On Earth Day, April 22nd, I went with a friend to see "The City Dark," a documentary about light pollution. Admittedly, it sounds pretty nerdy, but my friend and I thought it was a great subject and film to discuss and see on Earth Day and in general. The maker and narrator of the film asked a great question, "What do we lose when we lose the night sky?" He captured breathtaking shots of uninterrupted night skies, with more stars than I even knew one could see. But I didn't only ask what happens when we can't see the stars; the movie made me wonder, "What do we lose when we lose what God intended for us to experience?" When God created the Earth, I believe He intended for us to experience the stars, moon, sun, rain, clouds, fresh air, mountains, trees, and all nature's beauty. What do we lose if we can never experience those things, be it because of light pollution, limited resources to travel, or lack of knowledge that these various landscapes exist. What do we lose, and further, what do we gain, that we don't want?
A few weeks ago, I went to the "Treasures of the World's Cultures" exhibit at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi's cultural center. This exhibit holds ancient artifacts from Africa, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, Greece and Rome, Asia, Oceania, and Central and South America - all civilization that I've taught about for 3 years now. It was amazing to see, in person, stone tools, mummies, head dresses, carpets, sculptures, swords, paintings, and more from these cultures. I wonder what artifacts from our cultures will be be on exhibit in 1000 years. I hope I create something one day worth displaying as a treasure.
The other night, my friends, Stacey, Dima, and I went to a Positive Thinking Seminar, also at Manarat Al Saadiyat. You know that I love love; well, I also love positivity, so this seminar was perfect for me. Dima's sister organized the event, and she did a great job bringing in such range of perspectives, experiences, and even presentation techniques. The speakers were all engaging and insightful. I learned a lot, but the talks also reinforced much of what I already believe and do. This is good though, because positivity is a trait that I try to keep as part of my core foundation, so I think I'm doing a fine job.
See, there are cultural and intellectual events in Abu Dhabi! You just have to be in the loop, which thankfully I am. It's also nice to have friends to enjoy these events with, which thankfully I do.
A few weeks ago, I went to the "Treasures of the World's Cultures" exhibit at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi's cultural center. This exhibit holds ancient artifacts from Africa, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, Greece and Rome, Asia, Oceania, and Central and South America - all civilization that I've taught about for 3 years now. It was amazing to see, in person, stone tools, mummies, head dresses, carpets, sculptures, swords, paintings, and more from these cultures. I wonder what artifacts from our cultures will be be on exhibit in 1000 years. I hope I create something one day worth displaying as a treasure.
The other night, my friends, Stacey, Dima, and I went to a Positive Thinking Seminar, also at Manarat Al Saadiyat. You know that I love love; well, I also love positivity, so this seminar was perfect for me. Dima's sister organized the event, and she did a great job bringing in such range of perspectives, experiences, and even presentation techniques. The speakers were all engaging and insightful. I learned a lot, but the talks also reinforced much of what I already believe and do. This is good though, because positivity is a trait that I try to keep as part of my core foundation, so I think I'm doing a fine job.
See, there are cultural and intellectual events in Abu Dhabi! You just have to be in the loop, which thankfully I am. It's also nice to have friends to enjoy these events with, which thankfully I do.
