Last night I went salsa dancing for the first time in nearly 3 years. I couldn’t believe it has been that long. And then I stepped out on the dance floor, and it was painfully obvious that not only was…
There it is. Moments that you can taste, hold in your hands and not let out of your sight. We sigh in vain after the past, we hold our breath and count the stars. Tonight my heart broke, mended, and…
Today is the First Day of Ridvan, and we celebrated by having some friends over for lunch. Now I am having a quiet afternoon, enjoying the silence, reflecting, and trying to recover from a cold. The Most Great Festival is,…
I spent some time working on my blog last weekend. Even though it is April, it was still very much like winter here, and the idea of going outside was not very appealing. I’ve added a plugin called “Now Reading”,…
“It’s like the whole of humanity is displaying addictive behavior… from the individual to the largest organizations.” -Shannon, 1/1/09
Dear teenagers, Leaving chewing gum on the floor of the dressing room where my new boots can step in it is not acceptable. Neither is leaving fifteen prom dresses in a crumpled heap on the floor, forcing me to pick…
“Unless the season of winter appear, thunder roll, lightning flash, snow and rain fall, hail and frost descend and the intensity of cold execute its command, the season of the soul-refreshing spring would not come, the fragrant breeze would not…
I should start my own perfume line. It will be based on Persian cooking, mostly. There will be “Kabob Koobideh“, which smells like it just came off of the grill, “Persian rice”, which has the fragrant aroma of rice and…
I have never been particularly fond of cats. They are less predictable than dogs, more aloof, and I am slightly allergic to them. But cats and I usually come to a sort of…understanding, and avoid each other whenever we must…
open faces that smile a lot foggy days when the rain barely mists down overhearing strange conversations New York City the way words can mean so many different things dancing for hours feeling like I am back in Haifa patterns…
There is something about traveling…airports, the unknown, the things that my eyes see that are different from everyday life. And for the life of me, I can’t seem to pack in advance…so I find myself trying to consolidate everything into…
Today is the Baha’i new year, Naw Ruz. It has been one hundred years since the remains of The Bab were laid to rest in the Shrine on Mount Carmel. For one and a half years, I could see the…
NYLON PARLA, the photoblog that I contribute to, has this week’s theme up, which is “Streetlife”. Check it out! Also, the illustrious and illustrative Ekundayo has made this awesome poster, which I want to share with you. The caption on…
I saw this a while back, but haven’t had a chance to post it.
I read books like they are the last pieces of driftwood and I am drowning. They are my lifeline, inspiration, education, and friends. I learned to read before I went to school, my parents forming letters and words, using the…
One day was filled with the white clouds the size of universes as we walked up (down) the hills. One day was seawater, digging toes in sand and smooth stones, not knowing how to speak to you. One day was…
http://nineteendays.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/day-six-2/ Check out today’s posting…it took quite a bit of effort to get those pictures to the wonderful ladies at nineteen days, as I did not have internet access last night. I used Twitter at around 6 am to inform…
First, and most importantly, is this amazing letter from the Baha’i International Community that was sent on March 4, 2009 to the Ayatollah. If you want a clear explanation of the situation of the Baha’is in Iran, distilled to a…
Includes: freeze-dried food and energy bars (for waking up too late to cook breakfast/emergency hunger at sunset) an alarm with built-in sunrise and sunset times, which beeps as you get closer to the deadline a clothespin for your nose (for…
I decided to change a few minor things on my blog, the most noticeable of which is the addition of a second sidebar, where I have linked to a number of blogs of friends of mine. I cleaned up a…
(my last visit to Bahji at the end of my service) From amongst all mankind hath He chosen you, and your eyes have been opened to the light of guidance and your ears attuned to the music of the Company…
Dear teenagers, Please note that tights should not be worn as leggings, and leggings should not be worn as pants. Also, slobbering all over each other in public is considered to be in poor taste. Finally, your mother called, and…
I now have a giant bruise on my leg that hurts every time I walk. I didn’t get this bruise from hitting the ground too hard after skydiving, or from fending off a vicious bear. I didn’t get it from…
This is not what I wanted (words against the walls of my heart, burrowed under my skin) I am trying and failing and trying… I am strong until I come up against you and I fail. I fail to be…
Stars, you are unfortunate, I pity you, Beautiful as you are, shining in your glory, Who guide seafaring men through stress and peril And have no recompense from gods or mortals, Love you do not, nor do you know what…
This article on the Baha’i World News Service site is about the newest development with the long-suffering Baha’i community in Iran: reports have emerged that “…seven imprisoned Baha’is have been accused of espionage and other crimes and that their case…
Today was one of those days. I was woken by a call from a dear friend who I haven’t spoken to in years. She and I laughed and talked and agreed to meet this week for lunch.  While we talked…
I thought that those whispered words were enough, that we could always eat blueberries at sunset and our stories would sustain us. you found me and lost me in moments in between secrets and the alarm clock in the morning…
Lately I’ve been seeing more music by artists who are Baha’is, and thought I’d share some with you. Everyone has different taste in music, of course.  I know a lot of musicians, so I’m only going to highlight a few…
Superbowl Sunday in the United States tends to be a day that people have parties, eat lots of junk food, and are glued to their flatscreen televisions to watch American football. On Saturday night I went to a friend’s house…