...and are usually much more noticeable.
I love my blog, more than I love myself. It gives me a freedom from myself yet, at the same time, brings me closer to me. Does that make any sense? I dunno. Unfortunately, despite it all, for reasons unexplained whenever big things happen in my life that are more worthy of being written about than most others, I stop writing.
And now, for a short while, it's gonna happen again.
I'm sorry guys, I can't explain... but hopefully I will write again very soon. So as not to leave you completely out in the proverbial cold:
Random Thoughts:
-The holidays get better every year.
-And colder.
-Happy Birthday Darryl, David & Bean! (The last of which, Mommy, explains a pricey sum on my bank account at the local bowling alley, as well as a Vegan resturant shortly thereafter)
-Also, while I'm at it- though my bank account reflects otherwise, I'm not going on a "eating out" rampage... I'm just paying back people who have paid for my meals before(since I have some extra dough).
-A clean room does wonders
-So does Mountain Dew (not in a good way)
-Foosball tournaments should be on the list of 'Things that can make people exhilarated and devastated at the same time'
-GO COWBOYS!
-Welcome back home Bran!
-RIP Rikka's brother(?)/uncle(?)/dad(?)... as well as the mother of the animal pyshic lady :(
-Shannon started a 2 week stay in the hospital on the day after Thanksgiving, so that the doctors can watch her and her (unborn)baby closely. Prayers for her, Roberto, and baby Bobby please!
-I would say prayers for Hazel, as well (who is due in the next few weeks), but SINCE SHE NEVER ANSWERS THE PHONE I can't tell you how it's going.
-Thanksgiving Day thanks: to the "supreme sky guy" who works overtime to make my veganism the easiest choice I ever made (go to www.certifiedhumane.com to see how I nixed my meat desires on Thanksgiving Day)
-Not to forget on Thanksgiving Day: you(Americans specifically) MUST look outside what America and it's government/big business-run news channels want you to see and open your eyes to what is actually happening. You have the internet. Use it.
-Lastly (because I hate to end this with a downer) I'm finally getting over the fact that I was born a girl. Who woulda thunk it?
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Community responds to Taser use in Powell
see corresponding video footage below
An incident late Tuesday night in which a UCLA student was stunned at least four times with a Taser has left the UCLA community questioning whether the university police officers' use of force was an appropriate response to the situation.
Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m.
"Because of the safety of the students we limit the use after 11 to just students, staff and faculty," Young said.
Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told.
A six-minute video showed Tabatabainejad audibly screaming in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds. He was told repeatedly to stand up and stop fighting, and was told that if he did not do so he would "get Tased again."
Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed, said Carlos Zaragoza, a third-year English and history student who witnessed the incident.
"(He was) no possible danger to any of the police," Zaragoza said. "(He was) getting shocked and Tasered as he was handcuffed."
But Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student.
As Tabatabainejad was being dragged through the room by two officers, he repeated in a strained scream, "I'm not fighting you" and "I said I would leave."
The officers used the "drive stun" setting in the Taser, which delivers a shock to a specific part of the body with the front of the Taser, Young said.
A Taser delivers volts of low-amperage energy to the body, causing a disruption of the body's electrical energy pulses and locking the muscles, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union.
"It's an electrical shock. ... It causes pain," Young said, adding that the drive stun would not likely demobilize a person or cause residual pain after the shock was administered. Young also said a Taser is less forceful than a baton, for example.
But according to a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal in 2001, a charge of three to five seconds can result in immobilization for five to 15 minutes, which would mean that Tabatabainejad could have been physically unable to stand when the officers demanded that he do so.
"It is a real mistake to treat a Taser as some benign thing that painlessly brings people under control," said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney at the ACLU of Southern California.
"The Taser can be incredibly violent and result in death," Eliasberg said.
According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999.
During the altercation between Tabatabainejad and the officers, bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser.
Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg said.
"It is absolutely illegal to threaten anyone who asks for a badge รข€" that's assault," he said.
Tabatabainejad was released from custody after being given a citation for obstruction/delay of a peace officer in the performance of duty.
Neither Tabatabainejad nor his family were giving interviews Wednesday.
Police officers said they determined the use of Tasers was necessary when Tabatabainejad did not do as they asked.
According to a UCPD press release, Tabatabainejad went limp and refused to exit as the officers attempted to escort him out. The release also stated Tabatabainejad "encouraged library patrons to join his resistance." At this point, the officers "deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a "drive stun' capacity."
"He wasn't cooperative; he wouldn't identify himself. He resisted the officers," Young said.
Neither the video footage nor eyewitness accounts of the events confirmed that Tabatabainejad encouraged resistance, and he repeatedly told the officers he was not fighting and would leave.
Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student's arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to "get off me." Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser.
UCPD and the UCLA administration would not comment on the specifics of the incident as it is still under investigation.
In a statement released Wednesday, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams said investigators were reviewing the situation and the officers' actions.
"I can assure you that these reviews will be thorough, vigorous and fair," Abrams said.
The incident, which Zaragoza described as an example of "police brutality," left many students disturbed.
"I realize when looking at these kind of arrest tapes that they don't always show the full picture. ... But that six minutes that we can watch just seems like it's a ridiculous amount of force for someone being escorted because they forgot their BruinCard," said Ali Ghandour, a fourth-year anthropology student.
"It certainly makes you wonder if something as small as forgetting your BruinCard can eventually lead to getting Tased several times in front of the library," he added.
Edouard Tchertchian, a third-year mathematics student, said he was concerned that the student was not offered any other means of showing that he was a UCLA student.
An incident late Tuesday night in which a UCLA student was stunned at least four times with a Taser has left the UCLA community questioning whether the university police officers' use of force was an appropriate response to the situation.
Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m.
"Because of the safety of the students we limit the use after 11 to just students, staff and faculty," Young said.
Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told.
A six-minute video showed Tabatabainejad audibly screaming in pain as he was stunned several times with a Taser, each time for three to five seconds. He was told repeatedly to stand up and stop fighting, and was told that if he did not do so he would "get Tased again."
Tabatabainejad was also stunned with the Taser when he was already handcuffed, said Carlos Zaragoza, a third-year English and history student who witnessed the incident.
"(He was) no possible danger to any of the police," Zaragoza said. "(He was) getting shocked and Tasered as he was handcuffed."
But Young said at the time the police likely had no way of knowing whether the individual was armed or that he was a student.
As Tabatabainejad was being dragged through the room by two officers, he repeated in a strained scream, "I'm not fighting you" and "I said I would leave."
The officers used the "drive stun" setting in the Taser, which delivers a shock to a specific part of the body with the front of the Taser, Young said.
A Taser delivers volts of low-amperage energy to the body, causing a disruption of the body's electrical energy pulses and locking the muscles, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union.
"It's an electrical shock. ... It causes pain," Young said, adding that the drive stun would not likely demobilize a person or cause residual pain after the shock was administered. Young also said a Taser is less forceful than a baton, for example.
But according to a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal in 2001, a charge of three to five seconds can result in immobilization for five to 15 minutes, which would mean that Tabatabainejad could have been physically unable to stand when the officers demanded that he do so.
"It is a real mistake to treat a Taser as some benign thing that painlessly brings people under control," said Peter Eliasberg, managing attorney at the ACLU of Southern California.
"The Taser can be incredibly violent and result in death," Eliasberg said.
According to an ACLU report, 148 people in the United States and Canada have died as a result of the use of Tasers since 1999.
During the altercation between Tabatabainejad and the officers, bystanders can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the officers to stop and requesting their names and identification numbers. The video showed one officer responding to a student by threatening that the student would "get Tased too." At this point, the officer was still holding a Taser.
Such a threat of the use of force by a law enforcement officer in response to a request for a badge number is an "illegal assault," Eliasberg said.
"It is absolutely illegal to threaten anyone who asks for a badge รข€" that's assault," he said.
Tabatabainejad was released from custody after being given a citation for obstruction/delay of a peace officer in the performance of duty.
Neither Tabatabainejad nor his family were giving interviews Wednesday.
Police officers said they determined the use of Tasers was necessary when Tabatabainejad did not do as they asked.
According to a UCPD press release, Tabatabainejad went limp and refused to exit as the officers attempted to escort him out. The release also stated Tabatabainejad "encouraged library patrons to join his resistance." At this point, the officers "deemed it necessary to use the Taser in a "drive stun' capacity."
"He wasn't cooperative; he wouldn't identify himself. He resisted the officers," Young said.
Neither the video footage nor eyewitness accounts of the events confirmed that Tabatabainejad encouraged resistance, and he repeatedly told the officers he was not fighting and would leave.
Tabatabainejad was walking with his backpack toward the door when he was approached by two UCPD officers, one of whom grabbed the student's arm. In response, Tabatabainejad yelled at the officers to "get off me." Following this demand, Tabatabainejad was stunned with a Taser.
UCPD and the UCLA administration would not comment on the specifics of the incident as it is still under investigation.
In a statement released Wednesday, Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams said investigators were reviewing the situation and the officers' actions.
"I can assure you that these reviews will be thorough, vigorous and fair," Abrams said.
The incident, which Zaragoza described as an example of "police brutality," left many students disturbed.
"I realize when looking at these kind of arrest tapes that they don't always show the full picture. ... But that six minutes that we can watch just seems like it's a ridiculous amount of force for someone being escorted because they forgot their BruinCard," said Ali Ghandour, a fourth-year anthropology student.
"It certainly makes you wonder if something as small as forgetting your BruinCard can eventually lead to getting Tased several times in front of the library," he added.
Edouard Tchertchian, a third-year mathematics student, said he was concerned that the student was not offered any other means of showing that he was a UCLA student.
Sadness
An Iranian UCLA student is handcuffed then tasered for refusing to show school ID in the library.
Where is the news on this?
Where is the news on this?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Life on Mars
Busy!
The last few days are a mash of mess in my memory... I can't decifer one from the other.
But I will try :)
Thursday
Come in early (10am) to shoot the E! Dr.90210 Christmas commercial. Italian producer Vivi came up with the idea and a bunch of us volunteered to come in and do it. OMG SO MUCH FUN! Studio B was set up pretty sparsely (white background, one main light and one fill light w/a boom). What I (and the others) had to do was step in front of the camera alone and say what we wanted for Christmas- plastic surgery-wise. I know, I know... the feminist/naturalist in me is dying slowly of torture for my intrepid acts, but the hollywood-hungry sellout in me is thrilled. Vivi gave us a list of things we could say, but also mentioned that we could make up things we thought were good.
Among the possible things to say on Vivi's list:
"I want botox on my temple"
"I want breast augmentation"
"I want a nose job"
Among the things ACTUALLY said during the shoot:
"I want implants on the small toe in my left foot"
"I want a round, perfectly shaped ass" (said with a VERY SERIOUS FACE by my big scottish bossman Stephen)
"I want anal bleaching, you know... to raise my confidence"
And, lastly, the things that I said:
"I want EVERYTHING"
"I want to augment my left buttock"
"I want to get rid of my 3rd nipple"
hehe :)
Also... my design for the Halloween Conference Room Bash helped the international department win 1st place among all of E!, and apparently some unexpected recognition. A promo producer came to my desk and asked if I could be the Art Director for a new commercial he was planning. The job? Create a miniature replica of the "Central Perk" from the tv show Friends for a hand puppet reinactment of the opening scene. Would I be interested?
Resounding: YES
Due Date: the following monday.
Panic. I stayed up until 5am wrestling with how I should do everything, and contemplating my design.
Friday
I came in early (again) to attend the screening party for the commercials. We all sat in Big Bonference Room 3A, ate snacks, and laughed hysterically at each person's turn. People would stop by the more we laughed... and soon there was a huge crowd. Awesome.
Had a small meeting with the commercial producer. He gave me relative creative freedom with only a few restrictions. An artist's dream!
Because of a technical error, worked until 4:30am. Bossman Bryan let me crash at his place, and then... bright and early at 10am on Saturday morning..
Saturday
.. came back to work to help with- of all things- ACCOUNTING. Bryan is the best boss ever- he bought us lunch for coming in. Finished at 3:30pm
4:30pm got home and straight from there started working on the set. I plopped down on the living room floor and made myself a permanent fixture to behold by all... Chris came in and joined me (he had a comic strip that was due with about the same amount of turnaround time) and we kept popping movie after movie into the dvd player to keep us company.
I collapsed and dragged myself to bed at 2am. I hadnt moved from the spot AT ALL.
Sunday
Woke up at 8am, showered, and resumed living room control. Again, Chris, movies, and work until about 3:30-4am. Again, never moving.
Monday
Deep, drowning despair. It's crunch time! Woke up at 9, worked until noon.... finally finished the main set pieces and the furniture. Then got ready for work and brought everything with me.
And the producer loved it!
And now I am working (til midnight, my usual shift) and then when I get home I need to do the finishing touches and be fresh and ready by 9am tomorrow, when we actually shoot the commercial.
All I want is to sleep.
...
And I'm starting to think that my choice to stay in LA was a good one. :)
The last few days are a mash of mess in my memory... I can't decifer one from the other.
But I will try :)
Thursday
Come in early (10am) to shoot the E! Dr.90210 Christmas commercial. Italian producer Vivi came up with the idea and a bunch of us volunteered to come in and do it. OMG SO MUCH FUN! Studio B was set up pretty sparsely (white background, one main light and one fill light w/a boom). What I (and the others) had to do was step in front of the camera alone and say what we wanted for Christmas- plastic surgery-wise. I know, I know... the feminist/naturalist in me is dying slowly of torture for my intrepid acts, but the hollywood-hungry sellout in me is thrilled. Vivi gave us a list of things we could say, but also mentioned that we could make up things we thought were good.
Among the possible things to say on Vivi's list:
"I want botox on my temple"
"I want breast augmentation"
"I want a nose job"
Among the things ACTUALLY said during the shoot:
"I want implants on the small toe in my left foot"
"I want a round, perfectly shaped ass" (said with a VERY SERIOUS FACE by my big scottish bossman Stephen)
"I want anal bleaching, you know... to raise my confidence"
And, lastly, the things that I said:
"I want EVERYTHING"
"I want to augment my left buttock"
"I want to get rid of my 3rd nipple"
hehe :)
Also... my design for the Halloween Conference Room Bash helped the international department win 1st place among all of E!, and apparently some unexpected recognition. A promo producer came to my desk and asked if I could be the Art Director for a new commercial he was planning. The job? Create a miniature replica of the "Central Perk" from the tv show Friends for a hand puppet reinactment of the opening scene. Would I be interested?
Resounding: YES
Due Date: the following monday.
Panic. I stayed up until 5am wrestling with how I should do everything, and contemplating my design.
Friday
I came in early (again) to attend the screening party for the commercials. We all sat in Big Bonference Room 3A, ate snacks, and laughed hysterically at each person's turn. People would stop by the more we laughed... and soon there was a huge crowd. Awesome.
Had a small meeting with the commercial producer. He gave me relative creative freedom with only a few restrictions. An artist's dream!
Because of a technical error, worked until 4:30am. Bossman Bryan let me crash at his place, and then... bright and early at 10am on Saturday morning..
Saturday
.. came back to work to help with- of all things- ACCOUNTING. Bryan is the best boss ever- he bought us lunch for coming in. Finished at 3:30pm
4:30pm got home and straight from there started working on the set. I plopped down on the living room floor and made myself a permanent fixture to behold by all... Chris came in and joined me (he had a comic strip that was due with about the same amount of turnaround time) and we kept popping movie after movie into the dvd player to keep us company.
I collapsed and dragged myself to bed at 2am. I hadnt moved from the spot AT ALL.
Sunday
Woke up at 8am, showered, and resumed living room control. Again, Chris, movies, and work until about 3:30-4am. Again, never moving.
Monday
Deep, drowning despair. It's crunch time! Woke up at 9, worked until noon.... finally finished the main set pieces and the furniture. Then got ready for work and brought everything with me.
And the producer loved it!
And now I am working (til midnight, my usual shift) and then when I get home I need to do the finishing touches and be fresh and ready by 9am tomorrow, when we actually shoot the commercial.
All I want is to sleep.
...
And I'm starting to think that my choice to stay in LA was a good one. :)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Hometown Loving
I never really thought I would grow up and live in the U.S. I always wanted to live in a villa in Italy, a fort in Scotland, or a rice hut in Japan... some hermit-like abode near water and nature that screamed magical. I never thought anything in America could be old-world enough for me to like it. Now, though, I think I found a couple places that might suit me just fine.
#1 Shelter Cove http://www.sheltercove-lostcoast.com/
Located in northern California, this place boasts not just a magical name (the area it's in is called the "Lost Coast"), but a very sparse population and- the kicker- BLACK SAND BEACHES from which you can whale watch. It's mostly retirees and weird rich hippies living there, so it's perfect for me!
#2 Bakersfield, Vermont
While I was looking for the Photo of the Week I came upon a woman's photo page that blew my heart into bits. See for yourself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63348497@N00/
She's from Bakersfield, and upon further inspection I found out that Bakersfield boasts a mere 1,000 + residency and (judging by her pictures) is CHALK FULL of magical natural things to enjoy. Although it's not near the beach, it is surrounded by rivers and streams. Heaven on earth, if you ask me.
Anywhoo... this is kind of out of the blue, but I didnt want to forget about these places so I figured what better way to remember than by putting them in blog form?
#1 Shelter Cove http://www.sheltercove-lostcoast.com/
Located in northern California, this place boasts not just a magical name (the area it's in is called the "Lost Coast"), but a very sparse population and- the kicker- BLACK SAND BEACHES from which you can whale watch. It's mostly retirees and weird rich hippies living there, so it's perfect for me!
#2 Bakersfield, Vermont
While I was looking for the Photo of the Week I came upon a woman's photo page that blew my heart into bits. See for yourself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63348497@N00/
She's from Bakersfield, and upon further inspection I found out that Bakersfield boasts a mere 1,000 + residency and (judging by her pictures) is CHALK FULL of magical natural things to enjoy. Although it's not near the beach, it is surrounded by rivers and streams. Heaven on earth, if you ask me.
Anywhoo... this is kind of out of the blue, but I didnt want to forget about these places so I figured what better way to remember than by putting them in blog form?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Desperately
run inside and lock the door
but still she follows me
knocking through the glee
please bother me no more
seeping past my skin i sit
and watch the silence fall
but still it's ever there
those memories to recall
and worst of all i know ive dropped the ball
i suddenly got lost inside the wall
i'm running from me
the little girl that i see
reflections of the dreams i'll never be
Desperately
she calls me through the glass
past fears i cant surpass
why cant she just go away?
Desperately
though each day is less perfect than last
with glimmers of broken dreams cast
she grabs for me desperately
lean against the wall
i feel the cold against my skin
i hear her crying call
shes trying to get in
cant she see that i will never
be a different way
expect a better me
she's reaching for yesterday
and worst of all it's me who has to pay
this pain i feel will never go away
all i can be
isnt coming from me
failure is all that's left for her to see
Desperately
she calls me through the glass
past fears i cant surpass
why cant she just go away?
Desperately
though each day is less perfect than last
with glimmers of broken dreams cast
she grabs for me desperately
but still she follows me
knocking through the glee
please bother me no more
seeping past my skin i sit
and watch the silence fall
but still it's ever there
those memories to recall
and worst of all i know ive dropped the ball
i suddenly got lost inside the wall
i'm running from me
the little girl that i see
reflections of the dreams i'll never be
Desperately
she calls me through the glass
past fears i cant surpass
why cant she just go away?
Desperately
though each day is less perfect than last
with glimmers of broken dreams cast
she grabs for me desperately
lean against the wall
i feel the cold against my skin
i hear her crying call
shes trying to get in
cant she see that i will never
be a different way
expect a better me
she's reaching for yesterday
and worst of all it's me who has to pay
this pain i feel will never go away
all i can be
isnt coming from me
failure is all that's left for her to see
Desperately
she calls me through the glass
past fears i cant surpass
why cant she just go away?
Desperately
though each day is less perfect than last
with glimmers of broken dreams cast
she grabs for me desperately
$@*#&
WHAT IS WRONG WITH CALIFORNIA?!
honestly... Prop 87 is the best thing I could have ever seen happen to California. It was the most adamantly pushed Prop BY BOTH PARTIES on the west coast.
And what do we do?
We vote no.
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!
Do people even know what "voting" means?! Do they even read the ballots?! COME ON! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!
Also, if you take a look, the STUPID PEOPLE are voting no on same sex marriage. BY A LANDSLIDE. Surprisingly, they are voting yes on legalizing abortion and are having a close-but-no-cigar race on legalized marijuana. It shocks me, really. I thought abortion & drugs were more taboo subjects than same sex marriage, but apparently the IGNORANT PRUDES OF AMERICA are MORE AFRAID of two happy people in love than killing innocent little ones (btw- I'm very pro choice) and supporting oversees druglords (I'm ok with MaryJ). But then again, I guess that's obvious what WITH THE WAR and all.
Whatever.
In other news, I've made my new years resolution 2 months early (drumroll please):
STICK TO A BUDGET
My debt is not gonna go away if I ignore it.
honestly... Prop 87 is the best thing I could have ever seen happen to California. It was the most adamantly pushed Prop BY BOTH PARTIES on the west coast.
And what do we do?
We vote no.
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!
Do people even know what "voting" means?! Do they even read the ballots?! COME ON! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!
Also, if you take a look, the STUPID PEOPLE are voting no on same sex marriage. BY A LANDSLIDE. Surprisingly, they are voting yes on legalizing abortion and are having a close-but-no-cigar race on legalized marijuana. It shocks me, really. I thought abortion & drugs were more taboo subjects than same sex marriage, but apparently the IGNORANT PRUDES OF AMERICA are MORE AFRAID of two happy people in love than killing innocent little ones (btw- I'm very pro choice) and supporting oversees druglords (I'm ok with MaryJ). But then again, I guess that's obvious what WITH THE WAR and all.
Whatever.
In other news, I've made my new years resolution 2 months early (drumroll please):
STICK TO A BUDGET
My debt is not gonna go away if I ignore it.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!... and "Veganism is The Matrix" by Summer Berdin
TAKE THAT B*TCHES!!!
DEMOCRATS RULE!
Finally, after YEARS of wondering WTF America was (not)thinking, FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY the smart people have reached the front of the line.
I am PROUD to be an American today!
F*CK YOU REPUBLICANS! F*CK YOU BUSH! F*CK YOUR WAR! F*CK YOUR POLLUTION-MAKING-CHILDREN-STARVING-PEOPLE-DYING-MONEY-HUNGRY A$$! GET OUT, AND STAY OUT!
*cough* except for Bran. Bran can stay *cough* and Pete's girlfriend *cough*
OTHER GOD-GIVEN GOOD NEWS:
- I went on a lunch date with Metallica Man today!
- Keith Ellison won the Minnesota vote! A Muslim in congress! Awesome!
- Kelly's back! With a new blog... a link will come up soon, but unfortunately I can't tell her because I'm not a member of friendster :(
Not so good news that STILL cannot bring down my freedom-happiness:
- Sallie Mae charged me TWICE for one of my loans on "accident". That's a $400 accident.
- People still are voting against gay marriage. Stupid hypocrites. Whatever happened to "all men are created equal" or "love thy neighbor"?
- Faith Hill = not so Grace Kelly anymore
- AND, MOST AWFULLY ASTOUNDING:
BEING A VEGAN IS LIKE ENTERING THE MATRIX.
by Summer "thinks shes better than everyone cuz shes vegan" Berdin
First, you have to choose a pill. The red pill: Acute Awareness, embodied by realization through anything from a happy little video named "Meet Your Meat" to a little girl crying about her dead pet pig. The blue pill: Beautiful Oblivion, a constant state of acceptance for something that you do not know because your brain does not acknowledge it's existence. If you choose the red one, you can never go back.
But that doesn't mean you wont want to.
The character 'Cypher' in The Matrix is a little like me. Although he betrayed his friends and ultimately caused their lives- and that, I hope, is not what makes us similar- you have to agree that of all the people in the Matrix universe, his character is the most human. Neo and Trinity, with their beautiful stoic expressions and ultra-cool black goth wardrobe, are too elevated and too... how you say?... PURE for us. They can do no wrong. They are the ultimate good destroying the ultimate evil, and without so much as a trip do they veer from the path they behold. Because of that ONE fact I cannot connect with them. They are Superhuman. I am not. And neither is Cypher.
Veganism, above all things, adheres to the Red Pill Policy (RPP). Once you take the red pill, your life will change forever. You will know things you have never known, through which your world and the people around you will change and look different. This heightened sense of reality is ultimately good for you, and you cannot help but acknowledge that fact, but because of this heightened sense you cannot forget the life you led before.
Cypher has a good quote about the RPP:
"You know, I know this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss"
I hear you Cypher. I miss meat. I have since Tuesday morning, 2 weeks ago. I miss it daily, dearly, and with drive. I miss the smell of it as it's cooking, and the taste of it on my tongue. Most of all, I miss licking the mess of it off of my fingertips.
But at the same time, I cannot stand in front of meat and NOT remember my red pill. I can't NOT remember what I have learned since I took it 5 months ago. And I can't eat, because I know that no matter how much I might enjoy that bite I will always remember what was done to give it to me.
And I am torn.
I don't want to leave the Matrix. I don't want to be a drone hooked up to a machine. But life inside is hard, and my stomach aches for something more.
"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."
Sunday, November 05, 2006
"She's a Maneater"
"The female equivalent to the more male-associated words like pimp or player. An irresistable woman who chews and spits out men after using them for some sort of gain -- be it sexual, financial or psychological." - www.urbandictionary.com
WHAT?! How DARE you call me that?! YOU, of all people! YOU STARTED IT ALL. 2 weeks ago I was content and fine, and you had to go ruin it! What I do I do only because it was done to me, and so far no one has objected.
Except for you. How DARE you.
*&$%#@
Whatever.
More spending. Music, movies, clothes... you name it I buy it. But I think I'm over it now... i went to Forever 21 and didn't buy ANYTHING yesterday. (There's hope in me yet!)
*sigh*
It's been a rough 2 weeks for my wallet. My goal for next week is to not spend any money at all. It's hard though... I haven't been NOT overweight in so long that seeing things fit me and look good at the same time is enough to make me swear my life to it. If anyone is reading this, please pray for me tonight.
Random Thoughts:
-Bryan's 30th birthday party at the Bungalow Club was cool. Me, James & Jason carpooled since we were stuck at work until 10:30... but it's good I didn't drive because I wouldn't have been capable of it later on in the night. Kudos James, for thinking ahead. :)
-In the last 2 weeks parties, celebrations, and a holiday have past- AND I DIDNT BRING MY CAMERA TO ANY!! WTF IS WRONG WITH ME?!
-This thursday E! is filming a series of commercials for their show Dr. 90210, and I will be in them! I'll try to see if I can post them on here when they're done.
-Grace Rocks
-So does her apartment
-I can't stop grooving to my Pat Benatar cd. I bought Justin Timberlake's new one, the Gorillaz semi-new one, and a compilation of Nat King Cole's greatest hits, but yet the only one I've listened to so far is Pat Benatar. I dunno... she just fits my mood I guess.
-Pumpkin carving pictures will be up on my next blog, I promise. I'm busy, remember? I'm a maneater.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Here I go again on my own [Whitesnake]
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Our Photo of the Week was an amateur who beat out 2 VERY BEAUTIFUL professional pics, one of a child on the beach in her mum's hoddie, the other of an exquisite Salt Lake Valley town in the shadow of a snowy summit. Yes folks, it was a hard race, but our winner is worth every single excruiciating moment of indecision I had to go through to find her.
And now, an unveiling:
"Life is Beautiful!" by Chuchogm [flickr]
If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.
She's gorgeous, isn't she?
With a smile like that, she would never be affected by THIS: (excuse the link. stupid windows...)
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20010701-000023&print=1
Wow. Seriously... wow. How true. And not just for men. I find myself doing it everyday.
Speaking of which: I know I tend to exaggerate things (please God, don't let Bryan read this entry) and a prime example was when I became infatuated with (a total of) 5 guys this week. But, world, I FOUND HIM. The one for me. The man of my dreams. And get this: he is so not my style AT ALL. He is deeply into Heavy Metal, extremely shy, very gentlemanly and polite, and -gasp- in ACCOUNTING. And he's ASIAN. WTF?! Since when have I ever been interested in asian men?!
But he's a god. He's 23. He's beautiful. And he sits just 7 cubicles away from me.
Woe to those who know Thai at E!,
or any girl who can quote Metallica better than Me!
What a whirly, windy week. And cold! The valley slumbers, and I shiver... and OH NO! E! News Weekend is not processing correctly! I must vamoose!
Our Photo of the Week was an amateur who beat out 2 VERY BEAUTIFUL professional pics, one of a child on the beach in her mum's hoddie, the other of an exquisite Salt Lake Valley town in the shadow of a snowy summit. Yes folks, it was a hard race, but our winner is worth every single excruiciating moment of indecision I had to go through to find her.
And now, an unveiling:
"Life is Beautiful!" by Chuchogm [flickr] If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget them all.
She's gorgeous, isn't she?
With a smile like that, she would never be affected by THIS: (excuse the link. stupid windows...)
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20010701-000023&print=1
Wow. Seriously... wow. How true. And not just for men. I find myself doing it everyday.
Speaking of which: I know I tend to exaggerate things (please God, don't let Bryan read this entry) and a prime example was when I became infatuated with (a total of) 5 guys this week. But, world, I FOUND HIM. The one for me. The man of my dreams. And get this: he is so not my style AT ALL. He is deeply into Heavy Metal, extremely shy, very gentlemanly and polite, and -gasp- in ACCOUNTING. And he's ASIAN. WTF?! Since when have I ever been interested in asian men?!
But he's a god. He's 23. He's beautiful. And he sits just 7 cubicles away from me.
Woe to those who know Thai at E!,
or any girl who can quote Metallica better than Me!
What a whirly, windy week. And cold! The valley slumbers, and I shiver... and OH NO! E! News Weekend is not processing correctly! I must vamoose!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Bulb Replaced. Start from the top...
Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work. Wired.com heard and had other people try, writers and artists from all over the globe, and compiled a list.
Take a look.
The title for this blog is my first. It's a riddle, too... do you know what it means?
"Maybe I finally found it, way down here in the mud. Maybe from down here I can start up again, be something I can be proud of, without having to fake it, be a fake human being." -Platoon
Take a look.
The title for this blog is my first. It's a riddle, too... do you know what it means?
"Maybe I finally found it, way down here in the mud. Maybe from down here I can start up again, be something I can be proud of, without having to fake it, be a fake human being." -Platoon
Monday, October 23, 2006
The meaning of (my) life
I've thought it over since my last post. I was really stressed, so I started cleaning my room (has it come to that?!) when I found my peace corp book:
I finished reading it a couple weeks ago... it's pretty good. Kris Holloway (the peace corp volunteer who wrote it) is not a professed writer but she does a good job in telling her story. It's about how Monique (pictured), the only midwife in a small village in the African country of Mali, saved and changed the lives of hundreds of Malian women.
And while I looked at the book in my obsessive drudgery, the lights turned on.
I know why I am alive! I was put on this earth to make a difference.
Now, this might sound a bit crazy (or- OMG!- corny) but let me explain... All my life I have been pulled by this hunger to reach out and touch people. I have written stories since the day I was born, and when I started growing some intellect I also put as much effort in trying to help those in need of it. I was on the newspaper at the same time that I was a physical trainer. I wrote novels with Brandi and drove with Chau to give dinners to the homeless. While in film school I was the vice president of the SGA, and wrote on an underground student paper created for the sole purpose of taking down the corrupt administration. In stages, I have wanted to join the army, the red cross, and now the peace corps. I struggle with myself to figure out which I want most- to help the world or to write about it.
BUT THATS WHEN IT ALL BECAME CLEAR! Filmmakers and writers make a difference too! Boo to you who think that filmmaking is all about the pretty lights and explosions, or that books are for teachers or mothers with nothing to do. A prime example of how the art of storytelling can change lives is through studying Oliver Stone, who in his need to tell of his experience in Vietnam has affected the lives of the millions of people who viewed his tale. Veterans who were alienated from their friends and family could finally feel that someone understood, and also used the chance to try and get their loved ones to see how it was when no other form of communicating about it worked. And young ones like me, who have ever experienced anything and would never have a clue about the effects of war on the people involved, can learn as well, and grow from it.
!!!!
I'm happy again. Not completely- this doesn't clear up my issue of what I need to do with the next few years of my life- but at least now I have a map to hold on to when I question the way. I know what my ultimate purpose is. Whether I'm meant to find it through obscurity or through fame I don't know, I admit I hope for the latter, but at least the fog has cleared, and I can see the road.
I finished reading it a couple weeks ago... it's pretty good. Kris Holloway (the peace corp volunteer who wrote it) is not a professed writer but she does a good job in telling her story. It's about how Monique (pictured), the only midwife in a small village in the African country of Mali, saved and changed the lives of hundreds of Malian women.
And while I looked at the book in my obsessive drudgery, the lights turned on.
I know why I am alive! I was put on this earth to make a difference.
Now, this might sound a bit crazy (or- OMG!- corny) but let me explain... All my life I have been pulled by this hunger to reach out and touch people. I have written stories since the day I was born, and when I started growing some intellect I also put as much effort in trying to help those in need of it. I was on the newspaper at the same time that I was a physical trainer. I wrote novels with Brandi and drove with Chau to give dinners to the homeless. While in film school I was the vice president of the SGA, and wrote on an underground student paper created for the sole purpose of taking down the corrupt administration. In stages, I have wanted to join the army, the red cross, and now the peace corps. I struggle with myself to figure out which I want most- to help the world or to write about it.
BUT THATS WHEN IT ALL BECAME CLEAR! Filmmakers and writers make a difference too! Boo to you who think that filmmaking is all about the pretty lights and explosions, or that books are for teachers or mothers with nothing to do. A prime example of how the art of storytelling can change lives is through studying Oliver Stone, who in his need to tell of his experience in Vietnam has affected the lives of the millions of people who viewed his tale. Veterans who were alienated from their friends and family could finally feel that someone understood, and also used the chance to try and get their loved ones to see how it was when no other form of communicating about it worked. And young ones like me, who have ever experienced anything and would never have a clue about the effects of war on the people involved, can learn as well, and grow from it.
!!!!
I'm happy again. Not completely- this doesn't clear up my issue of what I need to do with the next few years of my life- but at least now I have a map to hold on to when I question the way. I know what my ultimate purpose is. Whether I'm meant to find it through obscurity or through fame I don't know, I admit I hope for the latter, but at least the fog has cleared, and I can see the road.
first i find out that i'm addicted, then i realize that my life is sh*t
I just saw Platoon.
God... have you guys seen that movie?! I know I'm a little late in the game, but still! Jesus!
How can you watch something like that and then go about your life normally without feeling completely irrelevant and useless?!
ARGH!
First off, let me explain my heading for today. Earlier in the evening I found out that I was an addict. Chris, Sophia, and I had just come from the El Capitan theatre (they screened Nigthmare Before Christmas in 3-D and WE HAD to go see it), and Sophia suggested we stop by Hot Topic so she could invest in some "Halloween costume comparison shopping". We went, and waited, and while we were there I bought some fake Sugar Shoes.
Anyone in LA will tell you that for the last 4 months I have been desperately wanting a pair of Sugar Shoes. Specifically? The Smokin Cat or Hook Up Cat brands... any and all colors, if possible. So you can imagine my euphoria when I finally got the chance to own a fake(cheap) pair of my own, a snazzy set with black and white stripes and a blue star on the corner.
I loved them. I loved everything about them- the idea of them, the fact that I owned them, and the mere presence of them in my closet. So much so, that I started to become hungry for the chance to accessorize them with matching clothes.
And that's when it happened. I went shopping.
And spent $100 on CLOTHES.
I don't know how. I don't remember a thing. All I can recall is my walking into the store, and then I have blank spots in my memory until I found myself back home, tired, hungry, and somewhat lighter in my (new)purse.
Astounded I was- yes, my friends, this tomboy had suddenly relinquished her dark side on the world- and even more was my shock when I realized that I was still ansy for more. I HAD to shop again, and tonight. I was addicted, and the one and only thing that could stop me from self destruction was immediately the first comfort I ran towards:
I watched a movie.
My heart and soul. My warmth on a cold morning. The thing that drives me, that brings the life into my flesh. My movies.
If there was ever a picture of pure happiness in the encyclopedia that is Summer, you would see a combination of 5 things. Family, Friends, Cats, Books, and Movies. And in those moments in life when I find myself at my worst, I throw my all into one of those in a last ditch effort to save myself.
And so I saw Platoon. I saw the realism of hate, war, fear & pain. I saw what countless people have gone through since the beginning of time, and what they are undoubtedly going through right now as we speak. Most importantly: I saw my own ignorance towards it all and the contemptuous bubble I live in.
And I realized that my life is sh*t.
And now I don't know what to do.
God... have you guys seen that movie?! I know I'm a little late in the game, but still! Jesus!
How can you watch something like that and then go about your life normally without feeling completely irrelevant and useless?!
ARGH!
First off, let me explain my heading for today. Earlier in the evening I found out that I was an addict. Chris, Sophia, and I had just come from the El Capitan theatre (they screened Nigthmare Before Christmas in 3-D and WE HAD to go see it), and Sophia suggested we stop by Hot Topic so she could invest in some "Halloween costume comparison shopping". We went, and waited, and while we were there I bought some fake Sugar Shoes.
Anyone in LA will tell you that for the last 4 months I have been desperately wanting a pair of Sugar Shoes. Specifically? The Smokin Cat or Hook Up Cat brands... any and all colors, if possible. So you can imagine my euphoria when I finally got the chance to own a fake(cheap) pair of my own, a snazzy set with black and white stripes and a blue star on the corner.
I loved them. I loved everything about them- the idea of them, the fact that I owned them, and the mere presence of them in my closet. So much so, that I started to become hungry for the chance to accessorize them with matching clothes.
And that's when it happened. I went shopping.
And spent $100 on CLOTHES.
I don't know how. I don't remember a thing. All I can recall is my walking into the store, and then I have blank spots in my memory until I found myself back home, tired, hungry, and somewhat lighter in my (new)purse.
Astounded I was- yes, my friends, this tomboy had suddenly relinquished her dark side on the world- and even more was my shock when I realized that I was still ansy for more. I HAD to shop again, and tonight. I was addicted, and the one and only thing that could stop me from self destruction was immediately the first comfort I ran towards:
I watched a movie.
My heart and soul. My warmth on a cold morning. The thing that drives me, that brings the life into my flesh. My movies.
If there was ever a picture of pure happiness in the encyclopedia that is Summer, you would see a combination of 5 things. Family, Friends, Cats, Books, and Movies. And in those moments in life when I find myself at my worst, I throw my all into one of those in a last ditch effort to save myself.
And so I saw Platoon. I saw the realism of hate, war, fear & pain. I saw what countless people have gone through since the beginning of time, and what they are undoubtedly going through right now as we speak. Most importantly: I saw my own ignorance towards it all and the contemptuous bubble I live in.
And I realized that my life is sh*t.
And now I don't know what to do.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Feed the birds
Photo of the Week: "Annie" by vgmayes [Flickr]
"All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it,
You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares"
- Mary Poppins
"All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it,
You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares"
- Mary Poppins
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Everyone on the internet is a big, fat liar
It's true.
Since the day I decided to join the Peace Corps I have been scared shitless. Undecided. Aggitated. Unsure. I have had fear so strong that my whole day is spent listlessly on my bed while my mind does sprints around me deciding which direction to lead my life.
I have also had my good days, GREAT days, where my mind is clear and my heart is happy and the angels sing in the sky. These days are stronger and more frequent than the aforementioned ones- and they steer me along and I am glad for it- but I don't ever want anyone to think I am blind to my fear.
I have fear. It lives with me. I wake with it, eat with it, and slowly become more comfortable with it. It does not go away, but I do not ignore it. Therefore (and most importantly):
IT DOES NOT GET STRONGER.
I have been steadily collecting bookmarks and links online of favorite blogs from Peace Corps volunteers (present and past), as well as a bigger library of books and videos I rent and read, and articles I study, to add to my knowledge of the PC experience. So far it's been great homework- the community soup we call the 'internet' is endless and my growing hunger never wants- and happily there has been a great unbalance between the people who loved the Peace Corps and the people who hated it (heavy on the first option). But one thing irks me.
No one mentions their fears.
Come on guys- we're all human here! So we like to embellish a little... it's the internet, after all, and we can if we want. But don't tell me NO ONE was a little afraid, a little hesitant... was NO ONE unsure of signing their life away for TWO WHOLE YEARS? Did NO ONE have something else they could be doing, someone else they could be spending that time with?
Is no one else afraid?
*sigh*
I have been searching the ends of cyberspace looking for someone who admits to their fear, and who eventually conquers it. Endlessly, and vainly. Well, NO MORE. THIS STOPS RIGHT HERE.
I stand before you, naked. Hello World, I am Summer, and I am afraid. And I am proud of it. So don't worry, my fellow PC padawans... if you happened upon my blog looking for someone who feels a little like you, look no more. You're in the right place, and you're not alone.
We will get through this together.
Monday, October 16, 2006
I've changed my mind
I no longer want to join the Peace Corps.
I want to pack my bags, rent an unconventional house made of glass sitting atop a lake on stilts and fall in love with a man who I send letters to who is living his life 2 years before my time.
Oh, and I want to be perky and sweet and cutely distraught about the whole situation, Sandra Bullock-esque.
Keanu Reeves must be sent by Pan. I know this because he was put on this earth to make me fall in love with him over and over and over again, only to be taken away after 2 hours time. Pan seems to have the reputation of teasing people with their dreams, and within Keanu Reeves he has found the perfect tool to tease mine.
Not that Keanu Reeves is a dream of mine, but he tends to find characters (Jack Travern in 'Speed', and now Alex Wyler in 'The Lake House') that are SO PERFECT AND DREAMY AND CONSIDERATE AND ROMANTIC AND WHO PINE FOR THEIR IMPOSSIBLE LOVE/GOAL WITH A LOOK OF PURE INNOCENCE AND FRAILTY THAT (despite the acting) I TEND TO FALL COMPLETELY IN LOVE THEM WITH EACH TIME.
So there. Forget the Peace Corps. Forget filmmaking, writing, and whatever else I want to do. I will go, get a perky haircut, a cute disposition, and find some lake house/speeding bus to live my life in, until my own Mr. Reeves decides he wants to join the story, and shows up.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of Korean films ("Il Mare" anyone?) let me just say one thing:
Chan-wook Park is one of the greatest storytellers of our generation, and he has yet to dissappoint. I saw 'Lady Vengeance' yesterday (I KNOW! How can I own 'Oldboy' and not see the first and third movies of the trilogy?!) and I didn't think it possible but I like it more than I like 'Oldboy'. I must rectify my ignorance at once and finally see 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'. Backward, maybe, but there is no connection between the 3 so at least I'm saved from any confusion storywise. I plan to buy the other two as soon as my budget deems it possible. I admit, I'm moronic for not buying the 3 together originally. I know! But I am only human! STOP JUDGING ME!
I've had my say. Now leave me alone so I can pack... I have a lake house to prepare for.
I want to pack my bags, rent an unconventional house made of glass sitting atop a lake on stilts and fall in love with a man who I send letters to who is living his life 2 years before my time.
Oh, and I want to be perky and sweet and cutely distraught about the whole situation, Sandra Bullock-esque.
Keanu Reeves must be sent by Pan. I know this because he was put on this earth to make me fall in love with him over and over and over again, only to be taken away after 2 hours time. Pan seems to have the reputation of teasing people with their dreams, and within Keanu Reeves he has found the perfect tool to tease mine.
Not that Keanu Reeves is a dream of mine, but he tends to find characters (Jack Travern in 'Speed', and now Alex Wyler in 'The Lake House') that are SO PERFECT AND DREAMY AND CONSIDERATE AND ROMANTIC AND WHO PINE FOR THEIR IMPOSSIBLE LOVE/GOAL WITH A LOOK OF PURE INNOCENCE AND FRAILTY THAT (despite the acting) I TEND TO FALL COMPLETELY IN LOVE THEM WITH EACH TIME.
So there. Forget the Peace Corps. Forget filmmaking, writing, and whatever else I want to do. I will go, get a perky haircut, a cute disposition, and find some lake house/speeding bus to live my life in, until my own Mr. Reeves decides he wants to join the story, and shows up.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of Korean films ("Il Mare" anyone?) let me just say one thing:
Chan-wook Park is one of the greatest storytellers of our generation, and he has yet to dissappoint. I saw 'Lady Vengeance' yesterday (I KNOW! How can I own 'Oldboy' and not see the first and third movies of the trilogy?!) and I didn't think it possible but I like it more than I like 'Oldboy'. I must rectify my ignorance at once and finally see 'Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance'. Backward, maybe, but there is no connection between the 3 so at least I'm saved from any confusion storywise. I plan to buy the other two as soon as my budget deems it possible. I admit, I'm moronic for not buying the 3 together originally. I know! But I am only human! STOP JUDGING ME!
I've had my say. Now leave me alone so I can pack... I have a lake house to prepare for.
Friday, October 13, 2006
A Part of Pakistan You Don't Get to See...
Photo "Fairyland Indeed" from Flickr, taken by Heartkins.
On Friday nights during the wee hours of work I do my "Photo Fridays." I start with Msnbc.com's "Week in Pictures," then head over to Flickr to see the "Last 7 Days" photos that show the best of the week. I have been doing this since I was a freshmen in college... something like a hobby, you can say. This photo is not my favorite today... not at all, by far- but I got the shock of my life when I opened it (expecting to hear it was taken in Switzerland) and saw that it was taken in Pakistan.
The world is beautiful. It is we that make it ugly.
So here starts my "Photo of the Week." I love pictures so much, why not show you my favorites? This one is my first ever, and all though it is not the best, it stands alone here today because it means something more than a 'pretty picture.' It is about finding beauty where you would never expect it, and to recognize the power that you have to discover it wherever you go.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Happiness Double Time
Item #1: Vegan Cupcakes from Mani's Bakery on Fairfax
Item #2: Dude kicking @$$ in Krav Maga
OMG. Put the 2 together and you'll realize how AMAZING my week has been so far.
Item #2: Dude kicking @$$ in Krav Maga
OMG. Put the 2 together and you'll realize how AMAZING my week has been so far.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Asian Americans in the Peace Corps
By Bert Eljera
Noel Lee still remembers the bewildered look on her father�s face when she announced she was joining the Peace Corps and going to Mongolia.
"He could not understand it," said Lee, recalling her family�s shocked reaction. "Here I was making good money working for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and I was kind of throwing it away by going to Mongolia."
Her father, an immigrant from China who worked hard to send her to college, wondered why she would leave a good-paying job, go to a foreign country, and work for free, Lee said.
That was back in 1992. Lee, 25 at the time, figured there was more to life than making money. "I wanted to make a difference," she said. "I wanted to help people."
So, despite her father�s misgivings, Lee spent two years in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and worked on a United Nations loan program to help Mongolian women set up their own business.
Eventually, Lee�s family, including her father, came around. Now, she described those two years in Mongolia as the best in her life. "I�ve learned that I can do anything. If I can do it in Mongolia, I can do it anywhere."
Lee is not alone. An increasing number of young Asian Pacific Americans are joining the Peace Corps, the agency established in 1961 by then-President John F. Kennedy to "fight hunger, disease, illiteracy, poverty, and lack of opportunities around the world."
Of the more than 140,000 volunteers who have served on the program for the past 35 years, 900 were Asian Pacific Americans-more than blacks, Latinos, or Native Americans.
This year, the Peace Corps has 6,500 volunteers in 90 countries around the globe. Four percent, or 268, are Asian Pacific Americans.
But, despite the impressive numbers, there�s much debate in Asian American households, pitting young APAs eager to serve and make a difference against pragmatic parents who insist that the family comes first.
Children argue that going abroad is an adventure; parents insist it�s dangerous and the benefits are not worth the risk.
Moreover, in most Asian cultures, volunteerism is not traditional, although most communities encourage mutual help and cooperation as evidenced by the benevolent societies among the Chinese and the bayanihan spirit among Filipinos.
At the Organization of Chinese Americans national convention in San Francisco last month, the Peace Corps booth drew large crowds if only a few on-the-spot volunteers.
"I�d love to do it," said Stephen Ng, 21, a student at City College in San Francisco. "But I can�t afford it. I don�t have the time. I�m better off working and supporting myself and my family."
Emily Nye of San Jose, who also visited the Peace Corps booth, said she considered volunteering when she graduated from college 10 years ago, but her parents did not allow her.
"Maybe my children will get the chance," said Nye, a mother of two girls.
If Asian Americans tend to shy away from volunteer work, "it has nothing to do with culture," said Robert Fung, a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. It�s all about pragmatism and survival, he said.
Fung said the Peace Corps is a mixed bag for Asian Americans. While altruism is admirable, "there are enough problems at home that we have to take care of. Everyone is looking at Asian Americans as the model minority, but it�s not an accurate picture."
Stanley D. Suyat, an associate director and the highest-ranking Asian Pacific American in the Peace Corps, agrees that the Peace Corps is not for everybody. "It takes a certain type of personality and circumstance-those not ready for a career yet and want to see the world."
Suyat, 52, who was born to parents of Filipino heritage and grew up in Hawaii, served as a volunteer in the Philippines in the 1960s and said the Peace Corps offers a life of adventure, which is appealing to young people.
But he acknowledged that in most Asian Pacific American families, children are expected to find jobs and contribute to the family after finishing school. While there are obvious benefits, volunteering involves sacrifices, he said.
Liz Lee, a Korean American who volunteered to serve in Namibia in southwest Africa in 1991, said her parents were very much against her joining the Peace Corps.
"It�s not something that a lot of Asians do," Liz Lee said. "My parents thought it was very strange that I would want to go to Africa. They said I was better off going back to school."
Louie Abanilla, who came to the United States from the Philippines when he was a boy, joined the Peace Corps and volunteered to go to Poland in 1990-against his parents� wishes.
His parents virtually disowned him, but when he was invited to the White House by then-President George Bush for the send-off, his parents had a change of heart.
"His father came to the U.S. with $200 in his pocket," said Suyat, a friend of the Abanilla family. "And there they were in the White House, at the invitation of the president. It was overwhelming."
Abanilla now works as a recruiter for the Peace Corps in the East Coast, Suyat said.
The average Asian Pacific American volunteer is 27 years old and either fresh from college or has worked for about a couple of years. The majority of APA corps volunteers-59 percent-are female.
Most volunteer out of idealism and a desire to make a difference. Others volunteer because the two years spent with the Peace Corps enhance the prospects for a good career, either in international trade or in nonprofit organizations.
"I gained a wonderful experience," said J. D. Hokoyama, president of the Los Angeles-based Leadership Education For Asian Pacifics Inc., who went to Ethiopia in 1967. "Going and living outside of the country forced me to adopt a much broader view of the world."
Hokoyama said the experience opened his eyes to the need for nonprofit groups, which he has been involved with for more than two decades.
Kelvin Mow, who now manages an importing business in Mill Valley, Calif., said the years he spent in Kenya from 1993 to 1995 offered him a chance to learn a new culture and society.
He lived with a Kenyan family for nearly three months, taught at a computer school, advised women and self-help groups on starting their own business, and conducted business seminars in Kitala, Kenya.
He also set up soccer leagues, coached at a local high school, created videos for the Peace Corps, and solicited funds for various projects in Kenya. "It was a fabulous experience," said Mow, who was 24 when he volunteered. "It was hard being away from my family, but it�s amazing the knowledge you learn about yourself under difficult situations."
Mow, born in New York to a Chinese American father and a mother who is part Chinese, said his parents supported his decision to go to Africa.
"It would only improve my career," said Mow, who was two years out of graduate school when he volunteered. "I wasn�t dependent on them. We�re financially independent of each other."
Henry Der, deputy superintendent for external affairs of the California Department of Education, volunteered to serve in Kenya for the Peace Corps from 1968 to 1970.
"It was a precursor to a lot of social activism, there�s no doubt about it," said Der, who served for more than 20 years as executive director of Chinese For Affirmative Action until his appointment to the education post this year. "If I can go halfway around the world to help people, I surely can help people in my own community."
Suyat, the Peace Corps associate director, said volunteers come back with more experience and with more marketable skills.
"Knowledge of another culture and language are attractive to business," said Suyat, who points to himself as an example of how a stint with the Peace Corps can advance one�s career.
After teaching English in the Philippines, Suyat came back to the United States in 1968, and immediately landed a job with the United Parcel Service in New York.
The line on his resume-Peace Corps volunteer-was the clincher, he said. "UPS felt that I could offer a different perspective to the company, a slightly different way of making a contribution."
Suyat, who was in San Francisco for the OCA convention, spent five years with UPS, then became a partner of a law firm, and later White House liaison to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the Clinton administration. In 1993, he was appointed Peace Corps associate director.
"It�s not a picnic," he said. "It�s a tough job. You don�t live in ideal conditions. The food is often not familiar, you don�t understand the language. But it�s the toughest job you�ll ever love."
There are practical benefits. Volunteers receive the best language and cross-cultural training by living overseas. They receive career counseling assistance once they finish their volunteer work. They get preference in federal government jobs.
Many student loans are deferred, and a percentage of the principal and interest for a Perkins Loan, a federal student loan program, may be canceled for each year of service.
In addition, volunteers receive housing, food, clothing, and a miscellaneous expenses allowance. After three months of training and two years of service, a volunteer receives a $5,400 readjustment allowance.
These practical benefits often help parents to eventually support their children�s decision, Suyat said.
But, sometimes, parents are hard to appease. Liz Lee said her mother was so worried that the two years she spent with the Peace Corps would limit her chances of meeting a good man and getting married.
"My mother said I should think of marriage," said Liz Lee, 25 and an employee at a biotech company in Emeryville when she volunteered in 1991. "She tried to match me up with a man."
Now 29, Liz Lee works as a Peace Corps recruiter in San Francisco. She is still single.
Margaret Choi, an immigrant from Hong Kong, said she was scared when her daughter, Rhonda Choi, decided to volunteer for Nicaragua in 1993.
She relented, eventually, because Rhonda was persistent, she said. "I just told her that I hope you meet a jungle prince," she said with a laugh. "Find a prince, not a bear or crocodile in the jungle."
She did not find a jungle prince, but Rhonda came back a changed woman, more mature and caring, Margaret said.
But she said she was always apprehensive of her daughter�s safety while Rhonda was in Nicaragua, which is a common concern for parents.
Suyat said the Peace Corps is vigilant about the safety of its volunteers and would not put them in harm�s way. But because they go to all corners of the world, safety problems sometimes crop up. He could not provide figures, but some volunteers have died on assignments, most often due to accidents.
In 1990, a Peace Corps volunteer was kidnapped in the Philippines, Suyat said. The volunteer was unharmed, but it forced the cancellation of the program there for two years, he said.
"The safety of our volunteers is foremost," Suyat said. "We go to some extreme measures, such as stopping a program completely, until we ensure that our volunteers are completely safe."
Suyat himself volunteered to serve in the Philippines back in 1966. He worked as an English teacher in the southern Philippines. A third-generation Filipino American, Suyat said he wanted to learn his roots.
"It was a wonderful education about my culture," Suyat said. "There is no better way to learn about your culture than live in the community."
At the end of his two-year stint in the Philippines, Suyat married his first wife, Victoria, who also was a Peace Corps volunteer. They had two children but are now divorced. Suyat is married to Linda Suyat, a Japanese American.
It may seem a contradiction, but Asian Pacific Americans say becoming a Peace Corps volunteer makes them more American and conscious of their ethnic heritage at the same time.
J.D. Hokoyama, a third-generation Japanese American, said he became more aware of his heritage when he volunteered to go to Africa. "People were always surprised when I said I was an American," Hokoyama said. "They figured I was from the Orient. They were surprised that an American would have an Asian face."
Der, who worked in an agricultural project in Kenya, said the Kenyans thought he was black because he did not have the European features of most Americans.
But Der, born in Stockton, Calif., to Chinese immigrant parents, said he was accepted for who he was, and built lifelong friendships with some Kenyans and volunteers from other countries that he met in Africa.
"You learn to respect other cultures and gain better appreciation of your own," Der said.
That was the most rewarding part of her Mongolian experience, said Noel Lee, whose mother is German.
Lee said the Mongolians told her that she looked more Mongolian than American, with her high cheekbones, porcelain skin, and Asian features.
"They thought all Americans have blond hair and blue eyes," said Lee, who was born in New Mexico and raised in Oklahoma. "I became closer to them because I looked like them."
Lee said the Peace Corps is recruiting more minorities to reflect the changing face of the United States. "We want to tell the world there are Asians in this country, too."
Lee, who moved to San Francisco in 1994, now works at a natural foods store and is learning yoga, hoping to someday open her own holistic health business.
A graduate from Baylor University with a degree in marketing, Lee said she now wants to pursue her own dream. "I was raised to make money, but life is too short to not do what you�re really interested in doing. I want to help people with stressful lives."
Peace Corps at a Glance
Since 1961, 900 Asian Pacific Americans have served on the Peace Corps. Last year, the 268 Asian Pacific American volunteers accounted for 4 percent of worldwide volunteers. Nearly a third of all current minority volunteers (31 percent) are APAs.
Among Asian American volunteers and trainees, 59 percent are women and 41 percent men. Worldwide, 55 percent of volunteers are women and 45 percent men.
Asian Pacific American volunteers tend to be younger than other volunteers. The average age for APAs is 27, compared with the overall average age of 31 for volunteers. Only 4 percent of Asian Pacific American volunteers are over 40, compared to 11 percent for the total group. The oldest Asian Pacific American volunteer is 68.
Asian Pacific Americans have served in every Peace Corps region. Forty-two percent, or 381 volunteers, have been in Africa; 24 percent, or 223 volunteers, in the Americas; 17 percent, or 193 volunteers, in Asia and the Pacific; and 17 percent, or 103 volunteers, in Europe, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean.
Asian Pacific Americans currently serve in 70 of the 94 Peace Corps countries. The countries with the highest number of Asian Pacific American volunteers are Thailand (13); Malawi (11); Nepal (10); and Cameroon (10).
In terms of skill sectors, 28 percent of Asian Pacific American volunteers serve in education; 25 percent in health; 15 percent in environment; 14 percent in business; 10 percent in agriculture; and 5 percent in special projects/urban.
Eighty-nine percent of Asian Pacific Americans have previous language training and 16 percent have nine years or more foreign language experience, which may reflect those who are native speakers of Asian languages.
Noel Lee still remembers the bewildered look on her father�s face when she announced she was joining the Peace Corps and going to Mongolia.
"He could not understand it," said Lee, recalling her family�s shocked reaction. "Here I was making good money working for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, and I was kind of throwing it away by going to Mongolia."
Her father, an immigrant from China who worked hard to send her to college, wondered why she would leave a good-paying job, go to a foreign country, and work for free, Lee said.
That was back in 1992. Lee, 25 at the time, figured there was more to life than making money. "I wanted to make a difference," she said. "I wanted to help people."
So, despite her father�s misgivings, Lee spent two years in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and worked on a United Nations loan program to help Mongolian women set up their own business.
Eventually, Lee�s family, including her father, came around. Now, she described those two years in Mongolia as the best in her life. "I�ve learned that I can do anything. If I can do it in Mongolia, I can do it anywhere."
Lee is not alone. An increasing number of young Asian Pacific Americans are joining the Peace Corps, the agency established in 1961 by then-President John F. Kennedy to "fight hunger, disease, illiteracy, poverty, and lack of opportunities around the world."
Of the more than 140,000 volunteers who have served on the program for the past 35 years, 900 were Asian Pacific Americans-more than blacks, Latinos, or Native Americans.
This year, the Peace Corps has 6,500 volunteers in 90 countries around the globe. Four percent, or 268, are Asian Pacific Americans.
But, despite the impressive numbers, there�s much debate in Asian American households, pitting young APAs eager to serve and make a difference against pragmatic parents who insist that the family comes first.
Children argue that going abroad is an adventure; parents insist it�s dangerous and the benefits are not worth the risk.
Moreover, in most Asian cultures, volunteerism is not traditional, although most communities encourage mutual help and cooperation as evidenced by the benevolent societies among the Chinese and the bayanihan spirit among Filipinos.
At the Organization of Chinese Americans national convention in San Francisco last month, the Peace Corps booth drew large crowds if only a few on-the-spot volunteers.
"I�d love to do it," said Stephen Ng, 21, a student at City College in San Francisco. "But I can�t afford it. I don�t have the time. I�m better off working and supporting myself and my family."
Emily Nye of San Jose, who also visited the Peace Corps booth, said she considered volunteering when she graduated from college 10 years ago, but her parents did not allow her.
"Maybe my children will get the chance," said Nye, a mother of two girls.
If Asian Americans tend to shy away from volunteer work, "it has nothing to do with culture," said Robert Fung, a professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. It�s all about pragmatism and survival, he said.
Fung said the Peace Corps is a mixed bag for Asian Americans. While altruism is admirable, "there are enough problems at home that we have to take care of. Everyone is looking at Asian Americans as the model minority, but it�s not an accurate picture."
Stanley D. Suyat, an associate director and the highest-ranking Asian Pacific American in the Peace Corps, agrees that the Peace Corps is not for everybody. "It takes a certain type of personality and circumstance-those not ready for a career yet and want to see the world."
Suyat, 52, who was born to parents of Filipino heritage and grew up in Hawaii, served as a volunteer in the Philippines in the 1960s and said the Peace Corps offers a life of adventure, which is appealing to young people.
But he acknowledged that in most Asian Pacific American families, children are expected to find jobs and contribute to the family after finishing school. While there are obvious benefits, volunteering involves sacrifices, he said.
Liz Lee, a Korean American who volunteered to serve in Namibia in southwest Africa in 1991, said her parents were very much against her joining the Peace Corps.
"It�s not something that a lot of Asians do," Liz Lee said. "My parents thought it was very strange that I would want to go to Africa. They said I was better off going back to school."
Louie Abanilla, who came to the United States from the Philippines when he was a boy, joined the Peace Corps and volunteered to go to Poland in 1990-against his parents� wishes.
His parents virtually disowned him, but when he was invited to the White House by then-President George Bush for the send-off, his parents had a change of heart.
"His father came to the U.S. with $200 in his pocket," said Suyat, a friend of the Abanilla family. "And there they were in the White House, at the invitation of the president. It was overwhelming."
Abanilla now works as a recruiter for the Peace Corps in the East Coast, Suyat said.
The average Asian Pacific American volunteer is 27 years old and either fresh from college or has worked for about a couple of years. The majority of APA corps volunteers-59 percent-are female.
Most volunteer out of idealism and a desire to make a difference. Others volunteer because the two years spent with the Peace Corps enhance the prospects for a good career, either in international trade or in nonprofit organizations.
"I gained a wonderful experience," said J. D. Hokoyama, president of the Los Angeles-based Leadership Education For Asian Pacifics Inc., who went to Ethiopia in 1967. "Going and living outside of the country forced me to adopt a much broader view of the world."
Hokoyama said the experience opened his eyes to the need for nonprofit groups, which he has been involved with for more than two decades.
Kelvin Mow, who now manages an importing business in Mill Valley, Calif., said the years he spent in Kenya from 1993 to 1995 offered him a chance to learn a new culture and society.
He lived with a Kenyan family for nearly three months, taught at a computer school, advised women and self-help groups on starting their own business, and conducted business seminars in Kitala, Kenya.
He also set up soccer leagues, coached at a local high school, created videos for the Peace Corps, and solicited funds for various projects in Kenya. "It was a fabulous experience," said Mow, who was 24 when he volunteered. "It was hard being away from my family, but it�s amazing the knowledge you learn about yourself under difficult situations."
Mow, born in New York to a Chinese American father and a mother who is part Chinese, said his parents supported his decision to go to Africa.
"It would only improve my career," said Mow, who was two years out of graduate school when he volunteered. "I wasn�t dependent on them. We�re financially independent of each other."
Henry Der, deputy superintendent for external affairs of the California Department of Education, volunteered to serve in Kenya for the Peace Corps from 1968 to 1970.
"It was a precursor to a lot of social activism, there�s no doubt about it," said Der, who served for more than 20 years as executive director of Chinese For Affirmative Action until his appointment to the education post this year. "If I can go halfway around the world to help people, I surely can help people in my own community."
Suyat, the Peace Corps associate director, said volunteers come back with more experience and with more marketable skills.
"Knowledge of another culture and language are attractive to business," said Suyat, who points to himself as an example of how a stint with the Peace Corps can advance one�s career.
After teaching English in the Philippines, Suyat came back to the United States in 1968, and immediately landed a job with the United Parcel Service in New York.
The line on his resume-Peace Corps volunteer-was the clincher, he said. "UPS felt that I could offer a different perspective to the company, a slightly different way of making a contribution."
Suyat, who was in San Francisco for the OCA convention, spent five years with UPS, then became a partner of a law firm, and later White House liaison to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the Clinton administration. In 1993, he was appointed Peace Corps associate director.
"It�s not a picnic," he said. "It�s a tough job. You don�t live in ideal conditions. The food is often not familiar, you don�t understand the language. But it�s the toughest job you�ll ever love."
There are practical benefits. Volunteers receive the best language and cross-cultural training by living overseas. They receive career counseling assistance once they finish their volunteer work. They get preference in federal government jobs.
Many student loans are deferred, and a percentage of the principal and interest for a Perkins Loan, a federal student loan program, may be canceled for each year of service.
In addition, volunteers receive housing, food, clothing, and a miscellaneous expenses allowance. After three months of training and two years of service, a volunteer receives a $5,400 readjustment allowance.
These practical benefits often help parents to eventually support their children�s decision, Suyat said.
But, sometimes, parents are hard to appease. Liz Lee said her mother was so worried that the two years she spent with the Peace Corps would limit her chances of meeting a good man and getting married.
"My mother said I should think of marriage," said Liz Lee, 25 and an employee at a biotech company in Emeryville when she volunteered in 1991. "She tried to match me up with a man."
Now 29, Liz Lee works as a Peace Corps recruiter in San Francisco. She is still single.
Margaret Choi, an immigrant from Hong Kong, said she was scared when her daughter, Rhonda Choi, decided to volunteer for Nicaragua in 1993.
She relented, eventually, because Rhonda was persistent, she said. "I just told her that I hope you meet a jungle prince," she said with a laugh. "Find a prince, not a bear or crocodile in the jungle."
She did not find a jungle prince, but Rhonda came back a changed woman, more mature and caring, Margaret said.
But she said she was always apprehensive of her daughter�s safety while Rhonda was in Nicaragua, which is a common concern for parents.
Suyat said the Peace Corps is vigilant about the safety of its volunteers and would not put them in harm�s way. But because they go to all corners of the world, safety problems sometimes crop up. He could not provide figures, but some volunteers have died on assignments, most often due to accidents.
In 1990, a Peace Corps volunteer was kidnapped in the Philippines, Suyat said. The volunteer was unharmed, but it forced the cancellation of the program there for two years, he said.
"The safety of our volunteers is foremost," Suyat said. "We go to some extreme measures, such as stopping a program completely, until we ensure that our volunteers are completely safe."
Suyat himself volunteered to serve in the Philippines back in 1966. He worked as an English teacher in the southern Philippines. A third-generation Filipino American, Suyat said he wanted to learn his roots.
"It was a wonderful education about my culture," Suyat said. "There is no better way to learn about your culture than live in the community."
At the end of his two-year stint in the Philippines, Suyat married his first wife, Victoria, who also was a Peace Corps volunteer. They had two children but are now divorced. Suyat is married to Linda Suyat, a Japanese American.
It may seem a contradiction, but Asian Pacific Americans say becoming a Peace Corps volunteer makes them more American and conscious of their ethnic heritage at the same time.
J.D. Hokoyama, a third-generation Japanese American, said he became more aware of his heritage when he volunteered to go to Africa. "People were always surprised when I said I was an American," Hokoyama said. "They figured I was from the Orient. They were surprised that an American would have an Asian face."
Der, who worked in an agricultural project in Kenya, said the Kenyans thought he was black because he did not have the European features of most Americans.
But Der, born in Stockton, Calif., to Chinese immigrant parents, said he was accepted for who he was, and built lifelong friendships with some Kenyans and volunteers from other countries that he met in Africa.
"You learn to respect other cultures and gain better appreciation of your own," Der said.
That was the most rewarding part of her Mongolian experience, said Noel Lee, whose mother is German.
Lee said the Mongolians told her that she looked more Mongolian than American, with her high cheekbones, porcelain skin, and Asian features.
"They thought all Americans have blond hair and blue eyes," said Lee, who was born in New Mexico and raised in Oklahoma. "I became closer to them because I looked like them."
Lee said the Peace Corps is recruiting more minorities to reflect the changing face of the United States. "We want to tell the world there are Asians in this country, too."
Lee, who moved to San Francisco in 1994, now works at a natural foods store and is learning yoga, hoping to someday open her own holistic health business.
A graduate from Baylor University with a degree in marketing, Lee said she now wants to pursue her own dream. "I was raised to make money, but life is too short to not do what you�re really interested in doing. I want to help people with stressful lives."
Peace Corps at a Glance
Since 1961, 900 Asian Pacific Americans have served on the Peace Corps. Last year, the 268 Asian Pacific American volunteers accounted for 4 percent of worldwide volunteers. Nearly a third of all current minority volunteers (31 percent) are APAs.
Among Asian American volunteers and trainees, 59 percent are women and 41 percent men. Worldwide, 55 percent of volunteers are women and 45 percent men.
Asian Pacific American volunteers tend to be younger than other volunteers. The average age for APAs is 27, compared with the overall average age of 31 for volunteers. Only 4 percent of Asian Pacific American volunteers are over 40, compared to 11 percent for the total group. The oldest Asian Pacific American volunteer is 68.
Asian Pacific Americans have served in every Peace Corps region. Forty-two percent, or 381 volunteers, have been in Africa; 24 percent, or 223 volunteers, in the Americas; 17 percent, or 193 volunteers, in Asia and the Pacific; and 17 percent, or 103 volunteers, in Europe, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean.
Asian Pacific Americans currently serve in 70 of the 94 Peace Corps countries. The countries with the highest number of Asian Pacific American volunteers are Thailand (13); Malawi (11); Nepal (10); and Cameroon (10).
In terms of skill sectors, 28 percent of Asian Pacific American volunteers serve in education; 25 percent in health; 15 percent in environment; 14 percent in business; 10 percent in agriculture; and 5 percent in special projects/urban.
Eighty-nine percent of Asian Pacific Americans have previous language training and 16 percent have nine years or more foreign language experience, which may reflect those who are native speakers of Asian languages.
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