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[30 Sep 2009|01:43pm] |
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Letter sent to Alice Munro:
Dear Alice:
(Please forgive the informality of the salutation. You’ve been “Alice” to me for thirty-six years. Today, it’s my turn to write for you. Dear Alice).
Business first: enclosed is a book written recently by one of our returned field workers. It has enjoyed some acclaim, and I think is beautiful. I send it to you as both a literary gift, and as a way to bring you closer to the work that we do and that you support.
Now here goes. My request:
May we (the MSF/Doctors Without Borders Fundraising team) visit with you, however briefly, on Wednesday, October 14th or Thursday, October 15th? We will be doing our annual team building/strategic planning retreat at one of our team member’s family’s home in Bayfield then. Our fundraising team has really pulled together this year, when we could have been hobbled by the economic climate. In fact, we’ve grown our private income almost 10% over last year. The impact of our success, simply and urgently, is more lives saved and suffering alleviated.
I want to celebrate my team’s commitment, and am inviting someone extraordinary to meet them at our retreat - you. On a personal note, know that your stories so buoy me, and help me to figure myself out as a Canadian woman. And I know that our department (we’re 12) also holds you in the same reverence. We would be utterly and forever inspired to have you be our guest at our retreat (at a location, of course, of your choosing if not the MacLean’s house in Bayfield).
The idea:
As a humanitarian yourself, Canadian, and story teller, if willing, could you speak to us for, say, 30 minutes about how we can best tell the stories of the patients we help? Part of MSF’s social mission is to give a voice to those who can’t speak. We regularly tell “Stories that need to be told”, and I enclose an article I wrote about Mélunie, whom I met in the Congo last year. How can we as fundraisers better tell the stories of the patients MSF has helped?
Dear Alice. I will call you to follow up on this invitation, and offer you my mobile to phone me at your convenience: 416 xxx 4x3x.
With the deepest respect possible,
Rebecca
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[20 Sep 2009|08:33pm] |
I am leaving again for western Canada tomorrow, this time on business. I usually give little thought to my wardrobe though travel frequently in Canada and Europe, but nowhere more am I frequently caught unawares on the weather than the west. I'm trying to pack appropriately this time but lo! look at the forecast for the week:
Edmonton (Monday & Tuesday): sunny, high 25, low 8
Calgary (Wednesday): sunny, high 29, low 9
Vancouver (Thursday and Friday): sun/cloud mix, high 20, low 11
Out with the gloves and scarf, Speedos and sandles all week!
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[05 Sep 2009|09:22pm] |
Back from two weeks' vacation in Western Canada (sister married in Kelowna, visted RC's brother and niece in Edmonton, trekked and camped through the enchanting Rockies, and visited a friend in Calgary). Pictures and stories forthcoming, but in the meantime I offer a favourite recipe, a mainstay to use up skunky red wine.
I prefer an even more more savory taste and omit the sugar - I find that the wine is always the dominant note anyway - and serve with a sharp or smelly cheese.
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[08 May 2009|02:07pm] |
Aiming to get back to posting again. In the meantime, leaving Sunday for Berlin (work) then Nice, France (French immersion for work).
Anyone have any must-do-must-sees for Berlin or Nice? I'll be alone.
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| Christmas in Amsterdam part i |
[23 Dec 2008|02:47pm] |
Richard saw it too so it's real: one-hundred (give or take) Santas just in-line skated past our flat, ghetto blasting "Grandma got Run Over by a Reindeer". Amsterdam at Christmas continues to be a trip.
Many more observations to come, but I want to solicit you while there's time. Christmas Eve will be spent in Cologne, but we'll return here for Christmas. It's our wish to cook a traditional Christmas dinner in the flat. The small print would be that we do not have an oven - just a gas range and microwave. And bathtub, sink and water closet should they help.
Any ideas for us for preparing the bird without an oven? The bird will be pheasant or quail (no turkey here). Side dishes will be the fare of our combined Canadian pseudo-Victorian Christmases past: mustard pickle, brussels sprouts, sweet potato, mashed potato (which really would be roasted at home), cranberry sauce, some notion of a tourtiere, gravy (packaged this year I suppose), turnip, consomme, beans, and stuffing.
The alternatives to cooking for ourselves is a rijsttafel, or the Festive Buffet at the Marriott.
Home for Christmas is where the iPod and Willcocks' Personent Hodie are.
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[11 Apr 2007|08:33pm] |
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Happy Birthday, dear, sweet Alaina!
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| Where's Rebecca? |
[29 Jun 2006|11:22pm] |
June 29, 02:15 - Mumbai, India
June 29, 11:55 - London, England
June 29, 05:45 - Toronto, Canada
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday PeaPie!
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[25 Jun 2006|12:28pm] |
Beckham.
Liverpuddlian football chants.
The English and Indians (and two Canadians) are going nuts.
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[18 Jun 2006|10:26pm] |
No sleep for Rebecca tomorrow.
Must-see/hear sporting events:
01:00:00 - Sweden versus England, World Cup (much interest from the international community staying at the Leela, as well as oversize plasma TV in room. I'm on holiday, but Richard has to work the next day).
05:30:00 - Game Seven, Stanley Cup (Internet radio - any suggestions for the best site?)
Pictures and observations forthcoming. Mumbai is an assault on the senses. It's unreal. The poverty and destitution have to be seen to be believed. People should know about it.
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[17 Jun 2006|04:45am] |
Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple didn't happen at the break of dawn. I'm surprised with with myself, but Shiva understands because I didn't actually land until 1 a.m. and stayed up all night "talking" with Richard.
It's now 2:15 p.m., and we have a 3 p.m. lunch in my honour with Richard's bosses and new co-workers (mainly physicians and pharmacists).
Be warned for onslaught of photos.
Looking out the window of Mumbai, I have to steal Richard's words in describing it: an anarchist's wet dream.
My words: beauty and destitution.
And I haven't even left the hotel room yet.
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[16 Jun 2006|04:34pm] |
India is hot.
So is my husband.
Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple in the morning then booking internal flights for side trips.
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[02 Jun 2006|11:06pm] |
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I got the job. They present me with an offer on Monday. Then the real turkey talk begins.
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[19 Dec 2005|07:45pm] |
Author's quote of the day to a surgeon:
"NEVER EVER AGAIN tell me to chill. I mean it. It is one of my very most pet peeves."
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[16 Nov 2005|05:34am] |
I just put a teaspoon of compost in my tea instead of Splenda. I feel that ravaged by the week already.
Going to the Bauhaus concert tonight! That ought to help things.
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[28 Oct 2005|10:39am] |
Our new cleaning professional IRONS. Not only that, she can do pleats and darts.
While we don't contribute much to the capital economy much these days, our support of the service economy could have no limits.
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[17 Oct 2005|11:46pm] |
Mother of God...
Got our Property Assessment Notice for 2005. The assessed value of our property has increased by 15.94%. I need to get my scientific calculator to figure out how this is going to cost. Yikes.
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[05 Oct 2005|10:45pm] |
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Sudden death!
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[05 Oct 2005|10:32pm] |
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OT, and I totally forgot about the new potential shoot-out rule!
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[05 Oct 2005|10:31pm] |
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Fuck. Alfredsson again.
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