The Rubaiyat

I recently purchased another (beautifully illustrated) copy of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat. By far one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read and definitely a recommendation of mine to everyone. Here is one of my favourite stanzas in the Edward Fitzgerald translation (of course).





66
I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After-life to spell:
And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
And answer'd "I Myself am Heav'n and Hell" 

Mercury in retrograde

You didn't see it coming, in fact it was the last thing that crossed your mind, the last thing you perceived to possibly become reality. And by fighting back, you prove them to be right. You showed them the reaction they sought, as a response to their actions.

You spent an immeasurable amount of time building up a facade, a facade that had the sole purpose of protecting you from such an ordeal - and in a flashing moment it dissolved like jelly crystals in boiling water. Not only did it dissolve but you were also infiltrated beyond your veneer - forming an abyss, a gaping chasm, only realised in absence, emptying and creating a void that previously knew no such existence.

Then there is the aftermath. Mind races through past fleeting moments, moments that were most likely taken for granted, moments that were previously unnoticed, unthought of, only known in your subconscious. Now they surge, cascading from the highest height, gushing down like a river rapid. Reminding you of what once was, what no longer is, what exists no more.

Like rubbing salt into a wound or pouring cold water on a sensitive tooth, your subconscious gives you no reprieve. As night succeeds day and the dream-state envelopes, you continue the torture brought about by the unknown, the unforeseen and unfathomable. Only with morning do you come to an agreement for a temporary armistice that will allow the progress of the new day, knowing full well that the ceasefire will end as night falls.

Picture courtesy of: under.a.glass.moon

Some thoughts on Ecology...

"We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic and with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions." 

- Shoghi Effendi, letter to an individual Baha'i dated 17 February 1933

I found it in this document: Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Baha'i Faith

Mister Newton-Howard, kind sir.

I have never been a fan of horror/thrillers. Perhaps it was the soundtrack of The Village that influenced me to hold an appreciation for the film... Another fine example of James Newton Howard's brilliance.

Winter break

It seems I am destined to spend the duration of my winter break at home.
So my plans for the soon-to-be-commencing time off:
- finish my room (I've been 'redoing' so to speak)
- acquire a new macbook, as mine is seeing its last days
- develop the films that have been gathering dust on my shelf
- READ READ READ
- actually attend hockey training
- spend time at the piano, have a chat, get reacquainted, play a bit etc

...I'm sure I can come up with some more things when the time comes..

Please acknowledge that I am sitting here planning my holiday whilst my 8,000 words that are due in the next few days remain unwritten. Cheers.

Geniuses everywhere.

Climate Change for dummies

Stifled

Despite my strong resistance and dislike for reading what I'm told to read, and writing what I'm told to write, I somehow managed to get through a degree that required exactly that.... and proceeded to commence another such degree with only more/higher expectation to do so. The human mind and its decision-making process never ceases to baffle (amaze) me.
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Random thought of the day:

If everyone was given the opportunity that, for example, a student chosen to attend a selective school with the (greater) push for excellence in their chosen path, would we flourish?

Let me rephrase. If we were given a life changing/threatening ultimatum that we had to excel at a rapid pace, would we? Or would we just be the weakest link and be told goodbye? 

The point I'm trying to get at here is that I see so many people, myself included, that cruise along at 50km/h, staying safe and not going beyond the bounds of mediocracy. What if we were pushed to instead go along at 80km/h? Surely it would take some time to adjust to this sudden increase of speed but I don't think that means we'd crash and burn, does it?

I want to be going at 80km/h. Only thing stopping me is myself. Myself, stop stopping me please?
[I think I just said three different things, apologies for not being concise)

Haha

Keep your cup!

Why not?
I'm designing my very own personalised cup right now. I know that at my uni I will save at least $0.50 per cup of coffee I buy, and I will be using one less paper cup in the process. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me: save money AND the environment!
If you want to know more, visit the KeepCup website and for those in Australia interested in ordering one online, this website is a little cheaper to do so: http://www.atomikgreen.com.au/products/Keep-Cup.html
So get on there and keep your cup!

Why I study what I study

A month into my Master's program (International Environmental Law), and I found a(nother) reason for doing what I do. In class today our lecturer told us about the Danish Island of Samsø which inhabits ~4,000 people. Why is this island so important? It is the first place that has been able to make itself energy self-sufficient. This is no mean feat and it took the dedication of many of the locals working along side the government to make this happen. It all began when the Danish government in 1997 ran a competition for a model renewable energy community, a competition that Samsø won. From here 10 off-shore wind turbines were built, locally funded, to harness the strong-blowing winds that engulf this area. This provides 100% of their electricity and 75% of their heat comes from solar power and biomass energy.

This is why I study what I study. 

This is what the world needs to see.

Being more environmentally sustainable IS possible 

& WILL be the future.

A report from CBS tells us that:
"The Samsø scheme has become so successful that the island has installed a string of turbines offshore to make surplus power to sell to the mainland."
To read the full article, click here
[I just wish I heard about this place while I was living in Denmark, so I could be talking about it first hand!]

Happy New Year! (including a message from Obama)

March 21st is Naw Ruz (New Day). For Baha'is this brings and end to the Month of Ala, also know as the Fasting period. I have talked about the Baha'i Fast in a previous post (click here for more information). Since ancient times it has been the great national holiday of Iran, the only holiday celebrated by more than one religious group.

Abdu'l-Baha explained the significance of Naw Ruz in terms of the symbolism of the new life of spring. The day coincides with the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere, signifying the bond of renewal taking place in the physical world with the spiritual reality of renewal pervading all of humanity in this unusual period of history and reflected in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. It is "a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth"

"Praise be Thou, O my God, that Thou has ordained Naw-Ruz as a festival unto those who have observed the Fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhrrent unto Thee..."

Bahá'u'lláh, Prayer for Naw Ruz

On another note, Obama in his address to the Iranian people to wish them a Happy New Year, made mention of the suffering of the Baha'is, along with many others that have suffered under the hands of the Iranian government who has taken it in their hands to make life a living hell for those living within the borders of this once great nation. Here is a link to Obama's message:

And with that, I wish all those who celebrate this time of year, a Happy New Year!

"The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows."

Satisfaction

There isn't much that could satisfy me more than discovering a new musical gem. An exception to this would be sharing it with others and seeing their mutual appreciation for such magnificence. And by appreciation, I mean comments like this:

"It's music like this that taught me how to listen, and do nothing else."

That, for me, is satisfaction.

Artist: B. Hemmati

For the moment

• First day of my Masters out of the way.
• Jet lag in full swing.
• Readings already piling up.
• Room is a disaster zone, lets not talk about my desk.
• Humidity is doing illegal things to my hair.
• Fasting starts tomorrow.
• My hard drive is too full to upload my photos from my trip.
• Happy Ayyami'ha!

Air-bound

I lasted 7 months. 
But the time has come to leave Australia's borders again, temporarily.


"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.."

- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations