#15 Evaluative Conclusion

Evaluative Conclusion

My blog gave me the time to reflect on the semester and what was important to me. Each topic was something I spent a significant amount of time thinking about. I've become a lot more interested in politics, the news and world issues this semester due to participating in Model UN. Part of our homework each week is to read the New York Times and I'm always fascinated by the information I read but that no one is talking about. For instance, few people know about the Rohingya holocaust that is happening in Burma right now. I'm also more interested than more because I want to become a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State. I'm studying Latin American Studies and Portuguese, which is evident in the topics and substance of my blog.

Blogging, or writing in general is good for thinking and processing what's going on in life. It's also great to read my classmate's blogs to see what is going on in their lives and their views. Of course, I discuss world news and everyday happenings with my husband and family. However, It's refreshing to see their opinions and struggles that are so unique and different from mine because of our differing backgrounds. This class is the most diverse class, in terms of majors, that I've taken at BYU because I'm a senior in my last classes of my major. It's not often that I talk to students studying accounting, engineering or family studies. I really value their opinions.

#14 Refugees

Refugees

The world is facing a huge refugee crisis today. We've all heard about it on the news, especially with the polarized politics in our country. It's a topic I've been very interested in ever since I moved to Utah. It turns out, Utah is one of two central stations for refugee resettlement in the country. My husband found a non-profit organization that teaches refugees English and we volunteered there. The Church has a humanitarian center, where refugees work four hours of the day sorting clothes that comes from DI to be distributed around the world when disasters occur. The other four hours are spent learning English and basic skills they'll need to assimilate like rules for driving, the days of the week or preparing to take the citizenship test. 

Before working with them, I knew little about refugees in general. They were wonderful people, very happy and really interested in getting to know you and in the process tell you their whole life story. They came from all over the world like different parts of Africa, Ukraine, Burma, India, and many others. They tried to help each other learn. I found out that the process for resettlement is long and very hard. It's harder for refugees to come to America than any other kind of immigrants. It got me thinking about why some people are so scared of refugees and why we don't help more. The truth is, we take less than 1% of all refugees in the world. It is not a significant number and serves primarily as a symbol of good will and support for the cause. Does anyone else have experience with refugees they'd like to share?

# 13 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 
Thanksgiving was wonderful with all sorts of great American food and family. This year I couldn't go home for Christmas but my Mom flew out for the week and we went to our dear friend, Sister Chuntz's Thanksgiving dinner. (Brother and Sister Chuntz baptized my parents) So, my husband and I were in a room full of people we didn't know, but it felt very homey and welcoming. Anyways, we had all the traditional food: turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole and a lot of pies! However, I thought the best part of Thanksgiving was the hand made egg roles that her daughter in law from Vietnam made.

Although I love the idea of traditional food, the truth is, I would never make it any other day of the year. I'd much rather have lasagna or a cultural food like Mexican, India, Chinese or Brazilian for Thanksgiving. To me, Thanksgiving just equals good food and family. Of course, my family would die without turkey and ham. My husband's family would probably welcome the idea, especially if they didn't have to make it themselves. I think maybe its time to shake things up and create new traditions. Or it might be time to make egg rolls a traditional Thanksgiving Food. What does your family eat for Thanksgiving? What are your traditions?

#12 Semester Madness

Internship Madness

This semester, I have been focused a lot on internships for next summer. I'm a senior and my last requirement to graduate is an internship or study abroad relating to Latin America. So, I've been scouring the internet and talking to advisers on campus to work out all the details. Some might say I'm crazy for planning so far in the future, but that's just me. So, I found two internships that I really wanted. One is with the Department of State, because my dream is to go into the foreign service. The other was a study abroad with BYU to the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

First, I applied to the Department of State internship, one for Washington D.C. and another for Brasilia, Brazil. I got two phone interviews early on, which is amazing because all I've heard is that it's super competitive. I got a first alternate for Brasilia in the economics department, which I thought was incredible seeing as I know absolutely nothing about economics. Then I received an email congratulating me about the internship in Washington D.C. Incredible! 

However, I still had my heart set on Brazil for the summer. I talked to a professor who provisionally accepted me to the program in Sao Paulo. So, I decided I could try to do both. I'm hoping it will all work out. Still I'm trying to plan every little detail and trying to move money around. Is anyone else planning for summer 2018? If so, what's your plan?

#11 The Bucket List Family

The Bucket List Family

Another Obsession of mine this semester has been The Bucket List Family, a family of four travel journalists. They are 2 parents, Garrett and Jessica, with 2 little kids, Dorothy and Manilla, with another baby on the way. They have been traveling all around the world since 2015, currently they've been to 49 countries. The coolest part is that they both went to BYU and served missions in Russia. Garrett was captain of the BYU soccer team and struck it big when he created an app called Scan with a team and sold it to SnapChat for 54 million dollars.

After selling the app, the family decided to leave behind normal jobs, sell all of their belongings and go on a 6 month extended vacation, chronicling their activities on Instagram and through weekly youtube videos. After 6 months they decided to continue their adventures, often sponsored by hotels, airlines, cruises and clothes company. They recently wrapped up a project with Disney called 30 Stays in 30 Days where they stayed in a different resort in Disney every day. I love watching where they go every week. They especially love water destinations, really anything with a beach. Plus, they have the most adorable kids. I also thinks it's awesome that they travel even with little kids. You can watch their weekly videos every Sunday and follow them on Instagram. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

http://www.thebucketlistfamily.com/about/

#10 Boko Haram

Boko Haram strapped suicide bombs to them. Somehow these teenage girls survived. 

This article in the New York Times was fascinating and helped me to sympathize with these girls. The editorial was prominently featured with several full page photos taken of these girls, all with their faces covered to safeguard their identities. Boko Haram is a terrorist group, a rebel force, in Eastern Nigeria. Recently they have started using women and young girls as suicide bombers in their cause. The article gives gripping accounts of how these girls ended up with a literal ticking time bomb strapped to their waist. Most of the accounts are very similar. The girls were abducted and kept in camps, their captors tried to force arranged marriages on them or rape them, when the girls refused they were taken outside the camp to a target location. The explosive belt would then be strapped to them and they would be given directions of where to go to set it off. 

All of these girls were brave enough to seek help, walking up to military or officials to plead for help. The government in Nigeria has launched a campaign against women suicide bombers, to warn civilians that they are likely to carry out attacks. The result has been an extreme fear of the female sex, with some women being shot out of sheer fear. It really challenges the idea that these girls were somehow terrorist sympathizers who wanted to kills masses of people. We need more articles like this one, showing the bravery of these girls and the reality that they victims, not terrorists. 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/25/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-suicide-bomb.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

#9 Wasteland

Wasteland

Wasteland follows the Vick Muniz, Brazilian born American artist, while he creates art. The documentary follows his process of making art with a group of catadores, people who collect recycling out of the trash in a gigantic open air dump in Rio de Janeiro. If it doesn't sound like a glamorous job, that is because it isn't. It's hard work, out in the elements, touching disgusting materials, all to salvage some plastic for very little money. The catadores live in favelas, or slums close by.

I loved the films because it highlighted the personalities of the catadores as individuals. The artwork was created by first taking a photo of the catadore, then they projected it on a huge area and filled it with recycling and trash after which another photo would be taken for the final product. Vick Muniz would then sell the artwork at auctions, pay the catadores for their hard work and donate the proceeds to them and their recycling association. It was super inspiring! What an incredible way to help those in need. The best part was the Muniz felt they had helped him in so many ways. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/arts/design/24muniz.html