tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48239308753747493182024-03-18T20:14:17.731-07:00Walk Like an EgyptianKajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-58307130110084619142011-11-17T18:11:00.000-08:002011-11-17T18:22:00.007-08:00A day in New Freedom<div>The following are some pictures from a beautiful day I got to spend in New Freedom in York County, Pennsylvania.<div><br /></div><div>One of my best friends from school is from PA and her sister who lives in DC let me hitch a ride to spend the day with their family! We watched the Penn State game, gossiped over cookies and chex mix, visited the amish market, saw some gorgeous country side, cuddled with the dogs and had a fabulous family dinner.</div></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHzE6hRkBAwnnR37omYaDRlJFyJI7nAUGVuqTgYQFc2kW69OyLxSF87h0PnskfN02vxcsP6gND53Swnm0Qix2Fqmby3xWQkjVReBMm0wI8C8afEO-wMhrfkhmjzDUlHx6RX7s6KSoryA/s1600/103_1894.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHzE6hRkBAwnnR37omYaDRlJFyJI7nAUGVuqTgYQFc2kW69OyLxSF87h0PnskfN02vxcsP6gND53Swnm0Qix2Fqmby3xWQkjVReBMm0wI8C8afEO-wMhrfkhmjzDUlHx6RX7s6KSoryA/s320/103_1894.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676155021350265538" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC1yzVW-vVxJ_tN5_ARbLBa8k3ktr-8nBCDMoD6UpFfIoiAaKzKdWa9HAOn4xXg-1XVmJNNZ6d_9gjOny_5hYE3BkTDL8BITBq14nmh5pyDsUS1liy32h_qhPz01rr5MdD5Fk-odWyzc/s1600/103_1893.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC1yzVW-vVxJ_tN5_ARbLBa8k3ktr-8nBCDMoD6UpFfIoiAaKzKdWa9HAOn4xXg-1XVmJNNZ6d_9gjOny_5hYE3BkTDL8BITBq14nmh5pyDsUS1liy32h_qhPz01rr5MdD5Fk-odWyzc/s320/103_1893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676155014237626610" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTB4RS6yC12P5R66MK28_MaYCwYtu-5eVgtZY6x7o_37kWRGZRk4mIRZ2hmATkVQc9yFGf0yBuJyXVle1MTPOfgWn3XEhPJFU9IYOSqx496DJaJiViXiDMgDitW3Q6Z3IiaFIDHhfSrQ/s1600/103_1886.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTB4RS6yC12P5R66MK28_MaYCwYtu-5eVgtZY6x7o_37kWRGZRk4mIRZ2hmATkVQc9yFGf0yBuJyXVle1MTPOfgWn3XEhPJFU9IYOSqx496DJaJiViXiDMgDitW3Q6Z3IiaFIDHhfSrQ/s320/103_1886.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676154489387473490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwfx-fT_ZyGAzKwVEvaUmcOo4P3M0JUyUYMTABDB6h5oHUl_dilORc0ps9Qie7v_jJeJxXBsCuzbz0pqk7Dmx6n_wlKZBgrHUZQtQjf0poxiW_X-ctIBYGMhh2F9F6CeReSurixizDQA/s1600/103_1882.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwfx-fT_ZyGAzKwVEvaUmcOo4P3M0JUyUYMTABDB6h5oHUl_dilORc0ps9Qie7v_jJeJxXBsCuzbz0pqk7Dmx6n_wlKZBgrHUZQtQjf0poxiW_X-ctIBYGMhh2F9F6CeReSurixizDQA/s320/103_1882.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676154482976738690" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYx2iaTgphJ0HqGSn9N_hfoRkqRqAMOeMXcMLr34feelFxCjEJbH6gEcH8eyJmppC8zGsgqQ_aMiW8AqnJo0Tce0NFDw5fsqDtQFItGnXo2JcFaif-DP7HYVKqhvYz0uQjAPfaavUPqA/s1600/103_1875.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYx2iaTgphJ0HqGSn9N_hfoRkqRqAMOeMXcMLr34feelFxCjEJbH6gEcH8eyJmppC8zGsgqQ_aMiW8AqnJo0Tce0NFDw5fsqDtQFItGnXo2JcFaif-DP7HYVKqhvYz0uQjAPfaavUPqA/s320/103_1875.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676154468534269570" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMgLicBNt5WT9cn80jIyaryVlsd3OnSntFcg_zxKgdTXakDHtHY_AzoOX3nvl2Rsr-ssHqxR5F9nQD8QxDPHR3hZ2qyh8MnbzmFdjLBnatiHbDVuG-JkLsfZSng-XQKsi3g0G7HNDzXQ/s1600/103_1871.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMgLicBNt5WT9cn80jIyaryVlsd3OnSntFcg_zxKgdTXakDHtHY_AzoOX3nvl2Rsr-ssHqxR5F9nQD8QxDPHR3hZ2qyh8MnbzmFdjLBnatiHbDVuG-JkLsfZSng-XQKsi3g0G7HNDzXQ/s320/103_1871.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676154460249595282" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMzIG34XmO419lhHxcxOUxmSGXTKeIgsgXdckNgKYUtl7aiYOMvIVBAacKWasIeU13QfPAYp-Z6hMSNzk6p7acRsMPXWDsAF0-q3GEj76F_UhhZJoJx4do5fYDUEUX3nFVTCFU_lonAU/s1600/103_1869.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMzIG34XmO419lhHxcxOUxmSGXTKeIgsgXdckNgKYUtl7aiYOMvIVBAacKWasIeU13QfPAYp-Z6hMSNzk6p7acRsMPXWDsAF0-q3GEj76F_UhhZJoJx4do5fYDUEUX3nFVTCFU_lonAU/s320/103_1869.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676154450139273874" /></a><br /><br /><div>What a beautiful chance to escape from the concrete jungle.</div><div><br /></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-57584247500567574052011-11-08T19:24:00.001-08:002011-11-08T19:47:33.298-08:00A perfect fallPictures from a day exploring Arlington National Cemetery with Rachel and Chris. Perfect weather, gorgeous changing leaves, beautiful company!<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pictures were taken by me (except one obviously) and are property of me, yadda yadda.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhUge33LN9xnIxROhwaNyJ-FEmIO04KFPc2F6fJeIZiw6laDIr_HeGWDDzDUgutNculwpdDS6JMAwPqtB3HWtxJ-tVVi-u8HnKaakmEUeYzwta46Y5SFCJ6P2_NgjR2ojp1pWNocxlO0/s1600/103_1784.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhUge33LN9xnIxROhwaNyJ-FEmIO04KFPc2F6fJeIZiw6laDIr_HeGWDDzDUgutNculwpdDS6JMAwPqtB3HWtxJ-tVVi-u8HnKaakmEUeYzwta46Y5SFCJ6P2_NgjR2ojp1pWNocxlO0/s320/103_1784.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672835931709561234" /></a><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQTzL1R32zbXq_I4OilqyqPYlbXjePoKb0qq6j4bfswv6CFBogidPeM-aldSQtM3ToAH-H_61pplHGr9sU3BANPIS0KozuNSho_LxO3BNMIEfvGRQF0KdqATi07ZApzUQkuXinyxQ9qI/s320/103_1801.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672835929818220994" /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRty7iWhez5lB6M5B52qFg1uHCDQermbYW2Wg8p3ys-mefepOS_otV3Nzst5ne4wXfJbop1NJi_pVhRXV-kvgXETqYrurVNl-1IpqdYAl1Px53mR-IEh6HP23dsHA4GUm1mWl5-9Jnj8/s1600/309748_2342456193979_1027196503_32615813_319591601_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRty7iWhez5lB6M5B52qFg1uHCDQermbYW2Wg8p3ys-mefepOS_otV3Nzst5ne4wXfJbop1NJi_pVhRXV-kvgXETqYrurVNl-1IpqdYAl1Px53mR-IEh6HP23dsHA4GUm1mWl5-9Jnj8/s400/309748_2342456193979_1027196503_32615813_319591601_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672834731231319650" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLAudt_gF4qXg84iOS03QmUYI08eb2w9zpT8Cnzqnxs5znjnK_eewomZugmSNodAmA48qXLi-1fy4zHgVsbbC_HvLSUmZB-G2tiDt8Ckp5UD7sfRZeRiC4-iSgY3ft1X6QwCuZCF-hYQ/s1600/309748_2342456193979_1027196503_32615813_319591601_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGSFaFowJvpNRkediurpksBN7B1s-u5YOkFeyk7POU9nrtLU4x6LxjZ_PYlyKiYhOINVzFBUGge_8MyBuQjv4rNfmi2sL-U_bLupmG_LouagQwwti2q2xOqzGjNB2VDI7egYptc9TGGE/s1600/103_1790.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGSFaFowJvpNRkediurpksBN7B1s-u5YOkFeyk7POU9nrtLU4x6LxjZ_PYlyKiYhOINVzFBUGge_8MyBuQjv4rNfmi2sL-U_bLupmG_LouagQwwti2q2xOqzGjNB2VDI7egYptc9TGGE/s320/103_1790.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672834219594686754" /></a><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp1jHu3qacN9888LZrn1S1TlzJdEDTiG3U6vVKyhs344VVmw0q9OG6Nks214RIfWCupgAXVfQACuZTmC1EnWCqMn3G6fMSJWGfAcxccB2PoZzAoOt4Ey_Ju5F-xZ0Y1m8_DYpLHJTReQ/s320/103_1788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672834211487932402" /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BuXXHE8r6VhOcrEeXw95rPEmdkUFuOGReZd_MV-fs5ulwnayEE6CFnkIphbSa14XnNUPCYMumuNLXYY_BPajSWVOu4CXIrYFfIovOD0HjeHt-88rnntiNR2I5dP8V8V8ZVLraiZGmSQ/s1600/103_1770.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BuXXHE8r6VhOcrEeXw95rPEmdkUFuOGReZd_MV-fs5ulwnayEE6CFnkIphbSa14XnNUPCYMumuNLXYY_BPajSWVOu4CXIrYFfIovOD0HjeHt-88rnntiNR2I5dP8V8V8ZVLraiZGmSQ/s320/103_1770.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672833531991971954" /></a><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHvahIkGiuotevGB4AyJBD7hh8Dhz9L0I84x1nKIx3vsoFGpfiJ0qDvnopfEFHtMnhIHrg5dwTlXvqcd4i9mAl2AHfy3KcVXNld41hVNW3YfIc8F2JATsXy-gk9TcjzNE5YgdTkZY178/s320/103_1804.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672833527677770226" /></div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-66741446750737013572011-11-03T17:15:00.000-07:002011-11-03T17:55:13.865-07:00Dear Mom:I promise I'm taking a ton of pictures! Please accept my apologies about not posting =) Here are some highlights and I promise to write more... one day!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7iSpVjkamCeInO9SG6O-X3JHPnDEMKx9UzSSlhu7gYCikHTBYry00t1-cxdzwmoKt2VKkWQYzo6bC_L7MHc-PZY7ttAGSSvi74V-_JBARj86miUSuLN7nPeeBDZ3E1mz-lTNBd9exfk/s1600/103_1460.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7iSpVjkamCeInO9SG6O-X3JHPnDEMKx9UzSSlhu7gYCikHTBYry00t1-cxdzwmoKt2VKkWQYzo6bC_L7MHc-PZY7ttAGSSvi74V-_JBARj86miUSuLN7nPeeBDZ3E1mz-lTNBd9exfk/s320/103_1460.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670930189496455986" /></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7iSpVjkamCeInO9SG6O-X3JHPnDEMKx9UzSSlhu7gYCikHTBYry00t1-cxdzwmoKt2VKkWQYzo6bC_L7MHc-PZY7ttAGSSvi74V-_JBARj86miUSuLN7nPeeBDZ3E1mz-lTNBd9exfk/s1600/103_1460.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here are the three CLU girls =) Rachel, Nancy and Kj</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIB1iHptwefup6o1QsYFMo96NmRBpb9T04PyAsKcnaJk_z0fjzTCAQumlJInDRahc8AaOyW0V0kWdWz__nQC-B9kHk8eXEbYY-BhM4D-yYKpzZF7yetPFnDsHL13b80q4fFqkgW7wedg/s1600/103_1469.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIB1iHptwefup6o1QsYFMo96NmRBpb9T04PyAsKcnaJk_z0fjzTCAQumlJInDRahc8AaOyW0V0kWdWz__nQC-B9kHk8eXEbYY-BhM4D-yYKpzZF7yetPFnDsHL13b80q4fFqkgW7wedg/s1600/103_1469.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIB1iHptwefup6o1QsYFMo96NmRBpb9T04PyAsKcnaJk_z0fjzTCAQumlJInDRahc8AaOyW0V0kWdWz__nQC-B9kHk8eXEbYY-BhM4D-yYKpzZF7yetPFnDsHL13b80q4fFqkgW7wedg/s320/103_1469.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670930185462861026" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Newseum: an incredible interactive museum about journalism in America. It has really awesome exhibits ranging from the powerful September 11th exhibit to a hallway of pictures taken by the presidents' photographers capturing intimate moments like the one above where Barry lets an employee's son touch his hair to see if it felt like his.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIB1iHptwefup6o1QsYFMo96NmRBpb9T04PyAsKcnaJk_z0fjzTCAQumlJInDRahc8AaOyW0V0kWdWz__nQC-B9kHk8eXEbYY-BhM4D-yYKpzZF7yetPFnDsHL13b80q4fFqkgW7wedg/s1600/103_1469.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP0yvEJHdOl2wKdbUL-WgaexMc59oSRRctmI45pi46uewTc3fmiBchx3LL8ViHChk_NK38VBWK-1WrX_28m3HAP5is3xVYkKcF7v11XWB_ugjV8xrT9y2whlP5zyp15hIZObHNXNKzuY/s1600/tn.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP0yvEJHdOl2wKdbUL-WgaexMc59oSRRctmI45pi46uewTc3fmiBchx3LL8ViHChk_NK38VBWK-1WrX_28m3HAP5is3xVYkKcF7v11XWB_ugjV8xrT9y2whlP5zyp15hIZObHNXNKzuY/s320/tn.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670930181996362242" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chris had his appendix taken out at GW, quite fun. Don't tell him I posted this =)</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP0yvEJHdOl2wKdbUL-WgaexMc59oSRRctmI45pi46uewTc3fmiBchx3LL8ViHChk_NK38VBWK-1WrX_28m3HAP5is3xVYkKcF7v11XWB_ugjV8xrT9y2whlP5zyp15hIZObHNXNKzuY/s1600/tn.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwzkudUGlO9FYITWaxp188msbMVG_FQOHtvLKkQfG59gfh8P2kzACMzhepTW5S3y6WpI-54ij0yAUBbefRX8pbUMCgudeAqPgUu7EdsfanG6ErGWVVD4YNNKBIjvHDYSBckQIqdMSH-A/s1600/103_1489.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwzkudUGlO9FYITWaxp188msbMVG_FQOHtvLKkQfG59gfh8P2kzACMzhepTW5S3y6WpI-54ij0yAUBbefRX8pbUMCgudeAqPgUu7EdsfanG6ErGWVVD4YNNKBIjvHDYSBckQIqdMSH-A/s320/103_1489.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670929684158496034" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One wednesday after a field trip I was walking with a group of friends and we ran into a group of about 400 Egyptians protesting the death of 24 Coptic Christians in Cairo that week. It was completely coincidental and I felt so lucky to have witnessed it! It really reminded me of the spirit many Egyptian people have. We asked them how they all came together from around the country and a woman told us "oh yanni my friend just called me from Tennessee and yanni I came you know." Arab loyalty, not a myth.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwzkudUGlO9FYITWaxp188msbMVG_FQOHtvLKkQfG59gfh8P2kzACMzhepTW5S3y6WpI-54ij0yAUBbefRX8pbUMCgudeAqPgUu7EdsfanG6ErGWVVD4YNNKBIjvHDYSBckQIqdMSH-A/s1600/103_1489.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA14p76SqkkFEIdYH_gw7JVNfNkJ466r0k_Ei4Il3JAL3TWpKXoK5DbqGESwtRoKAACgSQMSj1DeuGnaf6zctTT6600uBp-BFbdcsxgvzdno-_8cACpExf58TzzEG7oCuD3snAPIpLP8/s1600/103_1524.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA14p76SqkkFEIdYH_gw7JVNfNkJ466r0k_Ei4Il3JAL3TWpKXoK5DbqGESwtRoKAACgSQMSj1DeuGnaf6zctTT6600uBp-BFbdcsxgvzdno-_8cACpExf58TzzEG7oCuD3snAPIpLP8/s320/103_1524.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670929672211120466" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Maira and I getting our two cents in while we visited protestors with Occupy DC and Stop the Machine</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUA14p76SqkkFEIdYH_gw7JVNfNkJ466r0k_Ei4Il3JAL3TWpKXoK5DbqGESwtRoKAACgSQMSj1DeuGnaf6zctTT6600uBp-BFbdcsxgvzdno-_8cACpExf58TzzEG7oCuD3snAPIpLP8/s1600/103_1524.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hiFIP03_pKlw2s2EA5UsbJT8LFnrvuuBI1RdNKhEIKcEAV2aqWYrJ29P1KgwvaOb5wApJKRvglL5EWHyPxKSHZamTGXFfayQYLl9yuzH7WDmvfrhOKiipJ5oecyQA0YPgVNUs7Elc2g/s1600/103_1517.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hiFIP03_pKlw2s2EA5UsbJT8LFnrvuuBI1RdNKhEIKcEAV2aqWYrJ29P1KgwvaOb5wApJKRvglL5EWHyPxKSHZamTGXFfayQYLl9yuzH7WDmvfrhOKiipJ5oecyQA0YPgVNUs7Elc2g/s320/103_1517.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670929658039762546" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Money for people, not wars" at Stop the Machine 2011 where protestors had organized food drives, first aid and overnight accommodations. </span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hiFIP03_pKlw2s2EA5UsbJT8LFnrvuuBI1RdNKhEIKcEAV2aqWYrJ29P1KgwvaOb5wApJKRvglL5EWHyPxKSHZamTGXFfayQYLl9yuzH7WDmvfrhOKiipJ5oecyQA0YPgVNUs7Elc2g/s1600/103_1517.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fuB3-Y5fTEebRQRJLcJKCBqyJEPRLlhmzzKzvIFbHx5Gj06pkiaAVzIiC4Luw2ZiFJCpLHleuiXOyKvuKv7du9CR6Cgyw1WpIwL5803l_MBfE3sTisoqRTpSXd2Iu8Sw469wDPyoXvA/s1600/103_1641_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fuB3-Y5fTEebRQRJLcJKCBqyJEPRLlhmzzKzvIFbHx5Gj06pkiaAVzIiC4Luw2ZiFJCpLHleuiXOyKvuKv7du9CR6Cgyw1WpIwL5803l_MBfE3sTisoqRTpSXd2Iu8Sw469wDPyoXvA/s320/103_1641_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670929649083048642" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Myself and two fellows channeling Lady Gaga at DC's famous Drag Race a few days before Halloween</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fuB3-Y5fTEebRQRJLcJKCBqyJEPRLlhmzzKzvIFbHx5Gj06pkiaAVzIiC4Luw2ZiFJCpLHleuiXOyKvuKv7du9CR6Cgyw1WpIwL5803l_MBfE3sTisoqRTpSXd2Iu8Sw469wDPyoXvA/s1600/103_1641_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNOrAYcSls-5L5mgiLoKPjfKvhXQ_Yd6GpEEFR_rUodGtjwyws_dZZy7I1QV1aTynu_rXJkvXFwUBaN20ZQRMr49i0We6UNy6rzxrpFycGzdajjrZgFqRxNCLQP4YaaKwzXbHnSioUmg/s1600/tn.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNOrAYcSls-5L5mgiLoKPjfKvhXQ_Yd6GpEEFR_rUodGtjwyws_dZZy7I1QV1aTynu_rXJkvXFwUBaN20ZQRMr49i0We6UNy6rzxrpFycGzdajjrZgFqRxNCLQP4YaaKwzXbHnSioUmg/s320/tn.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670929644512819314" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sound Tribe on stage in Virginia</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNOrAYcSls-5L5mgiLoKPjfKvhXQ_Yd6GpEEFR_rUodGtjwyws_dZZy7I1QV1aTynu_rXJkvXFwUBaN20ZQRMr49i0We6UNy6rzxrpFycGzdajjrZgFqRxNCLQP4YaaKwzXbHnSioUmg/s1600/tn.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVihBfLPWTb3gr5nq7HB_i5BS4oPzHiBB1QsqAM86djKHbyhUxRnLhz4Q6eGyViSerwhUlXHrV6G7IyVwe-GKurIVVhDs7gvzG94WbBcaydTorn8_301hLmVCVgyjPwY7yrcyvXxDIQQ/s1600/103_1578.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVihBfLPWTb3gr5nq7HB_i5BS4oPzHiBB1QsqAM86djKHbyhUxRnLhz4Q6eGyViSerwhUlXHrV6G7IyVwe-GKurIVVhDs7gvzG94WbBcaydTorn8_301hLmVCVgyjPwY7yrcyvXxDIQQ/s320/103_1578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670928389877637442" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rachel and I made pumpkins!! Their names are Bruce and Monica =D They go to Georgetown, they're very hip.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVihBfLPWTb3gr5nq7HB_i5BS4oPzHiBB1QsqAM86djKHbyhUxRnLhz4Q6eGyViSerwhUlXHrV6G7IyVwe-GKurIVVhDs7gvzG94WbBcaydTorn8_301hLmVCVgyjPwY7yrcyvXxDIQQ/s1600/103_1578.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0F5NPNg9Tjz7WYhhZj7wqraCArr1QbcJPH5oDSLnDFlGhXovTVlx4JoYNYAIN4UMgx5D4k1DrMwXJqzhZcyrO258Zea02OZ4PdIyNQOFBumXrGFNv23MVfNGT_7FdBCvOgvHMcrN-4w/s1600/103_1737.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0F5NPNg9Tjz7WYhhZj7wqraCArr1QbcJPH5oDSLnDFlGhXovTVlx4JoYNYAIN4UMgx5D4k1DrMwXJqzhZcyrO258Zea02OZ4PdIyNQOFBumXrGFNv23MVfNGT_7FdBCvOgvHMcrN-4w/s320/103_1737.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670928378820007922" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately you can't really tell by this picture but IT SNOWED!!! All day last on saturday October 20th!! Happy happy haaappy day!!! (this was taken behind our building, not the best view, but that's the ABC head quarters up ahead)</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0F5NPNg9Tjz7WYhhZj7wqraCArr1QbcJPH5oDSLnDFlGhXovTVlx4JoYNYAIN4UMgx5D4k1DrMwXJqzhZcyrO258Zea02OZ4PdIyNQOFBumXrGFNv23MVfNGT_7FdBCvOgvHMcrN-4w/s1600/103_1737.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0Ij0UJtMCX_rNoFZtOYVm0YAUqHY6RXXDHhKYCs1gitaMXcbF8GW7Fm8jpgwXRux3OhEC5UhDvSX7uGfFAeD2npKsq1ohwhFnGVPGTruRmC8MWYYSOELhyphenhyphenKyFXGMUwjFmZj8kShizco/s1600/298242_2327469299316_1027196503_32604132_605891439_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0Ij0UJtMCX_rNoFZtOYVm0YAUqHY6RXXDHhKYCs1gitaMXcbF8GW7Fm8jpgwXRux3OhEC5UhDvSX7uGfFAeD2npKsq1ohwhFnGVPGTruRmC8MWYYSOELhyphenhyphenKyFXGMUwjFmZj8kShizco/s320/298242_2327469299316_1027196503_32604132_605891439_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670928372568774578" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chris and I in front of the White House after our tour on the 2nd.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0Ij0UJtMCX_rNoFZtOYVm0YAUqHY6RXXDHhKYCs1gitaMXcbF8GW7Fm8jpgwXRux3OhEC5UhDvSX7uGfFAeD2npKsq1ohwhFnGVPGTruRmC8MWYYSOELhyphenhyphenKyFXGMUwjFmZj8kShizco/s1600/298242_2327469299316_1027196503_32604132_605891439_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbCFOo6f5u7XQadjFjA3cP31n9YHFtINsdDse5gWaGiepAK4GCR6vPk5JUwyfWwyy_c4Xr7s87_RK5eXvOgp63RDUnIjFHSL1L5qom4PKNQZVrhy2HXPXgCyIISxJG4D1YYbIpb0qe1I/s1600/297503_2327471419369_1027196503_32604136_457795760_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbCFOo6f5u7XQadjFjA3cP31n9YHFtINsdDse5gWaGiepAK4GCR6vPk5JUwyfWwyy_c4Xr7s87_RK5eXvOgp63RDUnIjFHSL1L5qom4PKNQZVrhy2HXPXgCyIISxJG4D1YYbIpb0qe1I/s320/297503_2327471419369_1027196503_32604136_457795760_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670928364000941218" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chris, Kj, Leah and Tony at the World War II memorial with good ol' GW's Monument behind us</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbCFOo6f5u7XQadjFjA3cP31n9YHFtINsdDse5gWaGiepAK4GCR6vPk5JUwyfWwyy_c4Xr7s87_RK5eXvOgp63RDUnIjFHSL1L5qom4PKNQZVrhy2HXPXgCyIISxJG4D1YYbIpb0qe1I/s1600/297503_2327471419369_1027196503_32604136_457795760_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEuQtw-JUceSR0dTlSNjiLsn5Ngint3WaeY6lMcHxovq0d4SYnAmqKhl_Fmq7imfji9nsi7xGlZFwGSe9KkXqTKRN1CwtVF3ctmf8b8KnSKaLG9sYRB_RA229fArMnS_o6RCShlx_3H4/s1600/380680_2327471819379_1027196503_32604137_1508779473_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEuQtw-JUceSR0dTlSNjiLsn5Ngint3WaeY6lMcHxovq0d4SYnAmqKhl_Fmq7imfji9nsi7xGlZFwGSe9KkXqTKRN1CwtVF3ctmf8b8KnSKaLG9sYRB_RA229fArMnS_o6RCShlx_3H4/s320/380680_2327471819379_1027196503_32604137_1508779473_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670928364766447106" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Leah and I in front of the Lincoln on our way our briefing by White House staffers in the Eisenhower Building.</span><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-91328975372636576442011-10-20T17:04:00.000-07:002011-10-20T17:24:40.497-07:00Les MiserablesOur dean bought us all balcony seats to see the incredible musical "Les Miserables" in the Kennedy Center.<br /><br />The entire production was unbelievable. Everything was perfect from the stage to the performers. I was really impressed by the company, especially the man who played the protagonist, Jean Valjean. He had an incredible voice.<br /><br />It was really fun going out with everyone from the program and getting glammed up as well. And we all know, I looove a good musical <3<div><br /></div><div><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsVmx8dyustWOyTNEep9FD8xcABT2pHnGS3QWAMxbgFAGH16hwUP6E1lCxFnt_5V37aGMLlBOEaqQb41lHFtLlmg7OV266l95CBlMbG35kCebkHFBmjI0cz4FDBonu-eBrM4baol4f00/s1600/103_1359.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsVmx8dyustWOyTNEep9FD8xcABT2pHnGS3QWAMxbgFAGH16hwUP6E1lCxFnt_5V37aGMLlBOEaqQb41lHFtLlmg7OV266l95CBlMbG35kCebkHFBmjI0cz4FDBonu-eBrM4baol4f00/s320/103_1359.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665733375606785858" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My darling roommate Rachel and I on our balcony</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWf0OXGHXctX5gvTmtcCiteJYxcI5KC3xUDfMWMKzdyeSkJQM4p-WwoylXTDqm3IPlFwXtLGYeECDNCZQ-FP-yhWTjUnqeCJqPNAwZQTbug9K8L0nts7FTKHCOFu6lVIovXTTfpsYgj0/s1600/103_1358.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWf0OXGHXctX5gvTmtcCiteJYxcI5KC3xUDfMWMKzdyeSkJQM4p-WwoylXTDqm3IPlFwXtLGYeECDNCZQ-FP-yhWTjUnqeCJqPNAwZQTbug9K8L0nts7FTKHCOFu6lVIovXTTfpsYgj0/s320/103_1358.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665733363001603138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My wonderful Chris Scali</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbAVxqWP3NMDXRr6OiGyqvettZi4mGAlcuHNIkaKIr_fg8-CBTONAu5WFW_zfZlVLLXpVwQeTUd_gWdhOl1Z_hzOJMGAikAM2Oa5-RlYZszpJtKUdslOfS_4DFBipX13f-ZY9dxWPyeQ/s1600/103_1370.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbAVxqWP3NMDXRr6OiGyqvettZi4mGAlcuHNIkaKIr_fg8-CBTONAu5WFW_zfZlVLLXpVwQeTUd_gWdhOl1Z_hzOJMGAikAM2Oa5-RlYZszpJtKUdslOfS_4DFBipX13f-ZY9dxWPyeQ/s320/103_1370.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665733355650904466" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our Brazillian beauty- Maira and I in front of the Kennedy Center</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDyTfavzX8dgmkt-1aIDWZ03DtD2cTPrCoVknf6fSZ0nQMIh8IuXLCx1BT4FiuDAOAt0SlAx36q1WRj9Qls0FaQnJjaIbz7fBUdrvGdfij61qGlE_wDJmNXjTDI2PErTS_wXuLqJa1Yo/s1600/103_1379.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDyTfavzX8dgmkt-1aIDWZ03DtD2cTPrCoVknf6fSZ0nQMIh8IuXLCx1BT4FiuDAOAt0SlAx36q1WRj9Qls0FaQnJjaIbz7fBUdrvGdfij61qGlE_wDJmNXjTDI2PErTS_wXuLqJa1Yo/s320/103_1379.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665733336638517650" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My roommate Ariel and I by the fountains behind the center before the show!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5-WA-X2qLeK6_AbNwjQVEG2liIgTex7cmLJ4GrGnEnD48NEhqRJdqYVGM_rNEmAQ0fWAH4B6c2Mm3ukCk7EUlsY52XWR9YdNfWZh7d1h5KsaaaAyNvmePB7MRDsJ6yt_Y8J4-7OMh3k/s1600/103_1386.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5-WA-X2qLeK6_AbNwjQVEG2liIgTex7cmLJ4GrGnEnD48NEhqRJdqYVGM_rNEmAQ0fWAH4B6c2Mm3ukCk7EUlsY52XWR9YdNfWZh7d1h5KsaaaAyNvmePB7MRDsJ6yt_Y8J4-7OMh3k/s320/103_1386.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665733332431225554" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Maira, me and Kazi inside before the show started</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-83721939162020300672011-10-20T16:39:00.000-07:002011-10-20T16:51:31.923-07:00The Turkish Festival!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARgOjbvB4KM82_YOnkRDkxHSaYUFdrT1tEqHbqPuyK9dZN0gegznSpw22Naj_Xc10yrN1GenW-8qrfuGu-9p570gNtkFbLB0R1EaYkVjA-hbsVCX7sPeq5uWvu9r36ZZjlrNZIFFH3DY/s1600/103_1349.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARgOjbvB4KM82_YOnkRDkxHSaYUFdrT1tEqHbqPuyK9dZN0gegznSpw22Naj_Xc10yrN1GenW-8qrfuGu-9p570gNtkFbLB0R1EaYkVjA-hbsVCX7sPeq5uWvu9r36ZZjlrNZIFFH3DY/s320/103_1349.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665726150898723682" /></a><br />On October 1st, Maira, Rachel and I headed into the city for the anual Turkish festival! It's an amazing event where they block off the streets to celebrate Turkish culture. There was food, jewelry, crafts, information booths, live music and turkish folk dancers! We had a wonderful wonderful day and I was so happy just to remember the amazing week I had in Istanbul last November!! Here are some pictures:<div><br /></div><div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIH4TfTu3l6w1VC5lvUfhU6F4VLfDND5kgdQP4CE8cq_LK32PFF7qox5BOcnaXJDzA62VsuKKwhIUQKWtB5Xq3edQO83T25dmoqxx5sXGSklljm0GvPlmOPnxeNnVufV10ikw3MDasq8/s320/103_1341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665725258682950178" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAMBoCCr5viT86YnmEtPtwlu-8Kea9zmRe8wuTslJhz2O2nDaC0gHjgY7AB334eG4rogkP1qm4auQVBzOx9O0J66E4LV94ARYyhyphenhyphenEfh65bu6vItDok6nZJllLZqFAKtZh41TOB8oQlmU/s1600/103_1322.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAMBoCCr5viT86YnmEtPtwlu-8Kea9zmRe8wuTslJhz2O2nDaC0gHjgY7AB334eG4rogkP1qm4auQVBzOx9O0J66E4LV94ARYyhyphenhyphenEfh65bu6vItDok6nZJllLZqFAKtZh41TOB8oQlmU/s320/103_1322.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665725274034031970" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wJKfzJawNdKb6v1R4Rw-mseyosec_YvjoUvYA-ciGp6TW_BtBBO4FUTJkxQSXUvsLiMHvFlJTB7ebBdGDUmxjTDzxuhDGxI1gQmIQ5i05IfDZV2tP7oJcfmA4BOmdeKpQBM0JUqlmWw/s1600/103_1320.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wJKfzJawNdKb6v1R4Rw-mseyosec_YvjoUvYA-ciGp6TW_BtBBO4FUTJkxQSXUvsLiMHvFlJTB7ebBdGDUmxjTDzxuhDGxI1gQmIQ5i05IfDZV2tP7oJcfmA4BOmdeKpQBM0JUqlmWw/s320/103_1320.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665725235599088850" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHECehqVXSjnr5elHMCcnGGuFS0l-tE-Bnyae3vO9AmLHWm6PdouOf2xAKTDWrR3aZIx7rS9LnJhFmdfgHv8B5jTZXCT2NYlpBx4RFTV0wwDD6xDFPiCyf5Oe800tHIJeO2IJjEkfOzg/s1600/103_1309.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHECehqVXSjnr5elHMCcnGGuFS0l-tE-Bnyae3vO9AmLHWm6PdouOf2xAKTDWrR3aZIx7rS9LnJhFmdfgHv8B5jTZXCT2NYlpBx4RFTV0wwDD6xDFPiCyf5Oe800tHIJeO2IJjEkfOzg/s320/103_1309.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665725226397600994" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1r-N1RYxGIseIxYwbZBZcmAkbfNW70UALD1wd_vML3h-6v1yzcACgzFYQsyvZb8ZzDNYYob8MaHkjB0-Vu4EjoA6s-T2emgYWxLdFziRiAXKjpzTqgYtKqUYdOkQmv0_fnsRZGTM80E/s320/103_1326.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665725246671250546" /></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-10002658226639619982011-10-20T15:30:00.000-07:002011-10-20T16:52:19.987-07:00A windy day with the Skellys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTu5UwtzIK654uuq5arUtj0rueNU-GtIXPlcTV-CL_d2aWBYP92Nw9OfVgqsWLn5eMstAmn2i17RZeOCao7uiD_A_2M1O7Lc9rrZOqV0Xcc26cHhO_q7c15ha8Wk0mmeDDvNrulrwS9AM/s1600/103_1282.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTu5UwtzIK654uuq5arUtj0rueNU-GtIXPlcTV-CL_d2aWBYP92Nw9OfVgqsWLn5eMstAmn2i17RZeOCao7uiD_A_2M1O7Lc9rrZOqV0Xcc26cHhO_q7c15ha8Wk0mmeDDvNrulrwS9AM/s320/103_1282.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665708462000987506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBw7F5T8oTyBfw5ch8k9IKlYBe8sDj6hczZrj0xNPKMukjmSbsWnBWWSh0M3B3RLNEi9IccnGR_nKaTm6g38J8DKOej3Ew305nJwvs7xlx6XXu9LtuSPrTCfQr2_wYxCGWEM82FnJ2tk/s1600/103_1286.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBw7F5T8oTyBfw5ch8k9IKlYBe8sDj6hczZrj0xNPKMukjmSbsWnBWWSh0M3B3RLNEi9IccnGR_nKaTm6g38J8DKOej3Ew305nJwvs7xlx6XXu9LtuSPrTCfQr2_wYxCGWEM82FnJ2tk/s320/103_1286.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665707022263344562" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>On the last weekend in September I was fortunate enough to meet up with the family of one of my closest friends from school. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I met Mr. and Mrs. Skelly and Sara and Todd for lunch at a historic tavern near the White House and then we strolled over to the new MLK memorial. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSzfgWYAAkyFK7u87CiFFGbAD85nP1FpXloJTYltWO5c4kVy5vWnNZ5OX31PfF16YgCufuvZ7fBm15uFXXiwN-g916GH_Gtx__JNLnBcamXBTJTVm7D1enIFPkZhw04tFJNWr3f3ATQg/s1600/103_1275.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSzfgWYAAkyFK7u87CiFFGbAD85nP1FpXloJTYltWO5c4kVy5vWnNZ5OX31PfF16YgCufuvZ7fBm15uFXXiwN-g916GH_Gtx__JNLnBcamXBTJTVm7D1enIFPkZhw04tFJNWr3f3ATQg/s320/103_1275.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665707017986085874" /></a></div><div>I was really excited to be able to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial so shortly after it had opened- before it's dedication even!</div><div>The memorial is in a gorgeous location, right across the pond from the Jefferson Memorial (some might call it the <i>Jameson</i>....)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And I was really impressed by the design and organization of the whole thing. Dr. King's figure emerges from a large stone with a quote </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKX4Rh4Idt__7tiEz0O7YqVfPtwEPB6HSiomKfmAzpYK3_RmZ-0ArobLyylgZMrUBkfUpqQdzgbdsM7JATzp1T6bWPFjVqZcOMDgGV0pQMlBQl7hg4DMQeGZBhyphenhyphenndGs0CbYh1x2AEAHs/s1600/103_1274.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKX4Rh4Idt__7tiEz0O7YqVfPtwEPB6HSiomKfmAzpYK3_RmZ-0ArobLyylgZMrUBkfUpqQdzgbdsM7JATzp1T6bWPFjVqZcOMDgGV0pQMlBQl7hg4DMQeGZBhyphenhyphenndGs0CbYh1x2AEAHs/s320/103_1274.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665707001894862466" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope"</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The symbolism is incredible, I found it really beautiful.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then all around the site are some of his best quotes. It was awesome.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEqIcTv4c8j80si8hb09pEz8KP0on4HY-nHXhtXTtepkQnliuxqp7LC0bGaSvOyQOc1E8FUSUNQs8RA83HKtYZ4fnZXYccYfl6VExUj8kn2GZomLdGgbJ51XXrBVgcgex3UNxDGvFAAw/s1600/103_1266.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEqIcTv4c8j80si8hb09pEz8KP0on4HY-nHXhtXTtepkQnliuxqp7LC0bGaSvOyQOc1E8FUSUNQs8RA83HKtYZ4fnZXYccYfl6VExUj8kn2GZomLdGgbJ51XXrBVgcgex3UNxDGvFAAw/s320/103_1266.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665706998570555826" /></a> And although everyone here talks about this weather with disdain, I LOVE IT!</div><div><br /></div><div>I love some good rain and some crisp wind.<br /><br /></div></div></div><div>And of course, it was amazing seeing the Skelly family! Just to catch up and wander around and have some familiar faces around was really nice for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>This family has a really special place in my heart, they've always been so supportive and kind and I really appreciate our friendship!</div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-64048828282886751862011-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:002011-10-20T16:57:02.524-07:00State Department Briefing<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is just a short paper I wrote for class that I wanted to share:</span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jane Moshbacher briefed the LCWS students about her work in the Office of Counterterrorism Coordination in the State Department building. Moshbacher spoke about today’s terror threats and the ways in which the Office of Counterterrorism Coordination is combating them while working with the Departments of Defense, Treasury, and Justice within the State Department. </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Moshbacher opened by talking about the Counterterrorism Coordination’s new strategy more narrowly targets the threat of Al-Qaeda, specifically its senior leadership, most of whom are in Pakistan. She noted that Pakistan anti-terrorism efforts have been of major help over the last ten years and Al-Qaeda has lost a lot of influence and many resources. She also mentioned, however, that as Al-Qaeda has lost resources it has grown more geographically and ethnically diverse. </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She then spoke about Al-Qaeda’s affiliates like Al-Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula who were responsible for the “underwear bomber” attack on the United States in 2009 and were the first of Al-Qaeda’s affiliates to attack the U.S. Al-Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was weakened, said Moshbacher, by the death of Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki was an American and effectively influenced many other Americans with his radical ideas. </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Moshbacher noted that many terrorist organizations thrive because of leaders like al-Awlaki who are able to relate to their audiences. Just as Rischard said that terrorism has “sought refuge in failed states” terrorism also seeks refuge in disheartened persons who feel they have no other choice (Rischard 96). For recruitment, terrorism plays on people when they are feeling weakest and without hope. In this sense, one might say our speaker would take an anti-cosmopolitan view as she seemed to believe that “reason is a product of particular cultures and circumstances” (Shapcott 56) especially when she expressed that terrorists are generally not crazy and they are just people like everyone else who become caught up in what they think is the only ration approach left. </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of the Counterterrorism Coordination’s best weapons is combating this way of thinking by presenting potential members with other lines for thinking. The State Department has a special team specifically designed to combat this process online through social networking. For example, there are now officials on Twitter and Youtube that can immediately counterstrike terrorist recruiters online by exposing their lies and giving readers other options. If readers are getting both sides of the story they are less likely to be entrapped by charismatic anti-American bloggers, video posters or tweeters. Our speaker believes our generation has the potential to transform counterterrorism with the use of the technology that makes our world so much smaller and more accessible. She stated that it is important to disprove terrorist claims that “change only comes from violence.” </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Moshbacher told the group that one of “the primary pillars in counter terrorism is trying to diminish the drivers of terrorism.” Their goal at the Counterterrorism Coordination Office is to “de-legitimize the violent narrative, present alternatives and build partner capacity to help.” This is where she tied in the United State’s ambitions for democracy in other countries. She said we have much to gain in our engagements abroad because “democracy increases the space for peaceful descent and helps fight violence.” If people have a safe place to criticize their government they feel more empowered to fix things in a diplomatic way rather than a violent one. </span></span></pre><pre style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; font-family:monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></pre><pre face="monospace" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; white-space: pre; word-wrap: break-word; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The brief ended with a question and answer session in which our speaker took questions from the students. Many led to the elaboration of the aforementioned topic. A key part of the last section was when Moshbacher clarified the difference between radicalism and religiosity. She was firm in the notion that although throughout the Middle East there are a handful of radical madrasas (or schools) they are not the way of every madrasa and a radical Islamist is not every Islamist. She said “we would never want to eradicate the role religion plays in the lives of others, it’s a matter of educating people out of radicalism.” </span></span></pre><div><br /></div></span>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-27862461756442879762011-10-16T16:20:00.000-07:002011-10-16T16:28:22.334-07:00This beautiful place<div style="text-align: center;">Here are some sites from around town. Some non-touristy sites.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love DC. DC has character. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">A little book store in Eastern Market: FILLED top to bottom. Literally.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-8eRgUea4cEVFLVr6SbLq9-PIOpxNs7Yd7vouB3IZ6g_rHhRkssZIh2eTZroRdwP-zYfR5ZNrtb18mSVcy6RZ10DhOlc373GZRD-x3aL9FmbAuyJNwu5AJ8jsSGXQj59E3IZKfoEgqY/s1600/103_1114_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-8eRgUea4cEVFLVr6SbLq9-PIOpxNs7Yd7vouB3IZ6g_rHhRkssZIh2eTZroRdwP-zYfR5ZNrtb18mSVcy6RZ10DhOlc373GZRD-x3aL9FmbAuyJNwu5AJ8jsSGXQj59E3IZKfoEgqY/s320/103_1114_2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664234732017304402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Art at the farmer's market</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxO0kiWowbv2yZjZ-oEgF5_v9jBgIUpXB-cO2AeogWRMui8GNX4et4RLXM8qHrmNsFlUsLJhU-kOwfUWX3IZIqKYgsDXRetQ9W6eRk1Q4kDd4hu8HyrnUG16z6PFHqCsTW3Re-hRh-f0/s1600/103_1112.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxO0kiWowbv2yZjZ-oEgF5_v9jBgIUpXB-cO2AeogWRMui8GNX4et4RLXM8qHrmNsFlUsLJhU-kOwfUWX3IZIqKYgsDXRetQ9W6eRk1Q4kDd4hu8HyrnUG16z6PFHqCsTW3Re-hRh-f0/s320/103_1112.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664234720449728114" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Georgetown</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdWT6CtTqmuLtGTNUmnqmTujIx6Zwg_dvamzuRgh1HggjsG-LAFRp2AnllezqnyXqLVgkx5WGbaYxn1ODermbi23H4VclO7jLkRdMWaLezd5LD-d9DzcA6tjVAILDgvNGulXwMDNrsjI/s1600/103_1103.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdWT6CtTqmuLtGTNUmnqmTujIx6Zwg_dvamzuRgh1HggjsG-LAFRp2AnllezqnyXqLVgkx5WGbaYxn1ODermbi23H4VclO7jLkRdMWaLezd5LD-d9DzcA6tjVAILDgvNGulXwMDNrsjI/s320/103_1103.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664234712676393490" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIILkwEa3iw6howsnB5_EYyBvA6TVc_v-_n7d18IGxhExr0P3OCjeNyhQv2P3592qLXBzK_bfdn6vcmV_1X-3b4dzvilfBE48P5vntNFxKFOzubycWi-HvAmzQP-8VErkAY3Mqr4sNMo/s1600/103_1102.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIILkwEa3iw6howsnB5_EYyBvA6TVc_v-_n7d18IGxhExr0P3OCjeNyhQv2P3592qLXBzK_bfdn6vcmV_1X-3b4dzvilfBE48P5vntNFxKFOzubycWi-HvAmzQP-8VErkAY3Mqr4sNMo/s320/103_1102.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664234700489910866" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And for you Dad, the JAMESON Memorial from across the pond</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0Jy7WjLHcUvoVPe_zG0iuCrlA_23_XmZvtmyk38NlpEi04BR3Z9NcQfbMxuu3ty9LFPRzyDy7fQdAOfbQLA1mgTybVOYPIqIe_mO5e9f4gQPBQRXm-81R0U0jGCrf0mKgE2sNNpiUSg/s1600/103_1276.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0Jy7WjLHcUvoVPe_zG0iuCrlA_23_XmZvtmyk38NlpEi04BR3Z9NcQfbMxuu3ty9LFPRzyDy7fQdAOfbQLA1mgTybVOYPIqIe_mO5e9f4gQPBQRXm-81R0U0jGCrf0mKgE2sNNpiUSg/s320/103_1276.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664234696223022930" /></a><br /></div></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-35092451753304792882011-10-16T15:53:00.000-07:002011-10-16T16:17:35.520-07:00Extras:<div>Apart from the plethora of LCWS/ CAIR related blessings, this city and this semester has brought a refreshing breeze of people from different parts of my life. I've been able to meet up with people I've really been missing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's a quick highlight:</div><div><br /></div><div>Margaux! My best friend from my semester in Egypt! She lives in South Carolina but is an avid Capitols fan (the DC hockey team). This being the case, she tries to swing by a few times a season, which is quite a happy chance for me =) I'd only been missing her every second since the night we dropped her off at the Cairo airport last December. There was no one on the earth happier than I was the day we reunited!! </div><div><u><br /></u></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjEIoOsSUw9uHNn3AHkrHDYxn2VI5LUbul6bPF6NblU2A7Uz4HYclodNY_XmL1Npv9z-JBQ-A5YGQUcx7v1mtNuq6PLprwOnIAjuEwBnoCMP74CHGFproD4LddRde3Dnkaw9m1bwgrFc/s1600/103_1394.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjEIoOsSUw9uHNn3AHkrHDYxn2VI5LUbul6bPF6NblU2A7Uz4HYclodNY_XmL1Npv9z-JBQ-A5YGQUcx7v1mtNuq6PLprwOnIAjuEwBnoCMP74CHGFproD4LddRde3Dnkaw9m1bwgrFc/s320/103_1394.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228254541562834" /></a><br /><div>I've also been very lucky to have become a kind of honorary member of the Skelly family. Caitlin Skelly was my roommate my sophomore and junior year in college and one of my best friends at school. I met up with her family to go see the MLK Memorial and Washington Monument. They live in PA and her sister and brother-in-law live in DC. It was a cold day but we had such a fun time wandering around and catching up.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-yGBAwI0kWg4Z6GvjYclynkkl0h_Cfxm7-Qh5gvzlpK4LdHC4Myts0RFMO0vFGUhyphenhyphenHJEbygoXJuQK-yR6cwEmfSZHBYZu2PJyiQZoVKkf6pOePQo4MDWuv8B8tXTPiD0MUS6h9jDJF0/s1600/103_1267.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-yGBAwI0kWg4Z6GvjYclynkkl0h_Cfxm7-Qh5gvzlpK4LdHC4Myts0RFMO0vFGUhyphenhyphenHJEbygoXJuQK-yR6cwEmfSZHBYZu2PJyiQZoVKkf6pOePQo4MDWuv8B8tXTPiD0MUS6h9jDJF0/s320/103_1267.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228242914010610" /></a><br /></div><div>Bobby and Lyndsay were classmates of mine in Cairo! Lyndsay is here working for a senator and Bobby has some kind of cool secret government job. We've been able to meet up a few times and reminisce about our wonderful time abroad. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKdP1mWdU_sDjai-Qb1YaYij8XW-wiC8E9Fi9kb7oi4YldmAB4NZr_fKosPKEehOdpniq5ZYrjhNdxfikyy5BP7NDXvlow0j8YXoiZk0lUJaCmPMOmpLVxHXR3oYtAdSzWkG81mTSTig/s1600/103_1260.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKdP1mWdU_sDjai-Qb1YaYij8XW-wiC8E9Fi9kb7oi4YldmAB4NZr_fKosPKEehOdpniq5ZYrjhNdxfikyy5BP7NDXvlow0j8YXoiZk0lUJaCmPMOmpLVxHXR3oYtAdSzWkG81mTSTig/s320/103_1260.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228234724440722" /></a><br /></div><div>And this is my adorable Sara Smith. We met a couple years ago at USC through our mutual friend James. When I was abroad she was living in Australia and then galavanting around so I hadn't seen her in more than a year! She just moved to DC with her twin sister. Rachel and I met her at one of our favorite farmer's markets East of the Capital and explored and caught each other up on the insane past year we'd both had. We were having too much fun and forgot to take a picture together but here's my cute girl. She has a portable mustache, basically because she's awesome.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8ufIjIyAFh75F_7nSPjCzPsB3vU0wp2Xq-hsozlfXnZIbYvIrp0tCZd4OxjCUXLGciSEX1GWLa3qw_cDFJb6oqLVH4uBgzUmoqWjVsWNtD6EL3HTGSznvXdWw5VuW0FFGz9bBP8iWv0/s1600/103_1111.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8ufIjIyAFh75F_7nSPjCzPsB3vU0wp2Xq-hsozlfXnZIbYvIrp0tCZd4OxjCUXLGciSEX1GWLa3qw_cDFJb6oqLVH4uBgzUmoqWjVsWNtD6EL3HTGSznvXdWw5VuW0FFGz9bBP8iWv0/s320/103_1111.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228229575829810" /></a><br /></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-42130131407290912772011-09-29T17:09:00.000-07:002011-10-04T17:13:50.074-07:00Saudi National Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkM3-dLPEGX9ED2WRbjFswUbQg7OWUD9GsI_dOVRQ-MiqF4LJwYcRca_haoG8aefyKe9divpQHC5TWT9AdGZdel5lmMCxYVZVtu_dVbvcvfCwi6qnz6-0B00C4Jw11eo1iaZiXtt3ldY/s1600/103_1144.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkM3-dLPEGX9ED2WRbjFswUbQg7OWUD9GsI_dOVRQ-MiqF4LJwYcRca_haoG8aefyKe9divpQHC5TWT9AdGZdel5lmMCxYVZVtu_dVbvcvfCwi6qnz6-0B00C4Jw11eo1iaZiXtt3ldY/s320/103_1144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657939913052166066" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Last friday CAIR was invited to a party at the Saudi embassy for their National Day. It's like the Saudi counterpart to our Fourth of July- the day </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman al-Faisal al-Saud united the country in 1932.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The invitation was passed around the office and after a while my boss announced she'd like to go, and asked me if I wanted to come. Well of COURSE! Free food? Free party hosted one of the richest countries in the world? Yes please. My favorite food, and for FREE. Yes. I'll go.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-size:12px;">It was an awesome party, more extravagant than I expected even. The embassy itself is gorgeous, beautiful pictures from different parts of Saudi, woven Islamic calligraphy, models of the Dome of the Rock and Mecca and tapestries. Modern and folk arabic music bellowing throughout the rooms. And then there were the buffets; loaded with ever imaginable delicious Middle Eastern concoction... ever. Like a full goat. And an entire table with basically only baklava on it. </span></span></div><div><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LcRinBONCRXVpxC9ZhNZFqhjaKG0YmWH6YfZL5Ugh9pKkFUAbN_5Q0mjlZq9VGkUUjUlsZKJH0MmNSJPxUPUOzcM414qJxmjd689ab1_PRdXDCkbRRtdpeu20wMXZlqW9Axonz_HHI4/s1600/103_1141.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LcRinBONCRXVpxC9ZhNZFqhjaKG0YmWH6YfZL5Ugh9pKkFUAbN_5Q0mjlZq9VGkUUjUlsZKJH0MmNSJPxUPUOzcM414qJxmjd689ab1_PRdXDCkbRRtdpeu20wMXZlqW9Axonz_HHI4/s320/103_1141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657939902648056130" /></a><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">My favorite part of the event was all the different ways people dressed up. There were decorated officers in all their military guard and women wearing extravagant gowns. And there were men in suits, Saudi teenagers wearing Farari T-shirts (just like always, eh?), men in galabias, women wearing naqab, men wearing the traditional Saudi head turbans; and my favorite were the little kids =) All dressed up and ready to go.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwui4EIQ6LCKmrbfF5beRGwgnClYfpnFNy_Xm2vTbTv57qqIi7h98MZSuHwMLxokRPKCqIPPPZcb6YQTl4GlnfYSBeBj0dd8qB-mR8c0S90rGYfIvkgcbc9uNm0rXUECWrZm79HWzATIk/s1600/103_1140.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwui4EIQ6LCKmrbfF5beRGwgnClYfpnFNy_Xm2vTbTv57qqIi7h98MZSuHwMLxokRPKCqIPPPZcb6YQTl4GlnfYSBeBj0dd8qB-mR8c0S90rGYfIvkgcbc9uNm0rXUECWrZm79HWzATIk/s320/103_1140.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657939374989657106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBcSwJhZkmUJtfI9TXZJ_HIzca5tUzc8yvTywu0Toqb-1HW7TYPA0juciy8s0LSR48ocAI4Jxv2ZnwwtGlVOtWa7UILGbKUh9n1VR0sSzszRxhSNw_XHZ3hCoCzvUcCTqHmc-M2_S2dM/s1600/103_1138.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBcSwJhZkmUJtfI9TXZJ_HIzca5tUzc8yvTywu0Toqb-1HW7TYPA0juciy8s0LSR48ocAI4Jxv2ZnwwtGlVOtWa7UILGbKUh9n1VR0sSzszRxhSNw_XHZ3hCoCzvUcCTqHmc-M2_S2dM/s320/103_1138.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657939372058623202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jK1lsgy_mi-s0K-MlsTdin5pocSfCNCBffyVdDR6qmt1wS5cM2-S0ej_Kd6OsmdeTsV8H8UuGWB1bAxAVYFwAG5RElLyRTSY0YE9dq6OT69pKLYrNAl0qFqGd4bYel-vs2VzhsDOfIo/s1600/103_1135.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jK1lsgy_mi-s0K-MlsTdin5pocSfCNCBffyVdDR6qmt1wS5cM2-S0ej_Kd6OsmdeTsV8H8UuGWB1bAxAVYFwAG5RElLyRTSY0YE9dq6OT69pKLYrNAl0qFqGd4bYel-vs2VzhsDOfIo/s320/103_1135.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657939364617733618" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It was such a sight to see and I was so honored to have been there. They even sent us with a parting gifts: a glass paperweight with the image of the Middle East from space. I'll honestly treasure it forever. It's going to be my favorite centerpiece when it gets home.</span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I don't know what it is about arab culture, but I can't be made happier when I'm around it. I guess I must love the contrast between it and what I'm used to. I love to watch the ways in which it fits into "modern" and western life too; a juxtaposed, dissonant beautiful mixing of two worlds.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Most of all though I know it's because of the memories the music and the smells and the outfits invoke for me. I always think of Egypt and the time I spent there. How can I not be blissfully happy when reflecting upon some of the happiest moments of my life? =)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ilhamdulillah, life is so good.</span></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-17165618422559560232011-09-18T14:00:00.001-07:002011-09-18T18:41:00.916-07:00Fanciful Friday<div>I'm not a graceful or particularly lucky person, but sometimes, rarely, I have a day in which everything goes perfectly. Perfectly.<br /><br />I woke up after a perfect night's sleep, had some coffee, made myself an omelette and headed to work. At work I was able to concentrate, I organized a little bit, made some calls and actually CLOSED my first case. The letter was mailed and Mr. So and So's company knows now that they're under our watchful eye. If Mr. So and So is prevented from practicing his religion freely again they will have a lawsuit on their hands. I'm not one for threatening or aggressive language but I must admit I really do like writing these letters. I like that our organization is able to be the voice of people who need our help. I like that we are legitimate in the legal world and I like that we get things done.<br /><br />No one should be afraid of being exactly who they are. No one should be prevented from performing their religious rituals if they're not hurting anyone. No one should be told that what they are is wrong or threatening or evil.<br />I'm happy to stand for the rights that our country is based upon but so easily forgets.<br /><br />And I'm honestly so happy to be doing real work. I haven't fetched coffee once or made a single copy. I have a ton of responsibility, and I love it. It's surprising to me, but I really do love it. I feel accomplished at the end of the day which is stark contrast to how I would feel at the end of the day at the library.<br /><br /><br /><br />So around 1 I brought something to my boss's office and she says "I'm going to Jummah, do you want to come?" Jummah is sometimes called "friday prayer." It's basically a Muslim church service. There's an opening prayers and a congregation and a speaker (and Imam) and a congregation and everything. So I went with her to "the hill."<br /><br />No big deal, we'll just will go into the Capitol Building.<br /><br />Every friday they hold a service downstairs in the Capitol Building. You get an "official business visitor" badge and meet with the others downstairs. I became really emotional during the service because it reminded me so much of my time in Cairo. The room wasn't like Cairo or anything and the congregation was totally diverse, but the call to prayer was flawless. It always makes me a little misty eyed. I still remember the first one I heard. And the ones we listened to while we watched the sun go down in Cairo and Luxor. It just is inherently beautiful to me because of the memories it invokes. And the fact that the man singing usually has such a thick, haunting voice. The one on friday was beautiful.<br /><br />The crowd was African-American and Arab and Caucasian and Hispanic and red blooded American and fresh off the boat. Most of the men wore business suits and were on lunch break but a few were in traditional African shirts and a few wore Kufi prayer caps. The women had modern and traditional vails. (my boss dresses so beautifully, she is very trendy).<br /><br />The Imam's message was one I wish every bigoted or biased person could here. One I think many Americans would be surprised to hear from a Muslim just because they've never given one a chance. He thanked Allah for America. He thanked him for our strength and guidance in Afghanistan. He thanked the men and women who fight to protect our country and asked that the congregation continue to pray for the leaders of America.<div>And he said "don't forget our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters who are together with us in prayer."</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think he changed the message just because one little white girl walked in, I think he believes these things. And I think he loves America. I know a profound amount of Muslims who do.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0W9bYirXc1K9XpU7H0VSDa4L2m5smkiAkdUX3V0n7vgk7kxK0APbMthUBEBFAcLBguuUztN9h09COZbY3eD9uO67lF0EtXyVC4GXwBhC1lUyelLSd758SNGnmeURzc2qj1dYa3Hx000/s1600/CIMG0032.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0W9bYirXc1K9XpU7H0VSDa4L2m5smkiAkdUX3V0n7vgk7kxK0APbMthUBEBFAcLBguuUztN9h09COZbY3eD9uO67lF0EtXyVC4GXwBhC1lUyelLSd758SNGnmeURzc2qj1dYa3Hx000/s320/CIMG0032.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653879192082575442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5-3C21lEgiql4AzavS8OwnbiYgIDKQb-fMyUS9wwxeD2aRzTgfry37AoRPsQBEmrhx6jg87j6vxi7_GUep6NXw-JlY1fS7hvOIupPhC9KamjUJEXhUyh4vsJ2Yc5WyotfH5ovvbYeCY/s1600/CIMG0030.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5-3C21lEgiql4AzavS8OwnbiYgIDKQb-fMyUS9wwxeD2aRzTgfry37AoRPsQBEmrhx6jg87j6vxi7_GUep6NXw-JlY1fS7hvOIupPhC9KamjUJEXhUyh4vsJ2Yc5WyotfH5ovvbYeCY/s320/CIMG0030.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653879193650274978" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-11591197397641837032011-09-18T13:59:00.000-07:002011-09-18T13:59:37.716-07:00The Wind Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This summer produced a lot of good memories. Living in T.O. and working was a challenge and at times very lonely, but overall I really had a fabulous summer. And learned a lot about prioritizing and saving and that obscure place they call "the real world."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last few weeks were refreshingly simple and good natured. I was with my family and the friends in the first place I really considered my home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some highlights:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaWrO1WZ1PIskDg8VkrS2eo0G2xa-TDl9KxelFhIRdR2AurH5enfGKhsi05sZ_hgcCFFG0wj4DeZ04VSHrKJ_9pyqtND4baIpoDQR_5EMh8RPRf22lILIUoNB7DwnlPxcopQAptgTS5c/s1600/103_0707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaWrO1WZ1PIskDg8VkrS2eo0G2xa-TDl9KxelFhIRdR2AurH5enfGKhsi05sZ_hgcCFFG0wj4DeZ04VSHrKJ_9pyqtND4baIpoDQR_5EMh8RPRf22lILIUoNB7DwnlPxcopQAptgTS5c/s320/103_0707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sara, one of my best friends since high school, is working on the Kern River as a tour guide and took us on a trip when our good friend James came down with some of his friends from school.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xcuXLzPHQzfjX2WSXiPZ0ZB5_gsWpkjxe8kqDcKFjdPNFPRAivv-6s4gjAl2PtUSHahFO_8eRlIM0nkfLKO9-iyxFnEzhXo3UF1o8EhGyw2e1A5C02wcXrfw1bJzdcSJ8cxHd9GaQgc/s1600/103_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xcuXLzPHQzfjX2WSXiPZ0ZB5_gsWpkjxe8kqDcKFjdPNFPRAivv-6s4gjAl2PtUSHahFO_8eRlIM0nkfLKO9-iyxFnEzhXo3UF1o8EhGyw2e1A5C02wcXrfw1bJzdcSJ8cxHd9GaQgc/s320/103_0755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBkrwmABn1xNvgNs9BruKCgZfDcfgYe859YYpmyNQSkIskFvtsM4gFsxHLO-9BIsMrUS-7q_bIPwGJuZTeT08ko6bSGFVNJUWBalw5U5Qe4wNzIarpk6597ZjvOAzrTAICBbMv164JKU/s1600/103_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBkrwmABn1xNvgNs9BruKCgZfDcfgYe859YYpmyNQSkIskFvtsM4gFsxHLO-9BIsMrUS-7q_bIPwGJuZTeT08ko6bSGFVNJUWBalw5U5Qe4wNzIarpk6597ZjvOAzrTAICBbMv164JKU/s320/103_0801.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I got to spend two beautiful weeks just with my family. The first portion was spent in San Diego and the second we stayed in a cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a long time favorite of Mom and Dad's. This is a picture of Andrew taking some snap shots from a fire look in the San Bernardino mountains. On a clear day you can see almost all of California.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruwF5haB5yZRHSQzbJnuBginTiuYN6l8ifeaGB9LDGGsninU7tBSGY8UXGWm7YnDTqs-Hd0Xh2wBngADldSzfBSR9mopWE5MqEzQeEhOjEYhazDPjj4UmzIOIUkjjlH3zd9eT9sh-Jzk/s1600/65e6e6548451495f8ae0e40cef700b12_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruwF5haB5yZRHSQzbJnuBginTiuYN6l8ifeaGB9LDGGsninU7tBSGY8UXGWm7YnDTqs-Hd0Xh2wBngADldSzfBSR9mopWE5MqEzQeEhOjEYhazDPjj4UmzIOIUkjjlH3zd9eT9sh-Jzk/s320/65e6e6548451495f8ae0e40cef700b12_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Reunions with some of the Dear Elizas (that means my gorgeous choir girls from high school)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTK_fLVPiyfA4N3brkFSwkn58FLg157ZNW4B_AuNvDjXdGTw3HgnfXCF7m1pjEZFU1fYroTOoRMQEqJLtuhpXyVcsm6VQCFeB7sRceZNgThgNJhQAWK_E37fvlvVb01XWg8aCdfYX3ik/s1600/103_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTK_fLVPiyfA4N3brkFSwkn58FLg157ZNW4B_AuNvDjXdGTw3HgnfXCF7m1pjEZFU1fYroTOoRMQEqJLtuhpXyVcsm6VQCFeB7sRceZNgThgNJhQAWK_E37fvlvVb01XWg8aCdfYX3ik/s320/103_0678.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I got to spend some time with Alyssa before she moved to Nebraska for school and even Charles came up from San Diego!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-U9Um1rT9DarysF_qVsTNwwKtl0jSF6Ii8uBVck_vNfuFGxdqe_Ji7fm6PE-xFv3WFM_erLIi2wCQMc7VP_4yzyxcjIPQhVZ72iVbzODxne-L0jGleyuLAJXEkev5HSO-SS-s_V7zV8/s1600/228813_112555438844419_112524018847561_59886_4042234_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-U9Um1rT9DarysF_qVsTNwwKtl0jSF6Ii8uBVck_vNfuFGxdqe_Ji7fm6PE-xFv3WFM_erLIi2wCQMc7VP_4yzyxcjIPQhVZ72iVbzODxne-L0jGleyuLAJXEkev5HSO-SS-s_V7zV8/s320/228813_112555438844419_112524018847561_59886_4042234_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Gina, Melanie and I helped Monavie out with a photo shoot of her original designs!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWYnkpRxW2qjAe6R0kanyZeOk7MGv_XCudN1_rYUhTF0UN84VB7R3Ic-YzkxrZPWrKRPmDYhEWXtFPfjqm4guUAx0lqlt9J8hakQkdT8hGx_LCsNqCnTGloD_Tmqsw-K7wckv5eOGdZM/s1600/294629_132873126804903_100002466486153_194150_2567937_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWYnkpRxW2qjAe6R0kanyZeOk7MGv_XCudN1_rYUhTF0UN84VB7R3Ic-YzkxrZPWrKRPmDYhEWXtFPfjqm4guUAx0lqlt9J8hakQkdT8hGx_LCsNqCnTGloD_Tmqsw-K7wckv5eOGdZM/s320/294629_132873126804903_100002466486153_194150_2567937_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The family at the San Diego Wild Animal Park<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1pU2N-A7MDwRYac9Y7j_TW0x9iFMvcJjNjX5D42yj0sCdOTWbBDqhZJfKZ0uRHEaWcaLbhkqZA0qNAjncIP-EQtB0fNgqNEP9rZvZK9vVu5mjc_GhqV10mPfLdGlRtXarhntgk4LRB8/s1600/294035_132874603471422_100002466486153_194175_1210327_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1pU2N-A7MDwRYac9Y7j_TW0x9iFMvcJjNjX5D42yj0sCdOTWbBDqhZJfKZ0uRHEaWcaLbhkqZA0qNAjncIP-EQtB0fNgqNEP9rZvZK9vVu5mjc_GhqV10mPfLdGlRtXarhntgk4LRB8/s320/294035_132874603471422_100002466486153_194175_1210327_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-25979482051360723932011-09-13T18:03:00.000-07:002011-09-13T18:03:26.647-07:00The next Metro stop is aefks blkbselkfjba dkjbfsdlkDC has already become home in the short week and a half I've been here. I love the energy, the noise, the bustle. I love the sense of direction I now finally have. I love the other students in the program, our apartment, my teachers, my coworkers, the night life, the architecture, the history, the speeches, the senate meetings, the night life. I love it all.<br />
<br />
I started real life last tuesday. I woke up early, ironed my slacks and donned a blazer. Big girl clothes, big girl work. I talk the metro into the city and emerge behind the Capitol Building. I walk two or three blocks in the light rain and arrive at CAIR's red brick building. Deep breaths, it'll be okay.<br />
<br />
And it was. It was more than okay. My coworkers are gracious and patient with me on my first day. My boss is sweet and smiley. The people on the phone just want help, they don't mind if I stumble a little at first. The cases are real and important. I was expecting to be a nervous wreck- I really want to do a good job- but I wasn't. I was calm (cool and colected!) I'm lucky to work in such a healthy environment. Everyone greats each other al Salamu Alaikum. People on the phone are saying "yanni" and "inshallah." Everyone calls me sister. It's so nice.<br />
<br />
I'm into the swing of things now and its beautifully exhausting. The work is incredibly taxing, it's heavy stuff and important stuff. We get bob threats, we get hate mail. We get <i>lots</i> of hate mail. But we help people. And so I come home every night so happy.<br />
<br />
Not to mention I'm greeted with some incredible smiles. My roommates are fantastic. And we go on the metro to buy cupcakes and we go to book stores and we wander the city and I am so so happy here.<br />
<br />
Soon I'll start blogging specific stories but for now, that's what you missed.<br />
Remind me to tell you about the Institute of Peace and about the Cairo reunion! =D<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0zzWpvIqWJeMtmiTbr5_7ZlZj-ZomSC95gPQeVIr7-dOMerTth4aIN0ft9Q__QYrotJ9sZk1mfbyi3jByAMhQKlV4kOUQZNBdb5H2FD_fyTrAHh69zpGFqhcAVAg2b4u_uWgg_vZR6U/s1600/103_0879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0zzWpvIqWJeMtmiTbr5_7ZlZj-ZomSC95gPQeVIr7-dOMerTth4aIN0ft9Q__QYrotJ9sZk1mfbyi3jByAMhQKlV4kOUQZNBdb5H2FD_fyTrAHh69zpGFqhcAVAg2b4u_uWgg_vZR6U/s320/103_0879.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful Capitol Building, just a few blocks away from work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiiYm7kFxM9pibQONSKR6GuhcA_nCBl5Y3qZbQFM8IffSWI2s6nj5yKdzoSq8szRUDdN7Nr0xRVZBVuRADkur8tZZbDK0HvsN_snDd8Q4uMM60KBV5N5TCQenHlaNACuIjxw3QQ_C8nw/s1600/103_0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiiYm7kFxM9pibQONSKR6GuhcA_nCBl5Y3qZbQFM8IffSWI2s6nj5yKdzoSq8szRUDdN7Nr0xRVZBVuRADkur8tZZbDK0HvsN_snDd8Q4uMM60KBV5N5TCQenHlaNACuIjxw3QQ_C8nw/s320/103_0919.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nationals vs. Dodgers with everyone from the<br />
Lutheran College Washington Semester</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5yWHqJjpRfVjHPwyVFLg_CcQAjAu61Xo-i3bdJ2-NSXC98HG3brIqev7pKRzKCBGzQ4HHBgIUiyRlbaHKXSC4lElJ94gHftIo8NKmatCJTU5nvDZfxnVdYZI5KicY9PULg7VgnjHfHQ/s1600/103_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5yWHqJjpRfVjHPwyVFLg_CcQAjAu61Xo-i3bdJ2-NSXC98HG3brIqev7pKRzKCBGzQ4HHBgIUiyRlbaHKXSC4lElJ94gHftIo8NKmatCJTU5nvDZfxnVdYZI5KicY9PULg7VgnjHfHQ/s320/103_0923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Rosslyn from my balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGtEgxfGk77d6cKElCPqvSHN48cHCD-0VUKxBsIjQVS_HaM2G3j3Bi3aQToGB_OiQIZvlWXDKkBxHJBLIoDVRqKn4VRMT1ZTlf00bCceTyz8fjHHVUVbz0Sjgwu-7JWiEPnEwUddGcNg/s1600/103_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGtEgxfGk77d6cKElCPqvSHN48cHCD-0VUKxBsIjQVS_HaM2G3j3Bi3aQToGB_OiQIZvlWXDKkBxHJBLIoDVRqKn4VRMT1ZTlf00bCceTyz8fjHHVUVbz0Sjgwu-7JWiEPnEwUddGcNg/s320/103_0925.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Council on American - Islamic Relations headquarters </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9n43wZWneL76mqhFMtd1mz1dMPCPMrkOeWufG1AP8tTCBqqEjUco1WtJJHmk_opI5Hi0Q2zS5dm-es2dzYjjMODwL-uJg1pxvVrfMu93N-EtKiaqPVFxXsZR1qRnLa71f7Ae99-Tqb8/s1600/103_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9n43wZWneL76mqhFMtd1mz1dMPCPMrkOeWufG1AP8tTCBqqEjUco1WtJJHmk_opI5Hi0Q2zS5dm-es2dzYjjMODwL-uJg1pxvVrfMu93N-EtKiaqPVFxXsZR1qRnLa71f7Ae99-Tqb8/s320/103_0952.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hallway into the office with news highlights <br />
of cases handled or publicized by CAIR</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61g_qwr9mwTcSSCYDs2Cfiky8PenngdGVh3wRyja0Z85_458rMMBobF18qaqS_2q_LcVn2zEgtAr813DFppb0T9T3TuWsdX1wO37Yunmm3IchDuO-ZXVpgVrvXcHUqJA3Oet-yu270R8/s1600/103_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61g_qwr9mwTcSSCYDs2Cfiky8PenngdGVh3wRyja0Z85_458rMMBobF18qaqS_2q_LcVn2zEgtAr813DFppb0T9T3TuWsdX1wO37Yunmm3IchDuO-ZXVpgVrvXcHUqJA3Oet-yu270R8/s320/103_0953.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAEGFFADM7qJhwhPhX36JCV3dSZ4x2ool75TnnjNX5SmrBpfmWaQeNwWzHucpvYo3iZpnus4uRb7n4q0ERbuXK6xlGE4AbOeDsfhgsaBJ4rXrITyHeoipvobP5KXOvxIYoMVxcNqrcRs/s1600/103_0928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAEGFFADM7qJhwhPhX36JCV3dSZ4x2ool75TnnjNX5SmrBpfmWaQeNwWzHucpvYo3iZpnus4uRb7n4q0ERbuXK6xlGE4AbOeDsfhgsaBJ4rXrITyHeoipvobP5KXOvxIYoMVxcNqrcRs/s320/103_0928.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof I survived the first day! Big girl clothes and everything!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VhmPNrbnwQFyMfUM8V30GJKsx7QGBMjWBZcROEQdowv7d0mHtKIYrzyfWWO2xFVIc8cgAM2HeF7uanvDgCG7IP3_msDo03W8GTDt2-83q0YjbWcDwRpH0n0_9BRa7BqQNktQ_5L4s_A/s1600/103_0935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VhmPNrbnwQFyMfUM8V30GJKsx7QGBMjWBZcROEQdowv7d0mHtKIYrzyfWWO2xFVIc8cgAM2HeF7uanvDgCG7IP3_msDo03W8GTDt2-83q0YjbWcDwRpH0n0_9BRa7BqQNktQ_5L4s_A/s320/103_0935.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful roommate Rachel and I on our <br />
way home from a congressional hearing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLu8AcAy2upGiPu88QQgVYOwAv4A7QQfXfCFiIab9_9U9d7tj6kWoUe4GMSKLLqIV_hlRgns_fgGBr3qtlmRZTB8NNJdXD2svArYVk9f-_YeF9nEB7HjZZZIxVLHLwtF9f9BMxb-6OQM/s1600/Sec.+Brimmer+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLu8AcAy2upGiPu88QQgVYOwAv4A7QQfXfCFiIab9_9U9d7tj6kWoUe4GMSKLLqIV_hlRgns_fgGBr3qtlmRZTB8NNJdXD2svArYVk9f-_YeF9nEB7HjZZZIxVLHLwtF9f9BMxb-6OQM/s320/Sec.+Brimmer+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LCWS with Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State<br />
(She's in the yellow and she had just given a speech at the US Institute of peace)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd-PqrgOZrv36pmPxQ4wcSZIJtwwPPv80tTO5V4bv_T1Jlt5CDpejXOYO6BCYm7tMSFVJeTjngFObsNqWoPZloqEOfJfhnUYJ39hxRJ19G9fqJ3YWRTB8rAxuj804mKAo90ZL4AhhjpE/s1600/103_0946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbd-PqrgOZrv36pmPxQ4wcSZIJtwwPPv80tTO5V4bv_T1Jlt5CDpejXOYO6BCYm7tMSFVJeTjngFObsNqWoPZloqEOfJfhnUYJ39hxRJ19G9fqJ3YWRTB8rAxuj804mKAo90ZL4AhhjpE/s320/103_0946.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United States Institute of Peace.<br />
I'm going to work there one day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-68766870497136238522011-07-16T12:16:00.000-07:002011-07-19T00:35:35.091-07:00Do you have any idea where you're going?Yesterday while walking around campus I saw the words "do you have any idea where you're going?" scrawled onto the sidewalk in white chalk. I stopped, tilted me head, re-read what was before me and said out loud.. "nope!" And walked on.<br />
<br />
And now it's all I can think about. No, I have no idea.<br />
Ask me where I'm going after graduation, ask me where I'm going with my major, <i>ask me what I want</i>. I have no idea. None at all. <br />
And adulthood and real life are looming!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EPEucGIbLa2yL9ySM-cuEqYoYLHvORz_RoU4Pp1Gv_QMHuOJwsCm1HL2G2qC_OulVynd3dFRAyOqPqWLtZ8nchX6HK0zpU2lJGHjewVLjymR3tv8_7jx8a1QG52gx4fY8yPzBCGUDDU/s1600/103_0341_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EPEucGIbLa2yL9ySM-cuEqYoYLHvORz_RoU4Pp1Gv_QMHuOJwsCm1HL2G2qC_OulVynd3dFRAyOqPqWLtZ8nchX6HK0zpU2lJGHjewVLjymR3tv8_7jx8a1QG52gx4fY8yPzBCGUDDU/s400/103_0341_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-57760850035185377082011-06-26T14:22:00.000-07:002011-06-26T14:22:44.806-07:00Re-reading a favorite book, re-visiting a favorite memory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcbSNIHNkY0YDs_ff7kKi2tvWREeivyeOaXCQgSCFkpz0ChtEU9WgFSLykGcpa2wr2oEMjjVUNsWyyhlNHw5OYyZfEJGnb5sL0qDiCA4QgZAGS_w5JBUXDlQtnnmoC7vJT-QoEeMj_90/s1600/72290_459731895688_501720688_5976865_7218745_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcbSNIHNkY0YDs_ff7kKi2tvWREeivyeOaXCQgSCFkpz0ChtEU9WgFSLykGcpa2wr2oEMjjVUNsWyyhlNHw5OYyZfEJGnb5sL0qDiCA4QgZAGS_w5JBUXDlQtnnmoC7vJT-QoEeMj_90/s640/72290_459731895688_501720688_5976865_7218745_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Show me a desert, as you would show another man a river, or another man the metropolis of his childhood."</div></blockquote><blockquote>"It was a place of faith. We disappeared into the landscape. Fire and sand. We left the harbors of oasis."</blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">- The English Patient </div><br />
<blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-25838277047303132402011-06-18T02:08:00.000-07:002011-06-18T02:30:11.584-07:00NostalgiaThis summer has just begun, but the routine has been formulated. Two jobs, around 45 hours of work every week, very few days off, few opportunities to leave town. A lot of down time but not enough to really leave.<br />
That's not to say I won't be <i>doing</i> anything this summer and that's not to say that Thousand Oaks doesn't hold its own in the adventure category, it's just to say that while I save up and hang out around school you can expect a lot of reminiscing.<br />
<br />
Tonight, I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite pictures from last summer's trip to Europe.<br />
Here are some fresh views of what I was doing a year ago and what I really hope to be doing a year from now.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXo9l9R3emx_9hyphenhyphenksjondaAX4xaPJX1skFBJd57W3Irwlm2teGxZZq48URm1AIxrNSOWe4qoPnNfFJ8VZxCFNNPEYVx44pbeVAIHJpYxGYelWD0vKPhaA0y111tSlRRcGOM6DFDtPApA/s1600/101_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXo9l9R3emx_9hyphenhyphenksjondaAX4xaPJX1skFBJd57W3Irwlm2teGxZZq48URm1AIxrNSOWe4qoPnNfFJ8VZxCFNNPEYVx44pbeVAIHJpYxGYelWD0vKPhaA0y111tSlRRcGOM6DFDtPApA/s640/101_0116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Duomo in Milan, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzr-WSiopT70iUy2FhTMkw8OmcyhqxXbV42wiWBcyhEosRz4hsFRJQeijGTGaIv6KWwVD10_ehCG6T8OxnItcHkbqKqgtGjQwivXReXaJ_FyDrM_Ondz9UEUBGW5pMcGaQzZ48jxkkV0/s1600/101_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzr-WSiopT70iUy2FhTMkw8OmcyhqxXbV42wiWBcyhEosRz4hsFRJQeijGTGaIv6KWwVD10_ehCG6T8OxnItcHkbqKqgtGjQwivXReXaJ_FyDrM_Ondz9UEUBGW5pMcGaQzZ48jxkkV0/s640/101_0329.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake-side fortress remains in Lago di Garda, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRNcc_MKZs97Bjh7YONCFE-IFSeK3WUyHTjEnkcKvf8yrZv1AgNdGenTuf-W_9XJpvVLTQnQcrVacjVobT2UQHrafCa1g-JBnLJNKZfULHZEUtLqMalmMLy6RJCSDNlfpb_RCtrPNTBU/s1600/101_0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRNcc_MKZs97Bjh7YONCFE-IFSeK3WUyHTjEnkcKvf8yrZv1AgNdGenTuf-W_9XJpvVLTQnQcrVacjVobT2UQHrafCa1g-JBnLJNKZfULHZEUtLqMalmMLy6RJCSDNlfpb_RCtrPNTBU/s640/101_0382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lago di Garda, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgczWRZ2KH-HAXttMnjoLb_CAhFtfTXl9NJbMK7LBmPxubHWjlPhcfUvZw0yJvBXH4V68lWgkCvmJgLBCHrA2wE_QTQ5HgjCTQ8oIanN0JqZUANmtB980u9ZsaFdPmg5Iax1T4udC81I/s1600/101_0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgczWRZ2KH-HAXttMnjoLb_CAhFtfTXl9NJbMK7LBmPxubHWjlPhcfUvZw0yJvBXH4V68lWgkCvmJgLBCHrA2wE_QTQ5HgjCTQ8oIanN0JqZUANmtB980u9ZsaFdPmg5Iax1T4udC81I/s640/101_0557.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gondolas in Venice, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArPIXwkRPvU_6N-UyU3i7LVgUehVCCAJWxnE5qVbaghhdmi3DsnoiHaObYGuF_ua828wDJZrvYsZWgVe00dICkBqo02qVLkpeOx_rjxW9KBfN_Z0VNnS2y6z-4aa_C_Tsio9dplTYprw/s1600/101_0604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArPIXwkRPvU_6N-UyU3i7LVgUehVCCAJWxnE5qVbaghhdmi3DsnoiHaObYGuF_ua828wDJZrvYsZWgVe00dICkBqo02qVLkpeOx_rjxW9KBfN_Z0VNnS2y6z-4aa_C_Tsio9dplTYprw/s640/101_0604.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from atop the Rialto Bridge, Venice, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10yd8W4Nj7Bzj53-SI_BA6gD8gr000xsif5NFepSsBPe1jjgqHPfzhKyxmdyrr7j0YPcJn8SFx-dhY5RDk-vahkad0tpd66XojPplB_rMKfop_QZRwYyd_ir7ez80JzZg5ZGKa6Gb79c/s1600/101_0818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10yd8W4Nj7Bzj53-SI_BA6gD8gr000xsif5NFepSsBPe1jjgqHPfzhKyxmdyrr7j0YPcJn8SFx-dhY5RDk-vahkad0tpd66XojPplB_rMKfop_QZRwYyd_ir7ez80JzZg5ZGKa6Gb79c/s640/101_0818.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Coldplay</u> lyrical graffiti on the fortress walls of Luca, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXNDJ8-JA0Pay_ONmIwfhIEoCACR31RBo94INdUNnC7kAFCi6rHW4cPSVfjvxidkmPvQ9c-9_HuGLbuMaWysFiNpwmSeXQqpCmDFnoBwj81ZpVN9Wdfu2LZ2FoHAmE9d1crZi3ZutIrY/s1600/101_0921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXNDJ8-JA0Pay_ONmIwfhIEoCACR31RBo94INdUNnC7kAFCi6rHW4cPSVfjvxidkmPvQ9c-9_HuGLbuMaWysFiNpwmSeXQqpCmDFnoBwj81ZpVN9Wdfu2LZ2FoHAmE9d1crZi3ZutIrY/s640/101_0921.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo designed Duomo in Florence, Italy<br />
(Never finished because he thought it "looked like a bird cage")</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIztS9SpPxBsq2vrlRCmTLKBuLBtuCQB3q2jeMjNWwcFgOro2_IyxTtMWP8IGDeLlqzcAhV4-ZK4i1xUwbJzjzYFATZxlwNl7J3frIwz4trIMxwPdEafVQGwjHf1WfGE6GSTtis7NJ5wc/s1600/101_0976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIztS9SpPxBsq2vrlRCmTLKBuLBtuCQB3q2jeMjNWwcFgOro2_IyxTtMWP8IGDeLlqzcAhV4-ZK4i1xUwbJzjzYFATZxlwNl7J3frIwz4trIMxwPdEafVQGwjHf1WfGE6GSTtis7NJ5wc/s640/101_0976.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qx78hzLk69jmN4xyJ3pLZPJ9o0eOzoF9GZokbz8SgNV55Fgnnow0r1baz7Va-HSzs7kOUY-rO3rGP1uXWHZnw7J5aiKYg_lCv3YQOydE8IhjxgQR9NNOOYC5eF0slpIYqyX_D7sEeq0/s1600/101_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qx78hzLk69jmN4xyJ3pLZPJ9o0eOzoF9GZokbz8SgNV55Fgnnow0r1baz7Va-HSzs7kOUY-rO3rGP1uXWHZnw7J5aiKYg_lCv3YQOydE8IhjxgQR9NNOOYC5eF0slpIYqyX_D7sEeq0/s640/101_1021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw1yP6jHTOPxoOVgzmtMeygq00AQz8YNNDPFJ6906XERcYi0eT4_zinbDQ7vH9uxllq0PDJDXh-PpeJdOK0_W9xtGcUEneKRItK1uX1O3NXSoQeK40T9ekbSvedwYjkLtEjc80sUx0Ww/s1600/101_1208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGw1yP6jHTOPxoOVgzmtMeygq00AQz8YNNDPFJ6906XERcYi0eT4_zinbDQ7vH9uxllq0PDJDXh-PpeJdOK0_W9xtGcUEneKRItK1uX1O3NXSoQeK40T9ekbSvedwYjkLtEjc80sUx0Ww/s640/101_1208.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B43NjOvM4dQcoRjglc8shU623dh3VDF3pC2buRKZ33W6CzDnY_rY_BqIQDTaCrsR9DUulc8unKyA4Mq7nU-AkrzoYoNhwHaIVsOWl7XKnUGaJ4offUMvsqsDHVI78FrQg0PdU361qC0/s1600/101_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8B43NjOvM4dQcoRjglc8shU623dh3VDF3pC2buRKZ33W6CzDnY_rY_BqIQDTaCrsR9DUulc8unKyA4Mq7nU-AkrzoYoNhwHaIVsOWl7XKnUGaJ4offUMvsqsDHVI78FrQg0PdU361qC0/s640/101_1221.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colosseum, Rome, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKpoYaaSUra78RRuFXjao8zSwf2Zia09vKtj6vwd004HrgFw8ZZDVG-kL7FIRipxyUS05N40w-zAzVQkO6d-hMMYsjVx0tI5Q1ebDTwsoh_kghfSbFsO5LwVRk36ZQK0V3SlD_N6fKEE/s1600/101_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKpoYaaSUra78RRuFXjao8zSwf2Zia09vKtj6vwd004HrgFw8ZZDVG-kL7FIRipxyUS05N40w-zAzVQkO6d-hMMYsjVx0tI5Q1ebDTwsoh_kghfSbFsO5LwVRk36ZQK0V3SlD_N6fKEE/s640/101_1343.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the ceiling inside the Pantheon in Rome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BhgyLJ9gg0YxzsgY0IE7gp4O_VeD0H_Zru1A2SrKrWkta7_wSjDA5dW9u0RVpuvVn7WDFNskIM-iXrCnc74xCPeMlLPB_YYyYL-XhwbGh-dESFVPZmRgGDegdyeWzjtr1r7pgoww8Tg/s1600/101_1197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BhgyLJ9gg0YxzsgY0IE7gp4O_VeD0H_Zru1A2SrKrWkta7_wSjDA5dW9u0RVpuvVn7WDFNskIM-iXrCnc74xCPeMlLPB_YYyYL-XhwbGh-dESFVPZmRgGDegdyeWzjtr1r7pgoww8Tg/s640/101_1197.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint Peter's from a distance. Rome, Italy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJu3p7i6tU2Jtj28uVbbgWyiGt9ukRPpjuf-RKXxxneYJcV95afqcD4MFJKMILXOz7WyZC-nj7roT3dq_fap9EItWv5VT7OoExXDK0LwBObjv1gZJLtRnHUIme5MxxfUlZmmOPOhweOE/s1600/101_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJu3p7i6tU2Jtj28uVbbgWyiGt9ukRPpjuf-RKXxxneYJcV95afqcD4MFJKMILXOz7WyZC-nj7roT3dq_fap9EItWv5VT7OoExXDK0LwBObjv1gZJLtRnHUIme5MxxfUlZmmOPOhweOE/s640/101_1568.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Rome from atop the Spanish Steps<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmrVK1fisSHGJDvxtVo21_7fUBkyGRDG57K4PojrCURGXVa1uIE1RmcmdtzFfF5X_xBkPAeKur-D-Tsh0Iak7sHK3MHjQNsI6smCqqaBbmNkR4asBojxF9v6P0cYKf8HvbQ-0-7mWgVY/s1600/101_1762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmrVK1fisSHGJDvxtVo21_7fUBkyGRDG57K4PojrCURGXVa1uIE1RmcmdtzFfF5X_xBkPAeKur-D-Tsh0Iak7sHK3MHjQNsI6smCqqaBbmNkR4asBojxF9v6P0cYKf8HvbQ-0-7mWgVY/s640/101_1762.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Government buildings in Den Haag, the Netherlands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-WlKYlNV5CiGm5sWKaDUxEH9xvVZWJm5wCog-wR52man-japc9wgem8um7RxtFjD0kBYISOyNdorRV0KDQefFmtxpAsn6FtbG9zk8dLSdXJuDU8thE09S73OIp41lipCfeRmZbkN8wc/s1600/101_1681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-WlKYlNV5CiGm5sWKaDUxEH9xvVZWJm5wCog-wR52man-japc9wgem8um7RxtFjD0kBYISOyNdorRV0KDQefFmtxpAsn6FtbG9zk8dLSdXJuDU8thE09S73OIp41lipCfeRmZbkN8wc/s640/101_1681.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scheveningen Beach near Den Haag, the Netherlands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RqxSW5GvOn-HgEbl1Fc0yIAW0dz7CcoSGLO2JyqegYPrZEMQZFQ5vpYQguhco9PNu5rfYbvSdTrka-XWhDvmJuW9431ayssiFrLOEi_FFk58BjhoIkXb_ETmLOkoWpFRpaxX5c1ft_w/s1600/101_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RqxSW5GvOn-HgEbl1Fc0yIAW0dz7CcoSGLO2JyqegYPrZEMQZFQ5vpYQguhco9PNu5rfYbvSdTrka-XWhDvmJuW9431ayssiFrLOEi_FFk58BjhoIkXb_ETmLOkoWpFRpaxX5c1ft_w/s640/101_1847.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. John's Cathedral, Holland</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe50THAhyphenhyphen-jRewny4hAmsfdTD1OEs8KRJx6-U05YHuijFLBjOgqkhH4lI9GYftxHsYC3dxzCQEhlBoOWpEE2shOuNAhMU6_PEGrIenXDacPvxSAw3oxA1yZes45pcB7wLBEWrbFfa9Up0/s1600/101_2204_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe50THAhyphenhyphen-jRewny4hAmsfdTD1OEs8KRJx6-U05YHuijFLBjOgqkhH4lI9GYftxHsYC3dxzCQEhlBoOWpEE2shOuNAhMU6_PEGrIenXDacPvxSAw3oxA1yZes45pcB7wLBEWrbFfa9Up0/s640/101_2204_2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica of St. Mary, Kevelaer, Germany</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ijE9hnFJGhaZJejMZMbtQQBewsXrU2PaW0d-MfF8cuuQJca55oZRw0mvsvX6T5Wd4w81oGWiaKBBlND4hBk8Lj_mYwmkT-kON58hH0ZAnl3NoYosQoZYQoPEQv3lGKLlsr9B0vdgEG8/s1600/101_2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ijE9hnFJGhaZJejMZMbtQQBewsXrU2PaW0d-MfF8cuuQJca55oZRw0mvsvX6T5Wd4w81oGWiaKBBlND4hBk8Lj_mYwmkT-kON58hH0ZAnl3NoYosQoZYQoPEQv3lGKLlsr9B0vdgEG8/s640/101_2226.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">St. Mary's chapel, Kevelaer, Germany</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga96bhZk5d7FLkC6Z23GYUz68Senk53ag0uLh4WU26zoyFJDyUQxDwGeO5QGZnrbflUnlOFgwrPmttjL7wCwH5SPq6OdgIjT0NBHEq6l3Q5Jky7FnqV4RD1d9F7HAw4bKjrrnM9hxznbo/s1600/101_1988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga96bhZk5d7FLkC6Z23GYUz68Senk53ag0uLh4WU26zoyFJDyUQxDwGeO5QGZnrbflUnlOFgwrPmttjL7wCwH5SPq6OdgIjT0NBHEq6l3Q5Jky7FnqV4RD1d9F7HAw4bKjrrnM9hxznbo/s640/101_1988.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well... yeah, it's Amsterdam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8haX6I7TzD9kqoTlWDZYf6snrfWkeUsnTYQplR4TtCLX6aGDKUbws8CmgmCUIReaB3N3GWrrAOw7mIefv4OUL-tI83iHSpCARB2kDomfEUil59GVrGxdx6R4dDAzs50Ys4nnXlEi2IA/s1600/101_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8haX6I7TzD9kqoTlWDZYf6snrfWkeUsnTYQplR4TtCLX6aGDKUbws8CmgmCUIReaB3N3GWrrAOw7mIefv4OUL-tI83iHSpCARB2kDomfEUil59GVrGxdx6R4dDAzs50Ys4nnXlEi2IA/s640/101_2036.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch countryside just before the storm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gvqxntqM1OnyVhWMQkfSwypCWcuTDA8CMzkITZoOYSYDLd_HyraHPBNhiF7oyrxh1hj7nXEvQ6HP7mywHaGnwmpGx8u4Jk_gbKgdYjaHa6bitGt12_2wyTDmGTdcMfxc6gghJoUpPZs/s1600/101_2203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gvqxntqM1OnyVhWMQkfSwypCWcuTDA8CMzkITZoOYSYDLd_HyraHPBNhiF7oyrxh1hj7nXEvQ6HP7mywHaGnwmpGx8u4Jk_gbKgdYjaHa6bitGt12_2wyTDmGTdcMfxc6gghJoUpPZs/s640/101_2203.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mary's Basilica, Kevelaer, Germany</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbGIZZ-8F3LJ_uLVnY8UgkTb4lWss4mL3TOUXjerjZIWgZXO18hS0rGfnP_-_MRvGSuPAPJtPLSsqply_NkET2jH8xqFiqVqI4he5_-hDchRMY8J-QLLiejr8j4d3ToFAWBXxPns-UBI/s1600/101_2264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbGIZZ-8F3LJ_uLVnY8UgkTb4lWss4mL3TOUXjerjZIWgZXO18hS0rGfnP_-_MRvGSuPAPJtPLSsqply_NkET2jH8xqFiqVqI4he5_-hDchRMY8J-QLLiejr8j4d3ToFAWBXxPns-UBI/s640/101_2264.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not quite an English phone booth, but as close as I've came<br />
Kleve, Germany</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-QgtrD1sN9QnhzTH8NP5HidqhkSarX4rS-zvUCcCnvIg_2PetPVKWQb0XWJ-83kAJX8QbAFNXHi_V3EFeu7Gfjj-vHTSDlaA5h0-4Lv-eOaKC-E3R3OkInQUzjc0Q859TOE9h2m2JaE/s1600/101_2060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-QgtrD1sN9QnhzTH8NP5HidqhkSarX4rS-zvUCcCnvIg_2PetPVKWQb0XWJ-83kAJX8QbAFNXHi_V3EFeu7Gfjj-vHTSDlaA5h0-4Lv-eOaKC-E3R3OkInQUzjc0Q859TOE9h2m2JaE/s640/101_2060.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My neighbor for a week, Asten, the Netherlands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ1y8RxJSd6GdPPO71b2PFSHqQMmeloc76K0xL81vkn7mZzjfoY44bUqTvQhiagSUlYffDPj85rxwx2GqM_RGLFrVeZgGauq7aYQDI6CCy4Xf_Zrivu90clvjhlR8di3XDNIdcpCMOHo/s1600/101_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ1y8RxJSd6GdPPO71b2PFSHqQMmeloc76K0xL81vkn7mZzjfoY44bUqTvQhiagSUlYffDPj85rxwx2GqM_RGLFrVeZgGauq7aYQDI6CCy4Xf_Zrivu90clvjhlR8di3XDNIdcpCMOHo/s640/101_2341.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium<br />
(Yes! We did climb the 500+ stairs to the top!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4chTF5pWRiqM_dfpP-G185m77m_11PjARGnGoP8OBtbeNdenl2jn8Av3-r5jRxmfM8fy2hlUGU350Eyd1Ljhwft0w_jaBfOViYVOYKQEHxvEF-zW1WAohkf-_jFRZz-1xy944JphfJY/s1600/101_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4chTF5pWRiqM_dfpP-G185m77m_11PjARGnGoP8OBtbeNdenl2jn8Av3-r5jRxmfM8fy2hlUGU350Eyd1Ljhwft0w_jaBfOViYVOYKQEHxvEF-zW1WAohkf-_jFRZz-1xy944JphfJY/s1600/101_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuagrmeqwK_FVT2YXOQFeVGdT_bScqqEjqKQWxlmB3PlPOMWH6JgGy2F5NtA5F920oDOGTWLKQxOonj-mjgt7inJ5VrZ43YxUmWTCatZZS_BWBz7sJsCe_Gn_mjepL7WTFkCkNuAWNnQ/s1600/101_2460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuagrmeqwK_FVT2YXOQFeVGdT_bScqqEjqKQWxlmB3PlPOMWH6JgGy2F5NtA5F920oDOGTWLKQxOonj-mjgt7inJ5VrZ43YxUmWTCatZZS_BWBz7sJsCe_Gn_mjepL7WTFkCkNuAWNnQ/s640/101_2460.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Belgian side street after eating Belgian waffles covered in Belgian chocolate!</span></td></tr>
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<div><br />
</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1tuh4wjB5GmhpsS9ieKurLf-llFqCImWcReJJ0FL8iAc2Uro-b6wZMqgQHm73yxcZM7g34g_UtmjUQP_L3m0MjZJSBX8eM8mBStnebZ1RUUVwSZS7o2WIC_8-zweBV9bEizvR8F312Y/s1600/101_2677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1tuh4wjB5GmhpsS9ieKurLf-llFqCImWcReJJ0FL8iAc2Uro-b6wZMqgQHm73yxcZM7g34g_UtmjUQP_L3m0MjZJSBX8eM8mBStnebZ1RUUVwSZS7o2WIC_8-zweBV9bEizvR8F312Y/s320/101_2677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita and Om Jop <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>- Let me never forget to give credit <i>where credit is due</i>. I've learned, over and over again, that it is those you travel with and those you meet at your destination that make the trip all that it is. I strengthened bonds and made life long friendships in Italy. Then, in Holland, I was met by the open and gracious arms of my family who taught me about my themselves, our heritage and above all, myself. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote>I've said before that the lessons I've learned abroad and in transit are innumerable and immeasurable. I've said before that my hosts and my friends will never know how great an impact they made on my life. All I can do is hope they at least know how thankful I am for our experiences together and for their generosity. I love you all so much, truly.</blockquote></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq3mHjpSiZiCjYNaoLAJsddw4lLS4uR99xc_rR3u7CIJm3kgNplnXRjGNSci1CcocPokZ3fo3TDtyr_Fgz-4OXQBQi-w_ssy_Z_1Zs2aJyDYjlL-Y6ih1q8GBuzuyA0HTjWWf8_UpnmI/s1600/101_1367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq3mHjpSiZiCjYNaoLAJsddw4lLS4uR99xc_rR3u7CIJm3kgNplnXRjGNSci1CcocPokZ3fo3TDtyr_Fgz-4OXQBQi-w_ssy_Z_1Zs2aJyDYjlL-Y6ih1q8GBuzuyA0HTjWWf8_UpnmI/s200/101_1367.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly, Lauren, Ryan, Nate, Katie in Rome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4chTF5pWRiqM_dfpP-G185m77m_11PjARGnGoP8OBtbeNdenl2jn8Av3-r5jRxmfM8fy2hlUGU350Eyd1Ljhwft0w_jaBfOViYVOYKQEHxvEF-zW1WAohkf-_jFRZz-1xy944JphfJY/s1600/101_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4chTF5pWRiqM_dfpP-G185m77m_11PjARGnGoP8OBtbeNdenl2jn8Av3-r5jRxmfM8fy2hlUGU350Eyd1Ljhwft0w_jaBfOViYVOYKQEHxvEF-zW1WAohkf-_jFRZz-1xy944JphfJY/s200/101_0561.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy and Liz in Venice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1MkDSBJkdDhclRTgto2V8fIbj0yzmAQz04Xg_gJzhdsIRpWTkft5DvsbmqBGF6044VSW7Cfd-pcmjydrEkk0wJnJr50wQKNktgcLZxlHgRi9G1WhyxNDSR8wfy8Yjw3KDyiPJg1kp48/s1600/101_2631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1MkDSBJkdDhclRTgto2V8fIbj0yzmAQz04Xg_gJzhdsIRpWTkft5DvsbmqBGF6044VSW7Cfd-pcmjydrEkk0wJnJr50wQKNktgcLZxlHgRi9G1WhyxNDSR8wfy8Yjw3KDyiPJg1kp48/s400/101_2631.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful family:<br />
Jorde, Olaf, Peter, Wilem, Anne, Anne, Kj, Anneriek, Irma, Reike, Josen<br />
(Our last day together in Holland)</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">**All pictures were taken and edited by myself, I use a Kodak Easy Share and iphoto.**</span></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-49747808077956673232011-05-28T19:48:00.000-07:002011-06-18T11:55:16.730-07:00Gandhi's Way To God<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</div>At work we were surveyed about our "summer reading lists." What will you be reading over the summer?<br />
My answer was:<br />
<blockquote>"No God But God" (about early Arabia and the beginnings of Islam), "Her Voice" (woman's role in each major religion), "The Gospel of Judas", "Twelve Modern Apostles" (a book with twelve testimonies from twelve different religious people explaining why they are the religion they are), and "Gandhi's Way to God"</blockquote> Stuff like that. Yes I know, it sounds like homework. And of course we can't forget that I'll be brushing up on Qu'ran and Dhammapada verses as well as keeping up with passages from the Bible and raiding the house's philosophy books. This is what I do for fun (seriously).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwper7LwJCS6DXZNuim3Cn6WHV5m8qrlAJ_KfWTHKcw-QaPSbRn9v_XU7mG5zXjZckNUFIGqerx8umLNKZlVyIJZxo43fbjTdJs5h8XNoggy6G4OJaU5sJEDKxwY41rKXinOwHVtB1vs/s1600/meditation-sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwper7LwJCS6DXZNuim3Cn6WHV5m8qrlAJ_KfWTHKcw-QaPSbRn9v_XU7mG5zXjZckNUFIGqerx8umLNKZlVyIJZxo43fbjTdJs5h8XNoggy6G4OJaU5sJEDKxwY41rKXinOwHVtB1vs/s200/meditation-sunset.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>I'm particularly excited about "Gandhi's Way to God." His philosophies are incredible, and thus far I haven't found anything conflicting philosophies of the Bible. Or the Qu'ran or the Torah for that matter!<br />
Gandhi was a Hindu, but at the same time he says firmly "God is one." Not quite the polytheist many of us would take him to be. Then in stark contrast Ghandi says he venerates YHWY, Jesus, Allah, Brahman, and others. So how is this not polytheistic?<br />
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To Gandhi these are One. Just different names for the <i>same god</i>. The one God who is, according to Gandhi (and Christians and Jews and Muslims and Sufis and Sikhs) omnipresent, omnipotent, gracious, personal, loving and fair.<br />
In spanish the word for god is dios, does that make Dios somehow different for a spanish speaking Christian? Of course not. Gandhi feels if you broaden the scope here you will find the same truth, especially in relation to the three religions "of the Book," Judaism, Christianity and Islam which each base themselves on the stories of Abraham, Moses and David.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mxUuVT3dRLBWaVfM27BWQqrtCYcDq1-0snYLA8Wi8aHutUcQ2uCpie3hZiADJo1AXr0zYBscuMGtEBmhfeap5SW8d7Scp966nSvJ7uI1i0uQDPv_nPmo5iHZ-RnzBNSefZft8N3BY84/s1600/Power-of-The-Rosary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mxUuVT3dRLBWaVfM27BWQqrtCYcDq1-0snYLA8Wi8aHutUcQ2uCpie3hZiADJo1AXr0zYBscuMGtEBmhfeap5SW8d7Scp966nSvJ7uI1i0uQDPv_nPmo5iHZ-RnzBNSefZft8N3BY84/s200/Power-of-The-Rosary.jpg" width="200" /></a>Last night I attended an Egyptian church service in the chapel at my school. This weekend a group of Arab Christians have gathered for a retreat on campus and I was lucky enough to run into them and speak with a few members who invited me along. I sat in the back with a young Egyptian woman named Christine who translated some of the Arabic service for me.<br />
<br />
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I was able to pick up a surprising amount. Things like "heart", "life", "patience", "love" and then of course "but", "and", "yes", "no", "he", "she", "you", "sweetheart", "beloved". (and the Egyptian colloquial terms no one else would use like "yanni" which means "you know?" but is used like "ummm.")<br />
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The part I recognized the most was this:<br />
<blockquote>"Allahu Akbar"</blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2xUd4flI9RVXUX-o4-tgc51OP-ND4O88ERWA03TRqMH5bvsNu4vsNMot4y2U_tARf2KZ8A5j8-IKmspCNsIr1Mxi4wP7eZOcGtdO07V27OVPbf51nRAVtfaHwv21yHHZDw6gi0L_T4s/s1600/2084.cairoegypt01267-6383-14.jpg.image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2xUd4flI9RVXUX-o4-tgc51OP-ND4O88ERWA03TRqMH5bvsNu4vsNMot4y2U_tARf2KZ8A5j8-IKmspCNsIr1Mxi4wP7eZOcGtdO07V27OVPbf51nRAVtfaHwv21yHHZDw6gi0L_T4s/s200/2084.cairoegypt01267-6383-14.jpg.image.jpeg" width="200" /></a> A saying associated with Islam for anyone with any familiarity. A saying associated with <i>terrorists </i>by those who "learned all they needed to know about Islam on September 11th."<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(the above quote has been seen on bumper stickers around the States and is absolutely repulsive and unacceptable, but that rant will be kept away from this blog) </span><br />
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So... what?! Christians say Allahu Akbar?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ed7KgCM0t0QAxC2AHVIih2wFvQYI8_sM94htNL6HTIvl5q-546vZaNsfJYbBLvIeRgG5nNpusWcVHOajv-f_CNGtLL3mVBQNHl6tvyFpoJ0KFOkxfYs0WdM0GgI0_X2-U9yWfxG1sHk/s1600/vn-monks%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ed7KgCM0t0QAxC2AHVIih2wFvQYI8_sM94htNL6HTIvl5q-546vZaNsfJYbBLvIeRgG5nNpusWcVHOajv-f_CNGtLL3mVBQNHl6tvyFpoJ0KFOkxfYs0WdM0GgI0_X2-U9yWfxG1sHk/s200/vn-monks%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>Well do Christians ever say "God is great" in english speaking churches? God is God is God. In english, his name is God. In arabic, his name is Allah. In spanish, Dios. In hindi, Brahman.<br />
Same guy?<i> I</i> think so.<br />
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Last night we greeted one another with the familiar phrases I learned from my Muslim arabic teacher "salam alaykum," peace be upon you and "ilhamdoullah," praise God.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUrs9LmAfg2uwIn2hNpfPRqrNg3wnihyphenhyphenJQRb7U2DS4JSWL9QHSzgIg0ZK6ciHzI1wzmv9xlAKdE-zWPJQGbpVptormKqHs7Y5GKa2NIsltDUIMLAKH4gZLFsrydtOi0ydpKzKqCQEenU/s1600/habitat-for-humanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUrs9LmAfg2uwIn2hNpfPRqrNg3wnihyphenhyphenJQRb7U2DS4JSWL9QHSzgIg0ZK6ciHzI1wzmv9xlAKdE-zWPJQGbpVptormKqHs7Y5GKa2NIsltDUIMLAKH4gZLFsrydtOi0ydpKzKqCQEenU/s200/habitat-for-humanity.jpg" width="200" /></a>I believe each form of worship is valid and valuable.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXoH1Sqwof1NyGWq0yZqzx4vc4w8Mvhte36Ar2TenJnd2RS2pXSA_Yhpr7VLSLrpNWxhTs159i4mbHeMjnBEw_uLMAA4uYOnnTWFDLKveWioTNkcjIk2jKO7b-xtzGMxbEPK9qSIcxs4/s1600/kober-christian-praying-at-the-western-wailing-wall-old-walled-city-jerusalem-israel-middle-east.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Whether you meditate, go to church every Sunday, sing, pray in an Ashram, face Mecca, volunteer and give back, tithe, take a vow of silence or chastity, dance, speak in tongues, show kindness to others in general... I think<i> every</i> expression of worship and faith that comes from a genuine place honnors God. And I think, or I would hope, that He enjoys the wide range too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyswN4GQobNeXR5RX5q_y15cwIKtOpmHJ7fkKNTT0paLIqsKXv0zpS0bhAImaIEKFvF70PsZiqH4HHP135tLrVFricng33DcmRML_IHiijPOMFwmzoQI3jMPjkD5OQEg_MfWGVE8M0kA/s1600/islamic-tour-turkey-whirling-dervish.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyswN4GQobNeXR5RX5q_y15cwIKtOpmHJ7fkKNTT0paLIqsKXv0zpS0bhAImaIEKFvF70PsZiqH4HHP135tLrVFricng33DcmRML_IHiijPOMFwmzoQI3jMPjkD5OQEg_MfWGVE8M0kA/s200/islamic-tour-turkey-whirling-dervish.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>We should never feel threatened by another person's faith or expression of that faith. We only fear what we do not understand.<br />
When I have a hard time showing love for others I try to remind myself that they too are part of God's creation. And he or she is as much a child of God as I am, no matter what they do or where they're from; if God can love <i>me</i>, God can definitely love them.<br />
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Pastor Melissa told me this little rhyme: "if God can love turkeys I can love you. Because I am a turkey and you are one too!"<br />
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So lets take some time to try to <i>understand</i> our neighbor and show love for everyone we meet. If you believe God loves you, you must know that God loves them as well<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ArPf6sfBaiRQAfUonb2Xqn51fOm0GVhzJ9FHfwwGzr8zoU2RFT2xrQYoRHeWXcwkKb37uUjEiCS7ezjWb5B4ZIUpNypN3Dtu6Ezf_uaKK9gjJM-2mGAgyxSXjX3WI51ycGE0MrdFPNE/s1600/Pope-460_1369118c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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On top of all that, I've found this idea very comforting in times of self doubt or feeling unimportant. Never forget that you are part of this beautiful creation and that someone made you for a specific reason.<br />
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This is my favorite quote (so far!) from Gandhi's book:<br />
<blockquote>"<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">We may not <i>be </i>God, but we are <i>of</i> God, even as a little drop of water is of the ocean." </span></blockquote>He then says if that drop of water was flung several miles away from the ocean it would be helpless. <i>But</i> if someone were to point out to it that it was a part of the ocean it would r<i>ejoice</i> and <i>dance</i> in the thought of being a part of the ocean's might and majesty.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyrZ7SIRrRK5Nf0T_RQq8iEF-I_tqZZWG7oaaWlDBEelH7leIU1NuOe05eJ3ybuLaAi4EYUVmMHTqidMeJWLNrIdSfJ7QRkZGqlhPjT6fa43hESUx3XA6CTi37w6ZFP66bqtr-VQwsvM/s1600/water-drop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyrZ7SIRrRK5Nf0T_RQq8iEF-I_tqZZWG7oaaWlDBEelH7leIU1NuOe05eJ3ybuLaAi4EYUVmMHTqidMeJWLNrIdSfJ7QRkZGqlhPjT6fa43hESUx3XA6CTi37w6ZFP66bqtr-VQwsvM/s320/water-drop.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQbenZKzc1_Cmia1nbWfjOkilE_ADM_nlByfS-opyIqmbfqWg4swYwcgljMT0dXW2Z9pS7_DUkRxGHGxZsFtX66a3zGTEG7tkId7DochChZQX02TDN-ZDOfq5JyvB5ufiW1VIx38Az8I/s1600/bphotoband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So REJOICE because you are part of an incredible creation! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And LOVE those who are different from you because they are too!</div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-354801851808318932011-05-24T12:57:00.000-07:002011-06-18T02:39:07.722-07:00New beginnings in similar placesThe school year is drawing to a close. Today I finished my last final and said goodbye to all my friends.<br />
It ended the same way it always does, despite all that had happened and all that had changed in the last year. We loaded the furniture, traveled to storage (operated a fork lift unsupervised...), stayed up all night studying and laughing on the floor because our minds were lost, attended the senior recitals, ran around doing paperwork... all that crazy busy stuff that would be draining on its own but somehow always happens to happen in the same week.<br />
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My favorite part and perhaps the most heartbreaking part of the end of the year is the chance everyone gets to reflect upon it. Sometimes we don't even notice how much has changed until we analyze it.<br />
This time last year I was sitting in an empty room waiting to embark on the choir tour in Italy. I had never been to Europe, I had never seen my mom's birth place, I had never met my newest set of life long friends. I had never, I had never, I had never.<br />
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Today I went to a Mediterranean restaurant called Ali Baba's in Simi Valley. I'd been there <i>once</i> before.<br />
I walked in and said hello in arabic to the owner (Omar from Palestine) and he said "Hello Kjrstin, looks like you got a tan!" We're obviously very good friends now that I've bought one felafel sandwich from him in my life. I ended up staying 15 or 20 minutes speaking with him (half in arabic and half in english) about traveling, CLU, Simi Valley, the Egyptian accent, Bakersfield, feeding the homeless (he opens his restaurant once a month specifically for a free meal for the homeless). By the end of the visit he had promised to only speak arabic with me so I "will HAVE to learn" and I promised upon my return I would have a newly burned Nancy Ajram CD for him.<br />
A year ago I didn't even know arabic was read right to left. A year ago I didn't even like driving to Panda Express by my self much less striking up conversations with strangers.<br />
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A year ago.<br />
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A year ago my life changed. Completely. Starting the moment I boarded the tour bus with choir to fly to Milan.<br />
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So we all know about the travels... yadda yadda... yes I've written an entire blog about my traveling, so let's reflect on <i>this</i> semester. <br />
This semester was for me the best semester at CLU so far. I was able to incorporate a lot of what I learned abroad into my classes and conversations with new people. And of course I now have a completely new lens with which to view the world =)<br />
This year I lived again with my two best friends at school and a beautiful new one. My circle was expanded, I became close with some amazing new people, and finally started finding some adventures more locally. Last year I went home too often on weekends and probably missed a lot. It's amazing what kind of adventures one can find in their own back yard!<br />
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I have re-awakened my love for CLU by realizing how incredible it's staff is. This semester I have two new bosses at the library where I work and they have been a joy to get to know, always with good advice and a willingness to listen. In addition to that, I was able to work more this semester with my faculty adviser from the religion department, Dr. Thomas. I took my last class with him this semester and also was able to visit his office hours and chat about Egypt. I've never had a teacher I've enjoyed talking with more, even attending his lectures is alwas rewarding. He may never know, but his encouragement to become a religious studies major and then later to travel truly changed my life. The head of the Religion Department, Dr. Fogg has also been very inspirational to me. It was she who actually was the first to suggest I take arabic course, and look where that has lead me! <br />
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In the past I have often questioned whether or not CLU was a good fit for me. Here there is some missing element I've never been able to place, but something that feels different. I've had trouble connecting with students here. At some times it has been a struggle for me to find things I like about the city and even people I'd like to get to know better, but luckily I have always had a few good friends and the incredible staff to remind me why I've chosen to remain here the last three years. If not for the relationships I have developed with the teachers in the Religion department and the campus pastors, I can't say for sure if I would have stayed here. Thankfully, academically this school is a perfect fit for me.<br />
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I am excited to see what the summer brings! It will be an entirely new dynamic living off campus and with only one of the roommates I've had the past two years. Then in a few months, after a highly anticipated vacation with my family to the Midwest, I'll be off to D.C. to see what kind of adventures await me there.<br />
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You could say I am generally thrilled about my prospects right now =)Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-91982380980819709002011-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:002011-05-06T19:43:05.316-07:00(No subject)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgiCo9Dm4CrscIFSaPlDofgeRtKvuAQzFKKMHMHwiidCapYfkdriM5kR918KMXCFKo4b_Y8Nyftuo3p6BP5CXOWtyaZV7_BfSeMjQHGW68JZp8PhRxQ-ZEZTuuCUlfaXTn9CYJ9uD6z4/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgiCo9Dm4CrscIFSaPlDofgeRtKvuAQzFKKMHMHwiidCapYfkdriM5kR918KMXCFKo4b_Y8Nyftuo3p6BP5CXOWtyaZV7_BfSeMjQHGW68JZp8PhRxQ-ZEZTuuCUlfaXTn9CYJ9uD6z4/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Think about that.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-38034580223781831782011-03-24T16:44:00.000-07:002011-03-24T22:22:46.208-07:00East Coast Choir Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_0pf_znCp7Ypy9WuS-XysycCBWwLFMhbv5ldJ8_2ZQ7Z05zVDrMWV3JOXJK6OXs1Wn7q_NMArzNOK13LCqC3jEsAxNMkriqqX-BYkp8x698nH3f3xMYnh3y5cfpO5k8jiCkpAHF7DHI/s1600/101_9962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_0pf_znCp7Ypy9WuS-XysycCBWwLFMhbv5ldJ8_2ZQ7Z05zVDrMWV3JOXJK6OXs1Wn7q_NMArzNOK13LCqC3jEsAxNMkriqqX-BYkp8x698nH3f3xMYnh3y5cfpO5k8jiCkpAHF7DHI/s320/101_9962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQxXpV7Yd_2N3uqIIpvV2C_uvt2G2Juier5bx8yzEsuWnUZs8oaaR4p8q-O07Zss5e5bBCfk5Q5kT-pOhqcXPz30B-dsPThmPu-xN-eTddmYwldwFAOBRE4ULAsdh51P5oEwbZ_p8aGQ/s1600/189767_10150459442060441_563065440_17932822_1482206_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQxXpV7Yd_2N3uqIIpvV2C_uvt2G2Juier5bx8yzEsuWnUZs8oaaR4p8q-O07Zss5e5bBCfk5Q5kT-pOhqcXPz30B-dsPThmPu-xN-eTddmYwldwFAOBRE4ULAsdh51P5oEwbZ_p8aGQ/s320/189767_10150459442060441_563065440_17932822_1482206_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>I set off again on another CLU choir adventure. Last summer it was Italy, this year: NY, NJ, PA, MD and DC.<br />
My love for traveling was re-kindled. I was so happy to be exploring new and exciting places again. I'd been to Carnegie with choir before, but this time inside was equally as humbling and awe-inspiring as it had been before.<br />
It's amazing to me that every experience I've had with New York City has been so dramatically different. The first time I was 16 years old. Giddy and excited to be exploring such a beautiful place with some of my best friends. My favorite memories from that trip were shopping on Canal St and the harbor cruise the whole choir went on after performing at Carnegie. The five days we spent in NYC in high school remained some of the best days of my life well up until this summer.<br />
My second trip to the city was with my brother and my roommate, Shelby. Andrew and I had gone to visit her in Rhode Island and got a nice tour of the East Coast. We stayed at her uncle's appartment and I really enjoyed being in a new neighborhood. The highlight of our NY trip was playing (yes playing) in FAO Shwartz. To this day I'm still considering buying a giant piano for my living room.<br />
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This last trip to New York City was another incredible experience to add to the list. In the city we did a lot of good old fashioned wandering, and I got to see a lot of things I'd never seen before. By day we hit Time Square, Rockafeller Plaza and Central Park. By night we wandered SoHo and Time Square again and tried our luck at New York pizza and cheese cake. We also spent some time in a classic East Coast Irish pub. All of the trip was an incredible bonding experience for the choir, that's the main reason I love traveling with choir so much. I feel like a came away with a good handful of new friends and a stronger bond with those I already knew.<br />
I think my favorite part of our stay in NY (aside from Carnegie and the harbor cruise afterward) was visiting the top of the Rockefeller Tower. I went with friends Liz and Chaz and together we saw the most amazing view of New York City from 70 stories up. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love you concrete jungle!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park with Chaz and Liz</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch on the upper west side with Skelly!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Totally legal picture of the inside of Carnegie ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our poster!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Liberty from the Spirit of New York<br />
harbor cruise after our concert </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon, Kevin, Spencer, KJ</td></tr>
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For the next few days, choir was packed up into two buses and driven from concert to concert. We woke up every morning around 7 or 8 and performed every night at 8pm in a different city, staying in the homes of incredibly gracious church and local choir members. NY - PA - NJ - PA - DC - MD - DC. The days were long and our voices and spirits tired, but we made it through and performed with new energy every night. Honestly, it's what we love to do.<br />
Choir has been one of the most consistent things in my life sense I was in 8th grade. And besides my family and a few friends, the <i>only</i> consistency from year to year. It's my family, my home away from home =)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pennsylvanian cemetery, cute houses and snow!</td></tr>
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At the tail end of our trip we had some free time in Washington DC! I hadn't been there sense I was a toddler with my parents so I was thrilled. It's such a beautiful city!!<br />
I went to the Holocaust Museum and the National Mall before heading to Georgetown. The "Mall" was beautiful but the reflecting pool was closed =( One really fun extra though was that the White House's front fountain was running green for St. Patrick's day. After seeing the monuments with Liz and Spencer, Liz and I hopped in a taxi to Georgetown to meet up with my friend Yousif (Joe)!<br />
Joe was my Ra in Cairo and, I think, the first non-American I met there. He was the first to take me into town, the first to show me Egyptian food, teach me how to cross the crowded streets and even the first to teach me "hello," "please" and "thank you." He is from Bahrain but grew up in Egypt.<br />
It was incredibly meeting up with him. We met at a shisha place off of the main street. It felt like home to me. A Mediterranean food place with arabic signs and decorations that let out into a courtyard where men were smoking shisha and speaking arabic. It was so nice to speak the tiny bit of arabic I know!! And catching up with Joe was beyond amazing, I really made some incredible friends abroad. He is in fact, the best. Ever.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0aq33BMBhL1k8RjrevRC_ecPVKFVPFLZo89XfGf2G8YwvtrKsEolLzU9qs8Q_pSfaWf6Vfq1Uf0RGos_BCb0uEuZPPi7AQMeH8IugyG9DryL3f-GqdECuEiYwbDQw6t0CZ5vnAqrT8s/s1600/189686_10150459485550441_563065440_17933322_952457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0aq33BMBhL1k8RjrevRC_ecPVKFVPFLZo89XfGf2G8YwvtrKsEolLzU9qs8Q_pSfaWf6Vfq1Uf0RGos_BCb0uEuZPPi7AQMeH8IugyG9DryL3f-GqdECuEiYwbDQw6t0CZ5vnAqrT8s/s320/189686_10150459485550441_563065440_17933322_952457_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vote Votipka/Berg in the next presidential election! Haha!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joey!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The next day was one of my favorites of the trip. I woke up early and hopped on the subway to have tea with Joey before I left for Maryland for our last concert. First of all, the metro in DC is phenomenal. Really beautiful and sooo clean. (Not compared to Cairo clean, real clean). It was easy to use and I got there and back just in time to pack up and hop on the bus. Then choir headed to Elicott City, Maryland which it turns out is fairly close to my roommates home in Pennsylvania. My roommate who happened to be home for spring break!<br />
This turned out to be a complete God-send. As luck would have it, another friend of mine is visiting Maryland from Egypt. So! Mohamed needing a ride, and Caitlin being one of the greatest friends ever, the Skelly family made their way to see the CLU choir, picking up Mohamed on the way. We all had dinner together at a BBQ place. It was amazing to see him and catch up, and especially relieving to actually have him in front of me sense I had been so worried about him during the revolution. It was an awesome day, and the concert went really well! I also got to see my cousins Chris and Jenn and their beautiful little girls Emily and Hannah. I havent seen them for a few Christmases so it was really great even though it was brief. The girls drew Dr. Morton and I pictures during the concert =) They are CLU choir Alum too!! I could tell it meant so much to Dr. Morton was really touched that they drove all the way out to watch us! And I was too!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">محمد haaabibi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CLU choir Bergs <3</td></tr>
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Our last day we had a few hours of free time in DC and wandered the Mall one last time.<br />
The entire trip was amazing. I feel very privileged, especially to be able to travel so much this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly, Liz, Kj, Lauren, Lincoln<br />
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</div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-27501093984399225452011-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:002011-05-29T18:14:19.360-07:00AirportsMy 2010 hyper travel adventure came to an end on Christmas eve as when I finally stepped onto American soil to be greeted by my beautiful family.<br />
I can't even call the trip home merely a trip, we'll very poetically call it "my journey home"<br />
But that'll come in a minute.<br />
<br />
Our last few days of the semester were spent doing the things we loved most, like shopping at Khan el Khalili, drinking mint tea and eating taumea, ordering Dishesh Kentucky up to the flat, things like that. On our last night we decided to visit our favorite club one last time. We suspected it might be dead seeing as it was a tuesday night, but it was actually really nice that way. I got to spend my last night in Cairo with my very favorite people there and that's it. I remember wishing the night would never end.<br />
But it did end, of course, and I had to get back to the real world, put all my belongings into two bags and make them weigh less than 50lbs each, and head home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSLV_hWQBoLWFvI19NKkZBU7tf6mFSP7aXh1eqwDPbxzCAjcyu18as-v33hz-b4Ni3Cqn5uJs4Q6XGgEsTw7bBgUPwlbSBbPhqYfhiLHrT5BqPulS1ocWAxtBDfAud6ok8BlLfgqwv6Y/s1600/101_9060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSLV_hWQBoLWFvI19NKkZBU7tf6mFSP7aXh1eqwDPbxzCAjcyu18as-v33hz-b4Ni3Cqn5uJs4Q6XGgEsTw7bBgUPwlbSBbPhqYfhiLHrT5BqPulS1ocWAxtBDfAud6ok8BlLfgqwv6Y/s320/101_9060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkKhvLLg9LXqvmeLywiRAZ0CYUSgKiS7woKEjEfyuD5gfLV1rzIpKxw39mjCQLy-AUbQaytF2oTOhmdytBBkmNSh6z3_X641FquBCHdIjP8JcVivOgyzqDdKgbj8_xcx7inPHrLnziNE/s1600/101_9039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRkKhvLLg9LXqvmeLywiRAZ0CYUSgKiS7woKEjEfyuD5gfLV1rzIpKxw39mjCQLy-AUbQaytF2oTOhmdytBBkmNSh6z3_X641FquBCHdIjP8JcVivOgyzqDdKgbj8_xcx7inPHrLnziNE/s320/101_9039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzuki, Mohamed, Kj, Margaux, Sophie, Alex, Joey<br />
<3</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
My disdain for airports only grows every time I approach one. Why do they always send you from desk to desk? Why is it no one can actually help answer your question? Why is it you don't find out you're in the wrong line for at least an hour?<br />
My airport adventure started off on a good note. Earlier in the evening I went with Alex and Sophie and a grumpy taxi driver to drop off Margaux. It was heart breaking, but it went smoothly. We all cried, and the taxi ride home was almost silent. The end of an era =/<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgb0uAlnmCJdee7ayZTHlx_AQ64S8KpFPgNGE6AKCX2t8UjeWOuPvyDuTkWdGaHFUh958DF4ZgsY50fr2WsRQ2NSIArpgobxdVOCeIGpAzgta40rJlEk4ctDpgpAJaZxD7YCwtz13TNM/s1600/101_9105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgb0uAlnmCJdee7ayZTHlx_AQ64S8KpFPgNGE6AKCX2t8UjeWOuPvyDuTkWdGaHFUh958DF4ZgsY50fr2WsRQ2NSIArpgobxdVOCeIGpAzgta40rJlEk4ctDpgpAJaZxD7YCwtz13TNM/s320/101_9105.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex and Margaux</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I left around midnight that night. Sophie, Alex and I hitched a ride with Mohamed and they waited as I got situated and then went through the gate. It was difficult to say goodbye, but in hindsight really not hard enough. It didn't feel real even until I walked off the plane at LAX.<br />
Anyway, the way home wasn't quite as smooth as my trip there, the plane from Cairo to Frankfurt was delayed 2 hours, making me miss my connection to LA by...... 15 MINUTES!<br />
And if you were watching the news around Christmas eve you may have seen images of frustrated travelers huddled in blankets, sitting on the floor, frustrated and stuck somewhere in Europe waiting for the weather to clear up... well that was me. I was lucky enough to run into some other AUCians trying to get home early on, and we stuck together while we waited 5 hours to be re-scheduled.<br />
The next plane to LA was at 9 the next morning (christmas eve). But we got put up in hotel rooms and some free food. It all worked out okay, I would call it an exhausting hick-up. But no problem! Mafesh mushkida =)<br />
I took a walk around the hotel with a girl from Louisiana and we made a snow man! It was beautiful outside, I hadn't seen authentic snow in a few years, so that made being stuck more than bearable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOB3kLmaiNd6S0jVqNw6UD2fNOA4Zhd06f-NW_ygY3ATFzR1Ppu4w8-iNuoDRV0zbwQjhc1cNhAeIZ5VItYPoreRIUC7MbN8TsRGTlyaa6rCvLMjmxVLs9-YxyOzbc_XUr5RzkqV7y2Y/s1600/101_9177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOB3kLmaiNd6S0jVqNw6UD2fNOA4Zhd06f-NW_ygY3ATFzR1Ppu4w8-iNuoDRV0zbwQjhc1cNhAeIZ5VItYPoreRIUC7MbN8TsRGTlyaa6rCvLMjmxVLs9-YxyOzbc_XUr5RzkqV7y2Y/s320/101_9177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herbert and I in Germany =)</td></tr>
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</div>Then, finally finally finally, I met my family at LAX, just in time for In-n-out on the way home and a beautiful Christmas eve at home =)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC-glQGbRMQNjUywxChgfE0U7j9x6wvhOrRRD9aqrg4FkcMb9QWyT9gIhfq1YjLEmMaHY3Cp-MOSWYP29kbggT8B8hog2n7rUkZRi01tiwnb2W2_gsOT29N5D9HmNI1XnHCHbQmFCXKU/s1600/101_9195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC-glQGbRMQNjUywxChgfE0U7j9x6wvhOrRRD9aqrg4FkcMb9QWyT9gIhfq1YjLEmMaHY3Cp-MOSWYP29kbggT8B8hog2n7rUkZRi01tiwnb2W2_gsOT29N5D9HmNI1XnHCHbQmFCXKU/s320/101_9195.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew and Dad wearing their xmas gifts,<br />
traditional muslim dress, the galabeya </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-13145578628997633282010-12-19T17:24:00.000-08:002010-12-19T17:24:22.471-08:00678<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today was one of those beautifully simple Cairo days I will miss so much.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sophie, Margaux and I went into town this evening for dinner at one of our favorite spots, then headed downtown to see a new Egyptian movie called 678. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seeing movies in Egypt is an experience, let's just say. We had a lot of fun with it. After running around lost for a while and telling people we speak "a little" arabic, we finally made it into the theater. We are 'those three foreign girls' after all; giggly and lost and confused but happy to be there, hahaha.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Egyptian theaters are a little less glamorous than the dollar theater in my town. They're nice enough. What really gets me is the movie etiquette that was never introduced to Cairo. You'll find babies running down the isles, and of cooourse people answer their phones.. after letting it ring for a few moments longer than necessary. And my new favorite: there was a man smoking inside the theater....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's all part of the experience =)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
The movie was increddddible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">678 is centered around three women and their plight dealing with sexual harassment on a daily basis on the streets of Cairo. It is based on true accounts and the first sexual harassment court case in Cairo.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The movie follows the stories of Abdel, Seba and Nelly, three Egyptian women. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Abdel is a vailed women who is forced by financial constraints to take a public bus to work every day. On the bus she is harassed every day by men who do everything from verbally harass her to grabbing her in public and even exposing themselves and pressing their bodies against her. Eventually she gets fed up and decides to take matters into her own hands and defend herself. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She goes to a support group run by Seba who was assaulted during a futball match. She wants to teach women how to speak out against harassment and she tells Abdel that she needs to defend herself, not knowing that Abdel will resort to stabbing her attackers. But the two stick together as a detective starts looking into the cases and exposes the "victims" for their perversion.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Nelly is the third protagonist who is pressing charges on a man who groped her while she was walking and dragged her along the the street with his car. The movie shows as she struggles to get the police to hear her case and how her family encourages her to just let it go.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was a really brilliant movie and showed so many aspects of Egyptian life, even the morning rutein of the women. Many of us may take this for granted, but if you're walking alone in the city a lot of thought has to go in to what you wear and what kind of transportation you should take. Another really interesting point was that the movie showed how the men don't differentiate between girls in western dress or in hijab, everyone gets harassed if they're alone. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The director Mohammed Diab said "I made this film to break the silence of women. The short term solution for sexual harassment is that women should not feel ashamed when they get harassed and they should speak out.” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But only 5% do speak out although at least 80% of women in Egypt say they experience harassment on a regular basis. So! This needs to change, and this movie was astoundingly inspiring! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rnzD030GuL0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Everyday I ride the bus and everyday I get harassed. How, after all that, do you want me to be rational?”</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get it guuurl, stand up for yourself!! =)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Absolutely loooved it.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, on a personal level... it was SO cool understanding 10% of the arabic, and watching them walk around areas I'm familiar with =) And I feel very empowered! Well done 678!!</span></span></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-58634246199259343282010-12-18T11:02:00.000-08:002010-12-18T11:07:38.985-08:00Fatimid Cairo PhotosAll stolen from Dr. Gomez-Rivas, my Shia Islam in History professor.<br />
A beautiful day in the heart of the city on the brink of the sand storm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiU16dhaKj8Kx9pG0pzl_Qv95YCc8NdFB1R0wa9Tln3Rs0Rxdhg0m3RpAoVQalibwzSjQCvqIeIqHQQr3RhzUSDxag81fWAorkk43DEeb3l82_8XSFPQKpLZKesVcarPCiYBdwGcXlXw/s1600/5264194456_b7c70c24c4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiU16dhaKj8Kx9pG0pzl_Qv95YCc8NdFB1R0wa9Tln3Rs0Rxdhg0m3RpAoVQalibwzSjQCvqIeIqHQQr3RhzUSDxag81fWAorkk43DEeb3l82_8XSFPQKpLZKesVcarPCiYBdwGcXlXw/s400/5264194456_b7c70c24c4_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklxm5qkHRM8SzEphOPKZZOQ3BX47BKmFgUNgcewe0fOvnFNcQ8sdGOivlJqXwsIrXENc9UCr7RzDwUUkoewH37VT5ylHeMJLWnVkD_MeAbVP3OnIL2JCBlqJM5RaAjvvVr8nTEMHWS1U/s1600/5263595213_e8bceec95e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklxm5qkHRM8SzEphOPKZZOQ3BX47BKmFgUNgcewe0fOvnFNcQ8sdGOivlJqXwsIrXENc9UCr7RzDwUUkoewH37VT5ylHeMJLWnVkD_MeAbVP3OnIL2JCBlqJM5RaAjvvVr8nTEMHWS1U/s400/5263595213_e8bceec95e_z.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3PYT05lKEDGoFnGt-wf4tWztVxVvlKSc4x30C2V_-TvXyLFHIEsQCCKt8iLgWniZ_u0ChvTaxb08AcuRhFl-G-8dfSm3JXuux-V9Go5rZiIV5xRfojCyElqN4T04peFNQENCPm-wLHU/s1600/5263586851_23b38fbde0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3PYT05lKEDGoFnGt-wf4tWztVxVvlKSc4x30C2V_-TvXyLFHIEsQCCKt8iLgWniZ_u0ChvTaxb08AcuRhFl-G-8dfSm3JXuux-V9Go5rZiIV5xRfojCyElqN4T04peFNQENCPm-wLHU/s320/5263586851_23b38fbde0_z.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3SKhVaGln4Lyd5ufZCi9A-90furE2sTXGOUe2wp7oSecyRNDq_zjrPmoBep0lJAt9_D2ncn5BhxkKu-j9y7GSiRu8detSyCqPl2TvBKWwXJmjzhHPVHfc_x6yH-MC9vmGL-PTPJYE-s/s1600/5263600465_101e70d65b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3SKhVaGln4Lyd5ufZCi9A-90furE2sTXGOUe2wp7oSecyRNDq_zjrPmoBep0lJAt9_D2ncn5BhxkKu-j9y7GSiRu8detSyCqPl2TvBKWwXJmjzhHPVHfc_x6yH-MC9vmGL-PTPJYE-s/s400/5263600465_101e70d65b_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6uiJs6S_rxvZnHyb6I64D4H9KES_selBwE2To3hq675KOXPWFoJB37N89MQGCCt_R6tXwND0I3oE6rAzRt7VyaLr9w_kUPYRDBtR6FdQm9GvZLzvuR0uzsbOh74PcnwXxXOqw1BUKIg/s1600/5263601733_17e04f3930_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6uiJs6S_rxvZnHyb6I64D4H9KES_selBwE2To3hq675KOXPWFoJB37N89MQGCCt_R6tXwND0I3oE6rAzRt7VyaLr9w_kUPYRDBtR6FdQm9GvZLzvuR0uzsbOh74PcnwXxXOqw1BUKIg/s400/5263601733_17e04f3930_z.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shi'i only make up 15% of the Muslim<br />
community, but they're there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsz9Oe7G_kyGItOakonszii1NqQs6wx4G1nR8oHFeDV9DTu9dEI_ciJUogEMhf-VmYb8dmT2np4FvccyMTeetlqGKohK_YKlqqsP45A2FNLky3n5rIs6Yhy5GzNd6JOdMFE2SJGg4oGo/s1600/5264220106_56e25ac04b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsz9Oe7G_kyGItOakonszii1NqQs6wx4G1nR8oHFeDV9DTu9dEI_ciJUogEMhf-VmYb8dmT2np4FvccyMTeetlqGKohK_YKlqqsP45A2FNLky3n5rIs6Yhy5GzNd6JOdMFE2SJGg4oGo/s400/5264220106_56e25ac04b_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The streets near Khan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQj_90oljZWJ493Nua7VZfwi_UdBHyYX2VBpfpxT8xbQCFbW2qBtQyKnSKxH12cGHakVmIPNh8D0GKO7trQQQSabDfoIpe82Ru9pfBF-9UX2ihyphenhyphenuJ2-V5gLStarUjSACeCfDv0itYaVM/s1600/5264237274_1b22121339_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQj_90oljZWJ493Nua7VZfwi_UdBHyYX2VBpfpxT8xbQCFbW2qBtQyKnSKxH12cGHakVmIPNh8D0GKO7trQQQSabDfoIpe82Ru9pfBF-9UX2ihyphenhyphenuJ2-V5gLStarUjSACeCfDv0itYaVM/s400/5264237274_1b22121339_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salam alekum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munir and I talking about how cute those three girls are next to us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9MAvfV5y44VBM5T-kmu4lGH637D9325LW81gC_v4Lt4tRz_YzlzX8Ss9SYFnVkI7dvp-E1ICFfUMPpXUynfS63lMyH8xqg9WxCkEPpFM0qkNY0MFYwTGGW5STFW5Ie6wxfOw9Dqa5KM/s1600/5264301776_07257efaab_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9MAvfV5y44VBM5T-kmu4lGH637D9325LW81gC_v4Lt4tRz_YzlzX8Ss9SYFnVkI7dvp-E1ICFfUMPpXUynfS63lMyH8xqg9WxCkEPpFM0qkNY0MFYwTGGW5STFW5Ie6wxfOw9Dqa5KM/s640/5264301776_07257efaab_z.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sooo loved this class!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9C-Sl81tiguVJauD1VbMpEX5YziDT-l-0re-wb_WAGJjnrgId0wkRuSJnu9sYTNIoME_1qqy7fqeze_TZofR9cRbzj31dMh5XqRfVS2bdY3kL6qsRyLmQprY8WgS4PMst5zmCcmWOY/s1600/5264302392_526f9b741c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhba9C-Sl81tiguVJauD1VbMpEX5YziDT-l-0re-wb_WAGJjnrgId0wkRuSJnu9sYTNIoME_1qqy7fqeze_TZofR9cRbzj31dMh5XqRfVS2bdY3kL6qsRyLmQprY8WgS4PMst5zmCcmWOY/s400/5264302392_526f9b741c_z.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I sooo love this city</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kCL_MmPjla8hFXzp2pbllE-mtxWm8sHpryrhslr7xWOQcElH6NrqUdQXbo4V3Tjlhr9U1TXMNJygYMjNMf30y4v50FslFv2UF2vRFS5BYb9NWeqbcITT_pur0im1C8HLDxxtjG-ozfs/s1600/5264295396_803e8976f6_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kCL_MmPjla8hFXzp2pbllE-mtxWm8sHpryrhslr7xWOQcElH6NrqUdQXbo4V3Tjlhr9U1TXMNJygYMjNMf30y4v50FslFv2UF2vRFS5BYb9NWeqbcITT_pur0im1C8HLDxxtjG-ozfs/s400/5264295396_803e8976f6_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-39375925804485869842010-12-15T11:31:00.000-08:002010-12-15T11:59:06.052-08:007allas (I am done with arabic!)This was my final presentation:<br />
(Obviously you don't have to read it but I feel like sharing it/ preserving it) Shook!<br />
<br />
Saba7elhair! Esmi Kjrstin! Ena min Amerika leken dilwati ena taliba fi il gema America fi el Cahera Gadida fi Masr. Bedris il oha arabic, adub engleezy, teri7 Masr, deen Shia wu moosik7a. Moosik7a heya hayeti <3 ohib owey baakheni! Et welet fi South Carolina, baden roht li Florida. Baden aysha fi California ken andi teletasher. Baba bishte7rel fil cinisa wu mama moazafa. Andi a7h wahed, esmo Andrew. Wu andi kelib wahed, esmo Cleo... patra... Fi CA ena ba3shtena fi il maktaba fi gema.<br />
<br />
Ahib owey hayeti fi Masr. A7sen maken andi Masr. Koolio ena sa3ida owey hena. Ahsahbi wu ena nroht li Sharm el Shakh, Luxor wu Istanbul fi agezed. Fi Sharm el Shakh sabe7na fi il shatr wu nshooft David Guetta. Fi ageza Eid Shukran nroht li Lixor bil aut. Ken whish owey il aut!! Ken zibela wu dowsha wu ken izez maksur! Ken zehma wu oaf fil arabaya seya etnain. Lekennnnnn.... baden shooft Luxor Temple, ken gamil owey!! Nshooft Karnak, Valley of the Kings wu Hatshepsut's Court. Ken helween!! Fi ageza mo7terif, nroht li Istanbul. Istanbul heya 7relly, mo7terif an Masr. Leken ahibit owey Istanbul. Il Hagia Sophia ken gamil owey. Baden negat hena. Fil wati shooft il sheruh shems adem ahramat! Ahib owey il safar leken ahib Masr katir.<br />
<br />
Yarit aysha hena. Haftakil owey Masr wu ahsa7bi hena.<br />
Insha'allah ena haga hena badekemsa!!<br />
<br />
7obiktir wu shukran,<br />
Kj<br />
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(( Good morning, my name is Kjrstin. I'm from America but now I am a student at the American University in Cairo. I study arabic, english literature, history, Shia religion and music. Music is my life, I love to sing!<br />
I was born in South Carolina, then I went to Florida, then I moved to California when I was 12. My dad works in a church (there's no word for chaplain, just go with it) and my mom is a government employee (my teacher doesn't understand what a social worker is so I just gave up..) I have one brother, his name is Andrew. I have one dog, her name is Cleo. In California, I work at the library at my school.<br />
I really love my life in Egypt. My favorite place is Egypt. Here I am happy every day.<br />
My friends and I went to Sharm, Luxor and Istanbul for the holidays. In Sharm we swam and saw David Guetta. For Thanksgiving, we went to Luxor on the train. The train was awful. It was loud and dirty and there was broken glass (lol). It was crowded and we had to stand in between cars for three hours. But! then we saw Luxor and it was really beautiful. We saw Karnak, Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's Court. It was gorgeous! For a different holiday we went to Istanbuk. Istanbul is expensive, different than Egypt. But I liked Istanbul a lot. Hagia Sophia is beautiful. Then we came home. I love to travel but I like Egypt best.<br />
Later I watched the sun rise behind the pyramids! I wish to live here. I will miss Egypt and my friends here very much.<br />
God willing, I will come back here after a few years!!<br />
Lot's of love and thank you (to my teacher) KJ ))<br />
<br />
<br />
I love Arabic.<br />
THE END!Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823930875374749318.post-16560311349872573332010-12-13T09:02:00.000-08:002011-05-29T18:23:09.738-07:00Happiness and CheerChristmas time is here! We found some evidence in the coptic neighborhood in Doqqi! It was magical =)<br />
And the weather outside is more than frightful, so there ya go!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkIos8xLx5sn8Dr2jqazhg1agkdzKx5TayWsP7Lbx4e3tcE1HI_vX-YCVl6dDvm6vKIQA76IyZDPybs1SuRF5eSjG9b2Fedlj53VacJW2FD3XzM2XI4bzUHfCNMDvddcrmsLR1MvoVBU/s1600/101_8654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkIos8xLx5sn8Dr2jqazhg1agkdzKx5TayWsP7Lbx4e3tcE1HI_vX-YCVl6dDvm6vKIQA76IyZDPybs1SuRF5eSjG9b2Fedlj53VacJW2FD3XzM2XI4bzUHfCNMDvddcrmsLR1MvoVBU/s320/101_8654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHRISTMAS!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> This weekend was jam-packed full of more amazing memories, and more reasons I feel so torn leaving here. That's not to say I'm not excited to go home and see everyone, it's just that I really do love it here. It's definitely been some of the best months of my life.<br />
<br />
The week was really nice too, full of cake and celebration and finally I hung out with some girls from campus, our Egyptian friend Randa took us shopping, she is really sweet. And then after that we went to see the Cairo Choral Society perform the Messiah. It was a really nice week!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrlO0Zirw8w_RIUh1l3wrU1NNjOdBhTrlZO4iUovTkYnWVSdAkCzPWj5VdxpnFjvClgH9c0n6B7z1Szyra_ZejLujCzlb_APl4JfwSzHAid_k2p8YzROkHZitSUdNbPF7i0OSZJezUsY/s1600/101_8615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrlO0Zirw8w_RIUh1l3wrU1NNjOdBhTrlZO4iUovTkYnWVSdAkCzPWj5VdxpnFjvClgH9c0n6B7z1Szyra_ZejLujCzlb_APl4JfwSzHAid_k2p8YzROkHZitSUdNbPF7i0OSZJezUsY/s320/101_8615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one's for the Christmas card!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This weekend, we celebrated Margaux, Sophie and Aaron's birthdays! Thursday night we went out to Cairo Jazz Club, but before that we had some cake at the apartment. Alex bought a xmas tree!!!!! It was the best surprise ever, we all just about died. We took some awkward family photos with it, it was glorious. Then we headed out to Cairo Jazz to meet Aaron and his posse. Basically every non-study abroad friend we have was there, it was reallllly fun!!<br />
The next morning we woke up and watched some BBC and arabic news with a cup of tea before heading out for Sophie's birthday picnic! We got some cinnamon rolls and a bucket of KFC and took to the streets. Our original plan was to crash a private garden and eat in there, but after hopping the fence we found it to be a little too dirty. We ended up doing the most authentic Egyptian thing one can do and ate on a curb across from a toy store, lavishly decorated in Santa Clauses.<br />
It was an awesome day just walking around and discovering things! We found a grocery store, fruit market, Nike store and a huuuuge candy store.... yummmm! I bought the Mummy Returns with arabic subtitles. Pretty exciting. And some shoes for the choir concert tomorrow.<br />
It was a really lovely day =)<br />
We ended the night at our favorite restaurant, Falfela (the one I mention all. the. time. because it is wonderful). We ate some delicious felafel and tehena and eggplant concoctions. Later our friend Mohamed joined us for a while (his family owns it actually, so he was in the neighborhood), and we had some delicious cake which Alex made a waiter go buy and bring back! Haha! It was awesome. Alex is the king of birthdays. We even got the whole restaurant singing!! "Sana helwa ya gamil!!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSLjtsoQjO-HBov0q-kMf1FvNKyA2cfLyMg1Gq0F-hJK0ZmqVluOsFshZnPVRJ93StdIyk251ExaYFswN7NfKpxcES05zZKm55Bcig6SJBvZ2NYUE-xHYGfqA4uBzfl6hRZXAkKlapTQ/s1600/101_8660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSLjtsoQjO-HBov0q-kMf1FvNKyA2cfLyMg1Gq0F-hJK0ZmqVluOsFshZnPVRJ93StdIyk251ExaYFswN7NfKpxcES05zZKm55Bcig6SJBvZ2NYUE-xHYGfqA4uBzfl6hRZXAkKlapTQ/s320/101_8660.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EGYPTIAN!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBKW4KOtqHSL5yv56C9wLLfirucYkDIMxNPnjGQX5N8uC6XZQpWM_qAEOv07utKpnyNMc2UTY5L3c9kMqisFOEsyrNaSvc6WPEWKuHvOm5fECxveqVaTDZNONvlewnzDi8fFLPgp_IfA/s1600/101_8679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBKW4KOtqHSL5yv56C9wLLfirucYkDIMxNPnjGQX5N8uC6XZQpWM_qAEOv07utKpnyNMc2UTY5L3c9kMqisFOEsyrNaSvc6WPEWKuHvOm5fECxveqVaTDZNONvlewnzDi8fFLPgp_IfA/s320/101_8679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twenty One-derful <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day I had a field trip with my Shia Islam in History class. We walked around the oldest part of Cairo, where Khan el Kalili is and the fortress wall. Our objective was to see Fatimid mosques because the Fatimids were Shii. So we stopped at some amazing sites and had a great time just walking around, the area is really cool, and I love all my classmates!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZAm2VUxx2GmWbxd2nFqxHcwU7pVj7YRuIe3jsKXKJOkbpOixgZn-hPZSSwoh8lPZ2Ln0Z7jF4hKqzyuWDWNOgSBwWWqc19MjD5gHX6qWj4I39Gf1liyA8vKYuabxnv95VH87d8GNDT0/s1600/101_8710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZAm2VUxx2GmWbxd2nFqxHcwU7pVj7YRuIe3jsKXKJOkbpOixgZn-hPZSSwoh8lPZ2Ln0Z7jF4hKqzyuWDWNOgSBwWWqc19MjD5gHX6qWj4I39Gf1liyA8vKYuabxnv95VH87d8GNDT0/s320/101_8710.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We go to the mosques to study and pray!"<br />
SURE =)))</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j2KX1Sn6bAHeOk3_NuWfrzEhofDVyUdOV585wGRikp-b1a4kYqEhg86Sdcz2DahOLLxpMjbc_ZmQv3YpGPq9mSmalvPNSWjNky2KpdD6k-_EruPuqyrf8s9uhulx2Fj7EjiUSAAlw44/s1600/101_8725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4j2KX1Sn6bAHeOk3_NuWfrzEhofDVyUdOV585wGRikp-b1a4kYqEhg86Sdcz2DahOLLxpMjbc_ZmQv3YpGPq9mSmalvPNSWjNky2KpdD6k-_EruPuqyrf8s9uhulx2Fj7EjiUSAAlw44/s320/101_8725.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the supposed burial sites of Hussein,<br />
grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vpVXnqoJ5igyBbgIW7CklawwBFkBYo6pd4kUVQ9veuYbN1afGpqItfSye7lXmweJHaX_6W8LcLr41yMDvAf4rZLORrcpr13IordiIT_J3KDjMC8Ws8uFrJRFSX9yijLuKkPOI07SklE/s1600/101_8739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vpVXnqoJ5igyBbgIW7CklawwBFkBYo6pd4kUVQ9veuYbN1afGpqItfSye7lXmweJHaX_6W8LcLr41yMDvAf4rZLORrcpr13IordiIT_J3KDjMC8Ws8uFrJRFSX9yijLuKkPOI07SklE/s320/101_8739.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love them soo much</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7kb1pPzsDmejQ4kg7qX12WmQf0LL3h3Mm5S_maLkaJ4UXrdTJ5lKmlcAuuMPLR-L619QG4KivOos8Rf6Cw-6PXwuoDdttQ5Rpvpi8dUVZbdwqJWohA5y1tU3heNirrzrSIeHBWxO1gE/s1600/101_8774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7kb1pPzsDmejQ4kg7qX12WmQf0LL3h3Mm5S_maLkaJ4UXrdTJ5lKmlcAuuMPLR-L619QG4KivOos8Rf6Cw-6PXwuoDdttQ5Rpvpi8dUVZbdwqJWohA5y1tU3heNirrzrSIeHBWxO1gE/s320/101_8774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of the fortress gate<br />
Did I mention there was a sand storm? =/</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24D6mrU9oxAFQ-sM-hLdNgoY-g3wRgXPnbcJOdsbDpCk7gCYDDs2N6jPAy1gVP6H_TcQ9W89bHE1jsodLsg53B6_E7hlFrcQIpO3mgHl35z2upPDGy5tBzVzxLrxQVO0r_vPvtJq8xeU/s1600/101_8653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24D6mrU9oxAFQ-sM-hLdNgoY-g3wRgXPnbcJOdsbDpCk7gCYDDs2N6jPAy1gVP6H_TcQ9W89bHE1jsodLsg53B6_E7hlFrcQIpO3mgHl35z2upPDGy5tBzVzxLrxQVO0r_vPvtJq8xeU/s320/101_8653.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
SO! Hallas, the weekend was really awesome and insha'allah this one will be awesome too, it's our last hoorah! =)<br />
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9 days until I'm home! <3<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">PS. Sometimes I just drive by the pyramids =)))))</span>Kajeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232614902970016381noreply@blogger.com0