The gargled-razorblade throat is slowly fading away, but the illness is migrating up into my nose and sinuses. I am fighting it all the way. The outcome seems to be as close as the upcoming election.

I have been gulping down tea, juice, water, and any other liquid that happens to cross my path. I also have been ingesting massive doses of vitamin C and a steady stream of zinc. Yesterday I chomped on a Thai chile with the hope that it would scare away the germs. That sucker was deceptive: the bottom half was very mild and the top half was firey hot! It was a good way to clear out my sinuses. Maybe I will eat another one with lunch today.

I have so much to do, yet I seem to be in a fog. Today I am taking my class on another fieldtrip. More on that later.

I think I am going to try a power nap.

I am back from Boston.

And I am sick. My throat feels like I gargled with some razor blades.

At least I had a nice time with Sara.

More later.

I am slowly catching up with films I have wanted to see. I guess the recent kick I have been on has been films that address gender issues. Two in particular have stood out:

• Real Women Have Curves
• Whale Rider

Both were fantastic. They are definitely going on my wishlist. The first one really brought back memories of my childhood in Mexico. Little rhymes such as "Sana, sana, colita de rana" and torturing saint figurines when things are not going your way (a little more incentive for the saint to help you out).

I think I can use these two films in classes I teach, although now I think it would be interesting to put together a course based on films. Not necessarily a film class, but where films are the means for illustrating ideas and fostering discussion.

I just need to get a job - a permanent one. I sent out four applications today. Several more are in the works. I hate writing cover letters and printing them out is a pain. I don't have a printer in my office, so I need to use the collective one for the floor. The problem is that it is on the other side of the building. The cover letters need to go on letterhead, so I need to walk all the way over to the printer, put the letterhead in, run back to my office to send the document, all the while hoping no one else on the floor sends a print job, and then go back to pick up the printed letter. Try that a couple of times in addition to walking over to pick up writing samples, CVs, and other documents and you would be kvetching too. Especially if you still had two huge blisters on your heels from your strenous hike the previous weekend. I ended up taking my shoes off and running back and forth in my socks. I am sure I will now be known as that weird prof that runs around the department in his socks. At least the socks I was wearing today did not have holes in them.

One last comment before I head off. In an email today, I offered to help a student brainstorm for ideas for a fundraiser he is organizing. In his reply he wrote:

"I defiantly want to brainstorm ideas with you..."

I am alamred on how rebelious the youth of today is. Ha ha!

Ok, so it is not that funny. Give me a break...I had a long day. And tomorrow is going to be longer...but then I get to run away to Boston. [SMILES]

Veep Debate

It was ugly. It did not make me want to vote (although I still will).

The moderator, Gwen Ifill, was horrible and her questions were poor.

The best and most insightful analysis came from Jessi Klein on cnn.com:

Garfield anyone?
Posted 9:00 p.m. ET
Even though they haven't spoken, just looking at them, I have finally realized who they are...Garfield and Nermal. Cheney is Garfield, the grumpy old fat cat who hates Mondays, and Edwards is the lesser known "Nermal," the obnoxiously too-cute, little kitten with long eyelashes that Garfield hates.

This quiz was pretty funny...and right on [thanks Kristin].


You are Fish 'Tacos.' You might think you're
exotic and worldly-wise, but in reality you're
just a bunch of crap on toast. Repeat after
me: 'just because you put something in
quotation marks doesn't make it so.' And
'taco' isn't Spanish for 'toast.'


What Weight Watchers recipe card from 1974 are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


The result probably has something to do with my mixed cultural background.

Hmmm...I could go for some real fish tacos.

Escape II

Yesterday the dog and I went for a rather intense hike. We hiked from 2300 feet upt to 5800, in a fairly short distance. That is quite a steep grade. The weather was great - maybe a little too hazy for the views from the top.

After the hike we drove around some dirt roads in the mountains and kind of got lost. It was fun except for when we stopped for a bathroom brake (behind a tree, of course) and we were both startled by gunshots (luckily we just had emptied our bladders - so no mishaps). Yep, it is hunting season. I just don't get it. Let's go commune with nature by killing some wildlife. Needless to say, we were quickly back in the car and we got the heck out of there.

Today we are dealing with the fallout: the dog is pretty tired and I have two blisters, one on each heel. Can anyone tell me why blisters hurt so darn much?

Tonight I will have to limp over to campus for a lecture. One not to be missed: Yolanda King, daughter of MLK. I wonder if the power of oratory is genetic. I hope so.

Are you online this Friday evening because you have nothing better to do?

If you want something to truly engage your mind and imagination, grab a a good beer or glass of wine, head over to Oso's and read his belated September 11 post. I suggest putting on some good ambient music - I had on my just-purchased California Guitar Trio album, which was the perfect accompaniment. The post is less about the WTC tragedy and more about the web of human interaction that we are all part of. It is an introspection on how events and people can concurrently be ever so close and so distant. It is long, but indulgingly fascinating.

Of course, you can ignore my suggestion and continue to roam around cyberspace aimlessly...but I still recommend the beer/wine (unless you are a recovering alcoholic or need to drive somewhere in which case drink some lemonade or coffee)...

Juvenile Detention Center

What do those words bring to your mind? Troubled and trouble-making youth probably. Today I took my class on a tour of the local JJC (Juvenile Justice Center) as they call it here. It is a small place, but striking nonetheless. It is a place where every little action and activity is controlled and monitored. It is a place where there is a a constant paranoia of the adolescents committing suicide (and it is not a misplaced one). It is a place that simultaneously dishes out discipline and safety. It is a sad place. It is one of the two worlds these children live in. The other world, the world out here is one that has no structure and no rules...or at least not rules that they understand. The world out here is one of drug-addict parents, missing parents, abusive parents, and alcoholic parents. It is a world that would rather forget these children.

So back and forth they swing from this world to the one in there...until they grow old enough to be put away somewhere else, somewhere more permanent.

Some of these children spoke to us. One fourteen year-old, who has been a meth addict and in and out of this institution told us, "I hate this place, but it is a safe place. I don't like being in here, but things are okay when I am here." I asked her if she would like to have the safety she feels in there on the outside. "That would be ideal," she replied. "But there isn't." Why? Because when she gets out, she does not receive the support she needs to keep her clean, to keep her out of trouble, to heal the mental illness she undoubtedly has; she does not get it from her parents, from her family, from the community, nor from society. Why? She should not be our responsibility. She should take responsibility for her own actions. A fourteen year-old going on thirty five.

Another girl was only twelve...twelve! And she already has been in and out a few times. She was first put in for threatening her teacher. "I did not know I could be put in here for that. But they did!" The children are in upto 30 days. When they get out, they are on probation. Any violation and back in they go. So once they get put in, their lives more often than not become a revolving door. As once girl put it, "Once you're in the hole, you might as well keep digging."

I must say, the staff were all great. They provide discipline, but also encouragement. There is a school teacher who engages the students without alienating them by pushing them to the point of frustration. Reading is encouraged and it is pursued as it is one of the few activities and vehichles of escape. The staff also recognize the artificiality of creating an evironment that is totally controlled. It is necessary, unfortunately.

The solution? As the staff told us, by the children make it there, the damage has been done. They are a bandaid on the bigger problem. More action needs to start at earlier ages. More Head Start, more early Head Start, more parent education and counseling. This is not happening, and in fact the way the political pendulum is moving right now, these things are getting cut.

Poor children - victims and criminals, all wrapped into one.

Debates

The first presidential debate is tonight. To be honest, I don't want to watch. I am afraid. I don't want to know what we are in store for over the next four years.

I will watch, though. I just wish I could detach myself and not think of the implications.

I remember past elections:

Bush vs. Dukakis - Bad vs. Silly

Bush vs. Clinton vs. Perot - Bad vs. Icky vs. Nutcase

Clinton vs. Dole vs. Perot- Ho-hum vs. snore vs. again?

Gore vs. Bush II (vs. Nader) - Snooze vs. Joke (vs. megalomaniac) ...and the joke won? Well, not really, but...

This campaign is characterized by the politics of fear. It is true, there is fear all around. The Republicans are playing upon people's fears, while I fear what four more years of this administration will mean for this country.

Off to my day of teaching about race (a tough task - how do you engage a class that is all liberal, wealthy, and white about race and get them beyond the "There is racism in this country and in the world and that sucks" mentality?).

Ah, I also have yoga today, so at least I will be relaxed for the debate. Perfect timing!

Escapes

I think my transition time is over. I can no longer put all the pressures of life on the backburner and just say to myself, "I need time to adjust to my new environment, to my new situation."

Deadlines are looming once again. With these deadlines I feel the pressure of having to be more productive with my research, with my publishing goals, with my life.

Yesterday I escaped. I went up into the mountains and I hiked around with the dog all afternoon. We tracked some animals (I saw the pawprints and the dog caught the scent), including racoons, deer, and maybe a bear (I would like to think so, although if it was a bear, I am happy we did not see it). We came upon a huge ravine/canyon which almost appeared as if out of nowhere. We hiked up to a peak above the ravine where we stopped for a snack and water. Then it was back to the car, which we used to do a little more exploring. From the top of the ridge we saw the even higher mountains, which were calling us to come explore. But by then the day was done and we headed back to the lowlands.

I hope the weather holds up so that I can escape a few more times before the season changes. Although up there the trees and shrubs have begun to transform their colors, so the transition is on its way.

Winter won't be bad. I am planning on getting a season pass for a nearby ski resort and get reacquainted with the sport. I definitely need to get back into shape before then or my legs might just walk out on me in protest. I also plan on trying some snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. My new roommate is an expert on the latter, so maybe I can get some pointers.

Yes, I will need many escapes. The uncertain future, the huge distance between me and the one I love, the pressures of balancing what I have on my plate now and making the opportunity I have at the moment count, they are all weighing down on me. Escapes will keep me sane. Escapes will give me clarity.

What if I escape and never come back, though? What if...?

For now, I need to get back to my CV, to my lesson plans, to my articles, to my presentation proposals, to the books and articles that await reading, to my grant applications.

But, in less than two weeks I will be in Boston for the best escape of all...

Unpleasant Surprise?

Have you ever tried eating in the dark?

Would you be willing to try the mystery menu?

I will have to try it next time I am in Paris.

Unpleasant Surprises - Part II

Thank you all for the birthday wishes.

I spent most of my birthday engaged in a battle to fend off a cold that all my students seem to be getting. This meant a lot of vitamin C, fluids, and even some yoga breathing exercises. It seems to have worked because I am feeling better now.

However, all Friday I was somewhat out of it. I had to go to a lecture on campus in the evening. As I was making my way across the dark campus, I noticed a strange bush by the side of the walkway. In my feeble-minded state, I thought to myself: "I have never noticed that bush there before even though this is the way I walk to my office everyday."

As I walked by it, the bush suddenly sprung up and turned sticking its quills up in the air. "Crap! That's not a bush, it is a procupine!" it quickly dawned upon me as I ran away from it.

I have only seen a porcupine in the wild once before, and it was at a distance. They are very shy animals, so I am quite surprised that one was rumaging around on a college campus in a small city. Moreover, this particular one was rather large. The others I have seen in captivity have been much smaller.

Yet another danger of living in a small place: rampant, rumaging wildlife.

Unpleasant Surprise

I was sitting here at my computer, kinda working, kinda goofing off when it suddenly dawned upon me...rather it kinda hit me like a ton of bricks...

...today happens to be my birthday. I guess I am in denial. Crap. Another year. I am definitely a thirtysomthing now. Bleh. How did this happen?

I am off to try to forget. I guess in a few years I won't even need to try.

Random Thoughts of a Tired Mind

This has been a busy week.

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I am pleased to announce that all seems well inside the ol' Xolo body.

And in the benefits of living in a small town department - I can go to my general practicioner here for what I thought I had to go to a specialist.

I also found a good place to get my hair cut. And it is also a good place to develop a research network. This woman knows everything about everyone here.

I got invited to go on a canoeing/camping trip on the upper Snake River this weekend. I would have like to have gone, but I needed to get a canoe partner, someone to dog-sit, and figure out how to do all the work I am planning on doing this weekend at some other time. So as much as I would have liked to have gone on the small adventure, the obstacles were too great. Nonetheless, there is a potluck dinner among some of the new faculty here where there will be curry and samosas - a special treat given that there are no Indian restaurants here. I also picked up some maps of the nearby National Forest, so I might go up and do some hiking in the mountains.

In other news, during our walk at a nearby lake and nature park, our dog tracked some pheasants that were hiding in a bush, chased them, and got them to fly straight up into the air. Of course, I did not hold up my end of the deal and I did not shoot them like I was supposed to. I am not sure how our dog got stuck with such a lame and ineffective hunter. Poor pooch!

By the way, the Presidential campaign is starting to depress me. Canada is starting to look more and more attractive - and it isn't too far from here.

I learned a new word today as I was walking across campus: fershur.

A: "Are you goin' to the party fershur?"
B: "Fershur I am going fershur. Are you, fershur?"
A: "Fershur, maybe..."

Now if I could only figure out what it means.

I am still recovering from the wild happenin's down in Oregon.

I forgot to mention that on the drive back I saw something new. As we were headed back on the dark highway, we were passed by an abulance. A few miles ahead we came up to the lights of the said abulance and a cop car. The road was littered with debris. An accident, I thought. As we drove past, I saw a large SUV with the front smashed in. But where was the other vehicle? There could not be any way that the other vehicle could have driven away. As we drove further, there it was...not a vehicle but a large black bull/cow, dead in our lane of traffic.

I can't imagine what kind of damage such an accident would cause with a smaller automobile. I will need to be more careful and alert when driving around these country roads at night.

-------------

The roommate situation has started off well. She's mellow, nice, friendly. I probably won't see her too much. She is the cross-country ski coach at the college, so she is off early in the morning and back late in the evening. The students need to practice and work out before and after classes.

--------------

Disadvantages of living in a small place: I need to see a specialized doctor but there are none in this town. I am also having a hard time finding one in the next closest urban area. Hmmmfff...

Yesterday I had a surreal day.

I went with the Anthropology Department to Pendleton, OR where they are currently having the Pendleton Roundup, one of the area's largest rodeos. Specifically we went to see the Happy Canyon Pageant, which they claim is "The World's Most Unique Indian Pageant."

Now I have no way of knowing if this claim is true, for I have no clue as to what an indian pageant is and how others may compare to this one. I can be certain, however, that I have never really seen anything like this before.

On our way to Pendleton, we stopped at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, which is the interpretive center for the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes. It is a lovely place. I particularly like how the exhibits were juxtaposed by large windows that revealed the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The exhibit illustrates the way these people lived prior to contact with the settlers that came from the east. It continues to show how this contact changed their way of life, gradually at first and how with time these changes became more and more violent. It ends with a more optimistic perspective that in the future they will be able to maintain their heritage despite the difficulties they have had and continue to have.

The pageant began with the Native Americans illustrating the way they lived before the arrival of Lewis and Clark. Apparently this is a new addition and it echoed much of what was displayed at the cultural insitute. As the "white people" arrived, there were some violent clashes and then the "indians" suddenly disappeared. The rest of the show was a slapstick vision of the "Wild West", with a lot of songs (such as "Oh Susana" and "She'll be Coming around the Mountain"). It ended with a really bad teenaged singer singing "Happy Trails," "God Bless America," and the national anthem.

Prior to this I had seen many caricatures of "country folk" from the "wild west," but in the audience here and on the streets of Pendleton I was seeing them all around me. People were actually yelling "Yeehaw" and it was not in jest. People really got into the Oh Susana song by clapping and stomping their feet. On the streets there were vendors in trailers selling big hats, big belt buckles, cowboy boots, saddles, and God-knows what else.

It was certainly a cultural experience...definitely foreign.

It is bizarre because in the town here I have never seen anyone with a big hat or cowboy boots. And it is only an hour away. There are farmers here, many of them, but they are so different. They are soft-spoken and very inconspicuous.

I am still processing this experience in my head.

Of course it was made all the more strange by the fact that when we got back my frat-house neighbors were having a "foam party" and the streets near my house were covered with soap suds.

-------------------

In other news, I am getting a housemate. At least for a couple of months.

I have mixed feelings about this.

It makes sense because I have this huge house with a room that I never use. Moreover, even though the rent is not that much, some extra dollars saved will be put to good use paying down some of that student debt that I have acculmulated over the past several decades.

However, I has been a while since I lived with anyone other than Sara. I am quite fond of my privacy and my space. Having someone in it will be strange and maybe a little uncomfortable. Hmm...we'll see how it goes.

Dia de la Independencia - Hoy no trabajo.

Tampoco mañana - hago puente. :-D

¡Viva México!

There was a call for all Mexicans to sing the national anthem at noon today. I didn't.

However, this evening I will watch El Grito.

I went to the Zocalo once to watch/hear it. It was unforgettable. Which is good because I will never go again!

The Future of America - a Prediction

Six-legged over at Culture Zap has made a bold prediction as to the future of the political geography of the US. He sees a fragmentation of the the country. While I agree with him on some of the new socio-political units, I am allowing myself to offer my own predictions:

The New Confederate States of America-
The same states that attempted secession in the 19th century will do so again, with the exception of Texas and Southern Florida. Indiana and Southern Ohio will also join the confederacy.

Caribenation -
With its capital in Miami, this will include Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and if Castro ever dies, the annexation of Cuba.

The States and Commonwealths of New New England and the mid-Atlantic (SCNNEMA)-
This will include MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, VT, NH, MA, and Maine. In the future the Atlantic Provinces of Canada may join as well along with Bermuda.

The Unwanted City State of Columbia -
DC, which of course nobody will want, will become an unruly city state.

The Great Nation of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations -
A small country that will model itself after Luxembourg. It's desire to annex Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's vineyard will cause great tensions with SCNNEMA.

The Federal Republic of the Great Lakes -
Known as FRRGL (pronounced froogal) will consist of northern Ohio, MI, MN, WI, IA, MO, and IL.

The Conservative Christian States of America (CCSA) -
This will include ND, SD, NE, KS, MT, ID, WY, eastern WA and eastern OR. No one is allowed to visit.

The Enlightened Kingdom of Mormonism -
Also known as Utah. It will become a theocracy (is it not already) governed by the council of elders of the CJCLDS.

Ecotopia -
Western WA, Western OR, and Northern CA will unite to create an environmentally friendly and socially responsible community.

The God-fearing and Mighty Republic of Texas -
The Lone-Star State will go solo once again. They will acknowledge that the border with Mexico should have been the Rio Nueces instead of the Rio Grande. All people's of Mexican descent will be repatriated either to the new territories of Mexico or to Aztlan. In compensation for its lost territory, Texas will annex OK and eastern NM.

Aztlan -
Western NM, CO, AZ, NV, and CA. La Raza will reclaim what was once theirs! There will be pockets of resistance such as in the area around Colorado Springs and by the AARP resistance fighters in the Phoenix area, but they will be contained.

The Free Association of Pacific Islands -
Hawai'i, Guam, Samoa, and all the other US colonies in the Pacific will band together.

I am just not sure what will happen to Alaska. Any thoughts?

I want to wish my mother a very happy birthday!!!

Although she does not read this.

Nor does she know that I write here.

And she happens to be in Buenos Aires at the moment.

Nonetheless, I am sure she is having fun. Good for her!

For a good laugh go read Bush2004 (read carefully, mind you).

Some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

Go see the cool video made by some people I know (it is about women and voting).

I don't know how common it is to be on email lists outside of academia. For those of you who don't know about them, usually they are email groups related to one theme or another. The messages are usually announcements or discussions on particular themes.

On occasion a personal email gets sent out to the whole email list (which can number from a dozen people to a few thousand depending on the list). Usually it is silly reading the message, but a few times in can be downright entertaining (for everyone) and terribly embarassing (for the sender).

For example, I got this email from a list I am on:

[The first part lists some concerns about the scheduling of an upcoming conference - then it continues]
"This is just my personal opinion, after 5 days of eating my way through London. I smuggled back some Absinthe (illegal in the USA), and M. and I are planning a 19th-century Oscar Wilde (small) party if you are interested. Gotta try everything once, including the Green Fairy. K.M. (the lazy-as-all-get-out room scheduling person) has had more than enough time to sit down at her desk and open up the room schedule, which takes all of a minute."

So about 1000 people or so got this message that was obviously intended for one person. Now these people know that this person smuggles illegal liquor into the country, pigs out when traveling abroad, holds small intoxicating parties, does not have a high opinion of K.M. (I have removed the name), and has tried the Green Fairy at least once.

Keep in mind that this is a professor at a well-known university. Hee hee.

Lesson of the day: don't email out anything you might not want thousand of eyes reading.

I wonder how many people in Florida are starting to believe the warnings about global warming.

I wonder how many of them will still vote for Bush.

I wonder how many people know that the assault weapon ban is about to expire.

I wonder how many people will be killed by assault weapons that will now be easier to get.

I wonder why people in this community feel it is fine to target a teacher just because she holds liberal views.

I wonder why we live in a country that forces people to beg for money for worthy causes, rather than allocating public money to those causes.

I wonder if in this country being healthy will ever be a right and not a privilege.

I wonder if the Red Sox will finally win this year. Or at least do better than the Yankees.

I wonder if the Democrats in California who want to make "girlie men" Arnold dolls realize that they are being as stupid as Arnold was when he made the reference.

I wonder how many people realize that Arnold was full of it when he talked about seeing Soviet tanks in Austria.

I wonder how many American recognize the widespread subtle and subversive racism that still exists in this country.

I wonder if there is any chocolate left in the cupboard....hmmm....

Separate School for Immigrants?

I can understand the need, but this seems to ride along the slippery slope to segregation. Tough issue...

Why can't those immigrants just stay home? It would just make matters easier for everyone...!

I seem to have 7 gmail invites. Although from what I have noticed, so does everyone else. Is gmail such a hot commodity? Who knew?

I took the dog to a lake I had heard about. Originally I intended it to be a short walk, a break from planning my lesson for tomorrow. It turns out that the lake was quite a ways from where the parking lot was. So it turned out to be a 3.5 mile hike. I need the exercise and I definitely did not hear the dog complaining. We saw some hares, quail, other dogs, and a few horses.

In fact, I came across the strangest thing I have seen in a while. Some of the people who had been riding horses decided to take a swim in the lake. Instead of tying up the horses, they took off the saddles and took them in the lake with them. So there were two human heads bobbing in the water and close to them were two horses who looked very confused.

The walk in sunshine that happened to be stronger and warmer than I had planned for, however, left me pretty tired. Moreover, the glass of wine I had with dinner did nothing to replenish my reserves.

I did manage to finish my lesson plan for tomorrow. I will probably take a look at it tomorrow morning and see if there is anything that needs fixing, tweaking, or filling in. The topic is actually fairly timely: the role of morality in American politics and how morality is used to create us/them divisions. Should you be interested, take a look at this book. We are reading parts of it for the lecture tomorrow. It is an interesting read.

We live in an angry country where hatefulness and spite wins.

Otherwise how could one explain this?

The RNC was not kind and yet people are drawn to that position.

The prevalence of the "Christian" ethos of love thy neighbor (unless he/she is a sinner) seems to have taken over this country. And just who is a sinner? Anyone who does not think like them.

"You are either with us or you are against us."

Things will be dire if Bush wins, mainly because the Supreme Court composition will change. We will have a state religion and major infrigements on our civil rights. The Republican Party is a political machine that is getting entrenched, setting up the rules so as to maintain and even advance its position in power.

It is very unsettling.

The bad dreams continue, but today was a better day.

My class was better, although it was tough. I had to explain what anthropology is to first year students without boring them or the senior anthro majors that are also in the class. The next classes should be easier in the sense that we are moving on to material that will be new to everyone.

I like the students here. They are good and hardworking students (so far), yet they are very unpretentious. Conversely, they are a little shy and soft-spoken so I will need to get them out of their shell.

I also got underway with my new research by searching some databases to see what similar research has been done. The answer: very little. Cutting-edge anthropologist, that's me. I need to do more exploring and refine my topic, but there seem to be many opportunities here.

I met with the sociologist whose research does not overlap with mine as much as I thought (I was misinformed by others). He is a nice guy and a fellow Mexican-American. We met a wine bar and I got to taste another local wine (more on that later), which was very good. It was strange...while we were there we interacted more like academics. As we were leaving, I said that I was probably going to stop somewhere to get a bite to eat and asked him if he wanted to join me.

We went to a local taqueria and had some very good Mexican food.

[Aside: the taqueria was in an old Taco-Bell establishment (a taco-bell shell? Sorry). This is something I noticed during the drive here - from about Nebraska on, there were old Taco-Bell restaurants that had been abandoned (probably following the merging of Taco-Bell with Pizza-Hut and KFC) and occupied by startup Mexican restauranteurs. These were given names like El Rancho, La villa, etc. It just another example of how us Mexicans are taking over this country.]

Once we got to the Taco-Bell shell (once again I apologize, but I just can't resist), the nature of our interaction changed dramatically. We went from being two scholars to being two Mexicanos reminicing about our gastronomic heritage.

Ah the transformative power of tacos!

------------

Speaking of Mexico. I am proud that of Mexico's four medals at the Olympics, three were won by women. And none of these medals were for speed-walking, usually the only sport in which Mexicans tend to do well.

They should have a chile eating event at the Olympics...hey, that would be as much of a sport as some of the silly events they had in Athens. The trouble is that instead of just making it the number of chiles people eat, they would try to come up with some stupid way of judging it:

"The initial point total for this chile is 9.4. It's a serrano, higher than the Jalapeno, but lower than the Habanero. She takes the first bite...oh, Pat, I see some tears, that is an automatic two-tenths deduction. But look at her finish...Amazing!"

Yeah, that would just ruin it. Forget it.

Life as a Faculty Member

The transition is ongoing. I am now a faculty member. I went to the first college-wide faculty meeting today. I am dealing with the library not having the reserve reading I requested and the students emailing me complaining about this. I am feeling the pressures of having to start my own research and begin to be productive.

Yes, that is what university faculty have to do. Oh, and I need to find a job in Boston for next year. Yeah, that too.

I have been working on my lecture for tomorrow and reworking the course schedule to include a guest speaker who is going to talk about race, gender, and hip-hop music.

I know I am more stressed than I realize because I had an awful stress dream last night. I also have been getting some nasty headaches. I need to find an outlet. Maybe pick up the tennis raquet I brought over here. The same one I have not used in a couple of years. Maybe I should visit the pool. There is a yoga studio in town...perhaps a visit is in order.

I have been walking the dog, but these excursions have been brief. Perhaps I should schedule a more extensive trek in the mountains. My landlord offered to let me wander about the 40 acres of land he owns in the mountains. That may be fun.

Once the snow starts to fall, there will be skiing in the area. Or maybe snoeshoeing - something I have never tried before.

But will there be time? I am already feeling the pressures of time. Balance. Yeah, that's the ticket. Balance.

Tomorrow is another long day. More preparations for the class, some errands and a meeting with a sociologist whose research overlaps with what I want to start up here. Better get some rest and hope my dreams are more peaceful this evening.

First Day of School

Today I had my first class. It did not go too well. It was not an utter disaster, but I felt like things just did not work. I guess I had high expectations and I just did not prepare well enough.

Bugger!

I just need to prepare better for next time...which is Thursday.

I like having a small glass of juice in the morning.

Recently I bought a bottle of what I thought was a mix of kiwi, apple, and melon juice.

When I poured a glass this morning, it was much thicker than I expected. It definitely did not look that appetizing: truth be told it looked like the water from a very murky pond. I drank it anyway - I am not one to dismiss food based on the looks. It tasted good, but I knew there was more in there than just the aforementioned fruits. So I looked at the ingredients and lo and behold there were a few surprises in there:

Ingredients by categories:

Boring: Pineapple juice, apple juice, mango puree, banana puree, kiwi juice.
Interesting: Spirulina, tamarind puree, lime juice, broccoli, ceremonial green tea, spinach, barley grass, wheat grass.
Fascinating: open cell chlorella, blue green algae, echinacea purpurea, odorless garlic, Nova Scotia dulce, Jerusalem artichoke.

I am not sure what some of those things are, but I rather have those in my body than some of the chemicals in many of the other foods I eat.

Lesson for today: There is usually more in the food that we than what is pictured on the package or container.

Bonus lesson: who knew that mucky pond water tasted so good.

It's been a long and busy week. I got myself officially oriented. All I ever wanted to know about:

-Payroll
-Benefits
-Academic Policy
-Safety
-Retirement
-Sexual Harassment
-The campus
-The library
-Tech services

Whew!

Today I got some flowers for my front yard. The big dirt patch was just not that nice. Now it has some fall colored mums and two of those decorative cabbage things. As you can tell I am not a big garden person - that is Sara's domain.

I also got my internet cable connection and very basic cable for the TV. Nothing came in clearly here off a regular antena. So now I can watch the basic networks and a few bonus channels - the best being Comedy Central. I am happy that I am off of dial-up. That is just not nice.

I also tried to start the car cleaning process. Those impacted bugs from the trip were such a pain. I still did not get them all off. Even worse, as I was getting frustrated trying to get the blemishes off while the sun began to dip down below the horizon, the hunger pangs in my stomach were teased by the smell of food cooking on the neighbor's grill. Needless to say, there is still much left to be done on the car cleaning endeavour. It will probably have to wait until Sunday.

Tomorrow I get to partake as my first official duty as a faculty member: I am marching in Convocation. I will have to borrow a robe for the event since I still cannot afford my own.

It has been nice meeting the other new faculty members in orientation. There are some interesting people doing interesting research. It seems that there is a strong sense of camaraderie among the different cohorts of entering faculty. That will be nice as we begin the challenges of teaching our courses and trying to make time for our own research.

The potential for my future research here in the area looks promising as there are many Mexicanos here. They are all very segregated though. You only see them in comunal places such as the supermarket or the taco stand. I have not actually eaten at a taco stand here, but I hear they are very good. They must be if there are both Mexicanos and Gringos eating there. I will have to try them soon. As soon as I cleanse my system following all the junk I ate on that cross-country trip.

Things are settling nicely here although I do feel very lonely. I miss Sara.

Why are orientations always so disorienting?

Here's a question for you all:

I am teaching a course on Politics, Culture, and Identity this fall. I am going to be away at a conference for one class and I am thinking of showing a film. I am looking for suggestions.

Some I have thought of:

-Lamerica (Italian)
-Mi Familia/My Family
-In America
-East is East
-Big Night

I should be able to think of more, but it is late and I am very tired. Hopefully some of you might be able to come up with something good!

Election Prediction:
Based on the distribution of bumper stickers seen during my cross country drive, Kerry will defeat Bush in November.

I am not sure what the conversion rate from bumper stickers to electoral college votes is, though. So Bush still might be president despite the defeat.

--------------

Speaking of cross country drives, I still have not cleaned and washed the car following the trek. I really need to do something about the insect cemetery that is on the front of my car. Or perhaps I should call it a cannibalistic insect smorgasboard because at one rest stop the yellowjackets were feasting on the buffet of splatters on my hood.

The inside needs a good cleaning as well. There are dirt and pebble samples from numerous states and enough dog hair to reconstruct another dog - a small one.

I knew I wanted to wait to clean the car following the trip to the mountains today. I knew I would be hitting many bugs. It was a good call because I also ended up on several gravel roads that left a lovely layer of dust.

The plan was to do a major clean, wash, and wax tomorrow morning, but I just found out that it will probably be raining. That will take care the dust, but those dead insects (sounds like a good name for a band, huh) are stuck on there pretty good. Oh well.

-------------

The farmers' market was much smaller than I expected. The produce was very nice. I also got some bread and some local honey. I also fired up the grill and put the veggies on there. It all turned out very well except I was missing one thing: Sara. Good food is just not that good when you can't share it with the person you love. :(

The mountains were fabulous. It was much cooler there than it is here. The dog and I took a short but fairly intense hike. The brevity was due to the fact that I was wearing my sneakers instead of my hiking shoes, I left the water for the both of us in the car, and I was not sure where the trail we were on was taking us. I need to search for some maps of the area. There is a ranger station in town, they may be able to help me. I am looking forward to exploring the mountains some more as is the dog. I also want to do some skiing once the snow is on the ground.

--------------

Yay for Puerto Rico and Lithuania, both of whom beat the US basketball team. Everyone needs some humility.

Yay for the Iraqi soccer team who made it to the semifinals. Boo to Bush who is trying to exploit their success for his campaign. Just let them play. Go back to letting your attack dogs smear Kerry (he still has more bumper stickers on cars driving on I-80).

--------------

I bought some sandalwood incense at Target that is very nice. I love sandalwood.

--------------

Rip Curl Ale by Full Sail Brewing Co. in Oregon is VERY good. A nice discovery.

I am tired. Time for bed.

I need to wait another week for my cable internet connection to be installed and my lack of patience has gotten the better of me. So what have I done? I signed up for one of those free internet trials. This has not satiated my lack of patience, however, because the darned thing is SO SLOW!

I can go to my office on campus and get online there. Although I don't know whether I can get in or not over the weekend. They failed to give me a key to the department office and I still have not gotten my ID which I need to swipe to get in when the building is locked. I need to look into those things Monday morning. Monday afternoon the orientation for new faculty begins. I am not sure whether I am ready for this. YIKES!

I drove down to the Tri-Cities in South-Central Washington today. It is about an hour from here. It is not a pretty place, although the Columbia River (and the Snake River) are pretty impressive. The draw of the area are all the stores that cannot be found here in Walla Walla. I stocked up on pet supplies and some necessary household items. I also hear that it is the place to go should you get a craving for Indian or Japanese food as those cuisines are not available here. I have not been here long enough to suffer from any withdrawal symptoms yet, but I know these are iminent. The saving grace is that they have some great Mexican food here.

I also bought a Weber grill today (don't tell Sara - she did not want me getting more stuff). It was on super markdown because it is the end of the summer ($19 for a big one). I love grilling. My plan is to grill over the weekend and have food for the following week. I am planning to visit the local farmer's market tomorrow that I hear is great. It should be with all the agriculture going on around here. Unfortunately I cannot partake of one of the local specialties: the Walla Walla sweet onions. Oh well. There should be some great squashes, peppers, corn, tomatoes...can I find some eggplant? We'll see. Can you tell that food/cooking/eating is my hobby. I also need to pick up some more of the local wine (more on that later).

This is making me hungry even though I just had dinner.

I am also thinking of taking a drive up to the nearby mountains with the dog tomorrow afternoon - that is if the weather holds out. It has been very hot here, but the heat is supposed to break sometime this weekend. This change may bring rain to the mountains.

Amid all this excitement, I also need to start preparing for my course. I am almost done with the syllabus. It is so much work putting one together, although at times it reminds me of my teen years when I used to make mixed-tapes. Just like you need to find the right songs and place them in the proper order, for a syllabus you need to find the right reading that is the right length and put it in the right place in the semester. Ok...I am starting to babble and it is academic babble. That's what happens when you are away from your best friend and the dog is sick of you speaking to him.

I should cut this wimpy dialup connection and go do something productive.

Have a great weekend!

No time to post, but I found out something interesting about myself today thanks to Lux:

You're New Mexico!

A fan of spelunking and cliff-dwelling, you're the adventurous,
enchanting type. It seems like you can never avoid the sun, but that's what built your
house in the first place so you'll manage. You probably speak Spanish, and maybe even a
long-lost language in addition. And after much careful consideration, you now sometimes
agree that drive-through liquor stores are not the safest idea. Even though people think
of you as yellow, your favorite question is "red or green?"


Take the State Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Won't Sara get a kick out of that! HA!

I am in my new office.

I have an office - with a window! It is pretty big and it has a lot of shelf space. If only I had my books here. It will be nice when I have a permanent job with a permanent office. But at least I have a job!

Things have been hectic. I have been trying to set up my home office and settle in to my new place. It seems like everytime Sara calls me I am at K-Mart (the choices here for supplies are K-Mart, Walmart, and Staples - and I refuse to shop at Walmart).

It is so strange not having Sara around. I miss her so much, it is like a part of me is missing. This is going to be a long year. I better be productive professionally to make it worthwhile!

The new house is very nice. There is so much room. We could easily put all our stuff in it, but our stuff is in Boston and it is going to stay there. I did have my first problem though. I tried running the dishwasher (which is probably from the early 70s - yet it almost looks new) and it somehow clogged the drain so the water backed up into the sink. This made the drain pipes from the sink leak. Not a huge disaster, but it really makes it hard to cook/eat at home when you can only wash you dishes in the bathroom sink. After a week road trip, I really was looking forward to making myself some homecooked meals.

I need to go somewhere to pick up the keys to my office. I only have internet access here, so I might not post as much as I would like. I am still waiting for my cable internet connection and my phone to be hooked up. Ah the joys of moving.

I made it!

It is REALLY hot here (110 degrees), but it is dry. I will take this over the humidity of the east coast any day.

The drive was long. Highlights include:

-Narrowly avoiding a storm with tornadoes.

-Seeing a pickup truck engulfed in flames.

-Getting souveneir mosquito bites in almost every state we went through.

-Adding Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho to the states I have been to.

There is probably many more, but I am too tired to think of them right now. There is so much I need to do. I have rented a huge house with nothing in it. I am off to search for "stuff" - I am suffering from withdrawal.

I should be around more now. Be sure to stop by...

I can't believe that I start the drive to Washington in two days. I am not ready - on many levels.

Two cable modems later, we got the cable internet connection working. I am typing this on Sara's computer which has an ergonomic keyboard. It is not going too well, especially because i do not type correctly.

This next stage of my life is kind of scary. And I have to do it separated from my best friend and life companion. I don't like that. As I don't like typing on this keyboard.

Have a great week and I will see you all on the other side.

It's the end of an era.

I no longer reside in Rhode Island (I guess I haven't been residing there for about a week, but I was going back everyday). I guess I am a transient right now. Neither here nor there.

Today I moved the last boxes out of our three bedroom, third floor apartment on the East Side of Providence. I also finished cleaning the place up and left the keys on the counter.

We lived there for three years: one year, followed by a year in Italy, and then two consecutive years. Yes, we did move all our things out only to move right back in. It was a nice apartment. I get very nostalgic when I move out of somewhere. Hmmm.

We did move out just in time. Our landlord told our neighbors that on Monday painters are going to start scraping the old paint off the outside of the house. Knowing the kind of people our landlord hires, this will probably take about two years to complete.

Speaking of the neighbors, they were having a yard sale today. So I put a few of the things that were going into the trash out with their stuff. I got $5 for an old phone and $5 for my desk. The phone was probably worthless and the desk was probably worth at least $20, so I broke about even. Actually, I made $10 because i was just going to leave it with the trash.

I don't think I could ever have a yard sale of my own. I am not sure if I could subject my belongings to that kind of rejection. It was amusing seeing people drive by, stop, peer out at the items on display, perhaps even step out of their car, give us a look of indignation as if to say, "Is this ALL you have to offer?" and then drive off. But that is only because the stuff wasn't mine.

I mean, I am attached to my things. If I were to actually part with them, I would want someone to actually appreciate its value, if only sentimental.

No. It is best that when I need to get rid of something, it either goes to some form of charity or into the trash.

Enough about stuff. This moving experience has reminded me that we have way too much of it. I love that classic standup routine by George Carlin about stuff.

Sara returns from Switzerland tomorrow. I am really looking forward to seeing her. I have actually been talking to the dog and to myself much more than usual. It will be good to have someone around who actually listens (neither I nor the dog pays much attention to what I am saying) and someone who can actually respond (the voices in my head don't actually respond, but rather carry on their own converstation. The dog just stares at me or pokes at me when he wants something).

I am actually on Sara's new computer. It is pretty nice. I don't know if she will let me use it once she is here. So I better enjoy it now. Weeee.....

I am on an archaic dial-up connection. We had internet cable installed, but of course it does not work. The cable tv works, but not the internet. I have been much to busy this week to call and figure out what the heck is going on. Our upstairs neighbor/new landlord was also having trouble. He had the cable guy around, so I asked him if he could check ours. There was an extra filter that was not taken off. That fixed the neighbor's/landlord's problem, but our connection is still not working.

Ok. Off to bed. I installed the a/c unit in the bedroom, so I will finally get some sleep. It has been so hot and humid around here recently and I just cannot sleep in this weather. I also get to sleep in because I don't have to drive to Providence tomorrow. Yay!!!

I do need to get some flowers for Sara, though. I am not sure where to get them around here. Ah...I get to explore. Fun, fun.

No mas ranting!

I am shutting down the Providence office.

The only thing left here is a desk, a chair, this computer, and a printer. 

It is kind of sad.  I wrote a dissertation in here.

Now it's on to bigger and better things, I guess.

Stay tuned....

 

Ok, the donkey is gone...

As are Sara's smutty corn pics.

This is because it was up on the server of our internet provider in Providence.  And although I asked that the service be ended at the end of the month, our pictures seem to be gone.  They were going to disappear anyway, so what's a few days. 

Some people seem to like the white background better anyway. 

I am not sure whether I will let this blog die out or whether I will pick it up again.

Postings are sparse now and will become non-existent as I drive across this big country of ours.  I won't have a way to post on the road and I am not sure what life will be like once I get to Washington. 

Things to ponder. 

There is still so much left to do before I leave.  It stresses me out sometimes. 

Today I am trying to finish my students' personal evaluations.  Sometimes giving a simple letter grade is so much easier (even though sometimes I think it is stupid). 

DNC is going on in Boston.  It has actually made driving back and forth to Providence easier.  It has scared people off the roads!  I feel cautiously optimistic about the election right now.  I am glad I am going to vote in a "swing-state" this time, where my vote might actually make a difference. 

So much to say, yet I have no time to get it out.  So I guess I will just stop.

Say hi, will ya?

Changes.

Our apartment in Providence is almost empty. 

Except for my office, which is still set up and very, very messy.  There are a few things I need to work on before I can pack it up.  It needs to be packed up and ready to go by the end of this week. 

Our apartment in Boston looks more like a storage unit right now than a home.  Boxes are piled high everywhere.  I am not sure where everything is going to go because it is smaller than the place in Providence. 

So this week I am going to be commuting between Boston (where I will be busy unpacking boxes, assembling furniture, etc.) and Providence (where I will be writing evaluation for my students, organizing files, packing the few things I will take with me to Washington State, packing up what little is left in the apartment, cleaning, etc).  Somewhere in between there is a whole lot of laundry that must be done, a car that needs service and a muffler fixed, and a nervous dog that needs a lot of attention.  So my absence here can now be better understood. 

Need I say it?  I am very tired.

 
Sara made it off to Switzerland a day after she was supposed to leave.  Her flight to DC where she was to connect to Zurich was so late, that she missed her connection.  It all worked out: I was happy to see her for another day and she definitely needed a good night's sleep. 

Can I say it one more time?
 

I HATE moving!!!

 
I am stressed, Sara is stressed, and the dog is stressed.  Not a pretty picture.  Dirty, stinky, and sweaty (ok, the dog isn't sweaty, but that is a very good thing).  My knees are hurting and my back is sore.  As if it were not bad enough, today was one of the most humid days this summer.  Just a few steps and I was drenched in sweat. 
 
I drove to Boston and back twice today.  I don't know how many times I went up and down our stairway here.  It's one of the few times I regret living on the third floor.  At least the new place is on the first floor (it still has a few stairs up to it, but I am not complaining about those). 
 
We got most of Sara's plants moved thanks to some friends who helped us out.  That was no small task as Sara has many, many plants. 
 
Now my buddy from Mexico is consoling me.  No, not tequila.  Tonight it is Kahlua!!!
 
Tomorrow is not looking promising: grading, more packing, and another drive to Boston.  But tomorrow night I get to stay in the new apartment with Sara.  So does our dog.  I hope he doesn't freak out.  He is pretty freaked out already. 
 
I am off to wash up before getting some ZZZZs.
 

You know what is worse than packing for a big move?
 
Packing when it is hot and sticky.
 
Our dog is freaking out too.  He has become very needy and follows us everywhere.  It makes moving boxes difficult when there is a dog right in front of you all the time. 
 
The dog has his equivalent of a security blanket.  It is a giant plush toy in the shape of a bone.  Whenever he is nervous, he walks around the house with it.  Now that there are boxes and stacks of stuff everywhere, he walks around knocking countless things over.  It is irritating, but I cannot blame him.  It is a stressful time and he is trying to cope the only way he knows how.  Plus he is so cute...
 
Sara has been making over her look.  She got her hair dyed a dark brown/red.  She also got her eyelashes tinted to match (a few days ago I did not even know that this was done).  Today she got glasses (she only needs them to see really far away).  I am still not used to all the changes. 
 
That's ok.  I am going to undergo my own transition: I am shaving off my goatee.  I do it every summer.  Having facial hair when it is warm and humid is too irritating.  It is also good to have a symbolic change once in a while.  Sara doesn't like it when I do it because she gets startled everything she sees me.  Just as she is getting used to it, I grow it back out. 
 
Break is over.  Now I have to go back to packing.  Yuck.

 

PANIC

 

A moving company called.  They can move us a week from today.

 

We have a week to pack up all this crap. 

 

Arghhhhh...!!!! 

 

[Runs out of the room screaming].

Tired, Cansado, Stanco, M:ude, Fatigue...
 
In any language...you get the point.
 
I like these new editing features Blogger has.  Now if I could only figure out how to get the umlaut above the u.  Hmmmm....
 
Now I have forgotten what I was going to write. 
 
Word to the wise: Don't try to teach a summer intensive course while you wife is taking intensive summer school in a city that is an hour's drive away and you both need to pack to move to different cities.  I am sure not many people are facing such circumstances. 
 
The course I am teaching is over tomorrow.  Thankfully.  I love teaching, but there is just too much going on right now for me to be focused and enthusiastic about it. 
 
The dog is with me.  He is dreaming; he is twitching and snarling.  I sure hope he gets that squirrel this time.  I think the dream is over.  No wait, there is a kick.  Why am I writing about the dog's dream? 
 

I need to get to bed soon. 

 
I have been meaning to write more here.  I am disturbed about the plan that may be put into place that would delay the election in the case of a terrorist attack.  That story was out for a few days and then it disappeared, which is equally disturbing.  Am I the only one who feels this way?  Or perhaps I am just paranoid?  It seems to be going around in different guises as of late. 
 
Damn!  I just reached to get a drink of water, but my water cup is empty.  I sure could have used some thirst quenching refreshment right now.  It was not meant to be. 
 
I got my paycheck today for the course I am teaching (not without having to track it down and a long paper chase).  Who is this damn FICA and why does she keep taking my money?  Somehow, after I graduated, the university wiped all records of me from its system (hence part of the paper chase today), and it put me back into the highest tax braket possible again.  Thus a huge chunk of my paycheck also went to pay Federal and State taxes.  Maybe I will become a Republican now.  Probably not.  Been there, done that.  Ah those youthful indiscretions...!
 
I need to stop writing those party names.  Since I started I have been getting party propaganda on my ad banner on the top.  I hate party propaganda. 
 
Speaking of parties (or Parties).  I tried to get movers to move our stuff to our new apartment in Boston.  Of course I was hoping to do this towards the end of the month.  A certain political party is having its party up there at the end of this month, however.  As a result, no moving company is going anywhere near the city.  Yes, I can imagine big trucks will be undergoing  a lot of scrutiny up there over the next couple of weeks.  They are even shutting down the freeway and one of the main subway stations.  I just wish they had consulted with us with regard to our moving plans before they planned all of this. 
 
Now I have had to beg our landlord to let us stay a few more days until we can clear out the city of Boston and we can hire some movers to take our stuff up there.  So far the landlord jury is out.  I guess we can be squatters for a couple of days.  Hmmm...
 
Over the next couple of months, posts will be erratic, infrequent, and utterly nonsensical.  Just thought I would warn you. 
 
 

If you haven't done so already, go over to Woojay's and read his posts on racism (parts 1, 2, and 3).

You just may learn something. And even if you don't, it is a good read (regarless of whether you agree with him or not).

As an anthropologist, I just love when a science person takes an interest in these issues and decides to share them. Way to go Woojay!!!

It sure has been busy (and stressful) around here.

Life is changing. Life is chaotic.

We have a new car: a Vibe. Blue. Drives nice.

Drove the new car to a lovely garden party in Salem, MA. Got to tour a very large house that was owned by an eccentric wealthy man. He was a recluse artist. The house was full of some fascinatingly bizarre artwork - mostly paintings and sculptures. It was rather cool.

I need to work on packing up my stuff. I hate packing. I think I mentioned that before.

Kerry-Edwards

I think this is a good ticket. I mean, I was already going to vote for Kerry, but I hope this will bring more people to vote. The key to this election is getting those who sympathize with the Democrats to actually get out and vote and to sway a few of the independents.

The vehemence and speed with which the RNC has begun to attack Edwards I think is a good indication that they feel threatened by him and that he was, indeed, a good choice.

Deep in my heart, I wish Kerry had picked somebody novel, somebody different. A woman. A minority. A minority woman. A non-politician. A moderate Republican. An independent. My pragmatic side, however, knows that this is not the time for idealism. The country desperately needs new leadership, a new direction. It needs to make friends in the world, not more enemies. Kerry could not afford to pick someone to make a statement. He needed to pick a candidate so he will win. Maybe someday those two can be the same. We are not there yet, unfortunately.

On a lighter note, let me ask, don't Kerry and Edwards remind you of the old Batman and Robin from TV? Kerry is the serious, thoughtful and practical type and Edwards is the goofy side-kick. Keeping with that theme, what would that make Bush? The Joker? The joke has definitely been on us the past four years. Chenney...the Penguin? Rumsfeld must be the riddler with the way he answers questions with other questions, don't you think? Would Condi Rice be Catwoman or someone else? I can just imagine the debates: POW, BANG...CRASH.

Gosh, I hope this election brings about change...

-------------------

The trip to the mall with the students was more or less a success. We go to the beach (also for research purposes) tomorrow, but of course the weather forecast is calling for rain (whereas today was sunny and nice). We have to schedule these trips so far in advance, however, it just turns out to be a gamble. One that it is looking like I lost.

The muggies of summer are back.

If you have been reading this since last summer, you know that I really dislike humid weather.

It is worse when you have to dress up and look professional like I have to for teaching my class. I hate being constantly moist and sticky.

The room where I teach has a/c, but it happens to blow straight down on the students, which is very unpleasant. However, if we turn it off, I see them begin to wilt very quickly. There does not seem to be a happy in between.

-----------

Tomorrow I am taking my students to the mall. They are going to do an observation exercise - at least that is what they are supposed to do. The distractions that they will face there are many. We will see how much work they do and how much money they spend by the end of the day.

-----------

This is the country we live in: Last week, I took my students to a daycare center and a youth camp (again, they had to do some anthropological observation exercises there). At the daycare center, the teachers were adamant about not letting the children exhibit any form of violent play. No pretend guns, shooting, chasing, or fighting. At times such impositions seemed excessive. I thought to myself, is this being too sensitive to political and social pressures.

My question was answered with a resounding no the following day at the youth camp. The students were broken down into small groups and assigned to observe specific groups of children doing different camp activities. One group of students had to observe the youth camp equivalent of "The Lord of the Flies." The children turned to my students and started threatening them almost immediately. "We are going to get you. We are going to kill you!" They yelled at my students as they pretended to fire imaginary guns at them. If this was not scary enough, this group of campers were going to do archery. The camp counselors did absolutely nothing about the children's behavior. I believe this is because they resented the presence of my students as well. Oh yeah, this was a YMCA camp - so much for Christian values of peace and kindness.

-----------

A funny incident from the daycare center. I have a tendency to mishear song lyrics and make up silly alternatives in my head. When I first heard "Cold Hard Bitch" by Jet, I thought they were saying "One eyed bitch," whatever that meant. I finally figured out what they were saying.

After this, when I was at the daycare, a girl was drawing a picture when a boy came up to him and asked what she was drawing.

"It's a dog," she replied.

"Your dog, he only has one eye!" cried the boy.

"This dog is not a boy dog, it is a girl dog! And yeah, it does have only one eye, so what?"

My first thought was that the girl must have also listened to the Jet song and heard the same lyrics I did.

Probably not.

Today was one of those draining days. Draining on all fronts.

The air was warm and thick. It was not necessarily opressively hot, but you can feel the atmosphere pressing on you, making it uncomfortable and difficult to breathe.

We started early, driving to Massachusetts to take Sara to the commuter rail. She had a crazy day of her own up in Boston. Then lto the department to lecture in the morning. I needed to make some copies for the students before class, and the copier went all haywire on me. The temporary secretary (the usual ones are on vacation and maternity leave) tried to help me to no avail. I felt bad because she ended up with hands covered with copier toner - vile stuff.

I had some trouble getting through my lecture. It is definitely more challenging to lecture on things you are not familiar with. Note to self: avoid this in the future.

During lunch I had to call to switch our car and renter's insurance to the new address in Boston. The auto insurance laws in Massachusetts are increadibly complicated (and the rates are very expensive). I love my insurance company, though. They patiently went over all the new rules and requirements with me, explained the convoluted way of registering your car in that state, and made sure I had understood everything.

Then it was back to my class. Today we took a fieldtrip to a youth camp that is about 40 minutes away so the students could observe child behavior. We sat in the sun for about an hour and a half doing this. Then an even longer bus ride back (it was rush hour).

While all this was tiring, an email from my best friend from high school who lives in San Diego put it all in perspective. His nine-year-old step-daughter was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her leg about a year and a half ago. She has undergone countless treatments (read: ordeals). It seemed like she was making progress, but recently the doctors have found that the tumor has returned and it is now resistant to the chemotherapy. They are going to try some new experimental techniques, but most likely they are going to have to amputate the leg below the knee. On top of this, they also saw some spots on her lungs which they are going to have to surgically extract and biopsy. I feel so bad for this poor child, my friend, and his whole family. I am so far away, there is little I can do for him. This latest news has really hit everyone hard.

Rather than elicit help from him specifically here, if this story has touched you, I ask you to donate something to either The Jimmy Fund or the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Even a token amount will help. The first organization is working to put an end to this horrible killer and the second works to bring a little light in what is a painful routine these children face. My friend's daughter got to go to Disney World a few months back.

May a cure be found soon.

Thoughts for today...

Teaching high school students is much different than college. After two days, I would venture to say that all the students I have are pretty good: motivated, intelligent, insightful. It is just curious to see how quickly they begin to giggle, gossip, or put on the cool facade.

It's probably because it has been so long since I was in my teens that I have forgotten how consumeristic teenagers are. They are excessively concerned about where they should shop and eat. Of course, most of these students come from financially fortunate families (the summer school tuition is not cheap and they can afford to indulge their intellects rather than get a summer job). I probably was the same way, I have just selectively forgotten that period of my life.

----

Now that Sara and I are going to be on opposite sides of the country, we are going to neeed two cars (and I was talking about my students being consumeristic...). Sara and I went to test drive a few today. We would really like to get a Prius, but there is a six to eight month wait on them. That also means that the price you pay for it is highly inflated.

So we looked at some other options.

I was curious to drive the strange looking Element. It would be a practical car because it seems like we are always transporting stuff around (mostly a whiny dog - see the post from a few days ago). It ran well. I am drawn to its unusual design and quirky nature. Sara did not like it, though. Ultimately, however, I did feel like I was driving a delivery truck rather than a car.

At the Honda dealer, however, we did see an Insight that was for sale. Although it is a hybrid (which we like), the design is not what we need right now. Nonetheless, we took it out for a spin just to see what hybrids drive like. It wasn't bad. Probably the weakest part was lack of quick acceleration. It was a perfectly good car for city/urban commuting. Unlike the Prius, however, this car is not selling, and Honda is probably going to discontinue it.

The last car we tested was the Vibe. I liked it a lot and it is on the top of this list, at least for right now. Much to ponder...

-----

Somehow, in the next six weeks, I need to finish teaching the aforementioned summer course, pack all my belongings, move to Boston, sort out the things I will need for year (both academically and personally), pack those up, drive cross-country, move into a new house, learn my way around a new community, start a new job, and prepare a new course.

Hmmmm. Maybe it is time to open that bottle of tequila I broght back from Mexico. It won't help me accomplish any of those things, but at least I will sleep better.

I started teaching summer school today.

The course is Culture and Human Behavior. This not my area of expertise, but the students are pre-college (still in high school), so the material does not have to be too sophisticated. The class meets everyday for three weeks (M-F 10-12, and M & Tue 1-3, with fieldtrips Wednesday and Thursday afternoons). It is pretty intense, but the pay is actually quite good.

The problem is that I need to start organizing things for the big changes that are coming up.

My life is still a chaotic mess.

Hmmmph.

Maine

Bar Harbor
Acadia National Park
Mount Desert Island

Ocean
Cliffs
Forests

Hiking
Contemplating
Relaxing

Cool
Sunny
Occasional Rain

Whining Dog
Happy Dog
Tired Dog

Lobster
Blueberries
Blueberry Beer

Sara's Birthday
Romantic Dinner
Watermelon Tourmaline

Return
Chaos
Panic!

Update
Missing Bag: I went to the airport Friday morning and I spotted it throught the window of the dark baggage office. I hunted down an employee and I finally got my bag. The one with the bottle of tequila in it. I sure could have used a few shots throughout the whole ordeal.

Maine: It was wonderful. More later...

Return to "real-life": The only problem with running away from it all for a few days, is that the "all of those few days piles up and it is waiting to pounce on you when you get back. My desk/office/apartment/life is such a mess right now. The prognosis for an improvement is not good.

That's all for now. I am very tired.

AAaaarrggghhhhHHH!!!

I am back from my trip to Mexico, but I have been cranky ever since my return on Tuesday. Cranky and tired. That is why I have not posted until now.

Why, you may ask.

Because the airline lost my two bags somewhere between the time I cleared customs with them in DC and my arrival in Providence.

"They'll be on the next flight from DC that arrives in a couple of hours," they claimed. "We will have them delivered to your house."

I stayed up a good part of the night waiting for the stupid bags to be delivered. They never came.

In the morning, I got a call. "You got two bags that were missing?"

"Yeah," I replied. "When will you deliver them?"

"In an hour, hour and a half."

Two and a half hours later. A car pulls up and a guy opens the hatchback. He stares blankly into the pile of luggage in the back of his car. I run up and see one of my bags.

"That's one of them," I point out.

"Yeah, I don't know where the other one is. I'll have to go back to the airport and sort it out."

Later that morning, I returned to the airport. After much running around, I finally find out my other bag is in Raleigh, NC. Why? I have no clue. The people there say they will get it for me.

Later that aternoon, I return to the airport. They tell me the bag is still in NC. No one there is replying to the messages they send nor answering the phone.

Back at home, I call the airline 800 number. After about 40 minutes on hold, I speak to a real person. After giving my info, she puts me on hold. When she comes back on the line, she tells me that she talked to someone in NC and my bag is there. They will send it to me tomorrow.

This morning I get a call from the Providence rep who has been helping me. She tells me that the NC people sent my bag and it should arrive at 2 pm. At 3 pm, I call to see if the bag arrived. No.

After looking into the matter, it appears that the flight from NC to DC was late and the bag probably did not make the connection. Although, no one is sure the bag is in DC. It will probably be on the next flight from DC, scheduled to arrive at 6:30. Well, because of bad weather, that flight is now scheduled to arrive at 11:00.

So what's in this bag? Most of the presents I got Sara on my trip, a few things I salvaged from my house, and most of my clothes that I took on the trip.

I would probably be more laid back about this if it were not that we are supposed to go to Maine tomorrow for our post-graduation (much-needed) vacation.

I might still go out to the airport tonight to see if the bag is on that VERY delayed flight from DC.

I am glad we are driving to Maine, that is if the bag ever arrives.

Tomorrow I go back to the country of my birth. My Mexico, or at least Mexico City, is a Mexico that does not exist anymore. It lives only in my memory. The real city has changed, grown, evolved; as it very well should.

I will be a foreigner in my own country. I have become a pinche gringo. Although somehow I am still a chilango. Most of you won't know what these terms mean. Oh well...I am too tired to explain.

I find it ironic that I am heading to Mexico where it is cooler than here. Today was our first steamy summer day here. Two days ago we were struggling to get above 60 degrees. Mexico City seems to be in the mid 70s during the day.

One last thing: if you are ever in the Providence area, be sure to eat at Madeira. It is a Portuguese restaurant in East Providence. It is amazing! Not so good if you are a vegetarian, though. I had an scrumptious Paelha that was HUGE. I ate about half and brought the rest home. I heated it up for dinner and it was enough for both Sara and me.

Have a good weekend everyone and I will see you next week!

Return to Mexico III

I have realized that if I am going to get to the point of this story before I leave in two days (ie. why I am going back to Mexico), I need to move ahead quickly.

Two events in the fall of 1985 shook up the unstable status of quo of my broken family. The first was the huge earthquake in Mexico City in September. The area where we lived did not see major damage, but the devastation in the other parts of the city was striking. Events like this force individuals to reexamine their lives, and we were no exception.

The second event was when my aunt (my father’s sister) pulled my mother aside and told her that she needed to get on with her own life. She also told her that she should not wait for my father to come back. When pressed, she informed my mother that my father was living with someone else.

After this news, my mother asked my sister and me how we felt about moving to the US. I wholeheartedly welcomed the idea. The pollution and overcrowding of Mexico City was beginning to overwhelm me. Moreover, I had always felt like a foreigner in Mexico and I hoped that I would fit in better in the US (this did not pan out – but that’s another story for a different time). Most important, though, I though I could run away from the pain the whole situation had brought upon me.

Not wanting to uproot my sister and me in the middle of the school year, my mother decided to put off the move until our summer trip to the US. Afraid that my father would attempt to prevent us from moving, we did not tell him of our plans. We packed just the essential things we needed and sent them with a friend who was also moving to the US. In the summer of 1986 my mother, my sister, and I moved to California.

When my father found out about our intention to remain in the US, he was not very happy, but he soon accepted the situation. He said he would keep our house in Mexico should we want to come visit or if we ever wanted to move back.

My sister and I eventually did go back to visit and stayed in our old house. Over the years, however, certain things in the empty house began to deteriorate so that we could no longer stay there. For example, the water heater no longer worked, so we could not have a hot shower. On subsequent visits, we stayed with my relatives and eventually with my father and his new family (again, another story for another time).

On my last visit to Mexico, I returned to the house with Sara to show her where I had grown up. The house was like an eerie time capsule from the time we left. It was like a place frozen in time. During this visit, I realized that this unnatural tie needed to be cut. There were a few things my sister and I probably wanted to salvage, but the house needed to be emptied and sold.

Given the time and financial constraints of a graduate student, the need to coordinate with my sister, and probably further avoidance of the issue, four years went by before my sister and I planned the trip to empty the house.

On Wednesday I will board an airplane to Mexico to confront some of the skeletons in the closet of my past and on Friday my sister and I will enter a place where it is still 1986 to salvage some memories and discard others. Hopefully we will clear the air of an old house and allow it to become someone else’s new home.

It will undoubtedly be an emotionally difficult time.

I doubt I will be able to post from there, but I will share what happened upon my return.

Return to Mexico II

[Note: If you want to read this chronologically, start with the previous post - if you have not read it already]

When we returned to Mexico at the end of August, my father had indeed moved out. Stories emerged from people we knew that told of various times my father had been spotted over the years with other women. We all felt confused, betrayed, emotionally wrought. I cried, I yelled in my own quiet space, and I withdrew into my dark, quiet, and tumultuous world. At the same time, I built up a facade. One where I could smile and say that I was doing ok; one where I could try to confront the challenges of becoming an adolescent. This mask was built on denial. I never admitted to anyone what was going on with my family. When friends stayed over and asked me where my father was, I would say that he was on a business trip or that he had gotten an apartment closer to where he worked because it took to long for him to commute during the week.

My mother after overcoming the shock of what had happened began to attempt to salvage her marriage. She began attending counseling and asked my father to join her. He half-heartedly went with her a few times, but that did not seem to lead to any form of resolution.

Ironically, my sister and I saw our father more after he had moved out than when he lived in the same house. He would come over to visit in the evenings and he would take us places on Saturdays. I never really enjoyed these visits because there was a swelling anger in me towards him. What bothered me the most was that he would not tell us where he lived, nor would he give us his home phone number. He had a pager that we would call when we wanted to get in touch with him.

After some months, the routine became normal. Or at least it seemed that way. I was a mess inside, but I felt like I needed to continue with my life or at least try to. Instead of confronting the demons that where eating me up, I chose to ignore them and deny their existence. I think the whole family took this approach. My mother held out hope for her marriage and an eventual return of my father. She did not want to alienate my father by pushing for a resolution. My father, on the other hand, seemed content with the situation, despite the familial chaos he had caused.

And so things went on for over a year: my father growing more content with the status quo, my mother’s hopes vanishing, and my self-esteem plummeting. Until someone else spoke up to shake up the situation and foster in a change...

I will get to that next time.

I am returning to Mexico City next week. It has been over four years since I was last there. The reason I am going back is a long story. One I will probably tackle in installments.

Let me go back twenty years, when I was a gangly thirteen year-old, just about to enter the difficulties of puberty. I lived in Mexico with my parents and my younger sister. For those of you who don’t know, my father is Mexican and my mother is American. After they were married in the US, they moved to Mexico City where I was born and grew up. Almost every summer, my mother, sister, and I went to California to spend a couple of months with my maternal grandparents. My father would join us for the last few weeks and we would all return together.

Growing up, I never questioned the stability of my family. In fact, as I saw friends who had divorced parents, I always felt fortunate that my parents were together. My sister and I did not see my father much, though. During the week he was always at work, usually coming home after we had gone to bed. He also worked at least half a day on Saturdays, and Sundays we would go to my grandmother’s house where my sister and I would mingle with my cousins and the adults retreated to a different part of the house.

It was June 1993. The school year was coming to an end and I was relieved to have all my exams behind me. I was looking forward to escaping the summer heat and pollution of the city and spending a quiet summer in Sierra foothills of California with my grandparents. One morning I walked past my parents room and I saw them sitting on the edge of the bed talking. My mother looked upset and my father looked nervous. This is one of those images that will remain with me forever. Every detail is still there, the ugly orange knit cardigan my mother was wearing and the ratty yellow bathrobe my father had on. The stale smoke that wafted through the air from all the cigarettes my father had been smoking. They told me to go somewhere else, do some chore probably. So I left.

During that talk, my father told my mother that he was going to move out that summer while we were in the US. He needed time and space to think. He wanted to evaluate his marriage and what he wanted from life. He told her, however, that my sister and I were not to know until we got back.

My mother, devastated, tried but eventually could not keep this news from us. We knew something was wrong and she finally shared what she knew. That was one of the most difficult summers I ever had.

More to come...

Sara had a meeting with her new employers in Boston. She missed her bus in the morning, though. So I had to drive her up there. I am actually getting used to the drive by now.

I stopped by the apartment we put in an application for in Boston. It is a nice place. I hope we get it.

I found a house in Walla Walla from here (with much help from my new friend who is over there). I was faced with choosing a furnished house with an unfenced yard or an unfurnished house with a fenced yard. Since I am dragging our poor dog cross-country, the least I could do was get a place where he could spend time outside. He will really like that after living in an apartment for two years.

Speaking of the dog, we had our yearly visit for his checkup and shots. He was very nervous this time, but he was very good. Now he is very tired (he also came along for the ride to Boston). He is sleeping here in my office, making a lot of strange noises. It is actually quite entertaining.

I can't believe I am going to Mexico in a week. I will explain why soon.

I wish life would slow down a little so I can catch my breath (and build up some more energy).

We survived!

We made it through the utter chaos and pandemonium that was the graduation circus/carnival.

None of the relatives killed each other. In fact, most of them were on their best behavior - more or less.

We are exhausted, though.

Our dog was VERY confused. It seems like each day a new set of people came to our apartment. Usually nobody comes to our apartment.

I now have a piece of paper that has some Latin written on it. I think it says that I am now a Doctor in Philosophy in the area of Anthropology. Or something like that...It is actually a fairly droll piece of paper. Some of the other degrees I have gotten are much prettier - more colors and designs.

I had a couple of strange dreams the night before commencement.

Dream One: Instead of gowns, the graduates were wearing prisoner uniforms. We had a big ball and chain attached to our legs. On the ball was written, "DISSERTATION". To graduate, we needed to carry the ball and chain up to the stage, where with a big hammer and wedge they would break the chain and set us free.

Dream Two: A long time ago, my mom bought me a t-shirt that says "Hookt on Fonix rilly wurkt fer Mee!" as a joke. In the dream, I was wearing this shirt, but it had an addendum to it: "See I evin gotta Ph.Dee!"

Tomorrow the dog has to go to the vet.