buy Fairtrade chocolate on July 1st

Today is June 30th and tomorrow is July 1st. Below is an important update from Stop the Traffik:

July 1st is a very important day around the world.

It’s the day when the chocolate industry promised to make sure that no children were being used as slaves on cocoa farms.

It’s the day when we could eat a bar of our favorite chocolate such as a Mars, Kit Kat or Dairy Milk knowing that no child has been used in the harvesting of the cocoa beans that went to make the chocolate we love to eat.

Sadly there will be no celebrations on July 1st.

Industry has failed to keep its original promises.

Today, children as young as 12 are still being used as slaves on cocoa plantations.

Here are the words of one child after being rescued from a farm. “I will tell you how I lost my arm. I tried to escape, but I could not. They caught me and tied me to a papaya tree and they beat me and broke my arm. I used to dream horrible dreams that they were beating me and about many other things: the hard work, my family … I still have these dreams today”.

Although the majority of farmers would not treat children in this way, there are some who do, and there are an estimated 12,000 children trafficked onto cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast into a life of slavery.

In our community, thousands of people are buying chocolate without knowing that these children are suffering for our sweet tooth to make fat profits for an industry that hasn’t delivered on its promises.

In 2001 they said they would certify that farms were slave free. Now they are saying that they are gathering data on some of the areas where cocoa is harvested.

This is not what they promised.

This is not good enough after 7 years of waiting for the freedom, safety and protection of these children.

We get to choose which chocolate bar to buy, at little cost to us when our chocolate is costing some children their lives.

I have to confess, I don't always remember to buy fairtrade chocolate so I thought this would serve as a useful reminder to everyone to try and make a difference.

free single of the week

For those of you in the US, I recommend the iTunes free single of the week: "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro. It was released awhile ago in the UK and it's one of my favorites. You can tell he is thinking about some deep, spiritual stuff!

crying wolf...

Excuse my little rant about work-related emails...but I hate when people overuse the "high importance" marking for emails. If every email I get from a person is marked with a red exclamation point it's not going to make me react faster, it's just going to make me mad.

Check your periodic table

Last night I mentioned something about aluminum cans in conversation and they responded, "You mean aluminium?" No, I meant aluminum. I thought she must have been joking.

It turns out aluminum is spelled and pronounced aluminium in most other countries besides the US. Again, thanks to Wikipedia I have learned that both spellings are acceptable but aluminium is the preferred spelling. (Even though it shows up as an incorrect spelling on my spell-checker!)

It took me 2 years to discover that and it blew my mind.

crack down

Recent news of arrests in human trafficking - including Toledo, Ohio.

Apparently Ohio is a hub for human trafficking due to several factors. Also, all the articles I've found about Ohio say that Ohio still does not have laws specifically targeting human trafficking (as of February 2008) although legislation is pending. The Freedom Center website has some tips and referred to the Polaris Project which combats modern-day slavery in the US. Check them out here and see how you can help.

What is a sultana?

In the UK they have raisins and sultanas...but to me a sultana looks just like a raisin! So, I finally got around to looking up the difference between a raisin and a sultana. This article on Wikipedia should explain why Americans don't know what sultanas are.

Stifled by choices

I know it seems like a contradiction to say that choices are stifling but I don't think you can argue with the fact that they certainly complicate things. I know I am blessed to have lots of choices in my life and I am grateful for that. However, sometimes I think life would be simpler and I could be more content if I had fewer choices.

Think of it in the context of our consumer society. Do I really need 10 choices of orange juice? Wouldn't I be just as happy if there were only a few choices? Does another addition really improve my life? But I can live with this. The real problem for me is big life decisions. Being single and in my twenties I realize there are so many directions I can take my life - how can I possibly decide which way to go? It would be easier if I was choosing between clearly good and clearly bad things but I am struggling with choosing between lots of good options.

I went through a bit of a quarter life crisis (don't laugh, they are real!) when I graduated from college but now I feel like I am re-hashing the same decisions with a few more years under my belt and an ever-changing perspective. So far I've come away with one conclusion: whatever I want to do I need to be intentional about the choices I make to help me get there. I can't just float along waiting for things to happen. I'm not a big fan of 5 year and 10 year plans because I don't think we can actually plan our lives that much. But I still need to be intentional about moving in the direction I want to go.

Oh, and I need to pray a lot!

My current bookshelf

Here are some good books I've recently read:

"The Single Issue" by Al Hsu. I highly recommend it for single people and even married people. It gives an excellent Biblical perspective on singleness and the church.

"Talk to the Hand" by Lynne Truss. A hilarious critique of modern British manners- or lack of them. Again, I recommend it.

"Super Crunchers - How Anything Can be Predicted" by Ian Ayers. Yeah, I'm a geek, but you already knew that. This follows in the vein of "Freakonomics" but has a slightly different take. It is somewhat tied to what I do for a living so it's interesting to see all the other applications he talks about.

Here are some books that I've recently acquired and am looking forward to reading:

"Desiring God" by John Piper...a classic that I want to read.
"The Dawkins Letters - Challenging Atheist Myths" by David Robertson
"A God Entranced Life: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards" by John Piper and Justin Taylor
"The Reason for God" by Tim Keller - I've just started this and the first chapter is already very interesting!

Here are some books I've purchased in the past that I still need to read:

"Eat. Love. Pray" by Elizabeth Gilbert
"The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls

It looks like I should hold off on buying new books for awhile...

Tis the Season

Tis the season for strawberries and cream as all eyes turn to Wimbledon once again. Wimbledon is now overcome with tourists. Those annoying American accents are everywhere! Tonight Andy Murray, "Britain's only hope" won his first set. He's the British number one and it's just like the movie Wimbledon when all the Brits want their native son to win the Championships (although I'm not sure if Kirsten Dunst is around or not, I'll be on the lookout). It's only recently that they have had a hope again. Previously the British hope was Tim Henman. Part of the grounds of All England Club are even named for Henman.

I'm not sure if I will make it there this year or not but I'll probably be pulling for Federer to beat Nadal after his major loss at the French Open.

another walk

This weekend arrived and with it brought another 22 mile hike in preparation for Trailwalker. This time I didn't get quite so tired and actually really enjoyed it (except I have lots of blisters!). We spent the first 8 miles dodging cow patties and the remaining 14 miles walking along the cliffs. The last half of the walk was along the Seven Sisters. These are white cliffs, less famous than Dover, but more spectacular! You can check out some pictures here.

blah blah

Looks like Chad is back and trying to win back the fans...hmm.

It's no surprise

It's not news that attendance in the Church of England is declining. Peter Brierly's book, "The Tide is Running Out" includes the following statistics: In 1979, 5.4 million people in England attended church on an average Sunday. Ten years later in 1989 this had become 4.7 million and it fell to 3.7 million in 1998. In the nine years between 1989 and 1998 there has been a drop of one million. He says, "The numbers in this book show a haemorrhage akin to a burst artery," and because the trend is worse among teenagers he says, "we could literally be one generation from extinction." Of course it's not the attendance itself that is important; it is just a symptom of the real problem.

Given this next set of statistics you'll understand why this could be happening. These are rough statistics and I must admit my lack of journalistic integrity here as I cannot quote the source. However, I do believe them to be reputable. Of the clergy in the Church of England, 20% don't believe that God created the world; 25% don't believe that Christ died for our sins; 33% don't believe that Christ rose bodily from his grave; and 50% don't believe that Christ is the only way to salvation. Whether the percentages are 25% or 35% or 60% the point is that they are significant.

If the church is not teaching the good news that Jesus died for my sins to reconcile me to God and bring me hope then what is the point in going to church? If there is no good news then certainly I can do without another "set of rules" that take up my time on a Sunday. It is no surprise that attendance is declining.

To say that the church in England is on the verge of extinction seems to be a lack of faith in God's power and his message. But obviously this message must be preached or there is no power since the gospel is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Perhaps that is why Brierly's book also reports, and this is still the current trend, that there is positive growth among mainstream Evangelical Anglican churches.

Just Arrived

Yes, I have gotten rid of the minivan. So I'd like to introduce you to my new baby: Oh wait, that is my dream baby- an Audi R8. However, in this case I have an Audi A3. Audis are much more common in the UK but I don't mind since I've always wanted one. My Mazda 3 was a good baby but this is definitely a step up in terms of driving. It looks a little less sporty (and a little more Audi) but it is very fun to drive and hugs the road. Don't worry, Mom, of course I am always going precisely the speed limit.

on God

This past weekend I went away on a conference with my church where we studied the character of God. The talks were around the topics, "God is Good," (Psalm 145), "God is Great" (Psalm 139) and ,"God is Gracious" (Psalm 103). The titles seems simple enough in themselves but the insights in the Psalms are rich- especially when you think about the fact that God is all his characteristics at one time. He never changes.

But perhaps one of the things that stuck with me the most was something the speaker said at the beginning of one of his talks. He said something along the lines that he was afraid we are too self obsessed to think learning about God is interesting. Wow. That got me thinking and I don't think I can make much of an argument against that. I think most of the times I am looking for spiritual insights that will directly help me instead of studying God just to worship him.

On the back of a book we received is a quote by Charles Spurgeon, "The proper study of a Christian is [God]. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God who he calls Father." Think about that.

newly updated

Check out my newly updated photo pages. I now have up the pictures from Rome and will try to add some pictures of friends and family soon. I hope to not post any new pictures from trips for at least a couple of months because I need a break from traveling! (I'll also be turning in my passport next week to reapply for my visa so I'll be stuck in the UK until I get that back) Maybe I'll have some photos from my life around London.

As a side note, it would be great if I could centralize all my communication on the web but I'm not sure I'm tech savvy enough to figure it all out. iWeb has a blog function but I don't know if I can move all my archives over from Blogger. For now I'll have to settle for two different web pages.

World's Best Places to Live

Switzerland tops the list of the World's Best Places to Live...based on traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. I'm sure if they used other criteria London and Cincinnati would be closer to the top! However, I'd say the fact that house prices in London are the most expensive doesn't help its cause.

2008 Rank	2007 Rank	City	Country	Points
1	1	Zurich	Switzerland	108.0
=2	3	Vienna	Austria	107.9
=2	2	Geneva	Switzerland	107.9
4	4	Vancouver	Canada	107.6
5	5	Auckland	New Zealand	107.3
6	5	Düsseldorf	Germany	107.2
=7	8	Munich	Germany	107.0
=7	7	Frankfurt	Germany	107.0
9	9	Bern	Switzerland	106.5
19	9	Sydney	Australia	106.3
11	11	Copenhagen	Denmark	106.2
12	12	Wellington	New Zealand	105.8
13	13	Amsterdam	Netherlands	105.7
14	14	Brussels	Belgium	105.4
15	15	Toronto	Canada	105.3
16	16	Berlin	Germany	105.0
=17	17	Melbourne	Australia	104.8
=17	18	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	104.8
19	18	Ottawa	Canada	104.7
20	20	Stockholm	Sweden	104.5
21	21	Perth	Australia	104.3
22	22	Montreal	Canada	104.2
23	23	Nürnberg	Germany	104.1
24	26	Oslo	Norway	103.7
=25	27	Dublin	Ireland	103.5
=25	24	Calgary	Canada	103.5
27	24	Hamburg	Germany	103.4
28	27	Honolulu	USA	103.1
=29	29	San Francisco	USA	103.0
=29	30	Helsinki	Finland	103.0
=29	30	Adelaide	Australia	103.0
=32	34	Singapore	Singapore	102.9
=32	33	Paris	France	102.9
34	32	Brisbane	Australia	102.4
35	35	Tokyo	Japan	102.2
36	36	Lyon	France	101.9
37	36	Boston	USA	101.8
=38	38	Yokohama	Japan	101.6
=38	39	London	UK	101.6
40	40	Kobe	Japan	100.9
41	49	Milan	Italy	100.8
42	41	Barcelona	Spain	100.6
43	42	Madrid	Spain	100.5
=44	44	Washington DC	USA	100.3
=44	42	Osaka	Japan	100.3
=44	47	Lisbon	Portugal	100.3
=44	44	Chicago	USA	100.3
48	46	Portland	USA	100.2
49	48	New York City	USA	100.0
50	49	Seattle	USA	99.8

Dreams

When I get stressed I start to have stressful dreams. I typically have one of the following dreams:

Usually I dream that I am late for a class and I am running through the halls of a building, that seems to be a maze, and I can't find the classroom. Second, I dream that I am running late for a class but also realize I have never actually shown up for the class before and will not get credit or won't be able to pass the exam. I really wish I could wake myself up by saying, "Emily! Don't be an idiot...you don't go to school anymore!" That would save me a lot of stress in my sleep. Sometimes I also dream more directly about my current job. That typically involves trying to solve equations that have no solution, or trying to put together excel sheets and presentations that don't make any sense. Yeah, I have serious issues.

Sometimes I'd just like to get a peaceful night's sleep with no thought at all! Please tell me I am not alone.

on the set

I didn't see him...but Tom Hanks was filming Angels and Demons in Rome while I was there!

traveling in Europe

There's one annoying thing about traveling in Europe.

Scaffolding.

Every time I go to a city, almost inevitably at least one of the big sites is covered in scaffolding. I appreciate that they want to keep everything in good shape and need to restore old buildings...but man, it really ruins pictures. Take this picture of the Spanish steps in Rome, for example. I sure wish I could see the beautiful cathedral at the top! I'll put some more pictures up (or you can see a few on my facebook page) when I get back from my next business trip from Geneva. Phew...

wake up call

It's been a busy week. I have only been home a few days since I got back from Cincinnati. When I arrived back in London I found out I would be going on a business trip to Rome this week...I am getting to be quite an expert last minute packer. (More on Rome later)

I got back from Rome last night and today we had a 22 mile hike as part of our training for Trailwalker. This is the longest I have walked so far and by far the most hills I have ever walked. I thought I was going to die! I hit a serious wall for about one and a half hours. During that time I kept wishing we could back out of the event and I kept saying to myself "You are crazy, why are you doing this?" Fortunately I got a second wind and then I ended up okay. I'll see if I can walk tomorrow. Here are a few pictures along the way. It was a gorgeous day, which also made it extra hot. You can't quite tell just how big the hills were from the pictures but you'll just have to take my word for it. In case you feel sorry for us (or better yet, want to help Oxfam fight poverty), you can sponsor us here.

home in Cincinnati

It was a busy but fun trip home. Among other things I got to visit some very cute babies and toddlers. Here are some pictures of Cate, Kaelyn, Fiona and Otis from my visits. Of course, I also loved visiting their parents but I don't have any pictures...plus they just aren't as cute!me and Baby Catecheck out those cute shades!brand new baby Fiona!Fiona's wonderful big brother, OtisKaelyn blowing dandelions in the parkme and Kaelyn :)