The Wide Angle

Mind and Body

2009-08-17T14:21:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking a bit too much lately- or so it has seemed. Thankfully, the world seems to have provided me with a temporary reprieve.

Of note:
- Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman (introduced to me by one of new favorite people)
- Lazy days in NYC Parks
- My carpenter (accent on the pent)- I say this not to diminish his impact but instead to highlight it. Sometimes you just need to BE with someone who knows how to just BE
- Bellydance shows put on by Sera Solstice Studio, featuring my dear friend Debra
- Physical Therapy which has me focusing on little other than my core
- Obsessing over a computer problem -- sitting in a cafe called Giani on the UES trying to score some free wi-fi so I could get some work done outside of my apartment. Suddenly, my computer decided that it needed a device key in order to give me access to this wi-fi. The owner assured me I needed no password and thus, had none to provide me. As I hacked away, getting ever more focused on the problem at hand, I realized nothing else mattered but figuring out the key to my free wi-fi. When I finally managed to disable the Intel Pro Set in favor of the more simplistic Windows based Wi-Fi manager, I actually got it to work. Somehow I think there's a lesson in there somewhere!

Happiness Mantras

2009-05-20T09:50:00.006-04:00

Been very inspired lately by Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project Blog and Toolbox. After a few weeks of overwhelming drama in my life (think sickness, losing a family friend and breakups/breakdowns), I decided I was pretty sick of being miserable. But being sick of being miserable and actually being happy are two very different things. First, I started with a bit of a purge- nothing like cleaning out the old to make room for the new (the bathroom is at least slightly less overrun by expired tylenol tablets and almost empty shampoo bottles from hotels past these days). I also decided that if people in my life are only adding to my stress then I probably need to take a step back. A mini-purge however does not, in and of itself, lead to sustained stability or happiness. On the other hand, it does give one enough of a boost to start contemplating other happy moves. I started forcing myself out of the apartment more (even though spring in NYC has felt much more like winter). After re-engaging with some of the people and things that do calm me down and cheer me up, I had a bit of a revelation. Okay, don't expect any semblance of genius here . . .

The more you have going on in your life, the more opportunities you have for happiness. This is probably a variant on the " busy people are happier" concept. I think this is due to the fact that if you have a lot going on and one part of your life feels lilke it's falling apart, at least you have the hope that another part of your life might give you some feeling of satisfaction/excitement etc. In many ways, I've craved a life where I didn't have to work and could just sleep in, go out when I felt like it etc. Obviously, work can be a major source of frustration sometimes. But in the past few days, work has been at least somewhat of a salvation. 1) It keeps you busy so you don't have time to obsess over the hurt/pain etc. 2) It keeps you surrounded by people even when you want to hide 3) It provides an opportunity to feel useful and 4) You might even get that compliment you've been waiting for on a "job well done." Of course, this doesn't mean that I still won't fantasize about winning the lottery and an early retirement but it gives me some appreciation for the work I have to do anyway. The more you have going on, the more likely it is you'll find a way to snap out of it when something is bringing you down. No one thing is everything and that is a great thing! Even when life is going well, you don't want one main source of happiness because if that falls apart, there's nothing left. So, this leaves me with one of my new happiness mantras: do more, worry less!

My second new mantra is "look good, feel good" or "look the way you want to feel." This is adapted from a popular happiness theory that suggests that you should "act the way you want to feel." As in, if you project happiness, you'll inspire that in people around you which, in turn, will make you happy. But at an even more basic level, I find that dressing a bit better, smiling a bit more, and taking a bit more care of yourself (no sweatpants and hoodies when going to grab groceries- unless they are super CUTE) is enough to jumpstart your happiness too. If you look like crap, it will only make you feel worse. So, taking a few extra minutes in the morning to pick out an outfit might just be the happiness boost you need . Oh yeah, it also doesn't hurt when you get a compliment/comment on your outfit, your new-found calmness, or your extra smiles.

Lunch with Joel

2009-03-27T14:40:00.002-04:00

So, Joel Klein has initiated a series of brown bag lunches with different departments at the Central Office of the NYC Department of Education. This is truly exciting in that most of Joel's time is spent running from school to school, press events (including an interview on NY1 that I watched last night), city council meetings and consulting with other political leaders from around the world about education reform (including, I just found out, the Mayor of Jerusalem). Today was our day to hear from Joel himself about his vision and his experiences but more importantly, to pose questions directly to him. He assured us that there would be no retribution for harsh/controversial questions and with his typical brand of humor, added that he doesn't really remember names so even if he wanted to, it would be unlikely ;-)

I was initally impressed by the fact that Joel actively asked someone to move so he could sit right in the center of the table, as opposed to the head of the table- which landed him right next to yours truly. Strangely, I was actually a bit nervous to sit next to him as he has been elevated to a bit of a God-like status for me, even though I disagree wiith him on more than a few of his ideas. We covered many heated topics from pay-for-performance to bottom-up versus top down approaches, to the UFT. He is quite open about his passionate distaste for teachers sitting and waiting to collect their pensions with no plans to actually invest in their profession of teaching kids as well as more positive obsession over what he considers the bottom line: OUTCOMES (aka, student achievement, getting kids into college etc etc).

What became clear to me in this discussion is just how much of a black-box approach we are in fact supporting- as in, it's not the HOW, it's the WHAT. If it means we use charter schools or merit pay or anything else to drive achievement, it doesn't matter, as long as it works. On the one hand, I understand how important outcomes are, but on the other, I would argue that we need to have some insight into the HOW if we are ever to replicate the approaches that work and eliminate the ones that don't. I guess his point is that with data and knowledge management systems (thankfully, exactly what I do!!)- we will have the opportunity to not only measure our outcomes but capture at least some portion of the HOW. But in the meantime, the how seems relatively unimportant- just that we do it, and do it now. Obviously, a very compelling argument when you realize just how many of the students in NYC can barely read or write, let alone go to college and succeed. I asked him more about the tension between a bottom up approach and achieving efficiency/outcomes through a centralized approach to which he responded with a theory from Michael Barber (a McKinsey consultant) on change management: a large system can go from awful to adequate with a top down approach, but to go from adequate to good (or even great), one needs a bottom up approach in which users/consumers etc demand greatness. Thus, choice (or quasi market systems) are at the heart of great systems. I plan to do some more reading on this before I'm sold completely but certainly seems to have some merit.

Obviously, I learned a lot about more about his vision for NYC as well as its relationship to other cities and the national government's plans to push for higher standards and more accountability. However, I learned much more about communication and leadership. Why, is it, I though, that Joel is able to get so many people to listen to him. He doesn't have a particularly commanding presence when he walks into a room. What he does have is the ability to communicate in a way that's engaging, heartfelt, and even entertaining. He draws on a vast reservoir of knowledge and experiences from books, articles, his upbringing and so much more. He shares anectodes that personalize all of his beliefs from his father dropping out of high school during the Great Depression (and ending up as a miserable postal worker) to the teachers who refuse to give out homework because they don't get paid for the time to mark it etc. All of the stories are meaningful and have some underlying belief at the heart of them but also filled with a sense of humor. All of us seem to find a way to relate to his stories and thus, to his overall beliefs and message.

I'm not sure where my life is taking me or my career, but I'm so glad to be around people like Joel, and people like you, who remind me how important it is to be passionate about what you do and always strive to do better. Challenging the status quo isn't always easy but it's often necessary. Cheers to the rebels!

Leap of Faith

2009-02-12T12:44:00.004-05:00

Hola de Patagonia!

As many of you know, Joy and I headed down to Patagonia with theintent of bonding with some glaciers. The extent of that bonding wasyet to be determined. So, upon our arrival in El Calafate, we headed straight to the center of town to speak with representatives from the various travel agencies who provide a whole repertoire of glaciertours, including: boat tours, balcony tours (just transport to and from the main lookout points), mini-trekking (a short hike and ice climbing adventure with crampons), as well as BIG ICE (a full 7 hours trek including 3 hours of hiking to and from the glacier and 4 hours of ice laden fun). We went directly to speak with the premier tour company here called Hielo y Aventura (Ice and Adventure) as they were highlighted in our guidebooks. Our decision-making criteria included: photographic opportunities, the physical demands of the excursion, the entertainment or interest value, and of course, the cost. Joy and Ibeing at least slightly type A were sure to weigh our options thoroughly, based on as much information as we could gather (sadly the internet, the guidebooks, and even the brochures all seemed to lack sufficient details).

We spent about 30 mins grilling the travel agency rep on the value ofdoing minitrekking versus big ice as well as our ability to handle it. The rep seemed to have little concern for our ability and suggested that big ice would really allow us some more quiet time on the glacierand very pretty "walks" in the forest- as there are far fewer people who join this particular tour (this should have been a red flag). She asked us no questions regarding our age, physical ability, health nor did she provide any liability waiver for us to sign after we finallysettled on "BIG ICE." With a swipe of our credit card, we were allset to go. The only thing left to do was to pick up some supplies as Joy´s shoes were deemed unacceptable for the journey as were herpants. We were told that we could rent equipment from boots towaterproof pants at a local store. I have to say I´m quite impressed that they allow you to rent equipment at all and don´t choose to gouge tourists (forcing them to buy totally overpriced trekking gear that most people will never use again). Quite the opposite, in fact. They don´t seem all that concerned with making money here at all-- and at times, stores just seem like fronts for mere socializing withneighboring shopkeepers. The concept of "sales" doesn´t really seem to be applicable here.

Joy and I were both exhausted in the morning as neither of us had slept well the night before, nervous about oversleeping and anxiously excited for our next day´s activity. But with our sunglasses, sunscreen, waterproof pants, jackets (mine being Gore-tex and Joy´s being her old gap rain jacket that we both have from high school), gloves, hats, ear muffs, and lunch boxes in tow, we headed out to thetour bus (meeting up with some great people we had met up with the night before- Courtney, Samantha, and Mitch) as well as eventually adding on 5 more people to the tour- for 10 in total. Unfortunately,the day started out rainy and windy and was showing no signs ofletting up. When we finally made it to the glacier viewing point (our first glimpse), it was so foggy, rainy, and windy, that only a small bit of the glacier was really visible. Despite the lack of visibility, it was still marvelous enough to inspire us to stay out and soak in the sights and sounds of the glacier. The sound of the glacier breaking (which has almost become addictive) has been described by many as closely resembling the sounds of lightning andthunder- first you hear a crackling-like sound and then a strong"boom." Joy and I have added a few more possible descriptions below:
- a type of snap, crackle, pop effect like rice krispies but on a muchgrander scale
- like waves crashing onto the shore
- like a breeze developing into hurricane force winds that start torattle physical structure in its path

Sadly, the rainy-windy weather was not letting up and the trail (whichhadn´t been described as much more than a forest walk) was filled with steep inclines on muddy gravel and click loose stones. Furthermore,the guides, as it turns out, weren´t doing much guiding. They barely spoke English (note to self: a serious language barrier between you and the people who are responsible for you life is NOT a good idea) and oftentimes, were together at the front of the heap as opposed to staggering out with one at the front, one in the middle, and one at the back to bring up the rear. As far as I know, this is tour guide101- especially in any situation that might be somewhat dangerous. Alas, it was not to be. The rain was streaming down and the wind keptwhipping at us, making it difficult to see more than a step in front of us. Perhaps that was a good thing though, for if I had a clue what I was about to climb, I think I would have backed out. Actually, this is true for the entire experience-- but more on this to come.

Only about 45 minutes through (maybe half way to the start of theglacier), the trail got increasingly steep and the ground beneath us felt muddier and less steady- there was a rope hanging off of the sideof the mountain that we were supposed to grab onto to stead yourselves. However, the rope was too high and by reaching for the rope, you barely could keep your feet on the ground. I grabbed therope briefly before trying to quickly step up to the next "steady-ish"piece of land. As I went to step down, my entire right leg began to sink, engulfed by mud. If this wasn´t quicksand, it was certainly the closest thing to it I could imagine. My leg actually felt like it was being sucked in my the mud. Thankfully, my other leg was on steadier ground above me and somehow, my instincts kicked in and I put as much pressure on my other leg as possible while I tried to recover my otherleg from the mud. Honestly, I have no idea how I did it, as the guides just stood there above me staring blankly - if not borderline ready to laugh at the whole situation. Finally I made my way out and as upset as I was, just kept moving as I realized that no one couldreally help me but myself. The other tour group members asked me howI was but I basically shut down- my body became increasingly unstable and wobbly and I was nervous with every step, fearful of the same situation reoccuring. I just kept trying to focus on each step but itwas hard not to be both terrified and also angry at the apparent incompetence or disregard of the tour guides. At this point, Irealized going back over that spot seemed scarier than going forward so I had to keep moving. This was the only thing that powered me through.

Before getting to the "rest point" before embarking on our actual ice trek, we still had to pass through a waterfall and climb over rocksand a rain-soaked wooden footbridge. Thankfully, the tour group had begun to rally me- giving me extra moral and physical support when needed. Alas, 45 minutes later, we arrived at a tent for our brief pause before the glacier walking tour was to begin. I just sat onthese makeshift wooden benches in the tent debating whether I could possibly handle the rest of the excursion. Of course I didn´t want tohave come this far and NOT walk on the glacier but at this point I had lost faith in my body´s ability to handle such stress as well as the guide´s ability to actually rescue me if I were to need rescuing. Furthermore, the wind and rain made the whole experience seem ratherdaunting, less enjoyable, and certainly less conducive to photography-obviously one of my huge motivators. As everyone ate lunch in the tent, I just debated in my head whether or not to go for it andsomehow I came to the conclusion that I just had to keep going. Atthis point, however, another couple abandoned the tour as theyrealized this was too much for them (the girl was getting over a coldand the hiking on real land had already exhausted her)-- one of the three guides took them back. And so, we were down to 8. And 2 guides (if you can call them that).
Harnesses were put around our waist and thighs before heading out ofthe shelter. It is still not clear what these harnesses were for aswe were never connected to each other, to a rope, to our guides, oranything else for that matter. Ah, safety! We still had a prettysteep downhill hike to get to the point at which the mountain actuallymeets with the glacier. Here we set on a piece of dead wood to getour crampons put on- (we had been carrying them with us in ourbackpacks). As we waited our turn to get the crampons tied on, the wind got so bad that both Joy´s and Courtney´s ponchos actually ripped to shreds and flew off of them, covering the pristine glacier withbits of blue and yellow plastic. How wonderfully environmental of us! This was enough to send Courtney back as well. We were now down tour final 7! It was starting to feel like Survivor.

Here we were given approximately a 30-second demo of how to walk with crampons: walk uphill in a "V¨ with legs spread apart, walk downhill with legs parallel and knees bent (think seven dwarves singing hi-ho,hi ho . . .) And that about sums up our instructions for the rest ofthe day. No safety protocol, no practice, no nothing. Very reassuring. And so that was it, we were off, no turning back now. We began our ascent onto the Perito Moreno Glacier, trying as best aspossible to use our very brief instructions. Besides for the wind,the actual walking on the ice seemed surprisingly easy. In fact, it felt easier than walking on land- there was a sense of security that came with using your foot to jam pieces of metal into the ice to steady yourself. And more than anything, I just wanted to feel steady. Fortunately, as we began walking further up and into the heart of the glacier, the sun started to peak out and the rain ceased. The sun felt so good that it powered me in a way that I couldn´t imagine. My body was basically experiencing the equivalent of nonstop stairmasteron ice-- I can´t even do the stairmaster at a lovely, temperature controlled gym. However, my body somehow found a strength, an energy,and a peace that surprised even me. I began to enjoy seeing theglowing blue pools of water that gathered in the crevices between theice. Even leaping over rushing rivers of glacial water seemed to be as entertaining as jumping rope or playing hopscotch when you´re a kid. Every once in a while, I would realize what we were doing andexperience a brief moment of panic, but for the most part, I was able to enjoy the moment, in that cheesy zen-like manner that people talkabout but I had yet to believe was really possible (at least for me).Sadly, the guides proved no more useful as the day went on and kept apace that was not at all conducive to breathing or taking photos! Fortunately, the tour group (spread out as we were) did stop to takephotos and basically forced the guides to stop along the way- butnever enough as our bodies needed or our souls.

The texture of the ice closely resembles shards of glass- thus, our gloves could never come off despite our desire to "touch" this wondrous piece of nature. Seeing blue ice (created by the fact thatthe ice is so compressed that it takes longer for light to passthrough it) and pools of light blue and deep blue water - from gushingrivers, to little pools of gahered water, was endlessly exhilirating. At certain moments, I found myself running on the glacier-- feeling asense of freedom I haven´t since prancing around Yellowstone NationalPark a few years ago- also abandoning my fear of heights. Climbing a glacier felt in many ways like climbing the Sand Dunes of Namibia. Funny that things that seem as dissimilar as possible feltlike two halves of the same entity. And of course, the beauty of both seems to dwarf most anything I can imagine. Even when my legs felt like they could not possibly withstand any more, the glacier itself seemed to give me the strength to continue. Was it my survival instinct, actual harmony with nature or maybe it was just the terrifying fear of being left on a glacier all by myself- who knows?Regardless, it worked and I was taking it all in- from the taste of the glacier water to the visual of peaks and valleys and jagged edgesof ice in blue and white gradations all around me. At some point however, the physical strain returned again as we were about 30 minutes from stepping back on"dry land."

The last 30 minutes had intense period of straight uphill climbs,where pausing for a moment felt like too great a risk (as you couldimagine yourself falling straight down). The guides also had to keep testing different routes to see if the ice was solid enough to pass on(perhaps the most they did to ensure our security throughout theentire tour). Joy and I agreed to just go at our own pace and let thetour group move ahead. We had our own buddy system and felt confident that we could get through as long as we just kept moving, regardless of our speed. And this is the way we proceeded through the remainderof the trek from ice and back to land. Thankfully, this time around,much of the path had dried significantly and the ground seemed a bit more solid underneath our feet. However, with most of our tour groupand guides out of sight and no trail markers at all, the remainder of our trek was still filled with some trepidation. However, enjoying the forest trail at our own pace with no one around the disturb us wasprobably one of the highlights of our adventure. As we finally caught glimpse of the end of our journey, there was a sense of complete triumph for having schieved what we did-- SURVIVAL-but also a bit of sadness for leaving the beauty of the glacier behind. Only moments later, however, we were presented with whiskey on glacier ice and could only laugh at the sheer insanity of it all. I´m not sure this really gives a proper end to this story-- but suffice it to say that it was one helluva day! And Joy and I could clearly make some serious money here by putting together a photo-friendly ice trekking tour complete with safety protocols, restbreaks, on demand rental gear (to replace shreeded ponchos), and maybe even some kind words of encouragement for those doing their best tochallenge their bodies and minds.

Note: As a result of aforementioned adventure, Joy and I cancelled our El Chalten excursion and have decided to stay in El Calafate, enjoyinga bit more rest and relaxation that was originally planned.

Con mucho amor,Leah

September Slump

2008-09-15T20:56:00.029-04:00

Well, as you may have noticed I've been on a blogging break for a bit. Perhaps it's because I am experiencing a September Slump. I believe that almost everyone* goes through some level of September slumping every year as the summer fades from view, kids have to go back to school, adults say goodbye to casual Fridays at work, and flip flops no longer refer to shoes but instead to politicians. Argh!

How do you know if you too are experiencing the September Slump?

You know you're in a September Slump when:
5) You spent the last week night fine-tuning your DVR/TiVo selections
4) Games of choice include: name your hurricane and how low can the Dow go?
3) You keep walking by your bank to make sure it still exists
2) Even Back To School sales aren't enough to lure you back into stores
1) Making fun of Sarah Palin just isn't that fun anymore**

So, as I try to get through my own September Slump, let me offer up a handful of suggestions/thoughts to get through these trying times:
1) Remind yourself that bad politics=great comedy (aka Bill Maher, SNL, The Daily Show etc)
2) Get out your monopoly money- it might finally be worth something!
3) Climate change at this rate means snow days are just around the corner
4) Although loyalty in men is not innate, it can be taught! So, girls, you better reconsider the teaching profession (See more here: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-mating15-2008sep15,0,5766094.story?page=2)
5) Flip flopping is endlessly entertaining so we can always return to making fun of Sarah Palin!

* Okay, maybe just New Yorkers but it's way more fun to exaggerate
** These indicators are valid only for September 2008 and are subject to change at a moment's notice

Sticking to their Guns

2008-09-03T22:35:00.014-04:00

Well, I took a much needed break after the RNC to take in all that I heard and quite frankly, just simmer down. Of course, I could repeat the many criticisms of the RNC already published in newspapers and discussed on political talk shows over the past few days but I'm not going to for now. Instead, I am going to try a slightly different approach. While there are numerous policy and philosophical differences I have with most of the politicans that spoke at the RNC, I was the most concerned with a general concept underlying the entire convention: the idea that unwavering beliefs and unchanging policy endorsements are the pinnacle of good leadership.

Although the idea of "flip-flopping" was turned into political death during the last President election, I wonder why the idea of holding steadfast to your position no matter what is seen as the opposite- aka political perfection? I am not speaking here of actual flip-flopping which regardless of party is a routine practice. Rather, I am speaking of the common references at the convention to the "idea" that John McCain and Sarah Palin are virtuous leaders as evidenced by their solid commitment to one thing or another. On the face of it, I see why this sounds good- and at times, may even be a positive trait in our leaders. However, this almost sounds like "blind faith" in which one takes something as a given, regardless of facts. I am by no means suggesting that I think a good leader should constantly be changing their positions. However, reevaluating one's positions isn't inherently bad, is it? For me, the question would be why did someone reevaluate or even change positions? Is it because they learned new facts or is it because some lobbyist "paid" them off to change positions? These are two entirely different scenarios that would necessitate two very different reactions in my book. So, why then are we told over and over by the Republicans that sticking to one's position, regardless of popular opinion, is the character trait de jour? Is it merely because the subtle reference to flip flopping may sink Obama like it did Kerry? Or is it because Bush's approval rating is so low that one needs to suggest that going against popular opinion is actually a good thing?

I realize that no one is going to please all U.S. citizens all of the time- not even close. But must we choose instead to elect a President that by definition suggests that we are voting for him because he will stand against public opinion but stay firmly committed to it? This is even more ironic given the McCain-Palin firm belief in the INability for Government to actually improve the lives of citizens. So, if they don't listen to public opinion and they don't trust the Government, who do they trust? Only themselves? I certainly don't have the answers but I have lots more questions.

And in honor of Bill Maher, I leave you with this:

NEW RULE: If you claim to be pro-life, you must support stem cell research and oppose the killing of innocent civilians worldwide!

RNC: The Regressive National Convention

2008-09-02T20:19:00.034-04:00

In an editor's letter entitled "What Ever Happened to the Future?" in the July 2008 issue of Vanity Fair, Graydon Carter spoke to the trouble facing America today. He explained, far more articulately than I'm about to, that the genius of America historically was its emphasis on the future as opposed to the past. He argued that while Europe was busy looking backwards and celebrating the good old days, America was investing in its future, always looking to seize new opportunities. Unfortunately, he pointed out, those days have fallen behind us and instead of America leading the way, we have staggered recently (more precisely during the last 8 years of the Bush administration), falling behind Europe and others. In issues ranging from global warming to technology, we have hesitated or regressed entirely. To me, watching and listening to the Republicans over the last few weeks epitomizes this type of backwards-looking mentality.

Less than 1 hour into the RNC, images of the crumbling towers and references to September 11th are center stage ("Let's not forget George Bush has kept America safe" -Laura Bush). While September 11th is undoubtedly a day of siginificance to all Americans (and many across the world), it can not and should not be a political call to live in fear and govern through military might. Not only will this type of rule continue to drag us further and further behind the rest of the world, but it also doesn't work. According to a recent RAND corporation report, "the U.S. approach to countering al Qa'ida has focused far too much on the use of military force. Instead, policing and intelligence should be the backbone of U.S. efforts." They support this argument with DATA (I know, data can be SCARY, especially to those who believe in creationism and don't believe in global warming). Cory Doctorow describes the findings in the Boing Boing blog: "By analyzing a comprehensive roster of terrorist groups that existed worldwide between 1968 and 2006, the authors found that most groups ended because of operations carried out by local police or intelligence agencies or because they negotiated a settlement with their governments. Military force was rarely the primary reason a terrorist group ended . . . " And yet, Day 1 of RNC seemed to be an ode to the military and particularly the failed Iraq War. To me, Day 1 could be summed up something like this: religion, religion, religion, military, military, military, PAST, PAST, PAST!

I get it- we have a war hero presidential candidate and let's not forget that we are in the middle of a war. War hero+war=Elect McCain= put our country first! It amazes me that somehow war, and in particular the Iraq war (despite its waning popularity) still manages to garner so much positive attention and somehow equates to putting our country first. Even more shocking to me are military families and veterans, who have suffered continually from a lack of true support from the current Republican regime (unless you count repeated deployments and a lack of adequate health care for veterans as support), still seemingly enthusiastic about the Republican party and war in general (but admittedlly, I haven't actually looked at the statistics on this - YET). Shouldn't those the most likely to end up in harm's be the most war-phobic? Excuse the slight digression- now back to my original point . . .

I realize that Day 1 focused on the biography of John McCain and with 72 years of history, there is a helluva lot of "past" to discuss. I also am aware that during the DNC, we also took a brief tour into Obama and Michelle's past. But overwhelmingly, the sentiment at the DNC was excitement and encouragement for our future. And I have yet to hear anything forward-looking at the RNC. So, here's looking forward to hearing more from the Republicans in the days ahead. I only hope that that they too decide to look forward instead to continuing to dwell on the past.

And so, on to Day 2 . . .

P.S. Joe Lieberman seriously needs to stop calling himself a Democrat!!

What a Piece of Work is Man

2008-09-01T00:51:00.002-04:00

Apparently this is the summer of mad men. And no, I'm not talking about John McCain. I decided to take a bit of a break from politics this weekend and enjoy the last few days of summer in NYC. Instead of high-tailing out of the city for labor day weekend, I decided to stay in town, catch up with friends, and find low-cost/free cultural entertainment. I actually began my summer fun free (and some cheap) festivities a bit earlier than normal this year and managed to sneak in quite a bit of NYC's fine summer happenings including:

Shakespeare in the Park's performance of Hair: Absolutely worth getting up at 6AM on a Saturday morning! And yes, anyone that knows me knows that almost nothing is worth that kind of sacrifice. It looks like they have extended the run through September 14th- if you haven't already gone to see it, do whatever you can to get tickets. You won't be sorry!
Lincoln Center out of Doors "Sounds of Africa" Performance with Extra Golden, The Ex, Mahmoud Ahmed and Getatchew Mekurya. See NY Times Review here.
Public Farm One (P.F.1) Exhibit at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center
Gorilla Repertory's Production of Hamlet at Fort Tryon Park/The Cloisters

Ah, but this is a bit of a diversion. Why am I speaking of mad men? Well, it is true that Hamlet is certainly a story of madness but this is not the story that I am referring to. Today's story centers on a friend of a friend's boob job!

So, I was hanging out with a friend yesterday and she was telling me that her friend recently got a boob job. Okay, this is by no means unusual or especially shocking. What is shocking is how she paid (or rather didn't pay) for her surgery. Apparently this girl could not afford the surgery but was extremely eager to find a way to enhance her otherwise great body (which she seems to have no problem flaunting on a semi-regular basis). So, she did what every smart person in trouble does- she reached out to her best friend - The Internet! I can't say I know the details of her internet research, but my guess is it didn't take too long before she found the charity of all charities - a place where flat chested girls everywhere (or future porn stars) can reach out to generous philanthropic souls and ask for pity, compassion, and yes, a boob job!! Apparently, while nonprofits struggle to find money to rebuild homes after hurricanes, feed hungry children during a famine, and provide life-saving drugs to those with H.I.V., girls everywhere can find a true way out of poverty, insecurity and most importantly, those loose fitting strapless dresses. I know that I feel much better knowing that this girl, and so many others, will never again have to struggle to choose between putting food on the table and inflating their lives and egos with silicone! Rest easy, dear friends, free boobs are here and here to stay!

The Curveball

2008-08-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

Well, the Republicans are definitely the masters of the curveball. If you haven't already heard the news, McCain selected Governer Sarah Palin from Alaska as his running mate (see NY Times Article here). Palin is only a first time governor but if you're worried about her level of experience, fear not! She used to be a beauty queen AND the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population: approx. 8,500). And if that's not enough of an endorsement, John McCain can surely testify on her behalf as he has met her exactly once prior to this week.

To her credit, she apparently is known as a "whistleblower" who has focused much of her attention on ethical standards and standing up to corruption inside her own party. Certainly can't fault her there. On the other hand, her husband is an oil production operator on Alaska's North Slope and perhaps that's why she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I'm waiiting to hear more on this one but so far the media seems to have stayed somewhat quiet about this one.

What's to make of all of this? Will the Republicans be able to lure away white women who were Hillary supporters and seemingly on the fence about Obama? Will the hint of youth, gender equality (or just soccer-mom), and ethical standards be enough to reenergize a party that only last night was considered near lifeless in this election? Despite the many attacks from both sides of the aisle on this V.P. pick, the Republicans are certainly doing something right- they have people talking about them and NOT Obama today. Just the mere shock of this pick has helped them gain momentum and media coverage. Admittedly, any V.P. pick would have garnered serious media attention on Day 1 but who knows how this will actually play with voters? Time to get back to the news. Tune in for more tomorrow.

For more on Sarah Palin, check out these links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/02/palin.johnmccain
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdown_in_slomo.php

Notice, she hadn't even left the country before last year . . .

A Sense of Common Purpose: A Future of Hope instead of Fear

2008-08-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

He did it! Not only did Obama deliver an amazing speech- if CNN is correct, he wrote it himself. Is that even possible these days? Do politicians ever actually contribute their own thoughts, their own words, their own hopes, dreams and fears? Well, I don't know about most politicians but Obama certainly seems to. For all those wondering- I did NOT start out jumping on the "HOPE" train- maybe hopping on and off at times but definitely not jumping. Even I, who often overflows with unfiltered idealism, was a cynic. Who is this guy and why does he think he can reform Washington? Why hope only to be disappointed by yet another politician who fails to deliver on his promises?

Well, after tonight's speech, I'm not just jumping on the HOPE train, I'm leaping! Leaping for joy that is. Even Amy Holmes, a Republican strategist and CNN contributing reporter, said that Obama "turned the tables on McCain." Amazingly, he did this while still being genuinely respectful. I never understood before tonight how one could disagree with someone so passionately but act compassionately towards them.

But for me, the big selling point was the emphasis on both personal and shared responsibility. We can't do it alone nor can we rely on government to do everything for us. This reflects a genuine understanding of the complexity of the problems we face. Nobody can achieve success on their own, neither can a country. I'm more confident than ever that not only can Obama handle the challenges of being the next U.S. President but also that he can compel all Americans to take a hard look at what they can do to help bring about positive change.

Favorite quotes from Obama's acceptance speech:

"On November 4, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.'"
"Now, I don't believe that Sen. McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. " (How could the man with 7 houses possibly know what's going on in the lives of most Americans? I think I'll take a chance on the man who only recently paid off his student loans, thank you very much!)
"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change."

To read the full transcript of Barack Obama's acceptance speech, click here.

P.S. Apparently the political pundits don't think Obama was as respectful to John McCain as I did. Well, it was high time for the Democrats to finally bring on the fight so I'm not exactly complaining!

To Obama's Speechwriters and Strategists

2008-08-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

So, our Republican friends have been jumping at every opportunity to point out that Hillary Clinton did not fully endorse Obama in her Convention speech because she did not refer to his "readiness" to be President. Of course, had she claimed Obama WAS ready, they would just fault her for lying. Apparently, heated primaries lead to open warfare on the Democrats. Oh wait, everything the Democrats do or don't do leads to these types of attacks. For example, no one can actually argue that Joe Biden is a bad VP candidate. So, instead the Republicans have found another way to turn this into a negative. They suggest that by choosing Joe Biden, Obama is reaffirming that he is "not ready" because otherwise, one would never choose such a top-notch foreign policy candidate. Should we then suggest that if McCain chooses anyone with half a brain as a running mate that he too is not ready to lead on Day 1?!

If this seems like an attack on the Republicans, it is not. I am thoroughly impressed by their ability to turn just about everything into something negative against the Democrats. Get with it, Democrats! If we are going to win, and we ARE going to win, then we better start getting good at this ourselves! Perhaps there are trainings being provided on negative campaigning being given by the Republicans- sign up now while the going is good!

Bill did step up last night to remind us that primary rhetoric is just that and indeed Obama is ready to be our Commander-in-Chief and much much more- leading us into the future instead of speeding up our decline (economically, politically, democratically and otherwise). But this is too little, too late, and clearly just put on for show, they say. I say, no problem. Why, you ask?

I have never been more impressed by the Clintons as I've been in the last two days. Don't get me wrong, I have my doubts about their sincerity too but I'm not sure that it matters. What does matter is that anyone who can follow the Kennedys and the Clintons and still inspire the crowds is definitely here to stay. And while I haven't seen or heard Obama's acceptance speech, I'm confident that he will be able to energize, inspire, and captivate all of us tonight! So, here's hoping that "readiness" questions are a thing of the past after tonight and we can get to the true matter at hand: making Obama the next President of the United States!

Karibu

2008-06-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

So, after 3 days in transit I finally arrived in Nairobi a bit cranky, tired and in deseprate need of a shower. I think I managed to get in about 3-4 hours of sleep on the 8 hour flights but hadn't slept the two nights prior either so it wasn't a good scene. All I could think about was a shower and sleep- the 2 most essential S's after spending so long travelling. But my eye was on the prize, we got off the plane and jumped right on the line for other passport holders (joined by new friend Ameena from Toronto who was my neighbor on the flight and fast friend!). Well, first mistake was joining the other passport holder line. I forgot that you need to go to the visa counter if you don't have your visa when arriving to Kenya (other travels take note). After moving to the back to the passport holders line and realizing the line wasn't moving at all- we became fast friends and supporters of the UK Jubilee Games team (still not clear exactly what the Jubilee Games are but apparently are some huge Muslim Sports League event where young people from all over the world are apparently all now descending on Nairobi) in order to go join a new line. Ameena and I assumed there was some expedited process for all of these athletes and we could somehow join the fun! Alas, this was not to the the case. We got rerouted to another line that looked strikingly like our first line and moved at the same snail's pace or more to the point, not at all. At one point, I think we calculated close to 30 minutes per person.

After more than an hour and a half of little to no movement and crankiness turning into downright misery, we were informed that on Thursday the Kenya Government had decided to institute some new border control process that involved sticker visas (which although pretty seriously do not warrant the extra hours of standing in line!) and lots of manual processes- copying your info from one notebook to another and on and on (let us not forget that you need two pieces of papaer, one for your via and one for your entry declaration and apparently two forms is more than double the fun!) So on and on this goes until three hours later Ameena and I make it through. One would think we were overjoyed but after 3 hours on top of your 8 hour flights on top of your day in London on top of your 6 hour flight to London (which although oivernight does not constitute a real overnight) and well, we were more relieved than anything. But the apprehension remained as both Ameena and I had to recheck our bags in London after our first flights and had to ID them before they were loaded on the plane. So, while we were mildly confident in London's efficiency, (exhibited remarkably by their assembly line security screening where they first check your bad, than your person, and then your shoes-- okay, maybe not efficient at all but intriguing nonetheless), we were terrified that our bads either didn't make it or made it but after the three hours of waiting in line had managed to get lost, taken away, sent back to London and who knows what else. But miracle of miracles- our bags did indeed make it.

Then it was off to find Ben in the airport who I wasn't sure would have stuck around for 3 hours or really whether he was planning on coming at all (given the original 6AM arrival time etc). And so Ben was nowhere to be found but I quickly found a Hilton rep, said my quick goodbyes to Ameena and went off to the Hilton for a nice shower and some sleep.

I spent the morning trying to deal with getting Safaricom to work with a supposedly unlocked Blackberry before giving up and buying a new phone. I was too cranky to think or negotiate and decided it would be nice to get a real phone that works internationally and is not from the stone age. I was truly sold on the email feature which has yet to work. I think I need a data subscription or something. Will follow up on this later- suffice it to say that after hours or no sleep and no connection to the outside world, my decision making skills weren't in the best shape ever. Finally, after some real rest and with working phone, Ben and I managed to connect and meet up for dinner at Ranalo's- the yummy and affordable Kenya food jaunt. YUMMMMMMM. I was too busy sleeping all day to eat and was so happy to finally enjoy a real meal and catch up with Ben.

More on Ben, Kids for Tomorrow etc soon. For now, it's back to repacking for Lamu and then back to bed.

En route back to Kenya

2008-06-23T14:08:00.001-04:00

So it's back to Kenya for me . . . a few words on the journey here before diving into the actual trip.

Let us start with the question that has been on the back of my mind for the past few years: London- still brilliant? The answer is a definite yes but there are some caveats. For those who don't know me well, I shuld start off by saying that I lived in Lodon for about 6 months back in 1998 (my junior year at University). I studied at King's College London (Strand campus) and lived in Hampstead. My time in London was in a word lovely (as my british friends would say). I've been back a few times since but not in the last few years due to the pathetically weak dollar and the ever increasing worth of the pound. (Sidenote: Obama, please oh please let the dollar return to some semblance of its former self so that Americans may once again enjoy travel and its best counterpart, shopping in foreign lands). So back to London- I was a bit on edge when I went to the ticket counter in JFK and the Virgin Atlantic representative did not know that they flew to Nairobi. As he represents Virgin Atlantic, and thus Britain (to some degree)- I was seriously getting worried about the state of the British mind. It also didn't bode well that it took me an house to get through immigration at Heathrow. Despite the advancements in technology, they were still bottlenecked with only 4 immigration officials to process all non-UK passport holders! There is definitely some need for improvement here but at least the signage and the people in the airport were as helpful as one could hope for.

But alas, once in London, I was relived to find that they are still indeed brilliant. The tube is the seriously remarkable. I got from Heathrow into central London in maybe 40 minutes on the Picadilly line (no Heathrow Express needed). I not only could hear the name of every single stop we approach clearly over the speakers, but also any changes or helpful hints (like, if you need to go to terminal 5, please get out of this train and wait for the xxx train). I have gotten so used to the NYC Subway system (yes, I know-- it's bigger, it runs all night etc etc) that I had forgotten just how well an underground could work. The digital displays showing the time of the next train, the announcements that are actually understandable, and the famous mind the gap . .. should be added to the wonders of the world!

Once in central London, I sadly took myself to Starbucks for a caffeine infusion and even the Starbucks seems better in London. They have the best yogurt parfaits ever with yummy honey and granola but alas, no egg sadwiches. So, after caffeinating myself and reorienting myself (it's been while), I made it to Trafalgar Square where a huge Hare Krishna Festival had taken over. For reference, I think they are following me or I them because just last week I ended up in the middle of the Hare Krishna festival in NYC by Herald Square (where I rarely, if ever go-- had to return shoes to Macy's that I had bought online). I know my parents will laugh at this since they were convinced I would join the Hare Krishnas in College- well, it's not too late. It's like India coming overseas- kindof amazing. The beatiful saris, the chanting, the people with impossibly happy faces all around you- how can you not wonder?? With the little time I had, I managed to take myself away from the festival and check out Covent Garden, Leicester Square, the shops . . . oh the wonder wonderul shops, and the National Gallery. This brings me to my key point- while everything is seemingly outrageous in London, especially with the dollar so weak, the National Gallery, among other amazing things, is free! So, you don't have to feel badly just going in for an hour or less, strolling around and leaving. It brought back so many good memories from when I lived in Lodon and spent some part of almost every day there. Also, I'm pretty sure Pret a Manger is actually cheaper in London than in the States. So, surprisngly my day in London was cheaper than expected-- although I did have the do my requisite Boots Pharmacy shopping. I sadly had to walk away from a dress at Jigsaw. Fashion there is still so much better than in NYC but at those prices (with the exchange rate as it is now), indulging really wasn't an option. So, maybe it's a good thing I didn't spend the day in the airport as I probably would have spent more money at Heathrow and forgotten just how great London truly is. Hopefully, I'll get back soon!

The basic necessities- food, water, shelter . . .

2008-01-02T01:56:00.000-05:00

A bit more on the current situation before I go back in time to recall my safari adventures . . .

Last night, Sam, Adam, Ben, Tom and I ventured out to go get some groceries in a nearby Nakumatt. The first two grocery stores/shopping centers were closed by the time we got there (at 7pm)- these stores normally stay open a bit later but had shut down a bit early for security reasons (we assume). More interesting was when we arrived at the 3rd store- there was a line wrapped around the entire store with people trying to stock up on essentials. Given the fact that the Shalom House (our current accommodation which also is a social enterprise organization supporting various nonprofits here in Nairobi) has two restaurants on-site, we decided to head back, eat dinner, and hope that we could venture back out to pick up some groceries today.

Tonight we plan to make a decision as to whether we are going to wait things out here or head to Zanzibar or somewhere else for a few days to see if things calm down. Will keep you posted.

TIA= This is Africa

2008-01-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

For any of you who have seen Blood Diamond, you'll remember Leonardo DiCaprio using "TIA" quite a bit to sum up the feeling that every day is an adventure here in Africa, and Kenya is no exception. It has been a week since I was last able to write in this blog, as this is the first time I've had an internet connection in a week. Given that electricity and hot water were in short supply, an internet connection wasn't even on the hit list of "nice-to-haves." Mind you, we spent some of our electricity and hot water deprived days in very high-end lodges. This is to say that if you think you can insulate yourself from Africa by upgrading yourself to a fancy hotel, you are sadly mistaken. So, when your safari vehicle gets struck in a pool of water by the side of the "road" in the middle of a game park as the sun is going down or you watch herds of giraffe and elephant from 750 feet above in a hot air balloon or the election tensions get so high that your family and friends start asking you whether you've been in contact with the U.S. Embassy- you just say TIA, stay safe and enjoy the ride.

Over the next few day, I will try to recap my last week here in Kenya but for now, I just wanted to write a few thoughts on the current situation in Kenya based on the latest election tensions. Over the last few days, there have been a handful of riots/killings around Kenya in reaction to Kibaki's declared victory over Raila despite evidence of voting irregularities. There has been a lot of concern that this will devolve into an ethnic conflict between the various tribes in Kenya (particularly the Kikuyu and the Luo). As our friend Tom reminded us once again tonight, over dinner, there are 42 tribes here in Kenya. It is unlikely for one tribe to pit themselves against another as there are too many tribes and they have lived peacefully together for many years.
With that said, there is the reality that many Luo and other ethnic groups were happy to see any non-Kikuyu tribe member rise up to be President.

To be continued

Don't Try This at Home (Alternate Titles include: The trip that never was, The land of orange moons etc)

2007-12-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

Day 1 in Nairobi (December 24th):

Top 6 Reasons why my first day in Kenya will never be forgotten:

- Arrived just in time for the final election rallies for the PNU (Kibaki- current and hopeful future president's party) and ODM (Kalonzo- also known as the handsome one, and Raila). The Hilton Nairobi (my hotel for now) seems to have been the epicenter of the PNU rallies- without walking more than 5 feet, I was in the midst of trucks piled high with screaming blue-clad PNU supporters aided by bullhorns and posters. Thankfully, no clashes between the ODM and PNU and with my baby camera, I even managed to snap some shots before it became clear that photography and election rallies don't seem to be a good fit for someone who wants to make it on to the next part of her journey.

- Joined Ben and an ever-evolving cast of characters from the Humanist Movement (the nonprofit that Kids for Tomorrow, my Foundation, works with on the ground in Kenya) on a journey to deliver food supplies to a Salvation Army/Humanist Movement distribution Center in a small town 200 km away from Nairobi for xmas. I was not informed where we were going until I was already in the car! This trip involved two breakdowns, roads that really need a different name since they don't actually include pavement or a place to drive, spare tires that looked like they were meant for a scooter as opposed to a minivan-- and ended with a truck full of food left by the side of the road with two representatives from the town who were in charge of trying to get the broken truck with food back to town. (Don't worry, we armed them with tools and a mechanic- but this was at 10pm or so with a 2 or more hour ride back to Nairobi)

- Machakos is a great place to get stuck, as it has quite a nice Western Toilet (of course with no seat but still!) in the T. Tot Restaurant and a lrge, lively population who agree that music and dancing along the roads is quite acceptable behavior!

- The revolving passengers in the car included a LIVE CHICKEN-- yes, indeed. I did travel back to Nairobi with a live chicen in the back seat with me. No complaints here- the chicken was quite subdued- probably knew it was going to make for a great Christmas Dinner.

- During the ride back from Nairobi, I was "blessed" with listening to about 2 hours of Jesus Radio (I think we all know how I feel about this one!). So glad we've managed to export such high quality content abroad ;-)

- AND, because I met Ben, Martha, Peter, Griffin and many many more people who are working desperately to improve the lives of Kenyan children. This is one of the most impressive, politically vocal groups of people I have ever met. They kept me calm when we had cars coming directly at us from all angles, when I had no idea when/if we were ever getting back to Nairobi, and kept me endlessly entertained and excited with their political views and election theories! If this is the group of people leading the way in Kenya and the world, I am quite confident we're going in the right direction.

Merry Xmas! Asante (Thank You) to everyone!

Love,
Leah