Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

The autumn air is cool and leads me to daydream of pumpkin pie. This pumpkin-pie smoothie is a slimmer, quicker version of a pumpkin pie. Delicious way to start the day. I prefer not to measure and rather to eyeball.

Combine in Blender:
- Equal parts plain yogurt and canned pumpkin
- 1 splotchy-brown banana (this seems to be the most sugary sort)
- dash of milk--enough to liquify smoothie,
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- A few dashes of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg)

I will admit, it seems a bit strange or perhaps innovative to drink a pumpkin concoction, but delightful all the same.

Waiting for the Sun

Sunset in Northfield, MN. May 2011

“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.” Vladimir Nabokov

It has been raining for nearly a week. Perhaps in a moment of hopefulness, I sat by the window in the library today, hoping that the sun would peak out for a moment and I might smile in its light. It did. Sometimes life is just that good, one asks and receives. For times when I am waiting, I like to reflect on the Nabokov quote above.

Neither North nor South

A few days ago we visited the equator line at "El Sitio de Intinan," Intinan-meaing the route of the sun. I visited El Mitad del Mundo "equator line" and monument while in Ecuador before and had been a bit bummed to learn that the line was only an estimate using the sun, that had been drawn bfore the days of GPS. Thus, I was thrilled this time to visit the GPS-marked equator line that lies about 250-500 meters from the Mitad del Mundo "equator line." We learned that the indigenous people of this Andes region originally the area "Quitu," meaning center of the earth. When the Spanish arrived they found it difficult to pronounce Quitu and renamed the region Quito. The tour guide showed us some pretty awesome physics experiments. She showed us how a sink full of water drains in opposite directions North and South of the equator. When she drained the sink right over the equator the water went straight down the drain, without circling at all. Crazy!

The guide showed us how the gravitational force on the equator is strong enough to make certain actions easier: JAson, one of the studens in the program who is over six feet tall and strong, held his hands clasped in front of his forehead. The guide, a petite Ecuadorian woman put one of her hands on top of Jason's clasped hands. South of the equator and north of the equator the guide tried to pull Jason's clasped hands down while he pulled up. Understandably, the guide was unable to pull his hands down. Yet when they both stood on the equator, the guide pulled down both of JAson's hands with her one hand, with ease! I tried it out with a friend and it really worked! The force of gravity aided the guide enough so that she could pull Jason's hands down with ease!

One final experiment highlighted how the rotational forces differ north and south of the equator. IT should be easy for a sober person with eyes closed or open to walk a line, such as done in a sobriety test. With closed eyes and arms at my sides, I easily walked the equator line at a reasonable speed. Yet, when I closed my eyes and raised both arms out to the side, it was nearly impossible to walk the equator line faster than at a snail's pace. The opposing rotational forces caused gravity on my left and right hand made it difficult for me to balance and walk in a straight line.

I was about not to go to the equator line, thinking we would be visiting El Mitad del Mundo monument, I am so happy I went to see the real equator. I think Bill Nye the science guy would have enjoyed it.
**I do not know how to do accent marks on this netbook, which I recently named Slothy due to her slow nature. I miss my mac!

Back in Ecuador!

I have now been back in Ecuador for about a week. My love affair with this Andean country began four years ago, as a summer exchange student in Quito. I am a trainee thru an organization called Hispanic Serving Health Professionals Schools, a non-profit established in 1996 as a part of US Dept of Health and Human Services. This organization sponsors my summer in a Tropical and Travel Medicine Training Seminar that is a collaboration between University South Florida and La Universidad el Central in Quito. I will be living in Ecuador for 9 weeks, 5 in Quito, and 4 in the coastal and Amazonian regions. It feels good to be back in what has come to feel like a second home. There are six other students in the program, all of whom are working towards a Masters in Public Health.

While in Quito, myself and the other students are living at a hostel, L'Auberge--French for berenjena, which is Spanish for eggplant. Not sure how the owners came up with this name, but the French pronounciation is often left behind for a Spanish-accented "La-auh-bare-hey," that can cause a bit of confusion and quizzical looks from taxi drivers. The accomodations are more like a basic motel (ew that word just sounds gross), okay economical hotel perhaps. I have my own room and bathroom (which I was not expecting!). The first morning I leapt for joy when hot water came out of the shower. While spaces to store a summer's worth of clothes leave something to be desired, there is a nice central patio that somehow embodies a sophisticate tranquility.
I would guess there are about twenty-five rooms. Guests vary both in age and nationality, although the French name does seem to attract a large francophone group. Most guests staying here seem to be friendly and I have shared a meal with Israelis, Dutch, Swiss, and U.S. citizens. L'Auberge is treating me well. More on Tropical Medicine soon!

Mr. Texas Ranger

Thank you Mr. Texas Ranger.

Isn't it funny how sometimes a stranger's listening ear can mean so very much. How sometimes a stranger's kind, generous words can mean the world. Recently while flying I met Mr. Texas Ranger. He was a middle-aged man, tough on the outside, an old-school cowboy type. He relayed stories to me of time on the Texas Ranch. He even proudly displayed his amputated index finger. The stub that remained was salvaged after a venomous snake bite and a trip to the E.R. Mr. Texas Ranger surprised me. He was not callous as I might have expected. He did not seem overly hardened by the dry desert heat. I would like to think a tiny piece of his strong resolve rubbed off on me that day.

I Sure Hope April Hail Brings May Flowers

A powerful hail storm hit Milwaukee today. I pulled out my rain boots, defiantly refusing to pull out snow boots and my winter parka (at least until this morning). Below is a video of the ten minute or so storm that brought an inch and a half of hail.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson

the brazilian jiu jitsu debacle

It's been a bit of a rough week, but things were looking up today. Summer plans seem to be possibly materializing and my sister comes to visit tomorrow.

Yet, the day took a nasty turn! I attended a women's self defense class at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy. I did not know what Jiu Jitsu is-it is a type of martial arts that concerns ground fighting and honing in on your oponent's weaknesses using basic anatomy and physics. Pretty cool. The instructor showed us how with the right moves, we could come out on top in a scuffle. Anyhoo. At the end of the session a handful of adorable little five-year old boys filed in to prepare for the kid's class. They were so cute, until I returned home to discover that one had drawn on the backside of my white, northface supercute coat with ballpoint pen in the changing room. see photo! gasp! The stain must either be fully removed or the culprit must pay. I would even go to the GI jiu jitsu kids class with hopes of speaking with the mysterious culprit's parents. I love kids, but boy they can be be descrutive.

Little Bits of Joy

These things brought me joy and made me laugh while studying.

• "Regulation poorly understood." Yay! I do not need to learn the regulation of this ion. Haha for the future generations that will discover, learn, memorize, and be tested on this detail. (disclosure- I actually am pro-scientific-advancement)
• This video on youtube: Me Singing A Whole New World Disney's Aladdin Nick Pitera
  
• I woke up to hearing a snowblower. Date check: March 9th. One more month of possible snow? Why does my march desk calender flaunt blooming daisies? So deceptive. For now, I will take joy in slopping through slush, dragging my winter coat with me everywhere, drinking cozy tea, and momentarily gazing at the snow--snow that I found beautiful in January, and a fact of life now in March.
• This is ridiculous. Weddings at McDonald's.
  

That is all. Just waiting for a whole lot of joy after tomorrow's physiology exam is over. The final study countdown continues.

40 Days and 40 Nights without Facebook

I have one exam left before the end of this interminable exam week. Cell and Tissue Biology-check. Neuroanatomy check. Only Physiology left. Oh to conquer the magic that happens in the kidney. So much solitary study time leads me to several thoughts:

• In only four days I will be in Ecuador!
  
• I think I travel through O'Hare, maybe. Anyways, at O'Hare airport not only do I pretend to be Macaulay Culkin's mother from Home Alone, dashing through the airport to rush back to little Kevin; I also love seeing the Dentyne Ice ads that hang in between two terminals. They make me smile! (see above).
  
• The ads leave me to think about Facebook. In the hours of studying, I obviously need some breaks and Facebook tends to be in the top five of 5 min breaks. This is perhaps unfortunate. Wouldn't it be nicer to call a friend? Write a catch-up email? Maybe even a little snail mail or lament with a classmate the hours left to become mini-masters of renal function?
  
• Tomorrow is Mardi Gras--unfortunately the highlight of my celebrations will probably be munching a few Girl Scout thin mints and the gym.
  

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. As a kid in Catholic School it was a day filled with hype around the ash cross placed on your forehead with the blessing, "Remember, thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return." We compared ashen-cross size and shape. Later, I came to cherish the day as a reminder of mortality and humility. Traditionally, Lenten penance; be it prayer, fasting, or almsgiving; is a way to prepare for the Resurrection of Christ at Easter.

This year, I'm taking a modern fast, a Facebook fast. I would like to think of it as a way to gain serenity and to deepen relationships. Maybe after Lent, I will be ready to use FB more sparingly as a well-honed tool for connecting with friends and acquaintances.

I still plan on requesting friends, confirming friend requests and offering Birthday Wishes--just in person and on the phone! I also just realized this is during my Birthday month, which will be especially hard. Even though it is silly, it is fun to read birthday posts. I will triumph over Facebook breaks.

Almost Spring Break! Almost time to leave the land of highlighters, sticky-post its, 3 ring binders, and wikipedia articles on physiology terms that do not strike me as familiar!

Because it is nearly Valentine's Day. . .

and oysters are said-to-be an aphrodisiac, my favorite quote from A Moveable Feast:

"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans."
--Ernest Hemingway

PS. I will begin writing again this week. Finally.