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Saturday, January 31, 2009

La Liga and Pub Alberto are missed.


Love is wicked - Brick and Lace

This song was essential to any and all dancing experiences while I was in Moshi.

Also, I've tried to pop my hips around like they do during the chorus and I just need someone to teach me. It's just amazing.



Another really popular song. If you went out you would hear it without fail. It's also a good one to just start singing with some kids if you want to make friends.



Brings a massive smile to my face. A good mix of Kiswahili and English.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Man Cold



Sketch comedy from BBC3's Man Stroke Woman

Stolen from Eva

Monday, January 26, 2009

Her Morning Elegance

Japan's game shows are cooler than ours



This puts any obstacle course America has ever created for TV to shame x1,000,000. His upper body strength is crazy! Especially around minute 6 and beyond.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Facebook Chat....

...is great because right now I'm talking to a friend in London, a friend in Tanzania and one in Kansas City. It's not costing me anything, it's easy to understand them, there's no random disconnections (unless the power goes out in Moshi) and response time is as quick as ever. Without facebook chat I would probably lose these friendships over time. Email is good but unless you do it frequently you just are caught up on major events in people's lives and not the little things that can make conversation flow easily. I'm grateful for Mark Zuckerberg or whichever one of his minions came up with fbook chat.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Festival of Colors



I would like to go to the Festival of Colors in India and Nepal. "Holi or Phagwa is a Hindu spring festival that takes place every year in India and Nepal. On the first day of celebrations, bonfires are lit, signifying the burning of the demoness Holika. On the second day, the real Festival of Colors begins; spring and the change of weather are believed to bring illnesses like fever, flews and colds, so people throw colored powders, with medicinal significance, to chase away these illnesses. The powder can now be bought from marketplaces, but there are still those who make it in the comfort of their own homes, using various plants and flowers that give it a mesmerizing fragrance.

The Festival of Colors usually takes place at the end of February or the beginning of March, depending on when the full moon occurs."

Monday, January 19, 2009

500 Days of Summer



I. want. to. see. this.

Stuff White People Like #120

#120 Taking a Year Off

"Though you might consider finishing school or having a good job to be “accomplishments” many white people view them as burdens. As such, they can only handle them for so long before they start talking about their need to “take a year off” to travel, volunteer, or work abroad."

"It is most common for the person taking the year off to use this time to travel (see Post #19 for reasons why). Generally, they will start off with a set amount of money that will use to travel for as long as possible. This explains why a white person with an $800 backpack will haggle with a poverty-stricken street vendor about a $2 dollar plate of food."

"Some of the more enterprising white people will extend their time off by working abroad as a bartender, ski lift operator, or english teacher. Their stories, emails, and publishing plans will be identical to the previous white person but will include additional stories about working and complaints about “tourists.”

It's all so true!!!!

Entire article here

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Most Common Words

Can you guess the 100 most commonly used words in the english language? I got 76 out of 100 and I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Try here

Point

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Skins


I've recently started watching a show called Skins which is from British channel E4. There's a group of high school kids and each episode focuses on one of them while still including story lines with the others. It's different from other shows with a similar cast in that there aren't really lessons being learned or ideals being preached. If someone has sex, they don't get pregnant or re-examine all their morals. They get drunk a lot but don't seem like complete idiots. Some of them take pills but don't seem like addicts. One girl has a known eating disorder but there's not a big intervention and she's not terribly depressed. They're just normal teenagers. The show has gotten praise for being fairly realistic concerning how teens, I'm assuming those in England, are today. If it's truly realistic than all English parents are kind of terrible.

Also, there's a clear difference between this show and American programming in that we can't say the F-word every 5 minutes or have nudity of the back and the front.

Edit: I realized that I didn't communicate that I love this show and think you should watch it. Sid is my favorite even though at times he's terribly pathetic. He steps up towards the end of the first season and thus maintains status as my favorite. I also love Anwar because he's played by Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire. You might recognize Tony from About A Boy with Hugh Grant.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Friday, January 9, 2009

Go See

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

NYR

I've decided my main New Year's resolution will be to try and not involve myself with gossip. This does not mean I have to stay away from Gossip Girl.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Job Opening: 850 FBI Agents

"Despite a bleak economic environment featuring wide-ranging layoffs and rising unemployment, the nation's premier law enforcement agency is touting "one of the largest hiring blitzes in our 100-year history."

"We're also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies and others who wish us harm," Raucci said."

Awesome. What person doesn't want to protect the world from spies!!!! Whole article from CNN here

Monday, January 5, 2009

Who's Gonna Save My Soul



The more I watch this video the more I like it. Especially because it has Jorma Taccone from Lonely Island.

Art Appreciation


This is Tenth Street Studio by William Merritt Chase. I saw it at the St. Louis Art Museum the other day and really liked it. At age 23 I'm starting to appreciate art. Took me long enough.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Adult Day Care

Have you ever heard of Adult Day Care? I had not until I saw a sign for it while driving today. It is day care for the elderly. Geriatric day care. Then I came home and googled it and apparently this is not a lone business on Delmar but a nationwide thing.

"Adult day care centers, also known as adult day services, have been providing a form of respite for caregivers for more than twenty years. In 1978 there were only 300 centers nationwide. By the 1980s there were 2,100 centers, and today there are about 4,000 centers nationwide, according to the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA)."

"Adult day care centers provide a break (respite) to the caregiver while providing health services, therapeutic services, and social activities for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia, chronic illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, developmental disabilities, and other problems that increase their care needs. Some adult day care centers are dementia specific, providing services exclusively to that population. Other centers serve the broader population."

Initially I thought it seemed so strange and almost sad. I still think that it seems strange but it seems well founded. It also makes me nervous about growing old.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

MVP


Abby and I got these matching footie pajamas today at Target. Who needs the heat on when you have a fleece suit?

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Wanted: New Year's Resolution...

...because I can't think of one.