Happy 2009!

I wish you all the very best for 2009!

Keep on Blogging!

"good things come to those who wait"

A late post but I wanted to share how I celebrated the end of Michealmas Term at Cambridge University. That Guinness never tasted as good. I plan to celebrate New Years drinking the same thing... its a Bostonian thing to do. "Guinness is Good for You".

I met you

Ah, I walked the aisles of Barnes and Noble, a place I haven't been in more than 2 months, and it brought back good memories. The books in Cambridge (UK) are very expensive, so I don't even bother to enter a bookstore there. However, once in a while the town market has cheat books that I should peruse more in the future. I wanted to buy Toni Morrison's "Beloved" and to my shock Barnes and Noble didn't have a copy. So, I ended up buying "The Bluest Eye" also by Toni Morrison. I have hear good things about Morrison so in the future (and by future I mean about a year or more from now), I plan to read it!

Barnes and Noble is always full with people!

This is a very special picture of me. I have always wanted to take a picture of this location inside my local Barnes and Noble. This was the place, the holy place, were I met my vertigo for the first time. Luckily, I don't think about him anymore.

I didn't know what to say.

Words remained sleeping in my throat.

-- Ismael Serrano

The way of God

The way of God, who disposes all things with gentleness, is to instill religion into our minds with reasoned arguments and into our hearts with grace. Attempting to instill it with force and threats is not religion, but terror.

-- Pascal

Now I have a thing for Tchaikovsky

From The Guardian: Obama the most admired man in the world, American poll says (and Hillary Clinton the most admired woman)

So, according to Americans here are the list of people the most admired:
MEN:
1) Barack Obama: 33%
2) George W. Bush: 5%
3) John McCain: 3%

WOMEN:
1) Hillary R. Clinton: 20% (She has held this spot for 13 of the past 16 years)
2) Sarah Palin: 11%
3) Oprah Winfrey: 8%

Why people are choosing Bush or Palin is beyond me but...

Anyways, here is a very good video of Tchaikovsky's music:

Sweet memory

My house looked like a bombshell went off! It was fun.

The presents! :)

Merry Christmas

Waiting to open the presents!

Merry Christmas on behalf of Roxy and me!

Real Feel 1° F

Hello everyone! I feel really bad that I haven't made a post in a while. Its not like I have been busy doing school related work (I wish!). No, homegirl have been procrastinating like there is no tomorrow. I spent most of the day in bed and suck into the evil world that is the Internet. I have so much work to do in terms of school that I haven't done: one 4,000 word essay, the PhD application, the research proposal, and reading and reading. Actually, I did managed to read "A history of the Middle East" which was 500 pages long. Right now I am reading "A bright shining lie" which is 900 pages long. I sometimes wonder if I had stayed at Cambridge, if I would be doing work. I think I might have been doing more work there but, I would also go mad being alone with horrible food. However, the truth is that I wish I could go back to Cambridge. I like masochism, sometimes.

So, this was just a quick note to say that I am still alive, barely.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas... and Happy Kwanzaa! (and any other celebration I forgot).

Funny Christmas Email

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 01, 2005
RE: Christmas Party

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be an open bar & plenty of food We'll have a small band playing traditional carols ... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00pm. Exchange of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pocket. This gathering is only for employees! Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!
Merry Christmas to you & your family.
Patty


FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 02, 2005
RE: Holiday Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday, which often coincides w/Christmas, tho unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're calling it our "Holiday Party." The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians or those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree. No Christmas carols sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment.
Happy now?
Happy Holidays to you & your family.
Patty


FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All Employees
DATE: December 03, 2005
RE: Holiday Party

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table ... you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only"; you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?
Somebody?
Forget about the gift exchange, no gift exchange is allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money & executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.
NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.


FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
To: All Employees
DATE: December 04, 2005
RE: Holiday Party

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating & drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party - or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work? Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet & pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit w/each other. Lesbians do not have to sit w/Gay men, each will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table. To the person asking permission to cross dress, no cross-dressing allowed tho we will have booster seats for short people. Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in the food we suggest for those people w/high blood pressure to taste 1st. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant cannot supply "No Sugar" desserts. Sorry!
Did I miss anything?!?!?
Patty


FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO: All F***king Employees
DATE: December 05, 2005
RE: The F***ing Holiday Party

Vegetarian pricks I've had it w/you people!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death," as you so quaintly put it, & you'll get your f***ing salad bar, including organic tomatoes. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW! I hope you all have a rotten holiday! Drive drunk & die,
The Bitch from HELL!!!


FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE: December 06, 2005
RE: Patty Lewis & Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery & I'll continue to forward your cards to her. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party & give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off w/full pay.
Happy Holidays!

Angle-less

I have just spent around 3 hours working on my PhD research proposal. I will not be applying to Cambridge for my PhD because I dislike the department and the deadline already passed two days ago. I am thinking of applying to only one UK university and nothing else. If I apply here in the USA, I will have to take the GRE. So, my future looks gray and sad. Very depressing.
Anyways, I plan to do it on women and international law. In essence, I want to see how women are and can use customary international law to bring lawsuits for human rights violations done against them during times of war (and even times of peace). I already did the first draft covering the intro, questions, how will be learned, why it must be study, and literary review. I spent 3 hours doing that.

Then I read a book review where someone else has already done the same topic. *sigh*
I have no energy right now to look for another 'angle.'
I will have to do that tomorrow... along with the other 10 things that I need to do.

for dying young I'm already too old

Random Sunday:

1. Christian the Lion -- get your Kleenex.



2. The "Times" did the "Top Ten Everything 2008" Interesting if you have free (or not so free) time to waste. I am glad for "best TV episode" it was of a show that I actually watch -- Lost-- and the best episode was "The Constant." I couldn't agree more.

3. I have found this very useful website -- http://www.yakitome.com -- if you want to convert text to mp3 without a character limit.

4. Ever want to convert YouTube videos to mp3's? Fear not, use www.vid2mp3.com

5. Quote of the Day: «On pardonne moins aux femmes qu'aux hommes.» «En politique, il y a encore des procès en légitimité instruits contre les femmes. Nous autres, on a moins le droit à l'erreur...», poursuit-elle, ajoutant que «Rama (Yade) tout comme Rachida (Dati) sont des femmes franches et courageuses». by Valérie Pécresse Minister of Higher Education in France.

6. Album Critique: Of Ricardo Arjona's new cd "Quinto Piso", the only two good songs are "Vuelo" and "Tocando Fondo." The rest are cliches and repetitions.

Venting

One of the things that I greatly dislike is waisting time on books that are useless. Here I am reading "Represented Communities Fiji and World Decolonization". I thought the book was about the history of Fiji. No. The book is a rebuke of Benedict Anderson's book "Imagined Communities." The problem: I have never read Anderson's book and the book was written from an anthropology point of view. I have realized that since starting the CIS, I have read many books while angry. Of course, that means that I have no concentration. Why am I angry? Not at the book, I am sure it is fine, but for being assigned a book that is impossible to understand since I have NOT read Anderson's book. How the hell am I supposed to follow such book?
150 more pages of hell to go :(

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I know it was yesterday the anniversary but I found this two cool video on YouTube, and I wanted to share.

I want to return there

It is quite amazing how strange and familiar everything looks. I have lived in Massachusetts for a very long time and, yet, I am getting (re)used to all my old habits. My room is just like I left it. My town is just as I left it... so are the people. Boston greeted me with a 20 F weather, about 20 degrees less than in Cambridge. Here is how the past three days went:

CAMBRIDGE:

Monday - 2:30am : I knew I had to wake up at 3am to call a taxi that would drive me to "Park Side" were the bus station is. I didn't sleep the whole time. I was too nervous and anxious to sleep, so I got out of my bed at 2:30am and got myself ready. I packed 9 books that I need (the other I will get in the library here), and because I didn't have a scale, I didn't knew if I would pass the 50 pounds mark. So, when it came to clothes, I packed very lightly. As in, I will be wearing the same clothe for a month here. One pair of socks, one shirt, one pants...etc. I put all that inside a backpack that I have... I was also carrying my laptop, my camera, and my purse. I called the taxi around 3am, but for some reason the phone number didn't work. I dreaded the fact that I wuold have to walk to the Porter's Lodge at Newnham which was a 7 min walk with all the things on top of me. However, I found another 800 number that worked. I waited outside my house for the taxi because I didn't want to miss it. It took around 5 minutes until it reached me. Being inside the taxi and watching the streets/buildings in Cambridge was very strange for me. All I could think of was my first day in Cambridge and how everything was new to me. Yet, inside that taxi, Cambridge became home to me. It was when I was leaving Cambridge where everything made sense. I told myself... 'oh, that is where I buy my chocolate... and there is my department... and this is the street where I go to the language center...". Cambridge became home while I was leaving it.

Monday 3:30am: I reached the bus stop while giving my cap driver a 4 GBP tip. He thought it was too much and was surprised. I told him I didn't needed it where I was going. I was worry that I was going to be the only one in the bus stop so early in the morning but, I was glad to see more people there. The "National Express" bus arrived there early and I was able to enter the bus and get away from the early morning cold. The buses in the UK are very comfortable (a far cry from "Peter Pan/Greyhound" buses). The bus drive was going to be 3 hours long. It made various stops along the way... it also went to another airport to drop and pick up people.

Monday 6ish am: I don't remember at what time I arrived at Heathrow. It was my first time traveling alone, so I was very eager to get everything done just right. I walked a long way until reaching Terminal 3 with all my luggage on top of me. I was walking like penguin. When I reached the terminal, I was outside in the freezing cold looking for my flight information which wasn't there. Many flights to the Middle and Far East... but nothing to Boston. I walked around for 5 minutes until I decided to enter some random door. Luckily, the information for Boston was there and I reached the terminal where I was able to do the check in. The guy doing the check it was very nice.

Monday 7ish am: I wonder around the terminal before deciding to enter the secure area. I was very hungry and wanted to eat but I thought there might be more restaurants in the secure area. I went thought the security check in and they were surprised with how many jackets I had on (4). As I undressed I told them that I had to wait for the bus outside, and that I was sick, and therefore, had some many jackets on. The whole process was quick and easy.

Monday 8am: Sure enough, while I was waiting for boarding (9.10am) the secure area looked like a Mall in Christmas's day. So many stores and restaurants selling items tax free. I got a hot chocolate (horrible), and a croissant that was warm and had the texture of gum. I sat on one of the banks with around 1,000 people around me. It has always surprised me how many Indians are in Great Britain. I presumed its the same with Algerians in France. The relicts of colonialism. As I sat, I got into one of my favorites hobbies... watching the people around me. There was a guy watching a "Maxim" magazine showing it to his wife/girlfriend. Another guy had his passport in a "Louis Vuitton" purse. Many women with headscarf's. Many annoying children running around. I started to get sick (stomach), because I was sleepy and under stress. I went to the bathroom which had a huge line, and after cleaning my face and mentally calming my nerves, I started to feel better.

Monday 9:20am: Finally, I found out which gate I had to go to. It was a long 10mins walk. I wouldn't enter the airplane until 10:20, so I had to wait inside the gate. I really wanted to go to the bathroom.

ATLANTIC AIR:

Monday 10:30am: The plane didn't have many people inside, and I sat alone next to the window. People in the middle row were able to sleep right across all the seats. I travelled in "American Airlines" and let me just say that their in-fly media center sucks. Horrible movies and entertainment. Air Canada was much better. However, the food was better at "American Airlines."

Monday Time Unknown: sweaty palms. nausea. dizziness. shortness of breaths. 20 eternal minutes of turbulence.

Monday 10:30am ET: We flew via the Quebec region of Canada. I got to see to topography of the region. Very beautiful. More turbulence.

BOSTON:

Monday 12:50 pm ET: I landed in Boston! By the way, is it just me or are all custom officers extremely rude? Not only did I had a horrible ear pain and tired since I didn't slept in 24hrs hours, but here I had a guy asking me what I was doing in the USA?! And no, I am a full time student at Cambridge not an exchange student!

Monday 1:30pm: I had to wait around 30 minutes for my luggage to arrived. The 'thing" (I can't think of the name right now) that brings the luggage up to the ramp broke and we had to wait forever.

Monday 1:45pm: Saw my mom and 5 year old cousin waiting for me. :) .... and also ... I needed food.

After I arrived home and said hello to everyone, I started eating like a Somalian orphan. I went to bed at 8pm.

Tuesday:

Mostly sleep and ate. I also went to the doctor because I have an ear infection, cough, flu, etc etc. Cambridge screw me up mentally, physically, and even spiritually.

Now: I look at the books that I have to read, and I want to cry. :( I hope I can fight off the temptations of the TV and the Internet.

"They must be like our Mexicans"

I am back in Massachusetts!!! I am tired beyond believe. The fly was 7 hours long since we came from the Quebec region of Canada. Anyways, will write more about it tomorrow if I am able to wake up and ignored the physical pain.
I will leave you this with quote that I overheard from two elderly (and they looked rich) couple from Arlington, MA who sat next to me in Heathrow awaiting for the plane:

Men: "There are a lot of Indians here..."
Women: "Yes, they must be like our Mexicans"
Moi: **speechless**

I am fragile as glass

Tomorrow I will be flying off to Boston. I have compiled a list of the books that I need to read in one month over the break.

Conflict and World Politics:
"Represented Communities: Fiji and World Decolonization" p. 200.
"A Bright Shining Lie" p. 790.
Plus 15+ Articles

North Africa & Middle East:
Islam, the people and the state p. 181
Arabic thought in the liberal age p.373
Rethinking middle east politics p. 191
"Pariah States" & Sanctions in the Middle East p. 223.
the Arab predicament p. 252
Arab elites: negotiating the politics of change p.307
Over-stating the Arab state: politics and security in the Middle East p. 458.
State, power, and politics in the making of the middle east p.249.
A History of the Modern Middle East p.525
The Islamic Threat Myth or Reality? p. 289
Plus 15+ articles.

History of Thought in International Relations:
No Virtue like Necessity p. 254
A History of International Relations p. 286
Ways of War and Peace p. 502

Das Kapital
Contemporary Theory in International Relations (Hoffmann)
The Twenty Years' Crisis
Politics Among Nations
In Defense of the National Interest
The inequality of nations
Wealth of Nations
The Federalist Papers
the New olive Branch
The National System of Political Economy
... and the list goes on. The sad part is that I have looked at the assessed question from last year's exam and it has nothing to do with what I will have to read.

HAPPY VACATION!

The Voyage of Rosetta

Now that the Term is over... I can be a tourist again. I have added more pictures in the Cambridge picture folder.

Beautiful Day for Punting near Magdalene College

"Senate House" of Cambridge University

Perhaps Cambridge ugliest building, the "University Library"

It has over 9 million books.

Karma?

CNN: Simpson sentenced to at least 15 years
The Guardian: OJ Simpson jailed for 15 years

thoughts?


PS. On another note, I highly recommend this new blog called, "Racism is Over." Very funny!

Rape in a lawless land

From The Guardian:

Leah Chishugi, a nurse and survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, travels into the heart of eastern Congo to record the testimony of more than 400 women and girls abused by marauding militias.

For the video click HERE. (about 8mins long)

I am speechless. I couldn't even finish the video.

She opened the door or so she thought

Now that Michaelmas term has ended at Cambridge University. I will make a list of the good and the bad. Lets begin with the longer list:

THE BAD:
1) Center for International Studies: Where do I begin? To enumerate all the things that are wrong with the CIS would be too much. I fear that my dislike for my department is truncating everything else here at Cambridge. Perhaps I am not familair with the Cambridge educational system (what I tell myself), and therefore, I am not used to the crazy schedule or the insane amount of work that I have to do. I am not complaining about the amount of work... but having to read 6 books per week is not humanly possible. The CIS is very (painfully) disorganized. Getting in touch with a professor is an adventure. You get zero funding money. No one knows what is going on. I am just not enjoying it. Getting a PhD here is out of the question.
2) Water: I would like, just once, to get hot water in my room. :) One of the things that I most dread is having to wash my face each morning with water imported from Iceland. :)
3) Food: Yes, British food is horrible. From my calculation, I think I have lost around 6 pounds.
4) Time (or lack there of): It is amazing how 3 courses absolutely consumes my time. I haven't started my dissertation research at all. Michaelmas was only 8 weeks and Lent will only have around 3 weeks of classes and the rest for students to prepare for the final test. Eight weeks is very short for the amount of information we have to intake. In addition, I will need three professors to write a recommendation letter for me... I might as well ask the housekeeper at my house to do that, she probably knows me better. Everything here is quite pathetic.
5) Books: In some cases, 20 people need the same book. Why, oh why, doesn't the CIS make leave those books on request so they will always be inside the library and people can read it there? They can't do that because that would required logic.
6) Social Science Research Methods Course: In addition to my 3 courses, I am doing a research training program. The program is fine, I guess. Its just that since it has other deparments, it is vague and I can't seem to work the information they give me to International Relations.
7) Bike/Car Drivers: Granted Massachusetts is not the most 'bike friendly' place, when a car sees a bike he/she will go into the other lane just to avoid that biker. Here, the cars will pass inches from you going 60 mph. Very scary.
8) Internet Limit: Newnham only gives me 1 GB of Internet in a 'rolling' basis. Not enough for a YouTube lover like me. I am on the verge everyday.
9) Seminars: I compare being at my seminars to flagellation or being burn alive.

THE GOOD:
1) Newnham College: Perhaps what I have liked most about this experience is my College. When I enter Newnham's premises, my whole outlook changes and I feel so much at peace here. I love the library! My flatmates are wonderful and I am very lucky to be with such a group of wonderful women. The fact that Newnham is an all-women's college makes it even better! Newnham has made this experience more tolerable. I am a Newnhamite!
2) Classmates: My classmates at the CIS are very nice and we all get along very well. They are fun to be around.
3) Lectures: Both 'outside' lectures from guess scholars coming to Cambridge and the lectures by my professors at the CIS are very good. I only wish I had more time to attend 'outside' lectures because they all sound very interesting.
5) Recycling: Granted it took me forever to get used to the strict recycling rules... I admire the city of Cambridge for it. We should do this back at home.
6) Language Centre: I got into the habit of going to the Language Centre here at Cambridge every Tuesday and Thursday in the morning. I stopped the last two weeks because I've been busy doing essays, but I really like going to the centre. I think it is one of the few times when I am relax and I enjoy what I do.

Ranking of Michaelmas term: 4/10

Whales Riding Bikes

Premium parking at Cambridge University! I don't know if you can tell my this picture but the label on the red bike says "Vertigo." :) I am kind of a big deal here.

Cambridge has many museums, and sadly, I haven't been able to visit any of them. However, this one has a big whale outside. Surely you can't miss it!

Inside the museum, there was a chorus rehearsal. Quite nice (I took the pictures from outside the museum, and I was still able to listen).

Do you remember those times where, old friend

Follow up to the post: French Politicians as Facebook Friends ( 13 July 2008)

As I have mentioned previously, there are some French politicians who are on Facebook. For what I can tell they are legit. They mostly use it to promote their legislation/meetings and such. I just got an update that Jean Louis Borloo accepted my Facebook request. I am still waiting for Rachida Dati to do the same (I have requested her about a month ago). I must say that a little piece of my heart is broken because she doesn't want to be my Facebook friend. Was it the not so positive coverage she gets in this blog? Surely that cannot be... oh wait. Never mind. The only Facebook friend that might be fake is that of Cécilia Ciganer-Albéniz just because she joins way too much pro-Sarkozy groups that should make Carla Bruni... worry. So far, here are the people that I have: Jacques Attali, Michel Barnier (he is always inviting me to join his groups!), Xavier Bertrand (he was over 5,000 Facebook friends... makes me jealous), Christian Estrosi, François Hollande (people call him 'comrade'), Roger Karoutchi, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, and Valérie Pécresse.

the sky was cruised by galleons, dolphins, comets, feluccas

Tomorrow is the last day of class for me. It will be a glorious day. Then, until Sunday, I will be a tourist again.

Picture of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

"The Mill" pub in Mill Lane. To the left is the picture of the TV in my house. It only has four channels and uses an antenna. Welcome to the 21th Century!

The old with the new. It was actually when I took this picture a couple days ago that I saw that bridge connecting those two buildings! To the left is a picture of "Granta River" when it has a lot of water!

you left it some points below Kafka's

A couple of things:

1) Today is "World's AIDS Day" It goes without saying how damaging this pandemic has been to the world. Please donate money if you can and/or protect yourself!

2) A Preview for "Damages" second season!!!!!!! (there are more on YouTube)





To say that it's brilliant does not do justice to how magnificent this show is. I hope they show it on BBC here in the UK. I really really want to see it!!!!!

3) I dislike... Cambridge University. I feel better now that I said it.

4) I am very happy that Sen. Hillary Clinton was nominated Secretary of State. Seeing her today on the news reminded me of the neocons who called the end of her political career when she lost the primaries. Yet, she is still at the top. I really really like her and I don't care what anyone else thinks!

5) Actually, I hate Cambridge.