Slumdog Millionaire

I saw this movie at the Angelika last night.

It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time (excluding HSM 3 of course :o ). You should check it out, especially if you have any interest in India.

Happy Thanksgiving

God has blessed me so much. I don't deserve everything he has given me. So, it's time to count my blessings and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

• My family. The longer I am alive, the more I realize just how lucky I am to have a happy, loving, encouraging family.


• I get to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas at home with my family this year. Spending the holidays by yourself is not fun. I did it last year, and I know of many people who are doing it this year.


• I found a job that I like relatively quickly and painlessly.


• I am graduating "With Distinction" and just found out that I made a perfect score on my master's dissertation.


• I have friends from all over the world to go and visit some day.


• I am able to support myself financially.


• I have a cute apartment.


• I am slowly but surely making new friends out of college.


• After my experience in England, I am thankful that I live in a place where it is not too difficult to be a Christian and find places where I can grow in my faith.


• Lame, I know, but I am thankful for DVR. And TV that makes me laugh. The Thanksgiving "Friends" episodes are greatness.


• After reading the news about Mumbai this morning, I am thankful I live in a country where I feel safe and do not have to live in fear of bombs and hijackings every day.


• One of my Saudi Arabian students was beat by her husband last week, but the Saudi government refuses to acknowledge this or help her situation. She will have to live with abuse for the rest of her life. I am thankful that I live in a culture where women can have rights and be empowered.


• I am healthy. So is everyone in my family.


• I am thankful for laughter and humor.


• I am thankful that I have free time again.


• I am thankful that I was able to live abroad for a year like I always wanted.


• I am thankful for Sonic Happy Hour. Yep, I sure am.


• I am thankful that I know a God who loves me and will forgive me no matter how many times I mess up. I am thankful for the hope and joy I find in Him.

My sister and I put up the Christmas tree this morning and are in the process of digging out all our Christmas ornaments. The Christmas music is on. I am indulging my shopping addiction by reading all the sale ads in the newspaper and planning out my gift giving and wish list. Football is about to start. It's a good day.

Send this to 10 people for good luck

So remember the days when e-mail first came out? I was in middle school and all my friends got free hotmail or yahoo accounts. I don't know what we needed e-mail for, but we had fun with it. We would send each other e-mail forwards, chain letters, and "About Me" quizzes. These things were considered good e-mail. After middle school, the "send this to five people you love in the next five minutes" e-mails stopped. So now, ten years later, I am discovering a resurgence of junk e-mail forwards that I don't understand. I guess I am finally "in" at work because all of a sudden the administrative assistants who weren't that friendly to me are sending me all these forwards of pictures of cute animals, rainbows, and "pass this on to your special sisters". Really? I didn't think people in the workplace did this kind of stuff. Do they think I will forward these things on? This is all the result of an afternoon of boy talk. Apparently we've bonded, and I doomed to be on their e-mail forward list forever. Oh well. At least this means I'm "in". In that case, I'll take the forwards.

Lately

I don't have the Internet at my apartment, which has squelched my blogging as of late. I had to choose between paying for Internet or cable tv. Since I sit at a computer 8 hours a day, I chose tv. The funny thing is that I don't miss the Internet at all. I have so much more free time at night now that I can't waste it on Facebook or the iTunes store.

My new free time and freedom from homework has reopened the door to a little past time called "reading for pleasure". I had forgotten how fun it was. I started out with fluff reads like Nicholas Sparks, and I now I am reading "Angela's Ashes" and "Wild Swans", which definitely have more depth. I love memoirs and biographies. I think I'm going to read one of Obama's books next to find out a little bit more about our next president.

I love reading and learning about people's lives. I think that is what first drew me to journalism - a natural curiousity and desire to connect with other people. Good journalism allows you to connect with humans, their stories and emotions. As the interviewer, I made some special connections with the people that I got to talk to. I loved it. I realized that I find that same quality in international student work. I have some students with amazing stories.

It's funny. Back before freshman year at Baylor, we had to take the strengths finder test. My top strength was connectedness, then developer, harmony, learner and belief. I didn't really understand those strengths at the time, but as I've grown older, I recognize how true they are for me. Also, I see how they apply to jobs and career choices now. It's pretty cool.

Anyways, if you have any good book recommendations, let me know.