let me give you the synopsis of the movie.
girl meets soldier. soldier has a past. girl falls in love with soldier. soldier is on his way out of the army. girl waits 12 months. soldier is posted to somewhere in africa. soldier is offered a professional opportunity of a military career. soldier takes it and doesn't tell the girl. eventually, as you can expect, they break up.
sound familiar? it should.
i don't know what it means to be 'over' someone or something, but i do know that if i was given the same information and the options, i would likely make the same decision that i did.
and that could potentially get me in the same situation that i initially found myself in 18 months ago. and it would mean i would have to go through the same hell that i did to get to where i am now.
but i would still do it. i haven't given up. and if the least that came of it is simply one of the best stories you can ever tell your grandkids, well i certainly have that!
you might want to see the movie. or maybe one day i will write my own. you'll probably want to see that one too!
Showing posts with label soldier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soldier. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
it’s been awhile...
(march 16, 2008)
i have been working in mombasa, which is not a bad place to work if you don’t mind the excruciating heat and humidity and love the beach. my hotel had cnn and al jazeera so i am well informed of the news. go tibetans. sleezy senators (or governors?). poor new yorkers. cold and snowy canadians.
i got some beach time in, achieved a touch of the sun burn, bought some more kanga, and drove around in tuk tuks. i also had to face a moral dilemma whereby the participants in my workshop were lying to me to get more money. now tell me something, in countries like the uk, canada, or the us (i ask you because i know people in all these countries visit me here regularly), do you provide money to those who attend your workshops/conferences/trainings to cover their transportation to and from the venue (if they live in the city or nearby areas) as well as a stipend to cover accommodation for those travelling from out of town?
if you found out that those coming from out of town were actually going back home to sleep and then returning in the morning, do you think they are still eligible for this accommodation stipend? my answer is no. my participants’ answers were yes.
when i outright asked them if they were staying in town that night, all but 2 said they were. i have good reason to believe none of them actually stayed and pocketed the money instead. even the priests and pastors were amongst the dishonest, nice. go jesus.
i made the executive decision not to give them money on the second day. it may cause some concern when i get back to work tomorrow because i did not stick to our budget and our donor may wonder why we planned so inaccurately (answer: the government told me to and i have to listen to them as per my organisation’s mandate and membership), but i frankly do not care.
sure, sure, more principled action, but it felt wrong to spend taxpayers’ money in such a way just because it is the ‘done thing.’
it probably did not help the liars that i was reading We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families by Philip Gourevitch. if you are at all interested in the rwandan genocide and even if you are not, i recommend you read this book. i recommend, in fact, that all grade 12 students read this book. it is so good. and instead of just telling you that it is just so good, i will tell you why.
often, the rwandan genocide is broken down simply into a ‘tribal conflict’ or ‘ethnic hatred’ and although these we certainly elements of the 1994 genocide, this book explains clearly and in non-academic language the how’s and what’s and even attempts to look into the why’s of the events leading up to the genocide and immediately following it. if you read it and look at the situation i was in above, you may understand why i was so adamant not to be a part of the ‘problem of aid.’ and yet, i know i have in so many ways.
this book has sat on my shelf since a nice (clean shaven!) gentleman remembered that i mentioned that i had wanted to read it for years and popped into a bookshop in downtown nairobi and surprised me with it. and it made sense to me to read it before i go to rwanda (on thursday, yay), but it was timely for many other reasons as it spells out exactly how humanitarian aid can (and does) make things worse. and how an african leader like Paul Kagame can be largely disregarded by the international community even though he was the one that brought peace to his country when no other country in the world, rich or poor, northern or southern, african or not, did anything significant to stop the systematic murders.
and remember when that country that is now known as the democratic republic of the congo (not to be confused with the republic of the congo right next door) used to be called zaire and be led by that crazy man who had the fantastically egocentric and self-declared name of Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (translated according to Gourvetich’s book as ‘the all-powerful warrior, who by his endurance and will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake’ and ‘the cock who leaves no hen alone’ – i kid you not. this man, in charge of a country full of riches and leading millions of people for decades.)? well, rwanda helped Laurent Kabila, the current president, to get rid of that megalomaniac through directly opposing international (read: western) opinion to not invade or support rebel troops, which it did and now that crazy man is outta there (and also dead), but no one talks about this. about how a small african state that was trying to overcome the imaginable, mass killings that are comparable only to the Holocaust in modern memory, helped get rid of a dictator who was stealing from everyone in his own country and was known as ‘the dinosaur’ he had been around so long.
(let me just say now that i am not so familiar on the drc nor on how Kabila has done since overtaking the crazy man and running things for himself. me thinks there are a lot of criticisms directed towards him because his country isn’t exactly peaceful nor moving up in the ranks of poor, despotic, african countries, but i leave that for another post and for more reading that i surely will do once i find an excuse to get myself to the drc...)
i could go on and on, but i really loved this book. and at times when i am not so sure that i love my job or the moral conflicts that come with it, it is the kind of book i need on my shelf.
i have been working in mombasa, which is not a bad place to work if you don’t mind the excruciating heat and humidity and love the beach. my hotel had cnn and al jazeera so i am well informed of the news. go tibetans. sleezy senators (or governors?). poor new yorkers. cold and snowy canadians.
i got some beach time in, achieved a touch of the sun burn, bought some more kanga, and drove around in tuk tuks. i also had to face a moral dilemma whereby the participants in my workshop were lying to me to get more money. now tell me something, in countries like the uk, canada, or the us (i ask you because i know people in all these countries visit me here regularly), do you provide money to those who attend your workshops/conferences/trainings to cover their transportation to and from the venue (if they live in the city or nearby areas) as well as a stipend to cover accommodation for those travelling from out of town?
if you found out that those coming from out of town were actually going back home to sleep and then returning in the morning, do you think they are still eligible for this accommodation stipend? my answer is no. my participants’ answers were yes.
when i outright asked them if they were staying in town that night, all but 2 said they were. i have good reason to believe none of them actually stayed and pocketed the money instead. even the priests and pastors were amongst the dishonest, nice. go jesus.
i made the executive decision not to give them money on the second day. it may cause some concern when i get back to work tomorrow because i did not stick to our budget and our donor may wonder why we planned so inaccurately (answer: the government told me to and i have to listen to them as per my organisation’s mandate and membership), but i frankly do not care.
sure, sure, more principled action, but it felt wrong to spend taxpayers’ money in such a way just because it is the ‘done thing.’
it probably did not help the liars that i was reading We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families by Philip Gourevitch. if you are at all interested in the rwandan genocide and even if you are not, i recommend you read this book. i recommend, in fact, that all grade 12 students read this book. it is so good. and instead of just telling you that it is just so good, i will tell you why.
often, the rwandan genocide is broken down simply into a ‘tribal conflict’ or ‘ethnic hatred’ and although these we certainly elements of the 1994 genocide, this book explains clearly and in non-academic language the how’s and what’s and even attempts to look into the why’s of the events leading up to the genocide and immediately following it. if you read it and look at the situation i was in above, you may understand why i was so adamant not to be a part of the ‘problem of aid.’ and yet, i know i have in so many ways.
this book has sat on my shelf since a nice (clean shaven!) gentleman remembered that i mentioned that i had wanted to read it for years and popped into a bookshop in downtown nairobi and surprised me with it. and it made sense to me to read it before i go to rwanda (on thursday, yay), but it was timely for many other reasons as it spells out exactly how humanitarian aid can (and does) make things worse. and how an african leader like Paul Kagame can be largely disregarded by the international community even though he was the one that brought peace to his country when no other country in the world, rich or poor, northern or southern, african or not, did anything significant to stop the systematic murders.
and remember when that country that is now known as the democratic republic of the congo (not to be confused with the republic of the congo right next door) used to be called zaire and be led by that crazy man who had the fantastically egocentric and self-declared name of Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (translated according to Gourvetich’s book as ‘the all-powerful warrior, who by his endurance and will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake’ and ‘the cock who leaves no hen alone’ – i kid you not. this man, in charge of a country full of riches and leading millions of people for decades.)? well, rwanda helped Laurent Kabila, the current president, to get rid of that megalomaniac through directly opposing international (read: western) opinion to not invade or support rebel troops, which it did and now that crazy man is outta there (and also dead), but no one talks about this. about how a small african state that was trying to overcome the imaginable, mass killings that are comparable only to the Holocaust in modern memory, helped get rid of a dictator who was stealing from everyone in his own country and was known as ‘the dinosaur’ he had been around so long.
(let me just say now that i am not so familiar on the drc nor on how Kabila has done since overtaking the crazy man and running things for himself. me thinks there are a lot of criticisms directed towards him because his country isn’t exactly peaceful nor moving up in the ranks of poor, despotic, african countries, but i leave that for another post and for more reading that i surely will do once i find an excuse to get myself to the drc...)
i could go on and on, but i really loved this book. and at times when i am not so sure that i love my job or the moral conflicts that come with it, it is the kind of book i need on my shelf.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
just go away already!
i had the worst, neverending dream last night. i even woke up at one point and went back to sleep and the damn bad dreams continued.
it all came down to having to relive the experience of having someone choose to go and fight in a war thousands of miles away rather than proceed with the plans of life that we had made. but this time, i was there and then had to go and live alone in germany, where i just did not want to be.
it just makes me wonder when this whole ugly experience will stop rearing its ugly head and just let me get on with my life. blech. one, big, gross blech that took me hours to overcome today. just put a damper on my day and i had a hard time shaking it.
it all came down to having to relive the experience of having someone choose to go and fight in a war thousands of miles away rather than proceed with the plans of life that we had made. but this time, i was there and then had to go and live alone in germany, where i just did not want to be.
it just makes me wonder when this whole ugly experience will stop rearing its ugly head and just let me get on with my life. blech. one, big, gross blech that took me hours to overcome today. just put a damper on my day and i had a hard time shaking it.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
twenty eight and one month
1 - get enough sleep. this has been all systems go and it was sheer luxury to be able to sleep when and for how long i pleased in the dominican republic. sleep in until 10am? absolutely! have a nap on the beach? why ever not. go to bed at 6 and sleep for 15 hours? done.
2 - buy a home. no progress whatsoever and with impending lay offs left, right, and centre, i am a bit nervous about this. but, i still have 11 months left of 28 to figure this one out.
3 - reduce my level of anxiety. i am kicking anxiety's arse and taking names. all things considered, i am owning the anxiety and making it my own. and by that i mean, things are going really well in this department.
4 - take better photos. i lugged my fancy camera all the way to the caribbean and even bought a new camera lens to replace the one mysteriously lost at a wedding shower, but i took all of one photo with it and instead carried my little digital around with me, which turned out to be much better at snapping the snaps of dance parties, sunglasses named blanche, and me sitting in an enormous piece of pottery.
5 - become financially confident. this is going to be a work in progress...
6 - be happy where i am. this may be a challenge in the coming months. partly because i just read a book set in sudan and my old stomping grounds of kenya (including mentioning my former office) and it got thoughts in my head. nothing too crazy, no plans at the mo, but being settled and happily settled may be difficult.
7 - visit friends who live in other places. still no plans that fit this goal precisely, but the trip to the dominican republic was wonderful and fabulous and all that i could have hoped for, but nothing that i could have expected.
8 - sort out my relationship. done, sorted, over. and if a certain someone shows their face in these parts, he can expect to be strung up with a piano wire by his balls.
Monday, February 09, 2009
eight for twenty eight (and one week)
i am 28 and one week old and thought i might take a recap of how i have progessed on my goals for this year. don't worry, i have no intention of doing this every week.
1 - get enough sleep. i went to bed too late on saturday night and woke up at 8:20 when i was meeting my running group at 8:30 for our 9km run. obviously, this is a sign that i need to reprioritise my sleeping. but the 9km was awesome and not difficult and enjoyable, even the hill and the other people, which is sometimes the challenge in running with a group.
2 - buy a home. it is clearly a bit premature to be updating on this, but i did go shopping (again) and i need to start looking at what i need to save and how i plan on going about that. and i am afraid that a savings plan may mean fewer pairs of boots and fewer handbags.
3 - reduce my level of anxiety. this is going well. for a number of reasons, but medication and counselling are two of them. i also had a friend ask my about anxiety and it even made me feel good to share my experience in hopes that it might be useful for someone else who may be faced with similar challenges in the anxiety department.
4 - take better photos. the only photos i have taken in my 28th year were some of us ladies drinking wine on friday night, i had a fabulous time and that might be the reason for my substandard photography skills...
5 - become financially confident. i think #2 sums this one up. it will surely be a work in progress.
6 - be happy where i am. so far, so good.
7 - visit friends who live in other places. no plans yet, but i have booked a tropical vacation and that dominican beach is calling my name. good thing i have been practising up on the spanish.
8 - sort out my relationship. also, so far, so good.
1 - get enough sleep. i went to bed too late on saturday night and woke up at 8:20 when i was meeting my running group at 8:30 for our 9km run. obviously, this is a sign that i need to reprioritise my sleeping. but the 9km was awesome and not difficult and enjoyable, even the hill and the other people, which is sometimes the challenge in running with a group.
2 - buy a home. it is clearly a bit premature to be updating on this, but i did go shopping (again) and i need to start looking at what i need to save and how i plan on going about that. and i am afraid that a savings plan may mean fewer pairs of boots and fewer handbags.
3 - reduce my level of anxiety. this is going well. for a number of reasons, but medication and counselling are two of them. i also had a friend ask my about anxiety and it even made me feel good to share my experience in hopes that it might be useful for someone else who may be faced with similar challenges in the anxiety department.
4 - take better photos. the only photos i have taken in my 28th year were some of us ladies drinking wine on friday night, i had a fabulous time and that might be the reason for my substandard photography skills...
5 - become financially confident. i think #2 sums this one up. it will surely be a work in progress.
6 - be happy where i am. so far, so good.
7 - visit friends who live in other places. no plans yet, but i have booked a tropical vacation and that dominican beach is calling my name. good thing i have been practising up on the spanish.
8 - sort out my relationship. also, so far, so good.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
eight for twenty eight
i stole this concept from heather who stole it from her big sis. i thought it was a great idea so i made a few tiny changes to the format and here you have my 8 goals for my 28th year.
1 - get enough sleep. on a recent visit to my new (and awesome) doctor, i learned a lot about the importance of sleep. she really drove the point home when she said that there is a reason that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. i have been doing well lately, but i need to keep it up for the next year.
2 - buy a home. i think this is a reality for me this year and that is a nice feeling. i am not sure where or what or when, but in the year of 28, i want this to happen.
3 - reduce my level of anxiety. this is something that i have already started working on in 27, but i believe it will be a life long challenge and i plan to make some serious headway in 28. i never realised that it is not normal to live with underlying anxiety every day, but sometimes things need to get really bad before you have such a-ha moments.
4 - take better photos. i want to improve the good photos i take to become awesome photos, especially now that i have a swank new camera. whether i just take a lot of photos and learn through trial and error or whether i take a course, one way or the other, i want to learn what works, what doesn't work, and have something to show for it in the end.
5 - become financially confident. not necessarily make more money, but learn more about what to do with money once you make it. how to invest. how to save. how to spend.
6 - be happy where i am. by 'where' i mean not only physically but where i am with my relationships, my career, and myself. i do not expect that this is something that is achievable in 28, but i do think that it will be a priority this year. sometimes i just need to remind myself what i want and not what i think i should want.
7 - visit friends who live in other places. i have a few ideas in mind of people and places that i would like to visit in the coming year. top of my list are washington dc, chicago, vancouver island, but this all depends on schedules, timing, and money. so i will leave it general for now and see what develops.
8 - sort out my relationship. nuff said. not sure why i didn't list this as #1. and it may just take a full 12 months.
1 - get enough sleep. on a recent visit to my new (and awesome) doctor, i learned a lot about the importance of sleep. she really drove the point home when she said that there is a reason that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. i have been doing well lately, but i need to keep it up for the next year.
2 - buy a home. i think this is a reality for me this year and that is a nice feeling. i am not sure where or what or when, but in the year of 28, i want this to happen.
3 - reduce my level of anxiety. this is something that i have already started working on in 27, but i believe it will be a life long challenge and i plan to make some serious headway in 28. i never realised that it is not normal to live with underlying anxiety every day, but sometimes things need to get really bad before you have such a-ha moments.
4 - take better photos. i want to improve the good photos i take to become awesome photos, especially now that i have a swank new camera. whether i just take a lot of photos and learn through trial and error or whether i take a course, one way or the other, i want to learn what works, what doesn't work, and have something to show for it in the end.
5 - become financially confident. not necessarily make more money, but learn more about what to do with money once you make it. how to invest. how to save. how to spend.
6 - be happy where i am. by 'where' i mean not only physically but where i am with my relationships, my career, and myself. i do not expect that this is something that is achievable in 28, but i do think that it will be a priority this year. sometimes i just need to remind myself what i want and not what i think i should want.
7 - visit friends who live in other places. i have a few ideas in mind of people and places that i would like to visit in the coming year. top of my list are washington dc, chicago, vancouver island, but this all depends on schedules, timing, and money. so i will leave it general for now and see what develops.
8 - sort out my relationship. nuff said. not sure why i didn't list this as #1. and it may just take a full 12 months.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
i'm trying
this came straight from oprah's mouth by way of a friend. not exactly a direct quote, but you get the idea.
'whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. only you give it power.'
'whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. only you give it power.'
Monday, October 13, 2008
the eff word
i was out shopping with one of my oldest friends this past week and she was in the market for new tableware. i just went along for the ride and to help with decisions, as friends do. but a set of dishes caught my eye and it just so happened that they were gordon ramsay's line from royal doulton.
i left it for a few days and spoke to the soldier about it, who just wanted to clarify that it was gordon fucking ramsay's fucking dishes before agreeing that i should go and buy them. so today i meandered back to the bay and had a surprise that there was an additional sale on my dishes for my as-yet-non-existent home.
so, royal doulton is good, right? and spending money on decent dishes is a good idea, right? and they are quite fucking nice, right?!
i left it for a few days and spoke to the soldier about it, who just wanted to clarify that it was gordon fucking ramsay's fucking dishes before agreeing that i should go and buy them. so today i meandered back to the bay and had a surprise that there was an additional sale on my dishes for my as-yet-non-existent home.
so, royal doulton is good, right? and spending money on decent dishes is a good idea, right? and they are quite fucking nice, right?!
Monday, October 06, 2008
a monday
it is monday and i am still not gainfully employed, but am employed for one day with elections canada so i can really revel in all that is a federal election. and make some monies.
to prepare, i voted in the early polls today and loved every second that it took me to make my X. i am shocked that so many canadians do not practice their civic duty and cast their ballot. and i have said it before, but people in other countries have risked their lives to be sure their voice is heard. so canadians, get it together, get your arse to your polling station, and participate in democracy already!
i am feeling more confident in who i want to win the election just because it is the lesser of the two doofuses so october 14th could get a bit tense.
and. and! and i am beginning the last countdown towards the day when my (soon to be former) soldier arrives in calgary to move into the new love nest (aka, my parents' basement). 14 days to go! flights are booked, visas have been granted, and finishing touches are being put on an 8 year military career. and not a moment too soon...
and yeah, this job search is getting old. i know that the job search is a full time job, that it is who you know, and that it takes time, blah, blah, blah, but i am already getting frustrated and deflated. i need to dig up some tenacity and perseverance to stretch my motivation.
to prepare, i voted in the early polls today and loved every second that it took me to make my X. i am shocked that so many canadians do not practice their civic duty and cast their ballot. and i have said it before, but people in other countries have risked their lives to be sure their voice is heard. so canadians, get it together, get your arse to your polling station, and participate in democracy already!
i am feeling more confident in who i want to win the election just because it is the lesser of the two doofuses so october 14th could get a bit tense.
and. and! and i am beginning the last countdown towards the day when my (soon to be former) soldier arrives in calgary to move into the new love nest (aka, my parents' basement). 14 days to go! flights are booked, visas have been granted, and finishing touches are being put on an 8 year military career. and not a moment too soon...
and yeah, this job search is getting old. i know that the job search is a full time job, that it is who you know, and that it takes time, blah, blah, blah, but i am already getting frustrated and deflated. i need to dig up some tenacity and perseverance to stretch my motivation.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
organisational tool
i am trying not to just post lists of things i have been thinking, but cannot seem to thread together thoughts to make a coherent post about a single topic. instead, i have made nice headings and grouped my thoughts. at least it is a start.
politics/elections
politics/elections
- i kind of miss having a french canadian prime minister. i wouldn't vote for the liberals just to get dion in office, but i do love the accent.
- was canadian politics always this nasty? i don't remember it being such a name-calling, finger-pointing, adolescent schoolyard fight, but it does seem to have those qualities this time round
- i volunteered in the democratic process again and although i just fill out forms, i enjoy being involved and learning about how a campaign is run (or not run). no more steve sightings to report. i think he is done with campaigning in calgary and for good reason.
- i find elections kinda exciting. if you hadn't guessed.
getting my life together
- i had a job interview for a job that i am not sure is right for me right now, but that i know i would be great at and let me sleep easy at night
- a certain soldier has been granted his work visa, yippee! i love canadian efficiency. or, even more, i love the trust inherent in a british passport within the canadian immigration system
- i am calming down, but have a few panic attacks daily about careers, cars, houses, money, social engagements, etc.
- i keep thinking, i should be running, i should be working out, i should be starting on operation get fit (phase 2), but i don't. i am not sure what that is about.
the plummeting economy
- is it really plummeting? i am not an economist nor do i claim to know a lot about ecomonics (despite those undergrad courses in micro and macro and international political economy), but it seems that people are just automatically freaking out in canada because of the american mortgage crisis and corresponding bailout. i am very sure that the american and canadian economies are closely linked, but it seems a bit alarmist and panicky to me.
- now, who wants to give me a mortgage??
calgarians
- i have been pretty impressed since returning home with the friendliness of my townsfolk, whether it is help in the job search, compliments on my outfit by perfect strangers (pencil skirts, i tell ya), or general courtesy from other drivers (ok, the bad drivers talking on the phones are exempt from this kudos), i have been pleasantly surprised. but i guess that old stereotype about canadians being friendly rings true.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
the fun bits
entertaining visitors, watching army parades, shoe shopping, and helicopter rides keep a girl busy. so while i am enjoying my last weeks in germany, i leave you with some photos of what fun it is if your boyfriend is a soldier.
Monday, September 01, 2008
this and that on a monday morning
him: i remember listening to the bbc worldservice my dad's old radio, although i can't remember if it was on the medium wave or fm by that point.
me: you know, i have never understood how radios work.
him: well, there are radio waves...
me: i'm ok with not understanding. i'm more interested in the story about listening to the bbc worldservice in africa.
* * *
i watched The Kite Runner last night and i am proud to say that i managed not to cry. but i think i got all those tears out when i read the book. the movie is great, the book is fantastic. it was great to have visual images of afghanistan, i especially like the market scenes as the market-lover that i am.
* * *
i am surprised how excited i am to have a table and chairs in my breakfast nook. it is a sunny place to sit and enjoy coffee and omelets on a sunday morning. we got them from a second hand shop and apparently the saleslady was quite annoyed that we only wanted 3 chairs of the matching set. who needs 4 chairs when you are only going to be in a place for a few more weeks? which reminds me, i need to buy a third mug for when our visitor arrives this week!
* * *
since the army doesn't seem to be letting up in our last battle, even though i gave it everything i have i am apparently no match for the military with my pouting, scowling, and shaking of my fist, i am pretty sure i will head back to canada earlier (by a few weeks) than i anticipated. after considering all the options, i am totally ok with that.
me: you know, i have never understood how radios work.
him: well, there are radio waves...
me: i'm ok with not understanding. i'm more interested in the story about listening to the bbc worldservice in africa.
* * *
i watched The Kite Runner last night and i am proud to say that i managed not to cry. but i think i got all those tears out when i read the book. the movie is great, the book is fantastic. it was great to have visual images of afghanistan, i especially like the market scenes as the market-lover that i am.
* * *
i am surprised how excited i am to have a table and chairs in my breakfast nook. it is a sunny place to sit and enjoy coffee and omelets on a sunday morning. we got them from a second hand shop and apparently the saleslady was quite annoyed that we only wanted 3 chairs of the matching set. who needs 4 chairs when you are only going to be in a place for a few more weeks? which reminds me, i need to buy a third mug for when our visitor arrives this week!
* * *
since the army doesn't seem to be letting up in our last battle, even though i gave it everything i have i am apparently no match for the military with my pouting, scowling, and shaking of my fist, i am pretty sure i will head back to canada earlier (by a few weeks) than i anticipated. after considering all the options, i am totally ok with that.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
here comes the writ!
i love an election and luckily for me, i should be around for the next federal election. i technically 'live' in steve's riding so it is always a forgone conclusion who will win, but i still love the whole process of democracy. functional democracy, not that kind of democracy where the opposition demands the election was stolen and then they settle in to a nice 'power sharing' deal.
ahem, kenya, i am looking at you.
not that a canadian federal election would be remotely as exciting as the american one next door, but i still love election season. and i love autumn, which feels like the beginning of things, so maybe it will be a nice time to be home.
but back to the canadian election being boring, here is how margaret wente, a globe and mail reporter, described it:
if a listeriosis outbreak happens in a western, developed country that is chock full of processed foods then i do not want to hear any more naysaying about getting sick from eating food in africa. food will not kill you in africa. water might, mosquitos might (spread the net!), armed rebels might, but food most likely will not.
public health scare or not, i am missing canada.
oh, and i have contracted a cold. i think it originated in the army and was brought home to me like a sick kid from day care. the similarities in that analogy don't end with the cold.
ahem, kenya, i am looking at you.
not that a canadian federal election would be remotely as exciting as the american one next door, but i still love election season. and i love autumn, which feels like the beginning of things, so maybe it will be a nice time to be home.
but back to the canadian election being boring, here is how margaret wente, a globe and mail reporter, described it:
The election next door is a battle of the titans. Ours is a battle of the midgets. Instead of a warrior and a charismatic transformer, we've got a mean-eyed guy with the charm of a ball-peen hammer, pitted against a man so clueless that half his own party hopes he'll lose. The best reason to vote for Guy No. 2 is that he's not Guy No. 1. And that's a powerful reason.i have been following the story of the listeriosis outbreak in canada and i am pretty shocked and can completely understand how that would create widespread paranoia about food. it was timely for me, as i recently watched a 4 part documentary (nerd!) on grocery stores' incredible influence on food options in the uk that had segments about processed food. so i was already feeeling all self-righteous and activist-y about food and then to hear that a huge food processing plant is making people sick makes me want to step a little higher on my soapbox...
if a listeriosis outbreak happens in a western, developed country that is chock full of processed foods then i do not want to hear any more naysaying about getting sick from eating food in africa. food will not kill you in africa. water might, mosquitos might (spread the net!), armed rebels might, but food most likely will not.
public health scare or not, i am missing canada.
oh, and i have contracted a cold. i think it originated in the army and was brought home to me like a sick kid from day care. the similarities in that analogy don't end with the cold.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
who doesn't like sad songs?
with my newfound regular access to unfiltered internet (it had been a few years) and my afternoons to myself i have discovered the beauty of youtube and searching for some of my favourite singers doing live versions of their songs. after doing this i finally purchased rachael yamagata's cd from itunes (see, pirating music isn't all bad!) and have been listening to it on repeat ever since.
then one day the soldier subtly put his earphones in and started listening to death metal (or whatever he listens to) and said, 'your music is killing me slowly. from the inside.'
then one day the soldier subtly put his earphones in and started listening to death metal (or whatever he listens to) and said, 'your music is killing me slowly. from the inside.'
Monday, August 25, 2008
right bank/left bank
oh, paris...
confession: i think it had taken me so long to get myself to the city of love, the city renown for joie de vivre because i was partly afraid that it would overwhelm me or that the parisians would eat me during a 7 course gourmet meal because i can barely stumble through pleasantries en francaise (bad canadian, i know).
but i am not afraid to admit when i am wrong. and apart from the occassional surly server and the woman who snubbed her nose at me for whipping out my guidebook on the metro, parisians did not even want to take a nibble. they were lovely.
actually, i wanted to package up the loveliest amelie-esque woman who worked at our local bakery and bring her home with me, she was just that sweet. and yes, because i was in paris for 5 days i get to say that i had a 'local' bakery.
i am going to miss that city. all of the regular culprits included - that food, that wine, that architecture. but for all that we saw and did, i am mostly going to miss wandering the streets of paris, looking in the shop windows, finding my way around the streets, and stopping whenever i damn well felt like it to have a croissant, a meal, a glass of wine, or a rest in a park.
highlights include, in no particular order:
- the best creme brulee i have ever had. and i didn't even think i liked creme brule. i was wrong. very, very wrong.
- croissants and espresso in plastic cups from the local bakery in the mornings
- staying at the ideal hotel design. if you are going to paris, stay there. (and book it on ebooking.com so that it is only 60 euro a night). it is artsy and funktastic and just my style. the night guy was surly and did nothing to dispell the parisian myth (ok, that makes 3 sour parisians), but the other staff were very nice and they actually had a pink reception area, purple hallways, and olympics in french on fancy tvs!
- the centre pomidou. i loved this place. it was like a croissant, a cafe creme, and creme brule all rolled into one museum of deliciousness.
- going up the eiffel tower. now i thought, yeah, sure we are in paris and we MUST go up the tower but i cannot be arsed to stand in a line to go up an elevator and i am too cheap to pay more when i can just walk up, but my legs are protesting when i even lift one to put it in front of the other because touring around europe for 3 weeks is tiring, whine, whine, whine... so we went back first thing the next morning and walked up. mild panic attack and begging the soldier to let us turn around and walk back to the 1st level aside, it was pretty damn cool. sort of like a delicious bottle of bordeax sipped on t
he bank of the seine.
he bank of the seine.- sipping a delicious bottle of bordeaux on the banks of the seine. as per a great suggestion, we bought some wine, a baguette, some cheese that made me want to cry it was so good, and some vine ripened tomatoes and had a little riverside spread. at first we felt a little sheepish drinking straight from the bottles (one of which was purchased at printemps and was actually not the least expensive one there, proving that i am not cheap and have lots of class, and the other for 2.50 at a grocery store - i think they were equally delicious), but soon got over that and just enjoyed the sunset with other picnickers/drinkers and watched the world go by.
- checking out armour at the musee de l'armee and then nosing through the pinkness of fauchon and smelling the teas, drooling over their pastries, and picking up a few little treats (because that is what you call COMPROMISE)
- eating crepes on the street in all their goozy cheesey, eggy (who knew?) goodness
- me
andering through the pere lachaise cemetary and finding the gravestones of jim morrison, oscar wilde, heloise & abelard and some french dude whose package is apparently full of such vigor, if you rub it, you will become pregnant (i just pretended)
andering through the pere lachaise cemetary and finding the gravestones of jim morrison, oscar wilde, heloise & abelard and some french dude whose package is apparently full of such vigor, if you rub it, you will become pregnant (i just pretended)- eclaires! in the morning!
- the gargoyles at notre dame, but not the line to stand in and the 
entry fee to pay to get up there to see them. but it was much more enjoyable for me than the soldier when i was all hyped up on caffeine and sugar from coffee and eclaires in the morning and bounced up and down the entire way.
entry fee to pay to get up there to see them. but it was much more enjoyable for me than the soldier when i was all hyped up on caffeine and sugar from coffee and eclaires in the morning and bounced up and down the entire way.- having a nap in jardin de tullieres
- all the people who take photos of art in galleries like the musee d'orsay. there were some 
people that i am pretty sure were not even looking at the paintings themselves (matisse, picasso, van gogh, seurat...) and just fitting them irregularly in their digital frame and snapping away to bore their neighbours back home during the slide show
people that i am pretty sure were not even looking at the paintings themselves (matisse, picasso, van gogh, seurat...) and just fitting them irregularly in their digital frame and snapping away to bore their neighbours back home during the slide show- speaking of cameras, fearing that someone was going to run away with our camera at the louvre. i think i'd been in nairobi too long. but it gave us a laugh.
i miss paris already. and i must find a way to get back there. and ideally, find a way to get paid while i go back there because that city makes quite the dent in the pocketbook. i also made a little commitment to my life's To Do List to go back to paris when i speak french. i better get on that.
Friday, August 22, 2008
highlights of the eastern european adventure (part ii)
the highlights continue...
budapest
- the sunny disposition of the hungarians (can you sense the sarcasm in that one through your computer screen? because it is dripping)
- buda and pest, together at last
- the danube and walking across it over some neato bridges
- watching olympics in hungarian
- the gellert baths and having a bath with hundreds of other people and trying not to think about
the bacteria, hair, and flecks of other people's bodies floating around and touching my skin so that i could enjoy the experience
- the xo bistro and delicious hungarian wine
- the war history museum, which although i originally did as a 'relationship compromise' was surprisingly interesting and was another description of the world wars from the other side, which was new to me (and sort of blamed the germans, if i am being honest)
- pest has some interesting smells. and by interesting i mean that they reminded me of urine. because they probably were.
- a new orange dress! and an accompanying shiny black belt! and a new silver bangle!
- discovering my favourite hungarian bookshop that sells english books (it has been awhile since perusing the shelves, checking out the titles - you really miss english bookshops when they are not around)
i enjoyed budapest, hungary is very different than any other country i have visited. i think the city could use a good scrub, but i liked how things are more affordable there (apart from the public baths, that was a lot of money to pay to baste in others' filth) than prague and the skyline was stunning.
budapest
- the sunny disposition of the hungarians (can you sense the sarcasm in that one through your computer screen? because it is dripping)
- buda and pest, together at last
- the danube and walking across it over some neato bridges
- watching olympics in hungarian
- the gellert baths and having a bath with hundreds of other people and trying not to think about
the bacteria, hair, and flecks of other people's bodies floating around and touching my skin so that i could enjoy the experience- the xo bistro and delicious hungarian wine
- the war history museum, which although i originally did as a 'relationship compromise' was surprisingly interesting and was another description of the world wars from the other side, which was new to me (and sort of blamed the germans, if i am being honest)
- pest has some interesting smells. and by interesting i mean that they reminded me of urine. because they probably were.
- a new orange dress! and an accompanying shiny black belt! and a new silver bangle!
- discovering my favourite hungarian bookshop that sells english books (it has been awhile since perusing the shelves, checking out the titles - you really miss english bookshops when they are not around)
i enjoyed budapest, hungary is very different than any other country i have visited. i think the city could use a good scrub, but i liked how things are more affordable there (apart from the public baths, that was a lot of money to pay to baste in others' filth) than prague and the skyline was stunning.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
highlights of the eastern european adventure (part i)
i am back at my nest and wow, was that a jam-packed, intense, fantastic, amazing, and exhausting trip! i seem to forget that i have trouble sitting still when in new places and even when we decided to have 'quiet' days, it was nearly impossible for us to just sit back, relax, and watch the world go by. no, there was too much to see, too much to do, and in some cases, too much to eat and drink. my legs are exhausted, my calves are more toned than ever, my lower back aches from the many mattresses, my cholesterol levels are probably skyrocketing, and my liver probably needs its own vacation, but man alive, was that all worth it.
highlights include (and i hope to be able to collate these into some not-so-steady streams of consciousness in the near future, but i seem to suck at writing about things in the past):
berlin
- the marathon walking tour with terry brewer that ended 12 hours after it started when we bid adieu to our favourite tour guide at an east berlin pub where the beer doesn't get any cheaper,
the decor hasn't changed since communism was all the rage, and the sausages are served with toasted white bread and pickles
- the german history museum. i now understand a hell of a lot more about the reformation and how that carved out our modern world. seeing the documents that led to the greatest chasm in the christian religion was pretty damn cool.
- a new pair of birkenstocks
- the best chocolate shop with the cutest little chocolate hearts, thank you soldier
- seeing history that i actually lived through (even if i was 7)
- staying at a hotel with the best buffet breakfast ever (caprese salad at 8am is always welcome)
- walking, a lot of walking. like more than a lot.
- more pretzels. pretzels are great.
czech republic
- tourists, lots of tourists. mostly those who just stepped off their ryanair flight from northern england and sport their bikini tops in the centre of prague...
- the views of the castle (which were probably better than the actual castle, including the entry fee)
- the fancy blue outfits at the changing of the guard at the prague castle (even if the soldier was totally unimpressed with the wrinkled uniforms, the lack of unison, and the non chalant attitude of some of the czech soldiers - geez, critical)
- ice cream for dinner
- beer, delicious, delicious beer
- garlic soup that makes you breath garlic fire for 12 hours afterwards. delicious!
- reminding the soldier that there is no 'oslovakia' on the end of czech anymore
- pilgrimages to plzen and ceske budejovice to visit the homes of pilsen and budvar (pilsen being the home of pilsener beer and budvar being the original budweiser that can no longer call itself budweiser thanks to american anhauser busch...)
- you heard it here first, budvar is the best beer in the world. hands down.
- watching the opening ceremonies and turning to the soldier and saying, 'holy shiza'
- meeting the ever-friendly canadians decked out in roots gear at an irish pub to collectively cheer for the canadian, kenyan, british, and south african olympic teams coming into the olympic stadium
- street meat
- a little underground pub devoted to the rolling stones and too much beer (which led to nasty hangovers and day-long train journeys whilst hung over, blech)
- the museum of communism and its groovy t shirts. they really have a fantastic graphic designer who has done their posters and paraphernelia. which is the epitome of irony, really. clever and ironic.
- experiencing post-soviet influenced communist rule for the fist time. fascinating. absolutely fascinating. i must learn more about what it was like.
- a language where every language seems to end in -ska or -ky
- another country that loves hockey as much as canada. eh!?
ok that is all i can muster in one post, stay tuned for more highlights.
highlights include (and i hope to be able to collate these into some not-so-steady streams of consciousness in the near future, but i seem to suck at writing about things in the past):
berlin
- the marathon walking tour with terry brewer that ended 12 hours after it started when we bid adieu to our favourite tour guide at an east berlin pub where the beer doesn't get any cheaper,
the decor hasn't changed since communism was all the rage, and the sausages are served with toasted white bread and pickles- the german history museum. i now understand a hell of a lot more about the reformation and how that carved out our modern world. seeing the documents that led to the greatest chasm in the christian religion was pretty damn cool.
- a new pair of birkenstocks
- the best chocolate shop with the cutest little chocolate hearts, thank you soldier
- seeing history that i actually lived through (even if i was 7)
- staying at a hotel with the best buffet breakfast ever (caprese salad at 8am is always welcome)
- walking, a lot of walking. like more than a lot.
- more pretzels. pretzels are great.
czech republic
- tourists, lots of tourists. mostly those who just stepped off their ryanair flight from northern england and sport their bikini tops in the centre of prague...
- the views of the castle (which were probably better than the actual castle, including the entry fee)
- the fancy blue outfits at the changing of the guard at the prague castle (even if the soldier was totally unimpressed with the wrinkled uniforms, the lack of unison, and the non chalant attitude of some of the czech soldiers - geez, critical)
- ice cream for dinner
- beer, delicious, delicious beer
- garlic soup that makes you breath garlic fire for 12 hours afterwards. delicious!
- reminding the soldier that there is no 'oslovakia' on the end of czech anymore
- pilgrimages to plzen and ceske budejovice to visit the homes of pilsen and budvar (pilsen being the home of pilsener beer and budvar being the original budweiser that can no longer call itself budweiser thanks to american anhauser busch...)
- you heard it here first, budvar is the best beer in the world. hands down.
- watching the opening ceremonies and turning to the soldier and saying, 'holy shiza'
- meeting the ever-friendly canadians decked out in roots gear at an irish pub to collectively cheer for the canadian, kenyan, british, and south african olympic teams coming into the olympic stadium
- street meat
- a little underground pub devoted to the rolling stones and too much beer (which led to nasty hangovers and day-long train journeys whilst hung over, blech)
- the museum of communism and its groovy t shirts. they really have a fantastic graphic designer who has done their posters and paraphernelia. which is the epitome of irony, really. clever and ironic.
- experiencing post-soviet influenced communist rule for the fist time. fascinating. absolutely fascinating. i must learn more about what it was like.
- a language where every language seems to end in -ska or -ky
- another country that loves hockey as much as canada. eh!?
ok that is all i can muster in one post, stay tuned for more highlights.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
today:
- it was 38 degrees when i woke up and cooled down to 36 by noon
- i handwashed a lot of clothes and realised i get a little obsessed with clothes drying when they are on the line (or in my sunroom and throughout my kitchen when there is no line) and check them regularly to see if they are dry yet. that's what you call a touch of the ocd.
- i used the automatic stamp producing machine to post some things today. i have never seen this system before but it is brilliant. trust the germans to come up with such efficiency. the true test was if i used it probably and that mail arrives at its intended destination...
- i made a hair appointment for tomorrow with the stylist who speaks the best english in the shop. wish me luck!
- i bought a hat (not necessarily in anticipation of the hair cut, but it doesn't hurt) and a blue handbag, which i needed just slightly more than a hole in the head. but i figure that if the soldier always asks me to carry his wallet around, i should have a tool that is fit for the job.
- while caught in an afternoon shower as i walked home, i pondered how i have a teensy fear of umbrellas. and not in the way that i think they will attack me when i am sleeping but in that i fear a finger getting caught when you take it down. i realise this is totally irrational and i am blaming some adult in my childhood who probably warned me against getting my finger stuck and i have it ingrained in my head that you should be careful around umbrellas. the same way i also feel you should take care around escalators. i don't think the kids in this town get that lesson as they regularly play on the escalators and cause me great grief as they ride them up and down and up and down in BAREFEET. that is like asking to loose a toe.
- the friendly postie delivered my first piece of mail addressed to me as frau. (it was our train tickets to prague for next week, yippee!)
- i handwashed a lot of clothes and realised i get a little obsessed with clothes drying when they are on the line (or in my sunroom and throughout my kitchen when there is no line) and check them regularly to see if they are dry yet. that's what you call a touch of the ocd.
- i used the automatic stamp producing machine to post some things today. i have never seen this system before but it is brilliant. trust the germans to come up with such efficiency. the true test was if i used it probably and that mail arrives at its intended destination...
- i made a hair appointment for tomorrow with the stylist who speaks the best english in the shop. wish me luck!
- i bought a hat (not necessarily in anticipation of the hair cut, but it doesn't hurt) and a blue handbag, which i needed just slightly more than a hole in the head. but i figure that if the soldier always asks me to carry his wallet around, i should have a tool that is fit for the job.
- while caught in an afternoon shower as i walked home, i pondered how i have a teensy fear of umbrellas. and not in the way that i think they will attack me when i am sleeping but in that i fear a finger getting caught when you take it down. i realise this is totally irrational and i am blaming some adult in my childhood who probably warned me against getting my finger stuck and i have it ingrained in my head that you should be careful around umbrellas. the same way i also feel you should take care around escalators. i don't think the kids in this town get that lesson as they regularly play on the escalators and cause me great grief as they ride them up and down and up and down in BAREFEET. that is like asking to loose a toe.
- the friendly postie delivered my first piece of mail addressed to me as frau. (it was our train tickets to prague for next week, yippee!)
Monday, July 28, 2008
living in sin
is tough, tougher than i thought.
i don't tend to do things half-way and this was no different. i gave up my job, gave up my lovely little nest in nairobi, and moved to a country i had never been, where i did not speak the language, to be with someone i had not lived in the same country with since november 2007.
sounds a bit romatic when i say it like that.
the whole cross continental move was made tougher by the fact that when arrived our flat was not ready (or the outgoing tenant's new flat was not ready so somehow that meant we had to stay at a hotel and wait an extra 5 days and pay for a hotel in EUROPE for 5 nights, grrr....) and then once we moved into our new (love) nest, the soldier left for 11 days to play bang, bang, you're dead somewhere in a field in germany. to practice for a war that he will not fight in because he has already given the queen the finger-under-chin-flick and left the army (and for which i am eternally grateful).
so i wandered around the streets, price compared, purchased the necessities for a 3 month stint, read a lot of books, listened to a lot of music, saved birds, and wondered if this was perhaps the worst decision i had ever made.
then he got home, was filthy, showered, and the fighting, arguing, and bickering began. it sucked. who cooks (me), who cleans (me), who makes coffee better (me), who makes the bed (neither of us), who picks up their clothes (pfft, where would they go, back in the suitcases/boxes?), and who works (him) and is generally exhausted monday - friday (him).
but i think the worst of the adjustment is over. it ended when we decided to sit outside in the 36 degree heat on saturday afternoon and have a beer and a bite to eat. those beers are just so delicious on such a hot day that we had 3. did i also mention they are big?
the shops here close on sundays and as i had neglected my housegirlfriend tasks late last week, we were thin on the ground in the food department - we had to go for a shop.
and there is nothing like healing a relationship like going grocery shopping together. drunk. if we were not living in germany, i would have been mortified by my breath reeking of beer instead of just mildly uncomfortable as it were.
now i feel things are on the mend. due, in large part, to having the www at home (also my job and more tear enducing as the rest once german call centres were factored in). and this monday morning i was up at 6:30am seeing the soldier off to work (paintballing is considered work, thank you british tax payers) and feel pretty good about the future.
i am melting again and feel that perhaps a very large, very cold german beer is in order. it's sort of become a hobby.
i don't tend to do things half-way and this was no different. i gave up my job, gave up my lovely little nest in nairobi, and moved to a country i had never been, where i did not speak the language, to be with someone i had not lived in the same country with since november 2007.
sounds a bit romatic when i say it like that.
the whole cross continental move was made tougher by the fact that when arrived our flat was not ready (or the outgoing tenant's new flat was not ready so somehow that meant we had to stay at a hotel and wait an extra 5 days and pay for a hotel in EUROPE for 5 nights, grrr....) and then once we moved into our new (love) nest, the soldier left for 11 days to play bang, bang, you're dead somewhere in a field in germany. to practice for a war that he will not fight in because he has already given the queen the finger-under-chin-flick and left the army (and for which i am eternally grateful).
so i wandered around the streets, price compared, purchased the necessities for a 3 month stint, read a lot of books, listened to a lot of music, saved birds, and wondered if this was perhaps the worst decision i had ever made.
then he got home, was filthy, showered, and the fighting, arguing, and bickering began. it sucked. who cooks (me), who cleans (me), who makes coffee better (me), who makes the bed (neither of us), who picks up their clothes (pfft, where would they go, back in the suitcases/boxes?), and who works (him) and is generally exhausted monday - friday (him).
but i think the worst of the adjustment is over. it ended when we decided to sit outside in the 36 degree heat on saturday afternoon and have a beer and a bite to eat. those beers are just so delicious on such a hot day that we had 3. did i also mention they are big?
the shops here close on sundays and as i had neglected my housegirlfriend tasks late last week, we were thin on the ground in the food department - we had to go for a shop.
and there is nothing like healing a relationship like going grocery shopping together. drunk. if we were not living in germany, i would have been mortified by my breath reeking of beer instead of just mildly uncomfortable as it were.
now i feel things are on the mend. due, in large part, to having the www at home (also my job and more tear enducing as the rest once german call centres were factored in). and this monday morning i was up at 6:30am seeing the soldier off to work (paintballing is considered work, thank you british tax payers) and feel pretty good about the future.
i am melting again and feel that perhaps a very large, very cold german beer is in order. it's sort of become a hobby.
Friday, July 25, 2008
reading machine
(july 18, 2008)
with extra time on my hands, i have been doing a lot of reading and am happy to report i have two big thumbs-up recommendations.
the first is a book that i had heard a lot about, but was always turned off because of its title, is Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. it is a book that answers a lot of questions i have always had about why countries like canada were colonised but countries in europe were the colonisers and why certain technological advancements have never taken hold in sub-saharan africa. it is a non-academic academic book that tells the scientific story of how guns, germs, and steel (and other fascinating things like plant and animal domestication)dictated who colonised who and explains the current power distribution in the world.
if i had a critique, it would be that the book is too much about papau new guinea and the author’s own experiences and that it drags in places, especially where he goes over concepts he has already covered. but his day job is a uni professor, so i guess that is to be expected. i loved the first half of the book about plant and animal domestication (and now i know why no one bothered to domesticate zebras, which are EVERYWHERE in africa doing little else than eating and herding together) and how our fruit and vegetables became edible. a good read.
the second book on recommendation, although a quarter of the size of the first, is as difficult to read due to the setting and topic of the book. i had had this book on my To Read list for ages and finally found it on amazon.ca (thanks to my ma!) and brought it with me to germany. titled A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali and written by canadian author Gil Courtemarche and translated into english from its original french, it is a fictional account based on a journalist’s experience of the situation at the famed Hotel Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda) during the genocide in 1994.
if i had to find a word to describe the feel of the writing it would be raw. but i think that it is warranted and as hard as parts are to read and as the author says in the preamble, the story is not wholly fabricated.
interestingly, the book also chronicles canadian involvement in rwanda before and during the genocide, Romeo Dallaire’s role in the conflict, and the lifestyle of the humanitarian aid workers in kigali. i always enjoy these accounts as they are close to home for me and my recent experience. this book deserves to be read.
my book pile is running low and soon i will have to dig into the soldier’s conspiracy theory books (...), does anyone have any reading recommendations? not having english book stores to peruse makes it tough to remember books i wanted to read to look up on amazon.
with extra time on my hands, i have been doing a lot of reading and am happy to report i have two big thumbs-up recommendations.
the first is a book that i had heard a lot about, but was always turned off because of its title, is Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. it is a book that answers a lot of questions i have always had about why countries like canada were colonised but countries in europe were the colonisers and why certain technological advancements have never taken hold in sub-saharan africa. it is a non-academic academic book that tells the scientific story of how guns, germs, and steel (and other fascinating things like plant and animal domestication)dictated who colonised who and explains the current power distribution in the world.
if i had a critique, it would be that the book is too much about papau new guinea and the author’s own experiences and that it drags in places, especially where he goes over concepts he has already covered. but his day job is a uni professor, so i guess that is to be expected. i loved the first half of the book about plant and animal domestication (and now i know why no one bothered to domesticate zebras, which are EVERYWHERE in africa doing little else than eating and herding together) and how our fruit and vegetables became edible. a good read.
the second book on recommendation, although a quarter of the size of the first, is as difficult to read due to the setting and topic of the book. i had had this book on my To Read list for ages and finally found it on amazon.ca (thanks to my ma!) and brought it with me to germany. titled A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali and written by canadian author Gil Courtemarche and translated into english from its original french, it is a fictional account based on a journalist’s experience of the situation at the famed Hotel Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda) during the genocide in 1994.
if i had to find a word to describe the feel of the writing it would be raw. but i think that it is warranted and as hard as parts are to read and as the author says in the preamble, the story is not wholly fabricated.
interestingly, the book also chronicles canadian involvement in rwanda before and during the genocide, Romeo Dallaire’s role in the conflict, and the lifestyle of the humanitarian aid workers in kigali. i always enjoy these accounts as they are close to home for me and my recent experience. this book deserves to be read.
my book pile is running low and soon i will have to dig into the soldier’s conspiracy theory books (...), does anyone have any reading recommendations? not having english book stores to peruse makes it tough to remember books i wanted to read to look up on amazon.
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