Jenny’s Journies

Sunday, 30 December 2007 @ 5:28pm.

In a word or two…

* Benazir Bhutto (tragic on a number of different levels)

* Soweto Gospel Choir (watched an inspiring documentary about them today)

* Facebook (rethinking usefulness of networking sites…like this one so far…)

Tuesday, 25 December 2007 @ 11:55pm.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

I had the opportunity to attend midnight mass last night at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Sunshine. The service was lovely and I enjoyed the traditional carols. The only thing missing was candles being passed out to those assembled to be lit in unison.

As I type this posting, I am also watching the Queen’s message to the Commonwealth on television. Very interesting footage from the 1950s was incorporated into this year’s note.

Special prayers go out to those who serve the needs of those less fortunate and to the hardworking members of the military.

Sunday, 23 December 2007 @ 3:11pm.

I hope you and those in your circles have a festive holiday season. May the spirit of charity also touch you. When I was younger, I was very fortunate to have food on the table and gifts under the tree because of some caring individuals and charities. If you have extra resources (e.g., time, money, clothing, food) to spare, please do so this year.

Charity Navigator (background information on various American charities; research before giving)

Simply Click for Free to Give Food at The Hunger Site (there are other charities to click for free, too)

“Feast or famine? For too many, it’s the latter” (The Age)

Wednesday, 19 December 2007 @ 8:50pm.

With the widespread use of technology, particularly computers and the internet, the importance of local news sources may be questioned. I watched a debate on television the other day and found the arguments for the continued relevance of local news to be quite persuasive. It is great that many people have access to what is going on thousands of miles away from them, especially given the butterfly effect or six degrees of separation, but it’s also great and probably necessary to know what is happening close to home. I live in the lovely suburb of Sunshine where there are two main local newspapers. I have learned a lot about local politics, immigration, diversity, environmental matters, families, and consumerism from the papers. Even with my wireless internet and the world supposedly at my fingertips, it would be difficult to get the same information. Go figure.

‘Tis the holiday season… I wanted to mention that fun for the whole family can be had at the Chanukah in the City festival, which is held in Melbourne annually by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria. The free event usually takes place at Federation Square. I went to Chanukah in the City (also known as “Festival of Light”) in the late evening on December 11th and enjoyed seeing what is supposedly the largest gas burning Chanukiah in the Southern Hemisphere:

I went too late and didn’t get to enjoy the kosher food and drinks (I lament the fact that I didn’t get a bagel!) and carnival rides, but I did get to hear some music. One very interesting group I saw was the Jewish punk rock band Yidcore. They were funny and crazy, all with a good sound!

Though Christmas is around the corner, I have not seen as many house decorations outside as in the U.S. I must admit that it is odd not to see an abundance of reindeer ornaments on the lawns or colorful lights hanging from rooftops. Where are the snow people, candy canes, Santa images, stars, and red ribbons? There are a few decorated houses here and there, though, so that’s nice. I recently put up my Christmas tree inside and it’s looking very good if you ask me. It’s nothing fancy, but sometimes that’s the best kind, right? I even attempted a popcorn chain, but it’s kinda short as I gave up after a while because it was taking me ages to complete! The only thing missing right now is a big star for the top. I’m looking forward to attending midnight mass at the Catholic Church nearby. I’m not sure about plans for the 25th yet, though. With the recent hot weather, I just might spend it at the beach…who knows? I will be celebrating my first Boxing Day this year, too. I’ve heard that it’s a huge shopping day, as well as popular for sports like cricket.

Sunday, 16 December 2007 @ 11:37pm.

I heard a great quote on a documentary yesterday: “Laughter is a form of internal jogging.” I hope you are able to have a good big laugh and reap its health benefits today.

Have you seen the website PostSecret before? “PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” There are some fascinating submissions…

In case you are interested, here are some recent articles I’ve read that involve Islam in some way:

Canadian Teen Refused Hijab: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2007/12/12/graham.canada.hijab.murder.reax.cbc

Muslim Helps Jews on New York Subway: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/12/subway.attack/index.html

The Teddy Bear Case: http://www.theage.com.au/news/WORLD/Muhammad-teacher-blames-herself/2007/12/10/1197135317419.html

Terror Network Leader on Trial:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/12/indonesia.terror.ap/index.html

Tuesday, 11 December 2007 @ 12:22pm.

American music is apparently quite popular with my neighbors. I have yet to meet them all, but I get a little sense of who they are because a few folks like to play their stereos quite loud (maybe while they’re doing chores?) sometimes. One man across the street enjoys “Golden Oldies” (typically Top 40 songs from the 1950s-1970s) and one of the houses behind mine seems to be fond of Johnny Cash. “Ring of Fire” was blaring this morning. The other house behind mine puts on dance music from the 1980s and 1990s. Interestingly, the three houses don’t play music at the same time as each other as if there is an unspoken compromise about when to play the various tunes. The music does not go on for long, usually just a few songs here and there. Thankfully, I like their tastes in music and it reminds me of home.

Friday, 07 December 2007 @ 4:47pm.

I was thinking today about “nature versus nurture” after watching a news bite on television about a set of twins who were given up for adoption, but given to two different adoptive families on purpose for a science experiment! What the heck?!? I won’t get into a tirade over ethics issues here, but the story did get me thinking (yet again) more generally about how much of “us” is “natural” and how much is from socialization and various lived experiences.

For example, I know that many of my thoughts and behaviors regarding race and ethnicity have been shaped by past experiences - positive and negative and all those things in between. I think that my love of books came from my grandmother who diligently sent me “Little Golden Books” almost every chance she got. I appreciate cooking and showing love through cooking from my mother. I oscillate between being hardened and being the biggest softie ever; this trait probably comes from my wacky, yet lovable family and friends, as well as personal experiences at school, work, and out and about in the world over the years.

On the other hand, how might one explain my love of spinach and lima beans as a child and even now? Where in the world did my inner strength come from? Some people get knocked down and don’t get up again, but somehow I’ve managed to get up (even if it did take time!) and move forward (even if slowly!). Why did I ask “strange” questions as a kid like “Why is a horse called a “horse” and not a “table?” (I’ve had some very interesting intellectual discussions with political theorist friends about that one.)

Well, if one believes in past lives, then there is at least a partial explanation in that some traits are carried forward in the “newest” soul… Biology must be part of it, too, since my sister and I are *very* different, but somehow ended up liking the same things in adulthood though I cannot recall learning/socializing about such things earlier (e.g., sushi, asking a million questions and needing to know lots of details, clean teeth, astrology, most kinds of cheeses, and flip flops). Socialization also clearly contributes to who we are as people. Is there something else that I’m missing? I’m now thinking of a psychology class I took ages ago that mentioned an experiment with baby monkeys where some were provided cuddles with a blanket on a metal piece while others were only given the metal…hmmm…then there were the case studies about how some cultures have a preference for parents to carry their little children facing out and others prefer the babies to face in…okay enough rambling for now…

On a different kind of random note, I have cancelled my MySpace account. I think the account got compromised some time ago, but since I rarely check it, I didn’t find out until today. Apologies to anyone who received unwanted messages by accident. I’ve also be rethinking the value of networking sites… Is it just a fancier version of an address book? Do the sites really bring people together for meaningful connections? Is the time invested into the sites worth the actual returns? Any thoughts?

Tuesday, 04 December 2007 @ 12:48pm.

Here is a hearty welcome to the month of December! I’m happy not only because of the upcoming Christmas holiday, but also because it’s the start of summer here in Melbourne! Yay! I probably got too much sun on Sunday, though! I went to a local tennis club to meet up with a new sports buddy. The tennis club members were all friendly, which was cool. The courts around here are generally run by volunteer tennis clubs. Unfortunately, tennis court access is not free in these parts, but at least this local club is quite affordable. I am really, really rusty with the racket, but hopefully will improve with time.

I saw a great YouTube video today and suggest you see it, too. It’s a fantastic Aboriginal interpretation of Zorba the Greek. Go to http://youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw or do a search for “Zorba the Greek Yolngu style.”