Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
I always had mixed feelings about the Los Angeles Times. It's a prestigious newspapers but their reporting on the Middle East and Africa should be tremendously improved. I understand that it's terribly expensive to send reporters there but it will make their articles more real,credible and truthful if their reporters travelled to the countries they are reporting about.
When we talked to Tereisa Watanabe, a Japanese-American journalist from the LA times, I was convinced that my idea is right. Watanabe is the head of the Japan Bureau of the LA times however, she also writes about the Middle East. We talked to her about the Middle East for a while and after we told her to come visit us. She said she is scared. The fact that she writes about the Middle East but is not aware of how things are in one of the major Middle Eastern countries is very interesting. This does not only apply to the Middle East. Later on, I will discover it applies to Sudan and Africa too.
We visited the LA times headquarters in LA. It was huge, well equipped and modern. What I really liked about the offices there is every office is as personalized as you can get. People spend alot of times at work. Their office becomes part of their life and because it is part of their life, it should reflect their personality, tell people about their life. I like it when people put pictures and things that represent them in their office. Our tour guide was an Asian-American too. It's interesting because 30 years ago, this wasn't possible. Females and minorities joined the LA team in the 1970's and 1980's. I was interested in finding out about LA times reportes in Africa and the Middle East. To my surprise, LA Times only had three reported for Africa and two for the Middle East. They didn't have any reporter in the Sudan, a country often in the news. they shouldn't necessarily have a full-time reporter there but when they want to report something there, they should send somebody to see things with their own eyes and get the true story. This is often not the case. I've read some articles published by the LA Times with false claims about the Sudan. I wasn't convinced enough by his claim that Darfur is too dangerous to report. In 2006 alone, over 40 journalists died in Iraq. During a number of years, many journalists died in Palestine. Not a single journalist died in Darfur.
When we talked to Tereisa Watanabe, a Japanese-American journalist from the LA times, I was convinced that my idea is right. Watanabe is the head of the Japan Bureau of the LA times however, she also writes about the Middle East. We talked to her about the Middle East for a while and after we told her to come visit us. She said she is scared. The fact that she writes about the Middle East but is not aware of how things are in one of the major Middle Eastern countries is very interesting. This does not only apply to the Middle East. Later on, I will discover it applies to Sudan and Africa too.
We visited the LA times headquarters in LA. It was huge, well equipped and modern. What I really liked about the offices there is every office is as personalized as you can get. People spend alot of times at work. Their office becomes part of their life and because it is part of their life, it should reflect their personality, tell people about their life. I like it when people put pictures and things that represent them in their office. Our tour guide was an Asian-American too. It's interesting because 30 years ago, this wasn't possible. Females and minorities joined the LA team in the 1970's and 1980's. I was interested in finding out about LA times reportes in Africa and the Middle East. To my surprise, LA Times only had three reported for Africa and two for the Middle East. They didn't have any reporter in the Sudan, a country often in the news. they shouldn't necessarily have a full-time reporter there but when they want to report something there, they should send somebody to see things with their own eyes and get the true story. This is often not the case. I've read some articles published by the LA Times with false claims about the Sudan. I wasn't convinced enough by his claim that Darfur is too dangerous to report. In 2006 alone, over 40 journalists died in Iraq. During a number of years, many journalists died in Palestine. Not a single journalist died in Darfur.
My encounter with Central Perk
We went to Stanley Sheinbaum's house for lunch. Sheinbaum is the most accompolished man I've ever seen. He convinced Yasser Arafat in 1988 to recognize Israel as a country, he brought Human Rights Watch to the west coast, he is the published of New Perspectives Quarterly. He is the kind of man who did so much for others in his life.
His wife is called Betty Warner. Her father was one of the founders of the warner brothers studios. Betty and Stanley seemed like the perfect couple. They are both accomplished in their own way. Betty is a painter. What makes her paintings more appealing to me is the simple fact that most of them are of people. Individuals in their daily life, talking,walking,having coffee. They are real, they are easy to understand and they represent things you do daily in a beautiful way. During our conversation with Betty Warner, I expected her to ask me an interesting question about Africa since she found out earlier that I have an interest in African affairs. Instead, she expressed afro-pesimism by saying does anything god every comes out of there. I'm not in denial about my continent's problem but I'm just hopeful. Our problems are not impossible to solve but they are difficult. I'm aware of the enormity of the situation but at the same time, if we all sat down with our hands in our pocket and started complaining about the corrupt governments,disease and illiteracy,conflicts and poverty, things are never going to change. China faced many problems 30 years ago but they worked hard to change things.They implemented a successful economic reform program and started benefiting from the greatest natural resource ever, humanbeings. If we showed afro-pesimism then Africa will remain the poorest continent on earth. If others show pesimisn, it affects me because there are afro-pesmists than optimists.
The warner brothers studios are not owned by the warner family anymore however, Betty Warner was able to get us on a VIP tour. I saw things I never dreamed of seeing. The cafe where many episodes of Friends were filmed, the streets where they walked, the park where they sat. I saw the hospital where Chicago Hope was filmed. It was amazing to be there and to see the places where my favorite actors and actresses spend many hours for many years.
After eating lunch with such important figures and visiting Warner Brothers. I felt grateful for being on this trip because I'm doing things I will never be able to do with parents.
His wife is called Betty Warner. Her father was one of the founders of the warner brothers studios. Betty and Stanley seemed like the perfect couple. They are both accomplished in their own way. Betty is a painter. What makes her paintings more appealing to me is the simple fact that most of them are of people. Individuals in their daily life, talking,walking,having coffee. They are real, they are easy to understand and they represent things you do daily in a beautiful way. During our conversation with Betty Warner, I expected her to ask me an interesting question about Africa since she found out earlier that I have an interest in African affairs. Instead, she expressed afro-pesimism by saying does anything god every comes out of there. I'm not in denial about my continent's problem but I'm just hopeful. Our problems are not impossible to solve but they are difficult. I'm aware of the enormity of the situation but at the same time, if we all sat down with our hands in our pocket and started complaining about the corrupt governments,disease and illiteracy,conflicts and poverty, things are never going to change. China faced many problems 30 years ago but they worked hard to change things.They implemented a successful economic reform program and started benefiting from the greatest natural resource ever, humanbeings. If we showed afro-pesimism then Africa will remain the poorest continent on earth. If others show pesimisn, it affects me because there are afro-pesmists than optimists.
The warner brothers studios are not owned by the warner family anymore however, Betty Warner was able to get us on a VIP tour. I saw things I never dreamed of seeing. The cafe where many episodes of Friends were filmed, the streets where they walked, the park where they sat. I saw the hospital where Chicago Hope was filmed. It was amazing to be there and to see the places where my favorite actors and actresses spend many hours for many years.
After eating lunch with such important figures and visiting Warner Brothers. I felt grateful for being on this trip because I'm doing things I will never be able to do with parents.
Carpinteria will be missed
We are back to Carpinteria. We are back to the Beach House where we spent lovely times and shared nice memories. We spent a whole week in Carpinteria before, I got so used to the beach house, to the beach and to Virginia and Joan. It's ok to leave a place but when you are sure you won't be back in such a long time, it's sadening. I had to go back to the places I won't see in a long time. We went to The Coffee Bean where I had coffee a few times during our stay there, to Giordana, the pizza place we visited before and the street where we spent our Saturday Night Out.
At the Coffee Bean, we all asked about the Save Darfur cd. Apparently, they ran out of it. I was sad and happy to hear that. I was sad because I wanted a copy of the CD and I was happy because people were buying it. At the Pizza place, we interacted with the Mexican employees. This marked one of the last interactions with latino's this trip for all of us.
We sat on the main street in Carpinteria. The streets were quiet and clean. I started taking random pictures and filming movie clips of a place I'm going to miss. Memories don't fade away but pictures last forever.
At the Coffee Bean, we all asked about the Save Darfur cd. Apparently, they ran out of it. I was sad and happy to hear that. I was sad because I wanted a copy of the CD and I was happy because people were buying it. At the Pizza place, we interacted with the Mexican employees. This marked one of the last interactions with latino's this trip for all of us.
We sat on the main street in Carpinteria. The streets were quiet and clean. I started taking random pictures and filming movie clips of a place I'm going to miss. Memories don't fade away but pictures last forever.
Making a home away from home
When I went to the gas station to get water in the morning, I had a feeling that the employee there was not exactly American. He might have been a holder of the American passport but he wasn’t necessarily born or raised here. Going back to talk to him later that day proved me right.
The serious-looking employee is called Ibrahim Bakana and he was a native of Liberia. Bakana
was the research assistant of an American professor from the university of Santa Barbara in the 1980’s and his pay wasn’t in cash. Apparently, she promised to pay him back by helping him
get a scholarship to an American university. Liberia fought a brutal civil war on and off for many years and as the war seemed endless, Bakana moved to the United States four years ago and applied for political asylum. As a “dedicated” Muslim, Bakana complained that the US has many temptations. According to him, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is a big challenge not only because of abstaining from food and drinks but also because of the way women dress here. I found this very interesting because I believe that you shouldn’t give up your religious and moral beliefs to fit in a society but at the same time, if you choose to stay here you should compromise. If living in a different environment is such a nuisance, going home will be a better option. In Bakana’s case, it is not a great option but later on, I was convinced it was an option for his employer. I didn’t mind Bakana stating his opinion about how things work in the United States because it is his right to speak his mind but my biggest worry is Bakana becoming one of them extremists we see on TV. I saw a program a couple of weeks ago about a Jamaican/British Muslim who wants to impose shariah law on England. I like having freedom of choice especially when it comes to religion but I would never consider imposing my opinion on others because simply, it is my own personal opinion!
Bakana didn’t hesitate in showing his feelings when he said he misses home. I related to him when he said that. It was interesting to see a person who lives in a first world country, who has a proper job and who I suppose has some luxuries millions of people don’t have especially in our part of the world. I consider myself privileged. In fact I lived a life many people I know could never dream off. Bakana and I are both from war-torn countries. We were forced out of our war-ravaged countries to other countries. In my case, not necessarily developed countries but countries at peace. I always wanted to ask other immigrants who fled their countries because of war and instability one question, would you have considered leaving your country if it was at peace?
Personally, I think that living in your country is amazing but self-preservation is even more important.
The serious-looking employee is called Ibrahim Bakana and he was a native of Liberia. Bakana
was the research assistant of an American professor from the university of Santa Barbara in the 1980’s and his pay wasn’t in cash. Apparently, she promised to pay him back by helping him
get a scholarship to an American university. Liberia fought a brutal civil war on and off for many years and as the war seemed endless, Bakana moved to the United States four years ago and applied for political asylum. As a “dedicated” Muslim, Bakana complained that the US has many temptations. According to him, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is a big challenge not only because of abstaining from food and drinks but also because of the way women dress here. I found this very interesting because I believe that you shouldn’t give up your religious and moral beliefs to fit in a society but at the same time, if you choose to stay here you should compromise. If living in a different environment is such a nuisance, going home will be a better option. In Bakana’s case, it is not a great option but later on, I was convinced it was an option for his employer. I didn’t mind Bakana stating his opinion about how things work in the United States because it is his right to speak his mind but my biggest worry is Bakana becoming one of them extremists we see on TV. I saw a program a couple of weeks ago about a Jamaican/British Muslim who wants to impose shariah law on England. I like having freedom of choice especially when it comes to religion but I would never consider imposing my opinion on others because simply, it is my own personal opinion!
Bakana didn’t hesitate in showing his feelings when he said he misses home. I related to him when he said that. It was interesting to see a person who lives in a first world country, who has a proper job and who I suppose has some luxuries millions of people don’t have especially in our part of the world. I consider myself privileged. In fact I lived a life many people I know could never dream off. Bakana and I are both from war-torn countries. We were forced out of our war-ravaged countries to other countries. In my case, not necessarily developed countries but countries at peace. I always wanted to ask other immigrants who fled their countries because of war and instability one question, would you have considered leaving your country if it was at peace?
Personally, I think that living in your country is amazing but self-preservation is even more important.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
My very own American Dream
Everytime I used to think of America. Four things will come to mind. Madonna. New York. Fast-Food. San Francisco. I considered San Francisco an icon of America. It represented so much to me. Multi-culturalism, the golden gate bridge, art and culture, roller-coaster like streets and fashionable stores. We arrived in San Francisco at 3:30 pm. After the first five minutes, I couldn't resist not thinking about living here.
We are staying at the Chateau Tivoli, a lovely Victorian bed and breakfast inn built in the 1890’s. I felt comfortable and at home at the Chateau Tivoli. Although it was a long trip and I was tired, I didn’t want to stay home. I wanted to explore the city I always dreamed of seeing. We phoned a taxi and went to one of San Francisco’s malls. During the 15 minutes taxi-ride, I was mesmerized by the cleanliness and organization of the streets of San Francisco. The city looked old but new at the same time. I saw many lovely Victorian houses , different ethnicies, art galleries and international restaurants. Things were just like I expected them to be. The mall was a good introduction to the city’s classy and unique fashion styles. There was a good representative sample of the different styles of the city . From pink hair and black clothes to long shirts and tights. From prada bags and Armani shirts to baggy jeans and extra long t-shirts. All these styles were evident at Stoneage Mall.
I sat in the food court eating and observing the different people. In san Francisco, it’s hard to miss the Asian community. They are in malls, streets, shops or even restaurants. The Asian population in San Francisco is large and prosperous. The food court consisted of 8 restaurants; four of them specialized in Asian food. The visitors were overwhelmingly Asian. Asians seemed more at home than Latino's. It could be because they are doing better in America than Latino's or because most of the Illegal immigrants are from South America so people don't look at the Asians as illegal immigrants. The Asians I heard in the mall spoke English and Chinese or Japanese. They seemed integrated yet attached to their culture and traditions. they seemed part of the American society yet part of their own society. They made me think of the true definition of integration. Did the Asians have to detach themselves from their culture and fully adopt the American way to be American? They didn't. I believe that they compromised. They took the best of the two worlds to create an integrated community that contributes so much to
San Francisco and America.
We are staying at the Chateau Tivoli, a lovely Victorian bed and breakfast inn built in the 1890’s. I felt comfortable and at home at the Chateau Tivoli. Although it was a long trip and I was tired, I didn’t want to stay home. I wanted to explore the city I always dreamed of seeing. We phoned a taxi and went to one of San Francisco’s malls. During the 15 minutes taxi-ride, I was mesmerized by the cleanliness and organization of the streets of San Francisco. The city looked old but new at the same time. I saw many lovely Victorian houses , different ethnicies, art galleries and international restaurants. Things were just like I expected them to be. The mall was a good introduction to the city’s classy and unique fashion styles. There was a good representative sample of the different styles of the city . From pink hair and black clothes to long shirts and tights. From prada bags and Armani shirts to baggy jeans and extra long t-shirts. All these styles were evident at Stoneage Mall.
I sat in the food court eating and observing the different people. In san Francisco, it’s hard to miss the Asian community. They are in malls, streets, shops or even restaurants. The Asian population in San Francisco is large and prosperous. The food court consisted of 8 restaurants; four of them specialized in Asian food. The visitors were overwhelmingly Asian. Asians seemed more at home than Latino's. It could be because they are doing better in America than Latino's or because most of the Illegal immigrants are from South America so people don't look at the Asians as illegal immigrants. The Asians I heard in the mall spoke English and Chinese or Japanese. They seemed integrated yet attached to their culture and traditions. they seemed part of the American society yet part of their own society. They made me think of the true definition of integration. Did the Asians have to detach themselves from their culture and fully adopt the American way to be American? They didn't. I believe that they compromised. They took the best of the two worlds to create an integrated community that contributes so much to
San Francisco and America.
Los Olivos
A not very quiet town with expensive shops, diverse art gallery, wineries and very European-style buildings. Los Olivos is a bit lively and is home to a more chic type of people. Next to the shop selling expensive European antiques, you can notice a few social interactions. It seems that the people living there lived there for a while or at least knew most people in the small town of Los Olivos.
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