It is fitting that June 1, 2012 will be a day I will never forget. I have found a chapter of my life closed and a new one yet to begin. I am a nervous ball of excited energy and can only look forward with confidence and back without regrets.

Much love,
djr

My Experience at the Pyramids, Egypt Excerpt 2 [Rough Copy]

Saturday, January 7, 2012

This experience will live in my heart forever. Many people across this blue sphere of land and water dream of setting their human eyes on the ancient Pyramids of Giza. I am happy to now say: “I have seen the Pyramids.”

Without some sort of crazy cost, of course. The next thing I know I am sitting in the back a champagne colored 4-door sedan with Hamid at my left, Emad in the front passenger seat and Samad swiftly navigating the streets of Cairo. Remember: I have only known Hamid for a few hours over coffee and none of the other Egyptian men for more than two minutes. Here I am in the back of a car driving twenty some odd minutes towards one of the most, if not the most, historic landmarks in the world. I hope. The Cairo traffic is insane. People drive without restrictions, men on bicycles weave about in an almost suicide attempt style around cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians. The smells, sights and sounds are enough to intoxicate anyone. I am a victim.

I am a victim of being so infatuated and in love with Egypt and her people. You may be a victim of hearing me say this several more times. I can’t help but feel so surreal, so alive, and so privileged to be in this spot.  At the same time I can’t help but realize I am in a car with Egyptian men I barely know. My mind is racing with the realization that I am totally out of control, totally trusting them to take me to the glitzy Pyramids I have seen so many times in books, magazines and movies. Why wouldn’t I be glazed over a bit? No. I am wide-awake, and ready for any type of circumnavigated experience you try to throw my way.  I am doing two things at once: keeping my guard up and drinking in every ounce of this beautiful culture. And loving the mesh of the two at once with every ounce of happiness I have ever mustered, and perhaps ever will.

The next thing I know we are turning around a few times, windows rolled down and every man in the car is talking (or rather yelling at each other in my Western assessment of the situation). I have no idea what is going on. I do not know a lick of Arabic and the pyramids could be closed for renovations for all I know. Nevertheless, the car parks and I am immediately out of the car, barely remembering to bring my camera from underneath my feet, and ushered towards a horse with a cart behind it. Okay, great – let’s hop four feet up to this horse chariot and do what? I have no clue, but I hop up anyways. At this point, I have seen a glance of the pyramids and know that they are somewhere to my left. I think. Go with the flow, remember?

Read More

It is 9:58pm as I begin to write this post.

I have traded in cigarettes and beer for books the last several nights. I have finished three books over the course of three days and although my back and eyes hurt from positions I have assumed for lengthy times before I realized it, I am happy to read the authors’ dialogue and feel a stirring in my soul.

Tonight I started and finished Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I ordered five used books online last night and not being able to wait for their arrival, I solicited books from my roommate. She walked me into her room and I immediately spotted the spine of this book; I didn’t look at what other books surrounded it. I got eight pages in before I fell asleep last night.

I stopped working around 6pm tonight, cooked dinner, and while waiting for my rice to cook (which it never completely did - I am a sometimes good cook, but rice, even though it is my last name, I apparently can not properly prepare as it was still hard when I consumed it) I picked up this book and began to read.

What I loved about this book was Don’s stream of conscious writing. He just wrote whatever felt right and flowed - very much how I feel I am writing to you now. He was honest, supplying the reader with despairing and often unflattering portrayal of his current situations. He spoke of what God meant to him - how Christianity is portrayed in our current world, and everything he said struck a cord in me. It made sense. It made more sense than a lot of things have been feeling lately.

I will admit I have been struggling with several ups and downs lately. This is life, yes - but I will go months living a beautifully serendipitous life, and then it feels weeks on end are full of tension and uneasiness. Many unanswered questions lay in front of me and I feel I am swimming through multiple thin layers of tasks, goals, and obligations. I have no complaints as I have more comforts and blessings than I should ever be given.

continued

Read More

I can’t help but feel a huge mix of emotions right now. I am a mere one hour away from meeting up with Director Bob Pondillo, Hollywood actor David H. Lawrence XVII and several other people who delicately and wonderfully made the terrific short film THE MIRACLES ON HONEY BEE HILL.

I am very excited to finally hit a finishing line with this film and am also thrilled about a wonderful night of celebrating love for all, no matter ethnicity, sex, or religion. We are all here for a reason and we must mutually understand each others’ differences.

I am sad in a way, but I have this brilliant peace surrounding me knowing that I am in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. I am blessed beyond my deserving and thank God for all he has given me. I only hope I have done everyone justice in this endeavor.

I hope to see you at the premiere!

Much love,
djr