Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
bailando
I went out to dance for the first time in a very long time last night. So enjoyable. Especially with a good partner, who gives you space to move, is patient with your missteps and teaches you new things. Totally worth losing some sleep.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Reflections and Discoveries
Recently, I have discovered a new favorite band: Mumford & Sons. They're British with kind of a mellow alternative rock sound and some Celtic influences. I suppose you could compare them to Snow Patrol, but a little more upbeat. I also belt out Sara Bareilles' new song, "King of Anything" whenever I hear it in the car.
I have also discovered a website that has free PDF downloads available of the piano sheet music for a selection of popular songs. Instead of going to be at a reasonable time last night, I purged the entire site for songs that appealed to me. I have a pile of PDFs saved in a folder on my desktop that I plan to print once I get home.
This afternoon, I went to the DMU library to kill some time between work and dinner with the girls from work (thanks for the tacos, Rachel!). I had planned on just sitting and reading my book for a while and enjoying the natural light that comes through the walls of glass windows. On my way to find a seat, I stumbled across DMU's collection of books on disease ecology and infectious diseases. I nerded out and checked out two books and plan to spend some time with them tonight. They're super relevant to what I hope to do after graduation next year - too bad I didn't find this treasure chest 8 weeks ago!
My last day at DMU is tomorrow. I'm sad to say goodbye to the people and the place, because it feels more definite this time around. There isn't the cushion of 'oh, maybe I'll be back next summer.' This summer has been quite different than last, but just as good, nonetheless. I am thankful for all I have experienced here and all I have learned. My experiences in Des Moines have been very formative in the grand scheme of the last two years. What I have learned here will serve me well in the experiences that await me.
I have also discovered a website that has free PDF downloads available of the piano sheet music for a selection of popular songs. Instead of going to be at a reasonable time last night, I purged the entire site for songs that appealed to me. I have a pile of PDFs saved in a folder on my desktop that I plan to print once I get home.
This afternoon, I went to the DMU library to kill some time between work and dinner with the girls from work (thanks for the tacos, Rachel!). I had planned on just sitting and reading my book for a while and enjoying the natural light that comes through the walls of glass windows. On my way to find a seat, I stumbled across DMU's collection of books on disease ecology and infectious diseases. I nerded out and checked out two books and plan to spend some time with them tonight. They're super relevant to what I hope to do after graduation next year - too bad I didn't find this treasure chest 8 weeks ago!
My last day at DMU is tomorrow. I'm sad to say goodbye to the people and the place, because it feels more definite this time around. There isn't the cushion of 'oh, maybe I'll be back next summer.' This summer has been quite different than last, but just as good, nonetheless. I am thankful for all I have experienced here and all I have learned. My experiences in Des Moines have been very formative in the grand scheme of the last two years. What I have learned here will serve me well in the experiences that await me.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Football
I went on a long bike ride this evening. It was highly satisfying because most of my attempts at long bike rides in the past several weeks have been foiled by flooded trails. I made it all the way to the Birdland marina before I encountered an impassable trail. I elected to press forward on non-flooded roads through a less wholesome part of town instead of doubling back and likely arriving home after dark. Passers by gauked at me from their cars, including a couple of unwelcome cat calls. However, my jaunt through the east side had a particular perk.
I ended up at a familiar intersection where there is a junior high school with an open field with goal posts on either end for playing soccer. When I drive by this spot on my way to the east side clinic in the mornings, there is never anyone there, but I've always wondered if the neighbors ever organized soccer games there. I found out tonight that they do. When I biked by, there were at least 30 Latinos crowded into the relatively small field engaged in a game of soccer. If there had been fewer people on the field (the game was clearly already crowded with a few sitting on the sidelines), if there had been other females present or playing, and if I wasn't on my bike as the sun was getting lower in the sky, I may have thought about stopping to jump in on the game.
There is a group that I know of that plays pick up soccer in Minneapolis. Maybe I'll have to join them once or twice when I'm home in August. My love for soccer never dies. Summer nights like this one, seeing youth clad in pinnies, kicking a ball around a goal never fails to stir up nostalgia for the sport that captured my heart at a young age and still has yet to let go even though injury has taken me off the competitive field. I learned last fall that though I am not able to play soccer on the two hours a day six days a week scale that was typical in high school and my first years of college, that doesn't mean that the joy of playing will completely evacuate my life. Playing on the beach in Samara and at the OTS stations last fall were highlights of my time abroad. I may not be as fit as I once was, but I can hold my own in most company, and playing soccer can still highlight my life in small doses. It almost becomes more special that way.
I ended up at a familiar intersection where there is a junior high school with an open field with goal posts on either end for playing soccer. When I drive by this spot on my way to the east side clinic in the mornings, there is never anyone there, but I've always wondered if the neighbors ever organized soccer games there. I found out tonight that they do. When I biked by, there were at least 30 Latinos crowded into the relatively small field engaged in a game of soccer. If there had been fewer people on the field (the game was clearly already crowded with a few sitting on the sidelines), if there had been other females present or playing, and if I wasn't on my bike as the sun was getting lower in the sky, I may have thought about stopping to jump in on the game.
There is a group that I know of that plays pick up soccer in Minneapolis. Maybe I'll have to join them once or twice when I'm home in August. My love for soccer never dies. Summer nights like this one, seeing youth clad in pinnies, kicking a ball around a goal never fails to stir up nostalgia for the sport that captured my heart at a young age and still has yet to let go even though injury has taken me off the competitive field. I learned last fall that though I am not able to play soccer on the two hours a day six days a week scale that was typical in high school and my first years of college, that doesn't mean that the joy of playing will completely evacuate my life. Playing on the beach in Samara and at the OTS stations last fall were highlights of my time abroad. I may not be as fit as I once was, but I can hold my own in most company, and playing soccer can still highlight my life in small doses. It almost becomes more special that way.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The least of these
Two opportunities to be kind to strangers have fallen into my lap in the past two days. These opportunities were opportune in the sense that the service at Trinity on Sunday included scripture and preaching on one of my favorite Bible passages in Matthew 25:
Whenever I hear this passage, I often wonder to myself if I'm missing the boat. Are there people sitting under my nose with blatantly obvious needs that I have the means to meet? Sometimes I think I am too engrossed in my own selfish indulgence to even take note of the needs of people around me. But the Lord made it very clear and very obvious how I could show two individuals kindness.
As I was leaving the clinic yesterday, one of the patients (who had been done with her appointment and sitting in the waiting room for upwards of an hour) was on the corner waiting for the Paratransit (the on-call public transportation) to pick her up. It was the end of the day, and I got in my car to drive home. I had the window down as I was pulling out of the parking lot, and this patient hollered at me asking for a ride. She had been waiting for her ride for two and a half hours and her destination was on my way home. My sacrifice to lighten her burden was minimal, but I'm glad she hollered at me because I probably would not have stuck my nose out to help her otherwise. Perhaps in the future I will.
And today, I was helping translate for families at a Back-to-School Health Fair sponsored in part by Trinity. Translation duties were minimal, but I wanted to be available if the need arose so I pulled out a bracelet-in-progress from my pocket and safety-pinned it to my pant leg. I finished by the time things in the make-shift clinic were wrapping up, and I was adding finishing touches as a little boy approached me, very curious about what I was doing. He asked me what it was and how I was making it. He thought it was pretty cool, and I asked him if he wanted it. His immediate answer was yes. I got it all finished, tied it on his wrist and he ran off.
Kids have really grown on me this summer. They seem less intimidating than they did last summer. I think, simply by exposure to lots of kids in the clinics, I have observed them enough to feel more at ease communicating and relating to them. It's neat.
One last matter on my mind today is that of choosing public health programs. I have a list of schools that I plan on applying to this fall. That's all well and good, but beyond simply choosing a school, one must elect a department and a degree program as well. At two schools, I am torn between epidemiology and environmental health. Epidemiology offers skills that are valuable across all sub-fields in public health, but some of the courses in the environmental programs sound so fascinating... right up my alley. Then there's a school like Tulane, which has more departments that tickle my fancy than not: epidemiology, environmental science, international health and development, or tropical medicine (read: parasitology!). How do I begin to distinguish such programs? Do I make the decision based on how valuable and marketable the skills garnered in a given program will be? (In that case, epidemiology) Or based on how interesting the classes sound? (In this case, international health and development or tropical medicine) I don't want to arrive at the end of my two years and wish I had taken different classes. Or do I base my decision on which faculty interests interest me most? (In that case, tropical medicine) There are lots of factors to consider and they all seem to measure on different scales. I'm not really sure how to go about it. Can't I just do everything and be in school indefinitely and not accumulate any debt? Yeah, right.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
Whenever I hear this passage, I often wonder to myself if I'm missing the boat. Are there people sitting under my nose with blatantly obvious needs that I have the means to meet? Sometimes I think I am too engrossed in my own selfish indulgence to even take note of the needs of people around me. But the Lord made it very clear and very obvious how I could show two individuals kindness.
As I was leaving the clinic yesterday, one of the patients (who had been done with her appointment and sitting in the waiting room for upwards of an hour) was on the corner waiting for the Paratransit (the on-call public transportation) to pick her up. It was the end of the day, and I got in my car to drive home. I had the window down as I was pulling out of the parking lot, and this patient hollered at me asking for a ride. She had been waiting for her ride for two and a half hours and her destination was on my way home. My sacrifice to lighten her burden was minimal, but I'm glad she hollered at me because I probably would not have stuck my nose out to help her otherwise. Perhaps in the future I will.
And today, I was helping translate for families at a Back-to-School Health Fair sponsored in part by Trinity. Translation duties were minimal, but I wanted to be available if the need arose so I pulled out a bracelet-in-progress from my pocket and safety-pinned it to my pant leg. I finished by the time things in the make-shift clinic were wrapping up, and I was adding finishing touches as a little boy approached me, very curious about what I was doing. He asked me what it was and how I was making it. He thought it was pretty cool, and I asked him if he wanted it. His immediate answer was yes. I got it all finished, tied it on his wrist and he ran off.
Kids have really grown on me this summer. They seem less intimidating than they did last summer. I think, simply by exposure to lots of kids in the clinics, I have observed them enough to feel more at ease communicating and relating to them. It's neat.
One last matter on my mind today is that of choosing public health programs. I have a list of schools that I plan on applying to this fall. That's all well and good, but beyond simply choosing a school, one must elect a department and a degree program as well. At two schools, I am torn between epidemiology and environmental health. Epidemiology offers skills that are valuable across all sub-fields in public health, but some of the courses in the environmental programs sound so fascinating... right up my alley. Then there's a school like Tulane, which has more departments that tickle my fancy than not: epidemiology, environmental science, international health and development, or tropical medicine (read: parasitology!). How do I begin to distinguish such programs? Do I make the decision based on how valuable and marketable the skills garnered in a given program will be? (In that case, epidemiology) Or based on how interesting the classes sound? (In this case, international health and development or tropical medicine) I don't want to arrive at the end of my two years and wish I had taken different classes. Or do I base my decision on which faculty interests interest me most? (In that case, tropical medicine) There are lots of factors to consider and they all seem to measure on different scales. I'm not really sure how to go about it. Can't I just do everything and be in school indefinitely and not accumulate any debt? Yeah, right.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Inadvertent Connection
I stopped by Culver's on the way home from Spanish table tonight. I had a hankering for some custard, and decided to indulge. I pulled up to the drive through window and the guy working handed me my ice cream cone, made eye contact and I couldn't tell if he was trying to be friendly or if he was though something about me was funny. I glanced at his nametag: Jorge. Then, as I was pulling out of the drive-thru, I realized I was jamming to merengue in the car and he was probably amused by my music selection.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Small Sounds and Distractions
Last night I relished in the novelty of going to the movie theater alone. It sounds like a hopelessly lonely activity, but it allowed me to jump more fully into the world of the film that I was watching. I had no company at my side to reel me back in if I happened to take my eyes from the screen. I went to the only theater in Des Moines that plays exclusively independent and foreign films. The movie was about a murder investigation in 1970s Argentina. The images of a colonial society run-down by the sub-tropical climate were amplified by the characteristic rattle of the old film projector I could hear above my head.
It has been a rainy fourth of July holiday. I woke up to rain, and it has scarcely cleared since. Lucky for me, I didn't have any thrilling plans for celebrating our nation's independence today, aside from getting a complete draft of my biocomm paper sent off (finally) to my adviser in Morris. Instead, I sit at the kitchen table, prompted by the soft patter of rain to do my work and not get distracted by other tasks, activities or opportunities.
...and here I sit with a computer at my fingertips, and a whole world of distractions contained within. Sometimes I feel I would be better off (more productive and less distracted, at least) with a typewriter. Typewriters don't have email to check or news to read or blogs to write in...
Back to work!
It has been a rainy fourth of July holiday. I woke up to rain, and it has scarcely cleared since. Lucky for me, I didn't have any thrilling plans for celebrating our nation's independence today, aside from getting a complete draft of my biocomm paper sent off (finally) to my adviser in Morris. Instead, I sit at the kitchen table, prompted by the soft patter of rain to do my work and not get distracted by other tasks, activities or opportunities.
...and here I sit with a computer at my fingertips, and a whole world of distractions contained within. Sometimes I feel I would be better off (more productive and less distracted, at least) with a typewriter. Typewriters don't have email to check or news to read or blogs to write in...
Back to work!
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