thanks, naira and yonatan, for your concern.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Shab-e-Barat
I'm still not clear as to the origins of this religious festival, but Shab-e-Barat, ( also known as 'All Souls Day' as well as the 'Day of Atonement') is an Islamic occasion that is solely celebrated in the subcontinent. Classical muslims (as Jonathan calls the Arabs... although I'm still not clear as to why I can't be a classical muslim) apparently do not celebrate this occasion. In fact Wahabis even denounce our celebration of it. The tradition of Shab-e-Barat is that on the 15th of Shaban (arabic calendar) we make halwa (a kind of sweet dish made with fruits or vegetables or nuts etc. boiled in sugar) which we exchange with our neighbours and relatives, feed the poor, light candles and incense, pray for the dearly departed, and pray for our own atonement. The myth of Shab-e-Barat is that on this day, God writes down the path that we are to take for the next one year in some ominous volume of the book of destiny and on this night we are given an opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness (hence the name 'day of atonement'). It also said that on this day the souls of our beloved dead descend on Earth to see how we're faring ('all souls day').
I can see why ultra-conservative muslims would denounce it, in that there's no mention of it in the Quran (except for a vague inkling in Sura Dukhan) and also because apparently the celebratory rituals are reminiscent of the Hindu practice of Diwali and this amalgamation was started by the Mughal emperor Akbar in order to create a harmonious balance between Hindus and Muslims in the subcontinent. However, I personally see no wrong in devoting a day to renewing ties with neighbours and relatives, feeding the poor and destitute, remembering the dearly departed, and just praying. I guess this is one of those fuzzy boundaries where religion meets culture.
So yesterday was Shab-e-Barat, and it was halwa galore: my mother made chickpea halwa and egg halwa, our cook made papaya halwa and semolina halwa, I made peanut halwa and strawberry cream cheese mousse (for anyone who wanted a break from all the halwa!). We distributed semolina halwa and naan bread in some city slums, and then the halwas started pouring in from the neighbours and aunts and uncles, and we had to quickly send out ours (I guess we were a bit late as you're supposed to send it before people go off for prayers). We usually arrange it in plates and decorate it with nuts and raisins and edible silver leaves. After all the distribution onus is over and done with, you are supposed to take a cleansing shower which is said to be symbolic of washing away your sins (and I know this is definitely not Islamic but very Bengali). Well, after the shower (which I took because I was in the hot kitchen not for my sins) we went over to my aunt's place, around 11 pm, where my other aunts and cousins had come over and we all prayed together (I have not prayed communally with my family since I left for NC so this was really nice). And then at 1 am we all went to the cemetery to pray at my grandmother's grave. On this night the cemetery, which is usually deserted, is filled with people visiting their unearthly beloved and is lit up with candles and lights, taking on a haunting but hallowed presence. We visited my grandmother, lit candles and incense around her grave, and prayed for her. I think I came home at 2 am. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful night.
I can see why ultra-conservative muslims would denounce it, in that there's no mention of it in the Quran (except for a vague inkling in Sura Dukhan) and also because apparently the celebratory rituals are reminiscent of the Hindu practice of Diwali and this amalgamation was started by the Mughal emperor Akbar in order to create a harmonious balance between Hindus and Muslims in the subcontinent. However, I personally see no wrong in devoting a day to renewing ties with neighbours and relatives, feeding the poor and destitute, remembering the dearly departed, and just praying. I guess this is one of those fuzzy boundaries where religion meets culture.
So yesterday was Shab-e-Barat, and it was halwa galore: my mother made chickpea halwa and egg halwa, our cook made papaya halwa and semolina halwa, I made peanut halwa and strawberry cream cheese mousse (for anyone who wanted a break from all the halwa!). We distributed semolina halwa and naan bread in some city slums, and then the halwas started pouring in from the neighbours and aunts and uncles, and we had to quickly send out ours (I guess we were a bit late as you're supposed to send it before people go off for prayers). We usually arrange it in plates and decorate it with nuts and raisins and edible silver leaves. After all the distribution onus is over and done with, you are supposed to take a cleansing shower which is said to be symbolic of washing away your sins (and I know this is definitely not Islamic but very Bengali). Well, after the shower (which I took because I was in the hot kitchen not for my sins) we went over to my aunt's place, around 11 pm, where my other aunts and cousins had come over and we all prayed together (I have not prayed communally with my family since I left for NC so this was really nice). And then at 1 am we all went to the cemetery to pray at my grandmother's grave. On this night the cemetery, which is usually deserted, is filled with people visiting their unearthly beloved and is lit up with candles and lights, taking on a haunting but hallowed presence. We visited my grandmother, lit candles and incense around her grave, and prayed for her. I think I came home at 2 am. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful night.
Monday, August 27, 2007
On the upshot
Well things have certainly settled down. I'm really impressed with the way the interim government is handling the situation. The curfew was lifted intermittently each day, progressively increasing the hours so that life can resume to some semblance of normalcy. But every night it was re-enforced with cellphones being turned off in order to prevent organized riots or protests. The upside was that, for the few days that we were trapped at home, my brother's friends, my cousin and his friends, and my sister and her hubby were all staying over. So we got a lot of food and movies and it was quite a party. I say I'm impressed because it instantly put an end to the riots but it was nevertheless claustrophobic. On the 2nd day, when the curfew was lifted for just 2 hours, EVERYONE was out on the streets! Unfortunately the uni I work at is still closed, but the private univs have re-opened. So I hope to start research work from tomorrow even though I can't get an appointment letter without DU re-opening. But if I don't start office tomorrow I will go out of my mind and I will drive Jonathan crazy too (if I haven't already).
Sunday, August 26, 2007
winter in rio . 33º
today i went to the beach after spending two days in petrópolis, the imperial city in the mountains. you can see more pictures here.
yes, jette, i bought a pair of silver havaianas, just like the ones elizabeth had in stanford. and i love them!...
Amazing!!!!
I have nothing to say and yet I am writing.
Well since I haven't heard from you guys in a while (except for Jette that I bugged for a few minutes today and Susana who I bugged for a few minutes yesterday and Naira who I constantly bug) I thought it would be a good time to tell some random things like the fact that I have a test in algorithms next Sun and I have to go on reserve duty to the army for a few days next weekend.
how about you guys?
Well since I haven't heard from you guys in a while (except for Jette that I bugged for a few minutes today and Susana who I bugged for a few minutes yesterday and Naira who I constantly bug) I thought it would be a good time to tell some random things like the fact that I have a test in algorithms next Sun and I have to go on reserve duty to the army for a few days next weekend.
how about you guys?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Greetings from planet Bangladesh
Here's a slice of my world: I came back and was looking forward to the monsoon rains, but was also feeling guilty about enjoying the rains due to the bad flood situash, and thought I would plunge into relief work once my paperwork and other chores subsided. I had to submit an application to 'resume duties' immediately as my leave had already run out. However my chairperson, being the paragon of bureaucracy, decided that the application had to be approved by an academic committee and until that I was not to take any classes. So I was to wait until an academic committee was formed (which depended on when various faculty members responded to the proposal of forming one for the aforesaid agenda). You have to love these government-run institutions and their convoluted web of red tape. In the meantime some senior teachers (who have long-standing issues of animosity with the chairperson) got whiff of all the unnecessary paperwork and decided to make my issue the crux of their political battles. And the battle raged for one and a half weeks while I sat in the sidelines and watched people yell at each other where my name was mentioned in every second syllable. However, by Saturday, things had been sorted out and I started planning the rest of this semester, in hopes of finishing my syllabus. Sunday I started classes and Tuesday they were to start full swing. Tuesday morning, I wake up to find in big bold letters in the morning paper: 'Dhaka University classes called off due to indefinite strike'. Apparently on Monday there was some petty skirmish between students and army personnel at a football match where the students were beaten up. This then led to riots and processions on campus whereby students and teachers clashed with the army and police. The Pro-VC and the proctor along with a huge number of students were injured and this led to further rioting all through Monday night. On Tuesday the riots escalated and spread throughout the country as students from other universities joined in the protest and all educational institutions had to be closed down. On Wednesday all the masses joined in and it became a free-for-all protest against the army all over the country to the extent that a country-wide indefinite curfew has been called. So I'm stuck at home on a forced paid leave, which is kind of nice because I need the break, but kind of claustrophobic as well. But what's really bothering me is the impediment to the flood relief work, as it is we're not being able to reach every one. For the sake of the flood-affected, I just hope all of this gets sorted out quickly although I don't see how. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day for the country... (Yes, yes I do come from a different world.)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
What is wrong with the world????
I just wanted to come home and get back to life easily.
but nnooooooooooooooo
everybody seems to have waited for my arrival to ask for all sorts of stuff:
mom needs a presentation
friends need programming assignment help
brother needs babysitting and someone to go to a show with the kids
other friends think it is essential that I go on a blind date this week
other friends think it is really not Ok that I can't go to Jerusalem this week to meet them
other friends want me to help plan a party
uuuuuuuuuuuuuffffffffffffffffff.
let me be. I can't even crap without the phone ringing.
love you guys.
but nnooooooooooooooo
everybody seems to have waited for my arrival to ask for all sorts of stuff:
mom needs a presentation
friends need programming assignment help
brother needs babysitting and someone to go to a show with the kids
other friends think it is essential that I go on a blind date this week
other friends think it is really not Ok that I can't go to Jerusalem this week to meet them
other friends want me to help plan a party
uuuuuuuuuuuuuffffffffffffffffff.
let me be. I can't even crap without the phone ringing.
love you guys.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Bus'io went to have therapy
Last Friday started early in the morning... The idea was to pick up Tom (my fellow PhD colleague and office-mate) and Uli at 6am and go to San Francisco to the APA (American Psychological Association) convention that is taking place from Friday until Monday.
Bus'io, as you well know is a car with a strong personality disorder and I was able to realize soon that it was decided not to move in that chilly August morning. To have a car like Bus'io is always a challenge.
The key didn't work (exactly as in the Tuolomne Meadows) and so I didn't manage to start the engine, even after trying for almost an hour... Bus'io kept its original willing of not leaving the parking lot that day.
I finally called the tow service and Bus'io is now in the garage to repair its personality disorder. Let's hope that Bobby (the therapist) can solve this problem...
I now totally understand Zach's issues with the "high maintenance" chick in Ithaca.
Bus'io, as you well know is a car with a strong personality disorder and I was able to realize soon that it was decided not to move in that chilly August morning. To have a car like Bus'io is always a challenge.
The key didn't work (exactly as in the Tuolomne Meadows) and so I didn't manage to start the engine, even after trying for almost an hour... Bus'io kept its original willing of not leaving the parking lot that day.
I finally called the tow service and Bus'io is now in the garage to repair its personality disorder. Let's hope that Bobby (the therapist) can solve this problem...
I now totally understand Zach's issues with the "high maintenance" chick in Ithaca.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
SKYPE IS ROOTED!!
Just for the record, so that we never forget this horrible time: I feel VERY let down by Skype!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dots & Stripes - the (now) happy bike!
Hi guys!
Do you remember Ana's bike? That little, tiny, reaaaaally small bike with lots of dots, stripes and a crazy dynamo light that Ana bought for $10 (or was it $15?!) in Davis?
Well... The bike was kind of sad because it was missing deeply its beloved owner and, as an unhelpful factor, it has been stopped, more precisely parked under the stairs... To cheer up the bike's mood, yesterday when I went running Susana took the bike for an astonishing 11km ride over the Davis greenbelt.
The ‘Dots & Stripes’ is now a happy bike that sends kisses and hugs to all gang, especially, of course, its much-loved and most missed Ana (aka 'Aniscas Pataniscas' or 'Aninhas Sardaniscas')...
See you guys soon!
Do you remember Ana's bike? That little, tiny, reaaaaally small bike with lots of dots, stripes and a crazy dynamo light that Ana bought for $10 (or was it $15?!) in Davis?
Well... The bike was kind of sad because it was missing deeply its beloved owner and, as an unhelpful factor, it has been stopped, more precisely parked under the stairs... To cheer up the bike's mood, yesterday when I went running Susana took the bike for an astonishing 11km ride over the Davis greenbelt.
The ‘Dots & Stripes’ is now a happy bike that sends kisses and hugs to all gang, especially, of course, its much-loved and most missed Ana (aka 'Aniscas Pataniscas' or 'Aninhas Sardaniscas')...
See you guys soon!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The world is small
So I met Zach in Ithaca.
And after a month of listening on his conversations with his girlfriend we were finally introduced
and lo and behold,
We know each other!
She lives really close to my hotel and last year we danced a few times swing when she used to go there with her previous boyfriend. it was quite awkward at first since I knew her in the context of her old boyfriend - but a few beers took care of that!
Isn't that freeky?
Y.
And after a month of listening on his conversations with his girlfriend we were finally introduced
and lo and behold,
We know each other!
She lives really close to my hotel and last year we danced a few times swing when she used to go there with her previous boyfriend. it was quite awkward at first since I knew her in the context of her old boyfriend - but a few beers took care of that!
Isn't that freeky?
Y.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Pixpixpix
Just in case you guys aren't in constant search of procrastination and therefore haven't noticed it yet: I've finally uploaded all my (view-worthy) pictures from Stanford, SF and Yosemite. When I get my next bad pang of saudade (G, that's the most important word in Portuguese, especially when you're away from people and places you love. No real translation. Work it out...) for you and need to look a the pictures again, I might re-sort them... if that seriously messes up links to particular pictures you've sent to people, let me know and I'll try to restrain myself - at least for a while.
It's not very likely to happen soon anyway. I have unbelievable amounts of work piling up, can't get around some of the reading that really needs to get done, and there still are hundreds of pictures from my pre-LSA Europe trip to be sorted and put online. Oh and this bloody Google womens scholarship... I guess some of you heard about my horrible Monday, where I had to write about 6000 words for this application, thought I'd never make it, my car battery finally died completely on me but I still had to drive the 30km to uni and hope I'd find someone who'd give me jump start later, I forgot the power supply for my macbook at home, started hating myself for my incredible slack-arsedness that never lets me start anything before it's actually too late (well, at least the pix are online now...), and finally heard that the deadline was extended by 6 days and that I only need to write 2500 words. Life was suddenly so beautiful for a couple of hours. I'm a sucker for deadline extensions! Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. Almost as much as I love you guys!
Btw, not sunny and warm here anymore, so I am getting a bit of "winter" after all - or at least what they call winter here. I might get to the snow one of these weekends, ha how fantastic would that be! And it's pretty much decided that I'll go climbing at Mt Arapiles in Victoria in September. That's THE climbing Mecca of Australia and I've never not had a great time there. Stuff uni! I don't care if I miss another 2 weeks. My motivation is below zero anyway, so I'm only getting depressed in this windowless dungeon.
Enough... someone else write something now!
Beijinhos, j
It's not very likely to happen soon anyway. I have unbelievable amounts of work piling up, can't get around some of the reading that really needs to get done, and there still are hundreds of pictures from my pre-LSA Europe trip to be sorted and put online. Oh and this bloody Google womens scholarship... I guess some of you heard about my horrible Monday, where I had to write about 6000 words for this application, thought I'd never make it, my car battery finally died completely on me but I still had to drive the 30km to uni and hope I'd find someone who'd give me jump start later, I forgot the power supply for my macbook at home, started hating myself for my incredible slack-arsedness that never lets me start anything before it's actually too late (well, at least the pix are online now...), and finally heard that the deadline was extended by 6 days and that I only need to write 2500 words. Life was suddenly so beautiful for a couple of hours. I'm a sucker for deadline extensions! Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em. Almost as much as I love you guys!
Btw, not sunny and warm here anymore, so I am getting a bit of "winter" after all - or at least what they call winter here. I might get to the snow one of these weekends, ha how fantastic would that be! And it's pretty much decided that I'll go climbing at Mt Arapiles in Victoria in September. That's THE climbing Mecca of Australia and I've never not had a great time there. Stuff uni! I don't care if I miss another 2 weeks. My motivation is below zero anyway, so I'm only getting depressed in this windowless dungeon.
Enough... someone else write something now!
Beijinhos, j
Sunday, August 12, 2007
bike riding - take II
Yesterday I also had a memorable bike riding... but for the opposite reasons. My beautiful more-than-perfect-Funk'enstein was riding happily through the parking lot in front of the ARC (activities and recreation center), on my way from home to the office, when I needed to brake to avoid a Funk’enstein-car collision… What happened, you may ask? The only brake that Funk’enstein has available suddenly broke and I didn’t manage to stop. Fortunately, because Davis is this peaceful community – although not as gorgeous as Ithaca – the guy managed to stop and avoid the mentioned collision.
Apart from this episode, we also had a very interesting lunch-experience in the Davis Farmer’s Market (as you can see, although far way, the gang keeps in synch). Susana, Uli and I went there to have an Afghani lunch. We bought some stuff and ended up seating in the grass of the Central Park to enjoy the magnificent food. I was just reliving some of our meals while on the gang-yosemite-tour.
Miss you guys!
rui
Apart from this episode, we also had a very interesting lunch-experience in the Davis Farmer’s Market (as you can see, although far way, the gang keeps in synch). Susana, Uli and I went there to have an Afghani lunch. We bought some stuff and ended up seating in the grass of the Central Park to enjoy the magnificent food. I was just reliving some of our meals while on the gang-yosemite-tour.
Miss you guys!
rui
@ ipanema
yesterday i felt so disappointed (desperate!) 'cause i couldn't access the internet with my (gorgeous) laptop. how would i survive two weeks like this?!... but, you know, i've just discovered that i can access a non-secure wireless account from my room. thanks, fatal_escritorio!
so, about my morning... breakfast at 7 - bread, cheese and fruits - and two hours walking on praia de ipanema and lagoa rodrigo de freitas. i'm right in the middle of the two!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
New link for Yosemite photos
Tada - here comes the first blog post OF MY LIFE. Another thing I thought I didn't need before LSA. Now I'm a facebooker and a blogger - and I like America. I'm a changed woman!
Jonathan must be spending about as much time looking for stuff online to procrastinate as I am spending putting stuff online to procrastinate... he found the Y pix before I could change the album name.
I've changed the link now to www.jettte.net/g1/Yosemite2007
I'm in the process of uploading more pictures and re-arranging everything (again), so the easiest way to keep track of the pix is to go to www.jettte.net/g1/Stanford2007 - all subfolders will be linked in there.
Jonathan must be spending about as much time looking for stuff online to procrastinate as I am spending putting stuff online to procrastinate... he found the Y pix before I could change the album name.
I've changed the link now to www.jettte.net/g1/Yosemite2007
I'm in the process of uploading more pictures and re-arranging everything (again), so the easiest way to keep track of the pix is to go to www.jettte.net/g1/Stanford2007 - all subfolders will be linked in there.
Jette posted Yosemite pictures!
source: http://www.jettte.net/g1/album05/Y4_at_the_camp_14
source: http://www.jettte.net/g1/album05/Y7_last_day_07
Bike riding
Hi guys,
just watned to tell you I just got back from a great bike trip around Ithaca around Cayuga lake, during which we (Prof and yours truely) stopped at a farmer's market and devoured a whole rib! man that was good!
Ithaca is so beautiful people! saw so much water - lakes, gorges, creeks. highly recommended!
Y.
just watned to tell you I just got back from a great bike trip around Ithaca around Cayuga lake, during which we (Prof and yours truely) stopped at a farmer's market and devoured a whole rib! man that was good!
Ithaca is so beautiful people! saw so much water - lakes, gorges, creeks. highly recommended!
Y.
Friday, August 10, 2007
very interesting!
i'm in!...
tomorrow i'll be flying to brazil and i'll start posting news from the winter of rio de janeiro.
a
tomorrow i'll be flying to brazil and i'll start posting news from the winter of rio de janeiro.
a
A blog for the GANG
Dear all,
Gangsters,
I was wondering about an idea to keep the gang in touch (apart from the endless other resources that we have already implemented to miss each other as less as possible - emails, skype, gtalk, etc.)... And the blogang-idea came by!
First, I thought about making a Picasa account to have photos from the gang at the LSA and Yosemite, and also to have photos that each gang member would want to share with the gang community... Afterwards I realized that a blog with various authors (as many as the gang members) would be far more interesting. And this is it!
This is THE BLOG OF THE GANG... A gang that emerged spontaneously in the Stanford-LSA complex social/relational networks and is here to last, to keep hanging around in the years to come (Lisbon next year, the following LSA in Berkeley, etc.). A gang of a bunch of linguistics researchers and a psychology researcher that more than anything else are beautiful and interesting people that know that life is pleasant and that among the most important sources of happiness is friendship, specially the surprisingly and fascinating relationships that are unexpected. To meet special people is always… Special!
So, the blog isn’t just reporting from the intense LSA experience (long lasting memories will remain), but also to prepare the next year's gang reunion in Lisbon, with lots of sardines, beer and wine, and everything else that is gang-relevant. That is, we can take the blog as a resource to the gang community, posting messages and pics that we want to share among us...
Does this sound interesting?
rui
Gangsters,
I was wondering about an idea to keep the gang in touch (apart from the endless other resources that we have already implemented to miss each other as less as possible - emails, skype, gtalk, etc.)... And the blogang-idea came by!
First, I thought about making a Picasa account to have photos from the gang at the LSA and Yosemite, and also to have photos that each gang member would want to share with the gang community... Afterwards I realized that a blog with various authors (as many as the gang members) would be far more interesting. And this is it!
This is THE BLOG OF THE GANG... A gang that emerged spontaneously in the Stanford-LSA complex social/relational networks and is here to last, to keep hanging around in the years to come (Lisbon next year, the following LSA in Berkeley, etc.). A gang of a bunch of linguistics researchers and a psychology researcher that more than anything else are beautiful and interesting people that know that life is pleasant and that among the most important sources of happiness is friendship, specially the surprisingly and fascinating relationships that are unexpected. To meet special people is always… Special!
So, the blog isn’t just reporting from the intense LSA experience (long lasting memories will remain), but also to prepare the next year's gang reunion in Lisbon, with lots of sardines, beer and wine, and everything else that is gang-relevant. That is, we can take the blog as a resource to the gang community, posting messages and pics that we want to share among us...
Does this sound interesting?
rui
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