A Week in My Life

Sunday: SAM. That's the Seattle Art Museum. I went with a couple Purple Door people to see the Roman art exhibit on loan from the Louvre. Mostly, they had marble sculptures and jewelry. I took a Roman history class in college so it was interesting to be that close to the history that I had studied.

Monday: Staff Meeting. We ventured out of the house and went to Lounjin, a coffee/sake bar on the Ave. I got my usual decaf vanilla latte. (Job security: No, I did not have the sake.) I really liked Lounjin because it was comfortable, not too busy, and has free wi-fi. I think that it just might become my new place to go when I really need to get work done.

Tuesday: A Day of Surreal. Wednesday's post kind of covers what Tuesday was like for me. In the morning, I went to the Seeds of Compassion prayer breakfast where I got to see the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Archbishop is now one of my new favorite people ever. In the afternoon, we went to a interfaith panel discussion on compassion at UW. At night, we went to a Off the Map deal. I think that the OTM gathering was one of the best times of fellowship that I've had since moving to Seattle. It was amazing to spend time with s omany like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ. I also got to talk to Sunil Sardar, the man that we're going to be working with in India this summer :)

Wednesday: Candy Caste System. Since some of us from the Purple Door are going to India this summer, we decided to do a social experiment about caste on campus. At our table, we set out three different types of candy bars: mini candy bars, full sized candy bars, and the deluxe you-paid-how-much candy bars. We put out a sign that advertised that we had free candy. When a student came up to our table, we would ask their first name. If their name started with a consonant, we would give them a mini candy bar. If their name started with a vowel, they got a full sized candy bar. If their name started with a U, they got a deluxe candy bar. Some of the students that got mini candy bars got truly offended that they couldn't have a full sized one. We just smiled and pointed out that like our candy caste system, the caste system of India is unfair and holds people back.

Thursday: Teach-In #2. After an amazing supper of Lemon Pepper Chicken, Tali Hairston, the director of the John Perkins Center at SPU, came to talk to us about urban leadership and reconciliation. The main point that I brought out of the discussion was that we need to learn other people's stories. When we learn their stories, we are able to understand where they are coming from and are able to build solid relationships with them. Learning the story of someone with a different background (whether it's based on race, ethnicity, or religious background) is the first step toward reconciliation. I really wish that there were more centers like this in the South where racial reconciliation still hasn't fully taken place.

Friday: More "Have-a-Tat". We're still working out the plans for the joint Habitat/Purple Door fundraiser. This week we are praying that sponsors will step up so that the event won't cost as much as we're anticipating.

Today: I went to the farmers market this morning. It was just kind of misting when I left the house, but by the time I got to the market it was raining/snowing. Yes, snowing. Seattle weather is throwing me for a loop. Will it ever get warm?