It was a most lovely autumn day today. I got up bright and early to go to the new UW Farm Market. It's in the Environmental Studies courtyard, and is organized by ES in an effort to support local food. it's fabulous, and cheap! 2 quarts of pears for $1.50! i also bought: green, red and yellow peppers, apple butter, a gorgeous purple cauliflower, green onions, red potatoes, wonderfully crisp apples, and carrots that taste like candy. oh! and 6 gourds that were all crazy shapen and wort-y. i used them for a photography project.
i'm really enjoying photography. mostly the developing. this afternoon, after the sunshine hid away, i went over to the dark room and processed for a while. quite, dark, with that red glow. it's good for thinking and centering oneself. of course i could go without the stench of the chemicals, but, heck, maybe they help the artist achieve a more...blissful calm. i came out of the dark room and it was starting to rain. now it's pouring, the sidewalk outside my room is becoming a small river.
i also went to class today. nothing especially intriguing, at least not compared to those wonderful vegetables.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
It was a most lovely autumn day today. I got up bright and early to go to the new UW Farm Market. It's in the Environmental Studies courtyard, and is organized by ES in an effort to support local food. it's fabulous, and cheap! 2 quarts of pears for $1.50! i also bought: green, red and yellow peppers, apple butter, a gorgeous purple cauliflower, green onions, red potatoes, wonderfully crisp apples, and carrots that taste like candy. oh! and 6 gourds that were all crazy shapen and wort-y. i used them for a photography project.
i'm really enjoying photography. mostly the developing. this afternoon, after the sunshine hid away, i went over to the dark room and processed for a while. quite, dark, with that red glow. it's good for thinking and centering oneself. of course i could go without the stench of the chemicals, but, heck, maybe they help the artist achieve a more...blissful calm. i came out of the dark room and it was starting to rain. now it's pouring, the sidewalk outside my room is becoming a small river.
i also went to class today. nothing especially intriguing, at least not compared to those wonderful vegetables.
i'm really enjoying photography. mostly the developing. this afternoon, after the sunshine hid away, i went over to the dark room and processed for a while. quite, dark, with that red glow. it's good for thinking and centering oneself. of course i could go without the stench of the chemicals, but, heck, maybe they help the artist achieve a more...blissful calm. i came out of the dark room and it was starting to rain. now it's pouring, the sidewalk outside my room is becoming a small river.
i also went to class today. nothing especially intriguing, at least not compared to those wonderful vegetables.
It was a most lovely autumn day today. I got up bright and early to go to the new UW Farm Market. It's in the Environmental Studies courtyard, and is organized by ES in an effort to support local food. it's fabulous, and cheap! 2 quarts of pears for $1.50! i also bought: green, red and yellow peppers, apple butter, a gorgeous purple cauliflower, green onions, red potatoes, wonderfully crisp apples, and carrots that taste like candy. oh! and 6 gourds that were all crazy shapen and wort-y. i used them for a photography project.
i'm really enjoying photography. mostly the developing. this afternoon, after the sunshine hid away, i went over to the dark room and processed for a while. quite, dark, with that red glow. it's good for thinking and centering oneself. of course i could go without the stench of the chemicals, but, heck, maybe they help the artist achieve a more...blissful calm. i came out of the dark room and it was starting to rain. now it's pouring, the sidewalk outside my room is becoming a small river.
i also went to class today. nothing especially intriguing, at least not compared to those wonderful vegetables.
i'm really enjoying photography. mostly the developing. this afternoon, after the sunshine hid away, i went over to the dark room and processed for a while. quite, dark, with that red glow. it's good for thinking and centering oneself. of course i could go without the stench of the chemicals, but, heck, maybe they help the artist achieve a more...blissful calm. i came out of the dark room and it was starting to rain. now it's pouring, the sidewalk outside my room is becoming a small river.
i also went to class today. nothing especially intriguing, at least not compared to those wonderful vegetables.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
I want to give my props for a great company that has helped me to green my period. I bought my Diva Cup at Lunapads.com and I absolutely love it. I'm also proud to say that Diva Cups are made in Kitchener-Waterloo! The Diva Cup is a great alternative to tampons or pads. Here's what Lunapads says about the Diva Cup: "Reusable, internally-worn menstrual cups have been trusted by women since the 1930s as safe and reliable alternatives to tampons. The DivaCup is made of 100% hypoallergenic silicone, is reusable for years, and has a one year money back guarantee. Reviewed and accepted by the U.S. FDA and Health Canada." I'm really excited that the Diva Cup cuts my waste during my period to almost zero. I'm also proud to shop from such a woman-positive company. Why should all the men running the corporate show be making money off menstruation? If you're interested in greening your period and tired spending too much of your hard earned cash on disposable, environmentally-damaging tampons and pads check out the great product line at www.lunapads.com.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
My New Favorite Grain:
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance within pre-columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, and the United Nations has classified it as a supercrop for its very high protein content (12-18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights.
Quinoa is an easy food to prepare, has a pleasantly light, fluffy texture when cooked and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an excellent alternative to white rice or couscous.
A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14-18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al-dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa.
Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. It is also well-suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.
Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.
Quinoa flour can be used in both wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour and tapioca and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is 3 parts quinoa flour, 3 parts sorghum flour, 2 parts potato starch and 1 part tapioca starch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
INCROYABLE!
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance within pre-columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, and the United Nations has classified it as a supercrop for its very high protein content (12-18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights.
Quinoa is an easy food to prepare, has a pleasantly light, fluffy texture when cooked and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an excellent alternative to white rice or couscous.
A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14-18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al-dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa.
Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. It is also well-suited to vegetable pilafs, complementing bitter greens like kale.
Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.
Quinoa flour can be used in both wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with sorghum flour and tapioca and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is 3 parts quinoa flour, 3 parts sorghum flour, 2 parts potato starch and 1 part tapioca starch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
INCROYABLE!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Leena Miller
PACS 202
Enrichment Report #1
September 22, 2006
Take Back the Night
Thursday September 21st I participated in the annual Take Back the Night march in Kitchener-Waterloo. The symbolic march has a historical background. It started in the 1970’s in England when women and children were forbidden from being on the streets after 10 p.m. unless a man accompanied them. These restrictions started in an effort to end a series of violent sexual assaults. Outraged at the law, women took a stand and marched to reclaim their right to walk in the streets without fear. Now, as the coordinators of the march explained, “Marches are held annually around the world to bring awareness and empowerment to individuals, and to inspire action that will bring an end to violence, and more specifically the sexual violence that intrudes into our lives and communities.”
This year the crowd of between 100-200 women and children assembled at the Brewmeister Green in Waterloo at 6:30. The evening started with a welcome from the volunteer organizers. They explained the purpose of the march (as a quoted above) and some instructions to keep everyone safe. They emphasised that we were participating in a peaceful march, with a goal of ending violence and creating a safer community. During the gathering time at Brewmeister, the coordinators also gave participants the opportunity to come up and briefly explain why they were marching. One woman shared her celebration to have just officially ended a 20-year abusive marriage. Another woman shared about her experience working the KW Sexual Assault Support Centre and gave some statistics that the centre had collected: everyday 10 women in the region are sexually assaulted and the KW police respond to 14 calls concerning domestic violence everyday. I found these local statistics quite shocking, especially when you consider how many cases of sexual violence go unreported as well.
The march then started, and we walked from the Brewmeister Green, up King Street and then over to Victoria Park. Along the way women and children carried signs, chanted, cheered, and interacted with onlookers, passing cars, and each other. I felt that we were well supported by passing cars that gave us supportive honks and thumbs up. Many storekeepers also came out to wave and support us along the way.
One of the most memorable parts of the march was a little boy, about 7 or 8 years old, who came with his mom. This boy brought his scooter along, and rode up and down the length of the crowd starting cheers such as “2, 4, 6, 8, real men don’t rape!” all the time with a huge smile on his face. His enthusiasm was contagious. Hopefully the memory of the march will stay with this boy as a powerful influence of respect and love for women.
This was my first time participating in an all women and children’s march. It was an empowering experience for me. The march helps to build awareness in the community about violence against women, and also raised my awareness about these issues. It is important to highlight that the march is symbolic. The large major of violence against women and children does not take place on the streets at night. The majority of sexual violence takes place in private homes, by people that are close to the women and children being abused. The march is not to deny or take away from this fact. Rather it creates a public space were private acts of violence can be addressed, as well as a place were public acts of violence can be addressed. Moving the violence that occurs behind closed doors into safe, supportive public spaces can help victims to heal and acts to prevent sexual violence from occurring in the first place.
In much of the “peace” activism I have participated in, peace-oriented communities that I am a part of (such as Conrad Grebel College), and the PACS 201 course I took, sexual violence is overlooked. These spaces tend focus on violence between nations and large groups of people. I think it is crucial for these classes, communities and groups to also examine the violence that occurs in our own communities. How do we expect our society as a whole to be peaceful when everyday 10 women in our community (here in Kitchener-Waterloo) are sexually assaulted? To build peace on a national and international level we must first address the violence that occurs in our own communities. Take Back the Night is an important step towards creating a community where all people feel safe and supported.
PACS 202
Enrichment Report #1
September 22, 2006
Take Back the Night
Thursday September 21st I participated in the annual Take Back the Night march in Kitchener-Waterloo. The symbolic march has a historical background. It started in the 1970’s in England when women and children were forbidden from being on the streets after 10 p.m. unless a man accompanied them. These restrictions started in an effort to end a series of violent sexual assaults. Outraged at the law, women took a stand and marched to reclaim their right to walk in the streets without fear. Now, as the coordinators of the march explained, “Marches are held annually around the world to bring awareness and empowerment to individuals, and to inspire action that will bring an end to violence, and more specifically the sexual violence that intrudes into our lives and communities.”
This year the crowd of between 100-200 women and children assembled at the Brewmeister Green in Waterloo at 6:30. The evening started with a welcome from the volunteer organizers. They explained the purpose of the march (as a quoted above) and some instructions to keep everyone safe. They emphasised that we were participating in a peaceful march, with a goal of ending violence and creating a safer community. During the gathering time at Brewmeister, the coordinators also gave participants the opportunity to come up and briefly explain why they were marching. One woman shared her celebration to have just officially ended a 20-year abusive marriage. Another woman shared about her experience working the KW Sexual Assault Support Centre and gave some statistics that the centre had collected: everyday 10 women in the region are sexually assaulted and the KW police respond to 14 calls concerning domestic violence everyday. I found these local statistics quite shocking, especially when you consider how many cases of sexual violence go unreported as well.
The march then started, and we walked from the Brewmeister Green, up King Street and then over to Victoria Park. Along the way women and children carried signs, chanted, cheered, and interacted with onlookers, passing cars, and each other. I felt that we were well supported by passing cars that gave us supportive honks and thumbs up. Many storekeepers also came out to wave and support us along the way.
One of the most memorable parts of the march was a little boy, about 7 or 8 years old, who came with his mom. This boy brought his scooter along, and rode up and down the length of the crowd starting cheers such as “2, 4, 6, 8, real men don’t rape!” all the time with a huge smile on his face. His enthusiasm was contagious. Hopefully the memory of the march will stay with this boy as a powerful influence of respect and love for women.
This was my first time participating in an all women and children’s march. It was an empowering experience for me. The march helps to build awareness in the community about violence against women, and also raised my awareness about these issues. It is important to highlight that the march is symbolic. The large major of violence against women and children does not take place on the streets at night. The majority of sexual violence takes place in private homes, by people that are close to the women and children being abused. The march is not to deny or take away from this fact. Rather it creates a public space were private acts of violence can be addressed, as well as a place were public acts of violence can be addressed. Moving the violence that occurs behind closed doors into safe, supportive public spaces can help victims to heal and acts to prevent sexual violence from occurring in the first place.
In much of the “peace” activism I have participated in, peace-oriented communities that I am a part of (such as Conrad Grebel College), and the PACS 201 course I took, sexual violence is overlooked. These spaces tend focus on violence between nations and large groups of people. I think it is crucial for these classes, communities and groups to also examine the violence that occurs in our own communities. How do we expect our society as a whole to be peaceful when everyday 10 women in our community (here in Kitchener-Waterloo) are sexually assaulted? To build peace on a national and international level we must first address the violence that occurs in our own communities. Take Back the Night is an important step towards creating a community where all people feel safe and supported.
Monday, September 18, 2006
it's been raining all day which coincides with my introspective mood. a nice cleansing, not too cool rain. i've been thinking alot about burkina and alizeta and safia. i got up, signed up for yoga on campus, i went to class, ate lunch, read, took a nap on the futon by the window with the rain, steady. then i read some more, wrote some, ate a really wonderfully fresh "ginger golden" apple from the farmers market with peanut butter. i went to yoga in the evening in kitchener. i like taking the bus there. i feel calm, centered, sad about how horribly unjust the world is.
Today, I’ve been really troubled by some news from my friend Beth Jacob about a woman that I worked with in Burkina Faso, I’m going to copy Beth’s post http://bethinburkina.blogspot.com/:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006
She had just turned seventeen when she found a job as a housemaid. Safia was a lovely young girl, very short and slight with a kind, intelligent face very much like her mother’s. Safia’s parents were thrilled she’d found a job. The family was barely getting by, despite her mother’s job at the recycled paper project. Safia would be working at the home of a well-off Burkinabé family and receive two meals a day, as well as a small salary. What a great piece of luck.
Only it wasn’t. Two months later, Safia was dead.
Her mother came to work that day in July and told me that Safia was dead.
“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it. Was it an accident?” That was my first thought. If she had been ill, her mother would have mentioned it.
“No, she was sick, but we didn’t know. She was at work and she had to sleep at the house of her employer most nights.”
We talked a little more. I was very sorry that I was leaving and could not go to the funeral.
When I came back to Burkina , I went over to the project and asked after Alizeta. She wasn’t at work because the baby was sick. Her brother and sister in law had died of HIV last year and she has been taking care of their baby daughter ever since.
When I asked about Alizeta yesterday morning, Eugenie (the president of the paper project) told me that Alizeta was at the Social Services office trying to see a lawyer.
“She’s suing that woman” Eugenie announced. To say I was astounded is putting it mildly. The Burkinabé legal system is not big on suing (like the French) and the whole thing is heavily weighted against the poor.
But Eugenie explained that there had been an even more horrible end to Safia’s story than I had known. When Alizeta and her husband got Safia’s body for the burial, they also got the death certificate and they knew something was very wrong. The death certificate read “meningitis”, but Safia had obviously been badly beaten around the head.
Safia had mentioned that her employer hit her. Sadly, this is not uncommon when young girls go to work for Burkinabé families. She didn’t like it, but accepted it as the price of having a job in this land of high unemployment.
It looks like the woman she worked for beat her so badly that she died of a head injury and then paid a doctor to write a false cause of death on the certificate.
For many people here, slavery is not a relic of the past.
No wonder the most prized jobs here are the ones in the homes of foreigners. At least you won’t be beaten and possibly killed for improperly ironing a shirt.
I am so disgusted.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006
She had just turned seventeen when she found a job as a housemaid. Safia was a lovely young girl, very short and slight with a kind, intelligent face very much like her mother’s. Safia’s parents were thrilled she’d found a job. The family was barely getting by, despite her mother’s job at the recycled paper project. Safia would be working at the home of a well-off Burkinabé family and receive two meals a day, as well as a small salary. What a great piece of luck.
Only it wasn’t. Two months later, Safia was dead.
Her mother came to work that day in July and told me that Safia was dead.
“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it. Was it an accident?” That was my first thought. If she had been ill, her mother would have mentioned it.
“No, she was sick, but we didn’t know. She was at work and she had to sleep at the house of her employer most nights.”
We talked a little more. I was very sorry that I was leaving and could not go to the funeral.
When I came back to Burkina , I went over to the project and asked after Alizeta. She wasn’t at work because the baby was sick. Her brother and sister in law had died of HIV last year and she has been taking care of their baby daughter ever since.
When I asked about Alizeta yesterday morning, Eugenie (the president of the paper project) told me that Alizeta was at the Social Services office trying to see a lawyer.
“She’s suing that woman” Eugenie announced. To say I was astounded is putting it mildly. The Burkinabé legal system is not big on suing (like the French) and the whole thing is heavily weighted against the poor.
But Eugenie explained that there had been an even more horrible end to Safia’s story than I had known. When Alizeta and her husband got Safia’s body for the burial, they also got the death certificate and they knew something was very wrong. The death certificate read “meningitis”, but Safia had obviously been badly beaten around the head.
Safia had mentioned that her employer hit her. Sadly, this is not uncommon when young girls go to work for Burkinabé families. She didn’t like it, but accepted it as the price of having a job in this land of high unemployment.
It looks like the woman she worked for beat her so badly that she died of a head injury and then paid a doctor to write a false cause of death on the certificate.
For many people here, slavery is not a relic of the past.
No wonder the most prized jobs here are the ones in the homes of foreigners. At least you won’t be beaten and possibly killed for improperly ironing a shirt.
I am so disgusted.
Alas, i definitly haven't gotten into the habit of posting regularily. I'm moved back up to waterloo ontario, a city that i feel very much at home in. i had a week to settle in an have some golly gee fun seeing old friends again, and then i started classes last week. I'm really enjoying living in an apartment on campus, were i can cook to my heart's (and my health's) content. Sunday i made a huge garden vegetable curry with fresh carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, onions, garlic, cabbage all from the st jacob’s farmer’s market. Yummm! I’ve also been making lots of smoothies because my housemate has this incredible hand blender that you can just stick right in your glass. My favorite invention thus far has been Ginger Peach:
1/2-1 C vanilla yogurt (from a local, happy free-range cow of course)
2 fresh peaches (also local), or frozen works great too…
lots of fresh grated ginger
some rice milk, depending on your consistency preference.
Blend, and enJOY!
1/2-1 C vanilla yogurt (from a local, happy free-range cow of course)
2 fresh peaches (also local), or frozen works great too…
lots of fresh grated ginger
some rice milk, depending on your consistency preference.
Blend, and enJOY!
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