Nothing but Wandering

Along with many girls last night I went to the premier of Sex in the City. It was a great movie, however what was really impressive was the excitement and festiveness of the movie goers. Maybe I would enjoy being a trekky? Almost every girl I saw at the movie was wearing beautiful shoes and a pre-planned outfit that was sure to be in a magazine. At the bars around the theater cosmopolitans were being sipped left and right. I found this all incredibly inspring and there was a radiating air of confidence and independence.

For the night it was cool to be single, have messed up relationships and cry to your girlfriends.

So this is a shout out to "all the women independent"!

Posted by Christin at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments

I want real living.

I don't want a computer to optimize my future. Takes all the fun out of life. Think of the most joyful moments in your life, didn't they come from very uncertain scary and risky situations? Its all part of it.

Quite hypocritical for a girl writing her emotions on a blog, but I'm walking out that door right now to have a little real interaction. I guess I am not anti-computer or internet just anti-virtual and pro-real!

Get real! Like, uh, totally!
pronounced in the 3rd tone of Mandarin (\/)

Posted by Christin at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Closed eyes
Deep breaths
Clenched Jaw
Stomach pit
Shoulders slumped

Open eyes
Stretch arms
Curl lips
Disappearing pit
Lifted shoulders

Whew okay feel better. I just watched into the wild while alone with no one to talk to. They say at the end "happiness isn't real unless it is shared". Hmmm I'm not sure I totally agree unless you can share it with yourself too. But somehow that phrase and the fact that he DIES left me in the first state (1st paragraph above). I did read the book so I should have known it was coming. It is now past awake hours for USA so I can't even call to talk to someone who will say, "christin you are ridiculous and will be fine". This one I'll pick my own self up! Hey I've got an idea how about I look at old economics exams to see what I did wrong last year when I failed (that is actually the first thing I did to try to deal with the heavy emotions). Turns out that accelerated the sadness to anger and frustration and a slight feeling of stupidity. YAY! So now I'm laughing at myself thanks to the second paragraph above. Sure I could have left my little expression all abstract and poetic, but as John Mayer says "say what you need to say". Thats right I quoted that song and I'm proud of it. It is a good rumba song right sis?

Posted by Christin at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

This memorial day I was able to experience something that lives up to the name. Lantern Floating (www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com) in Honolulu, Hawaii has been going on for 10 memorial days. People write on lanterns names of ancestors, loved ones who have passed, people who have suffered in war, and suffered in natural disasters. The celebration and gathering has an overarching feeling of unity and a message of remembrance and peace.

There were amazing Hawaiian performances, honorary guests including Buddhist, Christian and political leaders. But what was more amazing than all of the performances was looking out into the ocean of floating lanterns and thinking about every single life that these lights represent. Then the hope and desire flooded in to bring peace to the lives here today that will be the future lanterns decades from now. Starting with the person I know best.

Posted by Christin at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments

I think I found the hula girl inside.

Posted by Christin at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

How come the presidential elections can't be like American Idol? I want answers.. is it the positivity? Youth? Expression of spirit? They are definitely onto something those Idol producers I smiled through the whole finale show. And no matter who won people were behind the winner even if they didn't vote for him. I love the American dream!

Posted by Christin at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

Vog is the new term I hear everyone talking about here in Honolulu. The trade winds have been on vacation and there is a small south wind. With this comes VOG! What is vog? It is volcanic smog. Vog is formed when sulfur dioxide gas reacts chemically with sunlight, oxygen, dust particles and water.

The vog is flowing out of the active volcano on the big island,Kilauea, daily. "If we think about Kilauea the way we think about a power plant on the U.S. Mainland, it clearly violates EPA clean-air standards," said Jeff Sutton of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

This vog reminds me very much of China's smog. It heats the air in this uncomfortable way. I took a picture for you but I am still having trouble posting pictures... if anyone has any ideas as to whats up let me know (I use blogger.com).

To check out the lava flow patters
http://www.cliffshade.com/hawaii/kamokuna/index.htm
And for a picture of the vog steaming out of Kilauea
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2008/Apr/08/hawaii80408015AR_b.jpg

Volcanoes are so cool, one day we should get together and make one 8th grade science fair style! Who's in?

Posted by Christin at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Hello There so take a read and leave comments or e-mail me what you think. This might be my job when I get home, I made it up myself!

Mission Statement
To create a world of clean rivers, living oceans, pristine lakes, and stress free aquifers. Utilizing ancient wisdom, cutting edge innovation and globalization to inspire a shift of focus from extraction of resources to promoting healthy functioning ecosystems.

Restoring life and vitality to water one molecule at a time. For the benefit of the physical natural environments and the less tangible but equally important intellectual and spiritual environments.

What we do
Host fun creative events from concerts to dance classes to cooking seminars. With all funds raised going towards grants for individuals or organizations working in line with the above mission statement. The grants can be used in a wide variety of ways; research, eduction or projects.

What you can do
Come to an event, host and event, inspire and teach an event. Or if you happen to be in the water sector and need money apply for one of our grants.

Potential Events
-salsa lessons
-comedy show / improv seminar
-belly dancing lessons
-cooking class
-open mic/ bands
-surf lessons
-language lessons / sample various languages

Posted by Christin at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

Two Questions?
1) When you buy a mango at the store and it isn't ripe and you bring it home how does it ripen just sitting on your kitchen counter?

2) How do pineapples grow?

Posted by Christin at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

This morning at 5:30 am I woke to my hula girl alarm grabbed some bread and peanut butter, hopped on my bike and cycled down to the Waikiki beach. I was on my way to meet a strange man in front of an iron statue of a surfer, the Duke. Before you get worried or jealous this man was a surf instructor. I finally decided I needed help to overcome my battle with gravity while surfing. Before today I really have only knee boarded. But thanks to the explanation of my instructor which included an explination of the dynamics of the waves and line-ups, triangulation to shore for optimum position, the people dynamics in the water, conserving energy and applying the brakes it was all play and no work, no wipe outs! Unfortunately I have no pictures of my countless rides, some included turns to navigate around people and the last one I rode down the wave which was an AMAZING feeling!! I signed up for 3 times a week surfing with this strange man, and I think it'll be just what I need to keep focused on my work, something new to learn. Today it has proven successful I have started my economics studying! Yay for public good and rate of return regulation.
(sorry no picture it is taking too long to upload)

Posted by Christin at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

For a couple of weeks it hasn't rained like it usually does on Oahu. This is me at Monoa Falls today and there is barely any water dripping.

Also this is the view of Honolulu, I live in one of those ugly high rises :).

Posted by Christin at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

Today I gave a poster presentation at the EWRI conference (http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2008/).


I was very happy with the work so it didn't really seem to matter how many people saw the poster or how it was received. However I do hope that I enlightened someone. If not I at least enlightened myself. You probably can't read the text but the message is basically to be careful when trying to help clean China's water as an outsider. Obviously China is not the United States, but sometimes ideas get directly transfered and it ends in a mess with money wasted and people leaving very disappointed that they were not able to help. To avoid that I tried to briefly outline the challenges that arise when outsiders attempt water projects in China. This storyboard tells a little different story, but I won't get into all the details here. I have the 10 page paper if you are interested e-mail me for it globalwater@gmail.com. You can also find it in the conference proceedings.

Posted by Christin at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

We had a Luau as part of the conference last night at a sea life village which was fun. It was both science and culture what more could a girl ask for.

This first picture is of the dolphin show (there is a dolphin in the picture).
The second one I am hangin' with new global water friends (on the left Mark part of the organizing committee of EWRI and on the right Mark an honored international fellow from Uganda) . I'm off to do my presentation today. I'll share a picture of that soon.

Posted by Christin at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

I see this as a metaphor for life. People always tell you not to pop your pimples. Why? because 1) it does hurt 2) it can leave a scar. But for those of us who lack patience or obtain fidgeting skills we do it anyway. Me personally I am anxious to get rid of the imperfection and I am ready to act in anyway to do so. In life if you let the pimple go, the gunck will work its way out and your skin will clear on its own. If you pick it, you have a bloody mess and then potential for playing with that bloody mess cause if you picked it in the first place you won't leave the scab alone (sorry for the graphics). Then you will be left with a scar. The one who didn't pick the pimple might have been exposed to the world as imperfect for that moment but it all passed and he was left like he was before the pimple ever showed up. Me on the other hand I am going to need to buy some scar cream.

Posted by Christin at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

I know I am writing a lot today, but Hawaii is inspiring or something. My grandma's finance's granddaughter's boyfriend works at a place that rents boards. I stopped by to introduce myself and he was on his way out surfing so he asked if I wanted to join.. um YES! So I didn't exactly surf, but I did catch a wave. On my way to my feet my bathing suit was starting to be taken by gravity... so I gracefully dismounted and fixed it. It was just great to be out in the ocean. Oh what life brings to you when you are going with the flow. Tomorrow is the first day of the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress www.asce.org/conferences/ewri2008/ time to go iron my suit.

Posted by Christin at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

On my way to shop for groceries I stopped at burger king to use the bathroom and knew I wouldn't make it out without ordering something greasy. Little did I know breakfast at burger king in Hawaii could be a cultural experience. On the menu was a SPAM platter!!! I avoided that, but ordered instead a Portuguese breakfast platter which was DELICIOUS it was Portuguese sausage rice and eggs. Apparently there are many Portuguese influences in Hawaii along with all the Asian and Polynesian roots. As I went to throw away my paper remains the trash can flap was engraved Mahalo. It is easy to forget that I am still in the United States.

This multicultural place is a perfect spot to be talking about Chinese - USA knowledge/technology exchanges. I'll share more about that later. I first need to get my thoughts together on the topic. I will be presenting about it on Friday to thousands of water specialists..weeehaaww. I'll share one preview of the presentation.

This is one picture out of 9 in my storyboard for my presentation on water knowledge exchange between USA and China.

Posted by Christin at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Welcome to my new home for the next month. Please come over have a seat on my couch. I HAVE A Couch, sure its rented and sure it is temporary but the now is all there is so.. come on in. I am about to venture out to try out Honolulu's bus system www.thebus.org and hope to land at a grocery store to fill up my sweet refrigerator oh here you can see that too.



My impression so far is that I am in some magical dream island that is 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 American like my past year of life. I hope I never wake up from this dream. But I'd love to share this space so seriously think about it trip to honolulu.. I'll cook for you!

Posted by Christin at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

Today I am in Boston, Mass at my sisters house reading documents on participatory water management. If you are REALLY interested these are the links where you can find said documents. There are 4 different sets of management strategies I am reading about.

1) 3xM approach http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/policy/macro_economics/our_solutions/poverty/povertysgrasp/index.cfm

2) Participatory Rural Appraisal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_rural_appraisal

3) RAAKS
http://www.iirr.org/PTD/Readings/General/RAAKS/RAAKS%20Its%20Concept.htm

4) Rotary's 3H Grants
http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/FundAProject/3-HGrants/Pages/ridefault.aspx

If anyone would like to give me their analysis on what the difference between these four are that would be great! I can hire you as my "research assistant". The pay is credit in the paper AND an ice cream cone DOUBLE scoop AND a beer!

I am also preparing for my trip to Washignton D.C. tomorrow where I will interview at the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) the panda organization.. not the wrestling organization. I will also interview hopefully with the World Resources Institute.

When I arrive back to Boston from D.C. I'm then off to Hawaii to present my paper on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in China. Basically the paper says that China is not ready for the concepts of IWRM, because the concepts are based from western culture and there are better ways to work within China's culture to help improve their water's health. Yes poor sick water. :( For this presentation I hired an illustrator to make a story board, I'll post it when it is finished!

I am also preparing for Economics of Infrastructures... big exam on June 19th. If you are a econ pro, please contact me, I'm considering getting a tutor I really enjoy peoples explanations better than books. I find them far more interesting.

That is my full plate. I was feeling very stressed yesterday trying to juggle all of this, but I should just keep working and enjoy it because it is all global water work, exactly what I wanted to be doing! I am hoping to have enough energy and intelligence to see all this through in a wise way.

Posted by Christin at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments