1/15/2009
1/14/2009
More than 1000 people have been killed in Gaza in the past 19 days. Almost 1/3 of the dead are children.
Click here to read the story on the BBC website.
Click here to read the story on the BBC website.
1/12/2009
1/10/2009
1/09/2009
Today I received a forwarded e-mail containing a "Crash Course on the Arab Israeli Conflict." The following are the assertions made in the e-mail and my refutations (in bold):
1. Nationhood and Jerusalem. Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, Two thousand years before the rise of Islam.
The newly created United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, dividing the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Jerusalem was to be designated an international city – a corpus separatum – administered by the UN to avoid conflict over its status.
On May 14, 1948, the day before the end of the British Mandate, the Jewish Agency proclaimed independence, naming the country Israel.
2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
The first widespread use of "Palestinian" as an endonym to refer to the nationalist concept of a Palestinian people by the local Arabic-speaking population of Palestine began prior to the outbreak of World War I, and the first demand for national independence was issued by the Syrian-Palestinian Congress on 21 September 1921.
3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.
Between the time of the Israelite kingdoms and the 7th-century Muslim conquests, the Land of Israel fell under Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Sassanian, and Byzantine rule. Jewish presence in the region dwindled after the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE and the resultant large-scale expulsion of Jews. In 628/9, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius conducted a massacre and expulsion of the Jews, at which point the Jewish population probably reached its lowest point.
4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years.
The Land of Israel was captured from the Byzantine Empire around 636 CE during the initial Muslim conquests. Control of the region transferred between the Umayyads, Abbasids, and Crusaders over the next six centuries, before falling in the hands of the Mamluk Sultanate, in 1260. In 1516, the Land of Israel became a part of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region until the 20th century.
5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital Jerusalem has
never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
Jerusalem is considered Islam's third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. Among Muslims of an earlier era, it was referred to as al-Bayt al-Muqaddas; later, it became known as al-Quds al-Sharif. In 638, the Islamic Caliphate extended its dominion to Jerusalem. With the Arab conquest, Jews were allowed back into the city. The Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab signed a treaty with Monophysite Christian Patriarch Sophronius, assuring him that Jerusalem's Christian holy places and population would be protected under Muslim rule. The Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik commissioned the construction of the Dome of the Rock in the late 7th century. The 10th century historian al-Muqaddasi writes that Abd al-Malik built the shrine in order to compete in grandeur of Jerusalem's monumental churches. Over the next four hundred years, Jerusalem's prominence diminished as Arab powers in the region jockeyed for control.
6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
Jerusalem is also mentioned over 150 times in the New Testament, but the United States is not. Perhaps the entire US population should move to Israel.
7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al-Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel.
8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
The most basic knowledge of geography shows that the only Muslims who pray with their back to Jerusalem are the ones who live in Saudi Arabia north of Mecca and in southern Jordan.
9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
Typically the Jewish forces carried out reprisals directed against villages and neighborhoods from which attacks against Jews had allegedly originated, The attacks were more damaging than the provoking attack and included killing of armed and unarmed men, destruction of houses and sometimes expulsion of inhabitants. The Zionist groups of Irgun and Lehi reverted to their 1937-1939 strategy of indiscriminate attacks by placing bombs and throwing grenades into crowded places such as bus stops, shopping centres and markets.
10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
True. However, the Zionists used the same tactics against the Arabs. According to Ilan Pappé the Zionists organised a campaign of threats, consisting of the distribution of threatening leaflets, 'violent reconnaissance' and, after the arrival of mortars, the shelling of Arab villages and neighborhoods. The idea of 'violent reconnaissance' was to enter a defenceless village at night, fire at everyone who dared leave his or her house and leave after a few hours. Pappé also notes that the Haganah shifted its policy from retaliation through excessive retaliation to offensive initiatives. During the 'long seminar', a meeting of Ben-Gurion with his chief advisors in January 1948, the departure point was that it was desirable to 'transfer' as many Arabs as possible out of Jewish territory, and the discussion focussed mainly on the implementation. The experiences in a number of attacks in February 1948, notably those on Qisarya and Sa'sa', were used in the development of a plan, detailing how enemy population centers should be handled. According to Pappé plan Dalet was the master plan for the expulsion of the Palestinians.
11. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.
Palestinians in the diaspora by place of residence:
Jordan 3,000,000
Syria 434,896
Lebanon 405,425
Chile 300,000
Saudi Arabia 327,000
The Americas 225,000
Egypt 44,200
Other Gulf states 159,000
Other Arab states 153,000
Other countries 308,000
TOTAL 5,256,321
12. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.
a.) The Arab nations initiated all five wars.
False: The Six Day War was initiated by Israel. Operation Focus was the opening pre-emptive airstrike by Israel at the start of the Six-Day War of 1967. It is sometimes referred to as "Sinai Air Strike" since the focus was primarily on airfields around the Sinai Peninsula. At 07:45 on June 5, 1967, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) under Maj. Gen. Mordechai Hod launched a massive airstrike that destroyed the majority of the Egyptian air force on the ground. By noon, the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian Air Forces, with about 450 aircraft, were destroyed.
b.) Israel defended itself each time and won.
False: According to the Winograd Commission Report, the Second Lebanon War was regarded as a "missed opportunity" and that "Israel initiated a long war, which ended without a defined military victory". The report continued to state that "a semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technology advantages". Furthermore, Hezbollah's rocket attacks continued throughout the war and the IDF did not provide an effective response to it. Following a long period of using standoff fire power and limited ground activities, the IDF launched a large scale ground offensive close to the UN Security Council's resolution which imposed a cease-fire. "This offensive did not result in military gains and was not completed".
13. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.
Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.
The most controversial element of text of the Palestinian National Charter were many clauses declaring the creation of the state of Israel "null and void", because it was created by force on Palestinian soil. This is usually interpreted as calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. In letters exchanged between Arafat and Rabin in conjunction with the 1993 Oslo Accords, Arafat agreed that those clauses would be removed. On 26 April 1996, the Palestine National Council held a meeting in camera, at whose end it was announced that the Council had voted to nullify or amend all such clauses, and called for a new text to be produced. At the time, Israeli political figures and academics expressed suspicions and doubts this that this is what had actually taken place, and continued to claim that controversial clauses were still in force. A letter from Arafat to US President Bill Clinton in 1998 listed the clauses concerned, and a meeting of the Palestine Central Committee approved that list. To remove all doubt the vote this time was held in a public meeting of PLO, PNC and PCC members which was televised worldwide and in the presence of the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, in person, who arrived in the Gaza Strip for that specific purpose. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted this as the promised nullification.
1. Nationhood and Jerusalem. Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, Two thousand years before the rise of Islam.
The newly created United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, dividing the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Jerusalem was to be designated an international city – a corpus separatum – administered by the UN to avoid conflict over its status.
On May 14, 1948, the day before the end of the British Mandate, the Jewish Agency proclaimed independence, naming the country Israel.
2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
The first widespread use of "Palestinian" as an endonym to refer to the nationalist concept of a Palestinian people by the local Arabic-speaking population of Palestine began prior to the outbreak of World War I, and the first demand for national independence was issued by the Syrian-Palestinian Congress on 21 September 1921.
3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.
Between the time of the Israelite kingdoms and the 7th-century Muslim conquests, the Land of Israel fell under Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Sassanian, and Byzantine rule. Jewish presence in the region dwindled after the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt against the Roman Empire in 132 CE and the resultant large-scale expulsion of Jews. In 628/9, the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius conducted a massacre and expulsion of the Jews, at which point the Jewish population probably reached its lowest point.
4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years.
The Land of Israel was captured from the Byzantine Empire around 636 CE during the initial Muslim conquests. Control of the region transferred between the Umayyads, Abbasids, and Crusaders over the next six centuries, before falling in the hands of the Mamluk Sultanate, in 1260. In 1516, the Land of Israel became a part of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the region until the 20th century.
5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital Jerusalem has
never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
Jerusalem is considered Islam's third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. Among Muslims of an earlier era, it was referred to as al-Bayt al-Muqaddas; later, it became known as al-Quds al-Sharif. In 638, the Islamic Caliphate extended its dominion to Jerusalem. With the Arab conquest, Jews were allowed back into the city. The Rashidun caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab signed a treaty with Monophysite Christian Patriarch Sophronius, assuring him that Jerusalem's Christian holy places and population would be protected under Muslim rule. The Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik commissioned the construction of the Dome of the Rock in the late 7th century. The 10th century historian al-Muqaddasi writes that Abd al-Malik built the shrine in order to compete in grandeur of Jerusalem's monumental churches. Over the next four hundred years, Jerusalem's prominence diminished as Arab powers in the region jockeyed for control.
6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
Jerusalem is also mentioned over 150 times in the New Testament, but the United States is not. Perhaps the entire US population should move to Israel.
7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
The Dome of the Rock, being among a complex of buildings on the Temple Mount, (the other being the Al-Aqsa Mosque) is one of the holiest sites in Islam. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. According to Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from where Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel.
8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
The most basic knowledge of geography shows that the only Muslims who pray with their back to Jerusalem are the ones who live in Saudi Arabia north of Mecca and in southern Jordan.
9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
Typically the Jewish forces carried out reprisals directed against villages and neighborhoods from which attacks against Jews had allegedly originated, The attacks were more damaging than the provoking attack and included killing of armed and unarmed men, destruction of houses and sometimes expulsion of inhabitants. The Zionist groups of Irgun and Lehi reverted to their 1937-1939 strategy of indiscriminate attacks by placing bombs and throwing grenades into crowded places such as bus stops, shopping centres and markets.
10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
True. However, the Zionists used the same tactics against the Arabs. According to Ilan Pappé the Zionists organised a campaign of threats, consisting of the distribution of threatening leaflets, 'violent reconnaissance' and, after the arrival of mortars, the shelling of Arab villages and neighborhoods. The idea of 'violent reconnaissance' was to enter a defenceless village at night, fire at everyone who dared leave his or her house and leave after a few hours. Pappé also notes that the Haganah shifted its policy from retaliation through excessive retaliation to offensive initiatives. During the 'long seminar', a meeting of Ben-Gurion with his chief advisors in January 1948, the departure point was that it was desirable to 'transfer' as many Arabs as possible out of Jewish territory, and the discussion focussed mainly on the implementation. The experiences in a number of attacks in February 1948, notably those on Qisarya and Sa'sa', were used in the development of a plan, detailing how enemy population centers should be handled. According to Pappé plan Dalet was the master plan for the expulsion of the Palestinians.
11. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.
Palestinians in the diaspora by place of residence:
Jordan 3,000,000
Syria 434,896
Lebanon 405,425
Chile 300,000
Saudi Arabia 327,000
The Americas 225,000
Egypt 44,200
Other Gulf states 159,000
Other Arab states 153,000
Other countries 308,000
TOTAL 5,256,321
12. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.
a.) The Arab nations initiated all five wars.
False: The Six Day War was initiated by Israel. Operation Focus was the opening pre-emptive airstrike by Israel at the start of the Six-Day War of 1967. It is sometimes referred to as "Sinai Air Strike" since the focus was primarily on airfields around the Sinai Peninsula. At 07:45 on June 5, 1967, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) under Maj. Gen. Mordechai Hod launched a massive airstrike that destroyed the majority of the Egyptian air force on the ground. By noon, the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian Air Forces, with about 450 aircraft, were destroyed.
b.) Israel defended itself each time and won.
False: According to the Winograd Commission Report, the Second Lebanon War was regarded as a "missed opportunity" and that "Israel initiated a long war, which ended without a defined military victory". The report continued to state that "a semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technology advantages". Furthermore, Hezbollah's rocket attacks continued throughout the war and the IDF did not provide an effective response to it. Following a long period of using standoff fire power and limited ground activities, the IDF launched a large scale ground offensive close to the UN Security Council's resolution which imposed a cease-fire. "This offensive did not result in military gains and was not completed".
13. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.
Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.
The most controversial element of text of the Palestinian National Charter were many clauses declaring the creation of the state of Israel "null and void", because it was created by force on Palestinian soil. This is usually interpreted as calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. In letters exchanged between Arafat and Rabin in conjunction with the 1993 Oslo Accords, Arafat agreed that those clauses would be removed. On 26 April 1996, the Palestine National Council held a meeting in camera, at whose end it was announced that the Council had voted to nullify or amend all such clauses, and called for a new text to be produced. At the time, Israeli political figures and academics expressed suspicions and doubts this that this is what had actually taken place, and continued to claim that controversial clauses were still in force. A letter from Arafat to US President Bill Clinton in 1998 listed the clauses concerned, and a meeting of the Palestine Central Committee approved that list. To remove all doubt the vote this time was held in a public meeting of PLO, PNC and PCC members which was televised worldwide and in the presence of the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, in person, who arrived in the Gaza Strip for that specific purpose. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted this as the promised nullification.
1/08/2009
When is this Israel-Gaza conflict going to stop? It is the same war that has been going on for decades. This time the Palestinians are using rockets instead of suicide bombers. They have no choice when they are walled into Gaza like a modern day ghetto. The rockets certainly don't accomplish anything. Except maybe making them feel good about standing up to Israel. And Israel is not accomplishing anything but fueling more hatred, violence and further justifying the US foreign aid they receive to purchase weapons. We need to stop funding the Israeli military. It's the only way this conflict will end. Let them throw rocks at each other until they are worn out. Instead Israel uses four casualties to justify invading, bombing schools and hospitals, killing hundreds of civilians (including 30 children in one school) and cutting off access to aid organizations. They have even shot a UN truck, forcing the UN to halt food shipments. The Israeli government and its supporters need to look back at the history of the country. Think about the holocaust survivors who fled to this land and the people who originally envisioned the state of Israel. Is this any different than the way they were treated before they left Europe?
12/30/2008
We have been hanging out with Emily's family all week. Sara arrived just a couple hours after I got back from Ecuador and Jen and Todd arrived the next day. Kat, Emily and I have been playing Risk obsessively, so we taught everyone else how to play and instigated a large, hostile takeover of the world. The game went on for days. Kat and Jen were the last people left, but they got bored and declared a truce.
Emily planned and cooked the big family dinner (with the help of her sisters). We had standing rib roast, potatoes au-gratin, broccoli casserole, salad, and five desserts - panna cotta, chocolate souffles, brownies, cookies and ice cream.
Since we were done with Risk, we started playing one of the many Cranium variants. It was us against the timer, trying to act, draw and give clues so that others could guess what was on our cards. It took awhile, but we were finally able to beat the timer.
Now our friends Serena, Brad and their little girl Bella are in town. We are trying to think of someplace to take them for dinner tonight. We will probably end up back at Skewers, our default restaurant in the city.
Emily planned and cooked the big family dinner (with the help of her sisters). We had standing rib roast, potatoes au-gratin, broccoli casserole, salad, and five desserts - panna cotta, chocolate souffles, brownies, cookies and ice cream.
Since we were done with Risk, we started playing one of the many Cranium variants. It was us against the timer, trying to act, draw and give clues so that others could guess what was on our cards. It took awhile, but we were finally able to beat the timer.
Now our friends Serena, Brad and their little girl Bella are in town. We are trying to think of someplace to take them for dinner tonight. We will probably end up back at Skewers, our default restaurant in the city.
12/19/2008
Today we biked around Cotopaxi, the second highest peak in Ecuador and one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world. We met the guides at 7:00 at a local coffee shop, picked up a few other tourists and drove for an hour and a half. The driving distance was not that far, but it takes forever to navigate the winding roads and the insane traffic. We stopped at the base of the volcano. The guides gave us each a bike, a helmet and a meeting point about 7km away. The top section was very steep and bumpy. I had a great time going as fast as possible down the hills while barely maintaining control of the bike. Luckily, if I fell I would have only hit rocks and tumbled off the mountain. The road got much less steep after the first meeting point. I had to pedal hard to keep up my speed. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful lake near the base of the mountain. The remaining 12km were mainly uphill (we had to push the bikes) and through shallow streams. Tomorrow we will leave Ecuador, but there is so much to see here that I will have to return. Next time I want to visit the Galapagos islands and the Amazon jungle.
12/18/2008
Yesterday we went white water rafting. Neither of us were really looking forward to it, because it is pretty cold in Quito. However, when we drove down to 300 meters above sea level (from 5000 meters) the air was much thicker and warmer. It was a three hour drive to the river. I stayed awake for most of it and enjoyed watching the people in their small Ecuadorian towns. When we got to the river the guides inflated the boat, gave us the customary safety talk, and we set off. No more than five minutes downriver they steered the boat directly under a waterfall. I jumped out before getting soaked, but everyone else took the falls head on.
We rafted for a couple hours before stopping on a sandy beach for lunch. The guides served tacos and I got to observe how the real South Americans make them. The ingredients were the same as we are use to, but they put everything into the shell in reverse order. They started with the guacamole, sour cream and vegetables. They didn´t add the meat or beans until last. I kept meaning to try their technique, but forgot. A nice little dog joined us for lunch, waiting patiently while we ate. When we were full the guides fed her the leftovers. Overall the rafting trip was lots of fun and I am glad we didn´t back out.
Today we went horseback riding in a large volcanic crater. The walls and floor of the crater are very rich in nutrients, so many farmers have settled there. The ride lasted a few hours. Dad was apprehensive at first and had a little trouble controlling the horse, but he quickly got the hang of it. We stopped for lunch at a small inn with a beautiful open courtyard. There were many local families working or living there and about 10 dogs running around. We had fun playing with the dogs and trying to talk to the people. After lunch, we took the horses down a steep rocky path. It was a little scary at times, but the views were spectacular. We passed the official equator mark on the way home. Thanks to "Bizarre Foods", I knew that the official mark was not actually on the equator, but about 250 meters south.
12/16/2008
Dad and I hiked in the Andes mountains today. We were picked up at 8:00am in the hotel lobby by the guide. He drove us about an hour and a half outside of Quito, stopping at a bakery in a small village along the way. We picked up a couple cheesy breads and a chocolate loaf for only 90 cents.
We hiked around between two of the largest volcanoes in the world. Hiking at that altitude (over 14,000 ft) proved difficult. We slogged our way up to the top of a large hill below one of the volcanoes, rested and took some photos. I noticed a couple of alpaca next to the hill, so I went down to see them and heard them up the hill. I was able to get them most of the way up before they turned and ran down the adjacent side. On the way back from the hike, we saw a pack of wild horses. Dad yelling at them and trying to direct them into a good composition to photograph. Every time they came close to where he wanted them, they turned their butts toward the camera. I think he was eventually able to get his shot.
12/15/2008
My dad and I are visiting Ecuador this week. We flew into Quito last night, so today was the first day to really explore the city. We had a large breakfast at the hotel, before taking a cab to the historical center of the city. Cabs here are so cheap! It was $4 (Ecuador uses the US dollar as their currency) to get downtown. A large group of protesters were gathered at the presidential palace. I never really figured out what they were protesting, but I think it had something to do with taxis (being too cheap maybe?). We walked around the old part of the city for an hour, before one of the locals tipped us off to the changing of the guards at the palace. A marching band set up on a side street and guards with elaborate uniforms and tall spears prepared to march. When the changing of the guards started, the band and soldiers marched into the square and the protesters respectfully put down their signs and stopped yelling.
Dad and I tried to cross the square to get a better view, but we got stuck in the crowd of protesters. We watched with the crowd as the soldiers marched in unison and the President appeared on the balcony. Everyone clapped for the band and the President, but as soon as it was over they raised their signs and yelled to get his attention.
We quickly made our way out of the crowd and went to see some churches. The best one was built over the coarse of 160 years by Jesuits and indigenous workers. They had a superstition about leaving any part of the church undecorated, so the entire thing was intricately carved and covered with gold leaf. Quite impressive. We had lunch at a restaurant recommended by the church tour-guide. Afterward, we planned to visit one of the many delicious looking bakeries in the city, but got sidetracked looking for a USB cable for the camera. Eventually we found one near the Ecuadorian Central Bank. I took some video of the bank with Dad´s camera to use for the Economist videos. The people at my office should be happy about that.
A porter at the hotel directed us to a lovely little bakery just a couple blocks from the hotel. We split some pecan pie and kiwi cream pie, which were wonderful. Dad took a nap in the late afternoon while I uploaded the videos. Eventually I got tired and slept for a couple hours as well. We found an Italian restaurant at a nearby hotel for dinner. Now we are back at the hotel and I am about to beat him in chess again.
12/14/2008
I had a great time in San Francisco. It is a beautiful city and I can see why so many of my friends moved there. I got to see Diane my first night in town, Nate and his fiance the second night and Beth the third night. Nate, Lavinia and I went to a lovely Thai noodle restaurant then back to their house to hang out. It was great catching up with Nate after not seeing him for so long.
Beth and I met near her school and took a cab up to North Beach. The area is really cool, full of Italian restaurants. After dinner, we went to a cool little coffee shop where the beatniks use to hang out. There was a whole group of guitar players, who had actually practiced together, and sang funny songs like ´La Bamba´.
On the work front, I went to Lawrence Livermore National Lab to see their laser fusion experiment, UC Berkly to interview a physicist and shoot a Prop 8 protest, and Silicon Vally to shoot an interview and b-roll about stem cells. I was fascinated by the scientific research, but incredibly disappointed by Silicon Vally. It was just a big office park! I was expecting the Magic Kingdom of technology. Regardless it was a nice trip and I would love to visit San Francisco again.
Beth and I met near her school and took a cab up to North Beach. The area is really cool, full of Italian restaurants. After dinner, we went to a cool little coffee shop where the beatniks use to hang out. There was a whole group of guitar players, who had actually practiced together, and sang funny songs like ´La Bamba´.
On the work front, I went to Lawrence Livermore National Lab to see their laser fusion experiment, UC Berkly to interview a physicist and shoot a Prop 8 protest, and Silicon Vally to shoot an interview and b-roll about stem cells. I was fascinated by the scientific research, but incredibly disappointed by Silicon Vally. It was just a big office park! I was expecting the Magic Kingdom of technology. Regardless it was a nice trip and I would love to visit San Francisco again.
12/09/2008
I'm in San Francisco on a shoot for Newshour. It's been a long day... I left home at 5:00am, caught a flight to St. Louis, got delayed because of fog in SF but finally made it here. This afternoon, I shot a couple interviews at the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. I met Diane for dinner at a nice little Punjabi restaurant, then drank some coffee and walked around downtown for a bit. She just moved here a month ago, so we're lucky her iphone had a map. Without it, we would still be wandering around.
11/28/2008
11/26/2008
Emily and I had a cool, interactive dinner on our last night in London. The table had a computer screen projected on it from above. Each person had a touch-pad built into their side of the table. Using the touch-pad, you could browse the menu, order food, play games, watch a live stream of the kitchen, and customize the display. When you looked at each dish on the menu, a picture of the food was projected onto your plate. The food was even timed to come out 15 minutes after you ordered it, so you could precisely coordinate your meal. The entire table had a wallpaper, which you could change and customize. Even with all the effort put into the tabletop, the food was really good.
Yesterday, we finally had some time to be tourists. We spent most of the morning at the office, but we left around 11:00am to see the sights. It was a quick walk from the office past Downing Street, to the waterfront. We walked over the bridge for the famous view of Parliament and Big Ben. We passed Westminster Abby, but admission was £12 each, so we passed. After wandering around for a while trying to find the palace, we headed back to catch our flight.
Yesterday, we finally had some time to be tourists. We spent most of the morning at the office, but we left around 11:00am to see the sights. It was a quick walk from the office past Downing Street, to the waterfront. We walked over the bridge for the famous view of Parliament and Big Ben. We passed Westminster Abby, but admission was £12 each, so we passed. After wandering around for a while trying to find the palace, we headed back to catch our flight.
11/23/2008
Emily and I are in London! We arrived Thursday morning, after an uncomfortable overnight flight in goat class. Our hotel is near Paddington Station and the office (yes, we are here for work) is near Oxford Circus. We have spent most of our time at the new FSN bureau, trying to wire everything up and make the gear work. So far we have done a pretty decent job, but we won't know for sure until the ISDN lines are turned on tomorrow.
We have gotten a bit of time to see friends, shop and sight-see. Friday night we met up with David and Peter (from the Sudan Volunteer Program) and had a nice dinner in Chinatown. Tonight we are going over Peter's house. The food has been decent, but not spectacular. The one really good meal we had was at an Italian restaurant a few doors down from the office. We got some amazing multi-cheese pizza with a really nice deconstructed salad. Last night we got over to the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. They were interested, but we only stayed about 10 minutes. How long can you really spend looking at a bridge?
We have gotten a bit of time to see friends, shop and sight-see. Friday night we met up with David and Peter (from the Sudan Volunteer Program) and had a nice dinner in Chinatown. Tonight we are going over Peter's house. The food has been decent, but not spectacular. The one really good meal we had was at an Italian restaurant a few doors down from the office. We got some amazing multi-cheese pizza with a really nice deconstructed salad. Last night we got over to the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. They were interested, but we only stayed about 10 minutes. How long can you really spend looking at a bridge?
11/17/2008
Thursday the wheels for my fixed gear bike arrived. I was worried about the spacing and chain line, but it came together perfectly! I was off work on Friday, so I had plenty of time to ride it around. Fixed gear bikes are such a pleasure to ride. There is only one gear and it doesn't allow you to coast. Whenever the wheels are moving, the petals are turning. You can resist the movement of the petals to slow down or stop. I had to work on Saturday, so I rode my bike to the office. It only took 15 minutes, which is less than it takes to drive or take the metro.
Saturday Malcolm, Manalisi and I got an interview with the president of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, who was in town for the G20 meeting. We conducted the interview in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Security was tight and the room was flooded with South African officials and Secret Service. Despite the heavy security, they didn't actually check us or any of the gear. Usually we are kicked out of the room for 15 or 20 minutes while they search the equipment. This time they just stood around watching us and talking amongst themselves. The interview seemed pretty uncomfortable. Manalisi kept pushing an issue that Motlanthe knew nothing about. The whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes.
That night, Kat, Emily and I went to Jessi's house to watch UFC 91. Kat and I had been debating for days the possible outcome of the Lesner, Couture fight. Kat bet on Lesner and everyone else bet on Couture. During the fight we were standing, yelling at the screen and cringing every time Couture got hit. After the first round, Jessi lost her voice and Emily had a headache. Lesner ended up winning the fight, which made everyone (including Kat) sad.
Saturday Malcolm, Manalisi and I got an interview with the president of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, who was in town for the G20 meeting. We conducted the interview in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Security was tight and the room was flooded with South African officials and Secret Service. Despite the heavy security, they didn't actually check us or any of the gear. Usually we are kicked out of the room for 15 or 20 minutes while they search the equipment. This time they just stood around watching us and talking amongst themselves. The interview seemed pretty uncomfortable. Manalisi kept pushing an issue that Motlanthe knew nothing about. The whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes.
That night, Kat, Emily and I went to Jessi's house to watch UFC 91. Kat and I had been debating for days the possible outcome of the Lesner, Couture fight. Kat bet on Lesner and everyone else bet on Couture. During the fight we were standing, yelling at the screen and cringing every time Couture got hit. After the first round, Jessi lost her voice and Emily had a headache. Lesner ended up winning the fight, which made everyone (including Kat) sad.
11/10/2008
We are resting up after election day. November 4th was long and exhausting. I was at the local polling station at 7:00am with Kat. She waited in line, while I filmed the crowd and signs. Emily joined us a bit later and we all voted. Afterward, we headed to the office to finish testing the video equipment for our live coverage. By mid-afternoon, all the guests arrived, Emily left for the Post and we started the show. Channel News Asia kept the FSN coverage going almost the entire time. Simon did a great job of reporting the events and balancing it with in studio analysis. Miraculously it went off without a hitch. Everything worked as planned and no one tripped over the wires linking our office back to Singapore. We did our last live hit at 1:30am, then headed to the bar until it closed 30 minutes later.
The rest of the week was slow. There were the typical reaction pieces to Obama's win, but that was about it. Emily and I spent plenty of time resting on the couch this weekend. I also got some time to work on the fixed-gear bike I'm building. It should be done this week (when the wheels come). I will post pictures soon.
The rest of the week was slow. There were the typical reaction pieces to Obama's win, but that was about it. Emily and I spent plenty of time resting on the couch this weekend. I also got some time to work on the fixed-gear bike I'm building. It should be done this week (when the wheels come). I will post pictures soon.
11/04/2008
I'm busy with election coverage today, but I have a bit of exciting news. I finally have my own IMDB page!
11/02/2008
Emily and I spent most of the day building a studio in our office. On election night, Emily is working at the Washington Post and I will be running the Channel News Asia coverage from our office. There will be a CNA host and guests doing commentary and interviews. For the studio build, we got three new risers, set up cameras for full coverage, lit the entire office and ran wires for mics, cameras and talk-back. My job on election night will be a lot easier than Emily's. We only have to fill 15 minutes per hour. Her show is live for at least eight hours straight! So if you get a chance, head over to Washingtonpost.com on election night and watch her show.
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