Updates!

Hello from Morocco!

It is 11pm right now and I am getting ready to go to bed. Arabic class is at 8:30am tomorrow and my lecture is at 1pm after lunch. I usually like to go exploring after class and I'm considering taking a run by the beach tomorrow afternoon, so I best get some sleep.

Today, I went surfing with my host sisters Widad and Kawtar. It was so much fun! I hadn't realized how powerful waves can be. My throat is so dry from all the sea water I swallowed.

My friends Alicia, Mark, Megan, Denise, and I decided to meet yesterday to take a train to a beach called Skhirat. Unfortunately, like the tourists we are, we reached the train station with no knowledge of how often that particular train runs. The next one wasn't until 4:30pm. Instead, we walked back into the medina to hit the local beach behind Oudaya, or the Kasbah. On our way there, we ran into two girls our age who were on another study abroad program. They were doing Semester at Sea and their ship had docked in Spain a couple of days ago. They are spending the week backpacking around Morocco and Spain. It was really great to help them get oriented to the medina and Rabat in general. I didn't realize how much I knew until they started asking me where things were and how to get there!

Friday was the first day of the Eid -- the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan. My host family and I donned our best clothes and crossed a couple of busy intersections by foot to visit my sisters' grandmother in the Kasbah. She is a very, very old woman with a huge laugh and a booming voice. Everything she said was apparently very, very funny and the entire room would choke with laughter. She had henna dyed all over her fingers and feet. My host mom prepared a lunch of lamb and potatoes for all of us to share.

We spent the entire day at the house. That evening, Alicia, Mark, and I met up at Balima Cafe downtown just to chat and catch up. Annie and Danny met up with us later and we were all trying to make plans for hiking, taking trains, going out of town some weekends, even heading to Spain after the program. So much to do...yet only 3 months!

I am blessed and happy to say that I am really enjoying Morocco. The medina is very overwhelming sometimes but not to the point when I want to throw my hands up in the air and cry. It's a wonderful type of overwhelming -- no two days in the medina are ever the same!

Sending lots of love from Morocco,
Asil

So much to do, so much to be!

I am utterly exhausted. In between learning Darija Arabic, recovering from a terrible stomach flu, loving and exploring every bit of Rabat, planning my independent study project, keeping up with friends and family back in the States, studying for my LSAT, picking up as much French as I can, and meticulously taking pictures of everything and everyone, I have forgotten to sleep.

I am leaving in a bit to watch a jet ski competition on the shore of Rabat! Will be back much later -- hopefully with great pictures!

Carpe diem,
Asil

Mizyan!

Mizyan means "good!" in Darija. I think I have a pretty good grasp of some darija -- mostly adjectives and nouns like "delicious!" and "broken!" and "bathroom" and "fruit".

Today was my first real day of classes. I had Arabic at the Marassa annex of CCCL outside the walls of the medina. After class I talked to the storekeeper who tried to fix my phone, but sadly it was unsuccessful. I had lunch at the main CCCL complex, chatted a bit with the cook, and headed on over to another CCCL annex where we had our lecture with Professor Abdelhay.

We started talking about Morocco in very broad terms so that when we study the human rights and political progresses that have been made, we have a good idea of what the country has seen and done in the past. I had no idea that Morocco was not colonized until 1912 -- pretty impressive considering Spain is just a stone throw's away.

I feel like I left a lot of grey areas that I should fill in since I arrived in Morocco. Great things have been happening!

1) We had our first iftar, or breaking of the fast, Wednesday evening in the main CCCL center. We broke the fast with dates, bread, milk, and lots of sweets. Ibrahim, the jolly chef that works here, brought out a dish to every table called Pastilla. I don't think I have ever tasted anything like it! It is like chicken pot pie with a very sweet filo dough covering. The flavor was absolutely stunning! It was like eating dessert and dinner at the same time.

2) Thursday afternoon we found out about our host families! Here's a picture of me holding up my family's info sheet and anxiously waiting at the CCCL for members of my host family to arrive. I was bursting with excitement if you could not tell!

3) There are cats EVERYWHERE! And they are incredibly tiny and malnourished. It's a bittersweet sight.

Tonight is Laylatul Qadr. The king of Morocco, King Mohammad VI, appears on television this evening to do a special ceremonial prayer. My host mother has lit up these scented ashes and placed them around the house. She explained that this was tradition in laylatul qadr, which roughly translates into "the night of power/fate". This mystical night supposedly is the night in which the skies of heaven open up and virtually every prayer is accepted. The mosques are laden with pious and laymen alike.

Reporting from Rue Taht al Hammam, bonne nuit!

Asil

Insomnia and iPhones

It is Sunday afternoon here in Rabat and I am spending my time reading and jotting down some notes for my independent study project.

My sleep schedule resembles that of a terribly jet-lagged traveler. I prided myself last week when I arrived in Morocco -- I had absolutely no jetlag. I meticulously plotted my sleep schedule on my flights to the country so that when I arrived I did not have to waste time sleeping in.

What goes around, comes around! Because of Ramadan, my host family wakes up at 3:30am to have a small meal of fruit, cheese, bread, and tea to jump-start the fast. We don't go to bed until maybe 1:30am or 2am because dinner is served at midnight (we break the fast with a small meal at 7pm). That said, I have been sleeping intermittedly throughout the day.

Today I woke up at 10:30am and lounged around and read for an hour. I decided I was going to get my phone fixed once and for all (for those of you who haven't heard, I dropped my iPhone in a random bucket of water in a fitting room Wednesday night). I went into the souk and found a modest electronics vendor. The salesman was resistant to try saving my phone once he heard it was dropped in water, but after urging him that it works more often than not, he gave it a whirl.

After about half an hour, he got up off of his chair and motioned for him to follow me. In very hasty Darija (I had to ask for a translation at several points into Lebanese Arabic) he told me he has a friend that could better fix this. We took a 5 minute walk, hiking through very tiny alleyways and parading through markets of vegetables, lingerie, and dates. The only thing going through my mind at this point was the first thing SIT told us at orientation: "Don't follow young men into dark alleyways." Looks like I broke the first rule of studying abroad.

It was midday and there were lots of people around. After squeezing through the last set of shoulders, we arrived at another quaint electronics parts shop. He left it at that and bid adieu. The little boy working with his dad behind the counter handed me a plastic stool to sit on. Thumbing through my French phrasebook in my backpack, I looked up every now and then to check the status of the phone. Customers went in and out. People want the most obscure things for their phone -- a new chain, a forest green backing, a rubber stopper for the headphone jack. Apparently the store had it all. Finally the gentleman told me that the phone needed a program run on it overnight and that I could come back tomorrow to receive it.

Now, my first piece of advice in Morocco was to never trust anyone. But I know myself -- it's pretty difficult to do just that. I said a little prayer, asked a few questions, and surrendered my phone to the stranger. I am not very attached to it anyhow. It's pretty beaten up. We'll see how it goes.

Updates on my adventure tomorrow!

Morocco!

Hello!

My host sisters and I are listening and singing to Train's "Soul Sister" in the study in my Moroccan riad.

Don't fret though -- I know I have left America. I have been in Morocco for almost one week and so far I like it a lot! It is very different. I am having a wonderful time getting to know a very different culture. Although I speak Arabic, there is a serious language barrier between Lebanese Arabic and Moroccan Darija. It has challenged me! I love it!

This week really has been a culture shock.

I had never seen Ramadan in an Islamic country before. After about 9pm, the entire country is out on the streets drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice, buying trinkets and toys, enjoying desserts, or simply walking along the beach.

Here is a picture of my room, Room 108, in Hotel Majestic!

I had the most difficult time getting my luggage from the esteemed Air France. As usual, they held it hostage for a few days. I finally got it back Wednesday night. I took a grand taxi to the airport and back and striked up a fascinating conversation with the driver. He was extremely helpful and gave me a lot of good tips about getting around Rabat.

The day before, I had surmised that I was not getting my luggage back anytime soon so I hit the souk in the evening after iftar to buy a couple of essentials. While I was trying on a pair of jeans in the fitting room, I hear my phone ring. I reach for my bag, take it out, but I was in such a rush (you don't want to miss international calls) that my phone slipped out of hand and landed in a random bucket of water that happened to be sitting in the fitting room. I'm still not sure why.

Anyways! There have been lots of insults and injuries (figuratively) but I am overall having a wonderful time! We stayed in Hotel Majestic on Avenue Hassan II in Rabat until Thursday. I had a wonderful roommate named Alicia from Boulder, Colorado. She and I are besties now! I am looking forward to exploring Morocco with her. Here is a picture of Alicia amazed by my B.O. I blame Air France.

Until next time...bssalama!
Asil

Cowboy Boots

Let me get straight to the point -- I think I am less comfortable leaving the familiar behind than I thought I was.

By all means, don't understand me wrong. I am absolutely psyched about being in Morocco! I cannot wait to be there and see everything and meet new people and learn different dialects of Arabic. What crushes me I think is that this eagerness also doesn't spill over into my daily life as well.

Wherever I am in the world, I feel like I always need to be connected. Nobody really has to be physically present but there is a certain pressure from this globalized society that we are in today to be constantly communicating. Truth be told, I have lapses of isolation when I have no desire of being in touch. But I cannot say those last more than a couple of days.

My goal for Morocco is simple: to challenge myself to slowly let go of everything that is familiar to me. If I succeed, then I think I will have also learned more about myself.

If I fail, does this mean I have a 9-to-5 mentality that I cannot shake off? Is it American culture? Is it the Generation Y? Is it simply me?

I admit that I am attached to many, many things. I will miss much about the lifestyle that I am currently engaged in. Namely -- my cowboy boots.

I feel so secure in them. If I could wear them every day, I would. No matter what the weather, those boots are ready to endure whatever comes their way. The constant plop-plop of the sole make me feel grounded to something. There isn't much of a bounce in the shoe because this is a no-nonsense piece of art. There is something about it that makes me feel , well, happy.

I had made up my mind several weeks ago that I would take my boots with my to Morocco. When I felt like I needed to be home, I would simply pull them out and wear them around in the souks. Sure, I'd get a couple of glances and raised eyebrows, but afterall, I was in my beloved boots. Nobody can hurt me when they are on my feet.

But just now, I have decided to leave them at home, tucked in their box under my mattress. The only thing that I am bringing from home is myself. Everything else may be material but the only thing that can make me feel what I truly want to feel -- renewed -- is simply myself.

So adieu, cowboy boots! We'll catch up in February.

10 Days!

I can't believe it - I'm headed to Morocco in less than two weeks. It won't hit me until I step off the plane. I know myself well.

Anyways, I've been busy cleaning out my room from top to bottom. I consider my room to be in pretty good shape, but to tell you the truth it's just a very well-organized mess. I'm a hoarder, to be honest. I hate throwing away that piece of notebook paper that has a perfect A+ written in red ink at the top commending my good work spelling out words in the 3rd grade. I've finally got over that and threw much of that stuff away this summer.

Anyways, lots of books! Lots of OZ trinkets! Lots of spare change! It's everywhere. My sister is moving in as soon as I head overseas so I'm trying to get it in great shape.

In other news, I'm about 5% (physically) prepared to go to Morocco! -- but 110% mentally prepared so it doesn't matter. I'll toss a couple of shirts and jeans into a suitcase and I could consider myself ready to go.

I know this post made me sound like a slob, but really, I'm not. I just spent an hour polishing the granite countertops downstairs.

Enough materialism :) Carpe diem, everyone!

Home

"Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it -- memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey."

The End of the Beginning!

So today was my last day as an intern at the World Affairs Council. It was so strange to leave the place. I am so attached to everything about that office.

In other news, I leave to Morocco on the 28th. I am very excited, but not quite prepared! I have quite a bit of time before I head out but my to-do list is certainly not get any shorter.

Besides this, there is not much else going on. Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan! Ramadan kareem to everyone. I am especially anxious to see the environment in Morocco during the month of Ramadan and Eid. My mom was sharing stories of all the joys of Ramadan when she used to live in Nazareth, Israel.

Until next time...carpe diem!
Asil

Dios

Praying for a lot right now! Don't know how to explain it. I'm not really praying for myself actually. There's a lot of people I would love to see very happy right now. And that would make me absolutely thrilled!

Love is the answer.
-Asil



"...I suggest that when you wake up every morning, you kneel by your bed, or sit on the edge of it, and pray this: 'God, whether I get anything else dont today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving You and loving other people -- because that's what life is all about. I don't want to waste this day.'"

- p. 126, The Purpose-Driven Life

There's something in the air!

There's something in the air and I think it's derived from all this sunshine. Everyone seems to just be in a great mood. Ahhhh...I love summer! I love friends even more!

World Affairs Council happennings a wonderful, my photography business is getting me from being a freelancer to someone with a good portfolio, and I'm reading up to get ready for Morocco.

I am preparing for an exciting academic year. It will be a very, very long one too. I have lots of faith things will be okay :)

Goodnight! Bring on Monday!


Carpe Diem,

Asil

:)

In love with life...best feeling in the world.

Delegation Celebration!

So I'm in the middle of my second week of my internship at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and I am absolutely LOVING it! I feel like I really am doing something productive for the community and I am encouraged to actually take part in the activities that these international delegations are involved in.

Quick summary of my job:

I work with the International Visitors Program of the World Affairs Council. The US State Department has representatives in different countries throughout the world. These people identify and invite potential and rising leaders in each country to come to the United States for a period of three weeks to observe and learn about their field in more detail. These leaders work in all aspects of the development of their country -- from improving its political and/or economics structure to improving its human rights record to being more productive with their agricultural methods.

So the World Affairs Council here gets an email from the State Department saying that they think Dallas would be an awesome place for people interested in ________ to meet with CEOs and their colleagues of institutions and programs dealing with _________. Just fill in the blanks and the rest is up to us!

We pick out appropriate non-profits, government agencies, grassroots organizations, and/or Fortune 500 companies in Dallas/Fort Worth that we think would be great for a particular delegation to meet with. We typically will brainstorm and put together a proposal of about 12 resources and the State Department picks out maybe 5 or 6 they think may be most beneficial to a particular delegation staying in Dallas for 3 or so days.

Once we get the OK from the State Department, we start making the appointments and getting the details set. That's what I spent my day doing actually. We have a multi-nation delegation (20 people from 20 different countries ranging from Algeria to the Czech Republic to Syria to Thailand) coming in to learn about small business development with an emphasis on using exports to expand their business. That may sound like a pretty narrow topic, but you cannot believe what Dallas has to offer!

They'll be here for three days of programming next week and I CANNOT WAIT!!!! I'll probably head down to the airport on Monday evening with some of my coworkers to greet them and give them their welcome packets.

As an intern, I'm privileged to sit in on any of the appointments they have set up and accompany them to wherever they're going. I'm spending my evening tonight researching each of the 20 countries so I can better gauge where they're coming from. I think it would be helpful so I could have more interesting conversations during those lunch and dinner breaks with them.

Anyways, I am blessed to have such a wonderful experience thus far and thank God every day for having an opportunity like this! Yesterday was such a difficult day for me actually and I could hardly get myself out of bed this morning. But once I'm getting things done, I think the sense of accomplishment overpowers all those terrible, negative thoughts that run through my head. I just need to keep going. That morning cup of tea is helping a lot too :)

I've realized how much I love learning. Since I've had a couple of weeks off since exams finished up in May I've done some reflection about this last year, particularly my GO Fellowship in Lebanon. I wrote Todd and Abby Williams, my benefactors for my travel last summer, an email summarizing a few of my thoughts. When I last met with them at their house for a briefing with the other GO Fellows, I don't think I had all my thoughts gathered and I certainly think about my experience in a completely different way now than I did right after I came back from Lebanon.

Those kids give me so much freakin strength!!! If anyone is facing a midlife crisis, you best visit an orphanage. Or really anywhere where people are suffering -- not from indecision or routine (as we often are) -- but from not being able to put food on the table, access education, or be healthy enough to work.

So back to the World Affairs Council...I'm glad I went to the orphanage prior to starting this internship. When these delegates start talking about the poverty in their country, I think I may have an idea of what exactly they mean...




Carpe diem,
Asil

Answer

"I will be the answer
At the end of the line
I will be there for you
While you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty
I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance
If you can't look down

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worthit
Worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright...

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind
Take me to a
Place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight..."

- Sarah McLachlan


Generous and Merciful God,

It's been a year of ups and downs. You've seen me through the worst of times and the best of times. I have often neglected Your presence and Your grace. But I've learned that that's all I need. Because what You give to this world is essentially Your love and it is vastly superior to any other sentiment that Man has ever experienced. I pray that You will continue blessing my family, my friends, and my community and continue guiding this world through the most difficult challenges mankind has seen. Give us strength, oh Lord, to be motivated... patient... accountable... and to learn to love others as You do. Help us, oh Lord, to pay attention to the details in this fabric of life that are sustainable to the beauty You have constructed in this universe. Guide us, oh Lord, to take these challenges in grace, knowing fully that with everything there is a meaning. Lastly, dear God, continue strengthening the Barker family as they come to terms with such a tragedy. Fill their hearts with a sustainable peace and comfort. Be their pillar as they have been a pillar to so many in our community.

Amen.


Carpe diem,
Asil

Almost done

Almost there...this is crazy!!! Only 2.5 months until Morocco! I CANNOT WAIT!

Carpe diem,
Asil

Why Don't We Go Somewhere Only We Know

I need a job.

Spring break was awesome! Tried new stuff in Utah...really refreshing.

Also, I've pledged to change everything around. I know I've said it before...I mean it this time though. No more terrible days. I'm working to make that happen. There have been too many "never again" moments for me.

Life's good!

And love turns the whole thing around. -Jack Johnson


Carpe Diem,
Asil

Rock Bottom

:(

Lucky

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or waken love until it so desires."
"Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love."
- Song of Solomon



Best feeling in the world :)



Carpe diem,
Asil

JanTerm Break

I've got a few days left to gear up for the new semester. I have a to-do list that has 17 items on it. That's crazy! It's good to be back to normal though. I'm glad picking up the pieces is moving along pretty well.

In other news, I need to update this thing more. So much runs through my head but I'm either too lazy or too indifferent to post it. But I really need to kick in the habit so I'll have record of my adventures when I go study abroad in the fall!

It's coming down to either the Balkans or Morocco...Turkey is still on the list but it's not a really good program. Pretty expensive too. I'd love Morocco...I know I will. It would be a great time to get my Arabic writing skills down once and for all. The problem is I'm so freakin attached to the Balkans now. I love studying conflict resolution. Morocco has that "clash of civilizations" but Turkey and the Balkans have that CLASH! It would be so interesting to go there. I've always been fascinated by the intersection of Islam and Christianity. I can always get Arabic down on my own time. I don;t know...there are a lot of pros and cons for each one. I need to tighten my belt and start getting decisive though. And I've always wanted to go to Africa...meh.

I'm renewing commitments:
- writing more snail mail
- being a bigger part of my sorority
- closing the gap between my sister and I
- continuing the twinsday tradition Natalie and I started
- keeping in touch with my big, Yvette
- showing people I love them dearly
- doing small things
- reforming some aspects of MSA
- read before going to bed every night
- reciprocating God's love for me


Bonne nuit!

Carpe diem,
Asil

Better Together

Love is the answer

At least for most of the questions of my heart

Like why are we here?

And where do we go?

And how come it's so hard?

It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving,

I'll tell you one thing...

It's always better when we're together.

------------------

"...I think that suffering is the way we test our love. Every act of suffering, no matter how small or agonisingly great, is a test of love in some way. Most of the time, suffering is also a test of our love for God."

- Shantaram, page 298

-------------------

I read this a couple of days ago and marked it in my book. It struck me as odd at first, then pretty logical once I read further. I'm fascinated to see how applicable it is. I started thinking of things people suffer from...

- Illnesses...brings families, friends closer as we become more aware of our finite time on this Earth

- Hunger...whether you live in the slums or in Willow Bend, we realize the value of not only keeping ourselves alive to experience all the wonderful things in this life, but also the value of helping others and sharing. Whether that's giving the last piece of bread to your sibling or volunteering at a soup kitchen, these actions reinforce human love towards each other. In the great words of Mr. Pourtakalis of My Big Fat Greek Wedding: "So, tonight we have here apples and oranges...but in the end, we're all fruit!"

- Not finding anywhere to sit on the subway: Whether that's ourself or a pregnant woman or an elderly person, sacrificing your seat, "suffering" for a mere few minutes in order to bring please to someone who needs it more is the ultimate test of love. Even towards complete strangers.

- Friendship: Friends suffer because we love each almost unconditionally. It's difficult to tell a friend that he or she is going astray because we fear that it will create a strain on the friendship, possibly destroying it. In that case, both people lose. But seeing someone fall while you are a bystander -- but not just any bystander, but a bystander who is deeply concerned for his or her's well-being -- is possibly the most incredible suffering of all. Not only do both friends lose, but they are personally afflicted terribly because of their own actions, or lack thereof.

- Not disappointing your family: Perhaps if there is any unconditional love on this Earth, it is the love between a parent and a child. We are all human, however. Meaning we may not always be sailing smoothly. The most difficult suffering is the one that is sprung from unconditional love because that love is blinding, almost paralyzing and yet just being a bystander is again an awful thing. No two humans are identical however. Communication between parents and children is important, I now realize. If they can't get on the same page about everything, then at least everyone knows where the next person stands.

- Love for one's self: We suffer when we make the realization that we're not perfect, we're not Superman, and we will falter and fail on many occasions. That knowledge is what knocks us down but it also encourages us to accept ourselves for who we truly are -- to embrace it and to express it appropriately. People love the genuine. Perhaps we don't like everything about ourselves -- I certainly don't -- but we should be encourage to love us as an individual. Sometimes that can't be achieved by ourselves. It's nice to have people recognize the good and not so good about you. But nobody can make you inferior or superior except yourself. They may tell you how beautiful, smart, funny, interesting, or kind you are, but if you cannot accept those characteristics, then we as a human suffers. Our relationships and friendships are based on a stack on superficial characteristics. And those friendships may eventually suffer as well. Loving one's self might save him or her from suffering of any kind. The list can go on and on.

And if all of that is too difficult to soak in (it's still kinda weird to me), I've come to realize that you can always turn to one type of love that will always exist: God's love for you. I should take my own advice sometimes -- nothing is truly hopeless. Nothing is ever completely lost. There are few things in this world that are "100%". Certainty and impermanence are our best friends and worst enemies. I can't scientifically prove God's affection towards mankind, but I certainly can feel it. True, I've neglected it before...on so many occasions. There were points this semester when I almost believed that God had completely forgotten about me, maybe forsaken me. Getting that out of my head was a test of love! It's incredible now that I'm connecting the dots. There's no specific science to it, I know. But perhaps one of the reasons why I felt like I was suffering much of the time was because I was so convinced that the love God has for me no longer existed.

Much has changed since then :) When you've hit rock bottom, at least you know there's no way to go except up.

Carpe diem,

Asil

New Year's Day

All is quiet on New Year's day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you, be with you, night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's day
On New Year's day

Happy 2010!

It's a new day, year, and decade. It only seemed like yesterday when it was December 30th, 1999 and the shelves of the local grocery store were barren of water bottles. I had just turned 10 at that point, and here I am...20 years old. CRAZY!!!!!

Anyways, there's nothing better than a 5k in the morning to start the year. I wish I had my camera on me because there were these two guys from my sister's cross-country team who were dressed as New Year babies -- complete with the diapers and the HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 sash across their bare chests. Kudos to them (at 24 degree weather)!

New year's resolutions? Could I use the word goal? Is that kosher? There are a few swimming around in my head. I don't think I've actually written any of mine down on paper.

- Get better

- Continue finding joy in the small things

- Stop saying "someday". Say "today".

- Bangladesh in the summer?

- Learn French

And more.

I was reading a book at Barnes and Nobles last week written by the pastors who founded Saddleback Church in The Woodlands. It's called One Month To Live. I found it really challenging to even pick up -- it's one of those things that probe so deeply inside you at the things you don't want to admit or reveal or discover that is true about yourself, but you know that in the end recognizing those and tweaking them a bit will make you feel like...well, I'm not sure yet. I just know it's a positive thing. I think I'm headed back to the bookstore to buy it tomorrow and live my "last 30 days". Morbid, huh? It's pretty eye-opening though.

The fault with the typical human is that he wants to know everything about the world but does not yet know himself. Baby steps!

"Live as if you will die tomorrow. Learn as if you will live forever." -Ghandi

Carpe diem,

Asil