Hi from SE Asia

Hi! I haven't made much progress on the headstand, yet. But I gave myself the whole year to work on it. If you've figured out how to do one, I welcome your suggestions!

My life's been pretty dominated by work these last couple of weeks: I've been in Malaysia with Nina and Scott and the G14 GISTers. EWC has a big training project there, and we'll be back a couple more times this Spring. I'm now in Bangkok, and tonight I am meeting up with Nam for dinner and a stroll. Last night I had dinner with some alumni (Nok, Trevor, Junita - some of you know them). A fun part of this job is getting to spend time with interesting people. The travel's alright, too, but sometimes it's too much. That work-life balance thing can be elusive, can't it?

I'm not really sure what to write about, so I thought I would share some things that I've come across over the last month, that have really impacted me.

• One of those was an article in The New Yorker, but Teju Cole. Unmournable Bodies took a  refreshingly critical look at the Charlie Hebdo events, and put words to some of my thoughts. I like this quote: "We may not be able to attend to each outrage in every corner of the world, but we should at least pause to consider how it is that mainstream opinion so quickly decides that certain violent deaths are more meaningful, and more worthy of commemoration, than others." 
• Another thing: I saw a movie this month called The Act of Killing. Have you seen it? It's a really, really amazing film - a documentary, actually, but almost not. The subjects are former Indonesian death squad leaders who are unrepentant about their role in the violence of the mid-1960s. They basically make a film about their actions. It sounds macabre, and it IS, but it is also incredibly moving. And the film has been used by Indonesian rights advocates to open up dialogue about this era.
• OK, I haven't only been paying attention to grim stuff! I've been watching a bunch of films, one right after the other, on the long flights I've been on this month. I recently saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, about a bunch of British retirees who move to India and grapple with a world that's new to them. Have you seen it? It's very funny in places and I was laughing loudly on the plane. I am looking forward to the sequel that comes out next month (The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).

And speaking of next month (er, this month, actually) - Yuan will be the hostess of the blog in February. I'm looking forward to her updates.

Warm Alohas to you all!
Gretch

(Some pictures from Kuala Lumpur: Nina pointing out some words of wisdom, and the Jalan Alor food street.)