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remembering

Monday, September 11th, 2006

five years ago.

i’ve been a new yorker at heart from the very first day i moved in – it’s been “home” no matter where else I go. and i knew, from that day forward that the city, the people, the world would never ever be the same again. we all did. the world turned upside down for everyone.

but if there is anything this trip has taught me, it is this: understanding is the weapon. empathy is the antidote. hate cannot grow in the presence of tolerance. we will only survive when we learn to lean on each other. we share a planet, and we are interdependent. no man is an island.

i think we all still grieve for what was lost. more than lives, more than innocence. more than any words could say.

but the remedy for the hurt is only love. it is the only thing which heals. it is the only answer which makes sense in a crazy world, the only thing we can all share in common, the only thing which makes us human.

i am glad i am far away today – watching the media would be too hard. but i will never forget.

the simplest message is the truest. all you need is love.

another shout out…

Saturday, September 2nd, 2006

happy birthday to my darling sister catalina…

who almost never lets me take her pic ;)

love you lots and lots… hope you have a great day.
jen

happy birthday

Friday, September 1st, 2006

a big first long-distance birthday smooch to my little piper-bean…

from your auntie jen, who loves you way too much, and misses you even more.

congrats!

Monday, August 28th, 2006

to nicola and ben on the arrival of jasmine rose. she’s a beauty.

jasmine

sox shout out

Friday, August 18th, 2006

lest anyone think i’ve forgotten about my beloved soxies…

i know red sox nation is holding it’s collective breath as we head into this all-important series with the skankees… i am sending our love from afar, and have all faith that we will kick some n.y. ass.

go sox!

smooches from the southern hemisphere…

happy birthday dad!

Monday, July 31st, 2006

happy birthday dad.

i love you lots and thikn of you often. hope you have a wonderful day.

jenny

independence day

Tuesday, July 4th, 2006

happy 4th of july to all my friends and family back in the u.s. of a.!

there’s nothing like being an ex-pat to make you appreciate some of the better characteristics of your country of origin. as disillusioned as i can be about my government at times, living in the u.k. has given me a greater appreciation for the freedoms enshrined in the constitution and the bill of rights. sounds corny, but it’s true. those things are guaranteed almost nowhere else in the world, and i think you take them for granted until you suddenly find yourself without them.

i also don’t believe that communism is an inherently bad or evil thing, but what i’ve seen of its application so far has lead me to the conclusion that the socialist ideology is easily bent to the purposes of dictators and oppressors. having seen the end result in action, i’m not a fan. and there but for the grace of god…

so whilst i have no answers for the perfect political system, i can say that i am (on this day at least) glad to be an american citizen. i’d never consider myself a patriotic girl – but i do consider myself incredibly lucky.

Enjoy the holiday y’all, and have a hot dog and beer for me!

happy birthday dave!

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

happy birthday to my bro – who with each year that passes, reminds me of how much older i’m getting ;)

love you lots, and hope you have a wonderful day!

dave and piper

happy birthday kim!

Sunday, July 2nd, 2006

have a lovely b-day (a. better be good to you), and drinks on us when we get home!

all good wishes for a wonderful year….
jen and jonno

world cup madness

Friday, June 23rd, 2006

can i just say that the us v. ghana world cup game had the most flagrant diving, overwrought playacting and biased refereeing of any match i have ever seen, and it made me irate to know that we lost the game *not* because we were outplayed, but because ghana spent more time rolling around on the pitch clutching their legs than they did upright on two feet. I supported ghana when they played against the czech republic and they played skillfully in that match, but this match was an atrocity of dirty tricks and poor sportsmanship.

i’m not a conspiracy theorist, but i am actually half inclined to believe that there was strong political pressure on the refs to ensure that at least one african team made it through. the u.s. didn’t play brilliantly… but they didn’t deserve to lose out on bad/missed calls.

i will be cackling gleefully as ghana get steamrolled by brazil in the next round, and if the score against them reaches the double digits it’ll be because they spent more time lying on their backs looking for foul calls than they do playing the ball. that shit doesn’t stand up to real talent.

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