Oakland heritage day!

Yesterday was the Oakland Heritage Festival. It was cool. The Central Florida Anthropological Society (myself and the president) and the cultural work we have done in Oakland, Florida. The professor asked me to write about eco-tourism for my part of the monograph. Cool!

Rumi poem

If this is not I, then
who am I?
If I am not the one who speaks, then
who does?
If this me is only a robe then
who is
the one I am covering?
-Rumi

I have finally decided...

...that am a Sufi Muslim! I feel good making a stand on my beliefs. I really do. now I need a Sufi master to teach me the ropes. I have Rumi poems and love them already.

If your going to tell me this is not Islam or whatever...blah! ..save it for someone else. I am happy!

anthrogeek10

among my other varied interests....

...is to help wildlife and animals in general. Today the Dude and I saved a turtle off a busy highway. We relocated him (male turtle, we checked) to our apartment pond. I think he is happy, based on the speed in which he flew in the water!

Whatever happened to courage?

Being that I claim to be slanted toward the Islamic belief structure yet I do not really practice, many will still consider me to be just that-Muslim. That said, I don't know. I will like to say that I do not want to fully take the leap into this life until the moderate Muslim population gets courage to fight against what they claim to be against. Terrorist cells have an uncanny way of taking dignity and courage away from those who are non-violent. I really hate the way some people will say "that is not Islam". Yeah...yeah...I know..but why are you not going public against violence? I know things around the world are not this simple. For example-Poverty can be eliminated very easily through a vegetarian diet but "little things" like despotic government corruption get in the way of human lives.....

These are just thoughts in my mind. I welcome comments or a respectful debate.

anthrogeek10

I am ....

...the new VP of the Central Florida Anthropological Society...

I really do accomplish things being on the board. This is not just something to put on my resume. :)

Feeling better about my school...so relaxed now regarding my studies. Spring is my time to finish. On to explore grad school opportunities and be free from academia for a while (one year).

anthrogeek10

Changes in the plan

I have made the difficult decision to not continue with my Middle Eastern Studies minor. I have a couple of reasons for it.

1). money. I do not want more student loans. This is a biggie.

2). Arabic is not something I want to continue formally. I am being diplomatic here! I love the language but the best most efficiant way for me to learn this is to live in an arabic speaking country for an extended period. My life right now is also not condusive to hours and hours of arabic drills.

This decision is not final but in my mind it is. I did not attempt my arabic homework that is due today! I will meet with a trusted professor today to hear her out. I will keep my few readers posted.

Oh- do not see this as an end to my success. I see this as going in a different direction. I am at peace with it and have learned not to beat myself up over it (if this is in fact the decision I will make). Anyhow, I am and always have been interested in Western female converts to Islam and identity. Arabic not required.


Salaam to all!
anthrogeek10

On a side note: if I blow off ME Studies, I will be graduating in the spring of 2010. Yippie