Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
09 April, 2013
the land of enchantment
Our recent trip to New Mexico was truly enchanting. I find myself returning to certain moments in my mind; like I've made little souvenirs out of the smell of sage pulled off a desert bush mingled with burning wood, and the image of pink rock layered with orange buildings and blue sky. It does feel like there is a muse lurking in that landscape - but maybe I just want to identify with Georgia O'Keefe, who never tired of painting a little door in Abiquiu and rafted the Colorado River at the age of 74. The week was also laced with juniper berries, poems by Anne Carson, and friendship. You can read about a few more details I shared on the travel website Afar.
03 July, 2012
sharing travel stories
Part of what I love about traveling is looking for great places to go while I'm there - the best gelato in Italy, a private art gallery, a beautiful rooftop view. This website is a great forum for travelers to find these kinds of recommendations. I've posted a few of my own highlights from my time in Freiburg & Berlin.
I've also uploaded a few video clips. They could use some more work - I'm afraid you will have to put up with the sound of me panting as I climb a hill - but it's a fun way to save and share memories. I used a fun iPhone app called 8mm to record them.
I've also uploaded a few video clips. They could use some more work - I'm afraid you will have to put up with the sound of me panting as I climb a hill - but it's a fun way to save and share memories. I used a fun iPhone app called 8mm to record them.
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| a few photos from Berlin |
21 May, 2012
beautiful bookstore
We kind of have a thing for books. Along with our library, my appreciation of books themselves has grown. I began to notice how some books just feel better in your hands than others - they are just the right size, have just the right laxity to their binding, and the pages are just the right thickness. Others are admirable for the type-setting of the cover and the font of the text. Finding just the right combination of text, image, and color is certainly an art. Placing several books from the same publisher side-by-side adds a whole new dimension to book aesthetics. And of course, I never tire of finding a used book with some antique inscription on the front cover (an absolute must in my mind when gifting a book), or an old strip of newspaper stuck inside, a forgotten bookmark.
One of Ian's most exciting finds before my arrival in Freiburg was a bookstore, and I joked that when he showed me around the city all I would see was bookstores. I have in fact been to at least 5. However, the Buchhandlung zum Wetzstein is certainly worth returning to again and again. Just being inside of this bookstore feels nice. The books are tastefully arranged amongst photographs of famous authors and various small sculptures, paintings, and beautiful quotes hand-written by somebody who works there. I love this wall of colorful books. All of the same height and width, all with a different beautiful pattern that somehow is associated with the title or the subject matter, many of them classics.
If you ever are in Freiburg, please visit this place. Even if you can't read German. When you walk in at least two people will say "Guten Tag" and ask if they can help you. Don't miss the case of facsimiles and first editions, or the back room full of signed and rare books. It's one of the few places where I have heard people say "Aufwiedersehen". When we walked out today, we each received such a lovely farewell from each of the 3 people working there. That's 6 Aufwiedersehen's, which is 24 syllables. These people love books so much that they also love all other book-lovers.
Of course, Ian has found and purchased some really great books here, including a few that he couldn't find elsewhere and they kindly ordered for him. He is already trying to figure out how he is going to get everything home and still has 2 months left!
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| Reading in the Biergarten -- too good to wait! |
17 May, 2012
university rap
To be honest, all this studying really wears on one more than I expected. I mean, it's taking me several more hours of burying my head in a book each day than I had hoped for, to stay on schedule. I could go on and on about all the psychological and emotional stress of medical school and preparing for this scary exam, but I'll save that for another day.
Instead, I will tell you about the inspiring hour-and-a-half that I spent studying at the Freiburg University. I needed a change of scenery and decided to go into the city with Ian for his evening lecture on Heidegger. What makes it so very cool, is that this lecture happens to be going on in the very same classroom that Martin Heidegger used to lecture in himself. I know, this isn't very exciting for somebody who doesn't know much about this philosopher - or anything, for that matter, as I certainly would not if it weren't for marrying a philosophy student. Suffice it to say that many would consider him the greatest philosopher of the 20th century.
A lecture at Freiburg Universität was, indeed, everything I had hoped for. The classroom slowly filled with young grunge-hipsters of the German sort and overly-composed retired intellects, quite the contrast to say the least. Finally the professor entered, with a boyish smile and a head full of windswept gray hair, flirting with his scandalously young girlfriend as he approached the lectern. He fit the bill perfectly - his glasses with thin round frames did nothing to hide his frequent left-sided facial tic; his stylish and well-fitted tweed sport coat (handkerchief and
all) was offset by the rather less-stylish wide navy blue tie and basic button-down.
Of course, I could hardly understand what he had to say, so I read about endocrinology. But I managed to notice that the room was engaged and entertained enough to offer the occasional chuckle at his anecdotes. The lecture was concluded not with applause, but with a chorus of rapping knuckles on the desks.
Instead, I will tell you about the inspiring hour-and-a-half that I spent studying at the Freiburg University. I needed a change of scenery and decided to go into the city with Ian for his evening lecture on Heidegger. What makes it so very cool, is that this lecture happens to be going on in the very same classroom that Martin Heidegger used to lecture in himself. I know, this isn't very exciting for somebody who doesn't know much about this philosopher - or anything, for that matter, as I certainly would not if it weren't for marrying a philosophy student. Suffice it to say that many would consider him the greatest philosopher of the 20th century.
A lecture at Freiburg Universität was, indeed, everything I had hoped for. The classroom slowly filled with young grunge-hipsters of the German sort and overly-composed retired intellects, quite the contrast to say the least. Finally the professor entered, with a boyish smile and a head full of windswept gray hair, flirting with his scandalously young girlfriend as he approached the lectern. He fit the bill perfectly - his glasses with thin round frames did nothing to hide his frequent left-sided facial tic; his stylish and well-fitted tweed sport coat (handkerchief and
all) was offset by the rather less-stylish wide navy blue tie and basic button-down.
Of course, I could hardly understand what he had to say, so I read about endocrinology. But I managed to notice that the room was engaged and entertained enough to offer the occasional chuckle at his anecdotes. The lecture was concluded not with applause, but with a chorus of rapping knuckles on the desks.
14 May, 2012
downtown Freiburg
I have only spent one day in downtown Freiburg. Actually, only half of one. It's pretty sad, but I'm trying my best to accept that that's just the way things are for now and it's just for a limited time. 28 days actually.
Freiburg is much livelier than I had expected, at least in comparison to our quiet neighborhood on the edge of the Black Forest. Close to half the street traffic is probably people on bicycles, so there are bike lanes everywhere! We really just wandered about the city without a plan (or as we would say in German, wir sind gebummelt), but the day was filled with many little pleasantries. Like stumbling upon the former home of philosopher Edmund Husserl,
or unexpectedly interesting spots around the university.
Hmm.. what else have I got? I didn't bring my camera, just my iPhone, but here are a few more pictures for you. Hopefully, soon I will return to the city and will have more of a story to tell.
Freiburg is much livelier than I had expected, at least in comparison to our quiet neighborhood on the edge of the Black Forest. Close to half the street traffic is probably people on bicycles, so there are bike lanes everywhere! We really just wandered about the city without a plan (or as we would say in German, wir sind gebummelt), but the day was filled with many little pleasantries. Like stumbling upon the former home of philosopher Edmund Husserl,
or unexpectedly interesting spots around the university.
Hmm.. what else have I got? I didn't bring my camera, just my iPhone, but here are a few more pictures for you. Hopefully, soon I will return to the city and will have more of a story to tell.
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| Münster Cathedral |
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| Beer, of course. |
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| sitting on the steps |
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| of Augustiner Platz |
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| where they even have an Occupy movement. |
08 May, 2012
schwarzwald rain showers
I will be spending the next 6 weeks in Europe. Mostly in Freiburg, studying for the USMLE Step 1. Ian is taking a semester of classes at the Albert Ludwigs Universität, which was more than enough of an excuse for me to come along.
It's a short walk into the Black Forest from our apartment, where we have gone almost every day. It really is a fairytale land. On Sunday we took a path that led up to a clearing, offering a gorgeous view of houses nestled into the hillside. As soon as we reached the top of the hill we saw that there were huge rainclouds headed our way. We decided to keep walking anyway, figuring that we would get wet even if we did turn back. We managed to take a bit of refuge under some trees and didn't get too wet after all. It was amazing to watch this storm pass over the distant city, temporarily disrupting our view of the buildings, and finally to clear once again to bright blue skies and chirping birds.
31 August, 2011
return to italy
I took my first combined neuroscience & pharmacology exam of the year on Monday. Tuesday it was right back to classes from 7:30 am - 1:30 pm, followed, of course, by more studying. I feel like I'm still recovering, but at the same time I'm already worried about getting behind on this next chunk of material. Ahh, medical school. I know, this is what I signed up for. I just need to get over it and stop feeling sorry for myself.
One good thing about an exam is that it gives you a reason to celebrate. I celebrated by bringing a bit of Italy to my kitchen. Right now, the best part of Italy to revisit in my mind is Sora Margherita in the Jewish ghetto of Rhome. I have definitely added this to my list of favorite eating experiences. We ate lunch there on a hot, sunny day. I was very excited to try this restaurant, described as a hole-in-the-wall joint that officially registered as a "club" rather than a restaurant in order to avoid stricter regulations. We knew not to bother looking for a sign and spotted the red curtains across the square. In front was a woman feeding pigeons and a few wooden chairs for waiting customers. We waited on those chairs in the brilliant sun for a good thirty minutes before there was space for us inside.
We walked to the back of a warm, cramped restaurant, past white paper table cloths and full, satisfied faces. In the back corner of the restaurant we started by ordering much-needed cold beers. The waitress didn't speak much English but we managed to understand each other well enough to agree to her suggestion that she bring us the day's specials. This sounded like fun to me, and I would have approximately forty-seven questions about the menu if left to decide for myself. We started with some kind of frittata and an amazing artichoke that had been fried until the leaves were crisp as chips. This was followed by several more plates: a meat ravioli with fresh ricotta and lots of black pepper, giant meatballs with sweet green peas and gravy that happen to be the best meatballs I have ever tasted, a lasagna with red sauce, and I don't remember what else. We joined the ranks of full, satisfied faces.
While Ian and I were in Italy this summer we saw and ate zucchini flowers everywhere. Of course, I had heard of them before but don't think I had ever eaten a zucchini flower or seen one in a grocery store before then. This past weekend Ian spotted some at the Oak Park farmer's market and snatched them up. Perfect timing. I read about many ways to enjoy these treats - raw, torn into a salad, made into pesto, cooked with a soup, roasted... We went for the traditional (decadent) version: stuffed with cheese fried. Yum! It was actually very easy and after glancing at a few different recipes we were able to make them without any direct instruction in front of us. If you have a plant of your own or see them at the market, I would definitely give them a try!
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers Recipe:
12 zucchini flowers
1 egg, whisked
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat)
fontina cheese
fresh herbs, chopped (like oregano, parsley, and basil)
salt and pepper
olive oil
Wash the flowers as well as possible and remove the inner pistil.
Fill each with a pinch of cheese and herbs.
Add some salt and pepper to the flour in a shallow bowl.
Dip flowers in egg and then flour so that they have a light coating.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook over medium-high heat until flowers begin to look a bit crispy.
One good thing about an exam is that it gives you a reason to celebrate. I celebrated by bringing a bit of Italy to my kitchen. Right now, the best part of Italy to revisit in my mind is Sora Margherita in the Jewish ghetto of Rhome. I have definitely added this to my list of favorite eating experiences. We ate lunch there on a hot, sunny day. I was very excited to try this restaurant, described as a hole-in-the-wall joint that officially registered as a "club" rather than a restaurant in order to avoid stricter regulations. We knew not to bother looking for a sign and spotted the red curtains across the square. In front was a woman feeding pigeons and a few wooden chairs for waiting customers. We waited on those chairs in the brilliant sun for a good thirty minutes before there was space for us inside.
We walked to the back of a warm, cramped restaurant, past white paper table cloths and full, satisfied faces. In the back corner of the restaurant we started by ordering much-needed cold beers. The waitress didn't speak much English but we managed to understand each other well enough to agree to her suggestion that she bring us the day's specials. This sounded like fun to me, and I would have approximately forty-seven questions about the menu if left to decide for myself. We started with some kind of frittata and an amazing artichoke that had been fried until the leaves were crisp as chips. This was followed by several more plates: a meat ravioli with fresh ricotta and lots of black pepper, giant meatballs with sweet green peas and gravy that happen to be the best meatballs I have ever tasted, a lasagna with red sauce, and I don't remember what else. We joined the ranks of full, satisfied faces.
While Ian and I were in Italy this summer we saw and ate zucchini flowers everywhere. Of course, I had heard of them before but don't think I had ever eaten a zucchini flower or seen one in a grocery store before then. This past weekend Ian spotted some at the Oak Park farmer's market and snatched them up. Perfect timing. I read about many ways to enjoy these treats - raw, torn into a salad, made into pesto, cooked with a soup, roasted... We went for the traditional (decadent) version: stuffed with cheese fried. Yum! It was actually very easy and after glancing at a few different recipes we were able to make them without any direct instruction in front of us. If you have a plant of your own or see them at the market, I would definitely give them a try!
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers Recipe:
12 zucchini flowers
1 egg, whisked
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat)
fontina cheese
fresh herbs, chopped (like oregano, parsley, and basil)
salt and pepper
olive oil
Wash the flowers as well as possible and remove the inner pistil.
Fill each with a pinch of cheese and herbs.
Add some salt and pepper to the flour in a shallow bowl.
Dip flowers in egg and then flour so that they have a light coating.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook over medium-high heat until flowers begin to look a bit crispy.
06 August, 2011
summer immersion
Loyola created a blog for students to write reflections about their experiences in the summer immersion programs (this is why I was in Bolivia). You can read mine, and my classmates, here.
14 July, 2011
anatomy and art
This summer has been a whirlwind. I feel like I have been not just in multiple countries or continents, but in multiple worlds. Now I'm back in Texas, visiting my family and trying to soak up enough heat and humidity to get me through my next Chicago winter. I'm also trying to mentally prepare myself for second year, about which I have only gotten scary warnings. Actually, I should probably say prepare myself emotionally because I am not planning on doing any studying during these last 2 weeks of summer. I heard one friend mention his plans to review anatomy and physiology this month, while another one spoke of getting a head-start on studying for the Boards. I wish I had never heard them say these things - every time it crosses my mind I feel a tinge of both guilt and panic. Nevertheless, I refuse to pull out any textbooks or old powerpoints until at least the day before classes start.
Okay, now that I'm through with that, here's an attempt to push my mind back towards medicine. A vacation in Italy is actually a great place for this when you think of the earliest anatomists like Leonardo da Vinci. I even got to visit the church where Michelangelo studied cadavers, hiding himself from the rule of the Catholic church with the help of a priest. It is obvious that Michelangelo's anatomical knowledge allowed him to master the human form in sculpture and painting, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to show off a bit, so he snuck some neuroanatomy into the ceiling of the Cistine chapel. The amazing thing is that this was not noticed until the end of the 20th century. In 1990 a paper was published, noting that the cloth around God in the image of God Creating Adam is shaped like a sagittal cross-section of the right brain. More recently, it has been noticed that God's neck in The Separation of Light from Darkness is an uncanny depiction of the brain stem. For pictures and more, read this.
I love it when art and anatomy collide, and it's funny how medicine has changed the things I notice in art. For example, the veins of David's arm are much more interesting than I'm sure they would have been a year ago, and I was really excited when I noticed that this statue had a traumatic auricular hematoma, also known as "cauliflower" or "boxer's" ear.
In fact, it's something you can find all over the place. I came across a fun blog called Street Anatomy when I attended the opening of an art gallery that they hosted at the Museum of Surgeons last year. (I especially enjoyed this post.)
Here's another fun one that I noticed a few years ago on Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
Okay, now that I'm through with that, here's an attempt to push my mind back towards medicine. A vacation in Italy is actually a great place for this when you think of the earliest anatomists like Leonardo da Vinci. I even got to visit the church where Michelangelo studied cadavers, hiding himself from the rule of the Catholic church with the help of a priest. It is obvious that Michelangelo's anatomical knowledge allowed him to master the human form in sculpture and painting, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to show off a bit, so he snuck some neuroanatomy into the ceiling of the Cistine chapel. The amazing thing is that this was not noticed until the end of the 20th century. In 1990 a paper was published, noting that the cloth around God in the image of God Creating Adam is shaped like a sagittal cross-section of the right brain. More recently, it has been noticed that God's neck in The Separation of Light from Darkness is an uncanny depiction of the brain stem. For pictures and more, read this.
I love it when art and anatomy collide, and it's funny how medicine has changed the things I notice in art. For example, the veins of David's arm are much more interesting than I'm sure they would have been a year ago, and I was really excited when I noticed that this statue had a traumatic auricular hematoma, also known as "cauliflower" or "boxer's" ear.
In fact, it's something you can find all over the place. I came across a fun blog called Street Anatomy when I attended the opening of an art gallery that they hosted at the Museum of Surgeons last year. (I especially enjoyed this post.)
Here's another fun one that I noticed a few years ago on Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
25 June, 2011
beauty
As I uploaded pictures of Bolivia I was text-chatting with Ian on Skype. He told me about the theme of his upcoming Philosophy Collegium in Italy, which will deal with art and truth. Here are his words, explaining Kant to me, along with some photographs.
well, when i judge something beautiful
i do not actually say anything about the object whatsoever
but only that my encounter with the object
has presented to my faculty of understanding a sensuous manifold
that cannot be adequately subsumed under a concept
i keep trying to form a concept of the object
and keep failing
well, when i judge something beautiful
i do not actually say anything about the object whatsoever
but only that my encounter with the object
has presented to my faculty of understanding a sensuous manifold
that cannot be adequately subsumed under a concept
i keep trying to form a concept of the object
and keep failing
20 June, 2011
la paz
I am leaving La Paz for want of peace.
As I approach Isla del Sol,
he throws at me coins of light
and I know that I am searching for something else.
Or rather that something is searching for me -
Something that will mellow my inquietude
And fill me with a glowing red love.
Something that will allow me to live from the heart
And heal wounds and souls.
The sun god cried when the pumas ate the people
but he knew that injustice had always existed.
A happy child without a future is still a happy child.
A hungry child is not just a hungry child.
Balance these two things.
You cannot.
So I drift on towards the island,
The sun god warming my core and burning my face.
Maybe that something will find me.
But I suspect the answer to all life's great questions is love.
The rest is just extrapolation and uncertainty.
14 June, 2011
arte en las calles
I now find myself lightly drifting between English and Spanish after making it through my first few weeks abroad. I have also transitioned from language school and the luxury of living with a host family, who washed and ironed my laundry and fed me fresh fruit every morning, to working and living in a house with 15 other medical students, doctors and other personnel. In order to mark this transition my traveling partners and I all decided to spend the weekend in La Paz.
Bolivia continues to fascinate me with its diverse climates, division between peoples and distinctly cultural cities. I'm still tossing it around in my head and trying to decide how to process everything. How much should I share here? In what way - a narrative? an essay? something more artistic?
There are at least 99 ways that La Paz strikes me as being completely different from Cochabamba. One of them is the amount of art work in the streets.
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| Cochabamba |
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| La Paz - this little guy popped up all over the place |
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| Copacabana |
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| La Paz |
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| La Paz |
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| La Paz |
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| La Paz |
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| La Paz |
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| La Paz |
08 June, 2011
06 June, 2011
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