china called today.
(well, actually, they informed my visa agent who informed me)
and they're letting me in the country this summer, despite all the olympic insanity going on. (beijing was, at best, a questionable idea, you guys)
let's hope those russians are as nice.
what's that? oh yes, 20 lbs just lifted off my chest.
me, superficially
- joyful.
- Traveler, teacher, wife, friend, football player, runner, expert wine metabolizer, crazy dog lady. Permanent expat.
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"...[the book] starts out with this peasant - the pilgrim - wanting to find out what it means in the bible when it says you should pray incessantly. you know. without stopping... and he meets this starets - this very advanced religious person... well, the starets tells him about the Jesus prayer first of all. 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' i mean that's what it is. and he explains to him that those are the best words to use when you pray. especially the word 'mercy,' because it's such a really enormous word and can mean so many things. i mean it doesn't just have to mean mercy... the starets tells the pilgrim that if you keep saying that prayer over and over again - you only have to just do it with your lips at first - then eventually what happens, the prayer becomes self-active. something happens for a while. i don't know what, but something happens, and the words get synchronized with the person's heartbeats, and you're actually praying without ceasing."
-j.d. salinger, franny and zooey
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