http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/world/14climate.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

climate change. global warming. the u.s. is the number one emitter of greenhouse gases...and they're trying so hard not to change that!

so essentially, very soon we're all going to be forced to test out our swimming skillz. the freakin arctic ice caps are melting at an alarming rate. as i sit here writing this blog, it's like 23°C outside...as warm as it gets in a typical summer day in toronto. i miss the snow, the coolness of seeing your breathe as you walk out your door. i miss even scraping the ice off of my car windows. i can't believe we're changing this world so fast. and you may think that global climate change is just making the world warmer...so what's the big deal? the big deal is that there are other consequences that come out of it.  malaria endemic zones are going to expand to cover whole countries (so people without immunity to malaria will be infected at a greater rate), vast amounts of land are going to be covered in water (Florida and the Caribbean will be underwater) which will force people to move inland, air quality will only decrease causing widespread respiratory illness.  i'm sad, because we can stop this. i'm sad that the government isn't putting in measures that will attempt to curb even more suffering.

sweatshops. usas. when i learn about issues like this i don't know how to react. my first reaction is to vow not to buy any more clothes from the gap, old navy, or any piece of clothing that was made in a third world country.  i actually made a vow like that about a week ago. i must do everything that i can to stop this cycle of violence and not take part in the dehumanizing practices of large corporations blinded by profit. so much of me wants to give up buying clothes that i know have been made and assembled by hands that were only paid 3 cents for every shirt they churned out. liz claiborne jackets that have been sold for over $200, while the maker was only compensated 10 cents for their labour. such injustice, slavery on a level that we refuse to imagine. and yea, the other side of the argument is that at least these companies are bringing jobs to these areas. but these jobs trap, aren't good enought, do not provide any sort of living wage. so i want to rebel. i want to break out of this mold in america; where i'm surrounded by people thinking that buying these clothes is the norm. i've made it my norm too. i've made exploitation apart of my life. this is the gut reaction of so many people who have learned about the conditions in sweatshops. but how do you live in a society such as this where clothes made in other countries is the norm, and companies like american apparel are so scarce? and on my skimpy clothing budget, i tell myself that i can't afford more expensive clothes that were made on american soil outside of factory of underpaid workers. i need a paradigm shift, action instead of just a reaction to this situation.

i vowed to only buy clothes made in the U.S., but it's so hard. i went to target yesterday and so quickly violated my promise. i am so weak!! so easily moved by america, by americanness, by westernness, by what is seen as the norm. yea, it's "ok" that i bought a shirt, but it's not. i'm fueling the beast.

i'm between a rock and a hard place. change is hard. are these limitations that i put on myself too harsh? am i trapping myself for wanting to do what is right? how do i do good in a society that is built upon such injustice? it's good to grapple, i need to be fighting.

working at the microbio lab at Emory has changed the way I view my life. i find myself wanting to do more spontaneous experiments throughout my day. for example, today in the shower i got the brilliant idea of determining how much hair i lose in those short 15 minutes. so to do this, i had to figure out a way of gathering my data. so i stoppered (is that a word?) my shower so that at the end i can just scoop up my hair. before i knew it, the water level rose to above my ankles got higher and HiGHer and HIGHER. as the avid environmentalist that i am, i always turn off the water when i'm not using it to rinse off. yet even in the midst of my efforts for conservation, i was still waddling in gallons and gallons of drinkable water. the amount of H2O it seemed like i was wasting disgusted me. i am so priviledged that i get to shower with treated and purified water. this is why showering, to me, is so overrated. yeah, you'll be clean after and won't smell, but dang it's a waste. our waters are such a precious resource. DON'T waste water. NOW. there's an environmental lesson in everything...

but i didn't forget about my experiment. i eventually gathered my data and figured out that i lose so much more hair than i thought in the shower. but who doesn't. it just sucks that our shower doesn't drain anymore cause of these strands of protein. there's power in numbers.

my 13.1 miles of pure adventure

wow. God is good.

I can't believe that I finished the race! the day started early at a 4:30am wakeup call...walking to the MARTA station...taking it to the Chamblee station, it seems all blur to me right now. During my run I felt like i wanted to stop so many times...it was so tempting. the powerade was good at the water stops...very lemony.

2 hours of purity...pure endurance...pure strength...pure weakness...a pure test.

but for the first time (or maybe not the first...i just can't think of any other time right now) i truly felt like i was apart of this city. being at emory, you're secluded from what's going on in AtL. i normally don't get a chance to interact with people outside of college student...but today it was refreshing. the greatest were the people who cheered on the sidelines throughout the race. they were so encouraging...at one point i felt like i was on the verge of tears. and when you're running with 7600 other people...all huffing and puffing...all with one goal in mind...to finish the race, it's a great homey feeling. you feel like you're apart of something greater than yourself, when you all move as one unit together. there were runners all around, thousands up, thousands down...and you realize that you're just a small part of this world, but a crucial one for that matter. i loved being in the middle of the crowd. i loved feeling like we were working toward one solitary goal.

one common purpose--- one unit...one body.

at the end...i could barely walk...i could barely stand...but it was a great place to be in. i finished 2h 55s. i don't think i've ever run that fast in training. wow...God is good.

thanks to everyone who supported me through your prayers, financial support, or even just being an encouragement to me. i couldn't have done it without you all! i still haven't raised the $700 yet...and they've extended the deadline to raise money for ASHA for education in India to Christmas. so if you want to donate any amount of money at all....feel free to. I ran so they can read!