This is one flexible kid, able to sleep in a rickshaw. 

All dressed up for the wedding, here we are sitting in a rickshaw. 

This is Momota, Isaac's babysitter and my Bangla tutor. She's pretty great. 

Maya makes a mean bhuna kitchuri. Notice our laundry drying strategy. Nothing like wearing cumin scented underwear. 

The view from my kitchen sink 

Here is a picture that I took from my "baranda" (balcony). You can see the roof of the house that Masud grew up in, and beyond that, there is water covering the road. Masud and Maya went out in that to get my furniture. 

Ferris had laid two eggs, which she has since abandoned. I guess she didn't like the smell of our cooking. 

When we started moving into our apartment, we noticed a houseguest that had taken up residence in our kitchen. Introducing "Ferris" the pigeon. 

Maya, Isaac and I standing in front of the hotel where we stayed in Rangpur. 

Archive Blogging...sorry for the delay!

September 13, 2004
I’m finally posting these! I wrote them a while ago, but don’t have internet access. We’re all okay, but Isaac has dysentery. He’s taking medicine so hopefully it will clear up soon. We’re in Comilla and it’s been raining for 2 days straight. The streets are flooded, but it’s delightfully cool and there is a nice breeze. We’re working on my apartment, buying furniture (difficult when the streets are flooded) and setting up everything. Hopefully I’ll get my own internet connection soon, I’m feeling lost without my email!

September 5, 2004 – We’re Alive!
I’m writing this post although I don’t know how long it will be before I can upload it to my blog. I’m not sure when I’ll get internet service.
We made it here without any major problems. It was a long journey, though, and this time Isaac was a little more restless than I remember him being on the last trip. He was pretty good for a four year old though. There was a guy at the airport holding a sign with my name on it when we got off the plane (just like the movies!) and he helped us with the bags and the customs part of the airport experience. We got to go out the back way, and avoided the throngs of people who flooded the front area. I felt like a movie star!
I met Shaheen Khan, who works at the Public Affairs section of the American Embassy here. She is going to be very helpful. I found out that she knows my advisor, and actually was a roommate of his daughter’s when they lived in Illinois. It’s a small world, huh?
We really didn’t give ourselves time to recover from the trip. Masud has such a limited amount of time here that we want to get as much done as we can right away. We have been running around and sleeping in spurts, and I hope it doesn’t catch up with us and make us sick. We are planning to go to Comilla pretty soon and get everything set up as soon as possible. It’s hard to live out of suitcases, especially when those suitcases were not packed based on a logical plan, but were stuffed with whatever was the right shape or weight. I’ll be so happy once I can unpack!


September 10, 2004 - One word: SAUNA

Yep, it’s hot here. I hate to admit it when Masud is right, but it’s true that I can’t survive here without AC. The humidity just saps the energy right out of you. I’m told that this weather is pretty mild. God save me when April and the hot season rolls around.

Other than the heat, things are going really well. We’ve accomplished a lot in the past week, and I’m feeling extremely confident about my project. I met with one of my research partners in Rangpur this weekend, and she is really incredible. I plan to dedicate an upcoming post to the past weekend and what I learned.

Isaac has already been sick. He barfed three times the other day, and then got a rash. He seems fine now, and I’m thinking maybe he just got overheated or something. Seriously, it’s that hot in here. He’s really happy to be here, although he misses his “partner” (grandma). I keep telling him that we’ll be able to talk to her soon, but I always forget to buy the calling card when we go out.

Dhaka is really an awful city. It’s so dirty and crowded and scary. I’m so glad I’m not staying here. The only redeeming factor about Dhaka is that you can occasionally get Doritos and Mountain Dew. Comilla, while much better than Dhaka, still has its safety issues to consider. Rangpur however is the most beautiful and peaceful place I’ve been so far in Bangladesh. It’s just recently been developed, and it’s not too crowded yet. It’s safe enough that people can walk around at night without worrying. I think I’m really going to enjoy my time there, and I might try to figure out a way to stay there longer than I originally planned.

September 11, 2004 – The Rangpur Experience

After a week of being in Dhaka and the suffocating heat, I was beginning to feel really overwhelmed and discouraged. We decided to go to Rangpur before going to Comilla because the two cities are in different directions and we want to stay in Comilla for a while once we get there. As soon as the bus cleared the edge of Dhaka I started to feel better. The Bangladeshi countryside is really beautiful and it helped me to remember why I wanted to come here in the first place.
Rangpur is about a 6 hour bus ride north of Dhaka. On the way up, we saw a bus that got too close to the edge of the road and rolled off the side. On the way back, one of our bus tires exploded. Fortunately it was a back tire, and the driver was able to maintain control. If a front tire had exploded, we probably would have been hurt.
The actual city of Rangpur is really beautiful. It has recently been developed and it has nice roads and buildings, and it’s not overly crowded. The streets are relatively safe and it’s a peaceful place. Maya and Masud-bhai (Maya’s husband is also named Masud, so for clarification I call him Masud-bhai) graduated from Rangpur Medical College, and Dr. Javed and his wife Dr. Tasnim (also graduates of RMC) both practice there. Dr. Tasnim, a gynecologist, is going to help me with my project, and she allowed me to shadow her for quite a while when we were there. I should have taken some pictures, but I was so amazed by what I saw that I forgot my camera was even in my bag.
First, we toured the medical college and I saw the facilities there, including the gross anatomy lab, where two dissected bodies were laid out! I had to tell Isaac that they were plastic and that somebody was making them for a movie. Then we went to the Rangpur hospital where Tasnim-bhabi is posted. She also has office hours at her clinic, and she allowed me to sit with her in her “chamber” while she saw patients. Her chamber is a small room, no more than 12 feet by 8 feet, with a desk and an examination table. She sits behind the desk and consults with patients from there unless an exam is necessary. In a three hour period, she saw around 50 patients. It was quite different from what I am accustomed to in the US.
First of all, the patient is called in by an attendant. The patient brings their own medical records along, which makes a lot of sense to me. Since patients might go to different doctors, they bring all their medical records, so doctors can quickly see their complete history. Sometimes two or even three patients are in the room at once. To me, with all of my awareness of privacy rights, this was really amazing. Especially since gynecological concerns are usually somewhat embarrassing and sensitive, I was amazed to see how people didn’t really mind having their business discussed while other patients were in the room.
If a pelvic exam needed to be performed, only the patient, the attendant (and myself) and of course Dr. Tasnim were in the room. Some women were not embarrassed by this, but some needed to be convinced that if they wanted to be treated, they needed to let the doctor examine them.
Another interesting cultural practice that I noticed was that the patient usually came in alone and consulted with the doctor alone, and then the doctor called in the rest of the patients family before giving the diagnosis. It seemed that this was to make sure that the patient had a support system in order to comply with treatment, especially in cases where a pregnant woman needed to be on bed rest.
After three hours of seeing patients, sometimes two or three at a time, and fielding phone calls at the same time, we went to the hospital where Dr. Tasnim performed a hysterectomy and a c-section. I was allowed to see both of these procedures. I had to change my street shoes into special sandals that they had in the OT (operation theater) and I wore a hat and a face mask. I was really amazed at how much energy Dr. Tasnim has. She had started working that day at 8 a.m., and finished the c-section at 11:30 p.m., and still wanted to go with us to eat at a restaurant after that.
The next day, I observed her in her chamber for a few hours, and then was lucky enough to watch Dr. Javed perform a laproscopic gall bladder operation. Right after that was finished, there happened to be a woman next door who was giving birth, and I got to see that as well! (And the pain of child birth came flooding back. Nevermore!)
It sure was a busy weekend, and I’m so excited about working in Rangpur. I have lots of new ideas to incorporate and I’m sure that this experience is going to be incredible!

See you on the other side!

Well, blog fans, this will be my last post from the good US of A. We're leaving tomorrow morning at exactly 10:45 a.m. and we'll arrive in Bangladesh on Sunday at 9:45 a.m. (Bangladesh time). For those of you who are wondering, Bangladesh is exactly 11 hours ahead of us (12 hours ahead once we go off daylight savings time in October). So we are actually arriving in Bangladesh at 10:45 p.m. on Saturday night Minnesota time. Once we get there, we have to go through customs (which should be easy thanks to the "expediter service" that will meet us at the gate), and then it's off to my brother-in-law's house. He lives in Dhaka, about 10 miles from the airport. If we are lucky enough to arrive on a hartal (strike) day, however, we will have to stay overnight in the diplomatic zone. On strike days, nobody is allowed to ride in cars except official people within the diplomatic zone. It's possible that there will be a hartal, but maybe we'll get lucky.
I'm anticipating that we'll need to spend a couple of nights or maybe a week in Dhaka before we head out to Comilla. I'm going to set up my home base there, and I'm really looking forward to unpacking my suitcases and organizing everything. Then it's down to business!
I'm not sure how long it will take for me to get internet access. Masud is an email-freak (and I admit it, so am I), so we might have it sooner than later, but don't worry about me if I drop off the radar for a good week or so.
Well, I'm going to go find out which suitcase has an opening for the three pounds of cheese I just bought. I hope it doesn't rot on the plane. My poor cheese.

Hurry up and WAIT syndrome.

I spent the day ripping weeds out of my "garden" and mowing the lawn. Now I'm sore and sunburnt. I've been getting lots of emails and phone calls from all my friends, and I'm becoming even more sappy than I was last week. I've got my suitcases packed, weighed and waiting on the living room floor, and my to do list is pretty much complete. I always end up taking the maximum number of bags at the maximum weight limit, and every time I say that next time it will be different. It's really hard to handle six huge bags (plus three carry-ons) that are each about 70 lbs., especially in the Dhaka International Airport, where there are swarms of people trying to "help" for a small fee. Those luggage carts are hard to drive, man! But I can't think of one thing that I would want to take out. Actually, I'm sure I could fill up a couple more bags!

The political situation in Bangladesh is not good at the moment, and there is a chance that there will be a hartal (strike) on the day that we arrive. That means we will be either stuck in the airport, or we'll have to stay in some motel. After two straight days of travelling, I'm sure I'll just want to get somewhere that I can unpack my bags, recharge my iPod, and take a LONG shower. Oh well, I'll take what I can get, I guess.

Interesting Tidbit

I just found this on the Council of Islamic-American Relations (CAIR) listserv I subscribe to. I wonder what those silly Republicans are up to, showing off their tolerance and open-minded-ness! (I know, that's not very tolerant and open-minded of me towards Republicans, but I admit it, I'm a political bigot.)

NY IMAM TO GIVE INVOCATION AT GOP CONVENTION
On Monday, August 30, Imam Izak-El Mu'eed Pasha, the Muslim chaplain of the New York City Police Department will give an invocation at the Republican Party convention. Pasha is the Imam, or spiritual leader, of Harlem's Malcolm Shabazz Masjid. In June 1999, New York Mayor Giulianni appointed Pasha as the city's first Muslim police chaplain.The convention is scheduled to start at 7:45 p.m. Pasha's invocation is the fifth item in the order of business.

I called this picture "smiley" but I think she was actually pissed off about something. Yep, my mom just came in and looked at the picture and said, "Yep, that's her, always bitchin' about something." 

This is my brother with Heidi the Dog. I think Heidi kicked the bucket a few weeks after this picture was taken. Obesity problem.  

Page has always enjoyed showing off her butt. It was really hard to get her to keep her pants on. 

Oh yes, I was one hot 8th grader. Just check out the bowl cut hairdo...oh my GOD!! 

Fun quotes from Page's visit, which only Page will find amusing.

1. "I don't want to touch the open wound." - Page with the concealer. The open wound was mine.
2. "You just wanted to say 'breast'." - Katie to Masud, and we were talking about chicken. This conversation was followed by a very off-color joke about cannibalism by Katie.
3. "Just park up here on the grass." - Katie to Page, every time we rode in her car.
4. "What grass?" - Page, being a smart-ass.
5. "I sounded snotty." - Page, upon hearing her own voice on the answering machine.
6. "OK, Rob." - Katie, attempting to piss Page off.
7. "Can you tie this un?" - Isaac, asking someone to "untie" something.

Countdown...T minus 10

Another day, another tearful goodbye. Page left yesterday, I traded her in for Mom, who will stay here the rest of the time and we'll have our tearful goodbye at the airport. Ahhhh, I love being melodramatic.

I sure do miss Page though, the whole day yesterday I kept thinking about how boring it was without music playing (I'm too lazy to play it myself), and Isaac kept asking me to make a "web formula", which was Page's specialty. OK that was a really long sentence, probably a run-on, but this is a blog and who is checking anyways?

At least I'm insanely busy, so I don't have time to mull over things too much. Last night we had some people over for dinner, and the gods of cooking smiled upon me, if I do say so myself. I made rice, chickpea curry, cauliflower curry, fried eggplant (sounds gross but it's to DIE for), and mango salsa. I also stopped at this new Kebab House in Rochester and got some beef kebabs for appetizers, which I'm told were delicious. And Masud grilled some beef shish kebabs. Nothing burned, nothing was over/under done, the salt and spice levels were great. Just when I thought I was a domestic failure, I come through and surprise everyone!

Let's see if I can get it to carry over into other areas of my life. Small successes, it's what I live for. Now if somebody could please figure out what the odor is coming from the downstairs bathroom!

May my CD drive rest in peace...

The CD-ROM drive on my new laptop, which is all of one and a half months old, has kicked the bucket, bit the dust, gone to that great computer graveyard in the sky. Although it's still under warranty, I don't have enough time to get it fixed before I leave. Thank God I already uploaded my entire CD collection. My music is safe. Let's just hope nothing else breaks. That's what I get for buying the CHEAPEST of the CHEAP models.

Today I finished packing my fifth suitcase, leaving one more empty for me to fill in the hours before we leave. Condensing our lives into six suitcases has been a tiresome and anxiety ridden experience, and I know I've probably left out some important items. I think we'll survive, either way. After all, many of the 140 million people in Bangladesh are able to survive without half of what I've packed.

Maybe my materialistic lifestyle will suffer, but I hope I'll learn how to live with less.

For some reason, we really look like sisters in this picture. 

One of the things I will miss the most about leaving the US is having lunch with Sue and Deb.  

Kanta's birds helped us study one day. 

Ode to Kanta

For the past month or so, I've been brushing up on my math skills in the hopes that I can get a semi-respectable score on the GRE. My studying buddy, Ishrat a.k.a Kanta, has made it both fun and rewarding. I don't think there is anybody else in the world who would put up with me talking about bodily functions while working out solid geometry math problems. She's got some mean math skills, so whenever I'm stuck, she patiently explains the logic behind each solution. Then she tries to make me feel better by saying how hard the problem was. What a great friend!
We decided that trying to take the test before I leave would be unreasonable, so she is going to take it here and I'm going to take it in Bangladesh. I wish we could have gone together, because I have the feeling that I'll be in serious need of some comic relief on testing day, but at least we've come this far together.
So here's to you, girl! I'll think of you whenever I need to find the volume of the space around three spheres within a cylinder!

Another ode to Page.

I'm just so relieved that my sister is here, that I have to devote another post to her. She is a neat freak, so she goes around and puts my junk into neat little piles. It's great! It gives the illusion of cleanliness! We both bought some really funny anti-Bush t-shirts (from jibjab.com). They have a picture of Bush on the front with his goofy grin and ten gallon hat, and the caption says "right-wing nut job". If you haven't seen the political cartoon called "This Land", you simply MUST take a moment to go to http://www.jibjab.com and watch it. (Then you will think my shirt is all the cooler!) Also, check out some of their archived cartoons, good for a laugh (especially the farting elves one - good for all you sickos out there like me who enjoy a gratuitous fart jokes.)
I'm not sure that I will wear a tshirt with Bush on the front while I'm in Bangladesh. Even though it's a joke, I'm not sure everyone will get it. Could be dangerous.
Today we're going to do some more shopping for stuff that I'm taking to Bangladesh. I think that my suitcase space is reaching capacity, so I have to draw the line at some point here. I just know I'm going to get there and wish for that one thing that I forgot to buy while I was here. Oh well, life is about making sacrifices, I guess. I've got enough skittles to feed a small village anyways. Last time, I took some gummy bears and shared them with everyone. I gave some to Masud's Fupu (paternal aunt), and she said "Eta ki, rubber?" (What is this, rubber?) She tore off the head with her one good incisor, and then gave the body to my nephew. American confections are wasted on her. Good thing I was there to finish the bag.

Introducing Fidget.

Fidget is the fish, not the plastic horse. Page bought him for Isaac. He's already been overfed once, but I rescued him. Isaac picked out a bunch of random toys to put in his bowl instead of the standard fish gravel and fake plastic castle. We think it's pretty rad. What a cool world for a fish.

Ode to Page. (With a Sub-Ode to Chris).

Here are four things that I love about my sister.

1) She says what's on her mind. No beating around the bush - no sugar coating. I love a person who can tell it like it is.
2) She has so much more self esteem than I ever did at that age.
3) If I was her, I don't think I would have been able to give up the last three weeks of my summer vacation to help my sister out. Of course, I don't have an older sister, so I really can't say what I would have done. But I probably wouldn't have given up the last three weeks with my boyfriend before he goes to college...

Speaking of her boyfriend (Chris, aka Krist), he is one talented musician. She played a track of him singing last night - I truly expected it to be crappy because he's just a kid, and I knew a lot of guys in high school who thought they could sing but really couldn't.(Chris, if you're reading this, I mean it in the most respectful way possible!) He is really good! I think he's gonna be famous. Then I can say that I once gave him a ride when his car broke down and there was a scary guy walking on the road.

Bad Movie + Popcorn = Fun Family Night

Masud and I planned on seeing the Bourne Supremacy last night. We had free tickets, and it seemed like a good night for a movie. The only problem, however, was that we didn't have anyone to watch Isaac. We thought about taking him along, but I just couldn't handle the thought of people looking at me as I took my four-year-old into a PG-13 movie. So we decided to see the kid-friendly "Thunderbirds" instead. It was a really bad movie - terrible script, predictable plot, poor acting, lots of special effects, and the stereotypical bad guy of South Asian origin. Isaac loved it. Actually, I think Masud kind of enjoyed it too. And I enjoyed being out with my family. So it was a successful evening. Maybe we'll see Matt Damon another day.

Today we will be having even more fun, because of the annual Minnesota Elevator picnic. Isaac goes nuts when he hears the word "picnic". It will be a fun day, I'm sure, as long as the rain holds off. And tomorrow, mom and Page are coming. Life is good!

Something new every day...

When I first started my internship at Saludando Salud, I wondered if I had done the right thing. I'm so flustered - trying to get ready to spend 9 months in a third world country and coming out of an intense year of too many classes at once - I thought maybe I should have just passed up the internship and spent some time at home. But I can't believe how much I'm learning just by listening to stories and watching what happens.
Saludando Salud is a grant funded government program that targets Latino health issues like health education and access to care. They do some really neat things, like set up doctor's appointments and transport patients to and from the clinic, as well as interpret for them if necessary. I started working with Ellen De la torre when I was doing my thesis. She's the "Health Promotion Specialist", and has tons of personal experience with Latinos. Her husband is Mexican, and she spend some time living there - even had kids there - so she really knows the Mexican culture. And, although I can barely speak a word of Spanish, I can tell she's a pro Spanish speaker. Of course I always admire American women who have successful interracial marriages and families.
We spent the day at a conference in the Cities, and I learned so much just from our conversations. This internship has been worth every second so far, and I'm sure I'll learn even more before my time is up.
OK, now back to the real-life business of dish washing and floor sweeping.

Malaria prophylactic

I picked up our Malarone pills today. For some reason, our insurance only allows us to get 15 pills at a time, so it looks like the easiest way to get them will be to just buy them in Bangladesh (and hope that they are good quality). It's so funny...I was incredibly naive the first time I went to Bangladesh. I thought I was invincible, and refused any immunization or pills. This time, I'm taking even the long-shot preventive options like the Typhoid vaccine, and I've reviewed all of my choices for malaria prophylactic carefully, because I plan to take them for the entire time I'm there. Among other things, I can look forward to nausea, headaches, dizziness, sleep disturbances and appetite changes.
Today was a particularly moist day here in Minnesota, and the mosquitoes were in rare form. It made me think about what I'm going to face in Bangladesh. I still have scars on my feet from our trip last December. That was so bad - the night I counted over 100 huge bites on my legs and feet, I wondered how I'd survive. And now I'm going for 9 months! Since I saw one of our friends who came back from Bangladesh with Dengue fever, I don't want to take any chances. I'm usually an opponent of pesticides and chemicals, but I plan to bathe myself and Isaac in DEET.

Eyes are closing - time for bed.

Isaac has one week left at school, and although he insists that he won't miss it, I know he will be sad for Miss Katie. She's such a great teacher (with such a cool name)!!! 

America's Dairyland

We just came back from a quick visit to Wisconsin. I will try to go home one more time before I leave for Bangladesh, but I'm so busy that I'm beginning to think that this might have been my last trip.
I got some good pictures, and I'll share them with you now.





My grandpa always wears these groovy shades. He's such a movie star! Poor Chips the Dog, who never gets any excitement, was being strangled by that leash so he wouldn't claw me with his satan toe nails.






I'm proud to say that my dad, brother and sister all had roles in the community theatre production of "Hollywood Hillbillies". While the script left something to be desired, my dad's ad-libbed monologue was hilarious!






My sister played a spoiled valley girl who is forced to spend "quality time" with her father's relatives in the hills. She was SO FUNNY, especially the part where "Bubba" assaulted her.






My brother (the one in the hat), played a drunk attorney. He was really convincing. He belched a couple of times, and it was so loud that I worried some chunks might have come up with the burp. GROSS Rob!

Of immunizations and dental work.

I hate having sharp metal objects inserted into my body. Apparently, due to stress (who, me? Stressed? Nah!) I've been GRINDING my TEETH so hard that I managed to break two molars even though I wear a mouth guard at night. Yeah, I'm that good. So I've had two "inlays" in the past 7 days. Also, because I'm an extraordinarily lucky human being, my teeth hurt for about 6 weeks after each procedure like this, while the normal human being will only experience mild discomfort for a few days. I know this because I now have 4 inlay crowns. Yes, I'm 27 and have FOUR FAKE TEETH. I'm on my way to dentures, man! That would certainly be less expensive!

To top it all off, I get to go shoot up with various different bacteria and viruses on Thursday, which will be all the more fun because I have to take Isaac and hold him down while HE gets shot up as well. It always makes me cry when he gets shots because he cries as if somebody is ripping his arm off...

OK now that you feel sufficiently bad for me, please email me and tell me to quit complaining!

Masud the Great

There are three main reasons why I married Masud.
1)He has a beautiful smile.
2)He has a HUGE heart (boro mon).
3)He is so darn level-headed.

It seems like no matter how emotionally charged any situation is, he manages to use his head. He always comes up with such great solutions for problems that I find insurmountable. He tells me that it's because he was a math major, but I think it's a gift from God.

As I continue to freak out about how much I need to get done in the next five weeks, he calmly gives me suggestions. For example, in a stroke of genius, he recommended that I ask my sister to come stay with us for a while, so that she can hang out with Isaac and I don't have to worry about picking him up from daycare right away. It will also be nice to spend some time with her before I go galavanting in the third world.

What am I going to do on the other side of the world without my anchor? I'm not a good problem solver, although I'm sure my skills will improve once I'm on my own.

AlterNet: The Cult of Nature-Worship

AlterNet: The Cult of Nature-Worship

Ooooohhhhh, I just love AlterNet. I often find myself re-evaluating my opinions on certain topics while reading these articles. This one talks about elective C-sections, and how they should also be considered in the women's right to choose argument. Things that make you go "Hmmmmmm".

I'm a grownup!

It is always shocking to me when a friend has a baby. Even though I have a four year old, I find it weird that I am grown up enough to have a kid and to hang out with people who have kids. Sometimes I forget that I'm no longer a teenager, and I have to consider myself an ADULT. Weird!

Today we went to visit some long-time friends in the Twin Cities. Nipa, whom I met way back before I was married, is planning to leave the US for Bangladesh "forever" at the end of September. I'm so excited that she will be there when I am, because I know we're going to have fun!

Rubeena was also visiting from California, with her new daughter Rayyah (shown above snuggling with Isaac). Wow, she is one cute, round, smiley baby. I kind of got baby fever there for a minute. Then I remembered how much I love to sleep and thought better of it. Isaac is desperate for a little brother or sister. He helped me pick out some outfits, books and a toy for Rayyah, and he's already in love with her. Watch out Nadeem and Rubeena, I think Isaac might be your future son-in-law!

On the way up to the Cities, we stopped at the Food Co-op where I stocked up on as much dried or aseptically sealed soy-derived protein products that I could get my hands on. They had a sale on tofu, so I bought a big pile. I am a little worried about getting enough protein in Bangladesh. I just don't think I'll be able to bring myself to eat that meat that I saw hanging on hooks in the open air markets... Not to mention, I'll be deficient in the "refined sugar" food group. I'm anticipating a major Skittle-withdrawal during the second month after our supply runs out.

Well, time to hit the hay. Tomorrow I have a fun filled day of GRE studying ahead of me. Ahhh the headaches, the humiliation of not remembering simple formulas and how to multiply fractions, all in the hopes of becoming Dr. Katie one day. Is it really worth it? My ego says yes. My malfunctioning brain says NO WAY!

I'm Exhausted!

Somebody PLEASE tell me how some women manage to work 40+ hours a week and take care of their families at the same time??? Ever since I've been in school, it is an uphill battle for me to stay up until 8:30! I can get by on about 9 hours of sleep a night, but in order to be absolutely happy and rested, I need about 12. Honestly, that was the hardest part about becoming a mother, giving up sleep.
My house is an absolute mess, and Isaac is eating chicken nuggets for the third time this week. There are no clean towels, and the ironing basket is overflowing with about 3 times as many clothes as it was designed for. A strange odor is emanating from the downstairs bathroom. The ants in Isaac's ant farm have perished for lack of food and water.
For a long time I thought maybe my fatigue was because I was out of shape, so I started an exercise program. Since February, I've gone to Curves at least 3 days a week, as well as consulted a nutritionist. While it's easier for me to take a few flights of steps, I have not noticed any other benefits (hardly any weight loss to speak of, although my cholesterol dropped by almost 30 points). I'm feel more tired now than I did BEFORE I started working out.
So I had my thyroid checked. Everything came back fine.
I think I'm doomed to exist on coffee and Mountain Dew. Thank GOD it's FRIDAY! And to all those women who manage to have it all - I stand in awe.

Vintage Spiderman Rocks!

Saturday, we went to Best Buy and Isaac spotted a collection of all 52 episodes of the original Spiderman cartoon from 1967. For some reason, maybe it was a rare moment of double-parental-weakness, or maybe the planets were in alignment - I don't know - both Masud and I agreed to shell out the almost $50 for the entire set. Isaac was so happy that he promptly promised to learn ALL of the letters in the alphabet.
So, as you can imagine, it's been a Spiderman marathon for the past few days. Isaac was sick today, so he laid on the couch all day and watched as Spiderman defeated numerous weird foes. At first, I was indifferent. Cartoons are cool for a while but they get old fast. But then I was sucked in. These cartoons are different from the average Nickelodeon fare.
For one thing, Spiderman, a.k.a. Peter Parker, is pretty hilarious. For example, he will look up and see a piano about to fall on him, and he'll say "My Spidey-Sense is telling me that something is going to fall on me." Also, he's pretty suave with the ladies. In the first few episodes, there's this chick named Betty. She really has a thing for Peter Parker, it's obvious, because she always puts herself in harms way to help him out.
The best character is J. Jonah Jameson. What a guy. The person who played him in the recent live action movies did an excellent job imitating the cartoon. The voice, the mannerisms, everything is right on!
So thanks to my son for exposing me to this new-found interest. I'm sure we'll enjoy memorizing it together.

AlterNet: Election 2004: The Lack of a 'Vision Thing'

AlterNet: Election 2004: The Lack of a 'Vision Thing'

The above article (you can click that link to read it) scares me, because I know how true it is. The power of the evangelical right is underestimated by liberal voters. Their conviction goes beyond who will become president of this country - their votes somehow seem to count towards their list of "good deeds" and will gain them a better place in the castle in the sky. I remember as a kindergartener in a private Christian school, I learned the names of all the presidents. When we recited the names at awards night, which took place right before the elections, we tacked on an extra name - "Ford and Carter and Reagan...and Reagan!" I remember feeling very proud, I was doing my part as a good Christian to encourage the parents in the audience to vote for the "right" person.

Ahh, how things change. I grew up, realized I was not a republican, and spent a few years figuring out exactly what I do believe in. I have voted for an independent candidate (Jesse Ventura!), attended a republican caucus (John McCain!), and came very close to voting for a Green party candidate (Ralph Nader) in the 2000 election. I ended up voting for Al Gore out of fear that Bush might win...a lot of good that did. As a person of deep conviction when it comes to my political views, it's hard for me to understand why people don't vote. It's also hard for me to understand that small portion of "undecided" voters. I don't see how, if a voter has ANY opinions whatsoever, they can't decide who to vote for. All it takes is a few minutes to really think about what your beliefs really are. Don't think about what republicans or democrats or greens stand for, just think about what you stand for, and pick the party or candidate that matches that the best. It sounds simple, doesn't it?

People usually think about politics when they see political ads on tv, or when some controversial issue (gay marriage?, abortion?, wars?) comes to the forefront. This is a hard time to decide what you believe in, because the issues are constantly twisted through those ads or the media. The best time to think about it is when nothing controversial is going on. Go to each candidate's web page and see what they have to say on the issues. Go to all the candidates web pages - not just the two major ones - check out Ralph Nader's site. Even though I won't be voting for him this year, he's an ideal president in my opinion...I agree with him on almost every single issue.

What I hate about political ads is that they don't tell the whole story. For example, one recent ad talked about how John Kerry opposes the Lacy Peterson Act, which, in the words of the ad, protects pregnant women. What the ad doesn't say is that it also threatens the rights of women to choose whether or not to have an abortion. It's sneaky - maybe those undecided voters don't know the whole story, and it makes it easy for them to get the wrong impression about John Kerry. The same is true for the media. When we hear something from the mouth of Dan Rather or Peter Jennings, it's easy to believe. Why would THEY lie to us? And yet, the truth is, they are not telling the whole story. And when somebody like Michael Moore comes out and puts a different spin on the same story, why do all the conservatives get upset? Because they don't want to believe they've been lied to, that what they thought was true is actually not the whole story.

My dad says that no matter who we elect, republican or democrat, it's going to be the same story. He believes that Bush did exactly what Clinton would have done. He says that all politicians are crooked, so arguing that one candidate will be better than another is pointless. I guess I haven't given up on the idea of democracy and choosing someone who will have integrity and fulfill their promises. I understand that politics are dirty and that we are often told what we want to hear, but I also believe that we have a responsibility as citizens of this country to choose to the best of our ability the candidate that we think will represent us.

Let's encourage our nonchalant liberal friends and our undecided acquaintances to get the vision for the future. What happens in November will have long range consequences, no matter what my dad says. We need to become passionate, just like those evangelical conservatives, and envision the future of our country without a Bush in the white house! VOTE KERRY!!! Yeee Haaaaaa!!!

Insomnia and acid reflux.

My thesis is done, turned in, accompanied by forms and fees.  That means I've fulfilled the requirements for a Master of Science in Health Science, Community Health.  Why, then, am I still filled with anxiety?  Maybe it's a force of habit.


Isaac took a cute picture of me the other day.  He's a pretty darn good photographer! 
  

 
Aren't we cute?  I figured out how to use the self timer.
 
 

I'm (almost) done!

My thesis has been defended, and I have made the final corrections. All that is left is to print out a copy, proof it one last agonizing time, and send it off to the printers. The funny thing is, I don't feel the sense of accomplishment that I thought I would. Rather I feel like I should have worked harder, maybe done a more intense investigation...I guess it's my inner critic. The study that I plan to do in Bangladesh will be extremely benefitted by the work that I did for my thesis. I have saved at least 2 months by working out the kinks ahead of time. Now I know exactly what I need to do. So shut up, inner critic!

I've been interviewed for the Free Press, and yesterday the photographer came to take my picture. I swear he must have shot a whole roll - I felt like a model! Except for the fact that I didn't wear any makeup yesterday - at least natural is in, right? Is it still in?

Well, in order to celebrate the completion of my thesis, I'm off to have lunch at Coldstone Creamery. No health food today! It's carbs and fat, all the way, baby!

Stay tuned.

Back in Dairy Land

I'm back in rural America after spending a wonderful week in DC at the Fulbright Orientation. It hit me about midway through the orientation how big of a deal this award is. Somehow I felt like I had been selected because not too many people applied to Bangladesh, or maybe all the original grantees had turned down the opportunity - but I now feel extremely honored and excited to be in the company of such great people.

I took my mom and my sister along with me. I think my mom is feeling a little better about letting her firstborn travel to the other side of the world. She is certainly feeling proud, that's for sure. She's kindof like that guy on the commercial who lowered his cholesterol - she keeps telling random strangers about her daughter, the Fulbright Fellow. The truth is, it's great to have somebody brag about me...good for the ole ego.

The main point that I took away from listening to the speakers (Fulbright alumni and Dept. of State officials, among others) was that while research is an important aspect of the Fulbright program, it is primarily designed to foster mutual understanding between cultures. I had assumed that we would be briefed on how to promote the greatness of the US of A but instead we were told that we are NOT obligated to paint a rosey picture. In fact, we are encouraged to express our honest opinions of the United States "warts and all".

During a panel session about community involvement, I became so inspired with ideas that I ran out of paper. I absolutely can't wait to get to Bangladesh in order to start becoming involved!! Among other things, I plan to start a play group for 4 year olds, join a local Muslim Women's Association, volunteer at the local clinics and schools, and maybe even set up a discussion group with my fellow Bangladesh Fulbrighters regarding American foreign policy.

This afternoon, I emailed the local newspaper because they had printed a story in last Friday's Free Press about the other two Fulbrighters from MSU. The reporter was very interested in my photovoice project (more info at http://www.photovoice.com), and he wrote down every word I said. Now I'm hoping I didn't misspeak!!

To round off my post...here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Here we are - the three Fulbright Fellows to Bangladesh...
Your's truly on the left, Tanya (who was feeling particularly cool in her Fulbright t-shirt), and Keisuke on the right. We're standing in front of the NPR building (Rock on!).


Here we are in a more whimsical pose...Keisuke's idea - he's so cool! Thanks to the lady in the red car who gave us some technical assitance on our letter formation!


While I was in DC, I visited some great tourist attractions...
The Lincoln Memorial


The National Cathedral (and a scary eagle statue)


Poor Page...in the National Cathedral...


At the WWII memorial - my grandpa was in this war, so I took a picture for him.


Speaking of my grandpa - here's a nice picture my grandpa and grandma Metcalf. Isn't my grandpa cute? He was shy to have his picture taken.


After a long day of touring, we were sweaty and gross. OK so my pit is grosser than Page's...


More to come...stay tuned!

My letter to the editor

Dear Editor...
This Friday, my husband and I went to Movies 8 to see the matinee of Fahrenheit 9/11. One of the main points that Michael Moore makes in the film is that the government and the media have encouraged an environment of fear in American society. They have capitalized on the horror that we all felt on 9-11 and have used orange alerts and suspected plots to keep us constantly on the edge. In this fearful atmosphere, it was easy for Mr. Bush to convince us to send our family and friends into Iraq.

After the movie, as my husband and I were leaving the theater, a woman appeared to motion towards my husband and warn her companions that they should be careful. It seemed that she thought my dark skinned, Arab featured husband, who is a hard working, dedicated father and an American citizen, posed a threat. He is used to this type of behavior, but I felt offended and filled with despair.

Before 9-11, many of us assumed that the rest of the world saw our country as the greatest place on earth. We thought that people only dreamed of coming here, because of the opportunities and freedoms that we enjoy. So many of us were shocked and horrified to learn that, for some reason, there are people in the world who hate us. We were told that they were jealous of our affluence, that because they couldn’t have what we have, they wanted us to suffer. The truth is that our prosperous lifestyle came about at the expense of others. 9-11 was our wake up call, and we didn’t listen. Instead, inspired by fear and the desire for revenge, we attacked and destroyed what good will remained.
The movie presented a clear and realistic look at how we were made to feel afraid, and I hope that those who watch the movie will look inside themselves, and realize that the only way to make things better is to learn tolerance and respect for those of other nations. We should try to understand what it is we have done to inspire such hatred towards us, and work to rectify it.

I hope that we can learn to see others as human beings – even a dark-skinned man with a sharp nose, or a woman wearing a headscarf. I beg of everyone, no matter what your politics or background may be, please try to see the humanity in all people. The vast majority of Muslim people oppose terrorism and pray for the day when the world can be at peace. Only when we learn tolerance and acceptance can we stop the cycle of violence and hate in the world.

More procrastinating.

I'm chugging along here on chapter four, but I think I'm getting termination anxiety. It's hard to finish such a huge project. The weird thing about it is that it shouldn't be too hard, I just need to concentrate for a few hours and write it out, but I can't get my brain to work with me!

Isaac called me last night and he was really sad. He said he still has my kiss in his heart, but he wanted me to come and get him right away. I don't know if I can make it! Next Tuesday, we are meeting mom in Rochester and I have to go with her but Isaac is going home with Masud. I have to go to DC for the Fulbright orientation and I'll be away from him for another five days. This is rough!

It's a gorgeous day outside and I wore my pants that have a drawstring at the ankle so I can wear them up around my knees. It's as close to shorts as I will ever get. Nobody is seeing the great white expanse that I call my thighs. My calves are a pretty scary sight. They have not seen the light of day for months and now they are dotted with little black stubble bumps that never disappear, even right after I shave. It's the curse of being dark haired and light skinned I guess. Some people would call it a striking contrast, I call it "the gorilla syndrome".

Well, I can't even keep my mind on my blog, so I'm going to look for another way to procrastinate for a while.