WARNING: Girls aren't dumber than boy anymore

let me preface this post by reminding everyone that i'm a feminist and can sometimes be a little irrational on that end.

so i'm watching the today show this morning and they are doing this story about how boys are falling behind girls in school. now i'll give you that we should care about how all of our kids do in school - and it is generally a bad thing when scores go down. however, i do have an issue with how they are wording this story. is the problem that boys are doing worse in school? or is the real problem that they are doing worse than girls? am i wrong or could this be easily spun into a positive story? how about "girls are succeeding at higher levels than ever before?" why is this such a terrible thing? i'm fine with talking about boys not doing so well, and what we can do to help them - but the frame of reference is ridiculous.

maybe it's because i went to elementary school so long ago, but honestly school was so boy-centric then already. How many books did you read that had a female protaganist? honestly.

i don't think we need to worry that much so long as women are still making less on the dollar than men, men still hold the top power positions in all the top companies and politics. maybe we deserve a shot to get at some of those jobs. maybe if the world is changing to value more female characteristics, then we can welcome that. for the last 2,000 years it's been male dominated and some terrible things have happened - it's about time for a change.

The Life Politic

Random thought of the evening, inspired by "You've Got Mail" (of all places)

In the break-up scene between Greg Kinnear and Meg Ryan, Greg explains that he couldn't be with anyone who didn't take politics as seriously as he does, and Meg comments that she didn't even vote in the last election.

i couldn't help but take note of the scene and ask myself, could i ever be with someone who didn't take politicis seriously? would it be worse to date someone apathetic or someone as passionate as you are, but on the other side?

part of me couldn't stand to be with someone who didn't understand or care what i do for a living. my job isn't a regular job - it requires so much more and i don't think i could deal with anyone who didn't understand the larger mission. however, there is of course that hope that you would be able to turn that apathetic person into a person who cared - and that accomplishment would be amazing.

i would respect someone who did my job on the other side. i think that we all have to be passionate and active about our political beliefs. so on one hand, it seems that this person would be a better match, however, i really don't know if you can have a successful relationship if any answer to "what did you do today?" were to result in a logn heated and angry debate.

i agree that this is a random thought to have at 11pm on a thursday, but that's just the way my brain works.

Life Suck

As of 10:38 this morning I join the proud ranks of the "crackberrys." you can now reach me on my email constantly. let the fun begin.

Fiji: Kadavu (Part 2)

Before I continue my Fiji adventure, a quick note about why i have been absent from posting for so long - i work a lot. if you'd like more posts, but your money where your mouth is and donate - www.murphyforcongress.com.

moving on. i left off upon my arrival in kadavu and the screaming upon meeting em at the airshack. we begin to skip away from the airshack and i begin to relate my harrowing tale from the nadi airport and almost not being able to come. we stop mid dirt road and walk back to the airshack with fumes coming from em's ears. we march up to the ticket counter (literally, a closet in the "airport") and i learn my first fijian - "duna lenga" - which means "i have a problem" it is a strong phrase to use as "senga ne lenga" or "no worries" is a commonly used term to describe any issues one might have on the island. exp. "wow, we don't have power for 3 days" "senga ne lenga!" or "gosh, there is a rat in my shower" "senga ne lenga!" and so on.

so we have a lovely conversation with the ticket guy, who happens to be married to one of the nurses that em works with - so he was quite helpful. we will be returning to this counter in a few days (after the weekend - remember, when though i left on a thursday afternoon, it is now saturday morning)

we start out on the main road again, heading to em's house. i am completely taken aback by how beautiful kadavu is. everything you would imagine a tropical paradise to be. for example, one of the top causes of death is to be standing under a coconut tree and have a coconut fall on your head (fyi: this will kill you) - and it is a serious concern - people don't stand under coconut trees - and there are so many of them! on one side of the road is the ocean, and it is BEAUTIFUL all turquoise and blue and jewel toned. on the other side are the houses and the villages. we turn right up a rather large hill next to a secondary school to go to em's. at the top of the hill are a row of cement gov't issues houses. and em's is right in the middle of them.

we walk in and proceed to have lovely chat with karen (the roommate and a non-positive person) and brandon (other pcv on entire island of kadavu). once i reveal i have brought treats (on behalf of myself and mulli) i was attacked until i gave the chocolate and york peppermint patty cookies up. books that i had brought to read myself were taken from my hands and devoured in a matter of hours. it's very easy to feel special in kadavu.

while karen and brandon enjoyed the books em and i took a walk around her island. i'm still amazed by what i'm seeing - it's positively breathtaking - words cannot describe. we walk past her hospital, past the post office and the grocery store. we stop there to pick up some stuff for the uber-exciting dinner the 4 of us are going to have. there are "fresh" tomatoes and coke's in from the boat and so we prepare to feast on pasta w/ tomato sauce and garlic bread with coke and rum's (rum supplied by the lovely duty free shop that morning at 5am - thanks guys!). at 6 the power came on and we were able to watch the 1 hour music video special. fiji has delayed music videos but hipper commercials - special. there is only one tv channel, fiji 1, which for being the only channel, has pretty fabulous programming.

we sat around for the rest of the night telling "that one time in college" stories, and was mainly comprised of me regaling them with drunk emily martin stories - lovely. we ended the evening listening to my ipod and emily declaring several time "oh this song! i forgot this existed" makes you a little sad . . .

Fiji: Getting There (Part 1)

Hello - and welcome to the first in a series of posts about my fabulous trip to Fiji over Thanksgiving 2005. Our story begins on November 17th . . .

I woke up on the 17th more alert than I have been in months. I'm leaving for Fiji in a matter of hours and I still have to pack and a few hours of work to do - plus I need to find a ride to the airport. (I can say this now because we all know it turned out ok) I manage to get out the door by 8:45, my backpacking backpack and smaller backpack all set to go. or more importantly, i had my passport, tickets and a toothbrush - i'd be fine. I arrive at the LOB parking lot, and call Taylor - who agrees to take me to the airport later that day. As I ride the elevator up to drop off my bag at her car I can't help exclaiming to the new gentelman who was unlucky enough to share the ride with me, that i was going to fiji that day. "Fiji!" it seemed to be the theme of the morning as anyone who i talked to got to experience the "i'm going to fiji today! yup! fiji! in a few hours! fiji!" i'm sure everyone in the greater hartford area felt my joy.

made it to work and worked liked a crazy person until 11:30ish when i jetted off to the airport, leaving the office and call time in the capable hands of beth and taylor - while i was nervous to leave once i was gone i was gone. check in at the bartford airport was a breeze and i was ready to embark upon the first leg of my trip.

hartford to dulles - independence air - 1:00pm hartford time
explained to people i was wearing tevas, a long skirt and a t-shirt in the winter because i was going to fiji.

dulles to lax - american airlines arrive 10pm california time
leg 2 was fairly simple. got to check in at the international gate, again explaining to anyone who would listen that i was going to fiji - hence the big backpack.

halfway there (kind-of)
have to say that rushing around at the lax airport to get to the gate on-time it hit me that i was only halfway done with my journey and i had been traveling for a day. get set for next leg of the trip . . .

lax to nadi - air pacific: arrive 5am fiji time on saturday (19th) morning
LONG flight, very long. 12 hours in the air. had a window seat - which was lovely except for man in aisle seat in my rom promptly falls asleep and i cannot get out of my seat for the entire flight. frantically do leg exercises to prevent fatal blood clots was warned about by caitlin. also enjoyed several hot meals on flight, in addition to personal tv with movie choices and REMOTE CONTROL. however felt significantly less special as everyone on this plane was also going ot fiji. slept as much as could, but not enough.

nadi
pronounced "nan-di"
i have until 11ish for kadavu flight to depart. get through customs and immediatly the only logical thing to purchas at 6am on a saturday morning - 2 large handles of duty free alcohol, per instruction from emily.

find my domestic flight and sit on lovely huge leather couch until time to start checking for kadavu (pronounced k-ah-n-da-vu) flight.

walk up to sun air to check in. following exchange best done in transcript form.

me: hello, i'd like to check in for the flight to kadavu
sun air guy: sure, what's your name
me: anna morozovsky, m-o-r-o-z-o-v-s-k-y
sun air guy: i don't see you on the list
me: my confirmation number 211690
sun air guy: what?
me: my PTA number- my friend emily martin bought me a ticket months ago and it's supposed to be waiting here for me. the PTA number is 211690
sun air guy: no, i'm sorry i have no ticket for you. i don't know what the PTA number means. let me make a few calls
(wait and quietly begin to panic as calls are being made)
sun air guy: i'm sorry we have no record of a ticket for you. the flight to kadavu today is sold out.
me: i need to be on this flight
sun air guy: sorry, it's sold out. if you want to wait maybe someone won't show up and we can get you on then
me: ummm, ok. but i need to be on this flight.
sun air guy: just stand over there, we'll call if there's a seat.
me: great

am officialy panicing, call emily's "only call if there's a problem" number at the hospital
me: is emily martin there?
hospital staff: no, it's saturday, emily doesn't work on saturdays
me: oh, well i'm a friend of her's who is supposed to arrive today and there is a problem with my ticket at nadi. is there anyway you could find her?"
hospital staff: sure, call back in 10 minutes.
hospital staff is AWESOME

go back to sun air desk to obtain phone number to give to em when i talk to her
me: umm, hi. can i please have a phone number so my friend can call and clear up the ticket problem?
sun air guy: well if you want to be on this flight all you have to do is buy a ticket.
me: (very confused as thought flight was sold out) ummm, ok. i'll buy a ticket
sun air guy: great.
(purchase ticket)
sun air guy: we're going to board in about 15 minutes, just have a seat and we'll manke an announcement when we're going to start boarding.
me: great.

sit down on leather coah and pull out book again, convinced all is again right with the world. call hospital back and tell them to tell emily everything is fine.

5 minutes pass

woman comes running up to me

woman: aren't you on the flight to kadavu?
me: yes
woman: well it's leaving right now if you want to catch it.
me: crap.

run through "security" and out onto raining tarmac to "plane"
it rains through the plane.
nice.

arrive at kadavu airport, or more like airshack.

meet emily - much screaming.

it has begun . . .

Bula

Hello from Fiji! Just wanted to send in a quick update from the South Pacific for all those Sunlight over the Capitol readers who were curious as to my vacation status.

Well - everything is AMAZING.

I am planning a several part series on the trip once I am back in the states (land of free internet access) and have my pictures developed. so look for that the first week of December, or hopefully before christmas. so keep your refresh buttons up-to-date - exciting things are coming on this blog.

today emily and i purchased our harry potter 4: the goblet of fire tickets and will be seeing it tomorrow at 10am, fiji time. few words can describe my excitement level about this. i am even more excited to see this than i was to see my first hot water shower since i've been here. awesome awesome awesome.

hope everyone is having a lovely thanksgiving!

off to my tropical paradise beach vacation, side of rats in the shower

hello all. so tomorrow is the big day - i leave for my fanatastic fiji voyage. most of me still can't believe i'm actually going (and i blame that part of me for not starting to pack yet). i'm beginning to realize that this is one of those moments in life that i will look back on often as the years go by - and something emily and i will have many laughs about when we're little old ladies traveling the world after our husbands die. it's something i will have to keep referring back to over the next year, and especially over the next 5 months as connecticut becomes less and less of a tropical paradise and more and more of a winter wonderland.

it's rare to know when a life-enriching moment is coming - more often than not they take us by suprise, and it is that spontaneity that makes them so special. but that almost makes these moments, the ones you've been planning for over a year, seem so unique and even more defining. it was my decision to do this, my hard earned ndn and swim lesson money which purchased my ticket and it will be my recent work which will cover the small joys i'll experience over there. it's my first real grown-up vacation and i couldn't be more excited, and it couldn't come at a more appropriate time.

yesterday i went to the mall to pick up my freshly tailored power suit. i walked through the mall, passing stores whose california counterparts i spent hours staring into during my days at hot dog on a stick, passed the mall santa, this year sponsered by the disney movie, chronicles of narnia, which i was reminded i own stock in. as i walked through visions of time gone by my head was clouded with thoughts of what i needed to still do at work and what i would be doing in 3 days time in fiji. one of those moments where reality hits you - and sometimes you gotta love it.

this blog is probably way too corny for everyone, and not nearly full enough of my usual political outrage, but sometimes you have to step back and look at where you stand. as much as connecticut isn't my dream habitat i love what i'm doing here, and i love the people i'm meeting here, and i've got such a strong support system from everyone from home and dc - and lord knows i couldn't be doing this without them. if i couldn't crash on mulli's couch random weekends, or laugh about the whole situation with blythe, bitch about kinkos with sarah, or have a family that understand why i can only come home for 3 days for christmas, i would be in a much worse situation. so thanks.

that's all from america folks. i will try to post one or two times from the wilds of fiji - otherwise watch and wait for pictures!

and big ups to blythe purdin for explaining the whole 610 bond so well in her recent blog posts - www.blythepurdin.blogspot.com.

peace - i'm out.