Tag: place

by jad

20+C+M+B+19

This may not be the strangest thing to happen in our building’s very long history in this part of town, but I dare say that it probably stands out. Tonight, our parish priest blessed every room of our tiny apartment with a special prayer based on the function and meaning of that space—yes, including the bathroom. We started by chalking the door: 20 † C † M † B † 19, the year and the letters of “christus mansionem benedicat,” or “may Christ bless this house.” Our home was then sprinkled with holy water from an aspergillum of rosemary. Something … Continue reading “20+C+M+B+19” →

by jad

The Last Mile

It has happened, and my head is still spinning. My last weeks in Beirut, a proverbial blur, left no room to think or plan or feel — senses heightened, yes, but nothing sinking in; a cartoon dog of emotions–“no take, only throw”–onwards, forwards, one thing to the next, and here we are now entertain us. You don’t put off the get-togethers when you’re about to leave, so you find yourself more energetic and affirmative than ever before. “Yes,” I will go to your BBQ. “Yes,” I will join you for drinks afterwards. “Yes,” I’ll have another beer. I wrote those … Continue reading “The Last Mile” →

by jad

#AdventWord 2018, Week 3

#Rejoice Today’s #AdventWord is ‘rejoice,’ and I’m sharing a snippet of last night’s Christmas concert at Seattle First Baptist, which opened with a song of bittersweet anticipation: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” This classic carol set the tone for the whole night, as bright jewels of the Western Christian tradition were cast against the dark backdrop of current affairs—tear gas at the borders, the words of women made lesser-than, people of color gunned down in the street with impunity. . . This sociopolitical interweaving may surprise some people, but Seattle First Baptist certainly made it sound … Continue reading “#AdventWord 2018, Week 3” →

by jad

#AdventWord 2018, Week 2

#Wild Today’s #AdventWord is ‘wild,’ and—with apologies to the theologians who made the selection—I’ve watched too much MTV over the years to associate that word with anything but a good time. Pictured here: Andrew WK at The Showbox, Kultur Shock at The Crocodile, and IDLES at The Sunset Tavern—these are some of the wildest nights I’ve had in this city thus far. They are also some of the most life-affirming artists I’ve ever seen in concert, who left me with a strong sense of their genuine love for their fans. Not pictured here, however, is probably my most memorable night … Continue reading “#AdventWord 2018, Week 2” →

by jad

#AdventWord 2018, Week 1

#Journey Today is the first day of the liturgical new year, and the season of Advent in particular. Follow #AdventWord & take part in a crowdsourced countdown to Christmas Day! Today’s word is Journey—take a moment to reflect on Migrant Rights by learning about SanctuaryDowntownSeattle.com & the faith communities standing up for immigrant justice in Seattle. #Watch Today’s #AdventWord is ‘watch.’ In this alleyway you’ll find a café that’s been in Seattle for a very long time. There’s a poem across from where I’m sitting, dated 10/10/1992, in which the writer calls this “a place to come together / A … Continue reading “#AdventWord 2018, Week 1” →

by jad

#GivingTuesday: Cascadia

Today is #GivingTuesday, the global giving movement that started in the US to mark the charitable season post- Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday madness. This year, consider supporting this little movement that could: CascadiaNow. Why? Because they demonstrate how a wacky idea like reimagining place & identity can be put into practice in this Upper Left corner of Empire, and they do this by being more than just a fiscal sponsor of 20+ grassroots projects with cool swag. They’re fun to hang out with too. If you’ve never even heard of Cascadia, have a look at their website: cascadianow.org There are so … Continue reading “#GivingTuesday: Cascadia” →

by jad

Cosmic Things

“It seems to me that in the end it is the kind of lighter touch social relationship signaled by the notion of «friend» that probably has most to offer cities in making them resilient.” (Nigel Thrift, 2004) I quickly learned an expression when I moved here: to get “plugged in.” It means to network & participate in what other people are doing in the city. As a metaphor, it sounds odd, & maybe a little off-putting at first, but very soon it loses its ‘Matrixian’ overtones & starts to make much sense. Meeting folx up to all kinds of good … Continue reading “Cosmic Things” →

by jad

Seattle Signs & Wonders

It’s always creepy when a city plays to stereotype. On any given morning in Beirut, you will hear someone playing Fairouz; in Seattle, you’re going to expect Nirvana or Pearl Jam on the radio at some point. Maybe you’d expect Kurt Cobain’s name to come up in conversation, probably in a story from the old-timer wearing that original In Utero t-shirt from way back when. But only in your most morbid fantasies could you think that one day, you’d meet and hang out with the former police detective who was at his death scene. The best part is that this … Continue reading “Seattle Signs & Wonders” →

by jad

Total Football! #WFC2018

You know what’ll make me post about futbol on social media? A self-governing island British Crown dependency playing a sometime-secessionist North American hipster bioregion. May 31: HALF TIME at the Cascadia v Ellan Vannin World Cup Match (Group A) match, kicking off the Confederation of Independent Football Associations #WFC2018 and the once-every-few-years season when I’m interested in the beautiful game. Also happening: Abkhazia vs Tibet, Western Armenia vs United Koreans in Japan, and Szekely Land vs Tuvalu. June 2: The Cascadia v Barawa World Cup Match (Gourp A) is about to start. You might have heard by now how Cascadia … Continue reading “Total Football! #WFC2018” →