London Rain

Our Opportunity

2009-07-29T09:35:06Z

In March, I attended a very cool summit in Copenhagen.

Our Opportunity

March 10-12 saw around 300 young people from 45 countries converge on Copenhagen for the inaugural 2009 Our Opportunity Summit, the first of a global series, grasping their opportunity to act for a clean, prosperous and secure energy future. Despite a focus on Europe, participants hailed from as far afield as Australia, China and Uganda, complementing a larger contingent from nearly all of the pan-European states.

The ambit of the summit was large, reflecting the multi-faceted complexities of energy planning. A wide array of topics squeezed into three days, including democratic rights, energy security in developing countries, energy network capacity building and climate change all made their way, in various forms, onto the agenda. Contributing to this mass of information, renowned energy and climate experts offered their perspectives, panellists representing a wide range of interests shared their visions and needled their peers, and summit participants shared their thoughts in a range of workshops.

The summit was undoubtedly a success. Participants and organisers alike enjoyed vigorous debates, shared a wealth of information, and made a host of friends, all against the backdrop of a cold Copenhagen early spring. None of it would have been possible without the commitment and contribution from participants, speakers and organisers alike. We would like to send a special greeting to our sponsors who enabled us to reach our goals. With a successful launch to the Our Opportunity Summit Series, Energy Crossroads Denmark looks forward to the next round of summits to be held in China, India, Singapore and California in 2009. We hope you do to.

Changing the Game

The backbone of the summit was the Changing the Game strategy game, developed specifically for the occasion, and played over the first two days. The game had several objectives. First, the objective was to teach, through hands-on demonstrations with LEGO(r) bricks, fundamental aspects of energy planning in Europe to the participants. The second objective, after grasping crucial energy planning concepts, was to engage participants in an informed dialogue on the best way forward for a clean and secure energy future in Europe. The third objective was to corroborate insights from participants' dialogue to define specific and prioritised policies that the participants found to be the best solutions for Europe's energy future. The successful outcome from the game was a cohesive selection of policies, selected by the participants after sustained debate, with a range of insights into how they might be implemented. The selected policies, and potential implementation plans, are here.

Find out more here: http://www.our-opportunity.com/index.html

Two LEAD Fellows win prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize

2009-04-22T17:28:36Z

I wanted to share the stories of two LEAD Fellows who were awarded the Goldman Prize for 2009. I work at LEAD International and have the distinct honor of coordinating our Fellows network which allows me to interact with amazing leaders in the field of sustainabiility on a daily basis. These two amazing women have inspired me through their bold leadership and grass roots activism. Below you will find the press release.

Two LEAD Fellows win prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize

We are delighted to announce that two outstanding LEAD Fellows, Yuyun Ismawati from Indonesia and Olga Speranskaya from Russia, have won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for grassroots environmentalists.

"It is a wonderful achievement, and they both thoroughly deserve this recognition" , said Dr Simon Lyster, the Chief Executive of LEAD International. "Yuyun has done a brilliant job in helping poor communities in Indonesia develop sustainable solutions to solid wastes, and Olga has done an equally brilliant job helping eliminate toxic waste stockpiles in former Soviet countries".

"It makes all our efforts worthwhile when LEAD Fellows go on to do great things", said Dr Lyster.

When asked about the impact of LEAD training to their success, the recipients responded:

"LEAD gave me the tools, skills and knowledge to work with a multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable development. The experiences I gained through LEAD opened my horizons and changed my perspective on solving problems together to make a better world." - Yuyun

"LEAD made a great difference to my life. LEAD's main idea – think globally, act locally – became the driving force in my career. Being a member of the LEAD family is an honour and a unique opportunity to stay connected with so many highly skilled professionals all over the world." – Olga

About the Prize Recipients

Yuyun Ismawati - A single mother of two, Yuyun is the Director and co-founder of the Bali Fokus Foundation, a Bali based environmental NGO concerned with urban environmental management. Her work on community based waste management systems has helped improve environmental sustainability and livelihoods throughout the Bali region. In 2008, Yuyun helped coordinate the Indonesia Toxics-Free Network to expand the reach of her work. Yuyun is also involved with the LEAD Indonesia `Bridging Leadership Programme', a capacity building project in the tsunami affected region of Aceh. She is a leading figure in many women's activism groups across Indonesia.

Olga Speranskaya - A Russian physicist, Olga is the Director of the Chemical Safety Program at the Eco-Accord Center for Environment and Sustainable Development (Eco-Accord) . Her life's work has been dedicated to combating toxic and nuclear contamination in former Soviet states. Over the past few years, Speranskaya has transformed the NGO community of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and helped them to implement more than 70 projects on toxic chemicals.

You can find out more about the Goldman Environmental Prize and the other 2009 winners by visiting their website, http://www.goldmanprize.org/

About LEAD
LEAD is the world's largest international not-for-profit organisation focused on leadership and sustainable development. LEAD's principal activity is to equip a new generation of leaders from different sectors of society with skills to inspire action and change for the environment. Founded in 1991, our continually growing global network includes Member Programmes in 12 countries and almost 2000 Fellows. Representing a variety of different backgrounds and experiences, our Fellows are united by a shared desire for change towards a more sustainable future for the world. All our Fellows have graduated from our core training programme in Leadership for Sustainable Development. It is this comprehensive programme that arms them with the skills and knowledge to become cross-sectoral leaders in their own communities and on the world stage. Please visit our website to find out more about our activities, www.lead.org.

Too little too late? Tackling Climate Change

2009-04-21T07:08:28Z

Original post March 17th 2009

Although graphs such as the one below do scare me, after spending a week in Copenhagen with the worlds top scientists and hundreds of students from across Europe, I have to say that foremost on my mind is the seemingly inevitable destruction of life on the planet.

Long gone are the days when I thought global warming was a debatable topic- when education led to action and I believed that real change was imminent with the onslaught of new technologies and greater undertanding of the problem- to today, when awareness of the urgency and inevitability of the problem coupled with global inaction and denial from political leaders has led to a kind of despair; why haven't we done more, where is the bold leadership we need to realize that the systems we have set up in the world are failing and we need a new way forward.

Barack Obama has exemplified great leadership. His election provided hope to millions across the globe, including myself, that change is possible. But Obama plans to bring the US into the cap and trade scheme, a system which allows rich countries to pay for pollution by 'offsetting' somewhere else. It does nothing to curb the emissions of developed countries. As James Hansen, Head of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, voiced in Copenhanhagen last week, "The cap in cap and trade is a psyedonum for tax. It is a highly flawed system which we know does not work because it has done nothing to reduce global emissions."

Who will have the courage and understanding to say "we are going to cap carbon emssions". Obama gave us hope but without strong leadership in the face of climate change that hope will be lost along with the future of the planet.

Its not total despair, last weeks talks left me incredibly inspired to motivate action and do my part to combating this challenge. The innovative ideas, new technologies, and mutual understanding flowing through Denmark revives the hope that we do have the necessary tools to avert climate disaster. As I was walking home yeterday through Holland Park, on a particularly gorgeous day in London, I just had to wonder how people couldn't see the importance of protecting our planet. What is the point of life if you only value wealth through money... how can you accept a society for which there is no measure of time, happiness, human connection, or the song of a bird (the example often quoted by those advocating an economic system which puts the environment at its center). Even if you don't believe global warming is happening (which it is), you can't deny that we are causing massive destruction to our ecosystem through mass consumption and waste.

Holland Park

I think the global financial crisis has caused people to stop and think about the arbitary processes we have put in place to order our societies. We have allowed greed and monetary wealth to overtake ethics and values. The much talked about Daily Show 'brawl' between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer highlighted this change in attitude, this feeling of being cheated, and this desire to do things differently. Climate change is not just a bullet point on a laundry list of challenges facing our world, it is THE challenge, a product of the greed, power, and waste which is at the root of all our other problems. Combating it is not just about changing the weather, it is understanding that the human species cannot survive 'business as usual'. We have to change, we have to innovate, and we need everyone to be part of the solution.

Here is a rather scary article by the writer and environmental activist George Monboit: A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Another article highlighting the current activism in the UK as well as outputs from Copenhagen last week: Protestors demonstrate against the expansion of heathrow (the comments of some people are, as usual, quite scary)

Its Election Day!!

2009-04-21T07:06:12Z

Original post November 4th 2008

Crazed with excitement and anticipation.... !!!!!!!

The Green 'New Deal': Real Change for a Sustainable Future

2009-04-21T07:04:22Z

Original post written October 8th 2008

In an era which calls for fundamental change in the way we think about the economy and government on a global scale, an emphasis on sustainability needs to be at the core of new policy initiatives for any real change in Washington or elsewhere. Unfortunately, true passion and vision for leading the world towards a more sustainable future and combating climate change seems to be lacking in both Presidential candidates. The focus is understandably on the economy; but the current economic crisis is at its core about sustainability, defined as, "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"- The World Commission on Environment and Development. The over-consumption of food and natural resources with complete disregard for the long term future of society and the planet has created a most formidable challenge for the years ahead.

As economist Nick Stern stated at the launching of the new London School of Economics Grantham Institue on Climate Change and Environment, "if we ignore risk we will get burned. This is becoming apparent in the current financial crisis where we are at risk of a serious recession, lasting for a few years. But the risks we face from climate change equate to far greater losses over a substantially longer period of time. His warnings were echoed by Dr. Nikolaus von Bomhard, Board of Management, Munich Re: "Munich Re deals with risk management, we consider ourselves the ‘masters of disasters’; we understood the impacts of climate change very early on, but we always felt we fell short from understanding the specific economic effects. This is why we are thrilled to combine forces with the LSE. Insurance industries need to be part of the mix. Although this economic crisis is big, it bares no comparison to the economic disaster that is climate change.”

As Nick Stern pointed out, these arguments for action were based on pure economic calculations and scientific evidence. But the issue of development and environmental sustainability, particularly that of who is most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, is an issue about global inequity. It is widely understood that those most effected by climate change will be populations in the developing world, while the cause of the high level of GHG emissions at present lies in the hands of the developed world. Yet it seems as though ethics and equity alone are not enough to mobilize action for change. Fortunately, as the LSE and others are showing, climate change and unsustainable practices will come at a great economic burden for the entire world. As he and many others have stated, "the cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action."

Living in Europe, I find the topics of sustainability and climate change recieve much wider attention from government, the media, and the public, than they do in the United States. I can see that this is changing, and I am hopeful that a change in administration in Washington will transform the United States into a leader for a sustainable future; a role it can and must take on.

After the jump are a few examples of the work going on the articulate crucial connections between the environment, the economy, and government:

Wanted: a green 'new deal'- Caroline Lucas MEP

Joseph Stiglitz was right when he wrote on Cif earlier this week that the present economic downturn could be the worst since the Depression.

In the coverage of the causes and likely future effects of the credit crunch, such grim parallels are becoming commonplace. But it's now time to move from problems to solutions, and here too the Depression can form a useful reference point. Franklin Roosevelt's action programme for dealing with the aftermath of the late 1920s credit crunch was threefold: first, strictly regulate the cause of the problem - the greedy and feckless finance sector; second, get people back to work, and generate business opportunities by a New Deal. This invested billions of dollars in training, better working conditions and a huge range of infrastructural projects such as highways, dams and bridges. Finally, fund this in part by an increase in taxes on big business and the rich - a measure which also had the positive effect of dramatically decreasing inequality.

Today the re-regulation of finance is even being discussed among consenting free market adults in the columns of the Financial Times. My colleague, environmentalist Colin Hines, has fleshed out the details of a Green New Deal which could help re-boot the economy after the credit crash, while putting serious money into addressing climate change.

A Green New Deal: Joined-up policies to solve the triple crunch of the credit crisis, climate change and high oil prices

The global economy is facing a ‘triple crunch’: a combination of a credit-fuelled financial crisis, accelerating climate change and soaring energy prices underpinned by encroaching peak oil. It is increasingly clear that these three overlapping events threaten to develop into a perfect storm, the like of which has not been seen since the Great Depression, with potentially devastating consequences.

The Green New Deal Group, drawing inspiration from the tone of President Roosevelt’s comprehensive response to the Great Depression, propose a modernised version, a ‘Green New Deal’ designed to power a renewables revolution, create thousands of green-collar jobs and rein in the distorting power of the finance sector while making more low-cost capital available for pressing priorities.

: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

The Green Collar Economy

We've all heard of blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, and maybe even steel-collar workers (industrial robots!), but the latest and greatest collar color has to be green. One green-collar advocate, Van Jones, is releasing a book today called The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. The book makes the case for an economy that saves the environment while creating solid jobs.

I was first introduced to the concept of green-collar jobs after reading a post on this very blog. I loved the simple brilliance of the idea. The United States needs to do something about the environment, especially as it relates to energy independence. At the same time, we're dealing with a serious economic crisis, one that's been responsible for over 750,000 lost jobs this year. On the surface, the environmental crisis and economic crisis don't seem related, but Jones links the two in a compelling fashion.

I could go on and on about this, but I think it's better to let the author do the talking. Check out his appearance on The Colbert Report. As always, Colbert's interviews are entertaining, and Jones does a great job at getting his points across.

For more information on green-collar jobs, check out the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign and Van Jones's book, The Green Collar Economy.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Shopping

2009-04-21T07:00:18Z

A message from my colleague I thought I would share:

I know it’s still only September, but Amnesty International and People Tree have cunningly timed the arrival of their shop catalogues on my doorstep just as I'm starting to think about Christmas. Lots of lovely things to give and receive, so I thought I'd put a few web-links to my favourite online ethical shops:

And in the spirit of reducing consumerism altogether, some prezzie ideas that don't encourage yet more piles of stuff under the tree:

Fighting Globesity

2009-04-21T06:55:55Z

I thought I would share this video on a book written by the founders of the LesMills Fitness Corporation, one of the most well-known developers of group fitness programs. I myself have been taking a number of the LesMills classes in the past few months (Body Pump, Body Attack, and RPM) and I find them to the the best group fitness experience I have had in all my years of working out. Their message is a truly positive approach to how a healthy individual lifestyle can create a healthy and more sustainable planet. I believe that behavioral change in consumption patterns at an individual level is one of the most important aspects of combating some of the worlds most pressing environmental issues. Fighting Globesity is a wonderful asset is moving towards a more sustainable future.

A Feminist Backlash

2009-04-21T06:53:05Z

This is a very interesting article by Kira Cochrane Now, the backlash and her account of an apparent backlash occuring against feminism, or the goals of feminism within society. Although it UK specific, much if not all of what she says is applicable to a US context.

"I'm a feminist, but...", its a phrase I know all too well (but I still shave my legs, but I don't hate men, but I'm not a lesbian) How can a term still carry so much weight/ misunderstanding in society when its goal is for the equal treatment of men and women? Men can be feminists you know! Why is that so hard to understand; oh I know because its denotes something feminine so the fact that it is asking for the equal treatment of all human beings becomes second to what its title implies.

Western feminists spend so much time critiquing and 'othering' 'Third world women', that they inadvertently mistake liberation for what is actually just a new formulation of stereotyped gender roles. Yes there are more women in the workforce, but look at the global care chain; you have women taking care of other women's children; there is no real change is women's constructed role as caregiver.

I have heard so many people, intelligent people who I love and respect, respond to the idea of feminism with cynicism. 'What is the point, we basically are equal?'; 'You will probably just end up having children and leaving your job so your better off to not spend to much on a Masters' (because the idea of a male caregiver is unfathomable).... I'm talking comments that make you think that there never was a feminist movement.

And yet I realize that many people don't feel this way; but I wonder how much it is true societal change and how much it is one of those things you still believe intrinsically but its not politically correct to say.

On the way home tonight some guy said something crude and gross to me as I walked past, and I barely even registered it because it is such a regular occurrence. This is just something Kira cites in her article, and it made me mad at myself that I had stopped registering; that I was not reminding myself that many of the rights and equalities I take for granted today were fought long and hard for, and that I should never again utter, "I'm a feminist, but" because its about equality; no if, ands, or buts.

LEAD International- Leadership for Environment and Development

2008-10-02T19:56:08Z

I thought I would share a bit about my organization. In June 2008 I began working for LEAD International.

LEAD is an international non-profit organisation with a fast growing network of 2000 leaders in more than 90 countries. Our shared mission is to inspire leadership for a sustainable world.

We do this by searching worldwide for outstanding people, developing their leadership potential through our innovative training programmes and working with them to mobilise others to make a real difference to the future of this planet.

Our LEAD offices across the world deliver training programmes that challenge traditional notions of leadership with progressive participatory techniques. Using LEAD's experiential learning approach, our participants learn through multi-stakeholder dialogue, systems thinking, and inclusive cross-cultural processes.

We train business executives, government officials, academics, NGO directors, activists, educationalists and media professionals. Our multi-lingual training team works with top-level experts and practitioners from around the world who focus on emerging issues relevant to leadership and sustainable development.

Too often concepts of innovation and sustainability remain understood at the theoretical level, and LEAD believes true understanding can only be gained through experience and experimentation. Most recently, the organization has defined inspiring leadership to combat climate change as a key priority. Climate change is one of the most disruptive forces that our civilization has ever faced and ‘the greatest market failure the world has seen’. In order to respond to a challenge of this magnitude, we need to systemically move beyond the thinking that created the problem and enable innovation and entrepreneurism in all sectors of our societies.

For me, sustainability is a concept which far exceeds concerns over the environment. In an era of increasing global consumption across all sectors, sustainability represents the new model for the future. Current crises in food, natural resources, and the economy cannot be solved with old business models. We have to change our behaviors and open up our thinking to new possibilities. Imperative to this is strong leadership which understands that, "we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy"- Barack Obama.

Below are details for our 2009 LEAD Europe Programme, just one of 12 regional training programmes run across the world. If you know of anyone who would be interested in attending, please feel free to pass this along.

Applications open: Leadership for Sustainable Development - LEAD Europe Programme 2009

This dynamic programme strengthens individuals’ understanding of key sustainable development challenges, and motivates participants to realise their potential as agents of change through challenging training with diverse international peers and inspiring interactions with experienced leaders.

In 2009, we will focus on climate change, international collaboration, the role of China, and core leadership skills. Graduates from the programme join a unique network of 2000 cross-sector professionals in 90 countries, all dedicated to motivating change for a sustainable future.

The programme begins in March 2009 with the first of three residential events over nine months. All events incorporate online learning and personal action-oriented project work.

London: Leadership and Climate Change (5 days, March 2009)
Brussels: The EU and Leadership Towards a Sustainable Future (5 days, June 2009)
China: China in a Changing World (6 days, November 2009)

Do you want to be a leader in a sustainable world? Visit http://www.lead.org/page/174 for more information or contact us at: europe2009@lead.org, T + 44 (0) 207 938 8713.

Discounts available on applications received before 27 October 2008. Final application deadline 5 January 2009.

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Attachments
LEAD Europe 2009 flyer
Brussels module 2008 highlights
London module 2008 highlights

Ireland!!!

2008-05-21T10:29:31Z

I made my decidedly annual trip to Ireland two weeks ago to visit the family! Filled with the usual characters (Peter, Joe, Francis, Marcus, and Fiona); I had a wonderful and relaxing break. I am constantly awed by the beauty of West Ireland, the vibrant green of the hills and mountains along the backdrop of the dark blue sea and sky. It is truly breathtaking and makes me appreciate my ancestry and all the connections I have with Ireland.

Fiona, Marcus, and Myself

I also got to meet Patricia (Joe and Francis daughter) and Ronan and their daughter Sarah, as well as Eugene (J&F's son) for the first time. I fell in love with Sarah at first sight because she is by far one of the cutest kids in the world, I think there is a huge family resemblence actually!! :)

Myself, Eugene, Peter, Marcus, Ronan, and Patricia

Sarah<3

Growing up in Woodlawn, I feel as though I had a particularly Irish childhood, and it is probably why I am not so much a fan of Dublin. It is Ireland without the beauty of the West, and for me very similar to my little Irish pocket in the Bronx. Don't get me wrong; I am basically obsessed with Woodlawn and wouldn't trade living and gorwing up there for anything else in the world.

So my advice if you go to Ireland... Go to Sligo and have drinks at Strandhill and climb the sandunes and appreciate the beauty all around.. Drive through Leitrim and breath in the silence and tranquility of the smallest county in Ireland, which gots its first traffic light less than 8 years ago... walk down the streets of Kiltyclogher which seem to remain frozen in time since my grandmother was first born there almost 80 years ago; and look up local historian and all around most wonderful man in the world, my uncle, Joe Bennett. He will make the surroundings come alive; telling stories of history and fantasy, from the hard times of the Troubles, to the roads where the fairies cross at night. His motto, which was the mantra of my great grandfather, ''sufficient is enough for today''. It reminds me, particularly when life feels overwhelming and the world too big, to stop and breath.

Ireland brings me back to myself in every way possible, and for me that is more than sufficient.

Me and Joe in Kiltyclogher

Strandhill in Sligo

Sligo

Economic Junkies

2008-05-19T21:54:13Z

For anyone particularly interested in Economics, you may find the following website very interesting, VOX . It is the blog partially founded and managed by the non-profit I work for CEPR (Centre for Economic Policy Research), as well as economist Richard Baldwin.

A Night in Tunisia

2008-05-19T21:52:13Z

Living in London is highly suitable to an eager jetsetter. Weekends in Venice, daytrips to Paris; continental Europe is truly at your fingertips. But why limit yourself? Abiding by my new mandate to travel only where I have not yet been, my latest holiday took me to Tunisia in Northern Africa.

A three-hour plane ride from London- Tunis will set you back on average £125GBP ($250USD) but beyond that, accommodation/food/sightseeing is relatively cheap. The currency in Tunisia is the dinar (دينار TND), which is currently (1 USD = 1.16510 TND); a great exchange rate if you are making money in sterling! The official languages of Tunisia are French and Arabic, and almost all the people I met had a basic understanding of English (but this was mostly in the tourist areas).

For four nights/five days including flight, accommodation, food (including a three course meal at a fabulous restaurant), sightseeing, and taking cabs everyday, the entire trip cost me about £200 ($400USD); which is very reasonable considering it can cost up to £110 just for a day trip to Paris on Eurostar.

Part of what helped with the price was our choice to stay at a hostel in the middle of the old Medina, (the walled old city, full of narrow streets and passageways, comparable to the backstreets of Venice). There are souks (سوق) lining the medina where vendors will entice you to buy everything but the shirts off their backs, particularly tourists. Women especially can expect to be harassed, and it is advisable to make yourself aware of the cultural norms you are stepping into and dress appropriately; but either way you will inevitably find out how many camels you are worth.

Souk

A member of Hostelling International, Auberge de Jeunnesse, cost about 8dinar a night. More information on it can be found here. While not the most glamorous of places to stay it definitely served its purpose. There were about 14 beds per room (single sexed ONLY); and seeing as there were about 20 of us we took up a whole floor. The biggest complaint was the bathroom, where the toilets had no seats, nor toilet paper, and hot water was very infrequent. But for 8dinar a night, we bought toilet paper, braved the cold water, and learned great squatting skills; it was most definitely worth it. The manager of the place was very kind, and very eager to practice his English, which led to many interesting conversations and even a marriage proposal; which I sadly declined. Most of the Tunisians I met were lovely people, eager to show off their beautiful country. The cab drivers were particularly helpful; going out of their way to get us to the obscure locations we asked them to take us to.

Although I did walk through the Medina after dark I was in a group of at least four, and it is not recommended to walk alone at night, particularly for women (as it really wouldn’t be safe anywhere else in the world either). We chose to stay inside Tunis to get a better understanding of local Tunisian culture, and to save money. Most of the resorts and beaches are located along the coast; destination hot spots for many cruise lines.

Medina

A strong Muslim country, Tunisia has a secular government and is considered one of the most liberal Arab countries in North Africa. For example, Tunisia is one of the few Muslim countries (Azerbaijan and Turkey are two others), that prohibits the hijab in government buildings. However, there is still much evidence of sexual segregation. It is rare, outside of the tourist areas, to see women out past 9pm, and the streets are lined with cafes where men gather day and night; smoking hukas, watching television… I have always felt slightly uncomfortable walking past large groups of men, just out of my own insecurity, but this was a particularly uneasy experience. Understanding some of the conceptulizations of sex divisions within Muslim culture is much different to actually experiencing the power relations first hand. (Please note that I am in no way trying to paint a picture of Tunisian/ Muslim culture, nor am I trying to postulate a negative/positive opinion.This is merely a description of my own personal feelings in the context of being a American/Roman Catholic/gender theorist/woman. Even being an overweight child contributed to my insecurities about being gawked at, and in turn how I experienced Tunisia.)

It is obvious, especially in Tunis, that many people feel torn between their liberal secularization and their religious heritage. One woman I spoke to described how it can sometimes feel like ‘being the bad child’ (i.e. not being a reverently Muslim country); ‘‘they say ‘look’, ‘you look just like a European country’, but we are not Europe.” Coming from a very strong religious background, particularly Irish, that feeling of guilt as well as the reclaiming of religiosity occurring in almost all the Arab countries in recent years is very easy to internalize/understand. At the end of the day; it became ever more apparent how important it is to experience the people/places/things I read and write about so frequently in my programme.*

But getting back to Tunis, and all of the fabulousness it has to offer, on our first day there we visited the ruins of Carthage. Comprised of about 6 different sites/museums, and some gorgeous mosaics, the cost to see each of these is about 7dinar (FREE if you have an ISIC card).** This includes a tour guide at a few of the sites, and they are also a great place to buy some souvenirs.

Ruins at Carthage

From there, we took a train ride two stops to the beautiful town of Sidi Bou Said (1 dinar). This gorgeous blue and white city is a common tourist destination, very reminicent of the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini. Some of the most reknowned French philosphers (a.k.a my best friends); Beavoir, Sarte, and Foucault, are known to have stayed in the town. With breathtaking views all around, we enjoyed a walk down the side of a mountian (it was an excellent workout although being in sandals on the jagged stone steps I did fear for my life once or twice.) Following which we soaked in the sun at a juice bar overlooking the water and had a fantastik dinner to finish off the evening. Gorgeous and peaceful, if I ever went back to Tunisia this is surely the place I would stay.

Sidi Bou Said

The following day we visited the head office of the African Development Bank[2], temporarily located in Tunis, before heading off to a three course meal at what is regarded the best restaurant in Tunis, Dar el Jeld, 5-10, rue Dar el Jeld, La Kasbah. Hidden in the medina, this restaurant promises glamour, ambiance, and a delicious traditional Tunisian meal. According to a New York Times Review, ‘‘Tunis’s best-known restaurant, Dar el Jeld, 5-10, rue Dar el Jeld, La Kasbah, (216-71) 56 09 16, offers a more interesting auditory experience — an elegantly dressed old man, plinking an antique sitar in the softly lighted dining room — and setting. At this converted private home in the medina, Tunisian specialties are cooked to perfection; the couscous is fluffy and delicately flavoured and the kabkabou– dorado with tomato, capers and lemon — is fresh and light.”***

Dar el Jeld

Although it was closed before we got there, we attempted to go to a hamam, commonly known as a Turkish bath, where according to my friend who experienced it in Egypt; large women scrub you down with hard loufas, peeling dirt off your skin that has been there since your fifth birthday. I (well she) would highly recommend to give it a go.

Tunis has much to offer, and this is only a few of the highlights. For more on what to do there, visit wikitravel. It was an amazing trip, and for me a much more worthwhile travel experience than some of the more expensive European cities. I would love to go back anytime, maybe even live there for someday, but of course I must follow my rule so it might take awhile.

* I am currently a Masters student at the London School of Economics, working towards an MSc in Gender, Development, and Globalisation.

** Iwas visiting Tunis with the Health Society of LSE. We visited the African Development Bank, the country offices of UNICEF and UNAIDS, as well as a local AIDS NGO. Not to misunderstand, Tunisia has a very low prevelance rate of HIV/AIDS as does much of North and West Africa. There are only about 1,000 cases of HIV/AIDS in Tunisia. The reason the health society chose to visit Tunisia was not for any specific health concerns in the country, but simply because there were a number of organisations located there and the society felt it would be a better experience than simply going to Geneva (which is the normal trip they do). For more information on any of these please visit the following websites:

· African Development Bank- http://www.afdb.org/

· UNICEF- http://www.unicef.org.tn/

· UNAIDS- http://www.unaids.org/en/

· L’Association Tunisienne de lutte contre les MST et le SIDA (Tunisian Association to Fight STI’s and HIV/AIDS)- http://www.atlsida.org/

***Sussman, Anna. “SURFACING: TUNIS; European Style in North Africa“. New York Times, December 19, 2004. Last accessed: April 25, 2008.

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

2008-02-07T23:20:31Z

I always remember my professors in high school and college talking about different decades and the inspirational leaders within them. Contextualizing the emotions of the people around them, the political situation, and how certain leaders became so important, what they said so effective. I have never really felt that presence in my life, someone who could transcend my cynicism and make me believe in the altruistic vision of change for the future; for the better. I am beginning to believe that Barack Obama could be this. Maybe you can't change anything just by wanting to bad enough. Maybe you can't change anything by having a plan of action. Maybe we all need something to believe in again; leaders to believe in; a space where we cam break down cynicism and frustration, rethink our path. Maybe experience and planning is not the most important factor in changing a society which seems to lack any sort of efficacy, maybe we need inspiration.

For a New Generation, Obama Video Evokes Dream of the Past

By Teresa Wiltz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 6, 2008; C01

It's a multi-culti, viral moment, calculated specifically for the YouTube Generation and riding the wave of Obamamania right on time for Super Tuesday: acoustic guitar, black-and-white footage, rapper will.i.am., sporting a fedora and looking thoughtful, crooning softly against a backdrop of Barack Obama's rousing concession speech on primary night in New Hampshire. Add in an eclectic contingent of celebrities -- John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Scarlett Johansson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- echoing key Obama phrases in English, Spanish and Hebrew.

Mix. Repeat. Add in more faces and voices, layering them one on top of another, chanting "Yes, we can" in an emotional crescendo. Fade out with the words: "Hope. Vote."

Release the video on Super Bowl weekend. Hope it doesn't get lost in Brady hysteria. Accumulate millions of hits on the Internet.

Politics and pop culture have always danced together. There was Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel's 1984 ode to Jesse Jackson, "Jesse," and Eminem's raging anti-Bush anthem "Mosh," released right before the 2004 presidential election. (And we can't dismiss Obama Girl's cheeky "I Got a Crush on Obama.") But will.i.am's video, directed by Jesse Dylan -- son of Bob -- reads like a commercial straight from Obama headquarters, calibrated to appeal to a demographic cross section: boomers, Gen X and Gen Y'ers, the ones who came of age Rocking the Vote with MTV. (For all of the youthful trappings of the viral media, the average age of online video viewers is 39.)

It's engineered to uplift, tugging at tears and obliquely invoking comparisons to Martin Luther King Jr. and César Chávez as Legend throws his arms wide and sings, "A King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed us to the promised land" and "CSI: Miami" actor Adam Rodriguez intones, "Sí, se puede!"

The people behind the video say the Illinois Democrat's campaign had nothing to do with the video. "The intention," Dylan said yesterday, "was to make a really simple thing. . . . It was like, 'Super Tuesday's coming, let's try and get this up, maybe it can help a bit.' We weren't doing it for the campaign. We were doing it for what [Obama] said in the speech. . . . I believe the words he had to say."

"It's a very effective video," says Tricia Rose, professor of Africana studies at Brown University. "Semi-spiritual, uplifting, a fusion of progressive narrative with religious and emotional sentiment. It's an inspirational slice of the civil rights movement legacy."

Obama's Jan. 8 New Hampshire speech had nothing to do with losing. Will.i.am, the frontman for the Black Eyed Peas, said the speech shoved him off the fence and inspired him to make the video. "That speech made me think of Martin Luther King . . . Kennedy . . . and Lincoln . . . and all the others that have fought for what we have today," he wrote in his blog, Dipdive.com.

Watching the video with his 9-year-old daughter on his lap, cultural critic Mark Anthony Neal says he got choked up. His daughter -- whom he described as a Hillary Clinton supporter -- turned to him and said, "Daddy, why are you crying?" For Neal, 42, who was a child when Shirley Chisholm ran for president in 1972 and who came of age when Jesse Jackson first ran for office in 1984, the video tugged at him.

"For a generation of 40-somethings this is iconic imagery," says Neal, professor of African American studies at Duke University. It recalls Kennedy and King, "their hopes, their dreams, their passions and the reminder of their deaths. It really pulls at our heartstrings the way more mundane political songs don't.

"Political music is very often not very good music," Neal adds. "The aesthetics get left aside for the politics. . . . But I think this is an extraordinarily strong video. And the song itself is halfway decent; you wouldn't mind listening to it."

Its creators say the video was an "organic," ad hoc creation, and that they recorded it in two days. Will.i.am, a onetime John Kerry supporter, called filmmakers Mike Jurkovac and Dylan on Sunday, Jan. 27, and told them he had an idea. By that Wednesday, they were crammed in a recording studio in Los Angeles, gathering friends and whomever they could recruit along the way. After the video was recorded, they uploaded it on YouTube and Dipdive.com, and promoted it on ABC News's "What's the Buzz" on Friday.

"It was an exciting experience to be able to contribute not only by recruiting supporters but by artistically collaborating to get the message out," Johansson said in an e-mail. "I think myself and the other contributors hope that the video will inspire supporters, undecideds and people that are unfamiliar with Obama's policies to join his movement for change."

Originally, the filmmakers thought about including images of other yes-we-can moments in American history: King's "I Have a Dream" speech, astronauts walking on the moon, the suffragists marching in the streets. But they decided to confine the images to Obama and the singers on the screen, Jurkovac said.

"When you create a look and feel for a piece visually that's based on this black-and-white footage, it gives it this historical connotation," Jurkovac said. "What's moving people are the same themes: 'Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country' or 'I have a dream.' If there's a swell of a movement among young people, that's what they're reacting to." Even if they never lived through it.

Some other interesting reads discussing voter-generated campaign ads and the increase in young voter participation in the current election:

Why "Yes We Can" Inspires

Winning the hearts, minds of Dems online

It should never have been this difficult

"Will YouTube Affect the Outcome of the U.S. Election?

Martin Luther King Jr. – More Than Just a Dream

2008-01-21T11:48:48Z

Today we celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. A man whose words have influenced many of the decisions I have made in life, and the path I am trying to follow. Today, there is much focus on the 2008 election and a step in the direction of a greater realization of MLK’s dreams through the campaign of Barack Obama. Of course, a man who believed, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’, would most surely recognize the equal significance of a woman running for President.

There is also much debate about the legacy of Martin Luther King and concern that he is all to often remembered solely for his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech and less as a constant activist on numerous issues of injustice, which found him rather unpopular in the years up to his death. We should be dilligent in according worth to the entrie span of Kings work and ensure that as time passes and generations become farther detached from the context within which King spoke, that he is remembered as a man with much more than just a dream. A man with political ideas applicable beyond the context of the American civil rights movement; whose thoughts and actions should envigorate all asiprations of social equality and human rights.

An article from the Associated Press

Photos of Dr. King

Reclaiming King

King’s Words and the 2008 election

Politics of Hope

NYT Op-Ed

Sex and the City

2008-01-18T17:28:09Z

So PJ and I are probably flying home for this otherwise we would have to wait like a month to see it in London and we would not be able to go on the internet for risk of spoiling.. soo yea.. expect to see us then..

Sex in the City is the reason I'll likely fail my Masters (b/c I spend my weekends watching it rather than reading) However, I have to believe that it is just as essential to my studies as everything else.... I am the "what would Foucault think about Samantha" girl and very proud of it!!

Since I am all academic now though... here are some articles..

As the final episodes of Sex and the City kick off tomorrow, we ask what the show has meant for women and why it has become such an extraordinary cultural landmark-- The Guardian (2004)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,3604,1133588,00.html

What's A Modern Girl To Do?--- New York Times (2005)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/magazine/30feminism.html?pagewanted=all

Notes on Postfeminism and Popular Culture: Bridget Jones and the New Gender Regime
A McROBBIE - All About the Girl: Culture, Power, and Identity, 2004 - books.google.com

Eddie Storey

2008-01-18T02:53:34Z

My good friend Eddie when told to him about my new blogging idea:
"You wanna hear my feminist joke.... How many feminists does it take to change a lightbulb... None, they can't change anything"

I can see the dialogue forming already!!

P.S. I love Eddie and I found the joke quite hysterical... I should be fired from Gender theory ...

I screwed all those lightbulbs in Eddie..

Representation

2008-01-18T02:42:00Z

Today in Gender theory we talked about Representation and the idea of quotas. “This lecture uses debates over the use of gender quotas to raise the proportion of women elected as political representatives to explore further issues regarding equality, difference, and the representation of ‘women’.

A very interesting article, particularly people’s comments:

** Smashing the glass ceiling **
Are Norway's tough methods to push women beyond the glass ceiling the best way to change corporate culture, asks the BBC's Stephanie Holmes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/business/7176879.stm

Op-Ed Contributor: Women Are Never Front-Runners
By Gloria Steinem
Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life, whether the question is who must be in the kitchen or who could be in the White House.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/opinion/08steinem.html?ex=1200891600&en=64130d29ef313df9&ei=5070&emc=eta1

What are the qualities that you look for in a representative? Do you feel that women have specific needs which would be more adequately represented by women?

I personally take issue with the idea of descriptive representation (women representing women, African Americans representing African Americans) because I think there are many other factors, class in particular, which delineate people. I also think the criterion for who makes a good representative are very arbitrary.

I have always been against quotas because it seems to me that putting women in political positions by mandate is obviously not affecting underlying issues of discrimination. However, I do see how quotas could work symbolically to change women’s attitudes towards representation.

I would say more and I possibly will.... but I am very very tired...

Reproductive Health

2008-01-18T02:36:29Z

So today we had a lecture on Gender and Reproductive Health, hence we spoke a lot about fertility.

Here is a synopsis of what our lecture was about:

“This lecture reviews trends in fertility rates in developing regions in the last few decades. It considers the role of family planning in contributing to fertility decline, as well as the reasons why birth rates remain high among some groups in various countries in the South. There is also discussion of gender bias in family planning programmes and contraceptive use, and examination of the ‘reproductive rights’ approach to birth control adopted at the Cairo World Conference on Population, 1994. Reference is also made to new work on sexualities and development, and the implications for reproductive health and rights.”

One of my friends sent me a link to this article which I found particularly interesting:

An article by Judith Scully on the use of Norplant on women in minority communities in the USA and the role of one particular organization CRACK.

https://exchange.lse.ac.uk/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://popdev.hampshire.edu/projects/dt/pdfs/DifferenTakes_02.pdf

There were a couple of issues raised in this lecture which I would like to get people’s opinion on:

1) The idea that high levels of fertility is very often seen as problematic is developing countries, as well as in the urban poor population of developed countries (see the above article); to the point where poor women are being offered money in return for sterilization, without any regard to their humanity and agency in the reproductive functions of their bodies. The particular classism and racism inherent in certain family planning programs aimed at lowering the fertility of certain groups of women, in a society where we often praise women in high ranking positions in companies or politics for being able to balance large families with successful careers:

A. Nancy Pelosi- “She married a rich San Francisco property investor called Paul Pelosi and had five children - an experience that appears to have taught her that nothing else can ever be as daunting. "Am I going to have to use my mother-of-five voice?" she likes to ask when she senses that her audience's attention is straying.” http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2132505.ece

B. Eileen Collum (my boss and highly regarded Renaissance Woman in Woodlawn, Bronx) - Restaurant Entrepreneur with 5 children.

2) I raised this issue with my father who provided me a very colorful response, but I am wondering what others think about a completely reversible vasectomy, something which will most likely be finished in clinical trials in the next few years:

A. Do you think men/ Would you be receptive to the idea of a reversible vasectomy?

B. Would you, as a woman, be okay asking someone to get a vasectomy to avoid having to use other methods of contraception?

What is Gender Theory?

2008-01-18T02:21:39Z

Okay so let’s just say I had no clue about gender theory before I came to LSE. I knew that I wanted to get a Masters in Development (i.e. implementing programs in developing countries, places in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Middle East, which would spur economic development and social progression) and I was also interested in the particular role women played so when I saw there was an MSc in Gender, Development, and Globalisation at LSE I thought it sounded perfect. It wasn’t until I got here that I fully realized that more than development, I was getting a masters in gender theory, so that within development programs I could act as a gender specialist, ensuring that policies were not gender biased.

I came into this without any background in gender theory. On my first day when my lecturer posed the question “What do we mean by gender?” my answer was well ‘whether you’re a man or a woman’’’. Now while that may seem like a perfectly viable answer for many, in the world of gender theory that’s like saying the pilgrims and the Indians sat down, ate turkey, and lived In peace (a very bad example but the basic meaning is that I was making a statement which the sole purpose of theorizing gender is to differentiate from). To explain this in the easiest way I know how, seeing as how it took me five weeks to understand it, this is from my first lecture:

“What is Gender studies?

· Critical analysis of gendered meanings otherwise assumed to be natural or neutral, and their effects.

· Transnational gender studies is the critical analysis of global gendered meanings, and their effects on particular bodies, communities, and knowledge.

· Has a history of producing new gendered meaning

· Highlighting assumptions about gender

· Seeks to create dialogue/ massive collaboration

· Question of accountability at its core, explain your methodologies, not about finding a definite answer

· About understanding gender as a set of contested meanings

· There is an enormous amount of research to be done (It has taken its own history into account)

· The critique of gender and its meanings is what makes up the discipline.”—Claire Hemmings 8/10/2006

Our first essay was entitled “Why Theorize Gender?” and this was my introductory paragraph:

“While a common misconception of gender theory as an academic discipline perceives it emblematic of merely the study of women, it is a field of much greater scope and transferability. In this paper, I attempt to show a number of ways in which theorizing gender transforms thoughts, actions, policies, natural, as well as cultural structures. First, a gendered perspective provides a specific framework through which to analyze people’s lives and current affairs on both a global and local level. Gender theory challenges accepted societal norms beyond recognition of inequality; questioning why overarching principles of what is ‘natural’ exist and how these principles may have come to be. It transforms the application of feminist political activism by providing a dialogue through which we can rethink the structuring of policies and economic value chains.”—Bridget Burns (2007)

It was a beginners attempt at explaining the importance of gender but it was a far cry from seeing gender as the difference between a man and a woman. This is commonly regarded as the sex/gender difference, where sex refers to the biological differences between men and women, while gender refers to socially constructed femininities and masculinities which men and women are expected to subscribe to.

I am sorry if all of this comes across as very foreign but gender theory tends to take everything that is natural and turn it upside down. Which is what makes it so hard a concept to invite other people into because it requires you to feel uncomfortable and question everything which seemed at one time an unwavering truth. That is never an easy thing to do.

My course on gender theory forms the basis of my masters. My other core course is gender and development which looks at concepts of gender, but in a much more policy oriented way. The goal here is to see how gender (men and women) are affected by certain development policies and to critique them for gender biases. Much of the emphasis is placed on women because they are the group which most often gets left out. We spend a lot of time looking at how women’s reproductive labour is not accounted for economically and never has been. In development, people became excited about the possible prosperity in bringing women into the process through participatory programs and microfinance schemes. This however ignores that women were always part of the process, providing unpaid labour in the home. This is the type of issue we would look at in gender and development, while in gender theory we would question women’s position in the home and why women are associated with care/reproduction, is it nature or is it culture?

I am also taking HIV/AIDS and Other Emerging Health Threats as well as Managing Humanitarianism. These look at issues of development on a broader scale. My latest essay was on ‘’Urbanization and Health”, where I had to look at the effect of urbanization in the developing world on issues of health. I tried to focus on the negative effects this had on women and children in particular. It is not the best paper I have ever written so please don’t judge me on it! But it does provide a basic overview of the challenges to health.

Yes and well that is really all I have to say about that. I realize that background stuff is not very interesting but I wanted to have it all down. If anyone was interested though, I have included all my course outlines, which have a number of very good readings.

We Need To Talk

2008-01-18T02:18:17Z

So it is January now. It has been a few months since I first came to London and wrote my first entry. In that time many changes have occurred, none as significant as the changes in my own thought; the ways I perceive and understand the world.

London in itself is amazing. I am happy that I made the decision to come here. It was wonderful to be home for Christmas; to be with my family and friends who I miss terribly at times.

However, it is in London, at LSE, that I find myself being opened up to amazing ideas and truly redefining who I am both intellectually and spiritually. It may not necessarily be this place or this school, but it is being detached from everything that’s comfortable and forced to define yourself in a space where people share your passions and challenge you.

That being said, I am beginning to feel like I live in two different realities, here and at home. Often during class, when a particularly interesting argument is made, I think of how I would love to discuss it with some members of my family to get their perspective. I was excited to go home for Christmas because I was looking forward to discussing all of the new ideas I had been introduced to in my previous term. However while I was there I struggled to find ways to articulate what I had learned without generalizing or making grand statements devoid of the theories which went behind my own understandings. I struggle everyday with the concepts put in front of me, and that is in the context of abundant literature, discussion, and active engagement. I find that I can never engage in the type of dialogue which I hope to with people because there is no exchange of information. I also feel that I am perceived in my ‘’home’’ environment as having ideas which are totally separate from those around me which I find very disheartening because in my school environment I am perceived as someone who always thinks more realistically than theoretically; I tend to always relate ideas back to people I know and their experiences.

I need to find a way to connect my two realities. As fulfilling as academia is I find it to be a very hollow place when the ideas you become passionate about only seem to matter within the context of academia; when they don’t resonate to those who are most important to you. I am hoping, albeit I don’t know how successful I will be, that I can use this blog to form a dialogue with my friends and family. I am going to try to explain the ideas behind what I am studying and exactly what it is I am studying. I want to post certain information or arguments which I think are particularly striking and I hope that some of you will provide feedback by commenting on the posts. However, even if you just read the blog, so that you have some idea where I am coming from, I feel that it would be a great step towards a better understand of how we each see the world.

I am particularly hoping to start a dialogue with my parents who I often feel totally disengaged from. I believe this is simply a symptom of my inability to articulate my beliefs compounded with their inability (well really my dad’s) to believe that our understandings could ever be in agreement. However, it seems to me that the majority of people have the same concerns and wants in life, we just process this differently depending upon the information we receive. I guess then that this is an experiment in communication.

Through every inspired text and speaker, it is you, my friend s and family, who have influenced my thoughts and ideas about humanity. Theory is incredibly important because it provides the basis for critical thought but I find that too often being married to theory causes us to lose touch with the realities of people around us, and their particular perspectives.

Hopefully you’ll find some stuff interesting. If you do, let me know. If you don’t, thanks for trying!!

...Coffee Shops...

2007-09-30T16:49:35Z

Soo I guess I'm going to try and keep this blog thingy, but I dont know how well it will work seeing as I have no internet and I won't have it until like my 50th birthday (or October 25th which feels like that far away) Anyway there are so many of you that I want to stay in touch with, I feel like this is probably the easiest way to do so. Here it goes....

I've been here a week now but it feels like 7 years because I have done more in these last few days than in an entire year at home..
We arrived on Sunday, me and my boo PJ without whom I would be lying in a ditch begging for money or home in New York because I would have taken a flight back on the day we got here, or I might not have even left. Anyway, my love for him has become unconditional and for all those who know him I have to let you know that Patrick Brennan carried all of my luggage for me (five bags totalling a weight of about 200 pounds) from airport to hostel to new flat, bought, carried up the stairs, and put together a futon, and this morning, got me the paper and made me breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, and tea) all without once complaining. I'm talking like at the airport wouldn't let me carry anything heavy...just like my daddy.. :) This alone cannot describe how amazing he has been and seemingly out of character, but I just need y'all to know how much him being here has helped me. We keep each other together and its a mad beautiful thing.

On Sunday when we arrived we had to schlep our 9 bags of luggage from the airport to the hostel which was in Earls Court. Now while on any other trip this would have been an awesome hostel in a great location (OÇallaghans, look it up if you are coming here and aren't staying with us, which if you are reading this doesn't make sense), we were both cranky and tired and wanted to just take our luggage somewhere we knew we could unpack.. and our room in the hostel ended up being up two flights which sucked like whoa. I dont think either of us had done that much physical activity in our lives, and again my boo took up the heaviest luggage first.. loves him. Whatever, we set out to go looking at flats, because as a reminder to all who didnt know we came to London without a place to live which was cool and adventurous but extremely stressful at the same time. It took us a little bit of time to remember how phone numbers worked here and we looked a little idiotic standing on the street trying to get a grasp on how to go about flat hunting in London. We went out with a list of 9 numbers to call and got through to two who we made appointments with. One was a one bedroom near Kings Cross which sounded reasonable. We wanted to get out of the hostel right away soo we were keen on getting a place quick. We set out to do a few things i.e. get a mobile and we began the day where literally every tube we went on was going in the wrong direction and every bus we got on stopped two stops after we got on and made us get off. The combination of both of us having not slept for 24hours/ being physically drained from trasporting our luggage from the airport to the hostel/ and having to take the District line which happens to be the stupidest underground in London and goes in seventeen different directions... totally negated the fact that we both lived in London before and caused a day where it seemed absolutely nothing would go right. We ended up being an hour late to see the flat '"near" Kings Cross because when we got there we found out we'd have to take a bus, and then like a train and a plane to get there... Thinking about it now it was extremely comical to have PJ running around on the phone with this landlord while we got on wrong bus after wrong bus to finally get in a cab who yelled at us because we didnt know where we were going, and then to get out on the street and run to meet this man. We walked into this apartment complex, 25 miles from Kings Cross, and it literally looked like a building complex in the Middle East which had just recently been bombed... we kind of just looked at each other and laughed at the utter saddness of the moment. We had to meet the man anyway because he had waited for us for an hour. The two of us gave a stellar performance during the viewing, acting like we really wanted it, PJ coming up with a story on the spot about our friend who we might be staying with but who we had to talk to that evening and me following along with ease. We got out of there as soon as possible, decided we were too depressed to go to see the other place which woud probably be just as bad, and journied back to the hostel (which took two hours cuz we got on the wrong tube, twice) We both questioned whether we would be able to find a place, were we utterly stupid to move to London without housing.. we wanted to go home.. I wanted to cry but PJ wouldnt let me because then he would cry too... Instead we decided to buy a bottle of wine, a bag of peanut M'Ms and call our parents, who would of course tell us not to worry, that everything would be okay, and that if it wasn't they would take care of us.. Gotta love parents...

We woke up the next morning at 7am or so and decided to get an early start on the day.. we went to Starbucks and bought a newspaper called Loot which had tons of listing for flats and such. There was an ad for a letting agency which cost 80pounds but they had tons of listings and they would look for a flat for us. Thoroughly done with the idea of looking ourselves we decided it was more than worth it and we took the tube straight to their office. We got on the right train of course and we saw it as a good omen for the day. The lady, Angela, whom we love and owe our lives to made four viewing appts. for us within five minutes of being there, the first of which was a studio in Notting Hill... we both tried to act cool but the second she said Notting Hill we turned into giddy children and we knew we wanted that flat. We met the landlord, Julian, at 11:15 saw the flat right away and took it as soon as we walked in the door.. We both fell in love right away, I barely even looked at it which is not the best thing but we both just knew it was the place for us.

Once we found a place everything got much brighter. While it felt like we had a rough first few days, in retrospect it was only the first day and we have been really lucky so far. We went back to the flat on Tuesday, paid the deposit and one months rent which in American dollars was so much it felt like my entire life savings, and moved into the flat that afternoon. Again me and PJ peformed strenuous physical activity without much complaint and when we finally had all our bags in..hugged in celebration. Knowing where we would be living I had applied for two waitressing jobs from the hostel on Monday evening.. I received calls from both the next day and had an interview set up for Wednesday for a restaurant around the corner from mour flat. Life has literally been moving at warp speed. All this time we have both been registering for classes and doing the normal induction school events. Universities here have 'Freshers Fayre' which is a week of events and parties so people can meet each other and get wasted. Mine is next week but PJ's was this week and suffice it to say, throught all this we have managed to go out almost every night, establish a good number of friends and not spend too much money.

I went to my job interview on Wednesday and scheduled a trial evening for Thursday, the uniform was the same as Harvests and there was even a tall Portuguese waiter named Francesco who could have been Fernando's twin. I went Thursday evening and of course did a great job but I called them today and told them it wasn't going to work out. There were many reasons, first was that I think Harvest has made it so that I can never work at another restaurant, I just loved the place so much and the way they did things that I found myself criticizing everything that this place did.. they were trying to be Harvest but they weren't even close and I just couldn't deal. Also, they don't tip here, which I knew but i figured that at least I'd be getting a good steady wage, But they get paid crap... the only reason I've been a waitress my whole life was because I was able to make significantly more money than people working in retail or other such jobs... but if I can make just as much money if not more working in a bookstore here then thats what I am going to do. Waitressing eats away at your soul to begin with, to do it when you arent making tips is insanity. So I quit, and I've never quit anything before but i want to be happy here, not stressed, so I'm not doing anything that doens't make me happy. It took me two days to find a job in the first place soo I dont forsesee it being a problem.

On Wednesday night we had some friends over for drinks, because we had been there three days at the point and were obviously the coolest people to hang out with in London... jk...what I mean is that I feel we are adjusting to life here very well. We have had to do alot of things like set up UK bank accounts and spend endless hours on the phone with British Telecom to set up internet and phone in our flat,, all of which are a tedious and annoying but also make me feel like I am really here to start a life and be an adult and a Londoner....and its just a wonderful feeling...

Anyway I am almost out of time on my card, cuz I had to buy internet time because I dont have internet and I'm in a cafe using my computer...but its right off Portobello Road in Notting Hill and the whole thing is just so cute and cozy I could vomit at how awesome life here is...

Love and miss you all.... but prolly never coming home soo come visit me...