beauty comes from within.

On April 11, Susan Boyle appeared on Britain's Got Talent ...

When she walked on stage, the crowd and the three judges all seemed to be laughing at her. They were clearly uncertain as to why on earth this woman was auditioning for the show.

Even though everyone judged her and cast her aside because of their first impressions, her performance was absolutely BREATHTAKING!

To see her performance use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY. (I promise you, it is definitely worth the 7 minutes)

After seeing her performance on youtube, I was intrigued by the outpour of responses Susan was getting from her television debut .... While surfing the internet, I happened to stumble upon a quote by Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest:

“The way we see Susan Boyle is very nearly the way God sees us: worthwhile, special, talented, unique, beautiful. The world generally looks askance at people like Susan Boyle, if it sees them at all. Without classic good looks, without work, without a spouse, living in a small town, people like Susan Boyle may not seem particularly ‘important.’ But God sees the real person, and understands the value of each individual’s gifts: rich or poor, young or old, single or married, matron or movie star, lucky or unlucky in life. God knows us. And loves us. ‘Everybody is somebody’ said Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan at his installation Mass in New York City yesterday. That’s another reason why the judges smile and the audience explodes in applause. Because they recognized a basic truth planted deep within them by God: Susan Boyle is somebody. Everybody is somebody.”

I found this quote very inspirational. It was perfect to read in the midst of study days.

It is so easy to judge and to base our opinions of others on their outward appearance and first impressions ... Susan Boyle has reminded me of a very important lesson. The beauty of people truly does come from within. I hope I never forget this.

arabic culture night.

So I have been M.I.A. for a long time ... I have been VERY busy, so I am finally getting a chance to get caught up.

Over a month ago, my friend Maria was participating in Arabic Culture Night, so some of the girls and I decided to go and support her. I was very unsure about what to expect about the whole thing because I don't really know much about Arabic culture. The whole experience turned out to be so much better than I could have ever imagined.

It was a night filled with dancing, singing, poetry, and acting.

The entire experience had a very surreal sense to it. It was such a relaxing, happy, and intriguing atmosphere.



We got a little bored while we were waiting ... (why do I looks so angry? haha)
Casey and Justine...

Claire and me...

And finally, we got the see Maria!!!

Maria did such an amazing job ... the little skit was about 15 minutes long and she had all of her lines perfectly memorized!

I was such a great experience to see one of my friends pursue her passions.

Maria came to Notre Dame as an architecture major, but after 2 years in the program decided to change her major ... she is now a political science and arabic major and absolutely loves it!

It was so fabulous to spend a night with the girls, to experience something completely different, and to hear Maria and her amazing Arabic skills!

food for thought.

According to the United Nations Defense Programme, all people should have the human right to water.

EVERY person should have access to 20 L of water per day in order to sustain their BASIC needs.

Unfortunately, the majority of people living in developing countries have extreme difficulties to fulfill this basic necessity -

While many people in developing countries struggle to obtain 20 Liters of water to stay alive ... the average person in industrialized nations (including the U.S.) FLUSHES NEARLY 50 LITERS OF WATER DOWN THE TOILET EVERYDAY!

No matter how bad things seem, at least we have a constant supply of clean water, a roof over our heads, and a luxurious life compared to so many others.

We are so very blessed.