Toad's Wild Ride

It is a running joke among my friends that I have the worst luck of any known human being. This “joke” extends to just about every area of my life, the appliances at my home, my “relationships”, utilities companies, etc. My recent trip to Cambodia is no exception to that rule. I left my house for Atlanta on Tuesday morning at 7am. My flight didn’t leave until 3pm but I’ve inherited this weird obsession with the idea that you can never be too early for a flight from my father because “you never know what could happen.” Initially my trip was perfect, the shuttle service dropped us off right next to a curb side check in with no waiting. We made it through security with no delay and thanks to my handy American Express Card was able to wait in the Delta Crown Room.


Our first flight was delayed an hour so we had to run through the Houston airport to catch our Plane to Singapore. Other than that, we landed in Russia rather uneventfully. The Russian airport was a little overwhelming. It was small but very crowded and no one was very pleasant or helpful. Luckily I met an American oil driller who worked all over the world and took this flight 100 times before. He helped point us in the right direction.


We boarded the plane to Russia and started on our way. It was supposed to be about a 10 hour flight. About 3 hours had passed, I had watched a couple of movies and had started to read when the captain announced that there was a bit of a mix up and we would be returning to Russia. He said we had too much fuel to land so he would be releasing some over the ocean. “Please don’t panic, this is completely normal.” I’m not quite a world traveler yet but I’ve flown enough to know this wasn’t normal. His ambivalent reasoning behind the reason we had to return 3 hours in the opposite direction of Singapore scared me a little. I know its morbid but everytime I get on a plane, I watch everyone put their luggage away and chat with the people next to me, all the time imagining that this is how every flight that crashes starts. I immediately thought of the people I had talked to before the flight, many of whom were returning home after long trips to foreign lands, anxious to see their families again. I hoped they would make it back. I hoped I would make it back. I was traveling with a 16 year old girl who I was responsible for and I couldn’t verbalize any of this. So I sat quietly and tried to watch bride wars (which I couldn’t finish not because of my impending doom but because it truly sucked.) As the plane descended and prepared for landing, it was almost silent. No one knew what would happen.


Thankfully we landed safely and the captain asked us to remain seated. 4 or 5 people in security jackets quickly boarded the plane and headed to the back. All of the stewards were running around like crazy. We have no idea what is going on. Suddenly a new man boards the plane and immediately starts complaining that someone is in his seat. An argument ensues and the man finally reclaims his seat and angrily sits down. The captain announces that during our stopover in Russia a passenger had missed the flight; However, his luggage had not. Apparently there are federal regulations that prohibit luggage on a plane without the passenger who checked it so our entire plane had to turn around and pick this guy up. He was sitting a row over from me so as he chuckled about what happened he told me he had fallen asleep at the airport. He said this with a smirk. Are you kidding me?! Probably 200 people missed their connections in Singapore because this idiot couldn’t stay awake during our 1.5 hour layover. I couldn’t believe it. Talk about bad luck.


So, we arrived in Singapore about an hour after our plane for Siem Reap had left. It was 9:30am. There were no more flights to Cambodia that day so the airline gave us vouchers for an hotel in the city, a taxi ride and 3 meals. I was honestly thrilled. I had never been to Singapore and was so excited to have a whole day to explore the city. Our hotel was beautiful and the restaurant served us a 5 course meal of delicious Asian food. After exploring the city, I was able to sleep for almost 10 hours before returning the next morning for our flight. It was wonderful. I usually arrive in Cambodia exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. Due to our forced layover I arrived in Cambodia rested and ready to go. I had already adjusted to the time change and was able to have a long and busy day reconnecting with all of my old friends. I finally arrived Thursday evening at 12pm.

I realized on my last flight that what had seemed like the worst luck ever had ended so positively. While the extra 3 hours on a plane were frustrating and miserable, as a result, I was able to spend a day in an amazing city free of charge. Who gets a free trip to Singapore? Ultimately I was lucky. This made me think about all of the other “unlucky” things in my life and why I have labeled them that way. I think about relationships that ended for no apparent reason that broke my heart and realize in hindsight that I’m probably better off that they didn’t work out and that I didn’t waste any more time. I think about the time that my friend lost my keys at a concert in Atlanta and while it wasn’t fun in the moment what a great story it is now. I think about every hard time I’ve had and every tough situation I’ve had to endure and that these are the things that have got me to where I am today. I’m content with where my life is and the person I am and I don’t know how accurate the unlucky description is. Interesting maybe…but unlucky? Not so much.

Jack Kerouac: Summer Reading

This summer I'll be spending a lot of time on planes so I decided to make a summer reading list that will help me pass the time. One book I've always wanted to read is "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, here is one of his quotes I find especially inspiring.

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

I have always loved to read. One of the most satisfying moments to me is discovering a lyric or a passage that describes what you have always thought or felt but never quite been able to verbalize. There is something affirming about that moment, discovering you are not quite alone in your thoughts and perhaps not quite crazy. The following is one of those quotes:

"the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars"

Gun Friendly Tennessee

This blog is mainly for my out of state readers who may reside in less gun-friendly towns. I find it interesting that while gun owners everywhere are stocking up on ammunition preparing for either the acopolypse, a hefty tax on those who choose to bear arms,or some equally ominous fate somewhere in between, Tennessee seems to become more gun-friendly everyday.

On May 14th our State senate passed the "guns in bars" legislation that allows those with a concealed weapons permit to mix "guns and alcohol." Subsequently, on May 26 our senate also passed a "guns in parks" bill allowing guns to be carried into both state and federal parks (both are currently awaiting the governors final approval). However, my inspiration for this gun-friendly blog is the fact that this week, in Cleveland Tennessee (my current home town), a member of the city council opened fire on a man who was attempting to steal his neighbors push lawn mower. When the alleged thief tried to get away, the city councilman took it upon himself to chase the man down in his vehicle. The end result was a three car crash that ended with 2 people in the hospital. The best part of the whole story to me is that to this point, the councilman has not been charged with anything. I'm no gun law expert but I'm pretty sure stealing a lawn mower from a neighbors yard isn't reason enough to "empty a clip." I can't make this stuff up...

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=70906A45-19B9-E2E2-67F97698D7E88828

I'm not sure if this should make me feel safe or scared. On one hand, it would be nice to have a gun-weilding neighbor who watched over my house like a secret service agent daring any potential villian to step even one foot on my property. On the other hand, you haven't met my neighbors.

What i'm thinking about this month...

I keep a word document open on my computer where I briefly type things when they come to mind or copy quotes or excerpts from articles that I find particularly interesting. Here is a sample from this month’s random thoughts

1.Much of our life can be thought of as a struggle between emotion and rationality.

2.Where is the line between learning from your mistakes and becoming jaded and hopeless? Do our experiences really show us the way things always are or just the way things were one time? How can we balance rationality and idealism?

3.“I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man”

“Many will call me an adventurer - and that I am, only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes.”

Che Guevara is surrounded by a lot of controversy for his ideals and methods of revolution but I admire the fact that his passion and convictions were so strong he would take great risks to make things “right”. Is there anything that I am this passionate about? While he may have been misguided he cared about his cause in a way that I cannot relate to. I can’t wait to see Benicio Del Toro’s depiction of his life. At the same time, I’m perplexed by liberals who champion Che’s revolution and place him on a hero’s pedestal. While I understand their affinity towards his “message” I’m not sure how they can overlook his methods. If your anti-war, Che Guevara probably isn’t a guy you should be wearing on your t-shirt. Maybe you could consider Gandhi…or Stephen Colbert…

4.Is everyone better understood if we understand their context? I believe that we must strive not to judge people or their behaviors because we have no idea where they are or where they have been. “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”

5.Horseracing, Nascar and golf are all starting to be covered regularly on ESPN and are seeing record breaking popularity. I wonder if this means that Americans are generally more bored than they used to be…I guess there could be other logical explanations

6.I would bake more if I wouldn’t eat what I made. I love to bake but I don’t want to look like I love to bake.

7.“I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people are hungry, Jesus didn’t say, “Now is that political or social?” He said, “I feed you.” Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.” –Bishop Desmond Tutu

8.At the risk of sounding braggy, before the end of this year I’m going to Cambodia, Lollapalooza, and Ethiopia. It is possible that I am equally as excited about all three. I’m not sure I should share that…It feels wrong somehow that Lollapalooza made the list with my visits to two developing nations

Business as Mission

I’m anxiously awaiting the end of this semester for several reasons, one of which is the luxury of reading for leisure which is somewhat limited when there are MBA books to study. I have recently become fascinated with the idea of business as mission and have discovered numerous books on the topic. The past few months, I have been reading a book called the end of poverty which was kind of academic and a bit hard to plow through at times but left me amazed by how our life experience often leaves us more equipped to help the world than we ever dreamed possible. I’ve slowly become to realize that our traditional ideas of charity may sustain the poor today but do nothing to change their tomorrow. I also stand in awe of a god who somehow convinced a stubborn girl to switch her major to business knowing that eventually I would become passionately interested in learning the way its principles can be harnessed to pull developing countries out of their cycle of poverty. I had no idea what I was in for.
A book I’m incredibly excited about beginning came in the mail yesterday. Here is an excerpt:

After more than 20 years of working in Africa, India and Pakistan, I’ve learned that solutions to poverty must be driven by discipline, accountability and market strength, not easy sentimentality. I’ve learned that many of the answers to poverty lie in the space between the market and charity and that what is needed most of all is moral leadership willing to build solutions from the perspectives of poor people themselves rather than imposing grand theories and plans upon them.
The book is called the Blue Sweater and is the story of Jacqueline Novogratz who is the founder and CEO of the Acumen fund. The Acumen Fund, if you are not familiar, is an amazing and innovative International Non-profit that provides capital to entrepreneurs around the world who start businesses that ultimately help some of the poorest citizens of the world climb out of poverty. I can hardly wait to get started!

Potential

Susan Boyle Sings on Britain's Got Talent 2009 Episode 1 @ Yahoo! Video

Admittedly I'm more emotional when I'm tired and also when I'm stressed and this morning I am a bit of both. However, as I looked over the news when I first signed online this morning I noticed a story about a woman named Susan Boyle that made me tear up a little. This clip doesn't show the whole interchange between the judges and Susan but before she began to sing, Susan told the audience that she is 47 years old, that she lives at home with her cat and that she has never been kissed. You can see the look on Simon's face as he anticipates a female William Hung and then a complete change of countance as he realizes the hidden talent this woman holds. It is amazing to me that Susan has been living in some tiny British village in a tiny cottage and sings like a Broadway star to a feline audience of one. For years she has been cultivating this gift unnoticed and alone, until this moment when suddenly her gift was revealed to the World. To me it says something profound about the hidden potential inside of each of us. It reminds me once again that outward appearances aren't always indicitive of what's inside and that each of us has something profound to give to the world if we will only take the opportunity to share it.

Fish Buns

It’s an awful and rainy day. I woke up kind of grumpy. I’ve been feeling quite a bit of pressure lately between the demands of school and work and my finances and thinking about the long day ahead of me I did not want to get out of bed . As I finally stopped hitting my snooze, I checked my Blackberry and saw that I had a new email from Nelum, a pastor’s wife I know in Sri Lanka, and one of the most sincere and wonderful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Nelum and her husband Premadasa pastor one of the only Christian churches in Sri Lanka. It is quite dangerous to be a Christian in this country. They frequently receive threats on their lives and the members of their congregation are persecuted. There is talk of an anti-conversion bill which would make it illegal to become a Christian and their church is frequently visited by spies. The people in their country are quite poor and are in the midst of a violent civil war that threatens the safety of their families daily. This is part of the email I received this morning:

With the current economic breakdown you can imagine how it has affected the people, yet they encourage themselves to seek the Lord & experience His blessings. Some families where their are several kids cannot even come to church every week as bus fares are so expensive. Also they have to leave home early morning & when they get home it is late afternoon, so they have to find the money to buy at least a bun each for the kids. Sometimes kids who have not eaten faint in the church & this touches our hearts very much. Our people are sharing & even the ones who are going through much difficulty help each othe with bus fares or kids food.

I only asked you for a glass of milk for all the kids, but if you can help them by giving them a fish bun each too, it would be wonderful. I am giving you the breakdown of the cost of milk & the fish bun, separately, if you cannot give the bun it's o.k. but at least the milk would be wonderful, the little ones would be so blessed & their tummies full! If you can help us with this project I will keep an account that you can see & also get you some picutres of big smiles, I can just imagine their faces to see the milk, even most infants don't have milk as it is so expensive!

Suddenly my life had a completely different perspective. I couldn’t help but think how they must know God so much differently than I do. How they literally risk their lives for a faith I obviously know nothing about. I can’t comprehend what it would be like to live in that situation or how you could continue to hope when the world is literally crashing down around you. How does a mother watch her child faint from starvation and still continue to believe that someone is in control? Yesterday I was frustrated because I couldn’t find any closed toed grey heels and then I receive a heartfelt petition for milk and fish buns and I am reminded how selfish and shallow my life really is. I have a long way to go.