Its been a few years since I've participated in Ramadan but this year, things changed. It was during my March trip to Morocco (a Muslim country), when I knew that things would be different this year. Given that its summer and fasting would last for 12 hours and considering all the other things going on - which of course people may consider as excuses - my idea was to put a twist on Ramadan. Ramadan is about self-control, will power, ridding ourselves of indulgences and bad habits, and also living without all the luxuries that have naturally become a part of our everyday lives, allowing us to focus on whats most important in life.
Many of my friends (and dad) have joined me in my mission to give something up for 30 days. We started our journey yesterday!
Items that have been given up: cursing, fried foods, cheese, soda, eating out, drinking, ice cream, desserts and beer.
Love my friends dearly for indulging me on my version of Ramadan. :)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Social Enterprise Association Spring Break in Morocco
Friday, March 12: NYC to Casa
Overnight flight to Casablanca. No sleep since my light was on the entire time and Royal Air Maroc could care less. Highlight: Libyan man sitting next to me shared his life story and was very excited to hear mine. Apparently the U S of A wronged him, so he laughed in the face of so called "freedom" and was heading back to his family.
Saturday, March 13: Casa
Volunteering at the Cultural Center for some. 5 mile hike to Hasan II Mosque, followed by lunch where cats roamed around, for others. VIP police escort to the Cultural Ceremony. Sat behind all the famous dudes and was constantly photographed for 2 hours. Its difficult being civilized for that long, though i'm pretty sure there are silly looking photos of me all over the Moroccan media. Mint tea break. Dinner at another local joint alongside cats where I almost lost my marbles.
Sunday, March 14: Casa-Rabat
Early departure from hotel for Service Project #2 in Rabat. Conference on How Youth can impact civil societies. Breakout sessions in the topics of Social Enterprise Business and Small Business Ventures. Lunch - our first yummy tangine. Group departs for Fes. Three others and I stay in Rabat for our meeting the next morning. Sightseeing - Medina (markets), Kasbah of the Oudaya, sunset on the terrace, mint tea and snacks. Mehndi by random ladies in the dark. Pizza for dinner and bed.
Monday, March 15: Rabat - Fes
Meeting with Director of Transparency International to learn about Morocco's economic state and fight against corruption. Amazing. Drive to Fes full of good talks and naps. More shopping in the Fes Medina, starting at the Blue Gate. Tried camel in the crazy meat market where they were beheading chickens before our very eyes. Spotted a goats head with blood all over it in some corner too. yikes. Dinner in the Medina - Cafe Clock and then Hotel Bartha for a bit.
Tuesday, March 16: Fes - Azrou - Midelt - Erfoud - Merzouga
All day scenic drive across the atlas mountains. Stop at a local market at our request. Lunch, roadside with a random flock of sheep. In Erfoud, scarf buying, switch from the bus to 4X4s and ride into the desert. Team Gold Star! Merzouga - dinner, bonfire, dancing and overnight under tent. fave memory: laying on the dunes with the stars above, singing A Whole New World....
Wednesday, March 17: Merzouga/Ouarzazate
430 wake up for a sunrise excursion to Dunes. My camel, Susie along with her friend George were lovely. Yes, we named our camels. We parked our camels, ran up the Dunes and waited for the sun to rise. Incredible. Breakfast, back on the bus, lunch in some touristy spot that looked like the Grand Canyon. Off to Ouarzazate (many movies were filmed here). Dinner in the local square and then hang out in Berber Palace (ridiculous hotel with Gladiator, etc movie stuff. apparently Brad Pitt stayed in these digs). Of course HBS was staying there.
Thursday, March 18: Ouarzazate- Marrakech
Sick emu :( Everyone toured AIT BENHADDOU while i slept on the hot bus. Upon Marrakech arrival, i rested more, everyone went out to the nighttime markets! So jealous, apparently it was madness. You tube should do the trick.
Friday, March 19: Marrakech
Half-day tour of Marrakech. Historic visit of Marrakech city:
- Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowers, reflecting the image of a beautiful Moorish construction built in 1866 for the dignitaries.
-The Koutoubia Minaret (the twin tower of la Giralda in Sevilla, Spain).
Some weird spice market where they sold us homeopathic randomness. Free time! Haggling in the markets. Poolside lounging. Dinner at a Riad with belly dancing and live music. Group night out.
Saturday, March 20: Marrakech - Casa
Morning shopping at government shops. Long bus ride to Casa. Last dinner at a fancy French restaurant. Round table ceremony and gift giving. Best meal ever.
Sunday, March 21:
Bye bye Morocco, Hello Spain!
Overnight flight to Casablanca. No sleep since my light was on the entire time and Royal Air Maroc could care less. Highlight: Libyan man sitting next to me shared his life story and was very excited to hear mine. Apparently the U S of A wronged him, so he laughed in the face of so called "freedom" and was heading back to his family.
Saturday, March 13: Casa
Volunteering at the Cultural Center for some. 5 mile hike to Hasan II Mosque, followed by lunch where cats roamed around, for others. VIP police escort to the Cultural Ceremony. Sat behind all the famous dudes and was constantly photographed for 2 hours. Its difficult being civilized for that long, though i'm pretty sure there are silly looking photos of me all over the Moroccan media. Mint tea break. Dinner at another local joint alongside cats where I almost lost my marbles.
Sunday, March 14: Casa-Rabat
Early departure from hotel for Service Project #2 in Rabat. Conference on How Youth can impact civil societies. Breakout sessions in the topics of Social Enterprise Business and Small Business Ventures. Lunch - our first yummy tangine. Group departs for Fes. Three others and I stay in Rabat for our meeting the next morning. Sightseeing - Medina (markets), Kasbah of the Oudaya, sunset on the terrace, mint tea and snacks. Mehndi by random ladies in the dark. Pizza for dinner and bed.
Monday, March 15: Rabat - Fes
Meeting with Director of Transparency International to learn about Morocco's economic state and fight against corruption. Amazing. Drive to Fes full of good talks and naps. More shopping in the Fes Medina, starting at the Blue Gate. Tried camel in the crazy meat market where they were beheading chickens before our very eyes. Spotted a goats head with blood all over it in some corner too. yikes. Dinner in the Medina - Cafe Clock and then Hotel Bartha for a bit.
Tuesday, March 16: Fes - Azrou - Midelt - Erfoud - Merzouga
All day scenic drive across the atlas mountains. Stop at a local market at our request. Lunch, roadside with a random flock of sheep. In Erfoud, scarf buying, switch from the bus to 4X4s and ride into the desert. Team Gold Star! Merzouga - dinner, bonfire, dancing and overnight under tent. fave memory: laying on the dunes with the stars above, singing A Whole New World....
Wednesday, March 17: Merzouga/Ouarzazate
430 wake up for a sunrise excursion to Dunes. My camel, Susie along with her friend George were lovely. Yes, we named our camels. We parked our camels, ran up the Dunes and waited for the sun to rise. Incredible. Breakfast, back on the bus, lunch in some touristy spot that looked like the Grand Canyon. Off to Ouarzazate (many movies were filmed here). Dinner in the local square and then hang out in Berber Palace (ridiculous hotel with Gladiator, etc movie stuff. apparently Brad Pitt stayed in these digs). Of course HBS was staying there.
Thursday, March 18: Ouarzazate- Marrakech
Sick emu :( Everyone toured AIT BENHADDOU while i slept on the hot bus. Upon Marrakech arrival, i rested more, everyone went out to the nighttime markets! So jealous, apparently it was madness. You tube should do the trick.
Friday, March 19: Marrakech
Half-day tour of Marrakech. Historic visit of Marrakech city:
- Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowers, reflecting the image of a beautiful Moorish construction built in 1866 for the dignitaries.
-The Koutoubia Minaret (the twin tower of la Giralda in Sevilla, Spain).
Some weird spice market where they sold us homeopathic randomness. Free time! Haggling in the markets. Poolside lounging. Dinner at a Riad with belly dancing and live music. Group night out.
Saturday, March 20: Marrakech - Casa
Morning shopping at government shops. Long bus ride to Casa. Last dinner at a fancy French restaurant. Round table ceremony and gift giving. Best meal ever.
Sunday, March 21:
Bye bye Morocco, Hello Spain!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
something to think about
while thinking about how to better your life...consider some of the thoughts below. ill definitely be working on a good amount of these myself.
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer and reflection
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
Personality:
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day ---- and while you walk, smile.
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do; keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Community:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right things.
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Forgiveness heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not the least:
40. Enjoy LIFE
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time for prayer and reflection
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
Personality:
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day ---- and while you walk, smile.
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do; keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Community:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right things.
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Forgiveness heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not the least:
40. Enjoy LIFE
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