three cups of tea

so i picked up this book, "three cups of tea" by greg mortenson the other day (even though i was actually looking for another book that van had recommended to me and was also even interested in another book i saw on the same shelf at border's), and for some earth-moving/spiritual reason i feel like i was supposed to read this very book at this exact point in my life.

so "three cups of tea" is actually not a new book to me because the first time i heard about it was from jp, the dean. he actually brought it to a senate meeting after the nov. 13th altercation had happened in eshleman. he quoted this book during that senate meeting because quite frankly our campus, and in particular, the asuc was broken or at war, to say the least. he said this,

"Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything--even die." - Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

he then reqouted the same book and something i had said (ever so eloquently he added) at that same senate meeting where he first quoted "three cups of tea", at the peace not prejudice rally/vigil that took place on one of the evenings during peace not prejudice week. i was at that night rally, with andrew chang, and when i had heard him speak about this book in relation to the altercation that took place on our campus (because it was clearly culturally relevant), the selflessness of extending grace to others, and of course what i had said about finding peace within ourselves before finding peace with the altercation (and of course the world), my disillusioned spirit lifted and my heart melted with joy and affirmation. that was a great night.

so when i saw this book at the bottom of the shelf, i knew i had to read it. And so i did. this book has definitely opened my eyes to the value of humanity and the importance of keeping promises. simple as that.

and aside from this reminiscent experience, reading "three cups of tea" has been a full circle (if you will) experience as greg mortenson (the protagonist in the book) lived in berkeley, just as i did/am, rented storage units from the same storage place on san pablo avenue as i did (this is a story in itself, of course), and went to the same rock climbing warehouse (now berkeley ironworks) that i do now. crazy coincidental? maybe, maybe not.

i know this may all seem really trivial but i am certain that i was supposed to read this book...right here, right now...in my life.