snowed in and contemplating

who would believe that you could learn so much in only 2 weeks? studying for comprehensive finals will do that for you I suppose. as will stepping out of your element no matter how briefly.

this past weekend I went on a day adventure to new york city, via the chinatown bus, in search of holiday spirit. that was exactly what we found in manhattan amidst a seemingly inexhaustible crowd. it was so bitterly cold that we actually bought hats and extra pairs of gloves from street vendors.

(rockefeller center)

we also celebrated the end of our semester, all our hard work and new found friendships, with a holiday party. Our Ukranian host let me sample some russian standard (I dont advise you do this) and we had plenty of homemade, week-old eggnog.

(party smiles)

and so I am thankful for another semester's end. when else but in school are you able to gauge exactly what you should have learned in a finite period of time? and when else but in school are you given a 2-4 week break in which to contemplate your epiphanies before starting again?

... which leaves me here, at home in Oregon, snowed in and enjoying the thought of measuring my life in neat little rows of semesters.

(snow pepper!?)

Recession Declared Monday

“In the long term, moving from poverty to wealth is probably the most effective means to improve all forms of human security” -Gleditch

In the face of economic recession I ask you to think about this. What would it look like to move EVERYONE to "wealth" and "human security"?