African Fabric online-Aaron International

For spring, here a new website I like. Aaron International, their Gold Wax prints start  $25.00 for 6 yards!!! I am loving it. Headties at $15(2 yards). Duku at  $10 (1yard). They make nice scarfs and turbans. It is affordable with  nice design and colors. Here few I have on my wish list.

No Conflict Minerals in California!

"California is the first state to consider its own legislation to ease conflict minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo out of the supply chain for electronics." from California leads US in taking a swing against Congo's conflict minerals by Talia Samuelson.

Please Sign the Conflict Minerals Petition here

SB 861 is a landmark piece of legislation that will help curb the trade in illegally extracted minerals from eastern Congo. The conflict in Congo is the deadliest since World War II, claiming more than 5.4 million lives since 1998. Rape has become a devastating weapon of war; hundreds of thousands of women have reported brutal rapes, a fraction of the estimated total. This bill could incentivize compliance with federal regulations on conflict minerals and the development of conflict-free products. In so doing, SB 861 could help show, once again, that California is a leader in protecting the rights of the most vulnerable in the world. I support swift and complete passage of SB 861.

My extreme super moon was despicable me

This past week, I was busy navigating my constellation.I was super excited by the Perigee, Extreme Super moon.  On that famous day, I did miss it when it was at the horizon, then it was too cold. I could not chase a super moonlight in a freezing  rain. I could not brave the weather. I totally missed it. However, I was confident that such “extreme super moon” will bring me some kind of luck, revelation, something fabulous and positive.

Well, the following Sunday afternoon, I lost my wallet while bike riding home from the grocery store!!! Once I realized it, I when back to look and ask around. Nothing, it was lost!! The happy bliss was instantly replaced by extreme frustration with an aftertaste of “ super curse”. I never lost my wallet. I lost a lot of stuff but not my wallet! To be honest, I was a mess, no more moonlighting, relativism, Zen or balance. I was devastated because deep down I needed something extremely good to happen. I felt guilty, exposed and vulnerable. All those swirl of emotions over a lost wallet.The relativist in me became an absolutist:  Yes, extremely convinced of my bad luck or my “not so” lucky curse. I wondered what I have done, or not doing in this life to deserve some of my  problems. I did not see the lesson to be learned for my misadventure. I complained, then whined, cried and complained some more.  

Guess who called me at 1:30 am her time. My mother, she could not sleep and had the urge to call me!!! Yes, I got to get out my misery, to my mommy…  I felt better,she just brought back the relativist within  to life by reminding me that nobody was hurt. My family was healthy. I had no reason to give up hope because one extra bad thing happened.  She reminded me that I was healthy, loved, and blessed. It was and is true. My dream team came to rescue with an “extreme comfort dinner” involving a lot of carbs, meat, spiciness, cream, cheeses, chocolate, and ice cream. All that combined with a cartoon chosen by my padawan, Despicable Me.

And you know what; I was high on sugar, carbs, laughter and love. I ended up dancing on Pharell Williams Despicable Me theme song. By the way my padawan is definitively a Jedi apprentice in training. He knew that the movie and song would cheer me up. Thank you again to my dream team…

By Monday morning, I was Zen and calm. I counted my blessings while indulging on Nutella by the spoon because I really deserved it!!!  Life was good again, my lost wallet was a way to remind me that I was blessed. It was a sign that I should shut up and enjoy the flow of my constellation.

By Monday afternoon, an employee from a coffee shop on my route called me and said that someone return my wallet!!! (Out of despair I left my phone number and my name to all businesses on my route hoping that maybe…) This was the extreme super moon effect, I was expecting. I could not believe it!! I rushed over, it was my wallet, minus  60 dollars but everything was there. Yes! I have my wallet back.  Thanks God! Thank you to my dream team! Thank you to my extreme super moon.

FYI: I promised  to not complain for two weeks…:)

Peace

For Japan With Love

For Japan With Love

To Fukushima nuclear power heroes

While most of us  pray and hope for Japan, 180 employees at Fukushima nuclear power are real heroes. They are not just doing their jobs or duties. They are sacrificing their health to save others. Instead of mourning their losses or nursing their own family, they are trying to save others. It is admirable and virtuous. I do not like that many authors keep on stating “Japanese sense of duty”. Of course morality starts as a set of culturally defined goals and supports a social system of regulation.  However, we are talking about emergency and survival. There are not in time for considerations of appearance and convenience. It is that ultimate sense of survival as a group or “human community” that makes us more than social animals. I think that using national or social identity is undermining Japanese’s amazing resilience and strength in this catastrophe.
Thank you to all Fukushima employees!!! For Haiti, I hated that  some writers undermined the strength and dignity of the victims. I do not understand that ego trip. Maybe it is a language thing.  If I could read articles in Japanese it  would alleviate that weird stereotypical analysis. Maybe in time of crisis, ego trip is all we have left to reassure ourselves that we are doing good so far. Maybe we all just scared...

Now, in politico-economic boudoirs, the discussions are on nuclear power safety and readiness to natural hazards. Well, I am an optimistic person but I am allergic to double standards. While everybody pretends to surf the “I am so green trend”, our need to maximize progress is unstoppable!! Let us face it! Therefore, let’s not be optimist hypocrites about nuclear power!!! According to WHO, the average person is exposed to about 3.0 millisieverts (mSv) a year of radiation, from naturally-occurring, medical and other sources. Sadly at the Fukushima Daiichi site has recorded radiation as high as 400 millisieverts an hour -- a level known to be a risk to human health. Data from here.  Of course Japan nuclear catastrophe and the earthquake/tsunami devastation are alarming.

However, take a look on the map below and let us not forget that natural disasters can occur anywhere. Many countries are undergoing safety protocols on their old nuclear power plans while other stopped their  construction.
Hopefully, as a global community, "we" will be wiser by learning from Japan.

Country	In operation		Under construction
	Number	Electr. net output MW	Number	Electr. net output MW
Argentina	2	935	1	692
Armenia	1	375	-	-
Belgium	7	5,926	-	-
Brazil	2	1,884	1	1,245
Bulgaria	2	1,906	2	1,906
Canada	18	12,569	-	-
China Mainland Taiwan	13 6	10,048 4,980	27 2	27,230 2,600
Czech Republic	6	3,722	-	-
Finland	4	2,716	1	1,600
France	58	63,130	1	1,600
Germany	17	20,490	-	-
Hungary	4	1,889	-	-
India	20	4,391	5	3,564
Iran	-	-	1	915
Japan	54	46,823	2	2,650
Korea, Republic	21	18,665	5	5,560
Mexico	2	1,300	-	-
Netherlands	1	487	-	-
Pakistan	2	425	1	300
Romania	2	1,300	-	-
Russian Federation	32	22,693	11	9,153
Slovakian Republic	4	1,792	2	782
Slovenia	1	666	-	-
South Africa	2	1,800	-	-
Spain	8	7,514	-	-
Sweden	10	9,303	-	-
Switzerland	5	3,238	-	-
Taiwan	6	4,980	2	2,600
Ukraine	15	13,107	2	1,900
United Kingdom	19	10,137	-	-
USA	104	100,747	1	1,165
Total	442	374,958	65	62,862

Nuclear power plants world-wide, in operation and under construction, as of Jan 19, 2011

 Source Here

Help Japan

International Medical Corps
UNICEF

Taiko of hope for Japan:Kodo

Kodo  is the most known group  in modern Taiko. This is a homage to Japan and their spirit of cooperation.
To all children of Japan...
Same Moonlight for Our Dreams

Speech Debelle - Live and Learn

A sweet melody, great lyrics for this British rapper.
Thank you to  Corynne Elliot aka Speech Debelle for your poetry.!!!

The Drowned Book: Ecstatic and Earthy Reflections of Bahauddin, the Father of Rumi

I bought this book to learn more about  Sufi and Rumi. I never took the time to read it. My friend is reading it  and he recommended me to start reading it.  It seems easy to read. Besides, I do love poetry. However, it seems that I am not ready for more reflections at this time, so I am postponing my reading. I did flip through the commentary at the end of the book, to stop on a page 140 quoting a love poem from Etheridge Knight. Whom I did not know before!!! 

"Belly Song" by Etheridge Knight in The Essential Etheridge Knight

and I and I/must admit

that the sea in me

has fallen/ in love

with the sea in you

"Although a popular Islamic mystic who remains important to many Sufi sects, Bahauddin is known to the West primarily as the father of the thirteenth-century poet Rumi, interest in whose work has been revived by Coleman Barks' translations. Reminiscent of Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book, Bahauddin's writing in The Drowned Book is a miscellany that shows Bahauddin jumping from gardening tips to meditations on Qur'anic verses to quasi-erotic explorations of the Sufi's efforts to find unity with God. Readers unfamiliar with Islamic history and Sufi practice will wish the translators had included more explanatory commentary, but the translation itself is engaging and colloquial. The bits of Bahauddin's poetry included (e.g., "Why say autumn is the end of loving? / For us there will be another spring") are a far cry from Rumi's, but Bahauddin's prose reflects the mystical core of Sufi faith and constitutes an excellent example of nonpoetic Sufi writing. Readers interested in the Sufism behind Rumi's poems will find much to enjoy here. 

Artsy peek of the week

I took this picture last week. I could not enter to take a good picture but I love it!

" LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION CAN BE DANGEROUS, BUT IT IS ALWAYS WORTH IT"

Happy International Women Day

Today is international women day! To be honest, I felt that I became a “Woman” only after I gave birth. I am not saying that childbearing and motherhood are the only paths to womanhood!!! Seriously!! Personally, pregnancy humbled me and made me aware of my role as a woman. I was blessed to have parents who taught me that I could do anything I wanted. However, I always felt that being a girl was a sort a "handicap", especially in the African culture. Nevertheless that "handicap" gives back some much power as long as you accept your role. I was certainly rebellious but I accepted my duties and played my role, while I was convinced I could do anything. When, I became a mother, I realized that womanhood was a powerful blessing not a handicap.  Beyond the sleep deprivation, and never ending diapers, I felt a weird sense of power..I understood who I was...

Happy Women day to you all and thank you...

Thanks to all the Men… 

 Image from here

Foundation of the week: Women for Women International

"Women for Women International and Google are pleased to collaborate on Join me on the Bridge, a campaign honoring the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2011. Join me on the Bridge brings women and men together in solidarity on bridges around the world, celebrating the achievements of generations of women before us while shining an international spotlight on the issues still facing women around the world....Women for Women International works in regions of conflict and post-conflict, helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. To the women enrolled in the organization’s year-long program, Join me on the Bridge represents the opportunity to raise their voices, call for peace and security and, with Google’s help, stand in virtual solidarity on March 8th with the women and men around the world who support them."

I do believe that life is an infinite sequence of bridges. And no matter how you cross each bridge you will cross all of them. If we keep in mind that our individual life is a singly infinite sequence but Life is a double-infinite sequence which  has neither a first nor a final element.   So crossing few bridges together as one, is pure awareness that we are children of the Universe. 
You all know,how much I love bridges!!!  If you want to attend or organize an event, go here!