Since my being back in the US for nearly two years, many of the dominating political debates in the public sphere have been stagnant, myopic and embittered. The narrowness of the mainstream US positions have been frustrating to observe. While small pockets of hopeful change agency spring up and do make positive progess to strengthen community and society, the mainstream meta narrative is one of political gridlock and narrow arguments oblivious to the structural foundations that have allowed such economic disparity and widespread discontent. The Occupy Wall Street movement has been the first stretching sign of hope I've witnessed since being home. Occupy Wall Street, I am proud of you!!! Let's capture this space and time to solidify these sentiments into a concrete movement for change. We must not let up until we face these structural economic issues of our times head on.
For these reasons I've sent the following message it to my senators, representatives and local newspapers, if you feel the same I recommend you do so too! :)
---
In the spirit of Tahrir, Benghazi, and our own Selma-to-Montgomery
marches, the Occupy Wall Street non-violent people's movement is giving
voice to millions of Americans who are fed up with economic 'freedom'
trumping human rights and political partisan gridlock that doesn't hear
our concerns or reflect our values.
Let us listen to this universal conversation about our societal
priorities. It's more than just jobs, budgets, wars, and congressional
and private sector accountability. It's about where we place our
values and how the outcomes of these decisions affect our society and
our world.
We as a nation make choices between providing $47 billion in energy
grants to help low-income families afford heat or giving away $44
billion in subsidies for oil and gas companies. It was also a choice
to spend $445 billion on the Afghanistan war instead of productively
investing in education, clean energy, jobs programs, feeding the
hungry, and building community and peace in our country and world.
The ever-widening gap between the top 1 percent -- who control more
wealth than the bottom 99 percent -- and the rest of us is a recipe for
disastrous social instability and unrest.
The lack of regulation in favor of economic 'freedom' has dastardly
worn away at the protective fabric of the public sphere, domestically
and internationally. Our political representatives bathe in the
donations of wealthy interest groups focusing on reelection rather than
representation.
It is morally apprehensible that in the richest country in the world,
we do not ensure each citizen has adequate food, shelter, equal access
to quality education and economic opportunities. We need to make some
hard choices about the type of society we want. Let us listen to the
cry of these voices, our voices, and choose to rebuild our society in
favor of the common good.
Sincerely,
Ms. Ruth Harbaugh
Monday, October 17, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
My motto these days...
I wrote this a few months back as I was making sense of where I was in my life. I'm still in the 'corporate' world but have been really fortunate to get into a much more engaging position than I was initially. I look to the below to be my guide as I chart the waters of the private sector...
After a few years of adventure, embracing, loving, and learning from this crazy world- I'm back in my little corner of the world, the Pacific Northwest.
I am LOVING the nature, the progressive community, and being near my incredible family, amazing lifelong friends, and most excellent partner in adventure and crime, my boyfriend, Ian. I learn so much from the people in my life and am so blessed to have a loving community, near and far.
My corporate job may leave something soulful to be desired BUT I probably would have never done a business job if it weren't for this economy. I'm trying to learn from the trenches so I can translate these lessons for future international development purposes. :D
My adventures and travels saturated me with such a beautiful patchwork muliplicity of cultures, lives, and ways of living. While loving my invitation to partake in these beautiful expressions, I felt myself a fortunate 'guest' but never an organic actor. My frustrations with injustice, power, and non-people centered political and economic structures grew more universal as did my conviction for social justice. We are all connected. These unique experiences, lessons, and adventures have allowed me to share in the abundance of the greater human experience.
My ever expanding hermeneutic invigorated but confused me as to my particular place in the world. My opportunity to share love, empowerment, and solidarity seemed stunted by my lack of rootedness.
While I love travel so very much, it was time to rediscover the good parts of my own culture- and to develop the connections and tools to provide a platform from which to project solidarity, social justice, love, cooperation, and empowerment both locally and globally.
And that is where I am at now... I hope I can do so, remaining globally connected, mindful of my goals, and always choosing the side of good, in spite of the oftentimes frustratingly distorted world system we live in. I thank the financial crisis for giving my culture and the world a forced reevaluation of the intrinsic greed which supports much of our prevailing political economy. I hope we can capture this space as a chance to connect with deeper and more lasting things like love, solidarity, relationships, social justice, and the preservation of nature- a positive reinvention of our world. Much love to you all!! :D xoxo
After a few years of adventure, embracing, loving, and learning from this crazy world- I'm back in my little corner of the world, the Pacific Northwest.
I am LOVING the nature, the progressive community, and being near my incredible family, amazing lifelong friends, and most excellent partner in adventure and crime, my boyfriend, Ian. I learn so much from the people in my life and am so blessed to have a loving community, near and far.
My corporate job may leave something soulful to be desired BUT I probably would have never done a business job if it weren't for this economy. I'm trying to learn from the trenches so I can translate these lessons for future international development purposes. :D
My adventures and travels saturated me with such a beautiful patchwork muliplicity of cultures, lives, and ways of living. While loving my invitation to partake in these beautiful expressions, I felt myself a fortunate 'guest' but never an organic actor. My frustrations with injustice, power, and non-people centered political and economic structures grew more universal as did my conviction for social justice. We are all connected. These unique experiences, lessons, and adventures have allowed me to share in the abundance of the greater human experience.
My ever expanding hermeneutic invigorated but confused me as to my particular place in the world. My opportunity to share love, empowerment, and solidarity seemed stunted by my lack of rootedness.
While I love travel so very much, it was time to rediscover the good parts of my own culture- and to develop the connections and tools to provide a platform from which to project solidarity, social justice, love, cooperation, and empowerment both locally and globally.
And that is where I am at now... I hope I can do so, remaining globally connected, mindful of my goals, and always choosing the side of good, in spite of the oftentimes frustratingly distorted world system we live in. I thank the financial crisis for giving my culture and the world a forced reevaluation of the intrinsic greed which supports much of our prevailing political economy. I hope we can capture this space as a chance to connect with deeper and more lasting things like love, solidarity, relationships, social justice, and the preservation of nature- a positive reinvention of our world. Much love to you all!! :D xoxo
Thursday, July 22, 2010
1 Year Later...
Hello!
Well it's been a full year it seems since I wrote in this.
This is going to be long, and probably convoluted to most, but take a read if you want to see where I've been at in the past year, and by the end you'll get a picture of where I am now! :) <3 to you all!
I. Europe
My life is markedly different than it was a year ago, and my incredible European life, while devastatingly fun, exciting and enriching didn't serve to provide me with the deep answers to life as I had hoped.
II. Idealism
I felt I had finally achieved the sense of 'global' perspective I had sought since my first trip to Central America and ensuing explorations in Asia, Australia, and Europe... Notwithstanding my European and North African playground all within a 100 Euro flight's reach, my little 200 student school itself was a microcosm of our globe. With representatives, albeit highly educated, from every corner and continent of this earth we pooled into a rich global pond glistening with sparkling reflections of cultural beauty and nuance that could only come with such a collective.
While my world had never been smaller, my faith in humanity and the the world being changed for the better had never been bleaker. They say that oftentimes youthful idealism wares off with age or time, but growing up I was certain mine would never. My childhood, youth, and early career was overabundant with success, opportunity, encouragement, and a deep conviction that the world is for our taking and it can be changed. Until my "awakening" so to speak witnessing poverty and the deeply unjust global structures that entrench the developing world in poverty at the developed countries gain... my perspective was more in personal, religious, and familial matters. After my initial and subsequent adventures in the developing world, my purpose was deeply affected and I realized my North American opportunities were unique, and I wanted to right the wrong and create a world where the opportunities I had could be shared with the developing world. While my heart's calling was irrecoverably changed, I still exuded the youthful optimism and believed the world could still be changed.
I distinctly recall explaining to people who questioned me why I wanted to study International Development that, I just knew there was a key that needed to be turned, a secret switch that could be flipped, and voila! Everything will snap and aright and finally this world can be wholly reflective of the fair, just, loving community I had so deeply longed for and seen in all parts of the globe. Those flashes of hope do exist, apart from each other, with different cultural clothes, but the same deeper expression. Things like love, community, sacrifice for the greater good, sharing... I knew greed exists to the greatest levels and the world system daily promotes audaciousness beyond what the common mind may imagine for corporate, regional, and governmental egotistical and material gain, yet, I believed if somehow we could find out just what is going on, we can act to fix it.
III. Devastation
Academic-
This line of thinking, while admittedly naive and idealistic, prompted me to shift my area of study from poverty studies, which I believed to be a symptom of the deeper rooted world system, to the heart of the matter - the international political economy. If one wishes to shoot down naive ideals, the study of the politics of money is a great place to start. If one wants to witness the gnarly, twisted roots of power and greed at their utmost low in the world's highest places - begin here. From my studies in Latin America, I was aware of concepts such as the 'dependency theory'- that the organization of the world is such that the 'core' developed countries purposefully create economic and diplomatic ties that restrain and extract desired economic needs from 'peripheral' developing countries. Not a new concept, but studying international economics at a grad school level, from an extremely critical social science perspective, in Europe (which unlike the US doesn't feel a need to promote any sort of optimistic spin on the news or materials presented) was a sobering experience to say the least. Learning to a greater extent the behavior of governments and supposedly 'beneficial' institutions such as the WTO and IMF with their ever increasingly manipulative and strong handed tactics to promote the interest of the developed world simply makes me disgusted.
I had a hint of how messed up the world system is from previous education and experiences, but I thought that deeper study of it might show a path or even a sliver of direction, towards a hopeful angle. My studies from a international political, labor rights, and even human rights perceptive painted some very, very depressing pictures.
IV. Hope?
I did find a kindling of great hope in my Advanced Sociology class where we examined post-development. I studied post modern social theory, from the likes of Escobar and De Sousa Santos to critical theorists, Horkheimer and Chakrabarty. Many of them being developing country scholars - looking at the world as not a 'provicialisation of Europe' but as each country, culture, space, and place as originating from it's own experience, history, and design and thus the best author of its own future. The idea of not just economic and political regionalisms, but the regionalization of histories, presents, and futures - the allowance for each country or region to determine its own destiny - economically, politically, socially, in every way. Not the way the US or Europe has determined or now determines, but the way each determine for themselves. Its a beautiful thought and the fear that each will isolate into a mercantilist pre-19th century economy isn't valid in today's global economy... Even if some do wish to isolate, groups such as the Zapatistas show that groups within even hostile surroundings can be a viable entity, produce enough shared resources and outside commerce to support a large community. Scarcity is a myth. As social movements spring up globally and locally, global CITIZENS are connected in newer and more exciting ways not just for commerce but personal, social, and community exchange. I think if we can tap our global technological and connectivity resources in a post-modern perspective our would can and does yield so much more hope.
V. Paradox
Being a person who likes to try to pit paradoxes against each other for a semblance of unity - I decided to tackle both my heart for social justice against the unwieldy rules of economics in the increasingly complex arena of 'corporate social responsibility'. Can corporations, the driver of this heartless profit driven economic system be promoters of social justice and positive change?
Like most people find in the higher echelons of education - the answer is always yes and no. Rather, there 'is' no 'answer'... there are many ways at looking at a situation and certain angles and perspectives yield different outcomes, but the more variables examined shows only an increasing complexity. One can hope that this complexity reveals trends and that if certain prescriptions are followed, hopeful outcomes can result. That is pretty much what I found in the quagmire of rhetoric that is corporate social responsibility (CSR). I examined CSR through a dialectic social science lens to determine if in its roots, history, failures, reactions, and changes if positive outcomes can be drawn from this seeming contradiction. In the end, I said yes and no.. but it is up to citizen action to continue to pressure businesses to be accountable to their workers, the environment, and the communities they produce in. There have been hopeful trends, but in the end it is up to us force them to behave. Pressure works, and it seems to have a contagious trend, if nothing else than positive non-economic actions does often, in the long run, be reflected by positive economic movement, and businesses follow trends so if we can push the trend to higher and real accountability, there just might be hope after all.
The intense academic, world perspective and intellectual experience was also matched with intense personal experiences: most very positive and some very negative - something I had yet to really experience. I had been extremely blessed to be around solid and honest people most of my life but I suppose the more of the world you see, the more likely you will meet people with very different value systems than your own. I had a few unfortunate relationships both friendship and romantic which really really disappointed, betrayed my trust, and hurt me, leading to periods of sadness, anger, doubt, and confusion as to why some people treat others so poorly. While hard situations like are deeply sobering, they also teach us important lessons. By working through the hurt rather than being jaded by it, we become more of a whole person, and better able to help others who are going through similar experiences.
IV. Results
In the end I finished up my year and a half in Europe with visiting over 16 countries, from Moscow to Marrakesh, ended up getting a merit for my thesis, research experience with Oxfam Novib, and the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, some lifelong, fabulous friends, and truly savored adventures, experiences, and lessons. The whole experience, but particularly the last few months in Europe were nothing less than a torrential whirlwind. The quiet snowfall that gently clothed the quaint dutch streets and my seaside apartment was perhaps the only calm I felt in the last week before Christmas as I desperately tried to tie up the loose ends and pack up probably the most intense, insane, incredible jam-packed year and a half of my life into a flyable luggage size.
By the grace of God I did made it home, however that was just the beginning!
V. The Winter of Despair (I'm not just talking about unemployment)
I don't really know how to express the feeling that results from tearing oneself abruptly away from the chaotic into the entirely unknown...
Some people are perpetual wanderers, and never feel the need to set down roots and 'build' any sort of traditionally expressed cohesive, stable way of life. Deep down I knew I wouldn't always wander but I hadn't been convinced to stay in any particular place yet. I didn't know enough about the world or what was most important to me to dedicate myself to a single place.
My time in Europe, while much of the time draining and extreme, also did yield a lot of time for personal reflection. Particularly in the summer, when I spent long days researching, reading, reflecting, gazing out my apartment window into the North Sea's sunsets and ever changing seascapes... I thought. I thought about myself, who I was, where I was going, what I wanted, what would make me happy, what I was good at, what had privileged me to have such an incredible set of experiences already at such a young age. How did I get to that place, what it was preparing me for? Many, many thoughts. No real answers, but myriad ponderings.
I had enough savings, I could have moved anywhere in the world and would have been ok for probably half a year. I had no possessions except an ailing computer (which promptly died upon return to the US), my surfboard, a large collection of mostly chinese import and second hand clothes and shoes, and quite a few books. I could have gone anywhere. China? Latin America? Stay in the Hague? Move to Amsterdam? Go to Spain, France, Korea, Mexico??? The world was my oyster... but I just didn't know what I wanted. If i did go back to the US, should I return to San Diego where I had some of the happiest years of my life? DC where political action and social justice orientation is the way of life for many? Seattle, where I grew up but hadn't lived for 4 years? I just didn't know.
... and now i am out of time but more to come...
1) Unemployment
2) Financial Crisis / Global Decline = Global Solidarity
3) Unexpected Career Turn in a usual last minute dramatic fashion
4) Buckling Down to "Autumn"
5) Content and beginning to build again.
Well it's been a full year it seems since I wrote in this.
This is going to be long, and probably convoluted to most, but take a read if you want to see where I've been at in the past year, and by the end you'll get a picture of where I am now! :) <3 to you all!
I. Europe
My life is markedly different than it was a year ago, and my incredible European life, while devastatingly fun, exciting and enriching didn't serve to provide me with the deep answers to life as I had hoped.
II. Idealism
I felt I had finally achieved the sense of 'global' perspective I had sought since my first trip to Central America and ensuing explorations in Asia, Australia, and Europe... Notwithstanding my European and North African playground all within a 100 Euro flight's reach, my little 200 student school itself was a microcosm of our globe. With representatives, albeit highly educated, from every corner and continent of this earth we pooled into a rich global pond glistening with sparkling reflections of cultural beauty and nuance that could only come with such a collective.
While my world had never been smaller, my faith in humanity and the the world being changed for the better had never been bleaker. They say that oftentimes youthful idealism wares off with age or time, but growing up I was certain mine would never. My childhood, youth, and early career was overabundant with success, opportunity, encouragement, and a deep conviction that the world is for our taking and it can be changed. Until my "awakening" so to speak witnessing poverty and the deeply unjust global structures that entrench the developing world in poverty at the developed countries gain... my perspective was more in personal, religious, and familial matters. After my initial and subsequent adventures in the developing world, my purpose was deeply affected and I realized my North American opportunities were unique, and I wanted to right the wrong and create a world where the opportunities I had could be shared with the developing world. While my heart's calling was irrecoverably changed, I still exuded the youthful optimism and believed the world could still be changed.
I distinctly recall explaining to people who questioned me why I wanted to study International Development that, I just knew there was a key that needed to be turned, a secret switch that could be flipped, and voila! Everything will snap and aright and finally this world can be wholly reflective of the fair, just, loving community I had so deeply longed for and seen in all parts of the globe. Those flashes of hope do exist, apart from each other, with different cultural clothes, but the same deeper expression. Things like love, community, sacrifice for the greater good, sharing... I knew greed exists to the greatest levels and the world system daily promotes audaciousness beyond what the common mind may imagine for corporate, regional, and governmental egotistical and material gain, yet, I believed if somehow we could find out just what is going on, we can act to fix it.
III. Devastation
Academic-
This line of thinking, while admittedly naive and idealistic, prompted me to shift my area of study from poverty studies, which I believed to be a symptom of the deeper rooted world system, to the heart of the matter - the international political economy. If one wishes to shoot down naive ideals, the study of the politics of money is a great place to start. If one wants to witness the gnarly, twisted roots of power and greed at their utmost low in the world's highest places - begin here. From my studies in Latin America, I was aware of concepts such as the 'dependency theory'- that the organization of the world is such that the 'core' developed countries purposefully create economic and diplomatic ties that restrain and extract desired economic needs from 'peripheral' developing countries. Not a new concept, but studying international economics at a grad school level, from an extremely critical social science perspective, in Europe (which unlike the US doesn't feel a need to promote any sort of optimistic spin on the news or materials presented) was a sobering experience to say the least. Learning to a greater extent the behavior of governments and supposedly 'beneficial' institutions such as the WTO and IMF with their ever increasingly manipulative and strong handed tactics to promote the interest of the developed world simply makes me disgusted.
I had a hint of how messed up the world system is from previous education and experiences, but I thought that deeper study of it might show a path or even a sliver of direction, towards a hopeful angle. My studies from a international political, labor rights, and even human rights perceptive painted some very, very depressing pictures.
IV. Hope?
I did find a kindling of great hope in my Advanced Sociology class where we examined post-development. I studied post modern social theory, from the likes of Escobar and De Sousa Santos to critical theorists, Horkheimer and Chakrabarty. Many of them being developing country scholars - looking at the world as not a 'provicialisation of Europe' but as each country, culture, space, and place as originating from it's own experience, history, and design and thus the best author of its own future. The idea of not just economic and political regionalisms, but the regionalization of histories, presents, and futures - the allowance for each country or region to determine its own destiny - economically, politically, socially, in every way. Not the way the US or Europe has determined or now determines, but the way each determine for themselves. Its a beautiful thought and the fear that each will isolate into a mercantilist pre-19th century economy isn't valid in today's global economy... Even if some do wish to isolate, groups such as the Zapatistas show that groups within even hostile surroundings can be a viable entity, produce enough shared resources and outside commerce to support a large community. Scarcity is a myth. As social movements spring up globally and locally, global CITIZENS are connected in newer and more exciting ways not just for commerce but personal, social, and community exchange. I think if we can tap our global technological and connectivity resources in a post-modern perspective our would can and does yield so much more hope.
V. Paradox
Being a person who likes to try to pit paradoxes against each other for a semblance of unity - I decided to tackle both my heart for social justice against the unwieldy rules of economics in the increasingly complex arena of 'corporate social responsibility'. Can corporations, the driver of this heartless profit driven economic system be promoters of social justice and positive change?
Like most people find in the higher echelons of education - the answer is always yes and no. Rather, there 'is' no 'answer'... there are many ways at looking at a situation and certain angles and perspectives yield different outcomes, but the more variables examined shows only an increasing complexity. One can hope that this complexity reveals trends and that if certain prescriptions are followed, hopeful outcomes can result. That is pretty much what I found in the quagmire of rhetoric that is corporate social responsibility (CSR). I examined CSR through a dialectic social science lens to determine if in its roots, history, failures, reactions, and changes if positive outcomes can be drawn from this seeming contradiction. In the end, I said yes and no.. but it is up to citizen action to continue to pressure businesses to be accountable to their workers, the environment, and the communities they produce in. There have been hopeful trends, but in the end it is up to us force them to behave. Pressure works, and it seems to have a contagious trend, if nothing else than positive non-economic actions does often, in the long run, be reflected by positive economic movement, and businesses follow trends so if we can push the trend to higher and real accountability, there just might be hope after all.
The intense academic, world perspective and intellectual experience was also matched with intense personal experiences: most very positive and some very negative - something I had yet to really experience. I had been extremely blessed to be around solid and honest people most of my life but I suppose the more of the world you see, the more likely you will meet people with very different value systems than your own. I had a few unfortunate relationships both friendship and romantic which really really disappointed, betrayed my trust, and hurt me, leading to periods of sadness, anger, doubt, and confusion as to why some people treat others so poorly. While hard situations like are deeply sobering, they also teach us important lessons. By working through the hurt rather than being jaded by it, we become more of a whole person, and better able to help others who are going through similar experiences.
IV. Results
In the end I finished up my year and a half in Europe with visiting over 16 countries, from Moscow to Marrakesh, ended up getting a merit for my thesis, research experience with Oxfam Novib, and the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, some lifelong, fabulous friends, and truly savored adventures, experiences, and lessons. The whole experience, but particularly the last few months in Europe were nothing less than a torrential whirlwind. The quiet snowfall that gently clothed the quaint dutch streets and my seaside apartment was perhaps the only calm I felt in the last week before Christmas as I desperately tried to tie up the loose ends and pack up probably the most intense, insane, incredible jam-packed year and a half of my life into a flyable luggage size.
By the grace of God I did made it home, however that was just the beginning!
V. The Winter of Despair (I'm not just talking about unemployment)
I don't really know how to express the feeling that results from tearing oneself abruptly away from the chaotic into the entirely unknown...
Some people are perpetual wanderers, and never feel the need to set down roots and 'build' any sort of traditionally expressed cohesive, stable way of life. Deep down I knew I wouldn't always wander but I hadn't been convinced to stay in any particular place yet. I didn't know enough about the world or what was most important to me to dedicate myself to a single place.
My time in Europe, while much of the time draining and extreme, also did yield a lot of time for personal reflection. Particularly in the summer, when I spent long days researching, reading, reflecting, gazing out my apartment window into the North Sea's sunsets and ever changing seascapes... I thought. I thought about myself, who I was, where I was going, what I wanted, what would make me happy, what I was good at, what had privileged me to have such an incredible set of experiences already at such a young age. How did I get to that place, what it was preparing me for? Many, many thoughts. No real answers, but myriad ponderings.
I had enough savings, I could have moved anywhere in the world and would have been ok for probably half a year. I had no possessions except an ailing computer (which promptly died upon return to the US), my surfboard, a large collection of mostly chinese import and second hand clothes and shoes, and quite a few books. I could have gone anywhere. China? Latin America? Stay in the Hague? Move to Amsterdam? Go to Spain, France, Korea, Mexico??? The world was my oyster... but I just didn't know what I wanted. If i did go back to the US, should I return to San Diego where I had some of the happiest years of my life? DC where political action and social justice orientation is the way of life for many? Seattle, where I grew up but hadn't lived for 4 years? I just didn't know.
... and now i am out of time but more to come...
1) Unemployment
2) Financial Crisis / Global Decline = Global Solidarity
3) Unexpected Career Turn in a usual last minute dramatic fashion
4) Buckling Down to "Autumn"
5) Content and beginning to build again.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Россия
See More Pics Here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060667&id=42900799&l=c6203788c6
My mom and I since January have been scheming and planning and hoping to go to Russia and after a few months of jumping hoops and preparations... We actually went!
We had both been looking sooo forward to this trip and had been arranging and planning it for months! Thanks to some amazingly generous relatives and a lot of arrangements from visas to visa invitations to train ticket and hostel reservations, we were on our way! We both had mini-adventures at the Russian embassies, mine required me to first go to Amsterdam twice to drop off and pick up my passport to get more pages so I could fit another visa, then to the Russian Embassy in the Hague 15min from my place. I inadvertently ending up sort of having to sneak in but in the end it all worked out...
... so I had dropped off my passport and was told I could only pick it up between 12-1 this one day a week later, and a week before I was supposed to leave (and there were holidays around it, so i really only had that day to get it). So I went at 12pm sharp to pick it up but realized I had forgotten my receipt from the week before when I had dropped it off. So by 12:30 I waded to the front of the massive crowd of people hoarding around the door to ask the man if I needed the receipt and he only answered in Russian, so someone kindly translated that into Dutch, which I still didn't understand, and finally someone translated to me in English saying maybe I could get in but it would have to be after the rest of the crowd- which I knew would not happen in the remaining 30 minutes, considering they let 1 person in every 5-10 minutes or so.
...So I biked like a banshee the 15min to my apartment, tore it apart looking for the receipt even to the point of sorting through the garbage on the curb which I had taken out hte day before, but to no avail. So I biked back as fast as I could, as I passed the Peace Palace right next to the embassy the bells struck 1pm so I knew it would be close. As I got to the door though it was completely empty- no one. So I buzzed the door and received no answer (I think the doorman went to lunch). After about 3-4 tries a man left teh building and left the door open just a crack... considering the doorman's absence and the time sensitivity of my situation, I looked both ways and slowly opened the massive wooden door of the embassy. No one was there, so I asked the first one where the visa desk was, went up to it and looked in my wallet for my residence permit to show my identity, and LO AND BEHOLD in a hidden pocket of my wallet, THE RECEIPT. So gracias a Dios... I had it ALL ALONG!!! Long story short, I got the Visa and was off!!!)
My mom and I started off in Moscow- embracing the public transport we trained and metroed it to our hostel and thanks to the Cyrillic spelling of the street name we were able to ask people find our way! We spent a day there, then headed up to St. Petersburg on the day train through the countryside- lots of gorgeous forests, little villages with log cabins and soviet remnants of massive concrete buldings, industrial centers and red and white smoke stacks. Mostly though, there was beautiful forest. We got up to St. Petersburg, navigated our way to the hostel by 10pm to find that it was overbooked!! But they graciously arranged to send us in a taxi to another place for the night, which ended up being the flat of some very sweet elderly people who had two rooms with a bunch of bunks in them. The hot water didn't work but it seemed clean and even though we couldn't speak eachothers language, they were some of the most sweet people making us feel at home. The next am our first hostel came and picked us up and trucked us to a third hostel which despite the delapitaded exterior was the nicest inside! Besides the brown water, it was perfect and even served a meaty breakfast!
Durig St P's we went to the Hermitage, one of the largest and most impressive museums in the world, from the building itself (Peter the Great's Winter Palace) to the massive collection of masters and fine art from the ancient to more recent centuries was absolutely fantastic. The tsars certainly invested a lot in making the place look nice! We also went to the Peterhof, Peter the Great's summer cottage... just look at the pictures and you'll see what I mean when I say I am impressed... The fountains have been functioning since the 17th century! All of my childhood readings about palaces and grandeur really came alive seeing the majestic beauty of these places... gold everywhere seriously large impressive buildings... spectacular. Sadly though this grandeur did come at a massive public cost which unsurprisingly led to the Revolution and search for a greater equality and distribution.
We saw this transition through the present in the Russian Political History Museum- from Stalin's propaganda of him smiling with smoke stakes and industrial progress in the background, to stained glass windows of plow shears meeting industry, and people's opera of women singing and happily, fervantly working in the factories to boost moral (I saw a verrrry similar one in China acually!). Probably the heaviest image besides all of that though was a large painted picture of the last tsar, Nicolas the II, that had been repeatedly slashed by soldier's bayonets- the violent, abrupt end to an era. The museum really honestly captured their last century in particular's progress, not at all glazing over the great human catastrophes that occurred in their political past, but presenting the bad and the good and lessons they have learned. It was really poignant and I would hope other countries including my own can be so honest about both the good and the bad of what has happened in our histories.
Back in Moscow we went to Red Square and the Kremlin (which isn't the dark writhing dark pit the US had impressed me to think, haha!) It actually just means 'walled city' and is a collection of beautiful museums and buildings including the famous onion domed St. Basil's cathedral. We also went to the outskirts of the city and saw this magnificent medieval monastery that is still in use. Wow. It is also walled and has various churches, a grave yard, and a massive church that is not exaggerating, the most impressive church interior I have ever seen. Massively high wall to ceiling gold and Icons, dark stained glass, incense, worshipers. It was truly impressive.
That was about it for the main sights of our trip- I was delighted to see and experience a place with such mystery and infamy in the popular (at least US) mindset. It wasn't at all the dark looming mafia-ridden, moral adverse backwardness I had picked up from popular impression left over from cold war era sentiments. Winston Churchill described Russia as a "riddle wrapped up in a mystery inside an enigma." It was certainly enigmatic in the sense that I couldn't read any signs and certain cultural customs like a still massive bureaucracy (ie every small restaurant or business had at least 6+ workers, a security guard, and constant paperwork). But the people even with a communication gap seemed very helpful and kind. The few around us who did speak english were welcoming and curious to talk to us. We even met a man who is a Pastor who invited us to come visit anytime and help out with his drug rehabilitation center his church runs! From what I saw in public settings men seemed to be gentlemen, and for the most part we had very positive experiences. I am sure there is also an oppsotie side to every coin, but we didn't see any mafia or any of the negative social problems that we so often hear about in US news. I am sure the rural areas as well are much less well off than the urban, but from what I could see it really seems like the urban classes are flourishing- the people we interacted with in the subways and in the areas of the city we walked around seemed to be happy and content in their style of life. (I know there are also problems with severe poverty, drug, alcoholism, organized crime and social problems like any country, but what I at least witnessed was very positive).
Russia is also the least english speaking place I have ever been though, even more so than China! Luckily my Mom had learned the Cyrillic alphabet so she could sound out things, thank God!! That and the bit of Russian she had studied beforehand + our guidebook and massive preparation beforehand were truly our saving graces! The language itself is actually very beautiful (at least compared to Dutch, haha!) and the people were very well dressed and polite, refined even moreso than much other parts of Europe.
The subways were not only the most reliable and rapid system I have ever been on in the world (every 50 seconds in Moscow), they were also the most beautiful! Thanks to the concept of "people's art" there were gorgeous painting adn frescos, light fixtures and marble walls and columms- they are museums in themselves! They are also the deepest ones in the world-- they double as bomb shelters~!
Other observations, the vodka was definitely a flowing, and the funny thing is if you look at a menu grey goose is like 1/2 way down in the quality section haha!
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 :)
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 :)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
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!)
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!)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
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
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
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