A Little Piece of My Local News

Soma Newspaper---at the Chaikhana (tea-house)

On the back page of every paper, these two men have a chat about...well, everything. Their conversation rambles and jumps and rabbit-trails, never to return. But sometimes they really nail a concept or the cause behind something that everyone complains about. Here's part of one...
read the whole bit here.

JWAMER
Come on Bayiz who am I to give advice to those professional people!

BAYIZ
But I have seen school children giving advice to the government.

JWAMER
School children are advising the government?

BAYIZ
Yes and so many times.

JWAMER
Oh my God, why?

BAYIZ
Don’t ask me, ask democracy. Sorry, sorry, I think its real name is chaos.

JWAMER
Bayiz do you have a handkerchief?

BAYIZ
Yes, but it is dirty. Why?

JWAMER
I want to cry, we must all cry, cry for converting the ideal of democracy into a chaotic situation.

BAYIZ
I have no objection. I will cry with you, but it is not only us that should take responsibility. Others are responsible, too.

JWAMER
Do you mean our kind neighbors?

BAYIZ
Definitely not. I mean those who liberated Iraq. They brought us the food but they didn’t teach us how to eat it.

JWAMER
Don’t simplify the matter Bayiz, it is a multi-faceted one. But the bulk of the responsibility falls upon us. We failed in all the exams, let us cry.

BAYIZ
I hate exaggeration but since you insist on crying take the handkerchief. Here it is.

The Wierd Things I Do

So I turned off the lights last night as I brushed my hair. I know, I know... you all think I'm crazy. Maybe I am, but not for this... The dryness of the air created a lot of static electricity. I first noticed as my hairbrush shocked my head... ouch. But then I remembered that the static electricity does more than just make my head hurt and my hair stand out from my head. So I turned off the lights and had my own fireworks show. Pretty cool.

Rather Wordless...

A dilemma and a request

I have recently been a part of a conversation (or actually, I just listened) concerning the passage in 1Timothy 2:11-15. I know that I have distinct views on this. I also know that I approach Scripture in a certain way that only allows for a limited interpretation of most things. My first request is that you send me your thoughts on this passage.

My second request is caused by the situation behind the first request. In that conversation many other topics came up that I saw as far more important than the issue of women and yet I still disagreed with many who were there. I am a young woman... in a general conversation on a Biblical issue with older Christians how should I be? Part of me hesitates to contradict those who are older and have more experience than myself--after all, what if I am wrong? But I don't think I am wrong. I don't see how I could be wrong in light of Scripture. What then should I do? Should I approach these people? Should I ask them to clarify? Should I rebuke them (I don't feel that I could!)?

Thanks for your prayers.

My Life as a Medieval Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was an ordinary girl. She was an ordinary school teacher drudge, but was sent on a quest across the seas to a far land where the people spoke different, looked different, and acted different. She encountered many adventures among those people but one day she went on a special mission.

After navigating a maze of roads with two trusty companions she found herself behind security lines having slipped (well, walked) through some guard posts with hardly a notice. (Yes, the companions were patted down--being men and all.) Covertly standing in line (just trying to blend in, you see) the girl and her friends made it a bit further before a violent struggle (okay, so no struggle at all) and some blood was drawn.

Escaping from there, the girl and one of her companions held cotton to the inside of their elbows and went off to scavange for some nourishment which was purchased from some kindly people nearby who had some extra food for the travelers (they ran a restaurant). During the consumption of the meal the group was notified of a princess who was locked in a porcelain room.

They rushed to her rescue and one of the most experienced companions opened the door with the secret and magical key (screwdriver) to release the princess who was quite shaken at her captivity. The young lady gave gracious thanks and the heroes returned back to the place of their origin in the educational facility which was their cover for all surreptitious activities like rescuing small princesses from rooms where the door handle has fallen off.

What an amazing day!

Random Event...

So... on an ordinary day...things like this happen. We were driving down the road and stopped at an intersection. A man on the street yelled out... "Hi! Bye! I love you!"

I think he must have been learning his English from the soap operas. Ugh...the things I suffer.