A good look at where our national priorities are right now....
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/02/tax_breaks_infographic.html
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Cortisol Detox
After finishing with my midterms, it was time for a break. After my last class on Thursday, I ran into some friends on the president's lawn (the big hill in the center of the Tufts campus) and we just sat for a good half hour, not doing much of anything, listening to the awesome rhythms of BEATS, Tufts drumming collective, who bang out tunes on everything from real drums to garbage cans.
That night, we had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day Dinner party, including very very green pancakes.
And yesterday, ahhhh just one of those wonderful wonderful days.
After work, I biked downtown to the Museum of Fine Arts, in the gorgeous warm weather. (although eerie from a climate change perspective.) As much as I love Tufts, its so good to get away and have a little perspective, seeing other people that make up the fabric of the city. Everyone was dying to get outside after the winter: it always amuses me how much less lame of a place Boston is in the summer. After that, I went with my housemate for a free wine tasting which was quite lovely. And then we went home and cooked an impromtu middle east inspired dinner, before a late night soccer game on the quad.
These are the days when you realize why people describe college as the best time of their lives.
That night, we had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day Dinner party, including very very green pancakes.
And yesterday, ahhhh just one of those wonderful wonderful days.
After work, I biked downtown to the Museum of Fine Arts, in the gorgeous warm weather. (although eerie from a climate change perspective.) As much as I love Tufts, its so good to get away and have a little perspective, seeing other people that make up the fabric of the city. Everyone was dying to get outside after the winter: it always amuses me how much less lame of a place Boston is in the summer. After that, I went with my housemate for a free wine tasting which was quite lovely. And then we went home and cooked an impromtu middle east inspired dinner, before a late night soccer game on the quad.
These are the days when you realize why people describe college as the best time of their lives.
FUERAAAAAA DE AQUI
Going home for spring break! Excited to chill with the fam for a bit. Had this song in my head lately. It's actually about abuse BUT it has a really catchy refrain: Fuera de aqui (Get out of here) which is why I am adopting it as the official start of spring break song.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Internship Search
I am having a hard time with my search for internships during the summer. I really want to have an interesting chance to gain more experience...along with every other undergrad in the country. And typically for me, I can think of about 25 different subject areas off the top of my head that I would be interested in working with. I'm a little upset because I just found out yesterday that one option I had been thinking about, working with a coffee cooperative BUILD partners with, is not going to be possible because they are having a very unusual year due to the extremely high global coffee prices. See a really interesting New York Times article on the subject. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/science/earth/10coffee.html (Proof that Tufts kids are totally coffee fiends: at least 5 separate people I know have brought up this article in conversation recently)
Anyway, this means that for now I am trying to apply for more competitive things. Which I don't like. Because I lost all my competitiveness last semester when I had to assimilate to a society that values solidarity and group work. I jest. Basically though, I dislike this because it seems like a waste of time to apply to internships with basic description that sound like:
"Seeking dedicated unpaid labor to do office work most of the time, although there's a chance you may get a chance to do something cool for a bit. Maybe. I mean you'll be working for us for 50 hours a week so.....By the way, we did mention we can't pay you anything whatsoever, right? And good luck finding a cheap apartment round here. To apply for this amazing opportunity, send us 2 copies of your resumé, some other form, an official transcript, a 5 page writing sample (like we'll read it), 3 references, a cover letter, blood samples. Preference will be given to applicants who are willing offer us their firstborn child."
After being frustrated by the fact that I am about as likely to get any of those as I was to get into an Ivy, I ran some internet searches on some other ideas. Mining policy came to mind. Until I googled mining activism and found that the first 3 pages of results were people who had been assassinated. Not very reassuring. Probably any career that hypothetically sounds really cool has a pretty high death rate associated with it. Not bueno.
I should stop complaining though, I am lucky enough to have a world class education and will no doubt find something worth while to do with it.
In the meanwhile, I am keeping calm by drinking lots of tea, because I am getting sick because Tufts is currently a germ infested hole, no doubt caused by midterms concentrating everyone in the library without much ventilation. I went to Buddhist mediation at the Greater Boston Buddhist Community Center today which was pretty cool too, except we didn't actually meditate much, just listened to a buddhist nun talk about certain ideas for practice. And I am listening to this awesome mellow Chilean guitarist chap, Manuel Garcia, over and over and over.
http://youtu.be/mS5ODsIlWqI
Just staying calm and trying to get things done, because there is just nothing else that I can do, except try and control my destiny to the best of my ability.
One more tidbit: If you are in Buddhist temple, it is generally considered disrespectful to point/ stretch out your feet directly towards the Buddha statue representations. Oops. At least I know now.
Anyway, this means that for now I am trying to apply for more competitive things. Which I don't like. Because I lost all my competitiveness last semester when I had to assimilate to a society that values solidarity and group work. I jest. Basically though, I dislike this because it seems like a waste of time to apply to internships with basic description that sound like:
"Seeking dedicated unpaid labor to do office work most of the time, although there's a chance you may get a chance to do something cool for a bit. Maybe. I mean you'll be working for us for 50 hours a week so.....By the way, we did mention we can't pay you anything whatsoever, right? And good luck finding a cheap apartment round here. To apply for this amazing opportunity, send us 2 copies of your resumé, some other form, an official transcript, a 5 page writing sample (like we'll read it), 3 references, a cover letter, blood samples. Preference will be given to applicants who are willing offer us their firstborn child."
After being frustrated by the fact that I am about as likely to get any of those as I was to get into an Ivy, I ran some internet searches on some other ideas. Mining policy came to mind. Until I googled mining activism and found that the first 3 pages of results were people who had been assassinated. Not very reassuring. Probably any career that hypothetically sounds really cool has a pretty high death rate associated with it. Not bueno.
I should stop complaining though, I am lucky enough to have a world class education and will no doubt find something worth while to do with it.
In the meanwhile, I am keeping calm by drinking lots of tea, because I am getting sick because Tufts is currently a germ infested hole, no doubt caused by midterms concentrating everyone in the library without much ventilation. I went to Buddhist mediation at the Greater Boston Buddhist Community Center today which was pretty cool too, except we didn't actually meditate much, just listened to a buddhist nun talk about certain ideas for practice. And I am listening to this awesome mellow Chilean guitarist chap, Manuel Garcia, over and over and over.
http://youtu.be/mS5ODsIlWqI
Just staying calm and trying to get things done, because there is just nothing else that I can do, except try and control my destiny to the best of my ability.
One more tidbit: If you are in Buddhist temple, it is generally considered disrespectful to point/ stretch out your feet directly towards the Buddha statue representations. Oops. At least I know now.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Translating...Or not.
While trying in vain to find something in Spanish that hasn't been translated into English for a final project, I came across this interesting article. Words are so great. yeah. Ok, back to finding something global scholarship has neglected to render bilingually.
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/
Una noche, una noche toda llena de murmullos, de perfumes y de músicas de alas
Nighttime is fast becoming my favorite time of day.
I read somewhere once that in the middle ages (or some time long ago and far removed) that people used to sleep in two shifts, waking up midway through the night to get up, walk around, even socialize. According to Ingrid from my internship in Chile, the Mapuche believe that 3 in the morning is a time of the day with magical characteristics.
So clearly, I'm not completely alone (read: insane) in thinking there is something especially beautiful about this time of the night: the lights of Boston sparkle from the lookout on the library roof, looking different every time, invigorating cold air rushes against my face as I bike home, everything is absolutely calm and still.
And now on to "hacer tutto." 40 winks, shut eye, what have you.
I read somewhere once that in the middle ages (or some time long ago and far removed) that people used to sleep in two shifts, waking up midway through the night to get up, walk around, even socialize. According to Ingrid from my internship in Chile, the Mapuche believe that 3 in the morning is a time of the day with magical characteristics.
So clearly, I'm not completely alone (read: insane) in thinking there is something especially beautiful about this time of the night: the lights of Boston sparkle from the lookout on the library roof, looking different every time, invigorating cold air rushes against my face as I bike home, everything is absolutely calm and still.
And now on to "hacer tutto." 40 winks, shut eye, what have you.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Newly Annointed Late Night Library Theme Song...
"At home she's looking for interest
At home she's looking for interest
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process"
........................................
"At home she feels like a tourist
She fills her head with culture
She gives herself an ulcer
Why make yourself so anxious
You give yourself an ulcer"
Gang of Four, "At Home He Feels Like a Tourist"
There is no better song I can think of to describe late night study here.
At home she's looking for interest
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process
She said she was ambitious
So she accepts the process"
........................................
"At home she feels like a tourist
She fills her head with culture
She gives herself an ulcer
Why make yourself so anxious
You give yourself an ulcer"
Gang of Four, "At Home He Feels Like a Tourist"
There is no better song I can think of to describe late night study here.
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