I believed I posted something right after my birthday and now I see that it has been more than five weeks since I last wrote anything! I'm really surprised that the summer is flying by...without the pilgrims which are the "lifeblood of the World Centre" and all activity, and chaos, that so many of us put into bringing and hosting them and sending them off, I thought that the summer would be slow and dull, but actually, I've never been doing so many things that I was excited and happy about and the times that time has flown like this I can count on one hand.
To start, my birthday was really nice...I went to my favorite restaurant with 13 of my favorite people, and it's good that no more could make it because the restaurant can only accommodate groups of 14. If my connection can handle it I will post a picture, complete with descriptions of the people in the photo because I've been told I talk about my friends but don't actually describe them much of the time, and they are interesting, wonderful souls and certainly deserve a description! One of the best parts of the evening was half of the table secretly collaborating to get me a free dessert...the problem was that the other half of the table was openly collaborating to go for frozen yogurt (which by the way is much more yogurty here) down the street but the secret collaborators couldn't hear them and neither could I. I couldn't understand why they stayed at the restaurant for "coffee" until I received two photo text messages later - one of the intact dessert and one of an empty plate.
My Farsi is coming along slowly but surely...I'm trying to put a fair amount of effort into learning it because I know that it is impossible to develop any facility with a language by sporadic study. I can form simple sentences and read simple stories now but I still think my Hebrew is better and my Hebrew is not very good at all. I have enough Hebrew to have critically read the translation from English to Hebrew of a Baha'i children's song and feel that the translation is a little weird, if the meter is OK. That's pretty good I think, although I still struggle to talk to people on the street, usually because they want directions to some place, and I could not give them directions in English.
I started a group that is studying together the second most important Baha'i sacred text, the Kitab-i-Iqan or the Book of Certitude (the most important one is a book of laws and it is not often studied in groups because we know and live the laws). Because it is an explanation of the faith to a Muslim individual it is very hard for me and many in my group to read (again) but it's our good fortune to have a Kenyan with us who knows a lot about Islamic traditions and history.
I find that I spend a lot of time at the staff lending library, and dropped by today to find a staff member from the research library working hard...on a Saturday...so I asked her what she was up to and she said that the library's collection is being refreshed and its whole configuration in terms of both appearance and organization. She invited me to be a part of the process and I gladly accepted. I hope that I can be inspired with some good ideas to bring more staff to visit and enjoy the library. There is such a strong culture of learning here that it seems a shame our library does not get much use.
Lately I am a bit nervous that my work is not helping me to develop good qualities, and that in fact some of my good qualities are relapsing. That may be nothing a break from work can't solve...I am a little ashamed to admit that I have never worked so much for such a long time with no breaks (e.g., winter break, spring break) in my life so my tolerance level is relative. In any case it's a good thing for many many reaons I will be on my way to Spain in one week. I hope I'll be ready. I tried to pack today and found that it's just too early. But I am gradually gathering together all the things I need and trying to feel ready for such a big and very special trip.
