A couple of my best friends in France are Tunisian (and now French). Through our friendships, I have gotten to know a bit about Tunisia. I visited this small North African country three times with Tunisian friends and there are many stories I could tell but those are for another time. They like their food spicy (one family I visited ate jalapeno peppers like we eat carrot sticks). Their beautiful coastline and warm Arab hospitality makes it a popular tourist destination. In some ways it is a prosperous nation with a growing middle class, but in another sense many young people want out. Jobs are too scarce and all to often getting one depends far more on who you know than on your competence. While stability has reigned it is also one of the largest police states in the world. There has been little freedom of expression especially when it came to politics. The story is told of a well-fed, sleek Tunisian dog who crossed the border into Algeria in the 1990s (when Algeria was going through great civil turmoil). He met a scraggly, dirty, thin Algerian dog who asked him why he had come to Algeria. "I've come so I can bark." When I told this joke to a Tunisian friend this morning she howled with laughter.
If you follow international news you'll know that the Tunisian people have begun a revolution. A movement that began in a smaller city in the middle of the country spread. The crackdown was violent at times but all that did was bring more people into the streets. In the end, President Ben Ali fled the country and there is now an international warrant out for his arrest due to theft and currency charges.
My heart goes out to the Tunisian people. They are proud of what they have done. They are thrilled that they can now "bark". But they are also fearful of what will come.
I've been reading a biography of Alexander Hamilton (he's on the $10 bill) who was the first Treasurer of the USA. It has been interesting to read about the hard work it took to build this nation out of a revolution. John Adams had a vivid sense of how easily righteous causes could degenerate into mob excess. In many ways that is what happened during the French revolution and they ended up with another dictator. The US was blessed to have men like Washington, Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton and many others who could lead, persuade and keep the union together. Within a few short years they became political enemies but mob excess was not allowed to prevail.
Which way will it go in Tunisia? The Tunisian people don't know. They have seen the damage mob excess can do. There have also been those who have gone out and cleaned up the streets and helped protect their neighborhoods and businesses from looters. At this point it can go either way. May men and women of peace and wisdom rise to the top and lead the Tunisian people into more freedom - freedom to speak their opinions on politics and religion, freedom to debate and disagree, freedom to pursue happiness in a nation where hard work pays.
Here's a couple of links that give a time line for the revolution in Tunisia. The 2nd one gives more details.
http://prospectjournal.ucsd.edu/blog/?p=957
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/tunisia/2011/01/201114142223827361.html
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
MLK service day
Last week started with a day off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day. MCTC, the community college I attend, also honored the day with a service day on Saturday. Projects included reading to children, doing some sorting at the library, working at a homeless shelter, making blankets, going door-to-door on behalf of a literacy program as well as several others. As I left the house at 7:10 on a clear and cold day, I had a hard time remembering why I had signed up to participate. I was rather chilled by the time I arrived at school.
The good breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash-browns, fruit and an array of pastries helped me think that maybe this would be worth the early morning trip. I sat with a woman who was in my Sociology class last semester and a woman who works in the financial aid office. Some of the conversation centered on the quality of the professors at MCTC. I kind of had the idea that community colleges were a step below 4-year colleges. Our collective experience was that the vast majority of the professors are passionate about their subject, enjoy teaching and want the students to succeed. A smaller class size for the generals doesn't hurt either.
By the time the program started I was feeling rather under-dressed in my painting clothes. Many of those in attendance were quite well dressed. Tyrone Bledsoe was the speaker and tried really hard to stay within his 15 minute limit. Besides his passion to help men of color graduate from college, he obviously had lots of stories to tell. As a six year old he and his twin brother had been among the children escorted by MLK to their newly integrated school.
Once the preliminaries were over we got down to work. I joined a group of 20 people doing some painting at a Project for Pride and Living apartment building on the north side of Minneapolis. It was amazing how much we were able to get done in a few hours. I worked with a man from Togo who had never painted before in his life. He did well and somehow managed to keep his black pants and dress shoes from getting any paint on them. However, I don't think he'll be using his business degree by starting a painting business.
The good breakfast of eggs, sausage, hash-browns, fruit and an array of pastries helped me think that maybe this would be worth the early morning trip. I sat with a woman who was in my Sociology class last semester and a woman who works in the financial aid office. Some of the conversation centered on the quality of the professors at MCTC. I kind of had the idea that community colleges were a step below 4-year colleges. Our collective experience was that the vast majority of the professors are passionate about their subject, enjoy teaching and want the students to succeed. A smaller class size for the generals doesn't hurt either.
By the time the program started I was feeling rather under-dressed in my painting clothes. Many of those in attendance were quite well dressed. Tyrone Bledsoe was the speaker and tried really hard to stay within his 15 minute limit. Besides his passion to help men of color graduate from college, he obviously had lots of stories to tell. As a six year old he and his twin brother had been among the children escorted by MLK to their newly integrated school.
Once the preliminaries were over we got down to work. I joined a group of 20 people doing some painting at a Project for Pride and Living apartment building on the north side of Minneapolis. It was amazing how much we were able to get done in a few hours. I worked with a man from Togo who had never painted before in his life. He did well and somehow managed to keep his black pants and dress shoes from getting any paint on them. However, I don't think he'll be using his business degree by starting a painting business.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Syllabus shock
Going into this new semester I didn't think my class load would be to bad. After all I no longer had Medical Terminology with its relentless pace of at least one test a week over at least 50 pages of material. However, by the time I walked out of my last class on Tuesday afternoon I was wondering how I would fit it all in.
Lifetime Development is a psychology class. I had Intro to Psychology last semester and didn't find it very hard as I was familiar with quite a few of the concepts. It didn't take me long to figure out that this one will be more difficult. It should be since last semester we covered development from conception to death in one class period. There has to be a few more details to stretch it out over a semester. My professor is a young man who is passionate about the material and who expects us to show up in class having already read the material, "because I'm certainly not going to read the textbook to you."
Chemistry is, well, chemistry. It will be work to stay on top of the material. My professor said encouraging things like, "It doesn't seem that difficult at the beginning but it will become more complex," and "Don't get behind or you won't be able to catch up." Which he followed by, "Chemistry is so much fun!" He really is enthusiastic about what he is teaching. Maybe it helps that he is a full-time chemist at 3M.
I was expecting my math class to be the easiest one of the semester but right now I'm not so sure. I ended up in a hybrid class meaning that most of it is online and I only have to go to class during the month of January. That doesn't sound too difficult. But as I've begun doing the reading, working through a notebook and doing the homework online I've discovered that it can take three hours just to do one section. That's way more time than I was spending last semester. I've already seen that if I get behind, I'll be in trouble.
For now, the load looks rather large. I'm reminded of a college friend who used to remind us all that come the end of the semester it will all be done. And it will. I just hope it is all done well.
Lifetime Development is a psychology class. I had Intro to Psychology last semester and didn't find it very hard as I was familiar with quite a few of the concepts. It didn't take me long to figure out that this one will be more difficult. It should be since last semester we covered development from conception to death in one class period. There has to be a few more details to stretch it out over a semester. My professor is a young man who is passionate about the material and who expects us to show up in class having already read the material, "because I'm certainly not going to read the textbook to you."
Chemistry is, well, chemistry. It will be work to stay on top of the material. My professor said encouraging things like, "It doesn't seem that difficult at the beginning but it will become more complex," and "Don't get behind or you won't be able to catch up." Which he followed by, "Chemistry is so much fun!" He really is enthusiastic about what he is teaching. Maybe it helps that he is a full-time chemist at 3M.
I was expecting my math class to be the easiest one of the semester but right now I'm not so sure. I ended up in a hybrid class meaning that most of it is online and I only have to go to class during the month of January. That doesn't sound too difficult. But as I've begun doing the reading, working through a notebook and doing the homework online I've discovered that it can take three hours just to do one section. That's way more time than I was spending last semester. I've already seen that if I get behind, I'll be in trouble.
For now, the load looks rather large. I'm reminded of a college friend who used to remind us all that come the end of the semester it will all be done. And it will. I just hope it is all done well.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friends both old and new
I spent this week working on things that have gotten pushed to the bottom of the list for too long. It was exciting stuff like getting caught up on my finances, organizing my files and doing some correspondence. Since I didn't have any classes this week I also took some time to get together with friends both old and new.
Monday I spent the day with a friend from college where we had played basketball together for 3 years. She ended up in Africa and I in France. Both of us returned to the US last summer and are living in Minnesota. It's a small world. And it was good to finally meet her husband and four children. Yesterday another college friend called from California and today I talked with a friend from France on Skype. I also got together with two people I've just met this fall. As I was telling one of them about some of my different friends from the different places and time periods of my life her response was, "You have an interesting life!" I was rather taken aback since that isn't usually how I describe my life but it did cause me to pause and ponder. I miss being with old friends and it seems that new friendships are forming rather slowly but I am thankful for both. I'm glad that I'm still in contact with people from all periods of my life. It is a blessing and it does lead to an interesting life.
Monday I spent the day with a friend from college where we had played basketball together for 3 years. She ended up in Africa and I in France. Both of us returned to the US last summer and are living in Minnesota. It's a small world. And it was good to finally meet her husband and four children. Yesterday another college friend called from California and today I talked with a friend from France on Skype. I also got together with two people I've just met this fall. As I was telling one of them about some of my different friends from the different places and time periods of my life her response was, "You have an interesting life!" I was rather taken aback since that isn't usually how I describe my life but it did cause me to pause and ponder. I miss being with old friends and it seems that new friendships are forming rather slowly but I am thankful for both. I'm glad that I'm still in contact with people from all periods of my life. It is a blessing and it does lead to an interesting life.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Year
I have long considered New Year's Day to be the most boring day of the year in France. In keeping with family tradition I would usually go to bed at a normal time (around 10 pm) which meant I got a good night's sleep. It also meant that most people were coming home about the time I was getting up so the streets were deserted and my friends were dead tired. There were no parades or football games to watch. Why would anyone want to begin the new year by sleeping all day?
January 1 was not a boring day this year. I watched the Rose Bowl parade (and learned that artichoke is a fruit). The extended family Christmas gathering was in the afternoon and it was quite the party by our family's standards. We arrived at 1 to help get things set up and left about 7. It was good to catch up with some of the cousins. The question of the day was what had surprised us over the past year. An uncle was surprised how hard it was to turn 70. Other events included a major tornado that just missed three farms in the family, an uncle's heart surgery (No, it can't wait until planting is over!), a 50th wedding anniversary (the surprise was how fast those 50 years had gone and some wonder at how they had done it) and cousin Tim bringing a girlfriend along. As usual there was lots of good food and I ate way too much sugar. When I got home and checked the football scores, I was doubly glad to have had something else to do. The Big Ten got slaughtered!
By the way, our family party was held at The Lantern, a new coffee shop in Sibley IA. If you ever go through there, be sure and stop in for the best cup of coffee around. (At least that's what I've been told. I'm not a coffee drinker so I can't speak from personal experience.) You can find it on the north side of Main Street just west of the Pizza Ranch.
(My resolution of the week is to get back to posting on the weekend.)
January 1 was not a boring day this year. I watched the Rose Bowl parade (and learned that artichoke is a fruit). The extended family Christmas gathering was in the afternoon and it was quite the party by our family's standards. We arrived at 1 to help get things set up and left about 7. It was good to catch up with some of the cousins. The question of the day was what had surprised us over the past year. An uncle was surprised how hard it was to turn 70. Other events included a major tornado that just missed three farms in the family, an uncle's heart surgery (No, it can't wait until planting is over!), a 50th wedding anniversary (the surprise was how fast those 50 years had gone and some wonder at how they had done it) and cousin Tim bringing a girlfriend along. As usual there was lots of good food and I ate way too much sugar. When I got home and checked the football scores, I was doubly glad to have had something else to do. The Big Ten got slaughtered!
By the way, our family party was held at The Lantern, a new coffee shop in Sibley IA. If you ever go through there, be sure and stop in for the best cup of coffee around. (At least that's what I've been told. I'm not a coffee drinker so I can't speak from personal experience.) You can find it on the north side of Main Street just west of the Pizza Ranch.
(My resolution of the week is to get back to posting on the weekend.)
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