FIUTS CulturalFest – Travel the world in a day

CulturalFest is a great opportunity to be entertained, exposed to world culture and interact with students from around the world, all while supporting UW students and a long standing non-profit. CulturalFest is a collaboration of FIUTS (Foundation for International Understanding Through Students) and student leaders at the University of Washington (“FIUTS Student Board” )

CulturalFest is a day-long celebration of the diversity and vitality that international students bring to our region. CulturalFest features more than 30 interactive display booths produced by University of Washington students from countries around the world and a special performance night of global music and dance. CulturalFest is produced by the FIUTS Student Board, a student leadership initiative of FIUTS, the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students.

This year’s FIUTS CulturalFest is going to be extra awesome for the following reasons:

• It will be in Meany Hall, one of the region’s premier performance facilities.
  In the past few years the performance had been in the Ethnic Cultural Theater which holds very little audience. Each year the tickets are sold out in advance and people line up outside that evening hoping to sneak in for a peek. With a much bigger venue this year, not only can we accommodate more audience, the performers (such as the Husky Wushu Team) also have a much bigger stage to perform on.
• There will be a pre-show VIP reception, which includes appetizers and beverages, a silent auction, and access to exhibit booths.
  In the past, exhibitions are only available during the day (11 am – 1 pm) so many can’t attend (and can’t bring their children) because of conflicted work hours.
  The VIP reception provides an exclusive opportunity to preview the country booths in the evening before the performance, bid on unique silent auction items (such as canvas paintings of Hong Kong, accommodation and travel consulting for Bali, and exquisite Turkish tea sets) donated from supporters all over the world, and meet the performers while supporting UW students. Reception tickets also include admission and priority seating for evening performances!
• Tickets are available ONLINE!
  You can now buy tickets not just in person at the FIUTS office, but more conveniently, online! What can be better than that? * I’m super excited about this improvement *

CulturalFest will be on February 10 2011. Artist Reception & Silent Auction is 5:30-7:30pm, followed by Cultural Music and Dance Performance 7:30-9:30pm.

Buy tickets now!
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/browse.html?keywords=culturalfest

More information:
http://www.fiuts.org/educationoutreach/culturalfest.html

CulturalFest is sponsored by Team Diva, Zipcar, STA Travel, and the University of Washington Department of Global Health

Why support FIUTS?
FIUTS has done great work for over 60 years. I learned a lot as a student facilitator during the Fall International Orientations and as a Student Board member. I have also gained valuable insights and opportunity to help new students as a Homestay host.

Typical Seattle Weather

Typical Seattle ‘I cannot decide if I want to rain, shine, or snow’ weather.

Blue sky rules!!

It’s Sunny in Seattle!

Well, at least for now.

Major sun break, the sky is blue, the wind is chill (not piercing). Got a good dose of sun shine during my half hour canned clam chowder lunch. Mood is going upwards.

This morning it was still drizzling a bit here and there, wasn’t quite expecting sun shine at all. Also saw on the news that East coast is having its round of snow storm.

California Octuplets Mom

I’ve been seeing some news about this mom in California who gave birth to octuplets recently, while also caring for 6 older children from age 2 – 7. Finally had time to read more about the situation on the Associated Press and realize how seemingly ridiculous this is.

Nothing wrong with being 33, or single with children, but unemployed AND 14 children? The fact that Nadya Suleman is living on food stamp should have been clear enough a sign that she couldn’t afford her own living expenses, let alone taking care of 1 or more children. Even if she couldn’t think of this on her own, whoever agreed to do in vitro treatment with disability money should also have had concerns beyond money in their pocket. Have they not thought about how this lady would support the children that would result from the procedure, if she’s paying it with disability payments??

Her spokesman Mike Furtney asks for understanding and consideration for her situation. I don’t know why she is unemployed and that is irrelevant, but having more than 6 children by undergoing in vitro is clearly a decision she made and not by accident/ miracle. The very reason that she’s receiving death threat and pressure from the society is because in this country it is culturally unaccepted to keep children you can’t care for. That is why there are cases of “child abuse” where a child is not cared for properly and need to be put up for adoption. There is a system in place to ensure children been well cared for, be loved and fed and kept warm as they deserved.

Not only does she not have the money, she also doesn’t seem to plan on spending time on her 14 children and plan on continuing misuse of borrowed/ granted funds. Just as her children’s disability payment shouldn’t go to in vitro treatment, her student loan also shouldn’t go into supporting her children.

The right thing to do is to put them up for adoption.

Children are not a gambling game. Love may be a key component in nurturing children, but sufficient resource (time and money) is also crucial in raising a healthy family.