it's been a long time since I was able to update anything... things have been hectic, and there's been a lot going on. here's an attempt at summarizing the past 4 weeks or so:
eilat
almost four weeks ago, we went to
eilat over the weekend. it was a very relaxing weekend, where we basically didn't do much at all. we arrived at around 1 am on thursday night (or well, friday morning), and it was somewhere around 40 degrees. ridiculous :)
I got to go on a camel ride and it was quite an exciting thing. first time I've actually gone riding (never done horses), and it was a cool experience. and driving home through the desert watching the sunset was really nice. took a lot of pictures, they'll come up later.
tiberias, sea of galilee and around
two weekends ago, we went to a small camping trip as a kind of farewell for one of my friends who's leaving soon. we went to places around
the sea of galilee, which has its historical importance, especially from the time of Jesus. we brought some excellent food (ribs, chicken, etc etc) for a lovely bbq, had a beautiful night, and took something like 1500+ shots. in about 24h. we were 10 people in 4 tents (3 + 2 + 1 + 1), and me and a friend slept outside under bare skies. it was the first time I'd ever done it (it's too cold to do it in sweden - even during summer!) so it was a really nice experience :)
we also coined a new phrase: someone having high "hopes and dreams and aspirations", said in a very indian accent :) it just turned into something that was constantly repeated... with a lot of laughter following.
we also made some visits to historical sites such as
bethsaida (at least the one of galilee, didn't know there were two); the jordan river, where Jesus was baptized; and also a Baha'i cemetary where Mirza Muhammad-Quli, Bahá'u'lláh's half-brother, is buried with his family. it was a really beautiful end to a really fun camping trip.
maintenance of the Holy Places
well back here, there was a presentation on how the Holy Places are maintained and restored. it was a really amazing presentation, that showed what amounts of care and effort go into taking care of our Holy Places. there were some beautiful pictures, and a lot of "before and after"-shots, and definitely not fake! I think all of us present got a completely new idea and connection to the Holy Places, just the understanding of what really goes into it all was absolutely breathtaking.
Ruhi
with a group of friends, we decided to go through the entire sequence of
Ruhi courses. the concepts in book 1 are fairly simple, understanding the Bahá'í writings, prayer and life and death, and despite having been through the book a number of times, there are always things that strike a chord in my mind. this time around it's specifically been two quotations that have sort of caught my mind and attention. the first one is one that I've had up
before, and again it's made me think of what I say:
A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning. It is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding...
the second one:
Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men.
here's how I explained this thought to a friend:
"it just hit a note with me that even though we are saying our prayers late at night and are just really, really tired and want to get over with it, we should still say our prayers in a way that will attract their hearts! to me it made me focus a lot more on what I say, even though I'm just by myself in my room at night and no one is really hearing what I'm saying. I should *still* say it in a way as if there are people around, and also that there will be others who can be affected by my prayers. interesting note..."
besides that, the group is utterly hilarious to be with. we talk a lot, we have a lot of fun, but we're still quite efficient and learning a lot.
tropic thunder
I saw the trailer of
tropic thunder, and wasn't too impressed. nevertheless, a bunch of friends said they were going to watch it, and I decided to tag along. and I don't regret it at all! I was laughing so much during pretty much the entire movie, and just loved it so much! unfortunately there was quite a fair amount of foul language and dirty jokes, but it was still sooooo much fun!
I think that'll be it for my summary of recent events. I will try to post a bit more thoughtful stuff soon, and a bit more pictures. there're a few thoughts and ideas more that I want to share...
and my parents are coming in a week! :)
