LarkAbroad

Saturday, July 26, 2014

A Quick Trip to Brussels- with Maureen & Roxy

Our day began with a local Belgian brocante.

Followed by breakfast at Maureen's new lovely abode

Then we went scarf shopping/supply shopping, which is located next to the brothel street.

Love YOUself. And yourself. And English.

the girls sample rotis. yum!

Then we navigated through the maze of construction to finally arrive at lunch- first we had soup at one cafe and then pide at another. A progressive lunch!

Turkish coffee

Then we made it to the Atomium/Minieurope, 15 minutes after it closed, so we just had a stroll and took a few photos.

Matching scarves from the scarf shop- I made them take the photo, and they were good sports about it. I am blessed with wonderful friends!

For a final favorite of Brussels, we did a quick run to the grande place and got Galler praline-filled "waffles". Perfection! What a great vacation day with fantastic friends.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

120 Books

86 down, 34 to go!

Last year I decided to read 100 books to try to make a dent in my reeeediculously large amazon.com wishlist. Since I essentially read 10 books per month from May 2013-November 2013, I decided I should probably continue the effort to read 10 books a month.
The books listed below are sitting in patient stacks in my living room. Can't hardly wait!

COMPLETED:
1. Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America by Azadeh Moaveni (Recommend- great exploration of being bi-cultural, not quite fitting in anywhere, and all the issues that plague Iran.)
5.   The Things They Cannot Say by Kevin Sites (Thanks Paul)
6.   The Hiding Place by Elizabeth & John Sherrill (highly recommend)
8. Sweden- Culture Smart! by Charlotte DeWitt
9. The Swedish Secret: What the United States Can Learn from Sweden's Story by Earl Gustafson
10. Culture Shock! Sweden by Charlotte Svensson
11. Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric by Veronica Buckley (good info, but painfully slow-moving. First 50 pages were not easy to push through, but it picks up now and again the further along I read.)
12. What Happened to Sweden? While American Became the Only Superpower by Ulf Nilson (highly recommend. honest commentary, great voice- really a pleasant read in terms of a history book. short, sweet, and informative).
13. Swedish Lessons: A Memoir of Sects, Love, and Indentured Servitude. Sort of.  by Natalie Burg (a bit crass, but a funny story)
14.  In Honor of Fadime: Murder and Shame by Unni Wikan (HIGHLY recommend. Very nice compliment to this book).
15. Of Swedish Ways by Lily Lorenzen (includes some folk songs and proverbs- nice)
16. Drinking Camel's Milk in the Yurt: Expat Stories from Kazakhstan by Monica Neboli
17. Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis (I didn't like this compilation of stories as much as the volume she did for Iraqi children, but still worth reading).
18. Untold: A History of the Wives of the Prophet Mohammed by Tamam Kahn (interesting, but a little annoying- includes poetry the author wrote in addition to the biographies of the women)

19. Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy by Susan Ray Schmidt

20. My Estonia: Passport Forgery, Meat Jelly Eaters, and Other Stories by Justin Petrone
23. Cannibals and Kings: The Origins of Cultures by Marvin Harris (feels a bit preachy- some interesting ideas but feels very much like an agenda and not so much an honest discussion- Harris is a cultural determinist and makes little effort to balance perspectives)
24. The Crisis of Zionism by Peter Beinart (Thanks Yvonne!- Recommend- very clear and thoughtful)

27. The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History by John S. Major (Thanks Susan & Bri)

28. Culture Shock! Belgium by Mark Elliott
29. Stories from the Silk Road by Cherry Gilcrest (really lovely illustrations, recommend for children)
30. I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity by Izzeldin Abuelaish (highly recommend for all people)

31. Quran and Woman: Rereading the Scared Text from a Woman's Perspective by Amina Wadud (highly recommend for all Mulisms)

32. Religions of the Silk Road by Richard Foltz (HIGHLY recommend for those interested in the ebb and flow of various religious traditions- Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity)

33. Culture Smart! Belgium Customs & Culture by Mandy MacDonald

34. Strong was her Faith! Women of the New Testament by J. E. Kalas (recommend)
35. Women in Islam by Nicholas Awade (highly recommend- nicely organized by topic)
36. The Alevis in Turkey by David Shankland (academic reading, very information dense)

37. Allah's Garden: A True Story of Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco by Thomas Hollowell

38. The Road From Morocco by Wafa Faith Hallam
39. Stolen Lives: 20 Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir (recommend)

40. Journey to Freedom: Moroccan Stories by Sascha von Bornhiem (do not recommend)

41. Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East by Isobel Coleman (Thanks Amy!- HIGHLY recommend, very informative and compelling)

42. Culture Shock! Morocco by Orin Hargraves

43. Moon Over Marrekech: A Memoir of Loving Too Deeply in a Foreign Land by Nazneen Shiekh
44. Hussein & The Nomad by Rahal Eks (very interesting story- slightly graphic- about the gay male experience in Morocco).

45. The Harem Within: Tales of a Moroccan Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi

47. The land of Veiled Women: Some Wandering in Algeria, Tunisia, & Morocco by John Foster Fraser

48. A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne

50. In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams by Tahir Shah (recommend- i love both of his books they include pen-sketches he does. great story teller and amazing life- survived torture in a Pakistani prison and bought/renovated a villa in Morocco.)
51. Culture Smart! Morocco: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture by Jillian York
53. Nobel Laureates in Search of Identity & Integrity by Hallengren (nice overview of this selection of Laureates I mostly knew nothing about, but a bit dry)
54. Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz by Olga Lengyel (very highly recommend)

55. American Sniper by Chris Kyle (recommend)

56. The Couscous Genie: 3 Tunisian Stories by Mohamed Bacha (interesting folk tales, but poorly translated)

57. Four Fantastic Tales from Tunisia by Mohamed Bacha (similar to his other book, including some errors-it is a shame, these would make lovely children's books).
58. Silencing the Past: The Arab Spring , Israel, & the Tunisian Jews by Rob Boublil (recommend. informative)

59. Dreaming of a Mail-Order Husband by Ericka Johnson (recommend- compelling perspectives)
63. Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism by Karima Bennoune (Highly recommend-insightful)

65. 3.096 Days in Captivity: The True Story of my Abduction, Eight Years of Enslavement, and Escape by Natascha Kampusch
70. The Wisdom of Big Bird by Caroll Spinney (thanks mom!)

71. Sesame Street Unpaved: Scripts, Stories, Secrets, & Songs by David Borgenicht (thanks Mom!)
72. Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis (thanks mom!)

75. Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown by Eric Blehm

76. The Six Great Ideas by Mortimer Adler (layman's philosophy)

77. Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War by Anthony Shadid (recommend- valuable insight into the Iraqi experience of the war)
78. Eleni by Nicholas Gage (highly recommend- wartime account in the modern history of Greece)

79. Culture Shock! Greece by Clive L. Rawlins
80. Bones Washed in Water and Wine by Sydney

Marangou-White (recommend, short read)

81. Falling in Honey by Jennifer Barclay (ok, nothing special BUT recipes in the back! )
82. The Feasts of Memory by Elias Kulikundis

83. I Was a Child Spy by constantine bouboulis
84. Culture Smart! Greece by Constantine Buhayer
85. After the Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Memoir of Greece by John Walters (A bit chatty)
86. Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd (very boring)
87. Only the Birds are Free: The Story of a War Child in Greeceby Anna Christake Cornwell (worth reading)
88. North of Ithaka by Eleni Gage
89. Harlot's Sauce: A Memior of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece by Patricia Volonakis (also worth reading)

90. Things of the Hidden God by Christopher Merrill

91. Culture Smart! UAE by John Walsh

97. Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas (highly recommend- funny and fun)
101. Imagining Arab Womanhood: The Cultural Mythology of Veils, Harems, and Belly Dancers in the U.S.by Amira Karmakni
102. The Cave Painters: Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists by Gregory Curtis (highly recommend. Very pleasant and engaging presentation, builds anticipation of seeing the caves).

103. Xenophobe's Guide to the French by Nick Yapp & Michel Syrett
107. Burqalicious: The Dubai Dairies, A True Story of Sun, Sand, Sex, and Secrecy by Becky Wicks
112. The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy by Auxier & Seng (recommend)
113. Church of Lies by Flora Jessop
114. No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late by Ayun Halliday
115. The Xenophobe's Guide to the Greeks by Alexandra Fiada

116. Point Your Face at This by Demetri Martin

117. Playing with Words (Greek Idioms) by AIOLOS

118. Greek Proverbs By AIOLOS
119. Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis & Larry Sloman (honest, raw, but mostly about drugs)
120. The Holy Quran (in support of my friends during the holy month of Ramadan/fasting)

121. The Caliphs of Prophet Muhammad by Dr. Muhammad Ali Kossaibati (Thanks Youssra!)
122. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (Recommend. Includes recipes and a section after the memoir about the history of Mennonites)

CURRENTLY UNDERWAY:

3. A-Z Guide to the Hadith by Mokhtar Stork (Thanks Faisal!! informative, but so hard to stay awake!)

26. The Old Testament - KJV

46. Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges by Marivne Howe

49. An Introduction to Moroccan Arabic & Culture by Abdellah Chekayri
52. Moroccan Arabic by Aaron Sakulich

96.   The History of God: The 4,000-year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by Karen Armstrong
100.  Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russel Hochschild
99. White Gold: The Extrodinary History of Thomas Pellow and Islam's One Million White Slaves by Giles Milton
22. 100 Letters Home: My Two Years in Kyrgystan by Emily Ross
73. Hindu Wisdom for All God's Children by Francis X. Clooney, S.J. (thanks Donna!)
106. Sectarian Gulf by Toby Matthiesen
123. Farewell to Dejla: Stories of Iraqi Jews at Home and in Exile by Tova Murad Sadka

UP NEXT:
2.   The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin
4.   The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett (fiction)
7.   The Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff & Alex Tresniowski (Thanks Mom)
21. Kazakhstan: Surprises and Stereotypes 20 Years After Independence by Jonathan Aitken
25. Polish Customs, Traditions, & Folklore by Knab (Thanks Paul!)
60. The Light Between Oceans: A Novel by M. L. Stedman (thanks mom!)
61. Cairo: Memoir of a City Transformed by Ahdaf Soueif
62. State of Failure by Jonathan Schanzer
64. A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story by Qaid Akbar Omar
66. Bush Wives and Girl Soldiers by Chris Coulter
67. The Darkest Corner of the World by Urve Tamberg
68. Shame by Jasvinder Sanghera
69. Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, its People, and its History by Telushkin (Thanks Donna!)

74. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs, and Rituals by George Robinson (thanks Donna!)

92. No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan
93. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Kahn Rescued his Empire by Jack Weatherford(Thanks Donna!)

94. Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict by Janie L. Leatherman

95. Lucky in Cyprus: A true story about a boy, a teacher, an earthquake, some terrorists, and the CIA by Allan Lucky Cole

98. The Wearing of the Green: The History of St. Patrick's Day by Mike Cronin and Daryl Adair

104. Dubai Dreams: Inside the Kingdom of Bling by Raymond Barrett

105. Sheikhs, Lies, & Real Estate: The Untold Story of Dubai by Roth

108. A Diamond in the Desert: Behind the Scenes in Abu Dhabi, the World's Richest City by Jo Tatchell

109. Gridlock: Labor, Immigration, and Human Trafficking in Dubai by Pardis Mahdavi

110. Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea

111. Rape in Antiquity: Sexual Violence in the Greek & Roman Worlds by Deacy & Pierce

Monday, June 30, 2014

Annual Goals: An Update

Annual Goals 2014 UPDATE

2014 Resolutions:

12. Lose 10 Kilos.

2.8 kilos down

11. Do 1 Pay-it-Forward/random act of kindness each month

Completed 1 or more pay-it-forwards each month thus far (sending scarves, chocolate, books)

10. Improve my Turkish seriously

UPDATE: Excellent course at the Turkish Language Center in Izmir. Perfect opportunity to improve my ability to make sentences, review vocabulary, learn new vocabulary and grammar, learn how to ask questions, and enjoy a little real-life in Turkey. Very satisfied with progress and practice.

9. Improve my French seriously

no progress!

8. Pass 2nd Arabic course/ Continue to improve Arabic seriously

Passed the exam for elementary Arabic! I am now officially a pre-intermediate student. Enrolled in American Military University's Arabic 100 class and scored 100% on my first quiz an second quiz (its a LOT easier learning a multiple language when the instructor speaks English!). Very happy with my progress.

7. Watch 1 documentary/historic film per month (12 total)

January- Jerusalem: Center of the World (recommend- shows the beautiful architecture and features scholars from each of the three main religions present in the city. Discusses history, sites, and traditions)

February- Islam: Empire of Faith (ok)

March- China's Lost Girls (short but very interesting story and serious situation)

April- Egypt, Quest for Eternity (ok)

May- America Before Columbus

June- Prostitution Behind the Veil (About Iran)

6. Learn to cook 12 new things

7 done, 5 to go!

Afghan Samosas

Turkish Coffee

Polish Salad

Swedish Meatball Sandwich

Moroccan Tagine

Potato Dill Salata, Turkish style

Double-layer kofta balls

5. Read 120 Books (priority for non-fiction)

70 done-

COMPLETED:
1. Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America by Azadeh Moaveni (Recommend- great exploration of being bi-cultural, not quite fitting in anywhere, and all the issues that plague Iran.)
6.   The Hiding Place by Elizabeth & John Sherrill (highly recommend)
8. Sweden- Culture Smart! by Charlotte DeWitt
9. The Swedish Secret: What the United States Can Learn from Sweden's Story by Earl Gustafson
10. Culture Shock! Sweden by Charlotte Svensson
11. Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric by Veronica Buckley (good info, but painfully slow-moving. First 50 pages were not easy to push through, but it picks up now and again the further along I read.)
12. What Happened to Sweden? While American Became the Only Superpower by Ulf Nilson (highly recommend. honest commentary, great voice- really a pleasant read in terms of a history book. short, sweet, and informative).
13. Swedish Lessons: A Memoir of Sects, Love, and Indentured Servitude. Sort of.  by Natalie Burg (a bit crass, but a funny story)
14.  In Honor of Fadime: Murder and Shame by Unni Wikan (HIGHLY recommend. Very nice compliment to this book).
15. Of Swedish Ways by Lily Lorenzen (includes some folk songs and proverbs- nice)
16. Drinking Camel's Milk in the Yurt: Expat Stories from Kazakhstan by Monica Neboli
17. Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis (I didn't like this compilation of stories as much as the volume she did for Iraqi children, but still worth reading).
18. Untold: A History of the Wives of the Prophet Mohammed by Tamam Kahn (interesting, but a little annoying- includes poetry the author wrote in addition to the biographies of the women)