1000 pictures worth 1000 words

2008 calls for a fresh perspective. I just finished reading 'Holy Cow' by Sarah McDonald. The final pages inspired this blog. Before I explain, I'll preface what she wrote by saying this: the past few months I've felt unsettled. Moving to a new city, and acquiring a new job can do this to a person, but this doesn't seem to be the answer...it's almost like all moments in life blend together into the category, neutral. It's like eating a meal created by Jamie Oliver and walking away with pangs of hunger.

So, onto the book. I've never been to India, but 'Holy Cow' is an account of Sarah McDonald's self-discovery in the country. What I can relate to is her interpretation of a foreign country "...its ability to find beauty in small things - the tattoo of circles on a camel's rump, a bright silk sari in a dark slum, a peacock feather in a plastic jar, a delicate earring glinting by a worn face...".

I think that's what I've been missing since moving to NYC - that feeling of fascination when coming across something so beautiful, intimate or delicate. Just as many people say anything is possible in India, I think a similar stance can be taken with the Big Apple. Things here exist in such great quantity, grandeur and/or simplicity, that I can't seem to feel astonished about any day to day observations. There's no jaw-dropping moments. No eyes turning wide or moments where I stop and stare because something so beautiful has taken my breath away. But perhaps that's what happens when you're no longer a tourist but a resident in a new city - you become somewhat oblivious to the beauty that lies next door. They say a picture is worth 1000 words...I think that's a valid statement as long as you're not looking at the same picture, through the same lens, every day.

As a new year unfolds, I'm going to attempt to take the techniques of observation used while abroad, and apply them to living here. While I don't expect to see elephants roaming wild in the jungle, or lanterns appearing like pin holes in the sky, perhaps I can scratch away at the superficial facades and see what really does lie beneath. And what astonishing qualities do exist next door.

Happy New Years and may 2008 be filled with new-found beauty.

Slan Abhaile

Going home to Rochester is always a feat. Especially after being in a city that heightens your energy levels by simply walking on the street vs. sipping some Red Bull. After a day of corresponding with company agents and office debauchery, the smells of the city send a wake-up call like walking into a brick wall. But I digress...

It's about going to Rochester. About slowing the pace of life down a bit.

I'm hesitant to go for various reasons. Yet tomorrow, another fellow and hopefully faithful Craigslist-onian will represent 'us' well. I say 'us', because I believe so many of us search the site for a few reasons - whether they're entertainment, purpose or boredom-based - and so often do we see an ad worthy of a response. Yet our fingers fail to traverse the keyboard, striking keys and composing an answer.

Tomorrow, someone's fingers got the better of them though because I got a response to the ad I posted requesting a rideshare home. Yay. You all know I thrive on the unknown.

Thinking back, a year ago I relaxed in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In a Buddhist country, evidence of Christmas and New Years only exists because of the tourists. I sat eating dinner in an Irish pub, drinking beer for $1.70 and watching the sky light up from lanterns and fireworks. Never had I felt more in the spirit of celebrating. It's ironic, I think. Being in a country surrounded by monks who give versus take...and there I was, loving it all at the crossroads of Eastern faith meeting a Western upbringing. Buddhists believe if one can free themselves from attachments, an unworldly level of happiness will be reached. And now I'm in New York City where it seems not having attachments equals suffering. It's akin to a shopaholic not being able to buy anything.

The title of this post is (c'mon all you Irish lads, correct me!) a phrase seen on signs when exiting more populated cities/towns in Ireland: Slan Abhaile. The literal translation is 'Safe Home'. Tomorrow's a day of traveling for a lot of folk. And wherever you may be reaching out toward, in whatever space you wish to be, I wish you well during this holiday season. I wish you well, always.

Slan Abhaile.