TIGblogs - Melissa Snowden's TIGBlog

The ebb flow - never ends - peace now

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:45:00 EDT

I can breathe again! Yay!

It's funny how life is never settled. The "ebb and flow" is not a cliche -- it is a reality.

It is the dichotomy. It is the duality. It is the yin and yang. It is the dialectics.

It really is, and what a comfort. You are never alone. Even holed up, shelled up, tucked away, buried in, you are NOT alone. There is always something to come out of, and that struggle ensures your survival and the fight to live. It's the right to live.

Everything's changing right now... lots of turmoil and tension around the world, but also lots of hope + prosperity. Maybe the universe is shifting gears, what a cosmic crunch.

Peace to Iran's upcoming election. Peace to Euna Lee and Laura Ling. Peace to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.

Holocaust Memorial Re-focusing

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:33:00 EST

I am doing lots of community work as you know, but I feel like taking it easy a bit and focusing on physical recreation and leisure. Today I resigned from my volunteer opposition at the Holocaust memorial. I love that place and everyone I have met there and it makes me sad to leave it. Especially when I think about Elizabeth asking me if I'd stay. But I can always go back and I feel it's really important to work on my body and soul right now.

- Melissa

It's Time

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:01:00 EST

It's time
to move on
to the things we are meant for. We have worked
this hard to get here, and work harder
to get there. Let's not disappoint.

Don't say "Give up," don't walk away from your vision.
You may be the only one who sees it, don't let it go!

My Birthday

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:34:00 EST

Today is my birthday, and here is my birthday video, when my head feels heavy, it makes my feet feel light...

I have a birthday wish and hope I'm not disappointed, but with the way the universe works, I'll otherwise understand....

love,
Melissa

Safe Spaces Settling

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:33:00 EST

I do not mind settling. Some must think I want to get up and go; I used to be this way.

But I have seen within the past few months what it means to take it easy, to have precious time to read poetry, to read books again, to play ball with the dogs. I see that love. I appreciate this. And I believe in resourcefulness, I would take up my graduate degree at UCF to earn a degree in Nonprofit Management, a certificate in Domestic Violence, graduate to engage a program from within my region. I appreciate the relaxed, but engaged, life.

Commitment/Committed?

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:09:00 EST

We should all know that youth engagement means constancy, commitment and patience. Can we work toward this by fulfilling the obligations that we've initiated?

I look around at non-profit organizations that lay by the wayside, unfortunate because some once set amazing goals. And for whatever reason, people move on and these projects seem to come to the end of their lifespan.

Let's not do this. I'm guilty of it, but we've got to practice consistency, especially in this digital age: browsing through Internet sites that lead to dead ends of important topics, who is left to engage, stimulate, and create flow for these issues?

"580 Letters, One Check" / My Beloved / Sufi Poet (967 - 1049)

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:43:00 EST

"Let sorrowful longing dwell in your heart.
Never give up, never lose hope.
Allah says, 'The broken ones are my beloved.'
Crush your heart. Be broken."

--Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir, aka Nobody, Son of Nobody (lived 967 - 1049)

(An epithet from Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson)

Article: "World unemployment rises" from the BBC

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:38:00 EST

This is an excerpt from an article I'm reading on BBC News... It is about world unemployment, but ends talking about the hope of IT workforce, and problems the Digital Divide presents...

"The global economy will have to generate 500 million new jobs during the next 10 years just to accommodate new seekers of the labour force and reduce the current level of unemployment."

...

It hopes the information technology revolution, will provide some of the new jobs.

But the ILO says developing countries will only benefit if they can improve education standards and their telecommunications infrastructure.

Only 5% of the world's population has ever logged on to the internet, and nearly all the users live in industrialised countries.

The report warns that the digital divide, between the technological haves and have-nots is widening.

And it says that those countries that don't get on board the digital revolution face a loss of competitive economic strength, as well as a possible decline in national income.

Writer: Claire Doole (Geneva)
Origin: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1133980.stm

My Country INFURIATES Me

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:04:00 EST

Sometimes I feel discouraged, but right now, I feel furious.

There are some recent events in my country, the U.S., all set off by people that indubitably seem like a reflection of the North American spirit. And there are moments when I feel so discouraged by complete strangers' ethics that I wonder how accurate outsiders' perceptions of my homeland really are.

(1) Hudson River plane crash. A highly skilled pilot maneuvers an airline plane to safely land in New York's Hudson River without one death of the 150 passengers; this feat under all circumstances was almost implausible. Given this, along with $5000 compensation by the airline, some of the passengers have recently decided to sue the airline, citing that emotional damages and lost luggage cannot be rectified by $5000.

(2) Greedy Corporate executives. While we talk about the capitalist nature of the States and as U.S. Americans attempt to defend it, we are drenched by an economic undertow of a recession that is currently driving numerous families to murder their families and then suicide. The most recent was in Southern California.

In turn, these companies that have been lending money do not pay for the repercussions, and are given money to bail out their companies which is not just giving a "slap" on the wrist, but--for anyone knows what it's like to train a dog or is familiar with Pavlov--is reinforcing NEGATIVE BEHAVIOUR. One executive involved has already committed suicide, and generations ahead will be paying for this greed.

(3) God love them, I overhear people talking about Banana Republic not going out of business. And I want to say, "Have you SEEN pictures of Gaza Strip? Have you HEARD about the accounts of explosives and shrapnel deforming civilians?" This is Maya (in the sense of a veil covering the eyes and shrouding clear perception) and we as North Americans (or just the mainstream?) are oblivious to it.

(4) Even someone as stupid as former presidential candidate John Edwards running for president in 2008 INFURIATES me. And this is why: He tended to his cancer-treated wife, and was allegedly caught post-candidacy having an affair. It is not the morals/ethics of this situation that incites me, it is the EGO with which one believes that he can escape and get away with deceit in a time of turmoil, when already the U.S. citizens dissented against George W. Bush and feared governmental corruption, misleading verbiage, and most of all, gross disappointment with leadership. And to think that one can knowingly bring another disappointment and bad representation of liberalism to the forefront of our nation?? Behooves me.

This type of rant is counterintuitive to what TakingITGlobal stands for, as we are focused on positive outlook to bring about constructive change. But in the midst of seeing huge character flaws that reflect my homeland's well-being, I am just so discouraged by what has become of our people.

Someone once told me that those in the East are far more spiritual than those of the West, as a whole, and that it is perfectly evident. Having never been to the East, I cannot say this is false or accurate, I can only say that based on my vision and imagination, the practice of Eastern religions appear to be far more authentic and promising than the neglectful nature of the characters I have seen here. Whether without a doubt these practices are Christian, Muslim, Orthodox Judaism, Buddhist, I am not in honor to be in my country right now, and would long for a moment to be close to that sense of spiritualism and away, even for a while, from the secularism that currently overwhelms me.

(4) Around Christmastime, at a Walmart (superstore), a mass of people waited to get inside to buy sale items early in the morning. In the stampede of all those folks rushing to get inside, one person was trampled to death, and no one stopped to help him.

Two Years Ago to the Day

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:49:00 EST

Drove home today 4:30
Lake Mary to Waterford Chase via 417

There was something in the momentum that I wanted to capture and carry forever; it was the sun, the skyline of a slight gray-blue; the freshly mowed grass tho' brown; it was breezy, and it streamed through my windows.

I listened to Belle Sebastian, "The Life Pursuit", because it's got a special place in my heart of a special time, and I wanted that memory stimulated because it felt right. Everything at work in that time made headway for me, and my emotions elated to a point that felt relived from two years' ago time. I could have held it for as long as possible, if the universe let me.

This would have taken me miles on miles, the air still damp with late rain. There was a hope in me that this was like Scotland, the flat rusty-green grass and the horizon bending back over the road up ahead.

It was a moment I loved; that pursuit with which I am in love

My Dad makes me laugh

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:44:00 EST

This is why I love my Dad; he says things like this:

"That's not how you're supposed to eat string cheese!"

It's some Sargento cheese commercial, and it must be kind of hoity-toity because the lady just bites into her stick of string cheese rather than stripping it down.

Pro-Palestinian Protestors in Orlando, FL

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:33:00 EST

Today: Sick at home.

Yesterday I found out that there was an anti-war rally held in Orlando, my city, on January 10.

Pro-Palestinian outnumber pro-Israel advocates at Lake Eola

More than one thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered Saturday, Jan. 10 at Lake Eola to protest Israel’s retaliatory war with Hamas in Gaza. Many chanted, “One two three four, occupation no more” and “Five six seven eight, Israel is a terror state,” and held signs equating Israel with Naziism.

It bugs me that I don't know about events like this beforehand -- I'm either illiterate as far as local events go, or there is not much W.O.M. (word of mouth) about events like these. Nobody cares? Or I'm not in touch with the Palestinian/Israeli community (or vice versa).

Article written by Lyn Payne, found at http://www.heritagefl.com/ -- a Jewish newspaper, which is just coincidentally where I found out about the protest.

3 Transnational Movies Worth Watching (an update for the week)

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:03:00 EST

(1) My Own Country, starring Naveen Andrews (1998). An East-Indian Ethiopian-born doctor (Andrews) has a practice in Tennessee, dealing with AIDS-infected patients. To watch if for no better reason than his dynamic characterization and reflection of his home life.

(2) A Time for Drunken Horses. A group of orphans from a Kurdish village trek to Iraq for a life-saving operation, working odd jobs for money. (Site: http://www.linktv.org/programs/cm_timefor)

And a bonus documentary on tonight:

(3) The Secret Pain (2007). "One woman's journey back to her homeland of Sierra Leone to confront the people and culture that circumcised her."

WPI/meeting really cool people through advocacy

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:45:00 EST

Things have been very busy for me lately, getting really rolling around the middle of January and now compiled by the end of it.

I went to my first official WPI (Women Playwrights' Initiative) meeting yesterday morning, and it was AWESOME!!!! The people who are involved with this group are just SO amazing. We planned some upcoming activities for our upcoming PlayFest happening this coming Friday, and got to know each other better, too.

It's incredible that you meet a group of impassioned people who are as excited about life and advocacy and initiatives as you are, and the energy that flows is something that could never be bought.

Last night, I started a Facebook group for our initiative: Next I have to post news about our upcoming events. The key to our organization is to promote the production of plays written by women.

One thing that life is about:

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:13:00 EST

What makes me happy: knowing my parents are in love. What makes me happier: being able to see and hear them being in love.

- Melissa

The Way Gals "Make" Do Things

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:25:00 EST

If I have even a vested interest in something I've never appreciated before (in this case, we're saying rap music and sports), I give it a go and then inevitably return to the way gals do it.

I am just intrinsically curious/inspired by the way females do the same things as men. Maybe cos for the longest time, we're raised hearing "it's a man's world" and so hearing the "lady" ways of doing things is just so cool and empowering.

So, I've never really gotten into rap hip-hop to a HUGE extent, but I started listening to M.I.A., and have--through Pandora.com--learned about similar artists/influences. So without buying music I can freely listen to Common, NWA, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill. But then I wanna hear the way gals do it! I wanna hear Lil' Kim and Missy Elliot's lyrics, what they say in a predominately male industry, how they perceive themselves and situations.

I wanna watch the grrrls play golf, I wanna watch the movies they direct, wanna read their postcolonial literature. It's about the complex relationships between physicality, gender, sex, positionality, culture, assumptions, and so much more....

cool web sources (activism)

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:53:00 EST

(1) http://oneyearvolunteer.com/

(2) http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:v1DxpiX0eX8J:dcc.syr.edu/ford/rma/ch4.pdf+activism+1960shl=enct=clnkcd=4gl=us

...More to come about these later!

I am revising an essay I wrote long ago (5 years!!!! OMG!) for my Women and Community Activism class. When looking up some facts, I came across these two sites... Ahh, I can't wait to read these later!!!

Maybe I'll report on them if I've got time later... or read for yourselves tell me what you think! :]

Living with a Conservative Part 2

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:32:00 EST

My dad does not understand the desire to study internationally. I, personally, view it as a need. It's not a luxury, it's not a vacation; it's a chance to absorb another culture's social experience and another region's academics.

Exactly one year later, he cannot fathom why I'd apply abroad, viewing it as a serious mistake due to the global recession. I tell him there's a recession here. He asks me who's gonna hire me when I'm done? I say an NGO or an international agency, which I believe anyway would provide a more secure job than the publishing industry.

He asks what I will apply to that needs to be studied abroad, and I say "Global Studies."

Because of others' concerns and beliefs, I have hindered myself from making my choices confidently in life. But I realize that 'playing it safe' is not so smart as in following a dream, a dream that I already put off for one year, a university I passed up years ago as well, and the idea not to travel independently. I may not go anywhere, I may not get the job I applied to locally, but at least I know I've given myself that encouragement and option to make an alternative choice.

Laughter is the best medicine

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:16:00 EST

Laughter is the best medicine. It's true, so take advantage when you can.

- Melissa

"Nowhere to Go but the Horizon"

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST

I cry every time I watch The Namesake. Always at the same parts. "Remember that you and I made the journey, and went to the place where there was nowhere left to go."

- Melissa

Good News!

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:36:00 EST

Yesterday I sent out my online applications! Yay!!

That means:

Toronto - check
Malmo/Jonkoping - check
Concordia - check!
Leeds - CHECK!

Woot, this makes me so relieved. But there's still much to do. :)

Cried juuust a little, but keeping the faith.

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:10:00 EST

I hate to say it, but I cried juuust a little this morning/afternoon when I woke up. That's kind of because I realized that I slept for a full 12 hours, waking at 2 pm.

Not especially happy that at this moment, I have so much to do. It feels like homework upon homework, and sometimes I doubt that I can do it (the deadlines, I mean, not things such as volunteering for TIG. I was just thinking about how much I enjoy publishing and reading the INSPIRATIONAL writings of visionaries around the world. Hopefully, it inspires you, if you haven't already, to submit an article to Panorama Zine.)

I have a lot to do, so I really must start on that. Thanks everyone for your support. I know that, in the end, at least I tried, have given it my best, and that it will all be worth it in the end, no matter the outcome. God willing.

Love,
Melissa

Songs, more applications and dinnertime

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:44:00 EST

I Love: orange juice

Song Stuck in My Head: Paper Planes by M.I.A.

Currently Discovering: beat-tastic artists like DJ Blaqstarr, Enur ("Calabria"), CSS ("Music Is My Hot Hot..."), and Justice ("D.A.N.C.E.").

Off to applications!

A few days ago, I sent an email to Lund University and they responded very fast. The point was to find out if I qualified for their Gender Studies programme and the answer (after I very nicely packaged why I may be acceptable and favorable), they let me know that I would need a BA in the Social Sciences rather than English. Although my minor was in Women's Studies.

So that's another own down that I have foregone. I also let go of: Gothenburg (probably for the same reason as Lund) and AUP (Amer Univ of Paris) because it was rated as one of the most expensive schools by THE. Not that it's bad ... It's just that their programme that I looked at seemed more beneficial for Global Marketing (rather than Communications).

Okay, gotta go eat dinner! Ciao!

Quick Note/minor procrastination/Getting things done!!

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST

Aggghh! Applications cannot be easy for anyone!!

Phew, but I just realized something that brought me temporary relief.

So as my side note: LOVE what we can do with electronics now. But ... as an English major ... who tried to make it all electronic ... NOTHING beats writing notes with your hand on a sheet of ruled paper!

I guess I'm still old skool after all.

Currently listening: Light Blue, Thelonious Monk on Pandora
While: Filling out applications!

No Time to READ! :(

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:05:00 EST

I've got so many books I want to read!! I don't have the time!
The only books I have time to read are children's books (I'm surrounded by
them since I work at a children's publisher) and I get many, many books for
free; from Fahrenheit 451 to Beneath My Mother's Feet to The Best American
Sports Writing 2005. Agh.

I haven't had time to read a book since I finished F. 451, and that seemed
to take forever. The last novel I finished quickly was The Kite Runner.

Right now, I only have time to read on my iPhone. I download adult books
(ha, not children's!) and read them. Not because there's anything wrong with
kids' books at all, it's just "me" time, when I will be able to read "The
Castle of Otranto" and "Venus in Furs" and many more authors I've wanted to
read, even since middle school. Greatttttttt!!!!! Can't be happier.

All of my deadlines are practically this month: Some on Jan. 15th, some Feb.
1st. I just want to relax and read; organize my room, make my bed, light a
candle or incense and READ...

And it really feels so fulfilling.... Right now I just make time to read
Scripture before bedtime, and that's because it gives me inspiration.

--Melissa