Pumpkin Picking and more

A couple weeks ago I went pumpkin picking with Ale and some of her friends - It was so much fun! I had never really been to a Pumpkin Farm before so I think I got more excited than normal. It's actually pretty difficult to choose a pumpkin, I wanted to get the most perfect looking one- so I took some 'candidates' and then choose the best one of the batch. It's actually a pretty difficult task!

I also bought some apples. I couldn't pick them, since the farm was 'picked out' but I bought some regardless and made a really delicious apple pie when I got home. I had a really good time with Ale and also I realized how much I love fall. The scents, the weather, everything! :)

Amy Biehl Foundation video on CNN

Video: Mother forgives killers

I got very excited about seeing this today, I thought it was really cool to see the people I worked with in Souh Africa in international news!!

For bilingual speakers

KIVA is a microfinance organization that I was reading about earlier today...
"Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back."

Anyway, they are looking for volunteers to do some translation. I decided to post that on my blog since many of you guys speak both English and Spanish. Maybe you would be interested in helping...

http://www.kiva.org/about/opportunities/

Some interesting links

These are some links to pages that have good resources and information

www.socialedge.org

www.nextbillion.net

www.ssireview.org

63 Graduation Ceremony at UDLA

I finally got to Puebla on Thursday after many hours flying and a two-day layover in New York City.
The graduation ceremony was very strange. The president of UDLA has been having many attacks from the media and from many students and faculty. Most of the problems are because he fired many professors without much explanation from the University. This has caused much controversy and this is why he decided not to give the traditional speech at the ceremony. Many students had planned all kinds of protest actions but since he didn’t really appeared at all nothing really happened, only about 10 students started acting crazy. I didn’t really know what was going on since I have been away. I just got my diploma. After the ceremony Armando Manzanero (very famous yucatecan song writer) gave a concert.
I am very happy to have ended this cycle in my life although now the real dilemma comes. I need to find a job! I am officially unemployed now, and that feeling is really not the best.

Pictures of the Camping trip

This is the link for the pictures of the trip to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe

Southern Africa Trip

Good-Bye Cape Town

It was hard leaving Cape Town, saying good-bye to all the people I worked with and all the friends I made. Caroline organized a farewell braai (barbecue dinner) for Elizabeth and me at her apartment, a lot of people came and it was really nice to get to say good-bye to everyone. We also had another farewell at the Foundation. The last night I spent in Cape Town I went to a reggae concert in Long Street, it was very very fun!

The next day I spent the whole day with Caroline and I then I went up the cable car to Table Mountain and I stayed there for about 3 hours just saying good bye to the city and trying to close cycles, the next morning I was going on a 3 week camping trip and after the trip I would not go back to Cape Town but to Johannesburg and then fly home.
I had a great time in Cape Town; I met amazing people and had really good experiences :)