After breakfast this morning, Louisa (a fellow teacher here for her visa) and I decided to walk down the waterfront. It was lovely out: clear blue skies and about 72 degrees.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody!
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*Note: My apologies if this post sees a little disjointed, I'm not feeling well (I've got a very sore throat and a dry cough) and I've been trying to sleep it off. So, this might not be as talkative as usual. After breakfast this morning, Louisa (a fellow teacher here for her visa) and I decided to walk down the waterfront. It was lovely out: clear blue skies and about 72 degrees. So we walked to the mosque and happened upon the back where there was no pedestrian entrance to be found and signs that said "No Trespassing." Still, Louisa bravely decided that she would ask a security guard. So, we tiptoed in, found the guards and were warmly greeted and led to where we had been intended to enter. Tours were free, as were loaner abayas (neither of us had our with us) and a tour guide was just beginning his tour. The tour took about 2 hours an we learned an immense amount about Islam, Muslims, 'Arabic' culture, and mosques. Pardon the vanity, but the only way I can rotate portrait pictures is to post them singularly. Many of the photos that I take in portrait are of my own mug. This is a new problem got me in Weebly (this blog host); hopefully, it'll be fixed soon! Until then, portrait photos will stand alone in all their glory! I learned that the reason women wear the abaya and hijab is to honor Mary (as in, Mother of Jesus). She "was the best woman on Earth," our guide said, so it seems like a good idea to follow in her footsteps. The colors are purely cultural (stemming from Bedouin traditions) and have nothing to do with religion. We also stopped in the National Library. It was very cool and just like a very large public library. There were sections for every embassy here, including a US one which had lots of cultural stuff in it (like board games and movies as well as books). There was a children's section where many school aged children were studying and playing. Here is (part of) the call to prayer from inside the mosque. I'm sorry that I filmed it in portrait, I'm terrible about that. It was a great day, but I've been in bed nursing my terrible sore throat (accompanied by a not-at-all-helpful dry cough), so I haven't done much else. Tomorrow I'll join Louisa for breakfast (I feel terrible for abandoning her on Christmas Eve), check out of the hotel and head to the airport. Once in Riyadh I'll wait at Ian's apartment for him to get off work and we'll have Christmas night and until the next evening together before I go to Al Q. It's not much, but it's a whole lot better than nothing!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody! Pardon the brief break from the letter format, but I've got an announcement to make.
About a week ago I received a job opportunity in Saudi Arabia out of the blue. Of course, I wasn't looking for work. But the offer was very, very good (better than any position than I've ever held). I had to at least look at it. I didn't think I'd get an interview, but I did. And then I was offered a contract. It was tough for me because I find sudden changes difficult. I like to know what's happening well in advance. Spontaneity takes effort for me (but, I'm getting better). This was particularly difficult because the start date is 12/21. I'd have three weeks to be ready. The salary is twice as much as I've ever made. So, I'd be able to finish my prereq's, save money for my actual Master's program and put a significant amount in savings. And, most important o all, we could do all this and bring Ian home after one year instead of two. So, I decided to take it. I won't be with Ian. He lives in Riyadh. My school is in Al Quwayiyah (Al Q, affectionately), which is about two hours outside the city. My company (esgSA) provides transport to Riyadh every weekend, so I'd see him every week. But, we're going to have very different experiences. Obviously, our genders play a big part in that. I've already ordered an abaya and hijab. But, he is in a major city and I'll be in a very small one. So, while we'll be near each other, we'll be having independent experiences. My company sounds amazing and Ian is really enjoying the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). I'm nervous, but very excited. I don't have a flight yet, but I'm told I'm leaving on the 18th. I'll spend a couple of days processing my visa in Bahrain and then I'll fly into Riyadh. I just heard that I'll be able to spend a couple of days with Ian there because the school has pushed back the start of the semester to accommodate drying paint. It'll be a good way to start my time there. You can Google esg (esgSA) if you want to know more about the company I'm working for. They seem really great. I'll be joining a team working with a largely Bedouin community. Our students are young women aged 18-24. It's all very exciting. I know that the Middle East can make people very nervous and that the cultural differences between the states and Saudi are vast. So, if you have any questions, please ask in the comments or on Facebook. I'll answer as best I can and I'll be sure to share the ins and outs of my experience once I'm there. Hey Sundance,
The last few days have been pretty uneventful. I haven't started classes yet and there really isn't anything for me to do. I've sat in on a few classes here and there, but usually not more than one in the morning and one in the evening. You can definitely tell there's a higher standard here than in Asia. There isn't any of that "let me show you around like you're a child" feeling. If you want to do something, just go do it. You're in charge of your own stuff, you just have to make sure to let the bosses know where you are. I spent a good chunk of the morning today talking to an Egyptian staffer named Ayman, he affectionately calls me Carter because he was having some difficulty saying Ian. But he still calls Dustin, Justin. He used to be a teacher at the school but they've moved him over to advertising. He seems to really like it, but he really wants to work with students teaching them "soft skills", like interpersonal relationships and communication. He thinks it's the most important thing we can teach the young. But he seemed to think "soft skills" meant being kind and open, which isn't wrong, but isn't exactly right either. I nearly made it in to get my physical for my Iqama, the driver and I went around for twenty minutes circling the area before he found the place that he was supposed to take me. Mr. Robert, the head driver, went back to the Philippines for holiday and left others in charge. It didn't go so well. What's worse, is that when I did finally show up at the clinic I'd realized I'd forgotten my visa copy. So I get to do the whole thing again tomorrow. Other than that, it's been pretty quite. I can't wait till I get my first pay check, it'd be nice to get a guitar or something to fill the time. I've been studying Arabic, but that shit is dense. It's nearly as hard as Chinese, but I can actually read some of it. I love you tons and hope you have an awesome day. I hope the whose smells like tree and Reeves confusion. Love, Your Bambino. Hey, Bambino! We got the Christmas tree up! It only took us about 5 minutes to pick out a tree, we're always pretty fast. Mom likes Nobels, so that's what we got. We waited until today to decorate it, since we didn't get back with it until dinner time last night. It only took us an hour to get it all set up. (ba la la la la) At first, Reeves was pretty weirded out by having a tree in the house, but he's gotten used to it. He wouldn't wear the Santa hat, though. It is way too big for his tiny head, so I can't really blame him. We're listening to the DirectTv Christmas music station and it's terrible. Neither Mom nor I like it, but we don't want to use data streaming music. And there must be Christmas music come December 1! It's a rule, pretty much. Here are some pictures of the tree and tree-acquisition. My computer won't let me edit (or even crop!) anything. So, they are straight out of camera. Love you! Talk to you soon. Sundance Hey Sundance, I've been in Riyadh for 5 days, and I have to admit, I really like it. The first few days were really tough. This is the first time I've ever traveled alone. I've never even been on a plane alone until I was on my way here. The entire experience was pretty horrible. I chewed all my nails off and would have gone after my toes if I were better at yoga. But now that I've settle into a more permanent space I'm feeling much better. Being alone is still really hard, but knowing that I can call and message you every morning and every night eases some of my agitation of being alone. The staff and teachers that I've met so far have been absolutely amazing. Everyone is so utterly welcoming and friendly it's almost hard to take in. When I went to Salem (Sālim), the international program organizer, I was greeted by a large bearded man in a flawlessly white thobe (traditional men's garment) and a red Keffiyeh (traditional head scarf, see below). By first glance we would have been worlds apart on culture and world views. Until I said I was from Portland. Apparently, he's been several times because he sends students to Portland State University every year, and his son is currently in Portland. He asked if I was a Timbers fan and commented on how wonderfully lax the political environment was and that Republicans were ruining America. I felt right at home. I've met nothing but amazing people. All of the teachers here and legitimate teachers. They actually like to teach rather than just using this time as an extension of Uni. One teacher in particular has been kind enough to show me the ropes, Dustin. Dustin is Canadian, and he promises to not hold that over me. But he did take me on a bit of a walk yesterday. A bit of a walk being about 10 miles. I was sore, but we walked all the way to Kingdom Tower, an international bookstore, and beyond. It was a great way to dive into the city. I'll leave you with some pictures I took with my iPod, the quality isn't great, but we'll pretend that was an artistic choice. I love you and I hope all is well back home. -Bambino I have quite a bit more photos, but Weebly won't let me post the others, the appear sideways. :(
Hey Bambino! I'm so glad you're all settled in your apartment. I can't believe that you have a king sized bed. All by your lonesome and you have the most giant bed. What did we get? Doubles. Just doubles. Ha! I hope your kitchen works out. Small kitchens are such a bummer. I also hope you get some good groceries while you're out today. I can't wait to hear about your neighborhood and school. Since the power was out, I pulled out my book, but as soon as I started reading it came back on. Of course, right? My brain is still scattered from you leaving, so it was impossible to really keep reading once I had internet access. I know things will settle down and we'll hit a rhythm. It'll make things so much easier. I can't believe you ate all three of the chocolate bars while you were flying. Did the crying baby drive you into comfort foods? So much for lasting you until I can send you a package! I'm going to stop into the post office and ask them about flat rates for the KSA. I want to get your camera back to you ASAP. But, from what I could find on the USPS website, it might be really expensive like China. But, I didn't really understand the bazillion PDF pages that contain the international shipping rates. Mom and I are watching Nashville. I know you love it. "Nashville!" I can hear your terrible drawl. The show is the best/worst soap opera ever. It'll always make me think of you because you hate it so much. Talking to you on Skype/ FaceTime makes me so happy. I'm always a little giddy after. It's so nice to see your face. Even if you're still a punk and easily distracted! I hope that when we have phones that we have even more contact with each other. I still feel a little like I lost a limb, but technology really helps. Oh, I've decided that I'm wearing your shirts around the house. Deal with it! I think I already said this to you, but since Etihad lost one of your bags (fingers crossed that you do get it back soon), I think I have more of your clothing than you do. Bummer sauce. I'm sorry that statistics caught up with you and a bag finally went missing. Poop! The drive home from Rob's went well. It was rainy and lonely, but I listened to NPR the whole way to keep me company. One of the stories (follow the link) was about Americanisms that have caught on in London (and the purests who are all irritated about it). At least the Brits can feel good about their hold on international English. We're always told that ESL schools like to hire Americans for our accent, yet every ESL speaking adult I've met in Asia says "loft," "chemist's," and "timetable." Hell, we taught "timetable" and "autumn" (among others, probably). It's getting pretty late and I want to get up and hear about your day in the morning. Good night! Love you! P.S. Below is my interpretation of you and your chocolate. Hey babe! Man, today was hard. I mean, today wasn't hard, really, tonight was. Today was great. But, as soon as the sun went down, your departure loomed. Like I said earlier, things are much harder to face in reality than in theory. But, I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be a sad sap on the days leading up to your flight. I wanted to enjoy my time with you. I think I did pretty well! I'm still trying my best to stay positive. It'd be super easy to melt into a puddle of sad. But, that's not going to make this time go any faster. Instead, I'm just going to try to stay as connected to you as possible and look forward to the good things coming. I can't wait to see you this summer. I'm going to keep this short, since I sent a letter with you through the gate. I just wanted to get us started and chat at you. I know you may not have time to write back for a week or so (you won't even be done travelling until Tuesday!). But, I'll be here when you have time. I love you! Talk to you soon. P.S. I wanted to upload some of the pictures I took today with my iPod, but they're uploading sideways (in landscape). I don't know why, since I took them in portrait. Google says it's an Apple thing, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Since you don't have your good camera (I'll send it to you as soon as I can afford to send you a package!), I wanted to give you a heads up before you try yo load images on here. I'll keep trying to fix it and I'll just text you the pictures in the meantime. More than bunnies. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.” - Mohandas Gandhi Today is October 2nd, Mahatma Gandhi's 145th birthday. Gandhi took nearly 20 fasts (as nonviolent political acts) in his life. His fasts sometimes stretched on for 21 days (no, I don't know how that's possible, but I do know that he drank fruit infused water during his fasts).
To honor Gandhi's example of nonviolence, Farmed Animal Rights Movement (FARM) has chosen this day for their Fast Against Slaughter. As of yesterday morning, over 10,000 people from over 85 countries have pledged to participate. So, what's the point of this? This particular action specifically tackles the 24-48 hours of starvation that farmed animals often go through as they are prepared for and transported to slaughter. Many (if not most) of the participants are ethical vegans. Side note: If you Google "ethical veganism," you will find a bunch of articles about how we're the worst. Because veganism isn't really a single issue movement, the day takes on different and layered purposes for each individual who participates. FARM, as an organization, is working to end the use of animals for food. We don't believe in the concept of "humane meat" and are uninterested in putting a pretty wrapping on an ugly, ugly industry. We want the practice eradicated. Follow this link to see a video that does a nice job of explaining the movement (it's not especially graphic, but there are some difficult moments). With that, I'll tackle my own reasons for participating today. Above, you'll see my sign (the way activists are spreading the message on social media). On it, I mention that I have ethical, economical and ecological reasons for fasting (and living a vegan lifestyle in general). They're all intertwined, of course, but I'll do my best to break them down one by one.
More than 260 million acres of forest in the US alone have disappeared to make room for pastures and animal crop fields. An area the size of 7 football fields is cleared every minute. 30% of the Earth's landmass is used for farming animals and animal grazing is the leading cause of plant species endangerment (and extinction) in the US. Sources: http://www.culinaryschools.org/yum/vegetables/, https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-factory-farms-and-environment, https://www.downtoearth.org/blogs/2012-05/world-hunger-can-be-solved-vegetarian-diet, http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/us-could-feed-800-million-people-grain-livestock-eat, http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/ Obviously there are other reasons to go vegan (like health, for example) and there are more layers to the ones I've listed here. However, I hope this makes my choices more understandable and maybe (fingers and toes crossed) it'll move you to give up some or all animal products. Feel free to share this and any of the #FastAgainstSlaughter photos I've posted. If you've got questions or comments, please don't be shy! Yesterday we (Ian, Mom and I) headed down to the Oregon Convention Center in Portland for VegFest. It's basically a big convention for vegans and vegetarians to go and geek out over good food, healthful living and animal rights. We got there around 10:30am and we didn't leave until about 5:30pm (only a half an hour before it closed). It was great. If we could somehow combine comicon with VegFest then my life would be made. Who would come to that? Talk about a niche market! But, I digress. It was pretty much a standard convention or floor show (do we still call anything that anymore?), so instead of typing about it at you more, I'll let you check out the pictures and see what we did there all damn day. Not pictured is a company called Vaute Couture. Vaute is a NY based start up that specializes in vegan outerwear. The founder, a young woman named Leanne was actually present at VegFest. Mom purchased an adorable lamb sweatshirt (like this one, but heather grey) and we got to talking with Leanne. It turns out that she had actually had a show in South Korea that was thrown by CARE (Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth). They actually flew her out to Seoul to do it. CARE is a wonderful animal welfare organization. As they are based in South Korea, they do a lot of work in the dog meat resistance. So, obviously, they are dear to me. Their Facebook page, in 2009 when we were living in Korea, taught me that there is an entire network of activists in Asia and that animal welfare is a global fight. Naturally, Ian and I told her about Reeves and she asked if we had any pictures (a first! no one has ever asked to see his picture before!). We showed her a couple from our iPods and that was that. Vaute is high end fashion (and currently geared more toward the East Coast market and their winters), but definitely check them out via the links (in red) above.
FAN. TAS. TIC. DAY. Like I said in the swag caption, if you're curious about a product (or company) that you see pictured, definitely ask about it in the comments. I don't have personal experience with each and every one, but I can do my best to tell you everything I know. These folks make it easier to live an ethical life, so I'm all about shout outs. Back when Ian and I were under the impression that we'd be taking Reeves on our flight with us (as opposed to having to send him separately for an exorbitant price) we planned and booked a short trip down to Cambodia. We've been to Cambodia once before, but decided to go back in part because it fit our tight budget and also because we wanted to spend some time in rural Cambodia (on an island) and it's just one of our favorite places on Earth. We chose a little bungalow resort on Koh Thmei in Ream National Park near Sihanoukville. It was owned and operated by a super cool German couple. The resort (while not in the "official" protected part of the park, I believe) was the only infrastructure on the island. There was also an island border control police station (we could see the hills of Vietnam over the water) and a few fishermen's huts. The electricity was limited and the showers were cool. No internet, of course. It was fabulous. To get there you take a bus from Phnom Penh to a tiny village called Ou Chamnar (5-6 hours), then hop on the back of a moto (20 minutes to a fishing village) and then climb into the resort's boat (30 min- 1 hour). We met a cool Danish couple and a group of students who just so happened to be from Centralia. I know, small world, right? We swam, ate great food, walked the beaches, played card games, lazed in hammocks and read and took one woeful kayaking trip. The morning of our last full day on the island, we rented the kayak (a sit-a-top double). Everything on the island was really laid back, so we received no instructions for the kayak. The sit-a-tops I've used before were significantly smaller, but I figured it would be pretty much the same. We decided to head out to an adjacent island where we could see some more sandy beaches. The trip over went perfectly. The water was low and we found ourselves over a bit of reef. Luckily, it wasn't too low and we were able to glide over (we didn't use our paddles since we didn't want to risk disturbing it). Lots of little fish and brain coral. So cool. We walked the beach and watched little blue crabs scurrying in the shallow water. It was great. Until we tried to go back. You see, Ian and I together were likely at the tail end of the recommended weight for the kayak. But, that wasn't the actual problem. When Ian got back into the kayak, it took on a little water. Now, sit-a-tops are pretty simple vehicles. They have holes to let the water in and out. But, ours wasn't letting water out, it was getting heavier and, therefore, harder to control. It didn't help that each of our paddles had a broken blade, which had probably happened when someone accidentally struck a rock, since the area was very rocky. Anyway, the kayak was impossible to steer and getting harder and harder to keep level. We fought, we tipped. I wish I could say that I handled it like a pro, but on the contrary I had a full blown panic attack upon hitting the water. I'm a good swimmer, but vast things (like the ocean or the idea of space) or very big things (tall buildings, bridges) will sometimes trigger a primal need to flee. We eventually realized that we could flip the boat. Unfortunately, we couldn't drain it. We figured we were 1/3 of the way back to camp. But instead of turning around and draining the boat on the other beach, ewe made the terrible, terrible decision to press forward. I got back in the boat, but Ian could not. He felt he could swim it (I measured the distance between the two islands and it's somewhere between 1 and 2 miles). So, it wasn't that far. But we had another problem. Or, two, actually: the wind and the current. They were pushing us out into the Gulf of Thailand and they were efficient in this endeavor. The boat continued to take on water and Ian had to hang from the back to keep it level. In the end (the last 1/4 mile, probably), I decided to bail out of the boat and pull it as I swam because the wind was winning and I could see the island slipping away to my left. We made it back, but we were a ways down the beach, so Ian walked it back along the shore in the water. I ran ahead and ordered lunch (we had been out for over 3 hours). Ian struggled to pull the boat to shore as it was so heavy with water. When I saw the staff drain it, several gallons poured out of it. So, it was functioning as a boat about as well as a rock might. We clearly had the vents set up incorrectly (and, as I mentioned, we were violating the weight restriction). I wore sunscreen, but still managed to get a righteous sunburn that just started to peel today. Oh well, at least we got to see the reef! After our time at the resort, we headed back to Phnom Penh to stay two nights (and one full day) hanging out in the city. We went to several markets, drank lots of what most Americans call "Vietnamese coffee," saw some schools, monasteries and temples and even toured a brewery. It was much more laid back than the normal "Go, go go!" of our normal trips and we enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, in Phnom Penh we did meet an... interesting fellow at our hostel. We later found out that he was just a harmless odd duck. A philosophy grad from PSU, of all places. But, our first encounter with him left us fearing for our kidneys. He greeted us with, "So, you're staying here?" and followed with "Are we going to have a problem?" We did our best to be cordial. He asked if we each had our own beds or would be sharing one. Then he asked who had the top bunk. We submitted ourselves to small talk and feigned interest for safety (I couldn't help but recall the Dane Cook [sorry] sketch about a creepy guy at work) and found out that he had been let go from a teaching position in Thailand and was headed to Germany to find work in a factory and "join the proletariat because [he's] pretty conservative in the US." I shit you not. "How's your German?" Ian asked. "Ich möchte etwas Wasser," he said, (I want some water). "Well, at least you won't die of dehydration," I said. Ian mentioned that he studied WWII history and his response was, "Do you know what Lebensraum is?" When we told him where we were from (upon his inquiring) he left the room and slammed the door, coming back a few seconds later to tell us he had done it for comedic effect. We let him know we hadn't understood. An odd fellow, for sure. Everything else was so relaxed that I have no more stories to share. We met and befriended several street/community cats and dogs. Ian took a video of a little boy (3, 4?) tailing us trying to sell us bird seed, so I'll have him post it to FB, so that you can see what that's like. It's important not to give kids money in Cambodia because they're sent out by adult handlers. Giving in just makes the cycle stronger. It's hard to say no, but it's important. Photos! Some of mine were too big to post (I'm too lazy to go in and resize right now). I'm in the process of getting all our photos (from everything) on Flickr. I'll post the link when it's up. |