Showing posts with label this has nothing to do with nothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label this has nothing to do with nothing. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

La economía Feminista

One of my classes this semester is an advanced speaking course for Spanish. I'm hoping that we have more conversation-based work so I can improve my colloquial speaking, but this past week I had to present a political discourse as if we were a political candidate. I was unsure of my ability to maintain a formal dialogue on politics in Spanish, let alone English! So, I re-interpreted the assignment a bit and presented on the value of adding a feminist perspective to our economy.  The grammar is far from perfect and I recognize that many of my ideas aren't fully developed, but I was pleased with my 12 minute talk, even swaying some of my classmates onto these views!
Os presento mi político discurso sobre la economía feminista:

Introducción
Hola amigos, me llamo Nicole.  No soy una representante de un partido político especial, pero voy a presentar unas soluciones alternativas para los Estados Unidos.  Me gustaría explicar cómo abordar la política con una perspectiva feminista puede abrir unas posibilidades para la economía.  O sea, la economía feminista puede renovar nuestra estrategia fiscal para soluciones efectivos.  Voy a hablar sobre el significado del feminismo, pues los problemas finánciales del presente, y finalmente explicaros como la economía feminista podría producir soluciones. 

El significado del feminismo
Primero, es esencial explicar el significado del feminismo como yo lo interpreto.  La definición y la misión del feminismo han cambiado a través de los siglos veinte y veinte y uno en tres movimientos.  Creo que existen muchas malentiendas y estereotipos, por ejemplo, ser una feminista indica el oído para los hombres.  Para mí, no es el caso; al contrario, me los gustan!  Es verdad hay feministas con perspectivas y tácticas radicales, pero vienen de un origen de frustración—el dolor de siglos de injustos y abusos, muchos que continúan hoy en día. 
No estoy aquí para aumentar la polarización entre nuestras diferencias.  Porque ahora, el feminismo no es solo para las mujeres blancas; las fundadores del segundo movimiento d feminismo como bell hooks revelé como sistemas de patriarca daña los hombres también.  El movimiento es para la igualdad y los derechos humanos.  Como una teoría cultura, el feminismo nos permite tener cuenta de nuestra posición en la sociedad: las intersecciones de raíz, clase, género, los privilegios, y el poder de cada posición.  Cuando nos ponemos en la posición de los demás, podemos hacer decisiones más informados e incluidos.

Problemas
Voy a focalizar sobre dos problemas economías en nuestro país.  Según Time Magazine, en dos mil doce, la deuda del gobierno cuenta por  73 por ciento del producto interior bruto.[1]  Es decir que dieciséis trillones dólares de deuda.  Y los impuestos cuentan por más o menos diez por ciento de eso.
El segundo problema es la desigualdad socioeconómica.  Las ganas de las empresas son el más alto, hay millones de americanos aun sin empleado, y  es más difícil  cambiar su clase social.  También incluido la brecha salarial de género en los Estados Unidos.  Reciamente, el presidente de los Estados Unidos notó que las mujeres son una mitad de la fuerza laboral.  Sin embargo, ellas aún ganan setenta y siete centavos por cada dólar que los hombres ganan.[2]  Según una encuesta del New York Times en dos mil diez, 72 por ciento de los hombres y de las mujeres entre 18 y 29 anos piensan que la unión mejor es una donde los dos pueden trabajar y cuidarse para la casa.[3]  La encuesta afirma que hoy en día, la lucha para la igualdad no es  principalmente las actitudes personales, pero las límites estructurales.

Economía Feminista
Creo que la economía necesita una perspectiva alternativa.  El problema con nuestra definición de economía es trátalo como una ciencia objetiva.  Aunque “el mercado” es un sistema de números digitales y financias hipotéticos, en realidad, es baso en la gente.  A la fin de los anos noventas, académicos como Ester Boserup, Marianne Ferber, y Nancy Folbre han establecido la economía feminista como un estudio oficial.  La economía feminista rechaza abstracción de la economía porque la gente tiene emociones, motivaciones, y conexiones.   Las economistas señalan las construcciones sociales en la economía tradicional porque los perspectivos no son realmente objetivos—están en favor de los métodos masculinos.  Según Julie Matthaei, la desigualdad de género y de raíz existen antes del capitalismo.  Por eso, cada aspecto de la economía hoy en día está prejuiciado.[4] 
Por ejemplo, la brecha salarial no es simplemente a causa de las preferencias laborales de las mujeres y los hombres.  Hay consecuencias cruciales del estereotipo, el sexismo,  y las creencias patriarcas que dirigen la distribución de recursos.  El poder de los actores determina un salario: sus conocimientos culturales, sus determinaciones del valor de obra, y las normalidades de género.  
Entonces, la economía feminista enfatiza los asuntos tradicionalmente femeninos, como la economía familia, la economía informal, y los estructurales sociales.  La inclusión de estos asuntos han creído los políticos que ya ayudan unas minorías y han reducidos discriminación de género, raíz, y étnico.

Soluciones
Me gustaría desarrollar unas soluciones para ayudar la economía.  Debemos evaluar el dólar de acuerdo a la inflación y como resultado, podríamos aumentar el salario mínimo.  Según el Business Insider, los salarios mínimos han cambiado casi nada en treinta anos.[5] ¿Cómo es que una madre soltera puede trabajar al menos dos trabajos de tiempo completo,  pero todavía vive debajo de la línea de pobreza?  No es justo.  Cuando los salarios suben, el nivel de vida y la agencia de los grupos minorías suben.
Igualmente, para resolver la brecha salarial, necesitamos cambiar  el sistema de impuestos para ser más progresivo.  Es decir que, los más ricos contribuyen proporcionalmente a los programas federales y los servicios sociales. 
Con respecto a la deuda, debemos eliminar las razones para las empresas buscar los obreros al extranjero.  Los incentivos mantener unos prácticos de explotación y simplemente, hay millones de personas que están cualificados aquí.  Podemos renovar las empresas de la manufactura que pagan un salario vivible y creen materiales útiles.
Finalmente, tenemos que apoyar la política laboral que valuar la humanidad en los obreros, no solo sus productos.  Vacaciones pagas por las madres Y los padres, días enfermas pagadas, y quizás un límite de horas de trabajo podrían apoyar un ambiente mejor para la gente.  Aunque no tiene un esposo, o no tiene hijos, la vida doméstica afecta la vida laboral.

Conclusión
A pesar de un población de tres ciento millones, los Estados Unidos se dirigen por solamente dos partidos políticos en la mayoría, y por lo tanto, yo sé que mis ideas parecen radicales.  No obstante, debemos reflejar más sobre el político que existe y porque no hay progreso tan rápido.  Tenemos que abordar los problemas de la sociedad con una nueva perspectiva.
En resumen, os hablo con la esperanza que considerarais la perspectiva feminista para la economía.  Necesitamos priorizar las necesidades humanos en vez de las metas beneficios—no solo en los Estados Unidos, pero por todo el mundo.  La explotación y la desigualdad que acompañan al capitalismo no son la meta teleológico para los humanos.  ¡Gracias!

------------------------------------------------------------

Vocabulario útil

abordar – to approach
la política – political policy
la economia feminista – feminist economics
dañar – to harm
la igualdad de género – gender equality
la brecha salarial – wage gap
producto interior bruto (PIB) – gross domestic product (GDP)
las metas beneficios – profit goals
teleológico – telelogical; the natural endpoint

Bibliografía
Cootnz, Stephanie. “Why gender equality stalled.” 16 Feb 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/why-gender-equality-stalled.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&>.
Blodget, Henry. "Here's the biggest problem in the American economy." Business Insider. 29 Sept
2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. .
NPR. “Transcript: Obama’s State Of The Union Address As Prepared for Delivery.” 28 Jan 2014. Web.
                3 Feb. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/01/28/267901424/transcript
-obamas-state-of-the-union-address-as-prepared-for-delivery>.
Schneider, Geoff. "Ten Principles of Feminist Economics: A Modestly Proposed
Antidote." Department of Economics at Bucknell University. Bucknell University. Web. 3 Feb 2014. .
Sivy, Michael. "The six daunting financial problems facing America." Time Magazine. 21 Aug
2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. .
Waylen, Georgina. "Time to stop ignoring feminist economics." Conversation. 2 Dec 2013. Web. 3
Feb. 2014. .




[1] Blodget 2012.
[2] NPR 2014.
[3] Coontz 2013.
[4] Schneider 2014.
[5] Blodget 2012. 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

去云南旅游

In five hours I am leaving with 24 CIEE students and 3 teachers for the mystical, amazing, rugged southern province of Yunnan 云南!


At least, that's how I imagine it to be.  As I hit the send button to my Issues in Chinese Society professor, my mid term week has come to an end.  Now I understand why we don't take classes during exam week-- it's insanely difficult to balance prep work with hours of class and then studying for tests and writing papers!  Anyway, I CAN'T WAIT TO GO.  Please, just take a second and Google search 'Yunnan' -- these far reaches of China look like some of the most beautiful places in the world.  Since we'll be travelling along the Ancient Tea Horse Route (茶马古道), we will go from the lower valleys of Kunming City and the stone forest, to the Tiger Leaping Gorge (SO EXCITED), into the high mountains at Shangri-La (yup, they took the famous name from James Hilton's Lost Horizon), and the ancient city of Lijang.  I really hope that these areas are less chaotic and tourist-ridden than the east, but even so, I am undeniably grateful (and did I mention excited?) for this opportunity.  My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go, and I will probably be detached from any stable internet connection for 7-8 days.  I'll certainly try to post photos upon the return.  Now, to stuff my sleeping bag back into it's pouch...

Listening:  A killer Chinese playlist on YouTube.  This song is especially relevant, and beautiful! 《彩云之南》South of Rainbow Clouds (Yunnan) by Xu Qian Ya 徐千雅 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSSo9VVRCHc

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Pretty legit at this point

Wahoo!  I have another blogging platform for the semester, and it's totally official because it's endorsed by CIEE (my program)!  I'm supposed to post three times a week, but I'm starting out with modified versions of my posts here on this blog.  I'll basically talk about the same things on both, but if you're interested in scoping out an additional location of my stories here you go : http://study-shanghai-cgc.ciee.org/nicole-eigbrett/

I started classes yesterday, and to say the least, Chinese was jarring!  Again, I haven't had a class in basically two years so I need to shake off a lot of dust and ressurect all those characters.  I'm in the Intermediate part I class with only two other students, so it's a comfortable setting but I must remain vigilant, and excited, to learn.  We're having class at a tea market tomorrow, using vocabulary and haggling skills.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love tea?  If this keeps up, I'll definitely stay engaged in my studies.

Talk to you next update!
Listening: "She's Crafty" by the Beastie Boys

Saturday, February 2, 2013

THIS is why I can't have a Facebook while I'm abroad.

I'm caught up in nostalgia too easily.  
My house and family for the last year:

Habitat for Humanity Formal, fall 2012 edition

 House + extended family portrait

And the throwback to spring 2012.

Miss you guys.

(courtesy of Sid via Justin)
Listening: "Joyful Sound" by The String Cheese Incident

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Moving on, and up.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow U.S. citizens!
In my family we have lunch and then properly tend to our food comas through the afternoon.  I'm trying this Runner's World challenge where you run at least a mile between today and New Year's, so I was able to haul my butt off the couch for an grievous shuffle, but yeah, good pie and cheer with my siblings, nieces, nephews and parents.

I haven't blogged in so long.  I'm a fraud!  But I can barely keep up with my school work and as usual it's all just going to smack me in the face Sunday evening once I return.  I'm trying to take each day for the beauty that it is, because after a long winter break I'll be heading to Shanghai, China to study for the semester!!!  Since I haven't had a Facebook since last winter-- it made me quite sad when I was in France, actually-- I have no intent of reactivating it while I'm abroad.  So in order to share snipets of what I'm up to, I plan on bringing the blog back in full force.  This one's been all over the place so I might make a new blog, or even swtich to WordPress or Tumblr.  My posts will mainly be photo-based.  Any thoughts?

Take care everyone, and have a safe and happy holdiay.
xo,
nicole.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

May's Last Stand

Hey, marvelous news: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros released a new album on the 29th called Here!  With it having nine songs, it costs $9.99 on iTunes but Amazon is selling the mp3 for $5.00.  Now, I'm a general advocate of tangible items, but I am also unabashedly frugal; perhaps digital purpose will be the way to go.  If you're unfamiliar with this 11-piece troubadour, then I suggest you check out their arguably most well-known hit, "Home" that expresses love and nostalgia through folk-driven, instrumental-thumpin' chords and chants.  I cannot wait to have my hands (ears?) on their new music!!

With May on its last leg, I guess this means that we are tumbling into summer.  I like blogging about what's happened to me from the school semester because if you've been following this blog you should know by now that basically all I do is work.  As usual, I ended up greasy and with tired feet, though yesterday I had time to go out to dinner and a movie (The Avengers, which was actually pretty good) with my friends.  I also bought a few herb plants and I can't wait to see how my planting box progresses!
 
 
Here are a few photos from the gorgeous last weeks of school.  I took higher quality photos with my camera because I had no choice but to shrug off studying and lie beneath the trees to capture the temporary blossoms.  And hey, even though I go through cycles of panic and self-doubt with school work, I had my best semester yet academically (and otherwise)!  So it seems you can take time to stop and smell the flowers and finish what you need to do successfully :D.
Regarding the last photo, I never found out why, but the knitting club went on a guerrilla knitting spree (at least that's how I like to think of it) and they created public knitting installations all over campus!  On bike racks, railings and that tree, which happened to be fantastic because it made the tree favorable to look at and hug.  Random as it was, I hope they do more of that next year!

Listening: "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Musical [side]Note

I was going to do a post talking about the thrifting, painting, cooking and more working that I've been up to, but then my pictures did not deliver to my inbox.  Whatever!  I just wanted to share some epic videos of bands that make my heart stir.  There are a few others, and I'm quite determined to see them before the age of 25.  If it means buying a pair of tickets and flying to Austin or L.A. for a weekend to catch them, then let it be done!

Arcade Fire, "Wake Up" at Glastonbury 2007  
The Shins, "Australia" in 2011  
Of Monsters and Men, "Little Talks" in Iceland Summer 2011  

Despite my ardor for music and festivals, I haven't done anything too extreme to make it to a live performance. I think the most I've driven is 3 hours, spent about $70 and came back at 3 in the morning before a 8 AM class (though on different occasions). Maybe next summer, or when I graduate, I need to think big: Bonnaroo, Lolapalooza, Coachella maybe or Osheaga in Montreal? There's also Outside Lands in San Francisco and of course Glastonbury where it all started, and then Europe's wild techno summits. At the moment, it's a fallacy worth fighting for. This July, I might take a weekend and volunteer at the Grassroots Music Festival that's at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake. I could apply to volunteer as hospitality, dining service (already do enough of that though), set up and clean up, or the children's tent.. yeahhh, probably face painting with the kids :). 
Jeez louise, it's already been over a week since I left school.  It feels quite long ago, though I'm happy to report that I'm going to the Adirondacks on Monday to spend a few days with my house mates and a few other friends!  Mountain R&R, away!!!

 Listening: Arcade Fire, because they make me tear up in the best way possible.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Oh yes, I did.

I left in a spontaneous moment of strength (2 weeks ago).
(photo courtesy)
Of course there were reasons to stay.

I feel kind of bad just because I have some international friends that I won't be able to communicate with as easily, though otherwise life is better without Facebook.  It's just a distraction I don't need.  I mean, I'll admit that now my distractions manifest elsewhere, yet at least it's not by (harmlessly) stalking people or becoming morose from too much photo-reminiscing.  It is not to be interpreted as a personal vindication towards anyone, I am simply better off without it!
And I also need to confess that my first week, studious vigilance is on the treacherous decline, and I must bring myself back to those ways!  I'm just anxious because some of the papers and research that I'm writing this semester might determine things way ahead in the future.
Well, until that time comes, I'm going to continue writing my web page presentation for my travel enrichment grant that I did in France and wince in soreness.  On Saturday I went to Ottawa, Canada with my friends for the Winterlude Festival, in which we skated almost 8 miles on the Rideau Canal that goes through the city!  It was amazing, even though I fell 13 times!!!  Fantastic exercise, intoxicatingly blue skies, lots of happy faces despite the freezing temperatures, adorable small children learning how to skate for the first time (and ones that were better than me) and oh yeah, maple syrup taffy.  For the experience shared, ca vaut la peine.  If you'd like to check out more about what Ottawa has to offer this winter, click here.


I hope you're all staying warm and keeping your cool :)

Friday, February 3, 2012

Habitat

 
 

Relics of my room, my surroundings, my habitat while I'm away from home.
So much to do, so much to play.  So much work to overcome!  It's a bitter cold but we manage the daily trek sans complaint. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

Dream Menagerie

I love National Geographic because the photos are awe-inspiring and the articles full of depth.  I just read a short bio about the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey!  They inhabit the high (at 10,000 feet) mountains of Central China, enduring harsh winters with their shaggy coats.  Their faces are almost alien-like, especially with the blue, and I can't help but thinking of mini Saskatchewans!
 
Just another reason for me to study abroad in China in the coming years :)

And this odd sea life wasn't in Nat Geo, but I've always been intrigued by the ocean sunfish, or Mola Mola.  They are recorded to be the largest bony fish in the ocean, appearing like one of the first prehistoric fish, though according to oceansunfish.org, they are one of the more recently evolved fish!  There are a few species, but the most common Mola Mola have enormous, disc-like bodies with planar fins and sand-paper scales covered in mucus.  The name was derived from their habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water!  The average sunfish weighs over 2 tons, (the largest ever caught weighed 3.5 tons) is 6 feet long and 10 feet tall subsisting off a diet of jelly-fish.
 The mysterious ocean sunfish is a very docile creature. The only violence they've ever caused is when they jump out of the water and land on people, effectively squashing them :B.  And I'm pretty sure this Pokemon was modeled after it...

courtesy of The Pokemon Wiki :D

Okay, and I just have to point out that I love manatees.  I just want to give them a hug, they're so ridiculous!  The poor things used to be mistaken for mermaids by sailors, and today they are rare in the U.S., threatened by boat motor accidents, habitat destruction and slow reproductive rates.  I've had the fortune to see the shadows of a few in the Gulf of Mexico, and they appear to be lumbering blobs!  These mammal herbivores reach lengths up to 13 feet and 3,500 feet (like that giant mola!) and can live to be 60 years old.  Facts courtesy of manatees.net.
 
 
I WANT TO PET ONE.



Alright, that's enough Animal Planet!  I had a lovely afternoon with one of my best friends from high school and exercised my consumer power (of Christmas gift cards) at the mall.  Score for "End of Season" sales!

Here's a video to leave you with;  another one of my idols, Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, reinterpreting Drake's "Take Care".

Friday, December 30, 2011

Dreaming with eyes wide open

You know how it is;
You've just had one of those experiences, the life-altering kind. Perhaps it was the amount of time it lasted, the people you were with, the things you saw, or the nature of what you did.  It was everything you felt.
Though of course, there has to be a return to "normalcy". Some transitions are more abrupt than others.
If you haven't guessed yet, I'm already yearning to relive the past 4 months of my life in France. I have issues with dwelling on the past, it's really something I should work on--but it freaks me out, because it feels like a dream.
Fortunately for me, it wasn't! Whether it is acknowledged or not, a part of me has changed. And although I prefer the tangibility of printed photos from film, handwritten letters and souvenirs to remember where I've been, I like that I have hundreds of digital photos that tell stories and Facebook to connect with my friends on the other side of the world.
I'm struggling with identity disjointedness [apparently a real word !].  I can't lie, when I left on December 16th I was ready to jump back into my American life.  There are things you take for granted when you're away from home for so long.  I realized this even more than I did when I left for college!  However, I feel like I'm cheating myself out; I feel like I've lost my 'French identity' already.  It's a mental turmoil, sorry I can't explain it that well.  But like I mentioned, my experience in France is now a part of me whether I can reconcile with it or not.  
These are photos from the last week I was there, the one above is the building where we took our classes.
The cafe I hung out in before political science every Tuesday.
My host family!
La Catedrale Notre Dame de Rouen
Going out with friends and taking advantage of "city life"!
And our ridiculous program group in general.
________________________________________

How do you summarize a trip like this...
It tends to come best in spurts.  At that moment, something I'm doing will trigger a memory of what I've done, then I'll laugh and relate it.  Trying to explain it as one long story is tough.  I just spent the last 1 1/2 actually going through my full set of photos with my parents, and we only made it through 3 weeks of my semester! 
I know people are interested, but it's almost uncomfortable because in general they probably don't... care.  Bad assumption, I know I can't apply that to everyone!!  Haha, the general formula of formality goes, "You went to France?!  Oh my god, did you love it?  How was it?"
How do you answer a question like that.  I'll tell ya---- 
"Yup, I was there for a semester!  It was amazing."
"Yeah, I think I'm fluent in French.  All the courses were in French, it wasn't too hard."
"Yes, the food was delicious... Enough baguettes for a lifetime!"
Cut me off right there because no one cares.  At least beyond that point.

Bah, and I understand!  My parents' eyes were probably glazing over but I have to say that I love them immensely for being patient to give me time to explain everything and expressing genuine interest.  And this blog, it's my other outlet of expression!  So whether you're truly engaged in what I'm writing about or not, I thank you sincerely for dropping by.

Oh la vache, I can't believe 2011 is over tomorrow.  What is everyone doing?

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Notes on Departure

Back during the spring my parents gave away our last miniature horse to our good family friends.

Did you know that we used to have a farm of miniature horses?  Probably not.  My parents used to breed horses and one of my sister's and I participated in horse showing.  I have all the trophies in my room still and last winter I purged a garbage bag full of my old ribbons, but at one point we had 20 minis!  When we moved we downsized to 6 and it's been on the downward slide ever since.  With my departure to college, I finally resigned and accepted that it would be best if we sold our last miniature, my show horse named Targetina (Tina for short).  We actually gave her away to some friends, because she's not in her prime for showing anymore and we know she'll have the proper amount of attention and love.

Last week we went to visit Tina at her new home.  Our friends live amongst fields of corn and cows, but they're in fact quite endowed with a lovely farm.  I don't know too many farmers, though the ones I do I truly admire.  They're very down to earth; they have a deeper compassion for the world to live in and people, creatures and land they care for.
She looks thrilled, right?
Oh, and don't call them ponies.  Different breed.
I'm sorry if this appears to be animal torture; I promise I only turned on the flash for a few shots.
I'll admit, I harbor some guilt for taking for granted my life with miniature horses.  But I also believe it's one of those things you should fully invest yourself in -- or not.  I believe this was the best choice for Tina and my family, because raising horses is a pretty expensive lifestyle.
Our friends also have a full-sized horse named Buddy, and a previous mini they bought from us named Comet.  And here a few more farm shots:

After that visit, we drove back to modernization because my mom was insistent upon purchasing an elegant outfit for my trip.  While I'm in France, my program director made reservations for an opera in Paris! Oh, what to wear.
Hopefully this is classy enough, and I figured the cocktail length will translate if I ever wore it at a school function.  Photos courtesy of my Pops :).

_________________________________________________

In other news, my friend Eamon was nonexistent in my life this summer because he decided to live in Philadelphia and work at his school.  Then he came back last week and had us over one night to celebrate his birthday.  It was so long since I had been at his house!  His mom chatted us up as she gardened and his dad made these delicious grilled and roasted ribs and homemade macaroni and cheese.  No pictures this time, but the amount of ribs I ate sufficed my meat intake for the rest of the month (I've been pseudo-vegetarian this summer :B).
And then, he left. 
He was home for 7 days.
Umm.. nice to see you, Eamon?
In spite of my sarcasm, I'm happy he's found life beyond our bubble.

_________________________________________________

And now I present :
How to Pack 4 Months of Your Life
in a 28 inch suitcase, a 16 inch carry on and backpack.
(without losing sanity or feeling naked and dreadfully unprepared) 

Demure, versatile, light-fabrics to accessorize with outrageous and pretty patterns.

Several dresses and tunics, because they pack easily and they you don't have to worry about bottoms.  I have a pack of tights, leggings and stockings coming with me.

Some "American" clothes (Adidas shorts and tye-dye and concert t-shirts to workout and be sweaty in),
shirts I won't mind re-wearing for 16(!) weeks,
3 sweaters that'll keep me warm at least through autumn,
my rings and XC/Senior necklace that I wear everyday,
3 pairs of jeans,
a pea coat (that's weighing down my suitcase), a lighter coat that can be layered beneath the pea coat and a blazer,
some tank tops,
and gifts for my 2 host families : travel guides about New York, local buckwheat flower honey, brass ornaments from my town and Reese's cups.  I hope they like peanut butter.

SO yes, my outfits will be redundant.  I honestly, really worked with the mindset of minimalism, but there still seems to be a lot of stuff.  I didn't post a picture of my shoes because I was still mulling over which ones to take and leave behind.  Guys have it easy, I needed (heh.. debatable) shoes that were appropriate for any possible scenario.  I'm bringing 6 pairs that include tall boots, short boots (those ones from my thrifting post that'll be my main go-to), moccasins (les Francais wear slippers in the house), sandals (for the shower and Africa), running trainers (you never know) and the heels that I wore in my dress photos.  I took out my ballet flats because those are one thing I plan on purchasing, yet I can't go day to day wearing those everywhere.. my feet aren't supported enough.
Photobucket
And this morning's grand weigh-in :
45 pounds for the suitcase
24 pounds for the carry-on

It could be worse!!!  The backpack will hold my laptop and important documents, so who knows.  I have to reduce some more weight from the carry-on because this Irish airline we're flying through have significantly lighter standards than the U.S. airlines.  Typical, right?  Our nation's rally of go big or go home, manifested in luggage limits.

In closing, I solemnly swear I will not be going on a hiatus because now I have friends and family relying on me to live vicariously!  I truly appreciate all of your well-wishes and I'll do my best to keep up with your posts, too.  My flight to JFK leaves tomorrow morning.  IT'S ALL HAPPENING.  

Listening: "You Are a Tourist" by Death Cab for Cutie
p.s. I hope my friends at school are all settled in comfortably and had a fantastic first day of classes.  It's really odd not returning to campus, but I'll be back before we know it.  I miss you all and wish you the best fall semester! 

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Photos from Home

While I'm awake, I figured I would double post (omgz!) and share some photos that I took Thursday. I passed these sights when I was riding my bike, made it home, grabbed my camera, then pedaled back. The day was hot but too glorious to pass up a photo shoot. Sometimes I take for granted how beautiful it is where I live.

I adored this giant bumble bee because it seemed to be lolling about the pollen.  Us, the neighbors and many others have these bushes around their yards (I'm blanking on the name of the flower, of course).
 
 
 
 
As I was climbing back onto my bike to head to my next destination, a man was pulling into the driveway at this field and asked me if I was lost.  I smiled sweetly and replied, "Nope!  Just taking pictures of the hay bales."  He nodded skeptically then continued onward.  Hey, why not?  There's something about their spiraling textural madness and shimmering gold straws that I could not pass up.
 
 

Yup, I really am loving my camera.  Looking around, what's your favorite part about home?