April, May, June... JULY!

Wow!! Sooo much to catch up on. I realize this is now becoming a quarterly thing so I'll try to give the highlights as to not inundate you too much! Well the last four months have been pretty crazy! I'm finally relaxing now after an insane amount of schoolwork, travel and... well mostly those two things haha...


So MARCH // APRIL--

Finally finished up the hellacious winter term and ended up passing my classes haha, I got the highest grade in my Labor Rights Governance, Decent Work, and Global Value Chains class! The other two I survived but oh well!!! So after the usual procrasination (finishing 4 papers in 3 days, you know the drill). One of my dearest friend's Abby came over the pond for a couple weeks!


VENICE AND CROATIA
We went to Venice and Croatia. Were delighted by the most delictible gnocci, pastas, risottos, lemoncello and vino and gorgeous architecture and fun shopping in Venice. Then we trained to Trieste and took the overnight bus to Spilt, Croatia! Now Croatia is spectacular! Ancient Roman structures on the turquoise Aegean, nice people, lots of coffee and a mix of heavy eastern european and italian-like pastas and seafood. I had a black seafood risotto that turned my mouth and teeth black hehe! We hung around Diocletian's Palace, this walled in Roman structure from the 1st or 2nd century, a labyrinth of stone houses, restaurants, businesses and museums. It is a UNESCO heritage sight and definitely one to be seen! We took the ferry over to Hvar island one day too which was absolutely spectacular. Also a labrynth of stone houses and walkways on a hillside with a beautiful little harbor and a Ventian fortress thousands of years old up on the top of the hill. The gorrrgeous clear turqoise and all shades of blue ocean sparkled from below. My only regret was it wasn't quite warm enough to swim. So great!


Me in Venice!










MÜNCHEN, GERMANY
The day we got back to The Hague my friend Nick who is from Munich invited me and Abby to come with him and our friend Johsa to his house in Munich for the Easter week. Sooo we turned around and the next day drove 10 hours to Munich and were absolutely delighted!! I LOVE THAT CITY. It is gorgeous architechture, the people are so friendly and jovial. We spent time in an awesome beer garden in the big park, English Garden (i think it is called) one night, went on a pretty lake hike, to a lakeside mini-Versailles, one of crazy king Ludvig's inventions. In his search for absolute power and imitation of Napoleon he ended up bankrupting Bavaria with all of his castles, but did leave some pretty impressive structures! They are pretty gorgeous (one of them is the "sleeping beauty castle" Disney used for his design!) We also got spoiled by Nick's parents who shared some amaaazing Bavarian food and other-worldly lindt chocolate easter truffles and bunnys with us. I definitely grew a much greater appreciation for meat on this adventure, I even ate Venison! The way they prepare it is such a delicious mix of savory and delicate flavors and perfect cooking... mmmm!!






APRIL
HOLLAND
Back in Holland after my extended Spring break I started on a new term with a class in Global Governance and one on Human Rights for a change! It was refreshing to hear from a more optimistic stance some attempts and acheivements of justice that people are working towards (besides just structural injustices that are near-impossible to effect). I also learned a lot about civil society and am really inspired by people's trans-national efforts to organize and challenge the seemingly overwhelming power of Market in particular. Besides school I also kept busy with some fun things like the KEUKENHOFF, the largest tulip fields in the world! So pretty, holland's version of disneyland with flower fields, fried ham and cheese sandwiches and waffle's, and windmills of course!





A huge annual holiday as well is QUEEN's DAY, the biggest celebration of the year and self-proclaimed biggest street fair in the world. To celebrate the Queen's birthday everyone (literally) in the country dresses up in orange and partys in the streets. That is about it. Queens night is in The Hague, and Queen's Day in in Amsterdam. Besides the free outdoor concerts and delish street food, there is huuuge outdoor market where anyone can sell the old stuff they want to get rid of I bought 3 pairs of shoes for less than 10 dollars! A great day indeed! It was so busy there were literally millions of people on every single street in AMS, even the canals were clogged up with boats. I tried to stay with a group of 10 people but we were literally shoulder to shoulder with everyone and it wasn't possible! So fun tho. The night before I threw a huge party for my school Queen's Night complete with orange decorations and face painting! I drew lots of little Dutch flags and crowns haah! Then afterwards everyone headed to the streets to celebrate with everyone else, it was so cool!




MAY
The USA, Twice!
Well May came along and besides school I went to some fun concerts- Metric, a canadian indy band came to AMS so a bunch of friends and I went to that, very fun!

I found out in mid-may that my dear Uncle Steve who had been battling with cancer for a year passed away, so our whole family picked up where we were and met up in Gig Harbor, WA to be together and celebrate the amazing, funny, inspiring life he lived. It was so wonderful to be together and to remember such a wonderful person. He always had a joke, was the most competitive person I know and truly put his family first. We can all learn a lot from him!! It was so great to be with my immediate family, Grandma, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and friends, I think we all really loved it. A very sad reason to meet but a very happy gathering nonetheless! Washington was as green and beautiful as ever, and sunny too!

Little Steve, Big Steve, and Pop


I was on the West Coast for 5 days, returned to Holland, and a week later headed to the other Washington, DC, for another 5 days for another of my dearest friend, Kristina's Wedding!! She married Zach, another fabulous person who she met from a study abroad program she and he both did in DC- where they now live and work. It was sooo wonderful to celebrate and be with her and some of the most awesome friends ever (a lot from our study abroad trip in Costa Rica). We all had a sunny memorial day weekend blast with bachelorettes, manicures, shopping, a bit of sightseeing and of course great meals! DC in the spring is wonderful! I also got to stay with my friend Jenny who lives in Alexandria, VA and be inspired by her and her husband who have been doing service missions to the Ukraine and Ethiopia. I am so lucky to know such wonderful people!






BELGIUM
Two transatlatic flights in two weeks was a bit rough, but before I even had a chance to recover from jetlag, it was off to another country- BELCIUM! Now whoever thinks Belgium and the Netherlands are the same are quite wrong!! It is like yin and yang, the attention to detail and quality, the chocolate, gourmet food down to the selection of bread truly is luxurious! I went on a class trip with my Labor Rights specialization (who has informally adopted me), and we visited another development institute in Antwerp, a beautiful ancient little town with cobbled streets and 17th century buildings. We also went to Brussels and met with some NGO's, a Trade Union, and the EU commission. That night was an outdoor Jazz festival so I ended up eating Moules et friets (mussels and fries) with a couple of my professors drinking kriek (the most DELICIOUS cherry beer) and having good convo. Gradschool isn't all bad after all haha! A classmate and I stayed for an extra day and ate fresh waffles, chocolate, and did some shopping, so fun! I LOVED the French too, ah so beautful, must learn!!





JUNE
Well that catches me up to last month... The first two weeks of June I was literally in solitary confinement slaving away at the schoolwork I had neglected in my various journeys. The social committee threw a Summer kick off BBQ for our students which went really well, complete with Halal meat for the Muslims.. It was great! We all needed it with finals and the never ending load of papers!

25th BIRTHDAY
I only took a break to celebrate my 25th birthday!!! I am officially a quarter century! I feel good though, and the time leading up to it was good so I could contemplate where I am and where I want to be in my life. I celebrated in my favorite way, at a Mexican Restaurant... where the people thought I was turning 16!!! HAHA!! My friend's told the waiter it was my birthday and he wanted to ask my age so he could put it on the birthday cake he was going to bring out, and I told him to guess... and he guessed 16! For the first time in my life it DIDN't OFFEND me hahaha!






ATHENS
With that slight respite, I persevered with all of my papers and finished up with just 30 minutes to spare to take a shower and pack for my trip to GREECE! My International Poliical Economy Specialization organized a class study trip to Athens. I was supposed to be there for 5 days but because of some scheduling snafus I only ended up being able to be there 3 days b/c my mom was coming. It all worked out tho- hot gorgeous weather, Blluuue blue blue warm salty mediterranean, chicken euros, greek salad and tzaiki and ouzo all complimented the class visits we took to different NGO's, professors, and even the communist party of Greece! I also saw the Parthenon which was sooooo cool! The view from the top of the Acropolis of thousands of year old temples, sports stadiums, theatres and the sprawling city and ocean beyond was truly breathtaking! I really loved it. It made me miss my trip to the Greek Islands my grandma took me my sister and cousin on when I was 16... so amazing!!





RUSSIA!!
So the day I flew home from Greece, my mom flew into Amsterdam! Due to a flight delay my poor mom had to wait worridly for a few hours in Schipol (the AMS airport) having no idea where I was, but it finally worked out! We got back to my place at around 11pm, then heading to RUSSIA the next morning at 7am! Another quick turnaround... but sooooo so worth it.

Russia deserves a post in itself, so I will do that. (see previous blog post)


JULY
KÖLN, GERMANY
After we got back, my mom and I hung around the Netherlands a bit- went over to Delft, went on some beautiful beach walks and saw some of the Hague sights. Then we went to my still currently favorite European Country, and a part of our ethic heritage- Germany!! It was great! We went to Cologne, only a 4 or so train ride away and explored the city and its culinary delights among other things. We went to the Chocolate museum right on the Rhine River... As far as museums goes, this is really a good one. It goes from all of the biological background, to the political economy issues of trade, fair trade etc, to the production- a mini-lindt factory inside, and also commercial history and origns in the Aztecs. So fun! My mom also inadvertently got to experience her first gay pride parade! I kind of was clued that it might be a special weekend from the massive amounts of stereotypically looking homosexual outfits, men with tight leather shorts and mesh tank tops, women with plaid shirts, rainbow flags and the like, but there was also a massive parade. Mostly lots of dancing, some cross dressing, they were just having a good time! Mom got a little more than she bargained for, but at least got to see a good 'ol fashioned European street festival! Lots of food and street vendors and the like.







BIKING AND BELGIUM
She took off a couple weeks ago, and my good friend Adrienne from Highschool came over for a week- we had intended to bike to Belgium but because of the very changable and poor weather forecast we ended up doing a few day trips from the hague- to Delft and Noordwijke, a beautiful seaside town north of here about at 20-30KM ride from here through some beautiful dunes and parks. Then we took the train to Brugges, in Belgium and did some absolutely gorgeous countryside rides, with beautiful canals, windmills, sheep and cows, little villages... the type of ride you would sterotypicaly imagine doing in the european countryside. Wow! We also stopped at a little cafe in the town of Damme, to hide from the rain and i literally had the BEST cappuchino with fresh cow's milk and coffee, divine freshly made chocolate mouuse with flakes of just made chocolate and whipped cream and a little cookie. It was to die for!! Brugge calls itself the "medevial capital of the world" and I wouldn't doubt it- it still holds much historic charm with lots of canals, ancient brick buildings, windmills, churches. Take a look at the pictures for yourself- so cute!! We stopped by Antwerp on our way back yesterday and she just headed out this morning!









NOW: RESEARCH PAPER and OXFAM!
Sooo all of that to say- what am I actually doing now besides a little school and a lot of travel?! Well, the school part I finished in June- the course work at least. Now we are full time in Research Paper (RP) mode time. I think I had mentioned previously about wanting to look at a Nicaraguan peasant movement, Asotraedexan, however the funding I applied for fell through. It was pretty defeating for a while but my supervisor encouraged me to instead of looking from the perspective of 'the people' (which I really would have prefered to do, where my heart is) rather take an nuanced approach, and look at issues of civil society from the place of power instead as I am in Holland and there are lots of powerful organizations here I could gain from studying (which in the future can help me to know this perspective if I go back to working with people like I hope to). I still wanted to examine Corporate Social Responsibility and see how non-state actors engage with it inspite of its bad reputation. T thought I would narrow it down to how civil society (non-state, non-market actors) aim to influence the market theoretically, so for a specific case study wanted to look how a particular NGO works with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) type of programs and policies.

Thus I have been in communication with Oxfam Novib, the Dutch branch of Oxfam International, one of the more influential international Non-Governmental Organizations. I have been meeting with some of their staff working on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) issues and we have agreed for me to study their work and interventions on the Cocoa value chain, particularly their work in the Ivory Coast. Yes, I am studying CHOCOLATE for my Thesis! How perfect, no?!

So far I have really enjoyed getting to work with these guys and can't wait to see what I come up with. It is easy to be critical of such big organizations with so many goals but I really do think at least the employees I have met are really working with a good heart with effective goals, so it will be interesting to see what I learn! I will be working on this full time- directly with Oxfam for the next 6 weeks, then turn in my first draft of my thesis by mid-september. The final draft is due in November.

After the Oxfam work is done I might intern for the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, another NGO that does some really interesting and innovative development research and activism on topic. I also just got a babysitting job, yay for income! I am going to be watching a 15 month old boy and 3 year old boy from an Australian family. Should be an adventure, but I am so happy to feel productive again, I am up for the challenge!


Final Thoughts (if you've even made it this far haha!)

The past few months have definitely been great, especially the traveling, but in spite of the fun I have also been really struggling to deal with some depressing stuff about the hopelessness of the world system. I wanted to study the world system to see what makes the world work, idealistically believing there must be some easy fix that can align it just right to make the world a better place for everyone. Sadly I really don't think that will ever happen, certainly not through politics and absolutely not through economics at least in our present system.

However, I also know these aren't the only things that determine and drive how our world runs, and there are intangible things that cannot be given or taken away with money or power. In spite of these systems there are dynamic people groups and social movements which do still maintain a sense of hope and genuinity that honestly wish to enact change and justice for our world. The "system" is not entirely evil, and can be used for good means but is not, cannot, and will never be the end all for how we as humans are to exist. Meh, lots of esoteric pondering, but bottom line is I kind of felt like I had lost hope for a while, but I feel it gradually coming back and have a greater realization that I can only do what I can, and I can try to act in the best way possible in what I personally do and there are other people doing the same thing, and I should surround myself with those people. In spite of the insurmountable problems and injustices we can and still dare to believe that there is hope and that positive action and change is possible, because if not, we have nothing.

Margaret Mead says, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

Gandhi says, "Whenever I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have always been tyrants and murders, and for a time they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail."

I can only hope these two people are correct and choose to live in hope and solidarity with other like-minded people. Kinda stuff I knew before, but have again learned in a much deeper way.

Well, that is about it for here!! If you made it this far reading- congrats! We'll see what these next few months bring, and I will try to write a little more frequently to make it easier on both of us! As far as post-ISS, I'm not entirely certain of where life will bring me, but I am currently really thinking about Seattle or San Diego!

Take care, keep in touch! I miss all of you a lot and hope you are enjoying the spectacular summers!!!

Lots of love,
Ruth :)

March madness and February fun!

Hi Everybody!

Wow I can’t believe it’s been January since I wrote last… that’s how busy this crazy term has been! Ahhh!

Gosh, on the school front I’ve had a bit of a roller coaster… In learning the intricate details of the world trading and financial systems in my economics of globalization class I've even more despairingly realized how structurally unfair and intrinsically selfish our world systems are…. Studying that stuff is NOT for the faint of heart! I was already quite critical beforehand about how Developed countries have unfairly gained at the loss of the developed world, but really didn’t know to what extent it actually occurs :( Hard stuff! If you’re curious look into the inner workings of WTO, and how in cases where economic rights are set against human or environmental rights, $$ always wins, and some terrifying stuff about TRIPS (Trade-related-intellectual-property-rights) where patents are set on everything from food to medicine at the disadvantage of all but the patent owner… leading to decreasing biodiversity, unaffordability of medicine etc, etc, etc… If you’re interested I can send you some more info… ghastly!

Thank God my other classes was quite enjoyable! I took a class on Labor rights governance, decent work, and global value chains. This was a LOT more down to earth and hopeful that my economics class. We also go to go on class trips to factories in Amsterdam, have some roundtable discussions with different business corporate social responsibility/union/NGO heads and really appreciated the “real world” aspect of that, and seeing how workers rights can be and are being pursued. My other class, discourse analysis was enjoyable too. I learned about how in any given situation or even there are different “discourses”, views, slants, and how to analyze them a bit. My group did a “visual analysis” of two sets of photos from the Iraq war, one of daily Iraqi life from a British soldier and the other from an embedded photographer in the US army who was dis-embedded after publishing some photos from a bombing the US didn’t approve of. Interesting to see the many views, and not necessarily how one was “right” or “wrong”, but how they engage their surroundings and how their photography reflects that.

That’s about it for school!

For fun times, wow, as hard as school has been I’ve definitely found my way to cope through various trips, parties, sports and concerts! Europe really is good for all four. I mentioned going ot Ireland in my last slide, that was quite fun. In February I ended up going ot Scotland and visited my good amigo simon! We hung out in Edinburgh for a bit did some Scottish road-tripping and saw castles and some fun nightlife. Beautiful, green country up there! Everything is so ancient, pretty much every building is built from ancient looking stones, there are tiny stone fences demarcating ancient fields with sheep and other livestock, massive yellow peat and green grass fields decorate the hilly landscape. It definitely has a distinctive Scottish flavour!


[Beautiful Aberdeen Scottish seaside Castle!]


The weekend after on a whim some friends and I packed up and went to Germany for the day for Europe’s biggest Carnival festival in Cologne! It was SO FUN! The first time I’ve been to the ‘ol homeland, and it did NOT disappoint! Everyone from the elderly to babies were dressed in outrageous costumes, the streets were filled with people milling around and eating deliiiicous bratwurst and tasty German beer. It was sooo fun! My original goal was to eat a bratwurst every time I saw a stand, but that two times haha… after 2 giant sausage sandwiches in 10 minutes I had to take a breather. I washed it down with some of the best beer I’ve ever tasted! Soooo cool! I definitely can’t wait to go back and explore Germany more. I think when my mom comes this summer we are going to go for a few days! (We also are planning a Russia trip!!! Thanks to some VERY awesome, amazing angel investors (you know who you are!) I am going ot have THE chance of a lifetime to visit the land of Tolstoy, Vodka and little dolls that stack into each other!!! :D). More to come on that front…


[Some friends and I DEVOURING those MOUTHWATERING delishhhh bratwursts in Cologne @ Carnival!]


Anywho back to Holland, So I got back from Germany, the biggest other event was this AMAZING Trance concert, Trance Energy in Ultrect, the biggest Trance concert in the world with the best DJ’s, including Armin Van Buren! :D Ohhh it was great! The weekend before I hosted this big open mic event at my school! It was so cool, I’d say at least half the school came (100+ people) and had acts from all continents from my friend’s chick rock band, to an Indian Man singing a song, to African creation stories. It was a huge hit! I think we’ve no choice but to host another one!


[Me hosting Open Mic night!]



[Armin Van Buurennnn!!!! :D]


The other “fun” I’ve had is regarding Surfing!!! I finally buckled down and got the proper winter gear, 5mm wetsuit, booties, hood and gloves, and the North Sea is in my reach again! I even surfed in a Blizzard! I also moved to the beach in the beginning of February (15 min bike ride to school) and my room has a view of the North Sea! It is SO great! I can check the surf from my window! I have a studio-style apartment with little kitchen and bathroom (with skylights! I’m on the top of a 3 story building). It has been SO NICE! When the weather gets better too, it’s going to be even more perfect! The ‘ol bike commute is pretty cool too. One thing I love about Holland is the status bikes get, nearly every road has its own adjacent bike path with its own set of lights and cross walks. It’s so cool! I’m so happy my carbon footprint is like zero, or negative with the plants I have now hehe! There is bike rush hour in the morning and evenings, hundreds of people on the bike paths on their way to school or work, in skits, suits, with children on the back or front… Hahah! I love it! In the US you would be ridiculed if you rode your bike to a bar or club, but here, it’s common place! (and usually better b/c if you miss the last tram, no worries!) Haha!


[View of the North Sea from my room, in Schevenignen, Den Haag, Holland] :)


[Me surfing in a blizzard, the white stuff on the sand is SNOW!]



So the exciting plans I have for the upcoming months are… Abby, one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world is coming to visit in a couple weeks!!! We are both SO excited! We’re going to go to Italy and Croatia for a week, and maybe then also a couple days in a nearby country over Easter weekend (maybe France, Belgium, or Germany). It’s gong to be soooo fun!! I seriously can’t wait! We haven’t nailed out the Itinerary yet, but we’re flying into Milan, we’ll probably head up to Venice for a bit and then maybe take a boat (or bus if that doesn’t work) over to Croatia and explore the unknownnnnn…. :D It’s going to be GREAT!

Oh yah, and back to the reason I’m here, school haha… We’re starting the process of narrowing our thesis topics! I found a really cool peasant movement in Nicaragua, the process of how former Dole banana plantation workers, illegally exposed to pesticides that made them sterile and gave them disease, were able to non-violently protest (camping out for months across the street from the Nicaraguan National Assembly) and get the Nicaraguan government to pass a law that allowed them to sue Dole. They did, and won their case for over 400 million dollars in damages, but Dole refused to acknowledge it, so then in a landmark case were able to take it to a US court and win! (Usually foreign workers are not able to sue US companies in US courts due to “forum non conveniens” which states that the case must be seen in the country where it took place.. a usual easy write off for evil corporations… not this time!!!) :D I am trying to find what angle I want to take with this, whether it be from a socio-legal, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), or Social Movement perspective (or a mix of the above)…. In any case, this case, these peasants who non-violently, unrelentingly pursued justice in the midst of such daunting obstacles really did wonders for me when I was about to give up on the hopelessness of the world system.. thank God for them, and may all other such oppressed peoples be able to equally find justice!

Hmmm yah so that was my past couple months! I’m on study break now! After another round of brutal finals I have one more round of classes (one of Global Governance, and the other on Human Rights, yay!). Then it’s RP (Research Paper) time! I’m not sure if I will do field work or not, I applied to a program for funding but unfortunately didn’t get it... however I think I might rather stay here and get an internship somewhere instead! I’m serrrrriously missing the “real world” as my mind drifts through the seas of academia! I miss the human contact, knowing that my work is directly affecting and improving people’s lives around me. That is really important for me! Although I’m glad I will have my masters and hopefully the greater opportunities resulting from it, I certainly cannot wait to be done in some respects as well. Life’s all about trade offs tho, so it’s all good! I still want to master French too… I might try to work something out with that in my summer plans as well, but we’ll see! :) I’m going to DC in May too for another bestest amiga, Kristinita’s, wedding! Yayyyy!!!! Can’t waaaaait chica! :D

As far as future plans goes, I still have until December to decide… I’ve really been trying to soul-search on it, and of course it is all subject to change… but today I kind of had an ephiphany that I miss home! The Northwest, Seattle, my familyyyy, mountains, water and ocean, the green, springing life that emanates from every crack and crevice year round, the fresh earthy air, the coffee, the world consciousness, the implicit respect and connection with nature and indigenous peoples that is just intermingled into the geography and culture, the good people and distinctive ease of Northwest living… I’m not saying it’s for sure…. But if I can at all find a decent job I might just want to head back home! It will be about 4 years since I’ve lived there… there is just something special about it that really connects with my soul. :) We’ll see! If not there I’d of course be very happy to return to San Diego again as well as perhaps the Bay Area…. But who knows now! It would be nice to pay off my student loans in Euros if the dollar plummets… but we’ll see what options or opps are out there… If anyone hears of super cool organizations or jobs that make real, beneficial, hopeful impact and social change in the world (and ideally pays well and has int’l travel opportunities), pass it on! :)

Ok that’s it for me! I'm definitely learning how to ride the wave of life... it isn't always happy and good, but the challenges help me to reflect on how to do things better... and it is still pretty dang good most the time! :D I am seriously blessed with some awesome people and experiences here, I feel soooo lucky! I hope you all are doing fantastically in your respective corners as well! I know the world is going through a bit of a tumble at the moment, and I hope none of you are too negatively affected. If for nothing else it’s a good time to remember and orient ourselves on what is important to us (both material and non-material) and how we can arrange our lives around that! Ok, take care! I miss you all lots and think about y'all mucho!

Much love and care from across the world!!!
Ruth

PS Here is a link to a photo album from the past couple months:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=3&aid=2053247&l=e0957&id=42900799 :)

PPS - I uploaded a link to one of my fave prof's photography website, take a look, he has some interesting stuff!

PPPS - New Poll! Vote for your opinion on where I should move post-grad schoool (comments are welcome too hehe) [on right side of page]

PPPPS - I finally posted a pic of Black Pete (Zwarte Piet) for you all to see in my December Blog... slightly disturbing!)

New Prez, New Motivation, New year!

Dear Friends and Family!

Happy New Year / (Belated) Holidays / New Chapter in US history! 2009 is already quite the year, hey? I meant to get all of this out earlier, but better late than never!

My school cruelly made finals after the Christmas holidays so after coming back to the NL after a wonderful couple of weeks home, I was in super study mode (playing catch up for the first term). After a little less than a week of waking up at 5-7 am and studying for 10-14 hours straight I felt pretty confident after my exams! I wasn't sure if I still had it, but I think after that I am officially back in the academic groove.

My trip home was so wonderful. I only wish it could have been longer and I could have seen more of you all! I did manage to make it up to Vancouver, BC to see Becky and Leighton (sis and bro-in-law). Our family celebrated a deliiiicious Christmas dinner complete with turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and my favorite- cranberry sauce shaped like a can. That's the kind of stuff you just can't find over here haha! So yummy!! We were also blessed with masssssive amounts of snow there and in Washington... A white Christmas, finally! :)

The rest of the break I pretty much relaxed, reflected, and really loved catching up with my family! I saw some good friends too in Gig Harbor, Seattle, and Portland which was fantastic :).

I headed back to the Netherlands just in time for New Years Eve, which I celebrated in the streets of Amsterdam. Electronic music was pumping, there were giant screens showing the count-down, thousands of crazy people were dancing on the streets, sidewalks, (pretty much anywhere you can find a place to stand or climb!), fireworks were blasting from people on the ground and way up in the air... truly unforgettable! Holland really does NYE justice! :)

After my insane week of studying and finals, to celebrate the hard work and take advantage of the few days off, my friend Elrich and I went to Dublin for the 2nd weekend in January. It was SO exciting to finally be back on the green isle! On my first trip there was when I was 16, and of all the European countries visited in the trip, I think Ireland was my favorite! We stayed with a friend in Dublin and did the city thing, saw Trinity college/book of kells/the Dublin castle/ Temple Bar area/ Stephen's Green park / Grafton street shopping / Delicious Pub food and Guinness of course! Good times!

We also went to Howth, a little village on the Eastern coast. That was probably my highlight. There was this ancient church ruin from ~1000ad, some amazing sights of these green islands and the village built upon the green hillside. We walked through twisty tiny streets to find food, and drank Guiness the way it was meant to be drunk- in Ireland itself, in a tiny local pub! So great!!! I kept my eyes peeled for leprechauns the whole time... I didn't explicitly see any per se, but I did see a rainbow on my way to the airport the last day! Perfect! That pot of gold was nearly in sight ;)

Now I'm back in the Hague, doing the student thing again. I must say I have a new sense of motivation in the new year. I am taking classes I really love, I have an idea of my what I want to do my thesis on, and am just soaking up being able to interact with profs and students who are really informed/influential in the Development Field. I am feeling great about my decision to go here.

My classes this term are on the Economics of Globalization, Discourse Analysis, and Labour Rights Governance/Global Value Chains. The last class I particularly enjoy because that I decided is the area I wish to write my thesis on. I am thinking of orienting my research around the idea of greater/more cohesive governance for Corporate Social Responsibility... trying to work with existing international and national frameworks to use businesses to promote welfare. I am not sure how I will narrow it all down yet, but it feels great to have a basic idea and framework to orientate my studies! It is especially great too because it builds off my previous studies of International Business. I'm really excited about the possibilities!

I also am now officially the chair of our school's Social Committee! I decided I have enough fun and organize enough parties already for my friends and I, I may as well translate that for all students to benefit! So far we've planned some great parties from Open Mic nights and summer Beach Volleyball Tournaments/BBQ's to Iron Chef food competitions and ISS Idol... a singing contest based on the American Idol model hahah... Should be great!

Now I just need really need a job so I can keep up this traveling thing! (It's unsurprisingly not nearly as easy to find a job here... I am working on it but I sure miss good 'ol craigslist!) My friend and I discovered that it is only ~230 dollars to fly to Moscow... now that would be an adventure! And with my love for Tolstoy, it would be a dream come true! I actually have a little trip planned for Scotland in February- see my good friend Simon... I arrive Friday February 13th and we already have a haunted city tour planned... Supposedly Edinburgh is the most haunted city in the Europe (or the world maybe?) Should be SPOOKY!!!! :D I also reallllly hope to make it to Washington DC in May for my best friend, Kristina's wedding! I also have tickets to one of the biggest Trance (Electronic) concerts of the year in Ultrecht this March. Armin Van Buren and Paul Van Dyk- arguably 2 of the most famous Trance DJ's in the world will be there along with many others... Holland is renowned for its electronic music, I can't wait to experience a concert with the best!!! :D So many exciting things coming up!

I must say 2009 has already started off with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for both my studies and living life in general! I cannot say how relieved/glad I am that Barak Obama is now offically in office! I know we all don't share the same viewpoint, but I think we can all agree that America certainly needs renewal/reconciliation/revivification with not just its own citizens, government and markets, but those of the greater world as well. I think he's already well on his way to instigating change in spite of the huge challenges, and I just hope all can work together to make positive effects happen! The entire feeling in the international community is changed as well, there is hope again for America (albeit cautious) but I can't tell you how great that feels!

Well, that's about it from here- I wish you all the VERY best in 2009 as well in your varied endeavors. Please keep me posted on your own lives as well! :) Thank you to each and everyone of you for the special contributions each of you have made to my life. I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I've received along the way, but especially in the past year. I've definitely learned A LOT throughout 2008, and I hope to to be able to implement this and even further knowledge into the next year!

Have a FABULOUS, Enriching, Enjoyable 2009!

Lots of love always,
Ruth :)

**P.S. Check out the Ireland Slideshow on the right hand of the blog!!!:)**

P.P.S - I forgot to mention I'm also planning on doing my first Marathon this year! There is a big one in Amsterdam this October-- here I come! I'm doing a half marathon in March in the Hague to get me back in the groove, can't wait! :D

Slapping myself on the wrist for bad communication.....

Dear Everyone,

Wooow... I am SO sorry for neglecting this for so long. I'm sure most probably assume I've been kidnapped and/or willfully joined a gypsy tribe by now... (Un)Fortunately that hasn't occurred yet. I'm still struggling through the not-so-easily answered of International Development and World issues. I guess I'll just list some major highlights so you aren't here foreverrrr reading this!

Well the last time I wrote was in early October, since my trip to France and Spain I have done of course many readings and school work, a lot of socializing, exploring around the Hague and Amsterdam, lots of cultural sharing and fun, pretty much just enjoying European/Student life!

I've gone to a few conferences on various topics such as Palestine NGO's, the International Financial Crisis, the UN and Human rights, etc. I've heard high profile speakers from governments, the UN, ILO, various important NGO's, the World Bank, etc... lots of academics, lots of ideas, I'm still struggling to fit it all together into a coherent framework! Maybe one of these days a lightbulb will flash on and the world will make sense... probably not but i can still hope haha. In fact probably the biggest thing I've learned since studying my Masters is how little I actually know and how MANY different views and perspectives there are on different issues. It makes it difficult for an open minded person such as myself to make sense of everything... it's going to be an ongoing struggle I think haha!

In light of this struggle to make sense of things I decided to change my specialization from Poverty Studies to the International Political Economy of Development. As I learned more and questioned more, I found that "Poverty Studies" as a discipline focused more on measuring and placing policy prescriptions for the symptoms of a more deeply flawed world system. The International Political Economy of Development or (IPED) for short, deals a bit more with studying the political and economic systems that are present in our world and relations between the developed and developing world within. It's been very interesting, a bit broad, but I think I might also minor in a Civic Change focus so maybe I can make the connection between massive world systems and how the average person can affect them. Hopefully at least! We'll see what happens...

Lets see, I've done so much where to begin...
Just this past weekend my school had an International Day where students from different countries shared food and performances from their home countries. It was amazing, from a balinese choir to Eithiopian snake dances, it was awesome. My only regret is I didn't have anything for the US. I think next year my American friends and I are giong to make meatloaf, rice crispy treats and have a hip hop/breakdance performance haha.

I've found other ways to share American culture such as dressing up like a jack-o-lantern for Halloween and wearing the costume all day, even during my economics final. It would have worked out flawlessly except for the fact my "pumpkin" was in reality a large orange plastic bag I drew a jack-o-lantern face on and made a nice crinkling sound every time I moved. Haha, can't have it all I guess. I also organized a nice American potluck-style Thanksgiving, we had guacamole to Indonesian soy tempeh... delicious!

I've done a bit of traveling, various trips to Amsterdam, Ultrect, and other Dutch cities for concerts/parties/events. I went to Valencia, Spain again a few weekends ago to visit my friend Rebecca from San Diego who is studying there. It was fantastic. I think I mentioned how cold it was getting in the Hague (snow/hail/very cold rain/arctic 40 km winds) Sooo a nice break to the warm '70s sunshine of Spain was muuuuy bienvenido! We had delicious tapas, crepes, Spanish Tortillas, molten chocolate caliente, starbucks for the first time this side of the pond (slightly shameful amidst such good European café options, I know... but they had the Christmas flavors!!). It was fantastic! We saw the sights, cathedrals, nice plazas, cheap shopping... fantastico! I LOVE Spain so much!


Lets see... on the horizon the most exciting thing is coming home for Christmas! Yay! I'll be in WA/Vancouver BC over the period of 2 weeks starting on the 13th. I really wanted to get down to San Diego, but since I'm going already to 2 places and don't have a lot of time, I don't think it will happen this trip. :( Sorrry!!! Speaking of SD, I'm trying not to dwell on the weather difference... haha I would have no hope otherwise. The travel brochures to Holland all seemed to neglect the freezing/windy/wet condition of their winters... think darkness at 4:30, rain/snow/sleet and gusts of wind at right around 32 farenheight... lovelyyyy haha.. I just have to laugh/bundle up... otherwise there is no hope. It's a good thing boots and scarves are in fashion this year!! :D

Oh one more thing too-- The Dutch have a verrry strange holiday tradition here (at least from an American perspective)... Instead of Santa Claus, they have Sinter Klaus. And instead of the elves, they have "Zwarte Piet" which in English means "Black Pete". Black peet is this acrobatic troublemaker dude who has a black painted face, big red lips, and a curly black fro. He wears a brightly colored beret with a feather in it and a court jester style outfit... He is supposed to be black from climbing down the chimneys to deliver presents to the children but there are clearly some inherent North African slave references as well in the tradition... These "black petes" carry large sacks of dog-biscuit looking cookies and hand them out at train stations and supermarkets during the holiday season hahah... Very funny hahaa. I will try to post a picture so you can see what I am talking about....



Welll it's time for me to hit the hay... so that is it for now. Again I am sorry for the massive break from posting... It's really unacceptable how bad I've been at keeping in touch. I will make it my new years resolution to be more communicative! I realllly miss you all mucho and hope to see some of you NW folks very soon!!! I can't wait! Have a fantastic holiday season, and let me know how YOUR life is going!

Lots of love always,

Ruth :D

Catching up!

Hi Everyone!

I know, I know it's been way too long! Life is loco but I'm finding ways to deal with it all!

I. School-
School is insane. It has been quite the shock to get back into student mode haha. So much reeeeading, concentrating, analyzing... The first two weeks I definitely was dragging my feet/mind but I am feeling a bit better now haha. I've been immersed into question of defining what exactly is "International Development" from sociological, economic, political science, and theoretical perspectives. It is the same question many of your asked me before I left... and I attempted to describe but never quite had a firm complete answer. I now know why it was hard to define... there is no easy answer because even ideas like "progress" and "improvement" which in the West are considered to be universally positive haven't actually shown their intended effects in much of the developing world. Or the "positive" effects (as defined by the West) they have shown weren't actually the most beneficial for the people of those particular countries. It is definitely leaving me with a lot to chew on, but I am appreciating the ability to tackle these issues with people from all parts of the world and professors who encourage us to critically consider the many viewpoints of different issues.

II Dealing with School-
I've been lucky enough to have found a couple friends who surf! So on a whim last week four of us drove 15 hours down to the South of France and Spain (Biarritz and Hossigner in France, and San Sebastian Spain). It was JUST what I needed to get out of the "grad school bubble" and refresh myself... It was not only warm and sunny, but I got to speak French and Spanish and eat incredible food from fried mussels to Paella and delicious traditional Basque Country food in Spain. We also were able to partake in some incredibly delicious wine that only cost between 2-5 Euros a bottle... my kind of place! haha. It was so crazy to drive through Paris, Bordeaux, Cognac, etc knowing they were just stops along the highway... haha...
The Atlantic waters were absolutely gorgeous, turqoise and clear, and the waves were pretty decent too. Biarritz is fantastic, it is a smaller town built up from the ocean. There are castle looking buildings jutting out of the rocks before the ocean and lots of delicous little restuarants... I got to eat my favorite, crepes! Hossinger is a little surf town just south of Biarritz and we caught the end of a WCT Pro Surf competition. Not bad!!!
San Sebastian in the Basque Country of Spain blew me away! I had never even heard of it, but I'd say it rivals Barcelona in both beauty and flavor. It is much smaller, but is a cultural gem with gorgeous buildings and monuments placed directly on clear, clean ocean waters. The city is very active with cultural events from sand castle making to cinema festivals (just in the weekend we were there). The people were so friendly and welcoming, every interaction there was so positive. I saw a group of gypsys and definitely considered either dropping gradschool or perhaps at least doing my thesis research on their subversive lifestyle. (Don't worry mom and dad it was just a passing thought haha...) Gypsys intrigue me though, they are able to carry their whole lives with them and live outside of the norms of society and have done so for centuries... Even though I've been there a few times, Spain definitely has not lost lost its lustre for me... I'll be back!
Besides traveling though, I've loved the Hague- also full of cultural events.

September 21st was the UN's World Day of Peace, and we got to go to view some of the institutions here as well as see some live concerts and events. I got to go inside the World Peace Palace and see the International Court of Justice, as well as the International Criminal Court, various tribunals (such as for the former state of Yugoslavia) and the World Forum where a part of NATO is located, as well as the European Patent Office, InterPol, etc.
The beach in the Hague, Schevingen (pronounced- Scccch-rev-in-ing-ger) also hosted a huge kite festival the same weekend. So fun!

Wellll that's about it. Just trying to kick myself back into school mode while enjoying my surroundings. It's great! The weather is getting colder and windier and rainier, but i figure it'll only help me to study more haha. Hope you all are great! I miss you all very much! Have a happy October :)

Much love always,
Ruth :)

Another week in Den Haag!

Hi Everybody!

Hope you all are well in your respective corners of the world! I am continuing to love life. Everyday I feel more and more certain that this is where I am supposed to be. I am relishing the fact that I am in a group of likeminded peers, from all pockets of the world, representing 60+ countries and 200 distinct viewpoints, all concerned for making this world a better place through International Development. Amazing! There is such a respect for each other and one's distinct worldview. I feel this community is reflective of how societies were supposed to be, how we as humans are to focus our energies towards each other and the common purpose of improving our world. My head is still spinning at the fact a place like this exists, and I'm in it! :)

A good illustration could be Friday night. We had a welcome dance for all the new students in our school's atrium. They were mixing world music from Reggaeton to African to Punjabi Indian beats to the infamous macarena or "Cotton Eyed Joe" square dance song. Sooo cool, it reminded me of my itunes playlist (minus the macarena and square dancing of course) haha! Roughly 200 people from all over- Pakistani, Ethiopian, Nicaraguan, Sri Lankan, Italian were all completely living it up shaking it, showing off their unique dancing talents and skills... I had SO much fun. Now THAT is how we should work out world conflicts, not shows of arms but dance offs! My personal highlight was when they played the "Cotton eyed Joe" song, I took it as my American liberty to show a little doe-si-doe or whatever it is called as you "swing your parter round and round"... I'd say by the end of the song I had about 80% of the dance floor doing it... go USA haha!

Outside of the dancing and introductory orientation duties I've been really enjoying meeting new friends, exploring the Hague, absorbing my new home. I feel like Europe is SO refreshing. From the non-chemically altered food, delicious beer options, to the walking lifestyle, cafe culture, elegant but enduring classical architecture, to the educated but openminded people... I really feel like they've captured so much of what it means to truly LIVE not just survive or gain more for yourself.

For the first time I've realized that in the United States we are commercially oppressed. On billboards, radio ads, street signs, public decorations, architecture, all media, schools, restaurants, churches... it is nay to impossible to evade the logos, the advertisements, the sense of "buy buy buy, you neeeeed this, your life is so much better with that". You don't even notice it while being there, but after being in a place where buildings are buildings, restaurants are primarily locally owned, the few public posters you see are advertising concerts or community events you realize... Hmmm perhaps we've seriously lost control of our lives. I do consider it an oppression! When it comes to the point that it's normal to be screamed at, to be constantly demanded of, maybe, just maybe, there is a different, better way. (*Of course there is some commercial influence here, and I am relatively sheltered from it w/o a TV or radio, but the difference in the rest of my daily life is so significant- it's like night and day!)

Anyways, that is about it from Den Haag! This week our school is going to "Zaanse Schans" a traditional old Dutch village with working windmills, cheese factories, wooden shoes and the rest! Afterwards we'll do a boat tour in Amsterdam. Then school starts... but I am quite excited for that as well. I'll give you all the details soon!

Have a great new week! Also, 1 month from today, October 7th (also Becky's 26th bday, happy bday sissy!) is the World Day for Decent Work (http://www.wddw.org/-About-the-day-). I came across it when doing some research for possible Thesis topics. Apparently there is a relatively new worldwide campaign for "Decent Work", basically a push for a globalization that respects the basic human dignities of fairness in employment, rights at work, solidarity, and job creation as a tool to combat poverty, etc. October 7th is a day to get the word out! Check it out!

Love, Peace & Unity!
Ruth :)

Livin la Viiida!!!

So I just got back from the grocery store... spent another 23 euros... I've been spending those like they're going out of style... oh well at least now i have some spices to work with... i was definitely lacking there for a while!! Tonight I sauteed carrots, spinach, onions, garlic and drenched it in pepper and then put in milk and breadcrumbs to try to thicken it up to make it like a cream sauce.... it was more like a peppery milk soup with soaked bread crumbs... Thus the need for some proper cooking ingredients. I may be pov line but I have my decency haha!

Today we had an introduction to the school and particularly my specialization. In the school itself there are 200 students in 17 different International Development specializations. We represent 60+ different countries, and so far I've only met 1 other American. It is amazing to run into a person from Thailand and ask them first hand about the breaking unrest that's just been front page news, or from Georgia about the reality behind it's conflict with Russia. I am seriously in heaven. Cannot believe it!!!

As far as my specialization goes, we had a meeting with all the students and overseeing profs. The professors are amazing, a couple of them have taught at the London School of Economics, each have an expansive command of experience and credentials. The two head profs are from India and the others are European (but have lived all over the world). I am so excited to start learning! My program is Poverty Studies and Policy Analysis, basically we approach poverty from a multidisciplinary perspective, researching the whys and hows of its existence and subsequently analyzing the ways and hows to fix it! It's going to be a challenge, but I couldn't think of a better suited subject to dedicate myself to!!!

Equally impressive are my classmates in my specialization ... I'm the only person from the Americas except for an Ecuadorian guy. There are others from Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Ghana), Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and Thailand! We are 11 total (3 of us Women). It's more than amazing to have such diverse viewpoints represented from the students alone! Each have some pretty impressive backgrounds. Many work for their own country's government, but there are others from the World Bank, to other NGOs. I guess most students will return to their job after their degree, this is just to boost their knowledge and bring some fresh resources to their governments or organizations. I am seriously among such incredible company. Each person I talk to have these dream jobs and actually liiiive doing the work I'm passionate about. We can just chat informally firsthand about topics I get excited reading about...much less interact day to day... I just am slightly dumbfounded this is really possible... I cannot believe it! :D I am so happy I chose this school!

I am nervous for school a little bit it should be very very difficult. Apparently the average grade is a C and they like to keep it that way... I''m going to do my best though and see what happens! I'm up for the challenge. If that is the main thing I'm focusing on I think I will have a lot of energy for the task. I am still getting used to actually having free time. The past year and a half working two jobs on top of my busy social/family/volunteering/working out/traveling life left little time for anything else... I think this will be a nice opportunity to still work hard but just focus on my improving my mind and enjoying life on the side (and only get a job if absolutely necessary!). I'm stoked to see what wonderful things lie ahead!!!

Hope every one is doing great, thanks for all the great comments! And don't forget to vote about your favorite dutch invention on the right side of my blog... I'm curious to see which will win ;). Take care!!!

With lots of love and EXCITEMENT!!!
Ruth :D