I got sand in my high heels
That is my feeling of Miami, sand in my high heels. It is not that clever to walk in high heels on the beach, which I soon discovered and kind of knew from the start, but I just wanted to wear high heels.
I have a lot of high heels but I rarely use them. Mostly because I feel to tall and I can't keep up with my friends. In Miami I felt the opposite. I felt widely under dressed without high heels and even though that really doesn't bother me I just wanted to grab the opportunity to wear high heels. So I did.
Spring Break in Miami was great. I brought a book with me but I didn't read too many pages in it, just lying in the sun was enough for me. I could easily have done that for another couple of weeks. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was that we had to take the car everywhere. It wasn't like we had a choice either, the distances were too far for walking.
Even though I didn't plan to do very much other than lying at the beach we still got some things done. We went to down town Miami, we ate at a Cuban resturant, we saw flamingos and alligators and other animals, we spent a day in the car without getting anywhere, we went to a reaggie bar that served drinks with more vodka than soda, we turned in the door of Mansion, we saw the Venecian pool that actually was nothing, we went to a club called Bed and I will let the name speak for itself and we drank lots of lots of margeritas.
In the middle of all this the Bahamas travelers stopped by to say hi, which was nice. We rented an apartment with the beach right in front of it and a tiny kitchen. In the end it was two king sized beds, two matrasses and a sofa with 7 people and a ton of clothes that was everywhere. The difference from New York tis hat even if things would screw up I didn't care cus it was warm and sunny and a blue sky.
I love Miami as much as I love New York and the main reason is that they are both cities far away from forest and nature. I don't mind nature, as long as it is something I can visit and then go back to people and houses and asfalt. I know I grew up basically in the forest and I know that it is a sin to not love Sweden for it's beautiful nature and I am really sorry but I prefer the city from the country.
I have a lot of high heels but I rarely use them. Mostly because I feel to tall and I can't keep up with my friends. In Miami I felt the opposite. I felt widely under dressed without high heels and even though that really doesn't bother me I just wanted to grab the opportunity to wear high heels. So I did.
Spring Break in Miami was great. I brought a book with me but I didn't read too many pages in it, just lying in the sun was enough for me. I could easily have done that for another couple of weeks. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was that we had to take the car everywhere. It wasn't like we had a choice either, the distances were too far for walking.
Even though I didn't plan to do very much other than lying at the beach we still got some things done. We went to down town Miami, we ate at a Cuban resturant, we saw flamingos and alligators and other animals, we spent a day in the car without getting anywhere, we went to a reaggie bar that served drinks with more vodka than soda, we turned in the door of Mansion, we saw the Venecian pool that actually was nothing, we went to a club called Bed and I will let the name speak for itself and we drank lots of lots of margeritas.
In the middle of all this the Bahamas travelers stopped by to say hi, which was nice. We rented an apartment with the beach right in front of it and a tiny kitchen. In the end it was two king sized beds, two matrasses and a sofa with 7 people and a ton of clothes that was everywhere. The difference from New York tis hat even if things would screw up I didn't care cus it was warm and sunny and a blue sky.
I love Miami as much as I love New York and the main reason is that they are both cities far away from forest and nature. I don't mind nature, as long as it is something I can visit and then go back to people and houses and asfalt. I know I grew up basically in the forest and I know that it is a sin to not love Sweden for it's beautiful nature and I am really sorry but I prefer the city from the country.
More pictures for those who want to see
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| 2009-03-06-14 Spring Break Miami Wasted |
Monday, January 12 2009
On the second day of the seminar there was a secret service agent, a museum director and two journalists that made my morning interesting. The secret service agent’s hardest question for the day concerned the shoe throwing incident in Iraq December 14, 2008. This question however had a lot of thought behind it. The girl who asked wouldn’t settle for the answer that the secret service could not do much because it was just shoes and nothing else; she wanted to discuss the principle, the principle of allowing people to throw a shoe at the president. My guess is that she wanted to discuss that it wasn’t really about the shoes, it was about respect. If the secret service allows someone to throw a shoe at the president they show the world that they don’t really have to respect the president of U.S. She finally gave up and I don’t think she was too overwhelmed with the answer. I can understand her. But I can understand him as well. A shoe is just a shoe and while in Rome you do as Romans do as long as you possibly can and especially if it is about such sensitive things as politics. The world would have gone crazy if Bush’s secret service agents had jumped out and beat the journalist up and that would not have done any good for anyone, because in the end, it was just shoes.
Theory and practice are two different things, which became very clear with the student who had put a lot of thoughts in theories and principles and the secret service agent who lives in that reality. In reality theories and principles does not matter, every situation speak for itself. Other than that particular question his lecture concerned what he do on his job. Even though this matter interests me, it was the authors of the book "Common grounds" that made time fly.
They were witty, funny and had a good idea to pursue. It was obvious from the start who was conservative and who was liberal and I am sure they do it on purpose; they are both media personalities and know how to work a crowd. Never-the less, their message is one of the smartest things I ever heard and is exactly what I am trying to live by. It is not about who’s right; it’s about going forward and solving problems and bickering is not a good way of doing that. Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel gave a well rehearsed performance about why people with different opinions should discuss. They stressed that it is important to discuss the goal, because the goal is mostly the same; everyone wants to achieve something good and make the society and life better; the difference lies in how to get there. To be able to criticize oneself as well as the other person is a key factor in making the discussion work. Even though Thomas and Beckel were very humorous about it, it is not that certain that a discussion between people who do not know each other would be as fun but they make a good point that you should keep yourself distanced from the matter discussed. This idea, however is not new. In ancient Athens, Greece, discussion was the central thing in their society and the starting point for democracy. I grew up learning that no matter what, discussion is always a god thing. No matter with whom or about what, you can always learn something new and you will always teach someone else something new by discussing with people you meet.
Theory and practice are two different things, which became very clear with the student who had put a lot of thoughts in theories and principles and the secret service agent who lives in that reality. In reality theories and principles does not matter, every situation speak for itself. Other than that particular question his lecture concerned what he do on his job. Even though this matter interests me, it was the authors of the book "Common grounds" that made time fly.
They were witty, funny and had a good idea to pursue. It was obvious from the start who was conservative and who was liberal and I am sure they do it on purpose; they are both media personalities and know how to work a crowd. Never-the less, their message is one of the smartest things I ever heard and is exactly what I am trying to live by. It is not about who’s right; it’s about going forward and solving problems and bickering is not a good way of doing that. Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel gave a well rehearsed performance about why people with different opinions should discuss. They stressed that it is important to discuss the goal, because the goal is mostly the same; everyone wants to achieve something good and make the society and life better; the difference lies in how to get there. To be able to criticize oneself as well as the other person is a key factor in making the discussion work. Even though Thomas and Beckel were very humorous about it, it is not that certain that a discussion between people who do not know each other would be as fun but they make a good point that you should keep yourself distanced from the matter discussed. This idea, however is not new. In ancient Athens, Greece, discussion was the central thing in their society and the starting point for democracy. I grew up learning that no matter what, discussion is always a god thing. No matter with whom or about what, you can always learn something new and you will always teach someone else something new by discussing with people you meet.
Sunday, January 11 2009
Steve Bell, Professor and faculty director, Dana Bash, Senior Congressional Correspondent CNN, and Michael A. Genovese, Ph. D. and author of “A memo to the President” was the speakers of the first day. Steve Bell began with his first lecture about politics and the media. Dana Bash came second and told us all about her career and what she has experienced. Michael A. Genovese was the last speaker with his lecture “The peaceful transition of power”.
Two things struck me during Bell and Genovese’s lectures and those things concern Hillary Clinton and the difference between New Yorkers and DCers. When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other I knew immediately that the world and U.S is not ready for the largest economic power in the world to have a female president. I never once doubted the fact that the democrats would win, there was no other option, and my guess lay with Obama. Friends and others around me doubted my intuition and argued that Clinton would win due to the fact that she is white and race goes before gender. But allow me to remind everyone of certain dates. In 1870 the former slaves got the right to vote, which extended to right to vote to all male citizens, it took until 1920 until the right to vote was extended to include women as well. These dates (among other facts) make it obvious to me that all revolutions precede the women’s revolution. For example, the language is always under control for condescending words and they slowly disappear from the language as people evolve and more and more minorities win respect. Words such as Negro is not used to the same extent anymore and the word Jew is fighting for its right to mean nothing more than a person connected to the Jewish religion. We watch our language of what we say and what we mean by that. Words that are demeaning to women are however still common and people get almost defensive when it comes to using them, it is only a joke or it is only a saying and nothing more.
Thus, the world’s largest economic power will see any, if not all, minorities as a president before there will be a women as a president. This was my conclusion and when Clinton announced that she would no longer continue as a candidate I was even more certain that Obama would go all the way to the top.
This brings me to the first thing that struck me. Bell stated that Clinton was portrayed in a sexist way and that sexism definitely played a part in the fact that she lost the candidate post. I don’t like to be right about these things because that means the world is not as developed as I wish it were but really as slow as I suspect it is.
The second thing that struck me is also an evidence of that the world is as slow as I suspect it is. One of the speakers told us that the question asked each evening in New York is “How much did you earned today?” and in Washington DC the question is “Whom did you help today?” and that this sums up the differences between the two cities. I get disappointed when I hear these kinds of statements, even if they are meant in a fun and friendly way, because they lay the groundwork to biases and how people in the end treat each other. I’ve been to New York, I loved it and I am counting on that I am going to fall in love with Washington to.
The main event for today was Dana Bash. During my past semester I have studied beat reporting, my main education has always evolved around news journalism and I expected beat reporting to be the same thing. It is not. As a news journalist all the news is your working field and you write about them as they came along. As a beat reporter you find the stories. A beat reporter’s main source is contacts, without contacts there would not be any stories. A beat reporter must therefore protect her contacts to be able to get her stories. Bash is a beat reporter and as such, she can’t give her sources away and she has to keep them on her good side.
I found her lecture lacking the real inside scoop story until she told us she was a beat reporter. Bash told us only about her career and how much she loves her job and Washington because she can’t really tell us anything else because that would jeopardize her relationship with her contacts. Her career story however, gave inspiration to who of us that want to be a journalist. I might be damaged from actually being in the industry but a reporter is a journalist that is on front of a camera. All people dealing with some form of media text is a journalist. A media text is not only word on a paper but sound and video as well.
Two things struck me during Bell and Genovese’s lectures and those things concern Hillary Clinton and the difference between New Yorkers and DCers. When Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ran against each other I knew immediately that the world and U.S is not ready for the largest economic power in the world to have a female president. I never once doubted the fact that the democrats would win, there was no other option, and my guess lay with Obama. Friends and others around me doubted my intuition and argued that Clinton would win due to the fact that she is white and race goes before gender. But allow me to remind everyone of certain dates. In 1870 the former slaves got the right to vote, which extended to right to vote to all male citizens, it took until 1920 until the right to vote was extended to include women as well. These dates (among other facts) make it obvious to me that all revolutions precede the women’s revolution. For example, the language is always under control for condescending words and they slowly disappear from the language as people evolve and more and more minorities win respect. Words such as Negro is not used to the same extent anymore and the word Jew is fighting for its right to mean nothing more than a person connected to the Jewish religion. We watch our language of what we say and what we mean by that. Words that are demeaning to women are however still common and people get almost defensive when it comes to using them, it is only a joke or it is only a saying and nothing more.
Thus, the world’s largest economic power will see any, if not all, minorities as a president before there will be a women as a president. This was my conclusion and when Clinton announced that she would no longer continue as a candidate I was even more certain that Obama would go all the way to the top.
This brings me to the first thing that struck me. Bell stated that Clinton was portrayed in a sexist way and that sexism definitely played a part in the fact that she lost the candidate post. I don’t like to be right about these things because that means the world is not as developed as I wish it were but really as slow as I suspect it is.
The second thing that struck me is also an evidence of that the world is as slow as I suspect it is. One of the speakers told us that the question asked each evening in New York is “How much did you earned today?” and in Washington DC the question is “Whom did you help today?” and that this sums up the differences between the two cities. I get disappointed when I hear these kinds of statements, even if they are meant in a fun and friendly way, because they lay the groundwork to biases and how people in the end treat each other. I’ve been to New York, I loved it and I am counting on that I am going to fall in love with Washington to.
The main event for today was Dana Bash. During my past semester I have studied beat reporting, my main education has always evolved around news journalism and I expected beat reporting to be the same thing. It is not. As a news journalist all the news is your working field and you write about them as they came along. As a beat reporter you find the stories. A beat reporter’s main source is contacts, without contacts there would not be any stories. A beat reporter must therefore protect her contacts to be able to get her stories. Bash is a beat reporter and as such, she can’t give her sources away and she has to keep them on her good side.
I found her lecture lacking the real inside scoop story until she told us she was a beat reporter. Bash told us only about her career and how much she loves her job and Washington because she can’t really tell us anything else because that would jeopardize her relationship with her contacts. Her career story however, gave inspiration to who of us that want to be a journalist. I might be damaged from actually being in the industry but a reporter is a journalist that is on front of a camera. All people dealing with some form of media text is a journalist. A media text is not only word on a paper but sound and video as well.
Johnson City Press
Actually, that newspaper is not the best ones in the market... so to speak.
I am not a big fan of jumped articles and it is phenonomen I haven't bumped into before. I think that the newspapers in Sweden have one story on the front page and the rest of them in the paper. In Johnson city press, all of the stories are on the front page, but cut, and then you have to look inside the paper for the rest of the stories. So, basically, when you're finished with the front page, you read the whole paper already. Maybe the morning papers are like that in Sweden too, I read the evening ones so I don't really know (I know, but I like the pictures and I don't care that they are not seen upon as serious and important as the morning ones).
Two crazy things was in the paper today. One about that it is legal in TN (Tennessee) to have an open container of alcohol in the car and the other one about a bill of making it legal to carry guns in parks.
Hm.
Even though it is legal in TN it is indicated that it is illegal in most other states. But I don't get it. And I don't really know if it's legal or not in Sweden but I've been partying in cars and I never heard about it being illegal to have open bottles of alcohol in the car. It is however illegal for the driver to drink, during as well as before sitting behind the weels. Maybe it is only illegal to drink in the car, while driving, but not before driving. I don't know, but the drink and driving moral here is not as high as in Sweden, as far as I can tell.... (sorry)
There was one article about a bill to make it legal to carry guns in parks, butt hey are discussing it, due to the fact that it might be interpret as it is legal to carry guns in small parks where children play. I can't see how it would be saver to allow people to carry guns. Anywhere. For me, the right to carry a gun is the exact opposite of feeling save. I guees that I don't see it as, I have the right to carry a gun, but as, everyone else could carry a gun, which is not that save in all situations.
I am not a big fan of jumped articles and it is phenonomen I haven't bumped into before. I think that the newspapers in Sweden have one story on the front page and the rest of them in the paper. In Johnson city press, all of the stories are on the front page, but cut, and then you have to look inside the paper for the rest of the stories. So, basically, when you're finished with the front page, you read the whole paper already. Maybe the morning papers are like that in Sweden too, I read the evening ones so I don't really know (I know, but I like the pictures and I don't care that they are not seen upon as serious and important as the morning ones).
Two crazy things was in the paper today. One about that it is legal in TN (Tennessee) to have an open container of alcohol in the car and the other one about a bill of making it legal to carry guns in parks.
Hm.
Even though it is legal in TN it is indicated that it is illegal in most other states. But I don't get it. And I don't really know if it's legal or not in Sweden but I've been partying in cars and I never heard about it being illegal to have open bottles of alcohol in the car. It is however illegal for the driver to drink, during as well as before sitting behind the weels. Maybe it is only illegal to drink in the car, while driving, but not before driving. I don't know, but the drink and driving moral here is not as high as in Sweden, as far as I can tell.... (sorry)
There was one article about a bill to make it legal to carry guns in parks, butt hey are discussing it, due to the fact that it might be interpret as it is legal to carry guns in small parks where children play. I can't see how it would be saver to allow people to carry guns. Anywhere. For me, the right to carry a gun is the exact opposite of feeling save. I guees that I don't see it as, I have the right to carry a gun, but as, everyone else could carry a gun, which is not that save in all situations.
Time
Six days ago since last entry. Don't really know what I've been doing since then. I guess there was a party (birthday, of course...) some margeritas and "Kill Bill". Other than that my mind is set on the big trip for tomorrow. We're going to Miami for spring break and I don't really know what to expect, I have nothing planned to do there and I don't really know if there's anything to do other than being at the beach anyway.
I see a lot of movies. That is basically what I do. I wish I did go to the CPA (exercising facility) more often but I am just too lazy for everything. I barely have classes, which makes me barely wanna go to the ones I have. My days is filled with news, homework and few classes and then a movie at the end of it. I like it but it numbens me sometimes. I guess the warmth in Miami will wake me up.
I haven't started packing yet.
I see a lot of movies. That is basically what I do. I wish I did go to the CPA (exercising facility) more often but I am just too lazy for everything. I barely have classes, which makes me barely wanna go to the ones I have. My days is filled with news, homework and few classes and then a movie at the end of it. I like it but it numbens me sometimes. I guess the warmth in Miami will wake me up.
I haven't started packing yet.
