see? I read my comments!

Hm, ~d wants to know why we live here. Hm. In concrete terms it would be because when DrBob finished his Ph.D and we had a new baby and he really, really needed a job, he found it here. His family is also here, and we wanted the kids to know their grandparents and extended family and to have a concept of 'family' that's bigger than just the people in one household.

In more general terms, though, I like it here because it's kind of ... more even. Nobody gets to be Paris Hilton here, but nobody gets to be that homeless veteran who panhandles in the subway station either. Some people have more money than others, but the difference that makes is in your comfort level, not your survival. When you're poor here, it means you don't get to go on vacations or drive a nice car. Poor in America means trying to treat your son's broken arm yourself because you don't have health insurance and can't afford the emergency room fees. Not only do I not want to be in that situation, I don't have a lot of respect for a culture that thinks it's okay for other people to be there. There are some really great things about the U.S., things I miss a whole lot, but um, that is not one of them.

So what this even-ness means for women in the workplace is that we are all in more or less the same boat, and when a solution is found, we will all be able to make use of it - not just the rich and privileged women. There are a lot more options for childcare in the States right now, but the good ones are only for people who can afford them, and I don't think that's fair. And I don't like injustice, even when I benefit from it, which is most of the time.

Did you see Landismom's comment on the 20-hour work week? Man, that is the best idea I've heard in a long time.

Also, I survived another ESL class tonight. I might actually learn not to dread them so, if I can get some lesson-planning fu.

Song du jour of the day? Apropos of nothing, I've just been listening to it recently, The Neville Brothers: A Change is Gonna Come.