Ok, I've been thinking all day about what to write today and found inspired in a few different areas.
1. Did you hear about this story as yet? If you don't feel like hoping on over, I'll give you a quick summary. Royal Caribbean has continued to dock their vacation cruise line ships in Labadee, Haiti. It's creating quite a stir in the media as well as on the boat. Some passengers are absolutely appaled that Royal Caribbean would choose to dock at Labadee where literally 100 miles away from the beach lies complete and utter devastation from the earthquake. I wonder if they feel too close to reality but perhaps it's more of a respect issue they feel the cruise line should have for Haiti. Royal Caribbean's response? They feel that if there is any time to give to Haiti the time is now. They claim that continuing to dock at Labadee provides economic activity and allows them to bring in relief supplies/resources/staff.
Phew. What do you think? I'm honestly disgusted with the idea that a vacation cruise ship would choose to dock and provide 'vacation time' next to such devastation. I think it's pure disrespect. However I do have to say that maybe the Royal Caribbean guy is right. Maybe what they're choosing to do is the right thing, painful as it might seem. Maybe it is the best thing they could possibly do while staying in the realm of their business. What would make me feel better about the situation is if they were coordinating volunteer opportunities for their cruise line staff and guests while docked in Haiti. It would make me feel better if they sent a surplus of their boats to provide relief supplies and resources. Heck, I would feel more ok with the whole idea if they donated a chunk of cash to rescue efforts in Haiti. But right now, I'm still left feeling a bit ick.
What do you think? I'm very intrigued to hear your thoughts on this, if nothing else on this post.
2. Well on a lighter note...do you remember a couple months ago I had written that when I came back from my time off of work, I would be coming back to some really cool changes? Well, they have come to fruition! I don't like talking about working at all on this blog but can't not tell you that I have hired two more staff members and am scoring my own office. :) I'm more excited about the former as I am jazzed to have a bigger team and I adore the staff. I have to admit as well that it will be nice to have some quiet space and get an office again.
3. In the middle of writing this post, Rich went to get the mail. We have been quibbling about who was going to go out in the we-never-get-downpour-kind-of-rain-in-Phoenix but he finally decided to take the plunge. To my surprize, I got a wonderful package from one of my elementary/middle-school/high-school friends who now lives in Canada! Rachna and I reconnected through Facebook but never did I expect such a sweet and thoughtful package! Thank you Rachna! I got a very pretty notebook as well as a book called The Splendor of Silence which I plan to read right after I get through this gigantic novel called The Pillars of the Earth (which I highly recommend). I can't not feel all warm and fuzzy inside from getting this package and knowing that one of my friends from such a long time ago was thinking about me. Thank you again Rach. :)
4. I guess I'm surpassing just three things as my blog title might have initially suggested. On to the fourth thing! I went to yoga yesterday with a friend of mine. We checked out a fairly new yoga studio called Joyful Yoga that only charges $10 a class. The only class that fit our schedule was Gentle Yoga and it was probably a bit too gentle but it still felt good. I've been feeling the itch recently to get back in to yoga after having taken too long of a break. It's one of the things I use (amongst others) to re-center myself and get to my calm, positive place. Well let me tell you, while it may have been a bit too gentle, boy did it re-awaken the creative side of my brain! Last night, I simply could not sleep because I was buzzing with ideas of things I could make if I choose to become a seller at our local Farmer's Market. I mean buzzing. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The ideas were pouring out of me like this rain that is drenching our city! I also was thinking of different names for my business and logos and....it just kept on going! I'm not sure that I will follow through on this idea but boy was it fun last night. Who needs sleep? Oh wait. Scratch that. That wasn't me talking. I'm a huge sleep lover. :)
5. Do I have a fifth thing? Well, I do but it would take forever to write so I'll save it for another day. :)
Adios amigos and amigas!
~Kavita
3 comments:
I saw that about the cruise ship...um just a lot tacky and tasteless. What are these people thinking.
Way to go on the office!
On the boat docking in Haiti - I agree that it feels quite frivolous in the light of the recent disaster and think it has only come to media attention/outrage because of this.
However, I also think that it is no different to the many holidaymakers who go to poorer countries and end up spending their leisure time completely oblivious to the unimaginable poverty and deprivation going on daily, just around the corner from them, but which the air-conditioned tour buses avoid... so it is a situation occurring daily, all over the world, but this cruise ship is bearing the brunt of the media because of what has befallen Haiti at this moment. Hopefully they genuinely are contributing to the economy, rather than being a multinational company raking in all the profits from the comfort of their first world and allowing very little back into the countries they visit. The last thing Haiti needs is for their tourist dollars to stop coming in...
I didn't see this,so thank you for telling us about it. I do feel that travel dollars help most places, we have been told thank you time and again when choosing developing countries to visit. i'd have to know more about this to make an estimation.
great on the job and the ideas!
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