Airplanes

High school circ 2004 I was doing my first online class. It was a sociology class where I was exposed to different cultures, religions, and ideas. I was asked to do a term paper for the class, and quite eaisly I was drawn to do one on the Gypsies -- a ethinic group from Romania that are known for travelling, at will, around the world.  They are known for living next door to you one minute, and right before you really get to know them, you wake up...go to their house..and their gone. .

This may seem like a random topic for a sixteen year old to be interested in, but looking back at  it subconsciously it fit perfectly. I have started to realize why my heart was drawn to them while analyzing my life thus far.

Growing up I have always felt a love of escaping, finding myself alone yet surrounded by others, being totally anonymous.

You see I grew up in cars and airplanes. Flying by myself every few months to various places by the age of ten I learned that I was most comfortable being surrounded by total strangers where no one knew me, no one could get a hold of me,  and I was going to a new place where my identity and persona would start fresh.

I didn't know it then , but both during the traveling, and the reaching of a new destination was where I would be most happy. Although there were ups and downs of traveling ( getting lost, earaches, etc) it was always exciting.   These feelings flooded back to me as I took the train/bus from LA-Oakland.

While on the train there was the rush of being near strangers who you are connected to at that particular moment in time, but whom you will never see again in your life.  Walking down the isles it brought a smile to my face seeing two friends curled up into each other on the seat watching the waves as we sped past, a young black man staring a a picture of his significant other and his child, the train master going back and forth checking the tickets, and a homeless man bargaining a deal out of him so he could stay on the train..

Returning to my seat, my window view would be a never ending display of images. Neighborhoods would turned into cities,  and cities into counties. Hundreds of people in these scenes would, for a split second, run in and out of my life--Walking their dogs, surfing, driving their car, sitting at a bus stop. It was as if I got to know about them , but not ever know them. During this time your life just is. It has nothing to do with your past, and nothing to do with your future, but EVERYTHING to do with your now.  you are free, you have no responsibilities, cares, or time tables.  You enjoy it as a time to prepare for your next destination.

I always loved being in a new place as well. Not getting to know people well enough before eventually poof like a Genie I was gone.  I remember clearly this happening as a young child.

After my parents divorced I was able to travel back and forth between various places. Between the ages of 10-16 I never lived in a place longer then 1 1/2 - 2 years. Utah, Colorado, Washington, California. I would hop flights between all of them. Enroll in new schools, meet new people, enjoy a new life. Yes, it would be hard when I first learned that again I would have to move, but when it was time to leave I was ready to go. These moves allowed me to  see the disparity between the rich and poor, the mountain people and sea people, the difference in cultures.

This constant moving soon set in as being a normal part of life, and I would become restless after a few years to move again. This is how I have been feeling lately . Living in Salt Lake for the past six years has been the longest I have lived in one place since I was a small child.

 That Escape Gypsy inside of me, or whatever you want to call it, has been aching for a new location.  Where I will go will be anyones guess, and when I will leave will be even more of a guess. It may be just for a vacation or to move for good. Whatever the road  I am  ready to pack my bags at a moments notice and leave everybody and everyone I know behind to find those in whom God will let me to share with my life with next. I will always find the real Brittani while moving from destination A-B, between airplane flights, bus stops, and train terminals. For to me this is c'est la vie

The simple things in life

Sometimes I think too much on the deep things in life. Eternity, the gospel, my future, getting married, keeping the commandments, etc, etc, etc. Although I love all of these things, and they are important I have been finding lately that it is also OK to enjoy the simple even stupid  ( ok, nice) things in life. I think sometimes we are so serious with ourselves that we forget that God gave us creativity, beauty, and pleasure in life. Here are some simple, simple things that I L-O-V-E

Victoria secret makeup

Men ( Indian a plus)

Rap/Hip hop/and jazz music

Santa Cruz California

Refugees, Work, Discrimination, Anger, Awareness: READ AND BE CHANGED FOREVER!

First, I  want to say thank you to those that have tirelessly worked for the betterment of refugee resettlement! I am amazed every day at the volumes of volunteers, donations, and support that the agencies around the USA get! I feel privileged to work with so many organizations whose prime target is to better systematize, and fine tune resources for refugees that come to our state of Utah. Yet, still with all this progress there are some things that still eerk me, and quite frankly make me very upset and angry.

Today I want to bring awareness, and have the ability to step on my soap box for the next minute and a half. I am doing this because I spend 8+ hours a day, 5-6 days a week standing side by side with my clients and witnessing hills, mountains, barriers and struggles that they have to go through just to find a decent job, which  quite frankly if we took the time to educate our community  could make this feat a lot more simpler for them.  So lucky you...here is MY gripe, and YOUR education!

• I am angry that professional refugees ( Engineers, Doctors, Teachers, Social workers) have to work entry level jobs
• I am angry having to worry about how the "name" of a person will effect their job application , and if they will get a call back for an  interview 
• I am angry that when I call to ask about a job opening I am helped right away , but when I ( listening on speaker phone) have one of my clients call that same person, because of their accent, they are treated as second class citizens.
• I am angry that somehow an accent is seen as a hinder to intelligence.
• I am angry that just because someone is from a foreign country that they are considered un-schooled, un-intelligent, and are only able to handle  entry level work.
• I am angry that people can not work in their field of choice because the USA does not recognize their university degree
• I am angry that these same university graduates have a hard time being re-certified or admitted to certain universities because although they have YEARS of experience in their fields since  they cannot produce a piece of paper that says they gradated from college--usually because their school was bombed, or contacting the school will put their family still residing in the country in physical danger-- their opportunity is crushed by red tape.
• I am angry  having to constantly rally for clients to get simple documents --such as  finger prints required for jobs-- because although they have almost every NATIONAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT KNOWN TO MAN-- I-94, SS, Utah ID, EAD, etc.-- they  are still scrutinized and questioned about their legality far more then any other person in the state
• I am exhausted reiterating that YES REFUGEES ARE GIVEN PERMISSION THE MOMENT THEY LAND HERE TO WORK IN THE USA ( I-94, EAD, SS)
• I am angry that people think that although refugees have walked thousands of miles, survived persecution, hunger, laying in streets, separation from family, torture, decades in prison..that they "somehow" cant handle a job, or are seen as living off benefits
• I am angry that although it is a fact refugees are INVITED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ( and have so for decades) to come here...they are STILL seen as illegal by the mass population

I know most people are innocently unaware of these things. If you are take this knowledge and inform others. If not --have some empathy. Refugees are NOT helpless they have overcome trials that would have killed most of us in a matter of days. This takes some type of virtue that is very unique. They deserve respect. Remember the golden rule: Do unto others what you want to be done unto you!

Manifesting weird, crazy, insane parts of your soul

In the deep crevices of every human I really think that we are all multiple personalities, but only one manifests itself. I mean come on...we are made of genes, but only the domiant of those manifest itself. For example, my brother is brown with black hair, so is his wife, but they have a red haired ball of joy! If dominant genes  physichally manifieste why can't they also be manifiested in our personalities. This has been a struggle for me, because I feel like there are so many things that I am that I wish could be seen by other people. Yet, either by the city that I live in, the people I surround myself with, and just my dominate nature it seems hidden to the world. I still want to show the world these parts of me, and find those rare few that also like what I like....but it is hard! So here goes...some things that I am/miss about life before/or want to do that people would proably never know.

I love techno. I want to go and dance in a techno club. Strobe lights, big pants, multi color hair

Have a desire to hang out with crazy funny friends in random places like a railroad station or  under a highway bridge

Make Crazy youtube videos with people that are not afraid of being stupid

Dance some random hip hop craziness in the middle of the city

Find friends that will go travel cross country with me... toilet papering random peoples houses along the way

Singing and being part of a pop/techno/garage band

I love my friends, but having one friend in which I could do stupid, random, and insane things with

wow....I think what my psyche wants is to be juvenile again....that reminded me of one time where me and my friends dragged a bed through the streets as cars were approaching, because we thought it was funny...and i pee'd my pants...anyways! ya! so now I need to figure out a way to do all of this this year...if you think you could help then comment and tell me what I should do!

peace, love, brittani

A love song

When i'm alone in my room
Sometimes i stare at the wall
And at the back of my mind i hear my conscious call
Telling me i need a boy who's as sweet as a dove
For the first time in my life, i see i need love
There i was giggling about the games that i had played with many hearts
And i'm not sayin' no names.
Then the thought occurred, tear drops made my eyes burn
As i said to myself when am i gonna learn?
I can feel it inside, i can't explain how it feels
All i know is that i'll never dish another raw deal
Playin' make believe, pretending that i'm true,
Holding in my laugh as i say that i love you.

Saying no more, kissing you on the ear,
Whispering 'i love you and i'll always be here,
Although i always reminisce, i can believe that i found
A desire for true love floating around inside my soul
Because my soul is cold, one half of me deserves to be this way
Until i'm old, but the other half needs affection and joy
And the warmth that is created by a girl and a boy

I need love (Got my mind made up,Got my mind made up, Got my mind made up)i need love (Got my mind made up)
I'm a lady (Got my mind made up)
I need love.i need love
I'm a lady

I had a dream that you and i were both 16
Holding hands after school,
We didn't care who would see
You'd tell me that i was pretty and that you'd love me for life
Take care of me forever 'cause you'd make me a wife
When the girls call me up and try to mess with my head
Tell 'em all that if i left you, you'd be better off dead
'cause you'll never love another, they just don't understand
That your life would be over if i found another mate,
You call me up on the phone, we were talking til we fell asleep,
Without you i think i'd rather be in hell
Life just wouldn't be as fun, it wouldn't be the same,
I wanna stay with you forever and even take your last name
'cause there's no one in my life that makes me feel as good as you
The way we cuddle on the couch and share the secrets that we do
With all the little jokes that no one else could ever know and the part of me
That you can see 'cause you're the one i show
I know we gotta make it work, 'cause baby you're the man for me
Without you by my side my world would be incomplete
And if you ever leave me lonely, boy my heart would be crushed
you know you touch me so now i know boy,

I need love.i need love
I'm a lady
I need love..i need love
I'm a lady
I need love ï'm a lady 


Amanda Blake

Beautiful Life histories:: Beautiful Bus Riding

I remember throughout my life always riding public transportation. At first I hated it. My mom would never drive me anywhere. I would have to take the bus to the mall, friends, church etc. Yet, something special always happened on the bus, and that was the unity of community. As I grew and bounced back and forth between parents I found I would feel trapped if I could not just hop on a bus and go. I loved the freedom and independence would bring. I could leave my world behind me, and explore the world yet undiscovered!

This love for public transportation grew even more as I moved to Salt Lake City for my last two years of high school. I loved taking trax, buses, and walking  anywhere my heart desired! During this time I was able to meet random people on the street, and these people became my friends; they became a part of my life just by being in the same spot everyday.

Walking past a parking lot I remember saying hi every day to a 30 year old Hispanic attendant. I would never know if he was in there until  I walked by and the blinds from his hub would suddenly whisk open, and his beautiful smile would beam as he waved frantically to me.

 Down the road I would walk past the ever present homeless person as we exchanged smiles and nods. Next I would walk past the LDS temple as I exchanged glances with another parking attendant. The bus drivers also became my friends.

Our lives became in sync as the bus driver would tell me about her kids, and I would tell her about school. If one day I forgot my bus pass it was not a problem, because she knew I would have it  next time. This bond helped us protect each other as one day a man that lost his temper attacked another man. We both stood up, and screamed our hearts out at him! "Hey!" we yelled " Get off the BUS!", and he did!

All of these people became a part of my life, and I was blessed to have them sprinkled like sugar into it!

As I started  driving my car to work everyday I lost that. I missed it. It became the one thing I desired the most. Seeing the world pass you by as you , only you, drive past it offers you nothing. I did not get the fulfilling glances of a stranger. Instead I got the self loathing of my brain.

Luckily this only lasted 6 months, and I am now on the bus again! The effects of me being on the bus have  re-surfaced as four people touched my heart, and made me ponder the sweetness, sorrows, and mysteries of life today.

On the way to work there was a mother, and her baby, playing with each other. The baby obviously adored her , and was sweetly caressing her face. He would smile as the mom whisked him up into the air. It was a sweet bond. I find it beautiful the connection between a mom and her baby. It is one of the most beautiful things in this world.  That was not the highlight, though.

Across the way was an older man looking fondly at the pair as they snuggled, caressed, and played with each other. His face seemed to endearingly enjoy the two, yet also had look of longing  as well. It made me wonder where his wife was? How many children did he have? Was this something that was in his life, but was soon taken hostage by time? Did he have memories of his own precious wife cuddling their baby? It just made me wonder how much of a blessing family can be, and also that those precious moments are short lived, and in the future must be re-lived through other people.

When I switched to take trax another individual caught my eye. Living in Downtown Salt Lake for five years I have become adequet in recognizing someone that lives on the street. The are usually men, have a hiking bag strapped to their back, and wear layers and layers of clothing. This was one of those men. This man caught my eye today because there were tears coming from his eyes. At first I thought maybe it was because he was older ( 50-60), and it was just fluid discharging. Yet, reading the emotions from his face it made me think maybe not...

 At first I was a little concerned. Thoughts started going through my mind of what I could do? Do I have money I can give him? no....Should I say a kind word? what if he thinks I am a freak?...Maybe I will just say a prayer? ok...I will say a prayer. When I looked again at his face, though, he did not seem to be crying out of sorrow, but a smile was on his face. Did something touch him earlier? Was he thinking of his family that he is not in contact with anymore? Did at first that bring him sorrow, but then happiness as he remembered them fondly? My questions were not answered, but just by the mere riding on the bus he changed my day for the better.

The others also changed my life for the better. Instead of focusing on my own life I was treated at seeing a glimpse of their lives! What a pleasure it was!

Grown men crying

I get very forlorn when a grown man is on the brink of crying, because I feel it means they are deeply sad. Not just sad, but DEEPLY sad. I had to tell one of my clients today that he needs to find a job first, and that it may take up to a year for him to go back to school because of finances. He looked at me and said with tears in his eyes

"Brittani, I really want to start my education so that I can get a good job. Please help me."

I tried to explain to him that we will start the process, because I want him to get a education as well. In fact that is the one thing I want all my clients to get. But that he needs to focus on securing his basic needs, which means getting a job. It didn't seem to comfort him though.


Sometimes my clients  have so much stress in their lifes that when I deny them anything even for a time they get so overwhelemed to the point of tears. This brings me to tears, because I understand how they feel because I have been there. Yet, I also want to show them that there is proably a better way. If they just wait for a season all of their wants and desires will come true.

This gave me a glimpse into my own life, and how I have been begging God to bring someone into my life. Everyday I tell him "Lord why not now. Why can't you send him now. Where is he?". I get upset with it taking so long. Another love here then lost.


Right guy, wrong time. Right time, wrong guy. New guy old lines, old guy new lies.


Yet with this experience I realized that sometimes we see what we want, and don't see that it WILL come to us we just have to wait for the right time. And that when I cry God hears and feels my pain.

I keep on forgetting to forget about you--jojo

Thinking back when we got together
In our hearts we were saying forever
So in love, boy we were so in love, mmm
Jealousy wasn't what we wanted, we broke up
And when you looked into my eyes I should of spoke up
And held you near, then I wouldn't be alone
And here it comes again

Cause I remember every word that you said
It all just keeps spinning around in my head
But it don't matter what I try to do
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
And I don't want to think about you baby so much
All the things we did and the way that we touched
Just when I think about someone new
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
Forget about you, forget about
Watch me turn around and forget, forget about you
Forget about me and you

I would be crazy to say that we were perfect
And sometimes I was wondering if it was worth it
But now I see, how could you run from me?
And everytime I drive by your apartment
I get this overwhelming urge to walk in
And see your face and to be in that place all over again

Cause I remember every word that you said
It all just keeps spinning around in my head
But it don't matter what I try to do
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
And I don't want to think about you baby so much
All the things we did and the way that we touched
Just when I think about someone new
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
Forget about you, forget about
Watch me turn around and forget, forget about you
Forget about me and you

The way we laughed, the way we kissed
I never though that I would miss
All the things I used to complain about you
The football games, the hometown friends
I'm just glad to see an end
But tell me why I feel so alone without you?
Ooo oh, Oooh, Yeah,
Here it comes again

Cause I remember every word that you said
It all just keeps spinning around in my head
But it don't matter what I try to do
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
And I don't want to think about you baby so much
(I don't want to think about you baby so much)
All the things we did and the way that we touched (we touched)
Just when I think about someone new (new)
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
(I keep on forgetting to forget about you)

Cause I remember every word that you said
It all just keeps spinning around in my head (head)
But it don't matter what I try to do
I keep on forgetting to forget about you
(I keep on forgetting to forget about you)
Forget about you, forget about
Watch me turn around and forget, forget about you
Forget about me and you

Sometimes I hate the Recession

I learned today that one of the hardest things in life is seeing one of my refugees clients get depressed on not finding a job. I wish I could take his pain away, and show him that he will eventually get a job. Yet, the stress of getting taken off of financial assitance soon is too much for some. Please if you know of any jobs tell me so we can get him a job.

He is fantastic
Eritrean
Repsonsible
and REALLY NICE!

The Simple Things in One's Life Is a Grand Adventure in Anothers

I love, adore, am tickled, nostalgic by my job. It is one of the most fullfiling things that I have ever done in my life. In fact it has changed my life. To me this is my "2" year mission. God has blessed me in this regard to help so many of his wonderful children. I even choke up a little thinking of each indiviual I have met so far, and how much I love them. It is as if God has given me a glimpse into how much he loves his children.

One of my favorite things about working with refugees is seeing through their eyes a new world. Things that are so innate to me, so simple, background, are new wonders to some. I never get tierd seeing the reaction of a client riding the Salt Lake City glass elevator to the top floor. The squeels of laughter they make as they go  higher and higher.

 Yesterday we took a group of congolese refugees to the top of the library building. All of the sudden an older man stopped and pointed at a tree. In my mind I thought he liked the tree because of the fall coloring it was reciving. Yet, his daughter--who speaks english--explained he was suprised that a tree could grow on the top of a building and wanted to take a picture to send his family and friends.



Or taking a group of professionals that need to get re-certfied in their field to see how large and beautiful the Universty of Utah campus is. Or taking refugees to a skate park to witness for their first time people doing crazy stunts on a board with wheels.

 Or taking a refugee family to their First haloween festival where they marvel at people wearing outfits fit for a princess, cowboy, or star trek character.

I love MY JOB!!!!

So this weekend I was surfing the TV, and came across this documentry called Crazy Sexy Cancer. Learning about cancer is not something that I would usually pause and watch, but there was something about this documentry, and the person filiming it ( Kris Carr) that was very applicable to almost everyone in this world.

Kris is so genuine, vulnerable, and has such an endearing personality that you just can't help but relate and be sucked into her world.  I loved the documentary so much that I picked up a few of her books at the library, and also looked at her website http://www.crazysexylife.com . Although these other items were good I believe the documentary is the most special out of the bunch. Here is a little video about her, and the documentary. Enjoy


Crazy Sexy Cancer promo from Crazy Sexy Life on Vimeo.



Welcome to CSL! from Crazy Sexy Life on Vimeo.

Sick

With the newness of my job, and having clients coughing on me A LOT lately, I was bound to soon get sick. This week I have been "putting it off" though as I had so much stuff I both needed and wanted to get done. We had the career fair for our refugee clients which consisted of me making each one of them a folder with their resumes, and a prompt sheet. On top of that we took a group of them, 20 in total, to the mountains to experience Olympic site sees from the 2002 Olympics in Utah,

 the beauty of the mountain side-- which included for many of them their first viewing of snow (amazing how each culture automatically thinks it is fun to just pick up snow and chuck it at people), and a tour of park city.

Suffice it to say the added work stress, toppled with cold weather of our trip yesterday-- no matter how fun it was-- exacerbated my cold. I ended up waking up with swelling all over my throat. So I ended up going and getting some herbal tea at the store.

This was my first time drinking herbal tea because my religion prohibits tea...although many of my lds friends explained that this was only for green and black tea NOT herbal tea. After looking it up on my church's website to make sure it confirmed that it was indeed ok to drink herbal tea. 

I got few different blends which included apple cinnamon with an infusion of chamomile, orange peel, and hibiscus. The other was a licorice infusion that said it would help with respiratory distress. So far I have liked the apple spice MUCH better. 

Please send me happy thoughts and prayers that I may get better before work starts again Tuesday.

Love,

Brittani

Pakistan and the UN

Yes , I know what happend yesterday in Pakistan. I have put off talking about it because it creates a little sore spot in my heart. This suicide bomb hit me on many levels this time. Not only because it was in PAkistan, but because it was on the people of the UN. The UN is a champion for human rights including those of refugees. In fact this is the group that hosts refugees in camps, gives them food, shelter, and saftey from harm. Those that died were those that worked tirelessly to feed those in need of food.

My heart is overwhelmed with grief ,and sorrow, for those that lost a mother, daughter, sister, brother, son, father, and friend. The person who did this seemed not to know how precious these people were to their  families. That is what hurts most about this situation. These were God's children who brought light to their families, and now that light is gone. God bless those families. Please remember to pray for them tonight that they may, in time, feel comfort.

love,
brittani

Baklava, Key Lime Pie, Fresh pie OH MY!

So this weekend I kind of went on a cooking binge....

It first started with Key lime pie. I made this Thursday night out of fresh limes, and a fresh pie shell. I added more lime juice than nessacry so it turned out REALLY limey...but I LOVED IT! It was a cool and refreshing deseret.

I then went to the Farmers market with a few of our refugee clients. It was a blast! We were able to look at fresh produce, see many dogs, and allow the new refugees to eat some "American" food-- like popcorn. 

We also were able to see many differn't types of performances look a harmonica guy, a very apparent American proffessor playing Middle Eastern music, a African American man singing  Hootie and the Blowfish Covers, and some South American Capoeria. 

After walking through the market once we then walked through agian and bought some produce. I bought peacehes, rasberries, and tomatoes. When home I made a fresh peach and rasberry pie. I then chicken parmasean with added tomatoes....It was delicous! I then took extra to the refugees that came with us so they could taste their FIRST American pie.

Sunday I ended up making Baklava which I thought was going to be a lot harder then it actually is. It is time consuming, yes, but not hard....It was a ooy gooy mess--which I loved! 

For dinner that night I had REALLY SPICY curry. In it was curry powder, peppers, pepper flakes, ginger, chicken, onions, garlic, and coconut milk...yum yum yum....This week I may try making more healthy options...If you have any ideas feel free to comment. 

Love,

Brittani

Indian/Pakistani food and American deserets

So I have been on somewhat of a cooking spree this past weekend and  begining of this week. Usually I tottaly try to avoid cooking because A. I don't have time B. I don't have skill. Yet, with me being graduated, and now having nothing to do on the weekend or weeknights, I have been able to spread my wings.


When I usually learn a new recipie I follow written instructions only to miss a step or two. This time I learned how to correct this error by watching youtube.com cooking videos. You tube is really the bomb...In a about an hour I was able to learn how to make Punjabi Samosas ,and and apple crip desert.

The punjabi Samaosas were supposed to look like nice beautiful trangles such as the picture below, but ended up being wrapped in various ways as I tried to emmulate the design. They tasted delicous, though, with cooked potatoes, black beans, ginger, curry spice, garlic, and other yummy spices stuffed in the shell.  The apple crisp, that I also made, was delicious. It was created with fresh applies, had a cinnamon mixture on top, and drizzled with butter.

Today I  tried my hand at a new pakistani dish called Tikka  Masala. It is a pakistani sauce that has tomatoes, peppers, chicken, and yougurt in it. Once that was cooked I then added it to rice. It was one spicy dish, yet delicous! I made enough to last me for a week! For deseret I was able to make homemade choclate brownies.

This new cooking adventure has made me feel really domestic. I don't know if it is the fall weather setting in that yearns for me to have some nostaligic comfort or what , but I am enjoying it.

My next adventure will have to be something made out of curry as one of my clients gave me a whole bottle of authentic curry powder....If you have any recipies feel free to comment or send them to my e-mail.

love,
Brittani

A Wonderful Hike

So I was able to go hiking this saturday with a few of our Iraqi refugees in Big cotton wood canyon.  It was a very interesting experience :). We all started off pumped to go on the hike only to all be out of breath, and cursing, five minutes into it. The younger boys would run ahead then wait for us like we were all old and crippled.  I would keep reassuring them that the lake  we were climbing to was only " right around the corner" , only to be wrong. LOL.

By the end of the hike I was pushing up some of the girls, while a little while later they were pulling me along. Every once in a while one of the Iraqi girls would curse her mother in Arabic telling her she was going to "kill her" when she got home. I was somewhat amused  by the phrase  considering she came from a war torn country where death is occuring everyday.

When we finally got to the lake, though, it was beautiful! My co-workers and I forgot our lunches only to have the Iraqi families over prepared with food. They had thought of us and brought each of us a sandwich, several pieces of fruits, chips, soda, and chocolate. It was a delectable feast! We ended the visit to the lake by all standing on a rock and Shouting IRC ( International rescue committee), America, and then teased about yelling " Green card, and Refugee"... :)

Small miracles bring BIG Blessings

So many things have been going on in my life that have been so good, hard, bad, spiritual, excellent. Sort of like a rollar coaster ride. So I guess what I would first like to start with is the most recent event. So as many of you know my fiance currently resides in Pakistan, and for the past three years we have been trying to figure out a way for me to get there. It has been a very long struggle, and has not always been easy on the relationship. Yet, this bond that we have we know is correct, and of God. We both know without a shadow of a doubt that we are meant to be together.


During this past weekend we have decided to fast. Me, tom, and a bunch of my friends held a fast to allow God to bless us, to guide me, and to help with the action of our meeting.  I prayed with every furber of my being to have God listen to us. Slowly I am seeing those blessing come to pass.


It is amazing how you think maybe God has forgotten about you. How maybe things are not supposed to happen at all. Yet you are soon corrected. Today I was in tears all day trying to figure out what to do. I went back and forth between peace, fear, Doubt , and faith. I talked to Tom which led us through arguing to love, to arguing, and back agian. Frustration to understanding. I felt confused...Yet as the day progressed blessing's in which I have prayed for started coming to past. So much so that I started to see a little light leading toward our progression. I can't go into too much detail about it because of the location, but it is a miracle non the less. During this time I was reminded of many little blessings happing like this in our relationship.


For example as you may guess phone calls to another country are so much money. I would call on weekdays, and Tom on weekends. After a while this also became a burden on our relationship. One day I found this calling service that allowed us to call each other for free. Talk about a blessing! This , though, ended after a month and I was saddend agian. I prayed that somehow the service would be restored....I prayed..but nothing came causing me to think that maybe I was not being heard....about a week later, though, I got a survey in my inbox from my service provider offering me a wallop of free minutes to pakistan just for taking a costumer survey! This may seem simple to some, but this is just ONE of many small miracles God has given to me and Tom during our three years together...It reminds me that God is forever aware of us, and that he cares for us. I love that! I hope to always be happy, and hopeful in his presence.




Before I go I would also like to give you a little article I read during my time fasting that gave me so much peace. Hopefully those reading it may apply it to their lives. Also if you would like to particpate in fasting every sunday with me and Tom in regards to our meeting I would be so greatful! :)


Love, Brittani


he first was from a New Era Article entitled Worth the Wait:

When I entered the Buenos Aires Argentina
Temple with the youth of my ward to do
baptisms for the dead, we waited a few
minutes in a reception room. Then the temple workers
asked us to go down a hall where there were several
chairs and to wait again.
Because it was a Saturday, many people had come to
the temple from all over Argentina. We waited there for
two and a half hours, just sitting quietly. Some not very
pleasant thoughts began to run through my mind: “How
can they make us wait all this time? I’m tired, and apparently
it would have been better if I hadn’t come, because
this is a waste of time.”
I got up and started walking down the hall. Soon one of
the workers came out and said: “Young people, please don’t
be impatient. I understand that you have been waiting for a
long time, but do you know something? In the spirit world
millions of people have been waiting for this moment for
centuries, and I can assure you
that they are very anxious for
their turn to come. The brethren
are baptizing and confi rming,
and they cannot do more
than they are doing.”
When he said these
words, I felt embarrassed. I
realized that I was being selfish
because I didn’t want to
give hours for those people
who had waited such long
years and who did not have
the opportunity I had to hear
about the true Church and
be baptized on earth.
The worker came out again,
and he began to call names
from our ward. A sister gave us white clothing that more or
less fi t. After we got dressed, she pulled back our hair and
tied it with a white tie.
Then, barefoot, we walked to the benches in the
baptistry. The carpets were so soft and high it was as if
we weren’t even walking on the ground.
When it was my turn, I was as nervous as if it were the
day of my own baptism. But the workers were so nice and
they had such patience with each of us that it felt incredible.
When I came out of the font, a sister was waiting for
me with a big white towel and a huge smile. I changed my
clothes and went into a room where I was confi rmed. The
same sister who had given me the towel went with me and
thanked me for being willing to do the Lord’s work.
When I left the temple, I realized it had been one of
the best experiences of my life. The temple is a holy place
and the Lord’s Spirit is there, directing His great work. It is
worth any wait. NE

Work Vs. Christmas Break Who is Going to win...

Hey! I am here writing while I am supposed to be working. That is the downfall of having most of American society in front of the computer for their jobs. Facebook, blogspot, MTV.com, Youtube, and piles of funny emails that you feel desperate to read doesn't really help. That is why I am at war. Well I mean...Christmas is at War with my job, and I decided to become allies with Christmas.

Annnnyways :).....

So, I watched this very cool movie last night with my sister. It is called Be Kind Rewind. It's pretty sweet. Here is a quick synopsis of it, which can be found on the website.

Jack Black stars in Be Kind Rewind, a one-of-a-kind comedy from the mind of writer/director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Black stars as a lovable loser stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. Be Kind Rewind features a cast that includes Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. It is scheduled for a February 22, 2008 release.

Recreating these films is called Sweding. Sweded is a slang word, which translated, means a video that has already been made by a major producer, but is then remade by an amateur . :) Going on youtube.com I found that a lot of people like to make sweded videos. They are pretty rad. Here are a few of my favorites. Jurassic park, Willie Wonka, and Lord of the rings..enjoy!

Kwanzaa

Ok..Like a promised...Kwanzaa! Yay!

So my work at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts--Stalkers stay away--has been holding a "Kwanzaa Celebration" for many years now. Each year the event has grown. The first year we had only about 200 people, and last year we had 1,000. This is proof that our event is the coolest thing around. You should come! We have African dancing, gospel music, art projects for the kids, movies, food, and gifts! It is filled with the spirit of community fun! So...young and old, you should come.

Here is the Link--click on the picture--do it, do it! ^-^:

For those of you in Utah that might not know about Kwanzaa--I am guessing 80% of the population--let me enrich your mind. First of all it has nothing to do with Hanuka. This is a common misconception , because of the similar style of candle holder that is used within a Kwanzaa ceremony. The Kwanzaa candle holder is called Kinara while the Hanuka Candle holder is called Menorah.

MENORAH

KINARA

MENORAH

KINARA

Now that we got that out of the way ^_^.

Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana, a professor. During the 1960's he found that African Americans had a huge disconnect from where they came from--Africa--and wanted to help fill that gap by creating a holiday that would center around African American heritage, and community.

so on 1966 the birth of Kwanzaa came into the world wrapped in the colors of red, green, and yellow.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but is a celebration of African American struggles, history, and preparation for the future. You do not have to be African American to participate in the holiday. You just have to support, and want to learn about, the African American people.

Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days--Dec 26th-Jan 1st-- Each day there is a different theme in which the family highlights.

Day One: Umoja--Unity
Day Two: Nia--Purpose
Day Three: Kuumba--Creativity
Day Four: Imani--Faith
Day Five: Kujichaguilia--Self Determination
Day Six: Ujima--Collective work and responsibility
Day Seven: Ujamaa--Cooperative economics

In conjunction with the theme of the day, a candle is lit on the Kinara.

To learn more about Kwanzaa you may want to visit ( click the words) these sites below. enjoy!

Documentary: the Black Candle
Book: The Seven Days of Kwanzaa
Book: A world of Holidays : Kwanzaa

A little thought...

Well hello,

Yea I know. Long time, no see. Like that is something new first of all, and second of all nobody has probably read this blog. So to all the unknown stalker's out there reading this message. It is geared towards you--I guess...


Anyways. School is out. Scream and shout. I have approx. 20 days of freedom, which will be spent at work. That's ok though, because I like work. Speaking of work ( wow that is baaad writing skills mentioning the same word 3 times in a row), you guys should check out my more "professional blog". It covers my anthropology research, and assignments that I have written for my job here at the Museum. The Link is http://brittanisanthropologyresearch.blogspot.com .

This blog, however, is more of a relaxed view on the interesting quirks of human civilization. Speaking of which, today's topic will have to do with Kwanzaa. Yes, the African American Holiday. I want to dedicate it to it's own post. So it will be presented above...er I should probably say typed..."presented" might be the code word for intellectual gibberish. ^_^