What are your intentions?

9:36pm—The day has almost finished, time spent away from the computer is always time to reconsider and revise and hopefully resolve. 

Tonight’s ho hum sunset was eclipsed by a brilliant moon and wafting clouds.  And today’s sunrise had potential but ended ho hum as well.  So, did you reconsider, revise and hopefully resolve anything on the rooftop?  Oh, I don’t remember, sometimes there is a promising idea but without something to write the idea down I usually forget which means it probably wasn’t worth remembering, right? 

Today was off because of the Shia’s holy day called Ashura, on this tenth day a long time ago Hussein was killed in the battle of Karbala. 

And I’m thankful to have had a two day weekend, twice a week would be ideal.  There was a time, fortunately, for talking, getting advice, and trying to ignite, inspire that will to pursue aggressively what I need to do.  It’s so unlike me, I concede, but...if I know my back is covered….

Saffi and I walked to the Arena for biryani rice and some fine kebabs and Azad sat with us and he was informed by the school in Silicon Valley that he was accepted into their MA program (with a 61 on his toefl score) and is expected to be in town by January.  I told him I was jealous, not so much of the Silicon farcials but of San Francisco.  The most beautiful city in America. 

And it was mentioned I was interested in a school and the application process begins next month.  Azad asked what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to rearrange a famous collection of letters and then we talked for an hour about theology and the hadith and the Koran and it was very informative but most important, and I’m glad Azad asked because I have to defend this germinal hypothesis and I have to talk about it, I need to convince myself first and be one hundred percent confident I have God’s green light.  I’ve talked about it in this blog and in my journals but to go public, it’s a different game.  Anyways, how did you sound?  I think the way I explained interpretation and the spirit of God and ya da, it sounded quite plausible indeed.  

Earlier in the afternoon I brainstormed the idea of a paper I have to submit in the application process.  A story on any religious topic.  They want to see my style, write it like a blog, eh?   What is my intention, said Azad, the young man who doesn’t have too big of a problem eating a shellfish at Fisherman’s Wharf because his intention isn’t to sin against God.  It is to find pleasure in God’s creation in the form of a huge lobster.   Why do I want to return to university and reshuffle the New Testament?  It’s so ballsy, I shake in my own socks. 

Enjoy the Bay, dude.  I am jealous. 

I will breathe free again. 

When was the last time you breathed free?  Not too long ago, perhaps the trek to ABC.  I couldn’t not breathe free and strongly at 4000 meters.   

I should sleep now. 

10.25.15

Last night we turned on the generator for an hour to re-energize the solar batteries, and for the rest of the night there was solar energy until seven this morning.  Does it seem like a waste to have light when everyone is sleeping and then not have any electricity at eleven in the morning and my pc battery ebbs low?

Teaching at seven am is such a novelty but I like the idea all across the nation of these mini esl breakfast clubs in mcdonalds.  ninety minutes of talk with my coffee and egg mcmuffin. 

What can I recall from last night’s conversation?

Is the Koran and the Hadith on the same sacred canonical level?  The value of the Hadith cannot be underestimated.  It’s explanatory sayings reinforce the authenticity of the writings in the Koran.  The scholars who lived after the death of the prophet questioned eye witnesses and primary sources, making sure hearsay and fourth or fifth hand information was placed in such a category and could not be considered as worthy when considered when a sura in the Koran needed further explanation.

I asked the three men at the table the question, putting two fingers together:  Is the Hadith equal in holiness to the Koran?  Not exactly assured responses.  Paul’s writings, sacred as sacred can come are a significant departure in the narrative of Jesus’s Ministry and include not only divinely inspired words but opinions, commentaries if I may say, advice on how to live like a Christian. 

I think that’s all for now.  Work calls, sort of.