As I pack and get ready to leave for my oh-so-exciting vacation to the West Coast I have to admit that the America I see in the headlines is horribly pathetic.
Let's take a sampling of the headlines from right now...
-Idiots protesting the "Three Blocks Away From Ground Zero and Within Walking Distance of Strip Club Mosque" are making the entire USA look like bigots and hate filled Islamaphobic uneducated twits. What a surprise the whole debate and is actually fueling Jihadist rhetoric and during Ramadan when everyone with a minaret has a particularly captive audience.
-An even bigger idiot in Florida is attempting to turn 9/11 into "International Burn A Koran Day," wow Nazi!
-Politicians from New Hampshire are denying Global Climate Change. Really, in New Hampshire?
-Sarah Palin is still getting press, if you ignore her she will go away!
-Idiot Republicans are actually trying to get rid of the 14th Amendment, Anchor Babies? Democrats-you are horrible at thinking up witty phrases, get a new copy writer!
-People actually believe Obama is a Muslim. Really? Didn't he write a book about his faith? Can these people read?
Not so good. This depresses me. Two years later people still hate George Bush Jr, they still like Clinton (ha!), and they are beginning to see Obama as a fraud and no better than the rest. When you live abroad you get a lot of crap still for being an American and I have to respond. I used to be able to say things were changing, the mood of the country seemed to be happier and more intelligent. Now, I am scared I was dead wrong. I am scared that we are ignoring everything that is really important and focusing on stupid anchor baby inspired debates on the Right and on the Left the every present battle of who is the most liberal without actually supporting liberal policies because somehow they allowed the Right to call everything Socialist. On the other hand my Canada jokes now have a twinge of sadness behind them because not so secretly I am jealous of my old Northern neighbor and I think the sadness adds another layer to the humor.
On this trip back I know I will see friends, attend a wedding of a best friend, and stare at mountains. I hope I find something else, something that will make me want to be in America.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ramadan! Let's Go!
This is my third Ramadan in Cairo, only my second in a real workplace. Although, in the spirit of the season and honesty let's not call the school a real workplace, so this is really my first in a real workplace. What does Ramadan mean for me? People get sleepy and slow. My working hours shift from 10-6pm to 10-4pm. Daylight life hours are few and far between. Anyone who can swing shifts their work to night and sleeps all day. Anyone who is not into fasting, hates the vibe and can afford it leaves the country. Tons and tons of dates are consumed. Families have large meals and spend time together. The local networks compete for ratings with hours of movies. Finally, Ramadan like most religious festivals does not resonate deeply with me, but it does affect my daily life and if I had family close by it would be the perfect reason to sit around and do nothing with them.
The most exciting thing about this Ramadan? I am leaving for part of it! That's right, headed back to Seattle and the glorious West Coast for the first time in two years. Who knows how much I miss it. I have no idea so you have no idea. I leave Cairo on the 25th and stick around Seattle until September 15th. During that time I will attend the wedding of Maya Newman, the first one of my Seattle Ladies to get married, celebrate mom's b-day and celebrate dad's b-day (if a few days early). Otherwise I plan on walking up and down hills, maybe riding my bike around, drinking coffee, eating Paseo, staring at mountains, taking note of how many buildings have been torn down and replaced with condos, losing my tan, chilling in the rain, renewing my driver's license, hugging people I have not seen for two years, if I am lucky eating some Pacific Salmon and watching sun sets over the Olympics.
At this very moment the thought of packing and spending a horrendous amount of time on a plane makes me feel queasy, but in a few days I will be very excited. Cell phone is the same and if you are around Seattle let's hang out.
The most exciting thing about this Ramadan? I am leaving for part of it! That's right, headed back to Seattle and the glorious West Coast for the first time in two years. Who knows how much I miss it. I have no idea so you have no idea. I leave Cairo on the 25th and stick around Seattle until September 15th. During that time I will attend the wedding of Maya Newman, the first one of my Seattle Ladies to get married, celebrate mom's b-day and celebrate dad's b-day (if a few days early). Otherwise I plan on walking up and down hills, maybe riding my bike around, drinking coffee, eating Paseo, staring at mountains, taking note of how many buildings have been torn down and replaced with condos, losing my tan, chilling in the rain, renewing my driver's license, hugging people I have not seen for two years, if I am lucky eating some Pacific Salmon and watching sun sets over the Olympics.
At this very moment the thought of packing and spending a horrendous amount of time on a plane makes me feel queasy, but in a few days I will be very excited. Cell phone is the same and if you are around Seattle let's hang out.
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