Rediscovering Joy

 Isn't Fall the most wonderful season? I'd forgotten how wonderful it was until coming back; Fall in China is about a week of nice weather and the disappearance of all the leaves. In Canada, it's so very different. It gets cold, but not cold enough to merit the full winter kit. The leaves turn, the air grows crisp . . . there's possibility and anticipation in the air. How can you not be in love will all of this?

But apart from a rediscovered love of fall (there's no way I didn't love it when I was little . . .er), I've also remembered how much I love RAKs.
If you don't know what RAKs are, you're either the modern grinch or you're knowledge of acronyms is lacking. In the second case,  RAKs are Random Acts of Kindness, things that reflect back on you, give you very, very good Karma. This list isn't nessecarily all random, but they did make me feel pretty awesome:

1. Allowing H to write all over my hands for a photo shoot he's doing
2. Running L's passport down to her when she forgot it at the bus station an hour before her it was supposed to leave
3. Buying local produce at the best farmer's market ever
4. Making cookies and letting everyone else eat them
5. Mediating a debate between L and E that lasted until 3 AM 
6. Smiling at random little kids, thereby making them smile
7. Asking my TA about his exam last week
8. (I'm determined to make it to number 10) volunteering in a drinking game to make enough people
9. Telling H that no, he doesn't have AIDS, and therefore won't die
10. Free hugs to anyone who reaches!

Have you done any Acts of Kindness recently?

(All the pictures are my own, and so just looking at them makes me happy)

Rumis

One day your heart

Will take you to your lover.

One day your soul

Will carry you to the Beloved.

Don't get lost in your pain,
Know that one day 
Your pain will become your cure.

The Difference Between Guys and Girls (Uni Style)

So I live in a co-ed house. On one side I have a Chinese guy and on the other I have a French Canadian girl. In a conversation with two of my favourite people in the house ( American guy, but practically Swedish and Jersey girl from Russia), the question came up, what why is it that a girl who sleeps around is a slut (negative), and guy doing the same is a playa' (positive)? 

Here is the answer my Swedish friend gave. Being in university, it's quite naturally a metaphor: 

Think about it this way: If a lock can be opened by many keys, it's a bad lock. But if a key can open many locks, it's a master key.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone? 

Nats