... Every once in a while, I like watching a television programme called Extreme Makeover: The Home Edition. It's the only "reality show" I watch. Unlike other reality shows that seem determined to highlight what is the worst and most shallow in this country, Extreme Makeover: The Home Edition is a programme that I think celebrates the best of America. It brings together hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers in what would be termed the "gotong royong" spirit in Malaysia, working together to build beautiful new homes for people in need. If you haven't watched it and get a chance to, you should, because it shows America at its most helpful, most supportive, most heart-warming.
Every time I watch it, this programme makes the sappy part of me cry some happy tears because there is so much love and positive spirit in it. I wish more people could see this side of America, instead of the hate that seems to fill so much of your exchanges in person, online and in the print & electronic media. There is such hate and anger in the country these days, and I think it's threatening to take over everything else, presenting the ugly side of this country to the rest of the world. I find that sad, because I'd much rather see see the positive, innovative, loving, great side of this country. The side that used to make people dream of coming here because it seemed like paradise to them. You used to celebrate freedom and independence. Now ...
I realize you've been through a lot in the last nine years. First, the horror of 9/11. Then the economic depression and loss of jobs and homes. I understand the fear. I know it's driving a lot of the anger and hate. But are you really going to allow fear and despair get the better of you? Perhaps it's wrong of me, but I expected better from the country that is supposed to be the "leader of the free world". That seems to be just a tag line now, not a motto that you live by. How can you be driven by noble aspirations like freedom and love when you show fear and hate? How can you inspire others when you show the world intolerance?
How can you call yourself the United States of America when you seem so divided by beliefs and politics? Where is the unity? It's bad enough that a number of you hate or fear all Muslims because of acts committed by a small, extremist group of them. I think it's even worse that you seem to hate your fellow Americans. Political ads by the people you elect to lead you are hateful and unbelievably negative, but you seem to lap them up. Supposedly, you approve of these nasty ads and allow the negativity to guide your vote - polls show you are more swayed by negative than positive ads. I find that shocking.
Bullying in this country is at an all-time high, leading to an increasing number of suicides by young people, and you seem surprised by that. But why would you be when I see bullying all around me, in the things adult Americans say and write. You are leading by example, bullying and hurting people who don't agree with your views or politics. There is such venom in the things some Americans say and write. Is it any wonder children and teenagers are doing the same thing, saying hurtful things to each other via text messages and online? They are learning from from the adults.
The sad thing is that most Americans aren't like that, but as with everything else, it is the squeaky wheel that gets the oil, and the worst of you are getting the most attention, even though they are the minority. The America that others see is not an America to be proud of, and I think that is sad. The anti-Muslim sentiment in this country, even if it isn't widespread, is getting a lot of attention and is making those of us who have grown up in Muslim countries and have Muslim friends, even if we aren't Muslim ourselves, wonder about this country and where it really stands on important issues like tolerance and freedom of religion. The rudeness and intolerance exhibited by some Americans, including some of your politicians, makes some of us wonder if you really do deserve to be in a leadership position internationally. If you believe that Christianity is the only true religion, then shouldn't you as a nation behave in a way that inspires others and attracts them to your way of life and your religion rather than repelling then because of your hatred?
You elected a president based on the premise of change and then, in typical human behaviour, fought that change every step of the way. Or, you expected him to deliver everything you wanted on day one and then became disillusioned when change wasn't instantaneous. I wonder sometimes if you realize just how big your country is, how long it takes for change to actually be implemented and how many demands are made on a government that you expect to fix everything but you then insist is too big.
The most watched news channel on television is the least balanced and fair, despite what their tag line might proclaim, and seems to be filled with opinionated people determined to incite an uprising with calls to "take back America" while idealizing the way things used to be even though they weren't really ideal in the past. The top-selling newspaper in the country has as a weekly columnist the man who helped take America to war in 2002 for reasons that anyone not driven by fear and blind emotion knew was wrong. Are these the most watched station and most read newspaper for the same reason negative political ads hold more sway? Do the majority of people really thrive more on the negative than the positive? That doesn't sound like the land of hope to me.
Thankfully there are also rational, intelligent, fair people with a voice to try to bring reasonable, balanced, calm debate to the table. They are not noisemakers or alarmists, so they are not heard by as many of the masses, but they are heard by enough and that gives me hope. Hope that you aren't so angry you lose sight of what a blessed country this is and how much you have going for you here, despite some setbacks. Hope that you will take a deep breath, especially at this time of year when the autumn colours are so beautiful and the air so crisp and fresh it makes you happy to be alive, and remember what America is supposed to stand for ... not hate, anger and raised voices but freedom, human rights and the courage to change, to move towards a brighter future instead of clinging to an idealistic past. Hope that the friendships all around this nation between people of different races, religions and political ideologies will triumph over fear, hate and ignorance.
Instead of "taking back America", what you should aspire to do is rebuild America as Extreme Makeover: The Home Edition rebuilds homes. Use your innovativeness, talent and creativity to build bridges between people and communities, focusing on what you have in common instead of what pulls you apart. Where you have differences, find common ground (like pride in your country) to bring you together. Be the America the rest of the world can look up to as the best there is, instead of one that makes people view you as prejudiced and narrow-minded. You are better than the pettiness and hate that fills the air. Be compassionate and filled with the desire to uplift others. Be Extreme Makeover: The National Edition. Be inspirational, and remind the rest of the world why it wanted to be like you.
Be the America that drew so many to your shores, filled with hopes and dreams. Be the land brave enough to allow true freedom of speech - the kind of freedom that lets you say what you want if you so desire but gives you pause so that you say things that will build up instead of tear down your fellow Americans, or makes you choose not to speak when it hurts or denigrates, because that is also a form of freedom.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10/10/10
Such a cool date. I entered my friend Jackie for a competition today, so the non-rational part of me hopes that submitting the entry on this date brings her luck. It's a gift-wrapping competition, one that she really should win because she does such an amazing job of wrapping presents. Jackie didn't have any photos of gifts she had wrapped in the past, and since Bruce's birthday is coming up, I volunteered his presents. Jackie gift-wrapped them, Bruce took photos of the finished products and I wrote a 100-word essay on why I am nominating Jackie. If she's selected as a finalist, she gets to fly to New York in early December for the finals (the competition organizers pay for the airfare and hotel). I hope she wins!
The weather apparently doesn't think it is Autumn yet, because although it's cool early in the morning and late at night (about 10 Celsius), temperatures are still going up into the mid-eighties (about 29 Celsius) during the day. In October!
I am now allowed to work from home two days a week! As of the coming work week, I'll be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That means less noise and distraction at work during the day (the people in the cubicles near mine can be really noisy sometimes) and less days on the road ... And psychologically, even though not mathematically, it makes the weekend seem longer and the week less stressful. The dogs will certainly be happy to once again be alone only three days a week.
The weather apparently doesn't think it is Autumn yet, because although it's cool early in the morning and late at night (about 10 Celsius), temperatures are still going up into the mid-eighties (about 29 Celsius) during the day. In October!
I am now allowed to work from home two days a week! As of the coming work week, I'll be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That means less noise and distraction at work during the day (the people in the cubicles near mine can be really noisy sometimes) and less days on the road ... And psychologically, even though not mathematically, it makes the weekend seem longer and the week less stressful. The dogs will certainly be happy to once again be alone only three days a week.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Camping, take two
Some years ago (too many, in Bruce's opinion), Bruce, Buster and I went camping. It was the Labour Day weekend (Labour Day is always the first Monday in September here) and we went to the north Georgia mountains. It was hot, the tent was tiny & therefore claustrophobic and Buster woke me up several times with his heavy panting and restlessness. It wasn't exactly the best introduction to camping, so I told Bruce I'd do it again only if we got a bigger tent. We bought one a couple of years ago that I really like because it's big, tall, wide and spacious enough for the two of us and the dogs (including their two beds). It supposedly can sleep 7-8 people but that would bring the claustrophobia right back as far as I'm concerned, so I'm quite happy to think of the 7-8 people description as being for 7-8 toddlers or two adults and two dogs.
We hadn't actually gotten around to using it, but when Bruce and his sons went camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway in August, it reminded Bruce why he loved camping so much. He came back determined to take me camping somewhere, and once again the Labour Day weekend became our destined camping time (because the next long weekend we get is for Thanksgiving at the end of November, and that might not be the best time to reintroduce me to camping). As with the previous attempt, it was a little too hot to be really enjoyable, plus the insects buzzing around us at the campsite were irritating, to say the least. However, the larger tent did make the experience far more enjoyable and I'm going to be more apt to say yes if the subject of camping comes up again in the future. Just not when it's hot (which makes things a little difficult for the time being, since I can only go on vacation if my department's intern can cover for me, and that is only when she's on vacation from college). Perhaps we'll go camping in Florida for Thanksgiving ...
Back to the camping adventure. We went to South Carolina, to a campsite called Tuck in the Woods (I think that's how it was spelled, or perhaps Tuc, and you'll have to call Bruce if you want to know how to pronounce that properly, i.e. in true South Carolina fashion. I apparently failed miserably in my attempt at that accent.) The campsite was about six hours from our house and both Bruce & I had to work the Friday before the weekend, so the decision was made to leave Friday evening, after Bruce got home from work. I, happily, get to work from home on Fridays, so I woke up early, started work at about 4:00 a.m. that day and was finished by 2:00 p.m., giving me plenty of time to get some packing and loading of the car done while Bruce was at his office.
We left at about 5:30 p.m. on September 3rd, stopping briefly so Bruce could buy a couple of CDs he'd been wanting and to get some dinner. Then the journey proper began. As usual, that bratty husband of mine begins the trip by insisting on doing the driving, and then gets tired when there are about two hours left in the trip and deigns to let me take over the driving at that time (this is usually when I'd be sound asleep if we were at home). Luckily for him, I get wide awake when I'm driving at night, because there is so much to look out for that I'm very alert.) The journey takes about six hours in large part because the last leg of it goes through many small towns, which are quite picturesque in the daytime but rather boring to drive through at night, when you can't see much and have to keep slowing down to 35 mph and then 25 mph before being allowed to speed up to as much as 55 mph at times (says the person who'd much rather be going at 110 km per hour because that sound so much faster).
Anyway ... we finally got to the campsite at about midnight, at which time we had the fun of putting up the tent in semi-darkness, surrounded by biting insects that weren't intimidated by insect repellent. Bruce, the camping expert, had us practising putting up the tent the weekend before we left for the trip, so that we'd know how it's supposed to be assembled. That was an excellent idea, because it meant we familiarised ourselves with the different rods and what went where, making it much easier to put the tent in the dark when we were tired. It wasn't really that dark, because Bruce had bought several battery-powered lamps (which unfortunately brought out the insects in full force but did give us enough light to function by). I let the dogs wander around a little when we first arrived at the campsite, but then made them sit in the car while the tent was being put up, so that we wouldn't have to worry about them disappearing in unfamiliar territory. They were very well-behaved, considering there was much to explore and smell. It took about an hour to get everything, including ourselves, ready for bed, and another half-an-hour to get the dogs settled. They both decided our sleeping bags looked more interesting than their beds. Unfortunately, all the work to get things ready made us get rather hot, and the humid weather didn't help, so that first night wasn't very comfortable. It took Beau a long time to stop panting, and we're seriously thinking about getting a portable fan for future trips if we're crazy enough to go camping in the summer again.
Happily, we managed to keep the bulk of the insects out of the tent. We left the windows and the door unzipped to try and catch any night breeze that might decide to visit, so Belle had a fine time looking outside from her bed (there was a porch-like section of the tent that was just netting, beyond the sleeping area, so that gave us some extra space while keeping the front opening securely zipped in order to keep the dogs in the tent with us. Not that they ever tried to escape - they were thrilled to have us sleeping on the ground with them! And thankfully, the second night was a little cooler, which made it more comfortable. Belle and Beau actually slept in their own beds all night. In the early hours of the second morning, it actually got cold enough for Bruce and me to want to be in, rather than on, our sleeping bags.
On Saturday, our first full day there, we drove into Charleston, which was about two hours away. (I'm unable to pronounce that in the proper Southern way, either.) On the way to Charleston, we saw a sign for a nature trail, so we stopped there for a while. There was only one other car there (we later found out it belonged to fishermen), so we felt comfortable about letting Belle and Beau run around without their leashes. They were thrilled! That really is such a joy for them, being able to race around freely. They had a marvelous time. We didn't see all that much in terms of wildlife, but it was still a fun stop. Then we got back on the road to Charleston. We stopped at the visitor's center to get some information, and the very helpful man on duty there told us where to go to park (always useful information to have when you're new to a city). Since it was almost lunch-time, we left the dogs in the car at the parking deck and went to get some food. There was a cafe-type restaurant across the road from the parking deck that I'm glad we went to, because the food was scrumptious. We both ordered seafood, because that's what you do when you're in Charleston, home to some of the best seafood around. I had crabcake and Bruce had a shrimp salad sandwich, which was so good that I actually preferred it over my crabcake (which is nothing like real cake, in case you are wondering).
After lunch, we went on a carriage ride around Charleston WITH THE DOGS. That is in bold, in capital letters, because that's what the ride was like! First of all, we had to get the dogs used to the idea of being near horses, because they tend to bark at them (I'm quite sure Beau thinks horses are really big dogs). Then we had to get the dogs on the carriage, which was a big adventure in itself. The carriage seats 16 people, four per row. Or, in our case, two adults and two dogs. People climb onto the carriage using a stepladder. Dogs don't climb stepladders. They are fine walking or even running up regular stairs, but a ladder? I know they think we humans are crazy. I climbed into the carriage first, then Beau got very excited and tried to follow me, but couldn't figure out how to do it. After several attempts, I got back down on the ground, Bruce got into the carriage, and then somehow we managed to get Beau up. Belle was much easier because she's smaller and lighter, so the guy who runs the show just lifted her in. Finally, we were all in (with the rest of the passengers waiting patiently - thank goodness they were all dog lovers) and ready to set off. The dogs were excited and nervous but behaved tolerably well for the first few minutes. Then they started getting too hot and became really restless. Belle finally crawled under the our seat and all the way over to the seat behind ours, where she sat in the shade under that seat. getting lots of attention from the people in that row. Beau tried to follow but was too big, so he was stuck in the front row with us and the driver, getting much hotter and more restless. Giving him water didn't help much. I had to keep holding on to him and trying to calm him down, so I missed about half of what our guide was saying, but it was still an interesting tour.
I had no idea Charleston gets hit by earthquakes as often as it does. That, combined with flooding, makes it quite a challenging place to live in, I think. But it is a beautiful city and I can understand why people love it. It's a lot like Savannah, which is my favourite city in Georgia. They both have gorgeous oak trees draped with Spanish moss, elegant architecture and very walkable streets, artistry everywhere you look ... Bruce and I definitely want to go back to Charleston so that we can see more of the city, but next time I think we'll stay in or near Charleston itself, so that we don't spend so much time on the road getting to all the sights.
After the hot adventure, we put the dogs back in the car with water to drink and the engine running so that the air-conditioner would cool them down, and we trotted over to the market to look at some souvenirs. Then we drove back to the campsite, where Bruce cooked dinner while the dogs and I explored the area a little. When we arrived on Friday night, there were no tents near us (which is how I like it!), but when we got back to the campsite on Saturday evening, there were tents everywhere! And several more RVs. It was a lot noisier.
On Sunday, Bruce took us to the beach. We'd been wanting to see what Beau would think of the ocean, since he's such a water dog. He was startled at first by the moving water, backing away quickly when waves came towards him, but he soon realized it was his beloved water and went trotting in. He loved it! (And for some reason drinking it didn't seem to bother him, silly dog.) Unfortunately, the dogs had to remain on their leashes and Belle wasn't at all impressed by the ocean, so I spent most of our time there being pulled in opposite directions - Beau wanting to go into the water, Belle wanting to be as far away from it as possible. Where was Bruce? Taking photos of me getting my arms pulled off, naturally. Highlight of that excursion, apart from the fun of seeing Beau's reaction? We saw dolphins!!! They dove in and out of the water, moving out so rapidly that Bruce couldn't get photos, but it was such a thrill to see them.
It was very hot so we didn't stay at the beach very long. I love the sea, but I like being on the beach only early in the morning or late in the evening, not when it's baking hot. So we left the beach for some marshland, where a platform has been built so that people can walk out into the marsh and look at the crabs and birds. There's an area just like that near Savannah, adding to the similarities between the two cities.
The original plan had been to leave for home on Monday morning but the heat was beginning to get to us, so we decided to pack up and head home on Sunday evening. We got home at about 11:00 that night and had the whole of Monday (Labour Day) to recover, which I was glad about. I also had to do some work, since there's always a lot of news to catch up on during a long weekend and I work alone on Tuesdays, which meant I'd have even more news to go through on Tuesday if I didn't get some work done on Monday. So I did labour a little on Monday, but it was worth it as it made my Tuesday a little less stressful. I think the best thing about the weekend was being away from computers and e-mail. I didn't think about work at all, which was a very nice mental break.
The other big event in September was the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park (about eight miles from our house). This is already a very long blog entry so I won't ramble on about the festival. Suffice to say it showcases work by various craftspeople/artists and was a very successful shopping expedition. Bruce has been wanting some plants for his new office and found two very pretty bonsai there. I've been wanting some sort of small table on which to put a lamp I bought for our reading room, and I found the perfect one at Yellow Daisy. It's a wooden table with small shelves at different levels and bigger top. The lamp sits on top and I've filled the shelves with all my Christmas-themed snow globes. It looks lovely! I was going to put in a photo but I haven't taken one with Bruce's camera yet, and the photo I took using my cellphone doesn't look very clear. Bruce and his camera are in Madison and Athens today, bike-riding with his brother-in-law, so I'll have to wait until they return before taking some photos.
We also found some pottery that I really like. We bought a spoon holder, a serving platter that can also be used as a tray and a couple of candle holders. The colours go quite well with the blue-green French pottery we bought last year, so I'm happy. I'll try and get photos of that, as well. Yesterday, we went to a monastery so that Bruce could find some things for his bonsai and I found candles at the monastery store that go perfectly with the candle holders. I love the way that happens - finding things in different places that go together at home. Shopping can be so much fun!
We hadn't actually gotten around to using it, but when Bruce and his sons went camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway in August, it reminded Bruce why he loved camping so much. He came back determined to take me camping somewhere, and once again the Labour Day weekend became our destined camping time (because the next long weekend we get is for Thanksgiving at the end of November, and that might not be the best time to reintroduce me to camping). As with the previous attempt, it was a little too hot to be really enjoyable, plus the insects buzzing around us at the campsite were irritating, to say the least. However, the larger tent did make the experience far more enjoyable and I'm going to be more apt to say yes if the subject of camping comes up again in the future. Just not when it's hot (which makes things a little difficult for the time being, since I can only go on vacation if my department's intern can cover for me, and that is only when she's on vacation from college). Perhaps we'll go camping in Florida for Thanksgiving ...
Back to the camping adventure. We went to South Carolina, to a campsite called Tuck in the Woods (I think that's how it was spelled, or perhaps Tuc, and you'll have to call Bruce if you want to know how to pronounce that properly, i.e. in true South Carolina fashion. I apparently failed miserably in my attempt at that accent.) The campsite was about six hours from our house and both Bruce & I had to work the Friday before the weekend, so the decision was made to leave Friday evening, after Bruce got home from work. I, happily, get to work from home on Fridays, so I woke up early, started work at about 4:00 a.m. that day and was finished by 2:00 p.m., giving me plenty of time to get some packing and loading of the car done while Bruce was at his office.
We left at about 5:30 p.m. on September 3rd, stopping briefly so Bruce could buy a couple of CDs he'd been wanting and to get some dinner. Then the journey proper began. As usual, that bratty husband of mine begins the trip by insisting on doing the driving, and then gets tired when there are about two hours left in the trip and deigns to let me take over the driving at that time (this is usually when I'd be sound asleep if we were at home). Luckily for him, I get wide awake when I'm driving at night, because there is so much to look out for that I'm very alert.) The journey takes about six hours in large part because the last leg of it goes through many small towns, which are quite picturesque in the daytime but rather boring to drive through at night, when you can't see much and have to keep slowing down to 35 mph and then 25 mph before being allowed to speed up to as much as 55 mph at times (says the person who'd much rather be going at 110 km per hour because that sound so much faster).
Anyway ... we finally got to the campsite at about midnight, at which time we had the fun of putting up the tent in semi-darkness, surrounded by biting insects that weren't intimidated by insect repellent. Bruce, the camping expert, had us practising putting up the tent the weekend before we left for the trip, so that we'd know how it's supposed to be assembled. That was an excellent idea, because it meant we familiarised ourselves with the different rods and what went where, making it much easier to put the tent in the dark when we were tired. It wasn't really that dark, because Bruce had bought several battery-powered lamps (which unfortunately brought out the insects in full force but did give us enough light to function by). I let the dogs wander around a little when we first arrived at the campsite, but then made them sit in the car while the tent was being put up, so that we wouldn't have to worry about them disappearing in unfamiliar territory. They were very well-behaved, considering there was much to explore and smell. It took about an hour to get everything, including ourselves, ready for bed, and another half-an-hour to get the dogs settled. They both decided our sleeping bags looked more interesting than their beds. Unfortunately, all the work to get things ready made us get rather hot, and the humid weather didn't help, so that first night wasn't very comfortable. It took Beau a long time to stop panting, and we're seriously thinking about getting a portable fan for future trips if we're crazy enough to go camping in the summer again.
Happily, we managed to keep the bulk of the insects out of the tent. We left the windows and the door unzipped to try and catch any night breeze that might decide to visit, so Belle had a fine time looking outside from her bed (there was a porch-like section of the tent that was just netting, beyond the sleeping area, so that gave us some extra space while keeping the front opening securely zipped in order to keep the dogs in the tent with us. Not that they ever tried to escape - they were thrilled to have us sleeping on the ground with them! And thankfully, the second night was a little cooler, which made it more comfortable. Belle and Beau actually slept in their own beds all night. In the early hours of the second morning, it actually got cold enough for Bruce and me to want to be in, rather than on, our sleeping bags.
On Saturday, our first full day there, we drove into Charleston, which was about two hours away. (I'm unable to pronounce that in the proper Southern way, either.) On the way to Charleston, we saw a sign for a nature trail, so we stopped there for a while. There was only one other car there (we later found out it belonged to fishermen), so we felt comfortable about letting Belle and Beau run around without their leashes. They were thrilled! That really is such a joy for them, being able to race around freely. They had a marvelous time. We didn't see all that much in terms of wildlife, but it was still a fun stop. Then we got back on the road to Charleston. We stopped at the visitor's center to get some information, and the very helpful man on duty there told us where to go to park (always useful information to have when you're new to a city). Since it was almost lunch-time, we left the dogs in the car at the parking deck and went to get some food. There was a cafe-type restaurant across the road from the parking deck that I'm glad we went to, because the food was scrumptious. We both ordered seafood, because that's what you do when you're in Charleston, home to some of the best seafood around. I had crabcake and Bruce had a shrimp salad sandwich, which was so good that I actually preferred it over my crabcake (which is nothing like real cake, in case you are wondering).
After lunch, we went on a carriage ride around Charleston WITH THE DOGS. That is in bold, in capital letters, because that's what the ride was like! First of all, we had to get the dogs used to the idea of being near horses, because they tend to bark at them (I'm quite sure Beau thinks horses are really big dogs). Then we had to get the dogs on the carriage, which was a big adventure in itself. The carriage seats 16 people, four per row. Or, in our case, two adults and two dogs. People climb onto the carriage using a stepladder. Dogs don't climb stepladders. They are fine walking or even running up regular stairs, but a ladder? I know they think we humans are crazy. I climbed into the carriage first, then Beau got very excited and tried to follow me, but couldn't figure out how to do it. After several attempts, I got back down on the ground, Bruce got into the carriage, and then somehow we managed to get Beau up. Belle was much easier because she's smaller and lighter, so the guy who runs the show just lifted her in. Finally, we were all in (with the rest of the passengers waiting patiently - thank goodness they were all dog lovers) and ready to set off. The dogs were excited and nervous but behaved tolerably well for the first few minutes. Then they started getting too hot and became really restless. Belle finally crawled under the our seat and all the way over to the seat behind ours, where she sat in the shade under that seat. getting lots of attention from the people in that row. Beau tried to follow but was too big, so he was stuck in the front row with us and the driver, getting much hotter and more restless. Giving him water didn't help much. I had to keep holding on to him and trying to calm him down, so I missed about half of what our guide was saying, but it was still an interesting tour.
I had no idea Charleston gets hit by earthquakes as often as it does. That, combined with flooding, makes it quite a challenging place to live in, I think. But it is a beautiful city and I can understand why people love it. It's a lot like Savannah, which is my favourite city in Georgia. They both have gorgeous oak trees draped with Spanish moss, elegant architecture and very walkable streets, artistry everywhere you look ... Bruce and I definitely want to go back to Charleston so that we can see more of the city, but next time I think we'll stay in or near Charleston itself, so that we don't spend so much time on the road getting to all the sights.
After the hot adventure, we put the dogs back in the car with water to drink and the engine running so that the air-conditioner would cool them down, and we trotted over to the market to look at some souvenirs. Then we drove back to the campsite, where Bruce cooked dinner while the dogs and I explored the area a little. When we arrived on Friday night, there were no tents near us (which is how I like it!), but when we got back to the campsite on Saturday evening, there were tents everywhere! And several more RVs. It was a lot noisier.
On Sunday, Bruce took us to the beach. We'd been wanting to see what Beau would think of the ocean, since he's such a water dog. He was startled at first by the moving water, backing away quickly when waves came towards him, but he soon realized it was his beloved water and went trotting in. He loved it! (And for some reason drinking it didn't seem to bother him, silly dog.) Unfortunately, the dogs had to remain on their leashes and Belle wasn't at all impressed by the ocean, so I spent most of our time there being pulled in opposite directions - Beau wanting to go into the water, Belle wanting to be as far away from it as possible. Where was Bruce? Taking photos of me getting my arms pulled off, naturally. Highlight of that excursion, apart from the fun of seeing Beau's reaction? We saw dolphins!!! They dove in and out of the water, moving out so rapidly that Bruce couldn't get photos, but it was such a thrill to see them.
It was very hot so we didn't stay at the beach very long. I love the sea, but I like being on the beach only early in the morning or late in the evening, not when it's baking hot. So we left the beach for some marshland, where a platform has been built so that people can walk out into the marsh and look at the crabs and birds. There's an area just like that near Savannah, adding to the similarities between the two cities.
The original plan had been to leave for home on Monday morning but the heat was beginning to get to us, so we decided to pack up and head home on Sunday evening. We got home at about 11:00 that night and had the whole of Monday (Labour Day) to recover, which I was glad about. I also had to do some work, since there's always a lot of news to catch up on during a long weekend and I work alone on Tuesdays, which meant I'd have even more news to go through on Tuesday if I didn't get some work done on Monday. So I did labour a little on Monday, but it was worth it as it made my Tuesday a little less stressful. I think the best thing about the weekend was being away from computers and e-mail. I didn't think about work at all, which was a very nice mental break.
The other big event in September was the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park (about eight miles from our house). This is already a very long blog entry so I won't ramble on about the festival. Suffice to say it showcases work by various craftspeople/artists and was a very successful shopping expedition. Bruce has been wanting some plants for his new office and found two very pretty bonsai there. I've been wanting some sort of small table on which to put a lamp I bought for our reading room, and I found the perfect one at Yellow Daisy. It's a wooden table with small shelves at different levels and bigger top. The lamp sits on top and I've filled the shelves with all my Christmas-themed snow globes. It looks lovely! I was going to put in a photo but I haven't taken one with Bruce's camera yet, and the photo I took using my cellphone doesn't look very clear. Bruce and his camera are in Madison and Athens today, bike-riding with his brother-in-law, so I'll have to wait until they return before taking some photos.
We also found some pottery that I really like. We bought a spoon holder, a serving platter that can also be used as a tray and a couple of candle holders. The colours go quite well with the blue-green French pottery we bought last year, so I'm happy. I'll try and get photos of that, as well. Yesterday, we went to a monastery so that Bruce could find some things for his bonsai and I found candles at the monastery store that go perfectly with the candle holders. I love the way that happens - finding things in different places that go together at home. Shopping can be so much fun!
Where did August go?
We're already in the third week of September but it seems like August just began last week. Once again, so much has been going on and I've been bad about writing updates here, so I'm going to do another summary. To sum it up, August was a month of highs and lows.
Bruce and the boys had a fabulous time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and he's got some photos up on Facebook. It was a good bonding session for them, plus Bruce got to spend a little time with his friend Chip, whom he's known since he was a teenager. They had lunch with Chip and his wife Judy on the first day of their trip, and then Chip and his son Austin joined Bruce, Jason and Jonathan for one night of camping.
After three weeks of vacation, Bruce started his new job on August 16th. The type of work is the same as at his last job but the new boss is much better. However, his commute is even longer now, which is a major drawback in the summer heat.
Belle had to have surgery on August 11th. Apparently, she decided she hadn't had her share of drama for the year. She had two cancerous growths removed. She has mast cell cancer, which is apparently common in some dogs, and hers is Grade 2 - not as great a result as it could have been but not as bad as it might have been, either. We're supposed to keep an eye out for the appearance of more growths, which will have to be immediately removed. The wounds from her surgery healed well, which is a good sign, because apparently in some cases, if the cancer cells are malignant, the wounds don't heal well. She's been very lively and seems to be learning from Beau to be more light-hearted and less serious.
We had a ruby-throated hummingbird visit our feeder for about a week, probably on his way south. That was a little thrilling, because they are beautiful birds and it made a nice change from seeing only the green hummingbird. See how things evolve and how greedy I get? At first, I was so excited just to have one type of hummingbird visit our feeder. Now that isn't enough and I want lots of different kinds! I tried growing flowers so they'd have a more natural source of nectar, but the drought and heat ended that dream for this year.
We had a flock of gackles driving me crazy a few weeks ago, because they were migrating and decided to make our feeder a long-term stop. For several days, we had over 50 birds converging on our feeder. That was infuriating, because they were going through the food so quickly and leaving nothing for our "regulars". I ended up leaving the feeders empty for over a week to convince them the food source was gone. I haven't seen them since, so I hope that means they've continued their journey south and won't be back.
There was probably more to write about but I'm moving on to another post now, because September's events (thus far) deserve an entry of their own. I'm going to take the dogs to the dog park this morning, but I'll try to write more later today. Like with everything else, if I don't do something immediately or as soon as possible, I tend to put it off indefinitely. I want to write the September post soon, because it involves a trip. And camping. Yes, Bruce got me to go camping again, only seven years after the first attempt!
Bruce and the boys had a fabulous time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and he's got some photos up on Facebook. It was a good bonding session for them, plus Bruce got to spend a little time with his friend Chip, whom he's known since he was a teenager. They had lunch with Chip and his wife Judy on the first day of their trip, and then Chip and his son Austin joined Bruce, Jason and Jonathan for one night of camping.
After three weeks of vacation, Bruce started his new job on August 16th. The type of work is the same as at his last job but the new boss is much better. However, his commute is even longer now, which is a major drawback in the summer heat.
Belle had to have surgery on August 11th. Apparently, she decided she hadn't had her share of drama for the year. She had two cancerous growths removed. She has mast cell cancer, which is apparently common in some dogs, and hers is Grade 2 - not as great a result as it could have been but not as bad as it might have been, either. We're supposed to keep an eye out for the appearance of more growths, which will have to be immediately removed. The wounds from her surgery healed well, which is a good sign, because apparently in some cases, if the cancer cells are malignant, the wounds don't heal well. She's been very lively and seems to be learning from Beau to be more light-hearted and less serious.
We had a ruby-throated hummingbird visit our feeder for about a week, probably on his way south. That was a little thrilling, because they are beautiful birds and it made a nice change from seeing only the green hummingbird. See how things evolve and how greedy I get? At first, I was so excited just to have one type of hummingbird visit our feeder. Now that isn't enough and I want lots of different kinds! I tried growing flowers so they'd have a more natural source of nectar, but the drought and heat ended that dream for this year.
We had a flock of gackles driving me crazy a few weeks ago, because they were migrating and decided to make our feeder a long-term stop. For several days, we had over 50 birds converging on our feeder. That was infuriating, because they were going through the food so quickly and leaving nothing for our "regulars". I ended up leaving the feeders empty for over a week to convince them the food source was gone. I haven't seen them since, so I hope that means they've continued their journey south and won't be back.
There was probably more to write about but I'm moving on to another post now, because September's events (thus far) deserve an entry of their own. I'm going to take the dogs to the dog park this morning, but I'll try to write more later today. Like with everything else, if I don't do something immediately or as soon as possible, I tend to put it off indefinitely. I want to write the September post soon, because it involves a trip. And camping. Yes, Bruce got me to go camping again, only seven years after the first attempt!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Snippets
Quite a bit has happened in the last few weeks and I've been negligent in updating this blog, so here is a summary:
Bruce, Jason and Jonathan set off this morning on a motorcycle trip - they are planning to ride down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here is an official description of what it is: "469 miles connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ... Outstanding scenery and recreational opportunities make the Blue Ridge Parkway one of the most visited sections of the National Park System. Split-rail fences, old farmsteads, mountain meadows and scenic overlooks with endless vistas make the Blue Ridge Parkway a popular attraction." They'll be stopping at campsites along the way and are planning to be back here on Thursday or Friday.
Bruce has been looking forward to this trip for weeks, and this is going to be particularly memorable for the three of them as it's been a long time since they've done a father and sons trip. They used to do quite a bit of camping when Jason and Jonathan were kids, and I know Bruce has missed it. He's not thrilled about being out in the heat, but this turned out to be the best time to make the trip as he is starting a new job on August 16th and won't be able to have this sort of leisure time for a while, plus Jason and Jonathan will be back in college soon. The dogs and I may do a weekend trip with him sometime, but only when it's cooler. (Yes, I'm a fair weather, or should I say cool weather, traveller.)
Beau has been running around in a T-shirt for the last few days to protect a sore spot on his body. On Monday, he was not himself. He was very solemn and spent most of the time lying down. I called the vet on Tuesday to make an appointment, but they couldn't see him until Wednesday. He's such a funny dog. He seems to know now that if something is wrong, we take him to the vet, so when I came home from work on Tuesday, he was standing expectantly at the van, waiting for me to let him in it so we could go to his doctor. He did that several times on Tuesday, every time I opened the front door. He was miserable by the time he finally got to see the vet on Wednesday. It turned out he had some sort of heat sore that was so raw it was hurting him every time he moved. He got a steroid shot and a medicated spray that has helped dry up the sore spot very quickly and he began feeling better within a few hours. He's back to being his usual cheerful self now. It's amazing how quickly he heals. That's the second time in about a month that he has injured himself. Previously he got a piece of a fallen tree branch stuck under his tongue, near the frenulum, and was in a lot of pain for a couple of days, but that healed quite quickly, as well. I've told him we've had enough drama for a few years now, so I hope he was paying attention. Belle needs to have a couple of growths removed, so that's going to be the next bit of drama in this household. The vet is quite sure it's nothing serious - I hope she's right.
Bruce and I saw a double rainbow last week, and I swear it was almost to the day a year ago that we saw that same phenomenon in Brinon. I love little reminders like this of all we saw and did in France last July.
I had a fun birthday this year, although I'm not sure any birthday from now on can top being in Paris with Bruce, Meerabelle and Jehanita last year (and briefly getting to see Isabelle). Bruce and I had such fun with the girls, and that ice cream ... But happily, my birthday was on a Saturday this year so I didn't have to be at work. Bruce and I went bowling in the morning with Jason, Caroline, Jonathan and Claire, and that was so much fun! The last time Bruce, the boys and I went bowling was nine years ago, when they were in KL for the wedding, and I've told Bruce that I don't want to wait another nine years before we do it again. After bowling, we had a scrumptious lunch with Bruce's mother and stepfather, which was also fun, and then had a delicious dinner with the Jacksons the next night - they are always good company and all in all, I had a lovely birthday weekend.
Last major event for this update - Bruce and I went to see the Phantom of the Opera a few weeks ago. It was a good production and I enjoyed it, although I wished we could have been a little closer to the stage. Every time we go to see a theatre production or a concert, I realize how much I love the arts and how talented and creative human beings can be (when they aren't busy killing or hurting each other).
Speaking of the arts, I've been watching a recording of This Is IT, the movie of the rehearsals and prep work that went into the concert tour for which Michael Jackson was preparing when he died in June 2009. I'm glad they put this footage together. There was so much strangeness and controversy in his life in the last decade or so that it overshadowed his music and that amazing dancing & choreography. He influenced so many dancers and music videos and was phenomenal on his feet - so light, almost like he was floating - and this footage serves as a good reminder of his talent. There were some sections of this movie that would have been good to watch in 3D, especially the video they shot for the Thriller segment.
Bruce, Jason and Jonathan set off this morning on a motorcycle trip - they are planning to ride down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here is an official description of what it is: "469 miles connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia ... Outstanding scenery and recreational opportunities make the Blue Ridge Parkway one of the most visited sections of the National Park System. Split-rail fences, old farmsteads, mountain meadows and scenic overlooks with endless vistas make the Blue Ridge Parkway a popular attraction." They'll be stopping at campsites along the way and are planning to be back here on Thursday or Friday.
Bruce has been looking forward to this trip for weeks, and this is going to be particularly memorable for the three of them as it's been a long time since they've done a father and sons trip. They used to do quite a bit of camping when Jason and Jonathan were kids, and I know Bruce has missed it. He's not thrilled about being out in the heat, but this turned out to be the best time to make the trip as he is starting a new job on August 16th and won't be able to have this sort of leisure time for a while, plus Jason and Jonathan will be back in college soon. The dogs and I may do a weekend trip with him sometime, but only when it's cooler. (Yes, I'm a fair weather, or should I say cool weather, traveller.)
Beau has been running around in a T-shirt for the last few days to protect a sore spot on his body. On Monday, he was not himself. He was very solemn and spent most of the time lying down. I called the vet on Tuesday to make an appointment, but they couldn't see him until Wednesday. He's such a funny dog. He seems to know now that if something is wrong, we take him to the vet, so when I came home from work on Tuesday, he was standing expectantly at the van, waiting for me to let him in it so we could go to his doctor. He did that several times on Tuesday, every time I opened the front door. He was miserable by the time he finally got to see the vet on Wednesday. It turned out he had some sort of heat sore that was so raw it was hurting him every time he moved. He got a steroid shot and a medicated spray that has helped dry up the sore spot very quickly and he began feeling better within a few hours. He's back to being his usual cheerful self now. It's amazing how quickly he heals. That's the second time in about a month that he has injured himself. Previously he got a piece of a fallen tree branch stuck under his tongue, near the frenulum, and was in a lot of pain for a couple of days, but that healed quite quickly, as well. I've told him we've had enough drama for a few years now, so I hope he was paying attention. Belle needs to have a couple of growths removed, so that's going to be the next bit of drama in this household. The vet is quite sure it's nothing serious - I hope she's right.
Bruce and I saw a double rainbow last week, and I swear it was almost to the day a year ago that we saw that same phenomenon in Brinon. I love little reminders like this of all we saw and did in France last July.
I had a fun birthday this year, although I'm not sure any birthday from now on can top being in Paris with Bruce, Meerabelle and Jehanita last year (and briefly getting to see Isabelle). Bruce and I had such fun with the girls, and that ice cream ... But happily, my birthday was on a Saturday this year so I didn't have to be at work. Bruce and I went bowling in the morning with Jason, Caroline, Jonathan and Claire, and that was so much fun! The last time Bruce, the boys and I went bowling was nine years ago, when they were in KL for the wedding, and I've told Bruce that I don't want to wait another nine years before we do it again. After bowling, we had a scrumptious lunch with Bruce's mother and stepfather, which was also fun, and then had a delicious dinner with the Jacksons the next night - they are always good company and all in all, I had a lovely birthday weekend.
Last major event for this update - Bruce and I went to see the Phantom of the Opera a few weeks ago. It was a good production and I enjoyed it, although I wished we could have been a little closer to the stage. Every time we go to see a theatre production or a concert, I realize how much I love the arts and how talented and creative human beings can be (when they aren't busy killing or hurting each other).
Speaking of the arts, I've been watching a recording of This Is IT, the movie of the rehearsals and prep work that went into the concert tour for which Michael Jackson was preparing when he died in June 2009. I'm glad they put this footage together. There was so much strangeness and controversy in his life in the last decade or so that it overshadowed his music and that amazing dancing & choreography. He influenced so many dancers and music videos and was phenomenal on his feet - so light, almost like he was floating - and this footage serves as a good reminder of his talent. There were some sections of this movie that would have been good to watch in 3D, especially the video they shot for the Thriller segment.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Biker chic(k)
I am apparently now a biker chick, married to a biker dude. The title of this post is a play on that and the chic-ness of the jacket and helmet I now own in order to ride on Bruce's motorcycle.
Bruce is the proud owner of a Honda VTX1300T. I'd post a photo of his but shockingly, he's been too busy riding the thing to have taken any photos of it yet. So here's a link that will take you to a photo of one, if you want to see what it looks like: http://powersports.honda.com/2009/vtx1300t.aspx
He got a black one, which he likes. I'd have preferred the red shown on that site (I voted for pink or purple, but happily for him, they have neither), but there was only one bike left at the dealership - the black one.
He is very, very happy. He's been wanting a bike for years, and the wait is finally over. He rode several in his 20s, but his ex made him give up his last bike when their kids were little, so he's been dreaming of owning another one since then. And now, it's no longer just a dream. He got the bike last Friday and has ridden it every single day since then, sometimes several times a day, despite the heat. He even loves the commute to work now, just because he gets to do it on his motorcycle. He's thrilled, and I love seeing him this excited.
I also love the cool jacket I now own because of the bike. It's for protection, with elbow and back pads, but I had to make sure it looked good as well, of course - I am a girl, after all. It's got pretty flowers down the sleeves, and the very nice girl at the store managed to find a (somewhat) matching helmet that also has flowers on it. I'll try to get a photo of me in the chic biker chick outfit soon - so far, it's been so hot that I take the jacket and helmet off as soon as I'm not on the bike, so getting me to pose for a photo would be expecting too much.
Bruce and I rode on his bike to the Jacksons house on Saturday to show it to them. I've only been on a bike once before, and that was 10 years ago (when I first came to visit Bruce in 2000, a friend of ours gave me a ride on his). Getting on Bruce's new motorcycle on Saturday was a little scary at first, and I was somewhat nervous as we rode away from the house, but after a while, I began to enjoy it. It's a lot of fun, except when we stop moving and the blanket of heat begins pushing down on us - I think Autumn is a much better time of year to buy a bike, rather than the beginning of Summer. But when we're moving, it feels much cooler. I'll never be crazy about bikes the way Bruce is, but I can understand why he is such a fan. Once you get past the fact that there are no doors creating a safe cocoon for you, you begin to enjoy the air and scenery rushing past you. There is a lovely sense of freedom that comes from being on a motorbike - I think the closest I got to that in the past was zooming down Jalan Ara on a bicycle when I was a kid. I used to love that feeling, and would keep riding up that steep hill just for the pleasure of racing down it with the wind tearing at my hair and blowing away all the heat of the day. Perhaps this is why dogs love riding in cars with their heads sticking out of the windows.
Bruce, Amy and John used to go riding a lot when they were in college. Bruce is now trying to convice John he needs to get a bike so that we can all ride around in the mountains on weekends. I'm trying to convince Bruce I don't want to spend every single weekend on the bike.
Perhaps I'll change my mind when we can afford a trailer for the dogs that can be hitched to the bike, so that they can ride with us ...
Bruce is the proud owner of a Honda VTX1300T. I'd post a photo of his but shockingly, he's been too busy riding the thing to have taken any photos of it yet. So here's a link that will take you to a photo of one, if you want to see what it looks like: http://powersports.honda.com/2009/vtx1300t.aspx
He got a black one, which he likes. I'd have preferred the red shown on that site (I voted for pink or purple, but happily for him, they have neither), but there was only one bike left at the dealership - the black one.
He is very, very happy. He's been wanting a bike for years, and the wait is finally over. He rode several in his 20s, but his ex made him give up his last bike when their kids were little, so he's been dreaming of owning another one since then. And now, it's no longer just a dream. He got the bike last Friday and has ridden it every single day since then, sometimes several times a day, despite the heat. He even loves the commute to work now, just because he gets to do it on his motorcycle. He's thrilled, and I love seeing him this excited.
I also love the cool jacket I now own because of the bike. It's for protection, with elbow and back pads, but I had to make sure it looked good as well, of course - I am a girl, after all. It's got pretty flowers down the sleeves, and the very nice girl at the store managed to find a (somewhat) matching helmet that also has flowers on it. I'll try to get a photo of me in the chic biker chick outfit soon - so far, it's been so hot that I take the jacket and helmet off as soon as I'm not on the bike, so getting me to pose for a photo would be expecting too much.
Bruce and I rode on his bike to the Jacksons house on Saturday to show it to them. I've only been on a bike once before, and that was 10 years ago (when I first came to visit Bruce in 2000, a friend of ours gave me a ride on his). Getting on Bruce's new motorcycle on Saturday was a little scary at first, and I was somewhat nervous as we rode away from the house, but after a while, I began to enjoy it. It's a lot of fun, except when we stop moving and the blanket of heat begins pushing down on us - I think Autumn is a much better time of year to buy a bike, rather than the beginning of Summer. But when we're moving, it feels much cooler. I'll never be crazy about bikes the way Bruce is, but I can understand why he is such a fan. Once you get past the fact that there are no doors creating a safe cocoon for you, you begin to enjoy the air and scenery rushing past you. There is a lovely sense of freedom that comes from being on a motorbike - I think the closest I got to that in the past was zooming down Jalan Ara on a bicycle when I was a kid. I used to love that feeling, and would keep riding up that steep hill just for the pleasure of racing down it with the wind tearing at my hair and blowing away all the heat of the day. Perhaps this is why dogs love riding in cars with their heads sticking out of the windows.
Bruce, Amy and John used to go riding a lot when they were in college. Bruce is now trying to convice John he needs to get a bike so that we can all ride around in the mountains on weekends. I'm trying to convince Bruce I don't want to spend every single weekend on the bike.
Perhaps I'll change my mind when we can afford a trailer for the dogs that can be hitched to the bike, so that they can ride with us ...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Two sides
Does the fact that I can see two sides (at least) to situations and arguments make me indecisive and unable to take a stand? Sometimes, I think so. I, like a lot of people, used to see the world as black and white. There's wrong and there's right. No two ways about it. As I grow older and (at least in my viewpoint) wiser, I am becoming more and more convinced that it really is about shades of gray, and that very few things are black and white or written in stone. I guess that's what makes me less and less able to understand conservatives and religious extremists.
Right now, some people are in an uproar over the recently passed law in Arizona that allows police to essentially stop and question anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. The governor of Arizona insists this is not about racial profiling. She says she has no idea what an illegal immigrant looks like (hint: they are from a neighbouring country). So I suppose police will, for instance, be stopping people who are standing on street corners waiting to be picked up for day labour, regardless of their race, because that's one of the places illegal immigrants hang out.
Now, coming from Malaysia, where identity cards are the norm and we learn from our teenage years to carry them around with us, I can't really relate to those who find that offensive. In fact, when I first got my green card, I used to carry it everywhere with me because the idea of carrying some form of identification with me at all times was ingrained. I didn't even think twice about it. After I got my driver's licence, I carried both that and the green card around for a while. Slowly, I got used to the idea of carrying around just the driver's licence. But if I lived in Arizona, I'd have to go back to carrying both forms of identification, to prove that I'm there legally. Since I went through a lot of red tape (and money) to get that card, I wouldn't find that a big deal. But, I can understand why some people find that outrageous.
For one thing, if Bruce and I were walking down on opposite sides of a street in Arizona (so that people wouldn't think we were a couple), and there were cops ahead of us on the lookout for illegal immigrants, I suspect that the police would stop me to ask for proof I'm a citizen or legal resident. I also suspect they would let Bruce keep walking without a second glance, simple because of his skin colour (or rather, the lack of colour). I think that way largely because, despite protests by some, my impression is that people still tend to think of Americans as Caucasians, for the most part. Perhaps that is prejudice on my part, caused by the fact that despite having been born in Malaysia, despite the fact that both my parents were born in Malaysia, despite the fact that I think of myself as Malaysian first and Indian second, I know that there are some people who think of Malays (not the orang asli) as the "real" Malaysians and the rest of us as outsiders. In the same way, I think some people think of those who came over on the Mayflower, etc. (not the native Americans) as the "real" Americans. And I think some Americans are as prejudiced against Mexicans as some Malaysians are against Indonesians. You know, those who cross the Straits of Melaka in boats and enter Malaysia illegally to take the jobs that Malaysians would do (if they were paid more). The Indonesians are blamed for the bulk of crimes in Malaysia, just as illegal Mexican immigrants in the US are blamed for crimes in states like Arizona.
I understand that mindset. I understand the fear and anger. Any large group of immigrants, illegal or otherwise, in any country, experiences the same reaction from groups of citizens in any country. But that doesn't mean the Arizona law isn't wrong. Although, as I said, I don't think it's a big deal to carry proof of legal residence with you (especially after having worked so hard for it), I've lived here long enough now to understand the outrage by some, who see it as yet another encroachment on rights, yet another stranglehold on freedom. Arizona's biggest illegal immigrant problem is from South America, largely Mexico. Anyone with a fair amount of brain cells would be able to deduce that police on the lookout for illegal immigrants will be looking first at those of Hispanic descent. That means even if you are an American of Mexican/Hispanic descent -- someone born here, like your parents and maybe even grandparents -- you could be stopped and asked for proof of citizenship. That is what people are outraged about, because that hasn't happened since people of African descent were asked to show proof that they weren't slaves who had run away, that they were emancipated.
But when reading comments in response to an article in today's Los Angeles Times about how some people were proposing boycotts of Arizona (tourism, products, etc.), I was a little startled by the anger coming from people living in that state. Outrage at their fellow Americans for daring to protest the law; outrage that their socialist President was denouncing the law; outrage that the illegals, who are committing crimes and taking away jobs, are being defended; outrage that people are describing this as racial profiling ... I'm all for entering the country legally, and for stopping illegal immigrants if they indeed are coming here only to commit crimes. But to not be able to grasp that this law will definitely make people of certain races (i.e. non-Caucasians) feel like non-citizens, even if they were born here and legally have the right to be here -- I think that is disingenuous. Why can't the outraged people see that side of the argument?
Right now, some people are in an uproar over the recently passed law in Arizona that allows police to essentially stop and question anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. The governor of Arizona insists this is not about racial profiling. She says she has no idea what an illegal immigrant looks like (hint: they are from a neighbouring country). So I suppose police will, for instance, be stopping people who are standing on street corners waiting to be picked up for day labour, regardless of their race, because that's one of the places illegal immigrants hang out.
Now, coming from Malaysia, where identity cards are the norm and we learn from our teenage years to carry them around with us, I can't really relate to those who find that offensive. In fact, when I first got my green card, I used to carry it everywhere with me because the idea of carrying some form of identification with me at all times was ingrained. I didn't even think twice about it. After I got my driver's licence, I carried both that and the green card around for a while. Slowly, I got used to the idea of carrying around just the driver's licence. But if I lived in Arizona, I'd have to go back to carrying both forms of identification, to prove that I'm there legally. Since I went through a lot of red tape (and money) to get that card, I wouldn't find that a big deal. But, I can understand why some people find that outrageous.
For one thing, if Bruce and I were walking down on opposite sides of a street in Arizona (so that people wouldn't think we were a couple), and there were cops ahead of us on the lookout for illegal immigrants, I suspect that the police would stop me to ask for proof I'm a citizen or legal resident. I also suspect they would let Bruce keep walking without a second glance, simple because of his skin colour (or rather, the lack of colour). I think that way largely because, despite protests by some, my impression is that people still tend to think of Americans as Caucasians, for the most part. Perhaps that is prejudice on my part, caused by the fact that despite having been born in Malaysia, despite the fact that both my parents were born in Malaysia, despite the fact that I think of myself as Malaysian first and Indian second, I know that there are some people who think of Malays (not the orang asli) as the "real" Malaysians and the rest of us as outsiders. In the same way, I think some people think of those who came over on the Mayflower, etc. (not the native Americans) as the "real" Americans. And I think some Americans are as prejudiced against Mexicans as some Malaysians are against Indonesians. You know, those who cross the Straits of Melaka in boats and enter Malaysia illegally to take the jobs that Malaysians would do (if they were paid more). The Indonesians are blamed for the bulk of crimes in Malaysia, just as illegal Mexican immigrants in the US are blamed for crimes in states like Arizona.
I understand that mindset. I understand the fear and anger. Any large group of immigrants, illegal or otherwise, in any country, experiences the same reaction from groups of citizens in any country. But that doesn't mean the Arizona law isn't wrong. Although, as I said, I don't think it's a big deal to carry proof of legal residence with you (especially after having worked so hard for it), I've lived here long enough now to understand the outrage by some, who see it as yet another encroachment on rights, yet another stranglehold on freedom. Arizona's biggest illegal immigrant problem is from South America, largely Mexico. Anyone with a fair amount of brain cells would be able to deduce that police on the lookout for illegal immigrants will be looking first at those of Hispanic descent. That means even if you are an American of Mexican/Hispanic descent -- someone born here, like your parents and maybe even grandparents -- you could be stopped and asked for proof of citizenship. That is what people are outraged about, because that hasn't happened since people of African descent were asked to show proof that they weren't slaves who had run away, that they were emancipated.
But when reading comments in response to an article in today's Los Angeles Times about how some people were proposing boycotts of Arizona (tourism, products, etc.), I was a little startled by the anger coming from people living in that state. Outrage at their fellow Americans for daring to protest the law; outrage that their socialist President was denouncing the law; outrage that the illegals, who are committing crimes and taking away jobs, are being defended; outrage that people are describing this as racial profiling ... I'm all for entering the country legally, and for stopping illegal immigrants if they indeed are coming here only to commit crimes. But to not be able to grasp that this law will definitely make people of certain races (i.e. non-Caucasians) feel like non-citizens, even if they were born here and legally have the right to be here -- I think that is disingenuous. Why can't the outraged people see that side of the argument?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Yellow (and other thoughts)
If you saw my little island/giant flowerbed, which is currently filled with an abundance of yellow flowers (yellow Asiatic lillies and marigolds, soon to be joined by yellow day lillies), you'd think that I like the colour yellow. Ordinarily, you'd be right - it's such a sunny, cheerful colour. But right now, not so much. For the past few weeks, this part of the world has been blanketed in cough- and sneeze-inducing pollen. There has been yellow pollen everywhere, getting into my eyes and dust whenever I'm outside (making walking and working in the garden rather unpleasant, instead of enjoyable). The abundance is apparently thanks to the many days of rain we had in the winter months. It's lovely to see so many trees flowering and covered with green leaves, but enough with the pollen, already! We had quite a bit of rain yesterday - hopefully that has washed away the bulk of the powder.
The flowers are looking pretty and very colourful, but weeds are also flourishing because of the recent rain we've had, so I'm going to have to launch a counter-attack. Some neighbourhood cats seem to think my flowerbed is a huge litterbox just for them, which is extremely aggravating (not to mention disgustingly smelly), so I'm also trying to outsmart them. I read something a few weeks ago about using pine cones to keep cats out of gardens, because the thorns hurt their paws, so Jonathan has been collecting pine cones from our backyard to put in the island.
Bruce and I bought "Seeds in a Blanket" two weeks ago and are now waiting to see if it works. The "blanket" is a roll of flower seeds that you unroll and lay on a bed of earth and then water twice a day until the seeds start sprouting. The assortment of flowers are supposed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. We put it in the sideyard in order to add some colour to that bare spot, but that area is not very sunny because of two big trees, so I'm not sure if the seeds will get enough sun to flourish. Since this is an experiment, I might find another growing spot next year if this one isn't a success. But I enjoy the experience of planting something and waiting to see what happens, so even if this doesn't work, at least I'll have learned something.
We went to the Dogwood Festival with the Jacksons last Sunday morning. The Dogwood Festival (http://www.dogwood.org/About_Us.php), an arts and crafts exhibition/sale at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, is one of the biggest of its kind in this part of the country, according to Bruce. There were some really incredible pieces on display/sale - made me wish we had oodles of money. There were beautiful paintings, photographs, glass lamps and wall hangings, woven aluminium, pottery, jewellery ... among my favourites: paintings of African wildlife by a woman who draws large portraits of different animals (giraffe, zebra, elephant) and then fills them with tiny drawings of everything relevant to that animal. For example, in a close-up of a giraffe's face, which in itself was beautifully done, she drew a small giraffe in one of the eyes, symbolising the mother's connection to her baby, who was reflected in that eye. She drew the trees that the giraffe pulls leaves from for food, aboriginal drawings found in caves near where the giraffes live, a drawing of a lion, which is the main predator of the giraffe ... the details were amazing and beautifully rendered. If I remember correctly, she even made the parchment, on which the animals were drawn, herself.
Another woman painted lovely depictions of people on hammocks, and then took that a step further by attaching the ends of real hammocks to the edges of the painting, so that they looked like they were joined to the painted hammock in her artwork. That's the same sort of theme in another of my favourites, that I've seen before - a husband and wife team combining painting and photography: the husband takes photos (nature shots) and frames them, and then the wife carries the photo outwards onto the frame by painting the same rocks, trees, etc. on the frame. Such a good idea and very well rendered.
The weather made it a perfect day to be wandering around outside - clear blue sky, warm (but not hot) sunshine and a cool breeze to keep temperatures enjoyable. I'm glad we were there in the morning, before it got too crowded. I don't particularly enjoy having to push my way through throngs of people in order to be able to look at art.
I had more thoughts, but I'll save that for another post - this one is already a week late and Beau is nagging me because it's already almost 10:00 in the morning here and we haven't got walking yet.
The flowers are looking pretty and very colourful, but weeds are also flourishing because of the recent rain we've had, so I'm going to have to launch a counter-attack. Some neighbourhood cats seem to think my flowerbed is a huge litterbox just for them, which is extremely aggravating (not to mention disgustingly smelly), so I'm also trying to outsmart them. I read something a few weeks ago about using pine cones to keep cats out of gardens, because the thorns hurt their paws, so Jonathan has been collecting pine cones from our backyard to put in the island.
Bruce and I bought "Seeds in a Blanket" two weeks ago and are now waiting to see if it works. The "blanket" is a roll of flower seeds that you unroll and lay on a bed of earth and then water twice a day until the seeds start sprouting. The assortment of flowers are supposed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. We put it in the sideyard in order to add some colour to that bare spot, but that area is not very sunny because of two big trees, so I'm not sure if the seeds will get enough sun to flourish. Since this is an experiment, I might find another growing spot next year if this one isn't a success. But I enjoy the experience of planting something and waiting to see what happens, so even if this doesn't work, at least I'll have learned something.
We went to the Dogwood Festival with the Jacksons last Sunday morning. The Dogwood Festival (http://www.dogwood.org/About_Us.php), an arts and crafts exhibition/sale at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, is one of the biggest of its kind in this part of the country, according to Bruce. There were some really incredible pieces on display/sale - made me wish we had oodles of money. There were beautiful paintings, photographs, glass lamps and wall hangings, woven aluminium, pottery, jewellery ... among my favourites: paintings of African wildlife by a woman who draws large portraits of different animals (giraffe, zebra, elephant) and then fills them with tiny drawings of everything relevant to that animal. For example, in a close-up of a giraffe's face, which in itself was beautifully done, she drew a small giraffe in one of the eyes, symbolising the mother's connection to her baby, who was reflected in that eye. She drew the trees that the giraffe pulls leaves from for food, aboriginal drawings found in caves near where the giraffes live, a drawing of a lion, which is the main predator of the giraffe ... the details were amazing and beautifully rendered. If I remember correctly, she even made the parchment, on which the animals were drawn, herself.
Another woman painted lovely depictions of people on hammocks, and then took that a step further by attaching the ends of real hammocks to the edges of the painting, so that they looked like they were joined to the painted hammock in her artwork. That's the same sort of theme in another of my favourites, that I've seen before - a husband and wife team combining painting and photography: the husband takes photos (nature shots) and frames them, and then the wife carries the photo outwards onto the frame by painting the same rocks, trees, etc. on the frame. Such a good idea and very well rendered.
The weather made it a perfect day to be wandering around outside - clear blue sky, warm (but not hot) sunshine and a cool breeze to keep temperatures enjoyable. I'm glad we were there in the morning, before it got too crowded. I don't particularly enjoy having to push my way through throngs of people in order to be able to look at art.
I had more thoughts, but I'll save that for another post - this one is already a week late and Beau is nagging me because it's already almost 10:00 in the morning here and we haven't got walking yet.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Colour, colour, everywhere ...
... and spring once again renews spirits dulled by cold, gray winter.
I spent hours this weekend in the garden, digging up weeds and uprooting the encroaching grass in the little island that is my oversized flower bed. For months now the island has been looking brown and sad, covered by dead leaves and leafless branches. I left it unraked because my theory is that leaves fall and coat the floor of a forest all winter to protect the bulbs and roots in the ground until the earth warms as spring approaches, so they shouldn't be removed until winter is over. Of course, with the way temperatures have been jumping and then diving in the last few weeks, it didn't seem very safe to go by the calendar when deciding if spring was actually here towards the end of March. We usually have warmer temperatures followed by a day or two of below freezing temperatures in April, so I'm never sure when it's safe to plant spring flowers. But the last week has been so warm, with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s F ( (about 25-27 Celsius), that I couldn't resist the incredibly colourful flowers any longer.
Bruce and I bought several different kinds of flowers (not enough, in his opinion, but since I was the one doing all the digging and planting, he didn't really have a say in the amount) - three yellow Asiatic lillies, two bunches of purple petunias(with white borders), 18 little bunches of yellow marigolds and a mixture of red, pink and white impatiens (also 18 small bunches of those). There was one more tall flowering plant with pretty orange flowers, but it had no label so I'll have to find out what it's called when we buy some more.
There was such a lot of raking to be done that I decided to do it in small amounts. I raked and cleared an area in the island and planted several bunches of flowers, watering them as they were planed. Then I moved on to the next area. It was tiring, back-hurting work and my legs & shoulders are aching now, but because I did the clearing, digging and planting (not to mention watering) over two days, it wasn't too bad and the beautiful flowers were definitely worth the hard work. It is amazing what a difference flowers make to a garden. The colours are so cheerful and the garden suddenly looks so different. I love looking out the window now, and also love the way the garden looks as we drive towards the house.
We're trying something new this year. One of the stores is selling seeds in a blanket-type thing. You are supposed to unroll the "blanket", lay it on the ground where you want the flowers and then water it. The embedded seeds are supposed to grow over several weeks and then suddenly you have a flower garden for butterflies and hummingbirds! It sounds too good to be true but I wanted to give it a try, so that will be my project next weekend. If it works, I'll post photos. I'll take some of the flowers I planted this weekend, as well - wanted to give the plants a chance to take root.
I spent hours this weekend in the garden, digging up weeds and uprooting the encroaching grass in the little island that is my oversized flower bed. For months now the island has been looking brown and sad, covered by dead leaves and leafless branches. I left it unraked because my theory is that leaves fall and coat the floor of a forest all winter to protect the bulbs and roots in the ground until the earth warms as spring approaches, so they shouldn't be removed until winter is over. Of course, with the way temperatures have been jumping and then diving in the last few weeks, it didn't seem very safe to go by the calendar when deciding if spring was actually here towards the end of March. We usually have warmer temperatures followed by a day or two of below freezing temperatures in April, so I'm never sure when it's safe to plant spring flowers. But the last week has been so warm, with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s F ( (about 25-27 Celsius), that I couldn't resist the incredibly colourful flowers any longer.
Bruce and I bought several different kinds of flowers (not enough, in his opinion, but since I was the one doing all the digging and planting, he didn't really have a say in the amount) - three yellow Asiatic lillies, two bunches of purple petunias(with white borders), 18 little bunches of yellow marigolds and a mixture of red, pink and white impatiens (also 18 small bunches of those). There was one more tall flowering plant with pretty orange flowers, but it had no label so I'll have to find out what it's called when we buy some more.
There was such a lot of raking to be done that I decided to do it in small amounts. I raked and cleared an area in the island and planted several bunches of flowers, watering them as they were planed. Then I moved on to the next area. It was tiring, back-hurting work and my legs & shoulders are aching now, but because I did the clearing, digging and planting (not to mention watering) over two days, it wasn't too bad and the beautiful flowers were definitely worth the hard work. It is amazing what a difference flowers make to a garden. The colours are so cheerful and the garden suddenly looks so different. I love looking out the window now, and also love the way the garden looks as we drive towards the house.
We're trying something new this year. One of the stores is selling seeds in a blanket-type thing. You are supposed to unroll the "blanket", lay it on the ground where you want the flowers and then water it. The embedded seeds are supposed to grow over several weeks and then suddenly you have a flower garden for butterflies and hummingbirds! It sounds too good to be true but I wanted to give it a try, so that will be my project next weekend. If it works, I'll post photos. I'll take some of the flowers I planted this weekend, as well - wanted to give the plants a chance to take root.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!
I am so tired of ignorant people. People who won't think for themselves, who won't ask questions and find answers for themselves instead of only listening to rumour mongers. Perhaps I shouldn't be fed up and irritated. Perhaps I should feel sorry for them. It could be they are not educated enough to read/listen and comprehend what they read/hear. But I think it's just laziness - people want to be fed summaries of the day's news, preferably by biased commentators who mirror their own anger and ignorance. Or maybe it's ADD (attention deficit disorder). People have such short attention spans that they want to be fed the news in short bursts (which probably explains the appeal of Twitter or, better yet, Cliff notes - why actually read a book when you can buy a summary?).
What brought this on is the Healthcare reform bill that passed yesterday. People protesting it in recent days and weeks have reminded me of those who call for the banning of books and movies. I can guarantee the majority of people demanding that books be banned are like the mother who wanted all Harry Potter books banned from her child's school library - she hadn't read a single Harry Potter book but she just knew they would be bad for her daughter because they were aboutwitches! And wizards! Why bother finding out for herself what the books were actually like by reading them? Why bother listening to the hundreds of thousands of parents who were delighted when their children were finally enjoying reading, who had at last discovered the magic of books and the power of the imagination because of J.K. Rowling's delightful compositions? Why would anyone want to listen to another viewpoint or understand something for yourself when it's so much simpler to let others do the thinking for you? Ugh!
I am just as certain that the majority of people ranting and raving about the bill today (whatever their political leaning) have not read it from start to finish (including all the amendments). They are working off the soundbites of some news commentators - not newscasters or journalists, mind you, just opinionaters. People who deliver their opinions with a strong bias that was in existence before they even understood what was in the bill.
I don't doubt there are things in the bill anyone and everyone will be upset over, because no one can please everybody. But people latch on to one or two points (usually lies) highlighted by their favourite news commentator - e.g. "They're creating death panels to kill off old people so they won't have to look after them as they age!!!" or "The bill supports public funding of abortion!!!" (both so wrong ), and that sets them off. They organize rabid meetings and marches, where they yell hurtful, sick things at people they now regard as their enemy, not fellow citizen, they rant and rave like crazed creatures ...
Over and over again, biased commentators have been saying "73% of Americans don't want this bill!", even though the most recent poll showed that the divide was almost even - something like 46% against, 45% for. The way people cherry pick what they do and don't want to highlight bugs me.
Before yesterday's vote, the Republican party said the bill should be completely dismantled and everybody should start from the beginning. That suggested there was absolutely nothing in the bill they could agree with - even though some of the items in the bill were things they had suggested. They were in power for eight years and did nothing about healthcare reform, after defeating it when Bill Clinton was president, because the fact was they didn't want healthcare reform. So it was clear that no matter what was in the bill, they would have protested and would never have voted for it. Yesterday proved that. Yet they kept trying to pretend that they would be supportive if everyone went back to square one. Square one, where they have been for decades.
People in America are free to protest. I think that is amazing and wonderful. It's definitely a right Americans should be proud of. But is it too much to ask that they protest with a little intelligence and understanding of the full story, not just one or two soundbites? Would President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats have had to resort to passing the bil the way they did if the Republicans have been more open to change?
It seems to me, as I read different reports, editorials and opinions, and as I watch what Republicans have had to say, that some of them are going to say no to anything the president says just because he's a Democrat. They are determined to be back in power, so they are going to do all they can to scare their supporters. And that is what is driving the angry, protesting people, in my opinion, be they Republicans, Democrats or Independents - they are afraid, and fear is a powerful motivator. But it's not fear of evil, it's fear of change, fear of the unknown. Plain and simple. People are afraid of losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing the way of life they've known, and they've decided that healthcare reform and Barack Obama are responsible for all their woes. They don't fully know what the healthcare bill contains and they don't want to know. They can't be bothered to understand what healthcare in this country will be like in a decade or two if nothing is done. They are the people who don't want their cheese moved (http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/ - a good book that, guess what, I actually read, all by myself, without having someone else tell me what it was about).
I still think Barack Obama is a good president, that he really is trying to be president and representative of all the people, not just some, and I think he's the right man for the job, despite his citizens. Yes, despite them, because I don't think many of them understand just how intelligent and far-sighted this man is. I know they have no idea how much he has to deal with. If more Americans would read a little more, if they would get out of their insular worlds a little bit, they would begin to understand how many expectations people have of their president and how much they, and people from other countries, demand of him, of any American president. I just wish people would read more, listen more and think more. More students need to be taught to think and to listen to different viewpoints before forming an intelligent, educated opinion.
What brought this on is the Healthcare reform bill that passed yesterday. People protesting it in recent days and weeks have reminded me of those who call for the banning of books and movies. I can guarantee the majority of people demanding that books be banned are like the mother who wanted all Harry Potter books banned from her child's school library - she hadn't read a single Harry Potter book but she just knew they would be bad for her daughter because they were about
I am just as certain that the majority of people ranting and raving about the bill today (whatever their political leaning) have not read it from start to finish (including all the amendments). They are working off the soundbites of some news commentators - not newscasters or journalists, mind you, just opinionaters. People who deliver their opinions with a strong bias that was in existence before they even understood what was in the bill.
I don't doubt there are things in the bill anyone and everyone will be upset over, because no one can please everybody. But people latch on to one or two points (usually lies) highlighted by their favourite news commentator - e.g. "They're creating death panels to kill off old people so they won't have to look after them as they age!!!" or "The bill supports public funding of abortion!!!" (both so wrong ), and that sets them off. They organize rabid meetings and marches, where they yell hurtful, sick things at people they now regard as their enemy, not fellow citizen, they rant and rave like crazed creatures ...
Over and over again, biased commentators have been saying "73% of Americans don't want this bill!", even though the most recent poll showed that the divide was almost even - something like 46% against, 45% for. The way people cherry pick what they do and don't want to highlight bugs me.
Before yesterday's vote, the Republican party said the bill should be completely dismantled and everybody should start from the beginning. That suggested there was absolutely nothing in the bill they could agree with - even though some of the items in the bill were things they had suggested. They were in power for eight years and did nothing about healthcare reform, after defeating it when Bill Clinton was president, because the fact was they didn't want healthcare reform. So it was clear that no matter what was in the bill, they would have protested and would never have voted for it. Yesterday proved that. Yet they kept trying to pretend that they would be supportive if everyone went back to square one. Square one, where they have been for decades.
People in America are free to protest. I think that is amazing and wonderful. It's definitely a right Americans should be proud of. But is it too much to ask that they protest with a little intelligence and understanding of the full story, not just one or two soundbites? Would President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats have had to resort to passing the bil the way they did if the Republicans have been more open to change?
It seems to me, as I read different reports, editorials and opinions, and as I watch what Republicans have had to say, that some of them are going to say no to anything the president says just because he's a Democrat. They are determined to be back in power, so they are going to do all they can to scare their supporters. And that is what is driving the angry, protesting people, in my opinion, be they Republicans, Democrats or Independents - they are afraid, and fear is a powerful motivator. But it's not fear of evil, it's fear of change, fear of the unknown. Plain and simple. People are afraid of losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing the way of life they've known, and they've decided that healthcare reform and Barack Obama are responsible for all their woes. They don't fully know what the healthcare bill contains and they don't want to know. They can't be bothered to understand what healthcare in this country will be like in a decade or two if nothing is done. They are the people who don't want their cheese moved (http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/ - a good book that, guess what, I actually read, all by myself, without having someone else tell me what it was about).
I still think Barack Obama is a good president, that he really is trying to be president and representative of all the people, not just some, and I think he's the right man for the job, despite his citizens. Yes, despite them, because I don't think many of them understand just how intelligent and far-sighted this man is. I know they have no idea how much he has to deal with. If more Americans would read a little more, if they would get out of their insular worlds a little bit, they would begin to understand how many expectations people have of their president and how much they, and people from other countries, demand of him, of any American president. I just wish people would read more, listen more and think more. More students need to be taught to think and to listen to different viewpoints before forming an intelligent, educated opinion.
Friday, February 12, 2010
It's back!
There is a wintry wonderland outside, and I believe it fell today specifically to celebrate Mummy and Yaso's shared birthday. Snow has been falling steadily for about six hours, and it's actually settled this time - there is at least two inches of snow all over our neighbourhood. It's on the grass, bushes and trees, and everything looks so lovely.
Bruce and I both work from home on Fridays, and happily the snow waited until today to get here. That meant we didn't have to contend with the crazy people on the roads who get nervous and think any snow on the road is dangerous, even when temperatures are above freezing and there is thus no ice on the road yet. Tomorrow, however, will probably be another story. Temperatures are now at about freezing point, or slightly below, which means roads will most likely be icy in the morning. It should melt by the time the sun has been up for a few hours, though, since temperatures are expected to be above freezing. And at least we're not in Washington, D.C., where they've had record snowfall and are only now beginning to dig out of the mess. I don't think I ever want to live that far up north.
Happy birthday to the two February 12 gals - we'll have fun in the snow on your behalf!
Bruce and I both work from home on Fridays, and happily the snow waited until today to get here. That meant we didn't have to contend with the crazy people on the roads who get nervous and think any snow on the road is dangerous, even when temperatures are above freezing and there is thus no ice on the road yet. Tomorrow, however, will probably be another story. Temperatures are now at about freezing point, or slightly below, which means roads will most likely be icy in the morning. It should melt by the time the sun has been up for a few hours, though, since temperatures are expected to be above freezing. And at least we're not in Washington, D.C., where they've had record snowfall and are only now beginning to dig out of the mess. I don't think I ever want to live that far up north.
Happy birthday to the two February 12 gals - we'll have fun in the snow on your behalf!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Touchdown!
Bruce and I had SUCH a fun Sunday!
Yesterday was Super Bowl day here in the land of that other football - the final Americal football game of the season, featuring the two teams that hung on to the very end. The favourites to win were the Indianapolis Colts, but sentimental saps like me were rooting for the underdogs, the New Orleans Saints. The sentimentality was there because of the devastation caused in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, from which the state is still struggling to recover. A win for them would have been fabulous for the people of New Orleans. Add to that the interesting fact that the quarterback for the Colts is actually from New Orleans, so he was playing against his hometown. Ooh, the drama!
For that reason, I was actually interested in this year's Super Bowl, even though t it isn't real football. Despite having lived here for eight football seasons now, I hadn't yet watched a Super Bowl. But yesterday, Bruce and I did. And I understand now why it is such an event here. It was such a good game!
But first, a summary of the rest of the day ...
The last time we went out with Bruce's mother, Nell-Ann, and his stepfather, Benson, was a couple of weeks ago when we had lunch at Penang (the restaurant, not the state) with them, the Jacksons (and their daughter Sarah), Jason, Caroline (his wife), Jonathan and Claire (his girlfriend). That was a highly enjoyable occasion, and Bruce's mother expressed a wish to have that sort of a get-together again and also see the house that Jason and Caroline are renting (because they'll be moving in August to a smaller place). Jason and Caroline live in Athens (the one here, not in Greece - that would have been quite a drive), which is a student town that I like a great deal.
Nell-Ann appointed me the social director and assigned me the task of getting everyone together in Athens. Everyone was free for lunch yesterday, so that's when we did the deed (with the exception of Claire, unfortunately, who is away at university). Jonathan rode with Bruce and me, and we stopped at Conyers along the way to pick up Nell-Ann and Benson. The Jacksons (with both their daughters this time - Sarah and Nikki) met us at Jason and Caroline's place. After we had all seen the house and played with their dogs, we left in a convoy for the restaurant (Mama's Boy) , with Jason leading the way. The food was yummy and the conversation was good (and noisy, as you can imagine, with that big a group - 11 of us in total). It was an excellent get-together and that in itself would have made for a lovely day, but there was more.
While we left for Conyers, to drop Nell-Ann and Benson off at their home, the Jacksons and Jason went into Athens to look at some of the shops. Amy and John were then going to come back to our house to spend the evening with us. When we got to Conyers, Benson gave us a little tour of some mansions that had recently been built. Conyers is a lovely town but it's out in the country and not quite where you'd imagine a bunch of mansions being built. As Benson said, it'd make more sense for them to be in Atlanta. However, there they were. Not just mansions but almost mini castles, in some cases. They were huge. A few were so pretty. Starting sale price? $12 million. Yes, million.
After that dream detour, we went to Nell-Ann and Benson's house. We spent a little time there - Bruce and Jonathan had some coffee and we chatted for a while - then the three of us left so that we'd be back in Snellville before the Jacksons reached our house. That was a nice treat. Usually, when we're in Conyers, it's for Christmas and the house is full of people and conversation, but we don't actually get to talk very much with Nell-Ann and Benson, so we enjoyed the extra time we spent with them.
Then we were at home, joined shortly by Amy and John (Sarah and Nikki had other plans), and soon it was Super Bowl time. We had a blast! Amy is exactly like Leela is when she watches football, so Amy and I were making lots of noise cheering (when the Saints did well) and groaning (when the Colts took the lead).
The biggest difference between American football and the real thing is how much longer it takes to play a game of American football. They keep stopping! But that makes watching the Super Bowl on TV fun - the TV commercials become almost as big a deal as the game itself! There is a commercial every few minutes, but because it's the Super Bowl, these specially-made advertisements are usually interesting, funny or unusual. Although it can take several hours before you get to the end of the game, the commercials keep you entertained.
So, the Colts were ahead. But then, woo hoo! The Saints came back with a vengeance! First one touchdown and a nail-biting conversion that they were finally awarded after much deliberation, putting them ahead of the colts, and then an absolutely astounding, eye-opening, scream-causing touchdown that pushed them 14 points ahead of the Colts. The Colts would have needed two touchdowns in less than five minutes to catch up with the Saints, and thank goodness they didn't get there.
It was so exciting! And so much fun to watch the game with Jonathan and the Jacksons! I can understand now why people have Super Bowl parties. Watching sports with other people makes it that much more enjoyable. And the Jacksons are always such good company, anyway. Plus, this was a particularly good game, I think. I don't know if they are all that nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat exciting, but this one definitely was worth spending several hours on.
So, yesterday was a splendiferous day, one that Bruce and I will probably remember for a long time.
Yesterday was Super Bowl day here in the land of that other football - the final Americal football game of the season, featuring the two teams that hung on to the very end. The favourites to win were the Indianapolis Colts, but sentimental saps like me were rooting for the underdogs, the New Orleans Saints. The sentimentality was there because of the devastation caused in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, from which the state is still struggling to recover. A win for them would have been fabulous for the people of New Orleans. Add to that the interesting fact that the quarterback for the Colts is actually from New Orleans, so he was playing against his hometown. Ooh, the drama!
For that reason, I was actually interested in this year's Super Bowl, even though t it isn't real football. Despite having lived here for eight football seasons now, I hadn't yet watched a Super Bowl. But yesterday, Bruce and I did. And I understand now why it is such an event here. It was such a good game!
But first, a summary of the rest of the day ...
The last time we went out with Bruce's mother, Nell-Ann, and his stepfather, Benson, was a couple of weeks ago when we had lunch at Penang (the restaurant, not the state) with them, the Jacksons (and their daughter Sarah), Jason, Caroline (his wife), Jonathan and Claire (his girlfriend). That was a highly enjoyable occasion, and Bruce's mother expressed a wish to have that sort of a get-together again and also see the house that Jason and Caroline are renting (because they'll be moving in August to a smaller place). Jason and Caroline live in Athens (the one here, not in Greece - that would have been quite a drive), which is a student town that I like a great deal.
Nell-Ann appointed me the social director and assigned me the task of getting everyone together in Athens. Everyone was free for lunch yesterday, so that's when we did the deed (with the exception of Claire, unfortunately, who is away at university). Jonathan rode with Bruce and me, and we stopped at Conyers along the way to pick up Nell-Ann and Benson. The Jacksons (with both their daughters this time - Sarah and Nikki) met us at Jason and Caroline's place. After we had all seen the house and played with their dogs, we left in a convoy for the restaurant (Mama's Boy) , with Jason leading the way. The food was yummy and the conversation was good (and noisy, as you can imagine, with that big a group - 11 of us in total). It was an excellent get-together and that in itself would have made for a lovely day, but there was more.
While we left for Conyers, to drop Nell-Ann and Benson off at their home, the Jacksons and Jason went into Athens to look at some of the shops. Amy and John were then going to come back to our house to spend the evening with us. When we got to Conyers, Benson gave us a little tour of some mansions that had recently been built. Conyers is a lovely town but it's out in the country and not quite where you'd imagine a bunch of mansions being built. As Benson said, it'd make more sense for them to be in Atlanta. However, there they were. Not just mansions but almost mini castles, in some cases. They were huge. A few were so pretty. Starting sale price? $12 million. Yes, million.
After that dream detour, we went to Nell-Ann and Benson's house. We spent a little time there - Bruce and Jonathan had some coffee and we chatted for a while - then the three of us left so that we'd be back in Snellville before the Jacksons reached our house. That was a nice treat. Usually, when we're in Conyers, it's for Christmas and the house is full of people and conversation, but we don't actually get to talk very much with Nell-Ann and Benson, so we enjoyed the extra time we spent with them.
Then we were at home, joined shortly by Amy and John (Sarah and Nikki had other plans), and soon it was Super Bowl time. We had a blast! Amy is exactly like Leela is when she watches football, so Amy and I were making lots of noise cheering (when the Saints did well) and groaning (when the Colts took the lead).
The biggest difference between American football and the real thing is how much longer it takes to play a game of American football. They keep stopping! But that makes watching the Super Bowl on TV fun - the TV commercials become almost as big a deal as the game itself! There is a commercial every few minutes, but because it's the Super Bowl, these specially-made advertisements are usually interesting, funny or unusual. Although it can take several hours before you get to the end of the game, the commercials keep you entertained.
So, the Colts were ahead. But then, woo hoo! The Saints came back with a vengeance! First one touchdown and a nail-biting conversion that they were finally awarded after much deliberation, putting them ahead of the colts, and then an absolutely astounding, eye-opening, scream-causing touchdown that pushed them 14 points ahead of the Colts. The Colts would have needed two touchdowns in less than five minutes to catch up with the Saints, and thank goodness they didn't get there.
It was so exciting! And so much fun to watch the game with Jonathan and the Jacksons! I can understand now why people have Super Bowl parties. Watching sports with other people makes it that much more enjoyable. And the Jacksons are always such good company, anyway. Plus, this was a particularly good game, I think. I don't know if they are all that nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat exciting, but this one definitely was worth spending several hours on.
So, yesterday was a splendiferous day, one that Bruce and I will probably remember for a long time.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Peace and Quiet
I'd almost forgotten what it is like to have a quiet, peaceful weekend. No crazy running around, trying to get things organized; no packing of things into boxes for storage; no workmen around drilling, sawing or hammering ...
We are into the second week of 2010 and there is finally calm at the Walters household. We are actually getting to relax and be lazy, which seems like a rare treat!
The house still gives me a bit of a (pleasant) shock when I see it as we're coming down the hill towards our cul-de-sac, because it looks so different from the outside. The colour of the new siding goes very well with the roof and has brightened up the appearance of the whole house. The new windows have new curtains to go with them (Bruce spent the last Tuesday in December putting up the rods and curtains, before Ranee and family got here) and the rooms actually have some empty space in them, instead of being covered by boxes and junk. The only thing left to do now is put up Mummy's paintings and some other pictures/photos on the walls.
I think the best part of this whole experience has been discovering how much I enjoy decorating a house - choosing the colour/design of the tiles, carpet and curtains and seeing how well everything goes together now has been such fun. Taste is such a personal thing, of course, but Bruce and those who have seen our "new" house seem to like what I've done and even our contractor approved of the colour choices!
I'll try to take some photos for a "before and after" post. Don't know how many "before" photos we have, though - Bruce and I kept forgetting to take those before the replacement jobs were done.
It was fun have Ranee, Randy, Courtney and Roshan here after Christmas. We got to see and do a lot, but there wasn't enough time to do everything we had planned. Isn't that always the case? Their puppies are so cute and seemed to have a lot of fun in our backyard. It was a huge playground for them. Beau played with them every once in a while, but both he and Belle weren't thrilled by little creatures jumping up on them all the time. They did like racing around with the puppies, though. That is what Beau needs - a dog that will race around with him in the backyard.
Speaking of the backyard, our birdfeeders have been getting lots of visitors in the last few days, because of the cold. We've had below-freezing temperatures for most of the last week, which is rather unusual for this time of the year in this part of the country. We even had a couple of bluebirds make a brief appearance on Friday, after we'd had a sprinkling of snow and rain that froze on the ground. We're hoping they return - they are such beautiful birds, and it is a thrill to see a flash of blue every now and then.
The snow and rain we had on Thursday evening/night led to icy roads on Friday, but happily that is the day of the week that both Bruce and I get to work from home, so we didn't have to deal with the craziness on the roads. There were quite a few accidents in and around Atlanta, and it was a relief to not be a part of the mess. The snow was pefectly timed for us!
We are into the second week of 2010 and there is finally calm at the Walters household. We are actually getting to relax and be lazy, which seems like a rare treat!
The house still gives me a bit of a (pleasant) shock when I see it as we're coming down the hill towards our cul-de-sac, because it looks so different from the outside. The colour of the new siding goes very well with the roof and has brightened up the appearance of the whole house. The new windows have new curtains to go with them (Bruce spent the last Tuesday in December putting up the rods and curtains, before Ranee and family got here) and the rooms actually have some empty space in them, instead of being covered by boxes and junk. The only thing left to do now is put up Mummy's paintings and some other pictures/photos on the walls.
I think the best part of this whole experience has been discovering how much I enjoy decorating a house - choosing the colour/design of the tiles, carpet and curtains and seeing how well everything goes together now has been such fun. Taste is such a personal thing, of course, but Bruce and those who have seen our "new" house seem to like what I've done and even our contractor approved of the colour choices!
I'll try to take some photos for a "before and after" post. Don't know how many "before" photos we have, though - Bruce and I kept forgetting to take those before the replacement jobs were done.
It was fun have Ranee, Randy, Courtney and Roshan here after Christmas. We got to see and do a lot, but there wasn't enough time to do everything we had planned. Isn't that always the case? Their puppies are so cute and seemed to have a lot of fun in our backyard. It was a huge playground for them. Beau played with them every once in a while, but both he and Belle weren't thrilled by little creatures jumping up on them all the time. They did like racing around with the puppies, though. That is what Beau needs - a dog that will race around with him in the backyard.
Speaking of the backyard, our birdfeeders have been getting lots of visitors in the last few days, because of the cold. We've had below-freezing temperatures for most of the last week, which is rather unusual for this time of the year in this part of the country. We even had a couple of bluebirds make a brief appearance on Friday, after we'd had a sprinkling of snow and rain that froze on the ground. We're hoping they return - they are such beautiful birds, and it is a thrill to see a flash of blue every now and then.
The snow and rain we had on Thursday evening/night led to icy roads on Friday, but happily that is the day of the week that both Bruce and I get to work from home, so we didn't have to deal with the craziness on the roads. There were quite a few accidents in and around Atlanta, and it was a relief to not be a part of the mess. The snow was pefectly timed for us!
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