Job Description

If I were to describe my job on a resume, I would say something like this

Served as a research assistant to collaborate on public health research investigating race disparities in factors associated with HPV vaccination behaviors. Recruited participants and administered questionnaires in English and Spanish.

When people I meet down here ask what I'm doing in Des Moines, I usually tell them I'm working on a research project at DMU and that I sit in a clinic waiting room all day and ask people to fill out a survey. Most nod their heads smugly and are secretly glad that they don't have to do that kind of work. Sitting in a clinic waiting room all day sounds boring, and asking strangers to take a survey just sounds uncomfortable.

Though the job sounds one-dimensional at first glance, there are many things I've learned and many skills I have garnered that will be valuable lessons in organization, collaboration, communication and extroversion which are hard to summarize in a succinct resume format.

Doing this work last year, I often felt like a predator preying on unsuspecting patients with the selfish motive of being one participant closer to the final goal of 300 and having a vast library of intimate facts about people. I cannot say why, but this year, I have felt much more comfortable pitching my spiel to people and not feeling guilty about it. I suppose that, after reading the manuscript that resulted from our work last year, I have more confidence in the potential benefits and fruits of our work.

Another aspect of the job that was significantly more difficult last summer was communicating effectively with Spanish-speakers. A combination of cultural knowledge and language skills that I have picked up in the last year have made all the difference in the world in getting the message across to Latinos and also answering questions and quelling concerns associated with sharing sensitive information. At this point last year, I had been exposed to Spanish primarily through classes - readings and lectures. A lot of one-way communication: it's either going in or coming out. The interchange of conversation was severely limited.

Since then, my exposure to Spanish has drastically changed. I spent three months in Costa Rica where both my listening and speaking saw noticeable improvements. I have made Spanish-speaking friends at home and at school. I have been more intentional about seeking out opportunities to speak and listen - namely in conversation tables. All this exposure over the course of the last ten months in addition to my continued classwork in Spanish has made me a much more effective communicator in participant recruitment this summer. It's encouraging to observe this noticeable change.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson from this work has been in the art of not making assumptions. The selection criteria have been young people (ages 15 to 30) and people who self-identify as either White or Latino. I have approached people who have been 50, but could be mistaken for late-20s, and I have approached people who have been 13, but could be mistaken for late teens. The racial determinations are also quite tricky. Turns out that Southeast Asians can easily be mistaken for Latinos. Lesson learned: don't trust your perception of someone's appearance. Better to ask than assume, and so long as you don't make assumptions, there's no reason to feel ashamed at making the wrong call.

Reality Check

God bless my new friend, a veterinarian from Barcelona who recently moved to Minneapolis and has traveled twice to Des Moines in the last month for work. Three weeks ago, he was in town with two colleagues working at Des Moines' World Pork Expo. They were looking for people who spoke both Spanish and English to help translate for them while they were at the fair, and they solicited our Spanish conversation group for volunteers. I was unable to help them at the fair, but we arranged to go out for food and drink later that week. I had a great time and got a lot of practice! My friend had an early meeting in Ames and called to see if I could go out for a drink. We have spoken mostly in Spanish, which is more for my sake than anything. But I do not garner praise for my superior Spanish-speaking abilities from this new friend (nor did I do so with his colleagues when they were here three weeks ago). The reality is I have reached a new level in my abilities. I can keep up with a conversation more often than not, and I can express myself in words in an increasing array of circumstances. However, I am far from possessing a seamless ability to communicate effectively in Spanish. I still have an accent that he says sounds very bad. He can understand what I'm trying to say, but he can very clearly tell that I'm not a native speaker. This is good for me. As I become more confident as I progress, it's important to be aware of where I really stand on the spectrum of abilities. I am much better than I was a year ago, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Nostalgia

The past few days, I've been hit by a wave of nostalgia for Costa Rica. Images and memories keep popping into my head...

Eating sweet bread with cream cheese and jam for breakfast at Las Cruces with the tangiest, freshest orange juice I've ever had and fresh pineapple... every morning. Scrambled eggs or bacon were a rare treat. We would eat outside on the deck overlooking the wilderness of the field station, serenaded by toucans and spotting them flying tree to tree if we looked closely enough. We so consistently found ourselves living in such paradaisacal surroundings that it was hard not to take it for granted after a month or so because it became so normal.

I also remember fondly riding into San Vito (or to a finca or La Casona or misa on Sundays) from the station in the back of the 4x4. Especially in the mornings, the bumpy ride on the nauseatingly curvy mountain roads was so beautiful. The landscape was something I was never able to fully capture photographically, but man did I appreciate it in person.

Experiencing the nation's enthusiasm for soccer. Seeing 'S Lugar in San Vito packed to the gills for Costa Rica's last chance at World Cup qualification and sitting at a table with Jorge and Hector and learning all sorts of new swear words in Spanish from Jorge's rambunctious cheering. Walking with a tray full of food through the food court at Mall San Pedro when all of the sudden, the entire place erupted in cheers. (The U20 nationals scored a goal in the U20 World Cup.) Eating breakfast at a soda and watching the U20's lose the third place game in a shoot out. Had they been from the U.S. and choked like that in a shoot out, they would have been harshly criticized if anyone had even cared in the first place, but days later, upon the team's return home, the team bus was greeted in the Centro with thousands of loyal and cheering fans proud of how the young team represented the country in Egypt. Not to mention just being able to jump in on pick up games. Pura vida :)

Not being surprised nor frightened when large insects showed up around the house... in the bedroom... in the shower...

There are plenty of things that I love and appreciate about the midwest (and it will always be home), but it's nice to look back and remember the things that make other, very different places beautiful too.

Magic Hour

magic hour n. a term used by a photographer i know when the sun begins to set. objects are simultaneously illuminated and cast in shadow, and just about everything becomes beautiful. even the seedy side of des moines.

i was driving home from a Bible study of sorts at Trinity Methodist this evening and was impressed by how the light hit many ordinary objects in a part of town that would not be considered beautiful. numerous houses in disrepair and an old school bus that may or may not have had an engine inside become more than just that during magic hour. they take on character and depth when the light illuminates and casts shadows on these objects at the same time. maybe because the juxtaposition of light and dark gives us a sense that we're seeing a more truthful depiction of the object as a whole. with unappealing as well as redeeming qualities.

discussion at the Bible study centered around the story of creation. we listened to some commentary of biblical scholars on contradictions between the two tellings of the creation story in Genesis and how these stories are interpreted by different parts of the church. we talked about creation stories from different societies and cultures and how they are a reflection of the value system of each society. the discussion was very open and comfortable. i did not feel that i had to restrain my true thoughts for fear of being labeled lost and heretical, which has been a common feeling in past discussions in a religious setting. we talked about what the story implies for our stewardship of the earth, and that although we have hope that our ultimate destiny is beyond this earth, that does not curtail the importance of doing good work with the time we have in this life.

in other news, Mexico beat France in the World Cup today and looked very impressive! they're next game against Uruguay should be the most challenging of all.

World Cup 2010

The FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and I am lucky enough to have a summer job that allows me watch the daytime games once in a while. I have been disappointed with a large number of ties so far in the group play, but I have faith that the dominant teams will emerge as we set into the second round of group games.

Though you can easily find team groupings on FIFA.com and I am not an expert on who's who in international soccer, here is who I anticipate (hope) to emerge from group play for the second stage based on the first round of games:

Group A
South Africa
*Mexico
*Uruguay
France

Group B
*Argentina
Nigeria
*Korea Republic
Greece

Group C
*England
*USA
Algeria
Slovenia

Group D
*Germany
Australia
Serbia
*Ghana

Group E
*Netherlands
Denmark
*Japan
Cameroon

Group F
*Italy
*Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia

Group G
*Brazil
Korea DPR
*Cote d'Ivoire
Portugal

Group H - I think this group will be the most interesting to watch.
*Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
*Chile

Gender Roles and Culture

I just finished a book called In the Land of God and Man by Silvana Paternostro, which is reviewed here. This book takes a harsh look at the sexual culture of Latin America and the harm that the values of machismo have inflicted and continue to inflict on the female population.

She writes of a permissiveness of reckless sexual behavior among men in the name of being manly that is matched only by a fierce double standard that women be imitators of the Virgin Mary, saving themselves for the only man with whom they'll ever be intimate, who also never paid a thought to saving himself for her.

I read nearly the entire book last week while working in the clinic recruiting participants to our HPV study, and the timing is coincidental because one of our target populations for our study on a sexually transmitted infection is Latino men and women.

While I read, I had to keep an eye on patients entering the waiting room so that I could approach them if they appeared to fit our recruitment criteria, and as I lifted my eyes occasionally from my page, I wondered to myself if these harsh indictments apply to the Latino men sitting in my midst.

Some of the author's stories angered me to the point of wanting to jump out of my chair and stomp my feet on the ground in frustration.

This information was not entirely new to me either. As part of our training as research assistants last summer, we sat down with a Latina woman who led a domestic abuse support group for Latina women in Des Moines and talked through some of the cultural barriers we may encounter in the data collection process. We also attended one of their meetings for participant recruitment. Regardless, I think receiving that information from multiple sources almost makes it more upsetting because then it takes on an air of commonality, like its a normal thing that's just a part of life. Some of the things these women go through should in no way be acceptable or accepted.

Entonces, [stepping off my soapbox] issues of gender roles in Latino culture have been called blaringly to my attention, and I wonder if our data will reveal any of these patterns as well. I also wonder what role these issues may play in my future work, whether it be direct, as in a specific focus of my career or more indirect, as simple reality of which I need to be acutely aware when working with Latino people.

With that in mind, I just stumbled across a website for and organization called Casa de Esperanza which is based in St. Paul and devotes itself to just these kinds of issues. Good people doing good work :)

What a Good Day Looks Like

Today was a good day. Not extraordinarily good, just good. The sun was out and the temperature was not too oppressive. I assembled an outfit in which I was comfortable and felt confident, with a dress my mom bought me a couple weeks ago at Filene's Basement in Boston. An old friend that I hadn't seen in nearly a year went out of his way to buy me lunch and we enjoyed our sandwiches, each other's company and the pleasant weather on the patio. When I returned to work, I had the opportunity for another free lunch that the Merck representatives brought to the clinic - taco bar! They also promised to hook us up with HPV and Gardasil® materials to distribute to curious study participants. We managed to recruit a decent number of participants to the study today, but I also had ample time to read. This may be the only job I ever have in which I get paid a decent hourly wage to read for pleasure (and perform my duties when duty calls, of course). After work, I went to a fitness class with my boss, who is also seven months pregnant. She called me out on less-than-stellar wall-sit form. My legs are gloriously sore from lots of squatting. I haven't been extrinsically challenged (coach, instructor, etc. telling me to get lower, work harder, run faster) since I quit playing competitive soccer two and a half years ago. Glad to know I can still hack it. For dinner, I whipped up a very sophisticated batch of macaroni and cheese (the sophistication being limited to using lowfat yogurt with the cheese mix instead of butter and milk - tangy and healthy) and paired it with a spinach salad, an apple and a glass of water. After dinner, I conversed with other Spanish-speakers for two hours. Met some new and interesting folks and reacquainted myself with a couple familiar faces. I also got an invitation to a bilingual church service at a nearby Methodist church... just what I've been looking for! I am also plotting my first encounter with the Des Moines salsa scene sometime in the next week.

Coming soon this weekend: World Cup games! a bike ride? Farmer's market depending on how exciting the soccer games are... some focused time with my biocomm paper.

In the land of corn...

I have many friends who have studied abroad over the course of the last couple years. Many of these people have set up blogs with the express purpose of reporting back to loved ones from far off places, and in many cases, these sites get abandoned after the students return stateside. I have followed suit with that pattern... until now. I have decided that amaneciendo bien is not an attitude or a mantra that is limited to the land of pura vida. Blogging is certainly a worthwhile venture, both to share my thoughts with others (although, eight months between updates, there aren't many that check this site anymore) and to arrange digest my thoughts in order to express them. So here I go, resurrecting this blog, documenting life's happenings beyond my experiences abroad.

At this moment, I am sitting on the living room couch at my summer residence in Des Moines, IA. Sara and the dog just got home from a romp in the park. Both the air conditioner and the TV are on, and I have plans to heat up leftover macaroni and cheese before I head to Spanish conversation table in a couple minutes.

The last couple weeks have been somewhat of a blur. Three weeks ago, I was simultaneously studying for final exams and packing up my life (again) to move out of my apartment in Morris. A mere thirty six hours after moving out, I hopped an early plane to Boston to spend with my mother while she is receiving treatment at Massachussetts General Hospital. We had a great week together, seeing the sites, pretending to talk like Bostonians and riding the train. It was a good way to kick off the summer. After a week in Boston, I returned home to help my dad hold down the fort for a week and preparing to spend my summer in Des Moines. We planted the garden for mom, while tending all the things she normally takes care of in addition to our normal responsibilities. My father has a lot on his plate taking care of the house solo.

Then I got things packed into the car to move down to Des Moines.

Being back in Des Moines is great so far. My living situation is very comfortable and enjoyable, and I am excited to be working on another HPV study. I find that after my experiences in Costa Rica, my Spanish has improved to an extent that makes communicating with Latinos in the clinics much less stressful and much more enjoyable. In the past months, I have taken great joy in any opportunity to use Spanish, and hearing it on the streets anywhere still brings a smile to my face.

Also, in my new location, I find myself in the center of a fabulous network of biking trails that I only had scarce access to last summer. There is much more to discover and enjoy on my bike this year.

Here's to a good summer... to be continued :)