My Favorite Time of Day

I love it when the sunlight is in its earlier or late 'form'. Right after sunrise, or right before sunset are my favorite times of day; though make no mistake I love a beautiful sunrise and sunset. The light is just beautiful, not too bright, but, still illuminates the world around it making things glow in a certain way. When I came home yesterday, about an hour before sunset, I saw how the rays were illuminating our climbing rose bush. I grabbed the camera as soon as I was inside, went back out and started shooting away.

Simply beautiful.

This Makes Me Happy

My long-lost friend Charles and I at Wild Fork

(ignore the shiny face and windblown look please)

As addictive as Facebook is, I love it. The picture above is why I love it. Charles and I went to the same church for awhile when we were 'youngins'. Then due to life stuff we lost contact. About three to four years ago I did a Facebook search for him and voilà! He was studying at Villanova at the time (then he went to London for grad school- lucky duck!) so I added him and from there we communicated via technology. Well, finally he made it back to Tulsa last week and despite my sprained ankle we met up at Wild Fork for a yummy breakfast outside. It was great and despite my clumsiness (I knocked down my water glass to give him a hug when he arrived- classic), and the fact that I was uncaffienated, we had a great time chatting. Seriously, best way to start the day- catching up with a friend, laughing, talking, and eating great food.

Just one of those great life moments.

Keep on Learning

My rough draft intro for the first day of French class in January

My senior political science project on the French Presidency of the European Union reignited my love for the French language and culture. University studies, being what they are, took my time and a chunk of my attention away from a passion I've had since my fourth grade teacher taught a small group of usFrench for the a couple of weeks in the summer of '92.

Since I graduated I've taken steps to expose myself to la langue francaise in hopes that I can sharpen my French language skills once again. One would thinking living in Oklahoma there would be no way I could do this effectively- if you think that you are fortunately wrong! First step I took was to sign up for weekly French language courses from The Alliance Francaise of Tulsa starting in Januaryhe . The courses are conducted in French and due to the small class size I am forced to participate in conversation- my weakest area. The local community college also had classes, but, the cost and time were a bit of an issue so I went with the Alliance.

I do not stop there. At home I not only write my assignments, I do a LOT of listening and reading. I read a couple of blogs written in French* and I'm always on the lookout for others. I also watch French films repeatedly, as well as, French news- yes the news all in French! Thanks to the internet it is possible to watch live streams of television from around the world. Thanks to this website, I watch France24 (kinda like CNN) anytime of the day nearly everyday of the week. While yes, I don't understand every word, I get the context at the very least and every few minutes sentences will come together like pieces of a puzzle fluidly. This is a fabulous tool to hone my listening skills and I find it has helped my comprehension quite a bit. The best part is they are FREE!

The key is exposure, anything you can do to expose yourself, even if it's a small amount per day, helps. Like a musical intrument, it just takes a bit of daily practice. While immersion is by far the best and most effective way, it's not as if I can just move to France for a little while and get uber fluent! (though it is tempting) So, in the meantime I make due and I can tell a significant difference from just a few months ago. I plan on ordering some books to increase my vocabulary in the future as my budget allows.

There are many other resources out there like software to help anyone learn a language. If you are able to afford that cost, go for it. Don't be afraid though to branch out from there. In this age of technology and globalization access to language learning tools is easier than ever. (Did that sound like an ad or what?! lol) So whether it's starting from scratch, or reviving long lost language skills, my word of advice is go for it. I've only scratched the surface myself. So, get out there do a bit a research (gotta love Google) and go from there. It's never too late and you will have a skill that will benefit you for a lifetime!

Like those NBC ads say, 'The More You Know...'

* I also read blogs of expats as I find that gives me a taste of everyday culture and life in a foreign country.

Vintage Girls

Contrary to what my previous post says, yesterday truely wasn't all that bad! In fact I met up with my friend Heather to do some vintage clothes shopping. We didn't have a whole lot of time, and neither of us bought anything, however, we had a blast running around and look at cool, old, and funky items.

Cheap Thrills Vintage (our first stop) is right next door to the Tulsa Scooter store. Heather wanted the green one and I wanted the pink. We would've looked too cool riding around in these.

They had TONS of hats. I love hats and I had to restrain myself from getting any. Sooooo tempting.

Classic- a blogger taking a pic of another blogger taking a pic.

I heart this sign. I wonder if it's for sale? It'd totally rock having it on the back porch. Hmmmm.... what would the neighbors think? Wait, do I really care all that much? Mwa ha ha ha!

Seeing the ruffles on this tux takes me back to my freshman and sophmore year of high school and the band uniform I was subjected to. Yes, we had a dust ruffle, and yes it really does sound as bad as it looked.

I don't really love this lamp, yet I was drawn to it. I had no rational reason to buy it other than it's a tacky porcelin lamp. Is that strange?

I didn't get any pics of the second store, but, that doesn't mean there won't be in the future. Overall, seriously good times! Must do this again when there's more time to really shop and try things on!

New Found Respect (and fear)

I went to babysit the four kiddos I watch every Friday today despite gimp status.

At one point the baby was screaming in my lap, the oldest screaming and crying because he had been scratched by accident while the other two making were various noises playing- and the tv on.

I wanted to scream myself.

That was the worst of it, but, overall it was a difficult and LONG four hours. On the journey back to the house, I was crying.I don't know how you moms do it, I don't. And at this moment I'm convinced I could never be a mom if I were ever incapacitated.

Wine, and lots of it, is definitely called for.

Gimp

In a frantic sprint to get a gas container out of my car so my best bed Sarah could take me to get gas (I ran out, but, made it to where I was going!) I slipped out of three inch slingbacks and rolled my ankle. It hurt like hell, but, I didn't want to make a scene. Well, after a day of being in heels yesterday, tons of pain, my foot nearly twice its normal size, and some discoleration today I went in for x-rays at Urgent Care. Good news is no fracture meaning I'm not stuck in a cast or boot for a set period of time. Bad news is it's a bad sprain and as it is my third sprain, recovery is going to take time. Gotta fix these weak ankles! This is getting old!!

Opening Up

Opening up a bit, just like this little flower.

Well, not sure what to blog, but, as I was tagged awhile ago on Facebook (several times actually) why not have a post about 25 random things about me. Except I will make it more of a getting to know me kind of meme. Okay, you have been warned, so, if you don't want to know anything about me at all then get away from this page now.

Here we go: 25 Things About Me

1. My name is Megan. I use Habebi as my blog 'identity' because I like the word. It's Arabic for 'sweetheart' and I was taught that word by an elderly Lebanese woman living in small town Oklahoma.

2.I have lived in the following: Yukon, OK (home of Garth Brooks for those who didn't know); Williamsburg, Virginia; the Detroit suburbs in Michigan, on a farm in middle of nowhere Iowa, small city outside of Tulsa, OK; Koichi, Kobe, and Takarazuka Japan; and Tulsa, OK. (in roughly that order)

3. I really began college at almost 22 years of age. I quickly became the 'old fart' and embraced that label all through college. (I am also VERY glad to have been older during college- I would've been a 'hot mess' had I gone the 'normal route).

4. My major was originally piano performance, but, due to injuries, I scaled it down to just a music degree. Later I added an intensive minor (21 hours) in international studies, and another major in political science. I also was in marching band and ensembles all through college. I loved every minute of it.

5. I am a NERD. I love to learn things that are multi-faceted and being challenged. I'm not goal oriented persay, I prefer to learn and go through the process of doing something. To me the process is the most rewarding. I actually miss being in college despite the stress of papers and studying for tests.

6. I speak English, French, and Japanese and know some words and phrases in Spanish. I love languages and hope to learn German and maybe Italian (at least enough to get by).

7. I LOVE traveling. I've been to four countries outside of the US. France, Japan, Canada, and Spain. I think that's rather pitiful and I hope to change that in the future.

8. I've played the piano for nearly 23 years, flute for about 16 years. I can also play the piccolo (not a stretch for flute players) and actually played the cello for nearly 2 years. Again- NERD.

9. I'm an animal lover. If I ever left the country for a period of time I would probably make sure to save up money to take my pet(s) abroad. Life is just so much better with animals!

10. I have an irrational fear of being buried alive. I blame watching a soap opera one summer vacation years ago.

11. I love to read, but, don't do it near enough.

12. As far as a career, I have no clue. Ultimately I would love to end up in a job where there is an exchange of knowledge and that fosters understanding. This said job also needs to be interesting and I would need to be learning from it all the time.

13. Because of that I will probably end up teaching in some fashion.

14. Did I mention I teach piano currently at a music studio in Tulsa?

15. I have not been out of the country since I moved back from Japan where I was a high school exchange student. That really, REALLY bugs me and I plan on changing that asap.

16. I would love to go to grad school. If I did go and graduate, I would be the first woman in my family to get a graduate degree. That thought actually motivates me.

17. I've been dating my current boyfriend for nearly four years! If you asked me 10 years ago if I would date someone past a couple of years and not get married to them by that point I would've laughed.

18. Actually my initial thoughts on life as a teen was to go to school, get married, and have kids young (so I wouldn't be 'old' when they were older). I am VERY thankful life threw my onto a different course.

19. I have wanted to be the following: a doctor, vet, architect, professional musician, diplomat, and all around cool person. At this point, I'm aiming to be a cool person and hoping the rest will figure itself out.

20. I can be a horrible procrastinator and it was really bad during school. I'm hoping a year or so break from school will help me deal with that better. We shall see...

21. I have dealt with PTSD, anorexia/bulemia, depression, and anxiety disorder. Despite the crappiness of having that around for a bit (in my late teens early 20s) I think am a better person for having gone through it. For that, I'm grateful.

22. If I'm not happy, engaged, in an activity/job/whatever I will not do well. It's a horrible quality sometimes, but, I'm trying to make it work to my advantage.

23. I'm an optimist with a heady dose of realistic.

24. Being the extrovert that I am I love to laugh and I'm one heck of a goofball. This helped me deal with moving and found me some fabulous friends along the way. I love people and this is a great tool for that.

25. I'm an organized mess on the inside. Meaning I'm a mess, but, things are in nice piles, have labels, and get cleaned through every now and then.

Now aren't you glad you got through all of that? ;-)

Wow

I woke up before 7am, on my own. This is monumental as I am one heck of a sleeper! Okay, in all fairness, I dozed off about 8:45am and had a quickie nap. Otherwise I've been awake and functional; though the degree of functionality can be disputed. So, I've taken advantage of this situation by:

-Nearly crying over the lack of sufficient coffee beans to get me going

-Mopping, vaccuming, and sweeping the floors

-Changing up my blog again!

-Typing up a blog entry

-Cleaning the kitchen

-Sitting on my duff

All that's left is to get ready, go to work and teach for two and a half hours. French class is canceled tonight (boo!), so maybe more couch time is in order? I think I can squeeze that in.

RELIEF!!!

See that hand? That hand works miracles. In thirty minutes that hand, attatched of course to a functioning person, did my taxes for me in THIRTY MINUTES!! It does help that I am poor, dirt poor actually- not that I'm complaining, it's not a long term thing, and it's working alright for me so far. Anyways, this guy (a friend of the roomies) knew what to look at, what the lines, the forms meant. Everything! It was no problem to him. He just typed some numbers in, scribbled here and there and violà! I only owe the great state of Oklahoma sixty bucks, and the federal government nada. In fact, I'll probably end up getting a rebate check since I didn't get one last year!

Even if I don't, it's not like I'm going to miss it. Ahhh the blessings of being impoverished!

Sorry if this post is a bit scattered... I'm a wee bit relieved

Vanity

First off thank you for the comments. I'll continue to tweak with things, and of course you all are more than welcome to let me know what you think. I'm all about the freedom of speech.

So today after a couple of weeks of putting it off I went and got my passport photos. The reason for my procrastination was very simple: vanity. I wanted to look great for my passport photos, or at least better than last time (I was fifteen, had ill fitting glasses, and REALLY thick bangs). So I kept putting it off because it was raining, or my hair wasn't right, or I wasn't feeling well, etc etc. But, today I thought I looked decent enough and finally put some lipstick on and dragged my butt down to FedEx Kinko's.

The result? I look drunk, or sick, or something. My hair is sticking up ever so slightly in the back and my eyes aren't fully open, and my eyebrows look totally different (apparently my penciling them darker skills are SERIOUSLY lacking). Okay, to be fair, they aren't horrible. But, after all that time worrying over my appearances the photos come out less than stellar.

Anyone else sense the delicious irony here? I so am. So I'm sucking it up, sending the photos in, and living with it for the next ten years. Oh yeah... vanity you have served me well this day.

Testing, Testing.... 1, 2, 3

Playing around a bit with my blog layout in an attempt to make it more 'personal'. I think I like what I've done so far, but, don't get used to it... I've been known to change my mind. Oh and please feel free to tell me it looks like crap- or it looks nice. Either way it's all good. Later!

Bonnes Pâques!!!

Some pretty white blossoms... they scream spring and Easter non?

Or Happy Easter for those not in the French 'know'. Just posting to wish you all a Happy Easter and hoping you are having some chocolate and good times with family and/or friends. For me, I'm off to go spend some holiday time with Jon's family for a few hours. Take care and once again have a Happy, Happy, Easter and Happy Passover to those who celebrate it.

Images

Our tulips have taken forever to show their blossoms, but, finally there are some beautiful colors emerging. I love the bug on this last photo. Too bad I don't have a macro lense! I would've loved to see his little face. (sorry for the low quality- blame blogger!)

Who Needs Pest Control?

Here lies Mina's latest victim. As we don't have mice, she's turned her predatory instincts towards even smaller prey.

Sorry for the blurry quality. Getting a cat to stand still is next to impossible, especially when said kitty is hell bent on playing with it's latest kill.

Not that I'm going to throw a fit or anything. As far as I'm concerned she doesn't have to pose for anything as she is helping me stay sane by disposing of the flies (and other crunchy bugs) herself.

Bleeeeeecccchhhhh

Laying in bed right now, my head aches, lots of pressure, sniffles, a bit of a cough... and dang am I tired.

Good thing I finally got the chord to hook up to the cable. I can watch tv in bed! If that's not looking on the bright side, I dunno what is.

Taking Steps

On a gloomy, cold, windy day like this a bright reminder of spring is rather neccessary...

Sunflowers always do it. They are bright, cheerful, and remind you of the days where the weather begged you to go outside and get things taken care of. Their vibrancy stirs something within, and your insides come alive after a week of inner termoil.

So I stepped outside yesterday, with friends and loved ones, ran errands, did laundry, donated clothes, cleaned my room, and rearranged my closet. The feeling of accomplishment was satisfying espcially after this past week where so much seemed intimidating and thus undoable. And I realized that sometimes one has to take small steps in doing tasks. For whatever reason doing the small 'things' helps make the larger more intimidating tasks appear more attainable; they may actually get done even! I don't know how to explain it, I can't really break these thoughts and feelings down and understand why... just seems to work that way and I'm not going to argue with it.

Hopefully, fear and trepidation won't pluck the petals of motivation for me. (Unlike Mina who decided that the sunflower needed to be tasted- it's her version of quality control I think. If it's not edible, it shouldn't be here.) Anyways, I'm working on my to-do list, trying to keep fear of the unknows to cause me to retreat in terror at bay. I am beginning to realize that sometimes you just have to look for that light at the end of the tunnel, or (if you don't like cliche's) just seek out something bright, to give you hope, and make you realize that it will all be okay- in time.

April Fool's!

Actually I am not going to post any April Fool's jokes, links, whatever. I actually find April Fool's Day rather uninspiring. Usually I am up for some mischevious, harmless pranks- but when there's a day dedicated to it, I got nuttin'.

I'm convinced that makes me pretty pathetic. Are there any fun pranks you have or would like to pull on April 1st?