Something about Atlanta…

I am the kind of person that enjoys a lot sleeping. It is very satisfactory to stay a Saturday morning in your bed without a specific time to wake up. But since I am in Georgia, I found something more satisfactory than sleeping. I though about it when I was preparing my trip from Colombia but I never thought that volunteering in Atlanta was going to be so interesting. Yes, helping others in your free time is so much more pleasing that stay in your house sleeping. I am not saying that you have to do it all the time but I am pretty sure that you can find some time to volunteer somewhere. In my country is very different. The idea of volunteering hasn’t been developed enough to make it something serious. But in Atlanta is amazing. There are so many places that will take your help seriously that is an honor to volunteer for them; plus they need you. In the past two months I have volunteered in five different places and sometimes there are some things that can be improve but in general the experience is very comfortable. I am not going to recommend a specific place because one of the most important things to make your volunteer a great experience is to find a place that matches with something that you love. For example I love animals and I found a beautiful place where I volunteer on Fridays. I am just inviting you to try it. There are volunteers for only two hours or more so it’s not like you are going to spend all week volunteering. Feel good about yourself by helping others is very tempting. The next three links are going to help you finding the volunteer place that suits you better and hopefully will be inspiring enough to help you decide where you can volunteer.

http://www.yelp.com/list_details?list_id=s6KLsSX_a-AC5Jmib-ppZw In this link you will read reviews from different people about their experiences in different places.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/bymsa/m520/c/opp1.html?_kk=atlanta%20volunteer&_kt=e9499e5d-0699-4844-894c-19e01393180d
This link will help you find the place to volunteer that you are looking for.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/metro/stories/2008/03/17/donate0317.html?cxntlid=inform_artr In this link you will read how your help can mean everything for others.

Images taken from http://www.dallas-habitat.org/files/img_volunteer_tage_v.jpg and

http://www.lohada.org/lohada_images/volunteer.jpg

Poverty

http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/22/news/economy/poverty_overview/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/poverty/

Imagine your day without something to eat, without work or school. This is the situation for millions of people around the world. Poverty is defined as the limitation for certain groups of people to obtain things that determine a quality of life, such as food, clothing, shelter and education. Even in developed countries, like the US, the number of families living in poverty has increased. How to fight against poverty? That is certainly a tough question. If governments give all the things that families that live in poverty don’t have, the problem will continue. If someone wants a fish, teach that person how to fish. A big number of children are part of the percentage of people living in poverty. So, I think that the most important thing to do first is to ensure education, food and health care for them. This is the best way to break the vicious circle of poverty. Otherwise, those children won't have access to education and with no skills they won't find a job and in their adult years they will create families that will live in poverty.
Governments should be able to create a way where they can teach families how to satisfy their own needs without giving everything to them. Better job opportunities will help families that live in poverty. Creating a healthy environment where the parents of poor families can develop themselves as workers, good parents and self-sufficient people should be a high priority to governments in all countries.

Images taken from http://www.undp.org.eg/Portals/0/poverty%20generic.jpg and http://www.micahchallenge.org/uimages/Know%20it/Ndungane%20cut%20poverty%20in%20half%20pic.jpg.

Are you prepared?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354692,00.html?sPage=fnc/specialsections/naturaldisaster
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42322
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=491192
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3912701.ece

There will be different answers to the same question, what is happening to the world? Many would say that is something from God. Others would have some explanations related to the end of the world. But for some scientists, disasters such as the Myanmar cyclone and the US earthquakes are just a normal day for Planet Earth. To understand what’s happening, it is important to know first that the Earth is dynamic and it will never stay the same. Some will think that 50 years ago we didn’t suffer disasters like those mentioned above, but the truth is that now we are more aware of natural disasters.

Governments, scientists and people in general have learned how to deal with a natural disaster. Alarms have been set on time, backup plans have been useful to prevent more deaths and new technologies haven been used to predict a disaster. But it’s not enough. We have to investigate even more in order to prevent deaths and damages. Meanwhile, our responsibility is to be more careful about the alerts, the way we live, where we live and learn how to respond to a natural disaster that may occur in our area.

Images taken from http://www.iphoneworld.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/tornado-natural-disaster-400a061807.jpg and http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4782786/2/istockphoto_4782786_natural_disaster.jpg

Stooooopppppppp.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/2420766.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6181788.stm

Many people think that the responsibility for safe roads, campaigns to reduce car accidents and a high quality road system belongs to the government. I think that no matter in what conditionings you drive, you must always be careful with the way you drive. By that I mean that you should drive at the speed limit, be aware of other drivers and pedestrians and many other things. Sometimes governments can’t guarantee the necessary system to give total safeness to drivers and pedestrians but that is no excuse to anyone to drive the way they want to. There are many countries with amazing roads, clear signs and millions of dollar invested in safety but they haven’t prevented all accidents, and there are some that still happen. On the other hand, there are some countries that can’t invest that much money on roads, signs and others, but they don’t have as many accidents as other countries do. So the responsibility of the government is to provide roads, signs and others, but the responsibility of being a responsible drivers and pedestrians is ours. Learning how to be civilized, is better to loose one minute in your life driving in a responsible way than to loose your life in one minute. The challenge of the governments is to teach people how to be civilized and surprisingly tickets or campaigns with topless women are not the solution. Being aware of the damage that an irresponsible driver can cause may be the beginning of a new civilized drivers era.

Images taken from

http://site-images.ws/images/cust/62709066023475914149576034881927984028/166s_of_traffic.jpg and

http://blogs.cisco.com/news/traffic%20signs.jpg

Be aware...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/23/super.pills.ap/index.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23479808-details/The%20anorexic%20professor%20who%20ate%20so%20little%20her%20heart%20was%20the%20size%20of%20a%20child's/article.do
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7365192.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/us/06abuse.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1209992946-aOqTiN7OWhJbrA0b4rJv8g

I don’t think that drugs or alcohol addictions are attached to depressions or serious psychological problems. Nowadays people tend to look for the easiest way to live and handle problems of any kind. Rosemary Pope for example, a known academic with years of success and studies died at 49 years of anorexia nervosa. I’m sure she had problems, like anyone else; but as a successful person why did she suffer from a fatal addiction? Why every day do millions and millions of people around the world kill themselves slowly by making use of drugs, pills or alcohol? I think that we don’t know how to handle problems or depression. If somebody has a problem, the idea of dealing with it, talking about it and facing the consequences sounds like too much to handle. Because of this, many people turn into drugs to “deal” with the problems and making them “disappear”.

What makes me more concerned about any kind of addiction is that it has begun to affect people from all ages. In the UK, girls from 11 to 19 have tried to harm themselves and in the US substance abuse centers are aware of the increase in number of addicted patients over 50. A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conclude that by 2020 there will be 4.4 million older substance abusers. These numbers are really high and we should start to do something now…

Images taken from http://www.usnodrugs.com/images/addiction-drug-information.jpg and http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2005/01/21/addicts-inside.jpg

Addiction...

Millions of people from all over the world suffer some addiction. This problem attacs not only teenagers but also people in their 40's or even 50's. The discussion will be focused on why do you think people is addicted to a drug or alcohol and why this problem is more evident now in adults. Here are 4 articles that explain a specific addiction at different ages.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/23/super.pills.ap/index.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23479808-details/The%20anorexic%20professor%20who%20ate%20so%20little%20her%20heart%20was%20the%20size%20of%20a%20child's/article.do
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7365192.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/us/06abuse.html

Polygamy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/debates/african_debates/2348341.stm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/2004-10-03-turley_x.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1651071

For some men, the purpose of polygamy is wealth and power. For some women, polygamy gives them the chance to be more independent and to be able to pursue their dreams without being imprisoned in a household. I am against polygamy because I believe it goes against the main reason of marriage. Being married, or for some people compromised with another person for life means that I am completely committed to give myself as a whole to that person. I don’t think that in a polygamous relation everyone gets the most from their partner. In monogamous relations, both partners can develop themselves as workers, as students, as parents and as a person if they want to. Being married with a man or woman doesn’t mean that the spouse can’t work or pursue her dreams nor does it mean that the husband can’t be wealthy or powerful.

Many children that grow up without one of their parents develop depression, psychological problems and a lack of self-confidence. So, what can we expect of children that have fathers but only see him a few times a week? What kind of values can be taught in a polygamous environment? I don’t think that polygamy is the best way to create a family. Some people can argue that polygamous partners are as committed as monogamous partners or that there are some people that are self declared as monogamous but the reality says another thing. Yes, I know that. I don’t agree not only with polygamy but also with relations that act as polygamy under the name of monogamy.

Images taken from http://www.i4m.com/think/jpeg/hbo_big_love_polygamy.jpg and
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/uploads/082006polygamy_001.jpg

Do something now...

http://streetkidnews.blogsome.com/category/1/asia-streetkid-news/vietnam-streetkid-news/
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=167169
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2783125.stm

Vietnam is a country that has grown enormously for the past 10 years. It has one of the lowest rates of unemployment and it is the largest producer of cashew nuts in the world. But Vietnam has serious problems. It is still a very poor country. It has undeveloped areas where people live in deep poverty (population living under $1 per day). This situation has created an important issue with children because most of them have to work to support their families. The lack of consciousness about the rights of children doesn’t help. Parents receive money from their children's income, when those children must be at school preparing for their life. There are a lot of Vietnamese children without legal papers. This means that they can’t get medical help and they are not able to work for government companies. The lack of birth certificates has create bigger problems such as illegal adoptions of Vietnamese babies and growing numbers of children that suffer sex abuse and are infected with HIV/AIDS.

The situation with Vietnamese children is very sad. Most of them are abused by their employers because of the legal situation. The income they receive is sent to their families. The government should be more aware and effective with plans that help Vietnamese children. A good way to start would be the parent’s education about the right of children. These children shouldn’t be the ones that bring economic support to their families. If the problem is poverty, the government should be able to provide stable economic support to the parent in order to stop the exploitation of these children.

Images taken from

http://www.xeni.net/images/boingboing/guatemala/sandia-vendors-med.jpg and http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/imgs/content/portrait-of-boy-Ca-Mau-Vietnam.jpg

To wear it, or not to wear it, that is the question.

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=d30c80c6c361c41f64d8218e5b334646

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1645145,00.html
http://www.knbc.com/news/10754064/detail.html

The word Hijab “refers to women’s head and body covering, but in Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy and morality” (Wikipedia.org). To wear something because of religion, fashion or taste should be one’s choice. But the problem begins when someone decide for you what should you wear or not. In some countries the hijab has been prohibited, leaving Muslim women without a part of their religion. The ironic thing is that while in some countries the hijab can be forbidden, in other countries women can walk almost naked. I truly believe that in either case is our decision what to wear or not.

Most Muslim women use the hijab because it represents modesty and encourages men to respect them by their personalities and not by the way they look. For most women the hijab doesn’t represent oppression. Oppression is to force someone to wear or not to wear something. When the word fashion appears in the scene almost every piece of clothe is acceptable to be shown. So, why Muslim women can’t walk in the streets with their hijab? If in fashion, Vera Wang can show her collection with no problem, Muslim women should be able to walk freely with their hijab. Actually, Muslims women have gone further. Two Muslim women created a burqini. It is a full coverage swimsuit that gives the opportunity to swim without drowning and at the same time it help Muslim women to protect their privacy. Everyone should be able to wear something, by conviction or not.

Pictures taken from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1645145,00.html and http://amatulwadood.hadithuna.com/files/2007/10/my-hijab_my-choice.jpg

What does this have to do with me?

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/112/geng

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/business/worldbusiness/22deal.

For the past few years, the winter has been colder and the summer, much warmer. Climate is going crazy. What does that have to do with us? Many people will say that it has anything to do with them, but the reality is that global warming concerns to all of us. Companies, schools, government and people should be worried about what is happening and what the earth is telling us with these dramatic changes.

Four of the most powerful men in the US gather to see what they can do about global warming. They are all concern about finding a bio fuel that is economically efficient for the market. But while powerful people research for more solutions, can we do something to help?. Of course we can! Spend less time in shower, turn the lights off if you are not using them and be more careful about the things you buy in the supermarket. "Going green" doesn't mean spend more money. There are some products that are more concern with the environment and you will pay the same amount of money that you pay for regular products. A healthier planet is our responsibility, so make a change here and there and you will be contributing to the earth's welfare.

Think you will able to do some more dramatic changes? See this video…

Images taken from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/images/home/blizzard.gif and http://www.raven1.net/hike12.jpg

Global warming...What do you think?

Here is an article that explains how 4 of the most powerful men in the US are doing something about the global warming and its effects.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/business/worldbusiness/22deal.html?_r=1&ref=environment&oref=slogin

The idea is to find one or two more articles with new information so you can support your point of view.
Here is the link to two more articles, in the first one you will find an introduction to global warming, in case that you are not familiar with the subject and in the second one you will find information about an initiative of tech companies.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html#

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/wireStory?id=3344227

Creating comics...

My new assignment was to create a comic... At first it was hard to come up with something but here is the final result...
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/comix.html?comix_id=20593333

If you want to see more comics here is one of the most funny and sarcastic comicist in Colombia, his name is Vladdo and the comics are in spanish but they are very good. http://www.aleida.com/

Even more!!

Hi, last class I create a web page. On my site you are going to find more information about my country, Colombia and much more!

http://sandraft.googlepages.com/sandraft

Violence is not the best way...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7308890.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080314/pl_afp/chinatibetreligionprotestsrightsus_080314135032 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88236362

To make things clear for those who are not familiar (like me) with the conflict between China and Tibet here is a not so objective summary of what is happening in the Tibet Autonomous Region right now. It all started in 1951 when China and Tibet signed an agreement that claims that Tibet is part of China. But it goes further because China not only claimed Tibet as part of it, but also China's government has brutally suppressed the Tibetans for years. This suppression forced the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, to go into exile in India. For years Tibetans are forced to live by China´s rules and there are losing their culture. Hundreds of Tibetans have died through the years because of the conflicts.

Even though I find quite reasonable the motives of the unrest in Tibet, I don´t agree that the violence is the way of making justice. The only thing that this conflicts seems to achieve is hundreds of deaths, people hurt and physical damages. The only reality and the reason why everyone, not only Tibetans but also people from all over the world, needs to fight is for Tibetans freedom. Like the Dalai Lama said "We don´t want independence, we want autonomy". Tibetan has the right of practice their culture and decided for their selves what to believe and how to live. Like the White House said: "China must respect Tibetan culture".

Images taken from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88236362

About me...

Hi, my name is Sandra and I am studying English in the US. As a part of a class, I am creating this blog and what a great opportunity to share with you why I miss my country so much. Similar to most other countries, Colombia has some problems but in the end all the good things about my country are the things that really matter!!!

My husband and I moved here because of a great job opportunity, and now I am working on getting my profesional degree. Right now I am studying my second session at ESL Instruction & Consulting. I improved my gramatical skills as well as my public speaking skills and now I am starting to improve my writting skills. In this session I have the opportunity to volunteer in different places but I haven't started yet. I am really excited about it. Beeing here is making me realize that Colombia is full of beautiful places and amaizing people.

Why this blog?

For many years people have gone to my country and stay there for ever!! For those who haven't been to Colombia here you can find information about my country, beautiful places, history, important data to plan your trip and much more!!

Visit Colombia: The risk is to stay!!