Ooooohh Boy

Whirlwind! 

So I got home on friday, unpacked, repacked for college (I'm getting back pretty late in the summer, so I wanted to be ready to hit the ground running and head to Stanford), packed for India/Germany, and packed for summer camp. I am going to staff training at the most magical place on earth that isn't Disneyland. I'm not sure if I'll be able to work there, I might have to volunteer, or I might have to go home after training. Not because I'm a bad staff (I think) but because it's a bad economy. Oy! So here's where I'm going. That was a link. 

It's pretty much the home of my heart. It's where I recharge my love-batteries every year! Basically,  lots of kids come to a circle of tipis in coastal norcal, clown around, sing the Beatles, learn to juggle, and generally work on living in peace and harmony. And I, as a staff, would teach them to write poetry and try to keep them from going down the waterslide in the wrong direction. 

So on Saturday I saw my friend Alexandra and we went to my other friend Henry's apartment. He lives in this gorgeous one-room thing above a café in Oakland's Rockridge area. It feels more like paris though. He is an artsy type, and his apartment is very minimalist, but very snazzy.  

"I'm sorry," he says as he makes a lemon twist to drop in our Pellegrino water, "I wish I could offer you some food but all I have is cheese and liquor. Do you want some absinthe?"

We decide to bake some bread first. It was supposed to be norwegian coffee cake. But we added some dates and it became more like Moroccan Sweet Loaf. Quite delicious. But it takes so long to make bread, I had no idea! You have to let the yeast rise for a half hour, three times over...  so I only ended up having 10 minutes to enjoy bread and absinthe at the end. Then I biked home. (I had only a few sips of the liquid green jewels, don't worry.)

Then I went to a classical Indian vocal concert with this woman from Delhi named Karunamayee. She was so funny! She kept making these really hilarious expressions at the tabla player. It was as if she were challenging him to a duel, then acting like a shy teenaged girl, then getting really meditative, and then back again. I love how Indian music is so interactive! It's not like one person plays their part and then the other plays theirs.... it's like a sport almost. There's playfulness to it. 

So that was fun. I had a lot of spiritual  insights. I guess I always do when I listen to live music. I can't remember them anymore, but I'm sure they've changed me for the better. 

I think I should start carrying around a notebook. 

Yesterday I stressed about packing, argued with my mother a lot, then went to have organic ice cream with my friends Abby and Liz.  I got molasses and bay laurel flavors. Welcome to the Yay.

Then we had steamed soy milk and ate up that date bread from the day before. We discussed summer plans, school years, and boyfriends (Abby has been with her boyfriend for 4 freakin years (!!), Liz with hers for 6 months. And me? I'll find the love of my life in France, I just know it.)

We ran into 5 people we knew on College Ave. Our neighborhood is the greatest! I love how it feels like a small town even though it isn't. 

Mmmm...

 Today I woke up and took the car to the mechanics. Everything is alright! I can safely drive to camp now. 

Which I am about to do. So, without further ado, I wish you all an excellent week, I'll be back on the interwebs sometime next sunday ish. 

Love to everybody!