Quick Update...

In the beginning of this month, I started another job so I'm now working for the Hawaii Family Support Institute and the Consuelo Foundation. Both are organizations that work with families that need help: one focuses on helping poor families with problems, while the other focuses on the prevention of child abuse.

My laptop suddenly died on me. This is probably a blessing in disguise, but I still want another one.

My knee popped out two weeks ago. I'm fine, but I'm no longer training for the triathlon.

We got a new puppy! Her name is Lili and she's a lab-pit bull mix. Piahi is having a tough time adjusting to the new member of the family.

I'm considering going to grad school in the spring.

I'll add more detail later...

Some photos

Two Years in Pictures

Yup... Shabbat

This past August I decided to start (sort of) practicing Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest or Sabbath. I don't watch TV, use computers or phones from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. While based on the Jewish tradition (trust me, Orthodox Jews do much more than I do), my decision to do this is not about God but about me. The more time I spent with people who kept Shabbat and the more I learned about it, the more sense it made. They explain it as a day to forget about everything that's urgent and focus on what's important: friends, family, themselves, spirituality... For me, it's also one day a week where I give up the distractions of my electronic addictions. When I'm not sitting around watching TV or chatting online, I do more with my friends and family here in Hawaii: play games, go surf, or just talk. My weekends have become more relaxing and rejuvenating since I now read and nap more. I even find that I'll work harder other days knowing that I have Shabbat to look forward to. So while, at first, it may seem archaic and bizarre, it's been a great way to regain some focus and has been freeing rather than restrictive.

Hopefully this makes my whole "ritual" seem less weird. If not, I'd love to answer any questions... and if that doesn't work, I'll just remain your weird Jew-ish friend. That's cool too. :)

Gotta Love It!

CNN did a story about how some school bullies have started getting their friends to record the beatings of fellow students, so they can post them online to further humiliate their victims. What an unimagined bonus the bullies received when their victims' pummeling got international airtime on CNN. Cheers to you, Anderson Cooper.