potential for connection with her friends all around the world. therefore, i must conclude that she does not appreciate me either.

i must apologize on her behalf, i hope she wakes up from her slumber and finds this letter from me, her blogspot. may she find love and compassion for me, and use me as my capacity will allow.

with sadness,
your atrophying blogspot

i KIDJO not

2007-11-13T10:52:00.000-06:00

yes, that is right. this evening, i am going to a reception and concert for four-time grammy nominated Anjelique Kidjo (www.kidjo.com).

needless to say, i'm both excited beyond belief and a bit nervous... gonna meet her and shmooze a little, or a lot... depends i guess on how the evening goes.

i wonde who else will be there...

more update later.

love to you all.

rain, rain go away

2007-11-09T11:50:00.000-06:00

live from new york...

hi everybody. just wanted to check in this morning... er, afternoon as it has so sneakily become.

it's raining, and walking to work this morning from the path train exit (from 30th and 6th ave. over to 26th and 10th ave.) my bag that held all the folders for work (about 4o of them) broke. so, i had to walk 4 avenues with a ripped bag full of folders, and it had just started raining. yes, i did not bring an umbrella. good times.

when i finally got to the office, arms breaking and all, i got a chai latte to reward myself for the effort of not giving up on those full folders. all in a days work. hope the rest of the rainy day gets better. don't worry, i'm not down, how could i be. i'm in manhattan. wooohoooo.

warm tea, on a rainy day. perfect.

well, i'm out. more later.

the big

2007-11-06T01:00:00.000-06:00

, see you soon.

familiar faces

2007-10-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

so, i have now left the world centre, and before finally ending up back in the states, i spent some time with my dear friends Kevin and Corinne, who at the time were living in Beekbergen, the Netherlands. here I am with Corinne having a good time in a Holland village.

"Dawn" or "O, Rising One"

2007-09-16T01:26:00.000-05:00

Announcing to the world newly-born Taleh Maria Fananapazir. The newest addition to our ever-expanding family. She's there with my mother. The birth was successful and no complications! I will be seeing her and the rest of my lovely family in less than a month; needless to say, I am exceedingly happy. Apparently overall health wise (I believe it is on a scale of 1 to 10) Taleh was a delightful 9.9, she'll be a brilliant soccer player!

That's it for now, there is not any other news that could top this news at the moment! Till next post. Ciao

yester eve

2007-09-13T03:32:00.000-05:00

last night was a pretty fun evening. after work we had rehearsal, and i got my production crew together to brainstorm and start organizing for the weekends set construction. afterwards, the room we use for this, there is a Salsa/Merengue class that goes on. i stayed for it and after a while, Roosvelt, the 'instructor' (from Ecuador, he taught Salsa there), made me get into it. it was more fun than i had had in a while. i miss that so much, just putting on some music and dancing away. it takes much concentration if you haven't danced it in a while, but it also takes no concentration, because if you think to hard you mess up, and you forget to listen to the music. i think i will need to stretch a lot next time. it got to be nearly 9pm and the class ended. my friends Ezra and Kathi were also there in the class. but, when the class ended kathi and roosvelt danced some more, and it was so beautiful to watch two skilled dancers. i was a bit sad afterwards to think that I only have about 3 more classes before I leave. :-(

got home, called mom and katrina; give birth already katrina! just kidding!

read some beautiful Writings before pretty much dying from being so tired! i'd say it was a pretty successful day!

amazing hands

2007-09-13T02:42:00.000-05:00

warning label: generally will make you smile or go "wow"

just for the mush-ness of it

2007-09-13T01:49:00.000-05:00

i like to imagine that he is saying, where is my little sister? has she gone this way? also, these plants are VERY big.

in about a month and some change i will get to hang out with my little nephew... last time we chilled, he was about 7 months... just a little guy wrapped in a blanket most times.

today, 3 years

2007-09-03T01:23:00.000-05:00

i remember so clearly the day i arrived. these have been greatest years of my life.

®Bahá’í International Community

recently saw this movie, only one word 'fabulous'

2007-09-02T13:41:00.000-05:00

i went to sleep smiling and happy after this movie; i haven't seen a movie with that kind of results, making me smile and groove throughout, in a REALLY long time!

watch it, enjoy it, love it. peace.

some dancin and music

2007-09-02T02:02:00.000-05:00

random question

2007-09-01T06:29:00.000-05:00

if i live in New York, do i have to read the New Yorker?

if i live in New York, do i have to sit in a cafe or central park and do crossword puzzles?

if yes is the answer to both, then i will be/am set to live there.

saturday musing

2007-09-01T05:55:00.000-05:00

i awoke in a fairly soporific mode this morning. i have been waking up that way lately. maybe it's partly the weather here.

it's a beautiful day, and I got out of the house early for a relaxing morning brunch with a friend Tanja from Finland at Greg's (a cafe in the Merkaz Carmel). we will both be leaving Haifa soon, she about four weeks before me. we go over our plans for after here. very exciting. she'll leave only about 6 hours drive from me, which is really exciting, and not actually that far. it is a really comforting thought to know that some good friends I served with will be relatively close to me.

we explore how it will be to live the the west again and what challenges both exciting and a little scary (course, since I'm never scared, they are more just challenging for me :-D) and how we will think we'll be able to handle them. currently we are optimistic.

after a yummy brunch, french toast for me and omelet for her, we do a little email on my laptop with the free internet (i love the Merkaz for that). she reads a interesting novel found on the varied bookshelf called Dance Dance Dance, and I pick up The Rise and Fall of Athens for a moment. It's historical (as opposed to a thrilling read), and I'd like to read more but I realize that I haven't updated this blog really very much in the last several months, and it is too much of a neglect.

it's a friend Yas's birthday festivities this evening, so a bunch of folks are going to see Hairspray. should be fun, not sure what to expect, not that I feel I need to prepare myself. should be fun.

Roya just came into Greg's, she'll probably do the same, a little blog update, email, foodage, etc.

so, that is the happenings of the day today. hope you enjoyed the post. not exciting, just a good relaxing time.

ciao - peace

black and white things

2007-08-24T04:30:00.000-05:00

here's a little black and white for ya.

this is jack and i at lucia's birthday trying to work with a nonfunctioning CD player, you know, the kind that you have to basically hit to get to work.

but in the end, we were able to play a little jack johnson and a little spoon.

a line that caught my attention

2007-07-23T09:32:00.000-05:00

listening to 'Spoon' this afternoon, the following line from their song 'The Underdog' caught my attention for some reason:

'Got no regard for the thing that you don’t understand'

When we humans come across something that doesn't seem to fit into our immediate sense or image of reality, we can come to have no regard for it. on the further ends of the spectrum with regard to this are believing in it so completely that it distorts the sense of reality or on the other side developing an option and/or an elaborate story of how it possibly can not be true. either way, both of those are detrimental to a healthy sense of reality.

all in all, it is this inability or unwillingness to even attempt to understand and find the truth in something that is unfortunate.

the end.

The Underdog by Spoon

Dreams

2007-07-18T03:05:00.000-05:00

been thinking about this a lot lately. dreams, not specifically the ones that come to you in a soft, quiet sleep, but the hard and ferocious desires of life, of service and of accomplishment. i feel langston says it right, in a very simple but very true way. and it seems that as dreams are as birds, you have only to let them guide you and you will attain unto it.

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

by Langston Hughes

rock star

2007-04-15T06:57:00.000-05:00

not much i can say. you are missed much.
a real good friend. freakin' cool accent.

any pool hall, anytime, anywhere!

peace. i'll check you later. love.

no more injera... i can't eat any more!

2007-02-28T03:26:00.001-06:00

at the Ethiopian restaurant in Tel Aviv, we waited for the deliciousness!

finally it came, and May (to the right in blue) entertains us with great stories.

and then! the dancing. it is something you gotta see in person. the way they move, it's so cool.

me, Karina a.k.a. "Eyes" (little known fact, she is sister to a man known as "Lips", only Karina's eyes are pictured here), Yas, Hediyeh, and Negin... being silly around all of the Israelis at the train station, waiting to catch a late train back to Haifa. they definitely thought we were crazy! and we are! ahahahaha

the end.

the Oscars

2007-02-28T03:09:00.000-06:00

won best short film at the Oscars. must see. a 20 minute short film. spin on west side story. fun! check it!

corals and pearls

2007-01-16T10:04:00.000-06:00

look at that belly go!

ok ok, this is a bit late of a post; i've been busy ok! goooooooosh! hehe

miss ya lady!

a posting about friends

2006-12-21T11:43:00.001-06:00

To such great friends and co-workers. i'll see you again; i have not a doubt about that! Thank you three for your patience, your constant friendship, and your love. We will never truly stop serving together!

(from left to right: Tahkmina, Mara, Mutale, and me; 2005)

como El mar

2006-12-13T03:24:00.000-06:00

like the waves of the ocean
you ebb and flow
but the depth of your reality
is boundless
containing gems of immeasurable worth

see you soon. the house is empty. with love, melia

Ode to Lulu

2006-12-11T08:55:00.000-06:00

squintingly enjoying ourselves

i am happy to remember those sun-drenched days

we came
we stumbled
we learned
we left
we served

that is what it should say
when we remember those sun-drenched days

We will see each other again

2006-11-06T07:57:00.000-06:00

To an absolutely lovely friend who, along with your wonderful husband Mark, were strong and constant shoulders to cry on when I found out that my mother too had been diagnosed with cancer.

Dearest Mara,

I know I will see you again. Friendship of this kind, made in the true spirit of service to mankind, and in devotion to our Creator, will endure throughout the Worlds. I miss you already. Your grace and elegance of stature and staunchness of character are truely standards which demonstrate not only the love of your parents for your spirtiual well-being but your own level of attachment to this, the Cause of God, and the promotion of its standards.

With all my love my dear friend,
Amelia

talpiot market--thursday mornings

2006-10-26T02:28:00.000-05:00

thursday mornings, i go with Muna Waters and, her husband, Allan, to the talpiot market. it is a fresh produce, meats, and grains market. Muna speaks arabic, so for the rest of us who don't, we are very well taken care of. Muna knows some of the venders by name, and knows who has the best produce and who will give her the best price.

going to the talpiot market is definitely in the "top 8 most enjoyable thing i've done since i've been here" category. it is so lively; these people have, no doubt, been awake since the dawn-break.

Allan brought his camera on one trip to the market specifically to take a picture of this guy with the mustache. the vender was so proud of has mustache, and after Allan started taking pictures, there was such an explosion of cheering and teasing from the other venders! but, the real reason Allan took his picture was becuase the guy has a 1000 watt smile! just a huge smile! you can't necessarily tell from this picture; i guess you'll have to come to Haifa, Israel to see!

there's me and Ana Gerda (from Brazil). everyonce in a while we get someone who wants to try the talpiot market experience. that week, it was Ana Gerda.

and there i am... oh, so much fresh produce to buy, so many choices!

take some time to meditate

2006-10-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

a favorite and just an excellent quote to think about. it helps when one needs to focus on a path in life or a new direction, or even when you need to come up with new ideas, framework, or systematic plans of how to solve even the small problems in your life.

Be axiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and
center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.

this quote is from a Persian Philospher and Educator of the 19th Century. He is called Baha'u'llah. He is also the founder of the Baha'i Faith. from the quote, therein lies the solution to your concerns.

Yehudia--The Voyage

2006-08-28T07:57:00.000-05:00

Reversing into a lamp post (every much accidentally) before we even left Haifa: 1500NIS

the Rental, Gas for the rental, Dinning in Nazareth, Camping at the Jordan River Camping Ground and Hiking in the Yehudia Nature Reserve: approximately 300NIS

An excellent weekend camping and hiking with friends: Priceless

rich histories; histories to be proud of

2006-08-09T06:23:00.000-05:00

on this day

in 1936, Jesse Owens--a native of Decature, Alabama--won four Olympic gold medals: 100 meter dash in 10.3 seconds (tying the world record), long jump with a jump of 26' 5 1/4" (Olympic record), 200 meter dash in 20.7 seconds (Olympic record), and 400 meter relay (first leg) in 39.8 seconds (Olympic and world record) equaling the world mark (10.3 sec) in the 100-meter race, by breaking world records in the 200-meter race (20.7 sec) and in the broad jump (26 ft 5 3/8 in./8.07 m) and by winning also (along with Ralph Metcalfe and others) the 400-meter relay race.

must. stop. eating. cookies.

2006-08-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

where did all this extra skin come from; can't go to the beach and run cause of the rockets, so annoying.
photo courtesy of Anne Geddes

at the end of the day

2006-07-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

not being able to predict what will happen after about 18:30 hours when i'm not longer with internet access at my finger-tips--most likely already at home by that time--we've had no sirens today; though, you can not really use the lack of siren as a measure of things happening/to happen/not happening. i thought i heard something like rockets hitting somewhere; on second thought, i think it was the cranes moving cargo in the Port onto the barges. you do find yourself being quit attentive to sounds, especially after the past ~~two weeks~~ 19 days' occurences.

so, no sirens. BUT, the following:
12:05: Large police forces on alert in Haifa due to terror warning (Israel Radio)
13:01: Police tell public to avoid Haifa's lower city amid terror warnings (Israel Radio)
13:03: Two arrested in Haifa on suspicion of planning terror attack (Channel Two)
[for more, go to: www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/ShTickers.html]

'second thoughts'
what is the sense in blaming, dealing out accusations; what should we [mankind] really realize about what is happening in these conflicted areas of the world; what should those in power [kings and rulers] be doing; ponder, how must you weight what is just and what will secure ultimate and lasting peace; what does it mean to have love for ~~your brother~~ mankind; what does hatred, being untrustworthy, not being truthful do to us--where will it get us?

serene friendships

2006-07-31T06:05:00.000-05:00

waiting to see

2006-07-31T00:37:00.000-05:00

what will this day, the 19th day of this conflict, be like?

From Haaretz Online:
"The pause in overflights began at 2 A.M. Monday (23:00 GMT Sunday) and will last for 48 hours, the IDF spokesman said."

since 6:00am there have been no sirens, it is now 9:00am. i will update later for a progress report of the days activites, or hopefully, lack there of.

on bugs and things

2006-07-30T02:27:00.000-05:00

thought the actual number--so it seems--of katyusha rockets have lessened as of lately, the 'damage' is already done. the effect of the rockets on the local (human) inhabitants has been to minimize their open-air movement. unfortunately the rockets have also had an effect on the smaller (non-human) inhabitants of Haifa, namely, cockroaches.

i'm house sitting for some dear friends of mine, a married couple. while having some friends over the other evening for a very relaxed evening of movies and homemade soup (yes made by me) and pasta, at the end of the movie, obviously realizing it was time to go home, the appearance of 'unwanted guest, 1' (the cockroach) made an appearance! quicker than the consumption of my homemade soup, everyone made it for the kitchen and way from this unwelcome guest. luckily there was this one brave and fearless guest who quickly removed the cockroach from the room--and from life as well!

was this the end of the visits by the 'unwanted guest'? NO!

last night, i'm sitting down to say some prayers and then hit the pillow for a good nights sleep--one that i have been needing for a long time--and i see something scurry across the floor to hide behind a waste basket in the bedroom. i look accusingly in the direction of the shadow. and then..... i see him (or her, whatever it doesn't make a different, it's DEAD for all i care)! i think, ahhhh nawwww, that's a huge one, and it's gonna take a lot of strength to bring it to its end. so, i grab both sandles. the first one is more or less thrown to stop and deter it from going under something to where i can not see it. YEAH! i hit it; i've turn it on to its back!!! i watch it wiggle and squirm, realizing that it's death is near! and then i think that i can't let it go on to long because of its size, there is a possibility of it turing itself over again! i take the other sandle and with strength enough to completely annihilate this enormous it, i lay into it! SPLAT! (sick feeling overcomes for a moment, followed quickly by a monentary feeling of exuberance and the fact that i can rest peacefully) the mess is cleaned up, and i resume what i had been doing prior to 'unwanted guest, 2'.

to sum up:
no more katyushas = going outside again to enjoy the summer sun, limonana at an open-air cafe, futbol on fridays
no more katyushas = no more cockroaches in very clean flats (flats where you would DEFINITELY not find them)

a fortress for well-being [and some thoughts, click here]

2006-07-26T01:59:00.000-05:00

in case you hadn't heard,

announcing Omeed and Kathryn Khamsi-Rameshni. i just love this photo of them. these two have a nice story of how they met. their friendship and the manner in which they served together before there were plans for a wedding is indicative of how strong this couple will be in the many many years to come! With love from me to you two, Kat and Omeed!

end of the day musings; or look, think, investigate FOR YOURSELF.

2006-07-23T10:43:00.000-05:00

it was definitely not as productive a day as "the buzz" day, but you can't win them all.

reports are in that there were about 6 or 7 sirens today, maybe even 8 (if you count until now at 6:45). i must say, only one time--and this being after the sirens went off--did 'kats' actually hit Haifa. it is good that we get these warnings, regardless of whether or not we actually have 'incomings'. however, there was one instance (i'm convinced it was when the guy who pushes the button for the siren had to take a moment to go to the loo) when there was no siren and we had three 'kats' hit Haifa. it was not a nice thing to hear. nonetheless, it is a phsycological game that you must win. these things are coming at you, and your objective, should you chose to accept, is to disallow these rockets and sirens to play with your sense of reality. acting like nothing's going on is not what i mean. one must always be aware of how things are developing... but, to allow them to make you nervous, scared, afraid, inactive, nonvocal, or terrified, is to allow youself to succumb to the terror mentality that these 'kats' are meant to subject people to.

ok, so earlier i promised something a bit lighter. here it is, my seven month old nephew (I LOVE HIMMMMMMMMMMM, his name is Jameh, and some call him 'Mo'. ask me later about that):

flashes of news

2006-07-23T05:43:00.000-05:00

up till lunch, this is how the morning went. it was not a pleasant thing to hear at around 10:50 this morning, just after the couple minutes of sirens, when at least 10 katyusha rockets slammed into Haifa in various places. you know, it is a terrible thing when you come to expect to hear at various times in the day either sirens or katyusha rockets. you do your best to work. it is just that it is terribly annoying (at this point). so, we carry on for another day. hopefully something on the more lighter side later today.

peace.

the buzz

2006-07-20T11:04:00.000-05:00

i was kind of weary that i'd get really tired today considering the fact that sleeping since this thing has started is inconsistent. this mornin, going into the breakroom to make my mornings' cup of joe, i decided to try out a different method of making coffee. my friend jo portillo (cousin to justino portillo) does this thing of pouring hot milk in the filter instead of water, thus making the coffee more creamy. well, i was doing this method ver successfully when i started to get impatient because it WAS taking to long. i gathered the filter bag and tried to, ever so gently, squeeze the rest of the coffee-milk through the filter. much to my suprise, though it shouldn't have been, the bag broke spilling ALL (and by all i mean about 3/4's of the grinds) into the cup! ARG. and being in the rush i was, i tasted the coffee to see if it was ok... well this was a bad idea, i hadn't put sugar in it yet! Double ARG! so, i put sugar in and it tasted a bit granular. but, i thought, forget it, i'm done with it; i'll take it and deal with it...

before i go on, with what might be actually to you a boring story... i will show you what the coffee looked like in the end...

my Haifa

2006-07-20T06:38:00.000-05:00

it is such a lovely view, take from a balcony this past february, a sight i won't be seeing very often, in the immediate anyway. why you ask? the skies are generally cloudy and dirty (i've no doubt they are dirty with the heaviness of violence and conflict) these days. also, it generally isn't safe to be 'hanging out' on my balcony. something NO ONE should have to go through, all day long from my balcony and my room, and on into the night, you can hear the returning of air strikes from both sides. it becomes something where you start to expect to hear at a certain time of the day the air raid sirens. where as you would really love to be hearing music from your neighbors, the call to prayer from a distant mosque, or even just silence, these things these days are not possible to hear.

i would like to bring to your attention the following.
They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking—the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world—should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure.

The holding of this mighty convocation is long overdue.

[From The Promise of World Peace, Shoghi Effendi]

just the beginning of my travels

2006-07-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

though, i must admit, i haven't actually traveled to Alaska. maybe one day.

a sight to behold

2006-07-20T01:08:00.000-05:00

because of the current situation, we are not able to travel freely around the northern end of the bay of Haifa from Haifa. this weekend, where i would usually be going to visit Bahji, i will be hanging out around my flat, trying to keep busy; though, i'm sure i won't be at a lose for things to occupy my time with. Please enjoy these photos of Bahji; this is the only way i can visit for the time being.

what the day was like until i left work

2006-07-19T11:42:00.000-05:00

19:24	PM Siniora asks for cease-fire now, says over half million Lebanese uprooted (Reuters)
19:14	Rocket lands in open area near Haifa; no damage or casualties reported (Haaretz)
19:14	Cabinet decides to delay beginning of diplomatic talks over cease-fire (Channel 10)
19:11	Katyusha rockets land in Haifa (Channel 10)
19:09	Alert siren heard in Haifa (Haaretz)
18:57	White House: Int`l community supports Israel and its operations in Lebanon (AFP)
18:32	One of IDF troops killed in Lebanon identified as First Sgt. Yonatan Hadassi (Haaretz)
18:28	Haifa mayor: Cellular companies refuse to service customers in line of fire (Itim)
18:10	No rocket hits traced in Haifa following alert (Israel Radio)
18:06	Two IDF soldiers killed in gunbattle with Hezbollah militants on border (Haaretz)
18:04	Shefela Sub-District Police chief: Blast in Rehovot mall was false alarm (Haaretz)
18:01	Alert siren heard in Haifa (Haaretz)
17:57	ZAKA rescue service: Explosion heard in Rehovot mall (Haaretz)
17:55	Victims of Katyusha rocket strike in Nazareth were children (Haaretz)
17:54	UN envoy calls for quick decision on deployment of int`l force in Lebanon (AP)
17:42	Navy ships shell launch pads in northern and central Gaza Strip (Itim)
17:37	Katyushas land in Nahariya (Channel 10)
17:22	Syrian news agency: Assad urges cease-fire to end Israeli strikes on Lebanon (Reuters)
17:20	At least two dead in Nazareth Katyusha attack (Haaretz)
17:17	IDF: Fatalities in strikes on Nazareth (Haaretz)
17:10	Three people critically hurt by Katyusha rockets in Nazareth (Haaretz)
16:33	Security forces nab Palestinian in Hod Hasharon over suicide bombing bid (Haaretz)
16:27	Peretz: Israel will not allow Hezbollah to return to northern border (AP)
15:44	Katyusha rocket scores direct hit on Tiberias home; woman lightly hurt (Channel 10)
15:35	French president urges `humanitarian corridors` to keep Lebanon evacuees safe (AP)
15:34	Britain`s Blair says he won`t ask Israel for a unilateral cease-fire (AP)
15:25	Man found dead with stab wounds in Givataim apartment (Haaretz)
15:23	Some 70 Katyushas launched at northern Israel in last hour (Channel 10)
15:17	Injuries reported in Katyusha strike in Carmiel (Channel 10)
15:14	Katyushas fall in Tiberias; injuries reported (Channel 10)
15:13	Several explosions heard in Haifa (Haaretz)
15:12	Sirens heard in Haifa warning of rocket attack (Channel 2)
14:52	Alert lowered in Sharon region following action by security forces (Haaretz)
14:29	Firefighters battle Jezreel Valley blaze started by rocket fire (Channel 2)
14:21	Sirens heard in Jezreel Valley warning of rocket attack (Itim)
14:11	Chirac: France to send aircraft to Cyprus with humanitarian aid for Lebanon (Reuters)
13:13	IDF siege on Nablus compound continues; 3 Palestinians killed in gunfire (Haaretz)
13:12	Four Katyusha rockets land in open spaces in Nahariya, no injuries (Haaretz)
13:01	Total of 21 Katyusha rockets fired Wednesday, most land in open spaces (Israel Radio)
13:00	Explosion reported near Morasha junction; unclear if there are any injuries (Haaretz)
12:55	Sirens warn Haifa residents of incoming rocket attack (Channel 2)
12:23	IDF troops, Hezbollah fighters clash along northern border (Haaretz)
12:21	Russia sends plane to evacuate citizens leaving Lebanon amid fighting (AP)
12:06	U.S. consulate evacuates 105 Americans from the Gaza Strip (AP)
12:01	Police say Gaza militants fired Grad rocket at Sderot area on Tuesday (Haaretz)
11:50	188 Swedes evacuated from Lebanon by ferry to Turkish port (AP)
11:49	Electricity restored across Israel after massive power outages (Haaretz)
11:39	IAF bombs Beirut offices of companies said affiliated with Hezbollah (Haaretz)
11:13	High alert declared in TA over suspected terrorist infiltration (Haaretz)
11:09	U.S. expatriates in Lebanon board cruise ship evacuating them to Cyprus (AP)
11:03	Kfar Sava police on high alert over suspected terrorist infiltration (Israel Radio)
10:59	Heavy traffic reported in Sharon region due to warning of terror attack (Haaretz)
10:54	Barrage of Katyusha rockets hits Nahariya; no injuries reported (Haaretz)
10:32	Security officials suspect terrorist infiltration, roadblocks set up in Sharon (Haaretz)
10:18	Police arrest suspected serial rapist in central Israel (Haaretz)
10:13	At least three Katyushas strike Haifa (Haaretz)
09:43	Power supply outages reported nationwide (Haaretz)
09:32	Rescue forces search for boy feared drowned in Sea of Galilee (Haaretz)
09:28	Border police arrest suspected Palestinian militant in Ramallah raid (Haaretz)
09:01	IDF claims 50 percent of Hezbollah`s arsenal destroyed in air strikes (Army Radio)
08:17	Witnesses report IAF strike on south Beirut (AP)
08:00	Sirens heard in Haifa warning of Katyusha attack were false alert (Channel 10)
07:56	IDF arrests five wanted Palestinian militants in overnight raids in the West Bank (Itim)
07:53	Security sources: At least 10 Lebanese civilians killed in overnight air strikes (Reuters)
07:46	Alert siren sounds in Haifa; residents rush to shelters (Haaretz)
07:22	UN to Israel: Ceasefire is of no value without broad diplomatic accord (Haaretz)
07:13	Barrage of Katyusha rockets land in the Western Galilee (Haaretz)
07:10	Katyusha fired overnight at Eastern Galilee, causing no injuries (Israel Radio)
06:53	Palestinians: Three militants killed in clashes with IDF in Gaza (AP)
06:15	Five IDF soldiers wounded in clashes with militants in Gaza (Israel Radio)
06:02	Palestinians: PA police officer killed in gunfight with IDF in Nablus (Army Radio)
05:52	IDF: Ground troops enter southern Lebanon for restricted, pinpoint attacks (Reuters)

Oh, and I also did some work today. Just a quick look at some of the news I have to check up on throughout the day.

2006-07-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

feminism

i'd like to take this moment
to reiterate this definition for
your meditation and reflection.

Main Entry: fem.i.nism
Function: noun
Date: 1895
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

2006-07-12T07:45:00.000-05:00

Bahai school tops

By Howard Mavuso

BAHAI Primary School, situated along the Malagwane hill, topped 19 others during the Fundza National Primary Schools debate held at the Mavuso Trade Centre last Friday.

The schools were debating under the topic 'What Can We Do to Stop Violence against Children?' Speaking on behalf of the association, Samkelo Mahlalela, Director of Fundza, said the main objective of the competition was to listen to the voice of young people with regards issues pertaining violence against children and how it can be stopped.

"In pursuit of the overall goal of Fundza, it was to address and sharpen research skills, analytical and independent thinking skills of pupils together with presentation of public speaking skills," he stated.

He added that in their summary judgment, the panel of judges noted that presentation and public speaking skills among pupils had improved considerably and the children had done their research well. "We were impressed with the fact that in making their presentations, the pupils were able to define violence, talk about the different types of it and its effects on victims. They further provided solutions on how different sectors of the economy could deal with violence," said Mahlalela. Mahlalela thanked the schools' administrators who, despite the many problems they are currently facing, found it a worthwhile exercise to collaborate with Fundza in the endeavour. He also thanked companies and organisations which co-operated to make the event a success.

2006-06-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

recently i was leisurely 'thumbing' through the 'fashion-net', when i came across this short blurb about a project that two 'fashioners' had started. 'where did this (what seems to me to be) socio-economic project have it's beginnings', you ask. 'it began', i'll say, 'in the southern-comfort state of Alabama.' many a joke and negative remark have been made about this often overlooked gem of a state; it is a pity.

back to the main point of this blog, the project is called "Project Alabama". i couldn't imagine what project these two fashion conscious individuals had started there. I must say, I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

2006-05-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

i've been bitten by this locale bug. it's called the lazy bug. thus, i have not had the inclination to blog for severl days. ok, so it's been like a week and a half, but, whatever. in the meantime, my youngest brother went to his senior prom, a hole was made in our living room wall and in its place was put a window, an excursion to the burning nun was had, and black beauty, my first car, received a new alternator and his battery was charged! but mostly there has been a lot of sleeping going on. it's a strange feeling this, i feel like i've been away from Haifa for ages now, but it has been under three weeks. i think the feeling stems from the foreknowledge that i will be here for another almost three weeks, being separated from my dear haifa for that much longer. the only thing that can make it bearable is that i am with family. soon, my youngest brother Brian will graduate from high school; he is the last one in the family to graduate high school. then after that, a trip is planned to visit my grandparents in gulfport, mississippi. that should be a fun trip, also, i should have some great pics from that. gulfport was hit quite hard, though not as hard as new orleans, by hurrican katrina.

that's all for now. over and out.

2006-04-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

some new music that i have come across. well, it's new to me anyway, may not be new to the rest of you. generally i am a bit behind on the "new music" scene. Spoon and Artic Monkeys. Leila, if you haven't heard of them, you would like them; shiva, maybe you would like it too. ENJOY.

2006-04-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

of green things and cows. several views points of Jones Valley, so named because the Jones Family used to own all of the land you see, and then some. but recently commercial buyers have been buying off the land. later i will post some pics of the other half of the valley where they are building strip malls and other things that don't belong in a place like that; it is so sad to see this beautiful area go. this valley is one of the reasons why this place is called BeaUTiFul.

2006-04-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

my first night back in town, i went to an awards banquet with my brother, geoffrey, where he was up for an award at the university. he did win the "Jean B. Fisher Award". it is an award for student leaders. that evening we went by Barns & Noble, which has a STARBUCKS inside, to grab a chai latte and mocha venti. with the sugar rushs, we got a little silly after that, i think my excuse was that i was still a little jet-lagged... hehehe

2006-04-26T08:12:00.000-05:00

for my readership, i shall take this moment to identify the term dip.

the term dip, also referred to as called smokeless tobacco, spit tobacco, chewing tobacco, chew, chaw, plug is an alternative to smoking, but still delivers a nicotine fix.

The more immediate effects [of smokeless tobacco that] can disrupt your social life: bad breath and yellowish-brown stains on your teeth. You'll also get mouth sores (about 70% of spit tobacco users have them). But, it gets a lot more serious than that. Consequences of chewing and spitting tobacco include:

cracking and bleeding lips and gums
receding gums, which can eventually make your teeth fall out
increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeats, all leading to a greater risk of heart attacks and brain damage (from a stroke)
cancer; Oral cancer means cancer of the mouth and can happen in the lips, the tongue, the floor of the mouth, the roof of the mouth, the cheeks, or gums. It's been medically proven that long-time use of chewing tobacco can lead to cancer. But cancer from chewing tobacco doesn't just occur in the mouth. Some of the cancer-causing agents in the tobacco can get into the lining of your stomach, your esophagus, and into your bladder.

2006-04-23T07:47:00.000-05:00

this is me and roya on our way out of Haifa, and then on the other side of the atlantic being picked up by roya's bother, navid. my dad, geoffrey--my younger brother--and lucia also came to pick me up from the airport in Huntsville, Alabama.

it was such an exhausting flight; i hardly slept. the seats i'm fairly sure were designed so that any way you leaned them back, you felt like you were still in the upright position.

if i was in doubt where i was, i knew i was back amongst the boys from the good ol south on my last connecting flight from Cincinnati to Huntsville. on that flight, the airline steward was walking the isle doing her preflight duty. as she approached two gentelmen sitting beside each other, both wearing camoflague hunting hats, she paused just breifly enough to notice that one of the guys had a what appared to be a coke bottle with a third of its contents left; however, to the keen eye of this flight steward, she noticed quickly that it wasn't that at all! the funny thing was the way she went about dealing with this guy. (now apparently they don't allow dip on airplanes. this is fine with me and i'm sure most other people, as it is a generally disgusting habit, not to mention the fact that it smells blah!) when she noticed the bottle and its contents, she stopped abruptly and said (in smokers light southern accent) "Excuse me Sir, is thAt DIP in your bottle". the guy nodded affirmatively. "I'm sorry (said in a very direct and husky voice), WE do NOT allow dip on airplanes! You are gonna have to throw that bottle away!" partly you had to be there, but if you went to high school with kids who did dip, this whole situation would seem quite humourous. get someone with a think southern accent to read the quoted bit, it will seem funnier!

2006-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

1766 Word of the Day

Main Entry: Stulify
Pronunciation: 'st&l-t&-"fI
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -fied; -fy.ing
Etymology: Late Latin stultificare to make foolish, from Latin stultus
foolish; akin to Latin stolidus stolid
Date: 1766

1 : to allege or prove to be of unsound mind and hence not responsible
2 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical
3 a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : NEGATE
b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on- stul.ti.fi.ca.tion /"st&l-t&-
f&-'kA-sh&n/ noun

2006-04-19T06:34:00.000-05:00

ok people. you can not tell me that you wouldn't be sprinting from the airport to see this kid if he was your nephew! !mosgul! so, in 'not a long time' i will be holding my nephew for the first time, EVER. the excitement and anticipation, you can not imagine! the next time i blog will be from the good 'ol US of A, the southland, heart of dixie--Alabama!

here's a little somethin' to leave ya'll with before i go:

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the southland
I miss alabamy once again
And I think it’s a sin,
yes Well I heard mister young sing about her
Well, I heard ole neil put her down
Well, I hope neil young will remember
A southern man don’t need him around anyhow
Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
In birmingham they love the governor
Now we all did what we could do
Now watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth
Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
Here I come alabama
Now muscle shoals has got the swampers
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I’m feeling blue
Now how about you?
Sweet home alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home alabama
Lord, I’m coming home to you
Sweet home alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor’s true
Sweet home alabama
Lordy Lord, I’m coming home to you
Yea, yea montgomery’s got the answer

2006-04-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

musical interlude

gloria

The Italian composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678 and after his ordination in 1703 embarked on an intermittent career in the service of the Ospedale della Pietà, an institution for the education of orphan, illegitimate or indigent girls, an establishment with a formidable musical reputation. His later career brought involvement in opera. As a composer Vivaldi was prolific, with some 500 concertos to his credit, in addition to a quantity of works for the church and for the theatre. He left Venice in 1741 in the apparent hope of finding new patrons in Vienna, where he died shortly after his arrival in the city.

i stumbled upon this selection from Vivaldi on my playlist. i am taken away to far off places; listening to Vivaldi feels like a day in spring with sun playing among the clouds and a breeze laced with a hint of jasmine dancing around my senses. listen to more classical music! this stuff is brilliant!

2006-04-10T00:51:00.000-05:00

currently reading this short work of fiction. is interesting, to say the least, but what can you expect from Senor Marquez. will keep you posted on my next literary conquest. :-P

p.s. if you want to know what it is about, read it. do i look like "Cliff's Notes" to you! sheeesh!!

2006-04-07T00:26:00.000-05:00

the mornings' history lesson

until recently, i had no idea what the line "are you going to Scarborough Fair" from the Simon and Garfunkel song "Scarborough Fair" was talking about.

how it all began

The actual Fair originated from a charter granted by King Henry III on 22 January 1253.

The charter, which gave Scarborough many privileges, stated "The Burgesses and their heirs forever may have a yearly fayre in the Borough, to continue from the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary until the Feast of St Michael next following".

The ceremony of heralding in the fair was very impressive, with town’s officers riding on decorated horses, headed by a band through the narrow streets, reading the proclamation of the fair, and welcoming strangers to the town, who were urged to sell goods ‘of true worth’. Everyone was invited to ‘sport and play’ and to ‘do all things’ — with the proviso that ‘nowt amiss’ should happen!

According to old records, the fair proclamation began ‘Lord, Gentlemen and Loons. You’re welcome to our toons until St Michael’s Day, but tolls and customs pay from Latter Lammas Day…’

The 45-day Scarborough Fayre — held annually from 15 August to 29 September — was soon internationally famous. Merchants came to it from all areas of England and Europe, also from Norway, Denmark, the Baltic and the Ottoman Empire.

Large crowds of buyers, sellers and pleasure seeking spectators attended the fayre.
Prices were determined by ‘Supply and demand’, with goods often being exchanged through the barter system.

Each stallholder had to pay 2d to the Burgesses. From early in the Middle Ages, they had the right to levy half a peck on every quarter of corn or grain brought into the town for sale.

On the opening day of Scarborough Fayre (15 August), the town’s householders had to pay their annual Gablage Tax. Dating from 1181, that tax was the ‘first rates’ levied at Scarborough. In the 13th/14th Centuries it was four pence on every house with its gable facing the street, and six pence on every house with its front facing the street.

However, Scarborough Fair was by no means a big friendly affair. In 1256 the town quarrelled with Filey, Sherburn and Brompton, who each had their own fairs. The Burgesses pleaded to the King’s Court for their abolition on the grounds that they were a nuisance, taking trade away from Scarborough. The Burgesses were successful and the markets were discontinued.

That was to be the forerunner of a more serious battle — against Seamer, where even today the fair is still observed on each St Swithin’s Day.

Seamer’s charter was granted by Richard II to Henry de Percy, Earl of Northumberland, in 1383, but Scarborough began a law suit the following year in the Court of Queen’s Bench for the suppression of the fair, because of the injury done by it to the Scarborough Market.

In the meantime, Scarborough’s prosperity slumped. The number of bakers reduced from eight to four, all four drapers closed their shops, four butchers, ten weavers and eleven tailors, all closed down and only half of the forty public houses remained in business.
Records show that ‘grass now grew in the streets of Scarborough. Shipping and house alike had fallen into decay’.

It cost Scarborough some £2000 to achieve victory in 1602, but their jubilations were shortlived when James I decided to grant another charter to Seamer. Again the Seamer market was suppressed, but when it was revived again in the 18th century, it was Seamer who came out victors, and the Scarborough Fair ended in 1788.

2006-04-06T08:11:00.000-05:00

from a comment posted to my last blog, i began a journey through the blog-o-sphere. 1 degree away from the post of the individual who commented on my last post was a guy who apparently "is funny". well, he is, i looked. :-P anyway, on his blog i came across this very interesting link titled "The Perception Laboratory's Face Transformer". so, i had some fun with it....

moi... as Art.

[first we have me as a Botticelli painting, then as a Modigliani painting, and finally as a Mucha painting. i didn't add the other types of "transformed" faces because i didn't want to scare the generality of the blog-o-sphere readers....]

2006-04-06T02:23:00.000-05:00

weeeeeeeeeeeeee....

2006-04-03T05:07:00.001-05:00

'what tha....'
or
'for heaven's sake....'

here's a good laugh. i am contemplating getting a hair cut. so, like many people might, i went on the ever-helpful interweb in search of option! maybe it is my fault for searching google engine very unspecifically, but the first option i got when typing in the phrase "hair styles" was a quite diverting web page that carries the motto "Let Your Mouse Do The Walking". i couldn't help myself, i had to look.... here are some photos of optional hair styles for me, being that i have long hair and all.... as is obvious from below, i am back to the drawing board for styles

shesssh..................................

2006-04-03T00:43:00.000-05:00

Glory, Majesty, Splendour

2006-03-30T03:05:00.000-06:00

one of a few photos i took this past February 2006 on a weekend visit to Bahji.... more to come.

2006-03-28T02:50:00.000-06:00

you know the times when you are trying to concentrate and the music you are listening to just isn't loud enough to drown out the other thoughts which creep into your mind, the ones that start out as subconscious sparks and then develop into a steady stream of mind-numbing and mind-controlling visualizations.... it's just that today, enya just isn't cutting it. it will pass. but, for now, i guess i don't mind it being there. you need, sometimes, a healthy dose of mental anxiety to fight, it does make you stronger, for life is full of these! our ability to listen (to our inner thoughts and our hearts), weigh, internalize, externalize, and transform (through prayer) the situations we find ourselves in demonstrates the God-given ability for mankind to overcome--what can seems like--insurmountable obstacles.

2006-03-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

in order to satisfy the mutltitudes and abate the incessant kvetching of my family for the lame-ness that my blog has become, compared to that of both my friends and other family members, i present 26 March 2006 blog titled "Sunrise over brilliance". i hope you like it. if not, to bad. i won't post again for at least 3 million days, just to spite you all! hahahaha not really, i'll post again soon, it's just that i'm busy! so, leave me alone! GOOOOOOOOOOSH!

i took this photo of the sunrise over Haifa a bit more than half a year ago! or maybe almost a year ago! anyway, it's beautiful! it is a very befitting sunrise for the Holy Land, and if you don't like it, again... i guess you can read someone else's blog!

good night!

(disclaimer: this post was done all in fun and good humour.
all thoughts and comments are mine; if you are unhappy
with this post, read this blog.)

2006-03-03T02:39:00.000-06:00

on Universal Symbols of...

craving... oh what's it called?
oh yeah, shortbread!
Hey, Leila, you got any?

2006-02-23T03:10:00.000-06:00

Word of the Moment

Spin Doctor

Function: noun
Date: 1984
informal
1 : a spokesperson for a political party or politician employed to give a favourable
interpretation of events to the media.

2006-02-19T02:42:00.000-06:00

ze blog vord cloud

Danke leila

2006-02-19T02:07:00.000-06:00

Word of the Week

Reconcile

Pronunciation: 're-k&n-"sIl
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -ciled; -cil.ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French reconcilier, from Latin
reconciliare, from re- + conciliare to conciliate
Date: 14th century

transitive senses
1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony; b : SETTLE, RESOLVE
2 : to make consistent or congruous
3 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant
4 a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy b : to account for

intransitive senses
1 : to become reconciled

2006-02-16T00:15:00.000-06:00

a nostalgic look at a movie from my youth

last night i watched a old-time favorite, Mary Poppins. i remember watching this when i was a 'little bit' and thinking that it was a fun movie and the penquins were cute, Julie Andrews and her voice were beautiful, and Dick Van Dyke was a silly man; oh, and that Mr. Banks was so cross. but now, some 10 years (at least) later, i recognize the intrinsic symbolic elements, such as equality of men and women; gender roles; virtues, such as uprightness, cleanliness, honesty, kindnes, patience, perserverance, obedience (to name a few); and materialism (tupins). it is still a wonderful movie where you can just back and enjoy good light-hearted acting, yet at the same time you know that there is a deeper message to be contemplated. for instance, how does Burt get his pants to look like that when he is dancing with the penguins!? and how does Mary Poppins get all those things in and out of her carpet bag! these are clearly the larger questions! all i can say is that at the end i just wanted to 'go fly a kite'!

2006-02-08T00:38:00.000-06:00

Word of the Day

Vitiate

Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -at.ed; -at.ing
Etymology: Latin vitiatus, past participle of vitiare, from vitium fault, vice
Date: 1534
1 : to make faulty or defective : IMPAIR
2 : to debase in moral or aesthetic status
3 : to make ineffective
synonym see DEBASE

2006-02-06T11:38:00.000-06:00

i'm a pirate too, argggg.........

My pirate name is:

Iron Anne Read

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. Even through many pirates have a reputation for not being the brightest souls on earth, you defy the sterotypes. You've got taste and education. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

2006-01-27T03:47:00.000-06:00

home improvement

what do you say martha, can we do this to our balcony?!?! it would be great! i want this pool!!!!!!!!!!

[conpliments of: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/design/currentissue/]

2006-01-27T03:14:00.000-06:00

i almost forgot to mentiont that we watched airplane that evening. i love airplane! is so good! is hilaaaaaaaaarious!

please allow me to quote some lines here:
[Thinking to himself] Ted Striker: I've got to concentrate...
[his thoughts echo] Ted Striker: concentrate... concentrate... I've got to concentrate... concentrate... concentrate... Hello?... hello... hello... Echo... echo... echo... Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon... Manny Mota... Mota... Mota...

[as the plane prepares to take off]
Hanging Lady: Nervous?
Ted Striker: Yes.
Hanging Lady: First time?
Ted Striker: No, I've been nervous lots of times.

Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.

2006-01-27T00:46:00.000-06:00

it was an office dinner, we made curry and had trout to compliment! it was so yum! also, carla made a delish fruit salad! i have no idea what face i am making in that first one, but it's some kind of ridiculous! haha, oh well! you win some, you lose some! the other two womens in the photos are corinne H. [the black haired oNe], carla B. [the other blonde in the cream tOp]. sieni was there--cause it was her house we were at--but someone has to take the pictures! :-P we are also missing a leila T., but she was taken by a big pink panda! we got her back, thankfully! CHEERS

2006-01-26T07:32:00.000-06:00

Word of the Day

Prolixity

Main Entry: pro.lix
Pronunciation: prO-'liks, 'prO-(")
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French prolixe, from Latin prolixus extended, from pro- forward + liquEre to be fluid -- more at LIQUID
Date: 15th century
1 : unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long
2 : marked by or using an excess of words
pro.lix.i.ty /prO-'lik-s&-tE/ noun
pro.lix.ly adverb

2006-01-25T07:47:00.000-06:00

and one more photo for old times sake
the cast and crew from are, from left to right:
(front row) payam, jamak, neda, farshid, devin, navid
(back row) santana, evelin, me, martha

(farshid's "suprise, but not so supris-ish" birthday)

2006-01-25T06:45:00.000-06:00

in honor of the friends

(navid [not in haifa anymore], me, neda m., martha, neda s. [not in haifa anymore])
(i think we all look really good in this photo, even navid is almost smiling!!!)

2006-01-25T02:25:00.000-06:00

to a friend i miss

Neda and me almost exactly a year ago! Yes, Neda is that beautiful, but, forget about it! She's married! Neda joon, you are missed!

remember that Indian dancer at this restaurant?! haha that was so strange!

(me and Neda, January 05)

2006-01-24T09:31:00.000-06:00

this just in....

"Astromoner Discovers Black Hole in At Centre of Own Marriage"

... their relationship collapsed into a massive black hole capable of sucking all the light and joy there is in life into its vast, loveless vortex, never to be seen again.

2006-01-24T07:46:00.000-06:00

random office conversation

R: so how's your married life? (said to "L" in passing)
L: (suprised and laughed) yeah, mate it's good.
R: ...
L: ...
R: did you feel any different the next day? (meaning life changing...)
L: eh! haha. did you. (said slightly humoursly)
R: "yeah, I felt different, in so far as [the fact that] I had a chic living with me!"

[both of these individuals are aussies ... i love aussies! "L" has been married for a month and is a woman. "R" has been married for "a year and some" and is man.] [the above conversation is a loose representation of the actual conversation, save the hilarious quote by "R" at the end. it is meant only to induce laughter for those who know these two.]

2006-01-24T00:38:00.000-06:00

("yes, i'm listening")

( "mom, i've had a rough day, i'm exhausted")

2006-01-23T02:26:00.000-06:00

i used to look at the weather for north america; now i look at the weather for the middle east. everyonce in a while i have to remind myself where i am. really, it's such an amazing place, the Holy Land! its landscapes are just truely amazing.

right now we [haifa, israel] are in winter [the rainy season]. it's been a bit more dramatic this year than last year, as you can see in the picture below, titled "a stormy day in 'Akka". at times, the thunder claps are so loud. a couple of weeks ago there was a torrential downpour between the hours of say 2am and 6am, and everytime the thunder clapped the car alarm of this car parked outside my flat, 5 floors below, would go off. it went off at least 5 times before i went comatose from exhaustion and woke up around 7:40am.

2006-01-22T15:38:00.000-06:00

a stormy day in 'Akka

'Akka is an amazing place. its scenes are so dramatic, especially with certain aspects of the city remaining relatively unchanged in it's appearance for well over 100 years. you can't escape the feeling of being transported back in time when you go there.

2006-01-22T03:44:00.000-06:00

breaking through

at the end of this past october, i became involved in the Haifa English Theater (HET). it is a community theater group started by a group of individuals from the UK and USA upon their resettlement in Haifa. most of them have been here in Haifa for 25 years(+). they are quite unique individuals. my absolute favorite lady is a 'young' woman named Celia; everyone calls her 'Mother' cause that was her stage name in one of the few plays she acted in with HET. she is from Scotland, is at least in her 80's, but is as spry and alive and hilarious as the rest of them, some of whom are at least 30 years her junior. there is one girl who played the character of "Molly" at 12 yrs who is 15. so you can imagine the differences in age. despite all this, the individuals who have been involved in this 'company' since it's beginning say that this is the best group of people they have had in a LONG LONG time! i will be posting some photos from our production soon, as soon as people give them to me, cause i was in it ... hence not actually having any photos of my very own. it was such a fun experience. now the fans won't leave me alone; i now know what Angelina Jolie feels like. hahaha, just keeeding! though, this has re-awakened my desire for acting, especially on the stage. it is thrilling! i played "Molly" at 21. i must give a big big thanks to all the many friends from the Baha'i World Centre who came and supported me and my sister (who, incidentally, played "Julie", my dead mother) in our INTERNATIONAL DEBUT. it was great to break into the acting scene in such a grand fashion! ( :-P ) Well, friends and family, check back in a day or two, and i'll have soemthing up.

2006-01-22T03:18:00.000-06:00

baby blues

i can't stop starring at this kid. i'm not biased, but my nephew is the cutest EVER! i can't wait for this May, i'll be on a jet-plane home to meet my little Jameh!

2006-01-19T11:36:00.000-06:00

and now

ladies and gentlemen

i am pleased to introduce to you

on the cutting edge of world affairs

check it at

Baha'i Blog

2006-01-18T08:27:00.000-06:00

(Leila Tuyuri and Me)
This is one of my beautiful and dear friends named Leila Tuyuri. I have the privilage of serving along side her at the Baha'i World Centre. We are having a cup of tea at the Bahji Visitor's Centre just after coming from the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. You know that song "She Blinded Me With Science" and the with the words "... poetry in motion, and when she turned her eyes to me, as deep as any ocean, as sweet as any harmonuy ...", that my friends is a little glimpse of the friend that I have in Leila!