Notes from the Reef

Pictures from Portugal

2010-08-28T08:23:00.005-03:00

Yeah, this trip was in September 2009. Yeah, I haven't added a post here in 9 months. These things happen sometimes. Anyway, here are pictures from our trip to Portugal last year.

More recent stuff will be added soon!

Bahá'í Faith in Recife - Video

2009-11-07T09:03:00.005-03:00

This introductory video on the Faith came about, not through any Bahá'í initiative, but through a project in interreligious studies at the Catholic University of Pernambuco (Universidade Católica de Pernambuco). Through a series of synchronicities, everything came together perfectly to produce a professional quality video. Especially noteworthy were the contributions of Shorea Ardestani, chair of the Recife Local Spiritual Assembly, and the music of Natacha Santos, visiting from Portugal (who also "happened" to be featured in the previous post). Just further proof that the youth are not the future of the Cause -- they are its present.

Congratulations, Natacha!

2009-11-02T15:17:00.002-03:00

Hot off of Youtube from yesterday's broadcast (1st November) of Ídolos Portugal 2009, we present Natacha Jalali Santos, who just happens to be Emilia's first cousin. This is quite likely the first time ever that any of the various "Idol" clones around the world has passed someone to the semifinal round singing a song about 'Abdu'l-Bahá:

Flickr Update

2009-08-31T23:26:00.000-03:00

It's been a crazy two months... haven't had time to post anything, but there are now some new pics up in Flickr from our vacation in Rio. Enjoy!

Exploring Rio, Part II - Bico do Papagaio, Cocanha, and Bees?!?

2009-06-25T19:32:00.006-03:00

A few new photos have been added to flickr from last Sunday's hike up Morro da Cocanha and Bico do Papagaio. A couple of weeks ago, I had passed near the trailhead and noticed that it had been blocked with a sign indicating that the trail was temporarily closed to do danger of bee attack. Whoa, what? Yeah, bee attack.

Anyway, before going all the way up to the trailhead, I decided to ask at the Park Visitor's Center whether the trail was still closed. Yes, they assured me, it was still closed. They hadn't been able to remove the beehive that was causing problems yet. Oh well, plenty of places to hike there, so I decided to take the long way around and hike up Morro da Cocanha first. At the summit I met a group of climbers and one of them seemed pretty doubtful about the bee story - he said that one of his friends was going down that trail to see what was there, but he hadn't heard back from him yet (they were using walkie-talkies). I decided to go down a short ways and see what it looked like, as well.

Just below the summit I encountered a climber heading up and decided to ask him about the bees, since he was coming from that direction. He laughed and told me, "that sign has been there for four months. I hike on this trail every weekend and I haven't seen one single bee." So, that's how I managed to climb Bico do Papagaio, one of the most popular hikes in Floresta da Tijuca, and have the whole mountain to myself. Not even one single bee!

Photos at flickr with a few new family pics as well.

Hidden Word

2009-06-20T19:44:00.004-03:00

O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH!
Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have pledged Myself not to forgive any man’s injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed with My seal.

ای ظالمان ارض
از ظلم دست خود را کوتاه نمائيد که قسم ياد نموده‌ام از ظلم احدی نگذرم و اين عهدی است که در لوح محفوظ محتوم داشتم و بخاتم عزّ مختوم

Exploring Rio, Part I: Pedra da Gávea and Pico da Tijuca

2009-06-18T21:24:00.009-03:00

Here are a few low-quality cellphone photos from two hikes in the Floresta da Tijuca with a few medium-quality photos that were graciously emailed to me by another hiker. Enjoy!

Pico da Tijuca and the forest as seen from the summit of Morro da Taquara

Looking across the forest towards the east from the summit of Pico da Tijuca

View to the south from Pico da Tijuca, featuring Pedra da Gávea

Cascatinha Taunay - although it looks small in this picture, it is 120 feet from top to bottom

View from the top of Pedra da Gávea. Notice the inequality of Brazil - golf course and luxury highrises of São Conrado along the beach with the infamous favela of Rocinha climbing the hillside behind it

Proof that I made it to the top

Yet another vanity shot

Rock climbing on Pedra da Gávea

Steep trail in the forest on Pedra da Gávea

Harj-o-marj

2009-06-15T14:15:00.003-03:00

There is no English equivalent for this word. It is a very Persian word, and suggests the worst thing that can happen to a nation. It expresses the condition of a country that falls into anarchy because its leaders cannot unite and no strong hand holds it together, or because foreign conquerors have come; the time when it slides into the abyss of lawlessness and rapine, looting, and slaughter reign.

---Sattareh Farman Farmaian, Daughter of Persia

Please keep our Iranian brothers and sisters of all faiths in your prayers throughout this critical time in history.

Exploring Rio: A Series

2009-05-30T16:54:00.006-03:00

A long overdue post, but here it is at last. Back in April I had my first opportunity to go exploring in the world's second largest urban forest, Floresta da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro (the world's largest is also located in Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Pedra Branca). Since then, I have taken the opportunity to hike in many diverse areas of the forest and experience its beauty. Over the next few days/weeks I will begin posting information about the various hikes and what photos I have (cell phone camera, nothing flickr-worthy). But first, here's a little more about Floresta da Tijuca.

First off, Tijuca Forest is only about 150 years old. No, it's not a remnant of old-growth forest. It is, however, an environmental lesson and a symbol of hope for the future. By the 1850s, when Rio de Janeiro supported a burgeoning population of 50,000, an environmental crisis began to occur. The city's water supply was dwindling. The main source of city water at that time was none other than the rivers and mountain streams running down from the Floresta da Tijuca... or more accurately, the coffee plantation of Tijuca. That's because the entire original rain forest had been cut down to plant coffee! And with it, though they didn't know it at the time, the water supply sheltered by the trees had been "cut" as well.

By 1861, the situation was desperate, so the then-Emperor of Brazil ordered the entire area to be replanted as forest using the original native species, putting the work in the hands of Major Gomes Archer. Since that time, this secondary-growth forest has been protected and developed until today it resembles very much the original rain forest, though the trees won't regain their original canopy height for probably another couple of centuries. It is a fascinating preserve of wildlife, lush greenery, and yes, abundant water, all located in the center of an urban chaos. Tijuca Forest is often referred to as "the lungs of Rio."

Exibir mapa ampliado

Goodreads

2009-04-29T18:21:00.003-03:00

Just wanted to pass along this site I was recently turned onto that is designed for book lovers. At Goodreads, you can track the books you've read/are reading, post reviews, check out what your friends are reading, compare your reading tastes with other users, and discover new and interesting books you may have missed. It's a fun site if you like books. If not, well... it's probably not for you. (Hat tip to Jeremy for the info).

Exile in Paradise

2009-03-22T14:35:00.004-03:00

For those not in the know, Notes from the Reef will be going into exile for an undetermined period of time - in Rio de Janeiro. What has been rumoured since approximately July of last year has come to pass at last. I have now, as of March 17th, been transferred to a cidade maravilhosa. Because the school year is already in full swing, I have had to come here alone - the earliest that the rest of the family will be able to join me will be sometime in July. Assuming, of course, that we finally decide to make the move once and for all.

But, if one has to be exiled apart from family for a period of time, there are certainly worse places for it than Rio de Janeiro, especially the region known as Barra da Tijuca. This part of the city is something of an oddity in South America, in fact one might call it Brazil: American-style. Separated from the rest of Rio on three sides by imposing granite mountain ranges, Barra da Tijuca is one of the only areas in Brazil to be developed according to strict rules of urban planning.

To the American eye, it looks something like a cross between Southern California and Miami: wide, palm-tree lined avenues with sprawling neighborhoods of tile-roof mansions; towering residential highrises along the coast, surrounded by extensive parks; shopping centers, strip malls, and suburban office complexes; even a region composed entirely of lowrise condos with walkable streets, outdoor cafés and streetside restaurants. One even gets the same odd feeling of déjà-vu found in Los Angeles where various buildings or streets just look somehow familiar - because they've been used as backdrops in countless films and television programs. The combined effect makes Barra da Tijuca simultaneously the most livable and most unobtainable neighborhood in all of Brazil. It's South America's Hollywood.

In light of the widespread poverty and miles after miles of favelas one finds just over the mountains, Barra da Tijuca seems somewhat of an odd hybrid of refuge and parasite - a place of relative safety and security built on the backs of millions of miserable souls who will never be able to enjoy it. But then again, that's the reality of Brazil. In fact, it's the reality of the planet.

Fun in the Pool

2009-02-18T16:54:00.003-03:00

A few videos of Eduardo and Jasmin enjoying their swimming classes, which have been figuratively collecting dust the past couple of months, are finally online. Enjoy!

Now They're Just Showing Off!

2009-02-05T16:22:00.004-03:00

Clearly not satisfied with the limited nature of total global hegemony, Google is expanding their empire. Those who download the latest version of Google Earth (5.0) or upgrade their current installation will find a new treat included: Google Mars. The latest satellite and probe imagery from the Red Planet, accurate terrain and elevation data, information on the various lander and rover sites - it's all there. And in recognition of the fact that the Earth's surface is 70% water, Google Earth now has an option to remove the water's surface and explore the ocean floor in full 3-D.

I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords.

New Blog: Iran Press Watch

2009-02-04T08:55:00.003-03:00

Iran Press Watch has been added to the blog-roll in the left column. It is an excellent site tracking and documenting the continued persecution of Bahá'ís in the Cradle of the Faith. I have linked to the English version, but it is also available in Spanish. Especially moving is the current post, entitled "We Are Ashamed."

New Photos Up

2009-01-28T15:08:00.000-03:00

New photos are now up of the two cutest kids in the hemisphere. I will try to get some videos from the swimming class online in another day or two.

Pericarditis: Surprisingly, not as fun as you would expect.

2008-11-26T14:47:00.004-03:00

A few weeks ago, back at the beginning of November, I awoke in the middle of the night with a strange chest pain, difficulty breathing, and a sensation of nausea, fainting, dizziness, and tingling in the hands and feet. That and the inability to stand up. Now, I know what you're thinking: "where can I sign up?" But trust me, it wasn't nearly as pleasant as it sounds. After about a half-hour of feeling like I was going to die, the sensation gradually eased and I was able to sleep again. When the same sensation began to recur the next evening, I wasted no time in getting myself to the nearest hospital, which was fortunately next door.

After a couple of tests, I was informed that I would be staying in the hospital for observation and that, "it looks like you had a heart attack."

"Um, no, I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"No, really, you did!"

"Look, I know I'm not a doctor, but no, I definitely didn't have a heart attack."

"Well, these tests show that you did."

"Is there anything else that could cause the same results in those tests?"

As it turns out, there was, and further examination showed that I had instead had a bout of pericarditis. Not something fun, by any means, but about a thousand times better than having a heart attack. (I planned to post something on this earlier, but I wanted to get a confirmed diagnosis first.)

Google Earth Rules Our World

2008-11-15T22:38:00.003-03:00

If any Kansas City dwellers missed the latest Google Earth update, check it out right away! Turn on the 3-D Buildings layer. It's slow to load, but patience pays off, because they have done just about everything in photo-realistic 3-D. No, not the entire city out to its furthest limits, but as far as I can tell everything between the Plaza and Downtown is in there, down to individual single-family houses. It is unbelievable. They even have cranes on the construction sites. It's quite possible that Google Earth is now more real than the real Earth. Or something like that.

Anyway, enjoy that and I'll explain about my adventures in the hospital in the next post.

Christmas Again?

2008-10-28T09:37:00.002-03:00

Yes, as noted on this blog last year, it's October 25th and all of the Christmas decoration are going up around the city! So, the problem is not just pre-Thanksgiving Christmas, but now pre-Halloween Christmas! Anyway, I don't have much to say, but I would like to share with you the following video from last month of a really cute little boy. Enjoy!

Four Going on Fifteen...?

2008-09-16T17:15:00.002-03:00

Jasmin, a few days ago: "Dad, for my next birthday I want a cell phone!"

Me, in response: "Don't you already have that Cinderella cell phone that Nana and Papa gave you?"

Jasmin: "No, Dad! I mean a real cell phone."

The next few years are going to be very, very interesting.

Happy 4th Brithday, Jasmin!

2008-08-26T13:20:00.003-03:00

Feliz aniversário!
!تولدت مبارک

Are two MST3Ks better than one?

2008-08-13T15:05:00.002-03:00

It looks like television's greatest show may not be as dead as once feared. Mystery Science Theater 3000 may be gone from the airwaves, but its cast is back doing what they do best. After discovering last year, through the help of another blog, that Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy were continuing the fun with their web-based RiffTrax, I now discover that MST3K's original cast of Joel Hodgson (Joel Robinson), Trace Beaulieu (Crow T. Robot and Dr. Clayton Forrester), J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo), Frank Conniff (TV's Frank), and Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester) are back with a new show: Cinematic Titanic. Yep, same premise: making fun of really bad movies.

MST3K is dead. Long live MST3K!

Zambezi Zinger Resurrected

2008-07-02T18:14:00.006-03:00

This week marked a milestone in Jasmin's life. Not her birthday, not her first tooth, not even her first day of school. This Monday marked her first visit to an amusement park and first ride on a roller coaster (of sorts). Now, I don't remember much from being her age, but I do remember my reaction during my first kidde-coaster ride as approximately halfway between abject terror and utter panic. It would be years before the trauma subsided enough that I could brave another coaster ride. But enough about me. Of course, after arriving at Mirabilandia (the only true theme park in the entire northeast of Brazil), the first ride that Jasmin wanted to go on is the coaster. With some trepidation about whether she would react similarly to the way I did, I led her up the steps and onto the "Dragon." Now, don't let the name spook you, this "animal" had a vertical drop of at most 6 feet. But it actually did get moving faster than I expected and was able to pull some really good g-forces going through the turns.

Jasmin began screaming the moment the ride began and didn't stop until all four "laps" through the track were completed. And then, at the exact moment that the train stopped, she finally took a breath and shouted: "Again! Again!!!" She must have ridden that thing and its caterpillar-like cousin at least 50 times. It was by far her favorite ride of the park. By the end she was throwing both hands up over her head as the coaster went over the drop. I was and still am flabbergasted. Even the attendant who was running the ride could only shake his head in amusement at each inevitable repetition of, "again, again!" every time the ride came to a halt.

When we finally left for the night, Jasmin looked over at the big roller coaster - the one with the upside-down loop - and asked me, "when I get big enough, can I ride that one?" What can a father say but, "of course, sweetie."

Oh, and about the title - my final re-introduction to the world of roller coasters after that initial childhood trauma was with a ride on the famous old standby at Worlds of Fun, the Zambezi Zinger. What a fine, fine ride it was. Although many roller coasters have come and gone at Worlds of Fun, the Zinger was the original - the only coaster to survive from the first day the park opened in 1973. When it was torn down after 25 years of service, it was a sad day in Kansas City. Well, any one who may have special memories of that great beast might find these photos of the Broca roller coaster in Montenegro, Colombia quite intriguing. When I first ran across them, I thought, holy crap, someone made an exact copy of the Zambezi Zinger. Well, it turns out I was wrong! It isn't a copy. It's the actual Zambezi Zinger, rebuilt to full glory in South America. It kind of makes me happy to know that it's still out there for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Oh yeah, and one more thing to mention -- there are new photos uploaded to Flickr!

日系ブラジル人 100 Years

2008-06-18T16:21:00.004-03:00

Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the first Japanese immigration to Brazil, beginning the formation of what is today the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, with an estimated population of around 1.5 million. The first groups to arrive in 1908 ended up as laborers on the vast Brazilian coffee plantations of São Paulo and Paraná, the two states with the largest concentration of nipo-brasileiros today. Most Japanese Brazilians today are third- or fourth-generation, and around 40% have at least some non-Japanese ancestry due to intermarriages with other racial groups, a phenomenon practically unheard of in Japan. Not only is Brazil home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, but Japan as well is home to the largest Portuguese-speaking community in Asia - the dekasegi. In the 1980s and '90s, the economic boom in Japan as well as favorable immigration laws allowed for the creation of a new community - the 300,000-strong group of Brazilians of Japanese ancestry living in Japan. Although Japanese in appearance, they are culturally Brazilian - many speak only Portuguese and know only the Brazilian culture with which they were raised.

Today the Japanese Brazilian community is known for its famous artists, doctors, politicians, scientists, and athletes. Although making up only 0.5% of the total Brazilian population, Japanese descendants represent over 15% of Brazilians who pass the university entrance exams, and have contributed to the enrichment and development of Brazilian culture and society. For more information on the Japanese legacy in Brazil, please check out the linked article (in Portuguese only, sorry, but with a lot of pictures!).

Sport Club do Recife - 2008 Copa do Brasil CHAMPIONS

2008-06-12T16:21:00.003-03:00

Just a quick note to celebrate Recife's first ever championship in the Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup). Not only was it the first Cup win for a team from Recife, but the first ever for any team from the northeast of Brazil. Sport won every home game in the tournament by 2 goals or more and defeated the huge media favorite, Corinthians from São Paulo. Parabéns, Sport!

Happenings

2008-05-14T11:20:00.002-03:00

Finding myself in the middle of a two-week stretch of solitude, I decided to add a bit more to the slowly languishing blog. Emilia has decided to spend some time in Aracaju with her parents to try to relax a bit, and Jasmin and Eduardo went along for the ride (not sure that it will be that relaxing with both kids, but what are you gonna do?) Since I've already used my vacation time, here I am working away, alone in the great roaring city of Recife. Come to think of it, I think I will probably relax more than she will.

But there's something to be said for a full house, full of noise, full of activity, full of messiness and disorder... it's alive. An empty house, sealed up, dark, quiet... it's unsettling in a way. For all the stress of dealing with work, children, chores, etc., there's still a comfort there that can't be found by relaxing in silence and darkness. I'll rest while I can, but I don't think I'll really find relief until our house is once again full of shouts, messes, laughter, cries, joy, pain, and life.

Photos have been updated and added to Flickr. Please enjoy them at your leisure!

The Blog Lives!

2008-04-04T22:57:00.002-03:00

Well, kinda sorta, anyway. It's been two months since my last post here, and what a two months! Little Eduardo continues to grow and change, and Nana and Papa Kohlman finally got to see him - and so did Uncle Jeremy! Please enjoy the set of photos from their recent trip at the Flickr link. I don't have much more to say - I gotta go change a dirty diaper. Hopefully, there will be more time to write later....

...And Arrives!

2008-02-03T08:16:00.000-03:00

Just a quick note to say that the big day has arrived! Eduardo Furutan Kohlman Rabbani was born on 2 February 2008 at 14:40 (Brasília time). He weighs 4.0 kilos (8 lbs., 13 ozs.) and is 51 cm (20 in.) long. A few pictures have been added to the Flickr link with more on the way in the next few days!

The Big Day Approaches...

2008-01-31T13:11:00.000-03:00

Well, the big day is almost upon us. Officially, little Eduardo is expected on the 9th of February. But between now and then, it could happen any time. In the meantime, a few more photos have finally been added to the Flickr link. And, of course, once the big day comes, there will be new pictures as quickly as we can get them up!

Car Talk Redux - Goodbye Cursed Fiat

2008-01-17T16:38:00.000-03:00

Well, after many months of continued problems, the haunted car is no more. It has been replaced! And, to my great surprise, not only was it accepted as a trade-in for a newer vehicle, but I was actually offered money in exchange for it! Haha - suckers. At this point, I would have gladly paid them to take it away. The last two weeks spent waiting for the new car to be ready were nail-biting. Would the possessed pile of metal that passed for an engine continue to run? Would it collapse in a heap just before I could get rid of it? Could I drive it around town with the gas tank just a whisker above empty so that I wouldn't have to accidentally give away something of value when I traded it in? (Easier said than done since the gas gauge was broken, too.) But somehow, it held together long enough to send it away. RIP, Fiat Siena. May the auto dealer wise up and give you a decent burial and not try to pass you off on some other unsuspecting owner.

Cause and Effect?

2008-01-02T13:38:00.000-03:00

First, I want to wish all of you who keep time by the Gregorian calendar a Happy New Year! Those of you using other calendars can play along if you wish, however. No need to feel left out.

OK, I just wanted to mention a curious fact I noticed recently regarding a 3-year-old's sense of cause and effect. It's not at all similar to an adult's. Whenever something gets spilled or knocked over or broken, Jasmin has learned a new excuse, "it happened by itself." Well, at first, I thought this was just a child attempting to get out of blame by the ol' stand-by: lying about it. But, as it turns out, from her "view of the universe" I think she's actually calling it exactly as it appears to her. She just sees causes and effects differently than we do in our "grown-up world." The two recent examples that have convinced me there is more to this than simple mendacity:

"I didn't break it. I was carrying it across the room and it fell out of my hand and when it hit the floor it broke all by itself."

"I didn't break it. I was just pounding it on the table like this - bam, bam, bam, bam - and then it broke all by itself."

You be the judge.

Flickr Update

2007-12-06T13:24:00.000-03:00

Flickr has now been updated to include pictures from various birthday parties, our weekend getaway to Enseada dos Corais, and various other random stuff. Enjoy!

Christmas Comes Early

2007-11-15T18:37:00.000-03:00

One of my peculiar pet peeves back in the States was how Christmas was becoming more and more commercialized and materialistic every year, and the start-date of the so-called "Christmas season" was pushed earlier and earlier until it reached the point where the day after Thanksgiving was turned into "The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year" instead of it previous designation, "the day to recover from turkey overdose." I think one wasn't even able to enjoy Thanksgiving as its own holiday any more, but just as the Preamble to Christmas.

Well, give thanks for Thanksgiving.

Here in Brazil, the holiday doesn't exist and I have therefore learned to recognize what a valuable role it played, even in its diminished preamble-esque state, as an artificial barrier to the further prolongation of unrestrained materialism in the guise of religious celebration. In simpler terms, you can't put up the Santas and trees until the turkeys are taken down. No Thanksgiving means no turkey decorations to take down, which means no limit to the ever-expanding Christmas season. The city of Recife is already covered with lights and trees, unsettlingly out-of-place sleighs and reindeer, and Santa has set up shop in the local malls - for at least the past two weeks already. The Christmas "sales" (yeah, right) are in full swing.

If you thought one month of pure unbridled consumer spending was just ridiculous, try two months! Why not just leave up the decorations year round?

Big Water

2007-10-15T16:38:00.000-03:00

I'm breaking my blogging fast with an especially tasty treat for the eyes. Emilia had the great fortune to be able to attend a conference last week in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, located at the confluence of the Iguaçu and Paraná rivers, site of the triple frontier between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. From this picturesque spot, she brought back some stunning images of the Iguaçu Falls, considered by many to be one of the wonders of the natural world. Taken from the native Tupi language, y-guazú means, literally, "big water." Iguaçu (or Iguazu in Spanish) is made up of over 275 individual waterfalls, dropping approximately 270 feet in elevation (compared to Niagara's 165). The central section of the falls is a great horseshoe bend known as Garganta do Diabo (the Devil's Throat), where one can be surrounded on three sides by a volume of rushing water more than twice that of North America's most famous counterpart. The Falls of Iguaçu have occasionally been featured on the big screen, most memorably in the 1986 De Niro film, The Mission.

Also located in the city Foz do Iguaçu is the world's largest hydroelectric plant, Itaipu. Built in the late 1970s and early '80s, this single structure provides 93% of Paraguay's electric power and 20% of Brazil's. Unfortunately, its massive reservoir has buried forever what many considered a more impressive site than Iguaçu, the cataracts known as Sete Quedas (Seven Falls), where the world's seventh largest river (the Paraná) plunged through a series of breaks and canyons. During the unprecedented 2001 drought, parts of these historic falls were briefly resurrected as the Itaipu reservoir fell to record low levels, but today, even their highest point is more than 40 feet below the waterline.

Check the Flickr link for some fantastic views of "Big Water."

Revenge of the Pink Caboose

2007-09-20T09:55:00.000-03:00

It's an inside joke, so if you don't get it, don't worry. When reading to Jasmin the other night the story A Bela Adormecida (Sleeping Beauty), I came upon a line mentioning that the sleeping princess was lying on a golden bed. However, the helpful drawing in the book did not show any part of this bed to have a golden color. In fact, it was entirely pink with pink sheets, pink pillows, and a pink blanket. Now, there may have been somewhere in this bed something made of gold, but if so, it was not shown anywhere in the illustration. Of course, every time I come to the line saying that the princess was lying on a golden bed, Jasmin is quick to correct, "the bed is pink, Dad." Those who get the joke may remember a similar caboose many years ago....

It's a Boy!!

2007-09-04T16:54:00.000-03:00

The ultrasound results are in: Jasmin will have a little brother! No name has been decided yet, but we are taking suggestions. Please feel free to leave yours in the comments area.

Photos from Jasmin's 3rd birthday (Sunday, August 26th) have now been uploaded to flickr, as well as photos from her school party on Friday (August 31st) for all of the August birthdays.

Enjoy!

Prayer and Dance

2007-08-24T13:54:00.000-03:00

Just having some fun with YouTube. Here are two quick videos. In the first Jasmin saying some short Bahá'í prayers in Portuguese and Arabic and in the second she is showing off the new dress she will wear for her birthday party.

EDIT: New Jasmin photos added to flickr! (Check the lefthand column.)

Photos From My Neighborhood @ SkyScraperCity

2007-08-09T10:55:00.000-03:00

Another set of photos is now available on the discussion forum SkyScraperCity. This forum is one of the best resources available for urban photography and discussions of current and future building projects around the entire world. It's a fascinating mixture of art and engineering and it has subforums for literally every country and region. Recently, I ran across a thread with photos from Bhutan. Yes, Bhutan! Most of the time I spend there is in the Brazilian forums, because there is just too much information and too many people contributing to even try keep track of everything. But it is always possible to browse through a country of interest and find all kinds of odd and intriguing urban environments.

Anyway, beyond plugging the site, I wanted to share the link for a thread I created, showing photos from my neighborhood (Boa Vista) in Recife. I did my best to capture a feel of the architectural conglomeration of the area, which is very eclectic, with centuries-old buildings and houses in the Portuguese colonial style, modern box-like monstrosities from the 1950s, and stylish glass-and-granite beauties, along with a variety of small parks, churches, hospitals, mansions, fountains, and lots and lots of trees. I apologize in advance because the captions are in Portuguese, but I think most things are easy to figure out -- any doubts, and you can ask about them here! Click here for the link and enjoy!

UPDATE: Flickr badge with the same photos is available in the left margin (above Jasmin's photos), and the captions (such as they are) are in English.

First Day of School!

2007-08-03T12:54:00.000-03:00

Wednesday was Jasmin's first day of school! I have added some new photos to the photostream in the left margin. Hope that you enjoy them!

DoubleTake TV

2007-07-26T12:34:00.000-03:00

Just discovered this site myself and looks to have a lot of promise! It's called DoubleTake TV and it is full of inspirational videos about individual Bahá'ís from around the world who have decided to make a difference in their communities. There are some really nice stories here and hopefully the idea will take off and grow! Check it out!

TAM Flight 3054

2007-07-19T15:01:00.000-03:00

I'm sure by now you have heard the sad news about the crash of TAM Flight 3054 at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, with 187 confirmed deaths at this time and 8 still unaccounted for - the worst tragedy in Brazilian aviation history. If not, you can read about it here in English or Portuguese. The Brazilian Bahá'í News Agency (ABEN) forwarded a prayer from 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the consolation of the families of the victims and I thought I would share it here, in both Portuguese and English.

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Ó serva amada de Deus! Embora a perda de um filho seja verdadeiramente de partir o coração e transcenda os limites do que o ser humano pode suportar, ainda assim, a pessoa dotada de conhecimento e compreensão tem o convicção de que o filho não foi perdido, mas ao contrário, passou deste mundo a outro, e ela há de encontrá-lo no reino divino. Essa reunião será por toda o eternidade, enquanto aqui neste mundo a separação é inevitável - e traz consigo uma dor pungente.

Louvado seja Deus por teres fé, estares com a face volvida ao Reino sempiterno e creres na existência de um mundo celestial. Portanto, não fiques desconsolada ou abatida; não suspires, não lamentes nem chores; pois a perturbação e o luto afetam-lhe profundamente a alma no domínio divino.

Esse amado filho, do mundo oculto assim se dirige a ti: ''Ó Mãe bondosa, rende graças à Providência divina por eu haver sido libertado de uma pequena e sombria gaiola e, tal qual as aves dos prados, haver alçado vôo ao mundo divino - um mundo espaçoso, iluminado e perenemente feliz e jubiloso. Por isso, não lamentes, ó Mãe, nem te consternes; não sou dos perdidos, nem fui obliterado ou destruído. Livrei-me da forma mortal e hasteei meu estandarte neste mundo espiritual. A essa separação seguir-se-á eterna comunhão. Tu me encontrarás no céu do Senhor, imerso num oceano de luz''.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Seleção dos Escritos de 'Abdu'l-Bahá)

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O thou beloved maidservant of God, although the loss of a son is indeed heart-breaking and beyond the limits of human endurance, yet one who knoweth and understandeth is assured that the son hath not been lost but, rather, hath stepped from this world into another, and she will find him in the divine realm. That reunion shall be for eternity, while in this world separation is inevitable and bringeth with it a burning grief.

Praise be unto God that thou hast faith, art turning thy face toward the everlasting Kingdom and believest in the existence of a heavenly world. Therefore be thou not disconsolate, do not languish, do not sigh, neither wail nor weep; for agitation and mourning deeply affect his soul in the divine realm.

That beloved child addresseth thee from the hidden world: 'O thou kind Mother, thank divine Providence that I have been freed from a small and gloomy cage and, like the birds of the meadows, have soared to the divine world--a world which is spacious, illumined, and ever gay and jubilant. Therefore, lament not, O Mother, and be not grieved; I am not of the lost, nor have I been obliterated and destroyed. I have shaken off the mortal form and have raised my banner in this spiritual world. Following this separation is everlasting companionship. Thou shalt find me in the heaven of the Lord, immersed in an ocean of light.'

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá)

Playing in Traffic

2007-07-12T14:20:00.000-03:00

It's amazing how things you imagine happening are never how you expect them to be when they actually occur. For example, almost killing a pedestrian with your car is not nearly as fun as you would think it would be. Now, we all have seen these clueless pedestrians around. You know the type. The ones who casually stroll out in traffic, certain that everyone will stop for them, oblivious to various red-colored signaling devices, some with the cryptic text "DON'T WALK", others with that odd hand-shaped hieroglyphic. And don't tell me you've never once, just once, though about punting one of them into the stratosphere with your hood. Be honest. Well, maybe you just haven't seen enough of them. There's an epidemic of them here in Brazil. The only thing we have more of than clueless pedestrians is psycho drivers. Needless to say, it's a very bad combination. But I digress...

Anyway, I waas on the way to work Monday, traveling along in the second lane from the left of a divided six-lane one-way avenue, traffic moving smoothly (a rarity), riding the green wave with no worries, when I happen to notice a car slightly ahead of me in the left-most lane moving much slower than I am. This car had just pulled out of a parking lot and entered traffic when I noticed him begin to honk his horn quite vociferously in a very un-Brazilian-like manner. Ah, yes, one of those clueless pedestrians, determining, in her wisdom, that a green light, just at the moment of arrival of a 45-mph green wave of morning-rush-hour cars, was the perfect time to begin a leisurely stroll across a six-lane boulevard.

As the left-hand-lane car, towards which I rapidly approached in the next lane over, continued to serenade her with his one-note melody, something must have turned over at last in her mind. Something like, "hmm... noise... horn... hmm... car... big road... oh, I'm standing in front of an oncoming car!" So, of course, she looked up, saw the car and quickly ran out of its way. Now, let's look at a little math story problem here. You are in the middle of a lane of traffic which contains oncoming Car A. There are two paths to get out of the way of Car A. Path A is one-half lane wide. Path B is five-and-a-half lanes wide, several of which contain other oncoming cars. Which is the best path to get out of the way of Car A? She chose the other path. So, at this point I am maybe two car lengths from the signal, approaching it at 45 mph with a pedestrian now standing directly in front of me.

OK, new story problem. Path B was clearly the wrong choice. You know that now. You are now in the path of much faster oncoming Car B who has just slammed on his brakes at full speed and is sliding along the pavement directly towards you leaving copious skid marks. Do you chose Path C, back across one-and-a-half-lanes, and risk the slower moving car again, or do you chose Path D, and try your luck again with the remaining four-and-a-half lanes? This one is a trick question. Of course the correct answer is none of the above. What you do is freeze in place and stare directly at the careening out-of-control automobile in an effort to use your telekinetic powers to aid in the braking process, because, of course, this method has been so successfully employed by deer, lo these many years.

So, I'm screeching my tires and sliding towards the frozen pedestrian, when I begin to notice an interesting law of physics come into play, namely that a sliding car (even when not on ice) cannot steer. Of course, since the pedestrian is directly in the middle of the lane and a nearly-stopped car is on the left, there's really nothing to steer towards anyway, unless I can fit my car into a four-foot wide gap. It is a small car, but let's get serious, here. This is going to result in either the death or serious injury of a human being (clueless or not, that's gotta be a bad thing), the destruction of a couple of cars, or more likely, both. But somehow, neither of these things happened. I was within about an inch of hitting the car on the left. The pedestrian was, at the last moment, stepping slightly to the right at an all-to-slow speed. Then, I strangely began a sharp spin to the right as another car, also startled by the sudden need to reduce speed, tagged my bumper. I don't think I ever came to a complete stop but somehow miraculously slid past the pedestrian by millimeters as she actually put her hands against the fender and, with the help of that opportune bump, avoided scraping my way down half the side of the car on the left.

I drove on to the end of the block and pulled off at a gas station where I got out to look at my car, certain there would be dents, scratches, maybe blood, hair, who knows. At these moments, it happens so fast that you're not really sure if you actually hit something or not. The other two drivers, the one I nearly hit and the one who must have also done some seriously fast brake-work to only tap my bumper instead of total both of our cars, came by and each gave a thumbs up and a quick, "nice save." Except for a small mark about a centimeter wide on the bumper there wasn't any damage on my car at all. I have no idea where the pedestrian went. If it were me, I'd have probably been on my way home for a change of shorts and a quick refresher course on solving story problems.

Just another day of driving in Brazil.

I Take Photos

2007-06-28T11:08:00.000-03:00

For a brief look at some photos taken from the 23rd floor of a building in the Casa Amarela neighborhood of Recife, please check out this link.

Also, please note the new addition just below the Reef photo in the left column, where other recent photos will now be located!

The Taggage Carousel

2007-06-27T17:11:00.000-03:00

Apparently, I have been tagged by Andropolis. So, here go seven utterly and totally random facts about me:

I have lived at 15 different addresses in 32 years, covering 7 states and 2 countries.
A great pastime from my college days was occasionally driving down random streets where I had never been before just to see where they went. One dark night, after 20 minutes of driving down a winding dirt road, I turned a sharp corner to find my headlights illuminating a large bull. He was standing peacefully across both "lanes" of the road with a serene look in his eye that seemed to say, as only nocturnal bovine stares caught by car headlights can, "this road's mine and I ain't movin'." I decided that I would prefer not to be the one to attempt to change his mind. This fun time-killer was recently abandoned when I turned two blocks off of a main avenue in Recife and almost dropped my car into a swamp in the middle of what appeared to be the Vietnamese jungle. I've discovered there are some roads that I can live with not knowing exactly where they go.
I defy anyone to name a single software program ever invented that is better than Google Earth. It can't be done.
Often, while dreaming, I am able to convince myself that the dream is true, because I remember clearly something that happened earlier. I tell myself, "yes, this must really be happening, because I know that already happened and I wasn't dreaming about that, so this must be true, too." This logic never fails to convince, except for the fact that when I wake up, I realize that the other thing never happened either.
Growing up, I would at times participate in an activity that consisted of dousing various objects with rubbing alcohol and lighting them on fire. Sometimes the objects included hands and arms. Apparently the goal was to see who could keep the body part in question aflame longer. Miraculously, other than singed hairs, I can recall no injuries from this activity.
I don't know for what purpose mankind was put on this Earth, but I do know that it wasn't to spend 16 hours in a row in a São Paulo airport.
I think it's a good thing that there is no way to connect to the Internet intravenously. Yet.

Since I don't believe that there are actually 7 people that even read this blog, rather than tagging anyone else, I would kindly ask for you to click back on Andrew's post (link above) and read the other 6 he tagged if you would like to read more.

THE BIG NEWS

2007-06-11T11:42:00.000-03:00

Since word has pretty much already leaked out through all of the family and Bahá'í grapevines, there's no point in hiding it here. In about 8 months time, Jasmin will have a new little brother or sister!

Mother Temple of South America - Setbacks and Progress

2007-05-31T17:03:00.000-03:00

I just ran across this letter from the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, which has been available for some time, but thought it might be nice to spread the word on what's happening with the first South American Bahá'í House of Worship. As always, errors in translation are entirely my own.

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To the National Spiritual Assemblies of the South American continent:

Dear friends,

Two years have passed sine the last time that we informed you about our mother Temple, when we shared with you and your communities a bulletin regarding the progress of this majestic project, with some materials provided for your internal publications. Since then, the project has passed through a continuous advance on diverse fronts, however its course and coordination have made it difficult to keep our South American brothers and sisters properly informed on its progress. With this in mind, the National Spiritual Assembly would like to share some of the most recent occurrences with regard to this work.

1. The project of the Bahá'í Temple for South America received an award mention from "Progressive Architecture," considered one of the most prominent distinctions in the world of architecture. Beyond being a cause for happiness among the professional involved and for the Bahá'í world in general, the recognition raised the prestige of the project.

2. The technical challenge presented in resolving the complex project and the intricate calculations involved has already been completed. In parallel, materials tests necessary to study their resistance and to assure that they will satisfactorily serve the needs of safety and durability have been completed. Along with this, all parts and pieces necessary to raise the structure have been defined and their fabrication has begun in Canada. We have had to work closely with the factories to assure that, given the enormous complexity of the entire structure, the fabrication costs will be kept low and the desired result be achieved.

3. In other details, evolution and adjustments have been made to the original project. For example, the main entrance of the House of Worship, which allows one to enter the building turned toward the Qiblih, will be larger and molded in a structure of antique bronze. Wide doors and windows will be added both to the base of the Temple as well as the mezzanine level, which can be opened to permit a greater connection with the surrounding landscape.

With regard to the location of the future Temple, this subject represented on of the most challenging and unpredictable aspects of the project. Approximately two years ago, after having been invited by authorities to consider a space within the Metropolitan Park in our capital in which to construct the Temple, such a possibility brought great attention to the project and to our community, but for various reasons this option could not be realized. The subsequent purchase of a property to the north of the city - in April of 2005 - brought forth the announcement of a ceremony to lay the foundation stone, an event which was suspended for technical reason related to construction at that location. This was followed by extensive work to obtain permission and the necessary rights for a work of this magnitude, a process which has still not been finalized. While continuing our efforts to prepare this location for construction, changes have occurred in the scale of costs for construction on this property, which have brought us to consider other alternatives. Currently, a new options is being made available that may be of great interest for the objectives of this project. This option is located with the city limits of Santiago and offers a magnificent view of the city, giving to the project and to our community an elevated status.

We trust in the divine wisdom that has traced the path followed by this projected, blessed by the continuous guidance of our beloved Universal House of Justice, and we prepare ourselves for the opportunities that are continually being offered. Your fervent prayers and those of your communities will be greatly appreciated, not only for architect Siamak Hariri and his group of collaborators, but also that we might be inspired and strengthened by the abundant grace of Our Beloved, that we might express, in the name of our continental community, the capacity and consecration that this sacred enterprise requires of us.

With warm greetings,

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile

Farbod Youssefi
Secretary

The Wisdom of a Child

2007-05-14T17:33:00.000-03:00

Sometimes we forget just how clever our young children can be. A sampling of some recent conversations:

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When playing at a friend's house, we had great difficulty in convincing Jasmin that it was getting late and time to go home. To any suggestion, she responded (in no uncertain terms) that she was going to stay there with her friend and did not want to go home. So Emilia and I consulted and thought, well, she's getting tired. If we wait just a few more minutes she will be ready to leave. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, Jasmin came to us and said, "it's time to go home."

I responded immediately, "great! Let's put on your shoes."

To which Jasmin answered, "no, Dad. It's time for you to go home. I'm going to sleep here."

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Another day, we were looking at various pictures of friends and family. To each one, Jasmin would talk about the color of the clothes they were wearing, their hair, etc. When we showed her a picture of Uncle Jeremy, she said, "he's bald."

We explained to her that, no, Uncle Jeremy wasn't actually bald. He just liked to shave his head. The expression on her face indicated she was thinking carefully about this new information. Tentatively, she asked, "so... Uncle Jeremy likes to be bald?"

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After showing Jasmin some pictures of Emilia when she was pregnant, we had to explain to her (in the simplest possible terms) that she had been inside mom's belly. This information fascinated her, and for quite some time, she would go around the house saying she wanted to have a baby in her belly. Obviously not wanting to get into any... um... complicated explanation, we told her that she would have to get married first. Though she wasn't completely happy with this answer, she seemed to accept it.

Some months later, we were attending the wedding of a friend. Throughout the service, Jasmin would lean over and ask, "is she married yet?"

"No, not yet," I would answer. Then a few minutes later, the same question, "is she married yet?"

Finally, at the conclusion of the ceremony, I told her, "now they are married."

Her eyes lit up and, without missing a beat, she asked, "does she have a baby in her belly now?"

A Arquitetura da Unidade - Reprise

2007-05-08T10:53:00.000-03:00

On April 18 and 22, the TV Cultura documentary, A Arquitetura da Unidade, was rebroadcast nationwide. Oddly, it was shown on a date and time in Recife different from the one we were told it would be, meaning that again, I was unable to record the program. By accident, however, I did happen to turn the TV to the right channel and caught about 40 minutes of the hour-long show. I was amazed. This was a high-quality first-class program: well-structured, excellent photography, straightforward discussion of Bahá'í principles and history. It blew me away. As a result of this broadcast, the National Center was once again flooded with emails, at least seven of which were from here in Recife! This Friday we are planning the first fireside with some of those who have expressed interest. I will let you know how it turns out.

On April 21, a local television program in the city of Foz de Iguaçu, called Visões de Mundo (World Visions), broadcast an interview with members of the local Bahá'í community regarding the Faith, its principles, the concept of Manifestations of God, among other questions posed by the host. The program was rebroadcast several times during the week, and also generated a series of calls and emails to the Bahá'ís of Foz de Iguaçu (a city located at the triple-frontier of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay).

An auspicious start for the recently concluded Ridván season!

Here is a sampling of a few of the more interesting emails received by the National Assembly from around Brazil. Translations, and therefore errors, are entirely my own. Those who can read Portuguese may access the originals on the ABEN site.

Good evening!! Through a program that TV Cultura broadcast this past Wednesday (18/4) I had the opportunity to learn a little about the Bahá'í Faith. I became super-interested in learning and understanding, because it really touched my heart...because I have always said that "God is the architect of the universe." Because of this I became very interested in this community of such wonderful people...finally, the Temples are marvelous. Well, I live in the city of Leme/SP... I would like to know if there is a community nearby... because I am interested in getting to know [the Bahá'ís] and even who I need to know to be a volunteer or a member of this faith. I thank you for your attention. I am waiting with great joy for your response.

Hello!! My name is Sara, I am Brazilian and I live in Rio de Janeiro. I would like to know if there is a Bahá'í community here. I would like to be able to meet the practitioners of the Bahá'í Faith. Who knows, I think I might want to become a practioner of the Bahá'í Faith. How does one begin practicing the Bahá'í Faith?

I would like to know more about the Bahá'ís of Brazil, because I want to make myself a better human being.

Hello, I learned about you in a documentary that was shown on television, and I really thought that all of the teachings were very beautiful. As a student of spiritism, I agreed with and found beautiful everything that you said. I would like to know if there is a temple here in Santos in the state of São Paulo, or somewhere I can go to learn more and study more about your teachings. With the certainty that you will respond, thank you in advance.

Dear brothers and sisters, I live in the city of São Paulo, my address is [-- removed by translator --]. Thank you very much for your attention. Last week I watched on TV Cultura a program about the Bahá'í Faith, which awakened a enormous interest in me. I have always believed in the fact that all of the religions formed a single unity, but I never could verify this homogeniety between the religions. On the contrary, what I perceived was an extreme fragmentation, with the formation and creation of sects, and between them disputes over truth. I always found the fact to be that there were different religions, and that their members vigorously defended their own, and ended up putting down the other (Catholics vs. Protestants, Baptists vs. Maranatha, God vs. Allah) - and this dichotomy always bothered me, especially because I believed in essence there was just one God, and that education and science cannot be separated, but must be seen as complementary. The information about the Bahá'í Faith was very interesting. I would like to obtain more information and find out if there is a meeting place in São Paulo for members of this faith. I thank you for your attention.

Another Wedding, More Cute Pictures

2007-05-02T17:24:00.000-03:00

The Power of Woman

2007-04-23T14:28:00.000-03:00

The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Recife was elected this past Saturday and, for the first time in its history, the membership is composed of eight women and just one man. It is also a very young assembly, with three members in their 20s and no one older than around 50 or so. This is just one more piece of evidence in support of my privately-held belief that the reason the Universal House of Justice is confined to men may in fact be so that, in the future, there will still be a few men involved in administering the Faith...!

220 Volts and a Cold Shower

2007-04-11T16:11:00.000-03:00

This past three-day holiday weekend, Emilia, Jasmin and I got to enjoy the beautiful seaside town of Porto de Galinhas, one-and-a-half hours south of Recife. There you will find pristine beaches, coral reefs, regional arts and crafts, and some great seafood restaurants. Slowly but surely, luxury resorts are beginning to take over the area, but there is still a lot of local charm along the town's main pedestrian street and waterfront. In a few more years, it may be completely over-commercialized, so get there while you can!

Jasmin certainly had the most fun, spending the mornings in the motel pool and the afternoons at the beach. I think she spent more hours in the water than out, and if she could've had her way, she'd have slept at the beach, too. Needless to say, we all looked like overcooked lobsters by the end of the three days. What little time we could get away from the water, we spent enjoying the many shops, restaurants, and cafés all along the beach area, some of them with front entrances right off of the sand. The inflated tourist prices didn't help, but we did even make a few purchases. Another highlight was an impulse trip out to the coral reef pools on a jangada, for which I was singularly unprepared. Emilia and Jasmin were still decked out in beachwear, while I, already planning for the trip home, decided to dress in street clothes. Needless to say, I ended up barefoot on top of a coral reef (didn't want to soak the tennis shoes!) dodging spiny urchins with each footstep, and finally just gave up and dove in clothes and all. Hey, you only live once! The ride back was a bit soggy, though.

Our home-away-from-home for the weekend was a small motel known as Pousada Mangue Mar, about 4 or 5 blocks from the beach, and therefore considerably cheaper than its waterfront competitors. The first evening we noticed a problem with the shower -- the water was cold and the faucet was, well, shocking. An explanation for those of you not familiar with Brazil: hot water heaters are almost non-existent here. Hot showers are taken with the aid of an electric shower head that heats the water as it comes out, obviously requiring a great deal of electric power in order to get the water up to temperature quickly before it flows out of the nozzle. I can only imagine the engineer who came up with this idea thinking: "hmm, a 3000 Watt electric coil plugged into the wall right above a running shower nozzle... sounds like a great idea! What could go wrong?" I soon found out.

Although the shower head appeared to be working at all, grabbing the faucet in a certain way gave a mild electric shock. Clearly, there was power somewhere. In my brilliance, I decided to unscrew the nozzle of the shower to see if I could tell what the problem was. Couldn't see a thing, so I began to screw it back on. At the exact moment the nozzle made contact with the rest of the shower head, a sharp pain shot through my hand, down my arm, and through my feet. If you've never felt 220 Volts run through your body, let me tell you, there's nothing like it... and it ain't pleasant. At this point, realizing that I had possibly escaped death by sheer blind luck, I decided maybe it would be better to mention something to the motel owner about the shower. An hour later, hand still throbbing and tingling as we left for dinner, I noticed that the sign in front of the motel advertised chuveiro elétrico (electric shower) while all the other nearby motels were advertising chuveiro quente (hot shower). I could not fault them at all - they had given exactly what they had advertised!

Jangadas on the beach at Porto de Galinhas

An electric shower

Jasmin

2007-04-05T12:49:00.000-03:00

My Big Fat Bahá'í Wedding

2007-03-29T11:01:00.000-03:00

OK, well not exactly my wedding, but I was a guest. ;-)

Some dear friends of ours down in Aracaju got married this past weekend and we were fortunate enough to be able to attend. This was a real production! I'm estimating around 350 guests (maybe 400) in a lavishly decorated hall complete with spiral staircase and rolled-out red carpet. The service itself was elaborate, consisting of prayers in no less than four languages, chants in at least two, songs from a live band, readings on the nature of Bahá'í marriage, talks, a video presentation, the WORKS. There was even a belly-dancer! Anyway, despite the fact that the couple made clear this was not a typical Bahá'í wedding (making clear, in fact, that there is no typical Bahá'í wedding) and that a couple may structure their wedding in whatever way is pleasing to them as long as they include the reading of the verse, "we will all, verily, abide by the Will of God," one guest was still moved to ask my wife, "when your brother got married a couple of years ago, why didn't he have a Bahá'í wedding?" Sigh.

Anyway, congratulations to F and G!

The Princess Bride

2007-03-14T10:57:00.000-03:00

Along with her enduring love of Phantom of the Opera, Jasmin has now become an avid watcher of the Rob Reiner classic, the Princess Bride. It had been a while since I'd watched the adventures of Westley, Buttercup and the rest, but the years have not been unkind to this film in the least. It is still one of the best comedy/romance/action films ever made with, quite possibly, the most cleverly-written screenplay of all time.
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Buttercup: We'll never survive!
Westley: Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.
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Prince Humperdinck: Surrender!
Westley: You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well - I accept.
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Inigo: I do not suppose you could speed things up?
Man in Black: If you're in such a hurry, you could lower a rope, or a tree branch, or find something useful to do.
Inigo: I could do that. In fact, I've got some rope up here. But I do not think that you will accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you.
Man in Black: That does put a damper on our relationship.
Inigo: But I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top.
Man in Black: That's very comforting. But I'm afraid you'll just have to wait.
Inigo: I hate waiting. I could give you my word as a Spaniard.
Man in Black: No good. I've known too many Spaniards.
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More quotes here.

Bringing it all together

2007-03-13T12:27:00.000-03:00

A new project will soon begin here in the Recife Bahá'í community. The city is very large and spread out with a very small number of Bahá'ís. Therefore, the study circles and children's classes that have begun recently are quite far apart and attended by only a few seekers and Bahá'ís. Now, once every two months, we will have a large meeting where all the study circles and children's classes meet together in the same room - kind of a community reunion, where members new and old as well as seekers can get more of a chance to interact with one another, and not just with their own tiny group of friends. As a bonus, this meeting will be held in our building! The first one is planned for the end of March and I will post more news and information as it develops.

2007 Natal Summer Bahá'í Youth Conference - VÍDEOS INÉDITOS!

2007-02-22T18:19:00.000-03:00

The 2007 summer youth conference for northeastern Brazil was held from 25-28 January in the lovely city of Natal. Unfortunately, recovering from our US trip and preparing for the move, we were unable to attend. However, due to the wonders of modern digital cameras and YouTube, we have available several music and dance presentations from the conference. The various native Brazilian dances were performed by a group from the small town of Serrambi, about 1 1/2 hours south of Recife. There are some problems with the lighting on some of these, but I found the dances to be so interesting I decided to post them anyway. I hope you enjoy them!

Moving Daze

2007-02-12T14:43:00.000-03:00

I'm fully convinced that the only reason people ever move is because they have forgotten just how bad an experience moving is. There must be something built in to the human psyche that allows us to say, when contemplating a move, "oh, it can't be as bad as all that," only to find that it is, in fact, much worse than all that. It's a terrible, dislocating experience. If you're saying to yourself right now, "but moving really isn't that bad," well, that just proves that you've forgotten how bad it really is. This must be the case, because I've somehow managed to move six times in the past 11 years - after each move I swear I'll never put myself through that again, yet somehow I keep forgetting and putting myself through it again!

Anyway, I'm sure once everything gets settled, the spackle and paint dries, the new wiring finally gets installed, and everything is 75% in its place, then things won't look so bleak. The new apartment really is nice (and fully paid for!) But, please, remind me of this post if you ever see me contemplating another move within, oh, let's say the next 10 years.

World's longest Master's thesis complete at last!

2007-02-05T09:02:00.000-03:00

No, not the longest in number of pages, longest in terms of completion time! For any of you out there contemplating a Master's degree in your near future, my helpful advice would be to avoid doing any of the following until your degree is completed:

Working 40-50 hours a week
Getting married
Moving to another hemisphere
Having a baby
Learning another language

These seemed to delay the process ever so slightly.... Anyway, after [cough] seven [cough] years, it is finally over. Free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last.

A Girl and Her Dog

2007-01-13T02:57:00.000-03:00

Fear of large, strange pets does not seem to be a problem for Jasmin.

Gone to Kansas City...

2007-01-12T03:24:00.000-03:00

Yeah, I'm on vacation until January 23rd, hanging out with family and friends in Kansas City. Just wanted to put up a blog post to show that I haven't died! More pics will be up after we get home.

Obligatory Jasmin Pictures

2006-12-26T19:15:00.000-03:00

Passages

2006-12-22T18:12:00.000-03:00

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 20th, 2006, my grandmother Aarona Booker Kohlman passed on to the next world at the age of 93. My grandfather Leslie, also 93, passed away in September.

In tribute to her long full life as teacher, writer, traveler, mother, grandmother, and friend to all I offer the following passages from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh:

"Know thou that the soul of man is exalted above, and is independent of all infirmities of body or mind. That a sick person showeth signs of weakness is due to the hindrances that interpose themselves between his soul and his body, for the soul itself remaineth unaffected by any bodily ailments. Consider the light of the lamp. Though an external object may interfere with its radiance, the light itself continueth to shine with undiminished power. In like manner, every malady afflicting the body of man is an impediment that preventeth the soul from manifesting its inherent might and power. When it leaveth the body, however, it will evince such ascendancy, and reveal such influence as no force on earth can equal. Every pure, every refined and sanctified soul will be endowed with tremendous power, and shall rejoice with exceeding gladness."

"Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty. The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station. The honor with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such as no tongue can adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency describe. Blessed is the soul which, at the hour of its separation from the body, is sanctified from the vain imaginings of the peoples of the world. Such a soul liveth and moveth in accordance with the Will of its Creator, and entereth the all-highest Paradise. The Maids of Heaven, inmates of the loftiest mansions, will circle around it, and the Prophets of God and His chosen ones will seek its companionship. With them that soul will freely converse, and will recount unto them that which it hath been made to endure in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. If any man be told that which hath been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that sanctified and resplendent station...."

"Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly, return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved. By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or tongue describe. The soul that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God, and stood unwaveringly firm in His Path shall, after his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit through him. Such a soul provideth, at the bidding of the Ideal King and Divine Educator, the pure leaven that leaveneth the world of being, and furnisheth the power through which the arts and wonders of the world are made manifest. Consider how meal needeth leaven to be leavened with. Those souls that are the symbols of detachment are the leaven of the world. Meditate on this, and be of the thankful."

Road Trip to Christmas Town

2006-12-18T16:48:00.000-03:00

There were a lot of directions I could have gone with this post. One that first came to mind was to call it "the insane 5-hour white-knuckle terror ride" and talk about the incredible danger of taking a simple road trip due to Brazil's substandard highways and traffic-law-ignorning drivers. But, for the first time on a Brazilian road trip, we actually didn't come within a split-second of death, so that was a no go. Sure, there were the same bad roads and drivers, but this time the trip went remarkably smoothly. Only once did I see a car make a pass by going 3-wide on a 2-lane highway, and no one even attempted the daredevil 4-wide (this time).

The second possibility was to spend this post talking about how the highway (BR-101) is now being 4-laned and how this will affect all the little towns along the route like it did in the 1960s in the US when the interstates went in, but that was just too socialogical and boring to even know where to begin.

What I will mention is that Natal ("Christmas" in Portuguese - hence the title) is the most beautiful city in the Brazilian northeast, it has one of the strongest and most active Bahá'í communities in the region, and it will be host to one of 3 huge summer (Southern hemisphere, remember) youth conferences from 25-28 of January (hint, hint). Emilia is now a member of the Regional Bahá'í Council, so we will be making this trip several times in the year to come. To keep from getting long-winded: the meeting went well, Jasmin met some new friends her age, and we got to spend a little time with some of the Friends that we haven't seen for months and/or years. All-in-all, a very nice weekend and a lovely experience. I'll try to get some photos up in the next day or so, since I have been lacking in that department lately.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season!

Payback can be fun (and funny!)

2006-12-13T11:54:00.000-03:00

I've been pretty sick the past week or so, and am finally starting to feel better. Anyway, I don't have a lot to say today, but someone sent me the following link a couple of days ago and since I almost burst a lung laughing, I figured it might be fun to pass it along.

If you've ever received the "Nigerian bank scam" emails (and if you have email, you've probably received hundreds of 'em), you know you're supposed to delete them, right? Or...you could decide that it is time to have some fun. You won't believe what this guy did!

(Caution, if you are in a public place, people will be asking you why you are laughing so hard and may possibly summon medical attention on your behalf.) OK, fair warning. Laughter is the best medicine, after all. CLICK HERE.

A Arquitetura da Unidade

2006-12-05T09:38:00.000-03:00

A couple of weeks ago (November 22nd, to be exact), the Brazilian public television station TV Cultura aired a 54-minute documentary entitled A Arquitetura da Unidade ("The Architecture of Unity"). This documentary showed the architecture of the Bahá'í Temples around the world and of the Holy Shrines in Haifa, included interviews with people who serve in Langenhain, Wilmette, and Bahapur, showed clips of various Bahá'í choirs singing in the Temples, and officially announced the construction of the new Temple in Chile. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch it, but the friends who did have the opportunity have all said it was spectacular. I am hoping it will be re-aired.

This is the second documentary about the Bahá'í Faith produced by TV Cultura, the first being Seguidores da Glória ("Followers of the Glory") which was first shown in 2003.

Here is my attempt at translating an interview with the program's creator, journalist Vicente Adorno. All errors in translation are 100% mine (the original Portuguese version can be found here.)

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in Frankfurt?

Adorno -What attracted my attention the most was the fact that the Temple is in a very tranquil, practically rural, area and it stands out as a modern and hospitable landmark in the middle of the traditional landscape of the region. I was very impressed by the perfect acoustics inside the temple and with the impeccable organizationl structure around it.

How was your contact with the German architect?

Adorno - We were afraid that Teuto Rocholl was not going to be able to appear because his wife had suffered an accident and had been hospitalized. But the architect graciously made time to come from Frankfurt to Langenhain to record our interview. He was extremely cordial, very clear in his explanations and he became happy when I told him that the temple was a perfect combination of architectural daring, having a lot of light and a very welcoming aspect, and at the same time classical tradition, because it made us feel, despite all of its modern stylings, that it invited us to reflect - it is a house of prayer in the oldest and fullest sense that we know, reclothed in a contemporary form.

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in New Delhi?

Adorno - The Lotus Temple is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen in my life. It appears to grow naturally out of the landscape while at the same time opposing it, because it represents an oasis of serenity in the middle of the frenetic agitation of the Indian capital, today one of the largest "human anthills" on the planet. The best proof that its audacious and magnificent form accomplishes what was hoped for in its original design is that thousands and thousands of people are enchanted daily by this monument of incredible beauty and they leave it visibly moved, at ease with themselves and with life. And more, despite the great number who have visited, not one incident has been registered. Aggressiveness seems to dissipate as people comtemplate the stylized lotus that dominates its surroundings.

What were your personal impressions of the Bahá'í Temple in Chicago?

Adorno - In my conversation with the architect, Bob Armbruster, who is responsible for the restoration and conservation of the Wilmette Temple, I spontaneously used the expression "intricate embroiderings" to refer to the ornaments that cover the entire edifice and, more, to say that I considered these ornaments to be an ingenious way of beautifying the building while at the same time making it such that it will always be full of light. He smiled and told me that this was exactly the effect planned by architect Louis Bourgeous. And the location chosen, at the shore of an enormous lake that separates the United States from Canada, is really very beautiful. The building is integrated well within the landscape as an architectural landmark and as a house of prayer.

What drew your attention most about the Bahá'í Temples?

Adorno - In all of them, I was impressed by the beauty and perfection of the construction, the preocupation in following a well-defined model but with attention to the characteristics of each place and the extremely hospitable atmosphere. I was also drawn to the care and dedication of all of the people involved in the administration and maintenance of the temple.

How much time was spent in the editing of this documentary?

Adorno - With various interruptions, about 9 months. We could have concluded the work in less time, if our infrastructure were a little more adequate. Our documentary department has a series of projects in progress and should have many more on its plate for next year - our team, however, has remained quite small for so much work. But in some ways the delay was good, because, with the help of Flávio Rassekh, our ideas for the script matured and we arrived at a harmonious consensus regarding the program's final form.

Whose voices are used in the documentary?

Adorno - For this job we invited some of the professionals in the service of the Padre Anchieta Foundation. Valéria Grillo, with her habitual brilliance, performed the narration of the principal passages. Carlos Oliveira is the voice that introduces the concepts that orient each of the segments; Hélio Vaccari dubbed the masculine figures, and Madeleine Alves, the feminine. In other words, a team without defect.

How was your visit to the Bahá'í office at the United Nations, and your contact with Ms. Bani Dugal?

Adorno - I insisted from the beginning that we had to also go to New York because I felt that the Bahá'í presence at the UN has been little known and deserved to have fuller recognition, because of its pioneering spirit and because of the many aspects covered by the actions of the Bahá'ís in this international body - which is perfectly in accord with the fundamental concepts of the Bahá'í Faith itself, connected to the principle of "the Earth is one county." Ms. Bani Dugal is an extremely busy person but also showed us great generosity and invited us to a short but very enlightening interview. I believe that a good number of our viewers will feel enthusiastic about the marked participation of the Bahá'ís at the UN and with the fact that they are represented by a woman - who is serious and compentent, by all appearances.

Season's Greetings from the Reef

2006-11-30T10:29:00.000-03:00

Click here for a (short) holiday message from Jasmin.

Car Talk

2006-11-27T09:55:00.000-03:00

Someone once told me that Fiat stands for "Fix It Again, Tony." They weren't kidding. In the three and a half years that I've owned a 1999 Fiat Siena, I have taken it to the mechanic no less than a dozen times. And it doesn't even have 60,000 km on the odometer yet!

The greatest recurring problem is that when you push the accelerator down, the car continues idling for some seconds (bringing a chorus of horns if you happen to be caught sitting still at a green light). Finally, it decides "OK, I guess I've rested enough" and then jumps forward at full power. This process repeats each time you shift gears. Fun stuff. Of course, it doesn't do this all the time -- when at the mechanic's shop, it runs perfectly, for example. If you've never experienced someone looking at you as if you are a babbling maniac, try explaining to a mechanic the problem you are having with a car that appears to be running flawlessly. For added fun, try it in a different language. I'm sure this guy is hearing something like: "car no go - go weak when push pedal - work good now but work bad before." Just smile and nod at the weird foreign guy... yesiree.

As per the universal mechanic's code, even though no problem can be demonstrated at the time, this is no reason not to make expensive repairs which utterly fail to resolve said problem. Invariably, about 2-3 weeks afterwards, same problem. First, I had the fuel injector cleaned. This worked great for a month, and then the problem returned. After another halting attempt to explain what was going on, I was told that this didn't have anything to do with the problem, and that I needed to change the sparkplugs. That also resolved the problem for about 3 weeks. This lead to a replacement of the fuel pump, followed by another replacement of the fuel pump because the wrong model had been installed. This was followed by the replacement of the mechanic.

New mechanic? Same drill. I was now tald I had to change a part called the "sonda lambda" - which must be part of Doc Brown's flux capacitor, because I still have no clue what it is or what it supposedly does. However, it did fix the problem... for about a week and a half. Then, the most drastic of all. Disassembling the engine, replacing gaskets and hoses, chemical baths, polishing down bare metal to eliminate water leaks, and native American healing ceremonies for all I know. Success!!! Beautifully smooth acceleration...for about 2 weeks. If I had flushed $2,000 down the toilet over the past 18 months, the results would have been pretty much the same as this "service."

Anyway, the only possible conclusion is that the car is possessed. The only question now is whether to begin flushing with singles or just go straight to twenties.

Satan's Sedan...?

Shiraz youth: Their service and Their arrests

2006-11-24T16:05:00.000-03:00

Wow. Incredible stuff. If you are Bahá'í, you may have received this confidential document from one of the 54 Shirazi youth who was arrested earlier this year for performing a service project. If you haven't received this, let me know by email and I will forward you a copy. It is awesome stuff - both the work the youth were involved in and the stories of their arrest and trial. Makes our problems look pretty trivial.

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them...

2006-11-24T11:28:00.000-03:00

This past Sunday, Jasmin was to attend the party celebrating João Henrique's first birthday. Sadly, on the morning of his birthday, the unsteady toddler attempted to catch his balance on the front of the kitchen stove, which was on, and burned both of his hands. Explaining to our dear Jasmin that the party was postponed and she wouldn't be able to go, I expected a bout of tantrum throwing (an all-too-common phenomenon in recent weeks). I told her that João had burned his hands and asked her if she wanted to say some prayers for him. She said yes, so we sat down and Jasmin opened the prayerbook in her lap.

A little bit about Jasmin's prayers - she sees Bahá'ís all the time reading prayers from the prayer book, so she knows she needs to look in there. And she hears so many prayers that begin with "Ó meu Deus!" (O my God), that her general style of prayer is to open the book and repeat Ó meu Deus, ó meu Deus a couple of times and then kind of babble random syllables (she does have two prayers memorized, but only brings those out on rare occasions). This time, however, she opened the prayer book in her lap, bowed her head, and softly spoke the following:

O meu Deus, por favor ajuda João Henrique, porque queimou as mãos dele. Obrigado.

(for the English-only speakers):
O my God, please help João Henrique, because he burned his hands. Thank You.

Too often we fail to credit our children - to recognize their ability to understand and feel compassion for the suffering of others. And yet, they often are the ones who "get it" long before the rest of us adults do. It was a big lesson for papai on how to pray with simplicity and purity of heart, as well. (For those who are concerned, I found out today that João Henrique is doing very well and his party is being rescheduled.)

Phantom of the Apartamento

2006-11-23T15:13:00.000-03:00

What is it, exactly, about the "Phantom of the Opera" that is so captivating? There must be something, because no matter how much critics have panned it over the years, it just keeps going and going and piling up ever-bigger profits. Jasmin, our adorable 2-year-old, has taken to it in a HUGE way. My parents gave us a DVD a few months ago of the recent film made from Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage show. From the moment my daughter happened to watch some of it, she has become enthralled. Over the past 2 months, she has watched it at least once per day and sometimes as many as 3 times! She absolutely adores this movie, and she has seen it so much now that not only does she sing the music, she also recites lines of dialog from the film. I've never seen nor heard of anything quite like it.

I have to say that it's an utterly surreal experience seeing a 2-year-old walking around the apartment sweeping her arms out majestically as she intones, "The Phantom of the Opera is theeeeeere, insiiiiiiide my mind..."

Introducing Blog #975,446,171

2006-11-23T11:03:00.000-03:00

I'm not sure if that's the actual number of blogs in the world today, but it must be close. So here's one more. I don't really have any idea what's going to go here yet - who does? I imagine it's going to be a bit about my family, a bit about the Bahá'í Faith, some occasional Portuguese and Persian postings to add some spice, and whatever else I think is interesting that others might not. If you end up liking what you see, feel free to comment. If not, well... you can still comment if you want to.