As we are fast approaching the end of 2007, I had to write this one last piece this year since I have been neglecting writing these blogs for a while now.
Some of you may have read the children's book " Where the Wild Things Are" written by Maurice Sendak. And what I have to say is that there are many wild things out there and that are not monsters by looks, actually they look good and very tempting, yet a monster in nature and 4teen should be very very scared of them. As parents, we see these dangers on a daily basis in our own lives and we need to get involved and educate our children about them. These wild things were not yet a concern until not too long ago and they are the by product of our truly amazing technology, a menace if you ask me.
Besides sex, drugs and alcohol, after surviving the world of the internet chatrooms, with the predators and pedophile, gunfires in schools, universities and malls, and the tigers that roam the street to eat and maul their victim, be aware of the danger of credit cards. Take heed of these look gorgeous plastic cards that encourage us to buy now and pay later and even pay the minimum payment as little as $5 a month.
Please educate your 4teens that minimum payments have consequences of interest and late fee payments. Credit cards are another type of predators that feed on weak and shallow personalities, and the more they push them into debt, the happier they are. If we teach our kids about the dangers that strangers impose, we should definitely inform them the dangers of ruined financial credits and the impact of it on their lives. A friend of mine fell into this trap with her college aged daughter and ended up paying off a credit card balance of $325.00 for a shirt that cost only $40.00.
It is a crazy world out there. We have more severe natural disasters, and we have even worse man made disasters. We want our 4teens to face the world as good citizens and not to be afraid to live their lives, therefore, we need to give them the right tools to do that. Education is the key, they need to be careful in every aspect of their lives. Once the " Be Careful" list for growing children was a lot shorter, but as we dive into 21st century, the list multiplies and I honestly don't know how long it will get.
I wish a worry free 2008 for all the 4Ts, and a safe world for all the 4teens who read this blog. May we be safe from all the wild things that are there. Amen
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Honesty is out of the window.
I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. I learned that even if people tell you to be honest with them and when you do tell them the absolute truth, they can not handle it and will try hard to pin it back on you. They will start bad mouthing you and labeling you as jealous , crazy or miss know it all.
A colleague asked me that why does her boss did not have faith in her? This was not her first or second time to ask me this question, therefore, I thought in my 4t plus naivety that she may really want to know so that she can address the problem and work toward it. I asked her that she wants the honest answer or just an encouraging one, she said that she wants an honest one (I do have a witness). So I did tell her and heaven went loose.
The way I see it, some people keep making the same mistake over and over again and never find out why they do not succeed in what they are doing. My philosophy is that if I see the problem, it is my civil and humane responsibility to tell them. That way they will think about it, and if it is correct, then they plan an action. Never in my mind I saw myself as an evil person, on the contrary, I thought that I was doing them a favor. Mind you this is after they ask my opinion. Of course that this rule does not apply to 4teens! I have never seen a reaction this severe from any one in any circumstance before.
Well I shared my experience with the older 4teen and she told me that maybe at 40t+, I am getting wiser a bit and starting to get it. People do not like honesty, they like to see what they like to see, why rock the boat and be the bad person to break them the news.
Indeed why?
A colleague asked me that why does her boss did not have faith in her? This was not her first or second time to ask me this question, therefore, I thought in my 4t plus naivety that she may really want to know so that she can address the problem and work toward it. I asked her that she wants the honest answer or just an encouraging one, she said that she wants an honest one (I do have a witness). So I did tell her and heaven went loose.
The way I see it, some people keep making the same mistake over and over again and never find out why they do not succeed in what they are doing. My philosophy is that if I see the problem, it is my civil and humane responsibility to tell them. That way they will think about it, and if it is correct, then they plan an action. Never in my mind I saw myself as an evil person, on the contrary, I thought that I was doing them a favor. Mind you this is after they ask my opinion. Of course that this rule does not apply to 4teens! I have never seen a reaction this severe from any one in any circumstance before.
Well I shared my experience with the older 4teen and she told me that maybe at 40t+, I am getting wiser a bit and starting to get it. People do not like honesty, they like to see what they like to see, why rock the boat and be the bad person to break them the news.
Indeed why?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Oh right!! It is Father's day
Today I had the day to myself and went for coffee and paper to a local bagel shop early in the morning. The place was almost packed with fathers and young children. I did not see a single child over 9 or 10 years old there and I wondered if they are sleeping late and will celebrate father's day throughout the day at a later time.
The truth of the matter is that I do not think that the kids between 8 and 35, or until they become parents themselves, remember father's day as well as they remember mother's day. Younger kids have their mother to help them plan the day and buy gifts and cards, but when the kids grow older and planning the day becomes their responsibility, most of them genuinely forget father's day.
When the kids grow older and become parents themselves, they start to remember this day more, and start acknowledging it in ways that actually makes a lot of sense and is more enjoyable to the parent, like spending time with dad.
But it is still difficult for me to understand that why kids never forget mother's day, even if they do not acknowledge it, but they have difficulty remembering father's day. Is there not enough advertising by media? Are father's not as important as mother's? Or is it because mother's day has been around for the longest time and father's day is relatively new to the society?
In our house hold, the female 4teen never forgets any of these days and tries her out most to make the best celebration with the most adequate gifts. The male 4teen, on the other hand, is a whole different story!! He remembers mother's day and tries very hard to unremember it. Furthermore, he never knows when is father's day, unless being reminded, and then celebrates it lavishly.
The way I see it, fathers are very important in life, but mothers are more. With that being said, every child needs both normal and decent parent to grow into a healthy and stable adult.
The truth of the matter is that I do not think that the kids between 8 and 35, or until they become parents themselves, remember father's day as well as they remember mother's day. Younger kids have their mother to help them plan the day and buy gifts and cards, but when the kids grow older and planning the day becomes their responsibility, most of them genuinely forget father's day.
When the kids grow older and become parents themselves, they start to remember this day more, and start acknowledging it in ways that actually makes a lot of sense and is more enjoyable to the parent, like spending time with dad.
But it is still difficult for me to understand that why kids never forget mother's day, even if they do not acknowledge it, but they have difficulty remembering father's day. Is there not enough advertising by media? Are father's not as important as mother's? Or is it because mother's day has been around for the longest time and father's day is relatively new to the society?
In our house hold, the female 4teen never forgets any of these days and tries her out most to make the best celebration with the most adequate gifts. The male 4teen, on the other hand, is a whole different story!! He remembers mother's day and tries very hard to unremember it. Furthermore, he never knows when is father's day, unless being reminded, and then celebrates it lavishly.
The way I see it, fathers are very important in life, but mothers are more. With that being said, every child needs both normal and decent parent to grow into a healthy and stable adult.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Memorial Day
Yesterday was indeed Memorial Day on so many levels for me. On top of everything else that went on yesterday, I observed the memorial day for the 2nd year of the death of my father.
I was a good kid and did all the proper things that I am supposed to do, I cooked and prayed and attended the services and I recited the mourners prayers, but something is still missing.
For beginners, I was sincerely sad and I don't know why they say that as time goes by it becomes easier, it does not. I simply miss him. I talked about him with 4teens and hubby chubby and remembered him fondly, but still there is something missing. I need to remember him in a way that is only mine, I need something special that no one shares with him, but me and I am desperately looking for this.
We both shared a special interest in reading and enjoying amazingly odd news. We both loved to write, however, I am not sure if he wrote to his friends as he wrote to me. My writing comes from heart, because it reveals and illuminates concepts for me. It calms me, but he was a calm person in the last two decades of his life. Very at peace with life, accepting and good humored.
I never knew him well when I was a 4teen, because he was busy working and I was busy being a 4teen. As I grew older, and as our lives changed millions of times, I saw him in ways that my siblings never saw him, I saw him as a human being and not only a dad, and maybe that is the connection that I had with him privately.
I miss his serenity, his calming voice and his advice. I miss him asking about 4teens and laughing at their adventures. No one ever showed interest in my education and career as he did. No one ever encouraged me to further my education as he did. I see traits of him in my 4teen male and it makes me feel that he is with me, and I guess that no matter what everytime I see my son, I see a piece of him that will plant a smile on my face.
I was a good kid and did all the proper things that I am supposed to do, I cooked and prayed and attended the services and I recited the mourners prayers, but something is still missing.
For beginners, I was sincerely sad and I don't know why they say that as time goes by it becomes easier, it does not. I simply miss him. I talked about him with 4teens and hubby chubby and remembered him fondly, but still there is something missing. I need to remember him in a way that is only mine, I need something special that no one shares with him, but me and I am desperately looking for this.
We both shared a special interest in reading and enjoying amazingly odd news. We both loved to write, however, I am not sure if he wrote to his friends as he wrote to me. My writing comes from heart, because it reveals and illuminates concepts for me. It calms me, but he was a calm person in the last two decades of his life. Very at peace with life, accepting and good humored.
I never knew him well when I was a 4teen, because he was busy working and I was busy being a 4teen. As I grew older, and as our lives changed millions of times, I saw him in ways that my siblings never saw him, I saw him as a human being and not only a dad, and maybe that is the connection that I had with him privately.
I miss his serenity, his calming voice and his advice. I miss him asking about 4teens and laughing at their adventures. No one ever showed interest in my education and career as he did. No one ever encouraged me to further my education as he did. I see traits of him in my 4teen male and it makes me feel that he is with me, and I guess that no matter what everytime I see my son, I see a piece of him that will plant a smile on my face.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Post Mother's day comments
Three mothers were talking about how much their children love them and what they will do for them. The first one said that her son loves her so much that he bought her a Mercedes S500 for mother's day. The second said that her daughter loves her so much that she has bought her an apartment with jacuzzi, swimming pool and .... close to the city so that she will be in the center of civility and activities. The third said, that her son tops them all, because he paie $400 an hour twice a week to a therapist just to talk about his mother and he has been doing it for years!
I love this story, because it confirms my observation about mother's day. Mind you that at this age, I am a child myself as well as a mother to the 4teens and I believe that mother's day is not about mothers at all, once again it is all about the kids!!
A week before and after the day, every one talks about what they did for their mothers and how heir mothers responded to their gifts and more than 80% do not like the response that their mother's give them. The kids expect gratitude and constant thank yous for gifts that mothers have no use most of the time. Myself, I do not want any gifts from my kids, first because I do not need anything and second,because mothers should be respected everyday, not just in mother's day and certainly not by a materialistic gift. But no, they (our beloved children) insist on buying us gifts as an object of demonstration of their love, no matter what we want. After all it is only mother's day and guess who this day is about???
And then the moms converse and tell each other how their mother's day have gone by and guess what, the subject of the conversation becomes their children again! How they are so wonderful and what they did..... and once again it is about kids on this end too!
The way I see it, It is a pay back time for all the moms that were kids themselves once! Happy belated mother's day.
I love this story, because it confirms my observation about mother's day. Mind you that at this age, I am a child myself as well as a mother to the 4teens and I believe that mother's day is not about mothers at all, once again it is all about the kids!!
A week before and after the day, every one talks about what they did for their mothers and how heir mothers responded to their gifts and more than 80% do not like the response that their mother's give them. The kids expect gratitude and constant thank yous for gifts that mothers have no use most of the time. Myself, I do not want any gifts from my kids, first because I do not need anything and second,because mothers should be respected everyday, not just in mother's day and certainly not by a materialistic gift. But no, they (our beloved children) insist on buying us gifts as an object of demonstration of their love, no matter what we want. After all it is only mother's day and guess who this day is about???
And then the moms converse and tell each other how their mother's day have gone by and guess what, the subject of the conversation becomes their children again! How they are so wonderful and what they did..... and once again it is about kids on this end too!
The way I see it, It is a pay back time for all the moms that were kids themselves once! Happy belated mother's day.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Life in 21st century
I am totally impressed with the fact that every positive or negative feeling has a medical term and a cure in this adopted homeland of mine. An ample example is depression: I never knew that depression has so many different names and terminology. I had no clue that there are so many different medication to control it, and I am still amazed by the fact that despite all, so many depressed people live in this country and above all, some of this medication is still not working.
Last week, the paper was recruiting people who expereience shyness for a study and cure for that syndrome, and that made me think, that are they done with treating cancer and aids that they are now targeting SHYNESS? And since when this is a syndrome? And what exactly this medication will do to shy pople to encourage them to open up to public?
This is 21st century and the kids nowadays do not play ball in the street with other kids. They paly videogames on line with people remotly while they sit alone n their house. How do we expect them to learn social skills when they never interact with other people? They are so isolated in their world that their contact is limited to school friends and teachers, most of it through email, texting and abbrevation talking. As parents we are so wrapped up in our lives and the materialistic world that if our kids can take a pill to cure one thing, then it is one less thing for us to hustle about and we go for it. We never think twice about the validity of the situation or the consequences.
I am pretty sure that no kid will be depressed, if the parents would take the time to get home in time to be with them and spend time them. No adult would be suffering anxiety if they mingled in the circle of family and friends more and took the time to reconnect with cousins, neighbors and even the shopkeepers in the neighborhood. People need each other and that contact can replace every medication for depression, shyness and anything else that is caused by the 21st phenomenon of isolation.
We need to fight, to learn to get alng with people. We need to argue in order to be able to assert ourselves and overcome our insecurities. We need to talk to hear our own thoughts and we need to share to be able to feel good.
The way I see it, academic education can be bought and don't be fooled by otherwise. Social education is acquired and no money can buy that and that can be acquired in the street among the people and with the society.
Street smarts are more successful than book smarts in the long run, but blessed is the one who has both and doubled blessed if they have wise parents to go along with all those skills.
Lucky is the one with a Phd in socoial education, because he suffers no depression, anxiety or shyness, therefore no medication. There is a proverb that states that a healthy body is a result of a healthy mind.
Last week, the paper was recruiting people who expereience shyness for a study and cure for that syndrome, and that made me think, that are they done with treating cancer and aids that they are now targeting SHYNESS? And since when this is a syndrome? And what exactly this medication will do to shy pople to encourage them to open up to public?
This is 21st century and the kids nowadays do not play ball in the street with other kids. They paly videogames on line with people remotly while they sit alone n their house. How do we expect them to learn social skills when they never interact with other people? They are so isolated in their world that their contact is limited to school friends and teachers, most of it through email, texting and abbrevation talking. As parents we are so wrapped up in our lives and the materialistic world that if our kids can take a pill to cure one thing, then it is one less thing for us to hustle about and we go for it. We never think twice about the validity of the situation or the consequences.
I am pretty sure that no kid will be depressed, if the parents would take the time to get home in time to be with them and spend time them. No adult would be suffering anxiety if they mingled in the circle of family and friends more and took the time to reconnect with cousins, neighbors and even the shopkeepers in the neighborhood. People need each other and that contact can replace every medication for depression, shyness and anything else that is caused by the 21st phenomenon of isolation.
We need to fight, to learn to get alng with people. We need to argue in order to be able to assert ourselves and overcome our insecurities. We need to talk to hear our own thoughts and we need to share to be able to feel good.
The way I see it, academic education can be bought and don't be fooled by otherwise. Social education is acquired and no money can buy that and that can be acquired in the street among the people and with the society.
Street smarts are more successful than book smarts in the long run, but blessed is the one who has both and doubled blessed if they have wise parents to go along with all those skills.
Lucky is the one with a Phd in socoial education, because he suffers no depression, anxiety or shyness, therefore no medication. There is a proverb that states that a healthy body is a result of a healthy mind.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Self improvement vs. others improvements
The picture above is worth million words, and I do not think that I could have summed it up better than what this caricature shows.
I just wish we could concentrate more on solving our own problems instead of analyzing other people's. I hope that whatever we preach to others, we practice ourselves as well. I pray that when we get to the same situation, we do not do what we see and think that other people do wrong.
This time, I hope we concentrate more on ourselves than others, and that we make it about us. No more unwarranted advice from me to others, unless it is requested. Of course this rule does not apply to 4teen and hubby chubby and .......
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Real miracles or fake ones?
I really do believe in miracles. The miracles that have happened in my life were not as grand as the parting of the Red Sea, but a miracle nevertheless, in the most dire moments of my life. So, as I am writing this piece, please bear in mind that what I said about miracles is heartfelt and I know that it happens in our daily lives all the time.
This morning was a late one for me. I needed some extra time just in bed to pull myself together, so I turned on TV and religious program got me interested. This English speaking person was among a gigantic crowd, trying to heal the deaf, the mute and to recover lost senses of smell and taste. Apparently there was a long line of people waiting to seet him, and he on the stage in front of the micro phone asked every individual who approched him about the ailing. The translator would translate for him and he would put his hands on the ear or the mouth or the nose, depending on the part that he wanted to heal, and would command the healing to begin in the name of Jesus and they would suddenly hear, talk (not perfectly, because he said that they needed therapy) and would start tasting and smelling. He had boxes of cookies and bottles of perfume very handy.
I watched this charade for 45 minutes with repetitive incident and prayers and the hocus pocus that this man did. I could hear the crowd cheering, but there was something missing that made me wonder about this whole circus.
Let's say that I had lost my hearing in the left ear for 10 years now ( a real case on the show). It must have been important to me to get in such a long line to go see this man to restore my hearing, or at least that is what I think. I must have had faith in him, otherwise I would not subject myself to this long day. Then when my hearing is restored, shouldn't I be just a tad bit emotional? Just a tid bit grateful, or in a rare case a tear or two? Maybe jumping up and down, or hugging someone, or relating the gratitude in a more sincere way? I watched 20 some people being healed and not one, not even one got emotional. There where young ones, old ones, white ones and black ones, not even one demonstrated some kind of emotion or indication of it.
The way I see it, is that either they got paid to appear on TV with this Reverend, or they must have a very very miserable life that the healing prompted no real happiness in their daily chores. In that case, I pray that the Reverend can heal and bring them all some sort of miracle to restore happiness to these people. Maybe in their happiness, they will not get sick this much.
And if they are getting paid so well for what they are doing, I hope they advertise how to apply for this job, I bet many people would benefit from that.
This morning was a late one for me. I needed some extra time just in bed to pull myself together, so I turned on TV and religious program got me interested. This English speaking person was among a gigantic crowd, trying to heal the deaf, the mute and to recover lost senses of smell and taste. Apparently there was a long line of people waiting to seet him, and he on the stage in front of the micro phone asked every individual who approched him about the ailing. The translator would translate for him and he would put his hands on the ear or the mouth or the nose, depending on the part that he wanted to heal, and would command the healing to begin in the name of Jesus and they would suddenly hear, talk (not perfectly, because he said that they needed therapy) and would start tasting and smelling. He had boxes of cookies and bottles of perfume very handy.
I watched this charade for 45 minutes with repetitive incident and prayers and the hocus pocus that this man did. I could hear the crowd cheering, but there was something missing that made me wonder about this whole circus.
Let's say that I had lost my hearing in the left ear for 10 years now ( a real case on the show). It must have been important to me to get in such a long line to go see this man to restore my hearing, or at least that is what I think. I must have had faith in him, otherwise I would not subject myself to this long day. Then when my hearing is restored, shouldn't I be just a tad bit emotional? Just a tid bit grateful, or in a rare case a tear or two? Maybe jumping up and down, or hugging someone, or relating the gratitude in a more sincere way? I watched 20 some people being healed and not one, not even one got emotional. There where young ones, old ones, white ones and black ones, not even one demonstrated some kind of emotion or indication of it.
The way I see it, is that either they got paid to appear on TV with this Reverend, or they must have a very very miserable life that the healing prompted no real happiness in their daily chores. In that case, I pray that the Reverend can heal and bring them all some sort of miracle to restore happiness to these people. Maybe in their happiness, they will not get sick this much.
And if they are getting paid so well for what they are doing, I hope they advertise how to apply for this job, I bet many people would benefit from that.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Secret Views
The book”Secret” is on the bestseller list in both Washington and New York Times for quite a while now. I checked several book stores and they were all out and the recommendation is on-line shopping for the book. The libraries have a long waiting list time for both the book and the video. The jest of the book is that through positive thinking and imagining yourself having the object of your desire, you do get it. And this seems to be a message that many people need to hear right now.
Many people swear by the empowerment of the words of the book, and those were mainly looking for things that were not materialistic in particular. Many are big critics of this old book and think that the idea is simply ridiculous and very farfetched. And it works like real life, one thing works for me and not for you and vice versa.
I was reading a few negative reviews from regular people who have read this book and reviewing is not a paying job for them. Those who have read this and thought that it is absolutely a waste of time even reading it, forget about buying it. One particular review prompted me to writing this piece, because despite what she wrote, I think at the end she proved that the book actually works!
This lady said that per the contents of the book, if we want a million dollars, we should write it down and keep telling ourselves repeatedly that we want that money and to remind ourselves of that on a daily basis. She also said that this is the authors scheme to make a million dollars for herself by selling these ideas to people.
The way I see it, the author really did want a million dollars, and the author did exactly how she preached, visualized herself having that, and probably wrote it down too. The only difference is that she did actually focus on the goal and did something to make the million bucks, by writing a best selling book!! And I guess this is the real message. If you want something in life, focus on it and do your best to get it, and get it you will.
Think about a pair of shoes that you really want; even if you know that you can not afford it. If you really and badly want the shoe, then you will find a way to pay for it. The key words are focus and working hard to get it, not writing it on the paper and just looking at it on a daily basis. The looking part should be a reminder that this is your goal, do not forget it and go for it.
Then again we all see what we choose to see, and I know a few people that needed to hear it from this book to shape up their lives and it seems to be working. And that is all it counts. I am just sorry that I did not think about writing a book like that, may be because the million dollars is not on my list YET!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
What day is today? April's Fool Day!!
Well this is my favorite day, The April’s Fool Day, and one of my 4teens is constantly a victim of this day. This 4teen is Pretty Street smart and hopefully one of these days he can relate the date and the unbelievable story and draw the right conclusion!!
April 1st 2007 prank of 4t+:
I got up in the morning pretending to be very sick and nauseated. 4teen was a bit concerned and wanted to know if I had the stomach flu. I said: “no sweetie, I am just pregnant.” 4teen looked at me in horror and asked: “You what?” and I repeated that I was pregnant and he went bananas as in nuts as in crackers and as in out of control! The look on the face was priceless, except that in the middle of all this reality theatrical show, I started laughing and my prank was exposed. This was a good one, maybe one of my best, but that is another story.
In honor of this great day, I have found a few of my favorite pranks for Aprils fool day from the Yahoo News. You have to admit that the stories are pretty hilarious! Enjoy.
NEW YORK (AFP) -
In 1957, a BBC television show announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.
In 1998, a newsletter titled New Mexicans for Science and Reason carried an article that the state of Alabama had voted to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to the "Biblical value" of 3.0.
Burger King, another American fast-food chain, published a full-page advertisement in USA Today in 1998 announcing the introduction of the "Left-Handed Whopper," specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new burger included the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. The chain said it received thousands of requests for the new burger, as well as orders for the original "right-handed" version.
Noted British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on the radio in 1976 that at 9:47 am, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event, in which Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, would cause a gravitational alignment that would reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment of the planetary alignment, they would experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people called in to report feeling the sensation
April 1st 2007 prank of 4t+:
I got up in the morning pretending to be very sick and nauseated. 4teen was a bit concerned and wanted to know if I had the stomach flu. I said: “no sweetie, I am just pregnant.” 4teen looked at me in horror and asked: “You what?” and I repeated that I was pregnant and he went bananas as in nuts as in crackers and as in out of control! The look on the face was priceless, except that in the middle of all this reality theatrical show, I started laughing and my prank was exposed. This was a good one, maybe one of my best, but that is another story.
In honor of this great day, I have found a few of my favorite pranks for Aprils fool day from the Yahoo News. You have to admit that the stories are pretty hilarious! Enjoy.
NEW YORK (AFP) -
In 1957, a BBC television show announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. Footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.
In 1998, a newsletter titled New Mexicans for Science and Reason carried an article that the state of Alabama had voted to change the value of pi from 3.14159 to the "Biblical value" of 3.0.
Burger King, another American fast-food chain, published a full-page advertisement in USA Today in 1998 announcing the introduction of the "Left-Handed Whopper," specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new burger included the same ingredients as the original, but the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. The chain said it received thousands of requests for the new burger, as well as orders for the original "right-handed" version.
Noted British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on the radio in 1976 that at 9:47 am, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event, in which Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, would cause a gravitational alignment that would reduce the Earth's gravity. Moore told listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment of the planetary alignment, they would experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people called in to report feeling the sensation
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Another kind of truth that is inconevient
The recent news reminded me very much of the book, "Ismael" by Daniel Quinn. Last week, a few brands of pet food were recalled from the shelves, because they believed that they are tainted with rat poison. These foods have caused gradual terminal illnesses for dogs and cats, and there is even a rumor that it maybe a deliberate act. And I am thinking that wow!! We are in 21st century and in the height of civilization, and we pride ourselves for the movement of animal rights , yet we are no different than other countries that kill animals deliberately. At least they have a good reason for that, what about us?
With only one difference, we kill them in style. We bring them home, we are nice to them. We buy them toys and clothes and we buy the best ready food for them. When they become sick, we take them to the veterinarian and pay hefty doctor bills and then they die. This is American style, versus, a strayed dog walks in the street and a few people just kill it with a knife.
Where I grew up, we fed our leftover food to our cats and dogs. We fed them the beef bone or the chicken skin or meat. Whatever we ate, the dog ate and that was the end of the story. We did not have ready and prepared food for ourselves, forget about our pets. When did we start to compromise our welfare with convenience. Life has become a lot easier, because we do not need to work harder physically, yet the world has become a stranger place as weirdos start killing our pets by poisoning their ready made food. Now our minds are in a whirlwind and the worry starts to consume our lives. Would I be the next target?
The way I see it, the more we get civilized, in our minds, the less human we become. As if we have never left the stone ages, and that is what I got from the book Ishmael. I am baffled by the exposure of all the sick minds around the world. I believe that the psychos have always existed, but as the population grows, so does the number of them and as the technology advances, we share more knowledge together, and as we supposedly advance further in life, the methods get more sophisticated and in greater numbers.
It seems that the simplicity of life serves the people and the planet a lot better. I just don't understand why we cant' contend with it. What exactly is it that we are looking for?
With only one difference, we kill them in style. We bring them home, we are nice to them. We buy them toys and clothes and we buy the best ready food for them. When they become sick, we take them to the veterinarian and pay hefty doctor bills and then they die. This is American style, versus, a strayed dog walks in the street and a few people just kill it with a knife.
Where I grew up, we fed our leftover food to our cats and dogs. We fed them the beef bone or the chicken skin or meat. Whatever we ate, the dog ate and that was the end of the story. We did not have ready and prepared food for ourselves, forget about our pets. When did we start to compromise our welfare with convenience. Life has become a lot easier, because we do not need to work harder physically, yet the world has become a stranger place as weirdos start killing our pets by poisoning their ready made food. Now our minds are in a whirlwind and the worry starts to consume our lives. Would I be the next target?
The way I see it, the more we get civilized, in our minds, the less human we become. As if we have never left the stone ages, and that is what I got from the book Ishmael. I am baffled by the exposure of all the sick minds around the world. I believe that the psychos have always existed, but as the population grows, so does the number of them and as the technology advances, we share more knowledge together, and as we supposedly advance further in life, the methods get more sophisticated and in greater numbers.
It seems that the simplicity of life serves the people and the planet a lot better. I just don't understand why we cant' contend with it. What exactly is it that we are looking for?
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Remember what you wish for, you may get it!
This is my favorite chinese proverbs of all times, and this is a small example of what it means to me.
Two months ago, I was nominated the president of one of many clubs that I attend. Not quite a US or any other country president, but a president none the less. I was proud and pleased and soooo naïve!
And of course I learned a lot about me and people and there were times that I really could identify for the real presidents!! It is not an easy job, even at the scale that I am. I learned that people can be very rude and disrespectful, and while I was not a president, I was treated far better, maybe like an ally?? I am still me, the same old blunt, frank and honest person that they admired, yet this presidency has put a dent into this situation.
Secondly, I thought that being an honorary president is quite easy, especially if we are dealing with adults who are highly educated with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Boy how wrong I was. They elected me to this position, yet they have no regards for my views, directions or thoughts. They deviate from the guidelines and the bylaws and they go to any extent to achieve their goal, something exactly like 4teen would do. They get bossy and rebel against authority. When I try to make a move, I have to be very diplomatic and believe it or not very firm and sometimes by saying, because I said so! They do not complain when I have to take the hit for unpleasant situations and mistakes, but they do have a problem with me setting guidelines with rules and regulations to follow.
Was I like this to the past presidents?? Am I a control freak and that is the reason for this happening? Do I need to become a dictator to make my club to fear me and respect me out of that? I guess with every power comes responsibility and of course the price.
I am not sure that I want to pay that price and gruel over it. So America rest assured that I will not nominate myself for the presidency ever. As for the club, I am going to make this work, despite all. I will do what I think is right and with the help of some allies we will prevail!!
Well, for one thing, being a president is off my system and I do not need to see a shrink for that. Also, I can not complain that this is not a land of opportunity, because it is.
The other thing is that I learned that I do not want to be a president of anything anymore; well maybe if they pay me enough, I will reconsider!!
Did I say that everyone in this club is woman??
Two months ago, I was nominated the president of one of many clubs that I attend. Not quite a US or any other country president, but a president none the less. I was proud and pleased and soooo naïve!
And of course I learned a lot about me and people and there were times that I really could identify for the real presidents!! It is not an easy job, even at the scale that I am. I learned that people can be very rude and disrespectful, and while I was not a president, I was treated far better, maybe like an ally?? I am still me, the same old blunt, frank and honest person that they admired, yet this presidency has put a dent into this situation.
Secondly, I thought that being an honorary president is quite easy, especially if we are dealing with adults who are highly educated with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Boy how wrong I was. They elected me to this position, yet they have no regards for my views, directions or thoughts. They deviate from the guidelines and the bylaws and they go to any extent to achieve their goal, something exactly like 4teen would do. They get bossy and rebel against authority. When I try to make a move, I have to be very diplomatic and believe it or not very firm and sometimes by saying, because I said so! They do not complain when I have to take the hit for unpleasant situations and mistakes, but they do have a problem with me setting guidelines with rules and regulations to follow.
Was I like this to the past presidents?? Am I a control freak and that is the reason for this happening? Do I need to become a dictator to make my club to fear me and respect me out of that? I guess with every power comes responsibility and of course the price.
I am not sure that I want to pay that price and gruel over it. So America rest assured that I will not nominate myself for the presidency ever. As for the club, I am going to make this work, despite all. I will do what I think is right and with the help of some allies we will prevail!!
Well, for one thing, being a president is off my system and I do not need to see a shrink for that. Also, I can not complain that this is not a land of opportunity, because it is.
The other thing is that I learned that I do not want to be a president of anything anymore; well maybe if they pay me enough, I will reconsider!!
Did I say that everyone in this club is woman??
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Moral or cultural exchanges?
In Herouxvill, Quebec in Canada, the authorities have passed a law to ban immigrants from stoning women. Authorities had a bit of controversary over this new law, but the councilman has assured all the residents that when it comes to some cultural difference, the immigrants should abide to the laws of the region. And that gets me a bit confused.
I thought that people immigrate because they want to better their lives; why else would they want to travel to an unknown land, with a different culture language and climate faraway from family and friends, unless running away from something illegal.
If I want to live my life exactly like what it was back home here in this new adopted home, why did I burden the hardship? And if I am here, because I do not like my life style there, and was incapable to change it, why am I doing the same thing here? Do I make sense?
Immigration is not an easy as it is spelled and I know it because I am a pro and have done it twice around and I can tell you a lot about it. But through hardship of adapting and adjusting, I know that although changing habits and cultures are very challenging, I think that I have made a few things work better for me than before. I have tried to blend the best of every culture that I have been ever exposed to and make a new way of life for me and yet preserve my identity. Believe me that I still have my accent intact!
I have not become fully American, and I have not lost all my ethnic background. I cherish my family tradition and embrace it with whole heart and pass it on to 4teen, and at the same time, I love the opportunities and possibilities that this land has provided for me without binding me down for being a woman, minority or social class barriers.
I know that this last sentence will bring a lot of adversary opinion, but in relation to many other countries, we all have it better here. Many things were not to my liking in the country that I was born and grew up, and I try to get rid of them now. On the other hand, many things are cold and impersonal here and I try to bypass them. I have learned to speak the language here fluently. I have adapted to customs and the ways that things are done in this country regardless, but I enjoy the convenience that this country offers me.
The way I see it, if one wants the convenience and abundance of this country, something should be paid in exchange and abiding by it’s rules is part of the game. You could not change the way of life and how things work in your country and you come here for a fresh start. If you try to make it like how it was back home, then what is the difference between you and the regime in power there? Again, why did you come here?
I thought that people immigrate because they want to better their lives; why else would they want to travel to an unknown land, with a different culture language and climate faraway from family and friends, unless running away from something illegal.
If I want to live my life exactly like what it was back home here in this new adopted home, why did I burden the hardship? And if I am here, because I do not like my life style there, and was incapable to change it, why am I doing the same thing here? Do I make sense?
Immigration is not an easy as it is spelled and I know it because I am a pro and have done it twice around and I can tell you a lot about it. But through hardship of adapting and adjusting, I know that although changing habits and cultures are very challenging, I think that I have made a few things work better for me than before. I have tried to blend the best of every culture that I have been ever exposed to and make a new way of life for me and yet preserve my identity. Believe me that I still have my accent intact!
I have not become fully American, and I have not lost all my ethnic background. I cherish my family tradition and embrace it with whole heart and pass it on to 4teen, and at the same time, I love the opportunities and possibilities that this land has provided for me without binding me down for being a woman, minority or social class barriers.
I know that this last sentence will bring a lot of adversary opinion, but in relation to many other countries, we all have it better here. Many things were not to my liking in the country that I was born and grew up, and I try to get rid of them now. On the other hand, many things are cold and impersonal here and I try to bypass them. I have learned to speak the language here fluently. I have adapted to customs and the ways that things are done in this country regardless, but I enjoy the convenience that this country offers me.
The way I see it, if one wants the convenience and abundance of this country, something should be paid in exchange and abiding by it’s rules is part of the game. You could not change the way of life and how things work in your country and you come here for a fresh start. If you try to make it like how it was back home, then what is the difference between you and the regime in power there? Again, why did you come here?
Saturday, February 24, 2007
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of 2006 Movies
The Oscar is one of my favorite events of the year. I love the glamour, the clothing and the whole aspects of the production and I always watch it religiously despite all. However, I have to admit that there are many times that I do not agree with the selection of the judges. For the most part, I think that the criteria of nomination are more politically driven than anything else, and secondly, I find the nominated movies in their entire truth ness, have very sad themes and difficult situations.
I love movies, but when it comes to films, like everything else, it is a matter of taste. People raved about the Borat Movie and some thought that it was even robbed out of Oscar nomination, while I thought that yes it was funny, but in some ways stupid and disgusting. The “Broke Back Mountain” won the academy awards in 2005, and I left the movie theatre in the middle of the film. I guess that is why other kinds of awards have started circulating that represents the taste of an average viewer rather than a few sophisticated critical judges, like the people’s choice award.
We always nominate the best movies, why don’t we select the top five worst movies? So in the honor of the 79th academy awards in 2007, I have decided to nominate the some movies that I have watched and disliked in 2006. Some of these movies I watched with 4teen, don’t ask why, and the others where actually my choice and I can’t blame anyone else. So here we go:
Jackass
Tucker Must Die
The Breakup
Running with Scissors
Apocalypto
Lady in Water
Basic Instinct 2
Eragon
Click
The Wicker Man
I stop at number ten, like a professional would, but I actually have more bad films to add, a lot more. I would like to hear about your worse movies of 2006, if you would like to share, then maybe we can start our own tradition of dreadful movies of the year?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Valentine's Day & Practicality
Valentine’s Day is all about great expectations and as a consequence, and the extent of one’s happiness is very closely tied to those expectations.
As some people celebrated this day last week, some were very pleasantly surprised by the number of balloons, chocolate covered strawberry’s, flowers and the way they were all presented before a romantic dinner, while others hugged a lousy teddy bear expecting to have received more than a cheesy stuffed animal that said happy valentines’ day, something more with a personal touch, or a bit more $$$$.
Northeast USA had a terrible snow/ice storm on that particular day that immobilized the region for at least a day, while schools are still closed. Some were disappointed that no flowers arrived at their doors, despite the fact that they new northeast USA was drenched in snow and ice and almost everyone stayed home if they could. While others hopefully believed the obvious lie that their flowers was also stranded on the icy roads and will not get to them because of the road conditions. (Ingenious thinkers)
Florists & restaurants were mentally adding all the cash that they will receive on this day, while many were relieved that they could cancel their reservations and pocket the cost of the expensive meal. They know that they can use that fund to eat out maybe three or four times on other normal nights of the week.
I heard a lot of comments from friends and colleagues for this day that was basically summed up in this blog in a nut shell. Except for one that I will actually share the story with you, because despite the commerciality of valentine, I like to receive and get heart shaped funky stuff to people who are close to me. However, I do not like to blow it out of proportion.
Anyway, a friend emailed me the day after valentines that she had broken up with a boyfriend of almost 3 years on valentines’ eve. I was so sad and I wondered why would anyone break up on Valentine’s Day while we have 364 other days to do it?
The answer she gave me was that they were going to break up anyway, so why spend money on gifts and dinner, while they know in their hearts that they are not a good match despite their love!
And my 4teens call me frugal! See, there are people who are practical, even when it comes to the matter of hearts!!
As some people celebrated this day last week, some were very pleasantly surprised by the number of balloons, chocolate covered strawberry’s, flowers and the way they were all presented before a romantic dinner, while others hugged a lousy teddy bear expecting to have received more than a cheesy stuffed animal that said happy valentines’ day, something more with a personal touch, or a bit more $$$$.
Northeast USA had a terrible snow/ice storm on that particular day that immobilized the region for at least a day, while schools are still closed. Some were disappointed that no flowers arrived at their doors, despite the fact that they new northeast USA was drenched in snow and ice and almost everyone stayed home if they could. While others hopefully believed the obvious lie that their flowers was also stranded on the icy roads and will not get to them because of the road conditions. (Ingenious thinkers)
Florists & restaurants were mentally adding all the cash that they will receive on this day, while many were relieved that they could cancel their reservations and pocket the cost of the expensive meal. They know that they can use that fund to eat out maybe three or four times on other normal nights of the week.
I heard a lot of comments from friends and colleagues for this day that was basically summed up in this blog in a nut shell. Except for one that I will actually share the story with you, because despite the commerciality of valentine, I like to receive and get heart shaped funky stuff to people who are close to me. However, I do not like to blow it out of proportion.
Anyway, a friend emailed me the day after valentines that she had broken up with a boyfriend of almost 3 years on valentines’ eve. I was so sad and I wondered why would anyone break up on Valentine’s Day while we have 364 other days to do it?
The answer she gave me was that they were going to break up anyway, so why spend money on gifts and dinner, while they know in their hearts that they are not a good match despite their love!
And my 4teens call me frugal! See, there are people who are practical, even when it comes to the matter of hearts!!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Class of 2007, Before & Beyond
Last weekend, I attended a lovely graduation party. I know that this is an odd time for graduating from high school, but this particular school, has the graduation in February and for the rest of the school year takes the seniors on a memorable trip to teach more of the world that no book is able to teach.
Last year I went through the whole process with my 4teen as a parent, but somehow this year’s experience had a very special meaning than the emotional one of the previous year. This year something clicked within me that was not obvious to me last year. I think that last Saturday, I grew a bit wiser! I hope.
Where I come from, graduation parties were thrown only if someone was getting a bachelors or a higher degree. Graduation parties from high school were unheard of and graduation parties from kindergarten, elementary school and middle school would have raised a few eyebrows here and there.
When I moved here you can only imagine my mixed feelings when we celebrated the graduation of my 4teens from kindergarten through high school high school and every step of the way. I felt very proud, yet found this whole ordeal very bizarre and unwarranted. In short I was supposed to feel No big deal, yet it was a big deal, this was my child!
Yesterday as I looked at these young people so proud and so eager to invade and save the world from all the bad things , for the first time, I started remembering all those 4teens and younger who did and will not graduate because they are either ill, deceased or other. Yesterday, for the first time, I felt for the parents that are not privileged enough to see even a kindergarten graduation of a single child. And it was then that all came together to me. We celebrate every graduation of every child, because we have accomplished a difficult milestone in raising our children. We thank God for this day, because our children are healthy despite the crazy world of guns, bombs, knives, peer pressure and many more, that can happen in their own back yard, and not in Iraq, Sudan or wherever, on a daily basis. We applaud ourselves for doing the best that we can to bring them to this day, not only for our sake, but for the society’s sake as well.
Sincere congratulations to all the graduates of past, present and future, and of course their families too.
Last year I went through the whole process with my 4teen as a parent, but somehow this year’s experience had a very special meaning than the emotional one of the previous year. This year something clicked within me that was not obvious to me last year. I think that last Saturday, I grew a bit wiser! I hope.
Where I come from, graduation parties were thrown only if someone was getting a bachelors or a higher degree. Graduation parties from high school were unheard of and graduation parties from kindergarten, elementary school and middle school would have raised a few eyebrows here and there.
When I moved here you can only imagine my mixed feelings when we celebrated the graduation of my 4teens from kindergarten through high school high school and every step of the way. I felt very proud, yet found this whole ordeal very bizarre and unwarranted. In short I was supposed to feel No big deal, yet it was a big deal, this was my child!
Yesterday as I looked at these young people so proud and so eager to invade and save the world from all the bad things , for the first time, I started remembering all those 4teens and younger who did and will not graduate because they are either ill, deceased or other. Yesterday, for the first time, I felt for the parents that are not privileged enough to see even a kindergarten graduation of a single child. And it was then that all came together to me. We celebrate every graduation of every child, because we have accomplished a difficult milestone in raising our children. We thank God for this day, because our children are healthy despite the crazy world of guns, bombs, knives, peer pressure and many more, that can happen in their own back yard, and not in Iraq, Sudan or wherever, on a daily basis. We applaud ourselves for doing the best that we can to bring them to this day, not only for our sake, but for the society’s sake as well.
Sincere congratulations to all the graduates of past, present and future, and of course their families too.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Who is a tough guy?
The Tough Guy Challenge, an annual event to raise money for the Autistic society, was celebrated last Tuesday January 30, 2007. This event is in aid of charity and is open to individuals and teams. The 10 mile cross country run involved negotiating 25 obstacles en-route including plunging into an ice-cold lake, jumping over burning bales of hay and crawling through mud under barbed wire. It's a survival ordeal and a test of physical and mental endurance designed to take you beyond your limits on torture rack obstacles known as The Killing Fields, following a wild terrain warm up. Believe it or not, people train for this event way in advance just to be able to make it to the finish line.
I understand the contestants pay to participate in this event and the proceed goes to help autistic kids and their parents. However, what I do not understand is why do people do this idiotic stuff like running through burning bushes and swimming through ice cold river to win this challenge for the title of Tough Guy? What are they proving and to whom are they proving it?
To me, tough guys are the parents and the siblings of the autistic children that day in and day out are battling with their situation with no reprieve. These tough guys are constantly going through hoops of fire and ice and God knows how much more and they endure it mentally and physically better than most other people, yet never titled as tough guys and for sure never recognized publicly or in newspapers around the world. They just do it, because they have to, and not because they chose to. The way I see it, the tough guys do not need to prove anything either to others or themselves.
So the question still stands; why should someone be called a tough guy while he walks through fire and self inflicts pain and burn and other sorts like that? God knows that I have a better name for these kinds of people.
I understand the contestants pay to participate in this event and the proceed goes to help autistic kids and their parents. However, what I do not understand is why do people do this idiotic stuff like running through burning bushes and swimming through ice cold river to win this challenge for the title of Tough Guy? What are they proving and to whom are they proving it?
To me, tough guys are the parents and the siblings of the autistic children that day in and day out are battling with their situation with no reprieve. These tough guys are constantly going through hoops of fire and ice and God knows how much more and they endure it mentally and physically better than most other people, yet never titled as tough guys and for sure never recognized publicly or in newspapers around the world. They just do it, because they have to, and not because they chose to. The way I see it, the tough guys do not need to prove anything either to others or themselves.
So the question still stands; why should someone be called a tough guy while he walks through fire and self inflicts pain and burn and other sorts like that? God knows that I have a better name for these kinds of people.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
The word of the week - NOTHING
I constantly overhear 4teen telling his friend, “and I asked her (4t) what did I do now that your are mad at me? And she said NOTHING, and she means it. Can you believe it and…..!”
Think about it, it is not always the things that people DO that make you mad, often times the things that they DO NOT DO, makes you even more furious. The truth is that at times I am mad at my 4teens for all the things that they do not do. For instance, not cleaning their room, helping around the house or not calling when being late. I get furious when they do not do their best or they fail to communicate important things (To my standard) to me. This rule applies to me personally as well, and here is why….
A few weeks ago at metro I was mad at myself for doing nothing. I still do not know what could I have done, but I am disappointed in me despite that. The 7am morning metro commute in DC area has it’s own crowd. For starters everyone is going to work. Almost all have their briefcases, daily news papers, occasional iPods and their comfortable shoes to walk up and down the steps as well as walking between the station and their cars, houses or buses. Those who don’t read nap, and they hardly ever talk to each other. The atmosphere is serious, yet I would like to believe civilized and professional. I have been offered a seat when the metro was very crowded, by gentlemen, who are still not as extinct as I thought.
On one of these normal mornings, an African American middle aged lady with three or four full tote bags entered the metro car. Her hair was not as coiffure and her clothes not as elegant as the rest of the people, yet a passenger none the less.
The car was very crowded and more people entered every station and apparently as she was walking toward the middle of the car, her tote bags accidentally hit another passenger’s foot and the man muttered an ugly curse at the woman. The woman angrily and sarcastically asked “Excuse me!” and the man repeated his ugly word. And the woman started yelling, cussing and screaming…..Not one person, including me opened his mouth. We pretended as if nothing is happening with our head bent looking at our feet.
And then I raised my head and looked around at all these people that were simply white and differently dressed, and it was then that I felt for that woman. I remembered in my other life, were I lived in my birth place, when I entered any where, I just prayed that no one will notice that I have a different religion until I am done with whatever I was supposed to do, and my religion was not even visible. I knew that for me being different meant different treatment. I know the feeling, because I have been that woman Yet that day, standing on the other side of the table, I did nothing to defend her, absolutely nothing.
The truth is that I can not shake the image out of my head. I can not but wonder if the man would have cursed at another woman in the same situation. Or why did no one offer her a seat, despite her age and baggage? Would they have done the same if the woman was different?
Think about it, it is not always the things that people DO that make you mad, often times the things that they DO NOT DO, makes you even more furious. The truth is that at times I am mad at my 4teens for all the things that they do not do. For instance, not cleaning their room, helping around the house or not calling when being late. I get furious when they do not do their best or they fail to communicate important things (To my standard) to me. This rule applies to me personally as well, and here is why….
A few weeks ago at metro I was mad at myself for doing nothing. I still do not know what could I have done, but I am disappointed in me despite that. The 7am morning metro commute in DC area has it’s own crowd. For starters everyone is going to work. Almost all have their briefcases, daily news papers, occasional iPods and their comfortable shoes to walk up and down the steps as well as walking between the station and their cars, houses or buses. Those who don’t read nap, and they hardly ever talk to each other. The atmosphere is serious, yet I would like to believe civilized and professional. I have been offered a seat when the metro was very crowded, by gentlemen, who are still not as extinct as I thought.
On one of these normal mornings, an African American middle aged lady with three or four full tote bags entered the metro car. Her hair was not as coiffure and her clothes not as elegant as the rest of the people, yet a passenger none the less.
The car was very crowded and more people entered every station and apparently as she was walking toward the middle of the car, her tote bags accidentally hit another passenger’s foot and the man muttered an ugly curse at the woman. The woman angrily and sarcastically asked “Excuse me!” and the man repeated his ugly word. And the woman started yelling, cussing and screaming…..Not one person, including me opened his mouth. We pretended as if nothing is happening with our head bent looking at our feet.
And then I raised my head and looked around at all these people that were simply white and differently dressed, and it was then that I felt for that woman. I remembered in my other life, were I lived in my birth place, when I entered any where, I just prayed that no one will notice that I have a different religion until I am done with whatever I was supposed to do, and my religion was not even visible. I knew that for me being different meant different treatment. I know the feeling, because I have been that woman Yet that day, standing on the other side of the table, I did nothing to defend her, absolutely nothing.
The truth is that I can not shake the image out of my head. I can not but wonder if the man would have cursed at another woman in the same situation. Or why did no one offer her a seat, despite her age and baggage? Would they have done the same if the woman was different?
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Bathrooms & Their Therapeutic Effect.
In the last few weeks, after my 2007 resolution to drink more water, I have been paying a lot more visit to my local bathrooms; therefore, I have started to notice a few things that are new to my eyes that do not make much sense to me, but apparently is evident to many people.
During my visits to the ladies room at work, I have noticed that many ladies come there to relax and to get away. Many come there to cry, and some to talk on their cell phones. Last week, someone stepped in and was unaware of my presence and started pacing the 5 yard place maybe ten times and huffed and puffed, looked at herself in the mirror, and left. Mind you, most of these people at work have their own offices with a door attached.
I know many people that stay long minutes in bathrooms and they sometimes take magazines and papers to read. At restaurants, bathrooms are not only for call of nature; people go there to talk and share secrets and occasionally smoke. When 4teen was a terrible2, she wanted to visit every bathroom at any restaurant or any house that we visited, and there were times that she did not even have to use it.
So there must be something that I am missing about this bathroom thing. I understand that at some places, like hotels, restaurants and peoples houses, bathrooms are pretty and cozy, but what is there to do more than conducting one’s business??
To me, bathrooms are very impersonal, cold and for heavens sake smelly. Why would I want to vent or relax in such a place? Why would I want to read a magazine or a paper there, while I can easily go to a coffee shop or a place that overlooks nature? If I think I am hiding from people in bathroom, or they will leave me alone there, I should think again, because in a household full of people there is no privacy even in the bathroom, of course if you are a 4t and not 4teen and definitely a man.
Maybe the big mirrors give consolation to the depressed and the upset. I have not yet figured out what is it that soothes people in the bathroom and why does it not work on me? I wish someone would explain it to me. Anyone?
During my visits to the ladies room at work, I have noticed that many ladies come there to relax and to get away. Many come there to cry, and some to talk on their cell phones. Last week, someone stepped in and was unaware of my presence and started pacing the 5 yard place maybe ten times and huffed and puffed, looked at herself in the mirror, and left. Mind you, most of these people at work have their own offices with a door attached.
I know many people that stay long minutes in bathrooms and they sometimes take magazines and papers to read. At restaurants, bathrooms are not only for call of nature; people go there to talk and share secrets and occasionally smoke. When 4teen was a terrible2, she wanted to visit every bathroom at any restaurant or any house that we visited, and there were times that she did not even have to use it.
So there must be something that I am missing about this bathroom thing. I understand that at some places, like hotels, restaurants and peoples houses, bathrooms are pretty and cozy, but what is there to do more than conducting one’s business??
To me, bathrooms are very impersonal, cold and for heavens sake smelly. Why would I want to vent or relax in such a place? Why would I want to read a magazine or a paper there, while I can easily go to a coffee shop or a place that overlooks nature? If I think I am hiding from people in bathroom, or they will leave me alone there, I should think again, because in a household full of people there is no privacy even in the bathroom, of course if you are a 4t and not 4teen and definitely a man.
Maybe the big mirrors give consolation to the depressed and the upset. I have not yet figured out what is it that soothes people in the bathroom and why does it not work on me? I wish someone would explain it to me. Anyone?
Monday, January 15, 2007
4teen & eyesight.
This week my focus is on 4teen and their attitude toward life. I believe that 4teen is experiencing a delightful age, but they all and I really mean all share a common trait; they are all nearsighted. No, I never wanted to be an ophthalmologist, but I guess after all they do not call us Dr. Mom for nothing. Their condition (4teen) is age related, like getting old and having catheracs( I know I have spelled it wrong, but I am unable to find the correct spelling at this time. Apologies.) But the good news is that with proper treatment and coaching, their condition should get better and in most cases gone as they grow out of 4teen and beyond. I hope.
The majority of 4teen is incapable of seeing farther too well, but they can see what is close to them very well, and by that I mean in life in general and not in medical term. They are all wrapped up in their present life that they fail to see their future and try to focus on it a little bit more. Most of them have dreams alright, just doing a bit of prep work to getting to that dream, is not the focus of the now. Having fun now is the objective of the game.
The way I see it, I need my ophthalmologist to prescribe me the right lenses so that I can see better so that I can perform my daily activities easily. 4teens needs a role model, that being a parent, guardian, mentor or a sibling to become contact lenses and eyeglasses to help them balance their near and far in life, so they can function better too.
The majority of 4teen is incapable of seeing farther too well, but they can see what is close to them very well, and by that I mean in life in general and not in medical term. They are all wrapped up in their present life that they fail to see their future and try to focus on it a little bit more. Most of them have dreams alright, just doing a bit of prep work to getting to that dream, is not the focus of the now. Having fun now is the objective of the game.
The way I see it, I need my ophthalmologist to prescribe me the right lenses so that I can see better so that I can perform my daily activities easily. 4teens needs a role model, that being a parent, guardian, mentor or a sibling to become contact lenses and eyeglasses to help them balance their near and far in life, so they can function better too.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
For everything else, there is master card.
Last weeks conversation, as every year before that on the first week of January was “The New Years Resolution” and how the same old new resolutions will be held seriously this year. So I made a couple of them (resolutions) and one of them is to keep in touch with family and friends more often. To prove my point to myself, I called a dear friend of my school years and reconnected with her after a very very long time. And as we went through catching up with our lives, we rekindled and revisited our past and it felt really good to picture myself as a 4teen, doing all the stupid things possibl. Of course what we did is nothing compared to what 4teens do now a days!!
And as we walked through the lane of childhood, we talked like children and our hopes and dreams still unachieved. What if Santa Claus would make me 4teen pounds lighter instead of bringing me my favorite perfume? What if he handed me my CPA certificate instead of a SPA gift certificate? What if Santa Clause came in January to deliver the long list of the resolutions that we make for ourselves, instead of all the materialistic ones that we want for Christmas? After all, I can buy all those perfumes, clothes and games, I have problem losing 4teen pounds in that last 4t years!! Sounds childish?
I know that for everything in life there is a price to pay, some of which we pay with paper money and the rest we pay by time, effort and believe it or not, our lives. I made an effort to call a long lost friend as part of some cliché in our daily lives, my new year’s resolution. I paid with my time and effort and what I gained, was maybe nothing to you, but priceless to me. I have not felt like this for more than decades. Something hidden and dormant within me has resurfaced and I love the feeling. So maybe Santa Clause, and or what ever we want to call it, did bring me something more than the perfume, but I had to show some initiation to activate and push Santa!!
The way I see it, no one really decides to start smoking as a resolution or getting involved in real life dramas. No one ever wants to gain weight or fail in anything, but it happens. Why? Because we do not want the alternative bad enough and we do not want to pay for it with all the other things but paper money. Sometimes we have to give a bit of ourselves to get a lot more of other things and sometimes that giving is not just paper money. And believe me, paying with money is always an easy way out, even if you don’t have it. Not everything worth, is paid by money. Ask me, I know!
And as we walked through the lane of childhood, we talked like children and our hopes and dreams still unachieved. What if Santa Claus would make me 4teen pounds lighter instead of bringing me my favorite perfume? What if he handed me my CPA certificate instead of a SPA gift certificate? What if Santa Clause came in January to deliver the long list of the resolutions that we make for ourselves, instead of all the materialistic ones that we want for Christmas? After all, I can buy all those perfumes, clothes and games, I have problem losing 4teen pounds in that last 4t years!! Sounds childish?
I know that for everything in life there is a price to pay, some of which we pay with paper money and the rest we pay by time, effort and believe it or not, our lives. I made an effort to call a long lost friend as part of some cliché in our daily lives, my new year’s resolution. I paid with my time and effort and what I gained, was maybe nothing to you, but priceless to me. I have not felt like this for more than decades. Something hidden and dormant within me has resurfaced and I love the feeling. So maybe Santa Clause, and or what ever we want to call it, did bring me something more than the perfume, but I had to show some initiation to activate and push Santa!!
The way I see it, no one really decides to start smoking as a resolution or getting involved in real life dramas. No one ever wants to gain weight or fail in anything, but it happens. Why? Because we do not want the alternative bad enough and we do not want to pay for it with all the other things but paper money. Sometimes we have to give a bit of ourselves to get a lot more of other things and sometimes that giving is not just paper money. And believe me, paying with money is always an easy way out, even if you don’t have it. Not everything worth, is paid by money. Ask me, I know!
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