Crisis in the Sahel - Many Ways To Make Donations

Source: World Food Program

The purpose of this blog is to increase awareness about Sahel Crisis as well as allowing you to make donations to your preferred charity or organization by simply clicking on the logos!

World Food Programme

"Drought in the Sahel region of West Africa has brought hunger to millions of people for the third time in recent years. Meanwhile, conflict in Mali has forced at least 300,000 people to flee their homes, adding to the hunger crisis both in Mali and neighbouring countries. WFP and its partners have launched a regional response to bring food assistance to more than 9 million people in eight countries." World Food Programme

Immediate response to emergency medical needs 

"ONE IN 6 PEOPLE SUFFERS FROM CHRONIC HUNGER"

Put pressure on politicians to end hunger. Sign the petition, and push for action wherever you are.

                                                                       

"The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south. It stretches across the north of the African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The Arabic word sāḥil ساحلliterally means "shore, coast", describing the appearance of the vegetation of the Sahel as a coastline delimiting the sand of the Sahara.

The Sahel covers parts of the territory of (from west to east) Northern Senegal, southern part of Mauritania, Mali, southern part of Algeria,Niger, Chad, southern part of Sudan and Eritrea. It is bordered on the north by the Sahara and on the south by the less arid savannah." Wikipedia

Read Horn of Africa Crisis To Make Donations

Social Media - What's in your name?

I stumbled across a social experiment which I had not intended to do! I was baffled by what I noticed.

There are so many articles out there teaching people how to maintain their social media, what to do to engage their audience, how to gain followers, have people like your pages, and gain subscribers.

They also talk about how your profile picture is important for your marketing success. People look at your bio and profile picture, make a quick judgment and decide if you’re worth following.

But what about using our real name in the social media? What if your name is not typical, common, white, English, European name?

Have you ever thought that you might be judged based on your name?

I have various twitter and YouTube accounts based on my interests. The accidental social experiment proved that although I am the same person behind the scene operating many accounts, more people were accepting of me when I used a non-ethnic name combined with a profile picture that represented western culture and familiarity. In both cases, most of the content remained the same. In one example, when I approached an individual indicating an interest in their network, I was totally ignored. The same individual approached me at a much later date when I had a much different name than my original ethnic name. The person really does not know who I am. They do not know me personally. But they judged me based on my name and decided whether they wanted to interact with me or not. I must say, I really don’t care for that individual very much now.

We all judge, misjudge, assess, and re-assess. I don’t follow someone who talks about fashion. The same goes for me, not everyone wants to follow someone who is tweeting for human rights and amnesty. My tweets are not fun, but rather of the sad, serious, troublesome world we live in. It is reasonable and logical that people choose to interact with others based on their mutual interests.

But then again, there are those that interact with others based on their names.

Do you have the RIGHT name?! You have less than a minute to impress...

Photo Source: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/what-happens-internet-every-60-seconds-122741

For You A Thousand Times Over...

I tried to cry quietly not to wake up others. As I held the book against my chest and I went back to the beginning of the story. Running it through my head like a movie frame by frame. Kept hearing..For You A Thousand Times Over...

The Kite Runner was published in 2003, the year that my life was filled with many trials and tribulations and really did not have much time to read! I finished the book tonight. A novel, a fiction, that is how they start describing the book. It might be a fictional story but those fictions are and have been others painful reality. The story of friendship, love, lust, betrayal, lies, evil, secrets, childhood sexual abuse, rape, revolution, occupation, immigration, and refugees intertwined with pain ,connected in deep rooted human desire for love, belonging, and acceptance.

Was my crying for the characters in the book or my own painful reality of once upon a time leaving my beloved country behind.....was it Baba's death in the book or losing my own father and not having been able to say goodbye to him for one last time...Zendagi migzara, Life Goes On... or was it when Sohrab said "I just want my old life back" ...the book might be a fiction but the stories in the book are my realities and many others around the world... 

Not Just A Shoe Repair Shop

A few weeks ago, I just decided my high heeled boots needed repair, and drove to my favourite shoe repair shop in London, Westown Shoe Clinic at Cherryhill Village Mall. 

Luigi Del Guercio

Luigi was busy at work as usual. I showed him my boots asking if he could repair them while I waited. He said sure, have a seat. I sat on a high stool started looking around. The smell of leather, shoe polish, and that overall feeling of being in a shoe repair shop took me back to my childhood. All of a sudden I was sitting on a small wooden stool watching an old man repairing shoes.

Shoe Shine Brush

When I was a little girl I remember going everywhere with my mother. One of the places we visited on a regular basis was the shoe repair shop. It was a very small, shabby looking place. The walls were covered from the floor to the ceiling with shoes. I used to sit on a little wooden stool and wait patiently as my mother gave instructions to the shoe repairman as to what needed to be done for each shoe. I loved the smell of shoe polish and was amazed by all the shoe sizes, colours, and variety of models and styles. Sometimes, we stayed there to get something done immediately and I had more time to feed my curious mind. I would count each stroke of the brush that was being manoeuvred by him so skilfully. His worn out, stained, tattered apron gave him enough protection to keep his clothes clean. I could tell he could repair or shine a shoe with his eyes closed as he was very fast and good at what he did.

Boots :)

Luigi came back with my high heeled boots, I was very pleased. He said not to touch them as he just polished them. I was that little girl with sparkles in my eyes looking at my boots being all cleaned up and shining. It was like brand new. No, even better. I remembered when my very first little heels were given to me by my late aunt. I was the happiest little girl putting little red, velvety sandals with little sparkles of gold on them.

As he went to the back, my eyes were fixed on the little decorative shoes he had from around the world. I told him next time I’ll bring him a pair I’ve kept for a few years, so he can hang it up there with the rest. Then I remembered my favorite pair of shiny leather shoes which I obsessively cleaned everyday before going to school.

Just a pair of shoes! Memories of my childhood...

I asked him if his family will continue his business after he’s retired. He said he’d probably shut it down. As first generation immigrants we all want our kids to get a good education and follow their own dreams. Luigi’s family won’t be following in their dad’s footsteps. It made me think this place has so much history and memory for him and for people like me. I hope he'll stay in the business for the longest time to come.

"A shoe repairman and his young apprentice"

Make sure to visit Luigi on Facebook

Some of the sources: Your Shoe Repair Shop and WN.com

Dancing Shoes Won't Come Off!

"Dance is your pulse, your heart beat, your breathing. It's the rhythm of your life. It's the expression of time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy. "

The day that I'll be taking my last breath, I know I'll still have my dancing shoes on. No one is going to tell me to stop dancing. NO ONE!

Those who can move their body and let their soul intertwine with the beautiful sound of music were given a gift by god to demonstrate beauty.

Our age has nothing to do with our ability to dance.  There is no limit or boundary in allowing yourself to enjoy rhythmic movement of your body to the music.

Yes, She is 84! Inspirational...

Never give a sword to a man who can't dance - Confucius

Next time you come across a short-minded person making a nasty comment to limit you and your abilities, walk away smiling knowing he's only limiting himself.

Tiesto

❤ Tiesto❤

It was July 7, 2011 when I saw a tweet from @JLC informing the world that Tiesto is coming to John Labbatt Centre in  London! I literally screamed and brought my hands to my face with an unbelievable shock that ran through me. You see, having JLC in our city is a big deal. I have driven to Toronto many times to see U2, Muse, ColdPlay, The Killers, and much more. But since JLC is here I have been enjoying this privilege without the cost of travelling and I get home in 10 minutes afterwards! I could not believe Tiesto had chosen London as his only stop in Ontario!

Surprisingly, I did not purchase my ticket right away for some reason! Then, for a short period of time, I hoped to be chosen as a JLC Reviewer but that did not happen since I don’t have many followers from London to nominate me! The morning of the concert, I bought my VIP ticket, and the whole day I was just pre-occupied by the thought of the concert that night. Going to concerts is a big deal for me regardless of who is performing.  The only time I allow myself to waste time in getting ready and occupy myself with makeup and my wardrobe is before going to any concerts. Otherwise, I’m a low maintenance girl with five minutes prep time required to get out the door.

Although I have been to many concerts of various magnitudes, I had never been in VIP sections till that night and I probably won’t bother with it again in the future. You see, the people who were non-VIPs were standing on the floor closer to the stage than VIP people. And for someone like me who dances like a maniac non-stop and doesn’t need to go back and forth for drinks and what not, the $26.00 or $36.00 ticket price would have sufficed.  As you go to more and more concerts, you learn what works for you and what doesn’t.

I always buy my favourite artists t-shirt, get my drink, show my ticket and go in. The gentlemen at the entrance to VIP section was trying to detangle lanyards and was so cute trying to do his best, but I teased him and turned it into a competition between him and the other lady at his side and said let’s see who can give me my lanyard and of course she won. Girl Power.

I got there around 8:30 and danced my feet off till 12:30! I could not stay till the end as I did not have painkillers to help me dance for a few more hours O_0!!

Going to concerts for me is about being with others and sharing the same excitement and feelings. I love watching people. My experience of going to a concert is all the small interactions that take place between me and the rest of the world. 

There was a tall handsome guy who was blocking my view, so I tapped him on his shoulder and with a big smile and hand movement told him I couldn’t see.  In return, he gave me a huge smile and moved to the other corner with his girlfriend and continued to dance with enthusiasm like no other. Or there was the couple who was making out X-RATEDLY and the couple beside me were telling me with the look in their eyes that they need to get a room. YES. People who were dressed completely were half naked midway through the concert. 

And the moments that I kept straightening my arms to let the cute boys know that that’s my personal spaceJ. The most fun part for me was toward the end of the night. I moved away from VIP and found a nice seat to get some rest. I started noticing that this concert, despite the name of it “CollegeInvasionTour” had people from all walks of life dancing. Each individual was enjoying themselves with lots of spaces between them unlike the front that you could elbow someone from each direction. I smiled as I watched them reading their faces how they did not have the care in the world and were lost in the music. And that’s when Adagio was played! 

I got off my seat and danced again without a care as well. When a random dude grabbed my hand I twirled and danced with him, filled with joy, and then let go and just danced around the arena taking pictures. I asked some people if I could take their picture and they said yes. Then I dance around the very dedicated employee who was trying so hard to focus on his job and I was taking my picture with him saying I’ll blog it and he just enthusiastically smiled.

As for Porter Robinson, I had not listened to him till that night and I am a big fan now. I danced non-stop and was able to get some very nice photos of him despite my low quality camera. 

I don’t need to tell you how amazing both Tiesto and Porter Robinson were that night. The only thing I can say is that I am so glad to have had the opportunity to listen to their work LIVE and dance to it. After Muse this is my 2^nd favourite concert of all time.

I am a big fan of the JLC and am on the look out for their upcoming concerts. It is up to music fans to provide feedback and let the JLC know who we want to see and hear. Chris Campbell and his team have done an amazing job so far in bringing magical moments to many of us at the JLC. This is an interesting article about the John Labatt Centre.

“For me going to a concert isn't just about the artist, it's about the culture, the common thread that brings strangers together” – 

BellaBehold

I should clarify that I don't expect to be JLC reviewer! NOT AT ALL! I am an avid concert goer and if I like to see any of my favourite artists I make sure to get my ticket! CHEERS!

Photos: All the photos posted are taken by my camera. 

Sometimes Just Let The Music Speak - Carmen Suite No. 2 III. Nocturne

Remembering Fran Crippen

I have been thinking of writing a blog post for Fran Crippen for a while now. I have started to write a couple of times and then have stopped half way, not finishing it for many reasons. But tonight as I’m thinking about World Championship in Shanghai can’t help but thinking what if Fran were here.

If you have read my previous blogs you know that my swimming group created swimming events on Facebook back in 2009. Although my first group was called “Michael Phelps News and Events”, it did not exclude any other athletes. The events would report scores and results right after each race, and congratulatory notes would be posted on each swimmers wall. 
FINA 2009 was very special to me at many different levels. I learned a lot about each swimmer and will always cherish my memories of Rome.

One of the swimmers that I wrote on their wall right after their victory was Fran Crippen. He had won bronze in the 10K. He actually took the time to write on my wall, thanking me for my effort. It was exciting times.  I enjoyed interacting with the swimmers and swim fans. I have many favourite swimmers and Fran was one of them. I call the swimming community my “Swim Family”. You get to know and learn things about swimmers through publications, stories, articles, their wall posts, their tweets, and etc.  You witness them graduate, marry, have babies, and practically get to be a part of their lives in the background.

When Fran created his page, I was the first person to post on his page. I said: “I’ll be cheering for you until 2012” and he replied: “Thank You”. He was polite and responded to his fans. I loved reading the wall posts between him and his sisters. They always put smile on my face. I could observe how proud and supportive of his sisters he was.

One day in October, as I was reading swim news as usual, I became numb. I could not believe what I was reading. I knew what I was reading but at the same time I was telling myself, I am reading it wrong, go back and read again. But unfortunately, it was true. This was from Huffingtonpost:

“PHILADELPHIA — Fran Crippen, a medal-winning open-water swimmer on the U.S. national team, told his coach he wasn't feeling well late in a race before he died in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.”

I just cried in front of my computer and was hopeless. I didn’t know what to do. Everyone deals with loss in many different ways. I was thinking of his sisters, his family, and his fiancé. It was only after his death and reading more articles that I learned about his true character and his big heart. He was loved by many and he will be missed by many. 

14^th FINA World Championships was held from July 16 to 31, 2011, with Open Water swimming starting on the 19^th. I could not help but thinking of Fran.

”In London in 2012, Fran will aim to be the first US medalist ever in open water swimming at an Olympic Games.”

-Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation

When Alex Meyer finished 4^th in his 10K event and earned a spot in the 2012 London Olympics, I was overwhelmed with joy but at the same time again thinking of Fran and I knew he’d be watching him and he was proud.

In my eyes, he is an Olympian. I hope, he’ll be remembered in a very special way during Open Water Swimming in London 2012 by USA Swimming.

❤Remember, I will still be here❤

❤As long as you hold me, in your memory❤

❤Remembering Fran Crippen❤

Goldmedalmel - http://www.youtube.com/user/goldmedalmel

Emergency Alert in Horn of Africa - Many Ways To Make Donations

Click on the logos below to make a *DONATION*

For the past few weeks, my tweets have been focusing on famine in South East Africa as I find the dire situation in Africa heartbreaking and requiring our utmost attention.  The shift is a necessary and important one to raise awareness and help facilitate donations to prevent the senseless loss of innocent lives.

When reading article after article, I find myself filled with many emotions. I get angry reading that some political groups deny their own people food and shelter in the name of an ideology which I find unacceptable and frustrating. I cry reading that a mother had to decide between her children and left her 3 year old on the side of the road to die to save the other two. I’m enraged to read six year old girls getting raped on their way to find food. I find myself very sad that as human beings we are failing at many levels. It is time to wake up and help our fellow brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa, it is time to save children who are subjected to war, hunger, rape, disease, and we should not close our eyes and pretend it is not happening. We need to step up and help as much as we can.

This blog is not about analyzing the underlying issues and problems facing Somalia, neighbouring countries, and in Africa.  Although it is imperative to be knowledgeable and find a long term solution to the famine situation, at this point the attention should be focused solely on humanitarian efforts to save lives.

The purpose of this blog is to post all related links for donation in one place to allow you easy donations to your favourite charity or organization. I will try to post all the links. If you have a link that you know I have missed, please let me know.

Sign The Petition

HELP STOP THE STARVING - AND ITS CAUSES

Click on the logos below to make a *DONATION*

Fighting Hunger Worldwild

UNICEF - $10 can feed a child for 10 days

Immediate response to emergency medical needs 

Canada

Plan Canada 

united states funds

Provide Lifesaving Plumpy'nut® in Horn of Africa 

The British Red Cross 

The Kenya Red Cross

International Rescue Committee

Evengelical Lutheran Church in America

International Medical Corps

"One in 6 people suffers from chronic hunger"
Put pressure on politicians to end hunger. Sign the petition, and push for action wherever you are.

                                          

"Josette Sheeran, the head of the UN's World Food Program, talks about why, in a world with enough food for everyone, people still go hungry, still die of starvation, still use food as a weapon of war. Her vision: "Food is one issue that cannot be solved person by person. We have to stand together." TEDTALK

Somali refugees need your help now!

RIP Amy Winehouse

We make connections with artists through their music. The relationship becomes stronger as the lyrics seem to be written specifically keeping you in mind. We all have those songs that are forever special in our hearts and we have stories to tell that are specific and unique to our experiences. For me, Amy’s “Back to Black” “Tears Dry on Their Own” and “Love is a Losing Game” are those songs.

Hearing of her death, I’m not shocked. But I am saddened. It is unfortunate to see the society we live in making money off of peoples’ misery and misfortune. Amy had drug and alcohol problems, and we did not hesitate to make fun of her, post pictures of her in her most vulnerable position and point fingers at her. What could have society done as a whole to prevent her tragic death? How many Amys are out there that need help but the only thing they get is a snigger or a dirty look? Those of you, who made money talking trash about her, I hope life treats you well. But I doubt my well wishes would stop bad karma heading your way.

We are all vulnerable at some level, when feeling desperate and alone. It happens. During those times we need a shoulder to cry on and someone to listen to us. We don’t need to be judged, ridiculed, pointed finger at, and publicly humiliated.

  ❤ RIP Amy ❤

Buried her heart a while ago, her sad soul could not stay far behind.

A talent left us too soon.

If you are reading this and have drug or alcohol addictions, please ask for help.

On the first anniversary of Winehouse's death, it's worth remembering just what a natural, instinctive musician she was... http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jul/22/amy-winehouse-first-anniversary-death