Classifieds

Eleven years ago, while I was going about my daily work requirements I came across an ad in a local paper. An international organisation was hiring. I was looking. I made it a match. I rewrote my resume, refocused my areas of study and expertise and put  my name in the hat. I did not expect much, but I thought to try. 

A few days later, as I was driving back home from work my cell phone rang. I picked up, of course. It was an international call. I parked on the side of the road. I listened to the voice speaking from the distance. It was a voice my mind had heard before, someone I knew from long ago but never really met. I had been selected for an in-person interview in a few weeks. I started counting the days. I needed a face to that voice. 

The day of the interview came. I left work as usual, changed into formal wear and headed towards the address. I took the elevator, made the introduction and entered the cubicle. There I met him: the blue-est blue eyes, the shiniest of blond hair and the softest voice. I knew it then. My fate was sealed. 

We chatted, we parted. I did not get the job. I got an extended arm, instead. Tens of emails, phone calls, and MSN chats later I was on a plane with a one-way ticket. I never looked back. 

The story started eleven years ago to the day: in 2003 January 15th fell on a Wednesday, this year it fell on a Wednesday, too. Life comes to a complete circle, its all cyclical in the end. I made it a point when I was in Lebanon to find the document that had changed my life. This year I am looking at another document that I am hoping will also change my life. The road leading to 2003 was not easy, but the journey was worth it. The road from 2013 may also not be easy, but I am certain the journey will be worth it. There is only one way to find out! 

Through the years; New York

The first time I learned about New York was on T.V. I saw a city of beauty and charm. A city that was run by tourists, artists, actors, pretty people, rich people, powerful people. Until 2008, the closest I got to N.Y. was through stories told by my friends of their trips there; crowding at Times Square on New Year's Eve watching the ball coming down; sleeping on the subway because there was no where else to go; navigating Central Park, and visiting the elegant stores, and expensive restaurants. I formed a mental picture of one day being able to go.

Five years after I landed in America, that day arrived. In June 2008, I found myself sitting on the train with a one-way ticket to Penn station. And the love-hate relationship with NY began. For the entire month of June I lived large in New York. I stayed in one corporate apartment on 2nd Avenue, then another on Columbus Circle, lived on a corporate expense account, spent per diem money, and did not think twice about the restaurants I dined in. I even watched Mary Poppins on Broadway and treated Jeff to fancy breakfasts, elaborate lunches, fun happy hours, and exotic dinners on the weekends he took the bus to see me.

Then, I moved back home to our condo in Courthouse. Our visits to NY continued, but had a different flavor; we were now spending our own money rather than someone else's! It was still a blast, but the sting came at the time our credit card bill rolled around. And that's where the hate part of the relationship kicks in. Such a beautiful city, with such a high price tag. But that did not deter us. Four years later, we are still loyal NY travellers, and have even turned JR into much of the same. Although not yet 3, JR has been to NY three times already, with her first trip when she was 8 weeks old, and with at least one more trip in her future.

Here are some of our favotire NY photos from the trips past.



June 14th, 2008
Caught in the rain, then enjoying drinks, still dripping wet, at a glass enclosed restaurant.

June 20th, 2008.
In Times Square, after the sun went down; and at Columbus Circle in full sun.

June 29th, 2008.
Enjoying an outdoor brunch.

Thanksgiving 2008.
Macy's Day Parade and Christmas decorations in a storefront.

Christmas 2009.

Marriott Marquis in Times Square. One last couple's hurrah before JR made her entry.

 

March 6th, 2010.

JR at 8 weeks, 1 day. Already a traveller.



Less than a later; 27 Febraury 2011.

Another chilly day in NY did not stop JR from being seen in Times Square and Central Park.

 

4th of July weekend 2011.

Riding the giant dog at FAO and making her exit through the hotel's revolving doors;

NY, here comes JR!

 

Labor Day weekend 2011, in celebration of Mama's birthday.

Spotted: JR at Central Park looking dazzling in black.

 

 

October 2012, a last minute trip.

Chocolate pizza was the first order of business.

 

 

a little like me, a little like him

Some say she looks like me.

Some say she looks like him.

I think she looks just like herself.

 

Some say she acts like me.

Some say she acts like him.

I think she acts like herself.

 

She is a little of me,

and a little of him.

But, she is a lot of herself.

Who else would she be?

Who else could she be?

Who else should she be?

We brought her into the world.

We shape her world.

We are her world.

But we are not THE world.

One day she will realise that.

She will see there is more.

She will hear there is more.

And she will want more.

And so, we let her be:

Herself.

So that when that one day comes,

She will go;

Herself.

She will learn;

Herself.

She will be;

Herself.

She will look back and see

that while she is a little bit of me

and a little bit of him

we let her be

completely

Her.



He got me flowers...

... and that is all that matters.

It didn't hurt that they were our favorite; the calla lilies of our wedding.

What I'm thankful for today

Food, and its availibity
Money, and being able to use it to buy food at my discretion
Family, being close and willing to help
Friends, near and far offering their love, support and advice
My Doctor, and his taking a personal part in my well-being
Modern Medicine, and its ability to alleviate pain
Health insurance, without which the previous two would cost a lot more than they do
Electricity, with rare interruptions
Airconditiong, especially on hot, humid days like these
Jannah-Rae, and her company on days that are too hot to go outside
Jeff, and his flexibility to come home for lunch some days

to have and to hold

Today marks our anniversary. What year are we on? I really cannot tell you readily. I have to stop and think. I have to go back in time to the year I moved to the US; 2003. Then, I can tell you what year we got married; 2004. From there I can do the math and figure it out; we are on year 8.

I am not good at remembering dates; I still do not know my parent's birthdays. But I am good at preserving memories. Knowing that about myself, I have kept track of the years of by thinking of them as "before September 3rd, 2003" and "after September 3rd, 2003." I specifically picked my birthday date to leave one life behind and start a new one fresh. That year, I celebrated two birthdays on the same day; one before I left and one after I arrived.

So, I have been here going on 9 years and have been married for 8. In these 8 years, so much happened: We lived in Portland. I started, and stopped, a Ph.D. program in Urban Studies. We moved to Washington, DC. Jeff graduated from an M.A. program at JHU. We moved back to Portland. Bought a house. Left the house back to Washington, DC. Jeff started a Ph.D program at GWU. We had JR. And, somewhere in time we got married.

Our wedding was our own "creation." We planned it ourselves, and executed it ourselves. There were no wedding planners, or fancy decorations. There was no overdone hair and makeup and no elaborate dress and suit. And, there certainly wasn't a lengthy wedding guest list or an overly priced venue. It was simple, it was fun, and it was memorable.

We held the ceremony on the roof-top of the apartment building where we used to live, 1969 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR. We covered the fence with blue satin and the tables with white linen. I did my own hair, bought my wedding dress off the shelf, and got my shoes from a consignment store (for something "old"). A friend even made my veil.

We did not have a tiered wedding cake. Instead, we had an assortment of personal cakes surrounding a larger one, Big Cheryl's "Ghetto" Cake best described by the pastry chef who created it: dense, moist cake with a touch of orange and rum, and filled with pastry cream and mixed berries. There’s nothing “ghetto” about it except for the bad pronunciation of the French word “gâteau!" On top of the "Ghetto" cake stood our Polly Pocket bride and groom figurines; they now live in a shadow box on our wall.

Best of all, we did not have a man-made boquet. Instead, we have a hand-made one; one made by our very own hands. And that, to this day, remains the best and most memorable part of the wedding. We got married on a Sunday morning. On Saturday, we strolled through the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, as we did every Saturday. But this day was different; we had a mission. We were looking for flowers. We stopped at all the stands that carried them, but nothing caught our attention. Not until we arrived at the last one did we find them. There, sitting in buckets of water, were the prettiest Calla Lillies. They called out to us, and a few bunched later, we headed back to start working on the center piece. The final result was just what we were after; a collaboration of both our efforts, a memory to cherish, and a bouquet to hold.

I love telling the story of our wedding to friends who come over and look at our wedding photos on the wall. But I have never recounted it in words. While the above summarizes it in words, it does not capture the joy that floated that day, nor that that continues to float every day. The past 8 years were simply amazing, and I am looking forward to many more to come.

Walking Distance

On days like yesterday I am thankful that we live a short walking distance from civilisation - read restaurants, banks, playgrounds, grocery stores, coffee shops, toy store, book store, metro stations, bus stops, friend's houses, and Jeff's work in Georgetown. I could even walk to the yoga studio if I really wanted to.

Hungry, tired and sick, I had no other resort than to put JR back in the stroller and head out to one of the best burger places in town. I did have food at home but I did not feel like making any of it; I was tired of chicken nuggets, did not want frozen pizza and had no sauce for pasta. The cold turkey sandwich was not appealing and the veggie burger did not make my mouth salivate. I wanted something hot, greasy, and served. I did not want to make it or clean it. I just wanted to eat it. And, I was willing to drag my tired self to that end. And after 30 minutes of debating with myself, that is what I did. 30 minutes after that I was fed and on my way back home.

Ah! The pleasures of "walking distance."

Wednesday, June 6th

Still sick with a cold and cabin fever. Day three of sickness and two of being stuck at home and I was done. But, spending time with JR, taking her for a walk, making dinner for her then Jeff and I, and listening to her read and play with her dad make it all worthwhile.

Monday, June 4th

New shoes for JR. It is not the shoes that are important but the fact that she can have new shoes without an occassion or a particular need. That means a lot.

Saturday, June 2nd

"Take me out to the ball game" was the theme of the day. The family, along with some friends, enjoyed an afternoon of fun at the baseball game. Then Mama and Baba enjoyed a quite dinner out.

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

Two yoga classes in two days!
What a blessing after all the time I struggled to make it to one class a week.
An obedient child (most of the time!).
A beautiful evening out with my family for a late dinner.
Good friends.

Jeff's Birthday

Lots to be grateful for today.
- A roof over our heads.
- Hot/Cold meals when we are hungry.
- Wheels to take us places.
- Money to make our life easier.
- Family members who love us.
- Jeff's birthday.
- An easy drive back to DC.
- A free breakfast.
- A wonderful time away.

And best of all, a family dinner of sauteed salad, shrimp and french fries while reading books on the floor in the spare bedroom also knows as "the office" and "Jannah-Rae's room".

Sunday 5/27/12

An impropmto vacation. Charlottesville here we come! With only one child we figured we could still be somewhat spontaneous with our plans. After a few phone calls we found an amazing deal at a great hotel in Charlotesville, one I had been secretly wanting to try out for years. For $148 a night, it was hard not to get out of town for the long weekend. The drive was easy, the weather was hot. We got there in time for our favorite lunch at Michie Tavern. Check-in was a breeze and the room was nice. JR discovered the pool and after many dips in the indoor and outdoor pools and the jacuzzi, she was ready for icecream. While dinner did not work out the way I planned, we all had a good night sleep. Hotels are FUN!

Friday 5/25

Lobster dinner - homemade. What a treat to be able to try out new recipes. A willing test taster is always handy!

5/24

A good yoga class in the company of a wonderful partner.

5/23/12

A supportive husband, who works really hard to allow me to have everything I need and want.