Lost in this never-ending void

I feel lost in this never ending void. Life is happening around me. People are working, children are attending school, house wives are driving their mini vans to PTA meetings, and husbands are driving their sedans to the office. Ants moving up and down, all around. Yet I have stopped. For the first time in my life I have stepped outside the pre-ascribed life path that was predestined for my life, my culture, my age group, my gender. Stopped. The funny thing is, I did not intentionally stop. It is almost as if God pulled me out. Said, no- you need to stop this never-ending pre-ascribed cultural process. Stopped. In desperation to get back in, I have applied to hundreds of jobs, spoken to hundreds of people, have about fifty versions of my resume, eaten too much dark chocolate, and still I am stopped.

A professor wants me to come and speak to her undergraduate International Development 101 class in a few weeks. What do I say? This class will be filled with idealistic college students who have inevitably jumped on the Kony2012 bandwagon and are eager to change the world. They are culturally Southern California, which is fine and good but the reality is that if they want a job in the aid industry they will have to make the inevitable move to the east coast. If their class is any like my graduating class, a handful will make the jump east, a few will be living out of the country, and most will stay in California and will either return to school for a different degree, struggle to maintain a job in the small nonprofit sector of SoCal, or get married and be a housewife. All options are fine and good but none of them are saving the world. I don't want to sound negative but today in the middle of my never-ending void and removal of all normal life paths, I am feeling a bit pessimistic. Wondering what the heck I am doing, what advice I will give these college students, and how in the world I am going to get back to this treadmill of life- because right now, it feels like a never-ending void of unemployment is what awaits me.

Vote for Fount!

Do you want to help a good organization win a $1000 grant?

Do you want an organization to help empower local community-based organizations to take ownership over their own development?

Do you want to help advance Ugandan women's understanding of reproductive health? So that Ugandan youth will know that washing with coke does not make someone a virgin again. How HIV/AIDS is spread. How a child is formed within a womb?

The organization in which I worked for in Uganda, www.fountofmercy.org, has been nominated to win a grant from Oxfam America.

Pretty cool, eh?

All you have to do is click this link right here and vote for Fount of Mercy.

So that the women that I was standing with a year ago in the picture above, will have a better understanding of their bodies in the future.

Pinteresting Follow Up

I knew it! I knew that organizations would find a way to use pinterest to their benefit. My alma matter, Biola University, has a pinterest account. I was quite proud when I saw the link on twitter last week. So I clicked on it and it is brilliant. One thing that Biola does really well is utilize cutting edge social media to their benefit. While most universities or organizations that large are slow moving about new media tools, Biola is not. They have a pinterest account that utilizes it in a different way than the average user. They have a board designated for the tour of the campus. One for where notable alumni are in life right now (slightly ofended that I am not on that board! ha!). One for local restaurants near the school, another for local attractions. Can I just say that this is a really good idea. Way to go Biola.

Then the next day I saw Oxfam America did the same thing. They have a pinterest account. This one is to highlight their own work around the world. Brilliant. I already know friends who are using it to advertise their photography business, etc.

So I like this idea up until it just becomes an electronic advertising board. I like that I can follow Biola and Oxfam and at the same time find instructions for a diy. The minute pinterest becomes only an advertising board for companies, universities, or organizations then I'm out. Hopefully pinterest can be balanced between organizations displaying their work, bloggers showcasing their latest invention, and normal people like me storing the ideas I see around the internet.

If you want to check out Biola's pinterest account you can find them here: Biola's Pinterest Account

Pollo in Potacchio

So I wrote up a few blog entries about various recipes I have tried in the last few months but never posted them. I'll be honest. It is Monday night and I have had no blog inspiration from the last few days. So I guess the default is to use an already written, unpublished, entry on a recipe. This one is good. I've made it a few times and will do so again when I have a kitchen back. It is easy, tasty, and healthy. And for those who are into the gluten free trend (or those who are really a celiac) it does not contain gluten.

Pollo in Potacchio (GF)

I've made Pollo in Potacchio twice in the last few months. It is a bit labor intensive than my normal but totally worth it. Anyone who cooks outside of the US, this would be considered an "easy" meal. When I lived in East Africa, I would easily spend two hours in the kitchen making dinner from scratch- I mean, really scratch. We don't cook from scratch in the US anymore. Okay, so the dinner. It is more like Chicken Stew than anything else. And I LOVE IT.

Pollo in Potacchio
Written by SkinnyTastes.com with my modifications.

Ingredients:
10 skinless chicken thighs (with bone) [note: I used chicken breast, cut it into small bite-sized pieces)
kosher salt and fresh black pepper
3 - 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary (the more the better!)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups Imported crushed tomatoes (Tuttoroso) [note: I didn't have crushed tomatoes on hand this time, and just used tomato sauce and it tasted just as good!]
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio)[note: I used cooking wine]
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth


Directions:

1.Lightly season the chicken with salt and fresh pepper. If you are using chicken breast then cut into small pieces. Place a Dutch Oven or large heavy pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, when hot add the chicken and sear until browned on all sides. I like using tongs to move them around for each side to get done. Transfer chicken to a dish and set aside.

2.Sauté garlic and onions (and red pepper flakes if using) in remaining oil; sauté until golden, stirring occasionally. Add celery and carrots and saute on medium-low, until soft. Add the wine and chicken broth, scraping any caramelized bits from the bottom.

3.Add tomatoes, marjoram, reduce heat to low, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.Add the chicken and rosemary to the sauce, partially cover and cook slowly on low heat for another 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding water if needed.


Nutrition: Serves: 5 - 10 • Serving Size: 1 thigh with sauce
Calories: 123 • Fat: 4.6 g • Protein: 14.3 g • Carb: 4.1 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 0.5 g
Sodium: 186.4

Comments: I adjusted this recipe a bit but overall I really liked it. The first time I made it, I felt like there was too much sauce and this last time I made it I felt like there was no enough. Next time around, I will probably use 1 1/2 cups broth. I paired it with roasted broccoli, which the fam. equally loved.

Source:www.skinnytaste.com/

Bon Appetite!

The Reno: Part One.

Did I mention that my parents are remodeling their house? Well, they are. From 7:30 in the morning until 5:00pm we have a great team of construction specialists in our house. I think their mission is to make as much noise as possible. It probably is a man thing... or a construction thing. Anyway, they are all hard workers and it is amazing to see the progress they make every day.

This afternoon, after a respectful noon day break from the noise to allow me to have a phone interview without banging and pounding and jack hammers, I came upstairs and the electrician- who has a long pony tail, crooked smile, and jeans that proudly say "I'm a man's man- I work hard for my money"- opened his hands and said, "well- how'd it go!?" The four other men, none of whom I had met until that minute- stopped working, stared at me expectantly and wanted to know. This is shocking to me. Here are a group of men who have mastered a trade, who work hard for their income, and care about the people who live inside the house they are remodeling. Even the adult child of the people who are paying their salary for the day. In that moment, I felt proud. Proud to be a Minnesotan. Proud to be a citizen of the United States. Proud to know that there are people out there that know that finding a job today is hard, who are willing to take their lunch break so that someone can have an interview in peace, and then ask about it.

At the end of the day today, these men cheered because they got the gas line to work. They are proud of their work and I am proud to know them.

This probably will not be the last post about The Reno. It will be going on for another 80 days. Yes, I am counting. However today, despite the loud construction noises, I am thankful for a bunch of hardworking men who cared enough to ask me how my interview went.

Kony 2012

This past week, Invisible Children's (IC) new video went viral. I watched it, followed a bit on twitter, and read a few blog posts and news articles. I originally did not want to post about the Kony2012 campaign. Mostly, because I have never been to Gulu so I feel inadequate to give you my assessment. That being said, it seems like everyone has an opinion on the topic and the lack of experience in Gulu doesn't hold anyone else back. Given that I have lived in Uganda and have been to northern Uganda (just not Gulu town), I feel like I should at least give you my opinion. So here it is.

First, if you have not seen the video, you can find it here: Invisible Children (IC). You should watch it. Now on to my opinion.

Joseph Kony is an evil man who has abducted children and used them for his benefit. He is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). For lack of a better, more concise overview, I am going to refer you to wikipedia's article here. With the LRA, Kony has destroyed countless communities and lives in northern Uganda. He is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity and war crimes. If you click on the link, you will notice he is not the only one from the LRA that is wanted.

Which leads me to my first question, why does Invisible Children only name him in their video? I really have no idea. Except that it is easier to have a Kony 2012 campaign than a Kony/Otti/Odhiambo/Ognwen 2012 Campaign. Right? Not to mention that some of those names are kinda hard to pronounce by English speakers. And I digress.

So we have this man and his army who have done terrible things to the country. I can personally attest to the atrocities since I have friends who have been effected by the LRA. However, the worst of the LRA's destruction pretty much ended in 2005. Northern Uganda is rebuilding, healing, and moving forward. Which leads me to my next question, why is Invisible Children focusing on a war that has mostly fizzled out? On something that, yes, has destroyed the country, but is not at all the worst of the country's problems at the moment.

Perhaps I should list some of those problems out for you:
1. Lack of good health care and also a plethora of diseases such as: the Mysterious Nodding Disease, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.

2.Economic inflation. Some of my friends who still live in Uganda have shared with me that inflation has increased by 25% in the last year. This article,which you can find here, outlines the inflation rate in the past year. Thankfully, it is slowly coming down.

3. Insufficient electricity. My dear friend helps fund a hospital in Uganda, and because of the lack of electricity, she reports that more than 100 people have died because they were unable to run the necessary equipment to help them stay alive. This is an extreme example of lack of electricity. It also inhibits businesses. Imagine if the electricity didn't work in your office for an entire week with absolutely nothing to be done about it.

4. The Karamojong people. Google it.

5. Finally, I am going to mention politics. It is my opinion that with sending US troops to Uganda to help eliminate Kony, you are also strengthening Museveni, his army, and his power within the country. For better or worse. President Museveni has been in power 26 years and will be for a total of 30 until the next election comes around. Museveni has advanced the country a great deal since the Idi Amin regime. However, there are also some things to question about him as well: Google "Museveni Crackdown" if you would like to learn more about him.

So why is the IC so determined to catch Kony when his capture, while surely significant, is not a huge development issue within the country currently? My list of five are only five, there are so many other things to be addressed as well! Perhaps it is because Jason Russell (founder of Invisible Children) and his co-founders made a promise to a boy in northern Uganda- to do everything they could to end the war. This is a noble promise and one that they have worked hard to achieve. However, is this the only reason why someone continues to promote this agenda? My other thoughts are negative. Again, I am hesitant to say them. Mostly because I have had friends who have worked for Invisible Children, of which none of them do now. Another reason why IC made the film was promotional for themselves. They will get a lot of money from this campaign. It will help drive their organization forward, rally a group of people in the US- and all over the world- to one single cause: capture the bad guy.

Some of you might question my thought about money. International Development is an industry. It finds causes, markets them, and gets money to help solve problems. However, these problems are so complex that is it very difficult to solve them by eliminating one person, or sending food to a group of people, or giving a box of toys to children who have very little. Humans are complex. Ugandan people are complex. The politics of Uganda and central Africa are complex. Eliminating one man from the mix of complexities will not solve everyone's problems. It will complete Invisible Children's mission, it will make American college students feel like they have done something, but it will not solve Uganda's problems. Only Ugandans can solve its problems. They can solicit the help of others, other aid organizations, churches, international politics, countries, and the UN for help- but it comes down to the fact that Ugandans must solve their own problems. They know the situation better than anyone else. They know the needs better than anyone else.

So are we, as US citizens, as global citizens, listening to their needs? Their desires to change their lives? Or are we following a bunch of wealthy southern California guys in fighting the big bad Kony? I would rather listen to Ugandans tell me what they need than listen to Invisible Children tell me what Ugandans need. What about you?

Oven-Barbecued Asian Chicken

I love trying new recipes! For me, there is a challenge to find new recipes that incorporate healthy food in a new way. Over-Barbecued Asian Chicken was a recipe I had wanted to try for a while. It looked so yummy! My brother was in town a few weeks ago and he wanted to cook, so we went for it. My over all assessment was that it was not amazing, but still good. It does, however, satisfy your craving for Chinese food in a healthy way! Another alternative is to use the sauce in a stir fry, which I think might even be better! So here it is:

Oven-Barbecued Asian Chicken (GF)

Ingredients:
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (found it at Target!)
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds total), skin removed, trimmed
• 4 chicken drumsticks (1-1 1/4 pounds total), skin removed, trimmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Notes: I used a double package of boneless, skinless chicken breast and doubled the sauce in order to cover the chicken well. Since I used chicken breast, the cooking time took about 30 minutes.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or similar-size) baking dish with tin foil and greece with butter.
2. Thinly slice 1/4 cup scallion greens; set aside. Mince the whites. Whisk the scallion whites, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, hot sauce and five-spice powder in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Arrange the chicken in an even layer in the prepared baking dish, meatier-side down. Pour any remaining sauce from the bowl over the chicken.
3. Bake, turning once halfway so the meatier side is up, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone registers 165°F, about 1 hour. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and top with any remaining sauce from the baking dish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and the reserved scallion greens (Note: My chicken only took 30 minutes to cook).

Nutrition:
Per serving: 361 calories; 16 g fat ( 4 g sat , 6 g mono ); 144 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 4 gadded sugars; 42 g protein; 1 g fiber; 547 mg sodium; 473 mg potassium.

Comments:
I didn't include the hot sauce or soy sauce so that probably changed the taste a bit. I think this is a recipe I will use once and a while, but not on a weekly basis.

Source: Eating Well, November/December 2011 Issue, Photo from Eatingwell.com

Happy

Happy. Can you be happy and yet stressed out? Maybe it is contentment? I am happy. I am happy where I am at. I am happy sitting in the coffee shop where I got my first job in high school. I am happy that while I sit here, my friends are working the bar, and people I have known my entire life stroll through the door to get a good afternoon cup o' joe. Happy.

Happy. Maybe it is because I feel like I belong. This is my place. My people. My culture. My coffee shop. This is where I have cried, worked, learned, sang, and contemplated life. This is, without a doubt, the hub of my community. Happy.

I am happily looking for a job. I am happily unemployed. I am happily drinking a cup of coffee. I am happily watching the high school girls wear sweatpants in style. (yes, MN teenage girls can pull that off). Happy.

Happy that I am here. Happy that I was born in this place. Happy that it is where I feel at home. Happy.

Pinterest

I have a pinterest account. Doesn't everyone? I like it. I like putting things I find online in one place. It is nice, easy, convenient, and the new google.

I also find myself feeling like I live in a idealist world when I am on pinterest. Does everyone's kitchen really look like that? Because mine sure does not! Does everyone have the picture perfect kids? Does everyone have the dream wedding and fall in love for the rest of their lives? I made this recipe and it, well, didn't look like the picture or taste the way they told me it would. But I will repin, because that is what we do now. We pin and repin and drool over opulent stuff.

Then there are other times when I feel amazing. I have one pin that has been repined nearly 3,000 times. That is almost 3,000 people in the world seeing this picture and putting it on their board. And then, because of this one pin, other people- that I don't even know!- started following me on pinterest. Talk about a self esteem booster, right? Right... because my value and worth now hinges on the fact that 2,899 strangers repined a pin.

Then I think of my time living in a developing country and cringe. Cringe because we waste time and energy and money on stuff. But then I don't want to sound or think like a communist, so I don't say it. But maybe I should. We do not need the dream kitchen, wedding, husband, kid, outfit, hair, body, menu, birthday party, and garden to be happy. Don't you know there are starving children in the world? *Gulp* Because lets be honest, I did excited when 3,000 people repind my pin. I did get happy when I found an amazing recipe. I. get. sucked. in.

Oh my countrymen, what will it take to wake up and realize that we already live in a dream world for the majority of the world? We have luxury that only people can dream about and it is not good enough for us. Will it ever be good enough?