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.

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/

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.