Jenny’s Journies

Sunday, 25 May 2008 @ 8:22pm.

I’m not sure what to write about today, but felt like I should post something… The Eurovision Song Contest is on television right now. I’m finding the songs, costumes, and introductory artistic pieces before each country’s song to be very interesting. Some of the performers remind me of Mariah Cariah, Celine Dion, or Kylie Minogue. The techno or electronic dance music sounds like it’s from the 1980s or 1990s, but is still good.

Oops, Grey’s Anatomy is on now…

Thursday, 22 May 2008 @ 10:20am.

My mom said today that life is like tires. Sometimes there are flat tires and sometimes they are full of air.

Happy times:

* Buddha Day celebration in downtown Melbourne last Sunday

* Watching the older Indiana Jones movies

* Making progress on the dissertation

Stresses as of late:

* The economy (enough said)

* Sore feet from running (I think I need new sneakers or “runners” as my partner calls ‘em)

* Figuring out how to stop the dog from tasting his poop (any advice?)

Tuesday, 20 May 2008 @ 10:22pm.

I had this internal conversation the other day after finding out about a charity run next month:

Me: You should do this.
Me again: I can’t run that far.
Me: Sure, you can. You run or walk with the dog everyday.
Me again: That’s different.
Me: Not really. Besides, you haven’t done volunteer work in a long time.
Me yet again: I know, I know.
Me: So sign up. Plus, with a deadline around the corner, you’ll have no choice but to put in the hard yards.
Me: Fine, fine. I’ll get healthier and help out others in the process. Sigh…
Me again: Don’t sigh. Be positive. Email everyone now and then go to sleep. You gotta start running farther tomorrow.
Me: Hmmm…

Sooooo I am being positive and trying to raise as much money as I can for Oxfam in the next Run Melbourne event (June 22nd). Please click on the following link to visit my fundraising page to find out all about it. Your contributions of *any* amount will be most appreciated.

http://runmelbourne.everydayhero.com.au/Jennifer_Epley

Feel free to spread the word…

Thank you very much!

P.S. Today was the second day that I ran for an hour and a half. Needless to say, my feet are already tired and sore. I felt a little like the main character in the film “Run Fat Boy Run” this afternoon. I’m so not a runner, but this is for a good cause.

Friday, 16 May 2008 @ 11:12am.

In the news recently, I have heard both “Burma” and “Myanmar” used and wondered about the reasons behind using one or the other. News groups in Australia typically use “Burma.” I have heard that this is because the government does not recognize the controversial name change by the military regime in 1989.

This morning, there was a discussion on a television show about whether or not a new husband could take his new wife’s surname. Apparently there is much more paperwork if a man would like to do this compared to a woman in Australia (and probably most countries). Check out a recent story about a Southern California pair who sued in order to get a name change for their marriage license. Click here.

In other name news, did you know that Emily heads top ten baby names list (in the U.S.)?

Wednesday, 14 May 2008 @ 2:10pm.

A recent email that may be of interest to you…

Dear Friends:

The poem below is translated from Burmese and was passed on to us by Khai Mong, a Burmese member of our CSEAS community. At the bottom are names and contact information for organizations accepting donations towards cyclone relief in Myanmar. The Outreach Coordinators at the various Centers for Southeast Asian Studies in the United States have put the list together, and we feel it represents a slate of places where donations can be usefully given should you be so led.

“Let Us be Compassionate”

For those who have lost all
hope is their only refuge,
for their only shelter is a hell on earth.

The tempest,
mad with anger,
cruel and destructive,
has come and gone, taking all,
leaving rows of corpses
with clothes ripped open,
across our devastated land.

No more food to eat, little one!
The mother is crying.
But the little mouths to feed
are gone forever.

No more house to live, young woman!
Only your small body remains,
coiled gracefully in the water.
No more medicine for you, old man,
only your still body remains….
swollen in the water,
departed to another life
floating down the river.

The living,
with no one to help them
and no one to save them,
are already drowning
in the angry boiling sea –
the sea of despair.

Oh celestial beings,
ruler of the heavens,
spirits of divine powers,
What fault did they commit,
These impoverished people?
By what powers have you created
tears and misery
starvation and disease
for the survivors,
when their families are already lost?

And now…….

Let’s help our people……
so that whatever happens,
the survivors can go on
with infinite hope.

Original in Burmese by Nyein Zay Oo

http://nyeinzayoo.blogspot.com

Myanmar Cyclone Relief:

For those wishing to respond to the terrible devastation in Myanmar/Burma caused by the recent cyclone, we recommend contributing to organizations that already have staff in place inside the country and so are not dependent on foreign aid workers. Some of these organizations are:

ADRA International
Myanmar Cyclone Fund
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(800) 424-ADRA ext. 2372
http://www.adra.org/site/PageServer

CARE
151 Ellis Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30303
(800) 521-2273
http://www.care.org/

INTERNATIONAL BURMESE MONKS ORGANIZATION (in cooperation with Avaaz.org) Avaaz is raising funds for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups, which will transmit funds directly to monasteries in affected areas.The monasteries are the only source of shelter and food for Burma’s poorest people. They have been on the front lines of the aid effort since the storm struck. Go here for more information or click here.

Project HOPE
255 Carter Hall Lane
Millwood, VA 22646
(800) 544-4673
http://www.projecthope.org/

Save the Children
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
(800) 728-3843
https://secure.ga4.org/01/cyclone_nargis

U.S. Fund for UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10038
(800) 4UNICEF
http://www.unicefusa.org/

World Concern
19303 Fremont Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98133
(800) 755-5022, ext.7706
http://www.worldconcern.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=397

World Vision
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, WA 98063
(888) 56-CHILD
http://www.worldvision.org/

Tuesday, 13 May 2008 @ 8:46pm.

Happy Mother’s Day and Buddha Day and Spring!

For a good laugh, check out http://www.postcardsfromyomomma.com/.

Thank you to everyone who signed up on Cosmotourist. I was fortunate to have your support. I won the prize money for older members recruiting new folks. It came at a much needed time, too, given our recent bills and car issue. The new registered account winner wasn’t from our immediate circles (someone I didn’t know who happened to be from Yogyakarta, Indonesia), but keep an eye out for future competitions…

I had rajma, rice, roti and yogurt for dinner. Yum! If you can make chili, you can make rajma. I’m not usually a fan of red kidney beans, but rajma totally does it for me.

Wednesday, 07 May 2008 @ 5:26am.

I couldn’t sleep much through the night. I woke up around 3:30am and have been up and cooking of all things. I just had a bowl of spaghetti with sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Random, I know. The title of my last posting must have been a future clue of some kind. I just finished watching “Good Morning America.” I am so sad to hear about the cyclone which hit Myanmar. The death toll is at 22,000 and climbing. I hope aid is able to get to those in need a.s.a.p. I can’t believe the gas prices in the U.S. (and Australia) at the moment. I will need a car when I return to Michigan, but I’m not sure how I will manage all the costs, especially given all the fuel price increases. I found the short coverage of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to be educational. The ongoing drilling controversy makes me wonder about our nation’s priorities and I’m curious about how far we have come regarding research and practice on fuel alternatives. Showers are expected today in the Melbourne area. Boo! Pluto and I have been caught out in the rain twice on our runs so far this week, which wasn’t fun.

Sunday, 04 May 2008 @ 11:12am.

* Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket has been wreaking havoc on our sleep schedules because of the time difference between India and Australia. And I’m still not sure how I feel about Aussies and other foreigners temporarily playing for local Indian teams. It reminds me of international soccer/football players in Europe. I guess I sometimes have that old-school preference for “loyalty,” which would dictate that players are “originally” from a certain area or have been there for some time and thus connected to a place, but then again, all sports have players being traded left and right and switching teams and contracts with more and more ease these days. Years ago, I remember lamenting team changes for the likes of Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson.

* The rental car reminds me of a bright red jellybean. A fast jellybean. Is there such a thing?

* I’m already thinking of all the home repairs, chores, errands, etc. that I have to do when I get stateside. Sigh… I know I shouldn’t be thinking of attic insulation today, but I am!

* I have picked up crocheting again. The process seems to take ages, but is meditative in some way and therefore nice. I’m not doing anything fancy, just rows and rows of solid colors, as I don’t know how to do complicated patterns. I’m okay with that, though. There are some wonderful (and short) how-to videos on YouTube for those interested in trying crocheting for the first time or for those who need to brush up on their skills.

* Watching television news and reading news online has given me stress as of late. Some of the stories are just plain *awful.*

* Pluto’s coat is growing since winter has started. While I’m sure it keeps him warmer on our walks and runs and park frolicking adventures, bath time is more difficult. He’s practically waterproof! It doesn’t help that he does not enjoy baths. He does really like his ears being cleaned afterwards, however. Mini-massage, perhaps?

* I still enjoy peanut butter and bananas on toast, which was a staple snack for me while I was in Jakarta. I had some at 2:30am just before bed. I tried to stay up, but just couldn’t make it.

* I saw a license plate yesterday that said “EKUZME.” Personalized license plates may be tacky to some people, but I find them fun and interesting.

* I wonder what’s in store for me this coming week…

Friday, 02 May 2008 @ 9:43am.

Sigh… My partner’s car was stolen the day before yesterday. It’s such a shame that a person works hard and does good deeds and then something like this happens. Don’t car thieves know about bad karma???

We’re doing our best to be grateful for what and who we have in our lives, though.

For example, I was fortunate to attend an interesting lecture last night and join in a dinner afterwards with a great group of scholars and artists. My partner and I went to Phillip Island recently to see the Penguin Parade. We were freezing, admission was expensive, and not as many penguins showed up as expected, but it was still pretty cool to see wildlife in their natural habitats. On the way to see the penguins we stopped by Caldermeade Farm, which was on the South Gippsland Highway. We got to watch farmers milk Holstein cows and later pet the baby cows.

On a random note, check out http://www.expat.or.id/info/bahasafun.html for funny examples of language bloopers.

I thought the posting for Wednesday, April 30, 2008 titled “The most underrated country in the world” at http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives/the_backpackers/ was interesting, particularly the readers’ comments afterwards.

The sun just came out - yay! The gloomy, cold, rainy weather has been getting to me. Sun = run!