tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86722455112961294452011-12-01T08:09:15.678-08:00Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-64000389947476430792011-05-01T17:35:00.000-07:002011-05-03T19:57:07.410-07:00

“If the human race is still here in 100 years, it will be because of lots of people doing lots of little things." ~Pete Seeger, in a recent interview with ChronogramDo you know about fracking? I didn't until about a year ago. What the frick is fracking? You might be asking. Glad you asked. Read this and join me in saying, 'No Fracking Way!"In simple terms, hydraulic fracturing, or hydro-'

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-71624548112238299082010-10-20T17:03:00.000-07:002010-10-21T05:27:54.658-07:00

This past week, I attended two meetings in the same day which focused on environmental initiatives towards more sustainable environmental practices. What I took away from those meetings (besides a mixed-bag of emotions of frustration and inspiration) was a reflection on the way we humans communicate our values and messages to other humans and the difference between resorting to shame and control

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-71426121521757705122010-08-15T12:08:00.000-07:002010-08-15T13:41:27.574-07:00

Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes, Five hundred twenty-five thousand Moments so dear. Five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights In cups of coffee In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.One year and a few weeks from my return back to the United States from Derry and I find myself

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-84440517599840657392010-05-04T20:11:00.000-07:002010-05-05T05:02:25.278-07:00

The film Up In The Air, though quixotic and fairly predictable, was charming and posed some questions that humans seem to ask quite frequently.Is it better to risk waking up to a stale marriage in your late thirties, settled with a mortgage and kids but comfortable and content enough? Or is it better to keep your mobility and options open, commitment free and unattached but quite alone and

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-43919448389455805392010-05-02T19:50:00.000-07:002010-12-23T11:48:26.481-08:00

From glass alabaster she poured out the depths of her soul... The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy was repealed earlier this week*. Five gay teens committed suicide in the fall, causing an outpouring of sympathy and calls to action such as the 'It Gets Better' project. In 2009, Ugandan politicians proposed an Anti-Homosexuality bill which would criminalize being gay with provisions for

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-56589509377304463542010-02-18T17:35:00.000-08:002010-03-11T15:56:38.484-08:00

A wise man will never impawn his future being and action, and decide beforehand what he shall do in a given extreme event. Nature and God will instruct him in that hour. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson"Sam, would you ever (...)?" I took another bite of sushi and paused for a moment to consider the question. Would I ever? Well I haven't yet and probably won't, but my response (a surprise even to myself)

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-31485982863418118822010-01-10T17:27:00.000-08:002010-01-10T18:11:44.384-08:00

This time a year ago the world watched as Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza strip. I was living in Derry, Northern Ireland at the time. A significant portion of the population in Derry identifies as a people in solidarity with the Palestinians due to the similarities in their conflict. Free Gaza, the graffiti on the walls said. A simulated refugee camp was set up at Free Derry corner.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-51404745515546200912009-11-15T17:40:00.001-08:002009-11-15T17:49:53.091-08:00

In cultural invasion, the actors draw the thematic content of their action from their own values and ideology; their starting point is their own world, from which they enter the world of those they invade. In cultural synthesis, the actors who come from "another world" to the world of the people do so not as invaders. They do not come to teach or to transmit or to give anything, but rather to

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-31778826895785460632009-11-09T19:55:00.000-08:002009-11-09T20:13:16.822-08:00

Sometimes it's the little things that will send me into a fit of laughter. Like today, for example, when I was reading through one of my student's applications that read something like, "I am very excited about studying in Whales, England." I'm confident that if my Jonah student doesn't sort it out before she goes, a kind Welsh person will inform her that Wales is neither a tribute to a giant sea

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-6603416436020755132009-10-24T18:53:00.000-07:002009-10-24T19:55:19.492-07:00

In the last few years and particularly in the past year, I've become concerned about a lot of things I didn't know much about before. Things I don't know much about now but enough to be concerned. Things like war and the way we talk about war, think about war, perpetuate war, protest war. Things like poverty and the way hunger and starvation feel far away and for a dollar or donation we can at

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-33238827740954793982009-09-30T20:13:00.000-07:002009-09-30T20:40:24.963-07:00

I have been doing some research for an upcoming job interview in the study abroad field. One of my potential employers has a fantastic resource on all things related to cultures and study abroad. As I am reading, I am realizing that I am still very much going through what in the field we call "reverse culture shock". This basically describes the re-entry process and the challenges and joys that

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-15275250723574917872009-09-06T22:32:00.000-07:002009-09-07T13:28:57.803-07:00

In Venice Beach California, there is a little garage behind a house with cars, surf boards, and bicycles. This little garage also contains an office where people are campaigning for peace in Congo and igniting dreams of change in this war-torn African country and also in our American society. Welcome to Falling Whistles. Falling Whistles started with an individual on a journey who encountered the

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-6147700393373622062009-08-19T07:20:00.000-07:002009-08-19T07:29:56.688-07:00

Rotary Presentation to Lake-Murray Irmo Rotary Club, August 19th, 2009*I had a slideshow with pictures showing the individuals I spoke about. Good morning. I have thought about this time with you all for many months now and I’m thinking about how much has happened since the last time I saw you and I’m already sensing the impossibility of conveying to you what 10 months in Ireland as an

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-54419334542579298862009-07-28T17:53:00.000-07:002009-07-28T18:20:10.984-07:00

You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right. Maya AngelouI'm home. I am aware all at once of the significance of this past year, the privilege of this present moment to enjoy the people and places I have missed, and to be excited about the unknown and impending future.To the Rotarians who have hosted me, welcomed me, written to me, shared stories

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-77596832946130346522009-07-22T06:37:00.000-07:002009-07-22T07:08:41.791-07:00

Marching season in Northern Ireland...historical, controversial, political, religious, cultural, all of the above and for some none of the above. The following is an excerpt from the CAIN website.For many, [parades] fulfill a social, political, and religious role. The actual number of annual parades has been increasing steadily and substantially over the past 10 years, with 1995 seeing a total of

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-7725368289259438652009-06-20T13:35:00.000-07:002009-06-21T02:26:47.431-07:00

Father's Day is tomorrow and this blog is dedicated Bryan L. Martin. Dad.The garage door closes and the sound of heavy boots hitting the cold pavement floor echoes through the kitchen. A few minutes later, Dad comes in covered in dirt, grease and soot from a hard days' work and usually stripped of the soiled clothing. We'd listen for that sound and hope that our friends weren't over when Dad made

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-12448400235590228612009-06-04T10:01:00.000-07:002009-06-05T08:23:04.973-07:00

The West Coast of Ireland is wild, rugged, desolate, and desperately beautiful. Reading this sort of description from an Ireland guidebook and seeing it in real life is the difference between reading a wine review out of a wine magazine and sipping a local glass of Cabernet on a summer's day at Moondancer winery while listening to a jazz band and taking in the views of the grape vines and

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-29454011774949008522009-05-05T15:42:00.000-07:002009-05-05T15:47:32.990-07:00

Song A rowan like a lipsticked girl.Between the by-road and the main roadAlder trees at a wet and dripping distanceStand off among the rushes.There are the mud-flowers of dialectAnd the immortelles of perfect pitchAnd that moment when the bird sings very closeTo the music of what happens.Seamus Heaney was born in County Derry on April 1939, the eldest member of a family which would

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-72000148359991388732009-04-26T03:15:00.000-07:002009-04-26T03:58:17.217-07:00

The damp seeps into your lungs, into your bones, and creeps slowly into your mind. The light from a nearby window provides the only illumination. The musty smell of weather-worn limestone tempts your lungs to restrict or be subject to the heavy air and moldy breath of the Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, Ireland.I listen as the tour guide explains the situation for the unfortunate denizens of this

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-86121786332275353552009-04-22T10:06:00.000-07:002009-06-04T09:54:29.221-07:00

I took the train out of Derry for the first time today. It was a really lovely one-hour jaunt up to the North Coast to attend a seminar in Coleraine on 'Globalising Higher Education.' The first part of the formal conference was a seminar on Universities 'engaging' (one of the infamous education buzz words) with students and the community. Before the formal bit started we all had lunch together,

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-23004614205837047342009-04-11T15:49:00.000-07:002009-04-11T16:44:11.694-07:00

London. The city. The icon. The hub. There's something about a city of 10 million people that simultaneously entices and repulses me. For all intensive purposes, I am a country girl. Or at least a small town girl. Even though I've been to dozens of mega-metropolises, I still approach these cosmopolitan giants with a bit of awe as well as apprehension. And so, this past week was yet another peek

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-19006356811884492742009-03-21T11:20:00.000-07:002009-03-21T12:04:50.917-07:00

I'd like to think that I stave off cultural kitschiness, but I admit that sometimes I indulge in the stereotypical little things, even if they've been marketed to death and may not even be a part of the 'authentic' culture any more. You know... eating Belgian waffles in Belgium and pizza in Italy, dancing the merengue in the Dominican, and so on. So, in my own quirky way, I enjoyed the fact that

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-91844917031628433862009-02-28T10:01:00.000-08:002009-02-28T10:13:56.482-08:00

Lent has begun. I was alerted to this fact as I walked downtown and saw that many people had the sign of a cross in ash on their foreheads signifying repentance. I thought about practicing Lent this year, giving something up that I will really miss, like chocolate or Facebook. I felt like I was caught off-guard, though, since Lent started and I didn't know it. Then I felt like starting Lent late

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-59697024858131353722009-02-16T13:27:00.000-08:002009-02-16T14:03:31.114-08:00

There's just something about the coast. Something about the way the sky and sand and water dance together and create the illusion of falling into each other. Something about the way that the expanse creates a feeling of longing and emptiness while filling me up. Something about the sound of the wind and waves that instills an inner quiet.I went to the Antrim coast with several of my girl friends

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-38061018100409524622009-02-12T17:04:00.001-08:002009-02-12T17:11:48.563-08:00

I commented about the 'warm' weather today. When did 50's become warm?I have a fresh bouquet of tulips sitting on my fireplace mantle.The other night a full moon hung low and heavy, emanating a dull yellow over the River Foyle. It was a strange comfort to me at the time.I was reminded this week of how much I appreciate my family, even from far away.It's the small things sometimes...

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-62442817546451603932009-01-26T16:08:00.000-08:002009-01-26T16:19:29.591-08:00

Drifting in and out of hazy in-flight dreams I glanced out my airplane window and was shocked into a sharp state of awake by the snowy mountain tops glowing in the light of the setting, molten sun. Eye-level with the great Atlas mountains of Morocco. Snow capped mountains in Morocco? I had expected something closer to the sandy deserts of Egypt or the sparseness of a Cypriot countryside. My

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-81161603560129569162009-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:002009-01-08T11:53:49.337-08:00

This is a part 1 of a stream of thought that I have been seeking to tackle for a few months. Let's see where it goes...In the past few years and more recently, I have been tossing about what forms of knowledge are legitimate? Legitimate in a way that I would take a course of action based on something gained from that knowledge. Knowledge and understanding, far from existing as monolithic

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-44996442363865358532009-01-03T09:15:00.000-08:002009-01-03T09:34:38.473-08:00

After purchasing groceries for the week, I exited Sainsbury's with my trolley. As I was crossing the main intersection in the parking lot, I spotted a little bird on the ground. I thought it was dead at first but then the bird looked directly up at me. I tried to pick the bird up but it tottered away...injured in leg or wing or both. I could not leave it to be inevitably squished and pursued it

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-35686369518774117372008-12-30T13:39:00.000-08:002008-12-30T14:40:53.885-08:00

Time sits on the far side of Christmas and just shy of the new year and I've given myself today to catch up on the little things. My older sister and her husband left for the States this morning and my little sister and her boyfriend are relaxing downstairs before spending one last day in Derry tomorrow. So after all of the site seeing, catch-up conversations, Christmas pudding (a traditional

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-89107944993647346082008-12-15T02:50:00.000-08:002008-12-15T03:30:56.469-08:00

I'm finally starting to get excited about the Christmas festivities and focusing on my sisters and their husband and boyfriend coming to Derry this week. The turned in and completed state of my term papers as of 10:15 a.m. on this very day has a large part to do with that. Freedom!So, after thousands of pages read and hours upon hours of compiling...el finito! I have had some very interesting

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-81001803040677261322008-12-01T13:56:00.000-08:002008-12-01T14:48:19.043-08:00

Look at you out to make a deal You try to be appealing but you lose your appeal And what about those shoes you’re in today They’ll do no good On the bridges you burnt along the wayI was reading the newspaper on Sunday afternoon, thinking fondly of how my sisters and I used to scramble for the Parade magazine and comics buried deep in the Sunday News, but only after my father gave us his

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-74013347387895944442008-11-24T05:51:00.000-08:002008-11-24T06:18:37.903-08:00

Lately I've been devoting most of my time to my term papers. This means that I will be one of four places, the library, wi-fi lab, Peace Program study room, or my faithful old chair by the fireplace. Sometimes Kevin and I pretend that we will study together, but mostly we just end up drinking tea and chatting with his family by their woodstove.Speaking of fireplaces and woodstoves, my housemate

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-29600169761782889392008-11-05T05:58:00.000-08:002008-11-05T07:44:14.330-08:00

Obama. He is not the savior of the United States or the world. However, I proudly cast my vote for him and stand by that. I am not placing all of my hopes of a better society, a more equal and inclusive world into the President of the United States. People place unrealistic expectations on the person that fills that role. Then they sit back and blame him (maybe her in the future) when things

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-31417011119825087072008-10-26T07:38:00.000-07:002008-10-26T08:28:28.838-07:00

I gave my first Rotary presentation this past week at Strabane-Lifford, a club which prides itself on being cross-border (Strabane=N. Ireland, Lifford=Republic of Ireland). All went well and I was able to meet another Sam Martin (above). He invited myself and John MacCrossan to his house after the meeting for tea, where I met his lovely wife and was given a tour of the house and serenaded with no

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-59055215135693815482008-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:002008-10-17T11:13:39.002-07:00

I've had the general feeling of being overwhelmed lately. Unfortunately, the word overwhelmed always tends to carry a negative connotation. I am not drowning in a sea of desperation; quite the contrary. I have a positive overwhelmed buzz. The kind where life presents so many opportunities, discussions to have, people to talk to, books to read, places to travel to, events to plan, moments to enjoy

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-52352790445423028952008-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:002008-10-03T10:41:28.346-07:00

Before I begin a remarkably boring rant, I gave correct directions to two lost Irish ladies today downtown. I think I now officially qualify as a denizen of Derry. I finished my first jar of Nutella. If you do not know what Nutella is, I beg of you to never find out. You will then fight a Nutella addiction for the rest of your remaining life. Also in case you didn't know, I have a "sexy American

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-15026787192169635582008-09-30T04:31:00.000-07:002008-09-30T05:10:50.291-07:00

It was a Thursday through Sunday affair, which started with a 2.5 hour scenic drive from Derry to Sligo. John and Anne MacCrossan provided lots of interesting information about the countryside and little towns that we passed through. Brigitta, another Ambassadorial Scholar being hosted here in Derry from Hungary, and I interjected quite frequently with questions of our own."Why are all the sheep

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-51349555743719219632008-09-21T07:25:00.000-07:002008-09-21T07:38:58.492-07:00

An “H” in Derry is never silent. I had a good-natured debate over this yesterday after I said, “Pretty soon I will have a whole (h)ERB garden in my window.” Which was met with laughter. I suppose I can concede the point. It drives me nuts when people arbitrarily decide to create a silent H, like in the word human, or huge. Homage can really go either way but regardless, I can’t quite bring myself

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-87801672812742942862008-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:002008-09-13T07:58:51.414-07:00

If you would like my cell phone number or address, let me know and I will send it to you! Thanks all.

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-19251244229209628942008-09-11T11:13:00.000-07:002008-09-11T12:09:05.128-07:00

Irish bartenders really do pour a Guinness and then let it sit. I forgot that just a moment ago, as I paid and then paused for a moment, glancing at the pint. "I'll bring it to ya', aye."Sitting in front of the emergency exit on an overnight flight really is not a good idea. The stiff and non-negotiable 90 degree position I endured on the transcontinental flight contributed to my 31 hour

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-17757189436068952422008-08-25T11:52:00.001-07:002008-08-25T12:11:05.795-07:00

I changed my flight yesterday. The thought occurred to me that I simply could, and so I did. Then I updated my own little pre-departure folder that I have created for myself. As a sidenote: My coworker from IEP (the study abroad office that I worked at full time all last year) asked if I had created a pre-departure packet for myself as a joke because that is what we did for all of our study

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-13303994483585944862008-07-24T21:29:00.000-07:002008-07-24T21:58:59.019-07:00

Recently, I read the book "In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong" by Amin Maalouf and I've been ruminating over this word identity and it significance to my life, peace/war issues, and the world in general.This post is a response to the concepts that strike me particularly at this moment in time. I recommend that you read the book to receive a more accurate and thorough (not to

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-26162271337292926452008-07-02T20:35:00.000-07:002008-07-02T21:37:39.542-07:00

Many people think of "peace" as an end goal. In some respects, I suppose it is. But the word peace is vague and loosely interpreted, often bringing to mind trite phrases spoken at beauty pageants like, "If I win the crown, my platform will be to advocate for world peace."Aside from the complexities of the meaning of the word, what does one gain by studying peace? What does one "do" with a degree

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8672245511296129445.post-54590814128155256582008-06-28T19:33:00.000-07:002008-06-28T22:21:05.827-07:00

There are two types of people in this world: Trees and Ponds. Bear with me for a few moments as I attempt to offer up an explanation.A good friend and I recently strolled around the beautiful and historic town of Mt. Gretna. As we explored the little pathways and commented on the picturesque cottages, I was also acutely aware of all the old trees towering above us, simultaneously providing cool

Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15111175153906591390noreply@blogger.com3