Over Spring Break, I traveled back to Michigan to see my family. I was with four friends, two of which we dropped off in Chicago. This ended up to be a great opportunity to visit the city of Chicago for a few days. I spent a lot of time on Michigan Avenue, shopping in all the wonderful stores, ranging from the Coach store to the Disney store. I also visited the Chicago Institute of Art for four hours. I especially enjoyed the Impressionist exhibit in the museum and I spent most of my time there. At night, we visited the Navy Pier, even though it was raining. It was really fun to walk around. A friend and I walked around Chicago at night for three hours, wandering down different streets and across different bridges, just taking in the sights of the town. I love big cities (I practically grew up in one) and I was so delighted to be back in a big city. I hadn't been to Chicago in about 9 years, so I had forgotten how great the city really is. The city of Chicago celebrated Saint Patrick's Day on Saturday. This was a huge event! Everywhere we walked people were dressed in green and full of excitement and energy. Even the river that runs through Chicago was dyed green! This was an incredible feat and many people were getting pictures by the river. There were many different people in Chicago, from all over the world. It was so great to hear other languages being spoken around me again. We stayed directly downtown so we got to experience of the life of the city first hand. People were still walking around at 5 in the morning, quite a change from the quiet town of Seward at night.



When we weren't in Chicago, we were in Michigan with my family. This was a completely different experience since our house is basically in the upper-class suburban area of Rochester, Michigan. Rochester is a nice city, but it definitely does not compare to Chicago. Mostly while we were in Michigan we went through walks in my subdivistions, went on bike rides, and spent time at Caribou Coffee.

I took my friends to Frankenmuth, the oldest German city in Michigan. Lutherans in Michigan are very proud of this city and it always has tourists visiting. We also went to the biggest Christmas store in the world, Bronner's, which is one of my favorite places in Michigan. It has around 10 wings within the store, with every wing being filled with a different kind of Christmas decoration. There is practically a whole forest of different Christmas trees in one section of the store!

If countries, like the United States, are going to provide funding for Sub-Saharan Africa, they must also provide help with reform movements, to bring change to these countries. The countries need more than money - they need change, they need directed change. Money is very helpful for this change, but its usage needs to be monitored and the money must be used in ways that will be beneficial for change.
Developing countries need to be stabilized and guided with political, economic, and social advice. When countries only give money to this region and walk away, the chances of this money being productive are very low. This is because the countries do not spend money in ways that will help the country stabilize and prosper. The leaders of these countries need to understand what must be done in order to better the their country. Often, money is given to ill-advised programs which will not aid the development of this region.
Another side of the story is the corruption of the leaders in developing countries. When they are given money, that is not designated to a certain program, they are free to do with it what they will. In this way, the high officials of the country receive better salaries, the higher-up people prosper from the extra money which is focused on their well-being, and the poor are left in the same sad circumstances. However, if the money was designated towards a certain reform program, etc the leaders will not be able to take the money and use it to their advantage. The money needs to be watched. It cannot just be given freely to corrupt leaders who do not care about their people.
It is better to provide other services to developing countries, other than providing money. If developed countries focused on developing trade and industries in Sub-Saharan Africa, these African countries would be able to stand on their own. There would be more programs for the working class, which would provide them with more economic opportunities. The increase in stable industries would also help the economy. By providing these services, there is no chance that the leaders will be in charge of money. They are not receiving money! Instead, they are being given ways to make money for themselves, instead of having to depend on others. This is very beneficial because the country can then begin to become a prosperous country, with a stable economy and work force. The standard of living will increase and the country will function better.

The Human Development Index looks at countries beyond their GDP's. It looks at the welfare of the citizens of the country. It looks at a broader view of well-being. The HDI provides three dimensions of human development. These three things are: living a long and healthy life (which is measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by literacy and enrollment into school), and having a decent standard of living (PPP, income, etc). HPI shows a broadened perspective of average human progress and illustrates the complicated relationship between income and well-being. It is not a comprehensive measure of human development, as it does not include gender, income inequality, the influence and respect for human rights, or political freedom. By leaving these areas out, HPI does not measure all areas of human development within society - it is still a general measure of well-being and human progress.

High Human Development countries are found in the Western world, including countries like England and the United States. Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, and other countries close to them in Europe are included in this list of High Human Development countries. Middle Human Development countries are mostly found in the Middle East, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean.

Sub-Saharan Africa is ranked so low because of its lack of resources - resources needed to improve and increase human development and economic progress. It does not have enough funding to improve facilities for the citizens. Facilities such as schools and hospitals are uncared for, which negatively impacts the welfare of the people in these region. There are also gender imbalances in this region, providing males with more opportunities than for women. As a result, a smaller amount of women are educated and receive the same amount of economic opportunities as men.

Thailand is a BEAUTIFUL place. I've been there many times; my last visit was in March. I went on a Habitat for Humanity trip to help rebuild areas that were devastated by the tsunami. Even after the years that have passed, many areas in Thailand are still in ruins, and Thailand's economy has suffered greatly as a result. Most beaches still look like this one in the picture. However, I visited one beach that was no longer a beach. Actually, it had a been a coral reef. However, as a result of the tsunami, all the water had left the area, and all that was left was a dry, dead coral reef on land. It was the strangest event in the environment that I have ever witnessed. Walking along this 'beach' was bizarre because coral was everywhere. It was literally a coral reef, without any water around it. It is amazing how powerful the tsunami that hit was, and how catastrophic its effects have had on Thailand's environment.

I absolutely love this picture, which was taken in the Red Sea. I got my scuba diving license in the Philippines during my freshman year of high school, and ever since, I have loved exploring the ocean. During my sophomore year of high school, my family traveled to Egypt during Chinese New Year. Half way through the week, we stayed at a resort right on the Red Sea. My dad, brother, and I went scuba diving in the Red Sea many times. It was so amazing! I got to swim with dolphins right next to me! I have never seen bluer eyes than this one particular dolphin, who became my best friend, had. I love scuba diving, I love the ocean, and I love looking at underwater pictures ( secretly, I've always wanted to be a mermaid :D ). I think the ocean is so beautiful. There are so many parts of it that we have yet to explore and it fascinates me. I love traveling all around the world, so that includes 'traveling' around different parts of the ocean. Scuba diving in the Red Sea was definitely one of my favorite scuba diving experiences, and when I saw this picture, I fell in love with it.

The ban on travel to Cuba should be lifted. There is no ban on traveling to other communist countries, like China, Vietnam, or South Korea. Why are there restrictions on going to Cuba? In a country that could use the income that Americans would bring it, it seems beneficial to let tourists spend time in Cuba. Tourists would spend money in Cuba, increasing the economy. As a result of an increasing economy, the standard of living would increase. There would be so many benefits for Cuba if Americans were allowed to go to this country. In the 1920's, Americans spent a lot of time in Havana, as it was the best vacation spot. This was beneficial to the Havana area. If the ban is lifted, tourist areas could begin to benefit again.
Also, if the ban is lifted, political tensions between Cuba and the United States might be lessened. Right now, it is understandable that there would be tension between the two countries, as the United States is basically insulting Cuba by not letting its citizens travel to Cuba. If Cuba could see that America respects Cuba as a country, by treating Cuba like any other country, Cuba and the United States might be able to work together better.
A change needs to be made. It is quite obvious that many people are beginning to see this, as a bill, over this issue, is in debate right now. It is unwise to not take heed to opinions on this issue and rethink the current situation. It is unfair to work with some communist countries, while still keeping Cuba out of the picture. It is clear that the age of decommunization has passed us by - this age is mainly focused on economic gain and benefits. From this perspective, the United States looks to the benefit of working with China and other countries, while they are ignoring the benefit that could come out of working with Cuba.
Also, how wonderful would it be for families who have been exiled from Cuba to go back and see their family and friends? How great would it be for them to be able to go home? I know some teachers in Hong Kong who are not allowed to go to Cuba because of the ban, and they have not seen their family in years. In my opinion, that is extremely wrong. No person should have their freedom of seeing their family taken away from them.

Mexico Mass grave may be Aztec resistance fighters
By Mark Stevenson

I thought this article was interesting because it explained Indian graves that were recently found. Scientists believe these people, buried in the bottom of a pyramid, were killed during the conquest of the Spaniards. I think this is really interesting because I love history and this time period is something I am studying right now. We talked in class about the Spanish influence in Latin America, and these graves represent the last stand the Indians made against this group of Europeans. As a result of them losing, Latin America has gotten a lot of of its modern culture from Spanish traditions and culture. It is interesting to think about how this continent has changed and how the culture of the people living there has drastically been affected. If the Spanish hadn't colonized Latin America, what would the continent look like now?


http://xrl.us/befz2y

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_mass_grave;_ylt=Aj5CEXmsroFWV.Jwrvc1jPi3IxIF