Goodbye For Now

Once more, Hanan and I met at Union Grounds. We sat down along the windows for our last partner meeting.

Hanan had stomach ulcers the previous week as well as more English language tests the prior week, so we hadn't met. In my notes I drew a little frowny face by this, because Hanan looked fairly distressed. Things had been really picking up with the end of school coming for both of us. We caught up with the past couple of weeks, and after I mentioned that I went to an awesome concert in Dallas, we started talking about music. 

Hanan said she likes music, but was never interested in playing an instrument. I played piano for 8 years, but eventually lost interest in becoming some kind of piano virtuoso. Hanan had a similar experience with gymnastics, but stopped in elementary school because she wanted to study more... and wasn't quite as flexible. haha

Of course, the topic of music was followed by art. She likes modern art, as well as the iconic masterpieces, but doesn't appreciate all kinds of art. Fair enough. Some art can be ridiculous. But I'm pro-art, so I'm all about it because it's the way I express myself. So, I asked her how important she thought self-expression was. She said it was very important because it makes life interesting and helps you communicate. A modern example she offered was being able to "like" something on Facebook. She said it's a way to share interests and let people know who you are.  This example is a little different than what I was trying to get at, but it's something I wouldn't have thought of.  In fact, I don't know if we (I) think about it all the time, but social media may be the most common form of self-expression. Something to think about. 

Hanan once again voiced her qualms about the cellular telephone. She thinks it's a huge distraction, and I would agree. She said moments go by so quickly, so can't waste your life interacting with a screen. She said it makes for lonely people. Yeah Hanan, I think so too. She said she had read a lot about it, and psychologically it makes you feel disconnected even though you're technically "connecting" with people. The irony is that social media perpetuates for some people a feeling of isolation because you're not truly interacting with others. Hanan said she tries her best to be a person that lives in the moment.

Time came for me to leave, and I asked if there was anything she wanted to ask me or specifically take away from our meetings. She said she wanted me to know she enjoyed our meetings and that her best advice was for me to travel. "Travel! Travel! Travel!" She said with a laugh.

I told her I would do my best. :) 

Rachel and Hanan Talk Some More

This time Hanan and I talked about growing up. I asked her about her childhood and what was important to her as she became an adult.

She said it was important to dream big. "Each baby is born with a dream."
She said that each person was born for a purpose, and that it's vitally important to make goals and strive for your passions.
An interesting idea she tossed up is that everything is connected. You have to think toward the future but at the same time not be afraid to live the fullest you can in every moment.

She talked about what it was like growing up with all her brothers and sisters. Her mom wasn't an "educated person" so her family was encourage to pursue knowledge. Surprisingly, she said her parents didn't pressure them to be anything specific. They were also encouraged to find their passion. The only stipulation was to be the best you could be and succeed in your own way. You have to be true to yourself and what your dreams are. She stressed that you have to be honest with yourself and trust you experiences. She said self-acceptances makes happiness a lot easier to find.

Last time we met, we talked a little bit about first impressions, but I had to leave before we were finished. Hanan offered a quick bit of wisdom on this topic: "Judgement is a part of life, you just have to be gracious with it."

I also asked her if she had any favorite sayings. One was, "Work smart, don't work hard." The other was, "Time is money." She said when you lose a day you can't bring it back. She said time is valuable and needs to be used wisely. This seemed to be a little contradictory to her previous quotes, but she said when you're working smartly, it will never seem like hard work.

This was about the time Ryan showed up, tapping away on his phone. This began a passionate discussion about electronics. She said Ryan is addicted to them. Facebook, twitter, youtube, email, kik, the list goes on.  She thinks they block communicated between people you're actually with. She said being on an electronic device is just emotionally and physically different. We agreed they can be helpful, but she tries to spend no more than 2 hours a day on electronics because she thinks it stunts your people skills and awareness.  She said her nephew has an iPad, and she way just like, "Why? Just go outside.

I had to leave for a class, and she remembered she had brought me a gift. It was chap stick she had made from beeswax and honey. I thanked her, and with moisturized lips I bid her goodbye until next time.

The less you do, the more you do.

First off, I love this movie, Jason Segel, and Paul Rudd.

Second off, I've noticed in the past couple of weeks (watching other people and having a few moments of my own) that when you try to be funny, it doesn't always work out like you planned.

That's why I think I'll appropriate this sage bit of advice from Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

"Don't try to be funny. Don't do it. The less you do, the more you DO."

DO LESS.

With the exception of comedians and those blessed with charisma, I think the right amount of nonchalance can be important. There has to be a natural flow and confidence to the delivery of certain funny things. This may not be the absolute rule, but I think we have all more or less experienced (or been) the "try-hard," and it's usually one of those moments you try to pretend didn't happen. haha

I think it comes back down to the all-important cognitive shift. The problem with trying too hard is that the audience can already see the joke coming, and something about the situation is already predictable.
So, my solution to this issue is simple. In the words of Drake, "What am I doing? What am I doing? Oh yeah, that's right, I'm doin' me."
In case you forgot, and find yourself in a crisis, just remember to "do you." Authenticity serves well as a replacement for natural comedic genius. 

The second option, also demonstrated in the clip I've provided, is practice. Keep trying, and perhaps one day you'll have it down. Now get out there, and shower the world with your jokes.

Something Funny

My something funny is my sister. My sister is the most hilarious person I know. There is no one else that I laugh with quite like Laurel.

She is funny in so many ways. She's intelligent, brash, outrageous, insightful, intuitive. She is funny to me in just the way that she is. Simply the thought of some of our conversations make me giggle. 

Part of this phenomenon is our history. She's been my older sister, and best friend, for close to 20 years. I've known her a while, and this type of relationship allows for the context and comfort level that can result in moments of great hilarity. It can be as little as a moment of knowing eye contact, but we both get the joke.

I know her so well that I can really appreciate the subtle nuances of her humor. 

Sometimes relationships stem off the ability to reciprocate humor, but with my sister, the relationship predates laughter. We are able to fully enjoy each other's company because of our bond as sisters, and I think that's something special.

I also think the factor of closeness is important with humor. Laughter plays interesting roles in getting to know people on different levels. It can help you feel more at ease with a stranger, or solidify an already-close friendship. It perpetuates trust, among other things.

Anyway, I just wanted to immortalize on the internet my adoration for my sister. The most gut-busting,  rolling on the floor, "I can't breathe"moments of my life are thanks to her.  Do you have anyone like this?

Random Musings, Courtesy of Mark Twain

Thought I'd talk about another quote that caught my attention as I read:

"Life does not consist mainly- or even largely- of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one's head." -- Mark Twain's Autobiography

Hm. This isn't really a humorous quote, and I don't mean to get all philosophical-descartes-existentialist-crazy on you, but really... What do we have, what can we prove, except our thoughts and perceptions?

Think about that.




I don't know about you, but I can feel the storm.

I think that is an interesting image. Even right now I am envisioning a thunderstorm raging in my skull, thanks to the operation of thought. That in and of itself is interesting, but thought also allows me to understand Twain's message by apply the connotations associated with storms to the process of thinking. I find this intensely interesting.

So, What is thought?
Google says:

thought  

/THôt/

Noun An idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind: "Mrs. Oliver's first thought was to get help". An idea or mental picture, imagined and contemplated: "the mere thought of Peter made her see red".

Hmm again. Yes but no. I think there is more, but I also know this is something even science has struggled to define exactly.
I find myself asking "Where does thought originate? Is thought just the symptom of neurons firing in our brain? Is it merely mental activity involving sensory and our subjective consciousness?" And with this I think that the quote may be proving itself, at least in this case. The way I am experiencing writing this post is through the sensory information I am processing via thought. I know there is much more to it, but I won't waste your time asking copious rhetorical questions. "What is fact?" Let's not. haha

Anyway. This post has turned out to be mostly trifling. I hope I at least made you think.

Mark Twain

"To give birth to an idea--to discover a great thought--an intellectual nugget, right under the dust of a field that many a brain plow had gone over before. To find a new planet, to invent a new hinge, to find the way to make the lightnings carry your messages. To be the first--that is the idea. To do something, say something, see something, before anybody else--these are the things that confer a pleasure compared with which other pleasures are tame and commonplace, other ecstasies cheap and trivial." -Innocents Abroad (p.174)

I liked this quote the moment I read it. I love the idea of "giving birth to an idea" and pushing the horizon. I feel like there is a deep human desire to discover meaning, and some constant burning need to find truth beneath the paradigms that are already in place.

This quote was found under the subheading "Originality," but I think it may be more than that. I think this quote speaks to curiosity, discovery, and human nature. I relate quite a bit to this desire to go and do and experience life in ways that transcend.

Mark Twain's insight reminded me of one of my favorite quotes is from a French song called Je Cours by Stromae. It translates roughly to something like this: 

"That's it, I was just born there.
I don't know where I'm going or where I am But everyone want to be there Somewhere out there in life. And I want to set my feet there But only my soul has access."

What I love about these quotes is that they articulate a snippet of the human experience. I think they're both about the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, and a desire to experience something that goes beyond our understanding of the world and our place in it. There is something about the unknown defines us, and perhaps experiencing it can give us deep insight into our own nature.

P.s. Here's the link to the song I was talking about. It's pretty existential if you're into that. http://youtu.be/wIrI_MOfxG0

Thoughts on Juha

I just came back from meeting with Hanan, but dont' be fooled; This isn't a conversation partner post. Instead, It seemed fitting to talk a little bit with Hanan about our multi-faceted friend Juha as an extension of our reading.

Hanan and Ryan said that Juha was an intertwined part of their childhood. The stories were told by all people in all kinds of situations, much like the introduction stated. She said they were just "weird, little stories the old people told. There was always a donkey." They didn't really talk about the stories particularly fondly, but just as something that was. This lead to a conversation about other more beloved childhood stories: Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sleeping Beauty, and others.

They said these stories conveyed important lessons about success, discovery, and how to treat people. They told valuable lessons that were easier for children to understand and want to listen to. Of course, not all of the Juha stories we read were child-friendly, but I think there is a good deal of truth in our greater willingness to pay attention to interesting anecdotes, even as we get older.

I found the Tales of Juha to be interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable. I can imagine thinking fondly of them if my grandparent had told them to me, but as a newcomer to the Tales of Juha, I didn't find them particularly relatable or captivating. I do value them as insight into the important nature of storytelling, as well as  gaining a footing on Arabian cultural perspective.