Vicarious Living

Just like Alice spent hours daydreaming, so do I. And apparently I'm not the only one who will be dreaming of a "different world". There are people around me who will be vicariously living through me as I embark on my journey to Brasilia. My world will be full of adventure, and hopefully more fun and less stressful than that in which I live currently. It won't be full of queens wanting to cut my head off at least (when I was a kid that part of the film scared me to death).

As I have increasingly been telling more and more people that I'm moving (including the dentist, who told me today that his unfriendly secretary is Brazilian....who knew? And of course, became much nicer once she learned I'm heading to Brazil), I'm actually surprised by the number of excited people out there. Honestly, I expected a lot more, "Why would you go there?" or "Is that a third world country?" or "Will you be safe?". I actually don't think I even heard any of these questions since I've sprung the news on people. One of my assistant principals did ask me today if I'm going to start up jiu jitsu. Um, no. But he's a nice guy and at least he knows a little something about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so I'll excuse him for asking me if I'll be rolling around on the floor with guys trying to submit them.

For instance, as I have been telling my colleagues that I will be teaching in Brazil next year, I've noticed a number of interested teachers. I even gave out the name of the association that connected me with the school in Brasilia to one teacher seriously interested in teaching abroad. This reaction was very unexpected because I thought that people would question my desire to move abroad, not want to join me :). This was a pleasant surprise and I hope to "plant the seed" of international school teaching in the hearts of teachers that I know and/or work with.

Maybe it's the state of affairs in public school education today, or maybe it's the call of adventure that stirs the idea of teaching abroad in the hearts of professionals. I don't know. But whatever it is, I hope that it spreads. One of my co-workers, an Italian national and French teacher, told me that she'd loved to go back to Italy to teach, but with her American husband and son here, it's difficult. She told me she'll be vicariously living through me, and immediately asked for my personal e-mail address.

People have expressed their enthusiasm, and even jealousy, and have made comments that they wish they could take their families abroad so they could go and teach. Some have told me that they're also ready and if they could just convince their significant other to uproot, that they'd move. This I didn't expect. Another ESOL teacher told me that she doesn't have enough courage to up and move to South America, but that she's happy for me and wishes she could do the same (which she could because she already left the Islands to come to the U.S.). All of the support and excitement of those around me in response to my news makes me feel even more ecstatic about moving.

I am really not afraid of too much (besides getting my wisdom tooth pulled, apparently). I'm anxious for some real adventure, a change of scenery and lifestyle and even the challenges that along with moving to a new country. I mean, even though I realize that moving back to Brazil is going to have its ups and downs, I'm ready for it. We're both ready for it.

Wordless Wednesday: Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas

The town of Presidente Figueiredo is located in the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil. It is about a 2-hour drive north from the state's capital, Manaus.

Both pictures were taken by me.

Abaixo a Hipocrisia

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Having a bad day?

       Yesterday my basement flooded. I sat in traffic for 2 hours and as a result I was an hour late for work. Then my poor dogs anal glands exploded (yes that can happen) all over the walls of my stairway as he tried to destroy the Duke Energy guy...My house still wreaks of polyp juice, carpet mold, and meter reader blood...but when I saw this video I immediately felt better. Hope it works for you too.

Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Maravilhosa

Rio de Janeiro. Cidade Maravilhosa.

We watched the new movie Rio last time and both really enjoyed it. It was so colorful and cute, and of course all of the images brought back feelings of saudade from when we were there in 2007.

In March 2007, E and I met up for an amazing 10-day pre-marriage honeymoon. Previous to that vacation together, we'd spent 8 long months apart. Although we'd met in Manaus years before (and had been dating every since), we had to spend some time apart as we worked on deciding where we were going to live. He wanted me to stay and live in Manaus which I seriously, but was just not ready to stay longer than my contract for a number of reasons. So in the meantime I travelled back and forth between Florida and Amazonas until E finally came back with me 4 years ago.

After those 8 insufferable months apart, we finally met up in Rio de Janeiro for a honeymoon (pre-marriage). Immigration would not allow for E to leave the country right away. But this was no problem because a honeymoon is better after being apart for months vs. after the wedding. It was romantic and lovely.

Rio de Janeiro is the perfect honeymoon spot. We visited all of the "tourist-y" spots, travelled outside of the city to go snorkeling (which we love), and just relaxed - enjoying each other's company at bars/restaurants, on the beach, and just walking around sightseeing and shopping - and celebrating our love. For these reasons, Rio will always bring back lovely memories for the two of us.

And of course we'll always have pictures to remind us...

Cristo Redentor

Rio de Janeiro

Jardim Botanico

Maracana

Angra dos Reis - RJ

Hey...WHITE fella ! Yes Black fella ?

Just an anecdote from a neighbour who used to run a pub in Queensland (Redcliffs).. he related that most trouble he had was not from Aboriginals but from whites. But his anecdote will say much more than a 2500 word essay on 'human commonality'.  He was walking along alone one night, and suddenly out of the darkness came the curious shout "Hey white fella"... now at this point, one might imagine, based on rather racist mythology, that he was about to be mugged by a bunch of 'coons' (to use the terminology of the myths)  but no... it turned out to be a highly intelligent, warm hearted aboriginal friend who had recognized him.

He responded "Yes Black fella?"
But what these words cannot really bring out is the lack of racism, the lack of the slightest hint of racial denigration or ill feeling between the white bloke and the black one. As Clint Eastwood portrayed in his very challenging movie Gran Torino, he would call his Italian barber "You  daigo bastard" or something like that...and the Barber would reply "You Irish prick".. but all of this was just light hearted banter and it went both ways.

I can deal with 'hey white trash' without raising an eyelid. I can dish it out too.. 'yes you black bastard'....... (or or "yes you lebo thug" ...other race appropriate slingoff)  you need to say such things with a smile though.

As Andrew Bolt says,

In fact, let’s go beyond racial pride. Beyond black and white. Let’s be proud only of being human beings set on this land together, determined to find what unites us and not to invent such racist and trivial excuses to divide. Deal?

WOW!!!!!

Her name is Anne Barnhardt.
She does the unthinkable.  I'm not talking about her ripping pages out of the Quran, and then burning them...nope.. I can quite understand why she might wish to do that.  The unthinkable is that she has the ovaries to actually give out her address in the video.
Hence my opening statement "Wow".
In her quoting from the Quran however she makes one fairly obvious mistake which I feel should be corrected in the interests of fairness and balance.
Here is one of the first verses she quoted from Surah 2

2:190 Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.
2:191 And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.

In principle, I don't have any argument with the underlying premise of those verses, which is that when the Muslims have been turfed out of their homes by non Muslims, they have a right to defend their homes.
There is nevertheless a VERY important rider to that seeming agreement on my part. It is this, IF those Muslims happened to be planning or working towards the overthrow of the established state (as they were in Mecca at the time) being cast out of their homes is the least of their worries, and quite justified. Sedition must be punished without mercy.

The Muslims are authorized to fight those who fight them. But why would non Muslims incline to 'fighting' them in the first place?  One assumes that if they are law abiding and peaceful and not a threat to the social harmony..that no one would wish to fight them.

What must remembered though, is that Surah 2 was written around the time of Muhammad being cast out of Mecca, when his converts were few, and he had next to zero military capability.

But OH how the tone changes by Surah 9, and 'that' is where Anne should have focused her angst.
Her treatment of the Quran is totally justfiable if she based her actions on Surah 9, rather than surah 2, and surah 9 is one of the last chapters written, so anything different from earlier chapters is 'abrogated' by the new verse.
Surah 9:29 is diabolical, specially when read in the entire context of that chapter.


9:29 Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Notice especially that the grounds for fighting is primarily based on the lack of belief in Allah or the last day.
Hence this is a theological foundation for war. The objective of such a war is not specifically the forced conversion of the target group, but it is to establish Islamic RULE...and in that context, history has shown it takes around 200 yrs for the population to be taxed and maginalized into embracing Islam.

This understanding of the verse, ie.. as a theological basis for offensive wars of subjugation to the Islamic empire are entirely supported by the most credible of evidence in the form of the actions of the Caliph Umar who was present when Muhammad penned those verses. If anyone knew how they were intended to be understood..... it would be him.
He embarked on just such a war of subjugation and the hadith tradition records the encounter with the Persians.  9.29 is virtually quoted in the conversation between one of Umar's officers Al Mughira and the Persian envoy.  It goes much further though, and highlights the truly debased nature of Islamic imperialism and provides justification for 'suicide/homicide' bombing or martyrdom operations in very clear language.

Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, has ordered us to fight you till you worship Allah Alone or give Jizya (i.e. tribute); and our Prophet has informed us that our Lord says:-- "Whoever amongst us is killed (i.e. martyred), shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever amongst us remain alive, shall become your master."

You need to reflect a little on this, and try to comprehend exactly what it means in terms of an Imperial  Islamic state coming down the Kokoda trail or invading Darwin.  We know from experience just how ugly that can become. In the case of the Imperial Japanese Army, their 'god' was the Emperor.. in the case of the Muslims it is "Allah"

Japanese version:

Islamic Version

For these reasons, it seems clear to me, that the Quran and even the practice of Islam should be curtailed and extinguished in Australia. Of course in saying this, there will be the usual hew and howl from the uninformed ignoramuses on the Left, (who know a bit about Marxism but less than zero about Islam).  Of all people 'they' should be aware of how their silly ilk were treated after they helped the Revolutionary guards take power in Iran.. somewhere in the vicinity of 10,000 socialists/communists were slaughtered wholesale.

In summary, Anne is a hero, as is Terry Jones, for doing what they did, and I suspect that more of this will happen, as it does bring out the true nature of Islam which most humanists and 'progressives' simply don't know about or, even more culpably, don't care about.  My view of those who blame Jones for the murders of people in Afghanistan is that they should creep back under the rock from whither they emerged and take their odious, scandalist 'blame the victim' mental imbalance with them.