Category: misc/personal

looking forward to wednesday november 9th

i’m going to be off of social media until the end of the american *presidential* election. none of my fb friends are trumpets but the neoliberal clintonites are equally hard to swallow. less cheerful sloganeering (or flash mobs) and more thought about those who stand to lose enormously under either one of these subpar candidates would behoove us. the struggle for justice and equity will continue. see u on the other side of this farcical ritual.

our friend babar aziz passes away

one of my husband’s dearest friends, babar, passed away a couple of days ago in pakistan. they had been friends since 9th grade. we’re lucky that babar visited us over the summer and we got to spend some time with him. he was soft-spoken and kind, polite to the nth degree and devoted to his friends. my thoughts are with his family, especially his mother who has survived the death of her husband and both her sons. may she have the strength to bear this immense loss and may babar rest in peace. inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.

babar (L) at a dinner
babar (L) at a dinner

fall in rochester

fall is here in all its glory and the weather’s still mild and summery. had lunch with the wonderful Ursula Rozum at a restaurant in Corn Hill, Rochester. ursula is doing important work on universal healthcare and thinking through questions of organizing and people power. so heartening to meet dedicated young activists fully invested in changing the world. was also surprised to learn about the crucial role Metro Justice continues to play in pushing for universal healthcare and coordinating that effort state-wide. another reason to love rochester 🙂

looking for fall colors

in our quest for fall colors we drove all the way to geneva and were planning to continue to watkins glen. too early. some yellow for sure but barely any orange or red. it was cloudy and pleasant after the rain stopped this morning. broke our journey at geneva lake to enjoy a small picnic and some beautiful views.

geneva lake picnic

good things happen at spot coffee

was meeting a dear friend i hadn’t seen for too long at Spot Coffee, when two other friends *spotted* us from a window and we ended up having a lovely get together. we talked about machado de assis and the african undergirding of american languages, satirical writing and its subversive function, rentals in colombia, the best pupusas in central america, and much much more. this is why i love rochester!

mara with friends at spot coffee

my brother’s memories

this past weekend, we went to visit my brother, his family, and my mom and dad. we made this trip to celebrate my multi-talented musician nephews at a concert. drums, bass, electric guitar, ukulele, vocals – u name it, they excel at it. hanging out with my brother was trippy, as always. it’s not just his bright sense of humor or his ability to weave hilarious, legendary stories out of almost nothing, it’s also that many of his memories of our common past complete and restore mine. he, and my sisters, complete my story, my sense of identity. it’s an amazing thing. like existing as some kind of impressionistic painting, spread across states and continents, illuminated point by point by the recollections of those we love. we forgot to take the mandatory selfie, so here’s an older picture from a few years ago. it’s an homage to my brother and sisters who are an indelible part of who i am.

with my brother and sisters
with my brother and sisters