Friday, October 29, 2010
Waltham Colors
It has been unseasonably warm here in Waltham the last couple days, in the 70s- and here are some pictures from a walk I took the other day in my neighborhood. There is a beautiful church a block away from me called St. Charles Church and there are three beautiful yellow trees...there are also a few pictures from our decorations in my apartment- Kristina and Sam were very enthusiastic!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A Little Taste of My Program
Take a look at an article in the Boston Globe last Sunday about some of my friends and colleagues in the Sustainable International Development program I am in, especially my friend Mahi from Ethiopia...that New Year's celebration was great.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/24/total_global_living/
WALTHAM — I’m not the first person to entertain dreams of moving in with the roomies on Winthrop Street, and I won’t be the last.
Their place isn’t all that spectacular — the barely-furnished top half of a green two-family near Brandeis University. But the roomies are a different story.
There are seven of them, from seven countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Russia. The youngest is 27, the oldest 40.
They’re all students at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis — that’s the place where people who are already saving the world go to learn how to save it more. Even by Heller standards, this group is remarkable. It includes three doctors, a human rights campaigner, two children’s advocates, and a diplomat.
In a few years, master’s degrees in hand, they’ll be shaping policy around the globe — heading government departments or NGOs.
Right now, they live in a household that is a cross between a PBS documentary and a network sitcom.
“It’s not what we planned,’’ said Linda Arogundade, a Nigerian doctor who helped put the group together. “We came to see the house. Before you knew it, we were seven.’’
On a recent Monday, they sat around a small table off their large, hospital-clean kitchen. Farhad Farewar, a 38-year-old doctor from Afghanistan, had made a giant bowl of pulao, an Afghan pilaf with chicken. Everybody scooped piles of the steaming rice onto their plates.
Sam Hat Khim, a Cambodian doctor with the World Health Organization, and Van Ta Ngoc, a lawyer who works with street children in Vietnam, squeezed pools of Sriracha sauce onto their plates.
After five minutes here, everything starts to look like a corny metaphor for global understanding.
In the couple of months they’ve been together, the seven housemates have learned a lot from one another. They talk about politics and history, culture and food. They don’t discuss religion.
There have been no major arguments, because they’re careful. At lunch, Farewar was talking about Afghanistan’s problems, but he was mindful not to offend his roommate Dmitry Zaviralov, a youth worker from Russia:
“People keep imposing themselves on Afghanistan. First it was the British, then — sorry Dmitry — Russia, and now any country that comes wants to impose its ideas.’’
Around that table, the roomies ponder many mysteries. Some of them have international implications. Some do not.
“What does this ‘organic’ mean,’’ Farewar asked. “What characteristic does it have that costs so much?’’
“This word ‘free,’ ’’ said Maheder Dachew, who worked as a diplomat in Addis Ababa and organizes many of the household bills. “You can find it everywhere . . . but it’s just a word. Nothing is free.’’
Zaviralov’s quandary stopped the conversation briefly. “If I have sex in my country, it means relationship,’’ he said. “Here, it is maybe just sex, or maybe a relationship. Should you ask before, or after?’’
After the laughter subsided, members of the group began to excuse themselves. They were due in classes aimed at solving less daunting problems, like global poverty.
I wanted to stay. We’re in the middle of a particularly ugly election season, in which a bunch of privileged politicians are ripping one another to shreds in the name of making people’s lives better. This Waltham household is a glorious respite from all of that posturing. They are the change we can believe in.
The students threw a party recently, to celebrate the Ethiopian New Year. A few guests noticed there were a couple of vacant bedrooms, and wondered if they were accepting new roommates.
Hey, the line forms right behind me.
Yvonne Abraham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at Abraham@globe.com.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/24/total_global_living/
WALTHAM — I’m not the first person to entertain dreams of moving in with the roomies on Winthrop Street, and I won’t be the last.
Their place isn’t all that spectacular — the barely-furnished top half of a green two-family near Brandeis University. But the roomies are a different story.
There are seven of them, from seven countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Russia. The youngest is 27, the oldest 40.
They’re all students at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis — that’s the place where people who are already saving the world go to learn how to save it more. Even by Heller standards, this group is remarkable. It includes three doctors, a human rights campaigner, two children’s advocates, and a diplomat.
In a few years, master’s degrees in hand, they’ll be shaping policy around the globe — heading government departments or NGOs.
Right now, they live in a household that is a cross between a PBS documentary and a network sitcom.
“It’s not what we planned,’’ said Linda Arogundade, a Nigerian doctor who helped put the group together. “We came to see the house. Before you knew it, we were seven.’’
On a recent Monday, they sat around a small table off their large, hospital-clean kitchen. Farhad Farewar, a 38-year-old doctor from Afghanistan, had made a giant bowl of pulao, an Afghan pilaf with chicken. Everybody scooped piles of the steaming rice onto their plates.
Sam Hat Khim, a Cambodian doctor with the World Health Organization, and Van Ta Ngoc, a lawyer who works with street children in Vietnam, squeezed pools of Sriracha sauce onto their plates.
After five minutes here, everything starts to look like a corny metaphor for global understanding.
In the couple of months they’ve been together, the seven housemates have learned a lot from one another. They talk about politics and history, culture and food. They don’t discuss religion.
There have been no major arguments, because they’re careful. At lunch, Farewar was talking about Afghanistan’s problems, but he was mindful not to offend his roommate Dmitry Zaviralov, a youth worker from Russia:
“People keep imposing themselves on Afghanistan. First it was the British, then — sorry Dmitry — Russia, and now any country that comes wants to impose its ideas.’’
Around that table, the roomies ponder many mysteries. Some of them have international implications. Some do not.
“What does this ‘organic’ mean,’’ Farewar asked. “What characteristic does it have that costs so much?’’
“This word ‘free,’ ’’ said Maheder Dachew, who worked as a diplomat in Addis Ababa and organizes many of the household bills. “You can find it everywhere . . . but it’s just a word. Nothing is free.’’
Zaviralov’s quandary stopped the conversation briefly. “If I have sex in my country, it means relationship,’’ he said. “Here, it is maybe just sex, or maybe a relationship. Should you ask before, or after?’’
After the laughter subsided, members of the group began to excuse themselves. They were due in classes aimed at solving less daunting problems, like global poverty.
I wanted to stay. We’re in the middle of a particularly ugly election season, in which a bunch of privileged politicians are ripping one another to shreds in the name of making people’s lives better. This Waltham household is a glorious respite from all of that posturing. They are the change we can believe in.
The students threw a party recently, to celebrate the Ethiopian New Year. A few guests noticed there were a couple of vacant bedrooms, and wondered if they were accepting new roommates.
Hey, the line forms right behind me.
Yvonne Abraham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at Abraham@globe.com.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Midterm, Finals, Halloween OH MY!
Last week and this week have been crazy. Not only is it getting much colder here (and my roommates won't let me turn the heat on yet) but I have midterms in my 3 core semester long classes (Planning & Implementation, Climate Change, and Poverty, Inequalities & Development) but I also have had 2 finals in my module classes (which are 7 weeks long- Rights Based Approach to Development and Gender & Development). And that is all in addition to signing up for more modules (I am auditing NGOs:Stategic Planning as well as Communications for Impacts and taking a Geographic Informations Systems class). Then there are the readings and group project work- needless to say it is a crazy time, especially now that Halloween is coming up!
I am going to be a Zebra and you will definitely see pictures no worries! But Kristina and I are going to Salem on Friday night and going to see and learn all about the infamous witch trials and apparently we have to wear hats- so I have to find an awesome witch hat which shouldn't be a problem because there are awesome costume and thrift stores around. Then Saturday night some of our friends in the program are having parties so we will be stopping by those. Very fun! I am excited. I will have to put up pictures as well of our halloween decorations and our pumpkins after we carve them on Friday!
I am going to be a Zebra and you will definitely see pictures no worries! But Kristina and I are going to Salem on Friday night and going to see and learn all about the infamous witch trials and apparently we have to wear hats- so I have to find an awesome witch hat which shouldn't be a problem because there are awesome costume and thrift stores around. Then Saturday night some of our friends in the program are having parties so we will be stopping by those. Very fun! I am excited. I will have to put up pictures as well of our halloween decorations and our pumpkins after we carve them on Friday!
Ocotber 2nd 9:45pm 80 Wonderful Years
At 80 years old my grandmother Mary Davey passed away in Kaiser Hospital. I am fortunate enough to say I was with her, my aunt and uncle, and she passed peacefully. She had a heart annurism that lead to heart failure among other problems. She went the way she wanted to and with relatively no pain. We were all with her for the three days she was in the hospital, where prayers, flowers, and good wishes were left. I was holding her hand most of the time I was with her and am not wearing her black watch she always wore. She was such a strong, charismatic, compassion, loving, and empowering woman. I am extremely lucky to have had her in my life for 23 years. Her memorial service is November 20th at Hidden Villa in CA and you are more than welcome to come.
As she always said "Goodbye for now" and the world's greatest granddaughter- well I was her only granddaughter!
Having always influenced my life direction and travels, she was a global citizen and worldly educated. She is traveling onto a better place.
Her is one of many articles about her, on page 13:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morguepdf/2010/2010_10_08.paw.section1.pdf
As she always said "Goodbye for now" and the world's greatest granddaughter- well I was her only granddaughter!
Having always influenced my life direction and travels, she was a global citizen and worldly educated. She is traveling onto a better place.
Her is one of many articles about her, on page 13:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morguepdf/2010/2010_10_08.paw.section1.pdf
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Week Full of News
Alright, I either have to start posting everyday or these posts are going to be very long! After the redsox, which was a blast, I had my birthday party where 25 or so of my friends from Heller, my program, came to my apartment, and all dressed in red- because that is my favorite color and it was a red themed party! So my friend Ahn brought a red velvet cake, Alex brought chocolate, I made a yellow cake, Carolina brought red wine, my roomie Kristina made red margaritas and Travis had vodka cranberries just to name a few. It was a great 23rd celebration- though I am not sure how I feel about that number- its somewhat obsure. And all my friends from SF called or wrote to me on Facebook which was very sweet.
Then this last week of September has been a week of news. My good family friend Mikey Horowitz, who has been like a brother to me growing up (I used to go to their house when I was little every week for dinner and homework help, and a swim in their pool)- but he told me he and Michelle, his adorable Venezuelan wife, are PREGNANT! HE called on my bday and said "Devon- you are going to have a nephew!" I am soo excited, because who know when I will be an auntie when John has kids and I adore Mikey and MIchelle. So the baby will be born in March and maybe I can sneak away from reading and writing constantly here at Brandeis to be there for the birth.
In other news, my good friend Noemie from France, who I studied with at AU in DC for a semester and also spend New Years 2009 with in Paris, is coming to visit. She loves the US and is soo excited to see Boston and just found out her work is sending her here, so I get her for three whole days!
Som sad news as well....I just found out my Uncle Tom (My dad's brother-in-law, Kit's husband) has kidney cancer. He had surgery last week and is recovering okay but it is still really scary. LOVE YOU UNCLE TOM! THis last year at home has been really nice to spend time and get closer with my Aunt Kit and Uncle Tom. THey are such fun, vibrant, beautiful people!
I am really excited to this weekend to go to the biggest and oldes fair in New England! It;s called the Deerfield Fair and I think this is the 134th fair in history- and there will be everything from hay mazes to swine contests to fair rides! I will post pictures next time!
A month and a half into my 2 year Master;s degree in Sustainable International Development and I am proud that I have done great New Englander things like Apple picking and going to sox games and staying on top of work!!
Then this last week of September has been a week of news. My good family friend Mikey Horowitz, who has been like a brother to me growing up (I used to go to their house when I was little every week for dinner and homework help, and a swim in their pool)- but he told me he and Michelle, his adorable Venezuelan wife, are PREGNANT! HE called on my bday and said "Devon- you are going to have a nephew!" I am soo excited, because who know when I will be an auntie when John has kids and I adore Mikey and MIchelle. So the baby will be born in March and maybe I can sneak away from reading and writing constantly here at Brandeis to be there for the birth.
In other news, my good friend Noemie from France, who I studied with at AU in DC for a semester and also spend New Years 2009 with in Paris, is coming to visit. She loves the US and is soo excited to see Boston and just found out her work is sending her here, so I get her for three whole days!
Som sad news as well....I just found out my Uncle Tom (My dad's brother-in-law, Kit's husband) has kidney cancer. He had surgery last week and is recovering okay but it is still really scary. LOVE YOU UNCLE TOM! THis last year at home has been really nice to spend time and get closer with my Aunt Kit and Uncle Tom. THey are such fun, vibrant, beautiful people!
I am really excited to this weekend to go to the biggest and oldes fair in New England! It;s called the Deerfield Fair and I think this is the 134th fair in history- and there will be everything from hay mazes to swine contests to fair rides! I will post pictures next time!
A month and a half into my 2 year Master;s degree in Sustainable International Development and I am proud that I have done great New Englander things like Apple picking and going to sox games and staying on top of work!!
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