This is a picture I took of a picture of the NY Times 10/23/07
by Kamran Jebreili

Title:

First Lake Helps to Fight Stigma On Breast Cancer

Hace quatro meses desde que hice mis observaciones en la escuela por la calle Elmwood que se llama Herman Badillo. Me encantó esta escuela bilingüe. La única cosa que yo hice fue ayudar a los estudiantes leer el inglés. Todos eran respetuosos aun los que no tenían ganas de leer.

Una de los estudiantes míos era puertorriqueña y ella me enseño una palabra de español. Bochinchera. Significa según ella, una que le gusta platicar los negocios de los demás con otras personas.

¡No sea una bochinchera! Ni una jamona como se dice de las mujeres que quedan solas todas sus vidas. El peor de todas sería una bochinchera jamona ;) ¡No sean bochincheras jamonas nunca!

La escuela Herman Badillo sufría de una mala nota del estado el año pasado. La política de No Child Left Behind es la política de capitalistas que no piensan en el futuro de nuestros jóvenes. Gracias a Bush por este horror y por crear un sistema que es aun más peor. Un regalito a la industria de libros estudiantiles y los que hacen los exámenes.
Parecía a mi que quatro años anteriores que todo el mundo estaba opuesto a la opinión mía y que esta política ayudaría a los pobres y minoridades mejorar sus notas y cortar la distancia entre las clases. No se puede juzgar la política por los títulos superficiales de los políticos.

Vean mi diario anterior si quiere compartir sus pensamientos con nosotros.

    Deseo que haya más blogs y diarios en español. Sé que hay algunos que hablan las dos lenguas que ya son miembros de estrip. Los que pueden, por favor ayuden me en mis esfuerzos. Si tuviéramos múltiples blogs y diarios en español, otras personas que solamente hablan en español encontrarán el sitio también por las búsquedas como google y yahoo. Porque esta comunidad es diversa, debemos extender nuestras manos a toda la población. Si alguien requiere ayuda en abrir una cuenta con estrip y no sabe cómo hacerlo manda me un mensaje por correo electrónico a dabedeh@yahoo.com

    Voy a tratar usar palabras claves que incluye "Buffalo", para qué gente en esta comunidad nos encontrará. Igualmente, voy a pensar más en eventos en Buffalo en cual hispanos generalmente estarían. Es importante que estas terminas claves aparezcan en el titulo de la jornada para generar más "hits" en las búsquedas.

Bienvenidos a todos que vienen.

¿(e:oda) estás?

Today I had to pull a pigeon out of my friends chimney. The poor thing was stuck there for a long time and was caught in the fluke. I pulled a muscle in my leg contorting in new positions trying to get him out. I put on rubber kitchen gloves, but he didn't even try to bite me. He actually seemed relieved that I was helping him. Once we got him outside he flew up on to the roof. From there he flew to my own roof a few doors down. Poor thing...such trauma.

I love my job. Almost everyone who calls is just so appreciative. Why not be appreciative of free support to quit smoking? The Spanish speaking clients are fun too. I think that they are super appreciative that I struggle to communicate with them. My last caller was like "Oh you speak so well." even though I am struggling from time to time. Everyone of them has thanked me a million times and has been very patient. I really, really like to be shown appreciation for what I do. If I don't get at least some appreciation, and I feel that I deserve it, I get kind of bitter.

Sometimes I even think that in some of the work I have done in the past that my employer will refuse to say thank you or to say that I did a good job, because that would in some way cause me to not work as hard or something. The mentality where they think "I'm paying you so I don't have to say thank you". Obviously they don't have to, but in the situations where my employer has shown gratitude other than in monetary value I am much happier. It doesn't even take that much either. I'm not needy and don't need to be thanked constantly, just occasionally. It's not that I work less if someone is condescending or shows lack or respect or didn't show that they cared about my concerns, its just that I won't want to work for you anymore, so if you really want to keep me you wouldn't do those things. Might I add that it helps if you do NOT willingly make me a part one of your sick and twisted S&M fantasies involving Mulder and Scully and Harry Potter... IS that too much to ask?!

Anyways, I have been meaning to talk about how much I like helping people and how much good will I feel towards Roswell for treating me well in return. My co-workers all seem nice and respectful too. I put some photos I took this summer in my cube. It was nice to make a cube look better and not so gray. I plan on rotating them with different ones too spice it up a bit.

The lake is at a record high temperature today. It is 67 degrees today with an average of 62 for 10/07.

My rabbit is shedding non-stop. This is very unusual at this time of the year. It is driving me crazy. I can't keep this tiny apt clean even though I clean it every week. His hair and hay eventually cover the entire square footage of the house by the end of the week. Maybe I'll hire someone to clean it.

I really like this weather, but at the same time I know it has very real consequences. Less than a week away and we had the October storm. I can't deal with that again. Anyways, it isn't just one particular day that has me worried, it is the consistency of the heat.

The storm last night is more typical of August weather. It was nice, but it lasted forever. I really couldn't sleep. My bed is right under a window and with the heat I couldn't bear to close it. That is one of my fears, getting struck down by lightning that comes through a window.

The air was not very breathable today. It was actually kind of gross and I had another hard day breathing. It wasn't ozone according to airnow.gov. It was particle matter. This was their warning for today that continues into tomorrow.

Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.

I suppose I am one of those unusually sensitive people that can smell toxins and pollutants in the air when a lot of other people don't notice. Personally I think the air is worse than their testing shows. I think their is something in the air here that isn't measured in in their tests, but nonetheless is pretty stank. I don't think that their is one particular source but really just a mixture of toxins from different factories that mingle with each other and create a nauseating cloud.


Sources

Our view wasn't quite what I had expected or what I think I exactly paid for, but Niagara Falls with (e:mike) was great. We so deserved to do something like this together.

This is the actual view.



The room was advertised with this picture



The casino and it's parking garage would be a more appropriate picture for the room.



The bed didn't stay made for too long. Sorry I didn't catch it before.



Perspective from bed.



Mike using his new camera.



Watching TV for a quick minute.



I loved this view from bed at night. It is such a classic hotel view for hookers and addicts.



When I got home to Buffalo the sky looked like this. When the sky is super cloudy like this; it seals in all of the factory pollutants and It smells really bad. Does anyone else notice the same thing? I think that I'm supersensitive to it because nobody else knows what I'm talking about. As I write this it is raining, but it doesn't smell bad, it smells fresh. Yet, when it a day like this in the picture, I start to feel a little sick.



My friend Julie following me in the car. We went to Ruby Tuesdays which I think is my new favorite chain restaurant. They have the best salad bar and I also guiltily enjoy their mini hamburgers. The Mojitos are actually better than they are in Cuba.




Really the trip was for me, because I wanted so much to be alone with Mikey. We really had a good time.

Today we broke a high temperature record. The last highest temperature happened in 1902 or 1907 I think and that was only 82. Today it was 87.

I love storms.

Central Terminal isn't as fun when it's legal. We made lots of friends at the Blogtoberfest as you can see here.

I spent $19 at the terminal for like an hour long of pure fun and good times.

$10 entrance fee-includes 1 beer
$6 for 3 Pierogies
$3 Central Terminal drinking glass for (e:mike)

Seeing other bloggers...priceless.

With all my money they should have it restored in no time.


Thanks for the party (e:theecarey). The fire was beautiful. It was nice to be able to see the stars.

Working at the quit line make me want to smoke so much. It is torture. I haven't had strong cigarette cravings like this in so long. Why does hearing people hack up a lung from smoking for so many years make me want to smoke?

I sort of know the answer:

1) This is a return to my old smoking environment. (The call center)

2) Smokers are stressful.

3) I'm not used to being inactive and without windows to outside environment. (I'm used to very high physical demand over the last 7 years)

4) People are smoking as they are calling us.

5) I'm still and always will be an addict.

6) I need to apply the techniques the quit line recommends such as having a plan for the situations in which my addiction is triggered. I also need to recognize what triggers my own cravings.

7) Talking about smoking reminds me of how much I loved cigarettes even though they made me so unhappy.

8) I'm dealing with multiple changes at once.

9) It makes me nervous that parts of my job is a real challenge for me. The bilingual calls are really freaking me out. Even though I know I can do it, I also know that I have difficulties in this area. It is a lot of pressure.

10) Cigarettes are a stimulant and I really could use that to get through listening to 8 hours of other people talk on the phone (I'm still in training).

I swear (e:drew), I had no intention of doing a top ten list. It was probably the most therapeutic thing I could have done and now I will recommend it to my clients.