While I keep a growing list of goals that I have yet to accomplish, there are a number of great things I've already done throughout my life. Some of the experiences on this list may sound silly, but they are things that were once on my other list -- now checked off! This list will be constantly updated.
June 1997:
- EAT CAVIAR
My aunt Lisa brought some Russian caviar to our house when she visited, sharing it with the whole family. MmmmMmmm, it was quite interestingly tasty.
- WATCH PHOEBE GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL:
June 06, 1997: I was proud to see Weebers get her diploma in Lithia Park's bandshell two years after I did. Soon I'll post photos from the event.
- GET 5000 HITS ON MY WEB PAGE
I didn't think it could happen so quickly, but my web counter reached the five-thousand mark in early June. It makes me happy to know that other people make the effort to check out what I create here.May 1997:
- EAT DELICIOUS INDIAN FOOD MADE BY RUMKI AND PRACHI:
Two of my dear Swattie friends (also fellow MLers) both know how to make mouth-watering Indian dishes. Rumki's parents came to the U.S. from India, while Prachi and her family currently live there. Together they whipped up a dinner on May 13th in order for their dormmates to share an end-of-the-semester meal together. We (a group of about 20) ate the wonderful food sitting in the circle on the floor of the Breakfast Room on Prachi's ethnic blankets. The experience was multi-sensory: Indian music for our ears to hear, rich flavors for our tongues to taste (dishes with chicken, spinach, potatoes, onions and lots of spices), fragrant incense for our noses to smell, and a circle of smiling faces for our eyes to see. I took pictures, so you'll soon get to see it for yourself!
- SEE DAR WILLIAMS SING LIVE (AND MEET HER):
I first heard this wonderful singer last semester on a tape that my roommate Carrie's sister gave her. Since then, her sounds have been popping up all over the place; I find her lyrics witty and creative, her voice unique, and her music comforting. She came to Bryn Mawr College on Sunday, May 4, as part of their May Day celebrations, playing for a large crowd on the outside lawn. I enjoyed her performance and got to meet her afterwards (thanks to my perservering knack for assertively introducing myself to celebrities), which was quite nice.April 1997:
- CALL OLLIE NORTH A CRIMINAL TO HIS FACE:
On Thursday, April 24, Oliver North came to Haverford College to speak. My friend Noli and I went to a pre-Ollie forum on U.S. involvement in Latin America, which was very interesting. We then followed a large crowd into a theater-like building and sat through Oliver's speech on the Constitution, Judeo-Christianity, politics and other issues. It was interesting to see the audience's reaction, especially during the question & answer period. Only a minority of students (mostly men wearing suits -- supposedly not from Haverford) seemed to be in support of the spoken ideas. After the speech, as everyone was filing out, I ran downstairs to the stage, hoping to catch North at some point. Just then he came out from behind the curtain with his crowd of body guards to shake hands with the lingering Republican students. I slipped in and approached him, holding out my journal for him to sign.
- "What's your name?" he asked.
- "Maya. M-A-Y-A," I replied.
- "Where are you from, Maya?"
- "Southern Oregon."
- "Well, you sure came out a far distance to go to school, didn't ya?" he asked, handing me back my journal, now with his autograph.
- "Yes, and I'm glad I got to hear you tonight. Thank you for speaking at Haverford. Yet I have to say that I strongly disagree with the ethics you use to defend yourself," I said, causing all the kiss-ass young Republics around us to become uncomfortable, giving me dirty looks.
- "Is that right?"
- "Yes, I think you're a total criminal," I told him, looking him in the eye.
- "Well, then you have a bone to pick with the Constitution of the United States," he said with a tight grin. With that, he turned away from me to talk to someone else. I felt a rush of adrenaline and was glad I had gotten the chance to tell him what I thought (albeit our exchange was not very deep).
- JOG A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE:
After joining the women's lacrosse team this semester, I decided to start jogging regularly to get in shape. I started out being able to run only about 1/2 mile. Since then I've worked on my endurance level, and last week I ran 3 miles. I'm now jogging 2-3 miles a day, which feels great.March 1997:
- GO TO CUBA:
I finally accomplished a dream by visiting the island this spring break with the tri-co Peace Studies Mission. My experiences were unforgettable. I marched in a student rally through Havana, saw Fidel Castro give a speech, danced to an Afro-Cuban percussion band in Matanzas, relaxed on the gorgeous beaches of Varadero, ate at various paladeres, visited a psychiatric ward, hung out at Taller de Serigrafia Artistica (a community center for artists in Havana), stayed with a family for two nights, walked through the crafts market of the Plaza de la Catedral, jogged along the Malecon, went to a nursery school, met with Cuban photographer Pedro Abascal, saw a student dance performance, ate lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in the botanical gardens, negotiated prices with cigar sellers on the black market, talked about the history of Cuban art with folks at el Centro Desarrollo Artes Visuales, sipped Cafe Cubano at Casa de las Americas, had my future predicted in a Santeria, met with a leader from Comite Nacional Junion de Jovenes Comunistas, traveled with a wonderful group of students and so much more. To learn more about my trip, you can go to my Cuba Page, which will soon be updated.
- SMOKE A CUBAN CIGAR:
On my trip to Cuba I got the chance to smoke a high-quality Montecristo cigar on the roof of the tall Hotel Capri in the middle of Havana with Alyssa, Belkys, Sari and Eugenia. It was a relaxing experience filled with lots of laughter! Don't tell anyone, but I ended up buying five boxes of cigars to smuggle back to the U.S., getting through customs successfully. I'll tell you more about my cigar experiences later...
- GET A CHEERIO OUT OF SOMEONE'S EAR USING MY TONGUE:
Okay, so this wasn't really a life goal of mine. I just thought I'd add it to my list of accomplishments since it has that bizarre quality to it. It was part of a game of Truth or Dare (as well as an educational exercise for Jeff).February 1997:
- SKINNY DIP IN CRUM CREEK:
I had fun doing "Dip of the Month" here at Swarthmore -- a group celebration done every last night of the month in which everyone jumps into the creek at midnight -- naked! Then the group stands in a circle introducing themselves before taking a run around the nearby meadow. While the water was pretty damn icy, I had a great time. May 1: I dipped again. This time the weather was much warmer, so more Swatties were participating -- 36 of us total.October 1996:
- GO TO NEW YORK CITY:
Yes, I finally made it to the city for Swat's fall break! I have a detailed description of my adventures in NYC that's worth readin'.August 1996:
- GO WHITE WATER RAFTING:
It was a real adventure earlier this month on the Upper Klamath River, with a full day of Class V rapids, as I wrote about on my summer pageSpring 1995:
- SKYDIVE:
I went through a day of training and then did a solo jump, which was incredible! I want to do it again sometime.
This list will always be growing, so check it out again soon. Do you have your own similar list? Let me know at mseligm1@swarthmore.edu
Plus, you can always check out my list of experiences that have not been checked off yet.