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.

Oregon Salmon Patties + Caper Tartar Sauce = Amazing

The title pretty much says it all. Living on a student budget, this recipe felt gourmet and was so scrumptious (and not pasta or a sandwich)! The main ingredients are actually quite simple:

Salmon Patties: canned salmon, sauteed onion, butter, crackers, 2 eggs, dry mustard, & shortening (I left the shortening out. I guess learning about fatty-acid synthesis in Biochem today didn't inspire me to add extra lard--I know butter counts, but it is just SO GOOD and buttery.)

Caper Tarter Sauce: capers, mayo, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and some dried garlic just for kicks. I do admit that capers are the one semi-splurge. I think you can get them on the cheaper side at Trader Joe's. Yet, they bring me so much joy and one little jar lasts so long, that it is well worth it. yum.

PS: Click on Title for link to recipe!

PPS: There was an attempted coup d'etat in Ecuador today. Sounds like "a bit" of chaos. In Portoviejo, where I lived, banks and the shopping center are prey to thieves. There is no active police force right now. BBC tells more here.

i have a pet spider

I have a pet spider. I suppose her name could be Lucille. I know this may be difficult to understand. My desk sits next to a window that has a screen. Outside my window lives Lucille.

Lucille is the size of a large silver dollar. Her black legs have yellow stripes. Possibly this is to alert me that she is dangerous. She is visible usually only when the sun isn't shining. It just started to pour and Lucille seems to feel at home in the dreary weather. If there is a large gust of wind, she holds tightly to her fierce web.

From time to time, I imagine moving Lucille from her window-location. I mean, spiders are a bit creepy. Yet in the hours upon hours of biochem, human development, and anatomy--she is always there. What is a spider's lifetime anyways?

I leave you with a quote from E.B. White's classic Charlotte's Web:

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."
~Charlotte

Perhaps Lucille the Spider and I have some sort of a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. Hopefully Lucille survies the storm.

"Are you a cuddley sleeper?"--Lessons in Practical Anatomy

I am now three weeks into medical school. Next week is exams. Thus, Labor Day, yes indeed equals a day of laborious studying. Luckily--anatomy of the upper limb does have some practical implications. As Ross points out in the below "Friends" clip, cuddling all night long might sound cute, but there is an anatomical reason that it might not be so comfy. The lovely head of a recently blushing bride often finds its resting place right on the radial nerve of the debonaire husband. Given that the radial nerve innervates your triceps, and all of the extensor muscles of your forearm--this can lead to "Honeymooner's Palsy." (Think painfully flexed elbow and wrist). Oh, hark, what to do?! Don't flip, Ross will gives some pointers on the "hug-n-roll:"

Between the Pages: Life in France, by Julia Child

So, I haven't written in forever (I attribute this to making friends in Ecuador, returning to the USA, figuring out my future, but, most importantly the mysterious breaking of my camera)--I have been enjoying life in Minnesota for the summer.

Recently while in the Boundary Waters (more details to come) Julia Child's memoir My Life in France has allowed me to travel to France and back. Her words led me to laughter, introspection, and deep motivation to follow my passions--all without sentimentality. I liked her voice, hyperbole, and flair. Notable, underlined quotes:

"In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport."

I like this idea of serious creative work...as well as competition. She was ahead of her times, would Julia have liked Top Chef?

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."

"Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was
confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my
thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of
confidence, which cause me to back down from forcefully stated
positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, 'scientific'
though. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was."

So with this inspiration at my heels...I gave my shot at a Julia-inspired meal. I consider this a good use of a family of eager foodie guinea-pigs. The Salade Lyonnaise recipe I found online was a hit. Buttery croutons, greens, oil-dijon vinagrette, topped with a poached egg. This melt in your mouth character may be partially due to the bacon oil--but, hey Julia lived to be ninety-two. So, live it up sometimes, right?



The shining star of the meal was a Coq au Vin over a bed of pasta and accompanied with a side of peas. Coq au Vin--chicken, pearl onions, carmelized mushrooms, bacon bits (of course!), red wine, chicken broth, garlic, herbs. The dish simmered in a dutch oven (which I learned is really a huge covered iron pot). Trick: the best way to peel the pearl onions is to blanch them first.


New cooking terms courtesy of Epicurious food dictionary:
lardons; lardoons--diced bacon or other lard meat.

poach--to cook in a liquid just below boiling point (poached eggs are best done in slightly salted water with a bit of vinegar to help the egg retain shape)

blanch--to plunge food (usually produce) into boiling water briefly and then into cold water, as to stop the cooking process. Firms flesh, loosesns skins, boosts color and flavor. Used for bacon in main dish and to peel pearl onions.

The meal was a hit, I listened to perhaps cliché French music while cooking, mostly from the soundtrack to An Education.

Do I wish I had Julia's final masterpiece cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking? Yes, it seems very romantic to page through it while dirtying the pages with sauces and marinades--but as the "recent" release of Julie and Julia has jacked up the prices of used copies on Amazon to near full price, internet recipes will make due for now.

I leave you with Chef Child's final words from her memoir: "Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!"

This made me chuckle

Trip to Northfield, MN Econo....hehe

What is New Age Pop? Please appreciate there is no mention of soda ;-)

Aseptic juice....sterile juice, wow that is what I want. Adult juice, is this the beer aisle?

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | Video on TED.com

Left me chuckling and pondering the school system and values in education.

Heading to "El Campo"

The gynecologist and me in the room where she saw patients. It was HOT and humid!

This weekend I went along with physicians and volunteers from the CAS Clinic on a "medical caravan" trip to a small town an hour away. A general medicine physician, pediatrician, dentist, and gynecologist saw about 150 patients. I helped assist the gynecologist. Very eye-opening difference between the culture of a small town only an hour away from Portoviejo. It seems that women generally have many children, marry very young, and often are illiterate. The community that received us was very kind--cooking huge pots of rice, soup, and chicken.

Hills around Caña--covered mostly by farms filled with bananas, yuca, cacao, zapote, oranges, corn, and avacado.

Aftershock Quake in Portoviejo, Ecuador

A bit before 5:30 this morning there was a brief earthquake here--10 miles East of Portoviejo, Ecuador. According to the US Geological Service(USGS), it was 5.3 on the Richter Scale. While here, I have felt minor tremors for a matter of one or two seconds, yet this about four second shaking woke up the house and we stood near the front doorway for a few minutes afterwards.

This aftershock was one of 90 such aftershock earthquakes in South America following the recent devastating earthquake in Chile of 8.8 on the Richter Scale. This has been the only such aftershock quake in Ecuador. Yesterday, swimming was banned on nearby Ecuadorian beaches due to stronger than normal waves.

Here is a pretty cool website by USGS, showing The Location of Aftermath Earthquake, as well as all recent seismic activity.

10 Pineapples for 5 Dollars!

Can you believe that? Pineapple up in Minnesota is a bit of a luxury fruit. This morning I went to El Mercado with my host mom here. The market she regularly frequents is not the normal farmers market, rather it is the market that vendors and restaurants visit to buy in bulk. So, it is cheaper. I think we were the only non-vendors buying there. Other buyers were men trucking off on tricycle carts piled with mountains of fruit.

Host mom's style of shopping is not to be messed with--10 pineapples, 5 pounds of strawberries, three watermelon, about 100 oranges, and a few pounds of carrots and fruits I don't recognize, alongside a half pound of garlic. This is serious shopping.

The fruits and veggies at the market are thrown on the concrete under a huge open air roof. Mountains of pineapple, truckloads of watermelon----mmm time for breakfast.

Do you want potatoes with your rice and plantains?

This week, a forty-something neighbor of my host family came in to drop off two big water jugs. A family member told him it looked like he had lost weight. His response:

"Well, I did lose weight in my limbs, but this belly is still here. *patting huge stomach* I do tell my wife that I eat sufficient amounts of food to maintain this large figure, out of a deep love for her. You know, if I didn't maintain this belly, I would be attracting unwanted attention from women left and right. *Jolly laugh*"

Hm, quite an interesting argument for staying fat. I always thought the USA greedily held onto the obesity epidemic, but it is easy to see that the epidemic is growing. I was quite surprised upon arriving to the coast to learn that there is a significant portion of the population that suffers from azucar (literally "sugar," signifying diabetes at a doctor's office) and obesity. It is not hard to see why this is the case. While there is amazingly delicious and fresh fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates are aplenty and on every street corner.

A meal without rice is barely a meal. I haven't gone two days without eating some form of bananas-plantains. (Which I don't complain, they are tasty :-) Pasta is served alongside rice and potatoes. Did I mention the starchy yuca root?

Older Ecuadorians have noted that there didn't used to be all this street food. Sure, in a non-metropolis like Portoviejo, Wendy's and McDonald's aren't really to be seen. Still, KFC is huge here! (I never ate KFC before Ecuador). Hotdogs abound. Empanadas rain from the sky. Fried versions of dough dot the streets.

At least there are still tricyclists pushing about fruit stands and that man screaming like a dead cat, "Guineos! (Bananas!)" in the street.

PS I really do love food here. (Read: Seafood and Fruit, okay and ice cream too). This is just a note on the cornicopia of carbs.

PPS. It is totally cool, and sometimes "loving" to call overweight friends/family "gordo, gordita" (fatty, fat)---as in, "Venga Gordita." (Come here fatty). or "Te quiero gordo." I don't suggest trying this in the States.