Before getting all deep n’ stuff, I just felt like saying—I love rice and beans. I could eat rice and beans for the rest of my life. I can’t wait ‘til Nikki (another intern, and a veggie) gets here in May and it’ll be easier to facilitate regular veggie meals, ‘cause the times when they appear are like little oases in a sea of red meat. Chega de carne, cara.
I love how close I’ve been able to grow to the Care For Life field officers here, working closely with them, getting to know them personally, feeling like a friend and confidante to them just as much as a supervisor/coworker. I was thinking about that today after hanging out and talking to them during lunch, and I think I could really settle down and have a very happy life here, over time being able to become more and more a part of this place and its people. A big part of me, the part of me that pushed me into anthropology, would love nothing more than that—as much as no outsider can really completely get inside the head of someone who’s grown up and spent their whole life in another culture and another way of thinking, the greatest level of love that I can imagine is trying as hard as you can to do so, to spend your life trying to understand as best you can the situation and life of your brother, to get as close as you can to true empathy and understanding.
The thing is that by doing that completely, I’d by force have to separate myself from my family, my friends and my life back home—which I would never want to give up. But I think there’s a nice findable balance in between there somewhere.
4 comments:
You know, the rice and beans love is something I definitely absorbed from you and dad in an osmosis-like fashion. I totally buy tons of black beans and rice (or Bush's veggie beans, mmm) because they're amazing and cheap and protein. And AMAZING.
Hehe, maybe it is a family thing, because black beans and rice are about the only legumes I like--besides hummus but I don't think that counts in most peoples eyes.
Rock on with your fellow-man-loving and cross-culturally-empathetic ways Rolfo! I think you are amazing!
Yeah! Veggie! I will save you, don't you even worry. I might even pack a veggie burger or two in my knapsack for. I love that, Chega de carne, cara!!!
I created an account just so I can post on your blog. That's love right there. (And a little bit of guilt since it's kind of looking like I won't be around for the MSG show.)
I adore rice and beans. I miss them, they're so ridiculously good.
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