short shorts, tight pants and no sugar - could it get any worse!

dear readers,

a lot has happened since you've been away. here are the highlights:

Sweet'n Low!? have you heard of Low'n Sweet! - in a bid to be "healthy" -whatever that means ;) - i've been shanghaied into a small group of individuals who are intent upon eating, and well, being, more healthy. part of this new regime entails cutting down on your sugar intake. the sugar-free diet guru of our group will be sending us pamphlets and other propaganda type material later on this week to brain wash..um..i mean HELP us in understanding what sugar-free means. (thelma i'm kidding, this'll be fun)

Russians and Israelis + short shirts and tights = extreme focus on face or feet for 2 hours - this past Sunday a big group of us went to go see a ballet. yes, it was my first, and I was super excited to go. I just have one suggestion, well other than the costume alterations, start the thing earlier - sheesh! If you don't, then you're bound to have half the audience falling asleep during the second half of the performance. The majority of it, which I was awake for, was quite entertaining as well, and I did marvel at the athleticism of each of the performers. In short - bravo. Oh, but don't get me started on the weird phenomena that is Israelis clapping. Ive never seen or heard something so synchronized in my life.

Bahji Day - each orientation group, after about 6 months or so, goes as a group to visit the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, the Mansion of Bahji, the Mansion of Mazraih, and I've heard if they have time, Ridvan gardens. It was quite beautiful - like a mini-pilgrimage. Here are some photos of the day, complete with posing shots (and yes, ezra is an integral part of all posingesque shots):





also, a while back when Navid was here, there was a Youth photo taken. go ahead and scan through it and see if you find anyone you know:

letter to the editor

dear World,

why don't grapefuit juice and cheese sticks mix well. (sigh) i wish someone had told me beforehand.

yours,
ill in israel

rythmic steps

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The majority of it was spent at Bahji, reading, praying and reflecting. I had, unfortunately, not been there in a couple of weeks - I must never let that happen again. As I concentrated much of my studying for that day on 'Some Answered Questions', my mind was continually flipping back to the Tablet of the Holy Mariner - I don't have any clear thoughts or statements to put down just yet, but it is a tablet that has always fascinated me.

That night Khat hosted a dinner to welcome Navid. She made a lovely fesenjoon and a Thai green fish curry (which was spicy). We had great company and conversation - which ranged from how jumbo jets stay up in the air and why the Titanic sunk to...well, actually, that was the highlight conversation of the night :D But, really, the night was fantastic, and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Navid and Roya looked like they were doing lovely - pilgrimage suits them ;). I'll try to get some photos from the many photographers last night. I have some hilarious ones of Navid.

I walked home last night to the beats of missy elliot. And as I walked down the thousand or so stairs in rhythmic steps and patterns - Navid had let me borrow his ipod; Navid LOVES missy - one quote of Baha'u'llah kept coming back into my mind - it soon replaced the music I was listening to, and I realized that I was actually stepping in time to the melody with which I was repeating the quote:

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 283)

This is how we should live - this is how we should address every situation and every person. It seems a tall order, I mean, well, it is a lofty station - but I think if we concentrate on fulfilling each one seperately it is easy to get lost and to possibly let one slip. I think each and all can be accomplished with being self-effacing, sacrificial, and loving - This seems to be the collective root from which all seem to stem from.

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And it is also time to unveil the winners of the contest I posted a few weeks ago. And first prize is...........a tie! Roya and Sholeh come on down! Actually, there was no right answer per se, but their's seemed the most plausible. All the rest of the participants will be receiving something soon. Roya and Sholeh, get ready for your icecream bar! Watch out for IOM.