For Neda

Hello all! I come to you this sweltering Floridian afternoon with only sadness in my heart. I was browsing through HBO on Demand, just perusing the documentaries when the documentary "For Nada" came up. And then, for one hour I sat curled up on the couch for one of the most sorrowful hours of my life, which is saying something.

The documentary takes you into Neda Agha-Soltan life through interviews with family, friends, and spectators of her tragic death. Neda was shot in the heart during a peaceful protest in the streets of Tehran in response to the election results. Soon, she became the heart of the green movement in Iran, striving for basic human rights and democracy in Iran. In the documentary, the interviewer talks to the family as they share anecdotes about Neda. They described her as a rebel who "only wanted to receive as much love as she gave". Neda fought for women's rights in daily life, exemplified when she fought government officials when they told her she could not enter the University campus to attend her classes unless she was covered up and had no makeup on. Even as the protest grew more violent (her eyes had been injured with the tear gas the Red Army threw into the crowd), even as her family plead with her to stay home, she replied with, "Even if I did not vote, the government robbed my sister, my brother, my friends of their vote and their right to think for themselves. I have to protect my family."

One day after saying this, Neda was shot down.

I remember sitting on the couch, crying. How could a whole regime twist a supposedly peaceful religion into something malicious and cruel? What happened to the people's right to govern oneself?

This is not even the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, concerning Iran's blatant human right's violations. Iran supposedly has the highest rate of execution in regards to the country's population. In Iran, one can receive the death penalty for such things as adultery, drug dealing, and even explicit homosexual behavior in public.

I could go on forever about the injustices of the current Iranian regime, but you can just see it for youself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F48SinuEHIk

^This is the documentary I saw on HBO.

Also, please visit "Neda Speaks" for more information on what you can do to show your support for the green movement. On the website, you can upload a picture of yourself with a sign saying "I am Neda" to show your support for all humanitarian efforts in Iran. I know I will.

http://nedaspeaks.org/

To help raise awareness of this issue, please visit the website below to purchase your own "FREE IRAN" wristband.

http://www.freeiranwristbands.com/

As philosopher John Locke had said, "Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself."

Till next time,

Tatiana :) 

"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade."

Hello my avidly-following readers!

I have only one thing to say.

Summer!

Just kidding, I wouldn't waste a whole post to announce it. Or would I? But anyways, what I really wanted to discuss today is what I would like to call affectionately "My Summer Hit List!", as I had referred to vaguely in other posts. As promised, I just got finished drawing it up and am here to share it. I wrote it on a piece of construction paper and hung it on my bulletin board so I can see it everyday. So here it is, basically for verbatim:

My Summer Hit List

Effective June 12, 2010

• drink ONLY water (side-note: if you know me you know I have this horrible addiction to Coke. It really isn't healthy and, hey, why get rid of it while I'm striving to re-invent myself?)
• go to the gym everyday (conditioning for Tennis season)
• keep on top of FLVS/school
• sleep under the stars (beach preferably)
• listen to a new song everyday
• take a roadtrip
• get tanner
• finish my booklists
• reconnect with my surroundings
• self-improvement
• monitor my spending (definitely hiding the credit/debit card!)
• embrace what the summer has to offer
• spend at least a day a week with some me time
• study for SATs/ACTs once a week
• actually do laundry
• wander around all night just for the heck of it
• go to the viewing deck on the Pier at sundown to see the city lights
• have the best city-wide scavenger hunt ever!
• have a photo shoot just for fun

"I solemnly swear to complete this list with as much dignity as possible by the end of the summer, including any other tasks that may at any time be added to the list."

Love, Tatiana

So this is the much-anticipated summer hit list. I know its not very original, but I want to have new experiences that I will never forget. And this is the summer to do it, with no earth-shattering responsibilities, no college obligations, no plans on being carted from relative to relative that come with graduation duties: this summer is just about me. I know this sounds selfish and corny, but this summer is about expanding my world views. After all, isn't that what being seventeen is all about? I want to embrace the world for all its worth.

Cheers,

Tatiana :)