Above:The Baha'i House of Worship of Asia. Below:Life and times of your fellow World Citizen, Kolya

BTW the Summer School was hosted by Alvin Bitsilly (a Navajo Baha'i) and one of the guest speakers was famous flautist and hoop dancer, Kevin Locke (who's Lakota)-- who has performed ALL over the world!  I had a lot of fun with the Youth and i performed the "Young and Positive" rap by Sweet Honey In The Rock during the Youth performance night (although at 31 i'm no longer a youth!).

Young and Positive

Lyrics by Sweet Honey in the Rock

(except the word Ruhí added and time:2007 updated from "the 90's" by Kolya Schweppe)

 

 

 

[Chorus]:  I am young and I am positive

I am the future, I’m gonna tell it like it is

I won’t let anything stand in my way

My eyes are on the prize and they’ll stay that way.

I’ve got self respect and a whole lot of pride

I won’t let you pull me down into a negative stride

Down a dead-end street where only trouble lies.

That’s not the way to keep my eyes on the prize.

 

This is 2007 and it’s a difficult thing

To maintain focus on my visions and dreams

Violence – and abuse of drugs

Turns an innocent child into a vicious thug.

 

Take a close look at this society

At the status of the youth and you will see

A sad situation that is out of hand

Youth are in trouble all over the land.

 

Don’t let this state of affairs bring us down

We have to work together change things around

I start every day by taking the time

To remind myself, repeat one more time that

 

[chorus]

 

I’ll teach you Ruhí and you teach me

We’ll exchange information on how to be

The best we can be – not anything less

It has nothing to do with how you look or dress.

It’s not material things that makes us who we are;

Not the speakers, not the jewelry

Not the clothes or the cars

It’s not the job, not the money

Nor the status size

That’s only momentary pleasure

Not a valuable prize

 

[chorus]

 

 

 

Honesty and truth rank high on my list

Caring and respect for others help to assist me

‘Cause I choose to move with love in my heart

For my sisters and brothers

In every part of the world

You know it doesn’t make sense to discriminate

Or believe in hate

Put down another because of their color or race

I must appreciate all the differences of each nationality

I don’t want everybody to be like me

Can you imagine everyone exactly the same?

Life would be so boring I would go insane

I love the fact that each person is unique

The way we think, feel, look and express our needs

So let’s move up to a positive tip

X racism – it’s a negative trip!

Another dead-end street

Don’t even go down there

Let’s accept one another and begin to care

Uplift ourselves, enrich our minds

And everyday try to find a little bit of

Time to say:

 

[chorus]

 

I don’t diss my elders they deserve respect

As a matter of fact I do my best to protect

Those who came before me

Who struggled and fought

So that I would have a chance

To listen up – and be taught

I turn off the TV – I open up a book

I use my imagination

And try to be aware as I look

And wonder what the future will be?

With pollution destroying the land and the seas

Nuclear wars – Greenhouse effect

More toxic waste than ever before

I need all of you adults to live as if you care

Your greedy style of living is my nightmare

I need a world of clean living air – I can breathe

Where I can drink the water – and enjoy the trees

Recycle all your plastic, bottles and glass

Don’t leave it up to me to clean up your act!

 

[chorus]

 

... (more verses originally)

And we studied the Universal House of Justice's short book, ONE COMMON FAITH.   It's a GREAT piece of writing!  The theme being Interreligious harmony and all its ramifications.

Tomorrow i leave NABI, which is very sad but at the same time i'm happy to be moving on with my plans Chinaward!  Will drive to Durango tomorrow.

Been checking out Xi'an pics in the Xi'an Facebook group, it looks like it has a lot more picturesque buildings and places than Baotou (where i used to live) does.

There was a big UFO sighting in Strattford, England, as reported by the Daily Mail on July 26th, includes video footage:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=470579&in_page_id=1770