Familiar Strangers

Yesterday, I don't know, for some reason I started to think back to one particular sweet old lady who didn't know how to speak English all that well but still managed to make the best Asian Stir Fry I have had to date.

Everyday, I would walk into Washburn's crappy cafeteria, and everyday there was never anything good to eat. And believe me, I'm not a picky eater.

So, I ate her stir fry each time. At the beginning she was really bad in her pronunciation of certain things like "water chestnuts" which was completely unintelligible. So for the longest time, I never had certain items in my stir fry. Slowly I would ask her to add in more and more vegetables.

Baby corn, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper....yes, eventually the water chestnuts (I had no idea what they were until later).

I didn't realize that she would repeat each of these things after me, and later through the semester her English improved dramatically. At least her English of Stir fry. She would recognize me as I would step into line. Each time she saw it was me (whether I was next or at the end of the line) she would give me this big smile.

What is bugging me though is that I don't know her name, nor could I figure out where she is from. Eastern Europe? Italy?

I guess I'm sad that I may never know. It's awful how you can go through life and not really sit down and talk to the people you nod hello to everyday. Then again, it may be a character flaw on my part because I know it had passed through my mind at least once to ask her a question beyond, "How are you?"

But with anything in life, I have to use it as a lesson to learn. Next time, ask for their time. I know she would not have refused.

Losing Ground

I don't know, I kind of like this little poem:

"Get ready," whispered the Willow
to the Hollow Oak outside
whose magnificent leaves splashed
its colors far and wide

"The Gale is coming, it can
no longer wait."
"Why?" shuddered the Oak, deeply
saddened by its fate.

"I did nothing wrong, but the
wind howels so.
It would not be so bad, if I
could just take my roots and go."

"Don't be silly," snapped the Willow
and its proud stubborn vines,
"the Gale planted the seed of life
on the Earth from which you whine."

"Perhaps," pondered the Hollow Oak
"but which Gale decided to growl?
The gentle wind from the South, or the
icy North who is so foul?"

"The North of course," said the Willow
"but it shouldn't be so bad. Although
you're not me, so the experience
may not be like I had."

Suddenly the Oak rustled, it's leaves
began to shed.
They were plucked down painfully,
filling the Oak with dread.

It gained momentum and
shook the Oak to its core.
It whistled and screamed in
its rage and it roared.

Much of its meaning was lost.
To the Oak it meant nothing more,
but to dream of a place
that is worth pining for.

As the wind died down, the
Hollow Oaks' branches showed bare,
and it was no surprise that the
Willow's leaves were still there.

Little by little, the Hollow Oak's
roots came undone
as the Willow wept silently
for what is never mentioned.

Wishful Thinking

I was debating whether or not to write this amusing event that happened yesterday night at the library, mainly because if the person that it involves happens to come upon this and read it, it would be embarrassing for him.

But that chance would be slim to none.

Anyway, so I was studying for today's test yesterday at the library when this random guy began studying the books in between the stacks. My table was right next to those rows of shelves and, well, how convenient for him, the books were his excuse to stand there for about ten minutes.

After awhile, he sauntered upto my table and asked, "Do you mind if I join you, or are [unintelligable]?"

Of course, this threw me completely off because 1) I don't know him, 2) I sure as hell know he doesn't know me, and 3) he looked slightly derranged...really. I'm talking under the influence here.

"Sorry, what?" I asked.

Now, what gave him the excuse to take this as an opportunity to lean in real close to my ear and murmer, "I said, do you mind if I join you, or are you busy?"

"Oh. I'm busy," I said with a half smile. Ok, the truth is I was sooo glad he gave me that option. Because as some of my friends know, I have a hard time getting out of situations like these (although the answer ultimately would have been no anyway, it just made it that much easier).

So he stood back and seemed to ponder for a bit. Then once again he leaned in very close and said, "I just want to let you know that you are a very beautiful female."

It took me that much strength just not to roll my eyes right then and there. "Yeah, thanks." I said and looked back down at my notes hoping he would move on. "You're welcome," he replied and stood there for a few moments. With a sigh of relief, I sensed that he was leaving.

All of a sudden I heard a sudden thunk and "Oh! Ow!". I looked up just in time to see him reel back from what had apparently been a serious collision with the side of the stacks. He stumbled around the shelf and dissappeared.

At first, I didn't know how to react. I mean, that was talent. But I'll go with derranged. Because it looked like it was on purpose, yet why would somebody actually do that?

In the end I couldn't help it, I had to start laughing and laughing and laughing...

It's one of those things I guess you had to be there for to really get the craziness of it. But wow, that was one of the most interesting "pick up" encounters I've had to date.

Queens and Zombies

Just count on me to pick the day when I'm feeling like a zombie to write a post.

I slept at 12 and already was exhausted, so I did not appreciate it so much when I was woken up at 2 am and 6 am in the same night. And I couldn't go back to sleep after that, go figure.

Anyway, I think that last night's Nightline on Queen Rania was the highlight of my week. This woman is amazing in my opinion. I was planning to do a profile on her sometime later, but let me just say, I look up to her so much for inspiration.

It wasn't just Hollins University (my favorite undergrad institution on the entire planet) that changed me, but Queen Rania has taken a significant part in it too. Later, I will go into more details, but for now I will just say that the program was just a general interview on the Queen and nothing too significant in case you missed out.