life after it all

Everyone is tired of hearing Canadians differeniate themselves from Americans.  The world gets it: We are not Americans.  So I will not bore you with that triade.   Its enough to simply say it up front.  Canadians are not Americans.

This blog entry is sticking up for Americans . . . and Canadians, Europeans and Asians.  Everyone else out there who isn’t a white South African.

I’m sick and tired of hearing the same old self-depricating remark made by 20- and 30-something whtie South Africans: “THEY don’t even realize that there are white South Africans” or “THEY think lions roam our backyards.”

No we don’t.

Even the most stupid hillbilly from the backwoods of Georgia knows that Lions do not roam the streets of Cape Town.  We know white South Africans exist (hell, we do watch Ernie Elms play golf) and we know cell phones exist in deep dark Africa.

Almost daily I would overhear some pompous white South African mouth off about how Americans (they ALWAYS pick on Americans) don’t know where Sudan is, or think the only good thing to come out of South Africa was Nelson Mandela or that Tigers roam freely everywhere.  And while I get I’m the exception to the rule wrt the initmate details of African history and politics, most non-white South Africans do watch tv, read newspapers and hell, some even travel.  We are well aware that South Africa is almost as 1st world as Canada. We are not as ignorant as you might expect. 

We care.  And while we might not give money to the cause, sometimes its because we are doing the right thing and letting Africa sort itself out. 

Ranting about how ignorant “Americans” are (and by American I mean every non-African counrty) only proves the point - white South Africans are as ignorant as the media protrayed their racist Aparthied forefathers.

Sure there are people out there who don’t understand that that Sudan is in northern-ish Africa and not neighboring Zimbabwe to the east.  But in the same breathe, how many white South Africans know that the first transatlantic flight took off from Newfoundland?  Or that Alberta doesn’t have rats?  I could easily be just as rude and point out that not one single white South African knew you could eat a lether belt buckle (ok so I threw that in for pure amusment sake for those having read Lure of the Labrador Wild in high school).  But the point is clear: there are just as many rude ignorant “Americans” as there are rude, ignorant white South Africans - plenty and few in the same breathe.

In case my bolded statement is still making a few voortrekkers steam at the ears, my point was that saying “we” are ignorant of Africa is akin to my statement.  While it may have been a trueism years ago, its hardly fact now.  And in fact, to say so about “Americans” is as bad as my bolded statement.

Its a sweeping gneeralization that begs to be disproved. 

And I’m proof.

And everyone I speak to about my experiences is one less ignorant “American”.

Speaking of feeling gross (and fat) - I strongly feel that kids should not have access to too much crap food in school.  I wasn’t allowed to eat the crap that the school offered and I grew up healthy.  But today, kids can get everything a cornor store can offer in their hallways. 

These kids often end up overweight and unhealthy.  And these unhealthy kids grow up to be unhealthy adults.

I support Healthy Vending for Schools.

And I think you should too.

This is a paid post.

I haven’t slept well for the past 2 nights.  In fact, I didn’t even go to work this morning.  I will go to work this afternoon.  But I feel gross.  I’m not tired anymore, but I feel dirty even tho I just showered.  I feel fat and just all around gross.  Most likely its a consequence of two poor nights of sleep, but I hate the way I feel. 

Ugh.

And to make it worse (well, around the fat part), I’m looking at potentially going south in October. 

I’m not usually so self conscious.

I don’t want my body donated to science when I die.  I also don’t want to donate my organs.  For some odd reason, I believe that its all going with me when I die.  Crazy, I know, but there you go. 

But I’m not against stem cell research.  I know a lot of people are against it - and some aspects of stem cell research can be concerninng, especially that which involves embryo stem cells.  But I’m a pro-choicer - its not a baby until it can cry bloody murder as far as I’m concerned.  But I understand why some people are less than thrilled with the procedure.

So when I heard about a new stem cell research method that involved with collecting stem cells from your menstrul fluid, my ears perked up to say the least.  I mean, come on, the benefits of potentially saving yourself or your children later far out weight the potenial gross-ness involved.

Your stem cells are then stored at low temps for potential gene thearpy in the future.

And we don’t even know the full potential of stem cell research.  Imgine what can be found in 5, 10 or 15 years.  Unlocking the potential of stem cells is mind blowing to me.  So I’m game.

Just Visit C’elle for more information. At the very least, its an interesting concept and worth checking out.

And it comes in a small kit (I would also hope discrete):

I love that there is a picture of a woman in there.  And now you can purchase a second kit for a friend or sister for free when you purchase one for yourself.  Now thats one hell of a birthday gift.

Last night I went with my old co-worker to see Nine Inch Nails.  It was awe.some.

I felt like I was 15 again.  Trent put on the most amazing light show I had ever seen and he sounded just like he did on his cds.  He played for over 2 hours, which is no small feat considering he was giving it the entire time.

It was well worth the $25 I paid to see him.  Well worth it.

Next up is folk fest.

I just have to slow down my spending…

I hit a car.  Yes, I’m famous for it.

I was turning left onto Allandale Road in St. John’s.  I was “taking the day off school”.  I shouldn’t have been by the Arts and Culture Centre.  It ws a crap day.

I hit a small brown car going about 5kms. Not a lot of damage, but the air bag did pop up.  It scared me and my passenger (also “taking the day off school”).  We scrambled out of the car, but I forgot to put it in park.  It rolled across the street and hit a house.

Crap.

This is why I need car insurance - especially insurance nbi.

I was ok after the accident.  I did get a scar on my lip for cursing so hard when the air bag popped.

I’ve had a clean record since.  I swear.

This is a paid post.

I’m gonna be honest.  I submitted a post for Pay Per Post and it was accepted and when I went back to the main page, it was offered to me again.  This never happens.  Generally because you are not allowed to post on the same post twice.  But I’m gonna give it a shot.  Next post is my attempt to do it.

Wish me luck.

Its too expensive to own a car right now.  Gas is through the roof.  And while the oil companies “appanrently” are suffering, they cannot be suffering as much as the regular commuter.  This is why I dont have a car.  I was going to buy one this summer and then gas prices went up.  I thought about the fall with my raise - and then gas prices went up again, AND theres no where to park in my building.  So I’ve opted to wait until I get permanent.  And hopefuly by then gas prices, gas stocks, the war in Iraq - whatever - will be over.

But one of the big parts of owning and driving a car is insurance.  You can always opt for cheap car insurance madera.

Its better than getting the pants sued off you when you rear end some idiot who cut you off.

This is a paid post.

I started my new job this week.  Program Planner at Employment and Immigration.  They have a lot of faith in me to do a job I’m not strictly qualified for.  I do not have the knowledge base to do this job.  They said it, and i know it.  But my resume is outstanding - they said it, and I know it.  So I will try.  And pray I dont fall flat on my face.  More about what I do when I figure it out myself.

I had a moment of clarity this week.  i received a nasty email from someone I spent 4 years of my life with.  Its not in his character to be so nasty and the email was so out of the blue i didn’t realize who it was from to begin with.  but it made me wonder: if there was anyone on this planet I really thought i knew - it was him.  I may not have liked certain aspects of him - especially after the break up, but i knew him.  I knew his quirks, what made me hot, what made him sad, what he liked to eat, what he liked to listen to, what he wanted to be when he grew up and some rpetty dirty secrets from his past.  But when I received this nasty email this week I was never so glad to be millions of miles away from him.  It became clear to me that I was the better person.  And it made me so respectful of what I have now that I’m in doubt if I really deserve it.

I felt like I woke up.