Happy Holidays!

Still in a giving mood?
HELP!!! http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.projdetail&projdesc=611-012
If the link doesn't work go to www.peacecorps.gov then click donors and follow the links to Zambia

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas :) I spent mine with Mindela's family in Lusaka - it was nice but no snow, no tree, no train, no sheepshead, no white zinfandel, no new Christmas dresses, no Clue :( - just lots of friendly, happy people, extended family and Christmas cheer :)

The week before was spent conducting our CSC training workshop, it was a huge pain and very stressful but I think it went well and all the participants were super excited to take their new knowledge back to their communities! The first 3 days the comments were all about asking for money - by the end the comments had changed to "God bless you" - that made us all (Me, Timmy and Mindela) feel much better about all our hard work.

In case your wondering why the link above asks you to give money to a project that's done - there were problems here in getting the information through all the right people and we couldn't reschedule because of the school schedule so we (same we as above) fronted all the money from our pay. Means we're broke (temporarily I hope!), but it was well worth it. Originally the budget was $600 - it didn't change, the exchange rate went from K4,800 to k3,300! Practically overnight - crazy, heh?!

Miss you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
see you in 3 months!

(Original Post)

Chipper

Small world

So, just now now, Ariel came into the room - she just got off the phone with her parents...
Today at work, her dad was talking about how his daughter's in Africa and a guy he happened to be working with said, 'Africa, I know somebody in Africa' - said my name, Ariel's dad said, "that name sounds familiar' and so asked Ariel tonight if she knew me!

Anyone know who I know working in metal or tin workings across from State Fair park? I have my guesses, but not really sure....

(Original Post)

Surprised

At least I know ppl still read this....

STILL can't get into my e-mail! grrr...
80s party at provincials, found some black spandex capri pants - with my heels, black spandex tank top and lacy skirt from Aiyisha worn as a one shoulder shirt, plus the poofy hair and blue eye makeup ;) it's all good.....

Great (slightly edited) quote from the other day:
Me (in random musing): What if God doesn't play dice, he plays sheepshead?
Mat George: Then we're all f***ed!

(Original Post)

the end

Well that will be awkward, but it worked. Now if I could just get into my e-mail!!!

I didn't want to put this here, but it seems best option: Mommy, check Emmie's journal EMOO82 (under friends) and then call her if you can help - I know you have an extra person but it's still one less than before. Here's her #:
milw area code - my birthday minus the 1st digit - first 2 of the last 4 of my ssn and then # of brothers daddy has and then # of toilets on your property
Thanks mommy

(Original Post)

....

By the time he was 13, Hawking's hero was the atheist philosopher and mathematician, Bertrand Russell. At the same age, two of Hawking's friends became Christians as a result of the 1955 Billy Graham London campaign. According to his 1992 biographers, Hawking stood apart from these encounters with "a certain amused detachment." There is nothing in A Brief History of Time that deviates in a significant way from the religious views of the 13-year old Stephen Hawking." from http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9404/bigbang.html

I guess that fits pretty well with the view of his quote - anyone ideas on this? .... Daddy?

P.S. There's Richard Feynman stamps! nobody wants to put those on letters to me?

(Original Post)

....

So how much do these quotes have to do with religious background?

Well I found that Hawking falls much more into the lack-there-of category in religious background - his mom was a British communist and when his friends started to follow Billy Grahm (whose newsletters my aunt always sends me), he stood back and just observed with a sly smile. Here's the info I found:

"The principle influence in his early life was his mother, Isabel. Isabel Hawking was a member of the Communist Party in England in the 1930's, and her son has carried a good bit of that intellectual baggage right through his life.

(Original Post)

....

So today's pondering that's actually been making me wonder for a few days:
Obviously people's scientific / professional quotes have a lot to do with their work - but...

All of us are somehow influenced by our upbringings and backgrounds, and in general our religion or lack-there-of is a big part of that background - so...

[first, I don't have the exact quotes here, forgive me]
Einstein said "God does not play dice" - fits rather well with the structure of his Judaic background, whether or not he ascribed to that later in life.

Hawking's refute that not only does he [God]throw them, he sometimes throws them where they can not be seen obviously has quite a different perspective

(Original Post)

blasted thing

ok - maybe it's just too long... we'll try piece-meal

It was great to get on aim last night (the other night) and talk to those of you who were there to talk to me. Mommy and Emmie: plhhhhh! But I love you anyway.
Hey Wendy! Rhythm is Gonna Get You just came on and it reminded me of you ;)

(Original Post)

explination

i keep trying to post an actual post - it won't let me, just short stuff.... grr......

(Original Post)

I QuIT!

(Original Post)

but why!!!

test again

(Original Post)

test

testing update capabilities

(Original Post)

blasted vampiring e-mail

wow - i haven't used vampire in a really long time...

once again i could read e-mail but not write (or forward, so don't think I don't love God, Iwe!)
So,
Caitlin, I would have responded - miss you hun
Mommy, thanks for the e-mail that made me cry; I bet you can guess which one that was - wish I could have forwarded it to Caitlin, Emmie, Wendy, Katie.... I looked at all Katrina's pics (on dial-up!), I really liked the ones of her and daddy

This was from Amy and I would have filled it and sent it, but, well, yeah...

1) What color are your kitchen plates? no kitchen, no plates, but my bowls are beige

2) What book are you reading now? Dante's Divine Comedy (cuz I finished my Quantum Physics book)

3) What's on your mouse pad? kwiina (that means none, no mouse pad here in Choma)

4) What's your favorite board game? Trivial Pursuit...or maybe 20 Questions, with the right people

5) Favorite magazine? Scientific America or the Vicki's catalog if that counts

6) Favorite smell? my zen candle

7) Least favorite smell? imbebe pee (rats)

8) What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? do i want to get up yet

9) Favorite color(s)? yellow and blue

10) Least favorite color? brown

11) How many rings before you answer the phone? well, see it was two, when it rang, but it's gone - sadness :(

12) Future child's name? Elysium Eden

13) Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla - unless you're talking about...nevermind

14) Do you like to drive fast? my bike?

15) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Anyone not met Daddy Bunny?

16) Thunderstorms: well, they were cool when I didn't live in a mud hut

17) What type was your first car? Pontiac 6000 :) thanks mommy and daddy

18) If you could meet one person dead or alive? Richard Feynman

19) Favorite alcoholic drink? here: Amarula and coke, when rich: Henney

20) What is your sign and your birthday? Aries/ April 5

21) Do you eat the stems of broccoli? I miss broccoli

22) If you could have any job, what would it be? yeah.. i shld really figure that one out

23) If you could have any color hair, what would it be? red

24) Is the glass half-full or half-empty? half full

25)Favorite TYPE of movie? dark comedy

26) Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? um - no

27) What's under your bed? a box of candles, an empty scotch bottle, dead (hopefullY) ants, imbebe poop and probably some imbebe sometimes - plus fuzzies from the blanket - I move the bed and sweep it out at least once a month, but it's still icky

28) What is your favorite number? 7

29) Favorite sport to watch? Football - REAL football, not this dumb soccer crap

30) What is your single biggest fear? mini busses

31) Say one thing about the person who sent this to you? randomly wonderful

32) Person most unlikely to respond to this? gee - not sending it

33) Person most likely to respond? ditto

34) Favorite CD? lately X&Y that Timmy brought me back from America - he didn't even know I really wanted it!

35) Favorite TV Show? Insidingo (yeah, none of you know what that is - South African soap opera)

36)Ketchup or mustard? mustard! I miss that too...

37) Hamburgers or hot dogs? right....

38) Favorite soft drink? oh - you mean softie? pineapple fanta

39) The best place you have ever been? Milwaukee

40) What screen saver is on your computer right now? not mine - no screensaver

41) Burger King or McDonalds? Truckers

42) What did you want to be when you were little? a Bond girl :)

Ok guys - miss everyone tons - in Choma until Sat so if the internet co-operates I might be back

(Original Post)

Nostalgic

Actually from yesterday...

...but it wouldn't let me update

Somehow I feel like there's nothing to write - and with how rarely I update, no one to read it anyway. So... I'll just do this i-tunes survey again now that I'm somewhere where I have access to that..
At least you know I haven't been in a bus accident.

My iTunes:
How many total songs? 9187 (running out of room....)

Sort by Song Title
First: 'S Wonderful - Ella Fitzgerald
Last: עלה נישא ברוח (Hebrew Track 1)- עידן רייכל (Hebrew)

Sort by Time
First: Spectograph - Spectograph
Last: Diversity Meeting - Mateyo (If you don't want to include my recordings then it's Exit Music - The Polyphonic Spree)

Sort by Album
First: 'Martini Lounge' - Esquivel
Last: ממעמקים (Hebrew) - עידן רייכל (Hebrew)

Sort by Artist
First: Tearin' Up My Heart - 'Nsync
last: skipping the Hebrew, She's Not There - The Zombies

Ten Most Played Songs
1. Hey Ya - Outkast
2. Roses - Outkast
3. Dracula's Wedding - Outkast
4. "C" Is For Cookie - Cookie Monster
5. Business - Eminem
6. karmaboc - maki
7. Gone - 'Nsync
8. Loverman - Metallica
9. Venus - Air
10. Here for the Party - Gretchen Wilson

10 Recently Played
1. Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
2. Pollution - Limp Bizkit
3. Bicycle Built For Two - Cedarmont Kids
4. Big Pimpin' - Jay-Z
5. 8 Miles and Runnin'(Feat. Freeway) - Jay-Z
6. Confrontation (with Val Jean) - Javert
7. Stars - Javert
8. Son of a Preacherman - Janis Joplin
9. Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
10. American Pie - Don McLean

Find "sex." How many songs show up? 64 (but hey, that includes David EsSEX and all the Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic album songs and the Sex Mobb Does Bond album and the Sex Pistols
Find "death." How many songs show up? 13
Find "love." How many songs show up? 446





[How come 26 seems so much more than 22? and should it matter?]

(Original Post)

Lonely

Mansa

In Lusaka after a trip to Mansa (met Lawrence's Mom and Grandma, etc.) - Luapula province is so GREEN and there's WATER!!!! It was really neat. And I found out I like cassava. On the way back yesterday, just between Mansa and Kapri-Mposhi, we passed 3 accidents. I was one of very few people that did not get up to look at them - but the 2 tipped over trucks and the 1st accident were on my side of the bus. The last one was a mini bus accident and Mindela told me about some guy who they were moving into a new mini bus whose head was crushed and bleeding. "Was he alive?" "I think maybe not" nice convo! And today's paper showed another accident from yesterday, just outside Lusaka. Caption read: firefighters removing the body of a baby... and it showed another body lying next to the wreckage.

All this just a week or so after I saw an upside-down mini bus in Lusaka. People were pounding on the windows trying to get out - one of the scariest things I've EVER seen. Someone managed to break one and they managed to pull the people out the back window. I tried to calm people down but no one seemed to speak English or Tonga and then this old lady came up to me holding her head with blood dripping down her arm - she moved her hand, her scalp was peeled back. I gave her my handkerchief and tried to tell her to just hold it down to try to stop the bleeding. And all I could think about was "no plastic, there's no plastic!" (cuz of all the blood everywhere). I called an ambulance and left, nothing more I could do.
...And now Mindela wonders why I don't want to get on mini buses even if they are 1/10th the cost of a taxi!


(We did a safety survey at IST and only 30% of the volunteers there feel safe on transport - #1 concern)

(Original Post)

Scared

Hey from Kitwe

So AOL redesigned (at least on this computer) and I can't even FIND my e-mail. Oh well. Things have been going really well...except some people (eh-hem) don't write letters....

We're at IST and this is free so, what they hey - from Emmie's journal:

My iTunes: I don't have i-tunes so this is just what i can get from the pod itself
How many total songs? 8999 but some are recordings and some i need to get rid of cuz i HATE
First: "'S Wonderful' Ella Fitzgerald
Last: The last ones are actually all blank cuz they're in Hebrew and that doesn't show up on the pod but before that is "Zuriky" by K'antu

Sort by Time
can't do that on the pod but i'm sure the shortest and longest are recordings from zambia

Sort by Album
First: Martini Lounge - Esquivel
Last: That Hebrew album is last, Zoorpa, U2 just before that

Sort by Artist
First: Tearin' Up My Heart - Nsync
last: besides that Hebrew one... She's Not There - The Zombies

Ten Most Played Songs the pod gives 25 and doesn't rank them, sorry
1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" The Darkness
2. "Ladies of the Road" King Crimson
3. "The Next Episode" Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
4. "Evil Deeds" Eminem
5. "Makin' Good Love" Avant
6. "Hey Ya!" Outkast
7. "Gone" 'Nsync
8. "Roses" Outkast
9. "Ass Like That" Eminem
10. "Em Calls Paul (skit)" Eminem
11. "Here for the Party" Gretchen Wilson
12. "'C' is for Cookie" Cookie Monster
13. "Like Toy Soilders" Eminem
14. "Loverman" Metallica
15. "Pass the Courvoiseier Part II" Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy
16. "Barnabas Theme from Dark Shadows" Dark Shadows
17. "Milk Shake" Kelis
18. "Ching'ande" Angela Nyirenda
19. "Yakumbuyo" Danny
20. "The Voice Within" Christina Aguilera
21. "Business" Eminem
22. "Venus" Air
23. "Dracula's Wedding" Outkast, feat. Kelis
24. "karmaboc" maki
25. "Smoking Cigarettes" Tweet

10 Recently Played this is not extact
1. "Siku Yalelo" Exile
2. "First Lady" Mr. Nice
3. "Ching'ande" Angela Nyirenda
4. "House Money Car" Nalu
5. "Candy Shop" 50 Cent
6. "With You Part 2" C.R.I.$.I.$.
7. "Bakafwaka" Danny
8. "Awesome God" Michael W. Smith
9. "Curtians" Aphex Twin
10. "Beta TV" Danny

Find "sex." How many songs show up? can't
Find "death." How many songs show up? can't
Find "love." How many songs show up? can't

Maybe I should redo this sometime when I'm in Monze and have i-tunes.... besides, most of you have no idea what these songs are anyway!

(Original Post)

wow

Well, it's not as good as I would have liked but I guess it's not that bad either....
Your June 06, 2005 LSAT score is 170. The percentile rank is 98.

(Original Post)

for mommy

i sent you a long aim cuz i couldn't get into my mail - whateve
anyway, hope you got it!
I love you :)

(Original Post)

WOW!

I just went and looked through my comments and my friends' posts. I can't believe how many sisters wished me happy birthday (including mommy)! Thank you all so much! I miss you guys!

For Mommy

For some reason aol is being a vampire - I can get in to read messages sometimes but that's about it - I've tried many different computers and computer places.
For Mary Kay - there should be old books in those tupperware-ish containers under the shelves in the closet in the sewing room. Prices should also be avail on-line.
For your "adventure" you're just going to have to buy a calling card and call Tim's phone any day between this saturday and next after 18:30 here (11:30 your time). Don't worry if it's super late or super early here (Before 8am, between 8 and 18:00 we'll be in workshop.)
I love you!


...but I hate aol.

(Original Post)

Frustrated

Happy Birthday!

It's Aurelia's birthday - hope you are having a great 24th birthday! See you in a month, Love - Mom

(Original Post)

For Mommy and Katie

I totally just wrote out this long-vampire e-mail and it didn't send, just disappeared....grrr
I'll try to get everything in here.
Itinerary - you have it pretty good, I'll continue working out details w/ Kandyatas, etc.
Thank you for adjusting Holiday Inn res
There are 2 talking Dipsys - not the one that talks to Katrina's LaLa. They're prob wherever you put Bandana and all them.
Ariel is totally syked about the prospect of cheese (me too! me too!)
Bring your camcorder and camera.
DO NOT bring a mosquito net - I have one over my bed and we can pick one up here for $5 (or$10) whcih I beleive is cheaper than the US.
Bring: swimsuits, bug spray, suntan lotion.
I usually limit my bad habits to partys and Peace Corps get-togethers. ...cloves yummy....Cubans yummy... I'll be grateful and happy even if you only bring yourselves.

i feel like I'm forgetting soemthing - I'll try to e-mail again mid-April

Happy Birthday Daddy!!! (a bit early)

(Original Post)

EASTER

What a fun Easter weekend.

Last night Ariel and I went to the most amazing concert: K'million, Exile, TY2, TK, the Sakala Brothers and Angela!!!!! Ok, ok, so that prob doesn't mean much to you but they are some of the biggest stars in Zambian music. For you guys it'd be like seeing the Dead, the Doors, Led Zepplin, the Beatles, etc. together!

This morning we went to church - found a nice Presbyterian church here in L-Stone. I think it was mis-labeled - was more like Pentecostal. We left after 3 hours, couldn't handle anymore.

I got to eat Easter Peeps! (ok, 1, I shared) and we had an Easter beer hunt, there were no eggs - I won a really odd shirt and gave it to Ariel - she found the bottle looking where I suggested but she isn't staying here - group effort.

AND I PLAYED SHEEPSHEAD!!!!!

Here's some places to check out the musicians:
http://www.thezambian.com/music/jk.aspx
http://www.lyricsafrica.com/news.htm check out the music tab

(Original Post)

WOO HOO AIM

I love Aim Express. Chatting on it has also given me a chance to find some websites for you guys - things about the program here - in case you're interested.
http://www.wooster.edu/mkasek/ - Marcie's site - a vol in my group
http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/600/proj600a.html - about the Taonga Market project.
http://www.usemb.org.zm/whpeace.htm - about Peace Corps Zambia
Enjoy!

(Original Post)

I give in

Ok, so I wasn't going to post this but after looking at all my seesters' posts, I'm curious. ......I'm also a little scared. ;)

if you read this,

even if I don't speak to you often,

you must post a memory of me.

it can be anything you want, it can be good or bad,

just so long as it happened.

then post this to your journal. See what people remember about you....

(Original Post)

Long time

Haven't updated in awhile. I went down to Livingstone to work on a project at Ariel's site. (Ariel's from WI so you know she's cool.)

Her place is really different than mine. Her house is packed mud instead of mud bricks. There are no hills; it's all sand, like a beach! Pain to ride a bike in. We even had to push a car out of it, just like in snow back home. She had a nice garden but something got in and ate it, rats or goats or elephants. There are lots of elephants around there. They're supposed to stay in the park but they just bust through the electrical fence when they want to get out. They eat the people's maize and leave these HUGE footprints everywhere. I didn't get to see any elephants but I saw they were there.

(Original Post)

You Are 30 Years Old

30 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Someone told me I'd be 30 by the time I get back - guess I'll be 32

(Original Post)