The ground is in the sky

Today I have realized I may in fact be putting my heart and soul into an organization that I don't believe in.

This makes me want to cry and vomit and scream all at the same time.

And it breaks my heart a little bit.

A question of patriotism

So I forgot to blog about this with the ridiculousness that was this week, aka getting in my 2 articles and 1 paper, sinking into slight depression about my lost TN, accidentally staying at Brats for almost 4 hours on Wed, and attending 3 @ events yesterday. 

Last weekend was one of my favorite events of the semester, India Night. The India Student Association on campus is probably one of our strongest cultural orgs and does some amazing shit. Their show is put on every semester and I liked it this spring even more than I did in the fall. All of the dances are so prepared; I can't imagine how much time they put into rehearsing to get them that perfect. There was a wide range of dances, from uber-traditional to hip-hop inspired to African-infused. Some nice singing and instrumentals, too. 

One thing I noticed though, was the singing of national anthems at the beginning of the show. The US national anthem came first, then the Indian. I couldn't help but notice a striking difference between the two. People in the audience slowly and casually stood up several lines into the US anthem, after glancing around to make sure other people were doing it too. Almost no one sang along. This was followed by the singing of the Indian national anthem. Within .5 seconds of the first syllable, the Indians in the audience were on their feet. Everyone else respectfully followed. There were many Indians in the audience, and most of them were belting out the lyrics with gusto. 

Why is this? Do Americans just not have as much respect and pride in their country? Or do we just feel like we shouldn't? Do we feel like standing up and proudly singing about the Home of the Brave means we wholeheartedly support everything done in the name of this country? Do we feel ashamed of what the anthem and national pride have grown to represent?

I'm not sure what the answer is, but it's definitely something to think about.

Back to Square 1

So after 3.5 weeks of e-mails, Gchatting, Skyping and a non-existent interview, I found out yesterday that I didn't get the traineeship I want for the summer. Paola, the @ Uninorte (in Barranquilla) girl I've been essentially stalking for the past weeks, told me the foundation picked some Polish girl.

In the words of Jen, our VP Exchange, "Fuck Poland."

Ok well it's not actually Poland's fault, I happen to like Poland, being 25% Polish....but anyway, I'm very disappointed. I REALLY wanted this job and it seemed perfect for me--working with the Barranquilla City Council. I interned for the St. Paul City Council last summer, so I thought I'd be pretty valuable since I already have city government experience. Apparently not.

Other countries do tend to send older members abroad, so for all I know Ms. Poland could be 28 and done all sorts of rock star things. And hey, I'm trying, but I'm only 20... It also seemed a little sketch because the foundation was supposed to interview me last Wednesday. They never called; I found out later they had to take an unexpected trip to Santa Marta. Of course no notice of this was given to me (this is typical, I hear) so I had a straight 48-hour panic session, which ended with NOTHING. I would have been in even worse shape without these girls, so at least I have them!

Well now it's back to square one, searching the database and trying to find something I like and can lock down in 4 weeks. Two and a half more weeks of class, then finals, then home, then.....???????

The Courts better not let this slide....

"Securing the nation’s borders is so important, Congress says, that Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, must have the power to ignore any laws that stand in the way of building a border fence. Any laws at all.
Last week, Mr. Chertoff issued waivers suspending more than 30 laws he said could interfere with “the expeditious construction of barriers” in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. The list included laws protecting the environment, endangered species, migratory birds, the bald eagle, antiquities, farms, deserts, forests, Native American graves and religious freedom.
The secretary of homeland security was granted the power in 2005 to void any federal law that might interfere with fence building on the border. For good measure, Congress forbade the courts to second-guess the secretary’s determinations. So long as Mr. Chertoff is willing to say it is necessary to void a given law, his word is final."
--NYT

"The expeditious constuction of barriers".....REALLY?!?! Is that what you're REALLY concerned about right now?!>!

This is one of those news articles that I read and think should be straight out of the Onion, but nope, it's in the frickin' New York Times. Not only do I think this Michael Chertoff should stop concentrating on such a triviality as the construction of a wall on the US/Mexico border, but why did he need to suspend laws regarding religious freedom to do so?!

I know the US has been increasingly concerned about border control since 9/11, but I can't really see how this is going to get us anywhere. Yes, I suppose terrorists could find their way in through Mexico, but I don't feel like this is a large enough threat to spend billions of dollars constructing a barrier at our boarder. If they really wanted to get into this country, I'm pretty sure they could find a way over/around the wall. To me, it seems that this is focused on illegal immigration, mainly those wishing to come to the US from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Immigration debates have always been a puzzling topic for me. There are so many people that are anti-immigration, that want all "aliens" (I hate that word, by the way) thrown out, and this wall built. I feel like if they stopped and thought about it, they'd realize they were thinking quite backwards. Unless you are Native American, I'm pretty damn sure your familiy immigrated here at some point. Why do you have a right to be here and they don't? Because you speak English? Because you're white? Because you're European? Because you came here 100 years ago and they're just coming now?

This is supposedly "the greatest country in the world," right? When did it become OK for select individuals to decide who has a right to take part in the "greatness" and who doesn't? The stories of those that work to cross into this country are amazing....why would they work so hard to get here and then cease once arriving? Any arguement about how immigrants come here and steal our jobs and our resources and our benefits and our money is absolutely bogus. Study after study has shown that the large population of undocumented workers positively contribute to our economy. They work hard at jobs that no one else wants to do....harsh but true.

Immigrants must want to come here for some reason, right? They must think something about this country is better than where they came from or holds opportunities for their families.

And Mr. Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, I don't think you have the right to tell them it doesn't.

You are CLEARLY not in AIESEC

So last week I went to an econ discussion with another TA (not my own) because I can actually understand what this guy is talking about. The girl next to me and I bonded over our semi-matching rainboots (mine are leopard and hers were giraffe) and how they leak. Thus, not really being effective rainboots.....

Anyways, our TA was telling us he was handing out the problems we were going to go over because he couldn't write on the board after getting tons of shots in his arm the day before. He said he was going to spend the summer in Southeast Asia. I immediately thought "SWEET!!!" This girl next to me goes, "That's bizzare." And I said, "What is?" And she said, "That he's spending the summer in Southeast Asia. That's bizzare."

And I thought, "We would not be friends."

Eeeeeekkkk!

Hola Teresa

Hemos recibido tu informaciòn personal y académica a través de Paola Suárez, de Aiesec. La próxima semana queremos conversar contigo. Paola coordinará este enlace.

Un abrazo desde Barranquilla, Colombia.

Horacio Brieva

Director

Fundación Protransparencia

Oh. My God.

Anyone have any Spanish interview tips?!

Subway cars=Coral reef

Creative idea, minus the asbestos.

I'd like to see how that turns out in the long run. Cozy home for fishies or major ocean pollutor?

We'll check back in 20 years.

If you could just stick around awhile, that'd be great

"In a recent episode of "The Simpsons," a cartoon version of Dan Rather introduced a debate panel featuring "Ron Lehar, a print journalist from the Washington Post." This inspired Bart's nemesis Nelson to shout, "Haw haw! Your medium is dying!" Nelson!" Principal Skinner admonished the boy. "But it is!" was the young man's reply.
Nelson is right. Newspapers are dying; the evidence of diminishment in economic vitality, editorial quality, depth, personnel, and the over-all number of papers is everywhere. What this portends for the future is complicated. Three years ago, Rupert Murdoch warned newspaper editors, "Many of us have been remarkably, unaccountably complacent . . . quietly hoping that this thing called the digital revolution would just limp along." Today, almost all serious newspapers are scrambling to adapt themselves to the technological and community-building opportunities offered by digital news delivery, including individual blogs, video reports, and "chat" opportunities for readers. Some, like the Times and the Post, will likely survive this moment of technological transformation in different form, cutting staff while increasing their depth and presence online. Others will seek to focus themselves locally."
--The New Yorker

I always love reading about how my chosen profession is dying.

NOT.

My brother sent me this article. It is rather lengthy but basically echos much of the of the noise coming from the media industry itself as well as critics: newspapers are dying. This is depressing to me because since high school I've wanted to be a journalist. Whenever I get asked why/how I knew this, I'm never quite sure what to say. I like writing and I know I'm good at it (not to tute my own horn or anything.) I think it may also have a bit to do with the fact that both my parents were journalists. While neither are in the business anymore, I come from a family of strong writers. (My brother's getting a PhD in German idealism; we don't know where he came from.)

While obviously the news industry will never die out completely (some people just gotta know what Britney's doing these days), I can't help but think about how ironic the timing is. It's becoming more difficult for new reporters to break into the profession since jobs are being slashed everywhere. Getting a degree from a multimedia-intensive program will obviously help me, but it's going to be difficult to get to where I want to be.

It is also ironic to me that foreign bureaus are being closed by news organizations all over the world at a time when it could not be more important to know what is going on in different countries. International communication is essential to surviving in today's globalized world, and we must continue to keep US citizens informed of world events if we want to even begin to dispell the animocity towards Americans abroad.

For a girl who wants to be a foreign correspondent, these things are not encouraging.

Still, I hope this is me someday.

Farsi is like Calcium

Hey Meemee,
Salaam ya Meena Jan. Karet khaili khoube! Ok I will write in english I guess because your mother is getting angry she can't understand what I am typing. What I say is maybe she should learn some Farsi right? It's good for you, it is like Calcium. But seriously, You seem to really want to do this. We have always been proud of you for your accomplishment. We will support you any way we can. Go ahead and make the arrangement for the @ TN. Your education is our priority.

Love you,
baba and mamman

ps- your friends stories were very good. I will come some day and meet this aiesec. They like Iran right? They should, it is the greatest country in the world.

I have never met Meena's father, but after reading this I have decided he is the best man on earth (after my own father, of course.) I'm so pumped that her fam has come around, as has my own!!

Every Gchat convo I have these days has been full of excitement about getting or being matched! I know two beautiful babies will be in Colombia this summer and hopefully I will be joining them! I absolutely cannot wait until next semester to hear about everyone's adventures. Exchange is like calcium too, I think.

The Dream WILL be lived this summer.

Don't Dream, DO

"When he speaks around the world, one of his favorite lines is "Dream—nothing!" or some other expression to stress that instead of looking outside ourselves for help or inspiration, we should act right now because "responsibility for our future lies on our own shoulders.'"
--TIME

I was reading this article about the Dalai Lama and this paragraph really struck me. We talk so much in AIESEC about The Dream (CAPS essential to meaning.) We are constantly talking about what we can do to Live The Dream. This really reinforces to me the importance of DOING, rather than TALKING. We do a lot of talking in @ about things we want to do and see and change, but sometimes that's all it is. Talk.

The Dalai Lama is saying stop talking and start DOING! If I didn't already have my parents convinced about a traineeship this summer I'd tell them the Dalai Lama told me I had to go to Colombia....

In AIESEC we get so theoretical and get bogged down in the meaning of our words. The higher level thinking conversations I've had in AIESEC have broadened my mind more than any other organization I've ever been a part of. Yet I haven't come out of one LTM this semester without wanting to throw large breakable objects out the window and watch as they satisfyingly shatter into a minuscule pieces. Sometimes is is frustrating to me that these meetings can be so inefficient and people can be on such different pages. We all have the same Dream but it seems we all have many different ways to get there.

While maybe I will never exit an LTM completely satisfied with our progress, maybe that is ok. People have different opinions, that is one of the reasons this org is so great. People don't hesitate to challenge each other's ideas and bring new ones to the table. And this is the first step to acheiving the Dream. I suppose you do have to figure out what you want before you can go get it

After all this talking though, I think we know what the Dream is..... Time to follow the Dalai Lama's instructions and stop Dreaming and start Doing.