Kidnappings, Beatings and Green Cards

Tolerance and acceptance of other backgrounds, perspectives has always come easy to me, I admit it. It's because my interaction with different cultures has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm sure it would be much harder for me if I had to grow up with foreign occupying forces with tanks and guns, or watch my homeland suffer or conform to the desires of another nation. If my family lost much of it's business to some international trade agreement, or if my religion and traditions were severely threatened by someone elses', or if I had to work and sweat for so little every hour making clothes for the most spoiled, affluent teenagers in HISTORY, who will just toss my work away after a few wears, I think I would be justified in not feeling too swell about the nation causing my grief. I UNDERSTAND bitterness towards other cultures, especially towards "American" or United States' culture.

I remember September 11th. I felt so empty in Civics when I watched the news. Then I went to Calculus,where my seat was next to Alla, an exchange student from Saudi Arabia. Curious (nosey, bothersome, relentless) me--I had already been talking to him about his country almost everyday. He had been explaining to me that the people there feel very threatened by all the "Americanization," and that the American troops have a very strong prescence there. On the day of September 11th, he looked so unhappy, so concerned. He was really quiet everyday, I was always the one who made him talk... it was easy for the rest of the class to forget his prescence. People in the room were so upset-- someone blurted "those people over there are so crazy! We should turn them all into glass." Alla didn't look up. He just stared at the floor.

September 11th was scarring, and I can understand that it damaged many Americans' perspectives of other countries..... but what was our perspective of other nations before? Most people in the US (myself included), are SO ignorant of the cultures and perspectives of other nations. Hell, we don't even really know about the culture of the person who lives next door to us. We don't suffer at the hands of foreign influences-- for the most part, we call the shots.

So WHY do many Americans have animosity towards other cultures? Why does our ignorance breed so much hate instead of bliss? Why can't we desire to see the success of nations not as prosperous as us? Why can't we see the good in other cultures different from ours?-- we are supposed to be so educated! Does our prosperity essentially depend on the psychological and economic subordination of other cultures and peoples? SERIOUSLY, does it?

If it does, someone tell me. I want to wash my hands of of it. For the moment, I want to believe that the US could still enjoy a nice level of wealth and prosperity without exploiting and denegrating everyone else on the face of the earth.

Like I said, I have been lucky in my few interactions with people of other cultures. I am not blind to differences, but the differences make things so interesting to me. My hometown, New Orleans itself is a port city where many cultures have met and mixed into a spicy jambalaya. Do differences cause misunderstandings, crime here? Of course. But we all love to party, and we all get drunk and stumble home in the same fashion-- one intoxicated foot in front of another.

This was the last post I was working on before I went to Costa Rica. It was inspired by a police officer who told me that I should watch out for kidnappings (I could be sold as a sex slave, he said) in Costa Rica, that I would probably be beaten bv Raul if "he goes with his culture" and that I should know that Raul is only interested in me for the possibility of a green card. A police officer! What a world.

All Play, All Day

I don't think today was meant for work. Not for me, at least.

Now for some DETAILS, a la Raul...

I woke up at 8, drank some strong coffee sitting on the swing in the backyard garden. Contemplated the sound of the birds...
began "work," babysitting at 9...

At which point, I took a 6 and a 7-year-old to the Children's Museum.
First, we went to the pretend grocery store, and checked out items beginning with the letter "b." We got to use a cash register! They let me press the buttons!
Then I was the producer and they were reporters in an imaginary TV studio.
Then I, along with several other adults, was waited on in a fake cafe, and served an impressive plate of plastic food. I ordered a taco, orange juice, crawfish, and rice. My chefs, although not yet in third grade, prepared a gourmet meal speedily, although they forgot to bring silverware. It's ok, I ate with my hands.

Then, I was inside of a REAL bubble!
And we climbed a rock wall,
and looked at ourselves in one of those mirrors that makes you look fat!
Then we went home,
and played catch,
and then "Chutes and Ladders."

I also taught the kids the bumblebee song.
Do you know it?
I'M bringing home a baby bumblebee,
won't my mommy be so proud of meeee
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee,
OUCH, HE STUNG ME!

I'm smashing up my baby bumblebee...
:)

Tutoring was cancelled, so after "work,"
I came home to a large, awesome margarita that Dad made me.
With him, I watched selected scenes from Napoleon Dynamite.
Then I googled for a while:
I did a search for "New Orleans, Costa Rica," because someone had said something to me about a cruise, which seems outrageous... but there are cruises that go all the way down to Panama, and then out to California!!
And I learned:
there's actually a restaurant in Costa Rica that serves Cajun food:
(ripped straight from http://www.costa-rica-travel-magazine.com)

Papagayo Seafood Restaurant is in downtown Coco, across from the Hotel Coco Verde. Their specialty is Cajun seafood, and their Cajun Platter includes gumbo, breaded catfish fingers, blackened Cajun fish, breaded shrimp Louisiana style and jambalaya. The downstairs open air restaurant seats fifty and the upstairs bar seats twenty. The bar has cable tv and is air-conditioned. Open from 12pm until 10pm every day. $$ 670-0298, 670-0326.

You can also go to Costa Rica and learn how to cook "Carribean/Creole" food from some Louisiana peeps. http://www.cerrocoyote.com/id11.html

The School emphasizes the Creole approach to food and cooking, which grew out of the Spanish and French colonial experience in the New World. Our New Orleans trained chef/instructors also operate the Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School and have years of experience in Costa Rica fresh, healthful ingredients.

Then I read some awesome poetry by Wislawa Szymborksa. One of the only books of poems I consistently turn to for enjoyment (thanks Nick!).

Then I "worked" on a playlist of songs that I think are the most fun. I listened to Madonna's "Express Yourself" and Big and Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" probably a collective 25 times. And yes, I danced around my room like the fool that I am, fake singing into my favorite microphone (hairbrush).

Much gratitude to God and the Universe for this day of smiles, stimulation, and worry-free play.
I wish the same for everyone!

Not everything always has to be serious. Today, nothing was.