When the dead are not allowed to die

In the United States the case of the 13-year-old Jahi McMath has regularly been making the headlines since December. The girl had had her tonsils removed surgically, but after the procedure she went into cardiac arrest and was declared brain dead shortly afterwards. Her family didn't accept her passing and wanted her to be kept on life support, while the hospital and the coroner wanted her to be taken off the ventilator, so they could start their investigation on Jahi's death.
The family moved to court, insisting the girl showed signs of life, but the judge declared her brain dead, too. Now - with the coroner's consent, since she's legally dead - the girl's body, attached to a ventilator, has been released from the hospital and transferred to an undisclosed facility while Jahi's family keeps on hoping for her recovery.

I of course understand the tragedy of the situation, the grief of the family and that they are hoping beyond reason that their little girl might recover, but the sad fact is that she's dead. Her brain has stopped working and even if they keep her on life support for the next twenty years that's not going to change, unless a true miracle happens. By prolonging her body's "life" they are just prolonging their own suffering.

If they let her die peacefully instead of clinging on to an irrational hope, they could start grieving and, over time, come to terms with their fate. Maybe this would also be in Jahi's best interest.
If I were to fall into a coma or be declared brain dead, I would want to be taken off life support as soon as possible. To me, the idea of being in a completely helpless state, only kept alive by machines, is utterly humiliating. I'm aware that probably nobody of my friends and family would want to make this decision, but if the doctors tell you that it's unlikely that I'm ever going to be my old self again, then please pull the plug on me. I do not wish to be, under any circumstances, some helpless, motionless, lifeless being that is nothing more than the focus of pity, grief, and sadness.

My English Pronunciation Progress

Over the past few week I have tried to improve my English pronunciation in order to make it sound more "American". To accomplish that I've done some exercises and watched a few videos from our teachers' pronunciation practice page.

I tried a few of the Merriam-Webster's Perfect Pronunciation exercises, but I think that they are not that useful. Different words and sentences are pronounced by native speakers and you are supposed to repeat them correctly, but they don't give you any tips on how the sounds are produced.

I also had a look at the videos on manythings.com. Since one of the sounds I feel I still have to work on a little is the "r" sound, I watched the videos about words containing it. These videos didn't really help me at all, because they focus on words with the endings "-er" or "-re", which I don't have any problems with. I have difficulties pronouncing double "r"s correctly, like in "horror", and none of the videos were about this type of words.

I've practiced quite a bit over the last weeks and I think that I've made considerable progress on the "v" sound that I used to pronounce more like a "w". The only thing I still have to improve now is the "rr" in the middle of words, but I can't pronounce this sound properly in other languages as well, so maybe this is an innate problem. Nevertheless, I will try to solve also my last pronunciation issues.

Do We Have a Freedom of Unpopular Opinion?

A&E's reality show "Duck Dynasty" has recently gotten some unwanted publicity. For those who don't know the show, it's about a Louisiana family who owns a duck-hunting business and consists of quite unique characters. I have never watched a whole episode myself, to be perfectly honest, because I don't feel that it would be the best way I could spend my time.

What has drawn my attention to this show is the recent controversy about Phil Robertson, one of the stars of the show. He was suspended by A&E after making anti-gay comments in an interview. Read for yourself:

"It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”  -Phil Robertson


First off: I, personally, totally think that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, to have children, and to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples. But that's just my opinion and I respect the fact that there are people who don't share it.

The United States is a free country in which each and every one should have the right to express their opinions freely and without fear of consequences, however unpopular those opinions may be. For A&E to punish somebody for making use of their constitutional right of freedom of speech, is just plain wrong. Even worse, it's an act of pure hypocrisy. After all, they gave a show to a family that is "known for [...] their religious views" according to Wikipedia, and he didn't even make his comments on the show, but in a separate interview with GQ Magazine. Were they seriously surprised that a redneck duck-hunter living in the Louisiana swamps might not have an all too favorable view of gays???

Dear A&E executives: If remarks like the ones made by Mr. Robertson are against your station's policy, then don't freaking hire people who are highly likely to make them!

Were the above remarks offensive? Hell, yeah. But they were less so than some made by certain politicians. Robertson stressed that he was just stating his personal opinion and he also expressed incomprehension of the subject on his part, which - if you ask me - further weakens his statements.

Although I strongly disagree with Mr. Robertson's views on homosexuals, I disagree even more strongly with any infringement of the freedom of speech, and I'm glad that the suspension of Phil Robertson has been lifted after a few days.

Culture Presentations

Last week we had our Culture Presentation Days and everyone of us gave their presentation on a specific topic of American or Irish culture. My presentation was called "Two More for Mount Rushmore" and was about two American presidents - Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson - that should also have a place on Mount Rushmore because of their achievements and their impacts on American culture and society.

The other presentations I watched were:

• Things You Might Not Know About San Francisco and the Bay Area - Marina Margeta
• Danger of Society Threat Groups in American Prisons - Livia Perschy
• Southern Hospitality - The Southern Way of Life - Julia Rauch
• Monty Roberts: an Extraordinary Communicator - Melanie Wimmer
• America as a Nation of Narcissm - Maria Dorner
• Does Race Still Matter in the US? - Lisa Ziermann
• Ellen DeGeneres - A Modern Women and Her Influence in America - Johanna Schreilechner
• Sacagawea - Bianca Stadler
• The Navajo Code Talkers - Using Language as a Weapon - Laura Rossberg
  
• Newgrange - A Treasure of Art - Anita Bhatti
• Psychiatry in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s - Diana Skof
• Beyond Riverdance - A Glimpse into the World of Irish Dance - Katharina Luttenberger

And here are the five presentations I want to be tested on in the KGP:

Things You Might Not Know About San Francisco and the Bay Area
I've been to San Francisco myself and I absolutely loved this beautiful city. That's why I want to know more about it!

Danger of Society Threat Groups in American Prisons
Before Livia's presentation I was only vaguely familiar with the name "Aryan Brotherhood", but she has totally woken my interest in this topic.

Southern Hospitality - The Southern Way of Life
I've already been to some of the western US states and next time I'd really like to go to the South. Therefore I want to know a little more about the customs and habits there.

Does Race Still Matter in the US?
Although the situation has improved a lot over the past decade racism is - unfortunately- still a big issue in the  US and also in many other countries.

The Navajo Code Talkers - Using Language as a Weapon
I'm very interested in everything that has something to do with languages, so Laura's presentation was one of my favorites and I'd like to learn more about this topic.

California Dreaming Part Two

After our brief stay in Monterey we went on to our next to last destination: Los Angeles. The first thing we did was to venture out of our motel in the Hollywood Hills to discover the north of the city. The sun shone on our heads while we strolled down Sunset Boulevard and enjoyed the sights, like the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater.

On our second day in LA we went to see Disneyland. At first I hadn't really wanted to go there, because I had rather spent the day exploring the city, but my boyfriend eventually convinced me to go. In the end I was glad that we went there, because we did have a lot fun.

After dusk we drove to Mulholland Drive from where we had an incredible view over the whole city. We stood next to the street in the chilly night-air and enjoyed the vista over the sprawling city beneath us. I was surprised that there were hardly any people up there, but on the other hand we wouldn't have gone there either if a waiter hadn't tipped us off. Another great viewpoint is the top-level of the Los Angeles town hall, from where we could see for miles in every direction.

In Malibu we finally managed to spend a few hours on the beach, although the water was too cold for me to go for a swim. Instead I lay down in the warm sand and watched my boyfriend getting nearly crushed by the huge waves.

After getting tired of (sun) bathing we decided to check out another one of our waiter's suggestions, the Santa Monica Pier. It's a long pier leading out into the Pacific Ocean with a fun fair on it. It also houses shops that offer milkshakes, ice cream, and other delicious food stuff.

That evening we followed the Sunset Boulevard in the opposite direction, and there was a surprisingly high number of tattoo- and sexshops to be found. Needless to say that we soon turned back.

Our last full day in LA led us to the Universal Studios. I was rendered speechless by how realistic and cool some of their rides were. I especially loved the Simpsons ride, because I'm a huge Simpsons-fan.

On our last day we drove to Griffith Park in the early morning, but unfortunately it was the day they flew the space shuttle to LA, so what felt like the whole city was up there trying to see the plane carrying the shuttle. Therefore the roads were closed and we didn't have enough time to walk up, because we had a six hour drive back to Phoenix ahead of us. 

California Dreaming Part One

In the course of my absolutely fantastic journey through the southwestern states of the USA last September I also spent a week in California. This post is about the towns of Bishop, Monterey and Carmel, as well as the Yosemite NP, the next post will be about Los Angeles. San Francisco has its own post, so I won't write about it again :)

After Las Vegas we originally wanted to go straight to San Francisco, but that would have been a long and hard drive, so we decided to spend the night in a small town in the east of California called Bishop. It was a nice town, not quite picturesque, but pretty. In the evening we had dinner in a Steak House that the receptionist of our motel had recommended to us and there I experienced the happiest moment of my life. They offer a dessert called the "Brownie Monster" (picture below), and that thing keeps what it promises. The Brownie Monster turned out to be a huge bowl filled with brownies that had an estimated gallon of chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top of it. I managed to eat about three quarters of it, then I was hopelessly sick but I can't remember being any happier in all my life.

The next morning we left for the Yosemite National Park and on our way there we "accidentally" discovered a gem of the Eastern Californian Mountains: the Mammoth Lakes. Around a dozen small and crystal-clear lakes are embedded between green hills and we watched people in little boats or kayaks while we were strolling along the shores. Unfortunately we couldn't spend too much time there, but the next time I'm in that area I'll definitely go there again.

The Yosemite NP is a beautiful place too, but when we got there the Yosemite Falls had already dried up because there had been little snow in the past winter. We tried to see the Nevada Falls instead, but the road leading to them was closed and we decided against walking there, because we still had to drive on to San Francisco. So we just enjoyed the gorgeous panorama of the mountains and that of a few more lakes before we pressed on.

After our three days in San Francisco and the not-so-nice weather there, we finally went south again. We followed the Highway No 1 to Monterey where we spent the night. Monterey is the home of the world's biggest aquarium, but we rather took the 17-Mile-Drive to visit the neighboring town of Carmel. Actually, we had planned to spend a day on the beach, but the bad weather had followed us from San Francisco, and so we visited an old Spanish monastery instead. I was quite impressed that the four-century-old building was still in such a good state.

Monument Valley

Before we even left for the USA, Monument Valley was one of the sights I looked most forward to, because it is one of the things that first come to you mind when you think about America. Well, I wasn't going to be disappointed.

Our motel was located in Kayenta, the town that's nearest to the Valley. The town itself was pretty run-down. Two or three motels, a McDonald's, a Burger King, and a supermarket were the main attractions there. Moreover, it was awfully hot there, so my first action was to go and buy SPF 50 sun protection that kept being useful in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. According to my boyfriend though, the worst thing about Kayenta was that it's located on Navajo land, where the sale and purchase of alcohol - including beer - is strictly prohibited.

Monument Valley itself is a must-see! Everybody knows one or two of the rock formations from western movies, but there's so much more, like ancient pictograms or pueblos.

We did a three-hour jeep tour in the evening and luckily we had an awesome guide who showed us a lot of marvelous hidden places. One of the best things was that we had our guide completely to ourselves, while other groups consisted of 10 or more people. In the end of our tour we met up with a second small group in a huge dome of rock. There our guide played the flute and the guide of the other group sang traditional songs. That was one of the most beautiful moments of the whole journey!

For the next day we booked a horseback-riding tour that led us around some of the large buttes on Mustangs. It was my first time sitting on a horse, and although it was a great experience my back still hurt three days later. Nevertheless, I would do it again right now if I could. Riding by the famous rock formations on horseback like John Wayne did in his movies is a unique and indescribable feeling, and once more we had an excellent guide. We started the tour in the early morning so we could see the sunrise after we had already seen the sunset the day before. The different colors the sun paints the rocks in are absolutely breathtaking! And thanks to my newly acquired sun protection I survived this adventure without third degree burns.

Viva Las Vegas!

Las Vegas is one of the most amazing places I've ever been to. We arrived there in the late morning and I was already pretty impressed, but Vegas during the daytime is nothing compared to Vegas by night! Everything is basked into bright, colorful lights, people crowd the streets and there are so incredibly many possibilities that you'd need weeks and weeks to explore the whole town.

During my stay in Vegas I wasn't 21 yet and therefore I couldn't legally drink or gamble, but maybe that wasn't too bad after all, because I'm a poor student and who knows how much money I would have lost. However, the Casinos are really impressive; some are even picturesque with their different themes and the entire beautiful decor. We stayed at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and they had memorabilia of movies in all the rooms, but their casino resembled a somewhat classy brothel. I preferred the Bellagio or the Caesar’s Palace.

I also liked the dry heat there and with SPF 50 sun protection I didn't even burst in flames. But on our second day, Las Vegas experienced a record precipitation - our good luck!

But if you travel to the USA then DO GO TO LAS VEGAS!!!

Amazing Arizona

Last September I spent about one week in Arizona and I was absolutely stunned by the diverse beauty of this state. From deserts to green mountain slopes you can find everything there, however the most incredible feature of Arizona's landscape are the rock formations and, of course, the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop after Phoenix, where we arrived but unfortunately didn't spend much time, was the Montezuma's Castle National Monument.

Montezuma's Castle is a village hewn into rock that housed a tribe of natives hundreds of years ago. I was fascinated that they were able to build something like this monument with the technical means of their time.

Sedona is a small western-style town in the heart of the Grand Canyon State that's definitely worth a visit. Embedded in a marvellous rock valley, Sedona mainly consists of wooden houses that line up along the main street that leads through the town. On both sides of this street there are small shops and restaurants. I admit that it's a bit touristy, but beautiful nevertheless. It's also really hot there. We arrived in Sedona around noon and after having looked around a bit we fled into an air-conditioned restaurant whith a glass wall through which we had a great view over the mountains.

When I first stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon the enormity and the view took my breath away. I had imagined it to be big, but I had no idea it would be that huge! All I could see for miles on in every direction was red and orange stone and down in the deep I could just make out the Colorado River. The next day we flew over the Canyon in a helicopter and I was once again taken aback by the beauty and the sheer size of it. Near the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park there is an ancient Watchtower built by Native Americans centuries ago. You can climb up and enjoy the view from the top and inside you can see arts and crafts produced by the people who built the tower.

During our visit to the Grand Canyon we stayed in Tusayan, the village nearest to the Visitor's Center of the National Park. It mainly consists of hotels and fast food restaurants, but there's also an excellent Steak House where we dined once, as well as a trading post that offers a lot of souvenirs and other stuff.

Since we travelled by car we were able to see a lot of Arizona's stunning and varied landscape and I'm very grateful for the experience.