Part of my program is living in 'intentional community', which just means that we're supposed to be more than just roommates and colleagues but really share our year with the people we meet in the two houses and the agency. This is challenged by everything from the fact that the community is split into two houses to the age differences of community members to the expectations of different community members, just to name a few of the myriad factors that affect and test us.
Recently, we've had some personnel changes to the houses, adding a few new volunteers. Karoline, a new German volunteer living in my house; Connie, a local who has lived in the 120th house under other circumstances before; and Karianne, an Australian volunteer also in the 120th house are replacing Roberto and Xabier, from Italy and Spain respectively, who have returned/are returning to their homelands. All this volatility changes intentional community. My favorite way is that it tends to replace intercommunity dinners with intercommunity welcome and going away parties. The latest, Xabier's going away BBQ, ended with some of his friends getting out guitars for a folk/rock classics singalong, that I held my own at pretty well. Especially since I was the only person who knew all the words to "Piano Man" and noticed when we skipped an entire verse.
My other favorite addition to our intentional community aspect is monthly Friday pizza-and-a-movie nights. Last month, we ate Patsy's Pizza, a local institution, and watched "About A Boy", an old favorite of mine that only about half the other people had seen. My favorite part was when some people mentioned they probably only stay for the first part of the movie, but watched the whole thing! It's always nice when other people agree that, yes, that movie/place/song/book/person you think is hilarious/amazing/moving/interesting actually is.
This weekend, we're visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens for the next Urban Adventures outing. I've just barely missed cherry blossom season twice now, once in Japan and once in DC, so I'm exciting to catch NYC's very own cherry blossom festival. I'm sure there will be lots of pictures!
Hmm, can't think of anything else that's happened lately right now. Picture posts always seem to do a pretty good job of getting me caught up. Hopefully everyone is enjoying a sprung spring!
(Here's the song that popped into my head for this title. I don't know why I have "The King and I" on my mind just now, but doesn't it just have the best costumes? Even if it's more than a little culturally insensitive as I remember. But that's kind of the Rogders and Hammerstein MO.)
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