Keeping true to my word

For all of you who aren’t super spellers, I will let you in on the fact that in every post I have multiple words misspelled. I write in word, which has a spellchecker - it even catches when I write it’s instead of its or then instead of than, but it doesn’t catch everything. I will admit that I don’t read the entire post after I finish it. I justify it by saying that in that way the post is really a stream of consciousness and that I don’t have a chance to delete and edit what I thought to write down. That is true, but also, by the time I finish writing, I just want to upload it already. As they say here “Done and done!”
The reason I know I make spelling mistakes is that for each post there is at least one person that writes me back and informs me of the spelling mistakes. Sometimes I do go back and change them, if it’s really something where the word was just misspelled in the simplest way. But if it’s more that I misspoke or made up a phrase or something like that, I just leave it. The blog is written in my voice and sometimes that voice isn’t perfect.
In response to yesterday’s blog somebody commented that I wrote I was “tiered” (should be tired), initially I went to change it, but then I thought about the fact that in a way (that is grammatically wrong) I could describe myself as tiered (as having layers upon layers of assignments and responsibilities on my shoulders) and then it even fits in as part of the excuse I use not to go to the gym. So I left it in.
One last thing before I end (I did say that if I write everyday these blogs won’t be so long). Last night the clock moved forward here and it’s causing me frustration right now. You see I pride myself on getting up early. Not only is it part of who I am, it’s also my justification for going to bed early. Since it’s the weekend I let myself sleep in and got up at 7:30 am. But by the time I was downstairs (where both the computer clock and the clock on the DVR change automatically) it was already 8:35. So now I have all these things that I always do Sunday morning, that I’m already late in doing. :)

petitio principii

I have a very vivid memory of my mom, sitting in the kitchen of the house that we lived in in Maryland (11703 Greenlane Dr.), writing a letter to her mom.  She’s sitting at the kitchen table – a heavy round wooden table, the room is lit in neon lights, the floor is a laminate blue and off-white checkered floor and she’s writing a letter on a special kind of paper that you would fold into three and it itself would become the envelope.  I remember it was blue.  When I picture it in my head I even think of my mom’s hand writing, and how it’s always so round and neat and the line always straight, despite the fact that the paper was blank. 

The reason I remember this so distinctly is because this was something that would happen every day.  Every single day my mom would right to her mom and tell her what happened to us that day. 

I recalled this whole thing last week and thought to myself that I should start doing the same thing.  Not writing an actual letter but blogging every day.  This was I could let you guys (my captive following) in on the small details, rather than not blogging about the big things, or writing huge ginormous blogs because I need to explain context etc. There are other things I promised myself I’d do (like spend 30 min a day at the gym, since I’m getting pretty ginormous too).  Well, needless to say that neither happened.  I’ve been finding really good excuses for the gym part, and then using that as an excuse for the blogging part.  But since now I’m sitting at Sage and not going to the gym (I’m really tiered and my legs hurt) I thought at least I would blog.  Maybe if I start doing this every day, I’ll actually go to the gym everyday too. 

Meaningful conversation - who would of thought?

I had planned to write an angst filled post.  I was majorly and very un-productively frustrated, so I started writing.  I didn’t get around to finishing it.  And then a couple of days went by and something a lot more interesting and a lot less depressing came up.  I figured it would make a much better post.

The context for this is a team project I’m doing with 3 classmates that involves extensive market research concerning immigrants to Canada.  In thinking about questions to ask for our survey, I had suggested the question “How do you define your identity?” (or something along those lines).  One team member who is black said she doesn’t think it’s a good question because people wouldn’t necessarily reply with a cultural identification and gave herself as an example.  She would not think of saying “I’m black, I’m American, I’m a woman”, but would most likely give character traits.  My initial reply was to say that if that was the answer someone would give, it would certainly tell us something about his cultural identity as an immigrant.  She at that time insisted we phrase the question as “What is your cultural identity?”.  At the time I didn’t see the point of continuing the discussion about it and standing my ground (though I will when we actually come to the final version of the questionnaire), but back to the point – even when we had finished up, I was still pondering her response and how it was completely opposite of what I expected it to be.  Obviously some of my surprise was due to stigmas that I have about American-educated-black-women (I wonder now if that is the right order to describe this group) but part of it was because she is part of both the Women’s Management Council and the Black Students’ Association. 

So today I talked with her about it.  It was really interesting.  I had wondered if it’s an effect of growing up in a multi-cultural society, or maybe just the opposite.  I don’t think we really got down to the bottom of it (it was after all a Sage Social), but part of what she said I really related to: She said that it had always really bothered her to be automatically associated with the “African American” group.  As though she had to be friends with them despite not really having anything in common with them.  And added that while she is for the general cause, on a personal level of interaction, it was something she chose not to do.  She also said that on those same lines she didn’t like the term “African American” because it forced her into a cultural connection that she didn’t really have (neither she, her parents or her grandparents have ever been to Africa), and it’s not as though white people recognize themselves as Irish American or German American.  

Read the fine print => Listen to what is said quickly

One of the freaky differences between Israel and the USA are the commercials for pharmaceuticals.  Israel has its share of commercials for over the counter drugs (Head ache medication, strep throat drops, etc.).  In the US there are also commercials for prescription only drugs.  But one of the reasons these drugs are prescription only, is because they have a lot of side effects.  It turns out that drug companies have to say those side effects during the commercial.  This makes for some very, very strange text.  I think my favorite is a recent anti-psoriases drug that in some cases can cause death.  Here, for your pleasure is the text:

Man voiceover: I hate psoriases

Woman voiceover: Love Clearer skin

Man voiceover: Forget the embarrassment

Woman voiceover: And the flaking

Man voiceover: Humira can help clear you moderate to severe psoriases.   In one clinical trial for psoriases 7 out of 10 patients taking Humira saw 75% skin clearness and 6 out of 10 patients had clear or almost clear skin16 weeks.

Woman2 voiceover: Humira can lower your body’s ability to fight infections.  Some people have had serious infections including tuberculosis and infections that spread throughout the body.  Some of these serious infections have been fatal, so tell your doctor right away if you’ve had tuberculosis or hepatitis B, if you are prone to infection or if you get an infection.  Do not start Humira if you have an infection such as an open sore or flu.  Certain type of cancer – non- melanoma skin and  lymphoma, and blood disorders, nervous system disorders, serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure have occurred.  

Woman voiceover: Hate covering up?

Man voiceover: Love seeing a difference!

Woman voiceover: Talk to your doctor about psoriasis treatment options.  Ask whether Humira may be right for you.  Today!

You can check it out for yourself here.  You’ll also find there multiple testimonials about the drug (the one I randomly selected wasn’t very positive to say the least).

Liar, Liar (your pants are on fire, but I'm not going to tell you)

The line between lying and not telling the truth is blurry anywhere you go around the world. But it seems that so many people here don't tell you the truth, that I can't help feeling as though they are all a bunch of liars.

One example is the weight issue - this is something that I contemplated before coming her: So there are a lot of "large" people here. And I often think: Do they not feel socially uncomfortable with it? And initially I answered my self: "Well, since it's so common, it's sort of a norm, and people don't judge it so harshly. But the truth is that fat people are used for comedic purposes in plenty of TV shows and movies. And why would people find it funny if it was so acceptable?

Here is another example: At the beginning of the year, a Professor gave a lecture ad the price tag was still hanging from her shirt. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to see it, but nobody (including the 2 sessions she had taught before mine bothered to go up and tell her). Obviously no-one (as far as I know) only mocked her. But inside? So why not tell her? Is it better to let her go on like that, and have other people think bad things of her?

Here is another example: It turns out, that my hat leaves a little red line across my forehead when I wear it for too long. The other day I came to school, as I entered (after taking off my hat) I met a classmate. We talked for 5-10 minutes. She did not say a thing. Why not say something? Why not allow me to do some damage control? Why allow me to look like a bit of a clown before other people too? Maybe having a red line across your forehead isn't seen in such a negative way here? Yea right - That's why comic writers are able to get a laugh when they have a character walking around with grill marks or drool marks somewhere on their heads.

Here is another example: Uri cooked for someone. Before, he sat down and suggested the menu, then proceeded to cook exactly what was agreed upon. The feedback he got: There was too much meat, we eat more tofu. So why OK the menu? Why not say - Don't cook 2 kinds of poultry, and cook some tofu instead?

This is the sound of me letting off steam. :)

Mornings in Ithaca

Ithaca's Chef at Home

To those of you who haven’t seen it, Uri has his own website now: http://www.ithacaschefathome.blogspot.com 

So now that he's a professional - we decided to invest in some equipment (it's deductable - no?)

Thus we present: The Knife

Here presented in it's natural form (ie, in the midst of Uri cooking), the Shun Onion is the latest addition to our house.  Its Kligon-like nature is a homage to Uri's fondness of Sci-Fi and my slight Trekkie tendencies. Uri claims it's the most comfortable knife he has.  Personally, I can't cut with it.  I guess it really a knife for pros.

Oh - and the real reason we got it was Uri's 30th birthday :)