Monday, June 21, 2004
What a long weekend. Itll take me a few days to recover, but guess what. Im his lady. Yeah. But...thats all. I need a chai so bad...
Friday, June 18, 2004
Happy Birthday Roberto!
Learn Chinese in 5 minutes
1) That's not right ................... Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive?............. Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP............................... Kum Hia Nao
4) Stupid Man ................................ Dum Fuk
5) Small Horse ................................ Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach? .................. Wai Yu So Tan
7) I bumped into a coffee table .............. Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift ...............Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here ........ Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were on a diet ............ Wai Yu Mun Ching?
11) This is a tow away zone .................. No Pah King
12) Our meeting is scheduled for next week ... Wai Yu Kum Nao?
13) Staying out of sight ..................... Lei Ying Lo
14) He's cleaning his automobile ............. Wa Shing Ka
15) Your body odor is offensive .............. Yu Stin Ki Pu
16) Great ........ Fa Kin Su Pah
1) That's not right ................... Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive?............. Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP............................... Kum Hia Nao
4) Stupid Man ................................ Dum Fuk
5) Small Horse ................................ Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach? .................. Wai Yu So Tan
7) I bumped into a coffee table .............. Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift ...............Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here ........ Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were on a diet ............ Wai Yu Mun Ching?
11) This is a tow away zone .................. No Pah King
12) Our meeting is scheduled for next week ... Wai Yu Kum Nao?
13) Staying out of sight ..................... Lei Ying Lo
14) He's cleaning his automobile ............. Wa Shing Ka
15) Your body odor is offensive .............. Yu Stin Ki Pu
16) Great ........ Fa Kin Su Pah
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
The Price of Rice Soars, and Hunger Deepens - Published by the New York Times, 6/1/04
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, May 31 - One lesson of life in Haiti is never to say things cannot get any worse. They can, and they have.
People say they have had less money, less food and less hope since the February revolt that toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
For most Haitians, this has nothing to do with last week's deadly floods, which left 1,000 dead and 1,600 missing in Haiti, according to the official government estimate on Monday.
It has to do with the price of rice.
The cost of living has soared in the past four months. And as they say in Haiti, "Rice is life."
On the Rue de Miracles, one of the capital's biggest sidewalk markets, where thousands buy and sell the necessities of life, people talk of little else. Every conversation that starts with politics ends with the price of rice.
Many Haitians eat one meal a day. The main course is rice, and the price of a 110-pound sack doubled, to $45 from $22.50, between late January and early May. That price has dropped to about $37 in the past few weeks but is still too high, said Clermathe Baron, 29, who sells the big white sacks across the street from the Haitian customs office near the port. The price was driven up by global, national, political and economic forces.
"Life for the people of Haiti was better under Aristide because rice was less expensive," said Ms. Baron, not a big fan of the former president, as an American military helicopter hummed overhead.
"Even though it's more expensive now, I make the same as I did before," she said. "These high prices are not to my advantage. They're not to anyone's advantage, except maybe a few big importers and a few people in the Customs House. They always seem to have money."
People who buy rice by the pound say the price also doubled, and it has stayed that high.
"We have less and less to eat," said Nadia Casmir, 21, who sells crackers, cookies and powdered milk from a sidewalk stall, and lives with her mother, aunt, and the aunt's three children. "Things were better before. I'm not making a living. I've had to raise my prices, but people have less money, so they can't buy what we are selling."
Mr. Aristide, unsurprisingly, agrees that things have gotten worse since he was overthrown Feb. 29.
"The level of suffering has dramatically increased in Haiti," he said to reporters before leaving Jamaica and arriving Monday in South Africa, which offered him refuge. Mr. Aristide, who says he is still Haiti's elected leader, received a head of state's welcome in Johannesburg from President Thabo Mbeki.
But Haitian businessmen say Mr. Aristide's government kept the price of rice down through corruption.
One leading importer said an Aristide crony received a near exclusive concession on rice imports and evaded customs duties. That evasion allowed the rice concessionaire to cut about $3 a bag off the market price, pass some of the savings on to the market and pocket the rest.
"It was kind of a monopoly" under Mr. Aristide, said Danielle St.-Lot, the new minister of commerce.
Haiti used to grow its own rice. But its agriculture has collapsed in the past two decades, crushed by poverty, environmental destruction and foreign imports. While rice production crashed, demand soared: Haiti's population has grown to eight million from five million in 20 years. "The deterioration of the economy, years of bad governance without any policy for agriculture, and the day-to-day problems of life we now see reflected in the price of rice," Ms. St.-Lot said.
Eighty percent of the rice imported by Haiti comes from the United States, chiefly Arkansas, Louisiana and California - more than 300,000 tons in 2003. American rice is the most expensive in the world, Ms. St.-Lot said. "The problem is serious," she said. "The price on the international market is growing every day."
American and global stocks of rice are down, driving prices up, in some part because of American military and foreign policies.
"The American government has been buying a lot of rice for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq," said Jean-Michel Cherubin, a leading Haitian importer of rice, sugar and beans.
International aid agencies, like the United Nations World Food Program and Catholic Relief Services, which receive United States government support, do what they can to ease Haiti's hunger. The United Nations sought $35 million in emergency funds for Haiti from foreign governments in March; it remains $26 million shy of the goal.
Things were bad before the flood, and now at least 75,000 survivors of the deluge face a food emergency that will last for many months.
Haiti - its ports in particular - is a dangerous place to do business. That remains true despite the soon-to-depart American-led military force sent to provide security and stability after Mr. Aristide fell, and despite the efforts of the interim government, which has good intentions but almost no money. Theft and crime raise the market price of rice by cutting the supply lines.
"People have been stealing rice and selling it in the market here in La Saline," said Capt. Sean Connally of the Marines, part of a force sent to secure the harbor of Port-au-Prince, which abuts La Saline, one of Haiti's roughest neighborhoods. Four cargo containers were looted Monday morning, Haitian officials said.
That has gone on since the day Mr. Aristide fell. "There was lots of looting of commercial warehouses where rice was stocked," said Jean-Claude Paulvin, president of the Haitian Economists association. "Boats couldn't come into the port to deliver the rice."
The damage done to businesses, warehouses and commercial property during the anti-Aristide rebellion ran to tens of millions of dollars.
Haiti's police force, whose cars and weapons were stolen during the chaos after Mr. Aristide's departure, now has roughly 2,500 officers. The government lacks money to rebuild the force or secure the ports.
Starting June 1, security will be handed over from the American-led force to a United Nations coalition whose soldiers have barely started arriving. A formal transfer of command is set for June 20; the last American soldier is to leave June 30.
It all weighs heavily on Ms. Baron, the rice seller, and her customers.
"Because of the political situation, I pay more for everything, for all the necessities of life, including rice," she said. "Life's not better for me. It's worse now. It's not good for us poor people. The little money we have is not enough to fight the forces of commerce."
Taste the Fair Trade Certified™ Freshness by TransFairUSA
Fresh Fruit
Fair Trade ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their top-quality fruit, and that farmworkers have good working conditions and receive fair wages. Without Fair Trade, fruit farmers often receive only a few cents a pound for their crop, far below the cost of production. For example, in Ecuador the cost of basic necessities for a family of four is $9.60 a day, but on non-Fair Trade farms, workers may earn as little as $3 a day. These disparities have lead to the wide-spread need for children to join their parents in the field to supplement the family income.
Fair Trade farmers receive a price for their crop that is designed to cover the costs of environmentally sustainable production and provide a decent standard of living for their famlies. This fair price allows small family farmers to stay on their land, put food on the table, and keep their kids in school.
By setting a floor price and production standards criteria, plantation owners can offer higher wages and improve working conditions. Fair Trade farms are thoroughly inspected at least once a year to ensure that these standards are met.
In addition to the fair price, small farmer cooperatives and plantation worker organizations receive a premium to use for social and environmental development including education, healthcare and crop diversification.
Protecting the environment
All Fair Trade farms adhere to strict environmental standards that limit the use of pesticides, reduce erosion and waste, and protect natural waterways, virgin forest and other ecosystems. The Fair Trade certification system bans the use of the most harmful pesticides, greatly improving the health of workers and the surrounding environment. The Fair Trade premium allows many of these farms to fund organic conversion.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, May 31 - One lesson of life in Haiti is never to say things cannot get any worse. They can, and they have.
People say they have had less money, less food and less hope since the February revolt that toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
For most Haitians, this has nothing to do with last week's deadly floods, which left 1,000 dead and 1,600 missing in Haiti, according to the official government estimate on Monday.
It has to do with the price of rice.
The cost of living has soared in the past four months. And as they say in Haiti, "Rice is life."
On the Rue de Miracles, one of the capital's biggest sidewalk markets, where thousands buy and sell the necessities of life, people talk of little else. Every conversation that starts with politics ends with the price of rice.
Many Haitians eat one meal a day. The main course is rice, and the price of a 110-pound sack doubled, to $45 from $22.50, between late January and early May. That price has dropped to about $37 in the past few weeks but is still too high, said Clermathe Baron, 29, who sells the big white sacks across the street from the Haitian customs office near the port. The price was driven up by global, national, political and economic forces.
"Life for the people of Haiti was better under Aristide because rice was less expensive," said Ms. Baron, not a big fan of the former president, as an American military helicopter hummed overhead.
"Even though it's more expensive now, I make the same as I did before," she said. "These high prices are not to my advantage. They're not to anyone's advantage, except maybe a few big importers and a few people in the Customs House. They always seem to have money."
People who buy rice by the pound say the price also doubled, and it has stayed that high.
"We have less and less to eat," said Nadia Casmir, 21, who sells crackers, cookies and powdered milk from a sidewalk stall, and lives with her mother, aunt, and the aunt's three children. "Things were better before. I'm not making a living. I've had to raise my prices, but people have less money, so they can't buy what we are selling."
Mr. Aristide, unsurprisingly, agrees that things have gotten worse since he was overthrown Feb. 29.
"The level of suffering has dramatically increased in Haiti," he said to reporters before leaving Jamaica and arriving Monday in South Africa, which offered him refuge. Mr. Aristide, who says he is still Haiti's elected leader, received a head of state's welcome in Johannesburg from President Thabo Mbeki.
But Haitian businessmen say Mr. Aristide's government kept the price of rice down through corruption.
One leading importer said an Aristide crony received a near exclusive concession on rice imports and evaded customs duties. That evasion allowed the rice concessionaire to cut about $3 a bag off the market price, pass some of the savings on to the market and pocket the rest.
"It was kind of a monopoly" under Mr. Aristide, said Danielle St.-Lot, the new minister of commerce.
Haiti used to grow its own rice. But its agriculture has collapsed in the past two decades, crushed by poverty, environmental destruction and foreign imports. While rice production crashed, demand soared: Haiti's population has grown to eight million from five million in 20 years. "The deterioration of the economy, years of bad governance without any policy for agriculture, and the day-to-day problems of life we now see reflected in the price of rice," Ms. St.-Lot said.
Eighty percent of the rice imported by Haiti comes from the United States, chiefly Arkansas, Louisiana and California - more than 300,000 tons in 2003. American rice is the most expensive in the world, Ms. St.-Lot said. "The problem is serious," she said. "The price on the international market is growing every day."
American and global stocks of rice are down, driving prices up, in some part because of American military and foreign policies.
"The American government has been buying a lot of rice for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq," said Jean-Michel Cherubin, a leading Haitian importer of rice, sugar and beans.
International aid agencies, like the United Nations World Food Program and Catholic Relief Services, which receive United States government support, do what they can to ease Haiti's hunger. The United Nations sought $35 million in emergency funds for Haiti from foreign governments in March; it remains $26 million shy of the goal.
Things were bad before the flood, and now at least 75,000 survivors of the deluge face a food emergency that will last for many months.
Haiti - its ports in particular - is a dangerous place to do business. That remains true despite the soon-to-depart American-led military force sent to provide security and stability after Mr. Aristide fell, and despite the efforts of the interim government, which has good intentions but almost no money. Theft and crime raise the market price of rice by cutting the supply lines.
"People have been stealing rice and selling it in the market here in La Saline," said Capt. Sean Connally of the Marines, part of a force sent to secure the harbor of Port-au-Prince, which abuts La Saline, one of Haiti's roughest neighborhoods. Four cargo containers were looted Monday morning, Haitian officials said.
That has gone on since the day Mr. Aristide fell. "There was lots of looting of commercial warehouses where rice was stocked," said Jean-Claude Paulvin, president of the Haitian Economists association. "Boats couldn't come into the port to deliver the rice."
The damage done to businesses, warehouses and commercial property during the anti-Aristide rebellion ran to tens of millions of dollars.
Haiti's police force, whose cars and weapons were stolen during the chaos after Mr. Aristide's departure, now has roughly 2,500 officers. The government lacks money to rebuild the force or secure the ports.
Starting June 1, security will be handed over from the American-led force to a United Nations coalition whose soldiers have barely started arriving. A formal transfer of command is set for June 20; the last American soldier is to leave June 30.
It all weighs heavily on Ms. Baron, the rice seller, and her customers.
"Because of the political situation, I pay more for everything, for all the necessities of life, including rice," she said. "Life's not better for me. It's worse now. It's not good for us poor people. The little money we have is not enough to fight the forces of commerce."
Taste the Fair Trade Certified™ Freshness by TransFairUSA
Fresh Fruit
Fair Trade ensures that farmers receive a fair price for their top-quality fruit, and that farmworkers have good working conditions and receive fair wages. Without Fair Trade, fruit farmers often receive only a few cents a pound for their crop, far below the cost of production. For example, in Ecuador the cost of basic necessities for a family of four is $9.60 a day, but on non-Fair Trade farms, workers may earn as little as $3 a day. These disparities have lead to the wide-spread need for children to join their parents in the field to supplement the family income.
Fair Trade farmers receive a price for their crop that is designed to cover the costs of environmentally sustainable production and provide a decent standard of living for their famlies. This fair price allows small family farmers to stay on their land, put food on the table, and keep their kids in school.
By setting a floor price and production standards criteria, plantation owners can offer higher wages and improve working conditions. Fair Trade farms are thoroughly inspected at least once a year to ensure that these standards are met.
In addition to the fair price, small farmer cooperatives and plantation worker organizations receive a premium to use for social and environmental development including education, healthcare and crop diversification.
Protecting the environment
All Fair Trade farms adhere to strict environmental standards that limit the use of pesticides, reduce erosion and waste, and protect natural waterways, virgin forest and other ecosystems. The Fair Trade certification system bans the use of the most harmful pesticides, greatly improving the health of workers and the surrounding environment. The Fair Trade premium allows many of these farms to fund organic conversion.
I dont know if it was a good idea to tell you...now I know youll not look at me the same, but it feels good to finally get it off my back. Cause thats where it felt like it was. Theres nothing we could have done except maybe not let it happen at all and thats my fault. Its my fault we feel this way. Thats why Ill never see you again, I cant see you look at me like that. Categorize me already.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Can you believe I havent posted in almost 2 weeks! Well its been busy. Well not that busy, but Im not killing myself keeping busy anyways. Last weekend was fun. Lots of running around and stuff, enjoying the holiday and all, spending time with friends...
This past weekend got to see the family and some friends down south. I didnt want to come back, really this time. I always find reasons why I want to come back home and this time there were only 2, maybe 3 of them. I finally got a tan, and I feel great. This trip was really relaxing and I didnt feel rushed or anything.
My little cousin surprised us all with how well she did at graduation, everyone was real proud. I got to see my little brother, some people I hadnt seen in a while, spend a whole day at the beach and lots more.
Every once in a while I am reminded that my emails and constant blabbering about my activities is doing some good. I sent out an email about the shelter I am working with and how they need more volunteers, and even though someone in particular couldnt volunteer, they called up to say they had a bunch of stuff to donate to the shelter. So tonight some little kids are going to be getting some brand new Abercrombie & Fitch gear to strut their stuff in. Gotta love it.
This past weekend got to see the family and some friends down south. I didnt want to come back, really this time. I always find reasons why I want to come back home and this time there were only 2, maybe 3 of them. I finally got a tan, and I feel great. This trip was really relaxing and I didnt feel rushed or anything.
My little cousin surprised us all with how well she did at graduation, everyone was real proud. I got to see my little brother, some people I hadnt seen in a while, spend a whole day at the beach and lots more.
Every once in a while I am reminded that my emails and constant blabbering about my activities is doing some good. I sent out an email about the shelter I am working with and how they need more volunteers, and even though someone in particular couldnt volunteer, they called up to say they had a bunch of stuff to donate to the shelter. So tonight some little kids are going to be getting some brand new Abercrombie & Fitch gear to strut their stuff in. Gotta love it.
Life's Great Truths:
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing helps. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician.
7) With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing helps. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician.
7) With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus
