tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67311008645157524082012-02-01T09:49:04.495-08:00From the Amish word for a period of "running around." A time to go forth into the world, experience new things, and make mistakes. Mistakes like adding the letter "P" to the word "rumspringa." Apologies to the Amish for appropriating, and then fucking up, their religious terminology. I pray they are not offended when they see this on their fancy computers.Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.comBlogger461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-36262454952276787262011-05-30T16:10:00.001-07:002011-05-30T16:10:58.986-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous On Tuesday morning, we had a little time before catching the afternoon flight to Guilin, so I explored the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition.It's an unrelentingly optimistic view on Shanghai's growth, which glosses over the dark side of such sprawl. But it's hard not to impressed by the sheer scale of the various projects intended to guide that growth,

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-77725401689527914122011-05-30T16:05:00.001-07:002011-05-30T16:05:35.701-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous Mom went back to rest at the hotel, while Annie and I explored the French Concession district. This was the area that the French controlled during the colonial period, which has gone through several renovations and which has arrived at a fashionable blend of modern commerce and historic architecture. We visited the Shikumen Open House, which preserves

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-22325292439678291702011-05-30T15:53:00.001-07:002011-05-30T15:53:55.982-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous On Monday, we drove past the soaring residential towers in the center of Shanghai to the outskirts of the city, where we spent the morning exploring Zhujiajiao, one of the historic "water towns" in the area. That's our tour guide Sunny, with Mom and Annie.One of the traditions is to release fish into the canal, which allows you to make a wish. Here is

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-84715949827390563792011-05-30T15:47:00.001-07:002011-05-30T15:47:01.020-07:00

p149.mov Watch on Posterous After lunch, we drove across the river to the Bund, a stretch of historical buildings that are a remnant of Europe's historic presence in Shanghai. The restoration of the Bund was completed in March 2010, and includes a raised walking area along the water where you can view the skyscrapers in the Pudong district.In the evening, we decided to try some of the

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-15233318761565557572011-05-30T15:26:00.001-07:002011-05-30T15:26:27.948-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous Next stop was the Pearl Oriental TV Tower, one of the tallest television towers in the world. The views from up top, especially from the glass bottom walkway, were stunning. The tower is in the Pudong district, the commercial heart of Shanghai across the Huangpo River from the famous Bund.Lunch at Seagull Palace redeemed the awful breakfast at the food

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-62489637686256879602011-05-22T18:59:00.001-07:002011-05-22T18:59:07.857-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous After being picked up from Beijing Airport, we went to dinner at a local cafe en route to the train station. It looked modern and hip, not unlike any number of late-night cafes that you could find in SGV, and was appropriately named Youth Restaurant.The menu was impressive, with several items that you just can't order in the United States.Both mom and I

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-4631242386327205512011-05-13T11:07:00.003-07:002011-05-13T11:07:57.816-07:00

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-77026564053313134622011-05-13T11:07:00.001-07:002011-05-13T11:07:49.419-07:00

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-73364889684194144892007-06-13T23:00:00.000-07:002007-08-17T09:56:01.763-07:00

A couple of years ago, I started using the term "Freudian Lisp" to describe when closeted gay men say unintentionally, though revealingly, gay things. The beauty of the phrase is that it is succinct and self-explanatory: use it immediately after the phenomenon in question and everybody, including people who have never heard the term before, will know what you mean.I have never seen the phrase

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-85706571344968238672007-06-12T10:16:00.000-07:002007-06-12T22:54:15.515-07:00

The children are right to laugh at you, Ralph.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-26648873797145766662007-06-10T19:19:00.000-07:002007-06-11T00:02:27.385-07:00

This post originally began as a gratuitous plug for the juices made by Bolthouse Farms. I have always enjoyed Bolthouse juices, and have become seriously addicted in the last few weeks since learning that the local grocer carries every flavor made by Bolthouse:But my love letter must give way to a Dear John letter. Why? Because a little internet research has revealed that Bolthouse Farms is

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-57211338714955226132007-06-09T20:58:00.001-07:002007-06-14T23:36:40.247-07:00

I am house-sitting for the brothers while they are away at their annual meeting in New York this week. Much of the work came over the weekend, when I was in charge of guesthouse duties for the church group here from Friday to Sunday. Some of my responsibilities included:Picking up mail from the post office downtown;Folding, stocking, and ordering linens for the guesthouse:Cleaning the dining

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-34674049836852045422007-06-07T23:41:00.000-07:002007-06-12T22:53:59.683-07:00

Today was one of those days so perfect and clear that it made you glad to be alive. I decided to spend the afternoon in Montecito, Santa Barbara's sleepier, wealthier cousin to the south. I walked around the Music Academy of the West (which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this summer), stopped by Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and ended the day at the beach.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-30242088958549892782007-06-05T12:04:00.000-07:002007-06-10T23:40:35.278-07:00

I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to take two of the brothers, Roy and Laurence, to the airport. They are flying to meet the other three brothers at West Park, where the annual conference for their order is taking place.Because Roy and Laurence plan on staying in New York for a bit after the conference, they will not be around when I finish my retreat next Friday. So I'm grateful to have had

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-82310850295847852132007-06-02T12:09:00.000-07:002007-06-10T20:28:19.586-07:00

Last weekend was the 21st annual I Madonnari festival at the Santa Barbara Mission, which displays beautiful chalk artwork rendered by local artists and commissioned by local businesses. Many of the works were still on display when I visited this weekend:This last piece received my "Best in Show." Just beautiful. Step aside, Lorenzo de Medici. There's a new art patron in town. And his name

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-33616223722261664232007-06-02T11:57:00.000-07:002007-06-06T13:18:32.837-07:00

One of the gardens at the monastery is home to a little family of bunnies. They are very shy and can only be lured out with soothing New Age music:

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-48462243029340250462007-06-01T23:45:00.000-07:002007-06-14T23:48:10.093-07:00

My posts about Mount Calvary thus far have neglected to mention one of the very best things about this place: the food. The chef, Luis, is simply the best large-scale cook I have encountered. Difficult as it is to cook for large groups (particularly on a small budget), Luis consistently manages to produce delicious and hearty meals. Luckily for me, most of the meals are vegetarian-friendly.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-25152582110023165912007-06-01T22:23:00.000-07:002007-06-06T12:08:25.735-07:00

Her name is Gracie. She belongs to one of the locals who attends morning Eucharist at the monastery on Friday. Brushing her dusky, plumate coat makes my day.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com132tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-6480847787142682052007-05-31T18:03:00.000-07:002007-06-14T23:49:39.831-07:00

Below is a cute ad for a new dating service that takes eHarmony to task for not permitting same-sex matches. Imagine Karen Walker from "Will & Grace" as the centerfold in the magazine, saying: "Well, I feel a little bit uncomfortable. All of these gay eyes on me. Judging me. Undressing me. Then dressing me up again in a different outfit."For those unfamiliar with this controversy: the founder

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-9901715232232787682007-05-31T17:24:00.000-07:002007-06-12T23:00:25.730-07:00

While searching for a dentist in Santa Barbara, I came across one office that played pre-recorded ads for its services while callers were on hold. My two favorite lines:"Your smile is a window into your self-worth. And stained and dull teeth are a sign that you don't like yourself.""Ever notice how, in movies, the bad guys are always portrayed with bad teeth? That's because your teeth are an

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-7195837785711666822007-05-30T22:42:00.000-07:002007-06-04T15:07:56.747-07:00

"Oh God, You are the giver of every good and perfect gift. We are aware of how easily we take and how often we grudgingly give. Give us the gift of grateful hearts, that we may want to share freely with others all you have given us. Amen."~St. Paul the Apostle Monastery, Palm Desert, California (from Marcia and Jack Kelly’s “One Hundred Graces”)

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-67490493880958375962007-05-30T22:16:00.000-07:002007-06-04T15:00:54.778-07:00

Tonight was a perfectly clear evening and, even though there was a near full moon, the heavens were in full display. You could see four of the five planets visible from earth (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn) as well as various stars and constellations (e.g., the Big Dipper, Vega, Alpha Centauri) with the naked eye.Because the sky was so clear, Laurence brought out his high-powered telescope

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-48359661858069141382007-05-29T14:29:00.000-07:002007-06-04T14:56:11.742-07:00

See linked article about the recent plight of refugees from the Dakar region. The devastating images of such forced exoduses from "The Lost Boys of Sudan" make it even harder to ignore what's going on. Please keep praying and pushing your representatives, folks. To learn more about the ongoing genocide, visit the Save Darfur Coalition.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-34071382783306229602007-05-28T13:04:00.000-07:002007-06-12T12:05:57.142-07:00

This past week was a relatively quiet one at the monastery. "Guest/New Friend of the Week" honors go to a young priest from Victoria, Canada:Scott rode his bike all the way down the coast from British Columbia to Santa Barbara! We swapped notes on the state of the Anglican Communion (note to the Global South: find something more important to do with your time than obsess about the gays,

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-79027631781884283852007-05-25T10:03:00.000-07:002007-06-04T15:13:17.093-07:00

I am a self-confessed "American Idol" addict. I have watched every episode of Season 6 since January. But I will not be watching the finale this week. Why? Because America screwed up BIG TIME last week. When it came time to choose between the final three contestants, America sent home Melinda Doolittle, who is not only the best singer this season but is the best singer who has ever appeared

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-69715255114023443452007-05-24T14:20:00.000-07:002007-06-12T12:05:57.143-07:00

I recently finished reading "goodbye, i love you," Carol Lynn Pearson's moving account of her marriage to, divorce from, and lifelong friendship with a gay man who eventually contracted HIV and died in her care. I don't read books often, being illiterate and all, but I finished this one in two days. I couldn't put it down.Pearson's memoir will appeal to anyone with an interest in sexuality and/

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-84696001527052883062007-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:002007-05-24T14:14:49.623-07:00

I picked up my mom from the Santa Barbara train depot this morning. She's visiting for one night and tomorrow we'll drive back to Los Angeles together. Her observations from the noon Eucharist:[After receiving communion:] "Oh. That was just bread and champagne."[After the service:] "All that standing up and sitting down was a good workout. Now I can eat a big lunch."[On the cornbread served

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-20734776014046739942007-05-23T23:44:00.000-07:002007-06-12T12:05:57.143-07:00

Check out Bill Maher's take on Jerry Falwell's life and death. Smartest observation: the prohibition against speaking ill of the dead shouldn't apply to those who regularly engaged in the practice themselves. Stick around until the end, when Maher imagines a hilarious conversation between God and Falwell in heaven.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-27831493494837292052007-05-21T22:20:00.000-07:002007-05-22T01:08:46.353-07:00

Tonight Brother Laurence and I watched "The Lost Boys of Sudan," a documentary about refugees who had been displaced by the civil war in Sudan in the 80s and relocated throughout the United States. It was showing at UCSB as part of the Santa Barbara Human Rights Film Festival.The first half of the film details the horrific conditions during the Lost Boys' flight from Sudan and later life in

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-34091896192159279012007-05-21T13:55:00.000-07:002007-05-23T14:36:20.396-07:00

Last week I had the good fortune of meeting John Fairbrother, who has the best name for a priest EVER and who is the director of Vaughan Park Anglican Retreat Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. His stay at Mount Calvary kicked off his own three-month sabbatical. We had our run of a nearly empty house for most of the week, and it was fun dishing about calling, burnout, church politics, you name

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-58605332460297311252007-05-21T12:12:00.000-07:002007-06-10T19:19:20.109-07:00

Monday is the quietest day of the week at the retreat house, which is closed to the public from Sunday afternoon until Tuesday morning. I, and any brothers present, will begin the day with bowls of home-rolled granola and the Monday edition of the Los Angeles Times:Then I usually move into the south library, where I can while away most of the day lounging, reading, or writing at my favorite desk

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-24321355895542712792007-05-14T00:38:00.000-07:002007-05-22T00:58:04.364-07:00

I drove down this past weekend to clean up and pass off my apartment to the subletters. I spent quite a bit of time and energy hammering out the details and drafting the sublease. It was weird to deal with the "real world" while at the monastery. But I'm glad that everything worked out. The subletters seem like really nice people, and even my landlady was happy with them. They were even

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-21990787921840340612007-05-09T00:05:00.000-07:002007-05-23T00:10:46.218-07:00

When the previous evening's fog lingers until the next morning, it's neat to watch Santa Barbara wake up as its downy white quilt is gently pulled out to the ocean.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-77816012105627137582007-05-08T23:34:00.000-07:002007-06-01T22:40:26.297-07:00

Many of you know that I love eating. A lot. "64 slices of American cheese" a lot. I eat more than most people I know. Where does this capacity for eating come from? And how is it that I still wear Size 2 girl pants?A complex answer would take into account family history, emotional makeup (I eat my feelings, according to "Mean Girls"), etc. But under Occam's Razor, the simplest answer is

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-87777433332376989042007-05-07T00:47:00.000-07:002007-06-12T23:11:41.733-07:00

Week Three at the monastery brought the local chapter of "Conscious Evolutionaries." Which sounds like they are refugees from a Kansas city school board. When I asked one of the participants about the organization, she gave the impression of a worldwide organization devoted to . . . not much. Something about realizing that everything evolves, being intentional about one's personal development,

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-74050919819797557062007-05-06T00:49:00.000-07:002007-06-12T12:07:02.228-07:00

Meredith was here for a weekend retreat. Over lunch, we had a great discussion about books. (Stop laughing.) Meredith highly recommended Cormac McCarthy’s new book about the end of the world. I tried to convince her to finish “Gilead” by Marilynn Robinson, which I “read” during my commute last fall.During our discussion, I never once mentioned “Family Ties,” despite growing up assuming that

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-25922493289559679742007-05-05T00:01:00.000-07:002007-05-23T00:03:25.032-07:00

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-55373918211833148242007-05-02T23:20:00.000-07:002007-06-12T23:15:09.836-07:00

Tonight I went to hear Bishop John Shelby Spong at Trinity Church. I hadn't read any of his books, but his reputation piqued my curiosity. He turned out to be a compelling public speaker, deftly mixing Biblical history, science, and personal anecdotes.The first two-thirds of Bishop Spong's talk was spent cataloguing the various failures of Christians throughout history. He focused in

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-30411311937291545142007-05-01T00:26:00.000-07:002007-05-19T01:04:03.219-07:00

You shall be my peopleand I will be your God.I will take you away from the nationsgather you from all foreign lands,and bring you home to your own land.This passage, taken from Ezekial 36 and sung during this morning’s lauds, resonated strongly with me as I begin to think about my impending travels. In the last couple of days, I have been hammering out details with a potential subletter. I am

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-77469923364634840342007-04-30T09:46:00.000-07:002007-05-22T00:57:19.871-07:00

Week Two brought a twelve-step group from Los Angeles. They were a rowdy bunch. But they brought boardgames and snacks, so they were okay by me. They kindly invited me to play Taboo and Scrabble with them. I repayed their kindness by laughing at their drug-addled attempts to give clues during Taboo ("It's a kind of . . . thing that you use for . . . something!") and coldly winning both games

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-34114327468943338182007-04-28T23:57:00.000-07:002007-05-23T00:00:25.207-07:00

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-74427239706389857042007-04-26T09:21:00.000-07:002007-05-19T00:59:27.864-07:00

Actually, my hump. Singular. I woke up on Monday with my left elbow mysteriously swollen. By the time I had ruled out the possibility that it was just a bruise and went to the urgent care facility on Wednesday, my left elbow resembled a reddish, warm baseball.The doctor surmised that it was an infection caused by some surface bacteria that may have snuck in through a crack in the skin around

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-76478591992387063982007-04-23T22:38:00.000-07:002007-05-22T23:55:44.721-07:00

Going into my first week at Mount Calvary, I wasn't sure what to expect. Although I brought a couple of projects to work on, I had no desire to be "productive" in any sense. So I was content to go with the flow each day. The daily offices -- lauds at 7am, eucharist at 12pm, compline at 8pm -- offered a loose structure to my day. I helped out with dishes after meals and closed up the house in

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-59404201145139988402007-04-22T21:32:00.000-07:002007-05-23T00:03:52.241-07:00

A dense fog rolled into the valley on Monday, taking residence around the monastery and joining the clouds overhead to swallow the setting sun.

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-60316652464548831862007-04-18T10:32:00.000-07:002007-06-09T10:35:06.933-07:00

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6731100864515752408.post-57555911786518422112007-04-17T14:14:00.000-07:002007-05-22T23:29:59.504-07:00

In planning my travels, I always intended my first stop to be Mount Calvary, a Benedictine monastery/retreat house tucked away in the mountains of Santa Barbara. For the last few years, I have taken annual retreats here and the brothers graciously agreed to let me do an extended working retreat. I think the peace and tranquility here will ground me and open me up to new experiences during the

Alberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08921860483545524649noreply@blogger.com0