update

I just joined (for the second time in my life) the direct sales company Tastefully Simple. The products are really fabulous! I am looking to bring in more income and to possibly grow this to full time for the summer.

www.tastefullysimple.com


That said my life is hectic and crazy!! I work as much as I can while trying to juggle the stress of a graduate class. I am really overwhelmed...forgive my absence for sometime.

anthrogeek10

Religiosity and family members of the opposite kind

This is an age old problem that I suspect many people from all faiths have dealt with. My mom is an Evangelical Christian who truely believes her way is the only way to spiritual enlightenment/heaven, etc. She insists on preaching to me. At times it is a regular "praise the Lord sermon" over and over and over. At times, she sneaks it in when one is least expecting it! I am thinking my mom and I could be getting along famously (strange) and all of a sudden *POW* she hits me with her "come back to Jesus" sermon. When times like that occur, I clam up. I tend to want to be calm, say the right thing, stay true to my beliefs--all that. I do not think that method is working for me. I have explained to mom in letters that I am not a Christian (horror of horrors) and I would like to be repected for that.





My mom always seems to do this at the time that she lends/gives me a gift. She sneaks in her little two cents. So--what is the problem? She lives in Chicago-I live in Orlando....
Well, I do not feel fully accepted by my mom for who I am and my beliefs. It almost feels like her love is conditional.

Anyone else felt like this and how did you handle it? Successfully?

anthrogeek10

Reflections on the past semester

I have made it through another semester quite successfully if I do say so myself. I earned decent grades. Not up to my usual standards but passable nevertheless.
Language and Culture,B
Culture, Power and Development, A-
Archaeology of Complex Societies, A-
I really did the best I could under the circumstances and will not beat myself up for it.

I am now down to a part time course load and fulltime work. Its ok. I had a rough past semester and I may graduate late but I will graduate soon enough. I was going to take a year off between my undergrad and my graduate level course work so this is not a huge problem.

I will be taking Anthropology of Tourism and Indians of the SE United States. The former is the graduate level one. A major paper is required. Should be interesting. I mean that in all sincerity. The professor has a repute of being top in her field.

New Years is upon us once again. I do not really do resolutions but I do reflect on what I need to change in myself, which is more than I care to mention here. :)

Have a wonderful New Years Day and be safe....
anthrogeek10

"I am a Muslim" video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQXh20OuhIc&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Friendly reminder of how lucky I feel to live in a multi-cultural country!

changes once again

The grand plan has changed. Life is not anything if it is dull right? I know not many people read my blog but thats ok. I will mention I am going down to part time school starting in the fall. I will be taking a graduate course-Anthropology of Tourism and an online undergraduate course on Native Americans.

My decision has been made in light of recent issues with my soon to be ex husband. Yes, I have called it quits. I hope to dissolve this marriage quickly but funds are at a minimum now. I will work full time and attend class part time. I know the graduate class will be quite different in that there will be alot of writing compared to past courses.

The new plan is to graduate Dec 2010

anthrogeek10

Individualism vs Community centered

I being my innocent self at work this afternoon and my American Muslim friend texted me saying how her hubby (from Syria) took her car before she woke up and decided to drive the beater to Tampa Bay with a friend to buy veggies or something (cheap apparently). The car IS a beater and proved itself on the interstate and broke down. Well, lo and behold, what a suprise-the men had "a friend" who owned a tow truck and of course was not busy and of course knew how to fix it. :)

It got me thinking-what if my car broke on the interstate, who would I have to help me? My hubby is worthless. He has no car. I would have to call an expensive towing company and start negotiations myself and it would cost me dearly. I should have AAA. I know. Anyhow, it got me thinking that the way we think,what we value and how our society operates is MUCH different than how countries in the Arab speaking world operate. For that matter, Central and South Asia tend to be similar in this regard. When in trouble, people from those regions *always* seem to *know someone* to help them and to be rescued. This is a positive practical aspect to having a community centered outlook vs. a individualistic outlook. Our society is all about me me me me. My hubby's friend called the other night. Long story but his van blew a tire-ok, the donut tire blew. My hubby took the car to take him home. That's all he could do practically due to finances but what if he did not have my hubby?

What are some of the other good things about a community centered outlook? Well, if someone has food, it is a pretty sure bet they will share it among the group as it will be shared back if needed.

Some of the negatives (at least to the Western perspective) revolve around individual desires and wants such as the choice of not having children or getting married (is not a "choice" in many parts of the world). The career choice may not be a choice after all--what the parents want takes priority.

Can anyone share some things about this often perplexing topic...

anthrogeek10

Little bit of food anthropology

"In a much lesser vein, although I generally feel very comfortable in France, I have, when rather fed up with something, done wild things like eat cheese and bread at the end of the meal as if it were a sandwich (you have to know the French to understand how truly rebelliously barbaric this is), and gone to the grocery store in a track suit–wild! "

http://saudiwoman.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/saudi-shewolf/

Chiara wrote the above on one blog I rarely frequent (due to time constraints). I found this interesting. I used to be a beverage product developer and have been to cooking school and have had a love affair with food for years. I have waffled between an advanced degree with a focus in Food Anthropology (preferably from UI) or focus on my other passion-Western converts to Islam. I have chosen the later. :) Firmly!
That said, at almost 11 pm the night before I need to teach, I find Chiara discussing food and culture in one post! Yummy. I have been to Paris. I did not enjoy the experience (enjoyed Pakistan more). Maybe I did the very thing you said is a barbaric act. lol

Anyhow, if you are reading here-maybe we can discuss cultural food "mistakes" or times where you felt awfully uncomfortable in a food/culture sort of way.

I will share more of my own as things (hopefully) progress....
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