Trade as One

Worth checking out:

There are two worlds.

One where people are poor. The other where people have money to buy things.

Color us innocent, but we think there should be one world.

So we set up Trade as One so people in America can buy things from people in the developing world.

We get beautiful and useful things. They earn a living.

That sounds like a fair trade to us.

Trade as One (TaO) is committed to selling only fair trade products, giving others in developing countries a chance at earning a stable income, and deterring women and children away from sex trafficking as a way of life. Fair Trade means TaO allows artisans from around the world to freely express themselves through their products, and use their talents to make beautiful things for us. Visit TaO, buy something for yourself or a gift for someone special, and support an economically just global trading system.

Overheard...

So last night, being Tuesday, was date night for Gary and I. We decided to enjoy the beautiful summer evening with a picnic at the park. We headed to the local grocery to pick up a few picnic-y items on the way.

As we brought our items to the cash register, a blonde lady dove in front of us to request that the cashier call a manager for her immediately. The crisis?

"I'm looking for a few things that I can't seem to find. I need a high-end, rustic crouton, as well as unsweetened ice-tea."

Nonplussed, the cashier complied and rang for customer service. But as she walked away, I couldn't help but think to myself...

"What the frick is a rustic crouton?"

Conflict(ed): Where Would Jesus Shop?

Have you seen the new product (red) campaign? Launched by Bono, the idea is for major companies to donate a portion of their sales of certain items for AIDS relief in Africa. A couple of nights ago, Gary and I were walking through the local mall and saw that the GAP had filled its windows with various red shirts included in the campaign.

I have to admit, I’m not sure what to make of it all. On the one hand, I appreciate that the AIDS crisis is being recognized so publicly, and that people are being encouraged to put their money where it can make a difference. I sincerely hope that this campaign will help hurting people. Plus, the shirts were pretty cool.

However, the commerciality of all this that leaves such a bad taste in my mouth… if we make supporting AIDS fashionable, what happens when the trends change? Does the fact that the new GAP shirts are (red), released just in time for Valentine’s day, mean that the campaign is timely, or exploitative?

My reading in Bonhoeffer this morning only served to stir the proverbial pot. “Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father which is in heaven.” Jesus says in Matt. 6:1. But then Jesus also says, “Let your light shine before men” in Matt. 5:16. Soooo… which category applies to shopping preferences???

I’m inclined to think that God would care most about our motives. If I wear a (red) shirt just to show the world what a great activist I am, look out! No heavenly reward for me! But if I do buy a GAP shirt with the intent to help fight AIDS in Africa, and encourage and remind others to get involved as well, that’s good, right? Right? Right?

My Bilingual Adventure

After days on end of unpacking boxes and arranging furniture in our new home, Gary and I took a much needed break last night to get out of the house. With our new DVR set to record “Scrubs” in our absence, and an admonition to Billy to ‘guard the house’, we set out to go explore the local mall. Where best to spend time with one’s true love, and to get a taste of the local culture?

Our first stop was at Cingular, to pick out cell phones and sign up for our new plan. Yep, that’s right… Gary and I now EACH have our own cell phone! This was a day I thought would never come, due to Gary’s historical loathing of the item, but as we commence a life of full-time youth ministry, it just made sense to both of us to be easily reachable. DVR, cell phones… we are re-entering America in true technological fashion!

From Cingular, we wandered past countless displays of cute summery outfits that wouldn’t be wearable for a few months, unless one is planning a trip to the Southern Hemisphere in the near future… which I’m not. I was pleased to note the presence of an H&M, which I will surely be frequenting in the future, and confounded by a Bebe “Sport” shop, which I most surely will not…

As we wandered on, I was thrilled to find a specialty shop displaying exotic finds from Africa – I rushed in, hoping to find a necklace with a specific pendant, shaped in the outline of the African continent (just like Lillian used to wear all the time!). I had a great chat with the cashier, a lovely lady named Shella, and though she wasn’t able to provide me with the necklace that I desperately want, she suggested that I may have luck at a market in Berkeley. We traded e-mail addresses, and I promised to send her pictures from our recent trips to Kenya and Swaziland.

As Gary and I walked out of the shop, reminiscing over our good times with our African friends, dreaming about when we may someday return, and complaining over the marked-up prices of djembe drums in the states, we were suddenly interrupted by an elderly Mexican woman.

“Canela!” She directed at us intently. My mind began to whirl… “Is she trying to tell me her name? That doesn’t sound like a Spanish name… Oh, I know this word; c’mon, Katherine…” I’m not accustomed to old ladies suddenly shouting at me in Spanish.

“Canela! Con Limon! Para la garganta!” She insisted.

Cinnamon! Of course, I knew that one. Phew! The lady had overheard Gary’s cough (he still sounds pretty bad) and was trying to give me instructions on a tea to prepare for his throat. Once I had a little context for this unexpected conversation, I was able to conjure up my Spanish and talk with her.

“Si, el tiene tos para dos semanas. Puedo darle te con canela y limon para la garganta. Gracias.”

We spoke for a while, then she asked me, “Hablas espanol?” I had to laugh to myself… What kind of question was that? Yes, I spoke Spanish. I’ve been speaking Spanish to her for a couple of minutes now! We spoke a little more, then I thanked her profusely, and Gary and I walked away, smiling.

Is this seriously my life now? Do strangers approach me to give me advice in another language, and I actually understand them? This brief interaction brought to the surface my search for identity as a former world racer.

Though my transition back to life in the states has been surprisingly smooth, I definitely have these moments of wondering who, exactly, I am now. Am I still, at heart, the traveling missionary? Can I hold on to the principles of ‘traveling light’, of simplicity, and community that come with that gypsy lifestyle? Or do I more fit in with the established, affluent community here in Northern California? Are the resources that wealth can bring a blessing, or a distraction, or both? Is there any inherent contradiction in shopping at H&M, cell phone in hand, then proudly relating stories of roughing it in the African slums, just a few minutes later?

Though I didn’t anticipate an identity crisis in the middle of our first date here in Concord, I welcomed the chance to ask myself these questions. Though time will only tell, to discover if these questions have any answers…