I saw myself in a dream. I held out a daisy shoulder height. The smoke seemed to clear away into chaos in every corner of my view. Everything happened so fast but I was breathing so slowly. A man who appeared to be running toward me was only moving at a snails pace. The expression on his face was as calm as mine, but we were outcasts. The rest of the people were in a panic, they all seemed to be pointing at this man’s outfit. I thought, why? Why are these people discriminating this man on the basis of his dress? That’s wrong. I think I’ll give this man a flower. My hand was already in his direction when he came to me. When we met he gave me a hug. He thanked me for the flower and wouldn’t let go. I could understand him perfectly without hearing a word. I felt his clothes heavy. I said it must be hot. He said he was comfortable, but just needed a hug because he was scared. I asked him why he couldn’t hug his mother? He said she wasn’t here. I asked why he couldn’t hug his wife? He said she wasn’t here. I asked about his children, any? I felt his head shake on my shoulder again. By this time I could feel my shoulder getting damper, so I hugged tighter and assured him I wouldn’t let go. He told me he was sorry. I asked what for? He hadn’t done anything to hurt me. I only felt his head shake again. I know why he was so scared. Everyone around us was creating all this chaos and kept pointing and screaming at us.

I blinked, but only half way. I got to part when my eyes close, but I forgot to open them up. And then the man and the chaos was gone. Was it the only way?

I haven’t done this in a while but routine is kicking in. Thankfully, I’m staying focused on what I need to do.

Recently, I have decided that a great way to get some international experience is to volunteer for an international project with Habitat for Humanity. The projects usually last for two weeks, so I feel this will be a realistic goal for next summer, only a number of months before my graduate and Peace Corps applications are due. I feel like I could do some good things with fundraising for it, while making donations at the same time. I came across this idea when I decided to get a group together to do Habitat for a Saturday.

Another thing I came across was a possible fellowship with Greenpeace. This would be amazing and precisely what I’m interested in. They have fellowships in NYC and SF, so I’m trying to get some more information about them.


Onto this article. This was the front page of the Times a couple of weeks ago. I just find it peculiar. Those of us who have never been outside the US can only assume what people are like elsewhere by looking at the tragedy of generalization. This is faintly progressive in the eyes of the reader, and one can only hope such intolerance is just that; a tragic generalization.

But then there are the facts. The court dismissal, the school teacher, and Tony Blair’s quote. Columnist David Sexton??? “...abusive, a walking rejection of all our freedoms.” Did this guy think before he wrote this? I might have been under the impression that religion, in a democratic state, was a choice, and the Muslim women CHOOSING to where the clothes were making their own choices. Silly me though. Ironic intolerance.