Lisa Napoli's Blog, page 37
July 14, 2011
#Refugees, #libraries, #Tucson in July: #Shangri-La
This item in the Tucson paper announces that I'll be talking about Radio Shangri-La in Tucson in a few weeks but it doesn't say that the main reason I'm going is to talk to kids who volunteer to work with the large refugee community there, including a growing number of ethnically Nepali people who've been relocated to the area.
Kuensel: 101 year-old tourist visits #Bhutan
I've met ladies in their late 80-s who have visited Bhutan, but this is apparently the eldest tourist yet: a 101-year old from Bavaria. Here she is lighting butter lamps, and below is the
14 July, 2011 – Despite living near the river Danube, Eleonora Kastner never learned to swim because the water scared her. Her two sisters warned her experience of the world would be less if she did not overcome her fear.
Yesterday, Eleonora became the oldest tourist to visit Bhutan when she arrived in Paro. She continues to experience the world, despite never learning to swim. Eleonora is 101 years old.
"I'm old but I'm healthy," she said through a translator. "I'm lucky I can still travel," she said, as she sipped her coffee, unassisted.
Born in 1910, in the kingdom of Bavaria, now a state of Germany, Eleonora said that Bhutan reminded her of her birthplace. The geography of the state is similar to Bhutan, as the Alps mountain range defines eastern Bavaria.
Eleonora was invited to the country by the tourism council of Bhutan upon her 100th birth anniversary. She is accompanied by a grandson, who has worked with the tourism council. Her family now includes five living generations.
"Think positive," Eleonora said, on whether she had any tips to live up to and beyond 100. "And don't always think about yourself." She also attributed her long life to "telling the truth" and not drinking too much alcohol. A few seconds later, she added, "you can lie sometimes," and said she enjoyed sweet liquor and lemonade.
Eleonora also said that she never smoked. But she said that she did not mind other people smoking, as long as they did not smoke in the room she is in.
"Accept others for who they are, no one person will know everything, everyone is important, and people are different," she said, on what values she had gained and would pass on to younger people. She also said that everyone must have the right to make decisions. "You have the choice to say yes or no."
Eleonora is a devout Christian, but that d
id not stop her from praying at a Buddhist altar in Paro. "It doesn't matter if you live by a different religion," she said. "You have to be open to contact." She added, "Every human has a warm heart, so you should think warmly of others."
Eleonora has lived through two world wars. Her father and husband both served in the German army during the wars. She recalled that the second world war was a "bad and hard time" for the people of Germany. She said that, like her, there were many women left with their children, and that food was scarce. She constantly prayed for the safe return of her father and husband.
Today, Eleonora, while not travelling the world, spends her time playing chess and other memory games to keep her mind sharp. She also does some physical exercise twice a week. She said she also enjoys watching sports on television. Eleonora has travelled extensively in Europe, and visited countries in the Americas and Asia.
She will be in Bhutan for two weeks, and meets with the prime minister today. "I like it when people smile, it's good for the heart," she said.
By Gyalsten K Dorji
Summer camp, part one: @globalgirlmedia
Got to talk to the girls at the Global Girls Media Camp yesterday at the beautiful Skirball Center. It's a program for young women who might not otherwise have access to media tools to teach them how to use their voices. They were a fantastic and curious bunch! Tried to inspire them to do their 3goodthings each day, to keep journals, and to double major in something else in addition to media/communications….boy do I wish I had.
July 12, 2011
@FearlessStories
I usually send out the link to fear.less magazine when it's published, just because the message and intent are so important, and often inspirational. This month I'm sending it for different reasons, which you'll see if you download the latest (free) issue. This is the cover:
What's it like to be a #refugee? @NCSmiler explains one family's story
This film called Nickel City Smiler is about a Burmese man resettled in Buffalo and the difficulties he's faced; apparently it's been stirring up the resettlement agencies who work with the refugee population, including people from Bhutan.
Here's the trailer:
What's it like to be a refugee? @NCSmiler explains one family's story
This film called Nickel City Smiler is about a Burmese man resettled in Buffalo and the difficulties he's faced; apparently it's been stirring up the resettlement agencies who work with the refugee population, including people from Bhutan.
July 11, 2011
@LATimes: #Romance novels may be bad for your health…
….for the same reason women's magazines can be bad for your body image: They're not realistic and they warp your sense of what is.
Afraid of #Happiness? You're not alone, in the @GlobeandMail
Another great one by columnist Sarah Hampson on the Globe and Mail's happiness beat….are you afraid of happiness?
Thirst for career #happiness is bumming us out by @msnbc
Is happiness a wise career goal? Maybe not, says this story on MSNBC.com. Here's the sidebar:
Control your career happiness
When it comes to your job, the bottom line is you have to be realistic and not let the happiness hype control you. Here are some tips from Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University, on retaining control of your career happiness:
Be clear what career happiness means to you. Is it security? Control? Mobility? Income? Colleagues? Location? This first step requires brutal self-assessment and complete honesty.
Be specific about your needs for security. Are they financial? Meet with someone to understand where you are and where you want to go. Everyone needs to be a futurist. Gather real information about yourself and use it to plan.
Engage your partner and family in your thinking. You have to do this by yourself, but you don't have to do it alone. Let others in on your thoughts, fears and plans.
Engage your employer in your thinking. Most employers are as unclear about the future as their employees. This is a great time to work together. Talking with your employer about how you can help them position the organization for success is a positive first step.
Develop an action plan. Think about what you need to start, stop and continue doing to be happy.
July 10, 2011
#Bhutan's hoax (of #GrossNationalHappiness) by Saurav Jung Thapa in Wave magazine
An interesting take on the southern Bhutanese issue (albeit with one error: Bhutan doesn't limit the number of tourists it allows in.) Likens Bhutan to North Korea.
