I'm in the process of changing my blog. The first thing was to change the pink explosion theme. It was a nice stand-by until I found this much prettier blue theme :) I'm not sure about the reader, but it's definitely a lot easier on my eyes.

As for the title change, and the Catullus poem (I'm working on the translation, to be posted later :) - I hoped that would serve as an introduction, or at least a preview, of what I want to write more about. I'm further encouraged by this excerpt from an interview with writer Chris Bohjalian, Amherst alum '82:


Q. What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?

A. Read lots. Have a thick skin. And write often-and write about things that interest you passionately. Writing teachers often encourage young writers to write about what they know- or, conversely, to write about things that are foreign to them. I think neither should be a cardinal rule. Instead, you should write about things that interest you, regardless of whether you know anything about the topic when you start, or you're among the world's foremost experts. The key is to care so deeply about the subject-find it so extraordinary-that you are willing to give up a year or two of your life to it. If you bring that level of enthusiasm to the story, it certainly increases the chances that you will create something of interest to strangers browsing in a library or bookstore.


Full interview here: http://www.chrisbohjalian.com/bohjalian-qa.htm


I'm not hoping to be discovered, however - let's see what comes out of my reflections on love for the next year or dozen posts (on the topic), whichever comes first. These posts will be interspersed with the standard updates on my life - I don't want to get rid of that completely. It looks like I may have found a direction for my blog :) And maybe you, the blog reader, will have gained something from it as well.



In other news, I am really enjoying my class on program planning. I'm particularly excited about its use of ecological models to guide needs assessment and to describe health behavior. I loved my ecology class in college - it's part of what drove me to public health - and it's great to finally see how it's applied in this context.

On a side note, with my program winding down, I kind of wish I had taken more biostats =/

Finally, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of music on my computer at work. Actually, it's somebody's old user files. She's got everything - reggae, Soca, trip-hop, soul/neo-soul, jazz, Hindi, flamenco, bossa nova, hip hop, Celtic, etc. I'm in heaven. And bringing my iPod in for 'updates,' mwahaha. ;)





Leaving you with one of my favorites from Jesse Cook, contemporary flamenco guitarist:

Vivamus mea Lesbia, atque amemus,
rumoresque senum severiorum
omnes unius aestimemus assis!
soles occidere et redire possunt:
nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux,
nox est perpetua una dormienda.
da mi basia mille, deinde centum,
dein mille altera, dein secunda centum,
deinde usque altera mille, deinde centum.
dein, cum milia multa fecerimus,
conturbabimus illa, ne sciamus,
aut ne quis malus inuidere possit,
cum tantum sciat esse basiorum.


Catullus 5

I won't be TA-ing any classes this term, which I admittedly will miss-I liked helping the students and my professor was fun to work with. Last Monday though, I realized how nice it was to be home by 6-7 instead of after 9pm :)

I have one more course of my own to complete. Program Planning for Behavioral Change, and I'm excited about this one.

Looking for new things to read - I finished my stack and have nothing on tap right now. Suggestions are most welcome. What have you read recently that was intriguing, informative, or just a pleasure to read?

I fulfilled a craving that's been haunting me for a few weeks now.

I finally had a burrito. And yes, it's totally worth blogging about.

El Torito (soon to be named El Guapito) on Mulberry St, near the library. I pass that place every day on my drive back into Mt Vernon and have been intrigued for some time. Attempts to take roomie and other friends there kept getting thwarted. I finally called this afternoon and asked for a roasted pork burrito for takeout. Ran there to pick it up. I loved the place at first sight. It's kind of a hole in the wall; the inside is warm and welcoming, and the woman who runs the place was so nice. The burrito was a divine mess of succulent meat, melted cheese, rice and beans. And the guacamole was to die for. I can now go to Connecticut happy :)

And now to make up a mad libs for Jen's bridal shower on Sunday..where is that so called creativity when I need it? *searching for a muse*

Was watching Colbert earlier, and it reminded me of something I heard or read the other day. It's basically an AIG spokesperson insisting they really need the bonuses or else "the talent at the company will just go elsewhere." AYFK? If those fools had any talent maybe you wouldn't have needed that bailout.

Current mood: exasperated. I'm not going to get on a soapbox now..maybe another day.


Brighter notes:

Cheesy moment from work today: Helping our AA with our postage machine. It's supposed to have the ability to register the weight of one standard envelope (34 cents postage), but it always requires some extra items - and the amount of stuff you have to put on the scale always varies. The stamppad I added finally made the machine work, which made Tracy happy. I said I guess I can pull my own weight :) ok, don't pull a muscle laughing now ;P

and..




Hélène Segara and Laura Pausini! This song has been stuck in my head for the past couple of days (I am not complaining).

I love these ladies:



This song is one of my all-time favorites to harmonize to. I sang the alto parts for most of my years in choirs (but trained as a soprano, how's that for identity crisis? ;-) - so now I almost always end up hearing the harmonies and wanting to sing those instead of the melody.

Things I must do this year:

-Find a choir

-Brush up on Chinese. One of the senior VPs at work was happily showing me his tie, which he received from National Taiwan University's med school, and asked what the characters on there meant. All I could tell him was that it was a commemorative note for 35 years of excellent scholarship and something or other. AUGH!! I was so mad at myself for forgetting so much. That's the thing about Chinese. Since I understand the radicals and composition, I can sort of guess my way around text without having to know many of the specific characters (and of course context is key) but that obviously isn't flying. So, I am going to practice to get it back. Expect to see some text here in Chinese in the future (I'll translate). I'm determined. The same for Japanese and maybe I'll dig up my old Latin texts (but let's not get too ambitious here). Oh, but I am angry for letting go of these for so long.

-Find a soccer team or running club to join. I've always liked running, it clears my mind and I love a good woodsy trail or urban spread. This past weekend I went home to visit my family - and spent most of it outside running around and playing with my brother. Basketball and soccer. It was glorious. There's something addictive about kicking a ball around and driving it home. I loved it. It's running with a purpose and new tricks. So there you have it. Three real resolutions for the rest of the year :)

Oh and my beloved little baby brother is taller than me and our dad now...he's going to be a heartbreaker one day :) He's really a very neat kid.

There's more I want to write but it'll have to wait until later. I'm getting bags under my eyes for not sleeping well at night. I can sense something is on the verge, and my mind always seems to be working in overdrive these days (hence the surge of posts...it helps me sort things out). And there are of course many things to do always.

I tell myself there's no way I'll ever go back to harsh New England winters. I remember well the huge snowstorms/blizzards when I was growing up in RI/CT/MA, and the Amherst air that froze the tendrils of freshly shampooed hair escaping from my hat and stung as you breathed it in.

I also remember the gorgeous autumns (nothing down here compares), lush springs, and nights out camping/hiking where the only light I needed came from the stars and the moon. I loved traipsing around at night, looking for the best spots, and then serenading my friends when we settled in.

And you know, even winter came with the benefits of cozy evenings indoors, surrounded by the rosy glow of good friends and warm drink. The beauty was in the contrast; I haven't been able to replicate that kind of experience here, though some things have come close. And it's not to discredit anything here, overall I've had an amazing time. It's just different.

Realistically it's probably better for me to stay in the DC/Baltimore metro area. I'm so spoiled by the mild winters (and yet I still can't kick the habit of layering), there's plenty in the field here I want to look into, and I'll find it difficult to leave the people who have come to mean so much to me.

I guess we'll see. Just a few more things to consider as I look forward to closing this chapter (oh HECK yes, I can't wait!) and starting a new one :) These past couple of years have been like a deep sea dive.

Last week was exceptional - I have no idea where my mind went after I handed in that assignment. Actually I do know, it went on vacation around 4:30 pm on Monday, but it's back now ;-)

In any case - I'm ready to surface.


A few random thoughts:

-thank goodness for NPR (what is this junk broadcasting from Maryland radio stations they call music? Sorry if any DJs come across this, but you all have got some serious work to do! And whoever played Police and Howie Day circa 6pm today - thank you truly, you made the end of my commute that much brighter.).

-did I mention I love spring?

-how do you fix a broken suede strap, would Superglue cut it? I'm kind of bummed about these new shoes I got..I guess heels weren't made for walking! (Actually, I know that for a fact, they kill your feet, especially when you're literally running in them at the end of the day. Grr)

Let me preface this by saying I've got a paper due in about 36 hours, and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so of course I'll want to dawdle a little more by updating my blog :P That and I need a break :)

I would love to have a dog. When I was little I had two darling parakeets. I loved them and one of my favorite things was to let them fly around our living room and perch on my head. Almost got one of them to talk, I'm pretty sure he said "Hi" once. Sadly though, one died, and one got away. I was devastated. My only pet after them was my Siamese fighting fish. I got Mr. Fish from one of my favorite biology professors, whose research focused on animal behavior. His lab was full of fish, which he routinely gave away to students. Mr. Fish was a beauty. I left him with the lab technician over winter break (didn't want to risk taking him on the train with me), and came back to find he had completely changed colors (a sign of illness). About a week after I got him back, he died, despite my nursing. Poor thing. I guess the lab tech had gone on vacation too.

Anyway, since my little brother joined the family, I think my parents are kinda-sorta starting to come around and see the wonderful possibilities of having a bigger kind of pet. As my mother jokes, having my brother around is kind of like having a dog anyway ;-)

I also like cats, but Mom really doesn't like them. Both my parents think a dog would be great for security reasons. I tease them and say they can get their exercise by walking him or her. Who am I kidding, they're more fit than I am.

They're funny. I think they can also be persuaded to keep chickens and pigs. Dad grew up on a farm and we keep a garden out back, so that probably wouldn't be such a stretch? Back to the dog..even if they don't end up getting one, I definitely want a golden retriever, a Siberian husky, and maybe a beagle or a bearded collie. And maybe a basenji or Great Pyrenees. OK all this will have to wait until I have my own place but it's still nice to dream (dreaming is especially welcome when the alternative is a boring paper). And now, folks...back to the paper!