Whale Vision

Is it not curious, that so vast a

being as the whale should see the world

through so small an eye?

-Moby Dick

Lemongrass & Relationships

I planted a few small lemongrass seeds last summer, and I was told I had to wait at least a year before they would bear any fruit. Patiently I waited and tended to my seeds, watering them through fall, winter and spring. Trying to understand what they needed, understand what made them grow, and what made them stagger.

During all this time, I had no guarantee from my lemongrass seeds that they would actually blossom, that they would, by the end of that year and all effort, present themselves to me in their glory. Hope is what watered them and patience is what nourished them.

Summer is here again and my seeds are now proud long stems of lemongrass with the sweetest citrus scent, and I tend to them with gratitude, for as I nurtured them into what they were destined for, I am now nurtured in return.

Untitled

If I were to try and explain how I felt,
no words or books would suffice to verbally express.
And if I were to surrender like the man that knelt,
before that which hurt him, under the Cypress.
Man would still roar in anger as my feelings are emptied.

If you were to bear the weight of my vessel,
No wells could fill it nor strength carry.
But should you give me a gift, then make it a nestle,
To still the howling winds and our hatchet bury.
Man would still roar in anger though my vessel not emptied.

Gibran on "Love"

When love beckons to you, follow him
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you, believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

---

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks to yet another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

By: Kahlil Gibran
excerpt from The Prophet

Tagalicious

Diligent Candy has decided I need to reveal all by tagging me.

20 years ago I . . .
1. Talked too much, and like they say, some things never change.
2. Wore mittens in the summer, and threw them off in the winter.
3. Loved to listen to my mother reading me A thousand and one nights out loud and cutting out all the juicy parts.

10 years ago I . . .
1. was a teenager
2. was a hippy
3. was a chicken-eating vegetarian. I like to call it a desitarian. One just cannot give up chicken if one is Pakistani, believe me, I tried.

5 years ago I . . .
1. Got my first poem published
2. Was hungry and looking for a place that was open late at night in Lahore, Pakistan, only to end up in the Red Light District… not the meal I was expecting.
3. Visited Ireland and a breathtakingly beautiful place where one of the scenes in Braveheart was shot.

3 years ago I . . .
1. Went up a hill in Petra, Jordan on a donkey
2. Roamed the streets of Cairo looking for ice cream yet ending up in a perfume sellers shop where he tried to lure me to Fayyoum to “smell his flowers.”
3. Left Damascus with 144 kg of luggage and an equally heavy heart.

1 year ago I . . .
1. Got a job offer I couldn’t refuse
2. I first saw the Mona Lisa (La Giaconda) and thought, “Oh, is that it?”
3. Hosted Scandinavia’s biggest Eid Festival.

So far this year I . . .
1. found a “treyer”
2. that brought me “pleyer”
3. beyond any “meyer”(lol)

Yesterday I . . .
1. dreamt I was in Australia looking for lassi (the yoghurt drink, not dog)
2. forgot to have dinner
3. realised how ungrateful I am. To have my loved ones alive with me in good health, is a blessing and what more could one ask for.

Today . . .
1. Ti
2. Amo
3. Molto

Tomorrow. . .
1. Ti
2. Amo
3. Tuttavia

In the next year I will . . .
1. look back and smile at this year
2. get more than I asked for
3. still be blogging. See you then!

God willing

Four people I am tagging: Buj, D rebel , CG and Kaya

The world's first lie detector

I came across La Bocca della Veritá (Italian for The Mouth of Truth) in Rome. It is remembered as the world's first lie detector. It is part of the exterior of the church Chiesa di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, and used to be an ancient drain.

According to legend, if you stick your hand in the mouth while telling a lie, it will be bitten off. In order to perpetuate the myth, it is said that priests used to place scorpions inside. A famous scene in the movie world where that happens can be found in Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.

5 reasons to "Go Wahabi"

1. If you happen to be a woman and still not gotten that driver's license although you're way past 25, don't fret. According to Wahabism in Saudi you ain't allowed to drive anyway so no more feeling embarrassed about your lack of license, instead you will gain the respect of your fellow Wahabis in not only not driving, but not knowing how to drive as well. What piety! (Arab News article here)
   
2. If you're a man and you really wanna save money, Wahabism is the way to go. How you ask? Well, you can use your old pants, or even your younger sibling's or children's pants, because they are supposed to be short on you and reach just above your ankles. Now you don't have to feel embarrassed that you look like Steve Urkel, and also, imagine the money you save being able to use the pants you once wore when you were 12?
   
3. If you're a girl and you happen to be lazy, I have the solution for you. Go Wahabi. Next time your mom tells you to go to the shop to buy milk you can simply say "Mom, I am not allowed to leave the home without a male member (mahram) of the family accompanying me". Now your brother will have to go every time while you sit at home chilling. Great isn't it?
   
4. If you're a woman who is conscious about protecting your skin from ageing or even cancer, well then there is no better sun screen than wahabilotion. Make sure you find a nice thick cloth (preferably black and synthetic so you sweat to death in the 50 degree sunshine) and cover your whole body and face, one eye is allowed open for the sake of seeing where you're going although popping on a pair of black sunglasses will enhance the look. No wrinkles, no cancer.
   
5. Last but not least, to all the unmarried girls out there who are tired of feeling compelled to exercise and learn Pilates, yoga (haram haram) and aerobics, Wahabism has catered to your needs. Like in schools in Saudi Arabia where exercise is forbidden for girls so as not to make their hymen break out of "strenuous activity", you can now feel good about popping that Hershey Bar in your mouth while flicking the channels on the satellite dish. (Arab News article here)

And they say Wahabism is oppressive to women! Look at all the perks...

Swedish National Day

Today, June 6th (060606 scaryyyy), is the official Swedish National Day. I say official because it wasn't always so. It used to be called "The Day of The Swedish Flag", but as from 1983 it was established as our National Day and everyone gets a day off from work or school from 2005.

Any reason to celebrate and eat cake is fine with me! And as you can see from the picture, that is exactly what I did today.

Do you speak snake?

Or was it called parsel tongue?

Well, Harry Puttar* might wanna get down to India and figure this one out, for I sure as hell can't.

According to Press Trust of India and a recent article in the Swedish news paper Dagens Nyheter, a woman, Bimbala Das aged 30, fell in love with a snake, and married him.

Well I know it's hard to find a decent bloke out there, but come on?

2000 wedding guests. A bride in a beautiful silk saari. A King Cobra that refuses to come out of the ant hill that is his home, to partake in his own wedding. Maybe he had cold ssssskin? Instead a brass statue was placed before the bride, representing the love of her life.

-Even if snakes don't talk we can communicate in a special way, Bimb(o)la Das claims.

The bride in question has now moved into a hutt next to the ant hill. I am guessing she is living with her in-laws in traditional Desi style. Mama in-law, a cobra. I will leave you to ponder over that last allegory.

I wonder, was it love at first ssssssssssight?

* Puttar is punjabi for son

The picture is of India's first female snake charmer, Imrana Mukhtar.

Poll result: Pepsi vs. Coke

This must be so far, the most useless poll I have put up, yet, the one most people have replied to. Anyways there is apparently a difference in taste. There Sam, it has been established.

Ah well. Do vote in my next poll, is Fanta tastier than Sprite?

Just kidding...

Next Poll: The world's first pair of jeans were made of...?