Thursday, March 25, 2004

Random stuff...

As most of you may or may not know... I've had a few life altering events in my life over the course of the last year or so. Someone that didn't know me very well might accuse me of 'growing up', but those of you that DO know me know that's not very likely.

However, that being said, I do feel a little less "lost". Not so much lost in the sense that I didn't know where I was, but at a loss for what to do next. I had gone through so many false starts that I just seemed to be stuck, and had no clue what direction to try next, and had nearly NO motivation to even TRY.

Needless to say, that changed; I made some extreme choices, and the next thing you know, I'm halfway around the world, and expecting our first child...

To say that my life has been a whirlwind in the past 20 years would be a good contender for
"Understatement of the Year".

Anyway... the main purpose of this post is to let you know of some recent realizations I've made, and my reactions to them. First, is my realization that I truly would like to learn more about the culture around me. I deal with the Arabic culture nearly every day, and would like gain a better understanding of it. I was at the airport last night, dropping off one person, picking up another, and watched the different nationalities greeting people as they arrived. Most obvious is the things these people due to greet loved ones and acquaintances: the Arabic check-to-cheek (left-right-left), or hug/belly bump (same order:left-right-left), and another one I had never seen before; I think they were Indian or maybe Sri Lankan; they would shake hands, then touch their heart. I watched a group of young men meet another as he came down the walkway, and they all took turns in this greeting.

So what I've decided to do is try to actually learn the Arabic language a bit. I can mutter my way through basic greetings, and a thank you here and there... but nothing really conversational. So I've picked up some software and audio CDs... I'll let you know how this goes...

Secondly is I've decided to get back in to Tai Chi. I started doing this many years ago when I broke my shoulder... I was doing basic movements while in a swimming pool... then again a few years when an instructor needed a website. He offered free classes for me, but I was never able to attend, due to my hectic schedule. However, both of these brief forays into this martial art really made me want to learn more. I've been putting it off for years, so it's time I "just did it".

Well, this is the longest post I've managed in a long time, but I've got to cut it short. I've been uploading and organizing pictures at the Gallery, and I'll harass Shelley into uploading anything she's got as well.



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