Rightly Considered

First of all, apologies. I've been away from the blogging community for quite some time it seems. Due to my internet situation, I don't get the chance all that often. Not that I was missed by most. I'm really just apologizing to my grandparents and my mother who like to use the blog to check in on me from time to time.

Not a lot of excitement the last few months in regards to anything I've done. There has been, however, some exciting things going on in the lives of others. al-hamdu lellah!

The other day was eventful, and adventurous (from hindsight). Monsoon type rains came in the middle of the night, leaving the streets muddy and flooded. There's not a real drainage system so it all just sits and "gives birth" to mosquitoes and havoc among cars. Pedestrians find themselves carefully maneuvering mounds of dirt lucky enough to survive the midnight downpour- that is until someone pauses, then changes their mind mid-step and reverses to the rock you're already mid-step in reaching, causing a pile-up and... GOO! I had an appointment to pick up some medical tests that morning, so I awoke from my hibernation (seriously, the rain made it really cold) and headed out the door.

Hop. Splash. Snap! Tip-toe, tip-toe, tip-toe...slide! Snap!

Let's try this again,
A hop, skip, and a jump away I'm at the bus.

This repeats after I "step down" and I head towards the hospital. Now it's getting frustrating though. But I still arrive early, and clean too (I'm a good stone jumper), and wait 45 minutes until the receptionist finally gets to work only to speak those fateful words, "bukra, insha'allah." AHH! I'm about as mad as a hornet as this point.

Then comes remembrance: "Inconvenience is only adventure wrongly considered..." Thank you G.K.

On the way back from my search for the mysterious and oft-not-seen species commonly referred to as the genus recep-tion-itus (you think finding a yeti is a big deal, wait til you see these), albeit a failed attempt at retrieving the ancient EmArEye, I proceeded through the swamp-for-a-day Sandbox by fearlessly hopping from one ferocious croc to another. Barely escaping their wrath to seek adventure another day.

"You are stronger, You are stronger!"

We all follow the letter -J-

ustin, ohn, amie, ason, and osh. We are missing a few others... I can think of -A- and -S- and some more (they follow -J- as well, though in an extra-ordinary way). Hopefully we can fill in the gaps another time.

Sing with me: there is a fountain...

Setting Picks | a lesson in offensive (walking)

Intersections are interesting here, to say the least. When approaching one, even with the aid of a perfectly functional light system, one must do so with caution. Everyone assumes the right away, and everyone assumes that everyone else assumes the right away as well. The standard crossing looks something like this: everyone speeds along the road and slams on their brakes a few meters into the intersection. Those on the inner-two lanes (from all four directions) usually want to turn left, while the other lanes want to continue straight (with the occasional outside-lane cars attempting a left turn as well). The cars on the innermost lanes are responsible for protecting the others wishing to turn, thus they set picks. The rest do a little roll and successfully make it through the intersection unharmed, and the inner cars cause a traffic jam. The result of this is cause for a jump-ball, usually settled after minutes of everyone getting out of their cars and yelling at each other. The cars in the outer lanes (presumably going straight) stop and go their way through, then accelerate as fast as they can until reaching the next intersection. Easy enough.

This basic pick-and-roll scheme is also the preferred mode of pedestrian travel. Everyone, cars, buses, motorcycles, donkey carts, and people assume they have the right away and at the same time assume the others are also assuming themselves to have the right away. Sometimes vehicles set picks for people, and sometimes people set picks for other people. It's a sacrifice either way. Just three days ago I successfully set a pick on a bus for four older men to cross the street. Thankfully, I usually just walk away with a bruised shoulder or elbow. I had worse in high school basketball.

Coach did always sarcastically call me quick feet in high school, and he would've been proud of me the other day. Jason and I were in a hurry to get our newly obtained stay permits (al-hamdulellah) and walking safely along a sidewalk beside the wall of a corner building. At the corner of the intersection, which we needed to cross, though out of sight due to the wall, came a speeding motorcycle (of course, driving down the sidewalk and not the road). I quickly held out my hand like a protective mother over Jason's chest and quickly stopped our forward progress, ready to take a charge from the guy driving (the lane). That's right, I had quick feet that day. Take that coach. Unfortunately, I was attempting this quickness in (of course) a pile of sand and instead of stopping for a legal charge I was sliding ever closer to the motorcycle. He swerved, like all good ball-handlers do, to avoid contact, probably said a few choice words about the ignorant khuaja stepping out in front of him, lived, and weaved through the upcoming traffic, taking advantage of other people's picks so he could get to work fashionably late.

Jason laughed at me and never thanked me for saving his life, but we both safely (al-hamdulellah) arrived to receive pretty little blue picture books with fancy new stamps allowing us to stay a lot longer in this place.

There is a fountain...

We got our paperwork!

April fools.

Haha, I haven't missed a beat... I'm still as funny as I was yesterday.

But seriously, we did make progress the other day after having three or so unsuccessful attempts at round one. And here, when you have something to celebrate, even a baby-step, you celebrate. When news of this reached our friends, one of them went the extra mile and reached, I'm guessing, about $10 deep into her pocket to buy us Oreos as a gift. I haven't had cookies and milk in well over a year. So, needless to say, it was a treat.

In other news, today felt really nice. It was only 103 F.

Peace be yours

Morning of the ninth day of March

Three of us boys have moved all our beds into one quaint room where there is an air conditioner. Last summer Biggin Diggin and I saved a lot of money while still living in the costly land of tall buildings because we kept only one light on at a time when we were home and ran only ceiling fans. Well, after a brief and chilly 70 F winter the sudden shock of 110 F a few days ago was just too much to bear. Thankfully we're now living close to the stop next to the shady spot and tea ladies, where we get more bang for our buck, and can now afford to sleep without sweating as long as we snuggle up together in that little mid-section of our apartment. It's nice.

Biggin Diggin is now just a 5 o'clock shadow, however, and since our short-statured friend thinks he has big cheeks we've started a new morning workout club called "Running-in-Place." I was alone in this little joy until recently, and now I'm having visions of Forrest Gump running across the country with zealous followers- only I see the masses gathering "in place," hence the name of course. This has more or less turned into a group of sweaty men in cut off Wal-Mart knockoff underarmor wishing they were singers and drummers for Hillsong United.

Last night after Nicodemus and Puff Daddy left our apartment- which was a pleasant visit- we watched a music video of "Point of Difference" (thank you iTunes). My heart is meant for this mode of present sojourning, while waiting on the dwelling to return, but there are still a few things I miss from the regions surrounding Swampoodle: family, friends, my books, a regular dosage of *bucks, and the encouragement of large and lively corporate gatherings. I wouldn't trade small and intimate on a weekly basis for anything, but sometimes it's just nice to be reminded that on a bigger scale you're not alone. At the same time, many in our family still haven't experienced such a foretaste.

I'm thankful for snacks, but I'm also ready for the wedding feast.

Peace be yours.

We do everything together...

School.
Work.
Living in the Parsonage.
Living with my parents.
Traveling the world.
Always planning the next step.


This time he's on his own.



Peace be

...He was then led

out into the wilderness, for forty days and forty nights, to be tempted. And after fasting he was hungry,

and along came the tempter,

"If you really are...turn these stones to bread..."

Stories are beautiful, especially the ones that are true and truly make sense of all our other stories. One time, after reading a particularly intriguing story, and realizing this for myself, I wrote the following. Now, a year later and re-realizing the same thing, I can't think of any new words. I'm only reminded that sometimes I need to be reminded of stories and other things I might have forgotten. So more for myself than anything, I am re-publishing a post from January 2007 so I can have it readily accessible when my page comes up, I've been tempted to waver throughout the day, and I need to be reminded to retell the stories that have made me, and the power they still have today.

28 January 2007
Lacking eloquent words,

stories fashioned who we are
thus far, we are becoming
what we have heard will come

remaining unknown

to some

a story is given.
A really good story.
Sometimes told by really good storytellers,
and sometimes by the not-so-good.
Yet,
it is only folly to the perishing.

It is wisdom
and power to the powerless.

Carrying on

A conversation. they're worth many things, one of which is time. and today served as a good example that my obsession with time is slowly fleeting and my emphasis on the here-and-now with a person is slowly growing.

Today a friend and i were riding back together in a rickshaw from our arabic lessons, carrying on a descent conversation about our daily activities and the contrast between the life of a young man in this culture with that of a husband and father. our driver was joyfully going along himself, doing his best to avoid the pot-holes still unfilled since this summer's rainy season. about half way to our destination some euro-techno beats were set off in his shirt pocket, and unlike many drivers in the world he slowed down and pulled off the road to answer his phone. my friend and i didn't miss a beat, didn't raise a brow, didn't even give each other that usual khuaja "that's different" look. we just chatted away, and so did he. a few minutes later when his conversation was over he reached down and re-started his rickshaw and we continued on our way. no one was in a hurry, neither customer nor driver nor friend, and it was rather pleasant.

John r updated his Favorite Music list on his facebook profile today. one should be assumed - our good friend andy. the other was indeed a pleasant surprise - myself. to be honest it is an honor to be grateful for for as long as he leaves it on his site. but even if he should take it down tonight, his explanation was worth it all: "you're just always singing around the apartment. and i like it."

We're in the unknown, but the fountain always flows.
Peace be

Two nights ago i re-read a

LETTER
January 1998

I am not acquainted with anyone
there, if they spoke to me
I would not know what to do.
But so far nobody has, I know
I certainly wouldn't.
I don't participate, I'm not allowed;
I just listen, and every morning
have a moment of such happiness, I breathe
and breathe until the terror returns. About the time
when they are supposed to greet one another
two people actually look into each other's eyes
and hold hands a moment, but
the church is so big and the few who are there
are seated far apart. So this presents no real problem.
I keep my eyes fixed on the great naked corpse, the vertical
corpse
who is said to be love
and who spoke the world
into being, before coming here
to be tortured and executed by it.
I don't know what I am doing there. I do
notice the more I lose touch
with what I previously saw as my life
the more real my spot in the dark winter pew becomes--
it is infinite. What we experience
as space, the sky
that is, the sun, the stars
is intimate and rather small by comparison.
When I step outside the ugliness is so shattering
it has become dear to me, like a retarded
child, precious to me.
If only I could tell someone.
The humiliation I go through
when I think of my past
can only be described as grace.
We are created by being destroyed.

Franz Wright, Walking to Martha's Vineyard, Knopf 2003 (My apologies that this blog's typeset couldn't do the original its justice.)


...and i only wished i could tell someone.

Peace be

You can probably tell

I have changed my blog a few times the past couple days. but thanks to the captain and andy i have settled on this present design "for the sake of uniformity."

Today my mind took a rest from all worry. thank You.

We are hoping to hear some news within the week concerning our stay. in the meantime, i must admit, my mind tends to wonder a lot, and focusing on anything for an extended period is a real chore. i caught myself saying i need a rest. i need a vacation. then i remembered my rest is You.

Yesterday my tea lady arm wrestled me. she won, convincingly, and assured many of your worries that i am withering away. so this afternoon i made it my goal to eat a plate of beans, two patties of beef, and some oats and apples.

Rumor has it that haboob season will soon be upon us. ma9lesh, haboob means sandstorm. that's just a random inside fact - and a partial inspiration for this blog's current header.


"And benaiah the son of johoiada was a valiant man of kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. he struck down two ariels of moab. he also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen." -2 Sam 23.20 it's kind of cold outside, and there is surely something analogous to a dangerous lion in my life right now. i just hope i'm valiant enough to chase him down that slippery pit and give him a good whoopin (however that may be achieved) instead of letting him get the best of me.

Peace be yours.

We have

Thrown away the motors, and now we are sailing,
sailing,
sailing.

Last night we played basketball. unfortunately the national team didn't show up - nothing unusual. we ended up playing 5-on-5 full court with a bunch of us desert-beaten washed up "has beens." it was pretty tiring breathing in cold sand, but all was not lost. my boss said every time i blocked his shot he'd dock my pay a hundred pounds. ha, i'm gonna be broke this month - that's all i'm gonna say. today we successfully lifted a 300+lb wardrobe up a ladder and over the balcony of a friend's house. these are just a few of the things we do on our "foreigner" days.

Oh yeah, why are we always sailing? well, because there is always something that reminds us we are not in control. uncertainty and risk abound in everything we seem to do. nonetheless, we are always reminded that one has everything taken care of. laws change, policies attempt to keep us at bay, and the powers of this world continue to claim the upper hand. but they too often forget that a son made a public spectacle of them through his own humiliation and he continues to do so through us as well.

One time a few years ago a group of us were trapped in a building surrounded by people who wanted to hinder us. the sweet man in front of us told us we have thrown away the motors, and now we are sailing, sailing, sailing. and he simply asked for their eyes to be blinded as we walked past them in the open. and thus we did.

Again we find ourselves apparently hindered, but with a similar simple little seed we're just asking for favor as we keep trying to go where these sails are taking us.

Go now in the light...,
go now in the love...,
go now in the peace...,
go now in the joy...

Is this

An appropriate first post for the new year?

I was supposed to post something funny about jason, but i forgot what it was. a lot of post-worthy material has been done or said in the past week, but if i don't do right that moment than i'll probably forget it.

We've been house-sitting the past ten days for a couple gone on vacation. we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into though was cat-sitting. they must be the only people here with a domesticated animal other than a monkey. why couldn't they have a monkey? apart from the one that bit me, i'd take a good poo slinging monkey any day over this touchy cat.

Well, our time in this lush pad is drawing to a close though. thankfully our time in the rat-hole is officially done as well. i will be sad to leave their hot-water heater and stove top espresso maker. but at the same time i'm looking forward to moving back out into the fringes...

Sometimes coziness is laziness, and laziness isn't always living... especially when others are dying.

We are still healthy. we've never been (wealthier). pray for our wisdom.

Peace be.

One time

I stood up from a chair to stretch, jason thought it funny to poke my belly, and in giddy fear i fell down through the 2 x 4 that supports the cushion.

One time the power went out at night and i immediately dashed to shut our bedroom door (( because the rats attack in the dark )) only to quickly realize at the feel of a hard thud against my face

The door was already shut.

One time (( i )) heard (( jason )) scream like a little girl from the shower room because 70 degree water was just too cold for him in the middle of winter. ha.

One time, i posted a christmas card for you guys to view on my blog

By clicking here

...and that's all.

Serious reflection will come at a later date with faster speeds.

There is a fountain
And it's breaking through the floodgates.

Peace be.

I tried for four months

To grow a beard worthy of a picture. impossible. so i shaved it off. apologies.

Jason updated his blog twice in one day (though it has two separate dates, he actually did it in the same night). i only mention this because, vainly, one is about me.

Tomorrow is the first sunday of advent. come.

Peace be.

It's been a month i guess

So what should i talk about?

We've killed three rats so far, but it seems we have also incurred the wrath of an entire army of them recently. they keep finding new ways in and new things to attack. last week they ate the nose piece off my sunglasses. then they got in j's drawer and ate his headphones. we've cleaned, we've trapped, we've even tried to spotlight them. they are illusive and vengeful. and now they're even getting into my head. just last night i dreamed that i squared-off with one of them, a talking rat, and a jackie chan rabbit. i don't where the rabbit comes in other than i think i'm just afraid we don't know what we're really up against.

((We're not crazy. we should have just believed those who said sp.r.tual w.rf.re comes in all sorts of weird shapes and sizes in this place.))

In other news, you'd be happy to know that j and i have been dancing around and singing out loud a lot with the help of our friends from hillsong - primarily from the united we stand album. they bring much needed joy and refreshment many days.

November 17 and the temperature outside sometimes falls under 100 f before the sun goes down. ha. any visitors?

Present needs:
V.sas, patience, time management, language acquisition, open ears and big hearts.

Present certainties and thanks:
There is a fountain,
And it's supplying water to the big tree providing shade to all us birdies - even two more from that place over yonder where some friends are right now.

Well,
Peace be.

You must imagine

((A picture of a clock))

And a tm that follows: time will always fly, but the friendship will never die. happy and nice all of your life dayes.

That made my day.

Please don't be surprised if i update much less often for the next month or two. just depends on my mood and availability.

But before i go for now, i'd like to honor a certain friend of mine. i once (or maybe twice) gave chris h. a hard time for a certain work-out he did in high school. well, i must admit i once was a critic, but now i'm a believer. thank you chris h. for not losing confidence in your ways and for inspiring me to follow in your steps. i too am taking criticism from friends now, but you and i know the truth. it works, and i won't give up running in place without a fight.

In the meantime, "what i am comfortable with constantly changes, and i have no expectations anymore other than the humbling reminders of my humanity and the comforting hope of the unseen."

((There is a fountain...))

Peace be.

Dear blog

And to any one who still reads it,

Forgive me for neglecting you lately. i promise it wasn't intentional. i'll do my best to make it up to you though.

We officially disconnected our internet services from our home due to a current state of flux... waiting for stay permits, thinking about moving to another apartment, transitioning out of one season and into another, changing work schedules, changing school schedules, friends traveling, unstable diets, etc, etc. i'll spare the details, but needless to say, perhaps this has resulted in a writer's block.

My roomie and i have been blessed though recently with a very special dvd that we've spent the past few mornings singing and dancing along with as we wake up and start our days. oh how glorious.

This past week we accidentally caught an alligator size gecko and its baby in our mouse trap. we had practically given up hope catching anything, but then were just demoralized that our rat outsmarted us and used the poor gecks as decoys. last night i found the little pests though, two of them, big enough to resemble splinter from teenage mutant ninja turtles. we rumbled a bit in the kitchen. i had to call for back up. but unfortunately j wasn't there in time. we're devising a new plan today, involving a flank around the sink to back them into the valley of our patio door.

We're not going crazy just yet, i promise. you'll know when we do.

Present needs:
Faith, love, hope.

Present certainties and thanks:
There is a fountain,
And it's making a big family.

Peace be.

Text

Messages don't stop when you travel abroad, they only become more entertaining.

(Disclaimer: gracing you with the humor of the sandbox wasn't an original idea, but rather the product of a genius teammate-ette who already does likewise.)

I must warn you before i give a sample of the thought and care that friends show each other here through modern technology. seems that the limits on cross-gender relationships have resulted in a rather unparalleled intimacy among same-gender relationships. thus it is no longer a mystery why i am able to stroll through public markets holding hands with "relationship fingers" with my guy friends, and to feel no shame when doing so. how much less should i expect to receive daily tm's such as:

A lucky star dropped on earth one night. it asked me what did i want, a million dollars or a true friend? i had to choose a million dollars because i already have you.

In a rainy day please stand under the rain and open your hand...the drops you can catch is how much you miss me; the drops you can't catch is how much i miss you!

Our friendship means a lot 2 me...u cry i cry, u laugh i laugh, you jump out of a window i look down and laugh again!

I know you're jealous. but don't worry, i'll try to forward them via blogger from now on.

Present needs:
A little extra "umph!" in all things.

Present certainties and thanks:
There is a fountain,
And it keeps me singing even on the driest days.

Peace be.

Global warming is causing

Rain in the desert. i live in a place that averages maybe three inches in a good year. this past month, we've probably averaged three inches every other day. the soccer field outside my residence is a pool, and the streets look like venice.

Everything else i want to say about life, and the adventure i'm watching unfold before me, will usually come in the form of an email (becauseitissaferthatway). so i figured i'd let you in, rather, on how the pneuma sustains me most days aside from the story and reyarp:

Glosoli
The transfiguration
Majesty, snowbird
O come, o come emmanuel
Fire fall down
Revolution
Kingdom come
It's gonna be alright
Unto the king eternal
Be near
He is exalted
Vagabond
Should i tell them
I will run
Make us one
Hurry
Needle & thread
Dreamlife
Trees (hallway of leaves)

Present needs:
Good health and renewed energy for language learning.

Present certainties and thanks:
There is a fountain,
And the fountain never runs dry and never loses its cleansing power.

Peace be

I

Met a guy named sergio from l.a. at the train station of a small city, and was inspired by his four month journey through our continent to shave my head again. this is actually to be expected (by me at least), as it tends to be the normal reaction after i reflect on the selfishness in my life. the "train" of thought went as follows: i am still very selfish with my schedule and my things, sergio is traveling across two continents in eight months and has a shaved head, i tend to be less concerned with myself whenever my head is shaved, i should shave my head.

Present needs:
To decrease and give freely as i have freely received so he may increase.

Present certainties and thanks:
There is a fountain,
And the fountain gave us a place to rest our heads, gave us our daily bread, and returned us safely to where we began.

Peace be.