Two Global Girls

25 ways to improve your life in 2009

climbergirl — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:15:44 +0000

So everyone is always excited about 2009, what with new year resolutions and all so here are a few general tips to make 2009 a wonderful year. They are easy, quick, and not too time consuming. Have at it!

HEALTH

1 change your toothbrush at least three times a year

2 do a few pullups or sit ups a day

3 go on a run every once in a while

4 cut back on the caffeine (watch the soda, try reaching for some decaf coffee instead of your regular venti caf)

5 try some indian, thai, german, vietnamese food

6 get more sleep!

MIND

7 read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Relin

8 invent a new word, coin a phrase

9 try blogging or journaling

10 read a newspaper or news magazine such as Time, Us News and World Report, or Newsweek

11 don’t fall into the bad habits of texting and instant messaging “omg, btw, idk, g2g”

12 learn another language “entschuldigung, wo ist meine rosetta stone?”

ENVIRONMENT

13 bike to work/school/the library/the grocery store

14 don’t turn on lights – use natural light

15 save grocery bags

16 grow a garden

17 eat your spinach – and your weeds – did you know that dandelions often replaced lettuce in salads during the great depression? and in pho a vietnamese soup, dandelion greens are sometimes a topping

ENTERTAINMENT

18 learn to knit

19 take some photos

20 go rock climbing

21 go hiking

22 get a dog

23 spend more time with people

24 listen to some Beatles music

25 enjoy life

I don’t know how many of these will be do-able, but a few of them are good.

climbergirl — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:48:43 +0000

Okay, we are back. Or at least I am. After a long break/period of time where blogging became unpopular I kind of…forgot about my blogs. And then I looked back and read them, and they were really lame, so I deleted them. But this one caught my interest again and I decided to take it back up. So, from now on, there will be more of me! I still don’t know about bookbirdie though.

Europe

climbergirl — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:25:01 +0000

It is amazing how Europe is so much better at saving the environment than the USA. When I went to Europe I noticed many instances of that. There were hundreds of smart cars, a huge surprise compared to the rare sightings in the US. Also, in the European bathrooms (WC, loo) you have the option of half or full flushes. Very eco friendly if you ask me. And the cities were not as spread out as most cities here are. And they were very pedestrian friendly, complete with under the street tunnels so nobody has to cross busy roads. Not to mention the public transportation system – a wide network of trains, buses, metros, and pedicabs. And the bikes! So many people of all ages rode for miles.

My Network Of Blogs That Nobody Ever Reads

climbergirl — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:59:19 +0000

How many blogs do I have now – 3? It feels as though nobody reads them with the exception of Twenty. I used to update them a lot, but I don’t anymore, probably because I feel like nobody ever reads them. But then again, how many people in our class have blogs? It is quite hard to check 30 blogs every couple of days, so oh well.

Sanuk

climbergirl — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:07:42 +0000

I have always kind of wanted Rainbow flip flops. I mean, very few people don’t when they are constantly surrounded by the teenage dress code; jeans, abercrombie shirt, north face denali jacket, and Rainbows for fall, spring, and summer, Uggs for winter. And to tell the truth I think it is kind of insane how everyone only strives to fit in not to stand out. I mean it is crazy to buy $100 for a north face jacket, $50 for flip flops, and who knows how much for abercrombie. But after a few years I began to catch the fitting in disease. I started shopping at abercrombie and I wanted flip flops. I wore jeans every day and I bought a Columbia jacket (oh wait I bought that in fourth grade) but the point is, even the ones who like standing out want to fit in at some point. And then I went to Peru.

In Peru I think I realized that I realized how insane fitting in is. I mean why get side bangs and a north face if EVERYBODY has them? Then eveeryone will all look the same and we aren’t all the same. It just doesn’t make sense. Besides in Peru, a lot of teenagers can’t even afford shoes for their whole family, let alone $50-$150 shoes. Peru really opened my eyes to how I don’t need Rainbows and Uggs.

But sadly, after a while of America, the Peruness wore off, I caved in, and bought flip flops – ugggh.

First, I tried on Rainbows and I thought they were really uncomfortable. I totally hated them. Then. I tried on sanuks. They are recycled flip flops, kind of like Simples but a whole lot cheaper. I found a pair of black yoga mat shoes for $20 and let me tell you – they are awesome. I really like them. It is a lot better to go with the not as popular shoes, but the ones you like better, and the ones that are a better buy.

Besides, buying recycled shoes fit the hippie personality better. Add a hemp choker, hemp jeans and really big peace sign earrings and you are all set!

-climbergirl

Eiffel Tower Solo in protest to Burmese human rights violations

bookbirdie — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:45:34 +0000

Free soloing means no ropes, no protection, and going up higher than 5ft-sih, which would qualify as bouldering. We are talking about rock climbing (in this case, not just rock).

The political and human rights situation in Burma—or Myanmar, the nomenclature offered by the current ruling party—is a complex one. Total, despite many outcries from other governments, shareholders, human rights advocates and the democratically elected leader of the country—who is currently held under house arrest by the ruling party—refuses to suspend or cease their operations in Burma that critics say are funding the oppressive regime—and continuing the human rights abuses in the country.

-from
Alipinist

Mike Robertson soled the Eiffel Tower in protest to the french company TOTAL’s continued involvement in protecting Burma’s brutal government and military. He wore a TOTAL LEAVE BURMA t-shirt, and tied a red scarf symbolizing the dress of Buddhist monks at the forefront of human rights violations in the area to a high point on the tower. He says he did it to get Burma back in the news, and to raise awareness. He had been researching a climbing trip to Burma, but spent “loads more time” on the human rights violations there. He is a native briton who has been climbing for 18 years.

-bookbirdie

Kiva.org

climbergirl — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:50:28 +0000

If you want to make a difference, but are on a tight budget, then I recommend www.kiva.org . It is a website where you can lend money to help entrepreneurs start businesses. After only a few months, you get the money back. This is a great organization in my opinion because you aren’t just flat out giving them the money. They are working hard and earning it and then paying it back. Besides, after they get a steady business going, it can be a substantial source of income that can change their lives forever so they never need donations again. It also makes it so that you can sponsor a lot more people because they pay you back. You can end up lending a ton, but getting every cent back and still making a difference in the world. I am a huge fan of this site.

-climbergirl

Libraries vs. Buying

climbergirl — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:37:45 +0000

My mother is always telling me to check out books from the library instead of spending $40 a month. I always tell her that it is more convenient when I reread them or my friends can borrow them, but in actuality, she is quite right. It IS kind of crazy to buy books when you have the library right around the corner. Besides, if you think about it from an environmentally standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense. Libraries buy a few copies of many books and simply leave it at that. At bookstores, however, they have to keep on stocking. That isn’t even mentioning the plastic bags they give you when you check out. All in all, checking books out is better for not only the environment, but also your wallet. And if you live right next to a library (like me) then it is better on the gas. Think twice next time you head out to Barnes and Noble. You could save some money as well as the environment.

Blogging vs. Journaling

climbergirl — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:13:21 +0000

Blogging appears to be more ecofriendly than journaling. When you journal, the paper companies have to cut down trees to make the pages and that is not even mentioning the cover. And some of us can use journals up pretty quickly. When I journaled, I used maybe 5 or 6 a year. That can end up expensive as well as not so great for the environment. And then I discovered blogging.

It all started when bookbirdie showed up at school and told everyone about her blog. I thought it was really cool but I didn’t want to copy her idea. A month later, I made my own blog. I started out just experimenting with www.blogger.com but I really enjoyed it. A few weeks later, I showed it to my friends. About three weeks after that, the blogging craze hit.

EVERYONE made a blog. It got a little annoying actually, because all the computers were clogged up at recess and everyone sent multiple invitations to the same people. And then the next day they would come and ask why you hadn’t commented. It was a crazy couple of weeks.

And then I realized why blogging was so appealing. It was appealing because you could choose who got to read it, you could add your own photos and polls and it really was a great way to express yourself. Blogs are basically high tech journals. They give you a place of your own, a place where you can truly express yourself, tell your friends what you are thinking, and a place where you are the boss. As adolescents, we get tired of adults telling us what to do and blogs provide a place where we don’t need an adults help or supervision. It is a place of our own.

Anyway, blogs appear to be better to the environment but in actuality, the computer runs on electricity and watts are spent every time you see the lit up screen. So we ask ourselves, is it really better for the environment? Or is it just an image that nobody ever bothers to investigate?

Paper, styrofoam, plastic, or reusable?

bookbirdie — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:08 +0000

I’m sure you’ve all heard that paper cups rock, and styrofoam is terrible, right? Well, not necessarily. Paper cups are made out of trees, obviously, and that is not good. The ones made for hot drinks often have a wax coating, making them un-recyclable. They also weigh more than other cups, and use more fuel to ship. Styrofoam cups are much lighter, but are usually used for hot things, and the heat of the drink can cause the chemicals in the styrofaom to leech out into the drink. Plus, styrofoam isn’t biodegradable. Plastic, putting aside what you may have heard, is- most of the time- recyclable, which makes it, of the above, the best choice. Now, when talking about reusable cups, we’re including the energy used in washing them, and their mass- how much material they are made up of. So, according to Generation eXe, ceramic cups have the least mass, but are only the best if they are used at least 46 times. Glass is the second best choice. So, at home, always use reusable cups. As far as disposable goes, plastic is the most environmentally friendly, but is only ideal for cold drinks. So for hot drinks, styrofoam is best. There goes your fail safe “paper is best” theory! Try thinking about where the things you use are going to go. To a landfill? Or in the dishwasher? Or the a recycling plant? Go figure.