Walk like an...

Perhaps everyone isn't familiar with the song Walk Like an Egyptian by the Bangles, but here's a view of my colleague and I imitating the video from our youth during our recent trip to Egypt (I swear we were working very hard. Just not this day.).

Dave and I just went for a walk in the park to enjoy the 50-something degree weather - eerily warm for Dec. in DC. Maybe it seems extra eery because I just (finally) saw An Inconvenient Truth this week... But I'm soothing my global warming fears with some very tasty mexican hot chocolate right now, so all seems right in the world.

It's great hearing from all of you - feel so lucky to have such interesting writers as friends! Makes for good blogging... and Daniela, it was so wonderful to see you and your belly (does it seem like your belly is sort of a separate thing now, not quite part of you?)!!! When are you due? Even just looking at your face in the picture of you and Jasmine, it was amazing to me to think that there is a baby growing in you! I studied your face to see if it looked different. Do you remember my friend from Chemonics, Alex, who you met when she came to Brazil? Her sister just had a little girl earlier this week and Alex was there for every minute of it, pushing along with her sister and holding her right leg. It sounded like the most awe-inspiring day of her life. And soon it will be you! How wonderful! Do you know if it is a boy or a girl? A little mix of Dani and Leon running around - that sounds like exactly what the world needs right now :-)

Akif, your trip sounds fantastic, but I'm sad to say I have no plans to be in CA in Jan... we'll have to rendezvous another time. We are going to Iowa for Christmas (where all good Jews go for Christmas, of course!), but not quite far enough West. Dave's aunt and uncle live in Tahoe, but I've never been. Sounds beautiful!

I saw Katharine earlier this week. She was in town to interview for a job at The Nature Conservancy. Was great to see her, of course, and I hope this means she may be moving to DC! She's engaged! To George, her Canadian boyfriend! The funny thing was that I had an interview at TNC the day before her's - for a few minutes, we were worried we were competing against each other, but luckily we weren't there for the same job. Though if we both got the jobs, we'd be working together some, I think. And we did have 2 of the same people on our interview panels. Such a funny, small world it is!

Well, my dears, keep on writing! I love it!

Sending big hugs and hellos,

Sarah

p.s. happy hanukah! almost merry christmas!

commitment is the key

dear all,

i am so surprised how quick you were on figuring out how to blog on this thing and are already sharing some great news! geeks!!!

jasmine and i had lots of fun putting this blog together. she almost missed her plane, actually. we were so positive in the begginning that after one year of lse we would break the international record on how fast we would put a blog on line, but at the end we were desperately trying to find specific chapters in "getting things done" that could guide us in this task. :)

having jasmine at home was veeeeery nice and we had a good time, sleeping (a lot!), eating, talking, eating again, sleeping a little more. i also got the chance to watch her speaking at the gold standard seminar and... well, you all can perfectly imagine how it was... jasmine - the future president of un... she teached everyone and everyone was delighted to hear her. and i was at the back sorting out comments like - i have participated in her study group! she slept in my house once! i have a pen that belonged to her! everyone was impressed...

so this is the most recent picture of me, at work, last friday. jasmine took great shots of my big-rounded-heavy-belly, as soon as i develop the pics i will scan and post some of them in here.
more later!

kisses and love and hugs,
dani

ps: jasmine, jamie answered your email and she might find a place to leon in january! hip-hurra!

Superb idea

Morning from a slightly cloudy but bright Rome. Heading towards mid-December and the weather here is incredibly mild. Leaves haven't even fallen off the trees yet! Feels a bit freaky.

This blog is a great idea, Daniella and Jasmine, and thanks for taking the time to get it set up. Loved the secret question too and i'm sure I won't be forgetting that in a hurry. Hope you are both having top fun in Sao Paolo. Daniella, hope you're keeping well and healthy. Still can't believe you'll be a mum soon, that's so cool. Great to hear your news too, Sarah and Jen. Jasmine, look forward to seeing you when you're back in town.

All well here in Rome. A chilled out weekend passed quickly, largely hanging out with the usual crew. Watched football with a fun group last night, which included Marco. Roma vs. Lazio, the big derby game when literally the whole city is glued to the TV as the local rivals clash. It really is amazing how it takes over people; and those who you least expect too. You can't be a neutral in this one - Rome divides its support between the two teams. We were in a Roma supporting bar and felt for the die-hard fans who left in silence as they were thumped 3-0. Marco and I searched for Shwarmas afterwards but were thwarted by the traditional Sunday closing, to which much of Rome strictly adheres.

About a week and half left here and then heading back to London for the Christmas holidays. Looking forward to seeing family and friends. Will be off to the US on 27th to do a little snowboarding roadtrip. Flying into San Francisco and driving upto Tahoe. We're then planning on reaching Jackson Hole in Wyoming via some of the resorts in Utah, before driving back. Will be hiking and doing plenty of backcountry routes too. Can't wait! Sarah, would love to have met up with you and Dave but unfortunately won't be able to make it via DC. Know it is a total shot in the dark, but no way you will be in San Francisco around 6/7th Jan?

Anyway, time for lunch now in the totally civilised manner in which it is done here, always including time for a coffee afterwards.

Really looking forward to reading more from you.
Keep well

Akif

it

looks like the post acapolypse outside. i'm writing from my office desk and visibility stands at about half a mile. its dark. and smoggy. and oh-so-bleak.

the past week and a half have brought plenty of "blue sky days" due to the wintry cold winds. and so jen jen was happyily jetting around town wearing scraves, cute hats and drinking hot tea. however, the romance of winter here in beijing is fleeting at best.

generally, its so polluted (four seasons) that the government counts how many days we can see the blue sky. sometimes blue sky days are planned. for instance, when bill clinton rolled into town. abracadrabra, blue skies! factories are ordered to shut down, certain cars can't drive into town centre, and other commie instructions i don't know about are dictated to make the air a bit more clear.

today-no wind, and no foreign dignitaries means my contacts hurts and my lungs are feeling a little smokey.

then i clicked into my email inbox---minutes later looking at the picture of jasmine and daniela together, made it a strong sustainability sort of day. cheesey but true!

anyway, i hope everyone posts. i miss all of yall! happy holidays and happy nye.
i'm off to borneo to try to find a organgutan and then bali for some R & R. will post a pic here if i capture any kodak moments of wild monkeys!


p.s. my friend got me a pirated copy of "an inconvenient truth" for one $us dollar. china rocks in this way. has anyone seen it? i heard it is supposed to be great.

p.p.s. no i'm not going out with Rob! haha. he's probably bald and 45. i'm hoping to meet some hot surfers in bali. =P

How wonderful!

Well isn't this the most exciting thing since...economic valuation of environmental resources...

What a great idea - and especially exciting to see Daniela and Jasmine - weary from their battle with technology, but THERE! Present! TOGETHER!!!! Definitely made me smile.

Jenny, I think you'll have to be our cyber-guide since you are the resident expert (the only one web-published among us! p.s. have you gone out with Rob yet? Yes, I not only read your article, but also the comments. Forget sustainability, I want to know the gossip! :-)

I look forward to great things from this group!!!!

Sending lots of love!
Sarah

Sao Paulo evening

At long last, after 23 hours, we have managed to deconstruct the blogger software and we are ready to roll.


Watch out!