HBR Management Tip of the Day

MARCH 14, 2011 Don't Let Your Job Define You Getting consumed with work is easy to do, especially when you spend most of your waking hours working. But people who only talk about their jobs are boring and one-dimensional. Here are three ways to detach yourself from work and create a more reasonable balance: Assess how much time you spend at work. You may need to put in long hours at times, but make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Don't stay late to impress others or because you can't manage your time well. Banish time-hogs. If something or someone is wasting your time, get rid of it. Stop attending unnecessary meetings, limit face-time with your demanding direct report, or stop visiting distracting websites. Treat non-work time as sacred. Protect your time outside of work for your health and sanity. You will only feel refreshed if you truly disconnect and recharge.

Polo Jersey - RL

Chillaxing in ATL

Chilling this weekend... listening to Elton John, Coldplay, Midway State, Jack's Mannequin... =)
It's storming in New Orleans this weekend so we ended up not going to Mardi Gras. However, I did have a great day helping my dad with some mechanic-y things. We went to Home Depot and an auto parts store, and then took apart the golf cart. It was quite fun. =)

Almost. Spring. Break.

Tomorrow is when the chaos begins! (In a good way, of course). I head to Atlanta to see the fam -- Al and Christine drove down from Ontario, and Randy and Lin are flying down from Christchurch -- and then very early Sat morning I head to New Orleans with Kristin, Em, and JD for Mardi Gras. =) Back to work at ExecPlans on Monday, then to Washington DC on Tuesday/Wed/Thurs for Care Int'l conference. This is going to be an awesome week!!

Music-wise, I have a few favourites I'd like to pass along... I can't stop singing Eyes Wide Shut by JLS. Here are a few others: Blind Faith by Chase & Status (ft. Liam Bailey). Solitude is Bliss by Tame Impala (from Australia). Pretty much anything mixed or mentioned by Zane Lowe. What Else Is There? by Royksopp (from Norway). Light of the Morning by Band of Skulls. I also love their song I Know What I Am... and several others. The funny thing about Band of Horses is that I actually saw them play a show in Atlanta but had no clue who they were... and I didn't even like them when I heard them. They were the headliners when Alex and I went to see Metric last year. Also check out WILD NOTHING. Great band. Summer Holiday and Chinatown are my favourites.... it's just so lighthearted. =) And they were great live. Peace!

Yes, This is Cleveland. Haha.

Shaken or Stirred?

I've decided I want to be a bartender at some point in my life. Obviously that won't happen in the next half year, since I live in the middle of the Bible belt and go to a close-minded Christian school, but hopefully when I move away from this place I'll be able to realise my bartending dream. :) Haha.

The weather has gotten a bit cooler over the past few days...which still hasn't stopped me from wearing shorts, but I am really hoping that it will get nice and sunny and warm this week. Mmmm. There is nothing like studying outside.

My brother drove down to Atlanta with his girlfriend yesterday, and they'll be spending their Reading Week down here. Randy and his Chinese buddy Lin are also making their way down south, so it'll be a nice reunion this Friday! I cannot wait! Right now I feel so disconnected from reality, from life. Cleveland is the most isolating place on earth. It'll be nice to get back to the city next week.

Adventures in Tutoring

I tutor a 2nd-grade class a few times each week, and it's quite entertaining to say the least! This morning the kids were doing research on small laptops, trying to gather information on key people in black history. As I was helping one boy with using the computer, another boy calls out to me, "Is Usher still alive?" -- to which I reply yes. Haha. Then he looks for Usher's date of birth, only to conclude, "If Usher was born in 1978, that means he's 78!"

Hmmm. Then he's pretty dang fit for a 78 year-old!

With a straight face, I told the boy that Usher was actually 33. "He lives in Atlanta," I mentioned. The boy replied, "Cool, I want to meet him!" and then broke out in song with his friend, literally in the middle of class, singing Baby let me love you dowwwwn, there's so many ways to love youuuu. It was pretty entertaining. Oh, kids. So hilarious. They keep me down to earth, I'll give 'em that.

Uganda's Election Results

Uganda just had a national election -- the first election without the presence of the LRA in northern Uganda. (Sidenote: the LRA has since been pushed into the Congo and is wreaking havoc on villages there.) Musaveni, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, is head of Uganda's National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and has served as the nation's leader since 1986. He received over 68% of the votes. Whether this is a good thing for Uganda, I'm not sure... Read the BBC NEWS Africa article for additional details.

Overworked yet Hanging In There!!

I got amazingly good news today -- to be revealed later. =)
But, this week has been overwhelming... to say the least.
That piece of paper with the letters "B.A." better be worth all this stress. Yeesh.

Studeó, ergo sum.
I study, therefore I am.

Maybe I should quit trying to translate things into Latin and get back to studying for International Law. *sigh*

Exams and such.

Today I totally choked on a political science exam. And I mean choked.

But it's over now, and there's nothing I can do to change the outcome. I already put in my due diligence in study hours. Hopefully I can redeem myself by the end of the semester. I just struggle sometimes with gathering all my thoughts and organising them into concise essays or short-answers. I tend to put a lot of time into formulating my words just so ... or thinking of the best way to structure a sentence... Time escapes me, and the next thing I know the professor is calling "Thirty seconds!"

So it goes.

Tonight's agenda includes baking cookies (check!), writing two briefs for international law (in progress), studying for tomorrow's ILO exam (in progress), and finishing up my finance homework (in progress).

I am armed and ready, coffee in hand.

If Not Now, When?

A few months ago I found an amazing blog -- one which I had forgotten about until today when I finally managed to remove viruses from my laptop. The blog is called "eatbees", and it's by a man named Marcel V. Côté. I strongly urge you to check out his article titled "In or Out", which opens with the following words:

A few months before leaving Morocco last fall, I remember trying to explain to my best friend a dilemma that has confronted me throughout my life, and that I have never fully managed to resolve. I told him that I feel pulled in two different directions in response to injustice in the world. One instinct is to withdraw and seek an island of inner peace. ... The instinct pulling me in the opposite direction is engagement. ... Having seen inequality firsthand, do I have the right to ignore it?

Upon reading Côté's biography, which is pretty interesting by the way, I discovered that he's written a novel (published online --> under his "About" section). I haven't read any of it, nor have I read a significant number of his online articles... so the views he expresses aren't a reflection of my personal opinions. Just wanted to clarify that.

Spent the morning listening to the Sunday Baroque program on the local classical station, making homemade Larabars, and trying to rid my laptop of a spyware program. Fun stuff. Now I'm off to Panera for an intense day of prepping for exams. Shane and Shane concert tonight on campus!

Wow, what a stressful week. Nothing like a glass of merlot, a hot shower, and some classical
music to ease the stress... This is going to be a beast of an upcoming week.

Hope Renewed

Praise be to God who knows my needs before I can even express them. He is making me whole, even as I stumble and fall continuously. What greater love than this? I know none other. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil." I will get through this and I will focus my heart and mind on what is to come -- Christ in me, the HOPE of glory.

Reading a corporate finance book but would much rather be globe-trotting... At least I have BBC Radio to fill the void. :) Four months to go, woohoo!

Rugby Fever

What beautiful weather we've had so far this weekend! Today was the perfect day to watch the Lee rugby matches (and watch the ATL Renegades defeat the UTK boys) and get a nice bike ride in. As my Saturday evening goes, nothing says "I don't feel like doing any homework" better than reading an entire non-class related book, looking at Harvard graduate programs, eating dark chocolate (which, by the way, has almost nothing to do with productivity), and memorising the biographies of all the Oxford University Rugby boys. Yes, this has been a great Saturday.

China seeks more for rural poor amid pressing needs of economic transformation

By Xinhua Writer Zhu Shaobin.
SHAOXING, Zhejiang, 10 Sept 2010

As countries from around the world share their visions of "Better City, Better Life" at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, experts say the rural poor should not be forgotten, as improved livelihoods in rural areas are key to achieving sustainability and economic transformation.

"There is no doubt China's growth over the past three decades has been remarkable, but this growth has not been trouble-free," said Eric Maskin, professor of social science at Princeton University and Nobel laureate in economics in 2007.

China's fast economic growth has come with side effects, the most notable of which has been an increase in income inequality, especially that between cities and the countryside, Maskin said at a forum held Thursday and Friday in Shaoxing City in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

The two-day forum discussed how rural areas can reduce the economic gap with cities, amid the broad and pressing need of economic transformation.

Li Yang, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that income distribution amid China's fast urbanization has not been satisfactory. He noted that in China, the Gini Coefficient, the main gauge to measure income disparity, is very high.

Li said the Index was 0.475 in 2007. But estimates put the figure at 0.5 nowadays, far exceeding the United Nations' target of 0.4.

China's income gap between rich and poor is largely due to gap between cities and the countryside, said Li, adding that the urban-rural divide contributes 40 percent of the unequal income distribution of China.

"China's big urban-rural gap is mainly reflected in three things: income; infrastructure and facilities; and social rights," said Ke Binsheng, President of China Agricultural University.

Ke said the urban-to-rural income ratio has widened from 2.56 in 1978 to 3.33 in 2009 as China's 200 million-strong pool of migrant workers do not enjoy equal access to education and health care.

"It has become a great challenge in developing countries to speed up the process of modernization through rural-urban interactions," said Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice minister of China's National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planning body.

Zhang said the divide seriously impedes the process of building an overall well-off society in China, adding that the integration of rural areas with cities is a major task for the transformation of China' s economic growth pattern.

Greater efforts must be made in establishing comprehensive public services for both cities and rural areas, Zhang said, adding that the building of infrastructure and facilities in the countryside is also important.

"Only if roads are built and electricity networks are well equipped can rural areas expect more social resources, such as capital investment," said Li Yang.

Public services equalization for cities and the countryside is the most important way to narrow the divide, Li Yang said.

Maskin also suggested more job training and education be provided to low-skilled workers, to allow this group themselves to narrow the gap.

Leafs Game in Blueland

The Leafs OWNED the Thrashers last night... I had a blast with Anna at her first NHL game! Woohoo!!

China needs more resources for skills training of rural people

BEIJING -- Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said Monday the nation needs more resources to conduct skills training of farmers and migrant workers.

The country should encourage more people and social resources to take part in charity projects in this field, Hui said at a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of a charity project run by the National Association of Vocational Education of China (NAVEC).

The NAVEC project has trained more than 6.4 million urban and rural needy people over the past 15 years.
Rural people who leave their hometown for cities should have more vocational skills while those staying at home should learn more farming techniques, Hui said.

Last year 145 million rural residents, or over one tenth of China's total population, left their hometown to work in cities.

The NAVEC project tries to help unemployed people in the countryside through skills training and vocational education, Hui said.

The association has financed about 430 million yuan ($63.24 million) for the project over the 15 years.

Source: chinadaily.com (click for article)

Christmas Expeditions

I flew with my Dad to Toronto so we could spend a week visiting our family and friends. It was a bit hectic, but I think we all enjoyed "catching up" with everyone. Special thanks to Mr. Fisher for the amazing sushi, Aunt Grace for hosting two Kooistra get-togethers, and Grandma for having us at her B&B (and also getting up at 6:45am with me to go the running track). We also stayed four nights at the Toronto Hilton Suites, which was basically like living in a hotel. It was so much fun -- and our suite felt like an apartment!

My dad and I stayed a day longer in Toronto thanks to Delta Airlines, who overbooked the flight. We volunteered to give up our seats and received $1500 in flight vouchers and were put up at the beautiful airport Sheraton. We ate at the hotel bar and watched Canada play in the world juniors (hockey) tournament... and had a great time sharing travel stories with a couple from Oakville.

Back in Atlanta with an hour of sleep, I had to quickly clean the house and get ready for the arrival of my two best friends from Ontario, Katie and Kaitlynn. They spent 5 days with me down here and we had a blast! We took a road trip to Nashville for New Years and stopped in Chattanooga along the way. After Nashville we drove east to the Cookeville area and explored Burgess Falls, Cane Creek Falls, and Fall Creek Falls. We climbed all the way down to the bottom of the "big" falls at Burgess and got completely soaked from the mist shooting down. Luckily we had a suitcase full of spare clothes to change into. And although we got screwed over by the iPad navigation system (Katie almost threw it out the window), we made it back to Cleveland alive. Somehow.

Kristin's car broke down that same night, so she was in Cleveland and let us crash at her apartment for the night, even though she was headed out to Atlanta for the Passion conference. I gave the girls the "grand tour" of Lee University (which took a total of 5 minutes by car, haha) and then we headed back to Atlanta -- after stopping for 2 hours at McKay's used book store, of course. The rest of the week we spent hanging out in Kennesaw... watching movies, get-get-gettin' in the hot tub (it's from a country song), hiking up Kennesaw Mountain with Callie and Duke, and shopping. Now it's back to just my mum and I at home and I'm preparing to leave for school again! One more semester and I'm done. Woohoo!! Click my Picassa page for more pictures.

New iPad!!

It was a Christmas present from Steve -- thanks Steve!!

Wilderness Volunteers

I spent about four hours today reading Backpacker magazines, and came across this cool non-profit organisation called "Wilderness Volunteers". Anyone can sign up to camp out at a national park for a week and help restore/maintain trails. Some of the places you can go are: John Muir NP, Yellowstone NP, Glen Canyon NP, Zion NP, Yosemite NP, Denali NP, Glacier NP, Acadia NP, etc etc etc!! Check out the program's website:

WV homepage | WV project schedule | WV FAQs

Great Resource for Healthful Living

I just stumbled upon a site called Evolving Wellness. It appears to be a Canadian site (score!) and it's very useful for those of you looking for ideas for healthful living -- food & nutrition, environment, chemicals & health, natural products, recipes, etc. It is amazing -- check it out!

Also, I haven't tried this particular flavour yet, but LÄRABAR has a new product line called JŎCALAT.

JŎCALAT is Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate in its purest form. Harmonizing with fruits and nuts, each flavor contains no more than seven simple ingredients. Deliciously rich. Organic. No added sugars. Free of dairy, soy and gluten. A wholesome indulgence you can feel good about eating.

NHL Fever

So my amazing boss got me corporate tickets for two NHL games -- looks like I'm going with some friends to see both Boston and Toronto take on Atlanta. I can't wait!!! In other news, I'm flying to Toronto next Wednesday just in time for the annual Kooistra girls' ornament exchange. ♥ Then, I'll attend a few dinner parties and spend some good quality time with friends over coffee (fresh Tim Horton's, perhaps, if I can stomach it). Pretty soon I'll be coming back to ATL with Katie and Kaitlynn for some New Years adventures ~ I'm thinking a roadtrip to Nashville is in order. The Opryland Hotel is so gorgeous this time of year, so I think we'll see that and spend some time sightseeing downtown Nashvegas. :)

Wintry Weather... Well, Kind Of.

I'm about to start teaching a class called "Winter Driving for Southerners -- Why the Threat of Ice Does Not Constitute Driving 30 km Below the Speed Limit". Maybe I should take my hockey skates out and see if I can get to work faster in those. :)  It's perfect walking weather, though, and I love being the only one outside at night when I take Callie and Duke out for a walk/run. Sometimes I sleep with my window cracked just so I can breathe in the cool, crisp air. Love it.

CARE International Conference

In March 2011 (during Lee's Spring Break, might I add) I am trekking up to Washington D.C. for CARE International's annual conference. If anyone is interested in going with me, please let me know! :) See links below for more info.

CARE homepage | CARE conference | CARE the girl effect

I love my iMac

The Importance of Community

As someone who is a self-starter and very motivated, I oftentimes find it hard to be in large groups. I have a small, tight knit group of friends and spend a lot of time doing things alone -- cycling, reading, working, playing piano, etc. Although I like the feeling of being alone in a crowd, i.e. reading in the library as opposed to reading at home, the "alone-ness" often turns into loneliness. I found a great article on the subject of singles and living in community (click here) and continue to remind myself of the quote by John Donne, "No man is an island, entire of itself. Each man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main". Enjoy. :)

On an entirely different note, if you're looking for easy-yet-delicious recipes for the holiday season, check out Slow-Cooker Tapioca Pudding (click here) and Slow-Cooker Apple Crisp (click here). Mmmm.

Handel's Messiah

My mom and I went to see/hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra perform Handel's Messiah and it was spectacular! I've heard sections of it growing up -- a byproduct of growing up in the church, I'm sure -- but there was nothing like hearing all of the songs in order, and live.

Washington DC

This weekend I'm in Arlington/DC/Alexandria area with Jason, Randy, Linn, my parents and my dad's parents. It's so nice to be back in "civilisation" again and in an actual city. Sorry Atlanta, but you don't qualify as an actual city in my books. lol. The weather is nice and crisp -- perfect walking weather!! I can't wait to take the metro into downtown DC tomorrow and explore. :)

Come What May

All of a sudden reality hits and I am left wondering about the impact I have on others' lives. Life definitely is not predictable. Never have I been more thankful for a loving, caring God who says you don't have to do this alone. Being able to accept grace and more forward at a time of utter confusion is not my forte, but I'm getting better. I just have to keep reminding myself where my identity lies.

"The sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes mine, while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily." - Frank Laubach

Family Weekend

My family is home!!! Well, Duke has always been here, but I thought I'd show off his blonde hair. Haha.

Tonight's Playlist

• Just Like Heaven by Katie Melua
• Skeletons by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Forever Young by Youth Group
• Seein' Red by Unwritten Law
• Between The Lines by Sara Bareilles
• Innocent by Our Lady Peace

Add a playlist to your page using iLike

October 2010

GREAT WEEKEND

Coffee and wandering around the Borders book store
Exploring the biggest wine/liquor superstore ever
Late-night sushi, mmmmmm....
Day-trip to Chattanooga/Lookout Mtn with Mom (Rock City & Ruby Falls)
Painting my room (still, yes) and movies, movies.

Paint, Scotland & Mountains

An odd title, perhaps, but it's a true fusion of current events. This week I am painting my room blue and light cappuccino/brown, trying to finish up a Scotland photo book, and am heading to Lookout Mountain on Saturday morning. Work has been terribly light this week, unfortunately. But the weather has been beautiful and the leaves are GORGEOUS! Peace.

Playing with Light

Tonight's Playlist

So, I'm doing some work on my Scotland scrapbook tonight, which is kind of boring without some good music. (Yes, I am ashamed that I'm a good 2-3 yrs behind on my travel photo-books). Here's what I'm rocking out to:

• Swedish House Mafia (ft Pharrell) - ONE 
• Labrinth - LET THE SUN SHINE
• The Fragrance - 1901 (cover)
• Telepopmusik - BREATHE
• Boyce Avenue - TEENAGE DREAM (cover)
• Temper Trap - FADER (favourite!)
• Pendulum - WITCHCRAFT (raaaaave)
• Matt & Kim - DAYLIGHT

Ernesto "Che" Guevara

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to watch a movie. I picked "The Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to watch a movie. I picked "The Motorcycle Diaries", which is about Guevara's 4-month journey across Latin America before finishing his medical degree. Having never left his native Argentina, Guevara's experiences during this trip opened his eyes to the poverty and injustice so prevalent in South America. What I find interesting about Guevara is the path that led him to become a revolutionary and rebel. I plan on reading some of the books that heavily influenced him to try and understand how he formed his own ideologies/philosophies. I also want to get my hands on a copy of his written memoir "The Motorcycle Diaries", which will undoubtedly provide deeper insight into his Latin America travels.

Thanksgiving

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!
Today I am thankful that, amongst other things, God has not given up on me despite the innumerable times I fail. I am also thankful for the vast amount of resources by which I am surrounded. God has truly blessed my family and I don't reflect enough on His provision in my life.

Stars Concert

Last night I went to a Stars concert with Randy and two of his buddies. The opening act was Wild Nothing and they were actually pretty good. The concert was so long though, and I struggled to stay awake. It was after midnight when it ended...
It was an entertaining show for the most part, as I think the male lead was drunk. He just started mumbling words and knocking over his keyboard at the end.

Some hilarious memories include Alex's lion touque, the "lucky pillow" (I knew I should've rephrased that, haha), getting lost in downtown ATL, getting cut off at the pumps by the creeper decked out in Lamborghini gear, and almost having several guys jump in my car when I pulled up to wait for Randy. Haha. Good times.

Canada Post and other adventures...

Dear Canada Post: I'd really appreciate if you would stop sending me letters EIGHT MONTHS late. Your tardiness is a bit ridiculous, if you ask me.
(Which you haven't, but hey.)

In other news, I'm taking a watercolour painting class with my mom starting next week. I am very excited to acquire a new skill and exercise the left part of my brain. My mom and I recently arrived home from a long weekend in Hilton Head, South Carolina, which I will be posting pictures of soon. =)

It's like God uses the sky as a canvas. 

I can do nothing but look up and smile.

Thoughts on War

I just watched a docudrama on the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Between this film and the recent reading I've done of WWII accounts, I am incredibly saddened at how brutal humans can be to each other. Exterminating an entire people group via concentration camps or slashing people to death with machetes is unfathomable to me, as young and naïve as I may be. (Actually, morality hardly depends on age, in my opinion.) Anyway, after the film ended I just sat and cried for a bit, wondering why history repeats itself over and over, and why there is so much hatred in this world.

We need not look only to the past to learn of mass violence and war.

• The LRA insurgency in northern Uganda, Congo, and Sudan
• Congo War in the Dem. Repub. of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
• Drug wars in Mexico
• Civil wars in Palestine, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Georgia (not to mention civil unrest in several other nations)
• America's "Operation Freedom" wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Arab-Israeli conflicts

And the list goes on and on. 

All of this to say that the world is far from where it should be.

I don't really know how I should end this post, but I do feel a glimmer of hope b/c I know that I can help make a difference, as small as my contribution may be. I want to help women gain a foothold in developing and underdeveloped nations so they can improve the quality of life for their families. The key to economic growth and sustainable change is women; I feel very strongly about this. 

If you want to know more about empowering women and their communities, check out a few resources:
HOPE. CARE. UNIFEM.

Today's Playlist

Breathe - Télépopmusik / Airplanes - BoB & Hayley Williams / Ready to Start - Arcade Fire
Here I Am - David Morales ft. Tamra Keenan / Electrify - Mutemath / A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton
The Funeral - Band of Horses / Stereo Love - Edward Maya ft. Vika Jigulina

This weekend has been great -- very relaxing and enjoyable. I was able to finish rereading a book called "Number the Stars", which is a story based on real events in Denmark during WWII. Very interesting. That is the second book I've read this week dealing with WWII events. I am continually dumbfounded by the scope of the Nazi takeover and how it affected people all over the globe. Germany has had quite a violent 20th century, with the two world wars followed by the RAF violence in the 70s. And of course the Berlin Wall, which lasted from 1961 to Nov 1989.

Anyway, I'm ready for the weather to start cooling down! It's been in the low 90s this weekend, with forecasts staying in that range during this coming week. I made the mistake of turning off the A/C one night so I could open the windows. Nothing like a cool breeze coming through the house.
Except there was no breeze.

Finally, after trying to sleep on every floor of the house, I decided it was too hot everywhere and finally shut all the windows. The thermostat indicated that the house's internal temperature was 88*F -- a bit hot for mid September if you ask me! Yikes! Hopefully it'll cool down in the next few weeks. :) I fancy fall weather.

I watched Benny and June with the Muellers this past weekend. What an adorable movie! I had such a great time with everyone over there, even if we did turn the garlic bread into a piece of charcoal. I felt like I was practically part of the family; everyone was so welcoming. :)

Back on crutches again... this is exactly the reason why I bought a pair years ago. If you're out there and feel like sending up a quick prayer for me, I'd appreciate it. And please also pray that my mouth heals quickly from my surgery... it's been 6 days and I'm still a bit swollen and very sore. It's hard to keep positive about all this; even harder to grasp that God is somehow with me in my pain.

Wisdom Teeth

Recovering from the operation is sooo not enjoyable. Hopefully my mouth heals quickly...

Pray for Flood Victims in Pakistan

The flooding, which began late-July, is still a huge problem for millions of Pakistanis. Relief isn't being brought quickly enough to meet victims' needs, despite the United Nations and several countries pledging aid to this nation. Many fear that diseases are spreading quickly, especially considered the state of hunger/malnutrition many face. Please pray for the people affected by this heavy flooding! It's been 3 weeks and there is so much devastation. Can you imagine losing loved ones, your home, your livelihood, and waiting for food packets? Below are some pictures from MSN-BC (Getty images). Read a recent article here.

Nan :)

This past weekend I met a 65-year old woman who is biking across Canada. Her name is Nan, and she's from British Columbia. I was quite inspired by her, especially since it's my dream to do the same route when I graduate (and with the same tour). She was spending a few nights at my Grandma's bed and breakfast, so I had the opportunity to spend 2 hrs chatting with Nan about her summer. Best of luck with the final stretch, Nan!!

Last Weekend

This past weekend was amazing... I drove up to Cleveland and got to hang out with some friends (Kristin, Emily, Bri, Nikki, Lauren, Blake, etc etc) before the end of summer. I also went out with my friend Abid Khan and his wife Aiman (and their newborn baby Hasaan!). They treated me to Indian food and then had me over for tea. It was wonderful. And then I had a run-in with the police a few hours later (don't even ask). I don't know if I should be offended that I was asked "Do you have any guns or knives in your car?". I'm an innocent, blonde, college-aged female - what do you think?! Of course not! Definitely don't want to relive that experience. After it was established that I was not armed, the officer was actually pretty nice, so I'm thankful it ended well.

Anyway, good luck to Bri and Ryan as they head off to South Korea in the next few weeks - you will be missed. And to the plethora of other people going their own ways, much like a modern day Diaspora - good luck with everything. :)  I can't believe how quickly the years go by.

News Article

Is reliance on foreign cash setting U.S. up for a fall?
Click for Globe & Mail article.

Need a refreshing summer drink? Try mixing a bit of Malibu with crushed pineapple, and then blend with 2 frozen coconut milk ice cubes. Delish. 

Actually, coconut milk is really good for you especially if you buy the light version (no artificial stuff, it's just with less fat). What I do is open a can of coconut milk and pour it into an ice cube tray -- that way I can pop a few cubes into a smoothie or drink. 

Which brings me to a great smoothie recipe. 2 coconut milk ice cubes, a spoonful of flaxseed (ground or whole, doesn't matter which although I've heard ground seeds are easier for the body to digest), some milk, frozen mangoes and berries, a spoonful of vanilla protein powder..... and BLEND to your heart's content. Personally, I love my smoothies very thick (not liquidy at all) so I add very little milk. If you like frothy, creamy smoothies you'd probably enjoy adding 1/2 a banana. 

Last but not least, if you're looking for a refreshing evening wine you've got to try Sangria. I really like Cruz Garcia Real Sangria from Spain... it's fruity (natural citrus flavours), lightbodied, and a delicious red wine. If you are more of a white wine person, try Sangria Blanca. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds promising. :)

A bit of humour...

Workaholic

Today I have fully embraced the fact that I am indeed a workaholic.

And that's okay, because I love work and want to dedicate my life to making a difference in this world.

I am constantly realising that I don't have to feel guilty about what I love or who I am.

I am me, and I love work. 

Yes, I also love fun, but at the end of the day I can't sleep until I feel like I've accomplished something.

Hence the 2:30 a.m. bedtime some nights.

Anyway, I found an interesting article on multi-tasking and how it can be counterproductive. Check it out HERE. :)

I still love the Netherlands... even though we lost to Spain.

Psychic Octopus...

Wow, I can't believe this... but I just read a BBC news article on an octopus in Germany who has predicted a Spanish victory in tomorrow's World Cup game. Check out this link for the story. Craaazy...