Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Identity - Religious, Ethnic, Linguistic?

!#8# Identity - Religious, Ethnic, Linguistic?

This past Sunday, my husband Teo and I attended the 5th annual Atlanta Arab Festival. Sponsored by the Alif Institute and the Arab American Women's Society of Georgia, the festival afforded attendees a wonderful mélange of Arabic food from Morocco, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon as well as Arabic music, arts and crafts, shopping at a charming souk, and several exhibitions focusing on past and present Arab intellectual achievements and Arab history in the United States.

After having a fabulous lunch of Moroccan and Palestinian fare, Teo and I wondered around the festival talking to the many festival goers and organizers. We spent some time at the dessert booth relishing in the decadent array of Arabic sweets and talking to Helen and Widad-members of the Arab American Women's Society of Georgia which was responsible for the fabulous assortment of popular Arabic sweets. I was particularly taken with the homemade basbousa, a semolina cake soaked in sweet syrup and kissed with a delicate essence of rose water.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this festival and what it has to do with religion? Well bear with me and let's enjoy the rest of the tour before getting to the serious stuff. After dessert (I bought some basbousa to go), Teo and I went to see the exhibition located inside of the Alif Institute. Upon entering the exhibition, we immediately encountered wall posters listing prominent American-Arabs such as Salma Hayek, Ralph Nadar, Tony Shalhoub, George Mitchell, John Sununu, Spencer Abraham, Helen Thomas, Marlo Thomas, Bobby Rahal, Paul Anka, Paula Abdul, and Shakira. The exhibition also provided a historical tour of Arab achievements in science, math, and technology, along with examples of the fine Arabic artwork from various countries. Beautiful glassware from Iraq, Eastern Orthodox Christian Icons from Lebanon, and inlaid furniture from Syria were prominently on display. One of the most poignant exhibits honored the four generations of the Najjar family who had proudly served in the U.S. military. Aside from the exhibits, the Alif Institute provided a range of learning activities for children and adults.

During the tour of the exhibit, as I spoke to many of the attendees, it occurred to me that in celebrating Arab history and culture, this festival had managed to transcend the religious conflict that so often grasps our attention on the nightly news. I was surrounded by Muslim, Christian, and secular Arabs who had put aside their religious differences to celebrate their cultural/ethnic identity. Unfortunately, Americans are often unaware of the religious and ethnic diversity that exists in the Arab world but fortunately, the Alif Institute did an amazing job organizing and presenting this diversity to festival goers, Arab and non-Arab alike. According to the festival program, the Alif Institute determines Arab identity according to spoken language-not ethnicity.

"Arabs are diverse peoples who live in 22 nations: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco,, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The word "Arab" embraces more than 300 million multiethnic and multiracial Arabic-speaking peoples living in these countries. In addition to language, Arabs are unified by cultural and historical roots traceable to Abraham and Shem, the eldest of Noah's three sons, as well as the great Semitic migrations originating from the Arabian Peninsula that led to the rise of the Assyrians, Arameans, and Canaanites."

Of course, Arab identity is much more complicated and cannot simply be defined by a common language. Arabs almost always hold multiple identities at once such as: Syrian, Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Shia, Sunni, Catholic, Melkite Catholic, Coptic, Jewish, and secular Arab. Collective identity can be accessed not only through language but via religion, stories, history, tradition, politics, ideology, commemoration of events, or a simple celebration of one identifying factor which temporarily overrides religious, ideological, or political differences. The Atlanta Arab Festival drew Christian, Muslim, and secular Arabs together to celebrate the rich tapestry of Arab identity and achievements. I applaud their efforts and look forward to attending next year's event.

This brings me to the questions of the day: As the United States is most probably the most ethnically, racially, religiously, and linguistically diverse country in the world; what factors form our cohesive identity? Or-is the political and religious divisiveness so prominent in America today emblematic of a lack of unifying factors?


Identity - Religious, Ethnic, Linguistic?

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Garage Organizing Ideas

!±8± Garage Organizing Ideas

Imagine an organized garage for a moment. What do you see?

More play time because you have easy access to your toys?

Easy home repairs because you know where the tools are?

Never having to scrape ice or snow off your windshield?

Excitement for your new garden because all your supplies are ready to go?

Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it! You will be amazed how much an organized garage will influence your daily life.

PURPOSE Before we begin, I suggest you take time to explore what the purpose of your garage is for you and your family. Write down all the purposes and keep them handy.

Is it to park your cars? Toys (adult and kid)? Storage? Recycling? Sports? Home repair? Band practice? Workout area? All of the above?
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS Here are some general guidelines to follow when working in the garage.

Label on at least 3 sides - This allows you to rearrange the bins/boxes and you will always know what is inside. Only stack like items together and only two high. This allows you to get things easily AND put them back. Do it on a nice day so you can bring out items to create space in your garage for sorting. Plan to get dirty. Have snacks and refreshments available. Make it easy to get in and out of the garage (ie: path, key-less entry, etc.) Find out about your city dump: when is it open? what is accepted? Create a path for lawn mower, snow blower, trash, etc. Do NOT store photos, movies, or any items that like room temp. Properly store hazardous waste. Take a pre-organizing snap shot to see what is naturally collecting where. Maybe this is where the new home needs to be? Evaluate if it is worth it. It is tempting to go out and buy new shelving and storage bins before we even begin. However, it is worth taking time to evaluate if the items you are wanting to store are even worth the potential hundreds of dollars you are going to spend just to keep them. I know, that is a tough one to swallow. Just think, this could be a huge money (and space) saver if you decide to let go.
ZONE Zoning is the best way to think about your space. Looking at your "purpose" list mentioned above, you will be able to see what zones are needed. You may also want to map out your garage with the zones in mind so you have an idea of the best home for each area. Here are some suggestions of potential garage zones.

Seasonal: Could include holiday decorations, winter sports, summer sports, etc. Tools Sports: You may want to break this into mini-zones based on the sports you participate. Maybe even create zones for the different seasons. Gardening Car: This can included car maintenance or car wash supplies. Camping: We have a bin for back-packing and car camping. It is a lot more fun to get ready for camping when you know it only takes 10 minutes to load the car! Recycling Yard Sale: Only have this zone if you are seriously going to have a yard sale soon.

Now that you have your zones, create a space outside in your driveway or yard to allow the sorting process.

You will also want to include items for donation, trash, or recycle. Once sorted, you can bring each zone into their new home.

ODD SOLUTIONS In my research for this article, I found a few odd solutions that I thought you would enjoy.

Toilet paper holder for big rolls of tape Shoe bag for items that would get lost in a "junk drawer" or even gardening tools Kitchen cabinets for storage Hampers to hold bats or other sports equipment
CHECK FOR ENERGY DRAINERS Make a list of the energy drainers in the garage. Is it a squeaky door? Not enough lighting? Decide which one you will act on first and feel better about your space immediately!

GARAGE FURNITURE My hubby, DeWayne, said that one of the benefits of living with a professional organizer is my immediate support for garage furniture. We made sure it was the modular kind that allows us take it when we move and freedom to rearrange the garage. I highly recommend finding garage furniture that you will love using. A garage is just like any other room of the house. Isn't it time we treated it like it?

BONUS I urge you to not forget about your garage and make it another pocket of order in your life so you really can live in all of your space. And here's the bonus...you can apply anything and everything you learned about your garage to the rest of your home.


Garage Organizing Ideas

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Marlo Mahogany Left Corner Chaise Sectional

!±8±Marlo Mahogany Left Corner Chaise Sectional

Brand : Ashley
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Post Date : Nov 05, 2011 17:00:34
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The inviting contemporary style of the Marlo Mahogany Sectional Sofa by Ashley Furniture uses rich faux leather upholstery and a plush comfortable design to create the perfect addition to any living environment. The dark brown faux leather upholstery surrounds the plush pillow back design and supportive seating cushions to make this sectional the ultimate in relaxing comfort. With the rich finished tapered block feet and stylish nail head accents adoring this furniture, the "Marlo-Mahogany" upholstery collection is sure to enhance the beauty and comfort of any home.

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