The Office Assistant - What do you REALLY want to do?

Maiya (or her mum Keiko) come by daily and bring me sushi. Maiya does not always roll her eyes backwards in her head, nor is in need of an exorcism, but she is in the process of changing her life. The first step is to fly to Japan next Tuesday, and see what happens there. What you don't know from this image, is she has just completed 7 months in retreat in a monastery and is figuring out how her attorney career adds the right sort of value to her life.

Justin proudly introduced himself as a Side Walk Ambassador, and told me that he had fought hard to get the job. All of which was nice as I promptly misheard his title as Side Walk Bastard, which could be a term of affection between fellow Aussies, but not necessarily something that we might fight for! As we jousted with our accents, trying to confirm what we had said through what the other had heard, Marie stepped in and saved the conversation. (I did think it strange that Portland, the "City that Works", would have a job title with 'Bastard' in it. Then again, being a visitor here, who was I to question!)

Marie is fasting for Ramadan, and had snuck away from her school group to sit and crochet, while they were eating in the cafeteria. When I lived in Indonesia, I did Ramadan 9 times, so we had a lot to share, including the topic of food. I broke my fast with sweet rice porridge, but Marie prefers a date. This is Maries' first experience of fasting through principles, but it is what she really wants to do. I admire the fact that she had the maturity and wisdom to separate herself from a challenging situation, and come hang out quietly, making hand work. I used to hear the loud ticking clocks as the evening hours seemed so incredibly long, waiting for the call at sunset......