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!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
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."
Thursday, August 12, 2010
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
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
Thursday, July 15, 2010
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
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
Sunday, June 20, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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
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
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