Talkin' Tradition

I tend to think of stuff like this Cherokee (NC) war dance as more cultural/traditional than anything in my life

Have you ever had people ask what your region is famous for or to tell them about your culture and drawn a blank? I have.  Well, I could maybe figure out a food* that is well-liked in this area, and perhaps tell you North Carolina grows a lot of tobacco, but I can't always find something that seems "traditional" and "cultural" that distinguishes my area from others.   Likely I'm just blind to those things or assume most people do that so how can that be cultural/traditional if it's normal?  Should I even be using those terms together like that?  Let me look them up ...

This was in South Horr, Kenya when Andrew went December 2011 - time for a wedding

OK, here is culture as defined by Dictionary.com

1.the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

2.that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.

3.a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: Greek culture.

4.development or improvement of the mind by education or training.

5.the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture.

and tradition

1.the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice: a story that has come down to us by popular tradition.

2.something that is handed down: the traditions of the Eskimos.

3. a long-established or inherited way of thinking or acting: The rebellious students wanted to break with tradition.

4. a continuing pattern of culture beliefs or practices.

5. a customary or characteristic method or manner: The winner took a victory lap in the usual track tradition.

So I guess tradition is more the things that influence or make up culture? I don't know.  

Anyway, I read this in From Plato to NATO by David Gress, and wanted to see what you thought about the West not losing, but rejecting tradition.

"What Eliot saw was that the West was becoming a world, an outlook, and a culture that no longer wanted or needed tradition***.  The West by 1920 was not a civilization that had lost its traditional moorings, which one could perhaps restore or at least rediscover or describe. It was a civilization that rejected moorings of any sort. The essence of the modern West was that it had no essence, no heritage, no tradition. Tradition had become not the missing center of culture, but something that the culture increasingly regarded as its enemy."  (pg. 163)

***For Eliot this apparently meant "Western civilization needed both the church and the literary tradition of antiquity" and "the West was dying because it had forgotten its own tradition, one of myth and the hidden traces of the sacred." 
 
 

 Do you agree with Eliot's thoughts on the West's view of tradition?  Do you consider tradition as an enemy?  How could it be?  And how would you answer someone wanting to know about the cultural and/or traditional aspects of your area of the world?  What is it famous for? What do y'all do that distinguishes you from others?

*  We were asked this while in Syria and Andrew told them our region was (locally anyway) famous for its barbeque.  Yes, that's BBQ as a noun and it means THIS although, thankfully, I mostly only see it on sandwiches or plates.   That's better. Well, maybe not for a Muslim. Alas, we are neither Muslim nor Jew nor vegetarian.  And although the one asking never treated us any differently in the slightest, I was a little embarrassed/shy that Andrew said this in a culture that considers pork unclean.  Makes me feel like a dirty Christian ...  

 

On Childbirth and Bicycling; Updates

One of the books I received for my birthday was If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley.  The book is divided into sections such as the bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Within each part, there are a variety of topics. Anything from the description of the actual types of beds to closets to knickers to being born and being murdered. And that's just in the bedroom section!

In the chapter on "Being Born," she mentions the old days when people lived and died in their bedrooms (which, by the way, were much more communal than our private bedrooms are today).  Now, she states, both are often done in the hospital.  But during the time of births at home, she writes:

"The gathering of the women, the gossiping, the pleasure they took in their shared experience made giving birth a much more sociable event than it is today, when it's chiefly an individual drama. In fact, the bonding nature of childbirth explains why the users of the 'molly-houses' (male brothels) of early eighteenth-century London replicated its rituals: homosexual men pretended to give birth, and celebrated with the traditional party afterwards. The first known piece of printed gay porn was entitled A Lying-In Conversation with a Curious Adventure (1748), and it describes a man in drag infiltrating a lying-in chamber.  Fetishising childbirth is not common in modern male gay society, and that's probably because lying in bed alone in a hospital is not nearly so much fun." (pg. 20)

(Sidenote: I wonder why nature didn't make it possible for gay couples to procreate. Now we can do it artificially thanks to technology, but nature didn't deem this possible for same-sex couples. This came to mind one day when I was thinking of population control, but that's a topic for another time perhaps.)

Other interesting facts:

"The medieval death rate was one in every fifty pregnancies  Considering that it wasn't unusual for a woman to give birth a dozen times, the odds quickly mounted up for reproductive wives. Many pregnant Tudor ladies had their portraits painted for the poignant reason that they might well have been saying goodbye to their husbands for ever when they disappeared into confinement.  If so, their families would at least have had a final image of a lost loved one."  (pg. 18)

In the past women used more of a birthing chair since midwives understood the importance of gravity in delivering children. As male doctors took over the birthing process, women started lying on beds - probably because it was easier and more comfortable for the men attending those giving birth.  (pg. 24)


Men also introduced forceps to help with delivering babies.  Midwives continued to have misgivings and used them only in extreme circumstances - like when someone had labored four or five days!  (pg. 23)


The Victorians thought it tasteless to refer to "being with child" and suggested "the genteel lady should merely inform 'her friends that at a certain time she will be confined'.  The downside of all this tasteful gentility was that women began to think of pregnancy as an illness, and Victorian books about childbirth began to refer to it among 'the diseases of women'.  In the bedchamber, as in society at large, women began to be seen as fragile, vulnerable and incompetent at looking after themselves."  (pg. 26)

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Not related to childbirth, but one tidbit I learned in this book is about bicycling's role in the emancipation of women. According to Susan B. Anthony:

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel...the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood."

Here is an interesting article explaining more about this.


I wonder if this is the real reason women riding bikes has been frowned upon in some cultures. Hmmm.


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A couple of updates:

Soon after I posted the pictures of my birthday books, I received one more that was late in arriving. Andrew got me a book about Iran that had been on my Wishlist ever since Lat read and blogged about this country many months ago.

As of now, I am on track to finish From Plato to Nato - the book I called intimidating in my last post - well within the four month time frame I generously allowed myself.  Reading 5 pages per day, I should be on page 45. Instead I'm on 125. And it's actually pretty interesting stuff. So that's good.

Books, Books and More Books!

You may recall the dozen books I received for Christmas last year
I have finished 8 of them, and recently started on the most intimidating one - at least to my eyes.

My current reads. The middle one is the aforementioned "most intimidating one."

See, it's even difficult to picture on my blog! It was turned properly on my camera, but loaded sideways.
It has over 600 pages and not super-large print. I started this one on my birthday hoping to read at least 5 pages a day so I can finish it in about 4 months.  I'll try to update you each month about my progress. Maybe putting it here will make me more accountable. Can I finish it by August 31?

The books I received for my birthday.
The one on the bottom left was used and came with no book jacket.
It is "The Call to Seriousness: Evangelical Impact on the Victorians."

In case you are keeping track, these are the books I have left to finish. I hope to make a dent in them before the allure of the library captures me and I start reading those again!

April Books

How have I gone a full month and not written anything here?  I've been busy reading other blogs, articles, Facebook and enjoying the outside, watching my nephews...and just not in much of a writing/sharing mood it seems.  So this month apparently found me still fascinated enough with Germany to read several more books about the World War II era.  Well, some delved off a bit from that, but these books were all in the general vicinity of the WWII shelves in my library.  Some of these books have things I like to share on Facebook.  Perhaps you've seen some of these quotes there. Also I like playing "any guesses?" where people have the opportunity to figure out the correct answer - at least correct according to the book! 



On Hitler's Mountain by Irmgard A. Hunt -- subtitled:  Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood -- I found this at the local library and really enjoyed the story of this lady as she grew up in an ordinary Nazi family. Well, it was extraordinary, I suppose, in that they lived on the mountain where the Nazi leaders often met. It was also neat reading this since Samer visited Berchtesgaden the week after we left Germany and I'd seen his lovely pictures.  The mention of Salzburg, of course, brought back memories of our recent trip there.  The author described life in war-torn Germany, and even the months after the war as part of Germany occupied by Americans. I enjoyed her thoughts of the soldiers and her interactions with them. By the way, American cigarettes became THE way to buy needed items.  The locals would ask the soldiers to pay for souvenirs with cigarettes.  Good book!




A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous --  The diary of a young woman during eight weeks in Berlin. She talks of the Russians coming and how the women collectively dealt with rape and survival as they became a defeated nation.  It made me appreciate the blessing of food - why do I take this for granted? 


"As we walked out of the store a truck drove by with German troops, red tabs, meaning antiaircraft.  They were headed away from us, toward the center of town. They sat there mute, staring off into the distance. A woman called out to them, 'Are you leaving?' No one answered her. We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders.  The woman said, 'They're just poor souls themselves.' 

These days I keep noticing how my feelings towards men - and the feelings of all the other women - are changing.  We feel sorry for them; they seem so miserable and powerless.  The weaker sex.  Deep down we women are experiencing a kind of collective disappointment.  The Nazi world - ruled by men, glorifying the strong man - is beginning to crumble, and with it the myth of 'Man.' In earlier wars men could claim that the privilege of killing and being killed for the fatherland was theirs and theirs alone. Today we women, too, have a share.  That has transformed us, emboldened us. Among the many defeats at the end of this war is the defeat of the male sex."  (pg. 42-43)



"Why are they so fixated on watches? It's not because of the monetary value; they don't ogle rings and earrings and bracelets the same way at all.  They'll overlook them if they can lay their hands on another watch. It's probably because in their country watches aren't available for just anyone and haven't been for a long time. You have to really be somebody before you can get a wristwatch, that is, before the state allots you something so coveted. And now they're springing up like radishes ripe for the picking, in undreamt-of abundance.  With every new watch he can present or give away back home, his status rises. That must be it. Because they can't distinguish a cheap watch from an expensive one. They prefer the ones with bells and whistles - stopwatches or a revolving face beneath a metal case. A gaudy picture on a dial also attracts them." (pg. 80)





After the Wall: East Meets West In the New Berlin by John Borneman -- an anthropologist talks to individuals in East Germany many of whom feared the change coming; This was an interesting look at differences in socialism and capitalism - the pluses and minuses of each.  An interesting thought was how socialism created dependency, but the problem was a people who demanded more than East Germany could provide. For example, one lady wanted white, closed-toed shoes, but never could find them and her government wouldn't drop them at her door (although they did send tennis shoes for her boys and other things requested on occasion.)

The discussion of how "socialism and capitalism both sought to manage the basic populations under their control through...the creation of needs" was interesting. Capitalism tells you what you need by "furnishing a stunning satiation, an addictive array of goods and services.Socialism worked through a system of fear, deprivation, and punishment.  The two approaches interlocked. The end result of each was dependency."   (pg. 82) 




Life and Death in the Third Reich by Peter Fritzsche  --  

Germany's "racial warriors" had three primary tasks:

1. increase the birthrate - they offered "tax incentives and interest free loans to reward childbearing marriages" BUT
since generally the "healthy and well-educated Germans tended to restrict the number of children in order to maximize their own quality of life" and "supposedly less healthy, less able Germans had higher birthrates," they often "targeted allegedly unfit citizens" who had too many children that "weakened the overall racial health of the nation"

2  weed out the unhealthy section of the population, primarily through sterilization

3. "eliminate foreign matter from the racial stock of the German people"    (pg. 85-86)


Last 98 days of war in 1945 -- 1.4 million German soldiers dead; about 14,000 every day

"An average of 127 German civilians died every day in air raids in 1944, and more than 1,000 every day in the raids of 1945."  (pg. 291)

‎"God is not accountable to us for the senseless harm we cause one another,...We are accountable to Him!" -- Etty Hillesum;

born 15 January 1914 in Middelburg
murdered 30 November 1943 in Auschwitz

Dutch author and mystic; Nazi victim

"German readers after 1945 also developed more historically specific explanations of the catastrophe of Nazism.  They increasingly saw themselves as victims of a brutal war imposed on them by a politically fanatical minority that had misled and betrayed a patriotic majority and misused the tribulations that most Germans felt had been inflicted on them after World War I. They were appalled at how the war ended rather than how it had started; they focused on Stalingrad and German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, Dresden and the air war against civilians, and the expulsion of Germans from eastern Europe in 1945.  This perspective was obviously politically expeditious, since it not only downplayed the active roles that Germans had played in the crimes of the Nazis but turned Germans into victims first. It conceded that Germans might have been complicit, but complicit because they were morally weak, not because they were criminally motivated."  (pg. 301)




Ester and Ruzya: How My Grandmothers Survived Hitler's War and Stalin's Peace by Masha Gessen -- The author shares the stories of her Jewish grandmothers growing up in Russia.  I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of one grandmother who worked as a censor doing things the author said would have blacked out most of what she (Masha) does since she is a western journalist living in Russia as of this writing.  By the way, who knew Hungarian was such a difficult language?





Under Hitler's Banner: Serving the Third Reich by Edmund Blandford -- this books tells the story of 13 ordinary Germans; each chapter is one person's tale about how they came to serve Germany during Hitler's time. It was pretty interesting to read the lives of mostly ordinary people who came to be a pilot who bombed England, an U-boat crewman (telling about the dangers of that task and how close they came to the US coast), a bridge builder for the military, spies (two women - one was a cook who was recruited to spy for Germany against the Italians??), nurse, wife of an SS officer among other things. One of my favorite stories was from the Eastern Front by a guy in the anti-tank infantry. Oddly none of these people seemed evil and I'm not sure if I liked that or not.




Why My Father Died: A Daughter Confronts Her Family's Past at the Trial of Klaus Barbie by Annette Kahn -- When I first started this book, I was underwhelmed. I had a hard time following the details - might have been the distractions of my baby nephew and Facebook - so I thought of not finishing it, but I'm glad I stuck with it.  I sat here today reading testimonies of people who were testifying against this monster and was crying off and on the whole time.  In fact, it prompted me to note this to a friend who happens to currently live in Germany, but is not German.

Reading this book (and the others I've read recently) reminds me why I grew up not liking Germany. It's funny because when Leslie was here and I told her what you said about people not touring Germany a lot, she suggested it was because they still hold the Holocaust against them. I can certainly see why after the books I've read. I have to remember to separate the people now from the monsters back then. And I do know there were a few good people back then.And some who were just ignorant. A German soldier on a train taking prisoners from France to Auschwitz was pale upon arriving. The lady heard him tell his fellow soldier he thought it was only like a work camp - a gulag -, but when he saw the gas chambers and smelled the stench of death, he said, "The world will never forgive us for this." I've been crying all day reading these testimonies. Especially when I picture those little children...carted away to their deaths, fear in their eyes, crying from hunger and separation from their parents. I think of little Zach and my Michael, and I **cannot** understand that kind of cruelty. Surely those monsters were demons in German bodies.

Also I found this link about Klaus Barbie and noted on Facebook:

The current book I'm reading is about the trial of this monster. I am completely dismayed to read of his crimes and then find out "With the aid of the Americans, he fled from prosecution in France in 1950 and relocated to South America together with his wife and children." He lived in Bolivia and was friendly with dictator Hugo Banzer. Finally the man was tried in France in 1987 after "He lived in Bolivia as a businessman under the name Klaus Altmann from 1951 onward. Though he was identified in Bolivia at least as early as 1971 by the Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, it was only in February 1983 that the Bolivian government, after long negotiations, extradited him to France to stand trial. This caused the U.S. to offer a formal apology to France in August 1983." Sometimes I really really really really hate what my country does! GRRR!

I am grateful to France for prosecuting this guy.  The Germans didn't really want to go to the trouble (!!!). The Americans employed him at one time (!!!). The Bolivians housed him.  Thank you, France and the Nazi hunters.



And after reading these, I decided to return to some of the books I received for Christmas. I could have continued on with library books, but why get books as gifts if you fail to read them in a timely manner?  I'd read half of them, but was at a standstill on the others. Now I have no library books at the house, but plenty of others that I need to read. (Update on that to come.)



Behind the Veil of Vice: The Business and Culture of Sex in the Middle East by John R. Bradley -- If you're thinking this book exposes the tawdry side of the Middle East and then condemns those people for being hypocrites. You know pretending to be all-pious Muslim and wearing all those modest clothes - covering hair, face, even hands in some cases, praying five times a day and all that. Well, this book does expose sexual practices like prostitution, temporary marriages and child brides and pederasty and pornography sold in souks, but the author is very much pro-sex culture and comes across more scolding of people trying to change it. (He labels himself in the conclusion as both "secularist" and "libertarian" so his positions make better sense.) Granted,he is against child trafficking and child marriages, but thinks numbers reported there are exaggerated because studies are not documented well.  The other stuff he believes is fine and holds up Tunisia's treatment of prostitutes - legalizing and caring for them - as an example to many other places in the world. (He'd talked so highly of Tunisia as a positive example - "the Arab world's most prosperous and peaceful country" - that I had to wonder what the author thought of the "Arab Spring" beginning there not too many months after this book was published.)   The author thinks we can learn from Arabs about homosexuality by treating this as a private matter and not something we must bring up in public and political arenas. This was the chapter on pederasty and how common and acceptable this older man/young boy sex is in a culture that doesn't divide people by age such as we do in the West, but by sex.

First Quarter of 2012, Vacation, March Books

This month started with me and Andrew in Germany. Actually we traveled to Austria on the first, but we were in southern Germany until the morning of March 7. You'd think with all the time we had in the air (over ten hours just from Munich to Atlanta and then a short flight to Raleigh), I would have read lots. But I didn't read AT ALL. In fact, I only read a few pages the whole time we were gone and that was on the flight to Munich.  I did do something I rarely do. Watched a couple movies!  Andrew saw where Puss in Boots was offered on our little plane TVs and he wanted me to see it. He and Michael had watched it twice and he wanted me to enjoy it as well. So I watched it - and then another movie.  I watched Napoleon Dynamite on the way to Germany.  Fun times. 

So anyway, I got home from Germany and had to catch up on reading blog posts I'd missed from all my favorite bloggers. I also had to unpack, do laundry, visit my nephews (and kiss them!), divvy out souvenirs I'd bought for the family, get used to the six-hour time difference again...in other words, I didn't read much when we first got home.  And when I did get back into a reading mood, I was interested in books on World War II and Germany. Go figure.  Samer finally got me interested in something besides reading about Islam, Muslims and Arabs!

Can you believe three months of 2012 are now over?  I hope you've had a wonderful first quarter of the year!  Did anything exciting happen so far? We went to Germany (Nuremberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Munich), Austria (Salzburg, St. Gilgen, Mondsee) and the Czech Republic (Prague).  A fantastic trip.  Could not have asked for better weather or a more incredible host!!  Also we went last weekend to Myrtle Beach with Michael.  Two great trips!

In other news, Michael turned 10 (which I noted in February) and Zach will soon be a year. 

On to those books now ...




March Books


The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer -- an interesting tale of how a Jewish woman survived the Holocaust by reinventing herself as "a proper German woman";  the Nazis were really good to THEIR women: they wanted them to breed many more pure Aryans so they treated them well (if you like being treated as good breeding material, I guess.)  good book to read after coming home from Germany



The Great Starvation Experiment by Todd Tucker  -- I really enjoyed this book much more than expected!  So interesting!

"In 1974, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of America estimated that about 70 percent of approved drugs had at some point been tested on prisoners.  With each disclosure, the public became less trusting of science and scientists. ... While the doctors maintained that their research was both necessary and ethical, the public couldn't help but notice that the test subjects almost always seemed to be among society's most vulnerable, like poor southern blacks, retarded children, the elderly, and the incarcerated." (pg. 197)

A few conclusions from the Great Starvation Experiment -- Keys noted that it "more closely duplicated anorexia than it did wartime starvation, in that conditions other than food intake, such as cleanliness and accessibility of medical care, were 'normal.'"  Plus there were no bombs flying over their heads like in war zones!   Also in terms of starvation "women seemed more durable than men" - this "data came from across the globe and was remarkably consistent."  Keys would later say this was the most significant finding of the study:  "The human body was very, very tough."  "Keys concluded that the human body was supremely well equipped to deal with starvation."  The mind, it seemed "surrendered first" yet still most of the men who started the experiment came out stronger than ever.  All went on to receive college degrees; among them they became college professors, school teachers, a college dean, an ambassador ...  (from pgs. 182 and 192)




The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman -- If you like World War II stories, animals and learning a bit about life in occupied Warsaw, you should read this book. I appreciated learning about the animals and even the Nazi appreciation for some (did you realize they were trying to reestablish extinct animals that were native of their region?).  This book has some humor, lots of bravery and interesting facts about Poland.  I appreciate the many brave Polish people who helped others.  Oh yeah, the zookeepers in this book hid Jews at the zoo. 




Ridiculous Packaging by Karen Favreau -- I saw this 142-page book in the biography section of my local library. I saw the author had briefly worked in the local library system and thought the other title of the book - Or, my long, strange journey from atheist to Episcopalian, in two acts - made it seem a bit more interesting. Especially since I read a book earlier this year about an Episcopalian who basically lost her faith. Weird how that works. So I read this while we were at the beach, made a mental note to google the author (to see if I recognized her) and found out she's dead!  Died of ovarian cancer in July 2010 at the age of 41.  (The book was published in 2005.)  In the book, she told how she'd grown up Catholic in Massachusetts and later abandoned her faith. She lived a pretty hard life during her college years, and later - gradually - came back to faith while living in North Carolina of all places. She went to UNC-Greensboro, worked briefly in my county (which is why I decided to see if I recognized her) and for a longer time with the neighboring public library system.  I enjoyed her book and am sorry to read that she is now dead.  (By the way, I did recognize her.)



Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder -- the story of Deo, a Tutsi from Burundi, as he flees genocide in his country, arrives in New York City with $200 and speaking no English.  Quite an inspiring book. I enjoyed reading about Deo's first days and months in the United States and what obstacle he encountered.  It made me more and more want to look out for strangers in my midst, especially ones who need friends and help.  May my eyes be open to those in need like Deo.  I am amazed by those willing to help - thank God for caring hearts.




What They Didn't Teach You About World War II by Mike Wright -- I found this at the library and really enjoyed many fascinating stories about WWII. The author covered such things as rationing, the role of women, the Holocaust, the treatment of POWs, the first nuclear test, submarines, weapons, censorship and much much more. I had fun sharing some of these things on Facebook as "any guesses" questions and trivia.

Germany doesn't want me to forget her

I went out to run errands for only a couple hours today, yet many things jumped out to make me remember our trip to Germany.

First I went by the Post Office. Nothing there except I mailed a letter to Germany.  One dollar five cents now. 

Next was the library, the first book that caught my attention was by Stephanie Deutsch.  I ended up getting two books on the Germany shelf instead. Well, they were on the shelf concerning World World II so ... Germany, right?*

I went by ALDI, a German company, to stock up on carrots and broccoli and a few other things.

Then at Walmart, I walked by the entertainment section, glanced up and "von Kaiser" was on a video screen.

Then, I was in the baby department (looking at diapers for Zach) when I heard a clip of "My Favorite Things" playing from a nearby music stand!

Seriously?!

As I noted on Facebook

Thanks to Germany and the 6 hour time difference, I think I am ready for Daylight Savings Time's loss of sleep for the first time ever. I've been awake before 5:30 the last three mornings - perfect!

I've only added a few pictures here, but if you want to see a few things from Germany, Prague or Salzburg, feel free to look.  You can even see my little German children, Uwe and Verena.  By the way, how would you pronounce their names? Uwe especially looks funny to me.  :)

I need to mow the yard. First time this year. Welcome Spring!


*  I haven't read any books so far this month, and I'm not really in the mood to do so.  Been trying to catch up on blogs and newspapers and Facebook stuff.

February Books

The day after Michael turned ten, Andrew and I left for Germany.  I didn't bother posting my February book list there.  Hope you all are well and maybe enjoying some warmer weather by now!  For sure it was much warmer here when we returned than our days in Europe. 



Breaking Up With God by Sarah Sentilles - "A love story" of how a lady seeking to be a priest ends up leaving God altogether when she realizes the God she wants to worship is nothing like the God in most church people's minds.  I could relate to a few things in this book, but overall not much.  I did think some of my online friends would relate to her struggle more. 

"The desert sky was filled with vultures circling. They eat what we leave behind. I imagined they found the remnants of my faith and carried it high. When I die, I would like to be reduced to bone by them. The closest we can get to resurrection is this: borrowed flight on black wings."  (pg. 179)




Inheriting Syria by Flynt Leverett -- this book talks about some of Syria's history with the Assad family; I saw that Bridget read it and put it on my Amazon wishlist. It gave me a better understanding of Syria. I would love to see it updated to include what is happening there now and even in the second term of GWB.



God Is Red by Vine Deloria, Jr  -- see previous posts


"The past history of the West is eloquent testimony to the fact that a universal religion crossing ethnic lines does not lessen wars; it tends to increase them until one particular ethnic group comes to dominate the religious beliefs of the whole group with its own cultural values."  (pg.  293)

"We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth as 'wild.' Only to the white men was nature a 'wilderness' and only to him was the land 'infested' with 'wild' animals and 'savage' people. To us it was tame.  Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.  Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families that we loved was it 'wild' for us.  When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the 'Wild West' began."  (pg. 90 - quoting Chief Luther Standing Bear)




The Good Women of China by Xinran -- In January I read a library book by this author about Chinese women who have given up children for adoption. This book is the author's first, and I found it at another local library.  Xinran tells the story of various women in China.  I am struck with how awful the lives of many women are in this world - incredibly sad!  Really interesting book if you like cultural tidbits and learning about women from other parts of the world. 




No Tears For Mao by Niu-Niu -- the story of a girl who grew up during the Cultural Revolution; see previous post

I enjoyed much of this book, but the ending wasn't my favorite.  It was quite interesting learning about Niu-Niu's childhood as she was separated from all her family except her grandmother. She talked about how she was treated as a child of "criminals" and about the loyal devotion of one friend in particular.  She shared of her camaraderie with gang members and how she stole due to her hunger. I vowed if I ever owned a restaurant that I would look around for children who looked hungry and give them food.  During a famine in south China, she told of the peasants moving into the city begging for food. They ate leaves and tree bark and in the city, rats and the paste used for propaganda posters.  One cultural aspect of when Niu-Niu traveled during college to Tibet was eye-opening. All the married men came to a big field, made loud noises to attract their wives who then laughed as they found their husbands. The men then dropped their pants, the wives took off their clothes and while everyone watched, they all made love.  Without television and movies, apparently this was their village's entertainment. Niu-Niu was shocked as Chinese people are often discreet about such private things.  Shoot, I would be shocked and I live in the USA where these things are shown on television every night.




Sky Burial by Blake Kerr -- After finishing medical school, the author and his lawyer friend go to Tibet to climb the mountain.  While there, they witness the Chinese government's mistreatment of the Tibetans, do some reporting on it and get to meet the Dalai Lama among other things.




Tell Them I Didn't Cry by Jackie Spinner -- Washington Post reporter shares about her ten months in Iraq; I enjoyed the stories of friendships made and cultural aspects, life with the Iraqi and American staff. 

"Americans do not seem as interested in facts as they are in the filtered news that reaffirms their beliefs or what their favorite pundits are repeating. In the face of hard evidence, if the evidence does not fit their politics, they will challenge the message and the messenger. I had no message to deliver from Iraq except what I saw, what I had experienced, and what I heard.  But for some of our readers, depending on the story of the day, I was either for or against the war, for or against the occupation, for or against our soldiers."  (pg. 172)

It's funny how so many of us don't want our views challenged by evidence (or whatever) because we are so adamant that what we believe is right and there is nothing left to learn from another perspective!



God's Guest List by Debbie Macomber -- this is a book I found on the new books shelf and I read it all in one afternoon. The author speaks of "welcoming those who influence our lives" and urges us to be attentive to the ones God brings into our lives whether they are parents, children, extended family, coworkers, strangers and so forth. She urges us to make positive impacts on others.