I'm A Nerd

So, I have this new obsession. And it has to do with vocabulary.

I have been playing on freerice.com all the time. I think it is so much fun! And I feel really smart when I get a word right. And then I see words I previously didn't know in books that I am reading and I remember them. It's really amazing. And it helps fight hunger. You really can't beat that. I think it would actually be a fun way to study for the SAT or GRE.

Check it out!

Three Cups of Tea

I've really been falling behind on my book reviews. I finished Three Cups of Tea on the plane ride to Florida. Since then I've read East of Eden and I'm now moving on to For One More Day. So. For Today. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson.

Three Cups of Tea is a different kind of book than I normally read. Normally, I am always looking for really good writing. Books that I think are of literary merit. This book, while well written, isn't that type of book. This book really inspired me and taught me at the same time. I always like books that are based in reality. I am a huge fan of historical fiction, but this book is great because it's actually written by the man who is creating the history.

Greg Mortenson is an ex-climber who has devoted his life to building secular schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan because he believes education is the key to ending terrorism. His work is amazing. His life is amazing. He went about doing this with basically no money. He is amazing.

"Apo calling Wahhabi madrassas beehives is exactly right. They're churning out generation after generation of brainwashed students and thinking twenty, forty, even sixty years ahead of time when their armies of extermism will have the numbers to swarm over Pakistan and the rest of the Islamic world"

Mortenson, having spent years of his life in the Middle East has a keen understanding of extremists and how intricately and brillantly they are planning the futures of their organization to last for generations.

I don't want to teach Pakistan's children to think like Americans, Mortenson says, I just want them to have a balanced, nonextremist education . That idea is the very center of what we do"

Mortenson, by building nonextremist schools for both girls and boys is building a future for the people in the Middle East. So they have the education neccesary to run successful town,s, villages,schools, hospitals, etc. He is helping them to become self-sustainable in the future.

"It was the most exciting day of my life, says schoolmaster Hussein's daughter, Tahira. "Mr. Parvi handed each of us new books and I didn't dare to open them, they were so beautiful. I'd never had my own books before."

Greg, who started out with his first school in the early 1990s to now 131 schools with over 40,000 girls educated!

Today is a day that your children will remember forever and tell your children and grandchildren. Today, from darkness of illiteracy, the light of education shines bright.

For more information on what you can do to help, or just to learn more about the programs that have spawned from Greg's work and involvement in the Central Asia Institute please read Three Cups of Tea: and visit this website.

To Brighten Your Day

Thursday night I headed down to the laundromat to do laundry, figuring it would be my only opportunity to clean clothes before leaving for Florida! on Friday. As I was leaving the laundromat wielding two full laundry baskets, a bottle of detergent, my purse tucked under my arm, and my cars keys dangling in my hand, contemplating how exactly I am going to open my car door with this enormous load (I never was one for taking two trips) a man comes running down the sidewalk to my rescue. He graciously opens my back door for me and then after I set the laundry baskets in the seat tells me to have a nice day.


Don't moments like that just remind you of how much you love people??? It just filled me with happiness. Hopefully it has the same effect on you.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

My dear friend, Kristin Frangione, just graduated from Cornell with her Master's in Agriculture Education this past December. Now she is student teaching and planning her career and her life.

Because she is super amazing and selfless and loves to help others. She applied to be in the peace corp.

With the economy the way it is, getting into the Peace Corp is no easy feat. Applications are through the roof these days (or so I hear.)

Here's how the process works:
Step 1: you fill out an application and they review all those to see if who they would like to find more about and continue in the process.
Step 2: If you make it this far, you are fingerprinted and they call a list of references, to see if other people think you are worth their time.
Step 3: You have a face to face interview. If this part goes well, you are nominated.
Step 4: Once you've been nominated, you basically have the job. As long as you can pass a background check.

This past Friday, Kristin, Ranatta, Judy and I met at CTB since she was in town for her interview (aka Step 3). Kristin explained to us that at the end of the interview, the interviewer had expressed to Kristin her interest in her and told her that she was to be nominated!

Kristin is going to western Africa in August for two years! Now its just a background check and learning French in the meantime.

Way to go Kristin!


sidenote: I just noticed that both Caton and I are in every picture of Kristin.

Proud

Caton and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember and I have always been proud of everything she's done. She's won speech contests, shows, held leadership roles and still managed to be a great friend through it all.

But now... I am really proud of Caton

Because she is absolutely amazing!

Caton works for Teach for America. It is an organization designed to help children in underprivileged areas by providing them with good teachers.

Caton is an excellent teacher. She shows such a huge amount of dedication to her students. Even though they aren't always "model children" you can tell that Caton loves each and every one of them as individuals. I had the pleasure of reading letters that "Caton's kids" wrote to her this weekend and I was overwhelmed with emotion and pride. Each letter spoke the true feelings of the children. You can tell that every student felt that Caton had really touched him or her and helped to make life just a little bit better. Caton took the time to let every single student know that success is possible for anyone. She shows real belief in everyone and uses unique teaching methods to cater to different learning styles. I am so proud of Caton for touching such a nerve in each child's heart, but at the same time reading those letters broke my heart - It sounded like Caton was the first person to believe in these kids and they are in high school!
Great Job Caton! I'm so proud of you!