Sticking to the highlights: Kainui's birthday and last day at doc lounge

Time: 50 minutes past midnight.
Temperature: 3˚C
Most recent activity: Saw "A Small Act" at Doc Lounge

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. So much has happened, but I'll stick to the highlights. First of all, it's my younger brother Kainui's birthday. He's 17, and I can hardly believe it! I would always wonder what he would be like as a teenager, I mean as a 17 or 18 year old, and here he is. There he is. Past years of quarrels and conflict, I think we have finally met on common ground, and I recognize what an open-minded, sweet, caring person he is. I have learned a lot from Kainui and from being an older sister in general. So happy birthday Kainui! The world is large, and I'm glad to have spent most of my life with you.

This morning, I found a surprise in front of my door.



Who was is from? Why was it there? On top, there was a beautiful paper forest with a deer, and I brought it to the windowsill to examine it properly.





I opened the container to find a million gingerbread cookies, thinly sliced, and shaped as hearts. They brought memories of past winter seasons, never without the ginger spice, and woke me up from a groggy morning.

S and I walked to the university to meet Z and the Spanish guys (and Ana) for lunch. The ground still has snow, but the increase in temperature is making it a patched icy, hard thing. I can proudly say that I haven't slipped yet. And that I've survived with one pair of boots that were not made for this weather.

This afternoon I went to the last Doc Lounge screening for the season. The film was "A Small Act" (Jennifer Arnold, 2010), and it is about generosity, education, friendship, and the long way a small act can go. In the documentary, Chris Mbruru from Kenya starts a fund to sponsor bright Kenyan students to go to high school, as only primary school is free. Chris names the fund after Hilde Back, who many years ago sponsored him to go to secondary school. During the Holocaust, Hilde was fortunate to be accepted into Sweden as a refugee, and has since found it important to be aware of international current events and to support education. She didn't realize that her 15 dollars a term would allow Chris to go on to Harvard and to work as a prominent UN human rights lawyer. In the film, Chris finally meets Hidle, we are introduced to the lives and struggles of three Kenyan children competing for the scholarship, and this all happens amidst the ethnic-based violence during the Kenyan elections of 2007 and the shortcomings of Kenyan public schools.

I was expecting some formulated, standard fundraising documentary, but found myself touched by the messages, struggles, and trickle effect of altruism. The filmmaker caught very powerful and spontaneous moments. There was a kind of "happy ending," but not everything ended super hollywood-well. So I was motivated to do more research on Kenya and organizations that support education.

After the documentary, one of the Doc Lounge employees brought me a t-shirt and said that I could get a free drink from the bar, as part of tradition. I was overwhelmed with love for my time at doc lounge, and said thank you a million times in my head.



Well, gotta get some sleep. One last exam tomorrow and a paper to write.

So many people are leaving, and I've been managing to hold the sad emotions tight in my chest.

I guess chapters end, but they provide room for new ones to open.

P.S.: Thanks Zhenia, for the awesome surprise!