Last year:
- Loved sprinkles, Baltimore, growing trees in small apartments, living with Devin. Field trips. Playing around. Working weird hours. Asking questions.
- Could not live without onions, lemons, coffee. Caffeine addiction slightly out of hand (2-day long headaches when I forget to dose up).
- Learned a lot about chickens and poop, and still into it!
- Sad about Uncle Jeff's passing. Tried fishing for the first time.
The New Year 2012:
- Still trying to develop an exercise regime. I have lost weight but am not fit. I still get little 'jolts' of pain in my heart area from time to time. Devin tells me this is not normal. Should get my heart pumping!
- Bird houses! Inspiration and Execution
- Gardening unused land. At our place, there is piney shady space, some sunny areas with grass we can dig up. At Nate and Lele's new house (fingers crossed for the IRS to finish their paperwork) we should have a lot of space. Lemon trees. Okra/brussells sprouts, kale, herbs, berries. Tomatoes with the aid of chemicals. Green Onions. Potatoes? Stuff we can cook with.
- More freezing of fresh produce.
- Canning without food poisoning.
- Living without deception and regret. Easier said than done!
- More Twitter! Less facebook. Why? More sharing less bragging.
1.1.12
31.10.11
A Procrastinating Grad Student Does It Again
Since I just figured out which microbes produce enzymes that let them metabolize uric acid in poultry manure -- these guys are probably the culprit in producing the toxic ammonia gas around which my research centers -- it's obviously time to take a break and write about life. Then it's back to the grind.
Life in Blacksburg has been great so far. Devin and I both got into grad school at sister departments here and even get paid to go to school. It turns out that we are still poor, but at least we have enough to go camping and treat each other to dinner out at least once a week. Hey, it's better than temping in DC. My commute here is about 15 minutes to anywhere - and somehow I manage to complain - but it's so much better than 1 hour each way on the metro.
I love living in the mountains, too -- it's just prettier here. Our professors and advisors have some pretty amazing digs - 100 acre plots by a national forest complete w/a stocked pond, to name one. Country activities are much more encouraged, which is fun - and funny. I learned to fish and we go out fairly often to see what we can catch; but people on campus also walk around w/their hunting gear like they're heading off just after class lets out. Pig roasts are common and corn hole (like bean bag toss) is the highlight of many a weekend, aside from the obvious -- drinking.
Work/school also keeps us super busy. Every Monday I have a meeting with my advisor where I suddenly realize I'm behind on the goals I set for myself the week before. The next three days are taken up by homework, researching and struggling through journal articles, dragging my self and up to two computers all over campus in hot pursuit of answers, and some lab experiments too. Then Friday comes and we are usually shopping online or planning a weekend camping trip. It's the simple joys -- I discovered down jackets and sleeping bags around the same time as I got some amazing $130 shoes, so our modest salaries aren't going too terribly far yet. Then there's laundry and grocery shopping - and Sunday night arrives and it's time to do it all again.
The other 12 hours a week (where do I find the time??) I'm a Teaching Assistant for an experimental lab class that involves lots of electric circuits and misbehaving MATLAB programs. It's truly a black hole -- there's no limit to the energy I could put into it; in fact the more I do, the more I get frustrated and feel obligated to put MORE time in so the experiments will go more smoothly. But that's a pointless viscious cycle. I'm not solely responsible for the class, so when things go poorly, it really isn't my fault -- so why should I get frustrated like it is? The other fun part of my TA-ship is grading lab reports on a borrowed dinosaur-ific tablet computer. Somehow some students manage to write 20 pages of C minus-worthy blather. I am investigating the staircase distribution method of grading, however. I love being a hard-ass when grading, but if the undergrads continue to ignore my sagely advice, then f--- it.
Hobbies: I got super excited and dug my knitting needles and a pretty purple ball of manos de uruguay yarn out of my craft bag when a friend introduced me to ravelry.com and their bonanza of knitting patterns and projects. The purple yarn is on its way to becoming a cabled cap - for me - and after that, Devin wants a hat so I'm going to do a fancy one with fleece lining so his ears will be warm and itch-free. I will probably work my way up to a sweater at some point, but I'm not quite ready to invest in a giant pile of $$$ yarn. We also came into a bunch of reading and fishing equipment recently, so there are plenty of activities to take up our extremely rare free time.
Thanksgiving is coming up and we're going to go spend a week in sunny CA. Neither town there will be particularly warm -- San Luis Obispo, where Devin is from, nor Chico, where the fam holds the holiday meal and celebration. But it'll be pretty and a happy visit back to the loving and politically active folks that raised Devin, as well as a return to solar power, Jack in the Box, year round farmers markets, and agricultural fields as far as the eye can see.
The other excitement on my horizon is chickens - helping with a friend's experiment by counting/weighing them; as well as designing my own experiments on chicken manure. That brings me back to the microbes and ammonia I mentioned up top - so maybe it's time to get back to work.
Catch you all next time!
Life in Blacksburg has been great so far. Devin and I both got into grad school at sister departments here and even get paid to go to school. It turns out that we are still poor, but at least we have enough to go camping and treat each other to dinner out at least once a week. Hey, it's better than temping in DC. My commute here is about 15 minutes to anywhere - and somehow I manage to complain - but it's so much better than 1 hour each way on the metro.
I love living in the mountains, too -- it's just prettier here. Our professors and advisors have some pretty amazing digs - 100 acre plots by a national forest complete w/a stocked pond, to name one. Country activities are much more encouraged, which is fun - and funny. I learned to fish and we go out fairly often to see what we can catch; but people on campus also walk around w/their hunting gear like they're heading off just after class lets out. Pig roasts are common and corn hole (like bean bag toss) is the highlight of many a weekend, aside from the obvious -- drinking.
Work/school also keeps us super busy. Every Monday I have a meeting with my advisor where I suddenly realize I'm behind on the goals I set for myself the week before. The next three days are taken up by homework, researching and struggling through journal articles, dragging my self and up to two computers all over campus in hot pursuit of answers, and some lab experiments too. Then Friday comes and we are usually shopping online or planning a weekend camping trip. It's the simple joys -- I discovered down jackets and sleeping bags around the same time as I got some amazing $130 shoes, so our modest salaries aren't going too terribly far yet. Then there's laundry and grocery shopping - and Sunday night arrives and it's time to do it all again.
The other 12 hours a week (where do I find the time??) I'm a Teaching Assistant for an experimental lab class that involves lots of electric circuits and misbehaving MATLAB programs. It's truly a black hole -- there's no limit to the energy I could put into it; in fact the more I do, the more I get frustrated and feel obligated to put MORE time in so the experiments will go more smoothly. But that's a pointless viscious cycle. I'm not solely responsible for the class, so when things go poorly, it really isn't my fault -- so why should I get frustrated like it is? The other fun part of my TA-ship is grading lab reports on a borrowed dinosaur-ific tablet computer. Somehow some students manage to write 20 pages of C minus-worthy blather. I am investigating the staircase distribution method of grading, however. I love being a hard-ass when grading, but if the undergrads continue to ignore my sagely advice, then f--- it.
Hobbies: I got super excited and dug my knitting needles and a pretty purple ball of manos de uruguay yarn out of my craft bag when a friend introduced me to ravelry.com and their bonanza of knitting patterns and projects. The purple yarn is on its way to becoming a cabled cap - for me - and after that, Devin wants a hat so I'm going to do a fancy one with fleece lining so his ears will be warm and itch-free. I will probably work my way up to a sweater at some point, but I'm not quite ready to invest in a giant pile of $$$ yarn. We also came into a bunch of reading and fishing equipment recently, so there are plenty of activities to take up our extremely rare free time.
Thanksgiving is coming up and we're going to go spend a week in sunny CA. Neither town there will be particularly warm -- San Luis Obispo, where Devin is from, nor Chico, where the fam holds the holiday meal and celebration. But it'll be pretty and a happy visit back to the loving and politically active folks that raised Devin, as well as a return to solar power, Jack in the Box, year round farmers markets, and agricultural fields as far as the eye can see.
The other excitement on my horizon is chickens - helping with a friend's experiment by counting/weighing them; as well as designing my own experiments on chicken manure. That brings me back to the microbes and ammonia I mentioned up top - so maybe it's time to get back to work.
Catch you all next time!
8.6.11
Prizeys: Share and Share Alike
Legally, America has defined sharing alike as splitting benefits from a gift (or dead relative's estate) equally. As in, 18 fedora hats divided by 3 grandchildren equals 6 hats apiece. But here we don't often discuss socially the time and context for using shared items. I find that I have a new take on that now, thanks to living in Africa, so I want to explore reconciling my view with American standards.
Shared items: I'll call them prizeys from here on, because things that someone gives are often nice but unexpected surprises. Sure sharing CAN be unpleasant, like when someone 'shares' your razor in the shower, but we'll eschew those sneaky interactions and talk about social occasions involving prizeys.
Recently, I found myself in an awkward position when I had brought along some prizeys to share and they were received less like something fun and more like a contribution to the 'Cool stuff' cache. Weird. I totally thought farm-fresh fruit would enhance the holiday celebration by adding some sweetness to the hors d'eouvres tray! I also thought everyone could enjoy reading/ripping on trashy magazines for the road trip! But Americans are such damn good planners, there's no room for contributions from their well-intending friends - except as a token "thanks" gesture. So then, I wonder if I am supposed to take back my gift and distribute it myself so it can be used properly - used in *that* setting, and shared among people who are THERE! People who LOVE fresh fruit! And magazines! Is it possible a group of people could learn to divide things up in America, or do I have to pre-package for all the individuals present?
I too have fallen into the planning trap during the past 9 months of re-civilizing. Around dinner when I get hungry, I tend to plan lots of shared labor when making dinner for Devin and I. The big idea is obviously "let's eat, and fast! all hands on deck!" .. But then I get really offended when everything is ready except the salad I have assigned to Devin, even after I set out a ready cutting board and knife! I am planning that it is dinner time and we are going to eat. I am even planning that I know Devin likes salads. But he is probably thinking that he's having fun playing video games, so when the fun subsides, he will plan to eat.
Really, I know these awkward situations come up because of expectations. Weirdly, I loved learning the sharing practice in Malawi, where I was never sure if someone was going to take a sip out of my juice tumbler, or strip my papaya tree completely bare of fruits -- rather than ask for some or share an equal portion of what I had. From that, I came to expect that sharing was going to happen - and was socially normal. Especially for super awesome tasty things. How could you enjoy it enough by yourself?? But also for tedious tasks. Why not divide the corn shucking up so it will go faster? I also expect now that I will not feel ashamed or indebted if I really want just a bite of someone else's burger - and I'm forward enough to ask for it. I also expect that they'll feel comfortable sharing some of what I have - or letting other friends try. If there's enough to go around.
That 'if' can be a big issue when something AMAZING comes in a single-portion that others would really enjoy trying. One time some friends and I treated ourselves to a fancy tourist restaurant while on a break from village life, and I ordered the *most* delicious sandwich. Somehow, I was the only one. Well, after it came and wafted its smell everywhere, my friends all decided they wanted to try it too -- so they traded me for some of their *less* delicious sandwiches. What a pickle - I was quickly running out of the sandwich I'd hungrily chosen, but I also had a chance to be egalitarian and generous with other Americans starving for luxuries like cheese and ice cream. So what did I do? Luckily, someone pointed out my dwindling sandwich and thankfully, trade requests stopped. I got full on the less-savory options and even had enough left to savor the flavor of my heavenly sandwich. I was full. I had shared. We were all happy. All single portions can be subdivided, and with good results.
I also expect that contextually-appropriate gifts be appreciated and used for more awesome enjoyment. Yes, at the moment that I give them. Yes, with everyone present (as long as they're not allergic). But I guess that my struggle with receiving as an act of "packing away" means that I'll just have to start explaining more so my expectations are understood.
Let's practice:
(pics from SonataCrew and viralbus on flickr!)
Shared items: I'll call them prizeys from here on, because things that someone gives are often nice but unexpected surprises. Sure sharing CAN be unpleasant, like when someone 'shares' your razor in the shower, but we'll eschew those sneaky interactions and talk about social occasions involving prizeys.
Recently, I found myself in an awkward position when I had brought along some prizeys to share and they were received less like something fun and more like a contribution to the 'Cool stuff' cache. Weird. I totally thought farm-fresh fruit would enhance the holiday celebration by adding some sweetness to the hors d'eouvres tray! I also thought everyone could enjoy reading/ripping on trashy magazines for the road trip! But Americans are such damn good planners, there's no room for contributions from their well-intending friends - except as a token "thanks" gesture. So then, I wonder if I am supposed to take back my gift and distribute it myself so it can be used properly - used in *that* setting, and shared among people who are THERE! People who LOVE fresh fruit! And magazines! Is it possible a group of people could learn to divide things up in America, or do I have to pre-package for all the individuals present?
I too have fallen into the planning trap during the past 9 months of re-civilizing. Around dinner when I get hungry, I tend to plan lots of shared labor when making dinner for Devin and I. The big idea is obviously "let's eat, and fast! all hands on deck!" .. But then I get really offended when everything is ready except the salad I have assigned to Devin, even after I set out a ready cutting board and knife! I am planning that it is dinner time and we are going to eat. I am even planning that I know Devin likes salads. But he is probably thinking that he's having fun playing video games, so when the fun subsides, he will plan to eat.
Really, I know these awkward situations come up because of expectations. Weirdly, I loved learning the sharing practice in Malawi, where I was never sure if someone was going to take a sip out of my juice tumbler, or strip my papaya tree completely bare of fruits -- rather than ask for some or share an equal portion of what I had. From that, I came to expect that sharing was going to happen - and was socially normal. Especially for super awesome tasty things. How could you enjoy it enough by yourself?? But also for tedious tasks. Why not divide the corn shucking up so it will go faster? I also expect now that I will not feel ashamed or indebted if I really want just a bite of someone else's burger - and I'm forward enough to ask for it. I also expect that they'll feel comfortable sharing some of what I have - or letting other friends try. If there's enough to go around.
That 'if' can be a big issue when something AMAZING comes in a single-portion that others would really enjoy trying. One time some friends and I treated ourselves to a fancy tourist restaurant while on a break from village life, and I ordered the *most* delicious sandwich. Somehow, I was the only one. Well, after it came and wafted its smell everywhere, my friends all decided they wanted to try it too -- so they traded me for some of their *less* delicious sandwiches. What a pickle - I was quickly running out of the sandwich I'd hungrily chosen, but I also had a chance to be egalitarian and generous with other Americans starving for luxuries like cheese and ice cream. So what did I do? Luckily, someone pointed out my dwindling sandwich and thankfully, trade requests stopped. I got full on the less-savory options and even had enough left to savor the flavor of my heavenly sandwich. I was full. I had shared. We were all happy. All single portions can be subdivided, and with good results.
I also expect that contextually-appropriate gifts be appreciated and used for more awesome enjoyment. Yes, at the moment that I give them. Yes, with everyone present (as long as they're not allergic). But I guess that my struggle with receiving as an act of "packing away" means that I'll just have to start explaining more so my expectations are understood.
Let's practice:
- "Here is some cake. I know it's your birthday and there are a lot of people around, so why don't we cut it and put it on the counter with some plates and forks."
- "Here are some magazines; I thought we could read them now because we have 5 hours in the car, and enough magazines for everyone to start with one of their own." Or,
(pics from SonataCrew and viralbus on flickr!)17.5.11
So Many Ways to Enjoy
A lot of good things have sprouted up this spring.
Still A Nature Girl
- I got an ipod app called "LeafSnap" from UMD/Columbia University tha
t has been teaching me a LOT about leaf and flower identification. Everytime I go for a walk or drive around, the greenery around me is popping with life because I know the names of what I see. We have also gone morel mushroom hunting - less successfully than GROWING them, mind you! -- but learning to hunt helps necessitates easy spotting of may apples and tulip poplar trees. Found some beautiful, leaflike yet showy flowers while hiking in Patapsco State Park up in the McKeldin area -- introducing the cobra lily:
Best part of our hike? My bum knee wasn't hurting after 5 miles. Physical therapy is paying off!
Trees (in America) I can more or less identify in nature now, thanks to LeafSnap:
Sycamore, Elm, Cherry, Mulberry, Maple, Japanese Maple, Oak, Beech, Dogwood, Pear, Magnolia, Tulip Poplar, Ginkgo, Sassafras ... but I'm still working on learning the variations better!
PS. Did you know Ginkgo trees are also called Maidenhair? Go figure. My hair doesn't look anything like a fan!
Still Crafting One Knit Wonders
- I've been mixing craft mediums for variety: I made a friend a yarn jellyfish for her Birthday, then crafted a gift bag to give it in!
- My loud, printed Malawian fabrics have finally inspired me to sew them into something useful. Thanks to $1 pattern sales at my local sewing store! Here's a shirt I made recently.
3rd Goal? Check! You Have Fostered World Peace.
- I went to my high school to speak with 3rd graders about Peace Corps. Come again? McDonogh has pre-K through grade 12, though I was there for upper school only, I have some connections in the lower school. Those little 3rd graders were pretty excited to hear more about what 'helping people' in action is, as well as contributing to a toothpaste/toothbrush drive for Dental Hygiene Month (October) my friend Mary is conducting in Malawi. Those who want to contribute should do so before July 15th!
One thing that stood out: kids in America are SUPER sharp. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the degree of engagement these kids showed. When I asked, "What language do you think they speak in Malawi?" one girl gave an answer that was a great guess - Swahili. Great because that's what they speak in Tanzania next door, and because it's what a huge majority of people DO speak in Africa. What a difference for these 3rd graders to learn in their native language -- and private school education doesn't hurt, either! Walking in, their hallways were absolutely crowded in achievements, inspirations, and arty creations coming from every classroom, not just Joan's art class.
Cultural Outings Etc.
I love going out to dance, and I like to get silly too (but you wouldn't know it - I drink much less than most people I'm social with), but I suffer existentially past the hour of 9pm when it's impossible to have a real conversation at a bar or a club. Thank goodness for events with actual content:
- The AVAM's Kinetic Sculpture Race! Gotta love Baltimore for wacky, fun exhibitions. This one took the form of an overland/overwater parade. Check out some of the moving sculptures that made it through water and mud:
- Nerd Nite at DC 9. Nerdy but fun! 200 other young geeks and I learned about microscopes and dinosaurs, competed to win fake mustahces, and laughed nervously about the legend of a paraguayan god with a 10 foot penis. We lucked out and got some live music out of it - an indie pop band from Brooklyn. Thanks to Jen for the tip!
- Passport DC Embassy Tour. Last Saturday, we traipsed around the Dupont Circle area in rain and shine seeking to gain entrance into some of the elite and well-guarded 1900s-era mansions now occupied by foreign consulates and embassies. Botswana was definitely the coolest, keeping it low-key yet inviting and informative. Leather mini-skirt wearing ladies stomped a familiar dance while older, rounder women ululated and I couldn't help but join in. We went up to the fourth floor to get some food and tried the staple - mealie pap with cream and oil, which was quite nice - with some pulled pork relish and doughnut morsels. Sound like a more sophisticated version of Malawi? Precisely. Cool fact: Their word for rain is 'Pula' (sim. Mvula), which also doubles for the name of their currency.
Other embassies we went into were high tech, including their security setups (the Japanese physical therapy robots were totally worth it!), tasty (Haiti had some passion fruit punch that was out of this world), and laden with tourist eye candy (beach after beach in the Croatian vacation pamphlets).
Next weekend: Asian street festival!
More Productive Things
- I've got a temp opportunity brewing for the summer. I won't jinx it by naming names, but it's a chance to come back to one of the places I've temped at and do some necessary office caretaking for them for a perfect 2-5 days a week. I'll help fill in for people taking vacation, and staff the front desk and phones Friday evenings (most people leave early.. but I'm happy to work it!). Huzzah! Sounds like I'll be doing more around town - it's high season for free stuff! Movies on the lawn, jazz in the sculpture garden.. give me my summer fun.
- Volunteer (Wodzipereka: one who gives themselves): I'm going to get involved at ECO City Farms, an urban farm I heard about from one of the girls in the soil lab Devin works in. They do a lot of things we do at home, but on a bigger scale: vermicomposting, mushroom cultivation, etc. Should be fun!
13.4.11
Working It: Recent Temping Tales
I work as a temp, and I probably will for 3 or 4 more months. Sure, I could have hoped for more in terms of my post-Peace Corps job - and I had fun going to interviews, even received a few offers - but life gets in the way. We will be going to Grad School out of state, so getting a long-term job here in Maryland isn't in the cards for me right now. I like my temp agency - good location, wonderful ladies, even when some of the clients I work for aren't guaranteed to be the best. I like the on/off schedule because it gives me frequent breaks. Just how I used to study in college! And it's exactly what I need right now. In Malawi, it was culturally uncomely to work like a slave, so I got used to a relaxed, social, friendly work atmosphere. Here, it's almost a polar opposite. People are social to a point, but the main goal is to Be Productive. For Eight Hours Straight. That's hard to maintain! So, breaks are great. The main downside of temping is that health insurance is up to me, and even finding the time to go see the doctor (all 5 types of specialists that were recommended by my physician - ugh!) is difficult to arrange.
What have I done so far as a temp?
- Receptionist at The Textile Museum - 1 day. Beautiful little museum a short walk from Dupont Circle. Answering the phone and greeting visitors was a relatively straight-forward job. I got tripped up when the exterminator came by - I definitely didn't have the authority or desire to consent to spraying chemicals everywhere.
- Receptionist at an International Aid Org - 1 day. It was isolated up in that office - few outside visitors came in. Mostly answering the phone and forwarding calls, plus unlocking the door, over and over. Lots of cool international staff. But at least I got to chill on the internet and read the news. Easy, nice folks.
- Events Help with an International Relations / Political Interest Group - 2 weeks and 2 days. Great people - I loved how they kept calling me to come back, until the night of the event. I called tons of congresspeople / senators' offices schedulers trying to shore up attendance for the event, subbed in as the receptionist, did some data entry, etc. It didn't even matter that the interest group was Republican-leaning!
- Data Entry at a Food Bank - 3 days. I learned a lot about data entry, but I also learned that I am not a happy worker with a supervisor looking over my shoulder and stressing about time. Apparently I was so efficient that I did a 5-day job in 3 days: I got a call after my 3rd day to let me know I was no longer needed. It wasn't a great feeling. But I guess some people haven't had a lot of experience hosting temps - note to self, for future endeavors requiring extra helping hands: do not abuse power over someone else's hourly wage!
- Accounts at a Large Newspaper - 3 days + ? This is my current job. I'm sorting through invoice papers to find specific rogue retailers who don't keep good records of how much they owe the paper company. It's fun because I get to listen to podcasts while working, they fed me cake, and I have another intern around to chat with. There is also potential for extending!
What have I done so far as a temp?
- Receptionist at The Textile Museum - 1 day. Beautiful little museum a short walk from Dupont Circle. Answering the phone and greeting visitors was a relatively straight-forward job. I got tripped up when the exterminator came by - I definitely didn't have the authority or desire to consent to spraying chemicals everywhere.
- Receptionist at an International Aid Org - 1 day. It was isolated up in that office - few outside visitors came in. Mostly answering the phone and forwarding calls, plus unlocking the door, over and over. Lots of cool international staff. But at least I got to chill on the internet and read the news. Easy, nice folks.
- Events Help with an International Relations / Political Interest Group - 2 weeks and 2 days. Great people - I loved how they kept calling me to come back, until the night of the event. I called tons of congresspeople / senators' offices schedulers trying to shore up attendance for the event, subbed in as the receptionist, did some data entry, etc. It didn't even matter that the interest group was Republican-leaning!
- Data Entry at a Food Bank - 3 days. I learned a lot about data entry, but I also learned that I am not a happy worker with a supervisor looking over my shoulder and stressing about time. Apparently I was so efficient that I did a 5-day job in 3 days: I got a call after my 3rd day to let me know I was no longer needed. It wasn't a great feeling. But I guess some people haven't had a lot of experience hosting temps - note to self, for future endeavors requiring extra helping hands: do not abuse power over someone else's hourly wage!
- Accounts at a Large Newspaper - 3 days + ? This is my current job. I'm sorting through invoice papers to find specific rogue retailers who don't keep good records of how much they owe the paper company. It's fun because I get to listen to podcasts while working, they fed me cake, and I have another intern around to chat with. There is also potential for extending!
11.3.11
Sprouting for Spring
We're getting leafier and leafier around the apartment in anticipation of spring! Here's what's sprouting - and what we can't wait to start cooking with:
Bell pepper sprouts: The two sprouts remaining (from a group of 11 that we grabbed out of the compost bin) are getting to be robust! We started them on a diet of boiled water because it looked like they were having some salt issues.
Lime tree: lots of new leaf growth! And a new 'sunbathing collar' that we can thank UMD trash for. The older, larger leaves are ready to go into a Tom Ka soup - they smell amazingly lime-y!
Baby worms hatched! Hoping our vermicomposting rate will go way up with those voracious little guys helping out.
Mushroom kit arrived - It currently lives in the fridge to simulate "winter" and will come out soon. The shrooms will use up more of the boiled water, apparently due to salt sensitivity. Right now I'm just saving water in a paint bucket until the shrooms are ready to come out of hibernation. I'll take pictures as it gets more interesting.
We planted some sweet potato leaves "kolowa" to see if we can get the vines going. Check out the leaf-mulched container too - that's the ginger, which is shooting like crazy. Should start leafing soon?
Lastly, the blueberry tree (seen as a stick-like thing to the right of the sweet potato vine): it's budding like crazy under the CFL lights we put on it all day. But I learned that we need a *pair* of blueberries to get any fruit! So we will have to go get him a ladyfriend pretty soon.
Bell pepper sprouts: The two sprouts remaining (from a group of 11 that we grabbed out of the compost bin) are getting to be robust! We started them on a diet of boiled water because it looked like they were having some salt issues.
Lime tree: lots of new leaf growth! And a new 'sunbathing collar' that we can thank UMD trash for. The older, larger leaves are ready to go into a Tom Ka soup - they smell amazingly lime-y!
Baby worms hatched! Hoping our vermicomposting rate will go way up with those voracious little guys helping out.
Mushroom kit arrived - It currently lives in the fridge to simulate "winter" and will come out soon. The shrooms will use up more of the boiled water, apparently due to salt sensitivity. Right now I'm just saving water in a paint bucket until the shrooms are ready to come out of hibernation. I'll take pictures as it gets more interesting.
We planted some sweet potato leaves "kolowa" to see if we can get the vines going. Check out the leaf-mulched container too - that's the ginger, which is shooting like crazy. Should start leafing soon?
Lastly, the blueberry tree (seen as a stick-like thing to the right of the sweet potato vine): it's budding like crazy under the CFL lights we put on it all day. But I learned that we need a *pair* of blueberries to get any fruit! So we will have to go get him a ladyfriend pretty soon.
17.2.11
Recipe: A Poor Person's Hodgepodge Pesto
This one goes out to all my friends out there who have to put a bit of thought into buying the $5 or the $10 bottle of olive oil.
All quantities estimated, based on a. Taste and b. What we had. I used a food processor. You could also use a blender, but you're going to need something that chops and spins.
1/2 C almonds and peanuts (cashew work too)
- Throw the nuts into the food processor, blend to flour-like consistency. Pour out into a small pan and toast them, stirring constantly w/a spatula. They will go quickly, so pay attention! Remove from heat when they are golden brown and pour into a cold bowl so they stop cooking. Set aside.
4-5 cloves of peeled garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mixed olive and other cooking oil
- In a food processor, pour about half the oil in with the garlic chunks and puree until it's creamy and whitish.
6 cups of loosely packed basil and cilantro (2 bunches)
- Add the leaves to the garlic/oil mix, about 2 cups at a time, and puree. Stop and wipe down the sides with a spatula as needed.
1/4 C parmesan cheese, ground
- Put some of the nuts and cheese together in the mix with a little oil. Puree. Continue until the flavor is just right.
- Enjoy with pasta!
Should keep in the fridge for a few days with a lid on. Don't contaminate by dipping in dirty spoons and it lasts longer.
All quantities estimated, based on a. Taste and b. What we had. I used a food processor. You could also use a blender, but you're going to need something that chops and spins.
1/2 C almonds and peanuts (cashew work too)
- Throw the nuts into the food processor, blend to flour-like consistency. Pour out into a small pan and toast them, stirring constantly w/a spatula. They will go quickly, so pay attention! Remove from heat when they are golden brown and pour into a cold bowl so they stop cooking. Set aside.
4-5 cloves of peeled garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mixed olive and other cooking oil
- In a food processor, pour about half the oil in with the garlic chunks and puree until it's creamy and whitish.
6 cups of loosely packed basil and cilantro (2 bunches)
- Add the leaves to the garlic/oil mix, about 2 cups at a time, and puree. Stop and wipe down the sides with a spatula as needed.
1/4 C parmesan cheese, ground
- Put some of the nuts and cheese together in the mix with a little oil. Puree. Continue until the flavor is just right.
- Enjoy with pasta!
Should keep in the fridge for a few days with a lid on. Don't contaminate by dipping in dirty spoons and it lasts longer.
9.2.11
Projects: Herb drying and Worm composting
Here's what my latest two projects are looking like so far!
Drying herbs Malawi style: put 'em in a basket, let heat/sun do its work.
I decided to flex my village food preservation muscles and make my own dried basil and cilantro using a decorative basket (from Zambia - way smaller than the functional baskets we used in Malawi, but easier to carry on the plane!). What better time to dry herbs indoors than after lunch, when the oven's still hot? Better still, these herbs would have gone to waste -- they were past their prime, but can still make some good spices to add to pho, lasagna, or a burrito.
Still fresh, soaking up that oven heat
Final product - crumbly, fragrant herbs! We're keeping those for yummy food in the future
Update: Second batch! This one with American technology: drying herbs in the closet. To be continued...
Composting with Red Wigglers: Air, water, food, and darkness. It's easy to do! And surprisingly NOT stinky.
We used an old rubbermaid and prepared it by punching some airholes with a hot screwdriver. We used an extra top to make a tray to catch water drippings and encourage good drainage -- that's insurance against bad smells. The worms live in a bedding of dry leaves -- foraged from a pile outside our apartment -- and eat nitrogenous (leafy/vegetable) wastes from the kitchen. So far the worms aren't very populous so they eat slowly. It's hard to wait for them to start having hungry baby worms! So that means we have extra food around for them, which stays outside in the near-freezing weather. That has its own benefit -- fruit fly eggs don't survive, so the compost stays clean!
The rubbermaid that doubles as a worm house is beneath my desk.
Ma-prizey! Ginger that was on its way out has sprouted inside the worm house. Now it's transformed into something we can plant in the spring.
Drying herbs Malawi style: put 'em in a basket, let heat/sun do its work.
I decided to flex my village food preservation muscles and make my own dried basil and cilantro using a decorative basket (from Zambia - way smaller than the functional baskets we used in Malawi, but easier to carry on the plane!). What better time to dry herbs indoors than after lunch, when the oven's still hot? Better still, these herbs would have gone to waste -- they were past their prime, but can still make some good spices to add to pho, lasagna, or a burrito.
Still fresh, soaking up that oven heat
Final product - crumbly, fragrant herbs! We're keeping those for yummy food in the future
Update: Second batch! This one with American technology: drying herbs in the closet. To be continued...
We used an old rubbermaid and prepared it by punching some airholes with a hot screwdriver. We used an extra top to make a tray to catch water drippings and encourage good drainage -- that's insurance against bad smells. The worms live in a bedding of dry leaves -- foraged from a pile outside our apartment -- and eat nitrogenous (leafy/vegetable) wastes from the kitchen. So far the worms aren't very populous so they eat slowly. It's hard to wait for them to start having hungry baby worms! So that means we have extra food around for them, which stays outside in the near-freezing weather. That has its own benefit -- fruit fly eggs don't survive, so the compost stays clean!
The rubbermaid that doubles as a worm house is beneath my desk.
Peeking inside - lots of moisture on the lid! Leaves cover the top - no worms here. The worms live beneath, where it's dark.
I found one! Actually, this looks like two or three shiny, healthy, red wigglers. Hard to tell what they're eating, but soon it will be fluffy, nutrient-rich humus. Digging in their with your hands, there's not really much of a smell. Lots of slimy things, though.
More worm food
Ma-prizey! Ginger that was on its way out has sprouted inside the worm house. Now it's transformed into something we can plant in the spring.31.1.11
Awesome/Awful Happenings
I love lists. So why not make a list of the awesome and awful things going on right now?
AWESOME
1. Moving into our new apartment! It's right next to my Mom's old high school, and a liquor store called 'The Golden Bull' which has a huge gold bull on the roof. Got some good wine there - Ravens Petite Syrah. Then drank it for dinner &breakfast (with the addition of juice and apple chunks).
2. Signing up for Salsa at Stamp. We're going to learn to dance! Just in time for Valentine's Day. Credit goes to Devin on this one. Hubba hubba
3. Worms eat our trash! Vermiculture is the urban homesteader's answer to the stinky trash can. We got our worms within a few days and now they are happily chewing up our slimy collards, lemon rind, breadcrumbs, etc.
4. Free / Cheap furniture! Tammy had a kitchen table for us, Value Village had four chairs for us for $32 -- not too bad, but we're refinishing them so they look super spiffy, and Ellicott City neighbors (who used to babysit me when I was a wee lass) may have a couch/loveseat for us. All we have to figure out is how to move these freebies.
5. Watching our first State of the Union Address in 3 years at Busboys & Poets. I. Love. That. Place. Good pecan pie, too. What I'm most excited about is his bold statement about ending subsidies for dinosaur oil companies. Urging investment in education and technology sounds right on to me, too.
6. Hyattsville Library. Finally got a copy of Cormac McCarthy's The Road; Fun DVDs like Robin Hood Men In Tights and permaculture book 'Food Not Lawns!' I love walking away with an armful of treasures. Free!
7. Swap Meet and International Food Stores. There is so much good produce in this ethnically diverse part of town! In the past week we made Miso soup w/rice noodles, Goat stew w/ginger mashed potatoes, Spaghetti with Squash, and smoked a lot of hookah.
8. Tagging along on Environmental Science and Tech trips! I got to go w/Devin to hear an engineer from Oklahoma State talk about Precision Agriculture (fertilizer delivery using real-time sensing of how much nitrogen the crops need). That was also my first time on the 4H grounds - good stuff. Devin was digging the shooting range next door to the lecture hall.
9. Neighbor's Internet + How I Met Your Mother Episodes = Giggle Time
AWFUL
1. Paying my credit card bill. Not only did the apartment complex take a month's rent out of my savings account, now I have to pay $500 to Capital One out of my checking account, or suffer inexplicable interest charges. How did I manage to spend that much.. AND split everything with Devin at the same time? We are clearly living a life beyond our means. Meaning I don't have a paycheck, why should I eat? Back to lentils and rice, kids.
2. Job searching. My noncompetitive eligibility doesn't seem to be doing shit for me. I'm just hopeful that an RPCV friend's referral will be enough to get me a gig out in Gaithersburg doing lab auditing with the National Institute of Science and Technology. Then again, what about that Youth Leadership Conference I interviewed for? Guess I could go back to the Insurance company that tried to recruit me.. or check myself into a temp agency. Total case of the anxious blahs. See #Awful 1 about anxiety.
3. My family thinking that I am not job searching just because I have had a 8% interview rate. I'm trying I swear! But these times are so different than previous times, it's just hard to relate to people's expectations.
4. Ice on Metzerott Road. Why did we choose to live on the hilliest road in 4 zip codes? How do we get home from Value Village with a trunk full of STUFF when it starts snizzling at 3:30 but threatens to freeze after 6? Who will salt the roads? Who will plow? How do I know I won't slide into the ditch? I'll just let Devin drive.. remembering that he comes from the land of eternal sunshine! His experience with dirt roads might translate alright, but that doesn't prevent me from giving myself little panic attacks.
AWESOME
1. Moving into our new apartment! It's right next to my Mom's old high school, and a liquor store called 'The Golden Bull' which has a huge gold bull on the roof. Got some good wine there - Ravens Petite Syrah. Then drank it for dinner &breakfast (with the addition of juice and apple chunks).
2. Signing up for Salsa at Stamp. We're going to learn to dance! Just in time for Valentine's Day. Credit goes to Devin on this one. Hubba hubba
3. Worms eat our trash! Vermiculture is the urban homesteader's answer to the stinky trash can. We got our worms within a few days and now they are happily chewing up our slimy collards, lemon rind, breadcrumbs, etc.
4. Free / Cheap furniture! Tammy had a kitchen table for us, Value Village had four chairs for us for $32 -- not too bad, but we're refinishing them so they look super spiffy, and Ellicott City neighbors (who used to babysit me when I was a wee lass) may have a couch/loveseat for us. All we have to figure out is how to move these freebies.
5. Watching our first State of the Union Address in 3 years at Busboys & Poets. I. Love. That. Place. Good pecan pie, too. What I'm most excited about is his bold statement about ending subsidies for dinosaur oil companies. Urging investment in education and technology sounds right on to me, too.
6. Hyattsville Library. Finally got a copy of Cormac McCarthy's The Road; Fun DVDs like Robin Hood Men In Tights and permaculture book 'Food Not Lawns!' I love walking away with an armful of treasures. Free!
7. Swap Meet and International Food Stores. There is so much good produce in this ethnically diverse part of town! In the past week we made Miso soup w/rice noodles, Goat stew w/ginger mashed potatoes, Spaghetti with Squash, and smoked a lot of hookah.
8. Tagging along on Environmental Science and Tech trips! I got to go w/Devin to hear an engineer from Oklahoma State talk about Precision Agriculture (fertilizer delivery using real-time sensing of how much nitrogen the crops need). That was also my first time on the 4H grounds - good stuff. Devin was digging the shooting range next door to the lecture hall.
9. Neighbor's Internet + How I Met Your Mother Episodes = Giggle Time
AWFUL
1. Paying my credit card bill. Not only did the apartment complex take a month's rent out of my savings account, now I have to pay $500 to Capital One out of my checking account, or suffer inexplicable interest charges. How did I manage to spend that much.. AND split everything with Devin at the same time? We are clearly living a life beyond our means. Meaning I don't have a paycheck, why should I eat? Back to lentils and rice, kids.
2. Job searching. My noncompetitive eligibility doesn't seem to be doing shit for me. I'm just hopeful that an RPCV friend's referral will be enough to get me a gig out in Gaithersburg doing lab auditing with the National Institute of Science and Technology. Then again, what about that Youth Leadership Conference I interviewed for? Guess I could go back to the Insurance company that tried to recruit me.. or check myself into a temp agency. Total case of the anxious blahs. See #Awful 1 about anxiety.
3. My family thinking that I am not job searching just because I have had a 8% interview rate. I'm trying I swear! But these times are so different than previous times, it's just hard to relate to people's expectations.
4. Ice on Metzerott Road. Why did we choose to live on the hilliest road in 4 zip codes? How do we get home from Value Village with a trunk full of STUFF when it starts snizzling at 3:30 but threatens to freeze after 6? Who will salt the roads? Who will plow? How do I know I won't slide into the ditch? I'll just let Devin drive.. remembering that he comes from the land of eternal sunshine! His experience with dirt roads might translate alright, but that doesn't prevent me from giving myself little panic attacks.
6.1.11
The Smell Of The Idiocracy
In a way, it is a blessing to be poor now, in this land of extravagance. All of the wonderful shopping opportunities - shining Christmas windows, endless aisles of similar yet different products at the supermarket -- are not really available to me. In the smaller sphere of my existence, I am surprised by the mundane, new sensations. Everything in a house has a smell - objects and substances used to clean them. Those supposedly subtle smells are constantly overpowering my nose. It seems that the people who test for scent subtlety are obvious scent overloaders themselves. Now, I have to be careful not to breathe too deeply or I will feel a little sting, like the way chlorine products burn away your smell sensors.
Wasn't Malawi full of smells? And unpleasant senses? Sure we all used latrines. But if you have pretty good aim, and a nice deep pit below you, no problem. No lingering pee smells or what have you. Nobody wore deodorant so there was definitely some bo B.O. But that's what wind is for. Rain smells great. Burning/clearing of fields is unsightly and makes a lot of ash, but the smell isn't so bad. Kinda like a cookfire. Sickness is stinky - but no Malawian would ever let an azungu see him in a visibly sick state. I wasn't too sick myself, but I do have some pungent memories of when my cat yakked tuna all over my yoga mat. That was only a one-time occasion; what I experience now is a constant barrage.
It hasn't been easy on my eyes either. Grad school applications? Hours on the computer. Some days many hours. Early morning hours, afternoon hours, night hours. Job apps, same deal. Everyone wants you to register for THEIR career postings website. Just another flavor of vanilla. (My apologies to vanilla ice cream lovers) More hours trying to decide how to fit yourself into some nice, neat webpage drop down menu. Have I had secretarial experience? Sure, that was under 'leadership' in my college activities on my resume. But it was also a winter fill-in position at a teeny company my Dad worked at 10 years ago. So.. sure, why not! I'll say yes until I get a bite and have to prove it.
We love our modern conveniences in America. New, improved versions keep coming out all the time. But why can't they coexist with my senses? Or perhaps I am the one who is an antagonist to the system, not the other way around. I need to buck up and get used to the onslaught.
Thank goodness for misadventures like accidentally walking 10 miles with Miss E. next to the Patapsco river in winter. The only threat of overstimulation there was the idea that we might have to ford the icy river on foot, since the only bridges available were railroad bridges (quite active at that -- 2 trains passed during those hours). Could have been cold and uncomfortable. But we just walked on, and eventually there was a way out. But as for my nose, there's no way I'll sacrifice dignity and wear a nose plug.. so the way out is: through.
Wasn't Malawi full of smells? And unpleasant senses? Sure we all used latrines. But if you have pretty good aim, and a nice deep pit below you, no problem. No lingering pee smells or what have you. Nobody wore deodorant so there was definitely some bo B.O. But that's what wind is for. Rain smells great. Burning/clearing of fields is unsightly and makes a lot of ash, but the smell isn't so bad. Kinda like a cookfire. Sickness is stinky - but no Malawian would ever let an azungu see him in a visibly sick state. I wasn't too sick myself, but I do have some pungent memories of when my cat yakked tuna all over my yoga mat. That was only a one-time occasion; what I experience now is a constant barrage.
It hasn't been easy on my eyes either. Grad school applications? Hours on the computer. Some days many hours. Early morning hours, afternoon hours, night hours. Job apps, same deal. Everyone wants you to register for THEIR career postings website. Just another flavor of vanilla. (My apologies to vanilla ice cream lovers) More hours trying to decide how to fit yourself into some nice, neat webpage drop down menu. Have I had secretarial experience? Sure, that was under 'leadership' in my college activities on my resume. But it was also a winter fill-in position at a teeny company my Dad worked at 10 years ago. So.. sure, why not! I'll say yes until I get a bite and have to prove it.
We love our modern conveniences in America. New, improved versions keep coming out all the time. But why can't they coexist with my senses? Or perhaps I am the one who is an antagonist to the system, not the other way around. I need to buck up and get used to the onslaught.
Thank goodness for misadventures like accidentally walking 10 miles with Miss E. next to the Patapsco river in winter. The only threat of overstimulation there was the idea that we might have to ford the icy river on foot, since the only bridges available were railroad bridges (quite active at that -- 2 trains passed during those hours). Could have been cold and uncomfortable. But we just walked on, and eventually there was a way out. But as for my nose, there's no way I'll sacrifice dignity and wear a nose plug.. so the way out is: through.
21.12.10
A very American night & those that preceded it
Here's the latest culture-shock timeline:
Week 1. I go to a farm to collect dry-ish pumpkin leaves because I want to cook with them. I feel pity for the little place, so I buy a pumpkin too. Pumpkin rots before I can cook it OR carve it. Fed it to the compost pit. wtf, food doesn't last forever in America?
Week 3. I finally get added back to the cellphone plan, plus a new phone that has a little keyboard on it. Yay internets/data plan! No celebration for Halloween. I have to think of a costume? Too much work.
Week 7. Bought a computer - yeah! First laptop in 3 years. It's pretty fast, enjoying my i5 processor and free OpenOffice applications. It is a hp, so its name is harry potter.
Week 12. Dashing through the snow... A. and I meet and eat tons of yummy Indian food, then go shopping and I snag $70 jeans for $20 (they look fabulous). Then I lose my wallet. business (almost) as usual! Christmas approaching and I have many plans brewing. Preparing myself to move in with the boyfriend. He is preparing to deal with crazy heating bills because I get cold too easily. But says he is ready, because it is a small price for love.
Week 1. I go to a farm to collect dry-ish pumpkin leaves because I want to cook with them. I feel pity for the little place, so I buy a pumpkin too. Pumpkin rots before I can cook it OR carve it. Fed it to the compost pit. wtf, food doesn't last forever in America?
Week 3. I finally get added back to the cellphone plan, plus a new phone that has a little keyboard on it. Yay internets/data plan! No celebration for Halloween. I have to think of a costume? Too much work.
Week 7. Bought a computer - yeah! First laptop in 3 years. It's pretty fast, enjoying my i5 processor and free OpenOffice applications. It is a hp, so its name is harry potter.
Week 12. Dashing through the snow... A. and I meet and eat tons of yummy Indian food, then go shopping and I snag $70 jeans for $20 (they look fabulous). Then I lose my wallet. business (almost) as usual! Christmas approaching and I have many plans brewing. Preparing myself to move in with the boyfriend. He is preparing to deal with crazy heating bills because I get cold too easily. But says he is ready, because it is a small price for love.
8.12.10
LAX Flyaway
Taking the bus from LA's Union Station and we instantly jam up in the freeway traffic. Why, at 7:30pm on a Wednesday, is there traffic? There just is. So our driver takes us on a detour - through the city, rolling down mainstreet, and I'm shocked to find that the place is empty - EMPTY! We saw a handful of cars parked, dudes walking down the sidewalk, but literally all the traffic, every single LA denizen or passerby, was trying to avert the city. What a sprawling, backwards place. America, this is what your city of cars has become.
I look out when we we reach a bit of a vantage height and see thousands of sparkling lights - the city sprawl. Imagining myself living here, I quickly become discouraged. How is anyone supposed to walk anywhere here? So impersonal, to drive everywhere. Angry at you for cutting me off, pleased with myself for making that light. Talk about 2-dimensional.
This is what I like better about Southern California:
Elfin Forest, near Morro Bay
I look out when we we reach a bit of a vantage height and see thousands of sparkling lights - the city sprawl. Imagining myself living here, I quickly become discouraged. How is anyone supposed to walk anywhere here? So impersonal, to drive everywhere. Angry at you for cutting me off, pleased with myself for making that light. Talk about 2-dimensional.
This is what I like better about Southern California:
Elfin Forest, near Morro Bay
7.12.10
West Coasting
Three weeks is an impossible period of time to summarize - maybe moreso when I don't have any real distance from it. But since coming to California three weeks ago, there are many memorable sights, smells, and sounds that I want to remember. I'm happy I came to stay with Devin's family-- giving him the chance to prove that California is the best place on earth.
Starfish on pilings beneath the pier at Avila beach
Seals barking and playing and
splashing at the harbor
Sea water, coastal sage, and anise smells
Tasting tours of the family garden, laden with trees and beds full of yummy food waiting to ripen
First time trying new fruits: persimmon, pineapple guava, buddha's hand, freshly cooked artichoke,
Hippie-friendly items like lavender oil, laughter yoga, 3 farmers markets per week, hot springs for hot tubbing sessions
A family outing to see 'Fair Game' at the local indie theatre, which chronicled Valerie Plame's family turmoil over her husband's outing the Bush administration and their lying ways in the run up to the Iraq war
Weekly Farmer's Market night where the main drag downtown gets blocked off for foot traffic only. The eats: fresh kettle corn, korean bbq, pad thai, falafel, locally made goat cheese, etc.
University of California - arboretums, lots of green space, bike tech shacks, nice temperatures
Jamba Juice
Rallying at the family Tennis club with on-court water fountains, ad-hoc volleying lessons, and tons of racquets for me to borrow
Thanksgiving in Chico: Driving through the fertile San Joaquin valley seeing almonds, walnuts, oranges, apricots, cherries, blackberries, avocado, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, garlic... the salad bowl indeed!
Chopping oodles of organic veggies at Shawn and Rob's house to be used in pies, salad, etc.
The sound of the river running over stones in the canyon behind the house and stories of bears crossing nearby
Watching Avatar in HD on their 7-foot TV
Devin's Grandma R. who was full of compliments and good hospitality (and who still hits a mean tennis ball at 72)
Kelp biology lesson on Carmel beach
Seafood pasta, sand dabs, chocolate cake, and a playful night at Carmel
Naphenthe and Essalen, hippie hideouts on the Big Sur Coast
Driving up the long ramble to the San Simeon house where Devin spent four formative, nature-loving years
Amazing Route 1 views without the worry of veering off a cliff
Strengthening my thumbs on Devin's constantly sore shoulder with daily massages
Drying clothes in the sun
I sure learned a lot about Devin's upbringing, background, and the setting for his many stories. And it was warm, pretty, and delicious too!
Starfish on pilings beneath the pier at Avila beachSeals barking and playing and
splashing at the harborSea water, coastal sage, and anise smells
Tasting tours of the family garden, laden with trees and beds full of yummy food waiting to ripen
First time trying new fruits: persimmon, pineapple guava, buddha's hand, freshly cooked artichoke,
Hippie-friendly items like lavender oil, laughter yoga, 3 farmers markets per week, hot springs for hot tubbing sessions
A family outing to see 'Fair Game' at the local indie theatre, which chronicled Valerie Plame's family turmoil over her husband's outing the Bush administration and their lying ways in the run up to the Iraq war
Weekly Farmer's Market night where the main drag downtown gets blocked off for foot traffic only. The eats: fresh kettle corn, korean bbq, pad thai, falafel, locally made goat cheese, etc.
University of California - arboretums, lots of green space, bike tech shacks, nice temperatures
Jamba Juice
Rallying at the family Tennis club with on-court water fountains, ad-hoc volleying lessons, and tons of racquets for me to borrow
Thanksgiving in Chico: Driving through the fertile San Joaquin valley seeing almonds, walnuts, oranges, apricots, cherries, blackberries, avocado, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, garlic... the salad bowl indeed!
Chopping oodles of organic veggies at Shawn and Rob's house to be used in pies, salad, etc.
The sound of the river running over stones in the canyon behind the house and stories of bears crossing nearby
Watching Avatar in HD on their 7-foot TV
Devin's Grandma R. who was full of compliments and good hospitality (and who still hits a mean tennis ball at 72)
Kelp biology lesson on Carmel beach
Seafood pasta, sand dabs, chocolate cake, and a playful night at Carmel
Naphenthe and Essalen, hippie hideouts on the Big Sur Coast
Driving up the long ramble to the San Simeon house where Devin spent four formative, nature-loving years
Amazing Route 1 views without the worry of veering off a cliff
Strengthening my thumbs on Devin's constantly sore shoulder with daily massages
Drying clothes in the sun
I sure learned a lot about Devin's upbringing, background, and the setting for his many stories. And it was warm, pretty, and delicious too!
10.11.10
Oh My Ears!
Whirr... external hard drive = on.
Flooding my ears is everything I missed and forgot and love - Bjork's black hole emotional spacescapes, reverbed Azure Ray musing on her favorite cities, Beirut and their quirky accordion/warbling trumpet combo, all the histrionic Blonde Redhead i could ever want. It's heaven: free choice & possessing so many beautiful mp3 and mp4s. To know that I finally have the power to avoid the Decemberists' pathetic whining (that was a training time favorite of some of the boys in my Education group in Malawi - feel free to listen if you want to!) and drown my thoughts in dreamy trip-hop! or I can check out some freestyles by rappers who I actually know now that I didn't before like Lil Wayne (thanks Devin (: ).
.. digging up some punk roots I find Fugazi's The Waiting Room, Ev's bassy/dreamy cover of the Dismemberment Plan's The City, chill again with Buddha Bar and Cafe Des Pres, get my twitchy rhythm section instincts going with Brubeck, Arturo Sandoval, Fapy Lafertin, then feel just groovy with some Eagles, Cat Stevens, CCR (video below), even Woodie Guthrie.
And who could forget about Spanish language smoothness? Put on the Juanes and crank it up! Ojos de brujo! And Indie.. there will be indie.
So what is this, some kind of nostalgic ramble? A little, yeah! I just plugged in my dinosaur-age external HD for the first time since being home in October. I don't know why I waited; music makes the world a brilliant place. In a way, I feel so out of touch since I was away 2 years with mostly pop drivel stuck in my brain, kind of a pathetic excuse for art but at least it fuels that after-dark, candlelit dance party that you need sometimes in a lonely teacher's house in a Malawian village - but now that I have some stuff that was appropriate for 2008, it can't be hard to catch up to 2010.
Shopping in my own stuff has been super fun - this maybe coolest of all! Because sweaters can only get you so excited. Having a supply of thongs again is cool, but it won't entertain for hours. But music! Now I have a solution to these long, job-less days. And a possible way to make workouts more fun. How do you like that? I might be transitioning into the 21st century in my habits! (FYI - old as hell ipod shuffle STILL works! That is, if I can get the old version of iTunes software for it)
Shaking and grooving.
Flooding my ears is everything I missed and forgot and love - Bjork's black hole emotional spacescapes, reverbed Azure Ray musing on her favorite cities, Beirut and their quirky accordion/warbling trumpet combo, all the histrionic Blonde Redhead i could ever want. It's heaven: free choice & possessing so many beautiful mp3 and mp4s. To know that I finally have the power to avoid the Decemberists' pathetic whining (that was a training time favorite of some of the boys in my Education group in Malawi - feel free to listen if you want to!) and drown my thoughts in dreamy trip-hop! or I can check out some freestyles by rappers who I actually know now that I didn't before like Lil Wayne (thanks Devin (: ).
.. digging up some punk roots I find Fugazi's The Waiting Room, Ev's bassy/dreamy cover of the Dismemberment Plan's The City, chill again with Buddha Bar and Cafe Des Pres, get my twitchy rhythm section instincts going with Brubeck, Arturo Sandoval, Fapy Lafertin, then feel just groovy with some Eagles, Cat Stevens, CCR (video below), even Woodie Guthrie.
And who could forget about Spanish language smoothness? Put on the Juanes and crank it up! Ojos de brujo! And Indie.. there will be indie.
So what is this, some kind of nostalgic ramble? A little, yeah! I just plugged in my dinosaur-age external HD for the first time since being home in October. I don't know why I waited; music makes the world a brilliant place. In a way, I feel so out of touch since I was away 2 years with mostly pop drivel stuck in my brain, kind of a pathetic excuse for art but at least it fuels that after-dark, candlelit dance party that you need sometimes in a lonely teacher's house in a Malawian village - but now that I have some stuff that was appropriate for 2008, it can't be hard to catch up to 2010.
Shopping in my own stuff has been super fun - this maybe coolest of all! Because sweaters can only get you so excited. Having a supply of thongs again is cool, but it won't entertain for hours. But music! Now I have a solution to these long, job-less days. And a possible way to make workouts more fun. How do you like that? I might be transitioning into the 21st century in my habits! (FYI - old as hell ipod shuffle STILL works! That is, if I can get the old version of iTunes software for it)
Shaking and grooving.
2.11.10
Have It Your Way: Wifi Is Everywhere.
Can't believe it! Free WiFi at the most ubiquitous place in America, even more populous than starbucks. I had *heard* that the internet is everywhere but I didn't really believe it. Now I'm watching football in front of a weird flashing fake fireplace on a squishy couch at Mickie D's.
Here are some of my early observations / culture shockin thoughts after being back in America for a few weeks, since October 3, when I came back from Africa where I lived for 2 years:
- 495 Capital Beltway driving is scary
- Blowdryers & Makeup are fun!
- Why does my family need 5 cars?? That's ridiculous.
- Salads are delicious
- Refrigeration is revolutionary, if it comes from the right need (ie. food not booze)
- TV is a dangerous time suck
- It's hard to walk from one destination to another. That makes it hard to get exercise!
- Why are so many people treating me like 1 of a number of cattle? Doesn't seem right.
- Americans aren't used to touching, but they seem to like it / be OK with it sometimes.
- Men (&women too!) spend all day looking at idealized images of the human body so anyone who looks any different is hated on/hates on themselves.
- Water tastes icky, and there's really no variety in flavor. Mmmm, chemicals.
- Bar bitches are mean
- Pavement/tarmac is pretty ugly and has an effect on me that is the opposite of relaxing. It's everywhere in 'Merica. I guess because walking on the tarmac used to be the most crowded, dangerous place in Malawi, I'm still not comfortable. Where the mountains? Trees? Maize fields??
I published this first in my Malawi blog because I'm finished my service in Malawi! Time to blog about America some more.
25.9.08
Into the Bush
My last night here in Maryland, I came to understand what it is to pack up your life into two impossibly small, unbelievably heavy suitcases in order to take a chance on an unknown place where a new space awaits.
Come Monday, when most people are returning to their regularly scheduled schoolwork, jobs, or otherwise, I will be a shiny new teaching intern in the mountains of Malawi: Dedza, the site of the Malawian College of Forestry. My job in the Peace Corps will necessarily involve teaching, but I will be there to first help improve secondary schools at the grassroots, community level (read: they are not a government priority, yet). I will train in a village-based "cluster," so it will be less like sitting through classes and more like taking the jalopy out for a spin with my brand new PC buds. I can picture it now: "Does anyone know what that road sign back there meant?"
I will be living in a "homestay" for the three months of teacher training, so I'll get an intimate glimpse into - and a chance to be a part of - the Malawian family. Imagine intensive language classes until noon, working in the classroom until dinner, and then coming home to a "mom" or "sister" speaking to you rapidly in a language you're just beginning to grasp. Talk about a brain workout! Throw in pit latrines and bathing under the stars, and you might harken back to summer camp with the soundtrack on mute.
It won't be so bad. I'm actually very excited for the new language - but the intensive immersion training is a new thing for me, so all sorts of scenarios (like the previous one, for example) are playing out in my head. I am not sure what language I'll be learning, even though I have done some work with Chichewa; I could be in a Chitimbuka-dominant area too.
Most everyone wants to know how I'm going to eat vegan in Africa. Well, if I wanted to do that, I'm sure I'd use my resources to find a way. That's not part of the plan, however; I feel that the protest of the Ag industry's careless practices is going to be really irrelevant in a place where a chicken is slaughtered in honor of a guest by the host family, right before being cooked -- and in a place where food production for export is much more important than importing fun things like tangelos from new zealand and bananas from guatemala. I have seeds to plant a garden, but you better believe I'm going to eat what is available for my own health as well as to show respect for my new home culture. Integration is about changing your ways - not demanding others cater to peculiar American preferences.
But you'll hear about all that when it comes to pass! This week of preparations has been wonderful for absorbing so much love from many friends who have taken the time to "see me off." Most of my relatives have given me their blessing, which means a lot; I don't come from a very adventuresome, service-oriented family, so the idea of it still seems a bit left-field to them. But they have come to understand my passion and commitment, and are supporting me as best they can -- and that's all I could have wanted. I feel strongly now that the life I have had here has been very full of good people, and I am sad that I'm leaving it at such a time -- even though my departing caused so many great visits! I choose to interpret these events to mean that there is much to come back to, and that I have many examples of good people to enrich my life in the US.
It's time to switch over to the travel blog, and I'll write there as much as I can. I encourage any and all of you to drop me a letter in the mail, because it only costs 94 cents, and because I'd love to hear from you about the familiar and comforting details of home! Especially election drama.
Come Monday, when most people are returning to their regularly scheduled schoolwork, jobs, or otherwise, I will be a shiny new teaching intern in the mountains of Malawi: Dedza, the site of the Malawian College of Forestry. My job in the Peace Corps will necessarily involve teaching, but I will be there to first help improve secondary schools at the grassroots, community level (read: they are not a government priority, yet). I will train in a village-based "cluster," so it will be less like sitting through classes and more like taking the jalopy out for a spin with my brand new PC buds. I can picture it now: "Does anyone know what that road sign back there meant?"
I will be living in a "homestay" for the three months of teacher training, so I'll get an intimate glimpse into - and a chance to be a part of - the Malawian family. Imagine intensive language classes until noon, working in the classroom until dinner, and then coming home to a "mom" or "sister" speaking to you rapidly in a language you're just beginning to grasp. Talk about a brain workout! Throw in pit latrines and bathing under the stars, and you might harken back to summer camp with the soundtrack on mute.
It won't be so bad. I'm actually very excited for the new language - but the intensive immersion training is a new thing for me, so all sorts of scenarios (like the previous one, for example) are playing out in my head. I am not sure what language I'll be learning, even though I have done some work with Chichewa; I could be in a Chitimbuka-dominant area too.
Most everyone wants to know how I'm going to eat vegan in Africa. Well, if I wanted to do that, I'm sure I'd use my resources to find a way. That's not part of the plan, however; I feel that the protest of the Ag industry's careless practices is going to be really irrelevant in a place where a chicken is slaughtered in honor of a guest by the host family, right before being cooked -- and in a place where food production for export is much more important than importing fun things like tangelos from new zealand and bananas from guatemala. I have seeds to plant a garden, but you better believe I'm going to eat what is available for my own health as well as to show respect for my new home culture. Integration is about changing your ways - not demanding others cater to peculiar American preferences.
But you'll hear about all that when it comes to pass! This week of preparations has been wonderful for absorbing so much love from many friends who have taken the time to "see me off." Most of my relatives have given me their blessing, which means a lot; I don't come from a very adventuresome, service-oriented family, so the idea of it still seems a bit left-field to them. But they have come to understand my passion and commitment, and are supporting me as best they can -- and that's all I could have wanted. I feel strongly now that the life I have had here has been very full of good people, and I am sad that I'm leaving it at such a time -- even though my departing caused so many great visits! I choose to interpret these events to mean that there is much to come back to, and that I have many examples of good people to enrich my life in the US.
It's time to switch over to the travel blog, and I'll write there as much as I can. I encourage any and all of you to drop me a letter in the mail, because it only costs 94 cents, and because I'd love to hear from you about the familiar and comforting details of home! Especially election drama.
13.9.08
So happy together..
It's been a week since I packed my bags and said goodbye to my summer home, the co-op on G street in Southeast DC. I miss the house and the housemates something awful. Here's a not-so-little brainstorm/torrent about what I loved about it.
My first success in sharing a bedroom.
Always finding someone around to chat with.
More politics than a Georgetown library.
Being a stone's throw away from Eastern Market, where I managed to consistently get a week's worth of groceries for about $20.
A well-equipped kitchen and a free shelf to scrounge when I was too lazy to cook.
Cute little mice to keep us guessing in the kitchen.
A garden to toil in, to harvest tomatoes, squash, basil, peppers, and sunflowers from, and to compost in.
Housemates who understood, respected, and catered to my peculiar diet.
Folks interested in good books, good music, far-flung travel, serious documentaries and lectures, patriotic parades, afternoons in the Library of Congress or Ebenezer's Cafe, a good game of scrabble, or a night of karaoke.
A lax policy on drinking in a quaker-owned rowhouse.
A cute, safe neighborhood with kind neighbors and tidy front yards.
A five minute walk to the metro stop.
Amazing rent prices for volunteers and interns.
Nightly games of "tennis" and "soccer" at the nearby park.
Walking everywhere.
Magnolia trees and lavender after the rains.
Sharing resources like laundry detergent, cooking oil, sugar, and toilet paper.
Ceiling fans with half the lightbulbs unplugged to save on electricity.
A great supply of tea and a water heater at the ready.
Room for my yoga mat.
A shower and chore schedule.
House meetings with hilarious, half-hour long icebreakers.
Connecting with friends of friends who share the same level of awareness and compassion.
Nightowls coexisting with morning glories.
A lending library almost bigger than my personal library.
Walks after dinner.
Staying around for an hour talking at dinnertime.
Housemates with lives as busy as mine.
Meeting housemates' friends and being comfortable with them very quickly.
Christians with high levels of tolerance and respect.
A guest policy welcoming people to eat and stay with us for free.
Fit and healthy girls to keep me inspired.
Two daily newspaper subscriptions.
Hanging out at the pool for the first time.
Complete dependence on public transportation.
Picnics on the mall or in the sculpture garden.
Nearby eco-bike tours and a neighborhood bike shop.
Concerts on the capitol lawn for fourth of july and memorial day.
Good listeners.
Cutting down internet use outside of work to the library or slow house computer only.
The house whiteboard for sharing messages.
A paid blockbuster account.
Togetherness and respect of each others' space.
My broadened worldview.
My first success in sharing a bedroom.
Always finding someone around to chat with.
More politics than a Georgetown library.
Being a stone's throw away from Eastern Market, where I managed to consistently get a week's worth of groceries for about $20.
A well-equipped kitchen and a free shelf to scrounge when I was too lazy to cook.
Cute little mice to keep us guessing in the kitchen.
A garden to toil in, to harvest tomatoes, squash, basil, peppers, and sunflowers from, and to compost in.
Housemates who understood, respected, and catered to my peculiar diet.
Folks interested in good books, good music, far-flung travel, serious documentaries and lectures, patriotic parades, afternoons in the Library of Congress or Ebenezer's Cafe, a good game of scrabble, or a night of karaoke.
A lax policy on drinking in a quaker-owned rowhouse.
A cute, safe neighborhood with kind neighbors and tidy front yards.
A five minute walk to the metro stop.
Amazing rent prices for volunteers and interns.
Nightly games of "tennis" and "soccer" at the nearby park.
Walking everywhere.
Magnolia trees and lavender after the rains.
Sharing resources like laundry detergent, cooking oil, sugar, and toilet paper.
Ceiling fans with half the lightbulbs unplugged to save on electricity.
A great supply of tea and a water heater at the ready.
Room for my yoga mat.
A shower and chore schedule.
House meetings with hilarious, half-hour long icebreakers.
Connecting with friends of friends who share the same level of awareness and compassion.
Nightowls coexisting with morning glories.
A lending library almost bigger than my personal library.
Walks after dinner.
Staying around for an hour talking at dinnertime.
Housemates with lives as busy as mine.
Meeting housemates' friends and being comfortable with them very quickly.
Christians with high levels of tolerance and respect.
A guest policy welcoming people to eat and stay with us for free.
Fit and healthy girls to keep me inspired.
Two daily newspaper subscriptions.
Hanging out at the pool for the first time.
Complete dependence on public transportation.
Picnics on the mall or in the sculpture garden.
Nearby eco-bike tours and a neighborhood bike shop.
Concerts on the capitol lawn for fourth of july and memorial day.
Good listeners.
Cutting down internet use outside of work to the library or slow house computer only.
The house whiteboard for sharing messages.
A paid blockbuster account.
Togetherness and respect of each others' space.
My broadened worldview.
8.9.08
Only child becomes a Big Sis
I fully took on the role of Big Sis for the first time this summer - and really enjoyed it. It's a funny feeling to accept being looked up to: initially, I failed to spot it, but after a while, I realized that what I learned from my experiences in college, in romance, and in the working world have given me a unique ability offer guidance to other people my age or younger. This came in handy with a huge crop of interns arriving at CHEJ in June and departing in early August. Until this summer, I didn't know what a difference there can be between 20 and 23!
Part of the sudden realization is that I can almost feel how much I've grown in the past 6 months or so -- like mental stretch marks. Working in the non-profit sector and gearing up for Peace Corps has separated me from a deep-seated selfishness I've had lurking for a long time. I finally found something to give myself to. In college, I selfishly pursued a degree so I could someday make money (losing lots of my zest in the process); in college, I selfishly pursued a relationship so I could feel good about myself and have an outlet for my energies. Now, although I have learned the value of money in being able to provide for future endeavors from talking to those with 30, 40 years on me, I have learned the value of giving and loving first-hand. Striking a balance is going to be hard, because vilifying money comes to me almost as a reflex to abundance, but walking that line is essential.
I've also matured as a result of a very protracted break-up of my most meaningful tryst to date. I've had tons of time to reflect and re-reflect on my actions, his actions, and everything else, such that I can understand now the objective reasons that we were not right together, quite apart from any feelings involved. I accept that with no feelings of regret or desire for revenge. It makes me sad sometimes, to finally be able to see his flaws. Love was blinding - it took a sudden sharpening of focus to know that.
As a counselor for my friends' relationships, romantic and otherwise, I find I can easily detect patterns of emotionally charged action-reaction so I try to help them to see the big picture. If only someone had done that for me! But it's a little strange to feel like a Big Sis to my friends; won't they realize how they could be thinking their way to being happier? I wouldn't deny them any support they need, though -- someday, I know they will be offering sisterly words of wisdom in my time of need.
Part of the sudden realization is that I can almost feel how much I've grown in the past 6 months or so -- like mental stretch marks. Working in the non-profit sector and gearing up for Peace Corps has separated me from a deep-seated selfishness I've had lurking for a long time. I finally found something to give myself to. In college, I selfishly pursued a degree so I could someday make money (losing lots of my zest in the process); in college, I selfishly pursued a relationship so I could feel good about myself and have an outlet for my energies. Now, although I have learned the value of money in being able to provide for future endeavors from talking to those with 30, 40 years on me, I have learned the value of giving and loving first-hand. Striking a balance is going to be hard, because vilifying money comes to me almost as a reflex to abundance, but walking that line is essential.
I've also matured as a result of a very protracted break-up of my most meaningful tryst to date. I've had tons of time to reflect and re-reflect on my actions, his actions, and everything else, such that I can understand now the objective reasons that we were not right together, quite apart from any feelings involved. I accept that with no feelings of regret or desire for revenge. It makes me sad sometimes, to finally be able to see his flaws. Love was blinding - it took a sudden sharpening of focus to know that.
As a counselor for my friends' relationships, romantic and otherwise, I find I can easily detect patterns of emotionally charged action-reaction so I try to help them to see the big picture. If only someone had done that for me! But it's a little strange to feel like a Big Sis to my friends; won't they realize how they could be thinking their way to being happier? I wouldn't deny them any support they need, though -- someday, I know they will be offering sisterly words of wisdom in my time of need.
6.9.08
Solutions to the Juice Box Dilemma
Avid and capable recycler that I am, I can't seem to figure out how to get breakfast items like soy and rice milk in a sustainable container. However - the hardy, bacteria-free box milks from Tetrapak (a la grade school juice boxes and Parmalat) are recyclable. Woop woop! But who will take them?
This question is actually kind of complex, like the recycling process itself. There are at least 6 separate layers - paper, aluminum, and plastic - that have to be separated - and not everyone's municipal recycler is even interested in something that tedious, and fewer still actually provide the service. I tried to call around today to find out some more local folks to take my boxes, which I've saved up - a whole stinky bag of them, thanks - but couldn't do any better than a place out in Oregon called BRING recycling. I've sent stuff to them before, and they seem pretty reputable, so here's their address in case YOU want to save up and recycle your aseptic packages:
BRING Recycling Warehouse (541) 746-3023
4446 Franklin Blvd
Glenwood, OR 97403
Make sure you flatten them before mailing, and remove any plastic pour spouts, etc.
A last thought: I could try to remove myself entirely from the "American Breakfast Establishment." I've done it in China, where they serve you steaming noodles and veggies with heavy bread. For some reason though, sleepy me always wants something familiar and comfortable - leave lunch and dinner for venturing wildly into unknown food territory. Luckily, another breakfast craving, tea, is available literally worldwide, under amazingly similar names in varying languages. Wo yao cha.
This question is actually kind of complex, like the recycling process itself. There are at least 6 separate layers - paper, aluminum, and plastic - that have to be separated - and not everyone's municipal recycler is even interested in something that tedious, and fewer still actually provide the service. I tried to call around today to find out some more local folks to take my boxes, which I've saved up - a whole stinky bag of them, thanks - but couldn't do any better than a place out in Oregon called BRING recycling. I've sent stuff to them before, and they seem pretty reputable, so here's their address in case YOU want to save up and recycle your aseptic packages:
BRING Recycling Warehouse (541) 746-3023
4446 Franklin Blvd
Glenwood, OR 97403
Make sure you flatten them before mailing, and remove any plastic pour spouts, etc.
A last thought: I could try to remove myself entirely from the "American Breakfast Establishment." I've done it in China, where they serve you steaming noodles and veggies with heavy bread. For some reason though, sleepy me always wants something familiar and comfortable - leave lunch and dinner for venturing wildly into unknown food territory. Luckily, another breakfast craving, tea, is available literally worldwide, under amazingly similar names in varying languages. Wo yao cha.
31.8.08
Crunchy Leaf Comment
This morning I went out to forage for fallen leaves so I could beef up ye olde backyard compost pile -- I've been neglecting it because work's been busy and I've been staying in NoVA more than my 6 hour quota most days. A quick walk down G street provided more evidence for this conclusion: fall is here, and it's early! Sure, it will get hot this week, but September is always hot. Let's focus on the fallen leaves (still green): they're everywhere! It didn't take me but 15 mins to fill up on crunchy carbon to pair with 7 housemates' worth of food waste, but it shouldn't be that way.
And of course I *may* just be looking for evidence of suspicious weather that just smacks of climate change, but that only causes me grumpiness. At least on the end that worries about mass species extinction, famine, and disease. The part of me that likes a well-rounded compost pile is doing quite well.
And of course I *may* just be looking for evidence of suspicious weather that just smacks of climate change, but that only causes me grumpiness. At least on the end that worries about mass species extinction, famine, and disease. The part of me that likes a well-rounded compost pile is doing quite well.
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