ridiculousness

My computer has been giving me some rather threatening warnings that it is going to shut down and stop working. It says that the C drive is full. I therefore have the task of downloading everything off my computer and onto my external hard drive. Perhaps what is responsible for this is the 15,695 pictures that I have on my computer.

I was looking through some of my pictures, not all 15,695 of them, of course. I revisited just enough to realize how ridiculous I am. I do ridiculous things and I laugh when I look back at it.

Like the summer I did an internship at the Marine Fisheries lab at Texas A&M in Corpus Christi. I fished all summer long, and got paid for it. I had never fished before so I don’t know why they chose me, but I had a good time, and haven’t fished since I left the great state of Texas. Ridiculous.


Getting up at 4am every day lets you see beautiful sunrises. Plus, the day is done by noon!


Then there’s the time in Ethiopia where myself and a few friends of mine went searching for a child that they were sponsoring through World Vision. We drove through Shashemene, home of the Rastafari where all the hippies live and smoke pot. We went out from there into the country-side and found the school that the boy supposedly attended. We didn’t find him there, because the boy just happened to be playing hooky that day. Great first impression. In the end, however, we learned that he had stayed home to plow the family fields with his ox. I got a chance at steering this great beast, but I think I ruined part of the land in the process. Oops. Another ridiculous moment.


The CBS Early Show decided to air from Yakima once. Madie and I were the perfect pair to be involved in another ridiculous experience. We showed up at the Capitol Theatre downtown on the morning of the shoot. We got there ridiculously early, because of course we wanted to be standing in front. So Dave, the traveling-host man, didn’t talk to us on air or anything, but we did have our millisecond of fame when we made it onto national TV. Standing right next to us was a goat that kept pooping all over the place. We had ridiculous signs. Put the two of us together and we never fail to do something ridiculous.


Then one time in Kenya the monkeys had gotten on our nerves enough to convince us that something should be done about it. Someone had 'heard' that catching a monkey and attaching a bell to it would scare all the other monkeys away. So that's exactly what we did. One of the Kenyan guys made a trap and caught one poor victim for our scheme. We dressed it in an old toddler tee (we had to make room for the tail, of course), and sewed a bell on the front. Actually it wasn't a bell; it was more like a washer and a lug nut attached to string. As optimistic as we were about this non-lethal approach to our awful monkey problem, it did not work. We never saw it, or the t-shirt with the bell, again. It was a hilarious day, though.
Poor monkey.



Once I went spelunking in Arkansas. Caving. We were at this National Park, I forget where, that was known for caving. I was feeling rather adventurous so I suggested that we try some of the more 'exciting' caves. Problem was, we didn't know where any of them were. Lucky us, as we were walking back to the car we ran into this group of people that were covered in mud and slop from head to toe. So we asked them, where did you go??? And they said, over there - and we'll take you in if you'd like! I was having a great time and thought that I had overcome my fear of claustrophobia until I got stuck in one of the cracks. Really stuck - I seriously couldn't move. Luckily the girl that was with us calmed me down and talked me out of it. Twist your body down then over. Ha! My greatest realization was that caves stink. They're full of rotting mud and yuckiness, and I was wearing Chacos. Disgusting. Note: this picture is not "the cave". This is another 'novice' cave.


And thats just a few of my ridiculous moments. More to come. I just have to look through more of my 15,965 pictures.

Good job Angelina

Last week Angelina Jolie and her hubby visited a Karenni refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmar border. She came to speak out against the violations of human rights that the Rohingya people have been subject to by the Thai government. She asked that "the Thai authorities to show the same generosity to Rohingyas as they have to tens of thousands of other asylum seekers fleeing from Burma." Other asylum seekers like the Kachins, Karens, Chins, and Mons.

Thailand wasn't very happy with this. Apparently the UNHCR sent Angelina to the wrong camp - not the camps that the government gave her permission to visit. So now the Thai government is reprimanding the UNHCR for allowing her in. Ugh. Just the fact that they're making such a huge deal out of it means that something smells fishy

The Thai government is saying that the Rohingyas are a greater threat than the rest of the Myanmarese tribes because they are Muslim, because they come in large groups, and because they are mostly men. The Refugee Resettlement Watch criticized Jolie's actions: "Jolie needs to know that they are Muslim, some of them are trained as jihadists, they do not get along with other groups, they are highly aggressive and intimidate other people, and many other facts before she passes judgment. Angelina Jolie is a bright woman. She should think over what she has learned and ask some Thais why it is that their country has been hospitable to these other refugees (many of whom are Christian) while turning away the Rohingya."

Just because a handful of people have gone bad doesn't give Thailand a reason to violate the rights of an entire people group. It doesn't give them the right to dispose of them like animals. In case you don't know, stories have just started to emerge about the Thai navy towing hundreds of Rohingyas out to the open sea in boats without motors or food or water. These boats have started appearing in far-fetched places like the Andaman Islands with very few survivors. Some died of dehydration, some jumped off and drowned, and some were apparently eaten by sharks. They say that 800 Rohingyas were "disposed of" this way - who knows how many have died. Whatever the number, the Thai government denies it all. Perhaps the most ghastly thing is that the Indian government (the Andaman Is. belongs to India) is going to ship the survivors back to Myanmar, the very nation that they risked their lives to flee from. The BBC recounts a survivor's tale:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7832947.stm

Myanmar appeared in the news last year because of the typhoon, but like all news stories, it has been long since forgotten. The Burmese government wouldn't let anyone into their country, so we still know nothing about it, except from the mouths of the survivors themselves. What's happening in Myanmar and the stories that I have heard are appalling. Rape, murder, slavery, religious persecution, you name it, it's happening in Myanmar. The people might not be drowning from the typhoon floods anymore, but they're still dying. And they're fleeing their own country more than ever. And more than ever, their neighboring countries are rejecting them. The UNHCR is trying its best, but with both Thailand and Malaysia rejecting the UN convention on refugees, they're not free to do what needs to be done. What a shame.

Angelina does so much that no one else can do. People pay attention to what she does and where she goes and what she says. I would do what she does, but frankly, no one would care...it's just little old me. She has 6 kids and still visits refugees all over the world. She's adopted three children from the places she's traveled. If only more celebrities and people in the limelight would do the same. So good job Angelina, I wish more people in the world were like you. Well, sort of.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a masochistic Hindu (Tamil) holiday celebrating the birthday of Lord Murugan, the God of War. 50,000 devotees came to Sri Arulmigu Balathandayuthabani aka Waterfall Temple in Penang yesterday to go on a 'pilgrimage' to fulfill their vows. This includes carrying pots of milk, piercing the skin, and carrying heavy burdens.






Shaving heads is an act of devotion

Fish spa

Fish spas are the rage all over asia, and Penang is no exception. This was said of our local Penang branch:
"At Happy Feet Fish Spa, you will experience a myriad of feelings – the warm ambiance, the friendly staff, the laughter and smiles, the relaxation as you sit and enjoy the sensation as the fishes feast on your feet. This wonderful experience also comes with an additional benefit which is known to human race as one of the essence of life – Laughter! When the fishes start to swarm your feet, you will feel the initial first minutes of ticklish sensation which will make you laugh and squeal or at least, giggles for the shy ones!"

It would be more appropriately called flesh-eating fish. "Known as Garra rufa, the silvery inch-long fish originate from hot springs in Turkey. It's there that they developed an appetite for the only food around — human flesh." But because they don't have teeth, they technically "kiss the skin" as one salon owner puts it, sucking off the dry skin. The spa "Dr. Fish" says this about maintaining its tanks and fish: "The fish stay well fed on a steady supply of human skin. Over the past few months, technician Le has watched them double in size." Oh man.

Singapore

Lonely Planet describes Singapore as the following:
"A fine cocktail of Western predictability and Asian enthusiasm." Ultra modern, immaculately organised, and a little snobbery thrown in, it's certainly the cleanest place you'll find in Asia. But whatever the case: if you like to shop, and you like to eat, Singapore is the place to be. There's quite a few parks and nature reserves to satisfy the outdoorsy type, NOTE: it definitely lacks in the beach department. Go to Thailand or Borneo.
If there is such a thing as a national obsession, Singapore's would be food.


My favorite fish was shredded chicken porridge. You have to taste it to believe it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Although Singapore is known more for creating the artificial, they also create 'natural' pretty well. Unfortunately for me, all I brought were two flimsy pairs of flip flops. Not particularly great for hiking, but I managed the best I could. Six hour hikes in flip flops is fun!



They even manage to maintain a "lifeless earth"!

Lots of monkeys to be found!!


This is the proboscis monkey, only found in Borneo. The Singapore zoo is the only place in the world that these guys can be found outside of Borneo.



Crazy Singapore:

Crazy Trees

Crazy Christmas

Crazy street lines

Finding it hard.

I can’t get anything done these days. It’s impossible. Plans for the next two months have fallen through and now there’s not much to do around these parts. Nothing much except procrastination.

Case in point. Someone showed me this article on good/bad procrastination two weeks ago.

http://www.paulgraham.com/procrastination.html

It looked interesting and worthy of my time, and it’s been sitting in my Safari internet tabs since then, and only yesterday did I get around to reading it. I can’t believe it.

I procrastinated reading an article on procrastination for 2 weeks.

That is bad! Only to discover that I am a type B procrastinator, which means I put off the good things and spend all my time on the bad things. Big surprise. Which means that I put off reading this article by blogging and facebook and mopping my floor and working out more. Not cool.

I DO have worthwhile things to do, but with no set deadline it’s hard for me to get them done. I guess I need the pressure. The article suggests that the way to solve the problem of procrastination is to "let delight pull you instead of making a to-do list push you. Work on an ambitious project you really enjoy, and sail as close to the wind as you can, and you'll leave the right things undone." True.

Here's one thing to check of my list: finally take this article off of my computer.

Lost art

I love writing letters. No one else seems to share this passion with me, except my family of course. I believe that the Treece family contributes a great deal to the continuing success of the USPS. It's quite a distinguished Treece family tradition. Since my arrival in Malaysia one year ago, I have received dozens of letter, dozens of postcards (all from my mom and dads travels), and dozens of packages from family. And packages aren't cheap, but thank God that I am blessed with an especially generous and thoughtful family.
I love writing letters as a way to keep in touch (albeit one-sidedly, but I don't write with the expectation of receiving anything in return), and I know (assume, I guess) that people appreciate it. Call me old fashioned, but who doesn't like receiving a good ol' hand written letter? To know that someone was thoughtful enough to get unglued to their facebook account and sit down to write a letter that takes thought and effort. Maybe people just don't like to think. My grandma writes chicken scratch and I can hardly read what she says, but I still appreciate the letters. My mom writes really random letters about mowing the lawn, the window treatment installations, and the fact that they're having chicken for dinner tonight. It's the thought that counts!
Sure, it's great to hear someone say "Hey, how's it going?" -or via the ubiquitous text, perhaps- But to know that a person picked out a card or random piece of paper, sat down and carefully chose the appropriate words for the occasion, and concentrated long enough to create something legible (I give exceptions to people over 90 years old, as is the case of my grandma-and perhaps doctors) is so much more meaningful.

Oh, how I mourn the lost art of letter writing! (I'm on a Jane Austen kick right now, can you tell?) All of the cards and postcards and letters I have received since coming here have been tucked away and treasured. Not that I read them and re-read them every day, but it seems like such a shame to throw them away! Someone put good thought and time into it. Letters have so much more permanence to them than conversations or email. I have received letters that I know I'll keep forever.
Which reminds me, my sister recently returned to me some letters that I had written to her when I was 10 years old. My sister kept them all this time, God bless her heart. And written with the hand of a 10 year old, they are hilarious. When I was little I was taught that the proper way to start a letter was, "Dear ___, How are you? I'm fine." I used this format until I realized how stupid it sounds - which unfortunately wasn't too far in the distant past.