EURO 2008

I love the fact that soccer (yes i know football) has been on continuously and ESPN (and ESPN2) has been covering most of the games. I am so excited, it sure fills up the monotony that I now know as my life! So big news, which I love is TURKEY is going to the semis!! The sad (and depressing) thing is the two teams I wanted to see in the finals, Portugal and Netherlands, were defeated. So, right now its anyone's tournament... sure as hell surprised me. I was unable to watch the majority of Friday's Portugal (lost to Germany, Ronaldo: remember the time Germany almost was elimated?) game and today's Netherlands (Russia won!?!? Where were your Van Nistelrooy?) game due to yard sale madness (I'll tell later) but I will be sure to catch it on ESPN360.com to get the full story of these uspets (in my eyes). So... Spain v. Italy and Turkey v. Germany... I want a Spain/Turkey final personally. Soccer has provided much entertainment (once again) in this time of need (I've become a bit OCD and have began to clean... alot). I LOVE IT!

YENGI TURKIYE! (i think)

check it!

So, along my travels of doing nothing all the time it seems like, I've come across some very interesting/intriguing things. I have a undying obsession with Buckminster Fuller (architect, designer, inventor, visionary-the creator of the geodesic dome) and I came across these magnificent bowls by Peter Hils- the Cut'n Go Bucky Bowls. I love and want it dearly (hint, hint). It's fresh and it folds flat, what more could you want in a bowl? (buy it here) Oh and isn't it beautiful?



and for more awesome stuff, there's always ROMP which has the coolest crap I've seen. "ROMP is about play – from play with toys to play in the design of our homes."

UISP

You never really know what something is like until you experience it.
That's how I feel at least. Sometime in the Fall semester, I received notice that I had been nominated to be in the University International Scholars Program. Not knowing what this was, I went to the interest meeting. This was in fact the chance of a life time, an awesome proposal to be apart of this group (after an application and interview process) which would travel abroad in May 2008 to Tunisia and Istanbul, Turkey. I basically did everything in my power to become a member of this group and after a much anticipated decision, I was chosen. I could say that I was going to Tunisia and Turkey.
The group met weekly with our fearless leaders, Jim and Marcella (aka Black Diamond), during our 11-1 free session. During this time we learned about stuff, mainly Islam and how it is practiced in the countries we were to visit and here in the U.S. We also went on a weekend bonding retreat in Buckeysville (or Buckeystown), MD so we could get to know each other better (and the elders knew we could be trusted/get along). It was a high ropes course in the middle of bumblefuck (which is located just west of English Muffin Way). We stayed at a Christian retreat camp in a creepy farmhouse, but I made it out alive. We basically did trust/bonding/getting to know each other exercises. Overall it was a good time, and it was something we needed, because honestly, no one knew anyone else. After the trip we were a group, UISP to be exact. Another prerequisite to the trip was community service- 20 hours. As a group we decided to do a 420 hour fast, each of us would fast 36 hours, in order to raise money for a mosque with a food program in Philadelphia. We all did it, raising over $1400.