Another long overdue post...

Time for a potpourri update of sorts.

First, I received a post card from my sister today. She's traveling in England. It struck me that if this is a stereotype in England, it may explain a similar trend in Canada - as has been discussed elsewhere among our blogs. The card is labeled, "How to be British, No. 8."

A man and a woman are seated at what looks like it's supposed to be an "upscale" restaurant.
M: This meat is as tough as old boots. How's your fish?
W: It tastes off. And these vegetables are cold.
M: This wine is awful - I asked for dry and they've given us sweet.
W: And look, there's a worm in my side-salad.
Server: How is your meal? Is everything all right>
M: Oh, yes, It's lovely.
W: Excellent, thank you!

Hmmmmm...

P has the (second) new job I wrote about earlier. And, yesterday she interviewed for another position. For a variety of reasons that I don't want to post here (small world and all), if this one doesn't come through, I'm confident that she'll have a professional librarian position before this time next year.

We spent 1-4 July in Nova Scotia. Although it was misty to drizzly and cloudy the whole weekend, we still had a delightful visit with our fellow expat friends C and A, their girls, and an extended family of A's siblings and their families, college pals, etc. There was an indoor pool so 8YO had a blast and I know he had fun playing with the other kids. We returned via Halifax so that we could stop at Lee Valley Tools. Picked up some odds and ends like countertop compost bin filters. What did I get in today's email? Free delivery from Lee Valley! Oh, well, it was fun to stop and check out the bricks and mortar shop.

The last full week of June I received a call from the High Risk Patient Registry Clinic. Apparently it's new and it's sole purpose is to provide "high risk" people who are on the patient registry list with a temporary doctor. My complaint to the patient advocacy office at River Valley Health must have paid off because they had no way of knowing that I would fall into the category of having some chronic issues. Long story short - it won't get me an ortho appointment any sooner, but I was able to get that mammo recheck scheduled. And, since my BP was 148/100 that day... we're going to keep an eye on that. It's been high, on and off, for years. Meds never helped. Just chillin' out is the answer. Like that's happenin' any time soon.

I had also scheduled an appointment with a naturopathic physician. And, as those of you on facebook might know, I'm doing a three-week elimination diet. My allergist back in St. Paul had given me the materials for it and said, "You might try this." Ha! Like I'm going to put myself through this for a "You might..." Not a chance. But, armed with three different supplements and the resolve to stop feeling like crap, I went shopping Monday morning. Fruits, nuts, chicken, fish, vegetables, spelt bread, eggs, rice crackers, club soda... No gluten, aside from the spelt. No dairy, aside from the eggs, if you're inclined to put them in that category. But, no cheese, no milk, no yogurt, no butter... Might as well die now. No orange. No corn. No beef. No pork. And - drum roll please. No Diet Coke. Arrggghhhh! I'm now at about 96 hours without a Diet Coke and, honestly, it hasn't been that bad. I find that I like it with certain foods and since I'm not eating those foods. Of course it's not in the house either! I'm not that good.

I also had my first acupuncture treatment yesterday. Nothing much to report there except that it didn't hurt. A few weird sensations, but no pain to speak of. My knee is actually worse today, but I don't know that I'd conclude a relationship between the two.

Today was one of those perfect weather days that make Fredericton look just beautiful. Blue sky, white clouds, about 23°, dry. Perfect. I think we're good through Saturday.

A friend from St. Paul arrives on Saturday for a week-long visit. I'm not really sure what we'll do while she's here. She just had surgery for a torn meniscus and, while her brace comes off Saturday, she won't be up for any long hikes, etc. (either). We are going to head down to Hopewell Rocks on Sunday, weather be damned. That's just a requirement and Sunday is the only day that the tides are right for a one-day trip. Fortunately there's a shuttle from the main area to the stairs that go down to the beach. One stair at a time...

What else? I've been reading a lot about the genocide in Rwanda. In perusing the shelves for books on Iran, I came across a couple of books on Rwanda that I had always thought about reading. I had used clips of LGen Dallaire in class the last couple of years, but hadn't read his book. And, of course I had seen Hotel Rwanda. But, neither had I read Paul Rusesabagina's book, An Ordinary Man. I'm still reading Dallaire's Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda and I'm also reading Philip Gourevitch's We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families.

I had probably picked the latter up at least half a dozen times in the last year or so, but just didn't have it in me to read it. Thus far I would have to say that if you're only going to read one book on the Rwandan genocide, the Gourevitch book is the best for the mix of history/reporting and personal anecdote. Although I haven't finished Dallaire's book, it's good, too. It's just very hard to follow, even with constantly flipping back to the glossary. Lots of military acronyms and personnel. I actually went ahead and watched the movie version, thinking it might help me to keep track of everything. When I finish these two, I'm going to tackle Rwanda's Genocide: The Politics of Global Justice.

I don't know how many of you recall the famous Stanford Prison Experiment or the work of Stanley Milgram. I think L-girl has mentioned them on wmtc. Anyway, all the reading about Rwanda has me thinking that it's not that people committed the atrocities that shocks or puzzles me. This sentiment is similar to that in a piece I wrote right after Abu Ghraib. I just wasn't that surprised, even by the women. What I do find perplexing is the degree to which people who survive phenomenally horrific experiences are able to go on with their lives. It's just so hard to imagine...

I did pick up another book, several times, but I just don't know that I can bring myself to read this one. I "never" have nightmares, but the week after I started the other books I awakened myself - and P - trying to speak as a dark figure was coming toward me - in my "dream." This book might do me in. But, I mention it because people should know about the issue and the work.

The book is called, The Men Who Killed Me and is described as "[a] searing testimonial to the horrors of sexual violence in war—a littleknown aspect of the Rwandan tragedy."

From Amazon - "In the hundred days of genocide that ravaged Rwanda between April and July 1994, an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 women and girls were raped. No one was spared. Grandmothers were raped in the presence of their grandchildren; young girls watched the massacre of their families before being taken as sex slaves. To a lesser extent, boys and men also fell victim to sexual violence.

Fifteen years after the Rwandan genocide, The Men Who Killed Me features testimonials from seventeen survivors. Through their narratives and portraits, sixteen women and one man bear witness to the crimes committed against hundreds of thousands of others. In their strength and courage, they challenge the stigma of surviving sexual violence and living with HIV/AIDS (an astonishing 70 per cent of survivors are HIV positive)."

They also have a website with links to some of the organizations working with survivors. Note: Two of the authors have Canadian connections and, though it's closed, a gallery in Toronto had an exhibit earlier this year.

I think that's about it. I should have made this two different posts. A weekend in Nova Scotia v. genocide in Rwanda. Kind of a disconnect. Sorry!