Help End World Hunger (While Increasing Your Vocab)

Hi gals!
Check out this cool website I found the other day. www.freerice.com
You can brainstorm your vocabulary and help end the world hunger. Sounds absurd?
Here is how it works. For every correct answer, you donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nation World Food Program. The more you got correct answer the more rice you donate to help people in hunger.

You may think 10 grains is a piddling amount. But the totals have grown exponentially. On Oct. 7, the day the site launched, 830 grains of rice were donated. Barely a bowlful. As of November 09, '07, the total has grown to 1,072,025,720, approx. 26,800 metric tones.

The site is the brainchild of John Breen, a 50-year-old computer programmer from Bloomington, Ind., who has tackled hunger online before, first with the Hunger Site and, earlier this year, with the launch of Poverty.com, a poverty awareness site that he hopes people will visit to learn about helping to get more funding for international poverty relief.

"I wanted to have something fun to do that wasn't just a waste of time and had some vaguely redeeming value," Breen says with a laugh. He decided on the vocabulary quiz — and entered all 10,000 words and definitions himself — after watching his son preparing for the SAT.

"It's hard to get people to read about hunger and poverty," Breen says. "It's kind of depressing, so I had to think of an entertaining way to draw people in. Hopefully, they'll also click on to Poverty.com and find out what needs to be done."

So? Let's play, have some fun while helping our brothers and sisters in hunger.

Halloween Party

Saturday, October 28th, 2006, we were invited to a party which required the guests to wear crazy costumes. The party was held at Old Wolf Building, at downtown Austin. We haven't decided what to wear untill the "D" day. Then I remember I have this witch hat that I bought cheap at goodwill store last year. So, I just need to get a black dress or a cape and put up some make up. My husband, Loel, did not have any idea what to wear. So we went shopping for our costumes. When we were at the store I found a nice cape for my hubby. "Here! This is perfect! You can be Mr. Dracula, hun." He thanked me and said that he has tuxedo suit so he just need to find fangs. Soon after he found everything he needs. For myself, I found this pretty long-sleeve black dress. I couldn't find any broom to complete my costume. But it's OK for the witch doesn't need to fly anyway. Instead, I found this green boa which -I think- would perfectly match with my make up.
Went back home, we took shower, put on our costumes and make up, and we were ready to party!!!
The Wolf building is located in the corner at Cesar Chavez. It is an old historical building (it is now a law office), probably from around early 1900's. The party was a blast! Everybody came with interesting -somewhat crazy- costumes. We saw many wore witch costumes. But I got lot of compliment for my make up (applause please....!)
At midnite, we headed to 6th Street. There, road was closed to let people walk and enjoy the nite. It was like a huge Halloween party on the street!
When we were back home it was like 3 am. Gosh! We were so tired, but it was fun. Got away from our routine, and just be crazy!

Guatemalan school helps indigenous young girls

The Daily Texan Online
By Suzanne Edwards

Brightly colored patterns and weaves on fabrics that reflect the vibrancy of the Guatemalan terrain swallowed one booth at the 2006 Austin Reggae Festival Saturday. The vendor was raising money for Somos Iguales, or 'We are Equals,' an nonprofit organization dedicated to educating young Mayan girls who have few opportunities in their Guatemalan village.

Loel Coleman, the founder of Somos Iguales, pays for the program by selling crafts handmade by his Guatemalan pupils. Coleman said that the weave the young girls use is so complex that it cannot be duplicated by machine.

Somos Iguales was founded a few years ago when Coleman was traveling in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala and noticed that many of the girls who were selling crafts to the tourists could not read or write. He later found out that the girls weren't attending school, because they had to sell the crafts during school hours so that their family could eat. Coleman began a reading class for the girls that became a permanent project for him in 2005.

Today, the school in Lake Atitlan only reaches four to six students, but Coleman predicts that there will be at least 10 students upon his return in August. The school emphasizes educating the girls because their society is very patriarchal, and families often send their sons to school but not their daughters, Coleman said.

"Indigenous people are really looked down upon there in Guatemala," Coleman said. Coleman is the sole teacher at the Somos Iguales school, where his classes cover basic reading and writing. He expects that volunteer teachers will arrive in August.Somos Iguales officially became a nonprofit organization last year.Coleman has already targeted his next festival, and he always has his eyes open for a sponsor."

I copy this article from The Daily Texan Online. Suzanne Edwards, the writer, interviewed my husband, Loel Coleman, during Bob Marley Festival, April 2006. Somos Iguales now opens Sponsorship Program to support our students around Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

For more information about our projects and other program, please visit our website www.somos-iguales.com Buy our beautiful handmade Guatemalan collection or make a donation or sponsor our students. Together we can make this world a better place.

Good bye Indonesia, Welcome USA!

A month after our wedding (June 2003), my husband went back to USA and I stayed in Surabaya. My husband hired a lawyer to prepare my visa. We sent documents back and forth. On August I got a mail from US embassy in Jakarta saying that the file was in processing. It was a big surprise cuz we didn't expect it to be that fast! It rather scared me too since I took care of my mom who had been bedrest for almost 7years of stroke. But God had His own plan. He called my mom on September 15th. Only a week after, I got another letter from US embassy for interview. I had to stay in Jakarta for 3 days. I passed the interview and they mailed my pasport with visa stamp to me so i didn't need to stay longer in Jakarta.
I left my hometown Surabaya, Indonesia on Tuesday, January 25, 2005. It was so sad that I had to leave all my families and friends. There were bunch of people leaded me to the international gate, including 4 of my bestfriends, with their families. We hugged and kissed, lots of tears too, like it was the end. Inside, I had to re-pack my check-in bagage. You won't believe I have 2 big boxes, 2 big suitcases, and yet still carry my backpack too! I had to pay extra for my excess bagage. Gosh!
It was a very long journey! 36 hours, including 10 hours transit in Hong Kong (I'd better say I was trapped he..he..). And finally, arrived in San Fransisco at nite on January 26, 2005 (US time). Finished with immigration procedure without any trouble (thank God!), I pushed my full-loaded trolley to exit gate. Two officers checked on my documents and offered me a lift if I can't find my hubby. Nice guys!
Happy and anxious, I looked around for the face I know so well. And it didn't take long, cuz my hubby, Loel, was standing right next to the door! We hugged and kissed. Finally, our awaiting was done!

Family Reunion

Sejak 5 tahun lalu, keluarga dari pihak ibu Alm. Sukarsih di Blitar biasa mengadakan reuni keluarga tahunan. Biasanya reuni diadakan sehari sesudah hari raya Idul Fitri. Tempatnya? Tergantung keluarga mana yang mendapat giliran. Keluarga Alm. Mbah Leham (almarhum kakek, red.) mendapat giliran Idul Fitri tahun 2003. Wah, seru deh!
Aku berangkat dari Surabaya naik Carry Suzuki bersama keluarga Tante Yuli dan Om Sumarno. Greddy dan Indah tidak bisa ikut karena baru dapat momongan is kecil Ine. Mony, anjing kesayangan keluarga kami, ikutan kubawa biar dia dapet kesempatan menikmati jalan-jalan he..he..
Hari pertama para wanita sibuk didapur, mempersiapkan makanan dan minuman untuk tamu-tamu. Para pria mulai memasang tenda, kursi-kursi, meja-meja, dan peralatan audio. Jumlah tamu diperkirakan sekitar 100 orang, termasuk anak-anak.
Pagi keesokan harinya, tamu mulai berdatangan. Para sesepuh datang lebih awal, diikuti oleh keluarga anak-anak, cucu-cucu, dan buyut-buyut. Acara dimulai dengan memperkenalkan aku sebagai anggota keluarga yang baru bergabung. Memang ini adalah pengalaman pertamaku ikut reuni keluarga. Sebelumnya keluarga kami selalu absen, karena kesehatan almarhum orangtua kami yang tidak memungkinkan bepergian jarak jauh.
Acara berikutnya?? Makan-makan dooong! Kita bener-bener puas, karena makanan dan minuman disikat ludes, bahkan sebagian minta untuk dibawa pulang. Walhasil, untuk dinner kita terpaksa masak lagi...he..he..
Sore hari acara selesai dengan mencapai kata sepakat bahwa reuni berikutnya akan diadakan di Malang dan akan diadakan arisan dan door prize! Cool!
Besoknya kita mengunjungi keluarga Pak De di Blitar selatan. Beliau punya kebun yang luas dengan pohon-pohon kelapa yang kebetulan lagi berbuah. Minum degan ditengah cuaca panas saat itu ...hm...alangkah segarnya...!! Gak perlu nunggu lama-lama, degan-degan Pak De udah berpindah tempat ke perut kita masing-masing..he..he..
Sore kita beriringan kembali ke Surabaya. Kembali ke rutinitas kita...:( tapi dengan membawa sejuta kenangan indah..:)