America, get a fucking life:

Surveys by the Mint have found that nearly half of all Americans collect the state quarters, either in casual accumulations or as a serious numismatic pursuit.

I just found my new favorite statistic.


I’m listening to:
moe.- No Doy

I'm trying not to write a sexual title and failing

I guess she's trying to say that he was embarrassed to say the words, but I can't help but misconsture this quote on Japanese men opening their hearts for fear of being divorced:

Hisano Itahashi said that she is heartened that her husband is trying to make amends for the decades he ignored her. Still, she said, the war in her household is not over and her husband has lots of work to do.

"There was only one time he said he loved me," she said. "And that time, he was standing behind me."

I'm listening to:
Andrew Bird- Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs

happy turkey day

well, at least I saw lots of monkeys on my thanksgiving.

yesterday's post today

I was reminded this morning of my heretofore foolproof scheme to avoid being accosted when leaving my apartment in the early morning hours, which- in the name of public health and safety- I’ll now share. (Reminded because I was mostly robbed of my afternoon beachwalk yesterday afternoon secondary to multiple conference calls, and thus went down to the beach this morning before work. I saw my first beached penguin. Incidentally also my first penguin ever. Once I finally identified it as a penguin, I realized I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the whole situation.) I carry my steaming hot mug of coffee without a lid, and should I see an aggressor, I’ll just throw it in his face. Coffe is the ideal weapon for a girl because 1. I’m not afraid to use it and 2. it can’t be used against me once thrown.

(Literally) unassailable, no?


I'm listening to:
PJ Harvey- White Chalk

Two of you may recall how objectively hideous I found my Danskos when I bought them. I don't think I'm very needy overall (please post a comment to that effect, pretty please), but I wanted some serious encouragement for this purchase at Abbadaba. As my hero from Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, Sue Ellen Crandall, would say, 'Times they are a changing.' Over last year, I went from wearing them with scrubs exclusively to with dress pants and a top, even stretching to a skirt and tights. Now that I'm in a third world country, I've been able to let go of any remaining stigma: today I'm rocking my Danskos with my purple capris (formerly the antichrist of pants) and white puma ankle socks.


I'm listening to:
Bjork- Volta
declare independence (from anything aesthetically pleasing?)

know thyself

I have thank you notes to write and articles to read and letters to draft, all that and I'm sitting here dumbly labeling sputum collection jars to distribute to the patients we're going to visit at the subdistrict hospital. 25 patients x 18 months of treatment = just because it has to be done doesn't mean I'm not also wasting my time.


I'm listening to:
Daniel Robinson- The Great Ideas of Philosophy

no penguino

Mine is a rough life: as a result of a small nurse mutiny, I'm marooned on the coast for an extra week. I have a sweet sunburn on my back and shoulders from a 3 hour beach walk yesterday during which I snuck on to a penguin reserve. (There were no penguins to been seen, only waves and rocks and greenery and sand. *sigh* I'll try again later on in the week.) I was here with 3 of my bosses for the second half of last week, including my big boss. They are all way out of my league in all things knowledge. Goofy Awa, however, came out to charm the head nurse, who now describes me as 'naughty.' In a good way, and apparently without any of the sexual connotation the word carries at home. No, I made her laugh, and so now she's willing to take a full day to drive me to the hospital 300 km away newly taking on many of our patients due to overcrowding and introduce me to the nurses I hope will also like me enough to follow my patients for me. How bout them life skills?


I'm listening to:
Tori Amos- from the choirgirl hotel

business trip

Hello. I have yet to see a copy of the Herald Tribune during my travels, but the Economist is going strong down here. My favorite quote from this week, from an article on American, Dolly Parton, and Dollywood:

Her composition [I Will Always Love You] was a global smash. Whitney Houston's cover alone sold more than 10m copies. Saddam Hussein used an Arabic version as a campaign song in 2002, though it would be unfair to blame Ms Parton for his victory, since there was no one else on the ballot.

All that to say that I'm at the beach now, having been abandoned by my wonderful and inspiring colleagues who stayed through the weekend to help at two of my sites. I'll be here until Friday, training a nurse we just hired and trying to track down patients discharged, hospitalized, and transferred. Things are feeling very good.

I had the single grossest meal I've had in years at lunch: a big sub roll with hunks of butter, smothered in cheese covering smoked chicken, pineapple, and 'thai' sauce. I don't know quite how I went so wrong with a smoked chicken sandwich, but it was a nice adventure.


I'm listening to:
Fiona Apple- Tidal

wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk

I have a headache


I'm listening to:
wonk wonk wonk

freaks flock together

I am loath to turn this into a diary, and anyway I don't want to get too specific with my daily goingson. All that to explain any absence.

Um, I think Middlemarch is a really good book. Dr. Zhivago, too. I really liked Burger's Daughter until she flew out of South Africa, and now I haven't picked it up in weeks. I can't believe Reed is beating me in Scrabble. I wish I could take a nap this morning. I went to a lost garden art gallery this weekend. The garden was cool. I don't have a car yet, but after the next business trip, I should. So by Thanksgiving. Maybe if you guys posted comments I'd feel motivated. My roommate is like the zach braff character in the last kiss. Or like a Monet. From far away he's ok, but up close, he's a big old mess. (That seems to imply something between us, but I'm just observing him [see above, about books I'm reading.])


I'm listening to:
Beck- Midnight Vultures