Every human being is created noble, endowed by God with spiritual qualities and attributes that are endowed with potentialities to shine like gems, reflecting the light and beauty of God. Our souls emanate this light through pure and goodly deeds, and boundless love for the human race.
There is a website, All Chocolate, that describes everything you want to know about chocolate -- its history, production, recipes AND health benefits..
I like how the article explains that chocolate comes from a plant that has nutrients, properties (like antioxidants), and chemicals that are beneficial to our bodies. The key is to keep the cacao bean as close to its original form as possible.
If one is fortunate enough to live where they are grown, it is easy to suck on a bean and delight in the natural and pleasant flavor it provides with all of those substances being absorbed into one's body. Dash was able to do this recently when he visited a cacao tree farm in one of the rural regions of Ghana. He said if you bite into the bean, though, it tastes bitter.
Most of us in the world will never have the opportunity to suck on an unfermented cacao bean -- what's best for us is to eat dark chocolate and to choose a dark chocolate with the highest percentage of cacao bean in it as possible. The higher the percentage of cacao bean the lower the corresponding percentage of sugar.
Aside from the colorful car and roadside advertising,
the woman carrying that load is full of strength, balance and grace!
While driving around with the real estate agent today, we had our first opportunity to see up close how the people, mostly ladies, carry big and heavy objects on their heads: we noticed that they wrap a cloth around into a ring and use it to anchor the goods, especially when they are held in a big bowl. I just love how bulky & heavy loads are being carried to sell goods. I'm in awe of it because i know it must be a difficult skill to acquire. There is such beauty in the simple things of life...
We are now living in Accra, Ghana. It is a city that reminds me a lot of Kingston, Jamaica where i have visited several times. The trees and plants are abundant and full of color. The people sell all kinds of goods everywhere, even along neighborhood streets off the main roads. Buildings all over are in various stages of being developed or upgraded. The colors of red, gold and green are painted on most wooden structures that are selling goods. The smell of burning trash may be sensed in any location. Reggae music is often heard out and about. And finally, there is the all-embracing heat that makes someone like me, who usually moves about quickly, come to almost a full stop and really slow down like the locals.
After 2 days of living here and driving around, we've seen many new and interesting sites. Upon leaving the airport i noticed a little eatery that had a big sketching of Malcolm X up on the wall. I thought that was a cool sign of the people's awareness of a freedom fighter that isn't recognized as much as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the U.S. What is most interesting to us is observing how each house that is of a certain economic class hires a guard to sit outside the property's wall to protect it against the threat of crime. We have read and heard over and over again that crime is not an issue in this country. Yet the perception is that having a guy sit outside will prevent crime from happening. The guards are not part of a company; they don't wear a uniform or carry a weapon. We've seen them lying down on benches and saw one getting his hair cut. They work long shifts and have nothing to do except open the gate for cars of the residence. I personally feel there is no need to have a guard (though i like the idea of not having to get out of the car to push open a big gate). The argument is always that it provides a job for someone. I just feel so bad for these guys sitting outside all day or night (depending on the shift) without anything else to do to occupy their minds or time.
This photo depicts one of the many, many markets that adorn the city. We are in search of some djembe drums! We plan on buying at least 5 of them, just enough for each one of us to play, as well as to have for a rhythmic drumming circle that we'll inevitably experience in the months to come. Apparently they are very inexpensive, quite a difference to how much one has to pay in South Africa.
This is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We are wholeheartedly focused on community service through Baha'i-inspired activities. We look forward to this never-ending life experience of learning and growing spiritually while serving the people of Ghana.
This song by Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of my favorite songs in the world (and i do love music from almost every culture in the world!). It is in a category all its own. It is in the realm of spirit, a chant, a prayer, a sacred celebration, as well as a somber melody expressing the pain of injustice that touches peoples' lives. It touches me in a way that goes very deep.
My Heart Soars -- Jack Lenz & Buffy Sainte-Marie(from the "Encore" album produced (?) by Jack Lenz)My heart soarsAt the mention of Your nameMy heart roarsLike a great eternal flameLike an eagleSoaring far and highMy heart soarsMy heart soarsMy heart yearnsFor the truth I’ll seeMy heart yearnsLike the river for the seaWith an angelWatching over meMy heart yearnsMy heart yearns(Chorus)Vocables: Hey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahHey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahSay: O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!My heart criesWhen I feel so far awayMy heart criesWhen I know how we’ve strayedBut when I think You love us even when we’re lostThen my heart fliesMy heart flies(Chorus)Vocables: Hey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahHey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahSay: O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!(Repeat 1st and 2nd verses)My heart soarsAt the mention of Your nameMy heart roarsLike a great eternal flameLike an eagleSoaring far and highMy heart soarsMy heart soarsMy heart yearnsFor the truth I’ll seeMy heart yearnsLike the river for the seaWith an angelWatching over meMy heart yearnsMy heart yearns(Chorus)Vocables: Hey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahHey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahSay: O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!O God, my God, my Beloved, my heart’s desire!Fade . . . . .Hey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ahHey hey hey ah hey ah ah hey hey ah ah
Back in 1992 i went to live and serve the Navajo people at NABI (Native American Baha'i Institute) on the Navajo Reservation. As a Baha'i, i wanted to volunteer my time and give my heart in service to others -- sometimes this is done when a person is an older youth or young adult and it's called 'a year of service'. At the time i had no money saved and my life was a bit depressing. I had graduated college and was working at Jenny Craig, a weight-loss program, as a 'Client Coordinator' -- a fancy name for a receptionist and cashier. By mid 1991 i was praying for a husband** and desiring with all my heart to arise to serve in any way possible. I didn't have enough money to travel far, but my love for the Native American people led me to write NABI to see if i could be of service there. The Administrator, Lorraine Kahn, welcomed my request to serve. By December 1991 I decided to take a round-trip train ride there even though i could only afford to sustain myself for 3 weeks -- all i wanted to do was put my trust in God and make an effort to do something that was for God, not myself. I was lovingly greeted by the caretakers, Bert & Joanne Marian. Almost immediately after meeting me and seeing my desire to serve, they invited me to continue living with them for a year without any concern for buying food or having spending money.
It was during my stay at NABI that the Marian's played an old vhs recording of Native American prophesy by Lee Brown. It also shows many photos of Native Americans throughout the Americas -- photos that leave an imprint on your heart as a result of knowing their struggle, their hardships, their oppression, and all that was sacrificed and lost. The video ended with Buffy Sainte-Marie's song -- i just sat there and cried. Her chanting penetrated my heart in a way i had never experienced. The drums pounded in my heart and i never wanted the song to end. It felt like my soul was lifted up into the realms above and beyond, and i wanted to stay in that state of being forever. Her cry infused me with inspiration to be tireless in my efforts to create justice in my daily relationships with others. This song was like a homecoming to my heart which grew up in this life very attuned to the downtrodden, the teased, the oppressed, the marginalized -- it fulfilled my inmost desire to expend all my life energy on readjusting antiquated, old-world paradigms for how people are valued.
**Right before leaving for NABI, on December 28, 1991, i met Dashiel. He was the soul i was praying for that year. God brought our souls together in a mysterious, magical way. I believe our souls were destined to meet, though i realize it was necessary for me to turn to God in prayer to be able to recognize his soul. I had never experienced love until i met him. I was very attracted to the light around him (i can still see it in my mind's eye across the dance floor where we met). I was very focused on arising to be of service when i met him and didn't immediately recognize that this was going to be my soul's beloved throughout all the worlds of God. As the story goes, i had to return home after 3 months anyway to attend my dad's 50th birthday celebration. It was during this visit that i fell in love with Dashiel and we were inseparable from that moment on. I returned to NABI though it was now a challege to arise to serve knowing that Dashiel was the one for whom i had been praying to God. Dashiel was able to visit NABI 2 times -- offering his heart, time and skills to a people who he loved as well and who touched his heart forever. We both love this song by Buffy Sainte-Marie. :)
i feel so quiet but my mind is busy and full of thoughts. my silence is helping me process and reflect all that is happening in the world. i feel content but troubled by turmoil, calm but agitated by crimes against humanity, and full of certitude but wondering what next will test humanity's collective will to help each other in times of crises.
i think each of us who learns about news that troubles our heart and soul yearns to make the world a better place. beyond the yearning must come tireless action toward achieving eternal impressions in this world. right now my silence is necessary, kind of like refueling with petrol when the tank gets low, in order for me to arise with full energy to make a difference wherever and whenever possible.
i continue to wonder how people rebuild their lives -- whether it's in Haiti after the earthquake.. or any woman who was raped.. or the people who lose everything after a tsunami destroys their land -- and how the will of the human spirit is remarkably able to endure, persevere, and be full of long-suffering.
it is time to pick up the children from school. i hope that my morning of silence, reflection and prayer has strengthened me enough to spiritually manage all that will inevitably arise in the form of mini crises. :)
"'A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity...Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life.' (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 153)"
The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial animosity, and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches and pleasures; the weakening of family solidarity; the laxity in parental control; the lapse into luxurious indulgence; the irresponsible attitude towards marriage and the consequent rising tide of divorce; the degeneracy of art and music, the infection of literature, and the corruption of the press; the extension of the influence and activities of those "prophets of decadence" who advocate companionate marriage, who preach the philosophy of nudism, who call modesty an intellectual fiction, who refuse to regard the procreation of children as the sacred and primary purpose of marriage, who denounce religion as an opiate of the people, who would, if given free rein, lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction -- these appear as the outstanding characteristics of a decadent society, a society that must either be reborn or perish.
(Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 187)
the kids and i walked to school today. the distance is about .6km, not far at all. we're finally in a groove for the morning routine so we were prepared by 7am and had enough time to walk instead of drive. the sun was already hot on the horizon as we set out. soon there were little complaints about how heavy their bags were. by the time we were halfway there we had greeted several Zulu people with 'Sawobona', observed a lizard, and gathered seeds all over our calves and ankles from the grasses. we paused and picked them off the best we could.
we talked about how people travel by foot each day, walking long distances, without sidewalks, often on the side of highways or narrow roads that put one in danger of being hit by a car. they are always listening to me as i try to explain life as i understand it. sometimes i'm sure they don't want to hear what i'm saying, especially when it involves them experiencing what they consider a difficulty. but i know and trust that these conversations will become little gems of wisdom for them someday as they reflect on how they want to live their lives as adults. today's walk was barely a hardship by any means, but what it did was open the door again for that significant moment where they can step outside of themselves and hopefully connect their hearts to other peoples' realities while they experience something that is uncomfortable for themselves.
for many years i have felt a close connection with people who walk. i have always associated it with injustice and race, how it's always the poor people who don't have the cars to travel by, and most of the poor people in the world are people of color whose lives have been touched invariably by racism. i have doubted that any of them, or perhaps a few, would choose to walk such long distances. i have felt great empathy for their feet which bear most of the burden & which are most often wearing (and outwearing) shoes that are not comfortable enough -- as we know that the most comfortably made shoes with the best of materials are the most expensive (and i haven't had any of those but i sure have looked at them in the store, weighing the cost with the long-term benefit of being able to keep them for a long time because they are made so well). all of this and more has made me the kind of person who has high regard for those who walk everywhere, everyday. it feels like my eyes and heart are very attuned to those who are walking, and i find every opportunity to convey with sincerity my genuine sense of friendliness with respect & joy.
To get water, people walk to a standpipe, filling up containers and walk home
i know there are wealthy people that take transport and walk through cities to get to work even though they own a car. and i know there are poor people who appreciate and like walking. what i'm discontentedly observing here in South Africa, in both Cape Town and now Durban, though, is that the lives of black Africans is hard, while the lives of white people is full of comfort and ease. i am not comfortable being part of the comfort unless my life reflects as much as possible a sense of justice and generosity through the acts of sacrifice, service, and being of benefit to others. i am not leaving our car at home to save petrol (although that is another benefit); and i'm not walking to get exercise. my intention truly, at the deepest level, is to feel connected with those whose lives are touched by hardship & the systematic affects of racism everyday. it is this connection that matters. it is walking past another person who is also walking and saying greeting them with a smile in their own language. it is seeing in their face a great joy to see us walking and being friendly. it is just simple decisions like this that result in shaking up 'how it is' and letting it resettle into 'how it should be'.
By Alastair Leithead BBC correspondent in Cape Town
Naki lives on a gardener's pension today
The world knows the achievements of Professor Christian Barnard - the first man to carry out a heart transplant in his native South Africa.
It was 1967 at the height of apartheid.
But behind all the research and testing he carried out on animals that preceded the pioneering operation was a black South African called Hamilton Naki.
His work helped the first heart transplant become a reality and for years after that he passed on those skills to thousands of young surgeons.
Until recently his story was ignored, but now a film-maker hopes to change all that.
Professor Barnard carried out the first heart transplant in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town where years earlier Mr Naki enrolled as a gardener.
There is a website, All Chocolate, that describes everything you want to know about chocolate -- its history, production, recipes AND health benefits..
