genniohs

[genniohs]

Good-bye, Tumblr! ...Kind of.

Yes, I've started a Peace Corps/travel blog, and no, it's not on Tumblr.  You can now follow my travel adventures on http://soulsofmyfeet.wordpress.com/.  It will have updates about Mongolia, any traveling I get to do, and (once PC is over), my continued foray into international development.

But I shan't abandon Tumblr forever!  I still plan to post any of my Random Acts of Kindness (beginning again in May), small projects like http://homeisthis.tumblr.com or just general thoughts.  And maybe once in awhile I'll be like Patrick C. Huie and re-post from the Wordpress blog.

[genniohs]

I finally have some time to update!

I've been so busy with my fundraising campaign, I haven't had too much time to make the cards, which has impinged on my ability to send them out everyday, but I've still sent out all these babies into the world!

I reblogged Minh's post about receiving his card (he was the first!), and here's a few more messages I got after people received theirs:

Diana: I just got your card, just made my week! (:

Jessie: Genni! I got your card today. THANK YOU! ♥  You're so sweet. It made my day. Wait for my card back :)

Mama Bear Grace: GENNI!!! i got your card! thanks soooo much genni cubbie! i love it! you are such a blessing :) to me and everyone else. thank you for brightening my day with your snail mail! ♥ youuu!

I'm glad I could give a little love to the wonderful people in my life, after giving a little love to strangers last month (does that sound weird?  Ahhh, dirty minds...)

[genniohs]

$1.50/day Challenge - Week 2

I'm now on the 3rd day of my second week of my eating on $1.50/day Challenge to raise money for my friends in Tanzania.  Their vision to help create a better future for street children by providing them with practical education and skills (carpentry, mechanics, computers, sewing, etc.) is both inspiring and somewhat daunting.

An update on my challenge: Most of the first week was spent eating oatmeal and an egg for breakfast/lunch (since I tend to stay up late, I try to eat my first meal between 2pm and 4pm) and for dinner some pasta interspersed with 1.5 oz of salmon, carefully weighed and calculated for half of my daily meal allocation.

By the end of the week, I'd lost 6 lbs.  In our thin = beauty society that may not sound too bad, but to put it into perspective, my doctor tells me that healthy weight loss should be 1-2 lbs. per week.  Calorie restriction and fasting to cleanse out your system may be all well and good, but this "diet" is not meant to be sustained for a month, let alone an entire lifetime.

My body does adjust, though.  If I time my meals correctly, I don't get hungry as often or as severely as I did when I first started.  My mother joined me for three days in support, and she found that she could go on one carefully portioned meal in the latter part of the day, with maybe a fruit to sate the hunger before going to sleep (unlike me, she sleeps pretty early).  Water is now my best friend.

And really, it's all worth it.  To-date, I've raised almost $1300 from my friends and family.  The middle of the month is approaching in 5 days, which will also mark the beginning of week 3 for me.  Every donation is matched, so I only need to raise $1200 more to make my $5000 goal!  What's more, if you choose "No Perk" in the donation section, the donation is tax-deductible, courtesy of Tanzanian Fundi.

Donate Now! And THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

We hosted a fundraising dinner last night for some family to talk with Johnson, my friend visiting from Tanzania, and founder of Foot2Afrika.  Their dinner: pork ragu in a deliciously buttery sauce; basil, mozzarella and tomato appetizer; pear salad; and homemade ice cream and potato chip cookies for dessert.

My dinner: rice and ground beef, seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper. (Cost about 55 cents for this serving)  Oh, and water.  Lots of water.

[genniohs]

Hooray!  My first card was received. :D

This made a long day seem so much better, Thank yous! <3

[genniohs]

3/2/12 and 3/3/12

More cards sent to dear friends!  Friends, send me your address if you want one! <3

[genniohs]

I'm REALLY hungry...

For those who don't know, yesterday I started a campaign to raise $5,000 to help my friends in Tanzania buy land needed to build a youth trade center in their community of Moshi.   Most of the time, when older kids age out of the centers (like the boys in the picture will in a couple years!), if they don't have educational support they go back into the streets and are forced to beg or steal. Foot2Afrika is planning to build a trade center in Moshi, Tanzania, where street children can learn skills that can help them become independent, contributing members of society. These skills include carpentry, farming, computers, sewing, and jewelry-making. Currently, these kids have NO WHERE to go, and the youth village will give them an alternative to a terrible lifestyle.

Until I reach my $5,000 goal (or April 1, whichever comes first) I'll be living below the international poverty line of $1.50/day on food.  That doesn't just mean I'm giving up coffee or snacks or soda.  It means I'm also giving up most meats, vegetables, fruit and healthy portion sizes.  I bought my food for an entire week yesterday, and was able to get oatmeal, a couple eggs, some pasta, a can of tuna, 2 apples, and a can of beans.  It's the end of my second day, and all I've had to eat is oatmeal and an egg.  I may complain, but for so many people, and for a lot of those kids in Tanzania, this is their life.  They don't get to go back to full bellies and 3 meals a day after a month.  But if they had useful skills, they may be able to have some of that.

Please donate, and pass it on to your friends!  Thanks!

[genniohs]

3/1/12

My first card, sent to an awesome person! :]

[genniohs]

March=Mail for Friends

Happy March!

I love getting mail that's not junk mail!  Very few people send mail to someone just 'cause.  So, everyday I will send a handmade card to someone with a message telling them how great I think they are and why.  I'll post pictures of the cards, but not the message.  So if you like snail mail, give me your address! :)

[genniohs]

2/29/12

And on this, the last day of February that comes but once every four years, I give you five cranes!

The first crane (Be healthy! Take care!) I put in the elevator in the hospital as I was picking up a form for my Peace Corps application.  I got a nice surprise when I went back down 20 minutes later: I got the same elevator I had going up, and the crane was gone! :)

The second crane (You're a star! Just be you!) was put on a chair in the waiting room of the hospital.

The third crane (For luck... because you never know when you'll need it.) was put on the windshield of a car parked a few down from mine when I went to tutoring.

The fourth crane (Don't worry! Be happy!) was left in McDonald's when I went in to get my dad some french fries.

I debated about leaving the fifth crane somewhere because of the message (The sun is shining, and so are you!).  The sun was not, in fact, shining, because I had written that crane a few days ago when it was nice and sunny outside, but forgot to leave it somewhere.  By the time I had gotten back to my car, though, the sun was out a bit, so I put the crane on the house I was parked in front of.

That's all for February, folks!  Tomorrow is a new month, and a new "kindness."  If you'd like to participate in next month's, send me your address. :)

[genniohs]

Catherine, Los Angeles, CA

[genniohs]

2/21/12 and 2/22/12

I went to the post office on 2/21, and left my crane on one of the tables they have for people to sort out the mail they pick up from their PO boxes.  The crane said, "Someone thinks you're amazing!" and "Be happy :)."  On 2/22 I took the bus home from tutoring and left my crane on the bus seat.  We've had some amazing weather lately, so the crane just said, "Enjoy the beautiful day! :D"

With February winding down this week, March is going to bring a whole new challenge! :)

[genniohs]

2/20/12

I went to San Francisco today, and took BART (subway) there.  I left my crane on the seat next to me, hoping I could actually witness someone finding my crane for once.  Alas, it wasn't rush hour or anything, so the train didn't get full enough for anyone to sit next to me.  Ah, well.  My note for the day: You are beautiful!  Have a wonderful day!

[genniohs]

2/15/12

Today was another tutoring day at Oakland International HS.  The room we use for tutoring is the art classroom, and I always like to see the work on the walls.  It seems like they've been working on making comics all year.  Anyway, I left a crane on the teacher's desk that said, "Thx 4 [oh, the irony of using text speak in a note to a teacher...] being a teacher.  Your classroom looks great!"

[genniohs]

2/14/12

I went to the dentist today to do an exam for Peace Corps, so I brought a crane with me.  Since it's the dentist, the note said, "You have a beautiful smile! :)"

[genniohs]

2/13/12

I spent the day with Brenda, and since we went out to a few different places I had the opportunity to leave two cranes today, as a way to make up for one of my missed days. I'll probably do this if/when the opportunity presents itself.  We went to Barnes and Noble, and I left a crane in the teen books section that said, "Find a book that inspires you... and act on it!"  I left the other crane at this really cool diner in Emeryville that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe).  It had a Guinness milkshake that was delicious!  I left a crane for our server that said, "Thx 4 being so nice! Hope your week is great!"

[genniohs]

2/11/12

I've been having trouble remembering to bring my cranes wherever I go, so I've had to skip a couple days.  But I went out with my parents and my visiting cousin Nancy and aunt Arlene to Homeroom, a restaurant devoted almost entirely to mac and cheese.  We shared three, and each one was divine!  I left a crane for our server with the message: Your food is great!  Thanks for being an awesome server!  Mmmm, I shall dream of more mac and cheese...

[genniohs]

2/8/12

I forgot to bring one of my colorful cranes when I went out to dinner at Olive Garden with some friends, so I made a crane out of some notepaper, and it made a nice stripe effect.  I left it with our check when we left, with the message: "Thank you for all your hard work!  You're awesome!"