In the midst of our travels...

Currently, Margaret and I are sitting in the Chicago airport. One flight down, three to go, and the excitement is brewing like Felix Felicis on Friday the 13th.

So far, we have only experienced two airports and an hour-long flight, and already epic events have ensued. For example, the first official Australia Trip Quote (ATQ) occurred. As Margaret and I were boarding our flight, we noticed that the first class passengers got to walk on a red rug as they scanned their tickets while we economy class folk had to walk on the bare carpet, which was a much less pleasing color (imagine if someone vomited granite). Margaret was saying how inconsiderate she found this gesture, and I myself uttered the first ATQ:

"I feel like such a peasant!"

Much giggling followed. We also experienced our first Remarkable Sighting (RS), in the Minneapolis airport. As we waited to board our plane, a tall man walked by wearing jeans, boots, a button-down shirt, sunglasses, and a haircut and muttonchops so Elvis-esque that they would've put the King himself to shame.

As if Mr. Presley wasn't enough, he was accompanied by a none-too-small woman dressed in head-to-toe brown-based animal print garb. Margaret cunningly referred to her as his "cougar," as she was getting up there in years.

Truly a trip highlight. And we haven't even left the Midwest.

However, the real excitement leaves peasantry, Presley, and prints looking pale in perspective. Just moments ago, I saw a woman looking through a magazine with the same color scheme as the Parliament program book, and I felt a jolt in my stomach. This is really happening! Margaret and I are on our way to a historic event, one that brings together religious leaders and students from all over the globe in an attempt to foster communication and understanding, a concept once unheard of. This truly is history!

We probably have 24 hours of travel yet ahead of us. But it'll be worth it.

Keep watching our Twitter feed, to the right of the post.

Peace. And thanks for reading.

Maggie

P.S. To those who have witnessed me at my vertigo-laden worst, I had NO vertigo on the flight! Thanks to God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Lakshmi, Ganesha, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

The Parliament looms ever closer...

My apologies. I have not written.

I've been busy packing, finishing up school, etc. Currently, I'm at home sitting on the couch, wiggling a piece of yarn for the newest member of our family: Wedge, the (more than) slight fat tabby.

Another apology: this blog will not be particularly insightful. Rather, it will be an outlet for me to vent the excitement I'm feeling now that the entire program book for the Parliament has been released. I've been inhaling it for the past few minutes, and talking here will prevent me from spouting nonsensical cries of joy like "Squee!"

Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time. THE PROGRAM BOOK IS RELEASED! There are lists about speakers, nametags, programs, venues, eateries, and more, and I'm in pluralist heaven.

Care for a sample?

The daily schedule looks something like this:

8:00-9:00 a.m. Morning Observances
--coming from a huge range of religious traditions, and all are welcome to participate in any
9:30-11:00 a.m. Intrareligious Programs
--single religions have a chance to speak out
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Interreligious Programs
--multiple religions converge with goals of communication and understanding
2:30-4:00 p.m. Engagement Programs
--discussion of crucial topics in our world and our approach to them as diverse religious peoples
4:30-6:00 p.m. Open Space
--space for "informal discussions"
7:30-9:00 p.m. Evening Plenary
--keynote speakers, performances, etc.

I have a sizable list of programs, discussions, and workshops that I would like to attend, but here's a few that I'm thinking about.

12 steps: a Complete, non-Denominational spiritual Path for the 21st century
Quite frankly, this looks fascinating. The program description says that it fits with any faith tradition, and it enables people to maximize their spirituality without getting caught up in specific theology. As someone who is (I admit) religiously unidentified, this seems like a good way to find some grounding. To quote, the program will "reveal the Steps as a potentially radical, contemporary spiritual tradition for the 21st century."

The Spiritual Tradition of Scientology

Margaret and I are both planning on attending this panel discussion, simply because we are curious. It could be really fascinating or really weird. Or both. However, it should answer some questions. And maybe Tom Cruise will be there!

The Role of Media in Conflict Resolution

As one who is toying with the idea of journalism, I'm particularly intrigued by this program. The panel discussion will focus on the idea of various media sources, such as broadcast, print, and internet (blogs?!), to foster interfaith communication and understanding. So, basically what I'm trying to do right now.

Blogistan: Muslims Dialogue through New Media

This one has "blog" in the title. Why would I not go? But seriously... this discussion focuses on avenues such as Facebook and Twitter and how they are being utilized to connect Muslims across the globe and eradicate prejudice and stereotypes. I'm hoping to learn a lot from this session, since social media has become a bit of a fascination for me.

The Hazards of Writing about Religion

This is an experience of writing about religion through a nontraditional channel, acting as a reporter of sorts. If I enjoy it enough that I want to try and find a career in the same general category, I should perhaps learn what I'm up against. This discussion addresses issues of remaining faithful to one's own religion as well as the difficulties of illustrating complex faith issues with few words. I think I will learn a lot.

This, my friends, is just a mere peek. But fear not: every event I attend will be reported and discussed.

I should probably go to the bathroom before I wet my pants in excitement. Thank you so much for reading, and stay with me!

THREE. DAYS.

Peace,

Maggie

An Explanation about Twitter

For the technologically impaired, I'm going to explain Twitter, and how I'm using it for the Parliament.

If you look to the right of this post, there is a box that says "Twitter Updates," and has a short list of blurbs and sentences.

Twitter, to quote the ever-reliable Wikipedia, is "a free social networking and micro-blogging service." A "tweet," or the micro-blog, is a little blurb of 140 characters or less submitted by a user via internet or cell phone. If you choose to follow a certain user, their tweets will show up on your home page (or be delivered to your cell phone as a text message) as they come in. For those of you familiar with facebook, this is similar to continuous status updates.

The box that you just looked at, to your right, is my Twitter feed. Since I'm assuming most of you don't want/have an account, you can see my updates here. I will have my cell phone with me at the Parliament, and will send frequent tweets to tell people what I'm up to.

For example, when you see "Hearing the Dalai Lama speak!" you will all become nauseous with jealousy.

If you wish, it is possible to set up Twitter on your cell phone and receive tweets (including mine) as soon as they occur, right on your cell phone.
www.twitter.com
My username: maggieolsonpwr

Either way, I encourage you to keep an eye on the Twitter box as you read the blog. I'll be doing some cool stuff with even cooler people, and I'd love for you to be a part of it!

Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon!
Love,
Maggie

An errant thought about the upcoming Parliament

A story: I tutor a 38-year-old lawyer in French every Thursday. He wants to have a retirement home in France, and so is auditing a French class at my school to learn, and found me through our professor (who is among my favorite people on the planet) so he could get extra help. His name is Sean, and he's pretty fun to tutor because his view on life is so different than mine.

Sometimes, though, he can be a royal pain (Sean, if you're reading this... désolé).

Today, I was helping him write a short paragraph for his homework. He was attempting to convey an idea in a fairly complex sentence structure, one I feared he hadn't actually learned yet. I was trying to explain to him how it worked, and he didn't understand. He kept trying to use a word/conjugation that would only apply in a different context. We went back and forth for quite a while before we simply settled on a far simpler way to say the same thing.

Later on, when I was daydreaming about the Parliament instead of paying attention to conversation at supper, I thought back on this, and realized how much it really related to the Parliament and our goals there.

Comparisons
19-year-old college student, avid blogger, and hummus-loving closet hippie versus 38-year-old lawyer, father, recreational hunter, and (I suspect) workaholic OR this religion versus that religion versus those religions

Fighting over grammatical structure OR fighting over beliefs and truths

Attempting to resolve a minimal dispute in a college café OR attempting to resolve grand disputes in the largest exhibition/convention center in the world

A simple resolution solved one issue. Can it solve the other?

There is one discrepancy in my comparisons. I believe that all religions, regardless of how different or unique or weird (yeah, I said it) they are, contain truth. I wouldn't dare say how much truth, since I hardly consider myself worthy to make such a judgement, but truth nonetheless.

And Sean's argument was, in fact, wrong. As his tutor, I have the right to say this. A very small degree of power to go to one's head, but I digress. The man could sue me for tax evasion, and he would undoubtedly win, so I exploit authority where I can.

Nine days. And we're on our way. Peace be with you.

Keep following! Thanks so much!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maggieolsonpwr
Twitter: maggieolsonpwr
Blog: maggieolsonpwr.blogspot.com
Email: maggieolsonpwr@gmail.com

Why a blog?

Forgive me for momentarily deferring from my normally erudite and philosophically profound thoughts (ha!), but I suddenly felt the irrepressible urge to explain why I am writing a blog.

This is indeed a rather strangely timed post - it is currently twelve minutes past midnight. I have just recently returned from the movie Julie and Julia, based on the book by Julie Powell. Both are about her experience keeping a blog while cooking her way through all 524 recipes of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The book and the movie were both absolutely fantastic.

There's something about the way Julie Powell writes. I highly doubt I am the first to say this, but she is so REAL. So HONEST. She's never afraid of saying that which is entirely true. She admits her faults, her thoughts, her existence.

And, while we're on the subject of admitting, I admit that I am a phony follower, one who loved her only after reading her book. I never read her blog - I wasn't much of a blogophile at the age of twelve, when it was launched. But her book is among my favorites despite one magazine's declaration of it as "sickly sweet." But they're too busy writing about orgasms to appreciate how wonderful it is, so who cares?

My point is, I would like to write like Julie Powell. I'm just trying to find my subject matter. Julie writes about cooking and food and her relationship with her husband, Eric, while being utterly, sinfully hilarious and thoughtful all at once. Meanwhile, I flail around blindly for a topic that allows me to release my creative licenses with hopes of paralleling her.

Religion is my first try. Perhaps I will not be able to unleash as much as I would like to, but it's worth a shot.

Ten days until the Parliament. Keep following me, and thank you.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/maggieolsonpwr
Twitter: maggieolsonpwr
Blog: maggieolsonpwr.blogspot.com
Email: maggieolsonpwr@gmail.com

The Project.

And so the countdown begins.

In 15 days, I'm boarding a plane with my best friend Margaret and we are going, just the two of us, to Australia for almost three weeks to attend the Parliament of the World's Religions.

What, you ask, is the Parliament of the World's Religions? In a nutshell.

The first Parliament was held in 1893, a gathering designed to bring together religious leaders and influential figures in "the world's largest interreligious gathering." With the goal of creating love and harmony among the many different religions of the globe, the Parliament aims to spur understanding and respect among differing beliefs.

This year's Parliament takes place in Melbourne, Australia, from December 3rd to the 9th. The theme is "Hearing Each Other, Healing the World." The theme reflects upon the prevalence of environmental activism and awareness and its growing importance in our society, promoting this movement while fostering interreligious dialogue and communication.

Attendants can choose from over 650 lectures, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and more over the course of the Parliament. There will also be plenaries, artistic and musical performances, and religious observances for attendants to watch and participate in.

Expected attendants include: the Dalai Lama, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Margot Adler, Thich Nhat Han, and other incredibly amazing people.

Want to know more? http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm

Now the next question: why am I going? Why is a 19-year-old college student with majors in English and French and a minor in Journalism running across the world with her friend to hang out with religious big shots for a week?

The Augustana College Civitas Program is a special honors program designed to broaden academic horizons and encourage students to expand their outlook as global citizens. The Civitas program is why we are going.

Civitas students are required to do a project about vocation during their time at Augustana. The program gives unique opportunities to experience students' potential future career fields in a new and exciting light. Some students have gone to conferences, done summer research, etc., and Margaret and I are going to Australia.

The details of my project are far too extensive to be listed just yet, but I'll give you a preview. With the help of several professors at Augustana, I've decided to do a project centering around the relationships between religion and society that are built and fostered by means of social media. I'll be studying through Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and more, assessing reactions and comments made by followers regarding the Parliament as well as other religious gatherings and communities.

So please: follow me. Follow my blog, my Twitter, my facebook. Leave a comment. Come back often. Leave another one. Or twelve. Tell your friends. I don't care if you're my friend, my family, my acquaintance, my nemesis, or someone I don't even know.

Be a part of this with me. I truly want to hear what you have to say.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/maggieolsonpwr

Twitter: maggieolsonpwr

Blog: maggieolsonpwr.blogspot.com

Email: maggieolsonpwr@gmail.com

15 days!