packed my lunch ingredients last night and remembered to bring it with me to work.
rye thins, avocado, bucheron goat cheese, turkey breast, serious mustard. Made open faced sandwich, melted cheese in it. Pretty tasty! Drinking green Darjeeling tea with it. Also brought a spiffy Chinese rice crackers the kind that are sweet on one side and salty on the other, banana and some raw cashews for a mid afternoon snack so I have some energy for belly dance class tonight. You really do not want to eat before class.
I also ate breakfast and walked a few miles before I got here.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
After my previous post, I received some emails saying I was being too pessimistic regarding what might happen next in Nepal. That once the king restored power things would be alright.
Its wasn't pessimism or even gut feeling on my part, it was history. Things haven't been "all right" in Nepal for quite some time. Since the Maoist insurgence began in 1996, 13000 people have been killed. Most of those killed have been in the last 5 yrs. There are conditions that make the Maoist attractive to some of the population, and many have no choice.
There are a lot of women in the Maoist "army," which I unfortunately find very understandable. If I was a woman in the hills, doing subsistence farming, working 16 hrs days, only to be passed from father to husband, knowing that no matter how hard I worked, I and my loved ones could still starve, being a Maoist may not look that bad. Under those conditions if someone offered me food, a gun, power with the organization, and the dream of a better future, I would like to think I could resist, but it would be so tempting. Also what happens if you say no? Do you really have any choice? From what I understand support for the Maoists is often obtained through a do it or else method.
Beyond the status of women in Nepal, there is also the politicians who seem unwilling to compromise to work together towards the good of the people and country. This must change before anything gets better. One hopes the past year will convince them, but I doubt it.
Its wasn't pessimism or even gut feeling on my part, it was history. Things haven't been "all right" in Nepal for quite some time. Since the Maoist insurgence began in 1996, 13000 people have been killed. Most of those killed have been in the last 5 yrs. There are conditions that make the Maoist attractive to some of the population, and many have no choice.
There are a lot of women in the Maoist "army," which I unfortunately find very understandable. If I was a woman in the hills, doing subsistence farming, working 16 hrs days, only to be passed from father to husband, knowing that no matter how hard I worked, I and my loved ones could still starve, being a Maoist may not look that bad. Under those conditions if someone offered me food, a gun, power with the organization, and the dream of a better future, I would like to think I could resist, but it would be so tempting. Also what happens if you say no? Do you really have any choice? From what I understand support for the Maoists is often obtained through a do it or else method.
Beyond the status of women in Nepal, there is also the politicians who seem unwilling to compromise to work together towards the good of the people and country. This must change before anything gets better. One hopes the past year will convince them, but I doubt it.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Politics-The Peaceable kingdom
"A huge crowd of people broke several barricades set up by the police along the Ring Road and has reached Kalanki area from Maharajgunj, reports say. A journalist on the scene said the number of demonstrations could be as much as 300,000. The demonstrators are now marching along the 27-km Ring Road." Nepal News
In 2001, the population of Kathmandu was 700,000. 25 yrs ago it was 400,000, so given population increases and the Maoists uprising forcing people to escape into the city, it might be 800,000- 900,000. That means at least 1/3 of the city's population was protesting under a shoot on sight curfew!!! Wow!!! No wonder the King relinquish power.
The king took power back in Feb 2005 in an attempt to stop the civil war. An act of desperation by a man who never expected to become king. It is not so surprising that he would fail, especially as the previous government had also failed.
Now what happens? Does the blood bath get worse? Do the Maoist take over? Can the political parties actually work together this time? It is easy to unite the people against the monarchy, but can they be united for themselves, for the good of the country?
I have serious doubts about the Maoists, what they want for Nepal, and no doubt the entire world eventually, is far from democracy. As long as they see violence as a legit means to accomplish it, I can not see the situation getting any better.
From this distance, having watch the politics there over the past 26 yrs, it all seems unimaginable and so very sad.
Jaya Nepal!
In 2001, the population of Kathmandu was 700,000. 25 yrs ago it was 400,000, so given population increases and the Maoists uprising forcing people to escape into the city, it might be 800,000- 900,000. That means at least 1/3 of the city's population was protesting under a shoot on sight curfew!!! Wow!!! No wonder the King relinquish power.
The king took power back in Feb 2005 in an attempt to stop the civil war. An act of desperation by a man who never expected to become king. It is not so surprising that he would fail, especially as the previous government had also failed.
Now what happens? Does the blood bath get worse? Do the Maoist take over? Can the political parties actually work together this time? It is easy to unite the people against the monarchy, but can they be united for themselves, for the good of the country?
I have serious doubts about the Maoists, what they want for Nepal, and no doubt the entire world eventually, is far from democracy. As long as they see violence as a legit means to accomplish it, I can not see the situation getting any better.
From this distance, having watch the politics there over the past 26 yrs, it all seems unimaginable and so very sad.
Jaya Nepal!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Mom! Janet! Its Robbie!
I am going to do this quick, because if I don't it will never get posted, and I have so many drafts that I really ought to post, and some of them are quite bad of me not to, this one is not one of those but oh well here goes...
So I decide to not wait for the $2 theater ($1 on tues) to see Memories of a Geisha. I wanted to see the architecture, the costumes, ect... I was curious about the movie because I read the book the only non Japanese Geisha wrote years ago. I understand William Golden wrote his story based on her book. I didn't read much about the movie, just a bit, and it was a pan, So I rented it this week for $3.50. I watched the film yesterday and tonight watch the extras.
I liked the film, my initial reaction was why all are the Geisha Chinese? Seriously almost every living great Chinese actress is in it except Joan Chen, I almost expected Anita Mui to appear but of course she can't as she is dead. Once I got over the Chinese actresses, it was fun to watch, a bit dark, and the ending is a schmaltzy.
Watching the extras tonight I kept looking at the director. His facial expressions looked familiar and so was his speech. I kept thinking Marshall as in Penny and Garry Marshall but his accent didn't seem right. Then I watch the filmette on him and he began talking about when he started in show business and his two Univ of P. professor parents... and I realized "It's Robbie!!!!!"
He and his sister went to the faculty children swim and gym thing I went to in the summers. It was a fairly small group. We did gym stuff 1/2 the time, I mainly liked to jump on the trampoline until I wheezed ;-) and the other half the time we swam, sometimes raced other teams and played old style water polo. The kind where you can do anything to the person holding onto the ball. I loved playing water polo.
Robbie and his sister also went to my brother's school, Falk, the lab school, which didn't have many students.
Anyway, I wanted to call my mom and my high school friend, Janet but its too late!
Okay I am posting this now. I will post the other things later.
Geoff made this comment,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_ Bacon
comment added :: {ts '2006-04-19 06:41:47'} GMT-06 :: http://geoffarnold.com
Susan made this comment,
Hmmm. Only 2 degress to Chow Yun Fat! (and Andy Lau.)
I think I may have a quicker way to Kevin Bacon, a friend from college does sound in a lot of films.
So I decide to not wait for the $2 theater ($1 on tues) to see Memories of a Geisha. I wanted to see the architecture, the costumes, ect... I was curious about the movie because I read the book the only non Japanese Geisha wrote years ago. I understand William Golden wrote his story based on her book. I didn't read much about the movie, just a bit, and it was a pan, So I rented it this week for $3.50. I watched the film yesterday and tonight watch the extras.
I liked the film, my initial reaction was why all are the Geisha Chinese? Seriously almost every living great Chinese actress is in it except Joan Chen, I almost expected Anita Mui to appear but of course she can't as she is dead. Once I got over the Chinese actresses, it was fun to watch, a bit dark, and the ending is a schmaltzy.
Watching the extras tonight I kept looking at the director. His facial expressions looked familiar and so was his speech. I kept thinking Marshall as in Penny and Garry Marshall but his accent didn't seem right. Then I watch the filmette on him and he began talking about when he started in show business and his two Univ of P. professor parents... and I realized "It's Robbie!!!!!"
He and his sister went to the faculty children swim and gym thing I went to in the summers. It was a fairly small group. We did gym stuff 1/2 the time, I mainly liked to jump on the trampoline until I wheezed ;-) and the other half the time we swam, sometimes raced other teams and played old style water polo. The kind where you can do anything to the person holding onto the ball. I loved playing water polo.
Robbie and his sister also went to my brother's school, Falk, the lab school, which didn't have many students.
Anyway, I wanted to call my mom and my high school friend, Janet but its too late!
Okay I am posting this now. I will post the other things later.
Geoff made this comment,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_ Bacon
comment added :: {ts '2006-04-19 06:41:47'} GMT-06 :: http://geoffarnold.com
Susan made this comment,
Hmmm. Only 2 degress to Chow Yun Fat! (and Andy Lau.)
I think I may have a quicker way to Kevin Bacon, a friend from college does sound in a lot of films.
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