In case you are wondering who Felipe is, here he is. He is the adorable stuffed llama my husband got me for my birthday. Like all the gifts in my life, my family and friends, he fills me with joy.
Friday, December 13, 2013
A word about the title...
In case you are wondering about the title of this web log, "Los Bonitos Ojos Negros de Felipe" means "The Beautiful Black Eyes of Felipe" in Spanish.
In case you are wondering who Felipe is, here he is. He is the adorable stuffed llama my husband got me for my birthday. Like all the gifts in my life, my family and friends, he fills me with joy.
In case you are wondering who Felipe is, here he is. He is the adorable stuffed llama my husband got me for my birthday. Like all the gifts in my life, my family and friends, he fills me with joy.
I am Daoist and agnostic, and I like Lakota religion.
I perpetually long company, yet also feel sometimes anti-social, wanting to abandon social etiquette and just sit and think.
A few material comforts in life make it wonderful - a warm shower, a good cup of coffee, the comforting grey skies and Douglas firs of Washington, and the loving embrace of one's spouse.
I perpetually long company, yet also feel sometimes anti-social, wanting to abandon social etiquette and just sit and think.
A few material comforts in life make it wonderful - a warm shower, a good cup of coffee, the comforting grey skies and Douglas firs of Washington, and the loving embrace of one's spouse.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Mount Tacoma looks as if it came from another planet. When Evan and I were returning to Seattle, we flew by it. It was jutting out of the clouds, aloof and formidable. I wonder how many other people have stared at it, overwhelmed.
Tried out zumba and yoga today. Zumba made me sweat and feel happy. Yoga was relaxing, and made me feel happier. Spending a nice evening with my husband filled me with feelings of love and left me feeling happiest.
Mental exhaustion hits my language comprehension skills first. After returning from work a few days ago, I found myself getting frustrated trying to read a recipe, because it used compound sentences, and my tired brain couldn't piece it together. However, my brain worked fine otherwise - math, word meanings, all else. It scares me a little that my skills in listening are so poor. I'll make an effort to read, write, speak, and listen more, to hone these indispensable skills.
Tried out zumba and yoga today. Zumba made me sweat and feel happy. Yoga was relaxing, and made me feel happier. Spending a nice evening with my husband filled me with feelings of love and left me feeling happiest.
Mental exhaustion hits my language comprehension skills first. After returning from work a few days ago, I found myself getting frustrated trying to read a recipe, because it used compound sentences, and my tired brain couldn't piece it together. However, my brain worked fine otherwise - math, word meanings, all else. It scares me a little that my skills in listening are so poor. I'll make an effort to read, write, speak, and listen more, to hone these indispensable skills.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Four more thoughts
A continuation of thoughts ...
Mbira is the most beautiful, haunting instrument. Check out 01:18 of this youtube video. Like it? Here's more. One of our friends is pursuing his dreams, traveling the world and bettering his mbira skills. What good inspiration for us to follow through on our dreams.
Music is always more enjoyable when listening with a friend. One of my friends got me into this relaxing style of music from Brazil: here is a youtube sample of Bossa Nova.
Friends and family are awesome! What a lucky girl I am. On my birthday, I was treated to cheerful messages, thoughtful gifts, tasty dinners and lunches, and...
Flying is awesome! Who knew how amazingly beautiful the world seems from the sky.
Mbira is the most beautiful, haunting instrument. Check out 01:18 of this youtube video. Like it? Here's more. One of our friends is pursuing his dreams, traveling the world and bettering his mbira skills. What good inspiration for us to follow through on our dreams.
Music is always more enjoyable when listening with a friend. One of my friends got me into this relaxing style of music from Brazil: here is a youtube sample of Bossa Nova.
Flying is awesome! Who knew how amazingly beautiful the world seems from the sky.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Twenty-nine thoughts
Twenty-nine years of age. On Friday, I will be 29. I feel happier than I was when I turned 28. I'm hoping this trend continues for the rest of my life, and that every year I will feel happier. I hope to keep no expectations, only hopes.
Visits are sweet. Our family visited us in Seattle, and each visit was a pleasure that ended much too soon.
Each couple seems to have distinct interests. We got a chance to try out many new things we wouldn't have done otherwise: go to a trendy coffee shop downtown; see the Sea-to-Sky highway and Olympic National Park; get a view of Seattle from a ferris wheel; and play indoor tennis.
Snoqualmie Falls is even more beautiful in the rainy weather than it is in the summer.
Self-confidence is an undervalued virtue. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
Politeness is an overvalued virtue. If someone else didn't grow up in the same sub-culture I did, they won't know they same arbitrary conventions, won't know all the right things to say at all the right times, and perhaps we'll both end up making each other a little uncomfortable if we care about these things too much. Are such things any reason to end a good friendship?
And on the same vein, aren't so many other things more worthy of attention?
Today, my father-in-law explained the difference between amino acids with uncharged polar R-groups and acidic polar R-groups. The acidic ones contain hydrogen atoms with weak bonds, that may separate from the molecule as positive hydrogen ions.
I prefer a world with GMOs. I'd rather have a 1% chance to get cancer (as awful as that is) than a 90% chance to get ringworm or some other strange intestinal disease. I am making up these numbers.
Eight thoughts down, twenty-one are pending.
Visits are sweet. Our family visited us in Seattle, and each visit was a pleasure that ended much too soon.
Each couple seems to have distinct interests. We got a chance to try out many new things we wouldn't have done otherwise: go to a trendy coffee shop downtown; see the Sea-to-Sky highway and Olympic National Park; get a view of Seattle from a ferris wheel; and play indoor tennis.
Snoqualmie Falls is even more beautiful in the rainy weather than it is in the summer.
Self-confidence is an undervalued virtue. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
Politeness is an overvalued virtue. If someone else didn't grow up in the same sub-culture I did, they won't know they same arbitrary conventions, won't know all the right things to say at all the right times, and perhaps we'll both end up making each other a little uncomfortable if we care about these things too much. Are such things any reason to end a good friendship?
And on the same vein, aren't so many other things more worthy of attention?
Today, my father-in-law explained the difference between amino acids with uncharged polar R-groups and acidic polar R-groups. The acidic ones contain hydrogen atoms with weak bonds, that may separate from the molecule as positive hydrogen ions.
I prefer a world with GMOs. I'd rather have a 1% chance to get cancer (as awful as that is) than a 90% chance to get ringworm or some other strange intestinal disease. I am making up these numbers.
Eight thoughts down, twenty-one are pending.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Life
Dear friends,
How is life? Hope that you are all content.
Life here is nice. The weather is amazing. Our new apartment is surrounded by tall trees, and when it rains, the air smells fragrant, like wet pines.
Work is everything I hoped it would be. Lots of math. Mutual respect. Smart team.
I am a little spoiled when it comes to attention, and have been feeling slightly lonely. I think if I get one good conversation or one good laugh a day, I will never feel lonely. And I have had many good conversations and good laughs with Evan and with friends here. I think I am too spoiled to demand such things every day, and will try to learn to appreciate them as they come.
Between the tall trees and change of pace in life, the world has seemed quiet. Quiet is great for contemplation, and I have been doing a lot of thinking about this and that.
I had the time of my life wandering around Seattle alone, finding it to be a beautiful place with amazingly friendly people. What other city offers smiles and earnest conversations with strangers? But, I could not help but notice how different an experience it is depending on who I am with. It is funny how much a person assumes about another stranger based on their clothing, their ethnicity, their gender, whether they are in a group or alone. I have been thinking about these kinds of things more and more and wishing I could think about them less and less.
All in all, things are great. And I hope they are equally great for all of you.
How is life? Hope that you are all content.
Life here is nice. The weather is amazing. Our new apartment is surrounded by tall trees, and when it rains, the air smells fragrant, like wet pines.
Work is everything I hoped it would be. Lots of math. Mutual respect. Smart team.
I am a little spoiled when it comes to attention, and have been feeling slightly lonely. I think if I get one good conversation or one good laugh a day, I will never feel lonely. And I have had many good conversations and good laughs with Evan and with friends here. I think I am too spoiled to demand such things every day, and will try to learn to appreciate them as they come.
Between the tall trees and change of pace in life, the world has seemed quiet. Quiet is great for contemplation, and I have been doing a lot of thinking about this and that.
I had the time of my life wandering around Seattle alone, finding it to be a beautiful place with amazingly friendly people. What other city offers smiles and earnest conversations with strangers? But, I could not help but notice how different an experience it is depending on who I am with. It is funny how much a person assumes about another stranger based on their clothing, their ethnicity, their gender, whether they are in a group or alone. I have been thinking about these kinds of things more and more and wishing I could think about them less and less.
All in all, things are great. And I hope they are equally great for all of you.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Food Empowerment
Over 800 million people in the world today are starving. Fourteen million are enslaved in agricultural and other industries. Over a billion animals die each year in slaughter, a majority of which have lived bleak lives in dehumanizing factory farms.
Something is woefully wrong about the way food is produced and distributed. And the problems seem to be as ancient as civilization itself. I am reading a book "The History of Food" that suggests slavery may have begun with the advent of the domestication of animals for agriculture.
It is enough to make me want to throw up my hands and avoid food altogether, as this gentleman has done: http://robrhinehart.com/?p=298.
But respect for individuals and human rights has gradually been increasing. And I think a good solution to these problems is possible with today's technology.
I feel that part of the solution will involve people in developed nations lessening their demand for food. This includes not overeating, but more importantly lessening the demand for animal-derived meat, either by eating cultured meat, or eating less meat altogether.
The solution must also include the empowerment of people in developing nations to control the production and distribution of their food and to benefit from the fruits of their own labor. I am not yet familiar with the politics of this, though I am learning of the impacts of subsidies from governments to large agricultural corporations.
Genetic modification of food is part of the solution, not the problem, I think. Fortified peanut paste and other fortified foods will help people all over the world get more nutritional bang for the caloric buck. Also, I could not have eaten a vegan diet for any amount of time without cereals fortified with iron and vitamin B12.
I don't want to be a judgmental food fundamentalist or impose my opinions on others. But I would like to learn more about food production. It is strange that something as simple and everyday as food affects so many people around the world. I am not yet sure what I can do to lessen my negative impact on animals and humans. I just know that I'd like to give it my best try.
Resources/References for numbers listed above:
http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_181961/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.foodispower.org/
Something is woefully wrong about the way food is produced and distributed. And the problems seem to be as ancient as civilization itself. I am reading a book "The History of Food" that suggests slavery may have begun with the advent of the domestication of animals for agriculture.
It is enough to make me want to throw up my hands and avoid food altogether, as this gentleman has done: http://robrhinehart.com/?p=298.
But respect for individuals and human rights has gradually been increasing. And I think a good solution to these problems is possible with today's technology.
I feel that part of the solution will involve people in developed nations lessening their demand for food. This includes not overeating, but more importantly lessening the demand for animal-derived meat, either by eating cultured meat, or eating less meat altogether.
The solution must also include the empowerment of people in developing nations to control the production and distribution of their food and to benefit from the fruits of their own labor. I am not yet familiar with the politics of this, though I am learning of the impacts of subsidies from governments to large agricultural corporations.
Genetic modification of food is part of the solution, not the problem, I think. Fortified peanut paste and other fortified foods will help people all over the world get more nutritional bang for the caloric buck. Also, I could not have eaten a vegan diet for any amount of time without cereals fortified with iron and vitamin B12.
I don't want to be a judgmental food fundamentalist or impose my opinions on others. But I would like to learn more about food production. It is strange that something as simple and everyday as food affects so many people around the world. I am not yet sure what I can do to lessen my negative impact on animals and humans. I just know that I'd like to give it my best try.
Resources/References for numbers listed above:
http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_181961/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.foodispower.org/
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
First Impressions
We spent our first day in Washington today.
It is beautiful and lush green here, with towering trees, fragrant flowers, and blue skies.
It seems like a paradise.
Bellevue is urban and diverse enough for me, but not too overly hustle-and-bustle for Evan. Evan was smart to suggest walking everywhere today (our rental car is the size of an elephant and is difficult to traverse the narrow streets and parking spots with). So glad we did - it made the day relaxing and enjoyable.
We relaxed at the lake shore, watching the ducks and mothers and children enjoying the pleasant weather, while Evan told me in a serious, no-nonsense tone of voice what would happen if Mount Ranier were to erupt, including the amount of people that would be killed, and which sub-areas would be affected in which order. The contrast of the two made me burst out laughing (hope I don't sound sadastic!) and Evan started laughing too. The sweetness and earnestness of his talk of Mount Ranier made me smile. It is funny how many small things about a person can make them so endearing. Evan is the world's sweetest human being, and only grows sweeter with the passing years - he is a blessing in my life. Today, we celebrate four years of marriage.
Though we miss our family and friends very much, we find ourselves thinking of things that they would enjoy when they come to visit. And we are excited to be closer to other friends and are looking forward to sharing adventures with them in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
It is beautiful and lush green here, with towering trees, fragrant flowers, and blue skies.
It seems like a paradise.
Bellevue is urban and diverse enough for me, but not too overly hustle-and-bustle for Evan. Evan was smart to suggest walking everywhere today (our rental car is the size of an elephant and is difficult to traverse the narrow streets and parking spots with). So glad we did - it made the day relaxing and enjoyable.
We relaxed at the lake shore, watching the ducks and mothers and children enjoying the pleasant weather, while Evan told me in a serious, no-nonsense tone of voice what would happen if Mount Ranier were to erupt, including the amount of people that would be killed, and which sub-areas would be affected in which order. The contrast of the two made me burst out laughing (hope I don't sound sadastic!) and Evan started laughing too. The sweetness and earnestness of his talk of Mount Ranier made me smile. It is funny how many small things about a person can make them so endearing. Evan is the world's sweetest human being, and only grows sweeter with the passing years - he is a blessing in my life. Today, we celebrate four years of marriage.
Though we miss our family and friends very much, we find ourselves thinking of things that they would enjoy when they come to visit. And we are excited to be closer to other friends and are looking forward to sharing adventures with them in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
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