Meditation Misunderstood

A funny story, from my housemate Iris.

Tonight’s solar eclipse aligned with the new moon, so she joined a group for an extra special new moon meditation at Venice Beach. They’re sitting on the grass, meditating and singing, and a man nearby starts speaking to them, flatly:

“It’s not going to work. The world is still going to end. It’s not going work. Trust me.”

…..

Bwahahahaha!!

And they kept going, laughing and singing. 

“Who can say that someone flew across the Atlantic just to surprise them?”

Yes, you can, Marwa!

Here’s the story: shortly after visiting us from Amsterdam for the first time, Liza started planning her return to her beloved Los Angeles—without telling Marwa. For more than two months, we kept her trip a secret: figuring out what dates she should come, how we’d get her home from the airport, how we would surprise Marwa. We had to guard our mouths, stop ourselves from saying things like, “oh, we can do that when Liza comes!” and say things like, “So, Marwa, when is Liza coming back..?” instead. ;)

Tonight, Liza walked into the kitchen. Marwa was so shocked, her heart kept racing for the next hour! And we have it all filmed.

So worth it. :D

A sunny Saturday spent with old friends from the East Coast, Charles and Petek. 

In case you were wondering, I did follow their lead and take a dunk in the freezing March Pacific Ocean! Incredibly refreshing, once your body adjusts. 

The music—Caetano Veloso singing those oh so familiar strains—is courtesy of J.Period’s “The Man or the Music 2” Michael Jackson mixtape. Sublime. 

Jeremy Lin puts in it, I cheer. Olivia goes, “Nooo, Limi, you are an LA citizen now!”

“So here’s what you missed on…”

Hm. “Limmy’s first month in LA” just isn’t catchy enough for a TV show name. I’ll work on it—anyhow:

  1. Hung out at the Farmers’ Market and The Grove—Disneyland for adults, really—and saw Johnny Galecki, just buying stuff from the meat counter, whatever. Marwa ran up and talked to him and got him to wave at Liza! That girl knows what she’s doing. 
  2. Helped out my friend Jason for a couple of days on a shoot for a couple of spec commercials. (See his short film “Sold” here.) 2nd AD, Grip, Best Boy, DIT, Electric, Key PA—I now know what all of those are! Production 101, check.
  3. Climbed up close-ish to the Hollywood sign. Definitely need to do that again! Hopefully on horseback. :)
  4. Went to Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and sat feet away from John Krasinski (I was right in the center, front row of the sloping stands). You might hear me on the soundtrack as the only person in the audience who half-whooped when he mentioned that he’s from Boston (in the context of being able to deal with cold weather—go figure). It was a little surreal seeing him in the flesh—he seemed just as charming and real as he is on-screen (yes, I’m a fan). It was pretty easy to imagine him walking around Brown’s campus, blending in—only the sleek tailored suit was out of place. We then went outside and caught Gotye, performing his hit “Somebody That I Used To Know” amongst others. Had no clue he was Australian! Yeah, Australasia represent! He actually looks much better live (and at a distance, maybe..? We were pretty far away, not going to lie…) than he does in that video—he’s really tall, and has sort of a stereotypical lean surfer frame. And it’s always cool when someone drums and sings simultaneously. Kimbra also came out and did her feature, which was great. It was just really cool to be there and see how a talk show runs, all the moving parts that make it happen. The wait time is a pain, and the “laugh/clap NOW to THIS VOLUME!” can be contrived, but it’s all worth it in the end.
  5. Went to the beach multiple times. Ah, the joys of living Westside, with Santa Monica and Venice Beach for a backyard. So pleased. :) 
The sun in Holland is like a painting: you can see it, but it’s totally useless.
Marwa’s emphatic indictment of the non-heat-giving Dutch sun. 
They try to squeeze in as many beats as possible, so everyone has a chance, but some people still can’t get it.
Liza, on songs nowadays, and the persisting inability of some (Dutch male) people to dance in rhythm. 

Alright! A week and half since I moved to Los Angeles—time for an update.

The winter weather here is as legend has it: perfect. Sunny, but cool in the mornings and evenings. No rain yet. So mild. So pleasing. I’ve never had it this good.

My new housemates are lovely! We’re a bunch of women from all over the world who get on great and keep things tidy. Couldn’t ask for more! :)

The freeways are horrendous, winding and up in the air. I’m pretty sure I would drive off one of them. 

Television is a much bigger part of life here than on the East Coast. So are the movies.

I’m incredibly grateful for Elaine’s family’s hospitality, and her friendly friends. :) 

Did you know that privately-run cities exist?!

The Goodbye

A souvenir, for my time in Greater Boston.

4 years on, and I still love this place; it’s always going to have a special place in my heart.

I’ve seen this city in every season, and in every season, its been beautiful. The reds of fall, the weight of winter, the burst of spring, the blaze of summer—all beautiful, quietly so. Never in your face, never overwhelming, just in the background, there for admiring. Around Somerville or Medford, around Cambridge or Arlington, around Boston or Brighton or Brookline—I spent so many days just marveling at my surroundings, at each neighborhood, so pretty and interesting in their own ways. Awe never fails to strike me when I walk on the Cambridge side of the Charles, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.

The goodbye process has been so slow-going, so surreal, and yet here we are, night before departure, and I’m still struggling to wrap my mind around the concept of calling somewhere else in the USA home. I’m incredibly grateful for my community here, my families at Highrock, TCF and through Tufts, which I took some time to find and really become involved with, but now cannot do without. Special thanks has to go out to my housemates, Jess and Ed, for taking me in and looking after me these past months, and my fellow Jumbos, Class of 2011 and younger ones, for being the best cheerleaders a recent graduate could ask for. I’ve stowed away hearty endorsements from mentors in classrooms and workplaces here for my “courage reserves,” for the moments of uncertainty which are sure to come. So, all in all, I’m packed, prepared to fight, determined to get back up and keep walking towards the Light.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope it’s filled with joy, good food, and time spent with loved ones.