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Where are my new posts!?!

Many of you have been waiting for new posts since before I went to Spain... Sorry, I have been really busy and have been travelling a whole bunch! I will work on getting everything updated soon. In the meantime, look down for a post on May 31st, 2007. We thought we lost the pictures for this trip, but they were recently found, thanks to Gerry!

Happy New Year!!

¡Viva España!

Today, I am leaving Nashville for Spain with Sandra. Doug is flying from Denver and will be getting into the Costa del Sol around the same time. A few hours later we will be joined by Tita Malu (with a friend who is visiting her from the Philippines) who will be coming from Germany and our party will be complete when Emily arrives a couple of days later. Our plans while we are there are open ended, but I know it will involve good food, the beach, and amazing company with some of the best people to travel with! I will let you all know how it turns out.

Meanwhile, in reverse chronological order, the following are pics from my last few excursions:


I did a quick trip to Orlando, Florida to see my mother who was visiting. I also got to spend some quality time with my brother and his family. It was also nice to see Aunt Shirley and Manang Jean. Love you guys!

Orlando, FL - September 2007

Labor Day weekend was spent in New Orleans' famous French Quarter with Gerry, Hung, Anthony, Selena and Dee. It was my first time back in New Orleans since it was devastated. You could tell that the city was still in recovery, but none-the-less we had lots of fun!

New Orleans - September 2007

I got to enjoy a little piece of heaven, visiting Anthony's vacation home in Wabasha, MN. We got to explore a sand dune island on the Mississippi River, play Frisbee at night (the Frisbee glowed), be lazy and lay on the dock and boat around the river.

Wabasha, MN - August 2007

This was the most fun I have had in Chicago! I got to see Bibs, who I have not seen in years (Bib's, thanks for that amazing meal in Greek town - that was the best octopus I have ever tasted). Gerry took us to Chinatown for some good Chinese food and shopping. We also ate at Cafe Iberico, Anthony's favorite restaurant, which has the most Amazing tapas ever. The night life was also lots of fun - We had a crazy subway ride to the clubs, I have not laughed so hard in a long time!

Chicago - August 2007

Asian Cookout & Summer Stuff

There is so much going on such that it has been difficult to take the time to post stuff online lately. Here are a few things that have not made it onto the blog:

* Memorial Day Weekend in Pensacola Beach - with Sandra, Irene, Hung and David. This was an awesome weekend! I did my first keg stand. Sandra's cousins brought a large keg on the beach and we had a nice beach party with whoever was there. We met lots of people, ate good food, and enjoyed the sun and surf. I also enjoyed some quiet time by myself... waking up at dawn to watch the sunrise. I love these moments when I feel one with nature and experience the indescribable beauty of life.

* Kayaking down the Hiwassee River in East Tennessee - I went on this trip with Caleb, Beth and Sandra. This was a real whitewater kayaking trip. Sandra decided it was too difficult after a few minutes on the river (the currents were strong and her kayak hit a tree); Caleb lasted a few minutes more (when we hit some rapids his kayak flipped... he did try more than once). We all took a crash kayak rolling class the week before, but we probably needed more than a one hour lesson. I hurt myself during that class and was under lots of pain during the actual trip, bruised ribs take more than a month to heal! Thankfully Bath and I made it all the way. Since this was not easy, I do commend Sandra and Caleb for giving whitewater kayaking a good try. The trip was organized by Vanderbilt University's Outdoor Rec. Center and we met a few Vandy students and staff at the excursion. We also enjoyed some amazing Mexican food at a restaurant on the drive back home.

* Costa Rica...NOT - Well this has been the craziest part of my summer. I took a flight to Costa Rica where I was suppose to spend time with a few old friends in Tambor, but I was not allowed entry when I got there. I will spare you the boring details. Lets just say that after an overnight stay in the San Jose Airport I was on a flight to the USA.

In the last few weeks I have been to Chicago, Wabasha, MN, and Minneapolis. Tonight, I will be in New Orleans, next weekend will be in Orlando and I will spend the Second half of September in Spain. When I have time I will upload pictures from some of the events above. For now here are pic from our Asian themed cookout last July 22nd at my home:

Asian Cookout 2007

Bastille Day 2007

On July 15th we celebrated yet another Bastille Day. This is one of the biggest parties my group of friends puts together each year. Jocelyne, as always, was a most gracious host. The music was wonderful, the company was awesome and the weather was perfect. This years party was a little more tamed than last years, but still lots of fun. Just like in 2006, the party was covered by the Nashville Rage, one of our local weekly rags. Below is the article by Heather Byrd followed by a link to some pictures. If you haven't seen it yet, scroll down to July 2006 to see my posting on last year's Bastille Day celebration.


Party Like the French!
by Heather Byrd

The annual Bastille Day Celebration took place once again at the French House just off Belmont over the weekend. The legendary party at the home of Jocelyne Bezzi-Batani always attracts hundreds of festive partygoers. This year's celebration welcomed jovial performances from Linda the Bellydancer; drag queen extraordinaire Veronica Electronica, who performed Madonna's "Vogue" in head-to-toe Marie Antoinette regalia; DJ Carey James; and a singing troupe from the cast of TSU's The Blacks: A Clown Show, which opens this weekend. A couple of guests even joined in on the fun with impromptu performances, including a member of the Gypsy Hombres who strolled through the crowd playing his fiddle. New this year was the use of a secret password in order to gain entrance to the event, which was strictly enforced by hired security in an effort to curb uninvited guests. But surely a few lessons in the language of love should ensure their entrance to next year's party.

Bastille Day 2007

Thanks for Stopping By! / Spain, 2nd Try

Last March, this blog got over two thousand unique visits for the first time. Needless to say, this continues to surprise me. For the month of May there were 2,306 unique visitors to the site. I just want to thank you all for stopping in to check the "goings on" in my little corner of the world. I really do appreciate that my friends and family and whoever else comes by and reads these little articles.

Some of you may know, last year some friends and I planned a trip to Spain. Due to the invitation I got to go to Switzerland for the Sufi Summer Gathering in the Alps this trip did not materialize. So, it looks like we are making a second attempt, and God-willing, this time it will happen.

We are shooting for the second half of September. This is one of the best times to visit the Costa del Sol because it is when the crowds thin out but the weather is still perfect. I am really looking forward to this! If everything goes as planned, I should have my airline ticket before the week is over.

Pensacola Beach Craziness!!

They say that 30 is the new 20, but during this trip to Pensacola Beach you would think that we were a bunch of kids on spring break! David, Hung, Sandra, Irene and myself loaded up into the van and drove down for what turn out to be an insanely fun memorial day weekend. Sandra's cousins, who drove from South Florida brought a keg and next thing you know we were all doing keg stands and then belly shots on the beach. We met all kinds of people who joined in the merriment. The beach had a nice party atmosphere that weekend that fit in well with the group's mood. To keep my sanity and enjoy the peace of nature, I did wake up at the crack of dawn almost every morning to watch the sunrise and enjoy the quietness of the beach at that time. We will be doing this again, the group already has hotel rooms booked for the same time next year!

Pensacola, FL - May 2007

Yesterday, Today, and the Hereafter

I have been tasting a different side of life lately… I have a very good friend who is currently going through treatment for lymphoma and so far it has not been successful. Thankfully, there are more aggressive treatment methods available that have not yet been attempted. I hope and pray one of these will work.

Almost three weeks ago, another person who I spent a great deal of time with in the past lost his battle with depression. It was really the first time I realized that losing someone who is a significant part of one’s life is not easy. All this is a clear reminder of how short and precious life is. It is also a reminder to be thankful for the wonderful people we have an opportunity to share all our experiences with – for better or for worst.

On the brighter side, this year has also been a time for reconnecting with friends who have been lost to me; brothers and sisters who I have not heard from or seen in years. Earlier this year I got to speak with my buddy Mike. He lives in Pennsylvania now. Mike and I became good friends when he moved to the Philippines to finish college. At that time I was studying for my Masters in Applied Business Economics. The last time I knew of his whereabouts he was living in Las Vegas. I think that was almost 5 years ago.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from Brian who I have not spoken to in 15 years - at least. Crazy! Brian lives in Canada now with his wife and two children. He sounds like a mellowed out old man. Sorry Brian, as you can see I have not grown up. Brian and I became good friends during my early high school years. He will be visiting me here in Nashville with his family in a couple of months. Hey bro, I am looking forward to it!

Over the weekend, I sent an email out to Nader who I have not seen in three years or so. He had a baby girl last Saturday - I was pretty surprised and very happy for him and Beth. I will be heading out to Costa Rica at the end of June to visit. Fatima and a few other people have reserved some rooms at a resort on the western coast of the country. She and some friends will be flying in from California and Florida. I am really looking forward to the trip. It will be awesome to see Nader, Fatima and Beth. It has been way too long since we all got to hang out.

Later in the summer, I am heading to Chicago for yet another reunion. Rica will be flying in from Singapore. Joe (we call him B-boy) has been living there for a couple of years. Brian and a few other friends will be driving/flying in from around the country. The event will also be attended by a few more friends from this group’s past that now live in the greater Chicago area. This will be a very interesting trip to say the least. It will be an experience to reconnect with yet another significant era of my life. It will be a time to relive the past, share the present and dream about the future!

Earthday Weekend 2007

Earthday this was on Sunday, April 22nd. The day before I was at Centennial Park with Hung and we saw a few friends and coworkers there. There were several booths at the park promoting various environmental initiatives. The weather was nice and this was complimented by several bands playing some really good music.

After a few hours of hanging out and getting some sun I went to pick up Sandra. She and I headed for Chattanooga, which was a little closer than I remembered. We checked into a cheap motel had some dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We then went to enjoy some drinks at a club that could have been in the twilight zone.

There were all types of people there, all ages, dressed in whatever and dancing however they wanted. Nobody seemed to care about looking or being cool, or maybe no one knew what cool was. But who cares?! As long as everyone is having fun, that is the point! We only had one drink each, but the glasses were huge and the serving very generous. We didnt stay too late, we wanted to get up early and Sandra got a little sick from the food she eat.

The next day, we headed for Chattanooga's RiverFront. We enjoyed a nice brunch, checked out the park and the little shops. Chattanooga's done a terrific job at the planning this part of the city. It made me wish that Nashville took better care of the Cumberland River and the areas around it.


There was lots to see in Chattanooga, but we decided to save the rest for another time. We wanted to soak in some nature and do some hiking. A buddy at the gym recommended Savage Gulf, a park with extensive trails. We decided to do a tiny section of it called The Greater Falls Loop and boy it was amazing for a short hike. It was a nice way to celebrate Earthday and appreciate the gifts of nature.

Well enough talk here are the pictures...

Earthday Weekend 2007

Wedding in Dallas

Last Friday, Emily and I hopped on a plane to Dallas for Aaron and Barbara's wedding. Aaron is a good friend but neither of us had met Barbara before. Having met her, it was very easy to see why Aaron was so taken with her. I really don't know who wouldn't be, she is an exquisite person and I believe they will have a blessed live together.

In Dallas, we also had the opportunity to do some catching up with Dan. He flew in from Japan to be the best man for this event. We all had lots of fun. Emily and I had a little time to explore downtown Atlanta and hang out by the pool at the hotel. The rest of the time was spent helping out with the wedding preparations and having a total blast at the main event. They didn't waste any time, the ceremony took 5 minutes and the remainder of the evening was one big party. Great, planning guys!!

Aaron & Barbara, I wish you the very, very best! May you grow happy and old together and have lots of cute babies!

Aaron & Barbara's Wedding

What's Going On

It is past midnight and I am getting ready to turn in. I've been up since five this morning. It has been a long day, but life is good and I must say...boy, I am happy! Okay, I just needed to share that because it is not going to be easy to take all this joy to bed with me. Things are not perfect, but they are! I have learned so much about life lately, I can only be thankful.

So what has been going on more recently? (random stuff, sorry I have to keep the really juicy stuff off the blog)

• My good friend Aaron is getting married. At the end of the month, Emily and I are flying to Dallas for the big day.
• Yesterday, I found out that my mom might be running for election again. Not sure how I feel about that, but I wish her the best.
• Two of the my brothers are having babies this year. Yeah! Noisier family reunions!! I must say, I miss you guys.
• Within the last week, I discovered that a very good friend might have cancer and that another's treatment was successful. I hope that you both live and heal fully.
• Last month, I got a small raise. Keep it coming, I need all the help I can get.
• Today, I found out my friends Rob and Alvaro are moving to Spain. Selena and I are going to be on the party bus with them next weekend! Thanks for inviting me, especially since I was a nutcase the last time we were on that bus.
• My friend Misato is visiting from Atlanta this coming week. She will be staying with me over the weekend. I miss you Misa and I am glad you will be visiting.
• Yesterday, I got a long distance call from Joanna who is in Davao (Philippines). It was so nice to speak with her. She let me know that everyone there is doing fine. Last week, her brother was detained by communist rebels at the foothills of Mount Apo. Thankfully, they let Sinting go after a couple hours. My mother lives in that area. I pray that they are all safe.
• A couple of weeks ago a bunch of us had the opportunity to witness the Sema. This is the special turning ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes.

I am going to hit the hay. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day with lots of things to look forward to. I hope everyone reading this is doing well.

Lots of love.

Oh yeah, stop by my Sufi page if you have the time or the inclination. Other than this, it is the only page I have added stuff to lately.

Jessica's Surprise Toga Birthday Party

Last Sunday, February 11th, we had a surprise birthday party for Jessica. Since Jess is a history buff who likes ancient Greek and Roman history, Linda thought a toga party would be fun. It was a great idea and was actually my first toga party. Though there were lots of festivities, it was an early night. Many of us had work the next day. But the night did start young and we managed to do some dancing and lots of goofing around. Emily even created an adult version of pin the tail on the donkey, except it this case it was a eunuch. The night began with Jessica walking in blindfolded while her very own birthday song was playing in the background. I wish I could share the music - each one of us has a talking or singing part in the song. We recorded it in Carey studio a couple years ago...really cool song - thanks to Carey! Jessica had to listen to it a few times that night. Click on the picture below for more about the party.

It was a great night. I feel very privileged to host the party for such an amazing person. I love you Jess and I know we will have many more crazy and fun times together.

Jessica's Surprise Toga Birthday Party

The New Year & Little Miss Sunshine

I just got home from hanging out with the gang. We were at the Red Door, a neighborhood bar here in East Nashville. I normally don’t go out during the week, but work has been hectic and I wanted to unwind a little. It’s that time of year when I have to get the budgets done for the coming fiscal year… late nights staring at spreadsheets and doing creative calculations.

The first month of 2007 has come and gone. Time seems to be slipping away faster than I would like. For the New Year, I have made three resolutions:

1. Buy a new car
2. Write at least one article on my blog each month
3. Hmmm… for the moment, this one is a secret

The first item on this list is done. I got a brand new, fully loaded Toyota Camry SE (sports edition). It is Motor Trend’s Car of the Year and so far, I am very happy with it. My friend Todd, who works at the dealership, helped me get a really good deal. Thanks Todd!

Last Sunday, my roommate Stephanie and I watch “Little Miss Sunshine.” The movie was slightly twisted, but really funny. We had a blast! I highly recommend it, if you can deal with the warped humor. It’s a couple of days later and I am still laughing about the last scene. It was hilarious!

Below is a link to my web album for the New Year's party held at my home on January 12th.

New Years Party - Nashville 2007

Merry Christmas!

I am now in Central Florida enjoying time with my family. I met my little nephew Jack-Jack (Joaquin) for the first time. He is adorable. I will be here with my immediate family and will also see some extended family. It is a special time, everyone is getting older and the older you get the more you get reminded that life is both short and precious. What I really like about Christmas is that everyone gets to become a child again.

I want to wish you all the very best. May you experience the holiday with the eyes and heart of a child. Merry Christmas!!!

Click on the picture below for a picture album: (This are pictures from the Christmas Party at my home in Nashville last weekend. Use the slideshow feature for best quality.)

Christmas Party 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving weekend was lots of fun for me. I had a wonderful group of friends over for dinner last Thursday. I want to thank Gerry, Emily, Jessica, Belinda, Hung, Jim, Selena, Adam, Caleb, Muhammad Jamal, Jamila, Clair, Sandra and Sandoval for coming to celebrate. The food and the company was awesome! Gerry did a perfect job with the turkey and everyone brought the ideal food to compliment the big bird. We ended the night watching movies in the living room.

On Friday, I worked and then partied like a madman that evening. I had dinner at Sushiyobi for the very first time and then went bar hopping. It was a blast!! The next couple of days I chilled out – I needed it. On Sunday, Emily and I went on a 15 mile bike ride. The weather was amazing for this time of the years (70 degrees). Sunday evening, I had Emily, Jessica and Linda piled onto my bed. We watched a pretty good documentary on the Roman Empire. Jessica is a big history buff and the rest of us were in the mood for a little education.

This past weekend, I was also able to get my Christmas tree up and decorated. I bought new décor this year; blue and purple balls two years in a row might send the message that I am a little deprived. So now my Christmas balls are red and gold. I think the tree looks really good and decadent! I will post a picture soon.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, may we be blessed with being able to recognize all the gifts that life has to offer and may we always be thankful!

37, Here I Come

Another whole year gone by - Wow! Everything seems to be going so fast, but when I look back it has been a very full and blessed 36. I have done so much and have been given the opportunity to grow in so many ways. Looking back, these are a few of the highlights of 36:

* Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane - my first skydive!

* A new job at the children's hospital. It's been a busy, but fun ride. I love my job and the people I work with.

* Christmas with most of my immediately family in Florida. I get to do this again this year but this time we will have the complete crew - all four brothers - for the first time in many years.

* A wild New Years party here in Nashville with my buddies at my home.

* Remodelling my home.

* Sharing Sufi hymns at the 1st Nashville Interfaith Music Festival.

* My dear friend Linda got engaged and we got to throw her surprise engagement party.

* My Sufi family here in Nashville got to go on retreat in the Mountains of North Carolina together. It was a magical time for all of us.

* Whitewater rafting in the Smokey's with Irene and Carey.

* The Bastille Day party at the French house. A party our group of friends throw every year. It was featured in the Nashville Rage and was also closed down by the cops - a prerequisite for any good party.

* I got to see my first big concert in years when I went to watch Jamie Cullum with Nicole and Gerry. I must confess that Gerry, after a few beers, was infinitely more interesting than the artist we were watching.

* Visiting Switzerland - I have not been in a few years. I feel very privilege to have been invited by Atum to share my personal form of meditation at the annual Sufi Gathering in the Swiss Alps. I also enjoyed the crazy awesome Zurich Street Parade (largest rave/techno street party in the world with over 800,000 people this year) and being with my beloved friends Joan, Bovi, Yves, Simone and all their children.

* Going to Ohio to visit my bro Michael. We always have a blast when we are together. Michael, you are a crazy bitch!! I will be coming to visit when you move to California.

* The 3 days of nausea I felt after riding those puke inducing rides at the Tennessee State Fair. Despite its redneck craziness the fair is always fun.

* The group's fun packed weekend in Atlanta. I got to hang with my cousin Tina and her two girls. Terrific restaurants, the great nightlife, and the wallet thinning shopping. We are going back again and again.

* Roller skating on Emily's birthday- it's been years! Lots of fun!!

* Canoeing down the Harpeth with some old and news friends.

* Drumming at Short Mountain and dancing like a madman at the Fall Gathering.

What a year!!

For the coming year I intend to do more travelling, I want to write more - poetry and music, and be outdoors as much as can be. I have really enjoyed learning about myself and the people around me and want to continue to grow through social interaction. I am thankful that both my job and personal environment give me lots of opportunities to do that. I also want to give myself time to read. This is something I use to do often years ago. I can't remember the last time I read a book cover to cover. Life is too short!! There is just not enough time to do everything. I am grateful for everyone that encourages me and supports me in my quest to experience every moment fully.

Thank you!

It's been a busy but wonderful week. Lots to do at work and lots to do after. This weekend most of us are staying in town. Tonight, the group is going roller skating... yes, very 80's! It reminds me of fun times at Camp John Hay in Baguio City (in the mountain province of the Philippines where I went to high school). Skating will be followed by a party or bar hopping.

Tomorrow, we are having a pajama party for Emily, who is now living in my home. Happy Birthday Em!! This will be interesting. We will be featuring a "Sex in the City" marathon. Just in case you don't know, its a TV show on cable TV (I have many friends overseas who read this blog). Personally, I have not seen one episode so I don't exactly know what its about. On Sunday, we are planning brunch and a nature trip - canoeing or hiking. These are the plans, but with this group who knows what will happen.

I am feeling very grateful today, elated even... so I just want to thank everyone in my life for being so amazing. I don't express my appreciation enough. Also with regard to my group of friends in Nashvegas, I want to thank you all especially for letting me pick on you guys (we pick on each other quite a bit and its all good)!! Truly, I think we do a great job of supporting each other and making each others lives very interesting.

Misa's Despedida

These pictures were taken at Misa's going away party (8/29/2006). A few of us are going to Atlanta to hang out with her this weekend. Misa is a beautiful person and is an awesome friend to all of us. We love you!

Yes dear!

People of color.

Group pic!

The dinner table.

Ethnic chics can sure chow down.

Tomorrow we head for Atlanta. We are spending the weekend there. On the itinerary are hanging out with Misa, shopping at Ikea, and lots of partying!

What is Behind the Green Door?

From last Sunday: The gang at the farmers market.

This week has been amazing; lots of positive energy, love, and learning. What more can one ask for? Many things are clearer including my many vantage points. I have learned quite a bit about myself and the world around me. Learning to live in the moment more and more, life seems to present more options to choose from. What path should I walk? Which door should I open? The universe has a strange way of answering prayers. All I can say is embrace the mystery, don't fear it.

A great way to spend the afternoon.

The last few months is culminating in a surprising amount of interior restructuring. I am thankful for all the teachers (in various guises and roles) I have met that have contributed to this process. The result has been higher and higher degrees of spiritual liberation, deeper understanding, and a noticeable expansion of the heart.

I am in a state of gratitude and I am looking forward to the adventures unfolding before me.

Zurich

My dear friend Joan and my goddaughter Pascale

I arrived in Zurich, Switzerland today after a 3 hour delay in Dallas due to a technical problem with the airplane. It is so good to see everyone after many years. It has been a quiet day. I have been fighting jetlag, but I think I should fine tomorrow. I will be meeting Atum and his daughter at the central train station and we will head for Olivone for the Sufi gathering. This evening Bovi prepared a delicious dinner. We had the most amazing pasta from Italy. Bovi and Joan just got back from Margaret and Franz's home there. Bovi also prepared salmon trout, it was so good I had a whole fish all to myself. We also had cheese, salad and red wine. The night is not over and hanging out with everyone is giving me the energy to stay awake so I can reset my biological clock to Swiss time.

Bastille Day 2006

Here is an article that came on in the Nashville Rage about the Bastille Day Party last week. The party was at the the French House where Carey, Jocelyne, Selena and Irene live. I didn't get to take too many pictures but there are a few at the end.


Ain't No Party Like a Bastille Day Party
by Heather Byrd

Believe it or not, I have been known to throw a few good house parties in my time. My career as a party gal started in eighth grade when my mom graciously allowed me to staple 40 strands of Christmas lights to the living room ceiling and invite 150 of my closest pals over for secretly spiked punch, spin the bottle and disco dance-offs. In high school I managed to pull off a couple of huge house parties without my mom ever finding out until that one time when my crew decided to take full advantage of her new camcorder and record all of our shenanigans. We cleaned up the entire mess from the party but left the tape behind in the VCR and I came home from school on Monday afternoon to find my mom glued to the TV watching all the shocking details. I think my official grounding just ended sometime last year.

But in all of my wildest moments of sheer rebellion within the confines of my home, I never encountered anything like what I saw on Friday night. I had heard about the infamous Bastille Day Party on Belmont for several years but I had never attended until this past weekend. So, after receiving a few email invites from pals including one of the house inhabitants, Carey James, I decided to check it out. Even before arriving, phone calls and text messages from the party began inundating my phone. I got a cryptic and barely audible voicemail from famed local photographer Tommy Barrett, something to the effect of, ''naked people … swimming pool … boinking … BYOB … bring yo' ass!'' And so I did. I made my way down Belmont, not even sure of the exact address of my destination. Luckily the party was not at all hard to find as cars were lined on the street from I-440 to Woodmont. I managed to find a parking spot and then followed the sounds of music, giggles and squeals of delight from partygoers up to the sprawling stone home of a French woman named Jocelyne Bezzibatani.

You know that the party hosts are well prepared for a large gathering when they have a port-a-poo delivered to their front yard for the occasion. And it's a good thing too because there were people crawling out of every crevice! By my estimate, there must have been more than 400 attendees, and by the time I arrived they had all partaken in their fair share of crazy concoctions, as they seemed to have lost every last one of their inhibitions. There were naked people frolicking in the pool. There were naked people frolicking near the pool. There were even naked people frolicking in the front yard! There were clothed people standing around watching all the naked people. There were people smoking molasses tobacco out of a hookah. There was even a man dressed as a garden gnome and a surly muchacho in a sombrero wandering about aimlessly. It was a feast for the eyes! It was easily the biggest house party I have ever seen and apparently it has been going on at the same house on the same day each year for almost fifteen years!

By 2:30am, the cops had just about all they could take and began issuing parking tickets to all the cars that lined the street, generating some serious revenue for the city of Nashville. The party was officially over. I myself got an $11 ticket, but let me tell ya, it was a small price to pay to witness all the revelry. What I can say is that if you were not there this time around, you better be sure to make plans to attend next year.

Bastille Day 2006

The Melting Pot

The 4th of July was celebrated at The French House. We bought enough food to feed an army. I had grill duty that day cooking up salmon again by special request. It was interesting to celebrate with my eclectic and international group of friends. Several countries were represented. Aside from the usual anglo-Americans, there were people from the following countries: Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Spain, France, Peru and Columbia. Many of us are mixed blooded, reflecting the population of the future; I am a mixture of Asian and European and our friend Kaz is Blackanese (half black, half Japanese). We had a great time hanging out by the pool. The weather was great, it was a nice lazy day and there was lots to eat. It was amusing watching the group play with the beach ball, calling out the country they are from each time they hit the ball. America is truly the melting pot of the world.

Seasons of Change

The month of June started with both my tenants giving notice. Tony, who rented the one bedroom apartment in the walkout basement of my home, will be gone this month. He has been an almost invisible and awesome tenant. Barry, a dear friend who has been renting one of the 3 rooms upstairs, bought a great place a few blocks away. Barry will be leaving in a month and a half. I am very happy for him and wish him the very best.

The chopping table/island was a gift from Barry. I think it works out very well in the kitchen area.

The bathroom at the onset needed lots of work, some of which I did myself. I am very happy with the way everything turned out.

This means lots of changes at home. With new people, energy transmutes and adjusts. As someone who enjoys change, I am looking forward to this new social landscape.

These pictures of the apartment were taken in August of 2005 shortly after I remodeled the basement area.

I also posted new pictures of my recently redone living area on the Nashville page of my website.

Congratulations to Ricardo & Linda!!

On May 28th, 2006 our dear friends Ricardo and Linda got engaged.

After Ricardo proposed to Linda, he took her to a surprise party organized by Jessica and family and friends.

Toasting to newly engaged couple.

Carey was the matchmaker that brought them together.

Doing shots. Yup, these girls can drink.

Linda is the best belly dancer in town. She teachers and performs on a regular basis.

Linda, I love you. You bring so much light into this world and you are such an amazing person. The clarity and wisdom that you embody is a blessing to everyone around you.

Ricardo, I can't think of a better person to take care of this wonderful jewel.

I wish you both the very best!!

Cinco de Mayo & the Swiss Alps

I just got back from walking in the park. The air was cool and the sky partially overcast. During my introspective walk I listened to an amazing compilation of Italian arias that were tastefully set to electronica. I was also accompanied by the wonderful scent of honeysuckle which blankets a good portion of Shelby Bottoms at this time of the year.

This is an occasion for me to make a conscious effort to admire the nature around me. In actuality, it does not take any effort at all; the outdoors seems to have a purifying effect on my psyche. This is the good dose of medicine that I need to handle the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a retreat from the mental pollutants of the information age.

Today however, I spent a good bit of time thinking about my upcoming trip to Switzerland. This August, Sufis from the Chishti Inayati lineage will be gathering on the Swiss Alps for a month of retreat, meditation and fellowship. I was invited by Atum, who will be teaching at the main tent for a week. I feel incredibly honored and humbled that I have been asked to share my spiritual practices and assist with the program for that week. This was the time my friends and I were planning to be in Spain and Morocco, but everyone has been very supportive of this opportunity. I am also looking forward to seeing Joan, Bovi, Yves and Simone. I will also be meeting my goddaughter Pascal and the other children for the first time. It has been years since we have all seen each other. This has been a long awaited reunion.

Tomorrow, I will be finalizing travel plans with Caleb. I am thankful that one of my good friends from Nashville will be able to enjoy this experience with me. The rest of the crew will still be going to Spain in a couple of months. I am very grateful to have two amazing vacations planned this year.

I have not put anything on this page in a few weeks so I will give a brief update. With the advent of spring I have made 2 trips to the nursery. I got a few plants, a mixture of flowers and herbs for tea and the occasional culinary experiment. I did a little bit of planting. I did not use any fertilizer, but I did have a short conversation with the seedlings that will be establishing roots around my home. I was honest with them, I told them that I did not have time to water them, but that I was going to pray for rain. So far they all seem to be doing quite well, especially the basil and the sage.

Last week, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Pimp Daddy Supreme's (Shane) house. A few of the top DJ's in town were taking turns spinning an assorted of tunes. As usual the crowd was eclectic, the music energetic, and the spirits were flowing. At around 2:30 a.m., the night ended earlier than planned, but it did end with a bang. Carey and I had to carry an unconscious Jessica to the car. Our little sister had more than her fill; which is quite a bit, because this girl can put them down. A few minutes later the cops came to shut the party down. That's the second time this year! Jessica wasn't the only casualty of war that night. Selena had a huge speaker fall on her foot. She cried more than a little, but like a trooper she kept partying on.

The following day, Selena and I took some time to enjoy the art fair at Centennial Park. It was a perfect day. We saw a couple of friends there. Selena had some funnel cake. She is astounding for someone who weighs less than 100 lbs, especially since we had just eaten an enormous meal at the Vietnamese restaurant before heading to the park. The artwork has wonderful and there were all kinds of dogs taking their owners out for a walk. The rest of the day was tame, we had our fun the night before and chilling out and being lazy seemed the proper thing to do.

That evening, we had Zikr at Jamila's and Muhammad Jamal's home. This was followed by an exquisite meal with seven friends. It was a first time for most of us at this Thai restaurant in the Coolsprings area. I would have to say right now it is my new favorite Thai place and I am definitely going there again and again.

Don't Forget to Lock the Door When You are in the Can

April has been a really busy month with many surprises. It has been a time for entertaining and feeding people here at home. I've prepared a few international dishes and desserts such as Arroz a la Cubana, sashimi, iced jasmine tea with new sago pearls and Halo-halo. The weekends have been filled with different adventures with the usual group, but I have also met a few new people.

Last Thursday, I was out with my buddy Brandon and we met a crew of wild and crazy girls. I think it has been a while since they all went out and let their hair down. Brandon was plastered that night and we all had a blast. We saw a few other friends out as well. Thankfully, Selena was staying over that night and meeting me at home or I would have stayed out too late. I was presenting at a staff meeting at 7:AM the next morning. (Shelly, you and the bunch are way cool! Eric, it was really good meeting you. I look forward to hanging out with you guys soon.)

For the second weekend in a row we went to the Barcar. Almost everyone in the group has VIP passes to the place and Kaz gave passes to those that didn't. We had a grand time! This past Saturday, it was not at all full. But we had a big group there and the whole event was very entertaining. I was very happy. It was a real celebration of life with all kinds of people. The crowd was very diverse/eclectic. Caleb was a riot on the dance floor. Everyone wanted to dance with him. Yayoy, got the crowd going with her energetic dancing. And who will ever forget the 3 booty shaking sisters, who ground on every single piece of meat (young and old) until all there was, was a hamburger patty. Needless to say, the night did not end at the Barcar. We went to a couple more bars/clubs before calling it a night.

Well, the craziest thing that happened to me this month actually happened at work. Last Wednesday, at the end of the workday, I was getting ready to leave work. I went to use the restroom before hitting the rush hour traffic. I opened the door and was a bit surprised to find one of the nurses sitting on the can. I was a little shocked and amused (I think I had a big grin on my face). The worst part was, I was kinda frozen. I didn't immediately shut the door. She had to get up and close it. I have not seen that nurse since then. Thankfully, she does not report to me. It is funny how this is really not a big deal, but it is the first real surprise I have had in a while.

One Year of Blogging

It’s been about a year since I started blogging. Doug and I came back from our trip to Vietnam and the Philippines and I wanted to find a way to share all the pictures and the wonderful experience with my friends and family. A blog proved to be the best solution. Since then, I have kept up with the process. This has been a very good way to communicate with everyone. As many of you know, I am not very good at phone calls (sorry Mom), email (Emily, I am sorry I have not answered the last email you sent. I love you and will respond soon. I am glad you are having a blast in Mexico), text messaging, instant messaging and letters (Connie, I am so sorry I have not answered the last two letters you sent. I love you too. BTW, you are one of the only people I know who still uses snail mail). For the most part I would rather spend time live with the people I love. Having loved ones all over the planet this is obviously impossible. So this is a way that I can share my life with you and take some time to reflect on the various events in my life.


Emily in Mexico.

The added benefit to keeping a blog is that I am able to take a snapshot of my life at different points and look back at all these experiences. My memory is not quite as good as it was and I find that when I make the effort to document what goes on it helps big time. Looking back at the first year of blogging it is amazing to see how rich and blessed my life has been. I have so many good and interesting people around me and I have been lucky enough to do things that many people only dream of doing.

So how much of my life is actually documented on here? Well to be honest, as crazy as some of the postings are, this is the Diet Coke or Disneyland version. Very often I don’t have the time to post what is going on, so I only post what I can. More than half of the pictures I want to post don’t make it to the blog; posting multiple pictures with the Blogger engine takes time. For obvious reasons, I also don’t include the more intimate details of my life. Yes, it would be so much more interesting if I did, but I do have younger family members reading this from time to time and those thing are better left committed to memory or sometimes forgotten. I also keep most details about my professional life off the blog. It goes without saying that the pictures are censored and in this case I don’t think an explanation is needed, use your imagination.

Unique Visits to Sonicocean.com

What is amazing to me is how many people are visiting the site. This I really can't understand. Last month, there were 1,698 unique visits to the main page or an average of about 55 people per day. I know lots of people, but not that many. So to those of you who I don't know, a big HELLO! I would like to point out that there are 3 main pages on this blog: this homepage, my Nashville photoblog and my Sufi page. There are also other pages reachable from my Blogger Profile. I have many friends who read the blog and many times when talking to them, I realize most only have one of the 3 main pages bookmarked without realizing that there are other pages out there.

I would like to thank you all for taking an interest and visiting my home on the net. The journey of life is such a blessing and I am thankful for the opportunity to share my little corner of existence with the many souls I am so close too and yet (for the most part) so far away from. Love you all!

Besa Mi Culo

Jessica and Carey just left my home. We watched “The Upside of Anger.” It was a really well done film. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Earlier in the evening, we had dinner at P.M. Café and I had the pleasure of watching the sky on my way home. It is storming here in Nashville tonight and there was a beautiful display of lightning on the horizon.

The weekend has been very good and I am not yet ready to part with it. But it has slowly crept away leaving behind a cascade of past events. Friday night, there was the crazy party we crashed on Belmont Boulevard. It was a fairly large keg party. For the first time, I saw Carey with a date almost twice the age (ok not quite) of the girls he normally goes out with. She was a very sweet (almost 40 - but didn’t look like it) young lady. We invited a few other friends to join us. Irene and Sandra (from Peru and Columbia respectively) met us there. We have not partied together in months, so it was definitely awesome!

Carey and I brought a hookah to the party with some peach flavored Turkish tobacco. The hookah was quite popular. It got more action than most, but not all, of the people there. At one point, it even got manhandled a bit too aggressively by some drunken kid. Since it was a virgin hookah on its maiden voyage, I though it would be appropriate to give it a name. While we were thinking of names, I realized there was already one inscribed on it, Nour, which in Arabic means light. This incidentally is also Carey’s Sufi name.

The music at the party was good. We danced, we sang Spanish songs, talked the night away and had a blast. At around 2 a.m. the cops came to bring peace to the rest of the neighborhood. They were quite nice, but they did ask everyone to go. We headed to the French house, a couple of miles away and hung out for a little bit and then called it a night.

The rest of the weekend was relatively tame. We watched Ice Age 2 Saturday night, walked at Shelby Park, went shopping for furniture, and had a short workout at the gym. The weekend was also a gastronomic feast of Asian food. We had Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Philippine food. Selene, who spent the last 2 days with me, had a craving for tapioca, South East Asian style. So we went on a quest for ingredients at Global Market (which was not easy to find). I prepared an exotic dessert with tapioca, sugar nut palms, coconut jelly, caramelized coconut milk and a few other ingredients. I miss this stuff so much and have not taken the time to prepare it lately. I am happy that everyone enjoyed it.

From the House of Kebab to the Top of Woodland

I will keep this post short. Last night was the only night I got some rest (6 hours sleep). It has been a fairly active week. I have been able to connect with old friends in Nashville and overseas. Technology can be such a blessing. One of my closest friends, Jun, is in the country (Chicago) for the next two weeks. It would be nice to take a road trip and see him and Bibs, who is now living there with his family. I am not sure I can spare the time though.

Tonight, Carey and I met Zouhair for dinner. We had a scrumptious Turkish meal, courtesy of Zouhair. He will be our host for the Morocco segment of our upcoming trip. This portion of the trip will be limited to the Sufi brothers (Carey, Doug, Caleb and I). The rest of the gang will be left to frolic in the sun, on the Costa del Sol. We will be meeting dervishes from the Qadiri Order for Zikr and spend some time exploring the country and the culture.

After dinner, we headed to Belinda's home for her wonderful birthday celebration. I had the pleasure of spending some with Shawn, who I have not seen in awhile. We were able to do some catching up. I am happy to see that he is doing very well for himself. Belinda had a great group of friends at her gathering. There was live music with everything from the violin, guitar, flute, accordion... A few people sang, but I enjoyed Belinda's singing the most. I didn't realize she had such a great voice. Happy Birthday Belinda!!

Well, I need to get some rest... Tomorrow will be a long and busy day. I am looking forward to the weekend. There are couple of things to plan for and take care of in the next few days... April Fools party at the French House and a silent retreat with my Sufi family and Atum in the Appalachian mountains within the next few weeks.

Belinda & Lonny

Dinner Party, Brunch and a Movie

Friday night this week was a time for rest. I had three different invitations to go out, but the week was so stressful and busy, I really needed to recharge. Saturday, I spent the day getting a few things done around the house. Caleb and I also got together to workout. That night, I headed to Michael's for a very nice party. Robert and Alvero were there. Michael prepared the most amazing desserts and hor'derves. The company was good and it was an absolutely enjoyable evening. Sunday, I was a little late for brunch with Habiba, Sofia, Muhammad Jamal, Jamila, Selena, Carey, Kaz and Nathan. After brunch, a few of us went to Kaz's new place. His new home is only a couple of blocks from my house. At that point, I needed to get some rest. We went to my place and I took a long nap while Carey and Selena went shopping. I was totally knocked out. I slept really good, but woke up just in time for dinner. Carey, Selena, Jessica and I went to my favorite Chinese restaurant, China Cottage. We had a yummy meal and then went to watch Ultraviolet at Carmike Cinema in Rivergate. It is now the end of the day and I am ready to get a good nights sleep. Jessica is hanging out with me tonight. I just gave her my special night time toddy of Chamomile and GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid). Now we are ready for...

From Qumana to the Full Moon

I am trying out a new application called Qumana. It is a pretty neat blogging tool. Lately, I have thought about moving my site to one of the more flexible blogging engines that I would have to host on my server. I am probably going to hold off for the moment. Blogger has its limitations, but it has worked well so far.

Today has been an amazing day. I woke up feeling so connected to life and so grateful to be here. Since it was early, I was tempted to go for a walk and enjoy the morning air. My appetite ruled and I decided to cook a big breakfast instead. I made some garlic fried rice, 3 fried eggs and a veggie patty prepared Asian style. Aside from the veggie patty (which is a substitute for the usual dried fish or pork), this is a typical Philippine breakfast. And yes, it was really good!

My day at work was fairly ordinary: a few meetings, a presentation to the clinic managers and a couple of staff issues. Nicole, my dear friend and administrative assistant, has been out with the flu. This has kept me busier than usual, but she needs her rest. I am lucky to work in a place where almost everyone is driven and dedicated.

After a long day at work, Caleb and I met for our workout. Today, we worked our lower body and triceps. It was another good workout. My metabolism is running at top speed at this point and I feel great! Aside from my big breakfast, I had: 2 protein bars, a protein shake, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 2 bananas, an apple, a tuna sandwich, and a bag of chips. We also met Carey and Yayoy for Mexican food and I ate chips and salsa, and a big shrimp dish with rice and guacamole salad. The night is not yet over, I will probably have one more meal before I go to bed. Its sound like a whole lot of food and it is, but this is the only way I am going to gain from all this working out.

After the meal at Fiesta Azteca, we went to Coco's. Carey wanted my help with some lighting decisions for the studio. After looking at the current setup we decided to meet at Home Depot early tomorrow morning. We were suppose to do a full moon meditation, but it was too cold out. I was really looking forward to this and will most likely do one indoors before slipping off into dreamland tonight.

Selena Sunday

Another awesome day in Nashvegas. Selena and I did the Asian thing and pigged out on Vietnamese at Miss Saigon. Next to the restaurant was a huge Asian grocery store where we went after our lunch. We walked down every isle. Thankfully, we were stuffed or we both would have walked out of there with lots of food. We then went to Hustler and The World's Largest Adult Bookstore to do a little shopping. We didn't find what we were looking for, but it was fun.

After our crazy quest into the erotica, we met up with Caleb at the Y. Selena did a bunch of laps around the track, while Caleb and I embarked on the second part of our new workout program. We are both pretty excited about our progress, even in the short time we've been doing this. My only dilemma is holding myself back, I tend to overtrain. I have been going to the gym or doing something active almost everyday. I am trying to be mindful on doing low impact exercises on my off days to allow my body time to recuperate. My metabolism, which is already very fast, is totally revved up. I am having to eat every 1 to 2 hours (6 to 8 meals per day). I am sleeping even less, which is not much at all, but feel totally fine. At this point, I am OK with less sleep because there is never enough time in the day. It would be nice to get a full 8 hours at least once a week, but that is a luxury that is rare for me.

At dinner, it was apparent that Selena did not get enough Indochinese food when she ordered Pad Thai at PM Cafe. I, on the other hand, had Sushi. Yum!! Carey came to meet us there and as usual Patty was a gracious host.

After the meal, we stopped by Coco's to hang out for a bit. I got to see Irene and check out how Carey is progressing with the recording studio. I have to say, I am very proud of him. He has done so well lately. I am also looking forward to finishing a project we started a couple of years ago. Even though its been a while since either of us have been in our creative element, we are both a little older and hopefully a bit wiser and I think this will have a positive impact on our work.

We ended the night at my house, had some Ice Cream and played on the Internet for a bit. Selena practiced some on the piano and we both both played a few tunes and sang along. It was a great way to end the day.

New Blog & Other Stuff

It has been a really nice evening. The weather has been amazing! I just got in from walking and a late dinner. My body feels tight from yesterdays workout. I recalibrated my scale so that I can take note of my progress over the next few months. Tonight, I weighed in at 145 lbs. and about 14% body fat. My immediate goal is to hit 150 within 3 months while keeping my body fat constant or preferably less. This will not be easy, but I think it is a reasonable challenge. Caleb suggested taking some before and after photos, but I don't think I am up for the before pictures.

Earlier this week, I started a shared blog for this years trip to Spain. Everybody going will be made an author for the blog. It will be nice to collaborate and have a shared site for all our experiences and photos on the trip.

Netzach, Hod & Malkuth

I just got in from another long day. Work has been busy as usual. After work, I met up with Caleb to do a grueling 1 & ½ hour workout at the gym. We are trying this new exercise program my brother Jack sent. So far so good! We have increased both the weight and the number of reps since last week. It was not bad considering I only had 4 hours of sleep the night before. I am sure I will be in pain tomorrow. I am trying to keep my food consumption up so that I have enough calories to support growth. Loosing weight has always been easy for me, so I can do that after I have made the necessary progress.

Another goal I am working on is creativity. After the gym, I had dinner with Nur, Linda and Caleb. We saw a few other people out. Jessica was with a newly established “Tuesday Night Bar Hopping in East Nashville” group. Not a good idea after the gym. They are probably still out and having a blast, but not the thing for me tonight. The rest of us had a quiet night, talking about a wide range of things. As usual, almost everyone had their laptops. I was working on getting Acid Pro running on my system. It has been a while since I have played with loops and I would like to spend more time working on music and writing. I feel that I have over developed my analytical side over the past few years, so this will set the stage for some balance. There is also something special about being in touch with the more imaginative aspects of ones psyche.

Congratulations Tony!

Tony, my nephew and godson (3rd from left), just won the Gold for sparring and the Silver for form at the Florida State Taekwondo Championships. Everyone in the family is very proud of him. Congratulations Tony!! Keep it up!

Exodus

It’s been awhile since I have updated this page. Thus far, this year has kept me occupied in so many ways. We are now at the very end of the second month of the year and I have had ZERO impact on my one and only New Years resolution. It does not help that I really don’t think it will make a difference in my life whether I achieve this particular goal that I have set for myself. Those of you who were present at the year end/New Years ceremony at my house know what I am talking about. I might need to look to spring as a time to realign and reassess my personal goals.

What I really wanted to write about tonight is the steady exodus from Nashville of people I love dearly. Having moved around all my life, I am usually the one doing the leaving. I am use to changing landscapes, but I must admit they aren’t always easy to deal with.

This Sunday, Michael left for Ohio. At least he is not so far away. Michael is like a brother to me. Never a dull moment, we always have a ton of laughs when we hangout. Before leaving, he helped me remodel/paint my kitchen, dining room, living room and hallway. I never thought my place could look so good. Thanks Michael!! Your generosity and capacity to give is something we can all learn from. I know you will succeed in whatever you do. One word of advice, live totally in the moment and don’t put any energy into carrying the past with you. BTW, I will be coming to visit when you settle down.

About a couple of weeks ago, Heather left for Australia. This is a journey she has dreamt about over and over. She is half way around the globe exploring the place most dear to her heart. She will be there for the next few months, coming back just in time for our trip to the Iberian Peninsula. Heather, what I want you to know most is that the love, harmony and beauty that you seek in a faraway land, you already carry inside you.

Emily is currently in Mexico. She is on her way to Bolivia but is taking her very sweet time. She has only been gone a month and it feels like an eternity. I know she is having the time of her life. Emily is gifted with knowing that whatever she decides to do in life, it will include making the world a better place. These days we need more people who make this a conscious choice and put it into action. I know this will be a period of growth for you, and you are fundamentally aware of life’s inequities. The cultures that you experience on your journey will only deepen that awareness. I hope you make it back for our midyear trip. Oh, if you are not yet hitch by the time you get back. We are making babies… OK just one baby first.

Aaron, who left last year for Austin (Texas), is currently visiting Dan in Japan. Dan moved to Japan over six month ago. I am sure the guys are having a blast. They are going to be an enigma for most Japanese folk. Aaron looks Japanese (he is half) but is American as they come. Dan is as American as they come but speaks fluent Nippongo. I am happy brother that you have made it to your ancestral home. A journey like this always causes a shift in perspective and such a shift is gift because it expands ones perception of both the inner and outer world.

Where does this leave everyone else? We miss those who are temporarily away, but I have to say we are still having a blast! Those of us gypsies that have chosen to grow roots have had the opportunity to get to know one another even more – if that is even possible. Carey and I have always had a strong bond. Jessica, Caleb and I are spending more time together. We are like family - this whole group. But in many ways, I think we redefine family for one another. It is amazing to see such varied backgrounds coming together in a powerful way. Always so clear with each other, without doubts or fears - not many are this blessed. On my Sufi page it says “Sufism is the religion of the heart, the religion in which the most important thing is to seek God in the heart of mankind.” You have all made it easy for me to experience this truth. Thank you!

There are numerous friends who I did not included in the message above but are equally dear to my heart; these include: Nicole, Habiba & Sophia, Doug, Linda, Muhammad Jamal & Jamila, Mark, Barry, and the list goes on…

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

We started the year with a bang. I had several people over to bring in the year. Present were (pictured above, left to right) Yayoy, Aja, Carey, Heather, Caleb, Sean, Nicole, Feliza and Brandon. Emily, Roan, Muhammad Jamal, Misa and a couple other friends were also at our gathering. It was a blast. We started the night with sharing and a short Zikr ceremony. Afterwards there was eating and drinking, dancing and an interesting game of spin the bottle that went down hill (I'll leave it at that). I feel blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. The celebration went on until sunrise.

We also celebrated Nicole's birthday. Nicole, thanks for being there. You are my soul sister and a wonderful friend. I love you. May your most wonderful dreams come true this year!

Nicole with her birthday cake.

After dinner, we had all kinds of dessert.

Openning presents.

Heather and Yayoy.

Dancing the night away!