Why is unity a prerequisite for peace?

Lasting peace cannot be attained unless and until the unity of humankind is firmly established. Why is this so and in what way is unity the pre-requisite of peace?

“See ye no strangers; rather see all men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness. And in this new and wondrous age, the Holy Writings say that we must be at one with every people; that we must see neither harshness nor injustice, neither malevolence, nor hostility, nor hate, but rather turn our eyes toward the heaven of ancient glory. For each of the creatures is a sign of God, and it was by the grace of the Lord and His power that each did step into the world; therefore they are not strangers, but in the family; not aliens, but friends, and to be treated as such.” Abdul-Baha

Peace without unity to me is like a fish without water. Unity provides the basis, the common vision and clay for which we can work together to create peace. We have countless examples of superficial ‘peace’ in the world today, just open the newspaper or turn on the 6pm news and we see flashes of momentary and transient ‘peace deals’ between nations or within nations, lasting only until the next uprising or war breaks out. The bottom line in mankind’s present attempts to create peace is that there is no spiritual base to their negotiations, there is an attachment to one’s own identity or difference, there is no recognition of what binds us together - our inherent nobility, the unifying force that connects every member of this planet together. We fix our gaze on ‘otherness’, on prejudices of race, sex, religion, socio-economic background, we separate, divide, even physically build walls to stop ‘difference’ from interfering with our lives, which of course breeds more injustices and the conflict continues. And what is at the root of this vicious cycle? A fractured, dichotomised, dis-unified view of humanity.

By seeing unity as the starting point for the construction of peace in the world, we are focusing on what connects us, what we have in common, like the blood that runs in our veins, not to create homogeneity and uniformity, but to learn and develop from the unique capacities and insights of each other. In consultation for example, we have a variety of opinions and yet when a decision is reached, through the combination of these differing ideas, it is acted out with total unity, that is how effective and lasting action takes place. If one member of the consultation decides not to follow through on the decision taken, or imposes his or her own will during the decision process, nothing will come of their collective efforts. We are as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Unity implies the removal of self, one of greatest obstacles we have in the world today obsessed with the individual, unity implies the ability to truly listen and understand difference, the ability to detach from one’s opinions in order for true progress and justice to be reached. Starting any process with a focus on unity implies there is something at work greater than just ourselves, what we are combined is far far greater than what we could possibly achieve individually.

"True journalism is intentional" - Kapuscinski

Here is a rough translation of an article recently published in El Universo, Guayaquil's major newspaper, on the media project. It's exciting to see the thirst there is for this kind of work here in Guayaquil, and the receptivity of the local media population!

(Translation from Spanish)
"Transformation is the key word. Promoting change in life. Proving that history of hope can be created when we transmit anything in the media.
That concept is getting deep meaning in Guayaquil, one of the three spots around the world that the Baha’i community chose as part of their pilot Media Project.
The Baha’i faith, a religion born in the ancient Persia over 160 years ago and whose philosophy is to advocate for tolerance, diversity of beliefs, and humanity’s spiritual unity, selected Guayaquil, Ecuador, together with Canoas, Brazil and Toronto, Canada, as part of a concept: Media to transform. How can transformation come from the media? Are the mass media the only ones that can do this? Katy Simistierra, a journalist from Guayaquil and head of the program here, believes in the positive potential of the media, in their power to create reaction. The work, at present focused on pre-teens aged 12-14 in the area of Chongon and ready to be carried out with teenagers at Steiner high school, is not on high rating TV shows broadcast nation wide. Three full-time persons and five volunteers produce TV dramas that are shared with adolescents in order for them to reflect.
Entering a community via its adolescents, guiding them to deal with so common issues such as the pressures of fashion, helping family, being responsible and honest, are parts of the contents.
The theme of this Baha’i project must get journalists to reflect, but not only journalists, but also every one who is so wonderfully lucky to be able to communicate in diverse means. Questions and self-criticism pop into my head: What else can we give other than the everyday-issues that torture us in the editing rooms? How can we creatively squeeze ourselves to propel much more the transforming essence that the media has? How can we demand ourselves even more to go beyond the rottenness that we have to make public, too?
Before the theory that journalists ‘only present bad news’, I can only say that aseptic journalism does not help a society, which also has to see its pains because by not making them public, they will not disappear.
Before this doubt, I have to go to the master; the universal Polish man Ryszard Kapuscinski, the journalist who understood and created a school that teaches how to live journalism as a trade with too many responsibilities, that always has to be in other people’s shoes, that has to try and live with extreme sensitivity for others. Two of his quotes to sum and wrap up: ‘when one decides to describe reality, his writing has an influence on that reality.’ ‘The true journalism is intentional, i.e: when it sets an objective, it tries to provoke some kind of change. There’s no other possible journalism.’

the curse of the dreaded internet

well its been nearly two weeks with no net checking,blogging or facebook stalking (that, i can live without!)
yikes. feels like an eternity .
i moved back to my home in Chongon, where there is no lovely easy wireless connection, which i was bathing in for many weeks back in my friends home were I first stayed, and its hilarious, everytime i venture down to 'cyber market' the local store in Chongon which has internet, the system is always down or the power is cut!
maybe is a sign that i gotta do some detaching. but im realising how attached i am to the net, in terms of feeling 'connected' to people back home or around the world and even to get this blog off the ground. so right now im going through post internet withdrawl symptoms, with the actual fix, like right now using my friends connection....trying to replace that thought of being totally out of touch with everyone, and as if my life is shrinking to the size of Chongon....and why should that scare me? why does the net suddenly have a big impact on my social life? facebook i can live without, although i have to admit its pretty great to see what your friends are up to, but there does come a point where its a waste of time, and you realise its been two hours of checking other peoples lives...bit wierd that form of cyber socialising, if we can call it socialising!!
right now i want to get this blog working more, set up a rhythm of reflecting more on the process and my experience here in Chongon with the Media Project....there is a lot to write about in the last few weeks, its all jumbled up in my mind and im finding it hard to articulate in this moment.....anyways just to have the net, even for ten minutes, somehow i feel better...
wierd
for most people in chongon, having a computer, having internet doesnt really cross their mind anywhere much as it does mine!

simple pleasures

we held the cine-forum tonight
in the open air
centre of chongon
a small crowd of 20 
and others watching from around the basketball court
or through the fence
we are starting to create a rhythm
a space 
where people come together
watch as a community
watch 
with a purpose
discuss
baby-steps 
but the potential is palpable




finding myself in deep moments of joy
a child laughing

a warm hug

a greeting from a stranger passing by

a smile

a twinkle of an eye

"Joy gives us wings! 

In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. 

We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of usefulness."

Abdul-Baha, Paris Talks

short

night and day
momentary power cuts
on and off
conversations stop
midsentence
fumble in the dark
where is my fork?
lights on
there it is

 
i never knew lizards chirped
it lasts only a few beats
a high pitched squeal
the friendly one greets me on my window mesh each day
or just before i lay my head on my pillow
a goodnight screech


in the middle of the night
they attack
mosquito season on my legs
red itchy itches
scratching up a storm
'oh my, look at your legs'  they exclaim
daily reminders

itch
scratch
gringa flesh


an iguana parks himself under an almond tree
prehistoric skin in downtown guayaquil
a man sitting under a tree with an iguana on his lap
feeding it the occassional banana chip from his small plastic bag
he eats one himself and gives it a pat
so casual
so relaxed
at the city center park where suits meet iguanas
with no blink of an eye


transactions through bars
not stepping one foot inside the corner store
we stare at each other through the steel between us
i cant quite make out the face
bars everywhere
doors
windows
obscuring the vision

fotos

Thanks to Danny Jensen who took the photo's

taller de teatro

Just finised the first week of the theatre workshop with the youth of Chongon, and San Geronimo.
it was an incredible experience, and actually my first time holding a workshop like this, so there is a lot of learning that im processing as i write this.
we had around 25 regular participants in the workshop, most of which were 14years and older, we even had an older couple in their forties show up and take part towards the end of the week! The workshop was aimed for youth, the posters clearly stated 14 years and over, but of course the reality of this rural community and the location we used in the town center, children and junior youth show up as they do, and well, the first day I was a bit too relaxed about it and they joined in for most of the warm-up games, so when it came to the second day it was hard to say no kids...but it all ended up working out in the end, with the kids watching the activities or doing their own thing in seperate groups.
For basically every participant there, this was their first experience of theatre, they had never seen a play before but they were interested in drama. I was amazed at their hunger to learn, they enthusiasm and warm-heartedness. Most of the workshop (which was 3hours long each day) focused on confidence building games, games that were collaborative in nature, with no main ‘leader’ or ‘winner’ but rather the team has to co-operate as a unit in order to achieve the goal. We would then reflect after each game about what qualities we were developing, the relationship to drama, and most importantly how the game related to our own lives. For example, after playing an exercise called ‘Flocking’, where a small group changes leader and movement often, one participant in the reflection circle said, ‘This exercise represented to me the different stages of life. There are times when you have to follow others, like your parents and do as they say, and other times when you have to lead and make decisions for yourself, but you have to work together and stay united.’
The participants thrived on the daily improvement they witnessed in the games as it built their self-confidence and the dynamic of the group. The jump- rope sequence for example, requiring the group to run under the rope in pairs without missing a beat, was an activity the group struggled with on the first day, but after a discussion on what it means to have courage and believe in yourself, why it is important and how it applies to our lives, the group suddenly stepped up and ran through the rope one after the other in time, bringing a tremendous sense of joy and confirmation to the participants. One participant responded, ‘This game showed me that first you have to believe you can do it, then everything is possible.’

There was also specific times were the group would devise and perform their own performances based on social issues they are facing. This was strengthen by a good deal of time reflecting in small groups on the following questions,

* ‘What would you want the world to know about your community?’
Their responses include:
‘We’d like them to know the values that we practise – like friendship, respect, solidarity.’

Another group commented, ‘We’d like them to know that we are collaborators and are kind. People from Chongon are hard-workers and have talents too.’

* ‘What would you want to change about your community?’
One group answered, ‘We want to change the macho-ism that exists in our community. There are too many gangs, and fights that lead to nothing.

* and the final question ‘What themes or issues would you want to be included in a video or play about your community?’

‘There is a part of the community that is dedicated to consuming drugs and alcohol. We want to make a drama that shows the effects of their actions on the community.’

All of the groups brought up again and again that drugs, alcohol and gang related violence were the key issues they wanted to express in a play or video based on their community. After this reflection, in the same groups, they created short plays on the above issues. The reflection time allowed them to go deeper into the stories at the heart of the issues, and the improvement in their performance style was apparent compared to the other days.

We ended the workshop with a performance of these scenes, and then a cine-forum showing the lastest videos produced by the Media Project, which was received warmly by the participants. By the end of the workshop the group dynamic was so strong and unified that most did not want to leave and asked when the workshop would happen again. The second phase of the workshop was explained to them, which focuses on working with specific actors and rehearsing for the next series of videos.

By the end of the workshop our goals were achieved, as we now have a sizeable group of actors from the Chongon area who are ready to work with us on the next series of videos. It's going to be great to have people from the community as actors, rather than those from Guayaquil, which we had been using previously. I think its really going to help bring more people to the cine-forums and hopefully allow the forum portion at the end of the screening to be deeper and more reflective with the audience...
Areas to work on...perhaps more reflection time after each game, I tended to do too many games for the time frame we had. I’m also learning about my speed of communicating and its relationship to this culture, or the fact that the youth are totally new to theatre and have no reference point, so often i would find myself speeding ahead, asking them questions they had no connection to, and both the translators and the participants could not follow...even basic games that I use as warm-ups, a lot of hand and ball co-ordination games, are totally foreign here, all the games are using your legs not your hands, and the girls generally dont take part it them, so that was an interesting area for me and to build up the girls confidence. I'm learning how to work slowly and more deeply, and thinking of concrete examples from their world to reiterate a point...that’s one of the new findings for me...more to come...

El Ayuno

35degrees. No AC apart from in the car or at the mall. Humidity thats at a level beyond my comprehension...

It´s Day 7 of the Bahaí 19-day Fast, in one of the hottest countries, in their hottest month.

If you are asking yourself what exactly is the Baha'i fast, hopefully these writings will give you some insight...

´The fasting period, which lasts nineteen days starting as a rule from the second of March every year and ending on the twentieth of the same month, involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset. It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires. ´Shoghi Effendi


´...for this physical fast is a symbol of the spiritual fast. This Fast leadeth to the cleansing of the soul from all selfish desires, the acquisition of spiritual attributes...´

´..Besides all this, prayer and fasting [are] the cause of awakening and mindfulness..´ Abdul-Baha

`...fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of self and passion.´ Baha´u´llah

´Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the Fast increaseth his love, and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds.´ (Baha’u’llah, Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, UHJ, May 2000)

I know the heat Baha´u´llah talks about in the last quote is spiritual, but certainly here in Chongon the physical environment serves as a daily reminder!! Locals tell me `If you can survive this month, then you can live in Ecuador'. So far so good.

Tomorrow I begin a 10day workshop with the youth of Chongon, focusing on building theatre skills with them and finding interested people to act in our next series of films. I´m excited, but nervous at the same time. It´s the first time the project has specifically worked with youth, before it was junior youth (below 14years of age)and their parents and their response was huge. So we shall see...

We have been having a lot of consulations recently as a team on the process. And one big question that keeps coming up is to do with solution based work. We dont want to come across preachy or forceful in anyway. We have the Bahaí Writings as a base so how do we encorporate the writings in our productions in a way that is an offering, that makes the audience reflect, and question...
What makes us different to another religious group doing the same thing? How are we different to say, a group of Mormon´s doing a similiar project, that is about community development, development of spiritual qualities etc? One major point of difference is that the purpose of the Media Project is not ´conversion´ of any sort, or to teach the Bahaí Faith through it. It´s more about addressing the social issues in the community through film and theatre, but using the Bahaí guidance specifically to those issues.
I have issues with solution-based drama i´ve seen in the past with different groups in New Zealand and around the world. It doesnt challenge the audience enough, it´s so black and white, the audience is treated like dummies. And generally people know that taking drugs etc is not good for them, so how do we create something that is complex, thought-provoking, engages the audience, and provides a space for the Bahaí perspective to come through? How do we go deeper into the issues, so the scripts dont skim the surface? How deep into the negative forces at work in society do we go, especially when these videos are aimed for 11,12, 13 year olds and their families? We cant have light without darkness. But its finding the balance...
so much of the films we see today focus on the darker side of society and leave the audience with a sense of hopelessness..How do we resolve the conflict, does having a feel good 'disney' type ending push the audience away or make them step closer into the world we created? Some audience members shared that they had never seen a family as unified and cohesive as the families we were potraying in the videos, and it moved them to tears after watching it. Often the family situation here is far from that, well in most of the world now. So showing a positive influence can also have big effects, even if it may feel cheesy, or is it possible to have a solution-type ending that is not disney like? Is it possible?
We are aiming to create a new culture through this work...little by little...

In the dark

It had to happen.
The classic 'learning language' stuff up.
I was trying to ask a guy how he hurt his foot, he was limping around the room, so I asked my American friend for the translation into spanish.
Turns out I asked him 'Will you marry me?'
I have never seen such a shocked look on someone's face!
His jaw dropped and he jumped out of his chair, pushing it to the side as if I was about to attack him! It was hilarious, and of course my American friend was rolling around the floor laughing. Me too, after I realised what I said! His reaction was gold! I knew something was wrong while I was saying it, some of the words I knew already and thought they didnt fit but I just trusted him to have told me the right thing....hahaaa I should have known...
THEN
I am walking out of the house later on that evening, and down the path I say to the same guy with the sore foot that I feel so embarrased for what happend. I'm searching for the words in spanish, I think its similiar to the english word, in desperation I ask my American friend for the translation. I say 'Estoy embarazada', sounds pretty similiar to the english version so I take it as it is. Turns out I just told him 'I am pregnant'. The real version is 'Estoy avergonzado'
OH MAN TWO HITS IN ONE NIGHT!!
I have to learn this language fast!
It was good to have a laugh about it that night because more and more with each day it feels like a huge mountain to climb. And its getting to me, how useless I feel in many contexts and the frustration that comes with not being able to express yourself or connect fully to others. I am trying to fit in as much language learning as I can, but with the schedule we have there is not much time, and just absorbing this new environment has been huge for me. Getting used to the power-cuts has been quite fun, we had a big one today for most of the evening, during our Ayyami-Ha celebrations with the Baha'i community tonight we ate and socialised in the dark, bumping into each other occasionally. A typical Chongon moment!
Normally I'm shattered at the end of the day, but it is a priority to learn the language. How can I work on a project about communication if I can't even communicate with the people? oh the irony. I have found a language school in the city, it's at least an hour's bus ride to get there, but I think it's the only way.

The forum on Friday went well. We had about 45 people show up, not as much as we were hoping but its a beginning. When it came to question time after the film was shown, over half the audience (mostly youth) left. So that is a huge question, how do we make the forum portion of the evening something that the youth would want to take part of? Having the questions on a projector screen, does it distance the audience too much? Does it become like a 'school'? The other big learning is around the medium, when the project used theatre before it turned to film (about a year ago), they had huge audience's 200+ people and during the forum time everyone engaged in the dialogue at a high level. Now with the film, the audience seems quite passive and almost removed. Does theatre effect people more than film? Or is film more powerful because it works on a subliminal, sub-conscious level where the individual identifies with a character and wants to be like? Is it more powerful to leave that with them in their minds or to discuss the issues it brings up?
Tomorrow we have a big consulation about it, so let's see!

I am moving into my new home tomorrow, in the heart of Chongon. For the first week and a half I have been staying with a family, so it has been a gentle introduction! The new place doesn't have internet yet, so perhaps no blog posts for a short while! Till then...

start spreading the news...

Katty and I spent a lot of today trying out all the possible ways to let the people of Chongon know about the Media Project's cinema forum tomorrow night, a free event where one of the previous films will be screened at the community hall, and afterwards a forum will be held about the issues and questions it brings up.
We tried everything from putting the poster's inside triste-moto's (three wheel taxi's that are very popular here, 25cents per person for a ride! oh yeah!), and one guy wanted one on the front of his motor-cycle and then drove off yelling 'Vamos al cine!' 'Let's go to the movies' to everyone on the street! Hilarious! And then we went to the one and only local high school to advertise the film as part of it was filmed there (which i have to add, has 60+ students in ONE class, and really run-down facilities...major eye opener thats for sure)

crazy for the coco

my love affair with coco has begun

reflections after 7 days

Wednesday already. Exactly one week since I arrived in Guayaquil. The days feel really rich here, and much longer than in New Zealand. It's the absorption period of course, everything is still really fresh and new, and the language difference definately takes it out of you. But I'm getting by. It feels like I've been here for a month already.

I was saying tonight at the dinner table how I feel like I have finally woken up from a big big sleep. And as most people saw me back in New Zealand, for the last 6 months since leaving China it has been a major transitional time for me, full of anxiety about the direction of my life, my career and priorities - the ususal mid-twenties crisis. And now, even though physically and materially it's tough here (the power tends to go on and off most nights, to get to any major shop takes awhile, and the town I'm living in is pretty poor, lots of rubbish on the sides of the roads, and stray dogs!) but I feel like a weight has dropped off my shoulders. I don't have to worry anymore. I can be in the present and be content. That's one of my 'goals' for this year. To be in the moment and not worry about the future like I have been doing...anyways...back to the moment...hehe

We experienced some big questions today, mainly around the collaborative nature of the project. Is it possible to make a film without one major 'director' as such? Where does the role of consulation come in when making a film? How is a Baha'i-inspired film project different? What are the expectations we have on each other and of ourselves?
At the end of the day, in any collaboration, a decision must be made, and stuck to, 100 percent, even if you were in the minority of the decision. It's in the unity and attitude of the team that counts and that will be reflected in the fina product.
We are also training up others from the community to perhaps run the project in the future or gain skills to start their own similiar project, so that also brings in different questions. How to make those who are training feel a part of the team? How much of the team decisions are they involved in? What are their interests? How can we help build their capacity?
Anyways these are some of the questions I'm mulling on...and many more.

I was asked a question tonight that I know I need to clear on, 'What are my expectations of this project, and of me?' I know this expectation thing can get in the way of the work and my purpose, so it's good that I get clear on it now so it doesn't block my view in the future...so i'm refecting on that. It's a bit blurry at the moment, i can't really pin point what my expectations are right now. maybe thats a good thing...

and another quote that i liked from today, the producer of the project said 'the key is to take advantage of your test'. We were talking about the difficulties that will inevitably arise from being a part of a grass-roots project like this, and in the arena of service, how we view and work with the challenges that will come.

ok enough for tonight. tomorrow is the last day of filming for 'Abuela o yo' (Grandma or me) Hilarious title! And it's turning out to be quite comical aswell as poignant, all about a young boy from this rural town, his desire to buy the latest sneakers (its all about having the latest shoes out here!) and his family's crisis with his grandma's health. We are working with the local doctor of the town playing the 'doctor' tomorrow, and an old lady from the corner store playing the grandma. I'm quite excited, i love working with 'non-actors', they bring a freshness to the work, and perhaps will allow us to get more in touch with the community.

I wish I had a Mango tree...

Here are a few snapshots of today's filming session at a friend's farm near Chongon. I am now a giant itcy-bite. Note to self - never wear shorts and sandals when filming on a farm in ecuador...haha happy scratching!

Ahora es Ecuador!

It's day 5 of my Ecuadorian adventure. It's incredible how much can happen in such a short space of time. To sum up the last five days into a blog post...ah where to begin...so much change in such a short amount of time!
Well firstly, its HOT. And I mean sticky, sticky hot. 33 degrees at least and 75% humidity. And we haven't even hit March yet which is the hottest month in Guayaquil, the city I am living in. I have arrived at the hottest time of the year, but locals call it 'winter' because it's the rainy season, and well, there is no winter here!
So there will be showers of rain, thunder and then intense sun on and off the whole day. I feel like I'm adjusting to the warmth pretty well, i hear the words from a book by Ruhiyyah Khanum, 'People in the west pay so much money for sauna's, when in the tropics you can live in one for free!'
The warmth of this place is matched by the people. Friendly, warm-hearted and out-going.
Since arriving here on Wednesday it has been bang bang bang, busy straight away! Meetings with script-writers writing the next series of films for the project, consultations with the production team, rehearsals with the actors for the project, and tomorrow we begin filming the next installment.
What is this 'project' you may be wondering. It's called 'Medios para la Transformacion' - Media for Transformation. It was born out of consultations at the Baha'i World Centre about the role of Media and Social Change. The project here in Ecuador is working at a grass-roots level with the people of Chongon, a poor rural area outside the large city of Guayaquil, in creating a deeper discourse and reflection on various social issues that affect them, by using the mediums of video and other art forms such as posters and theatre, and then providing community forums where the video is presented and a dialogue begins.

The project has been running for just under one year already. My role is slowly evolving each day, today I helped direct and train the actors as well as consult with the producers about the overall running of the project.

This is the first stage of the film forums, so there is a lot more learning to be had about engaging the community of Chongon more, especially in the forums, finding ways to really get them reflecting on the issues...I'll be experiencing my first forum this Friday night, can't wait!

It's getting late so thats all for now, we're up early tomorrow filming at a near-by farm. I hope to write a lot more questions and learnings on here, and for you to share your thoughts too!
Hasta pronto!

taking shade

a little story, been on my mind for some time now.

so, last sunday, a small group of us headed to a northern shanghai park (hour plus out of the city) for a birthday picnic.
now a park in china, isnt just like any old park. this park had a rollar-coaster, a flying fox/rope type contraption that swings you over a lake strapped in like a butterfly, acres of green grass to SIT ON (a rarity in china, most parks you can look at the grass but not touch), roses to smell, horses to ride, brides to watch their wedding pictures being taken, bamboo forests to explore, and views on the huangpu river to see...

a beautiful warm shanghai summer day. we sat and ate a gorgeous lunch of mediterrean bread (non sweet bread in china!! OH MY!) olives, dumplings, and filipino spiced kebabs, sitting on a blanket, watching parents play with their kids, flying kites and kicking soccer balls. bliss. it has been years since i have had a picnic in the park. and i miss it. something so utterly relaxing about it. and just to touch grass again...ohhhh after life in haifa and a year in china its a shock to actually find a massive patch to rest on...hmmm childhood memories of lazy weekends by the waiwhetu stream, or running in the bush tracks behind my old house...yum.

the five of us casually strolled around the park, taking it all in, hiring peddle boats and laughing as we exhaust ourselves, and crash into fellow riders...my steering skills were never great!
and as we got off the boats my friend's phone rang.
he picked it up.
it was his family, calling from Iran to wish his wife a happy birthday. you could hear the excitement in his voice, he passed the phone onto his wife, then something happend, a quietness in her voice, a silence, she walked away from the group as tears rolled down her eyes while talking.
Her mother-in law was now on the phone, calling from Evin prison, where she has been held for over a year because of her Baha'i beliefs. The prison allow her to make the occasional phone call. She had called her family in Iran, who were now holding up the phone to another phone (the line that called my friend in Shanghai).
just imagining this.
they had not spoken for a while and were waiting to hear news about her. and now on my friend's birthday she rings from prison barracks in Iran.

What an incredible contrast.
A reality check. As I stand here, free and content with my friends in a park in China.


Her spirits were high, they told me after the phone coversations had ended, but still no word on a trial or any hint of a release. The whole situation is entire breach of human rights.

For those of you reading this and know little about the terrible situation facing Bahai's in Iran refer to this website:
http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/

Then I thought more about it, her son, being here in China, and the bounties we have, the service oppurtunities, and her connection to it all, crisis and victory, light and darkness...imagining her praying for her son in her prison cell and now being on the other side, seeing the light and radiance that both he and his wife eminate.

a friend reminded me of this quote of Baha'u'llah that i would like to conclude with...

"Should they cast Him into a fire kindled on the continent, He will assuredly rear His head in the midmost heart of the ocean and proclaim: "He is the Lord of all that are in heaven and all that are on earth!" And if they cast Him into a darksome pit, they will find Him seated on earth's loftiest heights calling aloud to all mankind: "Lo, the Desire of the World is come in His majesty, His sovereignty, His transcendent dominion!" And if He be buried beneath the depths of the earth, His Spirit soaring to the apex of heaven shall peal the summons: "Behold ye the coming of the Glory; witness ye the Kingdom of God, the Most Holy, the Gracious, the All-Powerful!" And if they shed His blood, every drop thereof shall cry out and invoke God in this Name through which the fragrance of His raiment hath been diffused in all directions."

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)

Acting up...

It's one day before opening.
My first 'proper' play in China.
California Suite by Neil Simon (not exactly chinese but hey!)
Last night we moved into the space for the first time. Big theater, seats 350+ people,in an old art deco style building, big bannisters, furniture that looks like it came out of a vintage film (smells like it hasn't been aired since then also!).

It has been a while.I have been chomping at the bit to act. ever since graduating drama school in 2006, but Haifa called, and then China so acting hasn;t been at the forefront for some time... but it's been constantly in my thoughts,that dream, that vision, that career
goal that you have never really kick started...so finally...here I am. About to tread the boards again...now in Shanghai. exhilarating.

There is something magical about theatre. Both as an actor and as an audience member. It requires a quality of listening,of total mind body and spirit engagement,of deep empathy, that society sometimes steps over its its rush to 'progress'.
That's what's drawn me to it, even as a kid, to be in someone else's shoes for a moment, to see life from their perspective, to hear their stories, to see and feel the struggles that unite us, or divide us, that make us human. The magic of being transported to someone else's world for just an hour or two...

I'm acting with East West Theatre, a semi-professional theatre group, the only english speaking group I have come across so far in Shanghai that consistently puts on shows.
We are a mix of nationalities - from the US, to South Africa, to China, to England, Singapore and New Zealand (hehe). Most of us come from a background in drama, either having studied it at uni or worked professionally in the field before coming to China. It's a transient group, the nature of Shanghai, people always coming and going, but there is a real gun-ho attitude that keeps this company going from strength to strength, I mean it's totally voluntary, and everyone is there because they love it and want to build up more of a scene in Shanghai. And the support is great, from the sponsorship deals with Marks and Spencers, to the set being donated by Sofatel, to stage managers and techies that stay up all hours even when they have their day job early start the next day...that spirit of unity in theater, i love it, a random assortment of people, from all walks of life, coming together for one common love...

So the show we are doing is 'California Suite' a 70's Neil Simon Play, the master of American wit. It's set in a hotel room in LA, and there are four acts of various incidences that could only happen in a hotel room...I'm in the opening act, playing Hannah Warren, a 42 year old New York editor meeting her ex-husband whom she hasn't seen for 9years to discuss the custody of their 17yr old daughter who just ran away from her to LA. It's written like a round of gun fire, with witty bantering back and forth nearly the whole time,it's all about the timing, the rhythmical language of Neil Simon, but the layers of sadness and desperation that you start unpacking from the seemingly 'light' text...wow...that's what i love about this process...nothing is what it seems...just when you think you have understand a line, another meaning comes...all depending on the quality of listening and responding...yum.
The other scenes include a wife who catches her husband cheating on her, a closet couple from England on their way to the Oscars, a group of friends who have been holidaying together for too long and things start to get very tense...yep, the joy's of hotel life.

We had a very short rehearsal period, only like three weeks...but as theater tends to do, it is coming together nicely...
And as fate would have it, this weekend the director of NZ Drama school, my old stomping grounds, and the head of acting + fellow students just happen to be visiting Shanghai for a conference...and may pay a visit...slightly nerve wracking considering this is my first 'big' theater gig since graduating, but also a kinda blessing in a way...to get honest, clear and concise feedback and support from those who know you and witnessed your growth in the rigorous (and sometimes horrific) three year drama school training process...
Time to put it into practise...heheeeeee

reflections on a windy shanghai night

Sometimes

when i am lying in bed

in my cosy red and white doll's house of a flat

with its old windows to the street outside

I close my eyes

and listen to the sounds around me...

the hum of life in this city of 20 million

the yelling in a language I still don’t understand

the sounds of drilling
of building
of growth
a pace I can’t keep up with

laughter

bicycle bells ringing

children crying in the lane

the street cleaner truck on its nightly routine

or hearing the neighbours practicing the piano

or watching the news on full volume

the sound of the wok

and the faint smell of smokey kebabs from the street vendor outside


I lay there

in my hard bed
(that is supposed to be good for me)

and I see the street light shadow on my wall

and I feel in that moment as if I am lying in the hollow of a beautiful hand

an infinitesimal speck

in a gigantic, living, breathing body

so huge

so vast

that I can never fathom it

or my place within it


But I feel safe
lying there

Protected

listening...

travel story no 2

So Beijing,
train ride up… my first time on an overnight sleeper train.
I share a room with 6 others, sleeping on single hard bunk type beds that are three beds high on either side.
At first I walk in and I’m surrounded by guys all about my age. In most other countries that has the potential to be slightly awkward, but in china, as a foreign female you don’t feel that at all, so that was refreshing. I can’t deny that at first I was like ‘uh-oh, this is going to be weird’ but after a little bit of chit chat we were laughing and talking away through broken English and the odd Chinese word from Chantelle!!
It never ceases to amaze me how you can go from being perfect strangers with people to having the most in-depth, profound and engaging conversation, from the need to balance material progress with spiritual progress (which is a concept widely written in chinese school texts books they told me! ‘but we don’t know how to do it!’ my friend said very honestly). They asked me about my background and so of course the Baha’i Faith came up, and all five of them were most intrigued. I pulled out the ol lap-top with the bi-lingual introduction of Anna’s on it, and went through it with them. One kept mentioning how he forces himself to read one book a week because he is searching for something, he wants a purpose but always feels so unsatisfied after finishing the books, wanting something more…so we spoke more, showed them pictures from Haifa and the shrines, and by that time it was getting onto 1am in the morning and we were all tired through all the excitement.
I woke up at 7.30am, to see my friend across the aisle from me, deep in thought, as if he had been mediating on everything we had been talking about the entire night
‘did u sleep well?’
‘no, it was so noisy and I couldn’t stop thinking about what you were saying’
Just then the breakfast cart came passed, and we got a serving each of rice pudding, some pickled vegetables and the pearliest white bread roll I have ever seen. As we were eating this rather tasteless breakfast he continued to tell me about his own relationship with Chinese philosophies such as Lao Tze, his upbringing in Inner Mongolia with no electricity and just candle light...fascinating stuff. Time was running short as the train arrived into Beijing Station, but as Chinese do, he made sure I got to where I needed to get to, and exchanged numbers
‘If you have the time, I would like to know more about the Faith, please come to my home to meet my wife and family and we can cook you dinner.’
So on Saturday night my friend and I went to his home, at the very northern outskirts of Beijing, and from 5.30pm to 10pm had an incredibly rich fire-side with the family, ate swan his mother made for us (poor thing, but tasted good!!)
This time the conversation was mostly in Chinese, my friend being practically fluent after living in China for three years, but it was great for me to just sit back and witness the energy exchange. I gave him Paris Talks, and his wife a prayer book and they were so happy. I have never met such a loving, gentle, pure couple in all my life. The way they spoke to each other…I knew this family was special. They hope to study ruhi book one with my friend who lives in Beijing!! Sooo inspiring to meet such open hearts from a simple conversation with a stranger on a train!!
So yes, that was my train adventure on the way up, coming back...a less positive experience as I missed the train and ended up being late for work the next day…eek. Oh well victory and crisis!!

Beijing in general has a whole different feel to Shanghai I found. Much more calm, relaxed, less about ‘high fashion’ and money, and more about the good things in life – community.
Now, reading back on this after being back in Shanghai for a week, my view is changing. Today my neighbour knocked on my front door and introduced me to his family for the first time, and invited me over for dinner. So really, it depends on your attitude at the time…but back on to Beijing,I cant deny it though, I felt really good there, it has a different energy about it... and I got to participate in a workshop with Hua Dan, this fantastic social action theatre company working with migrants from other provinces in China, using drama as a way for them to express themselves during the biggest urbanisation process the world has ever seen. The workshop was with young women, late teen’s early 20’s who were chosen from the poorest families in the poorest villages to come to a technical training school to learn skills such as typing or hair-dressing to help them find work in the cities, rather than come to the cities (as everyone is doing ON MASS in china) with no skills and no potential for work. It was a gorgeous workshop, the first one in a series of eight 3hr weekly workshops, so full of trust games and team-building activities. It’s a pretty new thing for China to have a group such as Hua Dan doing social-action based theatre like this, and you can tell the participants are thirsty for it.
All in all, a fantastic weekend in Beijing (even though I missed the train on the way back…loooong story)

she's back...finally!

Yes mum. Here I am, with finger to keyboard. Finally. She has been emailing me for awhile to remind me!!
Its been a ridiculous amount of time in between blogs. And really, there is no reason, yes life is busy, but it always has been, and yes loads of things happened in the last few months – I’m trying to remember the key moments… a lot of traveling, it began with a trip to Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province about three hours north of Shanghai on speed train, where I met the only foreign Baha’i in that ‘small town’ of 4.3 million in Chinese standards, who showered me with warmth and hospitality, and the best Persian food I have had for a long time!!!!

How to sum up that experience? I don’t know what it is about Hefei, but it has a very special feeling. It is a lot less materially developed than Shanghai and people would stop dead in their tracks when they saw you, a foreigner, on the streets. I remember a young boy, of about 13, coming right up to the window of the car I just got into and peering in, hands cupped around his eyes to see if it was for real, so absolutely astounded to see a blonde (well sort of..) blue eyed girl in front of him. And you really did not see foreigners ANYWHERE. Compared with Shanghai that was quite a shock and very refreshing!!! The people were soooo curious, and those that I had the chance to sit down and chat to were the most open-hearted, honest people I have met to date. A young girl had come to join us for lunch, and she would tell me how she often feels this emptiness in her life, that it’s lacking some sort of purpose which she is craving for, so when she met my Baha’i friend she felt like this could direct her in someway. This was basically two minutes into the first conversation I had with her! And that bare honesty is something I truly truly honor and admire, and it seems to come in droves in China!

I also had the bounty to meet the Chinese Baha’i’s in Hefei, the morning after I arrived a group of us visited the grave of the first foreign Baha'i in Hefei who lived there less than 10years ago, said prayers together, cried together and then ate together. Those three seem to go hand in hand. It was quite the bonding experience!

It was in one of those typical chinese restaurants, with a private room, with never ending dishes coming every ten seconds! So much laughter and joy after a more quiet, reflective morning. Then it was time to watch the ‘Wayfarer’ dvd at my friend’s home with everyone. One of them commented to me after,
“I am so deeply moved by seeing your service in Haifa, and your dedication to the Faith. It makes me realize that I must do more.”
Do more. I think we all have that battle, ‘I could be doing more’ ‘I’m wasting time’, but everything is service, really, its all a matter of attitude. I know I constantly have that battle inside myself and also to know how to balance your activities with the things that you have to do for yourself...i'm still trying to find the line!! Anyway back to Hefei...

They were excited to learn about the children’s classes going on in my neighbourhood in Shanghai and planned to start their own. It felt like this entire journey was pre-planned, like the learning that I was getting from starting the children’s classes in Shanghai, I could then bring and share with the friends in Hefei who happened to be finishing book 3 the weekend of my visit. The whole trip flowed so naturally, and really charged me up more than anything. Sometimes the energy of a big commercial city like Shanghai can get to you, well at least to me, sometimes I feel like one energetic sponge picking up on this and that, so going to Hefei, a place where I could see the real china, it felt like being a battery being re-charged.

A Chinese friend told me she felt the same thing, having just traveled there recently, she described it as:
“In Auhui province people are especially open and curious, more real. If I can say humble it might come from the fact that they are not very rich, because for thousands of years there has been natural flood disasters, so there has not been a lot of commercial development. In that province many famous scholars and nation leaders are born. ”

No wonder! I can’t even imagine that, living somewhere that for thousands and thousands of years has struggled to get out of poverty, and still struggles today. What kind of mind-set would that develop in people? In some cultures it could create a sense of ‘stuck-ness’ or bitterness or perhaps resentment. But obviously in Anhui, and in China in general, the result is a strong thirst and burning drive in people to acquire knowledge and the skills needed to improve their lives, and their land. That is where the Baha’i teachings really come in to the picture.

As I sat on the train ride home on Sunday night, exhausted and with a big belly of Chinese and Persian food, I felt so content, re-energized, and then the lady sitting next to me offered her dinner to me – another beautiful gesture from a culture that really gets into your heart. But I had to decline…I had enough in storage for months! hehe

Hefei…a place I DEFINITELY recommend those of you thinking about moving to China to consider, it may not have the ‘glam’ and western comfort of Shanghai but it has something more intangible and satisfying in the air!!

ok, so that was travel experience no 1. more to come.

In the neighbourhood

Week one
A lovely success