High School Science Fair!

Today I had the awesome privilege of getting to judge at an 8th grade science fair!  I got roped into the job by being friends with a Chicago native who ran into another Chicago native at a bar and is now a school teacher… after learning that I too have a science background, I had my invitation.

Arriving at the school and looking around the classrooms was a pretty nostalgic trip.  There were maps of the U.S. from different eras, a big box that said “I was absent.” to turn in homework, 50+ battered copies of the same book, and a gigantic chalkboard with assignments written on it.  It was great to pass the biology classroom, it had a bunch of half-finished experiements on the long black tables, plants growing in terrariums under spotlights, and diagrams of biological structures tacked up on the walls.

The fair itself was fantastic!  I had three students to judge and I was really impressed by their presentations.  At this level you can still see the bare structure they make their speeches from, the basic science behind their theories, and the data processing they crunch out to make multiple graphs.  Some were more enthusiastic than others, some had more background knowledge, but all were entertaining and fun.  In the end, there is no “winner,” it was more of a learning day for them, to research a topic, perform an experiment, prepare a poster, and finally to give an oral presentation.

I’m not gonna lie, my favorite presentation was a girl who washed her hands with different soaps and cultured what remained on her hands.  When I got assigned to her, I was so excited!  Me, a girl with a B.S. in Microbiology about to graduate from medical school judging something that combines my 2 scientific strengths!!!  In a way, I was jealous of them, having so much cool stuff to learn in their futures!  Part of me wishes I could go back to high school and learn biology all over again 🙂

Senioritis

Now in my last full month of medical school, I am finding it easy to deal with my lack of motivation. When I started my clerkships a year and a half ago, I worked my ass off. I kept working my ass off all year… and along with my fellow classmates, discovered through the joy of standardized evaluations that practically no one notices. Sadly, this is the way it tends to be and so you discover how to work less and yet learn the same amount.

My rotation now is awesome and I’ve learned a ton (which is mostly stuff I’ve learned and forgot!) I know for a fact that once I start my intern year I’ll be jump-started into being a workhorse again and much more responsibility will be placed on me. Knowing that, it’s validation for spending my free time between patients searching for cheap flights to Europe, sending messages through Facebook, or even posting this blog. Oh, bless the person who put Mozilla on the hospital computers…. 🙂 Fourth year rocks!

Amendment:  I felt kinda guilty being almost too honest and telling it like it is about how fourth year goes, but I now have to rephrase that no one notices… after reviewing my fourth year grades, it seems like people do notice!  Maybe only now on more close-knit rotations where you get daily interaction with attendings and they know you want to be there (versus doing required clerkships!)  Someone once told me in college that if you’re not getting good grades your senior year, you picked the wrong major.  If I apply that to medical school, then I’m right where I should be.

Uninformed Voter

I am ashamed to admit that I don’t know which political candidate I should support…  And it’s due to the fact that I haven’t done enough research into which topics I consider most important!!  There are many media outlets I have to take advantage of that I make sure are part of daily living- NPR, a subscription to Newsweek, watching CNN at the gym if I’m doing a cardio day…

But so far I feel like these are only reporting bits and pieces of what I need to know to make a solid decision on who I will vote for.  I was shocked to return to the U.S. after two months abroad and see the candidates bickering at each other like kids!!  After seeing that, I considered voting for the other side…. but going republican is not something I do lightly.

Recently I updated my party affiliation status when renewing my drivers license, and kept the “Democrat” thing going.  So my top 2 are obviously Clinton and Obama.  But I’m not sure how they differ.

I don’t need to like my president.  I just need to feel that they’re doing a good job.  I like that it’s a difficult decision, that I feel like I have a choice between two (possibly three) candidates.  I’m not going to vote for a lesser evil this time, I’ll be voting for someone who I will believe will make our country a better place.  I just need to figure out who it is.

In making this choice, I have to compare the platforms of all 3 candidates on these issues:

• The war:  Stop it, but in a safe way for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. 
• Health Care:  For it.  For everyone… easier access, less bills… I’m okay with increasing taxes for this one.  Especially for kids and preventative visits.  Don’t abandon the sick.
• Immigration:  Why are we persecuting people who are doing exactly what our ancestors did 100-200 years ago?  We have a fantastic country and can deal with sharing.
• Diplomacy:  Our future president needs to reach out and let the rest of the world know we’re not the arrogant war mongers they think we are.

And finally, part of my decision is based on a gut feeling.  Choosing a person for a certain job, whether political or in my own life, always seems to come down to this.  Right now,  I think it’s leaning towards Obama.  He’s young, new blood full of inspiration and (hopefully) free of cynicism… plus I kinda like the gritty personal history.  What made me realize this was thinking “In my own life, would I prefer the old, experienced but removed from the little med students attending doctor to be president of the med school, OR a young, exuberant chief resident who hasn’t lost that idealism after too many years doing administrative work?”  I prefer the person who can still listen to me, who remembers what it’s like to look up at your dreams and wonder.

Surprise to me from myself

I’m actually looking forward to working out every day now, even days I lift weights!  Two weeks ago I never would have thought that.  What, me, lifting and pool running?  No way.

In the past two weeks I’ve kept to a pretty solid cardio/strengthing routine and I think what keeps me upbeat and sticking to it is how it feels at the end of the day… the miracles of exercise are never ending!  More energy, better sleep, craving for healthy foods, appetite easily satiated, better mood, etc. etc.  Yesterday someone passed me and said “what happened, you look so happy!”  “Just came back from the gym,” I said with a smile on my face. 

Who knew there was more to exercise than just running?!

Snow, salt, potholes… and flat tires :(

A few days ago I was running a short errand as it began to snow… hard.  I crawled along with wipers at full swing, barely able to see past the flurry in front of my headlights.  But it was just a quick errand not too far from home and so I pushed on.

With the road appearing as one planar sheet of snow, I wasn’t able to distinguish the foot-deep pothole directly before me until I was right on top of it- but as a seasoned midwest driver, you know do not brake and don’t steer away too hard!  So I sucked in a deep breath of anticipation and bounced right into it… and my car immediately began pulling to the left.  However, optimist Leslie was hoping that it was just the ruts of ice forcing me that way.  Pretty quickly I sensed something was just wrong with my car and pulled over into a residential area.

My tire was shredding all over the snow and smelled of burnt rubber.  Great, just what I need!  It’s dark, cold (10 degrees before accouting for wind chill) and snowing!!  Oh well, I figure I can handle this.  So I pull out my tire repair kit and quickly realize that with this odd swinging mechanism to jack up the car I’ll be here all night.   I call my friend Eileen to help and figure she can give me a lift to Sears where I’ll get another jack.  But when she arrives she brings out a similar jack, a bit more rusted but easier to crank.

As we’re struggling with the jack, a car stops and two guys come out to help.  Thank you Lord for the kindness of Chicagoans!!  Their jack was wayyyyy better and we had the tire changed in no time.  The next day I drove straight over to the Sears Auto Shop and the guys there were amazing about getting my car fixed, even offering to fix my broken headlight.  It might have helped that he noticed my “United States Navy” sticker on my car and we ended up talking about his friends in the Navy, deployment, etc.

Basically I realized that I hated being unprepared for my flat tire.  I know how to change a flat, but hadn’t used my own materials!  So here is what is on my shopping list:

1.)  An easy to crank jack, preferably with an up and down mechanism versus a swinging in a circle mechanism

2.)  A reliable headlamp:  The flashlight worked OK, but it was best when someone else held it and it kept flickering on and off

3.)   Extra gloves with dexterity

4.)  A piece of cardboard to lay down next to the tire so you don’t get soaking wet by the end of it

5.)  A socket wrench with a big long arm

Items 1 and 2 are the most essential, but the rest are helpful! But really the most helpful thing was the people who stopped to see if I needed assistance.  I wished them the greatest karma as I shook their hands and said THANK YOU! … and I hope it comes to them 🙂

A runner lifting weights!

I detest lifting weights. My idea of a good workout is to build up a sweat while getting my heart rate up and enjoying a lot of good scenery… or at least watching some CNN at the gym if it’s a treadmill run. The last time I lifted weights was 3 years ago when my only work colleague was a body builder type who convinced me to try it. Sure, I was sore. But I hated going there… repetitions, sets, the unspoken gym Etiquette, and of course, being the only girl in a room full of mirror-watching boys.

However, I realize that lifting is a necessary evil to truly be fit and prevent injury. Though I ran a marathon a few months ago and recently went hiking in Peru, I wouldn’t say I’m in the best shape of my life! I can’t even do a push up! So I hired a personal trainer to decrypt all those machines for me and help me get over my IT band syndrome.

The first meeting was great! We sat down and I went through my goals, which is primarily to get into a routine that will get me back into military shape. After officer training school 2 years ago I can say that was the best shape of my life- and I want to be able to repeat my personal best physical fitness test numbers (sit ups, push ups, 1.5 mile run).

Then he took me through numerous machines and wrote down how much weight to use, how many repetitions, how many sets. When my knee would begin to hurt, he’d find another machine that wouldn’t aggravate my IT band. After a few months of living with this injury, there is a notable difference in my quad strength!!

And now today after doing the same routine of legs, arms, abs, stretching, I found it much easier to do the sets. It hasn’t even been a week with this being my third time lifting and I’m already noticing that it’s easier to regain my balance while getting out of the car, I have more force when opening a door, or when bending over to the side of a chair my abs can handle it 🙂

Plus this is a better gym than the one I was at 3 years ago (Loyola’s gym is Amazing!!) and I have a lot of friends who work out there too. Which is different for a runner who’s used to working out solo… and it’s kind of nice. Not so boring. Maybe I can do this! Hopefully I can show off when we have our second meeting tomorrow.

“For the record: Strength training before, not after, cardio is better for your heart, reports a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Japanese researchers found that participants who lifted before running had more flexible arteries and improved blood flow after eight weeks, compared with a run-then-lift group (who experienced no such improvement). Why? Lifting can increase blood pressure, which stiffens arteries. Running afterward releases chemicals that cause the arteries to dilate and lower blood pressure, says Robert C. Scott III, M.D., Ph.D., senior staff cardiologist with Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas.” – Women’s Health Magazine March 2008, page 28

Back to the U.S.A.

Getting back home was highly anticipated and yet different… I feel like I literally fell off the face of the earth! What is this “Juno” phenomenon? Oh, the Superbowl is tomorrow? And the democratic primaries… how the candidates have degenerated into schoolchildren!!!! Airport CNN is incredible!!!!

In a way, I have nearly gotten a glimpse of perhaps how the rest of the world sees us. We like things the way we like them… and if we don’t get it watch out!! Northern Americans loooove their independence and freedom of choice. Choice. That means Diet Coke anywhere you want it and a domestic beer to match.

Another way we are different is that -say a sales tag reads “$10.99.” At the register, you don’t question that. But in South America, you immediately try to bargain down before you even know what the price tag reads. “Well… I saw this for 8.99 at the counter just down the street.. what do you say to that?” Thereby positioning yourself to get a deal. In the U.S., bargaining is an underutilized and underappreciated money saving option.

Despite our lack of haggling, I love the U.S. with our low-fat options and get-it-now attitude. We are a culture of go to the gym and be healthy or else get lipo for the same effect. It’s fantastic! Only now do I see how incredibly demanding consumers we are, and now I can appreciate that in myself. Whereas in Peru I was fine with waiting in line for 1 hour to save 2 dollars, I find myself getting irritated after 2 minutes at the post office. Self checkout is another amazing technological advance to our culture. And the options in cell phones!! My Verizon Wireless new Chocolate has tons of options for wallpaper plus I have yet to meet another person with the same phone… p.s. Having a cell phone is amazing… once I tried to turn mine on again after a two-month withdrawal and use text messaging, I had to stare at my phone for a while before figuring out where the “on” button was.

Seriously, I love this country. Sure, we overpay for tons of stuff… groceries, clothes, hotels… but you get what you pay for. A motto to live by. When shelling out five bucks, I know that it’s worth it. I also know that a taxi cab to O’hare should cost around $30 if I’m lucky and it takes me 40 minutes to get downtown via the Eisenhower after 6 PM (including finding a parking spot) and that I can trust Mexican food here is authentic Mexican food… guacamole means I want my damn guac with chips and salsa!! In five minutes or I’ll be asking for it again!!! Get it to our table Now!  And what happened to our beers, we ordered 3 minutes ago!!

5.) 5 days in Cuzco, 1 in Arequipa, 1 in Arica

This blog was written a while back but I only got around to posting now. Basically it’s my trip after the Inca Trail!

After the tour of Machu Picchu and getting a bus into the nearby town of Agua Calientes, I just about cried with sadness in looking at all the crowded shops and restaurants. No longer quiet and at peace with the environment, everyone is out to make a buck or grab a souvenir. But that may seem hypocritical, as I immediately had to use the ATM in order to pay for my own lunch (being sure not to drink any un-boiled water or fresh fruits.)

Hopping a train back to Ollantaytambo, being assaulted by corn-and-cheese vendors, then getting a bus to Cuzco was exhausting. Cat ended up getting us a reservation at Hostal Marani, which was a good place to sleep after a long trek. We all met up at Paddy Flaherty´s right by the Plaza de Armas, which is a really good place to go for a taste of home and to enjoy a Guinness at the highest Irish-owned pub in the world! When that bar closed down, we went over to Mythology and danced all night 🙂

Plaza de Armas, Cusco Paddy Flaherty’s!

In the morning, my brother and I went to meet our cousins at their place, Hostal Acostas, where they had nothing bad to say about the place. They had made reservations for us at Hostal Tu Hogar, which I DO NOT recommend!!!! We ate lunch at this absolutely fantastic café, one of the best places I have ever found, called Café Buen Pastor with really great empanadas and pastries- this I HIGHLY recommend 🙂 The rest of the day we spent buying our boletas turisticas (35 soles with an ISIC card) touring 3 of the Cusco museums, my favourite of which was the Museo Historico Regional with some cool Inca jewellery. We also went to this covered market full of locals with an open-air butchery that I only advise going to if you have a strong stomach!! But there´s also fruit and vegetable vendors, flower vendors, dirt-cheap food benches (I wouldn´t call them restaurants, maybe food stands all lined up on a table) and an artisan market in the same building.

We ate dinner at this place called Pachamama`s, which was just okay. Then we went for drinks with the Irish girls at this place called Kamikaze, which was great until the live music got too loud and we went back to Paddy´s. My brother and I then spent the night at Hostal Tu Hogar, but immediately changed in the morning to Hostal Albergue Municipal, which was a huge improvement!

My brother and I were feeling a bit sick so took this day pretty slow and met up altogether for dinner at Café Allayu on the Plaza. I then went to write in my journal at this great café on the Plaza Regocijo while my brother took my cousins out for a beer. In the morning, our cousins switched to our hostal and we took a taxi (10-15 soles) out to the ruins outside of Cusco, spending the day touring each one as we walked back to town. The most impressive one was Sacsayhuayman, only a 20 minute walk from our hostal! We then went on to the Native Dance theater (Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo Danzas Folkloricas) which is included in our tourist ticket… be sure to arrive 30 min. ahead of time to get a good seat. Afterwards we went for dinner at Ama Lur, which has the coldest Cusqueñas in town 🙂
Lunch at Q’engo ruins Guinea Pig farm by Puca Pucara

Sacsahuayman- those walls are huge!!

My brother and I needed to finish off our tourist tickets, so we went to the Pachacutec Tower after getting our bus tickets to Arequipa. We walked to the nearby Artisan market to finish off our gift shopping, getting some pretty good deals! My brother and I also toured the final museum and met up with our cousins at this great internet café (1 sol per hour) by The Point Hostel that has Skype to call home. Dinner was at a place called Tabasco, which I highly recommend! It´s kind of hidden behind the plaza but we found it while trying to find Victor Victoria, which was recommended to us. There are two of them, the one also known as Pepe-something is where we went… and tried to return to for lunch the next day but was closed so we went to the pasta place next door and my brother had cuy, or Guinea pig. Afterwards we all went to the Museo Inka (Inca Museum) which you have to pay 10 soles but is totally worth it.

Monumento Pachacuteq

We took an overnight bus to Arequipa, Peru (23 soles is way too cheap-the bus was terrible!) and stayed at the Arequipay Backpacker´s Hostel, which is pretty good, though had no hot water. We arrived in the morning and spent the rainy day touring the Santa Catalina Convent (which is 30 soles) and got a guide (50 soles) which was pretty cool. Afterwards, we went to the museum where the Ice Princess, Juanita, is usually on display but is in a restoration period now. But we still got to see some damn cool stuff!! My Moon Handbook recommended this place called Ary Quepay-which is a bit of a trek from the Plaza- but we all had a really great dinner there. We had two bottles of good Chilean wine, two appetizers, my cousin ordered some tasty ostrich while the rest of us had alpaca, we all had a dessert, plus some really great live music- all for about 200 soles! That´s equivalent to $66. Nice 🙂 We kept the drinking going while going to another Irish pub (so shoot me- I like Irish pubs!) and playing pool all night while drinking Arequipeña beer (not as good as Cusqueña though).

Sillar rock at the monastery

In the morning we took a bus back to Tacna, crossed the border again via taxi (if you have coca leaves, be sure to throw them away before crossing the Chilean checkpoint!) and entered Arica.

My cousin had read about camping on the beach but we were told there were no tents for rent. I had read about Sunny Days Hostel but it was full so we ended up staying at Hostal End of the Trail (Hostal Fin del Camino – appropriate, huh?). If you go to Arica, STAY IN THIS HOSTAL!!!! [frwmb@msn.com, 56-58-314316]The owner is this totally awesome guy named Franklin who built the place with his bare hands, is a Vietnam vet and ex-professional skier, built this luxurious bathroom (includes soap and toilet paper! Wow!) plus served a 5-star breakfast, all right by the beach. As my brother stayed in sick and talked to Franklin all night, my cousins and I went to the main drag and had dinner (eh.) plus got some ice cream and I brought empanadas back to my brother. My cousins stayed out to climb the Morro, but we all woke up in the morning and taxi´d back to the bus terminal. After my cousin realized he left his glasses, here comes Franklin on his bike to the terminal with glasses in hand. I really have never had better service!

Now after a 30 hour bus ride we´re all back in Santiago, Chile and sharing photos with our aunt and uncle, doing laundry and checking email. It´s sad to think this trip is winding down! But it´s nice to wear clean-smelling clothes for the first time in a few weeks J

4. Machu Picchu- Day 4 of Inca Trail

Waking up wayyyy too early, we packed up and got in line to enter the Machu Picchu part of the trail. It rained non stop. Hiking up to the ruins of Inti Punku was at one point more like scaling a wall than climbing stairs, but at the top we got our first sight of Machu Picchu through some rain and clouds. It wasn´t quite what I expected… there, within sight is what we´ve been walking towards for days, and yet part of me is sad. Maybe because it means that the end of this trek is within sight of being over.

Yet we kept plodding on through wind and rain and being wet towards one of the 7 Great Wonders of the World. On the trail, there were some large stone structures but it was a false alarm, not yet Machu Picchu. We finally entered Machu Picchu and it felt like more of the same Inca Trail we had been walking the past few days. However, though I had definitely been colder and wetter before on the trail, the only time I got chills was gazing over the vast expanse of Machu Picchu, realizing exactly what I was looking at… the lost city of the Incas.

Then we started encountering people who had just stepped off the train. Wow. That was a huge emotional clash for me and other members of our group. By now, we don´t much notice the rain, and all these cleanly dressed, fresh-from-pricey-hotels tourists with their brand new embroidered Machu Picchu hats are complaining loudly about how it´s raining and wet. Don´t you see how huge and incredible this place is? The rain is part of the experience! I felt sorry for them, all arguing amongst themselves and huddling under umbrellas, grumbling about being cold.

After an overpriced breakfast at the Machu Picchu café, our spirits brighted up once we were isolated together as a group again. We found ourselves laughing at all points of the tour and later people mentioned how they could hear us at a distance and wondered who was so happy to be laughing all over Machu Picchu? At one point, we were all humming into trapezoidal alcoves to hear the echo… though kept being interrupted when we´d break into giggles… and turned around to find people looking at us like we were crazy, videotaping us, then continue on with their frowns turned into smiles. Hopefully our happiness was contagious!

This part of our trek was hurried. There are so many tours and tourists and groups shuffling around that you can only spend so long at one point, which was different for us. We had gotten used to taking our time, not looking at our watches, appreciating the view, and now we´re being herded here and there and being pushed to the next “highlight” of Machu Picchu. I saw people who didn´t even look at the ruins… just kept their eyes glued to their camcorder display. As though the photos they´d show back home were more important than actually being here. They looked depressed.

Finally the rain let up and other brightly colored clean tourists began to pep up. My brother and I had to find our cousins, so split from our group. As they were feeling a bit crowded, the other three girls basically ended up sitting in a remote section of Machu Picchu overlooking the Urubamba river, enjoying the silence and the view overlooking our mascot mountain, the Happiness mountain.

The trek was incredible, amazing, and I´d do it again in a heartbeat. The worst part was the tourists at the end. Machu Picchu itself is breathtakingly beautiful, yet what is supposed to be a spiritual experience was tainted by the crowded presence of people who infected the air with disappointment. Only when we were able to get back together and regain our collective excitement, enjoy the site for its rain and wind and green grass and mists and remnants of Inca spirit, was I able to truly be in this place and love it for the people who brought me here, the people who constructed it, and keep a sacred place in my mind reserved for the end of this Camino del Inca.

3.) Camino del Inka, my favorite Day!

Today was all downhill, which was murder on my IT band. At least the first part of the day was through some beautiful, beautiful rain forest where thousands of species of orchids are known to bloom. If you went slowly enough and looked around, you could occasionally see ones growing along the trail, next to hanging moss and occasional holly. The slopes beside the trail were steep and filled with clouds, making you feel like you were walking along the edge of the world.

I had some walking sticks purchased precisely for the purpose of crutches at the downhill spots, which served me well here on Day 3. At times I would have to descend one at a time, creating much more work on my right quad, which has already been taxed for having to compensate my left knee the first 2 days. Though there were times my right leg would shake with fatigue, I loved every minute of it!! It wouldn´t be fun if I weren´t pushing myself to my limits.

We briefly stopped at a ruin called Choquesuysuy before descending further to our campsite, where a hot shower and beer were waiting. After washing up, our group walked 10 minutes to Wiña Wayna, which ended up being our favourite site… and that includes Machu Picchu. I think it was our favourite because we were all able to enjoy it together, just our group, in silence. Jaime told us about his ancestors who carried the soil under our feet all the way up from the Sacred Valley on their backs to this site, where they think that the microclimates created by the levels and curves of terraces was a sort of agricultural laboratory for the Incas.

Wina Wayna Snow caps in background

Wine at Wina Wayna
The day before, at Sayacmarca, Jaime became visibly emotional when describing how vast and proud a people the Incas were before all came crashing down in a few years of sweeping death and conquest. Now, here at these peaceful ruins with the people who had inspired me to keep pushing and with people who I had shared jokes with, shared stories, and shared precious water, we all raised a toast with red wine (provided by Jaime!) to the incredible Incas who were crazy enough to build this intense Camino del Inka and construct such a beautiful site.
Then we went back to the campsite and bar and drank Cusqueña beer, danced the night away and went to sleep with anticipation of reaching Machu Picchu in the morning.