Bagpipes

I work at a place called Temple Square. I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are flowers as far as the eye can see and the architecture of the Salt Lake Temple and its surrounding buildings is amazing.

I was walking around the square tonight and a bagpiper was playing. I'm not sure what it is about the bagpipes, but I find them hauntingly beautiful. The rich sounds they emit stir my soul everytime. When they play songs such as Amazing Grace or Homeward Bound I cannot help but smile and feel a release of all tension. I've often been told the harp is the heavenly instrument...but I'm sure there are a few bagpipes around there, too. ;)

And what fascinates me the most about bagpipes is that they don't look like they could make the sounds they do. It is the most crazy looking contraption. It makes me wonder how in the world someone invented it. I'm feeling a Wikipedia search coming on.... ;)

Murder and Ice Cream

It's amazing the random tidbits of information you can learn in life. I found out the other day that statistics prove that when the sale of ice cream increases in a city so does the murder rate. Ice cream increases the likelyhood of getting killed?! I always heard that too much sugar caused cavities not people to go all psycho. The music from ice cream trucks is now beginning to sound creepy....

I guess this is all a false correlation. It is true that murder and ice cream sales increase together, but they say it's because it's hot and more people are outside...creating opportunity.

So, not the most uplifting post...but it fascinated me. I have to say I'm still a summer lover and ice cream is still good especially if it's in sandwich form or from Argentina.

My Afghani Neighbors

About a year ago, an elderly Afghani couple moved into the apartment next door to mine. Soon after they arrived, my roommate Melissa baked cookies and invited me to join her in welcoming this new couple. "Do they eat cookies?" I asked...having no idea what the diet was for Middle Easterners.

We knocked on the door and it was answered by the couple. We handed them the plate of cookies and they smiled. We introduced ourselves and they said "No English. Farsi." The wife was on the phone. She said something in Farsi and then handed the phone to Melissa. A little baffled, she said, "Hello?" It was their nephew who spoke English. He asked if he could help us with something. Melissa explained that we wanted to welcome his uncle and aunt and just wanted to drop off some cookies. He was surprised and grateful and began to explain about the family and where they are throughout the valley.

The entire conversation I listened, smiled at the couple and they smiled and nodded back. Melissa handed back the phone to the wife who said a few more things. The husband introduced himself as Omar Safid and his wife, Hamdam. They said "Thank you" many times (one of the few things they can say in English) and we parted.

They soon brought us a plate full of fruit. I made some pumpkin/chocolate chip bread for them. I began to realize that we couldn't communicate by speaking so we were communicating through food.

Then several months ago as I was about to leave for work, I heard something in the stairwell. Omar was being taken to the hospital. I was concerned, but I didn't know how to communicate that I would be happy to help if needed. I let the family focus on getting to the hospital and I left for work. Later that day, I got a small potted plant and gave a note to the family hoping that the nephew would translate.

A few days later, Omar was at my door with a boy of I would guess 14 or 15. Omar spoke in Farsi for several minutes as I listened. The boy then said, "He says 'Thank you.'" I smiled on the inside. I knew he had to have said a WHOLE lot more than that, but that crazy language barrier!! Omar handed me a card that thanked me for my kindness and then shook my hand. This I knew was a grand gesture because my understanding is that Middle Eastern men do not touch women very often. So, it was a show of respect to do something for me that was culturally American. I was just super glad he was okay.

So, I'm really growing to like this couple very much. I wrote them a thank you note and after talking to Melissa told them that I would like to invite them to dinner sometime in a month or so when Melissa returned from helping to clean up the oil spill in Alabama.

Well, months have passed and Melissa has not yet come home. So, dinner has been delayed. I went on vacation and then Omar and Hamdam left for several weeks. Just this week they returned and gave me a plate piled with sweet breads. I baked them a loaf of bread in return. Tonight they stopped by (they being Hamdam, her daughter in law that speaks English - and I can't remember her name (argh!) - and her cute granddaughter. They handed me a plate of Afghani food and said they wanted to give it to me at lunch but I was away. It smells heavenly and I can't wait to try it!

So...I am looking forward to having them over for dinner. I am a bit nervous because my shy bone really comes out when it's hard to communicate. It will be worth it, though. These seem to be some of the sweetest people I've met.

The 2-year+ sabbatical ends!/Play date with Olivia

So....it has been a while. Okay, that is probably an understatement. I was talking to someone tonight who said they had checked out my blog. My blog...I had almost forgotten! I did blog once and it was rather fun and refreshing. Why did I stop? There is a scripture that states there is a time and season for everything. I guess these last few years I have focused my time elsewhere.

Now, I know that the chance is slim to none anyone will read this (my small readership - I'm sure - abandoned me LONG, LONG ago), but as I read over my last few posts it brought back memories that had been stored away in my mental filing cabinet. And now, I think it's time to fill a few more drawers!!

I will start with my play date with my niece, Olivia....

So every few months I take my nephew or one of my nieces out on a play date. Olivia (now three) is finally old enough to go. I called her up on Friday and asked if she would like to go to a park with me the next day. "Aslkjfalfjasfd!" is seriously what I heard her say, or something thereabouts.... Ummm... Then, I heard her mom say, "Say yes." "Yes." That was English I understood. Yay!

We went to Article Circle and had corn dogs, french fries, and water. (Water you ask? This is how that went down.."Would you like root beer?" I ventured. "Water." "Are you sure you don't want root beer?" "Water." Who ever heard of a kid passing up pop for water? She clarified, "You like root beer. I like water." Got it...water it is!) We ate lunch talking about how she was a duck "Quack! Quack!" and I was a snake "Hsssssss!" We talked about the color of the cars in the parking lot. Our ages. "I'm three." "I'm...." (I have to find a way to swear her to secrecy. Three year olds can keep secrets, right??) ...and of course how good corn dogs are. We then grabbed our complementary ice cream cones and were off to the park...or the Living Planet Aquarium to be exact.

We were excited to see sea horses, cool transparent jelly fish that changed color with the rotating light of their aquarium, Utah fish, ocean fish, nemo fish, dori fish, the octopus, killer frogs (you know the purple dart ones), turtles, sharkes, sting rays and penguins. The penguins were definitely the hit of the day for Olivia.

My favorite was watching how excited she was. She would run from one aquarium window to another. "Ohhh!" she would say. She especially liked the shark tank because they would swim right in front of her face. She ran back to it three times. It amazes me how fascinating things are for children. "Look at that one!" "Yellow!" "Rainbow!" "The frog is hiding.... Oh! There it is!" It was one exclamation after another. It seemed like pure happiness for both of us.

Then it came time to pet the sting rays. "Want to put your hand in the water?" "No." That sure didn't last very long. I put my hand in then she put in her two. She started splashing...the fun had really begun. The sting rays would swim toward the splashing but when they approached her hands, they instantly came out of the water. She wanted me to pet the sting rays, though. "Oh, you missed," she would say if I didn't get my hand in the water fast enough.

We stayed to see the feeding of the sting rays - people actually pay $6 to get a bowl full of shrimp to feed the sting rays. They put the shrimp between their fingers and put their hands up against the wall of the tank. The sting rays then flatten themselves against the wall, swim over the hands and eat the shrimp. I was riveted...waiting for a little kid to shreak "It ate my finger!!" No such action.... I guess humans aren't tasty, but oh the opportunity. A little nerve racking I would say.

By then I was holding Olivia and she was burying her head in my arm. She was fighting sleep. We stopped to say good-bye to the octopus, squished a few pennies - getting a penguin penny for a souvenir, and then home. Olivia fell asleep within minutes in the car...but she told me she loved me first. The BEST part of the day.

I took her home and stayed a bit. She gave me a hug and asked if she could go home with me. I sadly said no. She gave me a hug and went outside to play.

What a superb moment! I love my niece!!