here are some of the many lovely things i'm experiencing right now! i try to stop whatever i'm doing and do this type of inventory at least once a day. it's a great way to stay present.
hearing:
this song by theophilus london. can't wait for his album to drop! i highly recommend watching some of his other videos as well.
seeing:
a mess of books and high heels scattered about my room.
smelling:
morning coffee. one thing that's even better in the winter!
tasting:
honeycrisp apples from the market across the street.
feeling:
a morning where i opt for yoga instead of running. it felt great!
knowing:
my brother and sis-in-law that are currently in ethiopia have safely arrived there and met their baby daughter! i'm so excited to hear about every detail of the trip and see more pictures of my newest niece!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
i put the eyes on the way
first off, i thought i would post the video that eventually led me to the video i mentioned in the last post. i've been exploring a lot of similar videos, but i keep coming back to this one. and especially during this time of year, i think it's a good reminder to keep an open mind. to keep wondering with openness.
as anyone reading this knows, i try very specifically to be present and live life as it's happening now. but from time to time, longing still creeps in. and right now, i'm feeling quite a longing for my friends and family in sri lanka. i finally got to talk to my best friend there the other day, after a few weeks of dropped calls, and my little sister, who i haven't talked to in almost 2 months, was there! it was a bit painful to realize how much i've lost my ability to speak tamil, but it was so beautiful to hear her voice. and it led me to do some nostalgic photo-viewing. here's one of me with my best friend, sampath, and one with my little sister, nila.
i then got an email from sampath with a few pictures, and the following text:
i miss you so much.
when will you come sri lanka? I expecting and waiting for you presence.
I put the eyes on the way
Naan santhosam illai ((i am not happy))
i am very happy here, but i miss them. and i miss myself with them.
as anyone reading this knows, i try very specifically to be present and live life as it's happening now. but from time to time, longing still creeps in. and right now, i'm feeling quite a longing for my friends and family in sri lanka. i finally got to talk to my best friend there the other day, after a few weeks of dropped calls, and my little sister, who i haven't talked to in almost 2 months, was there! it was a bit painful to realize how much i've lost my ability to speak tamil, but it was so beautiful to hear her voice. and it led me to do some nostalgic photo-viewing. here's one of me with my best friend, sampath, and one with my little sister, nila.
i then got an email from sampath with a few pictures, and the following text:
i miss you so much.
when will you come sri lanka? I expecting and waiting for you presence.
I put the eyes on the way
Naan santhosam illai ((i am not happy))
i am very happy here, but i miss them. and i miss myself with them.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
be here now: t.t.m.m.h.
--good people. last night, my wallet fell out of my purse at a bar (i wasn't drunk, it just fell off the chair...), but i didn't realize it until this morning. and sure enough, when i called this afternoon, someone had turned it in and they kept it for me until i got off work in the evening. and everything was there. and to top it off, the bartender that gave it back who had glanced at my i.d. to see if there was a phone number or anything, was from cedar rapids, ia! so, i even got to meet a fellow iowan out of the deal. the news is full of people doing horrible things to each other, so it's nice to appreciate something small like this.
--this video, combining two of my most current interests, mindfulness/being present and neuroscience:
building attention
(can someone teach me how to put the video itself on here, instead of just the link to it?)
--meeting new people who lead me to new things. there are few things more exciting, fun, life-giving, sexy, whatever, than someone that reminds me how much world there is to know. i love meeting and knowing people and learning about what they read, listen to, and think. it's a huge reason for writing this blog: the comments and recommendations i get from those who read it.
--a time of year when the same songs are playing everywhere you go, everyone knows them, and they're songs that would otherwise be hated by many people, but most are willing to let it slide for the season. there's something about getting 'oh holy night' stuck in your head for the 23rd year in a row that makes you a little happier, whether you like it or not.
--finally getting to try the tiramisu at the restaurant. totally lives up to the hype.
--this video, combining two of my most current interests, mindfulness/being present and neuroscience:
building attention
(can someone teach me how to put the video itself on here, instead of just the link to it?)
--meeting new people who lead me to new things. there are few things more exciting, fun, life-giving, sexy, whatever, than someone that reminds me how much world there is to know. i love meeting and knowing people and learning about what they read, listen to, and think. it's a huge reason for writing this blog: the comments and recommendations i get from those who read it.
--a time of year when the same songs are playing everywhere you go, everyone knows them, and they're songs that would otherwise be hated by many people, but most are willing to let it slide for the season. there's something about getting 'oh holy night' stuck in your head for the 23rd year in a row that makes you a little happier, whether you like it or not.
--finally getting to try the tiramisu at the restaurant. totally lives up to the hype.
Friday, December 10, 2010
things that have been making me happy
BOOKS:
--i just finished 'the corrections' by jonathan franzen. i found it really interesting. it's a pretty intense critique of life in 'midwestern america.' and while i could definitely recognize something, having lived in such a setting for the majority of my life, i could also see some more fatalistic exaggerations, at least in relation to my life. but it definitely did bring up a theme i've been reading/thinking about a lot lately, which is the difference between loving someone because you should (of course you love family, because they're family, right?) and loving someone because you know them well, and love certain things about them. i think it comes out even more right now, during the holidays, when everyone is buying gifts. gift cards and checks are so common, and sometimes i feel like that's such a sign that we don't even know each other. i kind of feel like if someone wants to get me a gift, but doesn't know what i would want, i would much rather them take a few hours, buy me a cup of coffee, and talk to me. (not that i don't like checks, since i could use it to travel...)
it also touches on themes of waiting for and expecting things to change, and complacency. it caused me to think about the fact that nothing at all is guaranteed. i tried to do a post on facebook where i asked people what they would do if they knew they might lose their sight in 24 hours. and people came up with some cool stuff. but, my actual point was to say, "so when you don't do those things, you're assuming that you will have your sight in 24 hours. and that's a dangerous assumption to make." shouldn't we all act as if we might lose our sight tomorrow? or our ability to hear? or our lives? we don't have to do drastic things, just enjoy every color, every crazy laugh or giggle, every smell of morning coffee, etc.
--i've also been on a weird kick of reading/learning about the brain. i read "sum" by david eagleman, which i TOTALLY recommend, and since then, i've been checking out some books and reading some stuff on neuroscience and neurobiology. man, brains are really really interesting.
--i'm currently reading 'a confederacy of dunces' by john kennedy toole, and loving it so far.
--also reading 'the power of now' by eckhart tolle. i heard him on an npr podcast this summer and loved it. it's pretty interesting stuff about being present. pretty similar to zen, with a western focus.
--and of course, still reading rilke. always rilke.
--recently bought, sitting on the nightstand/desk/bookshelf/etc: zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by robert pirsig, the unbearable lightness of being by milan kundara. please advise if you have thoughts about these or others!
MOVIES:
--i recently saw "white material", a pretty intense french film about civil war in west africa. it's pretty realistic (i imagine), and therefore pretty heavy. but good, with some beautiful cinematography. i'll admit, it was pretty difficult to see some parts after having spent my summer as i did. but it was probably for the best for me to be reminded, i think.
--i discovered netflix. i'm behind, i know. but it's kind of amazing. so far i've only watched documentaries, one about the human body (part of my brain kick) and one about WWII. i plan to watch more.
--i also watch "the lives of others" recently. it's a german film, one an oscar a few years ago for foreign film, about east berlin in the 80s. really interesting, especially since that's something i know very little about.
--i'm hoping to see black swan really soon. i loved the wrestler, and i LOVE natalie portman.
MUSIC:
--sufjan stevens, 'the age of adz'. i'm kind of obsessed (which isn't new for me and sufjan. my love for him grows. it's different, but it's a great album. his lyrics are much more personal and introspective than the past, and the music is a bit more experimental. and i like it.
--black keys, 'brothers'. it's been hailed as one of the best albums of 2010, and i loved their previous one, so after another random person mentioned how great it was to me, i buckled and bought it (not sure why i ever resisted, actually). it's really really great.
--kanye west, 'my beautiful dark twisted fantasy'. say what you will about kanye, but i still kind of love him. i passed on 808s and heartbreak, but i figured it was just a phase. he was grieving. people call him a douchebag, and he might be, but i think he knows exactly what he's doing. and i really, genuinely like the new album. and not just because nicki minaj is the first voice on it.
--erykah badu, 'new amerykah part 2'. i saw her live last week and she was INCREDIBLE. for some reason, i hadn't bought the newest album yet, but the show was definitely inspiration enough. i must say, though, that she sounds better live than recorded. and she has the most amazing ass i've ever seen. seriously, incredible. i want to be her.
OTHERS:
--i've put the bike up for a while, i think. it makes me sad (and feel a little weak, since i know a lot of people that are still going), but i've been enjoying riding the train again. other than having to pay for it, i love people watching. (okay, and sometimes reading...).
--i've also returned to the ymca in my 'hood, since i can't run outside anymore. and honestly, the y runs in my blood. no exaggeration, and no one's paying me for this, i love being in a y.
--work is still going well. it's getting pretty crazy right now, but i'm still loving it. and i'm going in to have dinner at the restaurant soon, which i'm pretty excited about!
what books, movies, music, life things are you loving right now?
--i just finished 'the corrections' by jonathan franzen. i found it really interesting. it's a pretty intense critique of life in 'midwestern america.' and while i could definitely recognize something, having lived in such a setting for the majority of my life, i could also see some more fatalistic exaggerations, at least in relation to my life. but it definitely did bring up a theme i've been reading/thinking about a lot lately, which is the difference between loving someone because you should (of course you love family, because they're family, right?) and loving someone because you know them well, and love certain things about them. i think it comes out even more right now, during the holidays, when everyone is buying gifts. gift cards and checks are so common, and sometimes i feel like that's such a sign that we don't even know each other. i kind of feel like if someone wants to get me a gift, but doesn't know what i would want, i would much rather them take a few hours, buy me a cup of coffee, and talk to me. (not that i don't like checks, since i could use it to travel...)
it also touches on themes of waiting for and expecting things to change, and complacency. it caused me to think about the fact that nothing at all is guaranteed. i tried to do a post on facebook where i asked people what they would do if they knew they might lose their sight in 24 hours. and people came up with some cool stuff. but, my actual point was to say, "so when you don't do those things, you're assuming that you will have your sight in 24 hours. and that's a dangerous assumption to make." shouldn't we all act as if we might lose our sight tomorrow? or our ability to hear? or our lives? we don't have to do drastic things, just enjoy every color, every crazy laugh or giggle, every smell of morning coffee, etc.
--i've also been on a weird kick of reading/learning about the brain. i read "sum" by david eagleman, which i TOTALLY recommend, and since then, i've been checking out some books and reading some stuff on neuroscience and neurobiology. man, brains are really really interesting.
--i'm currently reading 'a confederacy of dunces' by john kennedy toole, and loving it so far.
--also reading 'the power of now' by eckhart tolle. i heard him on an npr podcast this summer and loved it. it's pretty interesting stuff about being present. pretty similar to zen, with a western focus.
--and of course, still reading rilke. always rilke.
--recently bought, sitting on the nightstand/desk/bookshelf/etc: zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by robert pirsig, the unbearable lightness of being by milan kundara. please advise if you have thoughts about these or others!
MOVIES:
--i recently saw "white material", a pretty intense french film about civil war in west africa. it's pretty realistic (i imagine), and therefore pretty heavy. but good, with some beautiful cinematography. i'll admit, it was pretty difficult to see some parts after having spent my summer as i did. but it was probably for the best for me to be reminded, i think.
--i discovered netflix. i'm behind, i know. but it's kind of amazing. so far i've only watched documentaries, one about the human body (part of my brain kick) and one about WWII. i plan to watch more.
--i also watch "the lives of others" recently. it's a german film, one an oscar a few years ago for foreign film, about east berlin in the 80s. really interesting, especially since that's something i know very little about.
--i'm hoping to see black swan really soon. i loved the wrestler, and i LOVE natalie portman.
MUSIC:
--sufjan stevens, 'the age of adz'. i'm kind of obsessed (which isn't new for me and sufjan. my love for him grows. it's different, but it's a great album. his lyrics are much more personal and introspective than the past, and the music is a bit more experimental. and i like it.
--black keys, 'brothers'. it's been hailed as one of the best albums of 2010, and i loved their previous one, so after another random person mentioned how great it was to me, i buckled and bought it (not sure why i ever resisted, actually). it's really really great.
--kanye west, 'my beautiful dark twisted fantasy'. say what you will about kanye, but i still kind of love him. i passed on 808s and heartbreak, but i figured it was just a phase. he was grieving. people call him a douchebag, and he might be, but i think he knows exactly what he's doing. and i really, genuinely like the new album. and not just because nicki minaj is the first voice on it.
--erykah badu, 'new amerykah part 2'. i saw her live last week and she was INCREDIBLE. for some reason, i hadn't bought the newest album yet, but the show was definitely inspiration enough. i must say, though, that she sounds better live than recorded. and she has the most amazing ass i've ever seen. seriously, incredible. i want to be her.
OTHERS:
--i've put the bike up for a while, i think. it makes me sad (and feel a little weak, since i know a lot of people that are still going), but i've been enjoying riding the train again. other than having to pay for it, i love people watching. (okay, and sometimes reading...).
--i've also returned to the ymca in my 'hood, since i can't run outside anymore. and honestly, the y runs in my blood. no exaggeration, and no one's paying me for this, i love being in a y.
--work is still going well. it's getting pretty crazy right now, but i'm still loving it. and i'm going in to have dinner at the restaurant soon, which i'm pretty excited about!
what books, movies, music, life things are you loving right now?
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