Meagan's World

Sad Stories

2009-09-17T09:18:00.007+08:00

I have two Shanghai stories to tell.

Story 1: Last week I was meeting a friend for lunch over in Pudong, which is on the other side of Shanghai. I was walking across the road from the subway to the mall. It is a very touristy area because the Pearl Tower is there, and for some reason, lots of people like to see that (I am not sure why!). I had my head phones on, but was not listening to music because I was texting my friend to let her know I was going to be there soon. I sensed that someone was standing really close to me, so I looked over and caught a woman with her hand inside my purse! This was really shocking to me....in all the places I have been I have never been pickpocketed, or even saw someone trying! Luckily, my purse had two pockets, and the pocket she was looking in was empty. Thank goodness, because the other pocket had all of the money to pay for one year at my yoga studio. I would have been really sad if that was stolen.

So, I saw her hand in my purse and I gasped and moved to the side, still staring at them. The woman had a baby strapped to the front of her chest in one of those baby carriers (not sure what they are called), and she was with two other women with babies on their chests. It took me a moment to process it....you don't think of mothers with babies as thieves....especially a pack of 3 women with three babies. I guess that is the point of bringing three babies along? So, I stared at them in disbelief, and they looked at me and then turned around and walked the other way. I didn't do anything....as I was walking away and realizing what had happened, my adrenalin started pumping. Matt said I should've punched them, but I was in shock, and anyway, I feel more bad for them than anything....they are forced to try to pick people's pockets because they are poor. I don't think they are evil. They weren't Han Chinese, I am pretty sure they were Uighurs (the people from Western China). I hate to say they were Uighurs though, because there is such a stereotype here about Uighurs being thieves. But I guess these ones were!

I realize they are trying to take care of their babies by getting money for them, but I think they were putting them in danger....someone else besides me might have grabbed them or hit them, and the babies were on the womens' chests....so the babies would get hurt first.

Story 2:

I was on the subway at night by myself...it was around 9 pm and I was going home. I looked at a woman behind me with her baby. I smiled, because the baby was adorable. Then the woman comes up to me and starts begging. I was sort of shocked because I didn't realize she was a beggar, so I sort of gasped and turned my back on them. As soon as I did that, I felt terrible....I not only didn't give money, but I also probably made her feel like a freak by turning my back so quickly and harshly. Then, I got off the train, and she got off the train with her baby. I thought, "Ok, now I can give some money", but before I could catch her she disappeared behind the construction barriers. Our subway stop is under construction because they are putting in a new subway line, and there are tons of migrant construction workers (all men) around. I really felt sick then.....it was night, she had no place to stay, and I didn't even give her a few kuai. And now, she was going into the migrant worker area? I hope her husband or boyfriend was back there....otherwise, who knows what she was doing.

Seeing the beggar woman made me think: If I was a mother and had no money, would I choose to pick pocket, or beg? What a horrible decision to make. We are so lucky that we don't have to make those types of choices.

In India, I never give to beggars. This is mostly because I am afraid to. There are So many beggars -- and people-- and if you give to one person and other people notice, you can get overwhelmed by people crowding around. I have had this happen even with out giving money -- people surrounding us and clamoring for -- it can be scary -- not that they mean harm but it is just overwhelming . There are lots of way to give in India, that doesn't involve beggars (Oxfam, Unicef, Operation Shanti). Plus, I am sickened by the whole "beggar mafia" thing, and I am distrustful of where the money actually goes when you give to a beggar.

In China, I don't think people would crowd around...you could give money and then go on your way. So, I think I might revise my policy about giving to beggars, at least in China. I wish I would have given that woman a few coins at least!

Shanghai

2009-06-25T09:52:00.013+08:00

There has been a huge amount of time between my last post and this one....but i's not ALL my fault! China blocks many sites with the "Great Firewall", including blogspot, Flickr, etc. We are living in Shanghai, China now. Matt and I both LOVE it, although it has been an extremely rocky road getting here and and even more rocky road since we have been here. I think I have basically been sick since I got here. I never used to get food poisoning, but now I seem to permanently have it. I got sick a few days after I arrived here, and it has continued in a less severe form...it could also be an MS flare up OR swine flu. Who knows....

Another obstacle was Matt's poorly-timed 2.5 week business trip back to Boston only a few weeks after we got here. What's up with that??? Luckily, I am fairly outgoing (or extremely desperate?) and managed to meet friends and get myself settled while he was gone.

Right now we are in Hong Kong getting our visas settled. It's nice to be back here, but I can honestly say I am very happy we are living in Shanghai rather than Hong Kong. There is a more diverse group of foreigners living here, and the night life is more interesting and fun...there are lots of creative people here (not just rich people).

Here are some pictures of our apartment:

The lovely entrance

The hallway to our apartment

The kitchen

Probably the nicest closet I will ever have

Our indoor "patio"

The bathroom

There are a lot more pictures on Flickr!

Tea Party

2008-12-19T10:12:00.003+08:00

Last weekend my good friend Meredith had a tea party...it was so much fun...I am so sad to leave all my friends here! But, I am definitely not sad to leave the cold. It is getting colder by the minute...literally, there is a huge snow storm hours away that is supposed to bring an inch of snow a minute. Oy! I am happy to be leaving this place for nicer weather.

Also, I look very pregnant in this photo. Don't get excited though...sadly, there is nothing I am not telling you.

Graduation Party

2008-12-19T10:06:00.004+08:00

Things have been crazy for the past few weeks as I scramble to get everything done so I can FINALLY graduate. Woo hoo! I will be SO excited for no more homework! Yay! And getting paid real money. Yay!

I am doing a dual Masters degree (a Master in Public Health and a Master of Science in Food Policy) and so am graduating in winter instead of in May everyone else. They only give you the "real" graduation ceremony in May, so the other dual degree people and I had a party to celebrate on our own. I think I will be back in Boston May for a doctor appointment and will go through the ceremony, but it is fun to have a party now, too!

Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower

2008-11-29T01:26:00.000+08:00

Since we didn't get to see the Plimoth Plantation on Thansgiving, we went back on the Saturday. I realized I was much more interested in the native people than the English settlers. Basically, the native people act like themselves and show the museum visitors how they make food, clothing, etc, and talk abou their culture in the past and in the present. It was fascinating; I loved it. A few feet away there is a recreation of the English settlement that the colonists lived in. Everybody there is in period clothing and they portray real historical people. I found that part of the museum to be cool but a little weird. It was really crowded so mainly I just listened to other people talk to the characters.

Then we went over to see Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower. It was freezing, as you can tell by my huge puffy coat!

I am glad Matt and I have spent time in New England...there is a lot of interesting stuff here...but it is cold and I don't feel like an New Englander. I guess I already mentally have one foot out the door...I am ready for the next thing! And it is coming up soon, altho0ugh we don't know what it is....we have to be moved out of our apartment on January 15th because new renters are coming in.

And no, we have no idea where we will be going.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T01:18:00.000+08:00

Matt and I decided to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the Plimoth Plantation this year. It was sort of interesting, but we both agreed that in the end it is way more fun to spend Thanksgiving with friends and family. We haven't been home for Thanksgiving for SO many years...hopefully some day we will make it back.

The day got to sort of an awkward start because we did't leave the house early enough and a 40 minute drive turned into a 2.5 hour drive...and Matt was NOT happy. We didn't get to see any of the Plimoth Plantation and we rshed into the dinner late.

The people at our table were really nice. As usual, we were with elderly people. Haha, seems like we do everything that the seniors do...which makes me wonder what we will do when we are old...haha!

The food was ok, but nothing beats homecooking.

After the dinner, we went over to our friends' house for games and more pumpkin pie. THat was definitely the highlight of the day!

Update

2008-11-10T00:33:00.000+08:00

So, I think probably most people that know Matt and I know that we do things late. Everything...we eat late, come to parties late, respond to emails and phone calls late, celebrate holidays late....so, in out usual style, we carved our Halloween pumpkins late (well into November!). Matt said that this was his greatest pumpkin ever, so I felt like I should post a picture to save it for posterity. He also made a "Blair Witch" type tree hanging out of Halloween costume hat. I thought it was pretty funny, but apparently someone didn't, because both our pumpkin an the tree hanging were gone the next morning. Some people are no fun!!

Ya, I realize the lateness thing is pretty rude....I try to not be late in things, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with life and distracted and things just get pushed back. This includes thank you notes and wedding gifts. I am sure a lot of people are irritated by this (I know a few who come right out and say it). Sorry to everyone! Hopefully I will be more punctual after I am out of school.

On to the "update" part of this blog post: So, Matt and I have been going through a very long decision process regarding where we will be moving in January. The choices are: Hong Kong, San Diego, and San Francisco. Our first choice in Hong Kong. I have to say, I am so impressed with Matt...he knew he wanted to move back there, and he worked really hard to position himself at work so that we could be transferred over there. I am amazed that he had that long term goal, back in January, and he succeeded. He would be the first one from his company to be living over there...so it was big success on his part.

So, a few weeks ago we found out that my MS medicine isn't available over there. Matt called the drug company rep, and it definitely isn't available. We are going to try a few things to get it over there for me, but the outlook isn't that great. You never know, though. ANyway, needless to say I feel terrible. Even though I logically know that it isn't my "fault", I feel horrible...no one wants to be a burden or to limit their husband or anyoneelse in their family. Also, I know that it isn't too much of a hardship to be in the US at least once every month...I mean, some people spend their whole lives here without leaving! It's not like I am asking him to change my diapers or something. But still, I am feeling really bad about this. Something could still work out though, it is not a closed book yet.

Our alternative is to move back to California...which isn't that bad of an option...it's just that we both got really excited to move back to Hong Kong. Actually, Matt was excited, and I was schizo: One day I would want to go there, and the next day I would be adamantly opposed to anywhere but San Diego. I have to say, I am really proud and happy about Matt...it makes me feel really safe knowing that his opinion stays constant when mine is all over the place. I never know what I really feel, but if Matt has an opinion about something important then I feel like I can trust it. The funny thing is, on most things he is ambivalent...he has no opinion because he doesn't care either way.

Anyway, Matt and I are just hoping at this point that we will come to a conclusion soon. It sucks to be in limbo. The thing that would be unfortunate is that if we move to California, Matt would have to quit his job...and this is not a great time to job searching!

Cooking Club

2008-11-02T09:22:00.000+08:00

The theme for the November meeting of my cooking club was "beautiful presentation". And, it just so happened to my my turn to host. Talk about pressure! Of all of us, I am the least well-supplied for hosting a dinner party, despite the fact that I just got married. Matt and I haven't really ever settled in to our place or accumulated muc stuff because we have always had it in our mind that we are moving soon. Hopefully, our next place will be more permanent. Anyway, our cooking club dinner may have been more beautifully presented if it had been at someone else's house, but hey, I tried! Also, I just noticed that my photo of my cooking club looks just like Maria's photos of her "girl's nights"....a bunch of ladies sitting around a table smiling and waiting to eat. Haha!

I made three things: Soup in pumpkin, gado gado, and cheesy spoon bread. I had a really hard time finding things to make that would be "beautiful". In the end, I don't even know if they were beautiful, but luckily they all tasted ok. I am an experimental cook and I usually don't make the same thing twice (unless I love it and Matt seemed willing to eat it again)....so often what I make will not be very good and it definitely won't be beautiful. Anyway, I had a brainstorm session with my mom while I was In San Diego and she suggested that I served soup in a pumpkin. It was a great idea, especially since Matt and I never got around to carving our pumpkins for Halloween. I got the recipe from my favorite cookbook by Mollie Katzen and I think it was pretty good.

I also made Gado Gado. It was also from the Mollie Katzen cookbook....can you tell I am obsessed? I loved this recipe, it was so easy and pretty, and it tasted good and was healthy. Katzen's recipe for peanut sauce is great!

As an afterthought, I also made cheesy spoon bread. It actually looked pretty cool when I took it out of the oven, but it deflated by the time I took the picture. It didn't taste that great to me...it needed more salt or something. If people like really bland things, this might be good. It was very easy...just cornmeal, eggs, cheddar cheese, dried milk and a few other basic things. I bought dried milk for another recipe, and didn't know how to use the rest of the box so I googled dried milk recipes and this came up. I think little kids might like it? Not sure.

Everyone else made delicious, beautiful items also but I didn't get pictures of everything. For me, it was bittersweet because I only have 2 more cooking club dinners left before I move! These were the first people I met when I moved to Boston, before I started school or work or anything, and we have been having the monthly dinners for the whole 2.5 years....I will be sad to leave them! And sadly, if Matt and I move to Hong Kong I will probably never cook at all. Not enough kitchen space and too much socializing and having dinner out...it is fun but the cooking goes by the wayside. Oh well. Hong Kong definitely has other benefits that make up for the lack of cooking.

An Old Friend

2008-11-01T21:46:00.000+08:00

Walking Through Harvard Square

A group of Chinese tourists taking photos of Harvard

Matt and Meagan on the Charles River (Notice Matt's pose. He cannot take a normal photo!)

Last weekend we had a visitor: an old friend from Hong Kong who now lives with his wife in England. It was so great to have him with us, although of course, the topic of conversation was primarily Hong Kong! Matt and I are contemplating our next move, and Hong Kong is at the top of our list. So, it was good to sort of hash out and remember all the details with our old friend. Of course, we all commented on how boring our lives are now that we have moved away from Hong Kong! Our friend and his wife are having a baby in December...I am so excited for them! Seeing him made me miss her, because she was my first friend when I moved to Hong Kong.

Halloween

2008-10-31T08:09:00.003+08:00

My sister Maya and I have really bonded through text messaging. Now we are in contact like, twice a week rather than twice a year! Anyway, she texted me that I need to post photos of my Halloween costume. So here it is. I was Sarah Palin. Do you think I look like her?

Matt was much more creative than me. He made his costume himself. He is so crafty! Or, maybe he just didn't know what to do with himself while I was in San Diego for the week preceding Halloween. No, seriously, he is super creative.

We went to a party, and someone else dressed like Hillary Clinton. Perfect photo op!

Food

2008-10-26T21:43:00.001+08:00

Well, I wouldn't be me if half of my photos from a trip weren't food pictures. So here they are. I love the food in San Diego....lots of Mexican food, frozen yogurt and salad. Mmm! It's all "comfort food" for me because it is so familiar. I have a few places I always go when I visit home.

Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt.

It's the best! And now it's even better because they have tart frozen yogurt. Yum! I forced my sister to come here with me, and then I tortured her by taking her picture.

Now there is a new Frozen yogurt place that I love, but it is only downtown. Pinkberry! I love it. It's not for everyone, because all ofthe flavors are tart. I prefer that because I don't like things that are too sweet. My favorite flavor was green tea.

Souplantation

I know, I know...a chain restaurant...but I really love it because I like salad bars and soup. Matt doesn't like it because one time we went to a Souplantation in Clairmont and everyone was stuffing their faces in a gross way. But the one in Mira Mesa isn't like that...anyway, I try to go here with my family when I can because it is not on the East coast.

I also love Mexican food in San Diego...no other place is as good! My favorite spots are Sombrero and El Indio. My favorite "real" restaurant is Parkhouse Eatery. I LOVE it. The breakfast, the lunch, the dinner...it's all good! I especially love the mussels mariniere. The only problem is that they have remodeled since I lived in SD, and it is just not as cozy and cute as it used to be. They added a bar and Ifeel like that changed the dynamic. I still love it though.

Also, I have to mention my mom's cooking. That is always really good, especially her guacamole and her tuna (not together of course). And her twice baked potatoes. And the general abundance of delicious food that is always in that house. Mmm, now I can't wait for Christmas!

Halloween Fair in San Diego

2008-10-24T21:30:00.000+08:00

I got lucky this year for two reasons: 1) The American Public Health Association conference was in San Diego, and 2) I won a ticket from my school to attend the conference and was given a travel grant to help cover the cost of the airfare. WOO HOO! So, I got to spend a week in beautiful San Diego and see all of my old coworkers and my family.

The only sad thing was that I didn't get to see more of my extended family and that my immediate family had just returned from India...so they were still jet lagged and recovering from an illness that they all caught in India. Still, it was a lot of fun. I was SO happy to see my family again, it seemed like it had been forever since I had seen them. The last time I spent time in San Diego was last December during my wedding, but that was so hectic that it didn't really count as family time.

I saw my old coworkers, and that was great. I loved living in San Diego; I loved the weather and my job and all of my coworkers. Why did I ever leave??

I got to go to the Halloween fair at my little sisters' elementary school, which was a lot of fun. I had to take a picture of this "litter box". It is all edible treats but it looks so revolting...perfect for Halloween! (By the way, the person in the photo below is not one of my sisters. She is a random girl from their school.)

Apples!

2008-10-23T07:51:00.000+08:00

One of my favorite parts about Fall in New England is APPLE PICKING!!! It is so much fun. I am going to miss it SO much. They taste so much better when you eat them straight off the tree. So crisp, so sweet! And then you get to take them home...LOTS of them. But I like the challenge. How many apples can I eat? How many things can I make out of my 20 pounds of apples? And believe me, Matt doesn't help with either. (Although he does help eat my creations...so I appreciate that!)

I eat a lot of apples year-round, because I have one with my oatmeal everyday. So that sort of relieves the "burden" of having so many apples in the house.

I have had a lot of fun making things with the apples, and I am proud to say that most of my recipes haven't been the old apple stanby's, like apple pie or crisp or applesauce. This is what I have made so far (I still have lots of apples left!):

1. Carrot-apple-yogurt salad from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook

This was easy and SO delicious! I brought it to a potluck. I think I liked it more than everybody else because I brought most of it home.

2. Apple bread

I made 2 loaves. The first was an experiment. I made it in my crockpot! THe crockpot lady on this blog made banana bread in the crock pot, so I decided to modify another recipe (not hers) and make it in the crockpot. It worked! It was moist and delicious...even Matt liked it even though it was very healthy. (By the way, I am addicted to the crock pot blog I linked to above...I highly recommend it!)

The second loaf was from an "official" recipe. I followed it exactly. It wasn't half as good as my first "experimental" loaf. The problem is that I didn't write down what I did on the first loaf.

3. Yogurt-apple cinammon dessert thing

This was easy...I just grated the apple and mixed it one cup of plain yogurt, cinnamon and chopped pecans. So sweet! This is also from Mollie Katzen's cookbook. I am addicted to that cookbook!

4. Baked apples in the crockpot

This was luscious and warm...but really I think I like baked apples to be baked in an oven. The texture that resulted form the crockpot method was too mushy. I still ate it though, and forced Matt to eat his. (And no, I don't feel bad about forcing Matt to eat fruit...if I didn't he never would. And I only force him to eat it about twice a year.)

5. Next recipe....Curried Apple Soup from Mollie Katzen's cookbook. It sounds strange but I have total faith in Mollie Katzen. After the soup recipe, I will only have about 5 or six apples left. So sad...I don't want apple season to end!

Glorious Fall

2008-10-21T07:40:00.000+08:00

Fall in New England is glorious. Sometimes I complain about New England...it is cold...people work to hard...but despite these things, it is truly a gorgeous place, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to experience it.

Usually we go up to New Hampshire and Vermont to hike in the Fall leaves, but this year, with all the mayhem of Matt's parents being here and Matt having just returned from Hong Kong, we decided to enjoy the Fall with little day trips. Plus, it saved lots of money on gas and hotels! We did a little hike on a nearby "mountain". It wa an easy, crowded hike, but the views were great and the fall leaves were so pretty!

On the way home, we went to a pumpkin patch and and a cornfield labyrinth. It was fun! I am sad....this is my last Fall in New England! Sigh....

By the way, Matt told me to stop posting pictures of him. But if he would stop doing silly poses like in the picture above, he wouldn't have to worry about it!

Visit from the Masseys

2008-10-20T20:05:00.000+08:00

Matt and I had a visit from his parents this month....it was a lot of fun, and they came at the perfect time, weather-wise...it was perfectly sunny and not too hot or cold. (It was "San Diego weather"). It was Marti's 60th birthday, which is a very important one! Matt, being the wonderful son that he is, treated Marti and Liam to a play called "Wishful Drinking" by Carrie Fisher. Apparently Marti loves Carrie Fisher. Sadly, I couldn't go because I had class.

I love the picture I posted...I think this will be a good one for my children.

Procrastination!

2008-10-15T21:04:00.002+08:00

ABOUT ME: Meagan
I AM: procrastinating studying for a huge mid term
I WANT: to know where I am moving to in January
I HAVE: a very good life
I WISH: my good life could continue closer to family and friends
I HATE: it when people die....no one else in my life is allowed to die till I do
I MISS: my sisters!
I FEAR: being alone, being poor and being paralyzed
I HEAR: Matt getting ready for work
I SEARCH: for what I am supposed to be doing with my life
I WONDER: what is in store for me in the future
I REGRET: not spending more time with Dad at the end
I LOVE: Matt
I FORGIVE: myself...or at least try to
I ACHE: not really at all
I ALWAYS: eat oatmeal and apples for breakfast
I TRY: not to take life too seriously
I AM NOT: driven
I SEEM: friendly...I least I hope that is how I seem!
I KNOW: nothing...who really knows anything?
I FEEL: ready to be OUT OF SCHOOL!!
I DANCE: not as often as I would like
I DREAM: of having a large, loving, healthy family with Matt
I GIVE: gifts randomly and not at the appropriate times
I LISTEN: poorly...I am working on this
I SING: whenever the Sublime song "Santeria" comes on the radio
I LAUGH: as often as a I can
I CAN'T: do supta kurmasana...I have been trying for a month now
I WRITE: far to many school papers
I CRY: all the time! I'm ok with it...it feels better afterwards but can be embarrassing.
I SLEEP: early
I AM NOT ALWAYS: organized or practical
I SEE: my messy house
I LOSE: money and time
I CONFUSE: myself?
I NEED: a plan...what am I doing with my life?
I SHOULD: start living more in the presesnt and worrying about the future

Rosh Hashanah

2008-09-29T21:17:00.000+08:00

Devika in the kitchen

Gorgeous fruit!

A feast

Honey to ensure a sweet year

One of my friends from school had a Rosh Hashanah party. It was so much fun! I am going to miss Boston...So many nice people and fun things to do. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and based on this party, I think you are supposed to eat huge quantities of amazing, delicious food to celebrate, including honey with apples to ensure a sweet year. (I love that...maybe I will start the honey and apples thing with my own family as a New Year tradition.) The spread was AMAZING...and you know I love food.

Jamaica Plain Arboretum

2008-09-15T21:50:00.000+08:00

I am trying to take more photos of Boston while we are here. We are leaving soon and I am going to miss it! Boston really is a great city...it has so much to offer. If only it the weather were nicer! We would probably stay a lot longer if the winter was a few months shorter.

These pictures are from the Jamaica Plain Arboretum. Is is very pretty and natural...and the best part is that it is accessable by the subway. It is aso important that cities have access to outdoor areas...we were so spoiled in Hong Kong and we didn't realize it! There are so many great, well maintained hiking spots in Hong Kong.

Bar Harbor, Maine

2008-09-01T21:19:00.000+08:00

Matt and I went to Bar Harbor, Maine, for Labor Day weekend. I had just returned form India, and he was about to leave for Hong Kong, so it was our brief vacation in the middle of two long working trips. We spend FAR too much time away from each other...we seriously need to change that. We have always been pretty independent and we have spent time away from each other throughout our relationship so that we could pursue our individual goals...but I think we are getting to old for that now!

Anyway, we had heard about the spectacular, rugged coastline in Bar Harbor, so we were both really excited to go there. It was a 5 hour drive from Boston, and it was very scenic...you can't find towns much cuter than towns in coastal main!

Of course, as usual we didn't plan ahead, and arrived in Bar Harbor with no reservations for Labor Day weekend. Smart move! Luckily, we found a B&B that was reasonably priced, cute and conveniently located. It was called Moseley Cottage Inn, and I would definitely stay there again! We found another B&B that I loved too, called the Inn at Bay Ledge. It was right on the water and very elegant...not kitschy like a lot of the New England B&Bs.

When we first got there, Matt was like, "Is this what they are calling "rugged coastline"?" He wasn't saying it in a mean way, just a confused way. The coast was pretty, but frankly, it was not rugged at all compared to the coast in northern California. I would classify the coast in Maine as scenic, but in California it is rugged and spectacular. (Or maybe we just didn't see the right part of the coast? Not sure...) I explained to Matt that not everyone can be from California! Haha!! It is true though....it is really hard to top California. We have the best of everything. And yes, I have an excessive amount of pride about California...but I suppose everyone feels like that about their home state.

Another example of California's greatness: our B&B lady told us that there were great views from Gorham Mountain. So, we decided to climb it....then we realized that this peak of this mountain was 500 feet! We climbed the "mountain" in 20 minutes. It did have great views though, and we had a lot of fun....there were even wild blueberries growing at the top. I was in heaven!

Ok, my last example: There were signs all around and on the tourist map for a light house so we decided to go...we couldn't leave Maine without checking out one of the famous lighthouses. Here it is:

Hmmm.....Sometimes size DOES matter. Has anyone been to Cabrillo National Monument? I never truly appreciated that place until I saw this lighthouse! Ok, granted, I saw only one lighthouse in Maine. The others are probably much more spectacular.

One specialty that is unique to Bar Harbor is the famous popovers at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant. I was thinking of my mom and grandma...they would both love this place.

Matt's Half-Eaten Popover

All in all it was a WONDERFUL vacation. It is always exciting to see a new place. I really loved Bar Harbor; I have no idea why I am making all of these comparisons with California. I guess I just love my home!

Red Sox

2008-08-29T05:13:00.002+08:00

Everyone knows that if you live in Boston you have to become a Red Sox fan. People here love it...it's a city-wide obsession. Well, I guess I am not a "true" Bostonian because I never became obsessed (or even mildly interested!) in the Red Sox. If I am going to cheer for any baseball team, I would still go for the Padres. I guess I am a San Diego girl at heart, even though I have been away for so long (over 12 years! gasp!) because no team will ever be better to me than the Chargers or the Padres.

Anyway, since this is my last summer in Boston, I figured it was now or never...so Matt got some tickets and we headed to the game with our friends, Kevin and Christine. They are real sports fans and they keep track of the stats and everything. We played in a fantasy football league with them this summer but neither Matt nor I paid much attention to it. I tried to get into it, but then I headed to India and it seemed like a world away, so I lost track. I ended up in the middle of the league, woo hoo! And poor Matt was at the bottom. Oh well. He is a soccer guy, anyway.

Kevin and Christine

I kept hearing about the "Green Monster" at Fenway Park...I thought it was going to be something really cool and amazing...but then it was just a green wall that people sat on. I was like....Oh...Ok. And the game was...just like every other baseball game I have been to. Not that that's bad, but I think I had it built up in my mind, like because the city is so obsessed with the team and everyone talks about them All. Day. Long. that the game would be an extraordinary experience. I built it up in my mind too much! But, it was fun, because baseball games are fun...And any time you can sit outdoors comfortably in nice weather in Boston is wonderful. And the Red Sox won, woo hoo! Yay team.

The Green Monster

Kevin, Meagan and Matt

100 Chinese Foods to Try

2008-08-26T05:47:00.000+08:00

This is from Appetite for China. Copy the list and bold the ones you have tried.
1. Almond milk
2. Ants Climbing a Tree (poetic, not literal, name)
3. Asian pear
4. Baby bok choy
5. Baijiu
6. Beef brisket
7. Beggar's Chicken
8. Bingtang hulu
9. Bitter melon
10. Bubble tea
11. Buddha's Delight
12. Cantonese roast duck
13. Century egg, or thousand-year egg
14. Cha siu (Cantonese roast pork)
15. Char kway teow
16. Chicken feet
17. Chinese sausage
18. Chow mein
19. Chrysanthemum tea
20. Claypot rice
21. Congee
22. Conpoy (dried scallops)
23. Crab rangoon
24. Dan Dan noodles
25. Dragonfruit (YUM! I miss dragon fruit!)
26. Dragon's Beard candy
27. Dried cuttlefish
28. Drunken chicken
29. Dry-fried green beans
30. Egg drop soup
31. Egg rolls
32. Egg tart, Cantonese or Macanese
33. Fresh bamboo shoots
34. Fortune cookies
35. Fried milk
36. Fried rice
37. Gai lan (Chinese broccoli)
38. General Tso's Chicken
39. Gobi Manchurian
40. Goji berries (Chinese wolfberries)
41. Grass jelly
42. Hainan chicken rice
43. Hand-pulled noodles
44. Har gau (steamed shrimp dumplings in translucent wrappers)
45. Haw flakes
46. Hibiscus tea
47. Hong Kong-style Milk Tea
48. Hot and sour soup
49. Hot Coca-Cola with Ginger
50. Hot Pot
51. Iron Goddess tea (Tieguanyin)
52. Jellyfish
53. Kosher Chinese food
54. Kung Pao Chicken
55. Lamb skewers (yangrou chua'r) (Ugh...Matt lived on these in Xinjiang)
56. Lion's Head meatballs
57. Lomo Saltado
58. Longan fruit
59. Lychee
60. Macaroni in soup with Spam
61. Malatang
62. Mantou, especially if fried and dipped in sweetened condensed milk
63. Mapo Tofu (I lived on this in Beijing)
64. Mock meat
65. Mooncake (bonus points for the snow-skin variety)
66. Nor mai gai (chicken and sticky rice in lotus leaf)
67. Pan-fried jiaozi
68. Peking duck
69. Pineapple bun
70. Prawn crackers
71. Pu'er tea
72. Rambutan
73. Red bean in dessert form
74. Red bayberry
75. Red cooked pork
76. Roast pigeon
77. Rose tea
78. Roujiamo
79. Scallion pancake
80. Shaved ice dessert
81. Sesame chicken
82. Sichuan pepper in any dish
83. Sichuan preserved vegetable (zhacai)
84. Silken tofu
85. Soy milk, freshly made
86. Steamed egg custard
87. Stinky tofu
88. Sugar cane juice
89. Sweet and sour pork, chicken, or shrimp
90. Taro
91. Tea eggs
92. Tea-smoked duck
93. Turnip cake (law bok gau)
94. Twice-cooked pork
95. Water chestnut cake (mati gau)
96. Wonton noodle soup
97. Wood ear
98. Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)
99. Yuanyang (half coffee, half tea, Hong Kong style)
100. Yunnan goat cheese

What is Natto?

2008-08-26T02:13:00.000+08:00

Copy the list, and bold everything you’ve tried.

1. Natto
2. Green Smoothie
3. Tofu Scramble
4. Haggis
5. Mangosteen
6. Creme brulee
7. Fondue
8. Marmite/Vegemite
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Nachos
12. Authentic soba noodles
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Taco from a street cart
16. Boba Tea
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Gyoza
20. Bobotie
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Ceviche
24. Rice and beans
25. Knish
26. Raw scotch bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Caviar
29. Baklava
30. Pate
31. Wasabi peas
32. Chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Mango lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Mulled cider
37. Scones with buttery spread and jam
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Fast food french fries
41. Kombucha tea
42. Fresh Garbanzo Beans
43. Dahl
44. Homemade Soymilk
45. Wine from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Stroopwafle
47. Samosas
48. Vegetable Sushi
49. Glazed doughnut
50. Seaweed
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Tofurkey
54. Grasshopper (the insect, not the cookie)
55. Cotton candy
56. Gnocchi
57. Piña colada
58. Birch beer
59. Scrapple
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Soy curls
63. Chickpea cutlets
64. Curry
65. Durian
66. Homemade Sausages
67. Churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Smoked tofu
69. Fried plantain
70. Mochi
71. Gazpacho
72. Warm chocolate chip cookies
73. Absinthe
74. Corn on the cob
75. Spirulina
76. Pomegranate
77. Hostess Cupcake
78. Mashed potatoes with gravy
79. Jerky
80. Croissants
81. French onion soup
82. Galletes
83. Tings
84. A meal at the French Laundry
85. Moussaka
86. Sprouted grains or seeds
87. Macaroni and cheese
88. Flowers
89. Matzoh ball soup
90. White chocolate
91. Seitan
92. Kimchi
93. Butterscotch chips
94. Yellow watermelon
95. Chili with chocolate
96. Bagel and lox
97. Potato milk
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Raw cookie dough

Demolition Derby

2008-08-25T20:52:00.000+08:00

After I got back from India, I had a little bit of time to enjoy the end of the Boston summer. Summer in New England is glorious! I am sad that I missed most of it, since I will probably never live here again. I got a good dose of Americana at a country fair south of Boston. It was a lot of fun, and I got to see my first Demolition Derby. I was really excited to see the derby, but it was sort of anticlimactic....it is boring to watch after a few minutes because allof the cars seem to get stuck in gridlock! Maybe other d-derbys are more exciting...There were also a lot of fun rides there, but I couldn't even look at them. After I got back from India (and while I was in India) I was very sick...even looking at the rides made me feel queasy.

I'm Scared of Monkeys

2008-08-10T20:53:00.001+08:00

While I was in Mamallapuram, this monkey came out of no where and stole my bag of fried chickpeas. Naughty monkey!

Pictures from the Villages

2008-08-09T20:37:00.001+08:00

The beach in Mamallapuram.

This is me with some very, very cute kids and my translator.

This is how people get their water. It comes twice a day, and they collect enough in pots to meet all their needs.

This Muslim family lost everything during the tsunami and they were relocated to a new village by the government. They are standing in front of their new home, which was built by an NGO. Many of the people that lost homes to the tsunami are now living for the first time in concrete, permanent shelters rather than in thatched huts, cardboard shanties, or on the streets. They seemed very happy. The new hoes had bathrooms, fans, and electricity. One man described it as "a dream". I can only imagine how great it must have been to go from living on the streets to living in a house with electricity and a fan. These Muslim ladies are a minority in the village, which is composed of over 3000 people that lost everything after the tsunami and were relocated to the new village. The new village is extremely diverse, but most of the people are so happy to be in their safe, new homes that no one seems to mind living in close proximity to other castes and cultures that previously they would not associate with. The only exception is the tribal groups...sadly, the other villagers say they don't want to associate with the "tribals".

Here I am speaking with a farmer. I guess I am a giant with bright orange hair, haha! No wonder I got stared at so much while I was there. Haha!

Making Henna

2008-08-08T20:30:00.000+08:00

I have had my hands decorated with henna many times, but I had never seen it made before. I would have never suspected that the henna is green...it makes your hands and hair red or black, depending on how long you let it sit! Here is e on oa previous trip with my hands decorated:

Rotary Club in Action

2008-08-07T20:23:00.002+08:00

These ladies live in a village that is affected by annual flooding: every year, their village is completely cut off from the rest of the state by flood waters. Their village becomes like an island, and sometimes they don't have enough food to last for the entire duration of the flood. These lovely ladies were telling me that during the floods, the Cuddalore (a nearby city) Rotary Club brings them food by boat. I told them that my grandfather is very involved in the Rotary Club in the US. I was so proud! They told me to tell him "thank you".

Tales from the Villages

2008-08-06T20:12:00.000+08:00

It has been a few weeks since I have returned from India, so I will just share a few of the stories of my time there. This amazing woman was a fish vendor before the 2004 tsunami, which meant that she purchased fish from fisherman along the coast and brought them back to her home village to sell them. She was purching fish in a coastal village when the tsunami struck. The first wave hit and she was left stranded at the top of a coconut tree. Then, the second wave struck and she was thrown out of the tree and she rolled with the wave for nearly 500 meters. This left her in a coma, and she was brought with all of the other dead people to the morgue. Luckily, her family came to look for her. They couldn't find her anywhere in the hospital, so they looked in the morgue; luckily, while they were identifying the body the doctor noticed that her body was warm and she had a pulse. They moved her out of the morgue and she fully recovered about a week later. Crazy! Thank goodness her family came to look for her! Now she is afraid of the sea and does not work as a fish vendor anymore.

Auroville, continued

2008-08-04T21:10:00.001+08:00

Another coincidence for me with Auroville, is that when I returned from my June trip to India, the substitute yoga teacher at my studio was from Auroville! It was kind of crazy...I had never heard of this place...then Matt said he wanted to live where everyone relies on each other...then I meet a man in Pondicherry who is associated with Auroville...then my yoga teacher is from Auroville. So, I had the nice chance to visit Monica at her home in Auroville in August and it was great to see a familiar face.

One of the things I like about Auroville is that they grow a lot of their own food, and it is organic. I ate the most delicious things while I was there...lots of fresh salads and delicious vegetarian food. They also have their own spirulina farm, and I discovered that I like spirulina. Also, they make and sell their own Kombucha tea. I became addicted to kombucha in Boston. Everyone in my yoga teacher training group was raving about it, so I tried it at Whole Foods and and loved it...which is very unfortunate because at Whole Foods it is more expensive than I would like to publish on my blog!! If you go to Whole Foods you can check it out. The Kombucha in Auroville was good and much more affordable than Whole Foods.

The unfortunate thing about the good food in Auroville is that one of the delicious things made me very ill...my first time being ill due to food in any of my travels throughout Asia!

The other thing that I liked about Auroville is that I could ride my bike everywhere. I love being in places where I can get around without relying on a car.

New Creation Guest House

2008-08-03T20:57:00.000+08:00

While I was in Auroville, I stayed at the New Creation Guest House. I loved it! I loved it so much...it was an oasis of calm after spending 3 days in Chennai. It is a guest house, but primarily a school for Tamil kids that have lost one or both parents. You can eat lunch and dinner with the kids, and that was a lot of fun. Except...I don't speak French! Auroville is a universal city but it seemed more heavily populated with French and Tamil speakers! Still, I loved it. The class rooms were in these funny little space age-looking huts. There were also people that lived in New Creation, in some very modern and fancy looking homes -- I can assure you that my guest room did not look like this!

I also met a lovely family from Germany. They were so kind to me...even though we couldn't communicate very well (they only spoke German and very fragmented English) they included me in all of their activities. I had work to do, so I couldn't always join them, but they would knock on my door to ask if I wanted to go, which always made me feel good! They were in India because the daughter had been adopted from an orphanage in Bihar (one of the poorest, most corrupt states in India), and they had returned to Bihar to try to find her mother. It was unsuccessful and emotionally difficult, so they were recuperating in Auroville.

Auroville

2008-08-02T20:45:00.000+08:00

Before I headed down to Nagapattinam, I spent a few days in Auroville. I first became aware of Auroville in my Lonely Planet book on my firsti visit to Tamil Nadu in June. During that trip I went to Pondicherry for a weekend getaway, and met a very nice man who was part of the group that has settled Auroville. Coincidentally (or not!), at about the same time Matt was telling me that he wanted to live "in a place where people rely on eachother for everything", including livelihod, childcare, and everything else. So, we were both intrigued by the concept of Auroville. I didn't have time in June to visit Auroville, so I vowed to return in August to check it out.

The city was started by Sri Aurobindo and a french woman that they call the Mother, and they started Auroville as a community where human unity can be achieved...regardless of race, nationality, etc. No money is exchanged here; residents work for the community and exchange goods and services. I am not sure f exactly all of the details, but that is my impression. To be part of the community you have to go through a 1 year "newcomer" phase and then you can join. When you oin they determine how you can contribute to the community (ie, teaching, farming, cooking, etc). You can also start a business, and give a certain percentage tot he community.

The center of the community is a structure called the Matrimandir. I didn't get a chance to go inside, but I head that you can go sit inside and meditate.

India, Again

2008-08-01T22:52:00.003+08:00

So...here I am....in Chennai again. It's only been a few days, but I am already very lonely! It is pathetic...when I was in India in Jne I was so excited to arrive, and then only got lonely towards the end of the trip. This time, I have been lonely since the moment Matt dropped me off at the airport. I talk to Matt twice a day, which is nice, but in a way it makes it worse! I think part of the problem is that because of the problems with the project, I am not able to useit for my thesis, and the project is even more delayed than it was originally, so I don't have much to do at all. But while I am not doing a lot of work, I am not exactly free to go anywhere or travel. Hmmm.... I am amazed by people that go into the peac corps. One of my friends was in the Dominican Republic for 2 years in a small village, without electricity and not much to do. She said she learned how to "do nothing" and enjoy the slow pace of life. I think that is amazing!

Tomorrow I am heading down to Auroville, then down to Nagapattinam. Hopefully I will begin some field work soon after I get to Nagapattinam so that I feel productive!

Another thing about being here the second time around is that I don't seem as inspired to take pictures...so my blog may not be that interesting for the next month!

Back in India

2008-07-30T19:48:00.002+08:00

Well, I am back in India for the second attempt at working on the Oxfam project...I am hoping things progress more smoothly this time!

I have posted a whole bunch of things, so keep scrolling down if you have time to read more!

Tagged Again

2008-07-29T21:05:00.001+08:00

Soon, I will get around to posting pictures from my India trip, but honestly it is something I would rather forget...I was sick the whole time, and I am still sick and heading to the doctor today.

So, I was tagged by Kristi and for some reason I think these things are really fun. You learn things about people that you would never think to ask...for instance, Maria's worst fear is failure and Linda's is stupidity and Grandma's is poverty.

Anyway, here I go with Kristi's tag:

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Going to college
2. Not going to class
3. Living in the dorms
4. Hanging out with Ann and Emily (I miss them!)
5. Having a big crush on Matt and day dreaming about marrying him

5 Things On My To Do List:
1. Convince Matt that he wants babies in the near future
2. Have babies
3. Finish grad school
4. Move to somewhere that Matt and I can settle in for awhile (at least for 5 years)
5. Write thank you cards for my wedding presents (ettiquette says I have a year!)

5 Favorite Snacks/Food:
1. Dried Mulberries (They are so delicious, I can't even keep them in the house)
2. papaya
3. Lobster
4. Blueberries
5. Vietnamese summer rolls

5 Things I Would Do If I Was a Billionaire:
1. Invest it and be sure to start a trust so that the money is safe and easily transferred to my kids and grandkids in case I die
2. Let Matt take a break and then start a business
3. Buy a house
4. Have a maid, a personal chef, a personal trainer, and a driver (I hate to drive myself) Oh, and a weekly massage
5. Take a very long trip with Matt...I am thinking a trip around the Meditteranean followed by South America and then ending at Hidden Valley in Belize (our honeymoon location!)

5 Bad Habits:
1. Lazy
2. Hasty
3. Sloppy
4. Indecisive
5. Self absorbed

5 Places I Have Lived:
1. La Jolla, CA
2. Pasadena, CA
3. Davis, CA
4. Hong Kong
5. Boston, MA

Tagged

2008-07-28T22:13:00.000+08:00

I know, I know...I am in India and should be posting about what is going on here...but there is too much to write and it is too complicated...so here I go with something easier, since Grandma tagged me for this:

Where is your cell phone?.........................PURSE

Your significant other?...............................Everything!

Your hair?.........................................Ugh!

Your mother?...................................Loving

Your father?....................................Gone

Your favorite thing?.............................Husband

Your dream last night........................USA

Your favorite drink................................water

Your dream/goal..............................Family

The room you're in..........................Cafe

Your children?...................................Dream

Your fear?.......................................Paralysis

Where do you want to be in 6 years?.............USA

Where were you last night?.........................India

What you're not?....................................Home

Muffins?.........................................None

One of your wish list items?........................Massage

Where'd you grow up?................................San Diego

What'd you read last?......................... Peony in Love

What are you wearing?.........................Pants

Your TV?......................................Off

Your pet?.................................None

Your computer?...............................Old

Your life?.....................................Busy!

Your mood?................................Ready

Missing someone?............................Matt

Your car?.........................................Train

Something you're not wearing?..................Makeup

Favorite store?..............................Nordstrom

Your summer?....................................Wasted

Like someone?.....................................Obviously

Your favorite color?................................Green

Last time you laughed................................Lunch

Last time you cried?.....................................Saturday

I tag Diana!

2008-07-26T19:22:00.001+08:00

One great thing about Ana's wedding was the toasts. David's family said such nice things to her during the toasts...she must feel so welcomed into their family. In my opinion, Matt's toast was the best. I am his wife though, so I am biased! I have never seen him speak in public before or give a toast...he was great. His toast was delivered perfectly and it was funny but also very sweet and he said a lot of nice tings to David. I was so proud when I was sitting there listening to him...I told Ann, "Wow, my husband's so funny!" The most impressive thing to me was that he didn't plan on giving a toast. His dad came up to him during the Ogilvie toasts and said he had to give a toast...so Matt just went up there and started talking.

This trip to Eureka was a real bonding experience for Matt and I...aside from my being so impressed with his toast, we had a chance to talk about a lot of things...like family, and what family means to us and what this means for our future. Sadly, I thought it was such a meaningful conversation and then Matt didn't remember any of it the next day!! He was too drunk. I was sad about that and so I made him have another conversation about the same topic. I am sure he hated that, cause he hates having serious conversations, but he ended up saying a lot of the same things which were really sweet and nice, so I guess he means what he says even if he is drunk and doesn't remember it. Don't get the wrong idea though, he doesn't usually drink that much. I didn't even realize he was that drunk. He seemed pretty normal to me. I have had conversations with Marti too that she didn't remember the next day and I had no idea that she was even drunk while I was talking to her. I must be really bad at noticing it...or the Masseys just seem normal when they are drunk.

Ana and David's Wedding

2008-07-26T19:06:00.000+08:00

The wedding was very Humboldt County: misty, cool weather, lambs grown and slaughtered for the occasion, fresh barbecued oysters, local flowers, casual decor, and lots of beer. I think this was Ana and David's intention, so it worked out perfectly for them.

A highlight for me was the oyster feast before the meal. YUMMMMMMM...I was in heaven. I stayed by the table and ate a ton of them. So good!

Happy Birthday to Emily, Liz and Meagan!

2008-07-26T18:44:00.005+08:00

Ana got married on my birthday and Emily's birthday and Liz's birthday. So, our college friends got together at Emily's house for a pre-wedding birthday celebration. It was SOOO great to see everyone. I miss my old friends so much. I hadn't seen Emily for a really long time...she hadn't been able to come to my wedding because she was having a baby at that time...so I was excited to see her but also her new son Will. He was so cute!

Emily with the birthday cake

Emily's husband Kyle with baby Will

I also got to see Ann and Jason...they were at my wedding and Ann was a bridesmaid, but it was so hectic I didn't get to talk to them much. I really miss having my old friends around...I live so far away and I feel like I keep making new friends and then leaving. There is nothing like old friends...it is so comfortable and easy.

Emily, Ann and Meagan

Matt, Jess and Matthew Winkle

Ang and Matt

Wedding Preparations

2008-07-25T18:22:00.003+08:00

Ok, I admit it...Matt and I didn't do much to help prepare for Ana's wedding. But hey, we weren't really asked to do anything...there were so many people there trying to help and we were only there for a short time...and plus, Matt's collar bone was broken. We did buy the s'mores supplies and the non-alcohlic beverages. At least it is something, right?

David's (the groom's) mom did the flowers, and they looked great. They had lots of beautiful flowers because there is a flower farm in Humboldt. So lucky!

The wedding had lots of personal touches, which made it very special. David is a brewer (I am not sure of the correct term...he works at Budweiser) and he brewed his own beer as the wedding favors. He had printed out special labels and we put them on ourselves. This picture shows David's sister and her boyfriend and David's uncle.

Here is a picture of me, sitting back and relaxing while the rehearsal goes on. Matt and I agreed that it is much more pleasant to be relaxing while another couple is onthe hot seat! Haha...I was remembering my rehearsal, when I was crying my eyes out. Ana was was much more calm!

This is a picture of Ang and I at the rehearsal. I really love Matt's childhood friends...althoug they aren't really chldhood friends, more like lifelong friends. We have so much fun with them. Anyway, the reason I put this picture on here is because it is the only one of Ang and I together and because I like how Matt is reflected in my giant sunglasses!

All of the Massey family and the Ogilvie family helped alot with creating this wedding. I am sure Ana and David feel so loved! I felt the same way at my wedding...I was amazed at how much effort my family and friends put into helping with the wedding. I felt so loved....I guess that is the point of weddings...to make the couple feel loved by their family and to bond the two families together. I am really glad that Matt and I didn't skip the whole wedding and elope like we were thinking of doing.

Eureka...Finally

2008-07-25T16:05:00.000+08:00

Matt in front of the Massey house

After our fun, unexpected day in Salt Lake, we finally made it to Eureka. It is so nice to fly directly into Eureka rather than into SF and then have to drive 5 hours. Delta started flying there recently, so hopefully the fares will stay low. Our flight was cheap, until we added on the hotel and other expenses of Salt Lake City! Oh well...it was fun.

Both Matt and I were really sad to lose a day in Eureka. He had relatives in town from Ireland and I had my list of "favorite things to do in Eureka" that I like to do every time I go. I didn't really get to do it this time, but that is ok...I am sure we will be back many times. My favorite things to do include going to Bon Boniere (a delicious ice cream place), going blackberry picking (in the summer), going for hikes, going to the Farmer's Market (in the summer), and hanging out with our college friends and Matt's childhood friends. Actually, now that I wrote out that list, I realized that we did do a lot!

Meagan and Mitch on the way to pick blackberries

We went blackberry picking, but the blackberries weren't ripe yet so we ended up picking huckleberries. Huckleberries are much harder to pick and in my opinion they don't taste as good. Note to self: Visit Eureka in August rather than July.

Matt and Matt at the Farmer's Market

I also forced Matt and our college friend Matt to go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had fun, but it was strange to go with the two of them cause they were not very intertested in it...I still liked it though, and it was fun to people watch and sit in the sun.

Pioneer Day

2008-07-24T17:46:00.000+08:00

Matt and I flew to Eureka through Salt Lake City for his sister Ana's wedding. Unfortunately, we missed our connection in Salt Lake City because of bad weather in Boston....so we had to stay in Salt Lake overnight. Now, I realize that this was very unfortunate for Matt because we only had a short time to spend in Eureka with his family, but I will admit it....I was not-so-secretly very happy! I was also sad because it made our time in California very short and we didn't get to do much whle we were there, but I was excited to stay in a nice hotel with Matt and spend the day in Salt Lake. It was the ideal weather for me: hot and dry. If only we had our luggage, it would have been perfect pool-weather! We booked our hotel on Hotwire, which has been so great for us...our hotels in Montreal and Wachington DC were beautiful and cheap. So, we figured a 4 star hotel on Hotwire would be nice...I was hoping for the Grand America, but instead we were stuck with the Little America. I don't recommend it! It was OK....and it was cheap because we got it on Hotwire...but compared to the hotels in Montral and DC, it was subpar. We couldn't get our luggage, so Delta gave us these cute overnight bags. They even had a Delta t-shirt inside! But, my favorite part of the overnight bag was the cute little deodorant tube.

I was SO excited to be in Salt Lake...the weather was perfect for me and I hadn't been to Utah in such a long time. I forced Matt to walk down to Temple Square after breakfast and guess what? It was Pioneer Day. Woo hoo! Parade! Fireworks! Although, we actually didn't get to see either of these things cause we went to the airport to try to fly standby.

After we came back from our unsuccessful attempt to fly standby, we headed to the Gateway Mall to buy some new clothes. Yay! It was super hot and we were wearing cold-weather clothes for Eureka. So, it was a nice excuse to both buy new things. We hit CPK for lunchand then we went to the Rodeo. It was both of our first time at the rodeo, and it was sad to see the poor little calves get man-handled during the tie-down event and to see the bulls being harrassed...but it was an interesting experience. The best part was watching the people in the crowd...they are so far removed from our usual world...it was fascinating.

Ocean State Reggae Festival

2008-07-19T21:26:00.002+08:00

Two years ago, Matt and I were going to try to go to Reggae on the River in Humboldt County. Matt put music from all the artists that were going to be at Reggae on the River onto my mp3 player, and ever since then I have been addicted to reggae. It is so funny, because I used to say "reggae is the only type of music I don't like". Now, it is one of my favorite kinds of music. First of all, it is easy to dance to. Second, it is absolutely impossible to be stressed while you are listening to reggae. Third, it often times has a very positive message. So, I love it. Also, now I sort of associate it with our honeymoon in Belize, which was truly blissful....it seems like they played reggae everywhere.

I have heard that Rohit used to really like reggae. Haha, that is so hard to imagine! But, I guess he had a life before the wife and family came along just like my mom had a previous life. I wonder what my kids will say about me?

We never did make it to Reggae on the River, so when we heard about the Ocean State Reggae Festival, both Matt and I were really excited! We drove all the way down to the opposite side of Rhode Island for the festival, and I admit it...I was getting really crabby spending so much time in the car! But, it was worth it. We had SUCH a good time...we were dancing the whole time and people watching. There were lots of little kids there, and it was so cute to watch them dancing. I hope Matt and I do that with our kids...take them to music festivals and let them roam around...but it is probably wishful thinking. I might be too paranoid to let my kids roam a place like that, but maybe Matt will help balance me out.

During a break in the music, we bought a frisbee and Matt taught me how to throw it. I have been avoiding his attempts to get me to play frisbee for years...I am just really bad at throwing it...it goes in every direction except the one I want it to! One thing about Matt is that he is a really patient and nice teacher. He says very encouraging things like "That was great!" or "You are learning so fast!". He sort of reminds me of my Grandpa Hardy in that way. He also has been helping me practice tennis (before he broke his collar bone), and he is really nice about it even though he has to run all over the court to get the balls I hit. But, the minute I got to a certain level of skill, he let loose and started slamming the balls back to me. Scary! So, I guess I better stay a beginner at all sports because he is much nicer to me. And, of course, when he was teaching me frisbee I couldn't help but think what a great Dad he is going to be and how our daughters are going to be Daddy's girls. Sigh. Haha, hope Matt doesn't read this, he hates talking about kids! But, for the record, HE is the one that took the photo of the little boy with the hat that is posted above. :)

On another note, Matt and I found a great artist...Pato Banton. He put on a great show and his songs were very upbeat...everyone was dancing. I would love to see him again. This festival was so much fun, now I know I want to go to Reggae on the River even though it is expensive.

Bastille Day

2008-07-13T01:19:00.002+08:00

Harvard Square hosted a Bastille Day celebration, so I met my friends Jen and Mayumi there. Mayumi is from Japan, but is living in Boston for 2 years with her husband...she is learning English and doesn't have a work visa (I think...anyway, she isn't working). She reminds me of me when I lived in Hong Kong with Matt! Luckily for me, she has lots of time on her hands, and my friend Jen is just really nice, so they let me practice teaching them yoga. It is a lot of fun for me, so hopefully I will start teaching yoga for real some day.

There was a woman at the festival singing Edith Piaf songs.

There are lots of cool buildings in Cambridge...this is one of them. I am trying to take more pictures of all of the interesting things in Boston and Cambridge before I move. I love it here (when the weather is nice) and I know I am going to miss it!

Trip to Wingaersheek Beach

2008-07-12T21:46:00.000+08:00

Matt had to go into work for a few hours before we hit the beach, so I went to the Andover Farmer's Market. I ate an entire pint of blueberries by myself! I am addicted to blueberries right now. I consider fresh, local blueberries a highlight of living in Massachusetts.

Walking up to Wingaersheek Beach

Matt was obsessed with getting beach chairs, but we kept forgetting. We finally remembered last weekend, and he was so happy to have a chair.

Yes, I am wearing a dorky beach hat...but my forehead is extremeley sun damaged after spending 2 summers in India. I decided I need to take action...plus, I can totally blend into the New England beach-goer crowd wearing this hat.

It seems like everything I post lately is propaganda for Boston and New England...but it truly is a great place to be in the summer! Last weekend Matt and I went to our favorite beach, Wingaersheek. The sand is relatively clean and white, and it is a smaller beach that doesn't seem to get as crowded as some others we have been to. It is nestled in a little cove with sailboats docked in an adjacent cove, so it is very scenic.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get used to the beaches in Massachussetts. If there is a beach in the US that compares to the beaches we have been to in Asia, I haven't seen it...so I won't even attempt to compare them to Massachusetts beaches. But the beaches here are very different from California beaches. First of all, you have to pay for parking. Most parking rates hover at around 25$. When we first moved here, I was outraged by this....but now I appreciate it. Paying for parking means that the beach is well-maintained and the bathrooms are clean and functional. It also means that there is a cap on the people that are at the beach, because they stop letting people park after a certain number have gone in. On the other hand, paying sort of gives the beaches an elitist feel....you have to have a car and you have to be willing to shell out the money to park. (There are some free beaches, but we found these to be gross and near industrial boats so the water was oily!) If I had a family, I think I would appreciate the parking cost because it means all that the weirdos and perverts aren't at the beach. In San Diego, I had mmen expose themselves to me twice as a child...I don't think it affected me that much but I would hate for it to happen to my kids. On the other hand, without the weirdos, it definitely isn't as exciting or interesting to be at the beach. How exciting can it be to be surrounded by extremely white, preppy New Englanders?

Another difference is the sand...it seems finer here (but also cleaner and more well-maintained). And there are no waves in Massachusetts, at least not that I have seen. It is like swimming in a lake. Also, beaches here often have sand dunes covered with sea grass.

Day at the ICA

2008-07-11T21:13:00.009+08:00

Matt and I in front of the harbor.

The ICA from below. All of the galleries are on the top floor.

Matt inside the ICA. It's a good thing the view is so nice, cause Matt was on the phone with work for quite a while.

The front of the ICA has steps that overlook the water. During the summer, a jazz band plays and people bring picnics and sit on the steps.

Boston building in the South End

B and G Oysters on Tremont Street

Matt had his doctor appointment for his collar bone during the day yesterday, and it gave me a rare chance to see hi during the day on a week day! I left work early and we headed over to the Boston ICA.

The ICA was built recently, and I kept reading in the papers about how cool the building was. With school and work and everything, I never had a chance to go check it out, so I was happy to finally be able to visit it! Matt and I are trying to really enjoy Boston and New England while we are still here...there really is a lot of cool things and beautiful places to see. (Especially in the summer!)

The weather was perfect...you appreciate great weather so much more here because it usually sucks...it is either too hot or too cold, too windy or too rainy, too humid or too dry. So, yesterday was a perfect "San Diego weather" day. I asked Matt if he thought we would miss seasons when we move and he said, without any hesitation, NO. The interesting thing to me is that with the new, beautiful weather, all the women dress so cute. Everyone wears dresses and skirts and nicely composed outfits. I am not sure if they actually look extremely cute or if it is just in comparison with how drab and heinous everyone looks in the winter. Seriously, I can't stop myself from staring at everyone's clothes and newly exposed skin. That sounds weird, but I think it is just because it seems new (no more floor-length quilted jackets!)...also I just came back from India where you don't see very much skin at all.

Anyway, the ICA was cool...modern art...I love looking at it but I always leave confused. What is art? I have no idea. I respect that people have the drive to create art but I admit that I am thoroughly confused by it. One piece was a drawing a skateboarder and a ramp, and the skateboarder is posed in mid air doing a trick. Um, do you want to come to my junior high? I think every boy at Muirlands has drawn this same image in his notebook. The accompanying explanation of the picture was something to this effect: "The artist captures the exhiliration of being in mid air" or something like that. Um, ya...that is why people skateboard and boys draw this picture in their notebooks. I probably shouldn't write this...I am sounding SO uncultured!!! Haha! But then, you don't have to like all art just because it is in a museum.

There was another piece that I thought was pretty cool. The artist somehow got people's wish lists off the internet and posted them on the wall. It sounds so simple, and it is, but when you read each person's wish list, you develop an image of the person and with each subsequent item on the list that mental image is refined. I really liked that one.

So, I guess I can safely say that I don't undestand art...but I must like it because it keeps me coming back. When I lived with dad he was a member of the LA MOCA, and that was always a fun excursion for us. We also got to go to the openening and other member events. I got to do so much with dad...he had so many interests and I feel lucky I got to live with him while I was a teenager. He was a good dad but also a really cool dad. He used to take me out on school nights to see concerts and plays and stuff...haha, unfortunately I am not as cool as him and probably won't do that with my kids. I mean, I hope I will...but unfortunately, I think I may not be as open-minded as he was.

The other cool thing about the ICA is the view...another reminder of how gorgeous Boston can be.

After the ICA we went to B and G Oysters in the South End. THis place had been highly recommended to me by several people, but I was sadly disappointed! I would have much preferred Legal Seafood. The oysters were great but the entree was not to my taste. I have realized that Boston people love rich, creamy food (hence, the ice cream obsession) and fried food (hence the fried clam obsession). In California, I think collectively we prefer more fresh flavors. I could be wrong here. But in general, having eaten in many restaurants in both places, this is what I have noticed.

My Poor Husband!

2008-07-09T23:04:00.003+08:00

Matt broke his collar bone the other night while playing soccer. It was an interesting role reversal...it seems like he is always picking me up at the hospital, but this time it was my turn. I was so excited to help him do stuff, because he does so much for me, but it turns out that he actually doesn't need much help.

It is a bummer for him...his main hobby is playing soccer and during the summer he has been playing a lot of soccer at work and with his team. Now he can't play soccer or even go jogging...it is horrible timing considering that the summer months - and weather- are precious in New England.

I added several posts at one time, so if you are interested, scroll down.

Fourth of July

2008-07-09T22:50:00.004+08:00

We decided that since this may be our last fourth of July in the US (at least for the next few years), it would be fun to have a small town fourth of July. Since we were driving down from Montreal on the 4th, we decided to stop in Warren, Vermont. It worked out nicely because we got to spend some time doing fun New England things, like go to a cider mill and go to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory. Plus, you can light your own fireworks in Vermont but not Massachussetts. (Of course, as usual, we didn't plan ahead at all and didn't have sparklers of our own...luckily a wedding was going on and they gave sparklers as a wedding favor and they nicely shared with us!)

The 4th of July part was held at a ski resort, Sugarbush, and they had a band, a barbecue and fireworks show. The show was actually pretty good...and it was nice because it was a smaller celebration so none of the hassles of crowded Boston. Matt and I brought our own picnic from a nearby deli and it was a lot of fun to watch all of the wedding guests dancing and having fun.

New England is stunning in the summer, when the weather is nice. I really do like it here...it is so easy to forget the misery of winter when the weather is so nice. I was even thinking we should stay in Boston longer...but I have to remember how painful and depressing the winter is for me...Matt and I both stuggle with the winters here.

Montreal Jazz Festival

2008-07-03T22:21:00.000+08:00

Me in front of our hotel

Matt being cheesy at the entrance to the Jazz Festival

After the Canada Day party we continued our celebration of Canada by going to Montreal. I LOVE Montreal...if only it weren't for the long, bone-chillingly cold winter I would probably want to move there. It is a gorgeous city, with lots of old, quaint buildings interspersed with sleek, modern buildings. Everyone speaks French, so you really feel like you have gone somewhere foreign even though it is only a five hour drive from Boston. And the people are wonderful...they have all the natural chic-ness and style of French people and all of the friendliness and lack of "attitude" of Canadian people. I love Montreal so much...if only I could live there six months per year and live somewhere else in the winter...

We went to Montreal for the Jazz Festival, but also so that Matt could have some meetings with his boss, who lives and works from Montreal. Actually, I think the meetings were planned out of convenience to coincide with the Festival.

The Jazz Festival was really fun. There were 4 or 5 out door stages that had free concerts everyday from 12pm to 12am. They blocked off the roads around the stages, so people filled the streets to watch the concerts. There were also indoor concerts that you had to pay for, but we didn't go to any of those because we weren't that organized and because the weather was so nice it would have been a shame to go inside. It stayed light for a really long time every night, so it was great to be outside, listen to music, and people watch.

I love travelling with Matt when he is working...I have the days free to do what I want and then I see him at night. I had Thursday to myself, and I had the perfect day...yoga at a nearby studio, a yummy lunch, and shopping. They were having lots of sales and two stores that I love and miss from Hong Kong (Mango and Zara) were only a few blocks from our house.

Also, I really cannot say enough how WONDERFUL hotwire is. We have gotten such great deals on hotels using hotwire. We stayed at the Intercontinental in Montreal, which was a very nice hotel in an excellent location (two block from the festival, and right near the old town and financial district), for 100$ per night. For a big city like Montreal, that is an amazing price. I am now devoted to hotwire.

Now I will do my obligatory mention of good food...I can't help it...I love good food. We found this place in the old city called Olive et Gourmando. I had a fruit and yogurt bowl...but it was no ordinary fruit and yogurt bowl...it had the most delicious, plump, juicy berries and rich plain yogurt, topped with two slices of fresh coconut. The coconut was a nice touch...the whole thing was just phenomenal. The cappucinos looked good and they had my favorite loose leaf green tea from China, Longjing, served in a kettle. The pastries looked like they were good but we didn't try those. Next time I am in Montreal I am definitely going back there for breakfast every single day.

We also have a restaurant that we love in the Outremont area called La Moulerie...I have been a total sucker for Moules Frites (mussels and french fries)ever since Matt and I went to Brittany in 2003. My addiction began there and has never ceased...Montreal is full of places with moules but I think La Moulerie must be the best. Moules is all they serve! Matt loves it too, so it was fun to go back there and relive our first trip to Montreal.

Sometimes I have these moments where I just think, "Life is so great." I am so lucky that Matt and I found eachother...we have done so many fun things over the years. Anyway, this trip was one of those times when I just feel so lucky.

Canada Day

2008-07-01T22:09:00.000+08:00

Jen making Poutine...Yummy

I never realized that Canada had it's own day until my best Canadian friend, Jen, clued me into the fact. I guess it's to be expected...I am sure every country has their own day...I just never really thought about Canada's day. Turns out it is on July 1, and to celebrate this, Jen had a party celebrating all things Canadian. It was great to see all my old friends from school...a lot of them got to meet Matt for the first time, so that was nice. Jen made poutine, which is a Canadian dish of french fries topped with gravy and melted cheese curds. It sounds gross but it is actually pretty good..sort of like nachos except with fries instead of chips.

Almost home....

2008-06-23T01:05:00.002+08:00

Tongiht is my last night in Chennai...it is hard to believe that I will see Matt in less than 30 hours. Woo hoo!

It has been a tumultuous last few days, full of marathon-length meetings and some tension but luckily it is all over. Hopefully things will progress more smoothly when I am back here in August.

I am actually looking forward to the flight. I love flying! And so far, I love British Airways. I will be in heaven if I get upgraded again, but I am not holding my breath...

The last days of a long trip like this are always sort of surreal...like you can't belive you will actually be home and you can't really pay attention to anything going on cause there is this anticipation that infiltrates everything you are doing. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I didn't have Matt...maybe I wouldn't care as much about heading home?

Still in the Roach Motel

2008-06-18T14:26:00.005+08:00

Lunch with the Bedroc employees, and the new foreigner in town, Jan.

This is a picture of me on the roof of the Bedroc office in my salwar kameez. I think I could not possibly wear anything more unflattering! But I guess that is the point...it hides your shape. The pants underneath the top are gigantic...it feels like there are yards of fabric gathered at my waist.

Last night, just as I was about to go to sleep, I saw another huge cockroach in the bathroom. I was sad, because I had basically forgotten about the cockroach issue and then I was reminded of it right before I went to sleep. So, I slept another night with the lights on and am exhausted today. Oh well, only one more night nthe motel and then I head back to Chennai for more meetings...then back to Home, Sweet Home! When I come back to Nagapattinam in August I am definitely bringing my own roach spray. Unfortunately, this hotel is the nicest one in town...so there aren't any other options!

So much for the clean room...

2008-06-17T13:26:00.004+08:00

The Bedroc Office in Nagapattinam

I am not back in Nagapattinam after a short trip to Chennai and Pondicherry. I feel strangely comfortable and happy to be back! My room at the Hotel Seahorse is much nicer that the one I had been living in for the weeks before I left for Chennai. It -- gasp! -- actually has a window! Also, it is much cleaner and is not damp at all. I was so happy! Why didn't they give me this room before?

Also, there is another foreigner here now. She is staying in my hotel, and is working on her PhD thesis. She is from England, but lived in Sri Lanka for 2 years prior to moving back to England. Yay! I am so happy! We had dinner last night and it was nice to be able to chat with someone. She was like, "I haven't seen another foreigner for the past three days." I was like, "Ya, I didn't see a foreign for the entire 3 weeks I was here before you got here!"

She is in a room without windows, and she wanted to see mine so she could decide if she would switch rooms. We walked in, and a huge cockroach scurried across my bed...so much for the illusion of staying in a clean room! I slept with the lights on because I had heard that roaches don't come out if it is light. I thought of changing rooms, but I figured if the roaches are in my second story room, they are probably in all the rooms. The hotel did agree to change my sheets...it was hilarious...the young Indian boy spent about 30 minutes putting the sheet on my bed, trying to make sure it was perfectly tucked and there were no wrinkles in it. I was like, this is a great effort on your part, but I am sure the roaches will be back no matter how neatly the bed is made! Then, he finished it off by dramatically spraying the whole room (including the bed!) with roach spray. It was comical.

Another sad part of this story...a cute little baby gecko was killed by the roach spray. I was sad, cause geckos are cute and they eat flying bugs. This poor little thing was having convulsions on the carpet before finally dying.

At first I was sad that a cockroach was in my bed...but then I remembered when I was travelling with Sarah in Rajasthan...We were on a camel safari to the sand dunes in the desert, and we were camping under the stars. The operator assured us that blankets and bedding were included. He didn't mention that that meant the blankets that were on the camel underneath the saddle! Not only were there fleas and whatever other bugs and camel sweat in the blankets, but there were also giant desert beetles that kept crawling in the blankets. I thought I would never sleep through the night, but I did, miraculously. So, the memory of that night made me realize that seeing one cockroach in your bed is no big deal. And if anyone has any comments about how gross cockroaches are, DO NOT post those comments to this blog or by email because I have to sleep in the same bed for the rest of the week!

Papaya Madness

2008-06-15T20:49:00.003+08:00

I have been completely addicted to papaya...I don't know why, but I am loving it and craving it. There is a fruit stand outside my hotel that sells cut fruit. I have been ordering fruit bowls with "Papadi Only"...Anyway, I guess the nice man at the fruit stand decided that I need to branch out, so last night he kept insisting that I eat samples of all the other types of fruit. He was such a nice man!

Weekend in Pondicherry, continued

2008-06-15T20:36:00.004+08:00

Other than the Sri Aurobindo group (which dominates Pondicherry), this town is full of French people. The first morning I was here, I ate breakfast at a little cafe. The only other people in the cafe were speaking French. They were sitting at their own table, and were a very eclectic, "cool" group. There was an older French guy with silver hair in a tight tank top; a young, chic blonde girl in a black dress; an older French lady; a very classy looking older Indian woman; and an older Indian man with shoulder-length grey hair, dressed in a tight white tank top and white, flowing linen pants. They were all smoking, drinking coffee and laughing...I was like, wow, this is definitely different than Nagapattinam!

Actually, this is the first place I have been to in India where I feel like I would be better off knowing French than English. I walked into a corner market and wanted to know the price of a roll of toilet paper. I asked the women in English while pointing to what I wanted. She said, " Trent-cinq". My french is rusty, so I wanted to double check. "Thirty five?" (Yes, I realize she didn't speak English...I just said it, ok!) She said, slower and louder, "Trent...Cinq". I said, in a worried voice, "Thirty five?" She said, "TRENT.......CINQ". She wasn't angry, she just couldn't believe my stupidity! Anyway, this is definitely a side of India I have never seen before!

The good thing about the French influence is all the food...there is lots of french food around, and salads and delicious things like that. It is expensive, though...and there are lots of expensive art galleries and furniture shops around...but even with all of this, it is still, unmistakeably India.

It has been nice while it lasted, but I am actually happy to get back to my Idlis and dosa. I like Indian food much more than French food!

Weekend in Pondicherry

2008-06-15T20:27:00.003+08:00

I decided to give myself a mini vacation and stop in Pondicherry on the way from Chennai to Nagapattinam. It is nice here: I can walk through the streets (no highway right outside my hotel!), the coast is scenic, and there is lots of French food.

The first night, I arrived after dark, which was unfortunate considering that I was by myself and had never been to Pondicherry. I found a room with a balcony overlooking the boardwalk. It was nice, but they only had one night available. I was happy to move, though, cause in the balcony next to mine were a group of 5 Indian teenage boys. They were smoking and drinking and if I was on my balcony they wanted to make conversation...and I really wasn't interested in chatting with them...so the next day I checked a few hotels and ended up moving into an ashram. It is part of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and it is really nice. My new room also overlooks the ocean and is half the price. You have to follow the rules, though, which is easy for me because I follow them anyway. You can't drink or smoke and have to be back in the ashram grounds by 10:30. Easy!

I was wondering if anyone would talk to me about their spiritual ideas, and this morning they did...this very nice Indian man started to talking to me and explaingig their beliefs. It was interesting, and I think these people are very nice.

Meetings in Chennai

2008-06-15T20:15:00.004+08:00

After a long (8 hours!), bumpy, hot drive from Nagapatinam, we arrived in Chennai. We stayed at the YWCA, and it was nice...my room even had windows, woo hoo! There were a ton of foreigners there, including a big group of American teenagers. I think they were part of a church group or something. One good thing about the YWCA is the delicious juice stand down the street...yummy! I have been addicted to papaya juice for the last week or so...

We had meetings with Oxfam on Thursday and with our implementation group on Friday. It was so great to see people from Oxfam Boston. I was talking to the person that arranged for me to come to Tamil Nadu, and it turns out that he and his wife used to live in Hanoi and they visited Hong Kong often because it is such a short flight. So, we were reminiscing about restaurants in Vietnam and Hong Kong, and it was great. Even though I talk to Matt every night, it got sort of lonely being down in the village, basically by myself.

The next day we had meetings with the implementation team, and things look like they are finally gettng started. Hallelujah! I am learning a lot about trying to plan a project in collaboration with many different people...it is slow...and then when you add in the cultural differences and miscommunications, it moves at a glacial speed! So, it turns out that basically I will not be doing anything until NEXT Saturday, when I am working with another team member to create the quantitative questionairre. So, now that I know I will basically have nothing to do in the village for the next week...I am getting antsy! Luckily I talk to Matt everyday and have internet access.

Back to the City!

2008-06-11T14:21:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, these carts came rolling down the street with huge loads of hay on them (I think it was hay...). They are actually pretty common, but I have never gotten a picture before, and I am always amazed at how they can pile such a huge load on them.

Today I am headed up to Chennai with the director of the local NGO to meet with Oxfam and with the local NGOs that she has contracted lots of the work out to. It will be interesting to be back in a city again! After that, I am headed to Pondicherry for the weekend. I am very excited! It is supposed to be a beautiful city. It used to be a French colony so the French influences are still there, and lots of French people still live there. The food is supposed to be amazing, which will be very exciting after the gross food at my hotel! Also, I am sort of hoping that there will be a few English speakers there so I can stop annoying Matt by talking his ear off when he calls me.

Slow Progress

2008-06-11T14:07:00.004+08:00

Progress on my project has been slow. I think the local NGO is slightly confused about why I am here, and they are not quite sure what to do with me. I am also confused, because Oxfam in Boston made it sound like it was urgent for me to be here. Now I am here, and there is not much for me to do. I have been visiting villages and talking to people, which is fun, but not exactly what I was sent here to do. It seems that the local NGO has contracted out much of the work to other local NGOs (I guess foreign funding allows you to do that!) and I am not sure exaclty what my role will be. I am actually fine with this...more time to relax, especially after such a stressful year and my work last summer was extremely stressful. I have a vague guilty feeling though...why did Oxfam go to such lengths to make it possible to be here? Why did they want to pay to fly me here on two separate trips? I feel that the work I am doing doesn't exactly warrant all f that expense. Oh well! I am just going with the flow.

So, after a long hot day of sitting in the non-air conditioned office, I walked down to the town. I have found one indoor shop there that has baked goods and fresh fruit juice and cold drinks. So, I like to walk down there, sit under the fan, order a freshly made drink of fruit juice and a cold club soda, and read one of the magazines that I brought. The owners are nice and they have gtten used to me now. On the way home, all of the school children were walking home from school. They are so cute! The uniform includes pig tail braids tied into a loop. Adorable. The girls in the top picture in blue were fascinated by me...one of the them was mentally disabled and she was not able to conceal her curiosity like the other kids...so I took a picture and they seemed happy about that. Also, when the school kids are out (or any time for that matter!) I am followed by a chorus of hellos..."Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hi! Hi, Ma'am! Hello! Hi!" I try to answer all of them, but of course it s imppossible.

At the juice shop, two young girls sat down next to me. They were giggling and peaking at me, because obviously, everything I do (including sitting down and reading) is totally hilarious...at least when I am in India! One of them reminded ome of my sister Maya because they are about the same age...and I started to miss my sisters alot!

Bus Ride to Nagapattinam

2008-06-10T14:19:00.008+08:00

On the way back from Vailankanni, I had a really hard time getting on a bus back to Nagapattinam. When a bus came, and huge crowd would push and fight and yell and scream, trying to force their way onto the bus. They wouldn't even wait for the people that were on the bus to get off. I think people were even climbing over eachother and trying to climb in through the windows, which had bars on them instead of glass! So, I tried to get on 4 buses and was about to give up...I was considering my options: Should I take an autorickshaw all the way home? Did I want to deal with bargaining? Were there any private buses available at a different location?

So I was standing there, and I here the word "foreigner" coming from a bus, and an older woman turned around and said, "Do you need to get on the bus?" in English. I said yes, and I ended up following her onto the bus where her son had fought to save a seat for both of us. It was such a relief, because I think I never would have gotten onto a bus otherwise. Once you fought you way onto the bus, people had reserved seats for their friends. I even witnessed a fight over a seat between two ladies, and the whole bus was getting involved.

Anyway, it turns out that this lady had just come from a Catholic retreat center called the Divine Life Center, or something like that. We chatted, and it was nice to speak English with someone! It turns out that she volunteers for an NGO in Karnataka (a state in India) and works through Anganwadi Centers (state-run health centers in villages) to educate rural women on the importance of nutrition and things like that. So, her work is very similar to what I did last summer in Rajasthan.

I felt so happy to meet this woman and her son...and they even paid for my bus ticket, although I tried to pay for it myself.

I have a video that shows the craziness of the bus, but I am having trouble uploading it...I will have to upload it when I get home.

2008-06-09T15:18:00.004+08:00

I was by myself, so this is how I managed to get a picture of myself in front of the church. (I know I am just being paranoid, but I didn't really feel like I wanted to hand over my camera to anyone to get a picture of myself...)

I had the day off on Sunday, so I decided to visit the closest "attraction" to Nagapattinam. There is a huge catholic church about 11 km away from the town I am in that people from all over India make pilgramages to. The people at Bedroc told me to take the bus there, and boy was that an adventure considering that I don't speak any Tamil yet! Making it to Vailankanni was easy, but making it back to Nagapattinam was a whole different story...

The church was nice, although not like the churches I have seen in the US or Europe. It is definitely more brightly colored that I am used to seeing Catholic churches. People come to Vailankanni for the purpose of praying for babies....a women in Chennai told me that 3 miracles had occurred for her as a result of visiting Vailankanni. So, I gave it a shot...I guess we'll see if a baby comes along in the near future!

Because of all of the visitors, Vailankanni had a lot of stuff for sale, and a lot of beggars. It cause the dilemma that I have every time I come to India. To give to beggars or not to give? Most people say that you shouldn't give to beggars, but instead you should contribute to charitable organizations. Well, that is easy to say but it is pretty hard to walk by pitiful beggars with ample money in your pocket. The guilt is intense...but being alone, and not speaking Tamil, and the fact that there were so many beggars around me...I felt it was safer to not give. They were fairly aggressive, and did the whole grabbing on to your sleeve or pant hem thing...When I got back to Nagapattinam I realized how pleasant it was that no beggars were around. (That sounds terrible, but they do cause mental anguish for me! I am never sure how to react.)

I treated myself to eating at an air conditioned restaurant, the only one in town. Yay! I walked quite far to get to it, but I figured that it was Sunday and I should treat myself. Of course, I was walking by beggars to get there, and internally berrating myself for walking far to treat myself to the luxury of AC while I was ignoring all of these people...

And this is it...Nagapattinam

2008-06-09T15:07:00.005+08:00

These are my two photos of Nagapattinam...maybe the only two that I will take. It is a small place. After going to Vailankanni this Sunday, I now appreciate the smallness...it is relatively calm and there are no beggars.

Dalit Village

2008-06-07T16:49:00.005+08:00

After the fisherfolk community, we went to a Dalit (untouchable) community. The kids were so cute, they all wanted their photo taken! After the tsunami, all of the homes in the dalit community were destroyed. With Oxfam money, a local NGO rebuilt all of their houses, and the dalits are very happy. Their homes before were thatched huts with dirt floors. Now their homes are made out of concrete and have fans and water from a tap. The dalits got to choose between several types of houses, and the type of house they chose was built. I was invited into one of the homes, and the concrete structure and the fan did a nice job of keeping the house cool. One thing I think the homes are missing is some shady areas, because the homes are basically concrete cubes. Some of the villagers took matters into their own hands and added thatched "awnings" to their homes...very smart!

The houses behind are what the NGO built, and the thatched structures in front are what the old homes looked like.

Our Car

2008-06-07T16:29:00.003+08:00

This is the car we are driving around for hours in...there is no AC and we are driving on these rural roads for hours in 104 degree weather...let's just say that it is HOT! By the end of the day, I feel slightly dizzy and my head hurts...but I still have a lot of fun in the villages so that makes it worth it.

2008-06-07T16:20:00.005+08:00

Yesterday I had my second trip to the field, this time to visit the fisherman communities. In this area of India, the "fisherfolk" are the most well-off communities because they make alot of money (comparatively) by catching fish and crab. They were very welcoming and it was nice to be by the ocean. We had to cross a river to get to the sea...on the way back we caught a ride with 2 old guys in their "Kattamaram" (yes, the spelling is correct...this is what they callit in Tamil)...it was very genrous of them ot offer us a ride but I was scared!! Their boat was basically 4 planks tied together. With their weight and my weight and Priya's weight, water was filling the center of the boat! We made it across, and it was probably the highlight of my day.

This is a picture of the boat with the old guys. I would have liked to have taken a picture of them up close while they were repairing their nets, but I wasn't sure if it would be rude to do that. Last summer I had many more photo-taking opportunities because we would basically sit in the villages forupwards of 8 hours...so the villagers would get used to my presence and I could take photos.

You never know what's coming down the road....

2008-06-06T15:28:00.000+08:00

One of the things I love about India is that you just never know what is coming next...I think I mentioned that my hotel is diectly on a highway, and that makes it difficult to walk anywhere or be outside. I decided to give it another try last night, and look what was on the road! I have no idea what these giant, mirror laden structures were for. I am pretty sure it wasn't for a wedding, because I have sen wedding processions and they don't look like this. I think it was some sort of religious procession. (Anybody know why June 5 is special? I don't.) People were lining the streets to watch the procession...and when people realized I as there, there was a lot of pointing in my direction!

First day in the field

2008-06-05T18:20:00.005+08:00

Our host in the village, Meagan, and Bedroc employee Priya. Look at all of the food we were given!

I am not going to sugar-coat it...my hotel is not very good! Believe me, I am not a stickler for cleanliness. The problem is that my room has no windows and is damp...so there are little flying bug things. After coming home from the office, I tried to take a walk to explore what is around my hotel. This was a bad idea...my hotel is basically on the side of a highway! I walfed for about ten minutes, but I feared for my life every second of the ten minutes. If you have ever been on an Indian rural highway, you know that there are trucks, cars, bicycles, goats, cows, kids, motor cycles, woman carrying giant loads on their heads....this is not what bothers me. What bothers me is that the cars speed along, weaving in and out of the various obstacles in the road. No one pays attentions to lanes, so cars sometimes play "chicken", and the loser has to stop or swerve to the side. This chaos, plus the fact that there is basically no shoulder on the road, makes it a firghtening experience to walk on! So, I feel slightly trapped in my windowless, damp hotel room. Also, I am using a large dupitta (scarf thing) as a blanket. When I go to Chennai I am going to buy some sheets or a light blanket, and this will help. Also, as I mentioned before, the food is bad.

Today I went out into a village of dalits (untouchables) and backward castes (their name, not mine!). It was so much fun, and people were so friendly, I remembered why I love coming here! Everyone was so hospitable. We were offered a drink or food by everyone we spoke with. They seemed eager to talk about what they have been doing since the tsunami, and their big smiles were so welcoming. We also visited a women's cooperative, which was set up by an Indian NGO to help the women have an alternative income other than agricultural labor. They made baskets (I bought one!), potato chips, cashew juice (very sweet but good), and detergent soap. It is a completely sustainable project, as the NGO is long gone but the work still continues. You really coudln't turn around without running into the work of another NGO. This is great...the money that people donated to the tsunami relief effort contributed to the long term development of this area, not just with rebuilding after the tsunami. The village had a library, numerous pre-schools and after school programs.

While I am so happy about all of the wonderful things here in Tamil Nadu, I can't help but compare it to my experiences last summer in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is definitely less developed. The houses that the Brahmins (a high caste) in Rajasthan lived in were significatly worse than the homes of the dalits in Tamil Nadu. So what does this say about the Dalits in Rajasthan? Maybe Rajasthan would be better off if a tsunami hit it (very unlikely in a land-locked desert state!) -- then money and attention would be focused on this area as well.

Nagapattinam

2008-06-04T16:11:00.003+08:00

I finally made it down to the village I will be living in....although technically, Nagapattinam is a city, it is pretty small and rustic. The drive down from Chennai took about 8 hours and was very slow going...the road was only one lane at some points and we had to drive through many tiny markets along the way. It was very pretty, because the road hugged the coast for most of the way down.

I drove with the director of Bedroc, a local Indian NGO. Annie was so nice, funny and fun to talk to. I hope I didn't annoy her by chatting too much! I hadn't really talked to anyone (aside from samll talk with vendors and waiters) for 4 days! I think her and I have a lot in common, so it will be nice to work with her.

My hotel in Nagapattinam is very, VERY basic. I am so happy that I brought my own electric kettle...then at least I can have tea and instant oatmeal whenever I want. It is sad, because I love Indian food, and love street food and all types of regional cuisine, but the food at the hotel is subpar. I haven't explored the area yet but hopefully there will be some other eating options nearby.

I took the picture above on the way down to Nagapattinam. We had stopped at a tea stall for a snack, and afterwards we stood in line for the bathroom. I took the picture while I was waiting in line...the woman looked so peaceful and absorbed in her work of separating leaves from branches (I am not sure why she was doing this). The sun was shining down and it looked beautiful, but the photo doesn't really capture the full effect.

Right now I am sitting in the Bedroc office. I start field visits tomorrow, but today I am supposed to be doing background reading...which I already did most of on the plane and in Boston...so I have some free time on my hands. I am sitting here sweating in a very hot room, but I am grateful for the internet access!

First Day at Work

2008-06-02T22:59:00.008+08:00

My Hotel in Chennai

Today I met the people that I will be working with in Tamil Nadu. Basically, Oxfam America in Boston sent me over (unpaid but with all expenses paid by a grant plus a stipend form OA because I am still only a student) to help with the research methods and survey design on a study of the tsunami recovery in this area and how local communities can increase their resilience to disaster.

I will be based in Nagapattinam, which is the city that was hardest hit by the tsunami and the location of Oxfam's local partner organization, Bedroc. I am slightly nervous about heading down to Nagapattinam. I have heard from various people within Oxfam and Indians have met here that Nagapattinam is "nothing much", "a shit hole", "not much", and "nothing there". So, I am, um, excited but nervous. I stayed in places like this last summer but I had my research team with me...so, I had two friends with me at all times. This summer I will be alone (aside from the people at work and in the village)...and no city to divert my attention. This could be good for me, or it could just be lonely. I have no idea what type of internat access I will have.

I was supposed to take the 7 hour bus ride down to Nagapattinam today, but Annie, the head of Bedroc, decided to stay another night in Chennai and didn't tell me until 4:30 pm! I had already checked out of my hotel, but thank goodness they still had rooms available. The Oxfam person was like "It is probably for the best, there is nothing much there." Hmmmmm....I am interested to see what this "nothing much" looks like.

As I got in the taxi to go back to my hotel, there was a very disturbing gentleman outside. He was stunted...he kust have been less than 4 feet tall. He was skinny, even for his height, and he had a giant head and giant, red rimmed eyes. But, he was dressed in clean clothes and didn't look like a beggar. He was standing in the middle of the road staring at me, and he seemed out of it, like he was in a daze. He stared at me the whole time we were standing there, and sort of moved closer to stand near me. It was strange. He didn't beg or make any expression, and he didn't look like one of the priests that walk around. I couldn't stop thinking about him later: What must his life have been like? He must have either had long term undernutrition or some sort of disease. But he had clean, nice looking clothes on. Is he a domestic worker that was mistreated? It is so sad. I mean, you see lots of sad cases in India, but this one seemed unusual and I guess that is why it sticks in my head. And it was ironic....there we were, working at Oxfam trying to "help" people and there is a starving guy right outside our door. And when we stood out there, all of us ignored him. I guess that is the line you have to walk when you are in India...you can't get caught up in each and every person, because if you did it would be overwhelming and impossible.

On a more cheerful note, there are lots of catholic churches down here. There is one on the street of my hotel. I didn't realize it was a catholic church for a while, because it looks like a Hundu temple to me...the insie is very brightly colored and decorated with lots of red and gold and garlands. On closer inspection, I realized it was catholic. Here are some pics:

Yoga in Chennai

2008-06-01T21:01:00.010+08:00

Ok, I know, I am posting a picture of my lunch for the second day in a row....but this lunch was really interesting! In the morning, I went to a yoga class at Cholayil Sanjeevanam...they told me it was ashtanga yoga, but when I asked them about Pattabhi Jois, they did not know who it was....so I knew it wouldn't be the ashtanga that I practice. It was different, slower than usual, but I liked it and I am going back tomorrow. We only got through about 5 asanas! And the surya namaskar that they practice is completely different than what I am used to. But, the teacher was nice and it was good o get a different perspective on things. The teacher and the other student were both very interested in my sticky mat...I think maybe I should bring some extra ones next time and give it to them as a gift...they really are convenient because you don't slide around.

Below the yoga hall, there is a vegetarian restaurant. They serve a special meal at lunch called "rajakeeyam" that must be eaten in a certain order to ensure that all of the vitamins and minerals are absorbed properly. It contained lots of interesting vegetable concoctions and juices, so I was excited to try it...it seemed sort of like a chef's tasting menu or something. Then, the waiter explained the meal to me and proudly stated that the meal contained "1,000 calories of optimal nutrition". I was momentarily horrified, but decided to proceed with the meal anyway.

The meal started with 2 slices of banana with shredded raw coconut. Then, 5 shot glasses of juice had to be consumed in order: date juice, pistachio (?) milk, vegetable juice, buttermilk, and bran rice milk.

Then, they scooped a row of raw vegetable salads onto my banana leaf that had to be eaten in order. Then, a row of semi-cooked vegetables and a row of cooked vegetables.

Then came brown rice with dahl and white rice with sambar, buttermilk and curd. After that was an excruciatingly sweet and thick "soup". I decided that this is where most of the 1,000 calories were from and only ate a little...I think it was 90% ghee! After that, the server came around with a bowl of honey, which he scooped into my hand. I think I was supposed to lick it off, but it was way too much plain honey for me so a lot of it went onto the napkin...the next table was staring at me...I am sure they thought I was very strange!

Chennai!

2008-05-31T16:57:00.002+08:00

Well, here I am, back in India again. I never expected that I would be traveling to India 4 times in two years...if I had known, I would have gotten a 10-year visa! This time I am in Chennai, which is the main city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. I had heard so much about how different south India is compared to the north...everyone said that it is more developed, more liberal, more well educated....but so far, it seems pretty similar to me! I have only been here for about 20 hours, so I guess my observations don't mean much at this point. I will be working for Oxfam,but now that I am here I sort of wish I was just on vacation!

My flight was great. For the first time in my life, I got upgraded to business class. Yippee! It was for the 10 hour flight between London and Mumbai, so I was very grateful. Traveling business class made me realize that first class is the way to go....I have never traveled first class, but business class only seemed margninally better than economy. The best part of my trip was the layover in the Mumbai airport...they have a foot massage shop in the domestic terminal. I was in heaven!

So far, I haven't done much. I wernt shopping for some conservative salwar kameez to wear in the villages and ate lunch at Appoorva Sangeetha A/C Veg Restaurant. It was delicious; I always love eating at veg restaurants where they ladly unlimited rice and soup onto your plate. I ordered a mini tiffin, which was the perfect size. It also came with a dosa, which didn't make it into the picture above. It was not a mini meal at all!! The price was mini though, only 44 ruppees (about 1 dollar).

I have internet in my hotel room, so I am enjoying it while I can. If anyone wants to call me on skype, do it now! I leave for the villages on Monday, and then I have no idea what kind of access to internet I will have.

2008-04-11T22:43:00.000+08:00

When I was in SD for Brieanne's wedding, it was just me, my mom, Maya and Makayla. The house felt so empty without Rohit, Marissa and Malini! It was neat though, actually, because everything was calm and I got to spend more time with the three that were home. Strangely, one of the most fun parts of the visit was taking Maya to school on Monday. We stopped at Starbucks so she could get a croissant, and we saw her classmate there with her dad. So, we sat down and talked to them about school and life and what they were doing this summer...it was so relaxed and fun...I was envisioning my future life as a mom. Of course, I know it is a lot of work (I have seen my mom in action!) but I can't wait. Hopefully my kids will be as great and my sisters. (They'll be electric white in comparison, but I guess I will get used to it!)

Cousins

2008-04-11T22:36:00.000+08:00

I got some good "cousin" shots at Brieanne's wedding, but I realized that I didn't get a shot of Eric and Brieanne together...oh well, at the next wedding I will be sure to do that. I was really happy to talk to my cousins. I didn't really get a chance to talk to everyone at my own wedding, so it was a nice treat. I also got to sit next to Seamus, so that was cool. I seriously love my cousins so much...all of them...I think it is because they are all unique and amazing people, but also because I was basically an only child for most of my childhood, and I was always in awe of siblings. They have such tight relationships, it seems really cool and lucky if you have that...I never did so I think I am always slightly envious of sibling relationships. Don't get me wrong, I love my sisters...but it just isn't the same if you don't live in the same house. I think I have a unique relationship with my sisters. I have been able to watch them grow up, so I have a mixture of maternal love for them and affection because they are so cute/funny/smart/fun to be around.

Nancy's Toast

2008-04-11T22:31:00.000+08:00

Nancy gave a toast about mothers during Brieanne's wedding...I missed part of it because I was in the bathroom, but I love this picture. I am so sad that it came out too dark! All the ladies look great, and Nancy's dress was made out of a very cool material...I think it was shantung. I have always loved shantung because colors of shantung looks so rich and luscious. On one of my trips to India I fell in love with a dark red shantung fabric and fantasized about having my bridesmaids wear dresses made out of it...hopefully someday I will have a shantung dress!

Another wedding!

2008-04-11T21:43:00.000+08:00

My cousin Brieanne got married on April 11...it was a gorgeous sunny day and the wedding was very elegant. I felt lucky that I was able to make it! Her dress was stunning...but the best part was being able to reconnect with all of the Yeckel family, although I didn't get to talk to most of them! The time was too short...oh well, hopefully there will be another wedding soon. The Yeckel family seems to be on a roll with weddings.

Dad's Death Day

2008-04-08T21:18:00.004+08:00

Well, Dad's death anniversary came and went this year. I was sick, sick, sick...I blame it on too much work, not enough play, and lots of bad Boston weather! To commemorate this sad anniversary, Matt and I drove out to the coast and put a moratorium on all work...I also treated myself (with mom's help) to a plane ticket home to visit my mom and to attend my cousin Brieanne's wedding. (Of course, this decision came after about 5 phone calls to my mom, sobbing and wondering what to do. Poor mom! She has five girls so I am sure she will see her fair share of sobbing women. Although, no one in my family is as emotional as I am...I am freak of the family in more ways than one.)

I love this photo of Dad because it reminds me of all of the times we went camping together. This photo was taken on one of his trips down to South America, and I am grateful to whoever took it because we don't really have any picturs of him from our camping trips---he was always the photographer.

Washinton DC, Part 2: The American Indian Museum

2008-04-02T21:00:00.001+08:00

Matt and I only had a few days in DC, and our priority was to RELAX and hang out together...so lots of good food and rest, and not so much site seeing...But we did make it to one museum on National Mall: The American Indian Museum. (I feel so un-PC writing that name!) I had to beg Matt to go there. I don't know why I wanted to go so badly...oh wait, yes I do...I had heard there was a whole food court of traditional foods! Ha ha! But, joking aside, it was a great museum. I have this recent fascination with indigenous populations, and it might be because of all of our Mayan ruin touring that we did on our honeymoon in Belize. Anyway, they had a whole movie/exhibit about the hoopa indians that live up by Matt's hometown. He used to work at a burger/ice cream shop on the reservation. The movie of the hoopas had an interesting part where they talked about how Christians try to drown out their traditional music by blaring hymns on loudspeakers. This sounds strange to me. It seems like Christians in Humboldt would have lots of targets to blare hymns at other than Native Americans, haha!

A close up of my squid ink calamari. It was delicious! The woman in line to pay next to me was revolted by this, by I say, if you aren't going to try things, get out of the food court and besides that, it is rude to say that another person's food is revolting.

A selection of foods...conrbread, yams, and squid ink calamari. Yum!

Ok, we actually went to 2 museums. There was also a really interesting section in the Natural History Museum about the history and culture of rastafarians. I have been getting into reggae lately, so this was interesting for me. We also saw the hope diamond here, which made me contemplate our obsession with diamonds. Why do we care? I don't. I admit I like sparkly things,though. But they don't have to be diamonds. People place to much importance on those things.

Spring Break in Washington DC

2008-03-23T05:57:00.004+08:00

This past week was my spring break, so Matt and I went to Washington DC. It is kind of a strange spring break choice, but my school was hosting an alumni networking event, so it seemed like a good time to see DC. Plus, Matt had never been to DC and he was about to leave on a long business trip to China. It was a good opportunity to treat ourselves to some time together.

We saw all of the obvious "Washington DC" sites...the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, the Capital Mall...but we we still have lots more to see! The weather was cold, but seemed great compared to Boston! Unfortunately I still had to wear my winter jacket...oh well!

After this trip, I am a firm believer in Hotwire. I booked out hotel through hotwire, and it was so cheap...like the price of Motel 6 in San Diego! Based on the price, I didn't know what to expect, but we ended up staying at the Omni Shoreham, and it was really nice. I felt like we were almost on a luxury vacation! The location was good too, right next to the metro and near Dupont Circle. We ate lots of good food while were there---Matt was like, "No wonder I am sucha fat turd!" Haha, he is not a fat turd actually, he just has the middle age belly thing going, which is sort of appropriate because he is about to turn 30. I don't feel bad saying this, cause he told me I should lose five pounds! (I do need to lose some weight; my clothes aren't fitting me! Maybe his words will be inspiration.)

I can now teach yoga!

2008-03-04T10:35:00.005+08:00

Maria, Natasha and Meagan

This weekend I finished my Yogaworks Teacher Training. I have mixed feelings about this...I am happy that it is over, because it will really lighten my load. It is hard to do a teacher training while in grad school and working. It was surprisingly intense physically, emotionally and intellectually. There was a lot of homework involved...I still have to do the take home final exam, and I think it will take me all of next weekend to do it!

But I am also sad, much more so than I thought I would be. I didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time with the other students outside of class because I have been so busy with the wedding and everything. So, I didn't really expect to be that sad to leave everyone, but I was very sad the whole weekend. I was so sad the night before our last day that I made Matt let me use his car so I could drive to Target to buy supplies to make everyone a little gift. I channeled my inner "Jennifer Mahajan" and made little boxes filled with a candle and some chocolates and my favorite yoga sutra printed out on a little card. They came out really cute, actually, although not as cute as what mom probably would have done! Still, for a last minute, spontaneous thing they were pretty cute. My favorite yoga sutra is 2.42: "The result of contentment is total happiness." I have lots of favorites but I love this one because it is so optimistic and also attainable...anyone can be happy right now.

As part of our certification we had to teach the class a series of asana. I was really nervous, but when I actually got up to the front of the room I felt comfortable. I think it is because I love yoga...and also because I have probably taken so many yoga classes over the years!

Strangely, I have gained weight over the course of the teacher training...I don't think it is related to the teacher training, but to all the stress of being in school and working. It is too much! I am officially burnt out and ready to be done.

On a happy note: I saw my MS doctor and I have no new lesions! He said that all of the active lesions from my previous MRI have been resolved and things are looking good. YAY! And I start a new type of medicine, Tysabri, in a few weeks. It is supposed to be twice as effective as the betaseron. All I can say is "Yay, pharmaceutical industry!" I am happy and amazed and grateful that they have made these advances...hopefully since I don't really have any MS symptoms now, I will stay healthy for a long, long time.

Life

2007-10-21T10:34:00.001+08:00

For some reason, Blogger isn't letting me upload pictures right now, so I guess I will take this opportunity to give a little update on my life...everything has been a whirlwind since I got back to Boston after being in California. School is good...I like my classes, especially statistics. I am far less motivated than I was last year. I am sick of homework! I just don't want to do it anymore. Luckily, my grades haven't gone down so far, even though I am putting less work into school.

I got a new job, and I love it. I am the assistant editor for the Food and Nutrition Bulletin, which is an international public health nutrition journal. Basically, I take manuscripts that are submitted through the review and revision process until they are either published or rejected. Finding peer reviewers for the manuscripts is definitely the hardest part of the job, because people are so busy (or at least they say they are) that many don't wan to take the time to do peer reviews, and others say they will do and then they don't. Then I have to hassle them till they turn it in.

I also started a yoga teacher training and I love it! I am just sad that I don't have as much time as I would like to devote to it. With school, work and the wedding planning, I have almost no free time! I love the teacher, Natasha Rizopoulos, and the other students in the class. It is a really interesting mix of people: everyone from a college freshman to a 70 year old woman and everything in between! The facilities are nice too...it is at the Sports Club LA - Boston, and it is gorgeous. It is only a few blocks from my school and it has beautiful floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Common. It reminds me of my old studio in Hong Kong. Natasha is from Yogaworks. I went to a class at yoga works in Santa Monica two summers ago, when I had just returned from China, and I loved it. I really like their style of sequencing. It is vinyasa yoga, which I love. The good thing about Natasha is that her background is in Ashtanga yoga, so she brings that perspective to the class. My favorite style of yoga is Ashtanga, but I haven't been able to find a studio that I like that teaches ashtanga in Boston. Natasha also did the beginner's yoga dvds for Yoga Journal. She is really fascinating to watch...her yoga practice is graceful and effortless and her body is like pure muscle...there is not an inch of fat on her!

Candy candy ...oh, and hiking too

2007-09-27T10:18:00.000+08:00

Matt and I decided to try to recreate our trip to New Hampshire to see the Fall foliage...bt I should know better than that...never try to recreate a good memory! It is has been really warm here, so none of the leaves had changed! We still had a great time though...We hiked and stayed in a cheap hotel, sat in the hot tub, and did NOTHING. It was great because I have been SO stressed this semester, with the wedding planning, school, work, starting my MS medication, and my yoga teacher training. It is too much!

One of the best parts of our trip was the visit to Chutter's candy store in Littleton. Supposedly they have the longest candy counter in the US. It was pretty long, I will admit that! They had a great seletion. I was thinking the whole time that my Grandma Janet would have loved it. They had a big licorice selection, so of course I had to take a picture for her.

Can you tell which candy bag is mine, and which is Matt's? Mine is the one on the right: I love licorice and Jordan almonds. You can't see the big bag of jelly bellies that I also bought. I love buttered popcorn flavored jelly bellies. Yum! Matt's bag has lots of malt balls and gummy candies, neither of which I like. We have completely opposite taste buds, it is bizarre. Basically, there is zero overlap in foods that we like. Oh wait, except hard boiled eggs. We both like those.

It just makes you say "Aaaawww!"

2007-09-26T11:29:00.001+08:00

One of the girls in my program just had an exciting wedding proposal from her boyfriend. (Just sit through the ad...the video will play afterwards. Don't worry, the ad is only 15 seconds.)

Well, since the whole family is doing it....

2007-09-25T09:37:00.000+08:00

My Bloginality is INFP!

Matt's Bloginality is ENTJ!

Grandma and Maria both posted their bloginality, so I had to do it too. Then, I forced Matt to do it.

We both just read our personality types, and we both agreed that we are definitely like our types. My type says that my career should be in a field that helps make the world a better place (I like to think I am in that type of field!) and Matt's said that he should be a CEO or an entrepreneur.

Of course, as usual, it says that our personalities are not matched well for romance. These types of things always say that...our horoscopes say we are a really bad match. But...we have been together for over 7 years and it has been great...I think we are a perfect match.

Happy Birthday, Malini!

2007-09-12T11:07:00.000+08:00

Today is my beautiful sister Malini's birthday. I am so sad I am missing it! I am sure the living room is decorated elaborately and Mom has been making a special meal. I am not sure what Malini's birthday meal would consist of...I pretty much know the other girls' favorites, but not Malini. I do know that she likes her eggs without the yolk and she only like ice cream, non frozen yogurt. There are more important things than food though, so on to the important stuff:

Malini is one of the most loyal people I know. That is such a great quality to have and I think it is pretty rare to meet a truly loyal person. Another loyal person that I can think of is my old friend Ann Verenkoff. She is also very loyal. So, Ann and Malini exemplify loyalty to me.

Malini has this funny habit of shivering through her whole body when she is excited. It is pretty cute! I wonder how long it will last...for instance, it wouldn't be so cute if she were my age. But then, I still clap my hands when I am excited and that is probably not age-appropriate at all.

Malini has an amazing fashion sense. She puts together the most creative outfits, and she always looks cute. She definitely knows how to accessorize! I have some great pictures of her in her ensembles but I can't seem to find any of them!

Malini loves sparkley thing...Icing and Claire's are her favorite stores...I guess that is where she learned to do all of the accessorizing! This is something that we definitely have in common, cause I love sparkley things too.

Malini is really lucky. She used to love to go to Nickel City (an arcade where you can earn tickets to get prizes) and she would always get a ton of tickets by playing those Vegas-style games where the quarters are pushing against each other and if they fall you get tickets. Anyway, I think she has a piece of Grandma Yeckel in her cause Grandma is lucky too.

Malini is also a great swimmer. I really miss having Malini around...writing all of this makes me miss my sisters and wish that I lived closer to home!

Happy birthday, Malini! I Love You!

Something Silly but Fun

2007-09-03T10:06:00.000+08:00

I'm a Balanced Yogi!

A Balanced Yogi

You love your friends unconditionally and accept them for who they are no
matter what their yoga style preference, religious beliefs, or spending habits.
You focus on the good in people and would never try to change them. Almost
everyone feels comfortable in your presence. You live your yoga. You are an
inspiration to yoga students everywhere!

Take the Yoga Journal Yoga Snob Quiz!

Yeckel Sisters

2007-08-26T08:04:00.000+08:00

There was lots of family at Eric's wedding...and I took lots of sister shots! It is amazing how the Yeckel women look similar. I mean, they are all very different in looks and personality, but they are all unmistakabley "Yeckel". I think it is the eyes and the smile.

Suzanne and Nancy. (This is actually at my bridal shower, not Eric's wedding.)

Nancy and my mom.

Mom and Gretchen

Suzanne, me and Nancy at my bridal shower. This is a horrible picture of me cause my eyes are half closed! I think I look sort of like a Yeckel but with a lot of Hardy mixed in.

Eric and Carol's Wedding Cake

2007-08-26T07:58:00.000+08:00

Of course, me being who I am I had to post a photo of the cake. It was beautiful and very tasty. There was also a groom's cake. I had never heard of a groom's cake before, but according to this website, the groom's cake is a Southern tradition and any single women should take a piece home and put it under their pillow so they will dream about their future husband. Does anyone know if this is the real meaning of a groom's cake? Anyway, whatever the meaning of the tradition, it is kind of fun.

The wesite also said that sometimes the groom's cake is served at the ehearsal dinner and it should be the groom's favorite type of cake. That sounds doable...German chocolate cake at the rehearsal dinner! (Or baked Alska but I have no clue how to make that. It sounds hard.)

Eric and Carol get married!

2007-08-26T07:50:00.000+08:00

My cousin Eric got married last weekend...the first Yeckel cousin to tie the knot! It was a gorgeous Southern California day, and an intimate, mostly family ceremony and reception. The colors were a vibrant and warm orange and magenta. I loved the dress Carol chose for here bridesmaid, hopefully I can find something as cute for my bridesmaids!

I love this photo...it is such a tender moment, with Eric fixing Carol's dress. So sweet!

This is Carol with her bridesmaid in the too-cute-for-words dress and another guy that I don't know.

Makayla Turns 5!

2007-08-25T23:54:00.000+08:00

Today was a special day...my littlest sister turned 5! I can't believe it, all of them just keep getting older and older. The problem for me is that they are doing it too fast and are foiling my plan to have my babies while they are still young so that they would be like sisters to my kids. I guess I will have to hurry up and have kids!

As usual in the Mahajan household during a birthday, the dining room was decorated beautifully. As per Makayla's request, we had mom's delicious home made pizza and then a princess ice cream cake for dessert. Makayla got lots of good presents, mostly involving Littlest Pet Shop and dogs.

One of my favorite things about Makayla is how she is so extremely optimistic and loving. Last summer, Matt and I came back from China and Makayla told us that she loved everything, she loved the whole world. She just volunteered this information out of no where...that is the kind of love we can all aspire to!

Another funny story about Makayla and love: this week I helped her find a web site she likes on the computer and she said, "Now I really love you!" I said, "Didn't you love me before?" She said, "Oh, I did but sometimes I just say it to be nice." Haha, very honest!

The video I posted is of Makayla blowing out the birthday candles. I can't figure out to rotate the video so you'll have to rotate your head.

Today was also special because of Eric and Carol's wedding, which was beautiful. I don't have time to post about it now, but I am uploading the pictures onto Flickr (just click the Flickr box in the side bar) so anyone can download them. I will post about it when I get back to Boston.

Things about Matt that I obviously don't know.

2007-08-18T09:26:00.000+08:00

Before the bridal shower, Grandma had emailed Matt a list of questions and I was supposed to guess his answer. I guess I won't be bored for the rest of my life because I obviously have a lot to learn about Matt!

1. If you could be a super here, who would it be?
Matt: The Tick (she will never get that one)
Me: He was right, I had no clue.

2. What is your favorite feature about Meagan?
Matt: Her eyes and smile (toss up)
Me: My mom guessed this one right...all I could think of were things you aren't supposed to say!

3. What was your first impression of Meagan?
Matt: Cute little La Jolla girl.
Me: I had no idea...I thought maybe a little girl that hangs out with his sister's old friends.

4. Who made the first move in your relationship?
Matt: I say me/she will say her.
Me: He knows me too well, I said me!

5. Where was your first kiss?
Matt: At a rave in San Francisco.
Me: I got this one right!!!

6. What is your biggest pet peeve about Meagan?
Matt: She never forgets anything and won't let things go.
Me: I was under the impression that I am perfect and Matt could never be peeved with me, haha!

7. How many children do you want?
Matt: 2
Me: I thought he wanted 3. I am sad to learn he wants 2.

8. What are you most afraid of?
Matt: Something bad happening to Meagan. O ya, and snakes too.
Me: I thought he would say something about me becoming an obsessive super soccer mom when I have kids. But his answer is so much nicer!

9. Who is you favorite female celebrity?
Matt: Rachel Ray because she looks like Meagan.
Me: I thought he would say Lindsay Lohan. His answer was far worse because he knows I hate it when people say I look like Rachel Ray.

10. Who is your favorite rock group/artist?
Matt: All time is Nine Inch Nails.
Me: I got this one right!

11. Who was your first girlfriend.
Matt: Meagan. Honestly.
Me: I got this one right!

12. What is your favorite thing to do?
Matt: Play soccer and go traveling with Meagan.
Me: I am not sure what I answered but I am sure it was wrong. His answer was sweet though!

13. What is your favorite TV show?
Matt: South Park
Me: I said the Daily Show but I should have said South Park...he loves it.

14. What is the first movie you saw together?
Matt: No clue. Ask her about Blair Witch 2 though.
Me: I also had no clue. I will have to post about Blair Witch 2 some other time... it is a long story!

15. What sports did you play in high school?
Matt: Soccer and ultimate frisbee.
Me: I said soccer but I didn't know about ultimate frisbee...I thought that was college.

16. What is your dream car?
Matt: Old school ferrari testerosa. I will pay money if she got this one right.
Me: He knows me too well. I had no idea...I said that he prefers to walk and so doesn't want a car....haha...oh wait, that is me!

17. What is your favorite kind of soda pop?
Matt: coke
Me: I got this one right!

18. When was Meagan the maddest at you?
Matt: She never gets mad at me because I am perfect.
Me: I don't remember what I said, but it definitely wasn't that!

19. What animal would you compare Meagan to?
Matt: A koala -- small, big eyes, very cute, kind of slow moving, but has some nasty claws and has been known to use them.
Me: A cat...but I like his answer more!

20. What was your most embarrassing moment around Meagan?
Matt: I think it was the time I almost fainted because she had broken her foot and was fainting. I still have no clue why that happened. I still feel like an idiot for that one.
Me: I said it as the time we were in Hong Kong and he was trying to wake board and he couldn't stand up and everyone was staring at him from the boat. But that other thing was embarrassing too!

Marriage Advice

2007-08-18T08:58:00.000+08:00

For one of the bridal shower activities, everyone anonymously wrote down a piece of marriage advice and I guessed who it was from and then picked my favorite. I think it was all good advice. The little girls gave some of the best advice!

Kristi:
Live close to family when you have babies!

Sarah Pulsipher:
Have family time like ice skating and movies.

Jennifer (mom):
Laugh as much as possible.
(The good thing is, her and Rohit follow this one. That whole family is blessed with the funny genes. Where are mine???? Dad, you let me down in this area! I am nice but not very funny at all!)

Makayla (4 years old):
Don't watch TV at night.

Lea Hardy:
Go on a vacation with the family.

Marissa Mahajan:
Spend a lot of time together!

Aunt Suzanne:
Best friends is key!

Amy Pulsipher:
Be spontaneous!

Lindsay Dillon:
Laugh a lot and always remember to be a team!

Kelly Pulsipher:
Be the boss and in charge at all times.

Aunt Maria:
Keep an open mind and an open heart...and a good sense of humor!

Ami Hurd:
Begin and end each day with a kiss. Love will follow you everywhere.

Aunt Linda:
Try to do more for him than he does for you...Make him feel like he is the most important person in your life!

Aunt Camber:
1. I kiss him every time he leaves and everytime he comes home.
2. I also tell him I love him ALL OF THE TIME.
3. If he says he loves me back I ask him why. Then after he tells me, I tell him why I love him.
4. Overlook annoying habits...because everyone has them...it is part of the human experience.
5. Stay positive and laughing.
6. Date night every week (Advice from Jimmy and Grandpa Richard)
7. Laugh all the time but never be sarcastic.

Aunt Nancy:
Never have a headache.
(This was told to her by my Grandma Yeckel the night before her wedding.)

Grandma Janet:
Treat your husband like a king and you will always be his queen.

Connie:
Enjoy each moment. Share new experiences. And the old standard -- never go to bed angry!

Latrice Pichon:
Always be open and honest with Matt about your inner most feelings.

Tree:
Communiation is key. Pick your battles and always make sure you take care of yourself.

Maya Mahajan:
Make time for your loving sisters.
(See, she got the funny gene!)

Can you guess which ones were my favorites? At the time I said Lea's and Nancy's but now I am not sure. They are all so thoughtful and good! People's personalities are definitely reflected in their advice.

Typing all of these out made my heart expand with love and happiness again, like at the bridal shower. (Wow, I sound really cheesey...see what happens when you lack the funny gene?)

My Bridal Shower! (Thank you, Jimmy and Camber!)

2007-08-18T08:16:00.000+08:00

My Aunt Camber hosted a wonderful bridal shower for me. She says that actually my Uncle Jimmy did most of the planning and work, but either way, it was a gorgeous day and I felt SO loved. It was one of those days where you feel like your heart has expanded so much that it could encompass the entire world.

It was also my Dad's birthday, if he was alive. It just happened to be on that date, as it would be the only Saturday that I would be in San Diego, except the Saturday of Eric's wedding. I felt sort of funny about it at first, but then I figured, "Hey, life is for the living."

I was surprisingly nervous before the shower. I honestly felt like I was going to throw up...I guess I not's like a lot of attention on me. But once I got there and saw everyone, I was SO happy and excited. It was great to see family again and to see friends that I haven't seen in years. Even my grandma's friend Connie from Help-U-Sell came! Also, my wonderful coworkers from Sunwise were there, my Aunt Nancy and Aunt Suzanne, my cousins, and my sister.

It was held at the golf club (country club?) near my Uncle Jimmy's house. It was beautiful and the food was delicious. We played bridal shower games that were a lot of fun. I got lots of advice about marriage and we played a game where I had to guess what Matt answered to certain questions. I didn't get very many right, I was sort of embarrassed!

My Uncle Jimmy in front of the club.

Me and Grandma

Me and the ladies! Aren't we color coordinated and cute?

My cousins. Amy's hair always looks so gorgeous!

My aunts and cousin! (Unfortunately Linda is closing her eyes!)

My wonderful former coworkers! I was so happy they came to the shower!

My sisters!

I look totally heinous in this picture. I definitely need to shape up and wear makeup before my wedding...

My friend Ann came all the way down to San Diego from Sacramento. It was SOO wonderful to see her. She gave me a food steamer and I am really excited to start making things in it.

Commercial Break

2007-08-14T06:31:00.000+08:00

I have added four new blogs to my sidebar...

The first is the blog of the founder of my cooking club, Diana Moffo. If you want to hear about our cooking club sessions from another point of view, or Boston life, read the blog Gingerale.

The next blog is a travelogue of our Boston friends, Greg and Mekayla. They both took a year off of work and are traveling though Australia and New Zealand. Very exciting! I am looking forward to lots of good pictures. I am extremely sad that they are gone so soon after we met them!

The third is a new blog from my Aunt Maria...now that her dream house is complete, she has abandoned that blog and started a new, personal blog. I love her blog name... Life Sentences.

The fourth is a blog by Tracy, and woman that lives in Grass Valley and loves both yoga and India.

I will continue posting about India soon...whether people want to see it or not!

A Few More Days in Delhi

2007-08-02T09:10:00.000+08:00

Maya, Sheila, Meagan, Ahana and Marissa

After the internship in Jaipur, I had a few days to spend in Delhi. I was really lucky that my time in India overlapped with Rohit, Maya and Marissa's trip to Delhi. It was SO great to see them after so long. I had a really good time with them and it felt so relaxing to be in the Mahajan home after being out in the field for so long.

Poonam and Marissa in the kitchen

Rohit's cousin Poonam is an amazing cook...I complimented her so much on her cooking that she finally took me into the kitchen and showed me how to make some things. Her and I both love chaat, so she had a chaat party at her house while I was there. It was delicious! I also learned how to make everything but I haven't tried to do it yet at home. Now I have no excuse not to try because she sent some Indian spices and a spice box to me as a bridal shower gift. It was so thoughtful of her and Ahana!

This was my fourth trip to India. Every time I go to India it is a completely different experience, and each time it is mind blowing. I love India. I am desperate to get to the south of India...someday it will happen!

The End of our Internship

2007-08-01T09:00:00.000+08:00

My internship with Unicef was an amazing experience...but it was very intense and stressful! I am still feeling the effects of the stress! When we left Jaipur, we had finished all of the quantitative data analysis, and had a packet of 80 pages of tables and explanation of results. We still have to finish it up, and we haven't even started analyzing the qualitative data.

Birthday Surprises and the Taj Mahal

2007-07-26T19:58:00.000+08:00

Can you tell I was really overworked and exhausted by this point in the trip?

On the actual day of birthday, I had 2 amazing birthday surprises. The first was from my Mom, Rohit and sisters...they sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers! I was completely surprised because I never expected to receive flowers all the way in Rajasthan. Also, Mary and Brenda surprised me with a carved fruit bowl that they carved themselves! They took half of a papaya and carved it into a bowl and then put chopped fruit inside. So nice! They knew me too well...I think a carved fruit bowl is my ideal birthday breakfast. They also bought me a bar of good quality chocolate, which was a luxury. Good chocolate is available in Jaipur but not that common.

Brenda, Mary and I in front of the Taj Mahal

After breakfast, we went to the Taj Mahal. I had been to the Taj twice before, but I figured that they had to see it while they were in India and it would be fun to do something touristy with them. It was a much needed break from all of the work we had been doing.

Brenda, Mary and I on a ledge at the Taj Mahal.

Another nice thing that Mary and Brenda did for my birthday was buy AppyFizz (in lieu of champagne) for us to drink on the roof of our hotel. In Rajasthan, people seem to spend a lot of time on their roofs, especially in the hot summer months. Our hotel's roof was really cool and comfortable and had a great view of the city.

As a side note, I want to say that Matt is the greatest boyfriend in the world. While I was in India he sent me a giant care package filled with books, magazines, peanut butter, and peanut m&ms and some clothes. He is so nice! The best part was that is was not for my birthday, it was just because he missed me. I was so happy!

Surprise Birthday at Pizza Hut

2007-07-15T21:06:00.000+08:00

After data collection was finished, we hosted a dinner for the data collectors at Pizza Hut. They completely surprised me by arranging a birthday cake for me and having the waiters do embarrassing birthday things with me. They made me eat a bowl of ice cream with my hands tied behind my back in front of the whole restaurant and do a dance in front of the restaurant. The video below is of me getting ready to eat the ice cream. I also have a video of me dancing but I definitely won't be posting that one!

Chokhi Dhani

2007-06-20T20:22:00.000+08:00

Meagan, Brenda and Mary eating the Rajasthani food.

Brenda and Meagan on the elephant...it was scarier than I thought it would be!

Meagan with the bhindi that they put on you as you enter.

Outside of Jaipur, there is a fake Rajasthani village called Chokhi Dhani that tourists and locals visit to see traditional dancing, food and handicrafts. It was a lot of fun! I had my fortune told and they guy said that I would have a very happy life but would have health problems and would run into money trouble for 5 years at the age of 40. Hmmm....that doesn't sound good!

One of the best parts was the Rajasthani meal that was included with the ticket...we were fed a huge meal on little plates and bowls made of banana leaves. It was very interesting...Rajasthani cuisine is unique. There were lots of dished that were sort of on the sweet side, and lots of fried dough ball type things.

This video is pretty hilarious because you can hear the fear in my voice. Elephants are scary to ride because they are so high up! Also, the little boy driving it was whipping it so much I felt bad...if I were that elephant, I would probably go crazy and charge and get the small boy off my back...

Rajasthani Dancing

2007-06-20T12:23:00.000+08:00

Rajasthanis love to sing and dance, and they seem to be naturally good at it. During the first days of data collection, some of the girls invited us over to their hostel. I felt sort of bad because we were staying in a hotel that we hadn't thought was particularly nice at all until we saw their hostel. They had no AC, and given the heat, this seemed like an unendurable hardship. To escape the heat, the entire dorm would drag their mattresses up to the roof and sleep there. Their beds were really hard, but that wasn't very surprising considering that I had lived in China before and the beds are pretty hard there.

After they showed us their room, they wanted us to teach them "American Dancing" and "American songs". We tried to explain that the only dancing we know is the type you do in clubs. (I am sure they could not picture as I think they have a life that is nothing like out friends in Hyderabad; all we did was go clubbing there!) They showed us their dancing and it was pretty phenomenal. Some of them sang and clapped while two danced. I guess this was from a movie and they learned the dance.

2007-06-19T12:10:00.000+08:00

Soggy boxes of cold puris....yum!

Meagan and Raksha in the jeep eating kulfi on the long drive home.

During data collection, we had a long drive every morning and evening to and from the villages. Unicef ordered boxed lunches for all of the data collectors and for us, but these left a lot to be desired! Everyday we got a stack of puri (deep fried bread) and a teensy tiny bag of dal or sabzi. It was gross because the oil from the puris would soak through the box and they were cold by the time we ate lunch. Nothing like old, cold puris in a soggy cardboard box! Sometimes the villagers gave us little snacks and they gave us chai (tea) pretty much everyday. The chai came in tiny glasses the size of shot glasses, and was rich and super sweet. At first I could barely handle the sweetness of it but by the end I sufficiently developed my sweet tooth to be able to drink a whole glass.

Brenda, Mary and Meagan...it is a strange world when I am the tallest in a group!

During data collection, the girls and drivers were really worried because they thought they noticed my skin getting darker and they knew I had a wedding coming up. I told them that in the US, people get dark on purpose for their wedding and they couldn't believe it! They took extreme measures to keep themselves protected from the sun. They wore long sock son their arms and wrapped scarves around their face and heads. It looked miserable to me because it was around 110 degrees there!

In the Villages

2007-06-17T10:44:00.000+08:00

In the villages, we would sit at Anganwadi centers and take the length and weight of 30 children under 3 years old. Anganwadi centers are community centers funded by Unicef and the Government of India. They provide supplementary food, immunizations, health services, and education for pregnant and lactating women and young children. We were attempting to determine the impact of a Unicef program that enhances services provided by Anganwadi centers.

Everyday we weighed and measured 30 kids under three! That didn't sound like a lot when we planned it, but on some days it was quite a struggle to get 30 kids. Some parents didn't wan their kids weighed cause of superstition, and other kids were just freaked out and hard to weigh. We were strange foreigners doing strange things, of course they were scared! Sometimes I felt like I was torturing small children, not doing research. There was a lot of screaming and I often went home with a headache. Each of us had our own team of 7 or 8 data collectors that would administer the survey in the local language, which we would weigh and measure kids. It was interesting and the villagers were great, but it was HOT! At the beginning of the data collection, it was over 110 degrees and there was no air conditioning in the villages (obviously!).

This is a video of a typical day at the Anganwadi Center.