Baby is here!

Sorry for the lateness in post - baby is here!

She arrived, Saturday, Jan 22nd at 12:30am, after 14 hours of labor (joy). She weighed in at 6lbs 4ounces and 20 inches.

Mommy and baby are doing fine, though I'm rather in zombie mode and am worried all the time about everything for the baby.

Probably won't blog as regularly for the time being. Hugs and love, Virginia Gal

Cooking Utensils

Watched the Golden Globes on Sunday with mum, as she is in town for the baby's birth (though it really doesn't seem like baby wants to come anytime soon, which is rather frustrating as I would LOVE for both of my parents to be here for the birth of their first grandchild, but I suppose these things can not be predicted and they don't have unlimited vacation. Sigh).

I enjoyed the show and thought Ricky Gervasis was hilarious! I noticed many of the entertainment news shows were very critical of Gervasis's commentary during the show but I thought he was great! Certainly, he took shots at the Hollywood stars, but so what - did people expect him to only make jokes about cooking utensils?

I love how these Hollywood types get so upset when the jokes are about them, especially at this lovefest the Golden Globes. No sense of humor and really, all Gervasis was saying was the reality - I guess they like to be mollycoddled into thinking they are really are special people who deserve, no, are entitled, to being treated better than other human beings - by default of their Hollywood status. I am glad Gervasis took them down a few pegs!

Enough of my caterwauling, overall I thought the show was good, glad it ran within the time limits so I could catch the second episode of Dowton Abbey on Masterpiece Theatre!

Still Here!

Just an update, no baby yet : ) Grandmom's are here but baby has decided she is not ready to make her grand appearance! Hope all are well!

Murder of Salman Taseer

No baby news, but any day now, went to the doctor's today and he said my water could break any minute, which would be awesome, I'm so ready.

I have to write about the tragedy that happened in Pakistan, the murder of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab (a state in Pakistan). This horrible incident exemplifies the extent of intolerance that has become the norm in Pakistan. Salman Taseer became a target by Islamic right wing zealots when he stood against Pakistan's antiquated blasphemy laws. He spoke out against the trial of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who has been accused of speaking against the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), which is against the law in Pakistan. He was shot to death by one of his bodyguards, while the rest of the bodyguards looked on. The killer said he had to do it because Taseer was against the blasphemy laws.

When I think of blasphemy laws, I think of the Salem Witch Trials, when ignorance and fear ruled the day, ignorant thinking. I have to agree with the late Mr. Taseer, these laws are backwards and not the mark of a modern country. As a Muslim I am unclear why these laws even exist. So what, if someone says something against the Prophet (pbuh) or make a comic strip- these things are not going to affect my faith. I am unclear why the religious right get so afraid of free speech, is your faith so fickle? What purpose does a blasphemy law serve exactly?

Some Pakistani's openly rejoiced at this assassination and that is what is even more tragic. This shows me that the extremists are winning in Pakistan. Instead of moral outrage throughout the country, many Pakistani's think this killing was not only permissible but right. What the heck?! Not that I'm surprised, as an Indian, with a grandfather who was virulently anti-Pakistani, I don't have high opinions of the country of Pakistan overall. They tend to be highly insecure in their religious identity, with some sort of inferiority complex to Arabs. But this incident really disgusts me, particularly the support by so many people to the killer, showering him with rose petals as he is arrested...what?! And that dog of a man killer has the audacity to smile as he is lead to jail, sick, sick, sick.

All of this just bothers me as Muslim. I love my faith, in its true origins it gives me peace and tranquility. I don't need to prove to any human being my devotion to Islam, only God will judge me. Yet, it feels like these right wing people are just taking the religion over. I want to lend my voice for opposition to these acts, this is not Islam! Islam its not about persecuting minorities in Muslim countries (what hypocrites by the way, as the Prophet, pbuh, did not allow that at all, read your Islamic history you stupid idiots!) be they Coptic Christians in Egypt or a liberal voice such as Salman Taseer's. This whole thing just makes me outraged.

It just gets weirder

I am missing my snowy weather that is going on back East, so I've uploaded this image of a nice winter day in my beloved Copenhagen.

I have to follow up on my job situation. I put in my letter of resignation yesterday. It was a weight off my shoulders, especially since the baby could come any day now and I wanted to make sure this loose end was tied up.

But things here just get weirder and weirder. I gave the director of the department my letter of resignation since my boss is not in this week (school starts on Monday, this is the last few days of holiday - boo!) However, I wanted to make sure that HR also knew about my intent. Unfortunately, the HR guy for the campus just happened to leave on Tuesday for another job. I asked a fellow administrative assistant who has been with the company for a long time, who I should go too in lieu of an HR person. She provided me with a name, the business director of this campus.

I emailed this gentleman with my letter of resignation, soley for the purpose of making sure there was no paperwork I had to fill out regarding my leaving. He replied back, but cc'ed my boss, the department head and the acting head of the campus (the top person here).


Two hours later, this head of the campus came down to see me. She was upset. She wanted to know why I had emailed the business director. I told her that I had been advised by the administrative assistant who works in her office. She tersely told me, "you shouldn't have done that, you should have emailed me. The business director shouldn't have been told." and than she abruptly left. Um....what? Okay....first of all, what the heck? Why is this a problem? I'm unclear. Second, why would I email the head of the campus, it would be like emailing the CEO, I would figure that my department head, who reports to her, would tell her in person. Why would I even think to email her. I am an admin, I email a fellow admin. Third, why would you come down to see me about this situation - I'm leaving and than why would you behave that way, getting all upset, instead of speaking rationally? Why do you even care that I am leaving, I've only been here for three months - whats the big deal?

This whole place is just a hot mess as my friend Christina says. Where is the professionalism? Maybe I was spoiled at non-descript airlines, but people generally didn't act this way. I would never have gotten reamed out by the Senior VP of HR, he would have had my director do it. I would never have thought to give my letter of resignation to the Senior VP in any case, how strange!

This woman is the acting head of the campus and she behaved that way - what?! To me that was just unprofessional. What do you think?

Perhaps it is just the change of settings, this is an educational institute vs. non-descript airlines, which is a business. Maybe people in business know how to act as professionals and this is not the same behavior expected in educational situations?? I mean, from my immediate boss to this head of the entire campus acting in this manner just shocks me. I am glad I am leaving, I can't work in this upside down world, it is just too weird.

Happy New Year!

At this stage in my pregnancy, I'm finding that I get tired super easy and that is the excuse I'm using for why I have not been updating my blog as regularly as I should be…sorry!

I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year, sadly, I puckered out by 11pm and sent my husband on to a party, so at least he could enjoy. I was content to just go to sleep (smile). Speaking of sleep, anyone have tips on how a nine-month pregnant woman can sleep better? My shape is making it hard to really stay sleeping, I end up getting up at least twice a night, should I use pillows all around? Tips most welcome!

I've been following the going-on's in the Ivory Coast with fascination. It is rather a sad situation and yet sometimes when I listen to the news I just have to laugh. To recap, Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president, lost. But, he refuses to step down. A variety of sources have confirmed this, but Mr. Gbagbo refuses to believe or concede. This makes me laugh in a way…it is such anathema to what we believe here in America. If you lost and the powers that be, the election commissions, the outside fair election coalitions, the Supreme Court, verify this, in America, the loser, graciously steps down. But Mr. Gbagbo is saying, "no, I refuse to step down." Its like a little child, just refusing to get out of the sandbox. And in a trait shared by all power hungry personalities like Mr. Gbagbo, he is saying that he is only staying in power because of the security of his country – mind you his denial to step down is THE reason there is tension and a potential for civil war in the Ivory Coast. These power hungry people cloak their selfish behavior in psedu-altrustic terms to convince themselves that they are not the monsters that they really are (this is a common tread I read about in all dictators). I suppose, ultimately what I would like to know is what does the world do when a leader refuses to step down??

Another thing on my mind was a debate I heard the other day on the radio about American pediatrician's performing faux female circumcisions. The radio host was naturally against it but I am not so sure. If a person is from those parts of the world that believe in female circumcision, to the extent that they would go to an American pediatrician to request it, I think its better if that doctor performs a faux female circumcision (in this case just giving the girl a nick in that area, so the parent's will see bleeding, but no actual circumcision). My thinking is if the American doctor doesn't do this "act" these parents will just take the child back to the home country and get it done there and we know from evidence that in those cases its going to be the real thing, scarring and damaging the child permanently. What do you think??