Valentine's Day Blackout

This year I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day in the dark.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about my experience at Dialogue in the Dark, a tour where the lights are turned out and you wander through a host of daily activities as if you were blind. I really enjoyed that tour and when I heard about the restaurant, Blackout, I quickly got the information and waited for the special occasion to go.

Well, I just so happen to be dating a very wonderful girl now named Avigail (pronounced ah-vee-guy-eel, but you run the last two syllables together). We've been seeing each other for six weeks or so and Valentine's Day presented itself with the perfect opportunity to take her to a nice restaurant. So, together with good friends Leora and Ariel, we went to eat in the dark.

It was so cool! The restaurant is part of a larger center called Nalaga'at, meaning 'Do Touch'. You can read all about the Nalaga'at Center here. When you first arrive you deposit your jackets and anything that makes light (telephones, pagers, key chains, etc) into lockers to preserve the total darkness that you experience once you enter the restaurant. Also, upon arrival you are given the menu or the option to have your food be a surprise. We all opted for the surprise, though in retrospect it's probably better to pick out stuff you know you'll like. I'm sure I'll be back at some point, so that's what I'll do next time. Anyway, I digress...

So when you enter the actual restaurant you do so by placing your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you and you are led to your table by a blind (or severely visually impaired) waiter/waitress. After making our way to the table we had to acquaint ourselves with everything that is there. In the beginning there is just the place setting; a knife, fork, cup and napkin. After that, the meal proceeds just like any other. First come the drinks (I opted for a glass of soda water with a lid that I could reseal, though I never came close to knocking it over). That's followed by a basket of bread, then the appetizers, main course and finally dessert.

I'd like to sit here and tell you that I ate it all with a fork and knife, but that's not the case. After trying to eat with a fork most of the time, I finally gave in and just went at it with my fingers. Though I couldn't see to verify, Ariel and Leora seemed to be doing the same. Only Avigail managed to eat principally with her cutlery. Before we went into the restaurant I noticed that there were a few blind people there who had come with their families to eat as well. I couldn't help but think how this must be for them. This restaurant, while completely foreign to most of its customers, was the same thing that a blind person experiences every time he/she goes out for a meal. They don't eat with their hands, but expertly use a fork, knife or spoon. It gave me an even greater appreciation for how the things we take for granted get that much more difficult when you turn out the lights.

This isn't something that I'd recommend everyone to do. People who have trouble in the dark definitely shouldn't, but it was an experience worth having. Through experiencing the way others see (or don't see) the world, we're given a better understanding of how unique each person's perspective is on the every day details we take for granted.

Lastly, I'll leave you with the funniest Valentine's Day clip I saw this year:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sO_KILnJdHw

Hope all five of my blog readers are doing well:-) I'll be back in the states in just over 3 months to visit and for Paula's wedding. Really looking forward to it!!

To Vote or Not to Vote: Am I really asking that question?

I grew up in a house dedicated to appreciating the government and taught to always play an active role in electing our leaders by going to the polls for every election. I have voted in six general elections, two presidential elections and several local contests. The right to vote is what democracy is based on, empowering us to know that our vote will make a difference and that we have a direct voice in who will manage the affairs of the country. Why then do I feel so removed from this election season? Besides the obvious (that I am living on the other side of the world), there are two main reasons why I am far more ambivalent than at any time in the past: pessimism and confusion.

Today is Super Tuesday in the states, the day when there may (or may not) become a clear front-runner for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. Anyone who knows me or any member of my family, knows that we bleed Democrat blue. Dad is out stumping for Obama in SC and is convinced that he will make the next great President. Paula and Mom are also supporting Obama while Robin (when I last spoke to her) was undecided. Where do I stand? Confused.

First, let me explore my pessimism. I am somewhat convinced that no matter who wins the Democratic nomination, this person will lose to the Republicans. It looks like John McCain is going to get his party's nomination and somehow the Republicans will very effectively scare much of the country into thinking that the Democrats are weak on matters of national security. He will run on a centrist platform that will swing the election the Republicans' way. Let's ignore the fact that our country is far worse off today than it was when Bush took over in January of 2001. Somehow the Republican machine will put out its message and the Democrats will lose. (Full disclosure: the only American news channel that I get here is Fox News and it scares me every time I watch it... the O'Reilly Factor is terrifying... this probably accounts for much of my pessimism, knowing that this is the most popular news channel in the states. How it can be categorized as a 'fair and balanced' news channel is way beyond me.)

Now to the confusion. I simply don't know who I want to win for the Democrats. I'd very happily support Hillary or Obama. For my absentee ballot, I will have no problem marking either of their names to be the next President and hopefully turn the US around. For the primary though, I'm just not sure. I'm probably leaning towards Obama simply because I want to see a new name in the White House. For two decades someone named Bush or Clinton has occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and it's time to have another family lead the world. The Constitution wasn't written for monarchies or lords or ruling families, so it's time to put an end to it. If lil' brother Jeb ever intends on running, I hope he'll remember that the world will be better off with him staying in Florida.

So my wandering/wondering piece will now come to this conclusion: On Thursday (I am voting as part of the national Democratic primary so it doesn't matter that I didn't vote absentee in GA) I will be going to vote for Obama and also registering absentee to vote in the general elections in November. Sorry that it has taken me so long to post again in my blog... I will try and do better:)