There's A Time For Everything...

Winter break is coming to a close. I can't believe I go back to Sherman Sunday. I'm going back with the intention of staying there for JanTerm...those details actually haven't been set in stone yet. In fact, it's been recommended that I stay back in Plano for January. I'm not so keen about this idea, mostly because I'm eager to get things back to normal. I think JanTerm would be a good transition period.

Okay, so this is the nerd in me...which is usually pretty publically visible anyways so this may not come as a shock. But I was watching CSPAN today (yes, CSPAN) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was invited to Georgetown University to be a good study break during finals week. She spoke on the Obama administration's approach to human rights and said something that was so striking that I ran around trying to find pen and paper to write it down:

"When injustice anywhere is ignored, justice everywhere is denied."

Now I remember why I am an international relations major. That gets fuzzy sometimes when you forget what your passion is amongst piles of papers to write and books to read and exams to study for.

In addition to my two passions -- human rights and Coldplay -- I think I've found a third one. U2! I've always liked them, never really listened to them. Today I was looking through some lyrics as I was listening to them and I realized how profound they were. How could I have neglected them for all these years?! Ah well, there's a time for everything...

Which reminds me...


1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8



Peace,
Asil :)

Till Kingdom Come

Till Kingdom Come

by Coldplay

And the wheels just keep on turning

And the drummer begins to drum

I don't know which way I'm going

I don't know which way I've come

For you I'd wait till kingdom come

Until my days, my days are done

And say you'll come and set me free

Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.

So we're what...starting our third week of winter break? Time is such an nonrenewable resource. If there's anything I've learned this semester, it's that.

Okay, confession. I've become a total Coldplay junkie. Going to one of their concerts before I die definitely has priority amongst other things on my bucket list. They are so great...their songs have been carrying a lot of meaning for me, especially recently. My mom actually likes them too, which is strange because she's also fond of bluegrass and country.

Speaking on which...I've been thinking about this bucket list of mine for a while. I don't think I'm ready to present the list yet. It's in physical writing, but only a few things are actually down on it. The others are just swimming through my head waiting for the commitment of pen to paper to become actual goals.

It's been a crazy semester, I have to admit. Everything came in polar opposites...either really good or really bad. Rarely did I have those ordinary days. Just like snowflakes, no two days this semester were even remotely alike. In retrospective, it's quite scary. It opened up my eyes a lot...I just wish it didn't happen the way it did.

There were a lot of things about this semester that were "never again" events.

I'm not a 100%...yet. But I will be. I PROMISE! Where there is life, there is hope. Right?

The worst part of it is just seeing yourself go uphill and getting such a good vibe from that, and then all of a sudden see it all crashing. For those of you who saw me frequently this semester...do you remember those times when I was rock bottom? Multiply that by 10. That was me Christmas Eve. For no freakin reason. It's a heaven burden on your faith. The confusion that follows it is only second to the awful feeling of crashing. Confusion seems like such a bad thing because humans are people who are troubled by impermanence. Does impermanence bother me? Heck yes. The fact that I'm terrible one night and filled with joy the next morning (okay, so it was Christmas morning) is SO CONFUSING. The impermanence of those feelings SUCK. It's a good thing to remember when I'm in a bad place, but an awful thing to remember when you're feeling great.

And so I count my blessings!

Exhibit A:

Dad: "Sometimes people will tell you that you can't have your meat and your milk together. But you know, Asil. We all live on the same farm. Everyone in this world does. There may be times when having your meat and milk together is a good, good thing! It's just out of the box."

I'm glad I can have a few weeks of nothing. Never have I ever felt that I desperately needed to do absolutely nothing. I'm a do-er...that doesn't even enter my mind, EVER! After one day of winter or summer break -- even after spending that day reading or running or DOING something -- I have this crazy urge that I have to research something. So I pick something and learn allllll about it. Last summer? It was French. But I have the attention span of a squirrel so that quickly changed into do-it-yourself gardening.

Exams went well, thank goodness...grades are pretty good. It snowed here Christmas Eve and we ended up having a white Christmas. Is was beautiful!!! Abe and I went to the park and sled down the hill near the playground.

Another winter break epiphany -- sometimes it's therapeutic to act like you're seven.

I'll have my bucket list up here before New Years hopefully :)

Peace,

Asil :)

PS- It's illegal to ship wine within Texas :( Note to self for Christmases to come.

Leopard-print Snuggie

I've always wanted a Snuggie...now I have. A leopard-print Snuggie! My cluster babies got me a Snuggie for my birthday!!!!! I am going to make As on all my exams now because I can comfortably study and my arms will still be free.

Two decades old.
The first 100 years are the hardest.

Peace,
Asil :)