Over the past few months, I have really felt the urge to move away from the big city. It's just so busy and polluted with no place to relax and enjoy. We are in Canada, land of the Rockies, Atlantic shores and beautiful lakes, and here I am spending my time in an apartment in the core of a big city.
I keep telling my husband that it is time to move - to go outside Toronto where most of us immigrants have ended up. Don't get me wrong, I love Toronto - the multiculturalism is truly amazing. Everyone comes from every where and on any given day you interact with over 10 different nationalities. Not even New York City is as multicultural as Toronto. And the strange part is that we all seem to live pretty peacefully here in the arctic cold. I guess the coldness melts away any animosity. Indians and Pakistanis live side by side, Jews and Arabs pray next to each other and Russians and Germans work together. No one really cares where you come from which is what makes this city so wonderful.
But as wonderful as multiculturalism is, Toronto is so very lacking in any kind of natural beauty. We don't have the mountains of Vancouver, the seaside of Halifax, the melting glacier of St. John or even the ever changing countryside of Montreal. It's about the only thing I really miss in Toronto and after almost 6 years of living here, I'm starting to get itchy for it.
We got married in Ancaster but apart from the Niagra Escarpment which is beautiful, there really is nothing there. I even thought of Peterborough with the Kawartha lakes next door, but really, what would we do in any of these places? There are no jobs for my husband there - even though he keeps telling me he is going to become a fisherman and catch fish everyday for me. (I will believe this only after I see him catch at least 1 fish !) The commute to Toronto would be horrendous, and we would leave behind all our friends.
I used to be allergic to the thought of moving to the suburbs - it just seemed like the kind of life that sucks all the interesting parts of you out. I've never lived suburbia, and being a city girl, I aways saw the "suburbanites" as a bit thick. They didn't seem as quick with their responses as the city folks - maybe that's because they didn't have to watch out for taxi drivers trying to kill them when they crossed the road, or had to hold their purse really tight when they were walking down the street. My husband tells me suburbia is not so bad. I'm not totally convinced about it.
But at the section of life we are in, we need nurseries, kindergarten, dance classes and the like for Baby M , and stuff like this is simply not in big supply in the core of downtown Toronto. It's certain we are moving, but we just have to find an area we are comfortable in.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What's the problem in being Muslim?
Barak Obama has shown a side of himself to the media that certainly did not match the "knowledgeable saviour" image I had of him.
There are 4 particular incidents over the past 2-3 days that have really caught my attention.
1) Bill Cunningham (the right wing caveman who is the Ohio poster boy for the Republican Conservatives) calling him by his middle name "Hussein". It's almost as if "Hussein" was a bad word equivalent to fu#ker. Only in petty minded America would they take this to be a sign that he might have some connections to those terrible Islamic forces and their jihad. While I found Bill Cunningham's tactics abhorable because he is re-inforcing stereotypes against Muslims, I was even more puzzled by Obama's response. I mean, this is his name. Stand up and be proud of it - or change it! The fact is that he was born of a Muslim father and raised a Muslim in his childhood - absolutely nothing wrong with that. Then why the shame of using his name? Surely, this is an incredible asset as Syria, Egypt and Afghanistan are more likely to break bread and make peace with a man called Hussein versus a man called John McCain! In the close minded petty minds of Americans such an advantage is totally lost. Obama seems to take every opportunity to to say he converted to Christianity - all very well and good, except in Islam, if you are born Muslim you are considered that till you die - as far as I am aware, there is no conversion out of the religion.
2) Photos of him in the Kenyan outfit. Now, when I first saw it, I burst out laughing - he looked like one of those tribal dancers in India who put on a spectacle for tourists. I really didn't understand what the hulahoo was all about, until it dawned on me that Kenya is a Muslim country. Hence Obama in a Kenyan outfit = Obama dressed in Islamic garb = close comparisons to those fanatical Muslims and their desire to hurt USA. Tell me - if there was a picture of Obama in a Scottish Kilt would it have caused this much uproar! No! There were picture of Obama in a swimsuit in Hawaii - http://irregulartimes.com/diaries/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/obama%20beach%20photo.jpg - did anyone object to that? No (but I suspect quite a few women moved over to his camp after this). But the fact that he was fully clothed in a dress that was worn in a Muslim country is cause of uproar! Obama's response was again puzzling, instead of even taking this as "fear mongering" why didn't he just say he had fun and he was proud of the honor?
3) Most despicable of all. When asked of his views on Israel - he went to get some more votes by saying he "unequivocally supports Israel". Nothing particularly wrong in this statement, except that it signifies a continuation of the policies US Presidents have had to the region. He could have answered he "unequivocally supports peace in the Middle East" which would suit the visionary character he has been developing but instead he took the easy way. I am disappointed. If you read his website ( http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/#onisrael ), you will also find out that he stood strongly for the indiscriminate killing of 1000 people by the brutal IDF during the 2006 Lebanon war. This war has been widely condemned in Israel and it has only strengthened Hezbollah's support in Lebanon and toppled what was the only peaceful govt the Lebanese had in the last few years. It has become a costly mistake for Israel. As a visionary who says he believes in dialogue and negotiations, should Obama not have insisted on that and sought the release of the kidnapped soldiers through peaceful means rather than through war? Do I see a disparity between his stand in Iraq and his policies towards Israel - YES! I fear that he will try to be more pro-Israeli just to prove he is not a Muslim, and this will come at the price of commonsense judgement and the continual degradation of lives of Muslims in the area.
4) His naive view of NAFTA. See my previous blogs on this. How is he going to turn around the economy without really taking on the Chinese?
Now, before Jill et all think I am moving my support to Hillary - NOPE! She's only gone down further in my opinion. I mean, who is the real Hillary? Is it the tough lady I once respected, the corrupt politician who has no problem raising funds through lobbyists, the crying spectacle she made her self, or the woman who said "I am honored, honored to be here with Barak". All she did was put him down for the past few months- so why is she so honored to be on stage with him? Confused, easily excitable and some one who seems to want to fan out hatred towards Islam to get a few votes - this woman is simply not capable to efficiently manage USA.
There are 4 particular incidents over the past 2-3 days that have really caught my attention.
1) Bill Cunningham (the right wing caveman who is the Ohio poster boy for the Republican Conservatives) calling him by his middle name "Hussein". It's almost as if "Hussein" was a bad word equivalent to fu#ker. Only in petty minded America would they take this to be a sign that he might have some connections to those terrible Islamic forces and their jihad. While I found Bill Cunningham's tactics abhorable because he is re-inforcing stereotypes against Muslims, I was even more puzzled by Obama's response. I mean, this is his name. Stand up and be proud of it - or change it! The fact is that he was born of a Muslim father and raised a Muslim in his childhood - absolutely nothing wrong with that. Then why the shame of using his name? Surely, this is an incredible asset as Syria, Egypt and Afghanistan are more likely to break bread and make peace with a man called Hussein versus a man called John McCain! In the close minded petty minds of Americans such an advantage is totally lost. Obama seems to take every opportunity to to say he converted to Christianity - all very well and good, except in Islam, if you are born Muslim you are considered that till you die - as far as I am aware, there is no conversion out of the religion.
2) Photos of him in the Kenyan outfit. Now, when I first saw it, I burst out laughing - he looked like one of those tribal dancers in India who put on a spectacle for tourists. I really didn't understand what the hulahoo was all about, until it dawned on me that Kenya is a Muslim country. Hence Obama in a Kenyan outfit = Obama dressed in Islamic garb = close comparisons to those fanatical Muslims and their desire to hurt USA. Tell me - if there was a picture of Obama in a Scottish Kilt would it have caused this much uproar! No! There were picture of Obama in a swimsuit in Hawaii - http://irregulartimes.com/diaries/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/obama%20beach%20photo.jpg - did anyone object to that? No (but I suspect quite a few women moved over to his camp after this). But the fact that he was fully clothed in a dress that was worn in a Muslim country is cause of uproar! Obama's response was again puzzling, instead of even taking this as "fear mongering" why didn't he just say he had fun and he was proud of the honor?
3) Most despicable of all. When asked of his views on Israel - he went to get some more votes by saying he "unequivocally supports Israel". Nothing particularly wrong in this statement, except that it signifies a continuation of the policies US Presidents have had to the region. He could have answered he "unequivocally supports peace in the Middle East" which would suit the visionary character he has been developing but instead he took the easy way. I am disappointed. If you read his website ( http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/#onisrael ), you will also find out that he stood strongly for the indiscriminate killing of 1000 people by the brutal IDF during the 2006 Lebanon war. This war has been widely condemned in Israel and it has only strengthened Hezbollah's support in Lebanon and toppled what was the only peaceful govt the Lebanese had in the last few years. It has become a costly mistake for Israel. As a visionary who says he believes in dialogue and negotiations, should Obama not have insisted on that and sought the release of the kidnapped soldiers through peaceful means rather than through war? Do I see a disparity between his stand in Iraq and his policies towards Israel - YES! I fear that he will try to be more pro-Israeli just to prove he is not a Muslim, and this will come at the price of commonsense judgement and the continual degradation of lives of Muslims in the area.
4) His naive view of NAFTA. See my previous blogs on this. How is he going to turn around the economy without really taking on the Chinese?
Now, before Jill et all think I am moving my support to Hillary - NOPE! She's only gone down further in my opinion. I mean, who is the real Hillary? Is it the tough lady I once respected, the corrupt politician who has no problem raising funds through lobbyists, the crying spectacle she made her self, or the woman who said "I am honored, honored to be here with Barak". All she did was put him down for the past few months- so why is she so honored to be on stage with him? Confused, easily excitable and some one who seems to want to fan out hatred towards Islam to get a few votes - this woman is simply not capable to efficiently manage USA.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Purple Lace
After waiting for a long time, I finally plunged and did it - I changed the color of our bedroom.
It used to be a wonderful Benjamin Moore color called "Bridal Pink" or "Blushing Bride" which suited my mood just fine when my husband was courting me and through the period of our initial marriage. But now, with Baby M almost 1 year old, it was time for a change. I was no longer in the pink phase of my life. I wanted more color. Something more exotic. Something different yet calming.
So off I went to my local Benjamin Moore store (I'm really not sure if they have better colors that the other paint companies but they are the only guys who have paint samples to try out) and got a few colors to try out.
There was a lovely blue shade which caught my eye instantly. It was what I was looking for. I picked up the color card and read the name - "Tear drop blue" - now - I think that is a horrible name! Tear drops to me signify sadness and grief - why would I want that painted all over my bedroom? It was almost like a teenager seeing a boy from far and falling in love only to find out he was totally wrong 10 seconds after they actually met. There was disappointment - but life had to go on.
So I continued looking through the color cards.
I eventually picked two:
a) Bahama Blue - a kind of bright aqueous blue
b) Purple Lace - a kind of lavender with blue tones
I don't normally like purple so I wasn't so sure about it - but I did want a change. However, ever since my art teacher told me that Purple was the color for death in Poland, I have developed a dislike of the color. I wish people would not tell me these things!
First I put the blue on the wall - I liked it - it was sophisticated yet bright, lively, young. I liked it.
Then I tried on Purple Lace - it was different. Yet somehow, it felt closer to the heart. I painted a bit more on the wall - it was like a long lost friend that comes back - familiar and at the same time changed. I called out to the husband, one look and he said "the purple one - i like it" .
The painter came and painted our room (we are not known for having any handy skills between us), I kept peeking in and every time I did it looked more and more like home.
It's a color that matches our moods and where we are in life today. It's comforting, calming, strong, different - it's a pretty confident color. Our first night in the room we all (Baby M has still not moved out!) slept very well. It's like the old friend who comes home and you just continue where you left off.
It used to be a wonderful Benjamin Moore color called "Bridal Pink" or "Blushing Bride" which suited my mood just fine when my husband was courting me and through the period of our initial marriage. But now, with Baby M almost 1 year old, it was time for a change. I was no longer in the pink phase of my life. I wanted more color. Something more exotic. Something different yet calming.
So off I went to my local Benjamin Moore store (I'm really not sure if they have better colors that the other paint companies but they are the only guys who have paint samples to try out) and got a few colors to try out.
There was a lovely blue shade which caught my eye instantly. It was what I was looking for. I picked up the color card and read the name - "Tear drop blue" - now - I think that is a horrible name! Tear drops to me signify sadness and grief - why would I want that painted all over my bedroom? It was almost like a teenager seeing a boy from far and falling in love only to find out he was totally wrong 10 seconds after they actually met. There was disappointment - but life had to go on.
So I continued looking through the color cards.
I eventually picked two:
a) Bahama Blue - a kind of bright aqueous blue
b) Purple Lace - a kind of lavender with blue tones
I don't normally like purple so I wasn't so sure about it - but I did want a change. However, ever since my art teacher told me that Purple was the color for death in Poland, I have developed a dislike of the color. I wish people would not tell me these things!
First I put the blue on the wall - I liked it - it was sophisticated yet bright, lively, young. I liked it.
Then I tried on Purple Lace - it was different. Yet somehow, it felt closer to the heart. I painted a bit more on the wall - it was like a long lost friend that comes back - familiar and at the same time changed. I called out to the husband, one look and he said "the purple one - i like it" .
The painter came and painted our room (we are not known for having any handy skills between us), I kept peeking in and every time I did it looked more and more like home.
It's a color that matches our moods and where we are in life today. It's comforting, calming, strong, different - it's a pretty confident color. Our first night in the room we all (Baby M has still not moved out!) slept very well. It's like the old friend who comes home and you just continue where you left off.
Monday, February 25, 2008
How 1 day can change the world
I am totally amazed at how 1 day (actually 36 hours) can change my world.
Listen to what has happened in the past little while:
Baby M got her first tooth! It just pooped out right there in the middle of her mouth. No forewarning - just happened. She doesn't seem to be in much pain but her appetite is much less - I am told that is just part of the whole teething process. I also wonder about the amount of water she drinks - now, I know it's good that kids drink water but she seems to be pretty constantly connected to her sippy cup. I really haven't heard of any other kid that gets upset when you take the sippy cup away!
And just to balance off the good news, Mrs. H emailed me with some news that really shook me up. Someone I have only heard of who is 34 is battling breast cancer! I mean- how much more cruel can fate get than to take a breastfeeding mum of a 4 month old and give her cancer! Totally unfair. I don't even know these people - I've never met them. But the story is just too close to home. It really could have been any of us! I totally feel for this family who are going through a really difficult time. The only thing I take comfort in. is that they are in the hands of our wonderful Ontario doctors. We may not have the snazzy medical professionals with the overpriced Porches as they have in USA but we do have some great and caring doctors and having had to use OHIP quite a bit ourselves, I am confident they will do what needs to be done and get her back in shape.
And now for the other oddball news - NADER!! For heaven sakes! Yes, I think everyone has the right to stand for elections, but what is the point of standing for elections when
a) Your purpose is to prevent a Republican win of the 2008 elections.
b) The people who vote for you are the same people who vote for the Democrats so you don't actually dent the Republican voting population.
c) You insisted on running in 2000 and that cost Gore and the US a sane govt.
d) You have absolutely no chance of winning the elections this time around as there are already 3 populous candidates who are bringing people out in vast numbers.
I should say that Nader is ruled by his ego. But since he is a man - I am going to say he is ruled by the thing that twangles between his thighs! For heaven sakes - isn't it bad enough that the existing candidates are going to spend close to a BILLION dollars in campaign money getting their photo pasted on every lamppost that he now has to waste some more! Does he really need to add more to this wasteful expense? And for what purpose?
Here is how I think Nader can actually do good to the elections 2008:
a) Stop your infantile Presidential elections bid - it's a waste of money and you certainly aren't as cute as Barak so really no one wants to see your photo.
b) Select a candidate from the existing pool of rather awesome candidates and CAMPAIGN FOR THEM!! This HELPS them and it gets you closer to having someone in the White House who you can work with.
My last bit of disappointments is how Barak is now speaking out against NAFTA (presumably because it's the correct thing to say to people in Ohio who lost their jobs). This is utter garbage!! Protectionism is the way of the past. It doesn't work. If you want to get a flourishing economy you have to open up and who best to benefit from than your neighbours? People in Ohio are not loosing their jobs to Canadians and Mexicans - they are loosing them to the Chinese! And even thinking of closing down NAFTA will have no effect on jobs staying in the USA - you'll just push more jobs to China!
I'm getting a little bit fed up of people south of the border accusing us of taking the jobs and not fighting their stupid "war on terror". Let's set the record straight right now -
a) We are not "stealing" jobs - American companies are setting up offices here because we have universal health care which saves them about $5000 PER EMPLOYEE every year. So, it's not our fault that the Americans consistently vote in people who are so busy shagging the lobbyists that they forget about the poor, sick and tired.
b) If we want to talk about "stealing" jobs - lets talk about the hundreds of Canadian doctors that the Americans take from us to use in their overly expensive health care system.
c) Concerning the "war on terror" - we are fighting the biggest and most significant war on terror - the real one - the one in Afghanistan where the Taliban and Mr. Bin Laden are setting up home again. And we are paying for it with the deaths of our brave soldiers while the rest of the world (including America) pays lip service to it. Bush's "war on terror" is more a "war to create terror" and this is something we want nothing of. Lives of Canadian servicemen are too precious and should never be lost for the sake of cheaper petrol!
Listen to what has happened in the past little while:
Baby M got her first tooth! It just pooped out right there in the middle of her mouth. No forewarning - just happened. She doesn't seem to be in much pain but her appetite is much less - I am told that is just part of the whole teething process. I also wonder about the amount of water she drinks - now, I know it's good that kids drink water but she seems to be pretty constantly connected to her sippy cup. I really haven't heard of any other kid that gets upset when you take the sippy cup away!
And just to balance off the good news, Mrs. H emailed me with some news that really shook me up. Someone I have only heard of who is 34 is battling breast cancer! I mean- how much more cruel can fate get than to take a breastfeeding mum of a 4 month old and give her cancer! Totally unfair. I don't even know these people - I've never met them. But the story is just too close to home. It really could have been any of us! I totally feel for this family who are going through a really difficult time. The only thing I take comfort in. is that they are in the hands of our wonderful Ontario doctors. We may not have the snazzy medical professionals with the overpriced Porches as they have in USA but we do have some great and caring doctors and having had to use OHIP quite a bit ourselves, I am confident they will do what needs to be done and get her back in shape.
And now for the other oddball news - NADER!! For heaven sakes! Yes, I think everyone has the right to stand for elections, but what is the point of standing for elections when
a) Your purpose is to prevent a Republican win of the 2008 elections.
b) The people who vote for you are the same people who vote for the Democrats so you don't actually dent the Republican voting population.
c) You insisted on running in 2000 and that cost Gore and the US a sane govt.
d) You have absolutely no chance of winning the elections this time around as there are already 3 populous candidates who are bringing people out in vast numbers.
I should say that Nader is ruled by his ego. But since he is a man - I am going to say he is ruled by the thing that twangles between his thighs! For heaven sakes - isn't it bad enough that the existing candidates are going to spend close to a BILLION dollars in campaign money getting their photo pasted on every lamppost that he now has to waste some more! Does he really need to add more to this wasteful expense? And for what purpose?
Here is how I think Nader can actually do good to the elections 2008:
a) Stop your infantile Presidential elections bid - it's a waste of money and you certainly aren't as cute as Barak so really no one wants to see your photo.
b) Select a candidate from the existing pool of rather awesome candidates and CAMPAIGN FOR THEM!! This HELPS them and it gets you closer to having someone in the White House who you can work with.
My last bit of disappointments is how Barak is now speaking out against NAFTA (presumably because it's the correct thing to say to people in Ohio who lost their jobs). This is utter garbage!! Protectionism is the way of the past. It doesn't work. If you want to get a flourishing economy you have to open up and who best to benefit from than your neighbours? People in Ohio are not loosing their jobs to Canadians and Mexicans - they are loosing them to the Chinese! And even thinking of closing down NAFTA will have no effect on jobs staying in the USA - you'll just push more jobs to China!
I'm getting a little bit fed up of people south of the border accusing us of taking the jobs and not fighting their stupid "war on terror". Let's set the record straight right now -
a) We are not "stealing" jobs - American companies are setting up offices here because we have universal health care which saves them about $5000 PER EMPLOYEE every year. So, it's not our fault that the Americans consistently vote in people who are so busy shagging the lobbyists that they forget about the poor, sick and tired.
b) If we want to talk about "stealing" jobs - lets talk about the hundreds of Canadian doctors that the Americans take from us to use in their overly expensive health care system.
c) Concerning the "war on terror" - we are fighting the biggest and most significant war on terror - the real one - the one in Afghanistan where the Taliban and Mr. Bin Laden are setting up home again. And we are paying for it with the deaths of our brave soldiers while the rest of the world (including America) pays lip service to it. Bush's "war on terror" is more a "war to create terror" and this is something we want nothing of. Lives of Canadian servicemen are too precious and should never be lost for the sake of cheaper petrol!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Is it better to take a longer holiday?
So, here I am pondering the intricacies of our holiday to India. This morning, I was pretty pleased with what we had planned - that is, Toronto to Brussels - 4 days in Brussels then some time in Mumbai - a couple of days in Pune and then on the "real" part of our holiday. Delhi to see the capital, Agra (Taj Mahal) and into Rajasthan. We plan on staying in palaces, seeing forts and showing the world to baby M. Then back to Mumbai and backtrack to Brussels for a couple of nights and return 36 days later to Toronto.
But then I started to think, if we are going all the way there - why not spend one more week and go and see a little bit more of India. I mean, I really don't know when we will go back there. There's just so much to show baby M around the world.
Should we be taking the opportunity and seeing more?
Here is my thinking process:
For staying a week more:
1) We are already there - might as well spend a week seeing another area.
Against staying a week more:
1) We'd already be travelling for a month (16 days in hotels) - is it fair to put baby M through more hotel rooms?
2) It'll be summer in India and I don't like the heat. No idea how baby M will react to it as well.
3) Because of the heat, really the only places we can go are the Northern parts of India and the Himalayan region. Not a bad thing, because I love mountains. But we are going again to the Rockies in June - mind you, as a mountain lover I can tell you that no two mountains are the same - but still - it's essentially mountains. On the other hand, you can only go to the Himalayas for about 4 months a year and I have never really gone to India this late into the summer season before and likely will not go again at this time.
4) Trip for 1 week will cost the bank around $1800 additional. Which is pretty cheap when you compare it to the cheesy resorts Canadians pay to go to the Caribbean but still it's money.
5) The Travel Insurance with the credit card company that covers us only covers a period of 31 days - I have no idea how to upgrade that.
Hmm....
But then I started to think, if we are going all the way there - why not spend one more week and go and see a little bit more of India. I mean, I really don't know when we will go back there. There's just so much to show baby M around the world.
Should we be taking the opportunity and seeing more?
Here is my thinking process:
For staying a week more:
1) We are already there - might as well spend a week seeing another area.
Against staying a week more:
1) We'd already be travelling for a month (16 days in hotels) - is it fair to put baby M through more hotel rooms?
2) It'll be summer in India and I don't like the heat. No idea how baby M will react to it as well.
3) Because of the heat, really the only places we can go are the Northern parts of India and the Himalayan region. Not a bad thing, because I love mountains. But we are going again to the Rockies in June - mind you, as a mountain lover I can tell you that no two mountains are the same - but still - it's essentially mountains. On the other hand, you can only go to the Himalayas for about 4 months a year and I have never really gone to India this late into the summer season before and likely will not go again at this time.
4) Trip for 1 week will cost the bank around $1800 additional. Which is pretty cheap when you compare it to the cheesy resorts Canadians pay to go to the Caribbean but still it's money.
5) The Travel Insurance with the credit card company that covers us only covers a period of 31 days - I have no idea how to upgrade that.
Hmm....
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Things I have to be fortunate about
I began to think today about all the people on earth and the issues they face and I realised I really am fortunate. Here are the top 14 things I have today that I am fortunate about.
1) An absolutely wonderful husband who loves me totally and who is really the most reliable person I have met.
2) A lovely little active baby who is healthy and normal.
3) A family that is truly strange, wierd and totally non-communicational but who somehow manages to pull together for me every time it's needed.
4) A sister in law who loves me like her own sister and isn't too shy to tell me what to do. My nephew seems to be catching up to that as well - but being told what to do by a 19 year old is just a little annoying.
5) That I had a father who truly believed in education for girls and did not hold me back at all.
6) That I have had the opportunity to live in so many parts of the world, travel to many more and be exposed to so much good on earth.
7) That my friends and family have pulled around me at my darkest moments and as Rupali once said "If you can't laugh at yourself now when are you going to".
8) I have a list of friends who actually like me for who I am: Bhindi, Poly, Jill, Tanvi, Gaby, Marg, Mrs. H ...
9) That Emie has the patience and will power to try to make a lazy person like me believe she can be an athlete.
10) That I have a home and so many things to fill it's cupboards that you need to open the doors carefully.
11) I live in Canada - what better place is there on earth?
12) George Cloony - I told my husband that if Cloony comes to town - I take the baby and have dinner with Cloony. We'll talk about my plans to save Dafur!
13) That I live in a time when a coloured person can think of leading a predominantly white nation and the nation gives him support.
14) I have the freedom to broadcast my voice to potentially 6.5 billion individuals on earth and no one can really stop me.
1) An absolutely wonderful husband who loves me totally and who is really the most reliable person I have met.
2) A lovely little active baby who is healthy and normal.
3) A family that is truly strange, wierd and totally non-communicational but who somehow manages to pull together for me every time it's needed.
4) A sister in law who loves me like her own sister and isn't too shy to tell me what to do. My nephew seems to be catching up to that as well - but being told what to do by a 19 year old is just a little annoying.
5) That I had a father who truly believed in education for girls and did not hold me back at all.
6) That I have had the opportunity to live in so many parts of the world, travel to many more and be exposed to so much good on earth.
7) That my friends and family have pulled around me at my darkest moments and as Rupali once said "If you can't laugh at yourself now when are you going to".
8) I have a list of friends who actually like me for who I am: Bhindi, Poly, Jill, Tanvi, Gaby, Marg, Mrs. H ...
9) That Emie has the patience and will power to try to make a lazy person like me believe she can be an athlete.
10) That I have a home and so many things to fill it's cupboards that you need to open the doors carefully.
11) I live in Canada - what better place is there on earth?
12) George Cloony - I told my husband that if Cloony comes to town - I take the baby and have dinner with Cloony. We'll talk about my plans to save Dafur!
13) That I live in a time when a coloured person can think of leading a predominantly white nation and the nation gives him support.
14) I have the freedom to broadcast my voice to potentially 6.5 billion individuals on earth and no one can really stop me.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Quick and Easy Pineapple Bread Pudding
7 -8 slices of white bread
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 can diced pineapples
Preheat oven to 375
Cut the edges off the bread.
Put bread in a bowl with the milk, sugar and butter, and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Add 2 eggs and beat the mixture.
Add the pineapples and stir.
Pour into a greased dish and place in the oven for about 40 minutes until it is done.
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 can diced pineapples
Preheat oven to 375
Cut the edges off the bread.
Put bread in a bowl with the milk, sugar and butter, and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Add 2 eggs and beat the mixture.
Add the pineapples and stir.
Pour into a greased dish and place in the oven for about 40 minutes until it is done.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Campaign Spending
I did a bit of basic arithmetic to see how much the elections in the USA cost. The estimated amount SPENT (not RAISED) by all candidates to date is 505 MILLION USD!!
Now, if there ever was a total waste of money it is here. 505 million (more than 1/2 a billion) is an amount that can easily be put to better use that seeing McCain, Huckabee and Hillary's photos all over town and TV. It completely boggles me how money has totally lost it's sense of value these days. It is pretty obvious that 505 million could easily be used to feed most of the starving in Africa, end the war in Darfur and can be used to create schools in the poorest of countries so that everyone has access to education. BUT the same money could also have been used to put more cops on the streets in the US, given for college scholarships so that we have more engineers and musicians among the financially deprived kids, created day care centers where mothers could leave their kids and go back to work to focus on their careers. I mean for heaven sakes - it could have got us that much closer to a cure for cancer!!!
So much could be done - but instead it has been spent on posters and 30 second TV commercials! What a total waste of funds!!!
It also made me think about what comes along with this spending. No one gives money for nothing. Everyone expects something back. Be it good leadership or a crack at getting a new drug aproved sooner - what in the world are people and corporations expecting back when they "donate" millions of dollars to political campaigns? Have American politicians completely sold off the interests of regular Americans?
And we haven't even got to the real election yet - we are only in the primaries!!! How much are we going to spend when we get there? Over 2-3 billion??
It is truly sad that in a country with so many problems not even one of the candidates (and this includes Obama as well) has actually done anything substantial with their money. I would like someone to build a shelter for the homeless or even give some to schools - anything other than photos and TV spots of themselves!!
Now, if there ever was a total waste of money it is here. 505 million (more than 1/2 a billion) is an amount that can easily be put to better use that seeing McCain, Huckabee and Hillary's photos all over town and TV. It completely boggles me how money has totally lost it's sense of value these days. It is pretty obvious that 505 million could easily be used to feed most of the starving in Africa, end the war in Darfur and can be used to create schools in the poorest of countries so that everyone has access to education. BUT the same money could also have been used to put more cops on the streets in the US, given for college scholarships so that we have more engineers and musicians among the financially deprived kids, created day care centers where mothers could leave their kids and go back to work to focus on their careers. I mean for heaven sakes - it could have got us that much closer to a cure for cancer!!!
So much could be done - but instead it has been spent on posters and 30 second TV commercials! What a total waste of funds!!!
It also made me think about what comes along with this spending. No one gives money for nothing. Everyone expects something back. Be it good leadership or a crack at getting a new drug aproved sooner - what in the world are people and corporations expecting back when they "donate" millions of dollars to political campaigns? Have American politicians completely sold off the interests of regular Americans?
And we haven't even got to the real election yet - we are only in the primaries!!! How much are we going to spend when we get there? Over 2-3 billion??
It is truly sad that in a country with so many problems not even one of the candidates (and this includes Obama as well) has actually done anything substantial with their money. I would like someone to build a shelter for the homeless or even give some to schools - anything other than photos and TV spots of themselves!!
Elections 2008 - let the discussion begin
I was discussing my views on my friend's rather wonderful blog, but she doesn't seem to be interested in views other than hers now - so I have no choice but to start this blog and bring the politics in. I still like her blog though. You can check it out at http://www.divaplatform.com/
The Chai Lady officially endorses OBAMA. There I have said it.
I acknowledge that he has no concrete policies. I acknowledge that he may not be experienced in the dirty game of politics. BUT he has a way with words. He has the ability to reach out and talk to common folks. I find that amazing. He's almost like Jesus with the masses! He is a unifier who can reach out and bring in folks the way I have never seen anyone able to do before. Tell me, where in the Western World have you seen politicians bring in crowds of 18 - 30 thousand who wait for hours just to hear him speak - this is way better than any rock band - these people come to hear and take in his "sermons" - it's almost a cult of "born again political activists" that he is creating. I find that fascinating - I find that amazing and I applaud that.
In our world where we are far more likely to just grumble about the way the govt is instead of taking real concrete action - Obama has shown us that getting politically active is a cool and fun thing to do.
A lot of my friends have come out in support of Hillary simply because "women need to support women". Of course they do - but only when the woman is qualified to do the job. Tell me this - would you go to a doctor just because she was a woman - or would you go to a doctor because she is qualified and the fact that she is a woman is only a bigger bonus? I belong to the latter. I am all for improving the conditions of females around the world but voting someone in to manage the worlds largest and totally screwed up economy simply because of their gender is by no means a sensible argument.
I'm not totally against Hillary - I just think Obama is a better candidate. Either way you see it, ANYONE is better than McCain and his 100 year war in Iraq.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Recipe: O-bama Buzz
Here's a new cocktail I made to go with all the crazy hours I spend in front of CNN these days:
1/5 cup grenadine syrup
1/5 cup blueberry syrup
2/5 cup soda water or cheap champagne
Pour it one on top of another starting with the grenadine, then blueberry syrup and then soda water or champagne.
It almost wants to make you want to sing the Obama Song!
1/5 cup grenadine syrup
1/5 cup blueberry syrup
2/5 cup soda water or cheap champagne
Pour it one on top of another starting with the grenadine, then blueberry syrup and then soda water or champagne.
It almost wants to make you want to sing the Obama Song!
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