Capstone: UAE and India

"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."

~Jane Austen

After spending ten days in The United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and India (Mumbai) with 65 of my closest friends (truly), I'm excited to share some highlights with you. 

From the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to the Gateway of India in Mumbai, with my birthday in between, this was the capstone course for my Executive MBA program at The University of Utah, which I have been doing for the last two years (one of the reasons very little was posted on this blog in the last two years). We visited and toured many businesses in both countries and got to see a few of the sites too. So get ready for some pictures.

Girl Rising: Showcasing the Strength of the Human Spirit and the Power of Education to Change the World.

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom."

~George Washington Carver

Photo found here

Nelson Mandela once said that, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." So I heard about what looks like it will be a really cool documentary, GIRL RISING, and really wanted to go. It's a film about educating girls, and by doing so, changing the world.

If you're into documentaries, like I am, then you should check it out. The screening is June 10th, at the Water Gardens Spanish Fork 8 and tickets are just $10. Now that I bought tickets, as of this moment, there are only 41 tickets left to this special screening. Awhile back, there was a screening in Salt Lake, but I missed it and decided that the drive (or the Frontrunner train-ride, as it will be) would be worth it.

Click here to read more about it and buy tickets to this screening.

Also, here is a preview written up in the Salt Lake Deseret News. And another one by Public Radio International. Looks good, right? So come.

Here's the trailer.

 

Need to grab a tissue? Feel inspired? Well, go buy a ticket. See you there!

Thanks to cjanekendrick for letting me know about this screening.
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The Race Card Project: Oh my gosh. I'm white too.

"You may not control all the events that happen to you,

but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

~Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter

You may or may not have heard about The Race Card Project, an idea that began with Michele Norris, of All Things Considered fame, and her desire to take the nation's pulse on race and start a conversation. The idea was to think about experiences, questions, hopes, dreams, laments or observations about race and identity and then turn those thoughts into a six word sentence. Since she started, this has blossomed into a project that has piqued the interest of many, not only across The United States, but all over the world. It's a fascinating venture that is published on this website.

Some of the stories are funny, while others are heartbreaking. Some you'll be able to relate to, while others will make you uncomfortable. Fascinating to me, really. All in the name of understanding and having a conversations. I'm all for it. I mean, are not we all cousins anyway? Hey, that's six words... :)

You can even make your own "race card," which of course I jumped at the chance of doing.

So here's my submission, which has not yet been published on the site, maybe it never will be. I'm not sure. They must be reviewing thousands of submissions. Who knows. If Michele decides to publish it on the site, I'll update this post with a link. Cross your fingers!

Oh my gosh. I'm white too.
by Emery Smith, Salt Lake City, UT

I grew up in San Francisco where being a white kid in public school placed you in the minority. Most of my friends were Chinese, Japanese, Korean, black, or some mixed combination. We were like a mini U.N. With my very pale skin and light blue eyes, I was different. People would comment on how fair my skin was or how blue my eyes were. I felt noticed.

When I moved to Provo, Utah to go to college, I felt somewhat out-of-place in this "vanilla-city," full of so many "foreign" looking faces...that were white. One day, well into my freshman year, while walking down a very long hallway at school, I spotted a tall, very good looking black man at the other end. Immediately, I felt a connection and hoped that he would notice me too. As we walked towards each other, my thoughts turned to why I might notice him among the many faces in the crowded hallway. "Well, he's tall. {I'm 5'10", myself.} He's stunning. And, he's black. He's different." With my eyes glued to him, willing him to look up and notice me (the other "different" one in the crowd), I suddenly realized why he wasn't giving me a second look... "I blend in. I'm not different. I am lost in this sea of white faces. Oh. My. Gosh. *I'm* white, too."


(Oh and random piece of trivia for you today... Michele pronounces her first name MEE-shell.)
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A University of Utah Graduate, I Am.

"The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness."
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I've been meaning to write this post for over a month now, but at first I used the excuse of not having any photos (which was mostly true), but then I've just been sitting on it because I wasn't sure what to say. I guess I'm not sure it's entirely sunken in.

On May 6th, I graduated. I've been working (on and off, admittedly) on this degree for a very long time, and I'm finally done. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am and I'll just come out and say it, I'm pretty proud of myself. Historically, I've never been someone who does well at accomplishing things little by little. I haven't had the patience for it. I'm the one who stays up until all hours of the night to finish a silly project or to finish cleaning all the rooms in my house or maybe to clean out my closet or to clean out my files (oh, the stacks of papers I have...) or to write that all-important blog post... you know, things that can definitely wait until tomorrow or that should be accomplished little by little.

Well, this degree has come little by little. I've done it little by little. To say it's been a steady road would be lying. It's been hard at times, but plugging away knowing that there is light somewhere at the end of the tunnel (however far off it seemed) and having a bit of perseverance and patience is what it took. I suppose you could say just putting one foot in front of the other and just walking is what it took.

Doing something little by little while dealing with the mayhem of life is hard. But I can do hard things. And I did. A friend at church was congratulating me a couple of weeks ago and when I said something to the effect of, "I've learned in my life that I can do hard things," he chuckled and said, "Anyone who can spend winter in the northern latitudes of eastern Europe and emerge successfully to meet spring with a smile can do hard things." Wow. Isn't that the truth?!

I am a learner, always searching for new things to study up on, but completing my degree was a lesson in finishing what I've started. A lesson in forgiving myself of my shortcomings. A lesson in you're never too old to accomplish that which you want in your heart and work for with all your mind and strength.

My favorite number has always been 4. As you know, I'm into even numbers. But as I think about the date on which I received my degree, 5/6/11, I'm somehow led to really take an affinity to the odd number of 11. Class of 2011. 5+6=11. I know, it may seem silly to you. But I like it. 11.

Shep, Emery, and Marina.

All the members of my immediate family took time out of their lives (and money out of their pockets) to make the effort to be with me. That made me happy. I love them and am so grateful they were all there. They all were happy to make the weekend all about me, and that was kind of fun. You don't get that too often. :)

Mom, Nancy, Shep, Emery, Marina, Dad, and Stephen

I'll admit that I was smiley all day long, and even a little bit emotional during the ceremony. I did it. I persevered. I made it through the hard parts. And I worked full-time on top of it. I'm pretty happy to be a recent graduate, who already has years of professional experience under her belt. Life is good and the future seems even brighter.

Salt Lake City
6 May 2011

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Wild Cherry Steam Thing?

"I love argument; I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me; that's not their job."
~Margaret Thatcher

So what are your first thoughts after looking at this advertisement?

We spent forty minutes today, in one of my visual communication classes, discussing this advertisement. Debating ensued and the whole class was a bit riled up expressing opinions, which were met with more and more opposing arguments.

I believe that if I were flipping through a magazine and saw this ad, the image of the red washer and dryer would catch my eye first, and I'd think, "Oh, cool. Red washer and dryer." I love the color red. I enjoy "pretty things." I'd probably think that it would be cool to have a red laundry room. However, seeing as this particular advertisement was submitted for analysis of text/visual integration, I read the larger print first. My initial thought was, "Well, that's kind of stupid."

The larger text causes the reader to view the woman as rather dumb and silly because she calls the appliance, a "thing." Clearly she's not smart enough to know what the proper names for the appliances she "needs" are called. She clearly doesn't want/need the washer and dryer for it's effectiveness; she only wants it because it's pretty, which is why the discussion of the superior product qualities is in finer print.

I think it's pretty safe to assume, that often when we hear the phrase, "A woman has needs," the writer is referring to her sexual needs. And the following sentence, in the text, saying that she needs "this wild cherry steam thing," drives home the obvious intent to sell with sex. Wild. Cherry. Steam. Thing? Come on, now.

Now, for better or for worse, it's not the fact that the designer/writer of the ad was trying to sell the product with sex that irks me about this ad. It certainly pokes at stereotypes, but so does almost all comedy. I actually think that the play on words is clever and rather understated, due to the image of the woman who is pretty, but appears to look like your average American woman, with a little (very unnoticeable) smirk on her face. She could have been portrayed with an obvious smirk on her face, or bright red lipstick (matching the "wild cherry" color of the appliances), or in a more suggestive environment.

The thing that gets to me, is how instead of just coming across as a woman interested in sex, she just seems stupid. I recognize that they probably thought it was funny, but it just didn't sell me.

What do you think?

A few questions and thoughts to ponder (and leave comments on):

• Would your opinion of the advertisement change if the woman were a worn-out looking housewife? If so, how?
• What if she were wearing red lipstick to match the color of the washer and dryer, thus causing her to look a little more sultry in appearance?
• Would the ad be more or less effective (or offensive) if the woman had a definite smirk on her face (a nod to her understanding the witty/sarcastic text)?
• What if the ad said, "A man has needs...," and showed George Clooney with 5 o'clock shadow, frozen in mid-wink? Would this be more/less offensive or humorous?
• There's also the fact that LG named the color of these washers and dryers "wild cherry" and not just simply red...

What sells to you?

Image found on a Google search.

Did you know?

*Did you know that there is a sack of shoes in my closet that has been waiting to be taken to the shoe repair since October 2007? Yes, that's over a year.

*Did you know that in my basement food storage you will find 19 boxes of cereal and couscous? I clearly have a things with sales and double coupons. Is there a support group for addicted coupon users?

*Did you know that M brought me lunch today because I was a sick girl? (Or a sickie, as he calls it.) He's nice to me. I kinda like that man. It doesn't take much to make my day.

*Did you know that I have boxes of stationery and cards from my days working at "the paper shop," as my friend Kevin used to call it.

*Did you know that I was so sick and out of it that I nearly put the orange juice away in the cupboard the other day? My fever is finally gone today. Phew.

*Did you know that I've gotten 100% on all my tests so far in my math class?

*Did you know my favorite colors are red and blue? Okay, and black.

*Did you know Katie and I are going to Berlin for a week in March to visit these fun peeps? Yup, bought the tickets tonight.

That's all I got, folks.

The sign on the door of opportunity says PUSH!

I pushed.

Finishing my degree has been a goal of mine for some time. Finances have delayed my progress, but I've been slowly plugging away, one or two classes each semester while working full-time. But being on the 25-year plan was just not cutting it anymore. In order to get through more quickly, I knew that somehow I needed to find a way to attend school full-time. For the last year or so, I've been working to get myself in a finanical situation that would allow me to go back to school full-time, but wasn't sure how or when that was going to happen. Especially, how I was going to swing it with work.

This summer, some changes occurred at work that would allow me to shift responsibilities and I very clearly felt that this was "my time". I know 100% that this was Heavenly Father saying,"Go for it. Now is your time to go part-time and go back to school full-time." Hooray! So this week is my first week as a full-time student, working just part-time. There are so many wonderful things about that! I love being a student. I love the writing involved in all my classes. I love the new ideas I learn. I love always having "a thought to chew on", as my mom says. I love learning. I love relieving the burnout I have felt at work, by going part-time and reducing my responsibilities.

Now I'm not going to lie, living off half my salary and watching large sums of money come out of my bank account is a little scary. However, I'm not scared. I guess that's why I know this is the right decision for me. It feels good, sacrifices and all. So be prepared to hear me say that I don't have the money to go to this movie or that restaurant. I'm trying to be careful about all this, but I know it will work out in the end.

Seriously, this all just fell into place. I'd been praying for something to give... something to change. I'd been planning and preparing financially. Three months ago, I had no idea how or when I'd ever be able to devote more time to finishing up my degree and today? Today, I have arrived.