Foxdale Reaction

First of all I'd like to apologize for the delayed response, you see I had to go to Philly on Thursday in order to take the GRE exam on Friday :( , got back home to State College on Saturday night and finally I was volunteering with TEDx PSU this morning (which was great) :)

Anyway here are my responses:
1. How did this trip compare to the expectations you had before we went?
I didn't really have grand expectations when I first know of the trip, I already knew we were going to meet older folks which was exciting to me because I love them :) 

2. What did you enjoy?  What was challenging?
I enjoyed the conversations so much, talking to Marlin and her husband which I did not expect to join the conversation by the way. we laughed, were in awe and we chatted up to the very last second.
we talked about past, present, and politics. we talked about the WARs, their children and my life in Saudi Arabia.
there were not any challenges 

3.  What advice do you have for future IECP students taking a trip similar to this one?
Future IECP's:
- Go there prepared!!!!! Think of the people you're going to meet ( you wouldn't want some foreigner coming and insulting your grandparents, would you? )
- Know the culture your coming from ( probably some of the people your going to meet have never been to where your part of the world, so telling them good and positive things a bout it is a great ice-breaker) PS: inviting them to your country is always nice and welcoming.
- Bring a gift or a memento (eg. food, snacks, something from your country, they can remember you by)
- Finally, be courteous, nice and show your morals. Transmit openness to answer questions about where your from and willingness to ask questions about their's and HAVE FUN

4. What are three possible themes for your Source Integration Blog Post (based on your interview)?
Women education in the 50's and 60's in the U.S
Past political views and thoughts on the wars compared to current
Career shifts 50 years ago and now

4: The TimeKeeper, P. 112-143 ( City )

Finally, an opportunity for Dor to meet the ones he was destined to meet!
New York City is where everyone will meet...
Victor the rich man whose looking for an eternal life, ironically looking for an old watch to symbolize his eternal life..
Sarah, the smart teenager who just want to be loved by her boyfriend and not be spend her high school years in oblivion. who believes buying a watch her boyfriend likes from the movie (Men in Black) will impress him...
And Dor, or father time who is patiently waiting for them to pay him a visit where he works, a clock shop of course!!

"We all yarn for what we have lost. But we forget what we have" 

It's been a year since I lost my father. Nothing I can do will ever bring him back. I miss him so much to the extent that I forget he ever died in the first place. I took for granted that he was always there that I still don't believe he's no longer here. 

What have you ever lost that you regret not appreciating? 

3: The TimeKeeper, P. 87-111 (Earth to City)

At this point in the story a voice came to Dor and told him that he is free from his isolation (for now) because his journey is far from over. Dor wanders off in our world in mystery, halting time between a second and a blink to marvel at the world we take for granted. He learned languages, read the books and got himself a suite.
a question I had and surprisingly I found written as I read along: Can you imagine having endless time to learn?
I personally believe that would be incredible yet terrifying. Incredible because knowledge is a everlasting sea and our minds are boundless vessels and it would be terrifying because (what will you do with all that knowledge? what purposes will it serve? ) I believe there's a reason as to why we learn as much as we do in one life time.

2: The TimeKeeper, P. 64-86 (The in between to Falling)

So far in this part of the book Dor the TimeKeeper is trying to escape his seemingly endless solitude and isolation. Dor had never wished for anything more than for his end to come and for his existence to disappear into the oblivion. the most interesting aspect was in my opinion was the fact (and i mentioned this before) is that all he wished for was time, he counted it, studied it and prayed for it. Yet, now that he became the TimeKeeper all he wants is to give the time that he had worked for it away.

1: The TimeKeeper, P. 1-63 (prologue-cave)

As I mentioned in my earlier post that I'm fascinated by the Idea of time and how we always want more of it (For example, you're at Disney Land and your tickets are only for one day and you arrive late, you think "please time stop" so you could play) yet when we have more we can't wait for it to pass (for example, you didn't sleep well last night and you had to go to school, and all day all you think about is "time pass faster").
My book is the story of the everlasting struggle between man and time. Its about a man named Dor and his pursuit to count time. it's about a girl who wanted more time to get ready for a date. And its about and old man who wasn't ready to accept his bounding fate.

a quote I found really profound in the book so far

The TimeKeeper 
- Mitch Albom 

After I posted the book that I will be reading for class, I realized that I had forgotten my book back in my home country :( 
So, I decided to read another book that I started but didn't finish (btw, Procrastinating is bad for you!!) 
I was fascinated with the plot of this book and I had read other books by the same author. I'm fascinated by the aspect of time and how people spend all their life seeking more time but still rushing through it. 

and by far my most favorite quote from the book 

Everything Bad is Good for You

Well, I bought this book last year and it's been collecting dust for a while
I did read a chapter or two and I really liked it
"Steven Johnson draws from fields as diverse as neuroscience, economics, and media theory to argue that the pop culture we soak in every day—from Lord of the Rings to Grand Theft Auto to The Simpsons"

I feel the book is perfect for me because it combines my favorite hobby (watching TV) and two essential characteristics (sarcasm and philosophy)