Narcissism

God, I just looked at my blogger profile that I set up in 2008...

and it is fucking awesome. I'm still into all of those things, and I would really love to know me! Good to know that I still feel good about the me that I was back then. Der.

Have to reinvigorate the creative spark here. Have to write and maybe take a calculus course. Need the maths and the wonder. Must keep learning.

Amok

The saying "Running amok" is a Balinese word describing a battle technique of suddenly going insanely wild against one's enemies in suicidal and bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Talk about the random facts that one learns by just reading a book. This little tid-bit was in the book Eat, Pray, Love. You should read this book because even if you can't relate to the character's personal or physical journey it is a true gem of whit and so well written that everyone will enjoy.

I had never wondered where this phrase comes from even though I use it regularly to describe crazy children or other people or things that are out of control. I wasn't using exactly correctly, but not far off. Tons of words we use are French, German, Spanish and even Latin. I would have never guessed a Balinese origin. Balinese is one of the hardest languages to learn, so if there's only one word you learn, your lucky because you already know this one.

Electric skies

Summer is officially here.  Every night the storm clouds have been rolling in and treating us to roaring thunder, electric skies, high winds and an occasional tornado.  I like a good storm every once in awhile when I don't have to travel and look nice at my final destination.  I don't have curly hair, but the humidity manages to make my stick straight hair wave in all the wrong directions.  I feel like every day after work its a race to beat the storm, or stay in place to let it pass.  At least if this continues I will get to continue taking showers and things will stay green.  Its much better than the droughts that sometimes hit this area.  People keep pointing out to me however that the storms this time around are much more intense.  After three days of observation, I agree.  Can we blame this one on "global warming" and carbon emissions or is it just a weather cycle?  (Environmentalists please chime in here. ) 

I wish I had a porch so I could watch the storms, falling asleep listening to the rain.  In my DC apartment I'll have to settle for an open window.  

But if the real storms aren't enough for you may I suggest a sound machine with a thunderstorm feature.

Golden Triangle Ambassador Business District

I thought that the only golden triangle I would find myself exploring this year was the golden triangle in north eastern India.  But since my trip to India was postponed, thank god I have the business renovation and rejuvenation program in downtown dc...

I've been to Dupont many times and I've been to downtown, the foggy bottom area, and even the "golden triangle" though I never knew I had been there before.  Its where the national geographic museum is located!  The project is going ok, the place is starting to look nice.  There are lots of nice stores and places to buy expensive jewelry, oriental rugs and yes, an abundance of lunch only sandwich shops and frozen yogurt places.  Do not go to the area at night if you want to eat or even grab a cup of coffee...the only things that are "happenin" after 5pm are DC Improv and Washington Sports Club.  DC Improv is great, but I suggest actually going to see real comedians, I went to the lounge to see a show where lawyers (yes real lawyers) attempted to be funny.  I guess some of them were and with my one very strong drink under my belt as the night progressed they actually were funny.  They serve food, so if you find yourself in the triangle past 5pm and are desperate for sustenance and don't think you can walk the few blocks north to Dupont the land of restaurants, pop into the lounge. 

So they've created another neighborhood to further divide the district, but if you go exploring there after hours fill up before you make the march.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on the business ambassador progress of the triangle.

Nothing to do

During this period of “I have nothing to do” in my life, I have managed to completely fill my calendar. Ok, not completely, but what started as a joke google shared events calendar has legitimately become a jam packed social life and just plain life. My nights for the last week:

Sat: Drove to Raleigh, NC; Brother’s Wedding Shower
Sunday: Drove back from NC during the day; Driving range date, watched a movie
Monday: Best buy; bought plane tickets to Amman; organized life/paid bills etc
Tuesday: Dinner with Dad
Wednesday: night of crazy multi-tasking—cleaned apartment, laundry, cleaned room, made no-bake cookies, worked out and read my book
Thursday: Ballet
Friday: Comedy Club
Saturday: Lazy River Tubing

And somewhere in there I believe I will be Karaokeing and eating crabs.

Yes Liz, you have nothing to do, you only work 8 hrs a day and have something to do every night!

So if you are a new college grad like me and have “nothing” to do and can’t handle that, because you were used to spending 22hrs a day studying, trying to used the MIT sleep method to periodically nap to survive here are my suggestions or suggestions others have given me:
1. Create a google shared events calendar

• research everything there is do due in DC. Valuable sources are the Washington post.com, think tank websites, universities (speakers and cool seminars), Smithsonian, word of mouth.
• share the calendar with your friends so that everyone can join in.

2. Get into shape the fun way

• Join a gym, take fitness, dance or yoga classes –sign up for a session or do drop in classes. My roommates and I are going to take yoga classes together. Katie has beaten us all to it and already gotten her a** beaten in her first session of 90, 110 degree yoga. There are even classes like Bollywood dance.

3. Roommate night—Have one night a week where your roommates meet up to have dinner, go to the movies, happy hour or just explore your neighborhood. You could even make that the time you go grocery shopping. Everyone loves Whole Foods; it’s like a social event!
4. Girls’ night. It’s only been successful a few times, but we designated Wednesday night happy hour/girls night. We’ve made it to a wine tasting and saw Sex and the City.
5. Housewarming party—even when you haven’t just moved in, a party that takes on the ambiance of a housewarming party—dessert, alcohol, charades, board games maybe?
6. Create a restaurant guide
7. Learn how to cook
8. Or at least take up a hobby. (This is what Jon suggests.)
9. No not just reading, but read…create a list
10. Join the public library so your amazon account does not empty your savings account
11. Explore the neighborhoods around you and attempt to find every place that has free wireless and coffee
12. Walk everywhere, or bike. Its healthy and it takes time.
13. Join netflicks.
14. Become a social coordinator for your friends.
15. Write a blog.

The list could go on.

I’m fleeing the country for two weeks and going to Jordan and Israel, however I feel that even if I wasn’t leaving I would have something to do every day. I don’t know if it’s a complex, but I really don’t like doing nothing. Even if it’s nothing I say it’s something.
I probably need to work on this neurosis, but I’m trying to fit in as much of life as I can and this is the result!

Ulf--the ladies man ;)

Looking through the photos from parents weekend that my parents recently, FINALLY gave me I couldn't help but return to this photo.  From parents weekends, birthdays, dress fittings, tearing up the dance floor at graduation, bubbles, moving to NH excursions and so much more he has brought the Swede out in all of us!  

While not in DC now, he will return to visit, so DC watch out, practice your Swedish...until then there is Lingo ;)

We love you!

Nacre

"What is Nacre? Literally, Nacre is the fluid which brings a pearl to life. The pearl — that exquisite specimen of priceless beauty and desire — will only begin to form a nucleus if an irritant happens to enter an oyster. This disturbing influence then stimulates this fluid within the oyster known as Nacre, which will proceed to cover the nucleus one layer at a time. As these layers of Nacre envelope the nucleus and keep multiplying, the pearl takes shape. Just as the pearl is created layer by layer, we, too, grow one layer at a time. The difficulties which each of us must face in our lives are given to us as gifts. Just as the pearl needs that irritant to become an object of beauty, we, too, must experience "irritants" in the form of obstacles and challenges to help us grow. As we learn to acknowledge and embrace our "irritants", we create the seeds of possibility within us to help us express our greatness."

After all the "irritants" in life we'll have enough to make a pearl necklace! I hope this is true...

I found this while looking up defense technologies. There was a company name mix up...clearly I was not on the right website.