France: Part 1,000,005

So I said that I'd tell you what I got up to in le France - and here we are... a month later, and still digesting the left over goodness of my vacation.

In addition to attending a really beautiful wedding in Orleans (Old, not New) - I spent a couple of days in Paris - 1 full day at the Louvre (not really enough time to see everything), a half day at the Musee de Orsay (definitely not enough time - but planes will be planes, and I really need to catch this one....)

But the coolest thing I did in Paris was to join some local Bahá'ís - who have, themselves, joined Bahá'ís all over the world - in talking about the Bahá'í Faith and the spiritual destiny of humankind.

It's interesting to consider the impact that this spiritual destiny has on the material well being of humanity. Bahá'u'lláh has said that "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established." Consider, then, that the purpose of the religion is God is no less than the unification of all the peoples of the world....

Don't we then owe it to ourselves to determine (for ourselves) if this peace and unity is possible? And if it is possible - shouldn't we work and try to make it happen by any means available?
Yeah, that's what I think, too.

Which brings me back to my time in Paris with the local Bahá'ís. Working to establish peace with the tools available.

Let's Go See This, K?

...because it looks amazing.

But when I wasn't cold - I was having the best of time! As is evidenced by this photo from the wedding that proved the impetus for my grand adventure!

Aimee, Martha, Justine

A big shout out - and hearty congratulations - to Parham and Yasmine Lotfi!

*More on what I did to distract myself from the cold coming soon!

By Any Other Name...

Weather Vane, Weather Vein, Weather Vain. Thus began my Parisian adventure. Why, you may rightfully ask, would Randy be getting face time on the patiently awaited (thanks, btw) deets on the Paris leg of my vacation? Especially when my vanity factor (in the alternate universe where I'm a super hero and have a trading card) hovers somewhere closer to 10 than it probably should...? Well, my grand European vacation has, as per of course, a back story.

About 2-3 weeks before I left (if you're doing your math, this means January), I was enjoying lunch out with the girls and waxing excited on my pending vacation. On the bus ride home, I began to shiver (as I'm wont to do). The girls, God bless them, asked - in their rightful concern - what exactly I planned to do/wear in London and France. When I told them that I was wearing about the warmest clothes I owned, they banded together and got me the necessary items I would need to ensure that I returned to Haifa with all of my fingers and toes intact....
Further background - if such a thing is needed? I'm from Southern California (well, mostly), and cold for me is somewhere around 60 F (a cool 15.55 C, thank you very much).
So I spent the next week or so accumulating warm clothes (most thankfully so) - but as it was a medley of clothes from various sources, I sort of spent my vacation - particularly my time in France - looking like an Olsen twin, circa 2007 - with an added layer (seriously) of Randy from A Christmas Story. And freezing, regardless. Because while I brought considerable good luck London's way, it was snowing when I got to Paris.
Le sigh.
What I would have wanted to look like:

I'm Wilde About... Company of Thieves

Okay, so your girl over at Black*Eiffel (seriously, go check it out) is 2 for 2 right now! Typically I would try harder to not post so many videos all in a row - but I can't help it. They're too rad.

This one is from Company of Thieves "Oscar Wilde".

...And I'm Feeling Good.

I can't claim to be her greatest fan, but I have a special place in my heart for Nina Simone - she is so amazingly talented. And speaking of talented (!) this video - found via Black*Eiffel - is like a typographical (is that even a word?) exploration of the song!

Genius.
Feeling Good, Nina Simone
by mrfnk

As If I Weren't Enamo(u)red Enough...

So you're probably aware that I'm a Bahá’í, service at the Bahá’í World Centre is the reason I'm in Israel, afterall. What you may not know is that since the Revelation of the Bahá’í Faith in modern day Iran, Bahá’ís have been continually persecuted by religious and political leaders in that country.
As of today, seven Iranian Bahá’ís, who work to oversee the well-being of the Bahá’í community in Iran (which, at 300,000, represents the largest religious minority in Iran), have been in Tehran's infamous Evin Prison for nearly 9 months.
What, then, do the following people have in common? Three people from diverse backgrounds, dwelling on three separate continents....

Shirin Ebadi:

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for

"her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's, children's, and refugee rights." (wikipedia)

Rainn Wilson:
Emmy Nominate & SAG Award winning actor

Omid Djalili:

Comedian, Film & Stage Actor

They are each doing what they do to support and defend the heavily persecuted Baha’i community of Iran. To start, even though she has had no access to her clients, Shirin Ebadi - Iran's first Nobel Prize winner - has taken on the case of these seven Baha’is who have been imprisoned for so long.

Last week while I was still reeling from my fantastic vacation and all around love of all things London (notes on Paris coming soon - pinky swear!), several well known Brittish comedians were waxing productive with their fame and joined "with the governments, human rights organisations and people of goodwill throughout the world who have so far raised their voices calling for a fair trial, if not the complete release of the Baha’i leaders in Iran". I strongly encourage you to read the original in the Times Online.

...you may also like what Rainn Wilson, of The Office fame (amongst other things), contributed to CNN on this topic.

It's time to learn, friends - we owe it to too many people to not turn a blind eye when we see rampant persecutions....