New Website!

UPDATE: The link's working now... :-) Maybe I should have checked my spelling. hehe.

If you're reading this and you haven't come to it from my new website, well, then, you're missing out! :-)

I've created a new format for my website and, as a result, for this blog. I won't be posting new entries to this blog (located at http://www.blogger.com/hannah.kali.johnson)... rather, my blog will be hosted off my fancy-schmancy website: http://www.WhatWillWork.org

So, sorry if that's a headache for your blogger followers... but I'm being selfish and making my own life easier, at least that's the idea. This blog and all the entries I've posted over the last year will stay active until I either transfer them all to the new one, or give up on that idea and just decide to leave it be...

See you at http://www.WhatWillWork.org
-Hannah

Reality Check

A friend shared this with me today and I had to share it here. A nice reality check. And now, back to my delicious Italian dinner, and revamping this website. I should have the new and improved version live by Sunday... check back and see how much better it will be!!!
:-)

Rotary speeches, coursework, and elections, oh my!

As I warned last week on this very blog, this week was a bit crazy! But now I have a chance to catch my breath. I’ve just given my third Rotary speech of the week (this week was: Rugby Dunsmore, Erdington, and Rubgy). I had a marvellous time at all three events, and made even more Rotary contacts! ***ok, seriously? Marvellous is spelled with two 'l's' here? I'm doubting my American-British english dictionary right now*** And I got more events to fill my calendar! One of them is a stroke awareness project of Rugby Dunsmore where they take peoples blood pressure as a stroke prevention tool. An issue I’m very passionate about, I was thrilled to hear that I can join them at their next blood pressure screening day to help out.

Coming up is a Rotary charity walk from one of the local(ish) clubs- a charity walk in the Cotswolds in early May. I can’t wait. The scenery should be spectacular, the company even better, and hopefully the weather will be tolerable. Do I sound like an English person or what? Apparently I’m adjusting.

I’ve finalised my topics for all my coursework for this my final term of my masters degree. I’ve got two essays and one project to complete by the end of April. My goal is to get at least a detailed outline for all three done this weekend, if not a bit of writing as well. We’ll see... haha. As regular readers of this will realise, I’m often much too optimistic about what I am to get done on weekends as I’m typically travelling around England. But this time I really do need to work, as I’m off to see Phantom of the Opera on Monday evening in London, and then on Saturday the 14th I’m off to Liverpool for the day. And the week after I’ve got symphony tickets! Busy busy, just the way I like to be.

I’m sitting on a train writing right now, on my way back to Coventry from Rugby. It’s a short trip, 11 minutes according to the schedule. Through beautiful countryside with lots of sheep. The sky is spectacular today, with large puffy clouds that just add to the ambiance (sorry, no meteorologist here to use the scientific terms- are they cumulus clouds? that's the only kind of cloud I remember from middle school). I’ve hated the clouds of late because there have been so many I’ve not seen blue sky for awhile. But today is an exception. I can’t wait for it to warm up a bit more so I can sit in a park with a picnic and a good book.

OK, back in Cov now. Just heard some election results for our student union elections. Pretty much the people I wanted to win did win... but we're still waiting on the race I'm most interested in- SU President. Apparently there were MORE complaints filed today against the opponent of the candidate I'm supporting, and they're not releasing results till Wednesday as a result! How am I supposed to wait that long? This is feeling like Florida...

It never fails...

... Yankees fans are simply rude.

I'm sitting here wasting time rather than studying (I'm not the only one who does this every once and a while). I'm wasting it by using my new subscription to MLBtv Premium (oh la la). When the regular season starts, I'll be able to watch nearly 100 baseball games a week (no, I won't actually watch that many). I bought a subscription so I can watch M's games every once in awhile. And I sprung for the fancy-schmancy "premium" because they promise home and away video feeds, so theoretically, I'll get to hear Dave Niehaus! :-)

Because it's still spring training, and they don't broadcast many spring training games, I'm stuck watching other teams to get my baseball fix. This morning I'm watching USA vs. Yankees (there are lots of practice games between MLB teams and national teams preparing for the World Baseball Classic starting later this week).

So why this time do I say it never fails that Yankees fans are simply rude? Well there are so many reasons. Hehe. But today the reason is their shortshop fumbled a play, resulting in a run scoring. And they booed him! First of all, Yankees fans- it's spring training. Doesn't count! It's time to get the errors out of you before the season starts! And two: get a life. You are supposed to boo the other team, not your own!

The video is from my trip to Fenway last July. I know I'm supposed to be studying peace and reconciliation, but I can't reconcile with Yankee fans... but I'm happy to chant about them with thousands of other crazed fans.


Note: to put this in context, there was about to be a fight, and a Yankee player started it. Totally legit to chant that as a result. :-) And no, if you're wondering, there wasn't a fight after this. The umps were in control.

A wine glass of kindness

I just got a knock on my door, which surprised me as I live in a locked hallway, so it had to be a hallmate of mine. Sure enough it was, and she had a glass of wine in her hand. She and her friends couldn't finish a bottle and didn't want it to go to waste so she handed it to me. I know this may sound inconsequential, but it was a really nice sentiment that put a nice feeling at the end of my day (let me add that this feeling came before consuming the wine).

And while we're on the topic of doing kind things for others, let me say that I'm almost ready to cut my hair! No, you didn't read that wrong. And no, I haven't had the glass of wine yet. :-) How does being nice and cutting my hair relate? Locks of Love. For those who don't know of them, they make wigs for children who lose their hair. They survive on the donations of hair from people around the world. I've always wanted long hair, never thought that I'd be able to grow it long (I tend to get cut-happy and chop my hair short a lot). But, after years of growing it, it's finally long. And I love it so much. But I hate taking care of it, and I know that if I donate some of it, a kid somewhere will have a wig to wear. And that will make me feel better than if I had my long hair back (I hope!).

The requirements are pretty simple. No highlighted hair (no problem- I stopped doing that years ago). Colored hair, permed hair, and grey hair are OK, too. When you cut your hair, it must be in a pony tail prior to cutting, and the cut portion must be at least 10 inches long. I have about 11 inches in a pony tail right now. But if I cut it now, I'll have not much hair left... so I'm going to grow it a few months more and re-evaluate. And to satisfy my desire to chop it off now, I think I'll settle for coloring it instead. :-)

Anyone else out there have long hair and are thinking of cutting it? Please consider Locks of Love.

Where have I been?

It's been quite a week, and next week will be just as busy. I tried to sleep in today, but my hallmates were LOUD at 7:30am, so there went that idea.

Saturday: explored Lincoln, which is home to the third largest cathedral in England (it was transformed into Westminster Abbey for Da Vinci Code). Very impressive. In general, it felt more ornate than York Minster, or so this novice cathedral fan thinks). Also walked through the old town area, and toured the Lincoln castle. This was the first castle I've been inside, and it wasn't what I thought it would be. Not much of medieval structures inside. But we climbed a scary set of stairs to the top of the observatory tower- very impressive views from the top!

Friday: Went to work at the YMCA on a new global citizenship project. More on that exciting project later. Finished the evening at the Rugby Dunsmore Barn Dance! This was my second barn dance since I've been in England. I danced every dance, and almost felt like I'm getting the hang of it! Next time I need to take video somehow... I bought some tickets to their raffle, and, to my shock, won two items!!! A bottle of Italian wine, and a scrapbook from the National Trust where I can write about my visits to National Trust sites across England.

Thursday: Religion and Conflict class, then the first (and only) class explaining our dissertation. After that I went out to the Phoenix (student pub) with some classmates. Was thrilled to learn that I'm not the only one with virtually no clue as to what I want my dissertation topic to be (though, by tomorrow we're supposed to submit our topic idea.. hahaha. I've got an idea, but no way near formulated enough).

Wednesday: Comparative Peace Processes class, then spoke at the Royary Club of Coventry Phoenix... which... drumroll please... was my 10th official club speech! That means my club banners from GH are gone, and my speech requirement is fulfilled! But I'm going for more :-) I think I've got at least five more speeches planned. Finished the night by purchasing Dad's birthday present online. Easier to buy from a US-based company and have it shipped to their house than for me to find something here, box it up, and pay horrendous shipping costs. Yeah, Dad, I'm cheap thrifty. :-)

What's next?
Well, right now I'm watching game 5 of the 1995 ALDS (found it on iTunes this morning- had to buy it). Once I get over the excitement of watching that, I may just work on my dissertation proposal. If not that, then I do need to work on essays. Tomorrow more work at the YMCA. Tuesday is candidate hustings for the student union elections ("ask the candidate" time). I have a friend running for union President, so I'll be there to support him. Voting is open for the election Wednesday-Friday. I've got three speeches to Rotary clubs this week (all in Rugby- I should just stay there this week!). The most exciting part of the week is the weekend. I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on Saturday or Sunday. Hooray! You can bet I'll be sleeping in and trying to get caught up yet again. Then it gets crazy again: going to London to see Phantom of the Opera, and Liverpool... all in one week (on top of classes!)

More photos from Lincoln are here.
More photos from last week's trip to York here.

York!

I went with the Graduate Student Centre on a day trip to York today. It was a reallllly long drive (the coach was late on top of that), but totally worth it! I will go back sometime before I leave, as there's still lots that I want to see there!

Here's some photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016324&id=60100030&l=7e489

But most importantly, as my dad pointed out, one of my photos looks a little bit (only a little) like a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which may just be the best movie ever made. One photo reminded him of the killer rabbit scene. Hahahaha. Hilarious. "Run away, run away!" For your enjoyment:

Getting back on track... another dose of peace education

The purpose of this blog was, at least originally, to keep my friends and family back home informed of what I'm up to here on the other side of the pond. Now, more than five months after I've come to England (really? Wow!), what is its purpose? Probably a little of the same, but I want to do more writing about my studies. So you'll probably be getting a bit more peace education from your reading. Don't worry, I'll continue with the updates and photos from my travels as well. :-)

Today while browsing on Facebook (addict, I'll admit), I found a posting from a Rotary club in India- the Rotary Club of Purulia. It has been exciting to look at their website and see what they're up to. But the link that I saw on Facebook was about a specific program they are working on- called "Message for Peace." As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying peace, I wanted to participate in their program. It calls for, among other things, submissions of blog entries on peace. I can do that! :-)

As a refresher, class, here's my first two posts addressing the issue of peace education:

Lesson One: http://hannahkali.blogspot.com/2008/10/taste-of-peace-education.html
Lesson Two: http://hannahkali.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-dose-of-peace-education.html

So, what's on the docket for today? Well... brainstorming for my dissertation topic. That's what's on the docket. I am supposed to have a decent idea for a topic by (gulp) next week! Ack!

I'm interested in investigating how the United States can proactively participate in both ending conflict across the world, and, perhaps even more importantly, the prevention of future conflict. Little broad, I know. But it's something I want to spend the next few days thinking about to see if there's a topic in there. Why, you ask? (ok, maybe you didn't, but I did). Well... one main reason.

In my class, I'm the sole American. And often (ok, every single class) the conversation meanders its way to how America is to blame for something, or why something did or didn't happen solely because the US would or wouldn't allow it to. OK, that's a really pessimistic view... it's not that bad. But often people will say something, and preface it with a comment towards me, something like "no offense, Hannah, but..." I certainly don't take offense- yes, I'm from the US. No, I certainly don't support everything that my country has done. Can anyone from any country say they wholeheartedly support all the decisions their government has made? I didn't think so.

That said, it's hard to argue with the idea that the US is one of the most, ok, probably the most "powerful" country in the world. When "we" get our hands in the game, "our" position carries a lot of weight behind it. There is great privilege with this position. But with great privilege comes greater responsibility. It's that responsibility that I'm interested in. What is "our" responsibility towards the world? What should "we" be doing that "we" aren't? What should "we" stop doing?

What is "our" roadmap for the future? Your thoughts are quite welcome. I'll post my answers/ideas/suggestions later this week.

To end on a lighter note... I had to post this photo: my finished scarf! Which somehow morphed into a shawl. As Margaret Houlihan would say, "it's a women's prerogative to change her potholder. I'm making it into a scarf."




And I also had to post this one:
I very recently put two and two together and got bluetooth. Ha. I'd forgotten that my laptop has bluetooth capability- meaning I can get photos from my phone to my laptop since the plan I'm on here doesn't allow me to email them like I would do at home. And this one of my brother (puppy) Wrigley hiding in a blanket was too cute to leave for only my enjoyment. :-)

Happy Half Birthday To... Me!

I remember a long, long, long time ago this day used to be one of my favorites of the year. Why February 22nd, you ask? Well, it's certainly not because today's George Washington's Birthday (though it is his b-day today). It's because today is my half-birthday. And why did I like it so much? Because my mom would bring treats for me to share in school. I never got to celebrate a birthday at school since my birthday is in August and everyone was out of school for summer then. So I'd get half a birthday cake in February to share with friends. :-)


Ah, memories.

What's that yellow thing in the sky?

OK... what's up? There's this big yellow thing in the sky, and it seems to be emitting warmth. What's going on? I was actually able to sit on a bench in the cathedral ruins today for an entire hour without turning into a popsicle. In fact, with that yellow thing shining down on me, I actually thought that I might need sunscreen. Ha! Amazing. This really needs to happen more often.

On top of that, this morning my hyacinth pot started to bloom. I bought it earlier this week from Marks and Spencers (think Safeway, but with clothes as well). On sale for £2 ($2.80 or so). I was in need of some flowers, so this seemed perfect. It is! The smell is wonderful- and fills my room. I also bought a small pot of daffodils ($1.30) which are close to blooming.

Finally, unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you've heard about the somewhat heroic return of Ken Griffey Jr. to the Seattle Mariners. May I just say, Welcome Back!

Kudos to a Sox Fan...

So I was at my host Rotary club this morning for their weekly meeting, and got to talking to one of the Rotarians there afterwards. The story she told me I just have to repeat because it made me feel soooo good!

Every meeting this club goes around the table and shares good news. You put £1 in the jar (for charity) and share your news. My news for today was that winter has officially ended. Not the weather per se, but now that Spring Training has started, spring has officially arrived. At least in my book it has. :-) Now my problem is figuring out if I can get on a sleep/work/study schedule that will allow me to either stay up or get up really early to catch a few M's or Rainiers' games (they will start at 3am my time). Ha.

So... where's the story you say? Here:
This Rotarian went to a baseball game when she and her family where in Boston (insert jealous moans here from folks who haven't had the privilege of seeing a game at Fenway- not me, I've seen two games there- and one was against the Yankees!)... I digress. Anyway, she said two things that struck me.

1. There was a man and his son sitting behind them who, realizing that they were British and perhaps weren't understanding the nuances of the game, explained to them what was going on. I love this! I've done this oh so many times... whether it be complete strangers sitting next to me, or friends who I've brought to their first baseball game. It meant a lot to this Rotarian's family, especially her kids. That's great to hear!
   
2. This second bit is priceless. I love it. She was surprised, if not shocked, when, at Fenway, people would pass money down the row to buy something from a vendor. Why was she shocked? Three reasons. First, that the money made it to the vendor. Two, that the food made it back to the purchaser. Finally, that the change from the purchase also made it back to the purchaser. My response? Confusion. Wait, it doesn't work that way everywhere? Apparently not here. Guess I'm going to have to get to a football match one of these days and see how it's done here! :-)

Can I just say how exciting it is that baseball is back? (but Griffey is certainly doing his part to hamper my excitement- can you just decide already? Seattle wants you. We need you. Not necessarily for your ability, but for your leadership. It's just a year. We'll even let you skip a few games in September to go watch your kid play football. Pick us. And if you don't, the next time you come around Seattle, we won't be nearly as welcoming as last time... anyone got a number for the guy who had the monopoly money on a fishing rod when A-Rod came back? We may need his services again... and don't even get me started on A-Rod... I mean A-Steroi-Rod). Great article on it: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2008754431_kelley18.html

Junior rumors?

Alright, enough is enough. Here's my personal plea to Ken Griffey Jr.: Make your decision already. The more I wonder if I'd like to see you back in a Mariners uniform, the more I think I'm leaning to yes... and the more I lean towards yes, the more angry I'll be with you should you make the responsible choice and go to Atlanta- an hour flight away from your family.... rather than the 5+ hour flight from Seattle to your home...

OK, got that over with. :-)

Two exciting bits of news for today:

1. My professors liked the videos I put together for a presentation last week. I feel like I may finally be getting half way decent at editing!
2. I just bought tickets to two events in Birmingham at Symphony Hall. I've wanted to go there for awhile now, but hadn't found the right event. I found two today! First is in the end of March- it's Britten's War Requiem, which was written for the re-consecration of the Coventry Cathedral. Fitting, isn't it? For more information on it, click here... The other concert I'm going to is the annual Easter performance of Handel's Messiah by the Birmingham Choral Union. There is no piece of music that I enjoy more. :-)

A new season...

Guess what folks? Winter ended yesterday, when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. I love the beginning of the baseball season, after what always seems to be a long winter.

This will be a strange baseball season for me- I won't be able to watch any games in person... unless I can find a game here in England (ha). So, everyone back home- go to lots of games for me, take lots of pictures, and send 'em my way!!! And, if this season ends up being similar to last for the Mariners (and it better not!!!), then head on down to Tacoma to watch my (yes, I said 'my') Rainiers. They seem to be better than the Mariners the last few years... :-)
(photo from the TNT website- I love it!)

Skittles and escaping the city!

Last night I attended the Rotary Club of Coventry's Skittles night in Barnacle. :-) Great name for a village. And Skittles was great. Three variations of bowling- one rolling, one throwing, and one tetherball-esque variation. :-) My team placed second, and did fairly well on the quiz (to which I was absolutely no help- it was full of really difficult questions!). I went with the district's youth exchange student, and we sold raffle tickets. I think we sold about £80 of raffle tickets! It was a great night to see many great Rotary friends!

Today I went with a friend out to Coombe Abbey on the outskirts of Coventry. We both had been wanting to get away from the city... this was just what we needed. We walked around the grounds of this former abbey (from the 12th century), and once we had walked all that (some still had snow on the ground!), then we walked awhile on a public footpath. When the footpath ran out there was a pub just down the road- amazing how that always seems to work out when I walk on public footpaths here. :-) We stayed at the pub for awhile to warm up- it was a bit chilly today! Once the sun began to set, we set out to figure out where on earth we had walked so that we could figure out where to catch a bus home. Great day. :-)

Bomb Scare!

Yep, you read that right. Coventry had a bit of excitement this afternoon. I was about to leave the graduate student centre this afternoon with a few classmates to head to the pub then go ice skating... but our plans were altered a bit when we were stopped by the police from heading into the city centre. We had heard rumors that there was a bomb threat, but (perhaps stupidly) tried to cut through a parking lot to get into the centre despite the threat. The police saw us and stopped us again (sheepish grin is on my face now). You see, these sort of things apparently happen every once in awhile around here. It wasn't a bomb threat- it was an unexploded shell from WWII. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7884520.stm

So, we spent a few hours in a pub waiting for the police cordon to be lifted, then went ice skating as planned. I didn't fall once. :-) Photos to come. :-)

What an afternoon!

It's snowing.

Again. And I love it.
Photos to come when I'm less exhausted (it's 12:30am and I have a 9am appointment. Must sleep).
zzzzzz

Uh oh

I have too much to do.
I must have the "can't say no" disease that plagues my mother. :-)

Do yourself a favor...

If you're looking for a great book to distract you from life for a few nights, go out and get "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Don't let the thickness of the book scare you away (yes, it's over 1,000 pages long). But it is so easy to read. I'll bet you won't be able to put it down. I finished it this morning, and am already having withdrawals. I'm considering a cathedral road trip in fact (the book centers around the (fictional) master builder of a cathedral in the 1100s). I want to see all the different elements of cathedrals that are mentioned in the book!

Any suggestions for what I should turn to for my next "Stay Sane" book? Nothing related to my field of study, please. I have enough reading for that! :-)

Nicely Done, PSD Voters!!!

Good Morning!!! It's 4:58am... and I've been awake for nearly a half hour already. Why on earth would I wake up at this god-forsaken hour? Well... because yesterday was election day back home, and this political die-hard needed to know how a ballot measure did!

As many of you know, the Peninsula School District is really important to me. As a PSD grad, and with a sister still in the PSD system, and my mom serving on the School Board, it's a huge part of my family. Everyone in my family has worked on levy campaigns for nearly as long as I can remember. Back when I was in middle school I remember sign waving on election day out in the freezing cold with other students, and seeing the horrible effects when the levy failed that year. We had no paper, custodians and some teachers lost their jobs... it was awful. Thankfully, levies haven't failed in awhile- meaning our kids are getting a better education as a result. And tonight was no different- voters passed the levy by 65%! That's amazing. Of course, I expect no less from my town!!!

This amazing support will help the district "reduce class size, increase safety and security, hire and develop professional staff, supplement the costs of after school programs, purchase essential technology and instructional materials, maintain and clean buildings, and acquire clean, safe, and fuel efficient buses."

Thanks to PSD Voters and the Levy Campaign Team!!!

Message to the UK: The World Is Not Ending

hehe.

As my friends and family back home may have heard, we've got a bit of weather here in the UK. A bit of snow, to be more specific. And while I'm thrilled to have snow, let me be quite clear Mother Nature: This isn't enough to make up for the white Christmas I missed back home. Try again, please.

The snow wreaked havoc in London, according to the news I've seen online. Heathrow was closed for a bit, buses were shut down for the day, many of the trains from Coventry to London were canceled. But here in Coventry, sadly, the snow fell beautifully, then melted immediately for most of the day. Around 4:30 I went for a walk around the town and maybe a half an inch had stuck to some surfaces... but I wanted 4, 5, 6, heck, 10 inches. Come on, Mother Nature, help a girl out (note of clarification- it looks like more than that in the Cathedral ruins. Yeah, probably is. But no one walked on it all day- it was roped off. That doesn't count. The rest of the city wasn't like that!!!).

I went to the Rotary Club of Coventry again today (you may remember that I presented to them last week!). Today's speaker was the Vice Chancellor of my university, so they invited me back to hear her presentation. It was very kind of them to invite me back. I had a wonderful time simply getting there- according to Google Maps, it is only 0.8 miles from my flat. An easy walk- and the large snowflakes that walked with me were wonderful. Makes the city so much more beautiful! It snowed a bit harder on the walk back home afterwards- that's where most of the photos are from.

I'm going to a play on Wednesday evening with some of the RC of Coventry members who kindly invited me at today's meeting. I know I've said this before, but it's certainly worth repeating: my year here has been so greatly enhanced by my connection to Rotary- the opportunities I've had have been amazing and the people are wonderful and generous.

Next Monday I'm one of several speakers at a Rotary event called the World Understanding Evening. The other speakers are other Ambassadorial Scholars in our district. Some of the people who will be there have heard my presentation before, so I'm working on another revision of it. It needs to be much shorter as there are several speakers- and I've decided to go heavy on photos, and insert my first video into this presentation. If you're reading this and planning on attending the event on Monday, don't watch the video below- it'll spoil my presentation! If you won't make it... watch away. :-) hehe. Nice introduction to Gig Harbor, don't you think?