Saera

It's been awhile since I wrote anything for the Lingo, so I'm backtracking quite a bit.

In September I resumed my university education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I took the proposal writing class for the Bachelor's Degree Individual Concentration Program and was eventually accepted through passing the class. At this time, my Concentration is Sustainable Communities, although I am considering finding a more apt name. Basically my studies will be revolving around building the knowledge and skills vital to the founding of a community with the health of the planet, the happiness of individuals, and a functional society in mind. My other classes were Intro to Biology, Cultural Anthropology, Pre-calculus, and Human Ecology. Human Ecology was by far my favorite class. In it we discussed the ways in which humans create and affect their environments, and in which the environment affects humans. We covered a wide range of topics and developed the ability to think more critically about class, race, and social organization. This class was strongly reinforced by the Cultural Anthropology class. Math was less stressful than it has been for many years, due to a compassionate teacher using enlightened methods. Biology was a huge struggle for me, but I learned a lot and ultimately I'm grateful I took it when I did. Grades are finally all in, and I'm happy to report a 3.55 GPA so far!

Daniel and I are still participating in Soka Gakkai International activities, and strengthening our practice of chanting Nam Myo Ho Renge Kyo bit by bit. Recently I began reading the second half of The Human Revolution by Daisaku Ikeda, an account of the early years of the Soka Gakkai in novelized form. I've also been catching up on reading the World Tribune and Living Buddhism, both of which inspire me.

We had a quiet Christmas. Daniel worked during the day, and in the evening we went to dinner at our close friend Ann's parent's house. Daniel worked New Year's too, but Ann another friend, Sabriyah, and I went to the local countdown. It was freezing, so we went immediately home and played a game of Settlers of Catan. The next day Sabriyah and I attended New Year's Gongyo, a special World Peace Prayer Meeting commemorating the opportunity the New Year presents us to be redetermined in our commitment to building world peace through the happiness of every individual.

The economy is definitely affecting life in Western Massachussets, and Daniel and I have both had less hours. However, I'm using the time to catch up on some things that built up during the semester, organize, and work on goals concerning myself and my plans for the future. I'd been struggling a lot with getting organized and motivated because there are so many things I want to accomplish. But I'm starting to tackle a few things at a time and I seem to be gaining momentum.

A Happy New Year to you all!

-- Saera