Gary & Gonzo: The Mystery of a Betta's Disappearing Snail

Gonzo

About 8 months ago I was given a baby snail by a coworker.  With care, I transported Gary home to move in with Grover, my gregarious, and always hungry, Betta fish who resides in a mansion of a five gallon heated tank.

Gary hanging out

For the first month or two, Gary would move around mansion's glass walls.  For weeks at a time Gary would sit in one spot.  Sometimes I would wonder if he was even still alive.  One day I pondered this aloud, and the very next day there was Gary doing acrobatics on the foot (or fin?) bridge (you know what they say, sonic hearing those snails, well that's what they should say anyway). 

Well, about a month and a half ago I noticed Gary migrated to Gonzo's blue plant.  Gonzo loves his plant. It's his turf.  He will hang there for literally hours. Then, one day about a few weeks ago I noticed that Gary's shell was getting more and more transparent, and I began to wonder if Gary had perhaps moved out.  Seeing no evidence of a new shell, I had a sinking feeling. 

Recently, Gary's shell floated to the side of the tank, and in fact, Gary is no more (RIP Gary).  <hey, how did Gary's shell move from plant to side of tank anyway?>

The question is, did Gonzo, my beloved-always-greets-me (and not just for food, I like to imagine)-Betta, (gasp) off 

Gonzo enjoying a swim

Gary?  Or, did Gary die of natural causes?  Am I housing a murderer, and by extension does that make me one?   

Well, we may never know, but let us take a moment of silence for Gary, the best snail that ever was. 

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleregna/spirit-animal#.vwwrWBLxlP

Blog Action Day : Raise Your Voice for Congo

Since 2007 Blog Action Day has been bringing voices, simultaneously, together around one theme to share collective stories from around the world.

It's a global conversation, if you will.  This year's theme is Raise Your Voice. I think it's important to have global conversations, and further I think it's important to appreciate that in every corner of our world we are all connected in ways that are obvious and also not so obvious. 

Fall of 2011 is when I first felt compelled to Raise My Voice. Thankfully, living in the United States, I am free to do so.

2011 Solo Fundraiser

 

So, what exactly happened in 2011?  Well, it's simple really, I read a series of books. I've always had a special place in my heart with regard to understanding, well maybe understanding is not the correct word, but I've always been drawn to reading about not only the Holocaust, but genocide in general.  In 2011 I stumbled upon a book called Not on Our Watch by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle, which discussed their mission to end genocide in Darfur and beyond.  This lead me to read the Devil Came on Horseback by Brian Streidle, whose brave efforts led to the world even learning that the genocide in Darfur was taking place.  From there I then read Prendergast and Cheadle's second book, The Enough Moment, which outlines the worst human rights crimes in Africa.  

It was while reading The Enough Moment that I had my own personal enough moment.  When I read the chapter about conflict minerals sourced from eastern Congo where the world's largest death toll since WWII had been taking place, and yet not many have even heard of the conflict, that something awakened inside of me.  I was angry.  I was sad.  I was horrified.  I had to Raise My Voice. And Iv'e never stopped since.  

I then read A Thousand Sisters written by a local activist and author in my community, Lisa Shannon.  Like myself, she had a personal stirring inside and Raised Her Voice when she first learned of Conflict Minerals while watching an episode of Oprah. 

In the Fall of 2011 I decided to raise awareness about Conflict Minerals and our connection to them.  These are minerals sourced from Congo which are necessary for our electronic devices to function properly.  The problem is that Congo is the most mineral rich country in the world, and yet the poorest. And this is not an exaggeration.  It's a statistic and a fact.  Militias mine the minerals using local labor which they control through violence and sexual assault. It's a complex situation, which I will not go into here as that is not the focus, but upon learning of the situation in Eastern Congo, I immediately understood my connection.  I use electronic devices, and so I am inadvertently connected to the violence.  I felt with my entire being I had to do something, even if the issues seemed complex and daunting.  Indeed, I take the sentiment following WWII of Never Again to heart.  A death toll in one region of the world due to one conflict cannot ever, and never will, be acceptable. 

I started off Raising my Voice by telling my friends, family and colleagues about Congo. I posted social media.  I ran a solo 54 miles over 6 weeks to raise both awareness and funds to benefit the women of Congo through Women for Women International's Congo program.

This ballooned into planning my own local running charity event for three years and accepting the invitation to become an official volunteer ambassador for Women for Women International.

Equal Exchange team at 2014 charity running event

 
Over the past 4 years I have worked both within my community to raise funds, awareness, and to affect policy with regard to issues on the ground in Eastern Congo.  I reached out to Brian Streidle, Lisa Shannon, and the non-profit founded by John Prendergast, The Enough Project. And, to my initial surprise, I received responses. 

Before I knew it, I was knee deep working to propel forward a movement to help stop the violence in Congo. I  connected with like-minded individuals in my community and we worked together to educate others. 

Like-Minded Individuals at the Portland installation of One Million Bones
at PSU, 2013 (L-R: Clint Baldwin, Anna Canning, Alysha Atma, Me)

I mean how do 5 million people die in one region of the world due to violence fueled through greed over mineral wealth, and very little notice is paid?

What I have learned in the past 4 years is that I was not the only one who Raised My Voice surrounding this issue.  Thousands have worldwide, and it's quite amazing to be a part of a movement which is actually having impact on the ground in Congo.  No one single action was or is the solution, but together all of the actions that have been, and are being taken, by individual citizens, governments, industry, and public figures have and will affect change in Congo.  To be able to work in concert with those who live in Congo to Raise Our Voices is an honor.  

So, I encourage you to Raise Your Voice when you feel that passion well up inside of you.  Believe you me, I prefer a quiet existence, but sometimes you cannot keep quiet when your entire being propels you to Raise Your Voice to shine a light on a subject which deserves discussion, awareness and action.  Further, no action is too small.  There are countless ways to Raise Your Voice, and always hold on to the belief that no action is too small, or insignificant, because the truth is it's our collective Raised Voices which affect change in our world. 

The Things Nobody Tells you About Running That Every Runner Should Be Prepared to Know

I've been running for 4.5 years now, and in that time I've learned a lot about not only my physical strength, but my mental strength.  I've also learned how important good running shoes are, a good pair of ear buds, and nutrition.  Never underestimate nutrition.  But you know what?  There are other things I've learned that no one told me when I first started frequenting group runs, and that I don't even read about in the many running magazines I follow on social media.  And so I offer a few tidbits for those of you who perhaps have just come into running so that you can be warned, and perhaps avoid learning these things the hard way.  For you more experienced runners, perhaps you can relate:

• Never underestimate the importance of socks.  A good dry-wicking, fitted sock will go along way to lessen friction while running, which leads me to;

• Even more important, never undervalue the callouses that over time form on your feet.  They formed for a reason.  And, so unless you want to experience the "battle of the blisters" wherein you may find yourself wrapping your now horrible blisters in gauze, secured with medical tape, and then covered with mole skin before every run (I mean not that I'd know).  Trust me, leave them alone. They are your friends; 

• If either mid-run, or after a run, you find yourself in a public restroom: don't. use. the. toilet-seat-cover.  Trust me, it will not end well in a paper mache kind of way;

I swear, I was happy!

• Although you'll come away with an occasional stellar race photo, be prepared to have pretty much every unflattering angle documented in only the way running photos can;

• At one point or another you will have toenail issues.  One might turn black (I've yet to have that), if you run hills you might get a blister underneath your toenail, you might have one die and a new one grow underneath without pain or incident (two times and counting..).  Nail polish is your friend;

• Compression winter running gear is warm and snug.  Compression sports bras a great.  Sometimes compression running socks are a delight.  But, be warned, if you thought getting them on was tough, just wait until you try & get them off post-run...they pretty much sweat stuck to your body.  At this juncture, familiarity with yoga will pay off;

• And, last but not least, you will at some point or another swallow a bug.  I mean every bit of protein helps, right?

Well, I hope the above don't deter the the new-bee runner, but rather empower you to continue pursuit of the crazy, beautiful, magical sport we call running!

Ode To My Stapler (and how it teaches me to live in the everyday)

The blog muse hasn't struck me for quite some time now, but when it does, I just never know what the inspiration will be.  
So, the other day my co-worker commented to me that her trusty old Swingline stapler died, and we reminisced how they just don't make staplers the same anymore.  

That got me to thinking.  I too have an old-school Swingline at work, and I just love it.  I mean really love it. We've been together for 17 years come this September.  Swingy knew me when I was just a college sophomore wide-eyed and starting a big girl job in an office (well filing paperwork, answering phones and running errands, but hey I didn't have to wear a uniform!). 

Swingy

At one point Swingy grew legs and would often wander away from my desk (hence the name label -->).  We've been together so long that I don't even write that neat anymore. 

Never underestimate the power of a properly working stapler.  It'll carry you through those stressful moments of making the impossible happen, and the trusty one-hand-slam staple action is priceless (not to mention efficient).  

"Excuse me, I believe you have my Stapler."

Clearly I am not alone in my love of my just-over-one-pound-metal-it-could-be-a-weight-or-weapon Swigline Stapler.  The cult classic film Office Space clearly understood an employee's bond with a stapler, and the romantic comedy staring Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock has a hilarious stapler fight scene. 

All I'm saying is that at this point I consider Swingy and I in a common-law-office-relationship and we shall never part...never ever.  

In all seriousness (because it's through the silly the serious is revealed), my appreciation for my reliable Swingy correlates to my personal life philosophy that it's the little things which make up most magical moments in life.  Sure,it's fun to focus on the bigger more epic aspects of our lives, but we spend a majority of our lives in the everyday. It is within this space that we must strive to be our happiest.  The everyday isn't always a cake-walk, but let me tell you a frazzled day at work is truly better when I don't have to fight with my office supplies, because on some days a jammed stapler would just set me over the work-stressed-edge.  

And, so I take Swingy in my hand and air staple in appreciation for a wonderful 17 years of staple bliss!

I mean who doesn't love Milton?

Blog Action Day 2014

Well, here I am sitting before my computer screen on Blog Action Day, the day when bloggers around the world post blogs on one topic, and thereby use their voices to inspire action, thought and a sense of global community. 

This year's topic is inequality.  Honestly, it's sad given our plethora of knowledge and access to it that inequality even still exists.  But it does, and so we must continue to find ways to eliminate inequality, or at least counter-balance it. 

As a volunteer ambassador for Women for Women International, I am keenly aware of how marginalized women are, particularly in more under-developed nations.  This is not to suggest, however, that inequality does not exist in more developed countries such as the United States, because it does. 

So, this leaves one wondering what can be done?  Surely I, as one person cannot change such a large problem?

 And so this is what I have to offer on Blog Action Day: you, yes you, one person with worries and struggles all your own can indeed impact change.  Know this, no small action is too small, nor too grand.  Find nonprofits, or individuals in your community to support with your monetary contribution, or better yet, your time.  And most importantly, look around your immediate surroundings where you have the most impact to make a difference: your work place, community organizations you belong to, school, church, etc.

Margaret Mead said it best, 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has." 

~Amanda Ulrich
Volunteer Ambassador Women for Women International
Team Congo PDX Founder 

It's Not Goodbye, It's a New Chapter

It's not a secret to anyone close to me that just over 3 years ago a cause captured my heart and quite frankly changed the course of my life in terms of personal growth.

Gwen, Ann and I at my first Group Walk/Run in 2012!

 I've met some great people along my journey, and all of you have touched my heart in a way I cannot ever fully articulate, but I will nonetheless humbly attempt to do so in the words which follow.  

That cause is Run for Congo Women, a grassroots movement started by Portland's own Lisa Shannon several years prior to raise awareness about the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (read more about what inspired me to become involved here). Run for Congo Women eventually became an official project of Women for Women International (WfWI), and so when I came on scene I quickly got in touch with WfWI to coordinate efforts. I was proud to pick up the torch to carry on the good work Lisa started.  And, I did not do so alone.

Equal Exchange Team at our 2014 Group Walk/Run

 In fact, often over the past three years I've wondered who in the heck I think I am that I can possibly take on such a complex and large problem and effectively offer sustainable and real solutions to those who would be impacted most: the women, children and men in Congo. Well, if the past three years have taught me anything, it's that no action is too small, and if we collectively work together we can impact any issue no matter how massive and untouchable it appears. 

With that said, the time has come for me to shift my work for the cause I care so much about, and so on behalf of Team Congo PDX I would like to announce that we will not be hosting a group walk or run in 2015, but will instead organize a local awareness event in late Spring. The success of our group walk/runs over the past 3 years have only been possible with the support of our local runners/walkers, and for that I am forever grateful.  Team Congo PDX will continue to participate in Cause and Event Portland (Save the Date: 10.18.15)!  Stay tuned for details about both events in early 2015.

Let me take a moment to provide some background on Team Congo PDX's journey over the past three years.
As many of you know I founded Team Congo PDX in Fall of 2011 to help raise awareness about the atrocities in eastern Congo, and our inadvertent connection to them as consumers of electronic products.

Keeping track of my 54 miles in 2011

Team Congo PDX is run by me with the volunteer support of local community members, businesses and non-profits.  My efforts via Team Congo PDX have always benefited WfWI's Congo program.  WfWI's Congo program provides Congolese women with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. Women who enroll in WfWI's one-year program learn job skills and receive business training so they can earn a living. They come to understand their rights and how to fight for those rights in their homes, their communities and their nations. They learn how to become leaders.  

I started off with a solo-fundraising campaign in late September 2011 wherein I ran 54 miles over 6 weeks.  With the support of friends, family, community members, local businesses, and Women for Women International Team Congo PDX has hosted a group walk/run on International Women's Day for the past three years (2012-2014).  Team Congo PDX has also participated in Cause and Event Portland for the past two years, bringing the second largest team in 2013!

Our 2014 Cause and Event Team

 In total, through all of these efforts, we have raised nearly $13,000 to benefit women in Congo through Women for Women International.  This is something each and every one of you who have supported my work should be proud of for it is because of YOU that we were able to raise such a substantial amount! 

It has been my honor to serve as Women for Women International's Volunteer Ambassador since 2012, and it is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank each and every one of you for your support over the past three years.  It has been, and will continue to be, my honor to serve not only the women in Congo, but the women who live in all 8 countries WfWI operates (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Sudan).

Team Congo PDX does have an online fundraising page through WfWI, and so please do not hesitate to organize your own teams at local running events to help raise funds, and feel free to set-up a profile on our page 
(http://wfwicongo.kintera.org/wfwi_pdx), or even set-up your own team using the site. Follow our Facebook page for announcements with regard to our 2015 Cause and Event team and Spring awareness event: https://www.facebook.com/RFCW.PDX).  You can also learn more about WfWI's programs and how to become involved here. 

With much gratitude,
Amanda Ulrich
Team Congo PDX Founder
WfWI Volunteer Ambassador
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A special thank you to the following individuals, organizations, and businesses (in no particular order): Joanna Valdivieso-Gonzales at WfWI, Jennifer Morabito, Ann and Lisa Shannon, Alysha Atma, Richa Sehgal, Kathy Cordell, Jeanne Sprague, Amy Little, everyone at Run Oregon, Laura Thomas, Sean Rivers, Jane and Tim Hartfield of the Great Harvest Bakery in Downtown Portland, Swanson, Thomas,Coon & Newton, Never Again Coalition, Kevin Putnam, Patrick Wahlen, Bonnie Wilson, Annette Vaughn, Maryalicia Verdecchia, Never Again Coalition, Robert Hadley, Equal Exchange Portland Co-op, Anna Canning, Foot Traffic, Starbucks, Auora Chorus, LA Fitness Tanasbourne, ProHealth Chiropractic, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, Gwen Bradlee, Diversitech, Diane Koosed, Becky Bent, Dan Thornton, Kayla Smith, and last but not least my family. 

Sponsorship Journey

I am beyond thrilled that we raised enough funds at my March 8, 2014 charity run/walk to sponsor 14 women through Women for Women International's (WfWI) Congo program.

Our Equal Exchange Team at our 2014 Event

Simply by taking the time to come together, we are now supporting half a class through WfWI, and are able to be a part of a journey taking place half a world away for 14 remarkable women. 

Over three years ago when I first learned about the conflict in Congo, and how my use of electronics products gave me leverage to do something about it, I didn't yet fully understand that I would become a part of something which would actually have impact.

Dedicated Volunteers

 By impact, I mean human-to-human connection with women who live in Eastern Congo.  


And so, it is with a thankful heart that I embark on the sponsorship journey with all of you, my fellow supporters. Over the course of the next year I will send and post monthly snippets about the 14 women we are sponsoring. In order to protect their privacy photos will only be sent via my newsletter, and so should you wish to receive the more detailed newsletter updates, please subscribe via my webpage (click "subscribe" on the bottom right of the page).

You will also have the opportunity to correspond with the sisters.  To send a message of encouragement and support simply email me at: amandapdxrunforcongo@gmail.com.  

I encourage you to take the time to do so as Women for Women International has been told time and time again by their program participants that messages from their sponsors provide hope and encouragement beyond measure, and provide a sense of togetherness during times of loneliness. 

Some of our runners on 3.8.14

Should we receive responses from our sisters (it can take quite some time to receive responses due to the logistics involved on their end living in more rustic places), I will of course pass those along in my blog and monthly newsletter as well. 

Meet 2 of The Sisters
That said, please meet Sisters Maria & Kate.
Maria: is married with 6 children
Kate: is single with 1 child

Their Journey*
*(The following is from an update I received from Women for Women International)

Maria, Kate and our other 12 sisters are now finishing their fourth month of training.

In the last few months, the sisters have been in health and wellness classes.  We (WfWI) believe that women cannot be active members of their communities if they are not well, both physically and emotionally. Over the next several months, our sisters will continue to learn methods of prevention and treatment of key health issues for themselves and her family members.

Health is a human right. Our sisters class will focus on the concept of health as an essential human right. This is a crucial starting point for women who live in areas where poor nutrition and preventable diseases are a part of everyday life. She will learn basic skills, nutritional information, sanitation and disease prevention.

Coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of the women we work with are survivors of great violence, suffering and loss.

In DRC, at least 5.4 million people have died as a result of conflict and its consequences since 1998. With rape used as a weapon of war, an estimated 48 women are raped every hour in the DRC, resulting in about 1.8 million women having been raped.

This may be the first time they are able to discuss and deal with the trauma that they have been living with. Your sister will learn to recognize stress as a normal reaction to the events she has experienced, develop tools for coping with her symptoms, and be given access to resources for additional help if needed.


Protect yourself and your family. Your sisters will learn about communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, sexual reproductive health, mental health and environmental health. In addition, they will learn about pregnancy, infant care, family planning and hygiene. When a woman is healthy, she can focus on healing and learning as she moves forward in our program.

**************

Thank you again for your support, and please take the time to send a message of support to Maria and Kate as they go through their journey with Women for Women International.

Amanda Ulrich
Team Congo PDX Founder
Women for Women International Volunteer Ambassador
amandapdxrunforcongo@gmail.com