September Check Point

As some of you may remember, September is for short stories and swimming in Superior. I am disappointed to say, my daily dip in Superior has not been happening daily. The school weeks have been busy and it rained for a large portion of last weekend.

Happily, I have been sticking with my short story a night theme. Last week I finished Yiyun Li's collection of short stories, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. (Click here to be taken to Yiyun Li's homepage.) Her collection of stories was fantastic. Many of her themes revolved around family, and her essays were an interesting glance into Chinese culture. I ordered Li's book on a whim several months ago after reading Granta's list of top young American writers of 2007. Click here for the article. I recommend this collection for anyone interested in Chinese culture and looking to read a few terrific stories.

Persepolis

This past weekend I had a wonderful lesson in Iranian history. I have never given much thought to Iran, and always assumed it is similar to other countries in the Middle East: desert like, oil rich, oppressive, crowded with veiled women, and a possible country to go to war with for our current administration. This weekend I learned that A) I don't know much about the different cultures of Middle Eastern countries and B) I know next to nothing about the history of the countries of the Middle East.

A few months ago, I heard about the movie Persepolis and how it was a controversial, animated movie written in French about an Iranian women. Recently, I decided to rent the movie from the Marquette Public Library. The movie was checked out and I had to place a hold. Accidentally, I also placed a hold on the graphic novel, Persepolis, that the movie was based on.

My partner Alan and I spent Saturday devouring the graphic memoir written by Marjane Satrapi. Satrapi's story is amazing and unlike anything I have ever read. Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's childhood during the Islamic Revolution. Born to liberal parents, the young Satrapi is witty, intelligent, and growing up during a war. Her perception of war and life in Iran is unique and insightful, and her story is both heartbreaking and uplifting.

Persepolis the novel was published in 2003 and in 2007 the film adaptation came out. I had the fortunate experience of watching the film this evening. It was an accurate representation of the book and just as moving. The film, which premiered in France where Satrapi lives, was banned in Iran and several other countries.

I highly recommend both the novel and film for anyone interested in learning more about Iranian culture or history. Marjane Satrapi is a brave and honest writer, and I fell thankful to know her story.

Click here to view the trailer for Persepolis on youtube.

"Academia!" by Janet Bruhn

This is a painting by my good friend Janet Bruhn. Janet is trying to make a painting a day, and this is one of her most recent, entitled "Academia!"

Notes on Fermentation

Click here and check out what Dr. Weil has to say about Sauerkraut!

Last night was my first fermented adult beverage success. After a long seven weeks of waiting, I experienced the unique taste of T'ej, an Ethiopian honey wine. I used the basic T'ej recipe found in the book Wild Fermentation by Ellix Sandor Katz. Honey, water, and wild yeast (that is naturally drawn to the honey mixture) is all that is needed for this unique beverage. To my surprise, the wine was slightly carbonated and alcoholic. The taste of the honey—a buckwheat honey from southern Wisconsin—was prevalent and sweet. Overall, I am impressed at the simplicity of this home fermentation, and I look forward to experimenting with new recipes for T'ej.

Click here to be directed to the T'ej entry on the Wikipedia page.

September is for short stories and swimming in Superior

Short Stories

School has started and suddenly there is less time for personal reading. I have, however, decided to dedicate the month of September to an under appreciated art form: the short story. As the saying goes, a short story a day keeps the anxiety of finishing a novel away. The first collection of short stories I plan on reading is Narrow Beams by Kate Myers Hanson. Katie Hanson is also a professor at Northern Michigan University, and I am taking a course with her this fall. Please feel free to join me in the story a night challenge.

Swimming

According to Shakta Kaur Khalsa in the KISS Guide to Yoga, a daily cold shower is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Khalsa mentions that many yogis often immerse themselves in glacial streams because "cold water opens the capillaries and strengthens the entire nervous system." When you take a cold shower (or jump in Lake Superior) your capillaries open and release toxins. Khalsa says that "if you bring your body to that temperature where it can meet the cold by its own circulatory power, you have won the day. You have empowered your own health and happiness."

For the month of September, I intend to take Khalsa's recommendation and take a daily dip in Lake Superior. For those who do not live on Lake Superior but still want to participate in the cold water challenge, a 30 second to one minute cold shower should suffice. For more information see page 270 of the Kiss Guide to Yoga.