Monday, November 26, 2007

With A Little Help From My Friends

Are you singing? you should be.

Ok, so maybe you have noticed my newly acquired addiction to BBC World. if you haven't, you're probably not paying attention. Anyway, right now BBC World is doing this "Best of the Year" thing where you can vote for your favorite documentary that ran this year and they will replay the 6 documentaries that get the highest percentage of votes. As I said, I'm new to this wonderful channel and so therefore I've missed anything that ran before September. In checking out my options on their webpage I came across the episode of Our World entitled "Loving Vs. Virginia". I REALLY want this to be one of the winners because I really want to see it!

Here's the description -

Our World: Loving Vs Virginia
Our World shows BBC journalism at its best, as it exposes and evaluates global issues. It's just 40 years since the United States overturned the ban on interracial marriage following the landmark civil rights case Loving v. Virginia. Sean Fletcher goes on a very personal journey to the United States to look at that historic Supreme Court ruling and the mixed race couple who fought to change history.

Please vote for it so it gets into the top 6 picks! Go HERE to vote.

Voting ends December 2nd...that's next SUNDAY. So please vote for it and ask your friends to vote too!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Punishing the Victim…

"…According to the Arab News newspaper, the 19-year-old woman was gang-raped 14 times in an attack in Qatif in the eastern province a year-and-a-half ago.

Seven men were found guilty of the rape and sentenced to prison terms ranging from just under a year to five years.

The rape victim was punished for violating Saudi Arabia's laws on segregation that forbid unrelated men and women from associating with each other. She was initially sentenced to 90 lashes for being in the car of a strange man.

On appeal, the Arab News reported that the punishment was not reduced but increased to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence."

Read the full story.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Amber, I don’t believe it…

Tagged.

Ok.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
It was my 3rd year as a Theater major at Wright State. I had a belly-button ring, shoulder-length straight hair and wore lots of thrift-store clothing. I was living off-campus with two other girls whose lives revolved around their boyfriends and whom would eventually become great friends with each other and leave me feeling alienated. I went through a time of serious loneliness and illness that drew me closer to God than I had ever been. I began to journal. I met some new friends whose passion for Jesus woke me to knowing Him in completely new way. I became good friends with Meg and spent most of my time at her place on campus, avoiding my housemates, and having lots of crazy adventures. I was really into swing dancing.



What I was doing 5 years ago:
I had recently bought my first house and was living there on Creighton Ave with Kristi and Shannon. I now had long, curly hair and was at the end of my 2nd year of working as a case manager at Eastway Behavioral Health, but I was starting to think about looking for a new job. I was writing music; starting to play the guitar. I think we had started Grace Among Thieves, the most laid-back band I’ve ever known.
(May she rest in Peace…CD release/reunion tour…who knows)


One year ago:
I had super short hair and was preparing to have my first Namibian Thanksgiving…wearing flip flops and baking pumpkin pies. I had recently moved into my second house in Okahandja – the one nearby Spar. I was emailing Sam a lot and having G-chat dates 3 days a week. We had talked about marriage and had pretty much decided that the following summer was the time. I had just begun writing in a new journal – a gift from Amber. I was spending a lot of time with Maveja and Buddy – our regular movie-nights with Mexican food or homemade pizza. Maveja told me she wanted to be baptized. We were making plans for going to the village for the December holiday. I was reading “The Barbarian Way” by Erwin McManus. We were just beginning to go through the book of Acts in the Woodcarvers bible study. There were LOTS of Hairy Hairdressers in my house.

Hmmmm….I change my hair a lot.

Yesterday (Sunday - Because I started writing this on Monday)
We slept in, Sam started the washing then I hung the clothes to dry and folded them. I made porridge oats and coffee while Sam shaved his head (the weekly ritual). We watched BBC World News and a feature about the Brittish soldiers in Afghanistan. Sam went upstairs to keep an eye on the washing machine (its been tripping the power lately) and study with Faisal in his old room. I wrote emails and did some reading. Before dinner Sam and I played checkers and then started cooking. We made a spicy chicken stew with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and peas and poured it over Pap! Yes! Russia has this stuff that’s exactly like Pap (African milliemeal.) So sometimes we get to pretend we’re in Namibia. After dinner and dishes, Sam studied more and I read. Around 11pm, we got some helpers together to help us move the heavy, ugly couch from our room to a friend’s room upstairs. Then I swept and mopped the floor (and Sam studied still more) and then we rearranged the room because we finally have space! Sam crashed around 1am and I finished putting things away in new places. I finally tried sleeping around 2:30, but found it quite difficult seeing as our neighbor like to watch his tv at decibels louder than anyone should…ever – especially at 2am.

(Oh, and my hair is shoulder-length and straight again)

5 snacks I enjoy:
yellow kiwis, chips and salsa, Oshikandela, fresh mangos, pretzels

5 things I would do if I had $100 million:
become a photojournalist and travel the world as part of a medical mission or relief organization with Sam - traveling, taking pictures and helping people.

5 places I would run away to:
The Maldives, Egypt, India, New Zealand, the Amazon Rainforest

5 TV shows I like:
House M.D., CSI, Friends, BBC World News, Man vs. Wild

5 things I hate doing:
Leaving good friends in faraway places, lying awake at night unable to sleep, cleaning up after our neighbors, interrupting Sam when he’s studying, having cold feet and being unable to warm them up

5 biggest joys in the moment:
Introducing Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) to my international friends, learning Russian, finally getting rid of the couch so we had space to rearrange our room, emails from Amber, spending quality time with Sam!

Your turn:
Husband-of-mine, Dad, Fellow Former Climber

Saturday, November 10, 2007

World Challenge 2007

A show I've really been enjoying on BBCWorld. Check out these creative projects designed to give back their communities around the world. Vote for your favorite finalist HERE.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Random Smatterings

Some things I have seen, found, learned or done this week:

No kidding. Who knew there was Pappa Johns in St. Petersburg? Sam and I got together with his groupmates on friday and went for take out! MMM...
Chicken Bacon RANCH!
No Kidding.

Spending time with Sam's groupmates, Ollie-Pekka (Finland), Mortada (Syria) and Branka (Macedonia)
This Week

Found LIFEHACKER. Random bits of info. Ever wondered why ice cubes at restaraunts are clear and the ones you freeze at home are cloudy? Or, interested in how to get a First Class airline ticket for a Coach Class price? Interesting.

Yes, that's snow.
SSSSnowing...

An early Christmas gift from my parents has allowed me to start learning THIS. I love it! Try the free online demo and see how you do.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Just beautiful...




This is a photo taken by one of my Flickr contacts, not me. I wish I had taken it though! Stunning, isn't it?