Sezinia

I hope somebody sues *you* for negligence and that Child Protective Services takes any other children you may have away from you. It also would help if you and everyone in your extended family would get sterilised, that way we don’t have to worry about any more of your children attending/dying at any more gun shows.

Sincerely,

Sezin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Posted in Huffington Post Comments | Tagged Death, Gun Control, Huff Po Comments, USA | Leave a Comment »

The Power Of Fear: Lessons From Ft. Hood

November 9, 2009 by Sezin

As a sidenote to the actual point of your blog, what I find disturbing about this story is the fact that after he shot all those people, the first thing the media started doing was talking about his “ideological” and “religious” motivations, presumably because he is Muslim. The next day a white man opened fire on his colleagues in Orlando and there was certainly talk that the man was crazy, but they did not mention his ideological/religious background at all.

But back to your topic of the power of fear, I struggle every day to really understand what brings someone to murder another. I can understand all of the theories behind it in an intellectual sense, their background, desperation, fear, trauma, but I do not know how they get to that point of actually pulling the trigger. Self-defense is the only thing that makes “sense” to me, but then when our lives are run by fear every little action of another’s can make us feel threatened.

My solution: Get rid of every single gun worldwide and put a moratorium on their manufacture. People might reconsider murdering if they actually have to get blood on their hands.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Posted in Huffington Post Comments, Trauma | Tagged Death, Huff Po Comments, Human Rights, Trauma, USA | Leave a Comment »

Chris Brown Wishes Rihanna Had Remained Silent About Beating

November 8, 2009 by Sezin

Dear Chris Brown,

You forfeited your right to privacy when you became a pop star. You also relinquished that right when you publicly beat the crap out of your also famous pop star girlfriend.

Maybe instead of wishing that Rihanna would keep her mouth shut about your abusive behaviour you should wish yourself off this planet.

Sincerely,

Sezin
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Posted in Huffington Post Comments, Women | Tagged Gender Issues, Huff Po Comments, Monsters | Leave a Comment »

Are Your Food Allergies Making You Fat?

November 7, 2009 by Sezin

Thank you, Dr. Hyman, for this brilliant post.

A month ago I was stricken by the worst abdominal pain I’d ever experienced in my life. At the time, my husband and I thought it was prolonged menstrual cramps, but when the pain persisted long after my period ended, we knew it was something else. I was always sensitive to wheat, and prolonged exposure to that and refined sugars were causing horrific abdominal inflammation.

I did a full de-tox and cut out wheat and processed sugars from my diet (again). I have lost 20 pounds of my 30-lbs-overweightness during this time, and now even my cravings are towards healthy foods, tofu, fruits, and veggies, rather than pizza, candy, etc. I feel fabulous!

I really appreciate that medical science is beginning to catch up with what our bodies are telling us, and I wish you all the best in promoting this “new” line of thinking.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Posted in Cleansing, Epiphanies, Health, Huffington Post Comments | Tagged Health, Huff Po Comments | 2 Comments »

The Summer of Missed Opportunities

November 7, 2009 by Sezin

In spite of its horrifying nature, I must thank you for this post, Ms. Sax. It is a testament to the woman-unfriendly world we live in that these disgusting crimes against humanity take place right under the authorities’ noses. It appears that women’s health and safety quite simply is not a general concern for men, who do tend to make up the majority of law enforcement workers as well as the perpetrators of brutality upon brutality.

How awful for all the people who tried to help the various victims you mention, and those who live around them. It would give me nightmares upon finding out that my suspicions were true, and not acted upon by those in power. I do hope that they will also seek trauma counselling to deal with the after-effects of what they witnessed near their homes and neighborhoods.

I also hope that one day women and children will not bear the brunt of this world’s violence and that law enforcement will start to properly act upon the tips of everyday citizens.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Posted in Culture, Huffington Post Comments, Politics, Trauma, Women | Tagged Gender Issues, Huff Po Comments, Human Rights, Trauma, USA | Leave a Comment »

A Love Letter to Anti-Gay Marriage Supporters

November 4, 2009 by Sezin

Dear Anti-Gay Marriage Supporters:

How many times *were* you dropped on your head as a child?

Sincerely,
Sezin

Posted in Love Letters | Tagged Gender Issues, Human Rights, Love Letters | Leave a Comment »

Why I Don’t Celebrate Halloween Like I Used To

October 30, 2009 by Sezin

Art by Beka - World Blog Surf Day, October 31, 2009

When I first moved to Europe going on seven years ago I was bummed that I felt they didn’t really celebrate Halloween, American style. Dressing up, spider webs, pumpkin carving, creepy music, Trick-or-Treating…Halloween was always my most favourite holiday. I love costumes and basically will use any excuse whatsoever to dress up. Movie premieres, themed outings, costume parties, for whatever little reason I can think of, I will happily put together a costume.

Just the other day I joyfully “dressed” as a witch and took the tram to the other side of town for the after-school program I run at an international school. (FYI: That was awesome! People waving, heads swiveling. The best part was when the kids at school said to me, “Miss Zuzu, you look like a real witch.” SCORE! )

When I lived in Switzerland/France/Spain/Czech Republic I was always the “American” organising Halloween costume parties. My friends thought it was an adorable novelty. I just thought, “Oh my God, we can’t say ‘no’ to dressing up!”

What took me some time to realise is that people in Europe do indeed celebrate “Halloween,” although not in the drunken-revelry-costumed American form.

Rather, the majority of Europeans celebrate a version of Halloween in its more respectful form of All Saint’s Day (November 1): A much more mellow and subdued holiday. Here in the Czech Republic (and Spain, and Switzerland, France, etc.), All Saint’s Day is a national holiday during which families will get together and place flowers, candles, gifts and other assorted sundries on the graves of their loved ones. How beautiful is that? So much better than a night of drunken, costumed, ass-hattery. Or maybe it’s that I’m getting older and milder in my tastes of a good time. Whatever. I think it’s lovely. Both how they celebrate November 1 and the fact that I’m growing up. So there.

One of my favorite places in Prague is Vyšehrad, the original 6th Century settlement of the city. There is an amazing cemetary up there where Mucha and other famous Czechs are buried. If you were to go up to the Vysehrad Cemetary, like, now, you’d see lots of votive candles placed on the ornate gravestones that could easily be considered a sculpture garden rather than a graveyard. All of the weeds have been pulled free. Bouquets placed lovingly in patterns. Women in black with scarves over their blond hair. A general air of loss expressed with love. Although I don’t know personally know anyone buried up there, around this time of every year I have this overwhelming urge to trek up the hill and leave votives, flowers and art on a grave. Or several. Maybe one year I will do it. Stay tuned.

The longer I live in places where November 1 is a sacred day, a day to reflect on our losses, pay our respects to the dead, and believe that the Spirits still walk among us knowing how much we love and miss them, the more inclined I am to quiet myself down come today. Lovingly remember all of those I have lost, to death and otherwise. A day to think about the various parts of myself that have been shed, easily and painfully, in due course or out of the blue. This is a day to return to myself, put my life in perspective, and understand how I am to move forward.

We’ve all got losses for which we must grieve every now and then. Who, Dear Reader, do you light candles for on All Saint’s Day? If someone you lost would dress up today, what would be their costume? When was the last time you felt a beloved Spirit? I would really love to know. Wishing you a blessed All Saint’s Day. xoxo

This blog is part of the Expat’s World Blog Surf Day. The next blog in the series on our favorite local custom is by Ricky Yates. Just in case the link to any of the articles is broken, you can find the complete link list at Czech off the Beaten Path. Follow and enjoy!

The Twitter journalist for this edition of World Blog Surf Day is Karen, an American expat blogger last seen in Prague. The Wall Street Journal said, “Her blog makes a fun read for anyone looking for reassurance that change can be a wonderful thing–and also for anyone interested in visiting the Czech Republic.”

Posted in Culture, Death, Epiphanies, Magic, Mourning, Places, Prague, Signs, Third Culture Kids, Travel | Tagged Death, Mourning, Prague, Spirits, Spirituality | 17 Comments »