change the world, twenty minutes at a time

an old friend from uni. We fell out years ago and haven’t spoken since. It was all my fault, but somehow I thought that ignoring him was easier than apologising, even though it meant I lost a good friend. I finally sent him my apology, and we have been exchanging life news. Hopefully we will be able to meet up once I’m back in the country. I am not sure that, in his place, I would have accepted the apology with such grace, but it has given me something to aspire to.
Note to self: when it comes to grudge holding, be more like him, less like me.

Seems as good a way as any to use up old pillow cases!
http://www.morsbags.com/

K how to knit, and now he is knitting Christmas presents for his family! So far he has done a hot water bottle (ribbing and stockinette, plus left and right decreases) and an elaborate scarf in a weird k – s – psso – k into back pattern.
I really don’t suppose it makes much difference, other than the fact that old skills are being passed on, and he is enjoying it so much that he’s told all his male friends back home. As he said, it’s sad that people lose out on so much potential enjoyment simply through not trying things. And why should knitting be just for girls??

of the local park. Not quite as exciting as the “volunteer park flower bed arrange and destroy” blurb I was given by a well meaning internet translator, but still. The park does look jolly nice now that we’ve finished with it.

FINALLY got round to offering kiva my translation services. One small step at a time!

today I got a lovely surprise in the post: a post card from someone I’d written to as part of Amnesty’s Individuals at Risk campaign. In it he said that he and two other prisoners are kept apart in a cell, and have no contact with any of the other prisoners. Their only contact with the outside world is through messages of solidarity from Amnesty supporters.

Sending the card had been such a small gesture of my part that I felt a bit overwhelmed by his gratitude, especially because I write for Amnesty far less often than I could.
But then I reread his card again, several times, and I thought: if I were in his situation, the difference between a day in which I had no contact at all with anyone other than the two prisoners in my cell, and the day in which I received a message from the outside world to tell me that I hadn’t been forgotten and that people gave a damn if I ever got out or not…it would be huge.

He also wrote that many people had written to express support, but he had no way to thank them.

So here are his thanks, to anyone who has ever sent a letter to a government or prisoner through amnesty, because it turns out that, whatever their political effectiveness, to the prisoners themselves, they count.

“Wishing you peace and happiness for the future, thank you”

A lesson in humility.

to small worlds…

Made a CD of British music to give to the graduating students. It was SUCH a pain to make so many copies, what with the computer breaking under the strain and the track order changing every third copy, that 20 minutes times 100 doesn’t even being to cover it!
But, I’ve just given them out, and I have to say they did look genuinely pleased.

I remember when I “graduated”, if we British can stretch to calling leaving sixth form a “graduation” of sorts, and all the teachers gave us chocolates, except one, who gave us each a folder so that we would be able to keep the gift for as long as we wanted. It sounds lame, but years later, I still have that folder! :) I wanted to give them something they would be able to keep for more than a few days, and hey, why not expand their musical horizons while I’m at it! Maybe the next generation of Japanese will be able to say something other than “Beatles!” when confronted with anything that looks threateningly relevant to UK music!

Anyway, there were smiles all round, and spontaneous applause, and murmers of wonder and awe, so I hope that, in a very small way, worlds were widened, if not changed, and that the feeling of gratitude will stay with them and prompt them, as it did me, to give more widely when they can.

La la la la la…

to sign an on-line petition urging the UK foreign office to put all possible pressure on the Afghan government to prevent the execution of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh.

He downloaded a report questioning the role of women in Islam and handed it out to some fellow university students and now, two years younger than I am, he is sentenced to death. I don’t know why his case has affected me so much – god knows there’s enough shit in the world to be affected by – but, for whatever reason, I am almost crying in rage as I type this.

There’s another petition here, but I couldn’t work out who they will send that petition to,

and an Amnesty.usa email you can send to President Karzai here

I feel silly just putting up links for petitions, and international pressure will probably just piss the Afghan government off even more, but I don’t know what else we can do. The thought of him being killed for that makes me feel physically sick.

NB This isn’t like American death sentences where he can sit and wait for seventeen years before he exhausts all possibility of appeal. He can appeal, but since it was a “religious” crime there will be pressure on the appeal courts not to look on the case in a “secular” (rational?) manner. Death sentences are carried out very quickly. If you are going to sign then please do it now. I have provided the links so that it won’t take you more than a minute, two at most.

a few small items of late.

1. Tried and used the moon cup and am pleased to say it was a success and will be using it every month from now on! Have even tried convincing other women I know to give it a go. Hurray!!

2. Bought tortilla chips and salsa for when T comes to visit – no, but wait! – the salsa is Paul Newman super dooper sundance salsa, (this may not be the product’s actual name). I’d never heard of it before but apparently he gives all the profits he makes from it to charity.
Eating humanitarian salsa counts as changing the world, right??

3. Nagged my co-workers about the rather battered “Friday is no my car day” poster they have stuck on the wall above the coffee maker. “No my car day?” I ask in all innocence. “But, X-san, didn’t I see you driving in this morning? And you, K-san, who lives a mere two minute walk away?”
The boss overheard me and from now on we shall be implementing no my car day every Friday for people who live within a ten minute walk of the office! That’s all of them! Except, coincidentally, the boss… Huzzah! _{I think my co-workers were less pleased. It is minus twenty on a good day at the moment. Ah well, it’ll teach them to not to take their car seat heating systems for granted! And I walk every single day, blizzard or no}

4. I’m going back to veggie!! Cows are just so freaking inefficient! Am also giving veganism a trial run, though if I’m honest I don’t think that’ll last beyond the two week experiment phase.

5. Finally took my big pile of body shop bottles for recycling!

6. Smiled at strangers.

Sat down this afternoon and spent (over) my 20 minutes writing new Year’s greetings cards to the people listed under Amnesty International (USA) Holiday Card Action
Made me realise how long it’s been since I wrote an Amnesty Letter – over a year, I should think. How embarrassing that such a small (yet worthy) action could be postponed so routinely on my behalf.
Have bookmarked the site now and will be checking regularly for letter campaigns to type for.

I also have quite a few cards left over and am thinking who best to send them to. It’s difficult to think of people I don’t know personally to whom a mere card would make a difference. Any suggestions?

Happy New Year everyone!