Pakistan, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland

When I clicked on to CNN this morning to read that Benazir Bhutto was assassinated - I fell into a dumb disbelief and heaviness sank into my heart. It wasn't completely surprising based on the past attempts on her life but her determination to return to her country, even with her own problematic past, to make it a better place was to be admired. Any time there is a "democracy" and an opposition party, that opposition must be encouraged - even if one doesn't agree with it. It's painful to watch a country struggle and all of these people grieve for the person they thought could make it better. (Plus I have a soft spot in my heart of India and Pakistan with their tumultuous, problematic and rather rich history.)

One of the main reasons Cote d'Ivoire had a coup d'etat on December 24th, 1999 was because the 3rd party opposition had been thrown in prison - all of the leaders. The presidential candidate wasn't allowed in the country and the people doing the grassroots organizing were tossed in jail when the government, at midnight, revoked a parade permit (for a rally). It was impossible to tell thousands of people NOT to show up. That was in October and it was only a matter of time before the pot boiled over and it did. The initial coup was amazingly peaceful - considering this was the first time Cote d'Ivoire had ever done anything like this. Ivorians liked to compare themselves to their neighbors Sierra Leone - we will never be like that. Those savages. But it didn't take long for it to go from ok to pretty rotten.

When I was exiting a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, an Irish man asked me how it was. I told him how great the paintings where and the colors, etc. He asked me where I was from - I told him the Seattle, Washington, the USA. "Great place." And you? "Ireland." He went on to bitch about the British a bit and then came back to Seattle. "I would love to live there." Well, if you like the rain, it's perfect. "Yeah, you've got a great country, you know." Genuinely curious as to why he thought that I replied, why do you think so? "It's one of the last true democracies in the world. Really it is. Think about it. It's a great place."

Convergence zones, Santa trackers and the Joy of Cooking...

North of Seattle, between Lynnwood and Everett is a "convergence zone" where the weather is particular hellish - kind of like the snowbelt that I grew up in. If it's starting to snow in Seattle, there are two inches in Lynnwood. If it pouring in Everett (and you're hydroplaning on the highway) it's started to dry up in Seattle - which is what happened last night as I was leaving speed skate - I left in a horrible storm to practice (and all I could think was though it's not "Beverly Hills, LA" I'm still dreaming of a white Christmas), and it was worse in Everett on my way back and as I hydroplaned across the freeway (just riding it out), I was wishing it was snow.

And the three hours I spend at work today, part of it was checking out MSN.com's Santa Tracker - which is pretty funny and rather creative:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22271869/?gt1=10645

And tonight, the apartment is sparkling clean. My roommate and I exchanged small gifts, while John Lennon sings "So this is Christmas (War is Over)", and I flip thru the Joy of Cooking as tomorrow I am preparing dinner for 10 "orphans". I couldn't ask for a better way to spend my Christmas - away from home. I've never made a whole turkey (just a breast) but all of the other delights I have perfected my own receipt for them. I can't wait! Christmas movies, songs, and the Joy of Cooking with friends.

'Tis the season...

For holidays lights, cocktail parties, birthday martinis, Christmas plays, burlesque nutcracker that is so super fabulous, turkeys, cranberry salad, work days where you do the bare minimum until you can sneak out, derby practices and tryouts, gift exchanges, white elepant parties, cookies and cookie exchanges, drunkin' "I love yous", cards from friends and family, more love than you can remember getting before, presents, rain and few blog entries.

Happy holidays!

It's Snowing! It's Snowing!

Snow flurries greeted us as we landed in Seattle on Saturday! I wanted to jump up and shout "yippeee!" (yes, I'm a snow princess.) We stumbled home and all tried to stay up until at least 8 p.m. to stay our jetlag as long as possible.

Sunday was a fun day, even with a wicked travel cold, grocery shopping (for non-salty things), getting out my holiday lights, writing Christmas cards and... running out of steam many times during the day.

Today though, as I stood in the pouring down rain, soaked, having missed my second bus, all I could think of was "this is the only reason I don't like Seattle" and it turned out quite disastrous as rivers flooded, homes floated away and a state-of-emergency was declared.

Welcome home.

Here are some photos from my trip: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67749380@N00/sets/72157603353005636