Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
ah. caught up on all my blogs and newsfeeds, gchatted with friends halfway around the world... for some reason, i am filled with hope. today is a good day.
next week, my brother will be in cleveland. we will explore ohio city, coventry village, and other "boho-chic" neighborhoods in this somewhat trendy-urban but rough-and-underground post-industrial city. we'll eat at shaker square, which looks like it belongs on the set of a movie, and attempt to pay for a meal at lola, (new) iron chef michael symon's tasty brainchild. we are the poor man's version of the finer things club.
my roommate and i have our mini-christmas tree up. this weekend, we'll be having people over; her IV students are coming over for a movie night and mine are sharing a xi fan brunch. we're going to project the movie elf onto one of our walls.
good times ahead.
next week, my brother will be in cleveland. we will explore ohio city, coventry village, and other "boho-chic" neighborhoods in this somewhat trendy-urban but rough-and-underground post-industrial city. we'll eat at shaker square, which looks like it belongs on the set of a movie, and attempt to pay for a meal at lola, (new) iron chef michael symon's tasty brainchild. we are the poor man's version of the finer things club.
my roommate and i have our mini-christmas tree up. this weekend, we'll be having people over; her IV students are coming over for a movie night and mine are sharing a xi fan brunch. we're going to project the movie elf onto one of our walls.
good times ahead.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
ROS'
Due to the nature of my work, my IV area (at least) requires that I go on occasional day-long silent retreats away from noise, people, and daily hubbub to listen for God's voice/direction. So far, the two that I've done haven't been very successful. My first one was in ann arbor, where I thought I'd easily find a place to go. It turned out to be fairly difficult - everything and everyone was a little too familiar, and I wanted to avoid running into someone I knew. And, many of the quiet places reminded me of terrible nights of paper-writing or studying. I opted for the law library, which I found to be a little too sterile for a retreat. Eventually, I ended back at tammy/enid/amanda/rose's apartment, where I cut my retreat short to cook and eat dinner with tammy. (yay.)
My second one was a few weeks ago here in cleveland. I decided to go to Julia + Theresa's apartment, which is directly above mine. Theresa and some of her friends from the cleveland clinic decided to eat our pre-thanksgiving potluck leftovers, so I then decided to go sit (in my car) by the lake in the park nearby. An hour later, I realized that I had forgotten to turn my lights off. a'derrr, especially since I was sitting in my car the entire time. So, a friend ended up taking me to get some jumper cables and help start my car. (I also called M. Papai, the ohio divisional director, for help. he's so good at everything.)
Slightly deflated, I headed back to Julia and Theresa's place for some quiet. I went into the apartment, saw that the lights were on, thought that was weird, and then proceeded into the living room where I found this:
"MANU?!! where did your legs go?"
Our 6-ft tall friend Manu (from the clinic) enfolded inside Julia's sheepskin rug like a giant zhongze, taking a nap. I thought it was so hilarious that I LOLed and woke him up. And that was pretty much the end of my retreat of silence.
My second one was a few weeks ago here in cleveland. I decided to go to Julia + Theresa's apartment, which is directly above mine. Theresa and some of her friends from the cleveland clinic decided to eat our pre-thanksgiving potluck leftovers, so I then decided to go sit (in my car) by the lake in the park nearby. An hour later, I realized that I had forgotten to turn my lights off. a'derrr, especially since I was sitting in my car the entire time. So, a friend ended up taking me to get some jumper cables and help start my car. (I also called M. Papai, the ohio divisional director, for help. he's so good at everything.)
Slightly deflated, I headed back to Julia and Theresa's place for some quiet. I went into the apartment, saw that the lights were on, thought that was weird, and then proceeded into the living room where I found this:
"MANU?!! where did your legs go?"
Our 6-ft tall friend Manu (from the clinic) enfolded inside Julia's sheepskin rug like a giant zhongze, taking a nap. I thought it was so hilarious that I LOLed and woke him up. And that was pretty much the end of my retreat of silence.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
similar but different, subtly
Wanting Sumptuous Heavens
by Robert Bly, November 5, 2007 (New Yorker)
No one grumbles among the oyster clans,
And lobsters play their bone guitars all summer.
Only we, with our opposable thumbs, want
Heaven to be, and God to come, again.
There is no end to our grumbling; we want
Comfortable earth and sumptuous Heaven.
But the heron standing on one leg in the bog
Drinks his dark rum all day, and is content.
_________________________________________________
Coconut
By Sky Yang, October 2007 (AIV CrossCulture)
Come under me and delight in my shades,
Then like the setting sun of purple and pink,
Let the burns of your worries slowly fade.
Indulge in my flesh, it'll slide down your throat,
With sugary dew that's naturally white
Let my milk wrap you up in heaven's coat.
Your legs are weary from the winter sting -
So rest on my net in the breezy blue,
While my trunks hold the world still as you swing, swing, swing.
Forget those years that you once painfully cried
And surrender to my green lullaby,
That have adorned your houses that I've tied.
Layers of shell and I've got plenty of husk
Made to shield you as it suddenly pours.
Falling to the ground for being close to you I must,
Yet still you're not convinced that I've always been yours.
"somehow, sky delightfully compares God to a coconut."
by Robert Bly, November 5, 2007 (New Yorker)
No one grumbles among the oyster clans,
And lobsters play their bone guitars all summer.
Only we, with our opposable thumbs, want
Heaven to be, and God to come, again.
There is no end to our grumbling; we want
Comfortable earth and sumptuous Heaven.
But the heron standing on one leg in the bog
Drinks his dark rum all day, and is content.
_________________________________________________
Coconut
By Sky Yang, October 2007 (AIV CrossCulture)
Come under me and delight in my shades,
Then like the setting sun of purple and pink,
Let the burns of your worries slowly fade.
Indulge in my flesh, it'll slide down your throat,
With sugary dew that's naturally white
Let my milk wrap you up in heaven's coat.
Your legs are weary from the winter sting -
So rest on my net in the breezy blue,
While my trunks hold the world still as you swing, swing, swing.
Forget those years that you once painfully cried
And surrender to my green lullaby,
That have adorned your houses that I've tied.
Layers of shell and I've got plenty of husk
Made to shield you as it suddenly pours.
Falling to the ground for being close to you I must,
Yet still you're not convinced that I've always been yours.
"somehow, sky delightfully compares God to a coconut."