Peace and Skittles

I am Princess Leia

2011-09-02T20:27:00.001-07:00

A strong-willed herald of causes against injustice, you passionately strive to right the wrongs around you.

Somebody has to save our skins!

New Website

2010-07-30T15:46:00.001-07:00

So, I have created a full website for myself to hold more professional posts than "I found love on Zombie Harmony!" For a while I thought I might transfer what I wanted from here and delete it, but I feel like I'd rather keep this as my silly outlet. However, if anyone is interested, please visit: http://sarahkellywright.com/ You can see fascinating things like my resume and photography. It's not perfect, yet, but I have put a ton of work into it. YAY!

I also have a couple blog posts there with some cool visualizations that I was playing around with. It's kind of fun to see what you can do with data!

I found love on Zombie Harmony!!

2010-07-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Are you a gnarling, flesh eating undead looking for love? In the past, you would have had to lumber around, meeting other flesh rotters in the midst of the chaos of the zombie apocalypse. Now there's a site built especially for you!!

Created by Mingle2.com (Dating for non-zombies)

More zombies find their true loves on Zombie Harmony than on any other dating site!

You can search find a zombie who fits your needs by searching for the speed of lumbering, how freshly turned they are, and for similar interests. Don't wait until the humans rise up and find a way to make the undead die again! Find your love today!!

Happy Social Media Day!!

2010-06-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to celebrate Social Media Day with a blog post!! Not that this blog is necessarily social. It's more like an online journal where I also put my YouTube videos and things I think are funny. That's not updated regularly. That no one reads... but that's why it's not social. EXCEPT!!! That it technically is because it's a blog!

This was not meant to be a pity party. I love my random postings about nothing aimed at no one. YAY! Plus, I get people that stumble upon this every once in a while, although, honestly, they stumble right back out, if they know what's good for them!

But, happy social media day, nonetheless!! YAY!!!

THE NINJA CHIPMUNK IS OUT TO KILL

2010-06-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is the e-mail I just sent my husband at work. I'm too freaked out to re-write, so you'll have to pardon my grammar and whatnot. But, I just had a harrowing experience.

"I just got attacked by the chipmunk.

It knocked one of the lilies over, so I went out to push the lily upright, having seen it scamper away to cause havoc elsewhere. While I'm out there, I think I should water things (I know it's midday, but the peppers look so sad when they're not watered constantly. Plus, the peppers and the corn both have this weird puckering thing going on on their leaves, and I thought water might help.) I'm watering the plants, and I think that I'll squirt water into the logs to make them uncomfortable when the chipmunk gets back and maybe it'll decide to move (I SAW the damn thing scamper away at one point... I swear!). Well, in order to do the most damage to its home with the lease damage to the wood, I use the jet function on the hose.

THE F***ING CHIPMUNK HAD WEASLED ITSELF BACK INTO THE WOOD PILE. It came sprinting out, which was of course right by my leg- literally INCHES away from me as I'm peering in, holding the hose. This causes me to LEAP into the air, shrieking my head off and somehow managing to squirt myself in the face with the hose. This was HILARIOUS for the freaking teenagers cutting through the open area to go do something stupid, but I was not amused. I was, however, wet.

The chipmunk is a ninja, and it is dangerous. I now probably have rabies or something. Probably."

I realize that the last bit is VERY Bloggess, but I've been reading a LOT of her lately, so it makes sense that I would revert to her style in my moment of panic.

Also...

2010-06-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

I found this image on a friend's facebook, but this HAS to be making the rounds...

Spill, baby, spill....

No apologies

2010-06-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

It has been an exceedingly long time since I posted, it's true. However, I have had many a personal crisis/epiphany since then, so I refuse to apologize!! Life is crazy and unpredictable.

However, I discovered this amazing blog that sends people books for free! I got excited and needed to share. Look! Be amazed!

http://booksonthehouse.com/kids/

March Madness

2010-03-19T20:31:00.001-07:00

So, I have always enjoyed basketball. Ask my Dad. We'd watch basketball, and I'd have fun screaming at the TV. I even played basketball in middle school, and I enjoyed yelling at the other players and getting the ball stolen from me.

However, this joy reached new heights when I went to Michigan State. My cheers became screams, and my taunts became insults. People who were in the Izzone understood. They totally got it. But the rest of the world... not so much.

Here is a small glimpse into my life as an avid Michigan State basketball fan. Don't judge me.

I win!

2010-03-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

So, I absolutely LOVE the Bloggess. She's fantastic. I love reading her blogs. I love looking at what she links. I love watching her YouTube videos. She's fantastic. Honestly, if you've somehow managed to find your way to my silly little blog... go look at her's. Way better. Link here: http://thebloggess.com/ Fan-freaking-tastic.

Anyway, if anyone's still here, I've been feeling icky lately. Many people have been doing their best to build themselves up by tearing me down. Well, that's probably not their intention, but there's only so many times you can hear how unsuccessful you are or whatever.... I'm doing things differently than I had planned. Not a bad thing. I'm going to be in a movie (small, independent thing). I wrote a book (probably only going to live in my computer). So, I can build myself up with these things that I've been doing, but it's really hard to hear from EVERYONE that I'm not being serious or whatever. Moving on... so in this funky mood, I go check up on my favorite blogger's site. And she has made awards for the rest of us. You know, for the people that don't win Oscar's or Grammy's or Blogging awards. So, I awarded myself a few because the bloggess told me so:

So, HAH!! I win. Boo-yah!!

Harry Potter and Something to Fear

2010-02-25T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

So, I'm posting my latest video, and it's a little lame. I'll be the first to admit it. A big part of that is that my computer dies every time I go to edit. So all my cool effects and taking out my babbling just can't happen right now. Sorry about that. This will probably deter you from watching the video, but the beginning isn't bad.

In case you didn't watch the video, though, I have an exciting announcement!! I'm going to be in a movie!! It's called Something to Fear, and it's an independent horror film. Right now we're still in rehearsals, but we're going to start shooting really soon. The sweatshirt in the video is merchandise from the movie (available for your purchase now!!), and it's really comfortable. (I'm not just saying that because merchandise is included in my contract percentage!)

So, anyway, now you know! We'll be premiering in July, so anyone that wants tickets, let me know!!

Some favorite YouTube videos....

2010-02-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to post some of my favorite YouTube videos for your entertainment. I'm not getting paid to endorse them... but they are AMAZING!!!

For those of you struggling with relationship issues:

For those of you struggling with depression:

For the Harry Potter fans:

For those who have issues with children:

Hope you enjoyed these videos!!

Unite for Human Rights in Iran

2010-02-05T13:00:00.001-08:00

Drag Queen....

2010-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

This is my Youtube video of me as a drag queen....

Too awesome for words... No wonder I get nothing done...

Vloggy Update

2010-01-28T13:22:00.001-08:00

Here is the latest YouTube vlog:

It's sort of slow, but I all the controversy just seemed extra cranky or something... Oh well. Just letting everyone know what's been happening and.... I'm going to be IN A MOVIE!!! YAY!!

Cool YA Series

2010-01-20T22:40:00.001-08:00

Check out this cool YA series by Maria V. Snyder!

CBS discriminates!!

2010-01-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

I'm almost too angry to say much more, but here is an article about this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rowe/cbs-agrees-to-air-pro-lif_b_430450.html

Here is what I wrote to CBS:
I am extremely disappointed with CBS's decision to air the Focus on the Family ad during the Super Bowl. This is a direct violation of previous policy, especially considering the denial of the United Church of Christ's ad a few years ago. The previous denial was for an ad that created an atmosphere of inclusiveness whereas this ad is polarizing and discriminatory. I am ashamed that a corporate entity could describe their policy one way for certain groups and another way for other groups. Focus on the Family is known for their offensive, polarizing material that alienates a large segment of the population. I do not want to watch the super bowl this year if this ad is going to air. I will simply watch the entertaining ads on Youtube the next day. I will also be posting this information and opinion on my twitter feed, blog, and Youtube channel. This is completely revising my opinion of CBS and not in a good way. What are you becoming, another Fox News?

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share my holiday fun facts video:

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Giant Squids of Anger

2009-11-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

So.... John Green is constantly mentioning the giant squids of anger that attack innocent Youtubers in the comment section. However, I always imagine tentacles coming from the shadows to drag him into the YouTube shadows. Someone could probably do this better, but this was the image in my mind.

Also, I made the community channel joke out of love. If you watched my "your mom" video, you know that I love the mom/mum jokes!! And, honestly, who doesn't love community channel???

Hope you are all well!! Best Wishes!!

Yet another reason to love Katee Sackhoff...

2009-11-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

So, being a huge Battlestar Galactica fan, I dressed up as Starbuck for Halloween. This was very exciting, especially since Katee Sackhoff announced that she was having a costume contest a week before Halloween. Katee Sackhoff played Starbuck in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (which is honestly the waaaaaay better one). I was all about that, so I filmed a short video and entered the contest and...

I AM A RUNNER UP IN KATEE SACKHOFF'S COSTUME CONTEST!!!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!!

Here is a link to her website showing the results: http://kateesackhoff.com/wordpress/ You definitely need to check out the Grand Prize Winner. Her costume is phenomenal. Not that I don't love mine, but hers was phenomenal... Anyway, if you can't check out her website, here is the video I made:

Thanks for watching!! YAY KATEE SACKHOFF!!!

BANNED BOOK WEEK!!!

2009-09-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Banned Book Week starts Sept. 26th!!! No, put down your Nazi Fascist flags... this is about celebrating our ability to read books that have been banned or challenged. Hurray for freedom!! I made a quick video highlighting some of the reasons books are banned. Are those reasons good enough for you? Well they aren't for me! HURRAY FOR ACCESS TO BANNED BOOKS!!!

Sources: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged/index.cfm
http://www.ala.org/bbooks
Banned Books Manifesto: http://www.ncac.org/images/ncacimages/BBWManifesto%281%29.pdf
Map of Banned Books in the United States
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html

Serious Love for Locks of Love

2009-08-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I got my hair cut for Locks of Love. It was a great thing. The longest pieces were about 10.5 inches, although the layers were a bit shorter. If you want to watch the process, I'm embedding the video here:

However, I was surprised how some people had a negative reaction to the organization. People talked about how Locks of Love (LoL) didn't use all the hair for wigs or deny some cancer patients wigs. I thought that the negative reaction was weird, so I did some research... and some of it is true, but taken WAAAAY out of context.

So, yes, LoL doesn't use all the hair that they get in the mail. However, they don't want to damage hair by dyeing it, so gray hair isn't used. Also, they only use the highest quality hair, so color-treated hair isn't used either. They also rarely use hair shorter than 10 inches because they make a lot of long hair wigs for little girls.

What do they do with all of this extra hair? They sell it. This outrages some people, but in my research, I discovered that hand-making human hair wigs can cost thousands of dollars. They get a lot of hair in the mail, but not a lot of people donate more than $50. So, they need donations of at least 50 people for every wig. If they don't get that, they need to make money somehow. So, they sell the extra hair that they can't use anyway.

The other allegation is that they are denying cancer patients. One problem is that the lack of finances to make these wigs makes it hard to make enough wigs for everyone. At this point, LoL wants to focus on giving wigs to children who permanently lose their hair, which happens with certain cancers. However, this means that most of the kids who receive wigs have other diseases.

I think all of their reasons are totally justified. I guess I have a lot more problems with the critics of LoL than LoL itself. Why should only cancer patients deserve to have wigs? I think a loss of hair would be stigmatizing to any young kid, regardless of what disease they have. I'm really happy that I donated my hair, and I'm sending a check to try to offset the costs of making a wig. I hope that other people can feel the same way.

Two excellent quotes!!

2009-04-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward. ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced. ~ Frank Zappo

Phone Messages

2009-04-16T20:37:00.001-07:00

I'm NOT feeling good and I have thesis anxiety. However, here is a recent YouTube video because I have sadly neglected my beautiful blog.

I feel like a crack monkey, and from Sandip's comments, I'm acting like one, too. Stupid allergies and colds and the medicine that allows me to breathe but takes away my ability to function in reality. BLEH.

Epic FAIL!!!!

2009-02-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is one of my very favorite videos on YouTube.... I could watch it over and over again. AWESOME!!!

Hope you enjoy!!

Two Truths and a Lie...

2009-01-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

So, I joined in on a couple different memes on YouTube this past week. (I know! There's nothing like the power of procrastination when you've got a big deadline coming!!) My favorite is the 2 Truths and a Lie meme, although anyone that knows me even a little should get it pretty quickly.

However, I also did the Google meme where you type "Your Name" and a verb into Google and then tell everyone the results. That one was a lot of fun, too.

There're some good ones!!

And, last but not least, I had a good time in the snow... although I bruised my tailbone on an unpictured fall on the ice. However, the part where I got snow up my coat was pretty funny...

So, anyways, have fun watching, if you get a chance. Also, note the songs on the upper right corner!! You can listen to some of my inspirational music that I'm using while writing my thesis. Super fun!! Have a great day!!

Religion...

2009-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
- Steven Weinberg

I don't have much to say beyond this. Just think about it and assess if things done in the name of religion are truly fair or just your own ethical beliefs...

I'm thinking of this in a few ways, I suppose, if you need direction. There is the big obvious Israel, Hamas, Gaza Strip, etc set of issues, which boils down to a particular religious-ethnic group taking over another country because of their holy land location and centuries of discrimination. However, it seems that their persecution has only led them to persecute others who are pissed that their homes have been destroyed and they have been forcibly shoved off their lands... and are now retaliating with missiles. However, there is so much wrong-doing on both sides, so take it as you will...

But then there is the religion vs. gay marriage conflict here in the United States that has its own special problems. Hurray.... This one is odd because so many people that discuss civil rights have a negative opinion of gay marriage. It doesn't make sense to me. Why do some people have certain rights and other people don't?? What's going on here?? Don't ask me, I don't get it.

Bleh.... Don't hate me for making you question your value system... hate the person who ingrained it in your psyche.

An Abundance of Sarah Babble

2009-01-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

So, the video above is random, but fun. I was excited about the president and John Green (the author). I was also hopped up on some Dayquil... which is always helpful to maintaining energy levels. It was just about the best I felt all day. I am in the process of getting sick. I've had a fever. Well, sort of. I don't know if you could say it was a full-fledged fever since the hottest the thermometer showed was 99.6 F. HOWEVER, everyone that felt my forehead claimed it was ridiculously warm and I should go to bed if I wasn't feeling good. However, all that napping plus dayquil means that I am awake now, promoting my video. YAY! Except I'm tired already. And while I did my homework for the week, I still have grading to do and that ever-present, ever-dreaded thesis to do... I would give a kidney to have that darn thing done. Seriously. A kidney. I'm blood type A +, if that helps.

I always liked my blood type. My pompous, little, over-achieving self really enjoyed thinking things like "even my blood gets an A +." Luckily I was smart enough not to say it out loud (well, beyond my parents) because that is worthy of a serious @$$ kicking. I don't know why that was less offensive spelled out in symbols... but it was! Anyways, despite the serious lack of people looking or reading my blog (or watching those videso, for that matter), I still enjoy typing some of these things out. I always liked the idea of diaries, but somehow having a forum where I get to broadcast my views to the world is even more fun. YAY!

Wealthy Shark Girl

2009-01-14T14:08:00.001-08:00

Anagrams are fun!! The opening title is just one in a series. Here are some more....

Hear Gawky Thrills

Hark! Whale Gristly!

Highly Raw Stalker

Lightly Wreak Rash

Gawk Rashly Hitler

Why A Krill Gathers

Shh Twirly Age Lark

Anyways, these are just some of the many wonderful anagrams that I made from my name. LOVE IT!!!

Here are some for Peace and Skittles:

A Panicked Settles

A Cad Steeple Stink

It Slackened a Pest

I rode a llama becomes.....

Malarial Ode

I Lead Amoral

Lo! A Mead Lair

Graduate Student is now....

Ungraded Statute

A Understated Tug

Rudest Tut Agenda

End Gut Saturated

Data Tented Gurus (that's a favorite of mine...)

Dude, Stagnant Rut

All of those are very true about graduate school..... Very good of the anagrams to reflect that!! Anyway, that was fun to make, although the length may not reflect the amount of time that went in. I hope you are all very well!!!

The Worst Day Since Yesterday by Flogging Molly

2008-12-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I know the reality of this song.... The Auto Bailout makes me sad inside...

Project for Awesome!

2008-12-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!

I just wanted to clue you in on a youtube phenomenon called "Project for Awesome." This project involves many YouTubers posting videos about favorite charities and non-profits in order to make the world a better place by raising awareness. Most of the videos have been pretty fun, and I just wanted to share my submission. Here ya go:

Thanks for watching!!

We be jammin'

2008-12-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!!!

So, I made another Youtube video that seemed like fun to share. I'm sort of learning how to play guitar and/or bass. Except that I'm not at all. But, every time I'm near a guitar or bass and one of my rockstar friends, I ask them to show me things. So... here is a video of some of what happens:

As you can see, it's not very exciting. But still, I played actual notes. That's better than nothing. That's really all I have to say because I'm working on my thesis and textual analysis. So, I should get back to it! Laters!

I love the ukulele!!!

2008-11-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!!

So, I'm technically writing my final paper for Joel's class right now.... Which is obviously working out well for me. I'm in my old bedroom at my parents' house for Thanksgiving. I'm trying hard to get work done (the reading for the rest of the quarter = done), but it gets to the point where I stop being productive. So.... I YouTube. Not making videos this time around, although I've got a couple ongoing projects that will for sure come to fruitation, if I ever get a real video camera. :) However, I wanted to share this with anyone who might happen by my blog anytime in the near future. I'm totally loving all the ukuleles on Youtube. It's fantastic!!! One of my absolutely favorite players is Julia Nunes, who opened for Ben Folds after he saw her videos online. (This is why I <3 youtube.com!!) Anyways, here are a couple of my favorites from her!!

And....

YAY!!!! Have a fabulous rest of Thanksgiving weekend!!

November 4th, 2008: 11:00 PM

2008-11-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Although I put off much of what I wanted to accomplish tonight in order to follow the election, I felt that I couldn't go to bed without writing down how I feel, right now, at this spectacular, amazing moment. About an hour and a half ago, CNN projected Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. I spent the first few minutes jumping up and down and squealing with joy, talking to my dad on the phone, and doing my newly patented "Not a Republican Country Anymore" dance. I laughed, twirled around, and let the exhilaration wash over me. We did it!!!

As I went on from the euphoric thrill of a winning campaign well done to the contented glow of knowing I helped, I settled back in to watch CNN and other channels to watch the speeches. As I watched, I thought about what this means for America. We have struggled for so long to achieve more equality among our citizens, and although we are still struggling, we took a great leap forward tonight. Not only because we have our first racial minority president, but because America has looked around at the failed policies of previous administrations and decided to make a change. The audacity of hope, indeed. We went for a candidate who supports people even though they may not be rich and powerful. His campaign thrived on the small donations from people like me, who don't have a lot, but wanted to be a part of something great. This was such a grass-roots movement.

I can't tell you all how thrilled I am at this moment. I felt that listening to Obama's acceptance speech was like listening to the "I have a dream" speech, but even more satisfying because I was a part of this movement. No, I can't say that I completely agree with all of his politics. But I can say that I believed in him and, in my own small way, helped make this happen. That is the miracle of this campaign. So many Americans have owernship over it. There have been so many volunteers and so much money donated that they just didn't know what to do with it all. And for the first time in eight long years, I really, honestly, feel hope for our nation. It seems odd when we're in the worst economic times of the past few generations, but it's true. It'll be hard, and I don't know that the new administrations won't repeat some of the same mistakes of the past. But I do know that this is a real mandate from the people. We're not as backward and selfish as the world thought. We're ready to stand up and make a change. Ready to support a candidate who wants to help people, create a society where we hold each other up, rather than compete in a race to the bottom.

This may all seem silly to those reading it, but I have a renewed sense of faith from this election. We're not as selfish and evil as I thought we were. I hope President Obama knows just what he means to Americans and DOES something with it. I hope he takes the power of all of the community organizers out there and has us work towards this generation's New Deal. But, whatever happens, I know that I want to remember today, and this election year, so that I can tell my children what it was like to be a part of something so great.

I am a phoenix...

2008-10-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Fun quizzes.... Happy Halloween!!!

Matt Damon hate Sarah Palin...

2008-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

I love Matt Damon.... He's awesome.

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-19T21:21:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I am really excited because we carved pumpkins today!!! Hurray! I was really excited because I think they turned out really well. We bought a carving kit this year, so we had little saws that made detail work easier. Sandip used a stencil, too, to make a really cool, really scary clown pumpkin. Here's a picture:
Sandip's clown guy is on the left, and in the middle, we have a pumpkin eating a smaller pumpkin. Then, there is a standard, scary pumpkin on the right. I'm sad that you can't really see all the details. There's a lot of detail work that went into this year's pumpkins because we had those little knives. We could be very precise. For example, in the pumpkin on the right, I carved nostril holes, and cheek definition. But, I guess only people seeing them in person can be impressed. Oh, yeah, I carved the one on the right and the little, scared pumpkin. Both of them were freehand, which I feel takes less patience, but more skill than Sandip's stencil pumpkin. He also carved the scary cannibal pumpkin and figured out the engineering behind making the little pumpkin stay put. Of course, if I were the little pumpkin, I would roll out of the mouth too.

In order to be in the Halloween spirit while we carved pumpkins, I agreed to watch a scary movie with Sandip while scooping out pumpkin guts. After I rejected an exorcism movie, he chose Aliens. That is a scary, scary movie. I feel like it is just the right amount of suspense and gore to really freak me out. Not that I'm particularly good at watching horror movies. In fact, I usually refuse unless it's close to Halloween. People are obligated to watch scary movies during the month of October. It's a law in some states.

Anyways, that is actually why I am still up at 12:45 on a Sunday night when I have school the next day. I'm just a little too freaked out to go to sleep. The movie ended a little over an hour ago. Sandip went to bed right after that, but I stayed up to do school work. However, once I turn the lights off in the living room, I have to walk upstairs in the dark. IN THE DARK!!!! It's just not going to happen right away. I may have to watch an episode of Friends or something to get my mind off things.

I've never been a good post-scary movie person. After my family went to see the Blair Witch Project, my brother jumped out of the hallway at me, and I screamed so hard that I cried. I think I actually started shaking after that. Greg got in BIG trouble for that business. And anyone that says the movie wasn't that scary just doesn't have that great of an imagination. That's my big problem, especially with suspense. I think of all the awful things that could happen, plus I have this empathy with the characters, so I feel like I'm really there in the situation. It's terrifying. However, I would like to say that at least I'm not as bad as Kristy... She was freaked out after we watched a scary movie, and then she picked up our cat and went to go downstairs to get something. My brother was walking up the stairs , not being scary this time, and Kristy threw my cat at him. THREW MY CAT. Just in case you didn't get it the first time. It's fun to repeat things in capital letters.

However, hurray for Halloween. Hurray for October. I have so many costumes that I want to wear that I think I will dress up all week before. Anyways, have a spooktacular October!! Happy Halloween!!!!

Happy 50th Blog to Me!!!

2008-10-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

I love my kittens.... It's the truth. Also, my half birthday was this week. I'm past halfway to 24, can you believe it??? Anyways, I just wanted to quickly put this kitten video in for you guys so people who are at home on a Friday night can watch my cute little babies destroy the evil bubble army....

I love it, I love it, I love it!!!

Movies, movies, movies

2008-10-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody!!

I made this video to say hi to everyone.

Hope you're all doing well!!

The curse of being Sarah

2008-10-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I figure that since no one reads this anymore, now that they can just call me, I can write whatever I want... including the ickiness that has been my week. As I'm writing this, I am stuck at home because my car is at the dealership. It wouldn't start. I thought it was the battery and asked someone to help me jump it, but the guy said it didn't sound like the battery. All sort of helpful advice later, my car still didn't start and I called AAA.

By that time, my car was making the clicking noises that means the battery needs some love. So, when I called, they asked about the clicking, and I said that the clicking didn't start right away, but it was clicking now. However, I don't know the proper terms, so the lady was convinced it was just the battery. OK, whatever. So, I wait around for the AAA guy. I talk to Sandip on the phone, and he comes from Marysville, which takes forever. So, I waited and waited. Sandip got there, and he tried to jump it. It didn't work. Ten minutes later, the AAA guy came sans tow truck because it would be too big for the parking garage. He came, he checked the battery (I did wear it out with the trying to start it thing...), and then said there was nothing he could do.... he text messaged (taking a good five minutes per line...) to AAA, telling them that it was more serious (Which I mentioned to the lady on the phone the first time), and they sent a tow truck. Which took even more time. Then it was tricky to get the truck in there, and he had totally different theories about what was wrong.... Long story short, I had to get towed to the dealership. Whoo.

My car is gone, so I'm not going to school. How would I get there?? However, I am filled with guilt for not going because I could probably convince some of my friends to come get me. BLEH. However, this is not the extent of the curse. Every day something is happening.... I had someone steal some things off of my desk on Tuesday. People have been expecting so much of me lately, and I had to talk it out with everyone and their little brother.

I've been going through some really tough times, emotionally, lately. Part of it is Peru being one of those experiences that probably built my character and all that, but it was HARD. I think it was one of the hardest long term experiences that I've had. India was hard, and I was drained afterwards, but I didn't feel so wretched about myself. I guess I felt like I made a difference there, and it was really positive. Anyways, I felt so overwhelmed when I got back and didn't want to do anything. I talked to a few people about everything, and people really felt like I was being walked over and needed to take a stand for myself. So, I talked with Kendra (one of my advisors) about how I was feeling and how awful everything felt. She really understood and helped me out with things. It felt good to talk about, and she did what she could to lighten my load.

However, since then, I've tried to let people know that I'm a little sensitive right now and have a lot going on. Most of this has blown up in my face. I get 12 messages a day from people, which is nice, but it can be really overwhelming. Especially since I didn't lighten my workload THAT much. I'm still doing 3 different GGO jobs, being a TA, and taking my classes, not to mention editing my data, planning this stupid wedding, fixing up the condo, buying a couch, trying to make dinners in order to save money (think car fixing, re-buying books, and that whole WEDDING thing), and then on top of everything, I'm trying to fix my emotional health while dealing with the day-to-day existence of grad school. I'm stressed out. Argh.

I know that it doesn't sound cursed, but I keep doing embarrassing things like accidentally flashing my undies to couple kids in the class I TA for (OK, when the prof drops papers and doesn't move to pick them up, they're expecting the TA to do it, right?? Only problem, I was wearing a skirt. Sigh. I almost got in a car accident because we live off of the busiest fast road in Columbus, OH and you have to cross the right turn lane to go straight and there are a million cars. It's just all those little things on top of having someone take my $50 book and having my car break down and need hundreds of dollars to be fixed. AAAHHH.

All right, I'm done being "Woe is me." Not really, but I'm done writing about it. Anyways, if any of my friends and family do read this, thank you for the support! I really appreciate it. I can't promise to answer all the phone calls and be cheerful when everyone is looking for it. I really need to work on making myself happier inside or I'm going to crumble. That's the long and short of it.

Some Awesome Politics

2008-09-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I know I've been super political lately, so I wanted to add more fun politics. I like this video...

Whooo!!! This is perfect. Me at age 5. Ha!! Love you, miss you!!

Sarah's gone political

2008-09-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, the message can be both me and Gov. Palin. But I have a couple of things that I want to show you all. One is serious, the other.... not so much.

First, I wanted to post Deepak Chopra's message that I received in my e-mail.

"Obama and The Palin Effect

From: Deepak Chopra

Posted: September 4th, 2008

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the National psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week.

On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure.

Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper. She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other."

For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.)

I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin's message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.

Look at what she stands for:

--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.

--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.

--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.

--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.

--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.

--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.

--Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is."

The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good.

The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.

Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise."

I would now like to post something a little more fun, if not less telling about Gov. Palin.... I'm hoping it embeds, but if not, please go to this website:

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

I know, very little of me went into this message, but I feel like these two messages say it better than I can.....

Here's one of me....

There's no real point to that video, but I love how I get completely derailed by the chocolate sauce. All other concerns flew out the window in comparison to the chocolate sauce. It was a very desperate time in Peru, for me..... Later days!

Women Against Sarah Palin

2008-09-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I know it's been ages, but the good news is that I am back in Columbus and ready to go back to school (well, not so much ready as having to go back anyways...). I was supposed to be working on my data more than I have, but I'm hoping some of my frustrations about how bad the transcribing is would die down. Never go through the friend of a friend for something that important to you... especially in Peru!! Then you can't complain about how they've screwed up or how they charged 3 times what a professional would have.... :-p

Moving on, I have no power. I am currently typing this up at Starbucks, one of the 4 places with power in our neighborhood. Super fun!! (This is another excuse for not working very much... this environment is not conducive to re-transcribing.) The rest of Hurricane Ike took out 280,000+ residents' power. I don't know if that number is for households or people, but I do know that the earliest prediction of when we'll get power is Wednesday. I have also heard Friday, and for those of us who are not emergency locations (electricity is a luxury! which it really is.... except we've lost our ability to do anything without it. NO FOOD!!!!), we may not have power until Sunday. However, they have said everyone will have power by Sunday at the latest. Hooray! It's like camping, but less fun. The icy showers in the pitch black bathroom are the worst.

Anyways, the whole point of this blog, beyond venting my frustration about the two biggest problems in my life (well, OK, I'll admit, I probably have bigger problems, in the grand scheme of things... but these are the two forefront in my mind), is to discuss an e-mail I received yesterday. It discusses a blog that is forming called "Women Against Sarah Palin." They are asking for a paragraph or so from every woman that wants her voice heard on this issue. Then they put them on the blog, with the name, age and location, and they are trying to publicize as much as possible. After reading the e-mail, which I would be happy to send to anyone who would like it, I was really excited to add my two cents. I have been really frustrated at the response of a number of voters who simply want to vote for her because she is a woman. Some people think that feminism will be advanced by making her vice-president. Perhaps it will, but we will also take 12 steps backwards in so many other areas, such as the right to choose, freedom of speech, etc. If we want a female vice-president, can we please have a COMPETENT woman in there????

Anyways, I wanted to share my paragraph with all of you, just for fun. I am so anti-Sarah Palin, it isn't even funny.

"While I support the idea of a female vice-president, or president for that matter, Sarah Palin is not the candidate I had in mind. As an active supporter of women's rights, I do not want to be taken in by the pandering attitudes of the Republican Party. I will not vote for her and McCain because she is a woman, just as I would not vote for Barack Obama because he is a man. I want to vote for a candidate that supports the ideals that I believe in. I want a cadidate who supports my right to choose, a person who realizes that absitence-only sex education does not work, a person who not only allows, but supports the variety of religions we have in the United States, a person who protects the rich natural heritage we have been blessed with, and a candidate who may not agree with what I am saying, but defends my right to say it (adapted quotation of Voltaire). Sarah Palin is none of those things. Not only that, but she is also inexperienced and only on the Republican ticket because she is a woman. The world is laughing at the United States for our recent mistakes in foreign policy and the economy. We would be continuing our path back in time if we allow someone whose policies seem so backwards be one heartbeat away from the presidency. Yes, I am a woman. But thanks to my mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers work towards gender equality, I can think for myself and will not vote for Sarah Palin."

I know, it isn't perfect. It does not even express all of the frustration I feel, but it is what I could do while hanging out at Starbucks. Also, I completely respect that families should be left out of the politics, but seriously.... her seventeen year old daughter is having a baby, but Palin still says abstinence only education works... However, if her daughter was one of the many young girls that did not have a lot of options or a rich family to support her, she would be completely out of luck. Those fabulous Republican policies that cut out funding for young, single mothers (although she and her boyfriend are being forced to get married soon....), so she would have to drop out of school, get a full-time job, and take care of her baby. It just seems so backwards to cut out options on all sides. You have to have the baby (especially since Gov. Palin is anti-birth control), but you will be given no options for taking care of her/him. Seriously?!?!?

Plus, I don't understand how the Republicans can have this argument of inexperience for Obama, but they can support Sarah Palin... Plus, she made fun of Biden having too much experience in Washington and needing an outsider to come in, guns blazing (literally!!), to clean up the corruption. What?!?! They can't have it both ways here. However, Americans are lapping it up like fat, lazy kitty-cats without giving it any thought. We are a nation of apathetic idiots. (I'm including myself, so you can't get mad!) I spoke with a number of foreigners about American politics, and they knew so much more than I did. However, one thing they kept asking is how Americans could let things happen as much as we do. I had no answers for them. The general opinion of Americans, as I gathered it from Peruvians and Europeans, is that we are all fat, lazy, stupid, uneducated, anti-environment, racist jerks. I'm serious, sadly. I'm sure I'm missing a few unpleasant adjectives, but that is just off the top of my head. Wouldn't it be so great if we proved them wrong and made huge, positive changes? Well, that will never happen if Sarah Palin has anything to say about it.... Oh, she makes me so MAD!

OK, also, she is Ms. Anti-Corruption because she stopped using her corporate jet and sold it or something else. However, she also lied and charged the government over $60,000 in expenses for herself, daughters, and husband when taking "business trips," some of which were while she was documented staying home. Also, it is illegal to charge the government for family members unless they are also employees of the government... The story was first reported by the Washington Post, but here is the most recent news article I found, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/15/palin-tax-mystery-enters_n_126553.html. It is all very fishy.

The thing about taxes is that we all wish we could have that much more in our pockets, but honestly, I am a proud tax-payer in the United States. I drive on roads all the time, I went to a public-school, and I love state and national parks. None of those things would be possible without taxes. I don't understand how the anti-tax Republicans think this system works. We have this massive deficit. We owe big, powerful countries billions of dollars that we will have to pay back some day. We spend on the military like there is no tomorrow (do you know how much a tank costs???), but we don't want to pay soldiers' benefits because we don't want to pay high taxes. I know everything is more complicated than that, but still. Taxes are necessary. Deal with it! Hurray for taxes! Well, I might not go that far. However, I do want to point out that if they want to lower taxes, they should not declare war on another country. All right, I am just babbling on with my frustration at this point. However, down with Sarah Palin and her anti-feminist ideals! I am a woman against Sarah Palin!! Hear me roar!

Livin' on a Prayer!

2008-08-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

So, every trip I've been on, especially the study abroads, has had a few songs that have stuck out as sort of theme songs of the trip. For my UK trip, predominately it was Usher's "Yeah!," mostly because we heard it EVERYWHERE we went, but Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (one of the girls on the trip convinced this very manly performer that he should sing it to her), Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men" (sung by one of our own at karaoke!), and some others. In fact, I believe someone actually made a soundtrack for our study abroad because so many songs were associated with it.

Then, India was such an amazing experience, but so very difficult for me. Every trip I've taken has changed me to some extent, but that one was a DRAMATIC change, and I don't mean losing all of my body fat to become an unhealthy little skeleton. But, still, songs stick out, and they're happy songs that make me feel good. Katie and Brittany always said that "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles was the theme song, but I have other associations with that as well. Somehow I have this memory of my dad singing it when I was very little. Now, we listened to the Beatles growing up, but I would normally think of the Beach Boys when I think of my dad, but "Here Comes the Sun" just reminds me of being completely, 100% happy (the happy you can only be when you're little and don't really have anything to worry about) and listening to my dad. Of course, I have other memories of that song, too, because it is one of my favorite songs in the world. Anyways, the point is that it can't only be the India theme song for me. So, I would actually have to say that "Ek galasi, do galasi, teen galasi, char!" is the song that I most associate with India... YouTube it or something. Also, the song fromm Rang de Basanti whose name is escaping me right now. (Speaking of which, no one ever gave me a copy of that soundtrack!! I need to call these people up!)

So, what is the theme song of Peru, now that I am near the end? (You can never know what it is going to be ahead of time... only towards the end.) Well, it could be some of the "whine-o" that is very popular with everyone. It's a local music style that includes this singing style that is just whiney. (However, people use the whiney tone MUCH more here, just for everything... I totally would have fit in as an 11 year old!) It could even be some Hindi music, since that is fairly popular here. However, ironically enough, it is Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" that takes the cake for me. Why? Again, it's played everywhere!! But beyond that, it has sort of embodied this trip for me. I first thought that it could be the theme song when I was on Huaynu Picchu , trying sooooo hard to climb to the top (I'm pretty sure it was before I had heard it on the radio here, too!!). In my head, I just started to play, "Woah, we're halfway there...." trying to boost myself along. Then, I kept thinking of that song the whole way, "It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not." Then, later in the week, I was feeling awful about taking classes more than 8 hours a day some days, without being able to hang out with the other students and not having ANYONE e-mail/call me for like 2 days. The song came on the radio of the cafe I was sitting in.
"Woah, livin' on a prayer." It cheered me up. Then, I've just heard it so much since then, especially when I am feeling down. It just comes up. For example, on the way back from Llanganuco after almost getting arrested and feeling AWFUL about not getting any more interviews there, like the whole world was this unjust place in which nice people got continuously screwed over. Then, here is Bon Jovi, singing to me that "Weve got to hold on ready or not. You live for the fight when its all that youve got" It was completely rejuvenating. "We'll make it, I swear." When I felt like I was going to be here FOREVER and all the Limenos were being super duper mean.... "We've gotta hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not....."

So, today, after not being able to sleep because a marching band kept playing until 12:30 AM... and then getting up at 5:45 to head up to Pitec, only to find out that the super dark clouds head kept all of the smart people of Huaraz in their homes. So, instead, I sat in the rain and got some international tourists interviews and fed my whole lunch to a starving dog. Then, I had to walk down the moutain because there was no ride. I caught a collectivo after about an hour and a half (which isn't bad...) However, by the time I got Huaraz, I was soooo hungry and food here takes 8000 years to be ready. I went and sat down at the first open restaurant (they close for siestas sometimes) and was feeling icky and cranky. However, as I perused the menu and was told that the cook had left but would come back in 5 minutes from the market (which often means like 40 minutes...), "Livin' on a Prayer" came on the radio. By the second run-through of the chorus, I was rocking out, had a cold Pepsi in front of me, and saw the cook come back. The waiter thought I was hilarious, and my food was the QUICKEST I've ever gotten it here. So, today, I decided that "Livin' on a Prayer" is this Peru trip's theme song for me, and I wanted to share it with you. I have a number of funny/cranky observations for everyone, but I can't ruin the good vibes I've got going from the song. So, until next time, here's a fun big haired video:

No one reads anymore....

2008-08-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

So, I just looked and saw that I did 3 blogs with no pictures and no videos... That's a disaster!! No one reads these days... Who is going to go through all 3 of those posts and actually look at them?? Well, besides my mother... Nadie. So, I decided I should throw some pictures in here just so people don't take one look and decide that they'd rather watch YouTube... Speaking of YouTube, it's actually easier for me to upload videos there and then embed them here. So, here are a couple for your enjoyment!!

So anyways, if you do decide to glance at the pictures and then go enjoy the wonders of YouTube, I don't blame you!! YouTube is a great delight for all. However, you could also check out my YouTube page which has some of my videos from the trip on it. There's a link on the sidebar of this page. They aren't that interesting, I know, but at the bottom, I have 3 of my favorite YouTube videos of all time: Techno Kittens, Charlie Bit My Finger... Again!, and The Mean Kitty Song (he looks JUST like Maddy did at that age!!!!). They are all definitely worth watching, even if mine are a little dry...

But anyways, here are some pictures for your enjoyment as I continue on my quest for interviews...

This is the view during sunset from the roof of my hostel. It's absolutely gorgeous. I don't know what I'm going to do without the mountains around me... Definitely something I'll miss.
This is an older picture, as is the next one, of Sandip in front of some ruins above Cusco. Which ruins? No idea, but isn't he just adorable???
This is me wanting a picture petting a burro, but refusing to get close to the burro in case he or she decided to charge/bite/freak out. I also think my clenched teeth are saying, "Just take the picture already... JUST TAKE IT!!" to Mr. Fussy Pants who likes to zoom in and out and fuss with settings and things.
This is an Incan woman who was letting people take pictures of her for money near the ruins, which are in the background. Again, these are some of the lesser known ruins, so I couldn't tell you the name off the top of my head, but I wrote it down somewhere... Anyways, they're a bit older, but I found a memory card that I hadn't downloaded yet!! Whooo!!

So, I've got four more foreign tourist interviews to go, and I need to get on that. I've just been dreading the look (which is barely anything compared to the Limenos look), and I really don't know how much more rejection I can take... However, duty calls!!! I can be strong for another week and a half, right?? Psh, for sure!! I am woman, hear me roar... Super Sarah!! Have a good week and a half... pretty soon I'll be there to bug you!!

With a hundred soles in my pocket...

2008-08-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!!

It's been a strange couple of days both because I've been in a really good mood and everything in Huaraz has just been insane. For example, I called my brother and Amy today, which was awesome!! However, I went to pay and I had 14 soles or a 100 sole bill. The bill was just a little over my change, but she couldn't break a 100 sole bill (I've had this conversation with EVERYONE who has traveled here... How do locals get around? The ATM spits out 100s but NO ONE takes them. It's very frustrating.) So, I said I would be right back (I see her a lot, so we're friends... You know the kind of friends where one of them pays the other one for services... WOW. That sounds awful but I can't think of how else to phrase it. She's the phone lady and I pay her. Sometimes we have conversations about Hindi music or what she wants to do with her life... That's friendly, right??) So, I go walking down the street to the gas station (grifa... I learned a new word!) where I ask if that lady could give me change for a 100. She affirms that I want soles and says yes. Then she proceeds to give me 100 soles.... in coins.

That's right, coins!! And only 30 was in 5 sol coins. A good 35 was in 1 sol coins and the rest was in 2 sol coins. My pockets are absolutely bulging. It's pulling my pants down... I'm going to have to stop by the hostel to drop some of this madness off. Plus, I think I have a 10 bill somewhere, maybe in yesterday's pants pocket. The tens are much more convenient, but even those, some people can't break them. It's insanity. The whole town is insane!!!

A little boy was walking down the street with his mom, but she stopped to look at a street vendor's goods, but he kept walking. I was stopped also, and he came over and wrapped his arms around my legs because he thought I was his mother. It was adorable, but I hadn't been paying attention, so I made a surprised noise. He looked up and started sobbing. Broke my heart. His mom turned quickly and scooped him up away from the crazy gringa, but I just raised my hands in front of me, the universal gesture of "Hey, sorry, it wasn't me!"

I also had this interview with this socialist tourist guide... he was crazy, too!! I liked it, though. He was funny, and I agreed with a lot of what he said. He was really angry with the United States, and I was like, I can't blame you. You get screwed over a lot in the name of capitalism... However, he was telling me that I needed to tell my government... and I'm like, I tell them what I can, but no one cares what I think. I can't even get all my friends, who love me, to read this blog... The U.S. government is NOT going to listen to me. Especially if I talked like he did. He was REALLY angry. However, I liked him. He was funny. It's people like him that are angry at the U.S., but aren't mean to me that make this more fun. Well, they don't have to be angry at the U.S. to be fun. But the people that have really strong opinions but don't yell at me.... I love them. I liked that guy so much that I bought an absolutely expensive and useless book from him. It's about geography in the Cordillera Blanca. It's mostly stuff I know already, but high five for the little socialist capitalizing on capitalism. Of course, he said that business is WAY down this year. I felt bad. He obviously really cared about the area and saw it crumbling before his eyes.

I don't know, I'm still striking out a lot with interviews, but people haven't been MEAN this week. I know what it is!! I only went to the bus station one day and left after everyone on four buses rejected me. None of them were particularly mean, although it probably would have hurt my feelings during the first couple weeks. The people from Lima like to glare. A LOT. They just get this look on their faces like you are the stupidest person they've ever met and they hate you for bothering them. That look crushed me every time for a while. Now it's just kind of funny. Well, it still bothers me, but I've learned not to be a glutton for punishment. If I feel bad vibes from the bus station, I leave before I want to cry. It's a much better system. Rather than sitting there because I feel like I have to, I sit as long as I can stand it and then go buy another DVD or hats for someone... It's nice.

Anyways, it almost feels like Huaraz (the city as an entity...) is trying to make up for a lot of the crap it's put me through as a whole. Funny, crazy incidents, but none of them involve late night phone calls to Sandip where I try to avoid crying in the phone booth... I'm exaggerating a bit. However, I do feel like I'm just happier now than I was for a long time. I don't know if I'm just seeing things differently or they ARE different. Who knows? Either way, if this keeps up, I'm going to miss Huaraz as soon as I leave. Funny, funny people. Although, I still think all drunk men should be locked up before they bother me... But I've learned to give them a wide berth and ignore anything they say. jerks..... The stories I could tell you would shock you!!!

Happy 30th Birthday, Greg!!!

2008-08-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is just a short note to wish my brother a Happy 30th Birthday!!! Yes, I know, with all of these old people around, it must be my youth and vitality keeping the family going... Just kidding!!! Anyways, I figured a nice public forum would be a good way to wish a happy b-day to my bro. I'm trying to reach him in all forms possible: calling, e-mailing, e-carding, blogging... Now if only I can guarantee that the skywriter I hired makes it over Greg and Amy's house at the right time. Or should I say the Wright time??? You know, for how much I HATE it when other people make Wright jokes, I sure do it a lot.

Anyways, feel free to leave a comment for my brother. I know most of you don't know him that well, if at all, but those that do (a.k.a Mom and Dad), feel free. I don't think he'll mind.

I am doing well, in case you're wondering. I totally got someone else to finish transcribing. I just have to do the translating afterwards. However, I think that'll be much easier without having to listen to the words 18 times while pouring over the dictionary to see what it is. So, I'm back to simply interviewing, although I am also trying to find a color printer somewhere that works so I can print some stuff out for INRENA. I looked today, but the only place I know that has a color printer says its broken for now. Which could mean that it is just out of ink, or it could mean that it died forever. You never can tell with bees... Yes, that is a Winnie the Pooh quote, and I am not ashamed to admit it.

Anyways, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG!!!! Many happy returns to you, as well. I hope your day is/will be awesome!!! Lots of love from your little sister in Peru!! I'll be happy to loan you anything from my new movie collection when I get back!!! (It's reached over 40 movies now... It's almost scary, especially since I rarely have time to watch them, so I'm really just collecting them at this point...)

Anyways, love you all!! Miss you tons!!! I'll be in the same country in less than 2 weeks!!! Shoot, I have a lot of work to do first....

We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.

2008-08-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody!!

This has been a weekend of talking to a lot of people I haven't talked to in a while, which was nice!! My grandfather turned 85 on Friday, so I got to talk to him and my grandma for a while. They're doing well. Crazy as ever, but healthy. :) I made sure to wish him "Many happy returns," as he always does to me on my birthday. (OK, I've got to explain for all of you who don't get the joke. People say "many happy returns" for birthdays, but it's funny because my birthday is Tax Day, April 15th. Also, my mother is a long-time employee of the IRS... So, it's a joke I've been hearing since day 1, but now it's more of an inside joke with my grandpa.)

Then, on Saturday, I got to talk to practically everyone I've ever known... well, not really. However, I called to say hi to my brother at his birthday party. He's turning 30 on the 5th, which is exciting. It's finally getting to a point in life where I can be glad I'm the younger one!! :) Just kidding, Geg. However, it sounds like the superhero themed bash was a huge success. I'm utterly jealous of all the cool themed stuff that I heard about. I'm hoping that they will recreate the moment after I get back. They had Greg the superhero posters and t-shirts and all sorts of cool stuff. I think I need to hire Amy as a party planner. Oooh!! Better yet, I need to hire Amy as a wedding planner!!! All of the bridal party can wear superhero costumes, but I get to be Rogue from the X-men. Sandip would probably want to be Wolverine, but the two don't really go well together. I suppose that since I've already bought my dress, I should stick to the plan. Still, Amy always plans the coolest parties.

Anyways, it was nice to talk to my brother for a while. I'll probably call him on his actual birthday as well. That's the 5th to anyone who is interested. Send him an e-mail or something. He's turning 30, so you've got to get to him before his memory goes... All right, bad jokes about being 30 are done. NO! One more: My brother is 30, flirty and thriving!! (13 Going on 30) OK, now I'm done.

However, crazy of crazies, all my Columbus friends from school were at my condo last night!! I gave permission, so it was OK. However, that doesn't make me any less jealous of the party time. They used the new grill that Sandip snuck in while I've been away, and it sounded like a really good time. I'm sure they all had pickles, so you KNOW that I would've been happy. However, the really cool thing was that I got to skype the party and say hello to everyone. The sound between the two sides was terrible (they were all sitting kind of far away from the rinky-dinky microphone Sandip has), but still I could which blurry blob was which. I would say it was a success. I'm hoping to convince everyone to do it again sometime when I'm not only a few hundred pixels (in 4, black and white images... Sandip really needs a new computer). Hopefully when I get back we can have the blow-out bash of the century so I can see all the people that I've been missing.

Well, anyways, I got to talk to a lot of people this weekend. I'm not sure if I felt better or worse afterwards. It was nice to talk, but I initiated all of it... Plus, I missed 2 birthdays and 2 parties!! Lame. Who has the audacity of having a birthday when I'm not there?? OK, that's crap. But it did make me feel a little more homesick. However, the good news is that I only have 2 weeks here!! That is also the bad news, in terms of work and also that I will really miss Peru as soon as I leave. Hopefully that just means I'll come back soon.

OH! I almost forgot to explain the title. Part of it is a comment on my massive amount of purchases here and on ebay in the past few weeks. Bad Sarah!!! However, the other part is Madonna finally acknowledging her MI roots. Not even just Detroit, either!! She specifically mentions being born in Bay City or, at least, the article does. High Five to America's High Five!! She made a documentary and presented it at Traverse City. Anyways, here is the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080803/ap_en_mu/people_film_festival_madonna;_ylt=AvyzGkSGt6BIxVmso4z2mCVxFb8C

I'm going to head out. I think I have a plan to use some of my hard earned grant money to get someone else to transcribe for a while!!! Nice!!! We'll see if it works. Anyways, that means I am free to do more interviewing today... yay?? I hope everyone is doing well. I'm in the home stretch, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a good e-mail now and then. Especially if you all still expect me to bring you all back llamas. I have 8 requests for personal llama delivery service... that deserves an e-mail at the VERY least. I would say a care package, as well, but this last one is going on two weeks!! Well, instead, I will just expect to be showered in pickles when I get home.... Haha!! That's a vivid image. I'm imagining something like the scenes in movies where they throw all of their money into the air, but with pickles... That would actually be painful, getting hit with all of the pickles, pickle juice in your eye.... wow. Never mind about the showering me with pickles...

Love you all!! Miss you!!!

Attempting to embed a video...

2008-08-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

I am all about the YouTube phenomenon now. I've got four videos up and more coming!!! Anyways, I thought I would try embedding one of them in my blog. Here it goes:

We'll see how that went now....

World's Oldest Joke... About Farts.

2008-08-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

This post will be short and semi-sweet (like the chocolate chips!), but I HAD to share it with everyone!! While waiting for the super duper slow internet to let me upload another video on my new YouTube page (still waiting), I went to my iGoogle page to help me translate a phrase someone used in one of my interviews. I looked it up in my dictionary, but it's some sort of slang or something because it just didn't make sense. So, I went to my handy iGoogle translator to see if it could come up with something better. (It didn't, by the way...)

However, my iGoogle page also has news updates on it, and, of course, I got sucked in. So, I looked at some drama between Obama and McCain on the news when I noticed one of the top ten Reuters articles was about the world's oldest known jokes. The little anthropologist in me was fascinated, so I went ahead and got sucked in deeper.

Well, of course, the oldest joke is about farts. My dad will be thrilled. Well, Dad, personally, I think this means that your sense of humor is ancient history!! Or, I suppose, you could go with timeless. Either way, here's the link to the article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSKUA14785120080731

The jokes aren't bad for old people... Hope you enjoy them!!

The Vomitorium a.k.a. Pasto Ruri

2008-07-29T10:13:00.001-07:00

First of all, I would like to tell you that, yes, the title is "The Vomitorium." Jeff came up with it after I told him the story below. Those of you with weak stomachs may want to skip down to my other post from today. Actually, if you read them in order, it would probably be better in general.

So, this gets to the other bit of craziness of the weekend. I had been intensely searching out interviews, when I found out that Pasto Ruri (or Pastoruri) has been re-opened. Yay!! This is great news for me, because I want to get people's opinions about glaciers, so going with them to see glaciers is the perfect opportunity, right? Yeah.... sure.

On the way up, everyone I asked said that I should ask them after they saw the glacier. That way, they could give me better opinions. That made sense to me, so I just concentrated on not getting bus sick and trying to make friends with these people so that they would feel more comfortable with me later. Not sure it worked. So, we made several random stops to go potty, see water bubbling in the plains, take pictures with llamas in sunglasses, and take pictures of this crazy native plant that is about 12 meters high and has a 100 year life cycle. It was strange, but cool. The guide talked quite a bit about the importance of all of these things, so I guess I got to learn something.

Anyways, we finally made it up to Pasto Ruri, and we had a bit of a hike to the top. It was like 2-3 kilometers up, but parts were pretty steep. Anyways, it meant that EVERYONE was really, really cranky on the way up and once I was there. I actually filmed a mini-riot when someone tried to cut in front of this line to get pictures in the big ice cave. I went and got my picture in the little ice cave instead because those people were crazy!!! OK, not EVERYONE was mean at the top. People my age were pretty nice, so they are the ones who took all of the pictures of me. However, anyone over thirty was such a jerk. Plus, no one, not even the nice people would let me interview them. No one felt like they had enough time with the hike up and down to waste any of it with the stupid gringa. I guess I understand. They altitude was pretty rough on the people from Lima.

Look out, the really grody part is coming soon! I felt fine up and down the glacier. I actually felt much better running around outside than I did on the bus beforehand. I got kind of giddy, probably a little from the lack of oxygen, so I made some funny videos up at the glacier. However, I probably won't post them because important people read this blog now!! :) I did post a couple of them at the bottom, though. They're not particularly amusing now, but they saved me as everyone kept denying my desire for interviews. Instead of being mad or hurt, I just laughed and took pictures and videos of myself. I was feeling great. The other people at Pasto Ruri, and on my bus, were not so lucky.

**Vomit alert! Vomit alert!** Everyone threw up at the top of the glacier, on the way down from the glacier, by the bus station, by the food stands, by their cars, on their cars.... EVERYWHERE!!! I may have just missed it on the way up, and I only noticed someone throwing up right as I started going down from the top. However, after I saw that first person, I kept seeing vomit. Vomit was everywhere!!! People would just turn a little as they were walking down and then they'd hurl. Projectile vomiting, exorcist style, too. So, it was like playing a very disgusting video game on the walk down. Like Frogger, except it was me trying to get down the road without getting hit by the vomit. All right, it wasn't quite THAT bad, but there was a lot of vomiting going on. Plus, I think some of it was a chain reaction. If you feel sick and then see someone else throwing up, you have no choice anymore. It certainly became a chain reaction later....

So, I was wondering if some sort of food poisoning was going on and decided that I didn't want to eat any of the food from the vendors. However, one lady had popcorn, so I got a little bag of that. I've never heard of popcorn causing a vomiting epidemic before, so I thought I would be safe. However, the vomiting did not end when the trail ended. I caught a whole group throwing up outside the food stands. Then, I decided to head for the bus because all of those people had seemed reasonably healthy on the way up, maybe my gag reflex would settle down if I could get away from the vomiting for a minute. Well, our bus was parked by the bathrooms. The vomiting was never ending. I was annoyed that my bathroom experience cost the same as the lady who didn't make it to the stall. I was so much cleaner!! I left the bathroom to get on the bus, when I noticed the bus smelled funny. I was worried I knew why when I guy went running from the back to get out the door just in time for his own vomit experience. Well, that set everyone on the bus off. No less than 8 people on our bus joined the epidemic. EIGHT!!! Out of about 30. Luckily, five of them actually made it off the bus to vomit. Of the remaining three, one had a bag and one made it out the window. The eighth person, a woman from Lima, not so lucky. Or rather, the rest of us were not so lucky. And these were just the numbers I was counting!! The insanity had started before I got there!!! Plus, I didn't count anyone who had not gotten on the bus first. You couldn't even look out the window while we waited for everyone to get on the bus because everyone outside was throwing up, too. I actually tried to just stare out the window towards the part of the parking lot that only had 3 cars in it, but then I saw these kids fighting or something in the backseat of the car. However, the one in the middle was actually just trying to push his brother out of the way so he could blow chunks out the door. It was green, and I'm pretty sure he got some on his brother. Needless to say, I was trying my best to quiet my gag reflex a bit. I opened the window when the smell got too bad, even though the girl next to me was acting all cold. I just didn't care at that point. Plus, I hoped the fresh air would do the vomiters some good.

Once we left Pasto Ruri, things got a bit better. Most of the vomiting happened while we were waiting for the people to come back down from the mountain. The last group, from Lima, was only an hour and a half late. This meant that we didn't really stop long in Catac for out "lunch" at 6:30. Some people had placed a pre-order, so they got to eat, but the rest of us didn't. I didn't care, at that point, I just wanted to get away from the barfing. However, while I enjoyed the fresh air, I did get two interviews with people who were not feeling sick. So, that was a plus.

So, I am sure you are all wondering, what caused Pasto Ruri to become the Vomitorium of Doom?? I don't know that I can give you a definite answer. However, I think I can give you a very educated guess. After a while, I thought it might be the elevation plus the fact that all of these people were only here for the weekend. They came up 5000 meters in a very short time and then hiked up to the glacier. That's gotta be tough. However, here comes the very educated part, Jeff explained that the night before I went was the biggest party night in Huaraz. All of those people came up to 3100 meters and went out until 3 or 5 in the morning, with a lot to drink, and then went up to 5000 with their hangovers. I think that is a good explanation for a lot of what went on. There were some little kids barfing, but part of that could have been that EVERYONE was barfing. Some people may have been just affected by the altitude, but I'm pretty sure the rest were right in line with Jeff's theory. However, I would like to say a few things about the vomiters. None of them respected the altitude at all. That's for sure. The only thing that turned my stomach was all of them. Also, other people that had acclimatized, even a little bit, were doing much better. One of the people vomiting had only come to Huaraz the afternoon before from Lima. Sea level to 5000 meters in less than 24 hours. Smart. I would also like to say that pretty much everyone throwing up was from Lima, specifically. I'm sure some were from Trujillo or Arequipa, but the majority were from Lima. Everyone who threw up on our bus was from Lima. All eight of them. I think four of them were also in a group together, too. Bleh. So, I guess I learned a lot about people from Lima...

I wonder if this is the kind of anecdote I'm allowed to use in my thesis...?

Anyways, after I got back, I changed my vomit-smelling clothes and went out to dinner with Jeff, Adam, and Adam's lady friend, Erin. I found that I couldn't eat much (surprise, surprise) despite not having much more than a banana and some popcorn all day. I took my sandwich home, though. Then, it was supposed to be our big night of partying. However, after two days of interviewing and hiking, I was super exhausted. I went to Vagamundo with the three of them, but between not knowing anyone they were talking about, not knowing the 85 million people they ran into that they knew, and having the Spanish part of my brain turn off a couple hours before, I could not get myself to wake up. So, I headed out pretty quickly, much to my disappointment. I spend a lot of hours here feeling lonely, so why couldn't I wake up for this perfect opportunity to speak to people in person about non-glacial stuff and use English??!!?! I have no idea. It was probably partly induced by the Day of Vomit's exhaustion, partly weakness from not being able to eat much all day. If only I could stop being shy long enough to open up and be equally as interesting as everyone else, I would probably be and have more fun. Well, what are you going to do?? Instead, I will entertain myself with blogs and eBay!! Well, as long as I have internet...

Anyways, here are some non-vomit pictures and a video (I tried uploading 2, but blogger is just not having it today, so I will try to upload the other one later...) that I took on the trip to the Vomitorium, I mean, Pasto Ruri!!!

My educational picture with the llamas in sunglasses. They were cute, but sooooo bored with the whole process. Behind us is the gaseous water, but that really wasn't as cool.
This is me at the base of the hike. Look at the altitude!!! Look at the altitude!! I made it to 5000 m!!!!!
I looked over the blog and have been shocked at the lack of rock out faces in the past few weeks. So, what better place to rock out than a glacier! That's totally rock out worthy!!
I am in an ice cave in the glacier. People kept breaking off the icicles like the one I am standing next to. I don't know why, but some people were eating them. They were really dirty, so I thought it was gross...

Ice, Ice, Baby...

2008-07-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

I am writing to you after some utter craziness. There was so much craziness, that I will actually be splitting this into 2 blog posts. One, because I have a couple of awesome titles. Two, because I have too many pictures/videos to upload in one. Three, because there was too much craziness.

So, the Fiestas de Patrias time period is when everyone has time off work and takes a vacation. For people from Lima (and other places, but mostly Lima), this means they come to Huaraz and the surrounding areas to take a breather and become one with nature. Sounds like fun, right?? Well, maybe for people from Lima!! For me, it has meant that I am trying to get all of my interviews in, which is good for my research, but the process has been stressful. A lot of people do not want to be interviewed on their vacation, and they have been rather vocal about it.

I think I am at the point in my trip where I am just whiny. However, when you read the blog post that I write after this, maybe you will understand the whine a bit more. It's been stressful, ok? Anyways, I wanted to write about one of the tours that I went on this weekend to Llaca (pronounced "yaca"). I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but it was kind of a lot of hiking. However, after many hours of hiking, people went ICE CLIMBING. I suppose I could have, but I didn't know what that would be about when I signed up, and I just didn't feel like paying the 100 soles to do something that I didn't really know about, so I didn't do it. However, it meant that we hiked up to this glacier, which was cool, and then over moraines and stuff until we got to this sheer ice wall. Then people tried to climb it. Very few succeeded. I was happy because the people that succeeded were also the people who let me interview them. The others obviously have problems with being whiny and cranky, like me. They whined that they didn't want to be interviewed and then whined to be let down from halfway (or less!) up this ice wall. Interesting, huh? Anyways, here are some pictures of the whole experience!!

This is the glacier on the mountains. Pretty, huh? We climbed along all those loose stones on the left. Yes, it was dangerous. Many of them were not super secure, so you'd step and then lose your balance. I sort of twisted my ankle, but my awesome hiking boots saved me from any real damage. It was just a little sore in the ankle muscle area the next day and today. But barely at all!! The blisters, however, are another story... Don't worry, Mom! You know I can handle both of my feet being completely blistered over from my Cross-country days!!

So, this is pretty cool. It's the end of the glacier!! There are some ice chunks further on, and that iced-over lake has a lot of chunks floating in it, but really, this is the end!! However, even cooler, compare the two pictures here!! A big chunk of the glacier fell off while we were there. I was at the wrong angle to video tape it (I do have a short video of the aftermath, but it doesn't translate well). However, I do have these before and after pictures, so you can see what was going on. De-glaciation in action, folks! Well, actually, chunks breaking off is a normal phenomenon anytime. However, I was there for this one!
This is after we were walking on the glacier for a while. I am top on rock and dust covered ice, but I am also in a mini-ice cave under the wall everyone is going to try to climb later. It was pretty crazy and also surprisingly warm!! I had my winter coat, hat, and gloves, but I was really warm from the hike and the strong sun!!
Oh, no! Mah tongue ith thuck!!

I thought I should add in a picture of ice climbing, so you could see what I mean. It's pretty crazy. This is one of the only people from Lima who made it to the top. Incidentally, he was also one of two to give me an interview...

Indiana Jonesette and the Raiders of the Lost Glaciers

2008-07-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

So, after many, many days of tough work with little reward, I decided to take a bit of a break this afternoon. Instead of being rejected by Peruvians, I decided to make a little compilation of photos into a movie. Those of you who know my background know that my love of Indiana Jones runs deep. In fact, the Indiana Jonesette series created by Kristy Barry and myself ranks high in the list of all time best productions, at least for me, using the Wright family video camera. So, what better anthem to serve as a background to this Peruvian adventure (especially considering the location of the most recent episode in the real Indiana Jones saga!!) than the theme of themes... Enjoy!!

Well, that about says it all. Now, all I have left to do is get a video of Jeff Bury in his Indiana Jones hat saying, "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?"

As you can see, despite the trials and tribulations everyone encounters while here, I have had an amazing time in Peru thus far!! I'm really glad that I took the afternoon to remind myself of all the fun times. I hope you are all having an equally amazing summer!!! We're getting close to the 3 weeks left mark!! I will see you all very, very soon where I will bombard you with even more pictures!! Love you, miss you!!!

I fought the law, and the law won...

2008-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

I thought I would start the post off with a bang... me riding a llama!! Well, I not so much rode the llama, but I sat on it to take a picture and the llama moved a little... That's riding a llama, right? Yes. So, that was super fun. However, I had a very large mix of good and bad up at Llanganuco, where I was doing extreme interviews!! I did a lot of interviews the first day, which was good because not so many the second day. I got escorted from the park because I did not have a permission slip from the National Park Office. Now, the funny thing is that our whole research team actually does have permission from INRENA. I explained that to the guy that we're actually working with INRENA on the project, but he refused to listen. I got put in this little office while he made phone calls and all told, from the moment he first started talking to me to my oh-so-dignified expulsion from the lake area, I would say he wasted about an hour of everybody's time. The funny thing is that I think if he had actually called his supervisor and discussed everything I told him to mention. I told him my name and that I was from Ohio State. I gave him Bryan and Jeff's name. I should have dropped the big Marco Zapata's name, but I was not sure if he would rescue me or be mad that I involved him. I am part of the group, but I am not sure that he likes what I am doing. That and his accent is just a bit off for my poor deaf ears, so I am always struggling to understand him, which to him means I do not speak Spanish. However, when he called his supervisor, he refused to mention my name or any of the others, only calling me "la gringa," and repeating over and over that I did not have permission. I calmly said that I did have permission, just not a written slip, but he REFUSED to say it to his supervisor. BLEH.

So, as I sat in the little room, wondering if I was going to be arrested for something so incredibly stupid, I tried to be as polite as possible. If you are nice to them, they should be nice to you, right? Looking back, however, I think if I had gone more Peruvian style, it might have been more appropriate. If I had just refused to comply and freaked out, become a totally rude bitch, it probably would have gone better for me. However, I was worried about getting arrested... Which, honestly, never would have happened, but my imagination was running wild.

Well, anyways, today is a day of dealing with nasty, little, power-tripping bureaucrats to get that statistics book and my permission slip. Ugh. Also, my banana is orange. (I know, such a non sequitur, but I opened it, and there was this orange thing that tastes funny...) However, once I get that permission slip, I can go up to Llanganuco again one of the days this weekend and finish my interviews there. Although, part of me wonders if I should spatially diversify my sample more... However, there is not good spot to find tourists in Chavin. There is a waterfall location that could be ok, but I don't know and I don't want to make assumptions while most of the tourists are already here!! Well, that is actually probably more than any of you care about, but it is on my mind...

Anyways! Here is a video of me getting dropped off at the top of this mountain, forever and a day away from the lake. I kept telling the guy that I wanted to interview tourists, but he kept saying that there were no tourists at the lake then (probably right), but there was a really good view (very much right) up just a little bit higher (very much wrong...). I don't know it at the time of the video, but I had 2.5 hours of walking until I got to the entrance to the first lake. I also ended up with 8 bug bites, stepping in cow poo, getting a LOT of dust in my eyes from all the wind, and smelling kinda bad all before I saw my first tourist for an interview... As you can imagine, I was not very happy. However, at this point, I do not yet know about what's to come, so it's still pretty positive.

Fun, right? Whooo!!! This next video was taken 15 minutes later, still very positive!! It's a bit silly, but self explanatory. Enjoy!!

Now, there are 2 more videos in this series. I thought it would be cool to have more video diary kinds of things going on. However, one of them is just me whistling as I go down the path. I thought it was really fun at the time, but now, it's not so cool. The last one is after 2 hours of walking and still not being close to the entrance I needed to get to. It is a desperate plea for help that actually hit a little too close to home. It includes the desperately asked question, "Why is that nothing can ever go as planned here?" Little did I know that question would have a whole new meaning after the next day there... However, even if I never really almost got arrested, that's the story I'm going to use to build up my rep. :)

Anyways, I love you all and miss you TONS!!! Please feel free to post comments. I really like reading people's reactions/thoughts to everything.

Ps. I was amused by all three of today's iGoogle quotes of the day:

There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters.
- Alice Thomas Ellis

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.
- Paul Valery

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of.
- Burt Bacharach

I'm an expert!!!

2008-07-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared.
- PJ Plauger

I guess that would make all of the Peru team (all 18+ of us) experts on climate change...

Actually, that is a bit depressing. Well, what can you do?

Anyways, not much to report here. I have been transcribing my recorded interviews for my entire life up to this point. It means that I am taking frequent breaks from the rewind-play combination on the computer. Somehow it seems that a car horn honks every time someone says something important... Granted, car horns honk just about every 5 seconds or more frequently, but it's always when I don't really know what the person was saying right then. When I have an exact quote in my head... crystal clear recording. Maybe it's me.

Anyways, my breaks are dangerous. How, you may ask, can breaks be dangerous?? Well, I don't want to take too long of a break, so I've been trying to avoid games. For the same reason, I don't want to go walk around or do something unless it's time for a big break. So, I cruise the internet. However, YouTube has been having issues, so my usual route of distraction has been out. So, I check my e-mail, which has really only been junk mail mostly. Rarely do I have more than 1 interesting e-mail on my breaks. Wikipedia is fun, but sometimes I can't find anything interesting or it's all information I know and I want details. So, I've returned to my bad habit.... eBay. Now, I like deals, so I rarely spend much, but you'd think I would want to be there when the shipments come in, but no. I am content to know they're there.

Don't get me wrong, most of this stuff includes things that I had planned on buying eventually. For example, the Star Wars trilogy. It has been bugging me for a while that I didn't own it. Episodes 1-3, whatever, I can live without, but the CLASSIC trilogy is a staple of every good movie collection. I went so far as to preview some here, but honestly, for Star Wars, I want quality movies. So, I decided to pay the big bucks. However, Amazon was charging a bit more than I wanted, so I returned to my old friend, eBay. Of course, once you open the dam, it's much harder to close it. Luckily, I'm mostly buying presents. I found a book here that my brother would LOVE, so I bought that for him. I had been thinking about getting something for my mom and there was a good deal, so I got that also. (Since that includes 2 of my staple readers, I'm not going to say what each of those things ARE.) However, other things are frivolous. Just silly little things that I saw while browsing and decided would be fun to have. For example, I found 3 t-shirts for 99 cents, including a superman shirt that's just like my old one. I loved that shirt until the seams fell apart after 5 years of constant use. So, hurray, right?? Well, I think so. I have no idea what Sandip is going to think when he starts getting a mountain of boxes on the front stoop...

Well, anyways, I should get back to my transcribing. Actually, I should go find somewhere quieter to get back to transcribing. I was sick of everyone in the hostel thinking that I was sleeping until noon when I stayed in my room typing up interviews all morning. (I've been avoiding breakfast in favor of all of the yummy goodies I received in my care packages from my parents and Sandip. There's really only so much bread I can eat in the morning before craving other things.) However, Sra. Francesca has been an absolute doll about everything, so I want her good opinion. She actually called the Office of Statistics for me and talked to the boss to get a copy of a book for me. She's like my little Peruvian grandmother. Takes care of me when I'm sick and beats up the bad guys when they give the gringa trouble. However, sometimes it's easier to just wake up and start typing before I get too restless. Plus, the radio is UP at the California Cafe today, so I can't hear as well. Well, I'll figure out somewhere to go. I may even take a long break and get some tourist agency interviews. I typed up a whole Manifesto of what I want to get done during my stay, and I'm worried it's a bit ambitious if I don't get a move on.

To transcribe or not to transcribe, that is the question.

Taking care of business...

2008-07-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!!

I have been getting some serious work done down here in the Southern Hemisphere, but that means that I definitely don't have as much to write about. Well, I could give you all a preliminary analysis of my data, but where's the fun in that? (actually, it's pretty cool, but I am jealously guarding it for my thesis... and feeling like this is probably one of those geeky things that only I think is exciting. So, I'm just sparing you guys!) However, I would like to describe the process for you. I am either waiting at prime tourist locations to pounce on people for interviews or I'm waiting at the bus stop for equal amounts of pouncing as people get back from the bus (this usually means I'm out there between 6:30 and 8:30 at night (7:30-9:30 your time!), so that's why I can't answer the phone after work). Tomorrow or Wednesday, I will be staying the night in a tourist town and getting some serious interviews done at Llanganuco. It should be fun.

Anyways, I have 22 interviews now!! (Gasps of amazement! Thunderous applause!) However, I feel like I definitely need more, with more diversity of participants. Plus, I want to interview more guides and tourist agencies and people from INRENA, if I can. I want to build up a happy, robust set of data that can then be used to be the thesis of the century. Yeah, ok, I'm just hoping to pass without anyone telling me that I have no idea what I'm talking about. :) But, honestly, aren't we all??

One misconception that I want to clear up once and for all is that I am eating really well here. I enjoy the food and only rarely get sick from it. I have a plethora of options, but it's just not always the same food that I could get at home. Plus, I had been planning the "Columbus food sucks" rant for a while. I really, honestly miss East Lansing food, but that is not a unique Peru experience. I pretty much always miss EL food, just ask my grad school friends!! They hear about it constantly and were then stuck eating Penn Station or Panera with me because I couldn't stomach the rest of it. (Not entirely true, there are some OK options. But you can't get the best meal of your life for under $5, which is a staple of every EL restaurant.) So, anyways, before all of my family freaks out with remembrances of the 97 lb child that I was in India, I just want to say: I am eating very well and I am not getting really sick from my food. However, if anyone wants to airmail a cooler with a pickle in it, I will happily provide my address and the necessary funds for the transaction. :)

So, I was thinking that although I don't have too many fun and exciting pictures from this week, I definitely have some older ones that I never posted. So, here is a quick splash from my first month in Peru!!
This picture cost a ton of money!! I had agreed to take a picture with the old lady on the left and her lamb. I knew it would cost a couple soles, but whatever, I was in Cusco for the first time. It was OK. Next thing I know, I had two more women, their babies and the girl who took the picture. The handed me the lamb and asked for the camera (a flash went through my head that the women could be blocking me while the girl ran away with the camera, but it was out of my hands at that point.). So, I thought, maybe a sole each. So, after the picture, I had 2 one sol coins or a five sole. Well, a five sole would be 1 and a little bit each, and I though that was generous, considering the whole process took about 30 seconds (including all those people running in from nowhere). However, the women who ran into the picture were pissed because they were from another family and they couldn't share the coin. I was surrounded by angry Incan women yelling at me in Spanish (with some Quechua mixed in). To stem the tide, I ended up digging through my pockets and finding one more 5 sole coin because the first woman who took the original coin had already gone after her next victim. You know, I loved the history and beauty of Cusco the most as a city, but I hated feeling like the minnow surrounded by sharks. Everyone always wanted something there, and that got old very quickly...
This is Sandip and I in Lima with some pre-Incan ruins that we went to with Bryan and Chris. Although I feel this picture makes me look short, it isn't a bad "hey, look, we're in Peru together" picture. Plus, I've got my MSU representation!! Go State!! (Yeah, I hate to say it, but I have very little loyalty to Ohio State... especially the athletic department. I think I'm too used to rooting for the underdog (think football), plus I've learned that I bleed green and white... figuratively. Please nobody ask me what blood disease I have.)
I'm not entirely sure that I am allowed to post this picture, so if it suddenly disappears from the blog, you'll know why. However, I have been bummed since the "Meet the team!" post that I did not have a really good picture of Bryan Mark, my advisor from OSU (ok, for Bryan, I will say, "Go Bucks!" but it only gets one exclamation mark.. ). But, when I looked through my pictures from Lima, here it was, an opportunity to post Bryan AND the Pacific Ocean. It was too good to miss. Plus, I love that he's being goofy. I am definitely less terrified of professors these days!!
So, in Lima, there is this park with fountains. Every night they have light shows where the fountains go crazy. Think the Detroit airport fountain times a bazillion. This is the park where all the conquistadors used to come and hang out (sans fountains). However, it is now a park of the people!! I don't have pictures of all of the fountains, but there were a lot of really cool ones.
This is another fountain in the park. It's a fun pyramid, if you couldn't tell. However, there are about 25 fountains that you can't see here. Plus, there is this amazing show with music and lights and craziness. I tried uploading a video of it, but the video is too long for the internet I have here. However, I would like to point out that amid the classical music, they also through in a Backstreet Boys song... "I want it that way." It was hilarious, and I loved it. It reminded me of the good ol' days of middle school.
This fountain was really cool because you could walk through it without getting wet!! There were other participatory fountains, as well, but they usually involved being a bit damp afterwards. One of them was really cool, but Sandip was too slow on the shutter to catch me playing in it. There were about 5 rings of water sheets with many water jets in between and the goal it to get to the middle and back out with a minimum of wetness. However, the jets are all random, so the minimum wetness is tricky. I am proud to say that I ran through with only my knees down getting wet from a surprise fountain I didn't see. However, that was the second time having soaking wet legs/feet that day (Bryan wasn't the only one playing in the ocean, and I didn't want to roll my pants up that far...). The next day was the day that my fever came back from my flu, with chills, aches and a sore throat accompanying it. So, I guess I learned my lesson. The next time I run through fountains, I will make sure I'm 100% healthy beforehand.

Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this little recap of previous trip experiences. I'm sure I will be taking more pictures soon. If not, I can go back to ranting about food or maybe even get mushy by telling you all how much I miss my home, family, Sandip, kitties, etc. (not necessarily in that order... you know the kitties are first!!! Just kidding!!)

Working for the man every night and day!

2008-07-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

So, I am deep into my own work these days, which is both cool and terrifying. While I helped out with samples and went on hikes, I was not ultimately responsible for anything that happened. Yes, I tried my hardest. When a syringe fell in the river and was getting sucked downstream, I ran down the bank and almost dove into the river trying to reach it (I failed because the mossy bank started to give way, so I had to back up, but I was soaked up to my elbow... That's gotta count for something.) However, it wasn't MY work, so it wasn't my fault if it failed miserably. What I'm doing now, totally is my fault if it fails... Pleasant feeling. By the way, although I did not capture the syringe, they had another one, so it was OK.

So, what have I been up to these past few days? Well, I interviewed some travel agencies to get a feel for where tourists to Huaraz were headed. After about 5 of those, I realized that there are 2 main destinations: Llanganuco and Chavin. I signed up for a tour of each to get started on my interviews. Little did I know, the tour guides talk just about 90% of the time... So, I think I'm going to have to rethink that plan. However, it was a good experience to get to know the area and what people are here to see. I had been under the impression that everyone came here to see glaciers (which is definitely more the case when the park with easy to get to glacier is open...), but now that the park is closed, people are seeing the countryside, lakes, and archaeological ruins. Most people were actually weirded out that I was asking them about glaciers... Oy.

The tours themselves were interesting though. When I wasn't feeling sick to my stomach with the car swerving across the road to avoid potholes, I liked looking at the countryside. The tour guides had a lot of interesting things to say, also. They want to make the trips more interesting, as well. The lake trip is not that exciting. You go, you see the lake, whoopdi do. However, they stop for ice cream, see a church, visit a pottery, stop for lunch, the works. So, that's kind of fun. It does mean, though, that there is NO time for interviews.

However, on the Llanganuco trip, there was one site that was almost disturbing in the tourist nature of it all: Campo Santo. This is the sight of the old town of Yungay that was destroyed in an avalanche in the 70's. We walked over top of everyone's houses, workplaces, and, of course, their dead bodies. They were buried under 13 meters of rubble, but still. We also got to see some of the damage sitting on the top. There was a bus fused to a car with an extra truck chassy sticking through the middle. They were all rusted and mangled. It was disturbing. However, even more than the tourist-ness of this ruined town, I was seriously bothered by the way people were treating it. Everyone was making jokes about what we should do if we felt the earth shake. One couple (who had been making out the ENTIRE trip... seriously, no one had any idea what they looked like when their faces weren't stuck together) sat down on the rock where they were displaying the mangled vehicles and kept right on playing tonsil hockey. I'm not saying they kissed every once in a while, they were intensely into the moment and it was LOUD. Not only did they ruin everyone's pictures, they were totally not respecting the place.

One more thing that bothered me about Campo Santo, which will probably offend everyone with my cavalier treatment of it, was the Jesus statue. Now, don't get me wrong, who doesn't love the big JC? (heehee... that's gonna get to people, either because they don't love him or because I called him the big JC) However, while everything around the statue was destroyed, they found the statue with a minimum of cracks in it, and they are now displaying the original. It's a nice enough story, but it gets.... interesting. Because this statue was saved from the wreckage, practically untouched, it just proves the holiness of God, right? This is what the tour guide wanted to point out. What I wanted to point out, but refrained, is that 72,000 people died that day. Entire towns and communities were destroyed forever, with no hope of escape. They had 7 minutes to flee 25 hectares of ice and snow moving at 350 km an hour. Even people who ran were killed. If God was concerned about protecting something, I just don't think it would have been a statue of himself. Now, I am not disputing religion at this point. Anyone can believe anything they want. I'm not even stating what I believe. What I am stating is that the statue was saved because of the fact that it was in a protected courtyard and made of concrete or something. Anyways, sorry if that offends anyone. Although I enjoy the look of consternation on my parents' faces when I say something outrageous, I can't see anyone's face when they read this, thus, it's just not as fun. However, it really bothered me, so I wanted to get it off my chest.

And now some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Hey, look, Mom!! It's a llama!! Can I keep him??? Although, at this point, I should probably be asking Sandip... However, he won't let me get a puppy, I doubt he'd feel any better about a llama.
This is the lake at Llanganuco. It's super pretty, but super cold. However, the lake has healing powers. We were attacked by bugs, and the bites were swelling up all nasty and huge. The guide said to put some of the water on them, and they immediately felt better. The next day, they were gone!! Weird, huh??
This is the infamous Jesus statue in the cemetery that they rebuilt. Each level houses memorials to people in the avalanche and other coffins and tombs that they recovered from the town. It's not a bad sentiment, but.... it really bugs me. Moving on...
Hey! It's me in my Inca Kola shirt!!! I'm in front of a mountain. I don't remember which one, but I do know that it's the hardest one to climb in the Cordillera Blanca. It's very steep and some of that ice falls down. Muy Peligroso.
This is Querococha. I massacred the spelling, but it's super pretty. This was at about 4500 meters or so. It was nice getting up that high on a bus.... Anyways, I have a new record: 4929, according to the GPS Sarah F. and I had on a water sample day. Not sure if that's right, but we're going with it. Soooo close to over 5000. Hopefully I can make it over later in the trip!!

Anyways, TTFN: tata for now!! The wonderful thing about Tiggers are Tiggers are wonderful things. Their tops are made out of rubber. Their bottoms are made out of springs. They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun ,fun. But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one.... I'm the only one!!! Love you, miss you!!!

The Expedition of Filth

2008-07-12T17:44:00.001-07:00

Today was probably the most disgusting day I've had in a long time. Why? Because Sarah F. and I went on an expedition of filth.

She needed to get a water sample from the river that runs through Huaraz. I agreed to go with her, since I have become a water sampling master. That and I don't think she had anyone else to go with. So.... we were off. We bought some stuff before we went and then headed downhill towards the river. However, it was pretty hard to gain access. Everyone was blocking us off. We did, however, watch as women used pipes sucking water up directly to wash their clothes. We also got to smell the river as we wandered through dusty streets and over bridges looking over the murky waters below.

It was the smelliest, nastiest, dirtiest river ever. Not true, actually. In fact, not even the dirtiest river I've seen.... India took care of that. Which is AWFUL. Nasty. Gross. Images say more...
Sarah sampling at the bottom of the trash hill/river bank.... By the way, this was right before she noticed the dead pig in the water and almost fell in because she was gagging...

Red muck being poured directly into the river....

These girls were washing their clothes and themselves directly across the river from Sarah and the dead pig....

Needless to say, I feel dirty and yucky and sort of like vomiting all day.... However, other nice things happened, so that's good. But I will always remember my expedition of filth with disgust and horror....

A Pickle, a pickle, My Kingdom for a Pickle…

2008-07-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, if you can’t tell from the title, food cravings have set in full force. I would pay a good 30 soles for a crisp, juicy Wanigan pickle. 20 more soles for a nice Styrofoam soup bowl of Intermission Deli pickles- an even 50 if you throw in a nice veggie sandwich with all the fixin’s. For a while, I was simply craving pickles in general. This is a holdover from the exceptionally bad pickles available in Columbus. My standards have lowered in the past year. However, at this point, I have my specific cravings, only able to be satisfied with the high standards of Bay City’s finest. Actually, I could probably get away with a Peanut Barrel pickle, courtesy of East Lansing, but there is no Ohio pickle that could do the job.

Actually, as long as we’re discussing these things, Columbus, OH, in general, sucks in terms of food. Sure, you can satisfy the chain cravings- Panera, Cosi, etc., but they just don’t have the cool, delicious local specialties. Now, Bay City, MI really only does the deli better than anywhere else. Yes, I realize that Los Cuatro Amigos is pretty good, Tommy V’s has some nice pasta, and all those other Bay City places are nice. However, I have lived in the Mecca of local restaurants: East Lansing, MI.

I realize that this doesn’t make sense. Columbus is much bigger and has a great local restaurant scene, according to sources. However, East Lansing does really good food from all over the world at amazing prices. I think I have already passed the peak of my culinary experiences in college. Even when I’m not being subjected to the same food every day like I am here, I dream of the wonders of East Lansing cuisine. I think I would burst into tears and find religion if someone showed up at my door with a guacamole tostada with a side of chips and salsa from El Azteco right now. I would cloister myself and dedicate my life to God if it meant that I could have El Azteco, Lou and Harry’s, Peanut Barrel, Flat’s, Thai Kitchen, Georgio's, Peking Express, and Caruso’s whenever I wanted them. I would also probably be very fat.

It’s funny, since I’ve been here, I never crave things that I can make myself at home. I don’t think I’m a bad cook. In Columbus, I like my fajitas, salsas, green bean casseroles, soups, salads, and fake meat specialties. (Sandip claims to like most of them, too….) In fact, I really enjoy cooking and am always a little disappointed when we have people over and they don’t eat my food. Every time we’ve had people in from out of town, they’ve wanted to help cook, which is sweet. But, I’m always sort of sad that they wouldn’t rather see what kind of food I might make for them. Because I like my food and I like to cook. However, I CRAVE that mystical haven of deliciousness that is East Lansing, plus the deli-riffic amazingness of Bay City. I dream about them at night and wake up with my tummy growling. I come close to tears with every bad meal I’ve ever consumed, knowing that I could have had something so much better, if only I’d decided to stay in Michigan.

It may seem melodramatic, but it’s the truth. I don’t know why I don’t crave homemade food. Perhaps it is a remnant from childhood (I told you all that hash was terrible, Mom!). I don’t think either of my parents really LIKES to cook. They’re not terrible at it. My dad has made this odd concoction called Nofakejake that is sort of a crowd pleaser… J Just kidding, Dad! We’ll have to try it out with fake meat one of these days!! My mom can open a can of German Potato Salad with the best of ‘em! (Actually, I could go for some meat-less German Potato Salad… ) However, cooking for them always seemed like a stressful experience (probably because I am such a picky eater) and why not just eat out instead? Bay City food is pretty good. If nothing else, the fast food selection is pretty choice. The Chinese food is something that makes the crave list sometimes. So, I think I am pre-disposed towards preferring restaurant food. Especially for guests and special occasions!! My brother and I used to get excited when one of my mom’s business associates would come into town because it meant pizza and “real pop.” (Pop with caffeine… yes, I continue to have that problem) Sometimes, it’d mean Chinese food. However, in my family, you could not have a guest over and not get them “nice food,” which meant eating out on the town. If you were eating homemade food, it was either a holiday (and justified taking a long time to cook some ridiculous meal including turkey or ham, which also meant that everyone was bringing something. Potlucks were their own special occasion and should count separately.) or you were telling them that they just weren’t as important as other people. During sleep-overs, I would eat dinner at the other little girls’ houses and would be secretly offended that their mom was cooking. When they ate at MY house, we usually had pizza.

Of course, my addiction to eating out is probably causing all of my fabulous health problems. I’ve also grown up to appreciate a home cooked meal. In fact, the best food I’ve had in Peru has come from the little abuelita at Mi Casa that cooked for me when I was sick. She was utterly sweet and gave me flashbacks to my own Grandma Florie when I was a little girl. I got to stay in bed, and she made me food and took me to the doctor. I suppose this would be the time to admit that I miss my friends and family much more than I miss the food. Hunger passes, but love is forever. Not that I wouldn’t like to have both. Tell you what, in August, we can all meet at El Azteco and I can have the best of all worlds. Especially if my parents bring some Bay City pickles.

Love you, Miss you. Have a pickle in remembrance of your homesick little Sarah.

Lock Down in Huaraz

2008-07-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, I know I just posted, but all that stuff was from camping. So, I'm writing from the California Cafe in Huaraz, Peru, with the big metal door pulled down in front. A national strike is stirring up trouble in Huaraz. All of the workers want everything to be shut down, so I guess there's a risk of rocks being thrown at any businesses that are working. People are parading through the streets chanting and waving signs, and apparently... throwing rocks.

We're all fine, though. We had a fun night last nigh at the Xtreme bar, playing fuseball and Jenga. Today is more of a data consolidation than anything else because nothing is working. You can't even leave the city in a car because the roads are blocked off. The buses aren't running. Everyone else is freaking out a bit because they want to go to Lima so they can go home. However, I'm totally here forever, so wheeee for me.

I am, however, getting work done. Interviewing and data collection- whooo!!! It's been fun. I think I'm better at this sort of data collection than the field collection that involves camping in below freezing weather. Especially with whatever I'm allergic to. I'm not the kind of girl that enjoys pottying in a hole. I'm not sure there is a kind of girl like that....

Anyways, we're on lock down in Huaraz. I'm totally enjoying myself and getting work done. Yesterday was exciting because I was at the Office of Statistics gathering some information when the parade of angry strikers went by. I got yanked down away from the window by the guy I was interviewing so that the workers wouldn't throw rocks through the window at an open business.... It was crazy! They shut the lights off and locked the door. craziness.

It'll be sad to see everyone go this week because then I'll be here alone. However, it'll be nice to have my own room for a while.... I think Kyung feels the same. We definitely don't have the same sleep schedules. However, I will miss having someone to giggle with at night. It'll be more sad than happy. Anyways, love you all!!! Wish me luck as we ride out the strike!!

Meet the team!

2008-07-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

So, now that I've had a nice long camping experience with everyone, I have some good pictures of some of my fellow adventurers. Here is a small sample of the team....
This is Jeff Bury, who I secretly think is a mountain goat, along with his student, Adam. He's a wicked climber and also has the Indiana Jones hat... He's posing in front of the big pretty mountain whose base we climbed to. Jeff and I will be hanging out quite a bit more in the coming month.
While we had four OSU people, we had to O-H-I-O it up!!! Look at the scenery, though... Holy wow!!
When we woke up in the mornings, my water was frozen solid and the tent was covered with frost. It was darn cold!!
Kyung In, the baddest mama of them all, has been my roommate for the whole trip. She got to wake up to my beautifully swollen face in the tent...
This is Sarah 1, also known as Fortner. I've linked to her blog on the sidebar: Crampons and Cornfields. She is a water sampling fiend who has given me quite a bit of good advice about altitude.
These two characters are from McGill University. The girl on the left is Sara 2, also known as Foxy Knoxy. She speaks fluent French and has many secret conversations with the Frenchman on the right, Michelle. The McGill crew has a wicked sense of humor and keep the rest of us laughing.
This is the Erin Brockivich moment where everyone is sampling this secret water diversion system that everyone kept telling us wasn't working but it actually was. The redhead on the left is Adam, the other mountain goat working with Jeff Bury. Jeff McKenzie (also from McGill) is in the middle with the big stick and Sara Knox is on the right.

Getting my hands dirty...

2008-07-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hello again, everyone!

I am writing post-camping trip with the team. Actually, everyone else will still be out through tonight, but my face swelled up, so I came back one night early. Don't worry, it's mostly back to the right size/shape, but I have no idea what happened. It was definitely some form of allergic reaction, but I'm not sure to what. It also made the lip-shrimp swelling look harmless... Anyways, I'm doing fine now, but I'm convinced I actually need to go get that fancy allergy testing done. However, before I turned into Will Smith in Hitch, I had a really great time with everyone!!

This is a video from about 4625 m. That is the elevation of the lake, and I went a bit higher than that!! I would say that I got up to almost 4700 meters. That's super high!! The hike there was incredibly steep and long. I never appreciated how exhausting walking could be. However, it was totally worth it!! Absolutely amazing scenery!! Plus, I got to know some of my fellow researchers better!!

I keep trying to upload some pictures of the team, but I seem to be having trouble. Maybe later!! Ciao!

The blog from the beginning....

2008-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have a working computer now, so I thought I would post that first blog I wrote in Lima and Cusco. Enjoy!

Los perros tristes....

Cusco, the capital of the Incan empire, la gran ciudad por las turistas, the big Kahuna of South America, is now housing the uber famous Sarah Wright, everyone’s favorite blogger. No, I don’t care about run-on sentences. They can be their own special thing, too. Anyways, I’m here for the next couple weeks (más o menos), doing the tourist thing and taking intensive Spanish classes so I don’t look quite so much like an idiot during the research portion of the trip.

I desperately need these Spanish classes, too. I tell ya, it’s one thing to know that seca means dry when you’re writing a vocabulary answer in the climate section of a Spanish class. It’s a whole ‘nother ball game when someone brings it up out of nowhere, with no previous context. I was talking about how pretty the mountains were with my taxi driver, who spoke no English, when all of a sudden he comes out of left field with all sorts of stuff. I am not a good improv person in Spanish, I’ve decided. You tell me to act like a dog playing chess in English, no problem! But answering out of the blue stuff in Spanish- no dice. So anyways, I will learn how to respond better and I will just hire a translator for the rest. Personally, I feel like that would make my research more valid, but my advisers think that it would be better for me to do them myself. Bleh. I agree, but I am an incompetent fool, who though speaking Spanish twice a week (which got reduced to once a week, but that was totally not my fault!!) would help me be able to converse once I got here.

Anyways, Gaby is coming to Cusco tomorrow!!! Hurray!!! Me encanta Gaby!!! She’s bringing her friend Alex, also. Hurray for Alex! (?) Hmmm, so my outlet that the computer is plugged into keeps losing power. (I’m typing this on my computer and then I’m going to upload it at the internet café next door. Then I’m getting a pizza!! I know, it’s not so much Peruvian, but it’s next door… That and it seems every time I turn a corner I get lost. So, I figure I should stay within visibility of my hostel. Especially since it got dark at 6 tonight!! Can you believe it?? It’s because we are in a valley. However, it freaked me out as I got lost for the 8^th time today.

So, one thing about Cusco is all of these dogs (perros) running around. They had a bunch everywhere in Lima, but they seemed better fed. However, here, there are very dirty, hungry looking stray dogs everywhere. It breaks my heart. I wanted to pet this adorable little thing that was hanging outside the hostel, but everyone freaked out. Apparently petting stray dogs is a stupid idea here, as well. However, they all seem to be the friendliest little things. They really do have the puppy dog eyes, big and hungry. It looks like a Humane Society commercial. I tried to give one a cracker, but I scared him and he ran away.

I’m also amazed at the many types of dogs running around Cusco. It’s not like India, where they all looked like they came from the same litter. The dogs here are everything from the big shaggy dog type (like the one Tim Allen turns into in that movie I didn’t see…) to Chihuahuas (these all seemed to have owners) to terrier type dogs. I mean, they’re all probably mutts, but these are the breeds they sort of look like. They have quite a few of the small, fluffy, white kind, but not always small. They’re just running around like they own the place. I just want to buy some dog food and feed them!! Too cute! Well, if my power outlet blew a fuse or something, I should get going. Who knows when I’ll be able to plug my laptop in!! Much love to you all!!! Buenos noches!!

That's the end of the old blog... Have a good one!! Love you, miss you!!

Sandip's New Best Friend...

2008-07-03T10:04:00.001-07:00

Sarah Fortner took this picture of Sandip while I went to the doctor and got my nasty shots... You can tell he was really concerned about me....

Above Cusco...

2008-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the area above Cuzco.

Hurray for research! I would also like to point out that my belly is magnified by an absolutely massive money belt with all my credit cards, passport, money, receipts, etc!! I know, I know, I'm so vain. However, I was surprised at how it looked. Anyways, love you all!!

Have you ever noticed that I write the most when I have the least to say?

2008-07-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well, hello again!

I am writing with little news, but lots of hope... I am starting to get better. Sort of. I'm still super super congested, but my headaches and body aches are subsiding. Hooray! Anyways, I'm hanging out. I think I will be meeting with Jeff Bury today, which is good!! But then I will have stuff to do, but I don't know if that's good or not... What a lazy little butthead I've turned out to be.

Anyways, it's been nice just hanging out. The other people seem really nice on the trip. I have been the lazy butthead who sleeps all day. However, they have been nice anyways, and I have more facebook friends! Hah... isn't that the way of the new world?? You know you're friends with someone once you're friends on facebook.

So, my big plans for today, besides meeting with Jeff Bury, is to take an afternoon shower. Yes, afternoon shower. You can't guarantee hot water around here, and there is NOTHING worse than taking a cold shower then stepping out into the icy cold morning/night air. So, I have become all about the afternoon showers here. Problem is, afternoon showers totally cut into any and all plans for the day. However, I just don't care. I will stay smelly until the afternoon. deal with it, folks!! At least this isn't a smelloblog.... :)

Ooooh, so my illegal movie fetish has rubbed off on the two undergrads from St. Rose. It's funny. They went out and had a Huaraz buying spree very similar to mine in Cuzco. However, I would like to point out that I still have the better selection. One of the other Sarah's is currently borrowing my copy of Sex and the City movie (that's right... still in theaters in the US, a fabulous DVD in Peru!). I also think mine are a bit better quality than theirs, but I don't want to rub it in. However, the ones here aren't so bad. So, if anyone has a hankering for something... let me know! Get hanged for the lamb as well as the sheep.... That's something Bryan was saying before. Not sure about my "hanged" versus "hung" grammar, but it doesn't look bad.

Well, like I said, not much to report, but maybe I should try to call Jeff Bury to set up our meeting. He's a nice guy. I'm excited/terrified about this project. However, cliff jumping and all that... Anyways, I'm off to do fabulous things/eat a second breakfast because we've all become a bit more like hobbits since being here. LOVE YOU!!!

The Flu, the Phelgm, and the freedom...

2008-07-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I am currently hanging out in bed in Huaraz. I've had the flu for a bit over a week now, and I'm missing out on a fabulous trip to a 4700m pass that is supposed to be ridiculously beautiful. It's very, very lame. I actually got up at 6 and got completely ready to go, packed lunch for Sandip and I, ate breakfast, and everything, but I was still feeling pretty crummy. I told one of the other professors (apparently there's a group from some university in Albany, NY also...), and she said, "well, you're definitely not going, right?" I think part of it was self-preservation from the flu that wouldn't quit, but she and one of the million other Sarah's explained that going up that high would be hard on a healthy person's body. However, with someone who has had the flu for over a week... devastating. That doesn't mean I like it, though. However, they said I could probably go there on my own sometime in the ages I have here. But everyone's there. Only 3 people are actually doing any work, but everyone went. This will probably yet another thing that certain someone can hold over me in reasons to dislike me...

Anyways, I figured that if this stupid flu was actually going to interfere with "work," I should go to the doctor and get treated. So, I went with the daughter of the woman who runs my hostel because they're very sweet and didn't want me to go alone. It was pretty good actually. Unless someone was talking really fast, I understood the Spanish and the doctor assured me that I didn't have a throat infection (flashbacks of strep throat have been haunting me...) So, it really is just the flu, although he said I did have extreme congestion. He also prescribed me a mountain of medication. I have 3 shots (one a day for three days.... bleh) of an anti-flu medicine. I think it's anti-viral and anti-symptomatic... I dunno. I looked it up online and read about in Spanish (apparently, it's only a Latin American medicine). Either way, I feel better, so whatever. I also have pills and two types of effervescent drops to put in water. The one is really tasty, actually. I think they should market it as a soda... It could be the next Inca Kola!!

So, now I'm sitting in bed. I took a nice "hot" shower, and I've been watching some of the many DVDs I purchased on the black market ("Molina") in Cuzco. Well, I asked, and every person said they were legal copies of the movies, but seriously??? Anyways, they're fun, and it's been interesting to sneak some pretzels (the doctor said no food with any artificial preservatives in them... now I would normally follow the doctor's orders, but I grew up on pretzels when I was sick, so I'm sneaking them behind the grandmother type who is taking care of me.... utterly sweet lady, but no appreciation of the healing power of pretzels) I am, however, listening to the doctor and avoiding my first love: carbonated beverages. I've got my effervescent friends if I'm feeling down, and all the tea I can drink, which takes care of the caffeine headaches.

It's been sort of nice to just take it easy today and not have to be "on" for everyone because they're gone. However, I miss Sandip. He offered to stay here with me and entertain me, but I would be a horrible person if I accepted that offer. He loves stupid mountains, so I'm sure he's having a blast and talking too much. "When I went to Everest base camp...." Oh, what a big lug. I am going to miss him like nobody's business when he goes. Do I really have to do Master's research?? Couldn't I just pretend instead? I miss my little home with my little cats and the big lug. Well, time to head out before I get all emotional. I want to see if I can sneak a Snickers without getting in trouble... besides movie bliss is calling my name!!! Leave the poor, little, sick girl some love!!!

Hello from Huaraz!

2008-06-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello world!

I am officially at work today.... meaning I am checking my e-mail from my hotel where I will be living the next month and a half.... Eek!! I have yet to meet the elusive Jeff Bury, but I'm sure I will sometime today. I am a big ol' bundle of nerves about that, but at this point, I just want to rip off the band aid...

Huaraz is pretty. I think Sandip just about wet his pants over the mountains... Yeah, mountains are pretty, but I think I'm like the Dixie Chicks with their Wide Open Spaces.... you can't grow up in Bay City, the flattest little town in the world, (not a verified statistic, but we used to practice our hill workouts on the overpasses... you can't get much flatter than that!) and not feel a little odd when surrounded by the high peaks. Not that I'm complaining!!! It's gorgeous here, and I'm enjoying the scenery. It's a bit of a less glamorous town than Cuzco, though. However, my laptop works here, so I'm happy. Odd how you get attached to things like that...

I am actually sad about leaving Cuzco. I made friends with my teachers and the other students. Plus, there is still so much more to see! I can see why Cuzco and Machu Picchu are the #1 tourist destination in South America. I would love to go back and just live there for a while. I could stay at Amauta and take Spanish classes for a month or so.... Or do their volunteer program!!! That seemed sooooo cool. I was jealous of the people who were staying for a nice long time. Plus, they'll all be fluent in Spanish be the end! I'm practicing, but I can't understand people in English half the time, so I do not have hope for too much of my Spanish. Plus, I keep running into mumblers. STOP MUMBLING, people. I was born partially deaf, leave me alone. yes, that's right, 25% hearing loss, people!!! Not that I have that now.... but I think I do!!! I CANNOT understand the mumblers. That's gotta be a hearing condition. meh.

Anyways, I obviously have nothing more to report. I did SOOOO many cool things in Cuzco. I'm getting over the flu (bleh), but I have absolutely no voice (so anyone that's wondering why I haven't called... that's why!). I am a mute! And deaf.... So all my Spanish practice was moot because I'm still having Sandip say stuff for me. But not for long!!! Anyways, besides that, I'm doing very well. Sandip is here now for one more week, and the other students only have 2 weeks to go on their trip. I, of course, still have a month and a half. However, besides being sick, I'm doing very well. I'm falling in love with Peru, specifically, and South America in general. I'm utterly jealous of all of the Europeans and their gap years traveling the world. Someday.......

Until next time, keep the e-mails and updates coming!!

First day at Machu Picchu

2008-06-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is from my first day, on part of the Inca trail.... The mountain in the background??? Yeah, that´s the one I climbed the next day!!! No idea if I´m saying anything embarrasing. I don´t have headphones, so I just don´t know!

I found this internet place to upload, so I´m hoping it all turns out!!!

Huayna Picchu and her more famous sibiling: Machu Picchu!!

2008-06-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

The famous rock out face and the famous Machu Picchu!!
A guy with the EXACT same camera took this with his wide angle lense!! Ithaca is gorges, but so is Machu Picchu!!!

I had to get a fedora, in the land of fedoras, and what better one to get than an Indiana Jones style fedora!!!! I am actually doing a cool leap of faith kind of thing in this picture, but you´re missing out on the coolness. However, I´ve got the hat, so it has to be awesome, right?? (Theme music plays!)

I hope you enjoy my mini-tour of the top of Huayna Picchu!! Although I thought I was going to die (many, many times) on the way up, it was totally worth it!! Of course, if I died, it probably would´ve been less worth it... It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I totally bonded with a lot of people on the way!!

Bleh, can´t upload pictures...

2008-06-22T13:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I can´t post pictures from here.... I was hoping that I could because this is the fastest internet yet. However, they don´t allow uploads..... BLEH. Soon, soon, soon, I promise!

Latest fad: The Third World Diet!

2008-06-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hi, I´m here to tell you all about the latest new diet brought to you by actual scientists!! We call it the third world diet, and it is just so much fun!!

You can lose weight easily, all while on vacation!!! Yes, it is just that easy. Simply by traveling somewhere where "High Fructose Corn Syrup" doesn´t translate, you too can enjoy as much delicious food as you want, all while reducing your waist line!! How does this incredible system work?? Let me tell you!!

First, pick any majestic location you could wish for, on any continent! Just make sure the country is in third world status. A more difficult terrain than your home country helps, also. All right, now that you have the destination in mind, simply go on vacation!! Eat wonderful local foods, walk through amazing scenery, such as the Andean Mountains of Cusco, Peru, explore museums and cathedrals!! Simply explore for a few hours a day while eating in local cafes, and your muscles will grow while you define your waist! An added bonus is a backpack filled with all of the wonderful things you need on vacation, such as snacks, water (for all that hiking!), and a travel guide!!! Perfecto!!!

Sure, it is very similar to diet and excercise, but with our patented system, you never feel like you´re missing out!! You are simply living a wonderful life of vacation and freedom!!** Note this system does not work on cruises or in resorts** For added weight loss, simply drink the local water!! **Please make sure a medical official is on hand after you´ve lost the desired weight.**

Testimonials:

Sarah Kelly W. (travel destination: Peru) "This system worked great for me!! I lost four pounds in the first 8 days!!!"

S.K. Wright (travel destination: India) "The bonus water weight loss system got me down to a weight that I haven´t seen since the beginning of high school!!!"

Sarah Wright (travel destination: Costa Rica) "I only used the system for 2 weeks and I was completely fit afterwards!!"

Anyways, so, if you can´t tell from the post, 1) I´ve been alone with my thoughts for a while, and yes, I think I´m funny and 2) I´ve noticed that my waist is already smaller. No idea about actual weight since I haven´t weighed myself or anything, but hiking up a hill to my school and then also exploring Cuzco (and climbing to the top of a very tall mountain (Huyna Picchu) next to Machu Picchu) has trimmed down a bit of that baby fat (I realize that it´s not baby fat, but I´ve kinda been a baby in grad school and it´s grad school fat, so....) I´m also eating incredibly healthy. There aren´t too many high fat, sugar options for vegetarians here, but there are many, many very healthy options. There are 8+ just vegetarian restaurants just in Cuzco!!! However, I am really eating a lot of vegetables and bread. And it´s all good for me!! That and massive water consumption is REQUIRED for walking around all day. Hilly, hilly, hilly. Anyways, I´m posting this and then hoping to add in a couple pictures from Machu Picchu!!!! HOORAY!!!!!

Love you, miss you!!!!!

Long days in Cuzco!

2008-06-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

So, my computer officially doesn´t work this high up. Older brands, like the one I´m typing on, apparently do. Bleh. Anyways, that means that all the nice blogs I wrote to you all elsewhere will not be posted until later, but then there will be many!!!

Anyways, everyday is a party in Cusco, Peru. It is the city festival leading up to Inti Raymi this week, so that has been fun. However, if I have to watch one more traditional dance, I will explode. I spent most of yesterday doing that because it was a compitition between high schools. However, these dances are basically the same thing over and over... It got long after a couple hours and excrutiating after 4 hours. However, they were nice enough, I suppose. I think I would have liked them more if I didn´t have to sit in a bright sun (got a sunburn.. :() and watch these kids do these same dances over and over. The girls did the same thing every time. THey walk with their heads going from side to side. They twirl their skirts so you see their undergarments (usually a slip). They have these puffball things that they swing around (the one variation was changing the puffballs.) then they do a sort of two step around in a circle. There isn´t much more to it, but sometimes the boys did cool things. There´s this part where they whip each other with ropes and try not to flinch....??? It is pretty cool and also a crowd pleaser for the Cusquenyos. Well, I should go. Yet again, a line for the computers.... LOVE YOU!! MISS YOU!!!

Quick note from Cusco!

2008-06-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

I typed up a whole nice blog, but it won´t transfer from my computer to the computer with internet, so... I will send it later. I´m going to Machu Picchu tomorrow, super early!! But hopefully tomorrow or Monday, I will be able to give you a nice long, nosy letter from Cusco. All right, Love you!! MISS YOU!!!

I'm in Peru!!!

2008-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

I only have like 30 seconds to type, but I wanted to let the world know that I landed safely and happily in Peru. I can't say I'm doubt-free, but I can say that I am SOOOOOOO excited!! Hurray for Peru!

I'm currently in Lima, at the Clifford Hotel. It is also big and red like the dog, so I feel like it's aptly named. We're taking a 10 minutes break between meetings for bathrooms and such. Next up is lunch. It is a busy busy day of official stuff, but what the heck, I'm in Peru! The rest of the day will be less hectic once we eat. I'm thinking of carrying my whole big backpack because I keep needing things that I don't have. Speaking of which, I should grab that. I PROMISE to write more from Cusco, but seriously, guys, I may be a bit busy at first, ya know, enjoying Peru!!! However, I'm guessing the altitude will force me to stop and then I will write of the beauty and charm of the country and culture. Lots of love!!

A bit of amusement from previous travel...

2008-06-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

So, I figured after the bi-polar nature of my last post, (I was VULNERABLE there, so don't criticize!!! Or at least, criticize nicely... Most professors and other people are still seeing the "Everything is peachy-keen" Sarah... I've put my heart and trust at you people, so deal with it nicely!!!) I should give a little amusement that fit in with the topic. What combines terror, exhilaration, and jumping off cliffs better than this video? I don't think I'm in it, if there is one. So, this is me, defying my fears and not really being glad I did until afterwards. If you pause at the right moment, you can actually SEE terror incarnate. Anyways, enjoy!

Ms. Cranky-Pants' Last Day in Columbus, OH

2008-06-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

Foreword: the first few paragraphs, I let my fears and doubts run wild. If you would like to skip to the happy, sunshiney parts, skip to the paragraph with "positive note" in the first line.

My nerves feel like they are literally on fire. I am incredibly jumpy, fidgety, and freaking out. Don't get me wrong, I am a seasoned world traveler (although I think I always get a little nervy when heading out to a new CONTINENT!), but field research is the most terrifying thing in the world right now. Especially field research where you only have a minimal grasp of the language, no knowledge of the people I will be working with, and only a vague idea of what the research is all about. I mean, seriously.

However, on a more positive note. I am starting out my big fancy trip to Peru with a bang! I'm going to Machu Picchu this weekend. How many people can say that? Well, approximately 2500 per day, according to the guidebooks. But, how many people that I know can say that??? not many. just Gaby, my friend from school, who will also be traveling to Machu Picchu this weekend. But other than that, no one!! Whooooooo!!!

Then, I will be spending a week immersed in Spanish. Literally. I will be staying with a family in Cusco who will only speak Spanish with me. I will have 8 hr a day classes of non-stop Spanish. Well, not NON-stop. We'll have lunch, but I'm sure we'll speak Spanish while eating.

This will be followed by another week of less intense Spanish, with only 4 hours a day of class and afternoons of museums. Oh, and this week will have a day of no class because it will be the festival of Inti Raymi!! WHOOOOO!!!!! This local Incan festival is the second largest festival in South America. Cusco shuts down completely with parades and special food and utter craziness. I love it!!! I am ridiculously excited for Cusco. I do want to point that out to everyone, especially parents that read the eariler, spoiled brat part of the blog. I'm excited about the country, learning Spanish, seeing MACHU PICCHU!!!!, going to this festival, seeing Peru, and everything else except the research part. However, as my wonderful, magnificent professor Marie Cieri says, "Doing research is like jumping off a cliff. You're terrified of it, and you just don't want to, but the very best thing you can do is jump anyways." Well, that's not a direct quote, but you get the idea.

As long as I'm plugging professors, Kendra, one of my advisers has been an absolute life-saver with this Peru trip. She has helped me out tremendously with the dreaded fun-sucking IRB of doom! She has also been very supportive and talked me off of cliffs of non-research sorts. She's awesome. I really wish that she were going, but she's pregnant, even if it were her project. She could be having a baby on the negative one anniversary with Sandip. (Yes, while I am in Peru, it will be 1 year until we get married. This is why I was trying to get things together ahead of time, because we will have less than 11 mths and a thesis to write after I get back. No matter how much I explained this to people, everyone was like, but why are you doing it now? I would like to point out that this is like asking, "why don't you want to do everything last minute?" and that's a really dumb question.) So, anyways, Kendra = Awesome.

That's not to say my other adviser, the one who is actually bringing me on this trip and paying for stuff isn't awesome, because he is. Very nice guy. Believes altitude sickness is only in your head, like all insanely health people believe about something they don't suffer from, but I won't hold that against him unless I die of altitude sickness. Let's face it now, my healthiness track record is against me- I will probably get sicker than he does with the altitude. Here me now, world, I will haunt OSU if I die on this trip. Specific people may also be included, like if I die of altitude sickness, but just in general. I will, however, pick somewhere cooler than the bathroom to haunt. perhaps the grad lab. I could totally haunt that. I'd live in the scanner or something. Oooh, or the printer, so I could go haunt Jim or Jens when it runs out of paper or ink. maybe they'd replace things more quickly.

Anyways, the moral of the story is that I am very excited but also very nervous about my trip. I will probably laugh at all of this afterwards, but that is still a long way off. Nerves aside, though, tomorrow, I begin to jump off the cliff of research. Well, maybe the first in the series of cliffs? Like the Indiana Jones movie IN Peru- 3 cliffs- Lima, Cusco, then Huaraz!!! Hurray for me working Indiana into this post.

I love you all very much and I'm going to miss you like crazy!!! Please feel free to e-mail me anytime. I can't promise long intricate responses, but I will do my best to send you something! Have a good summer, everyone!

Ashley meets Peter Pan

2008-06-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, I visited Ithaca, NY with Sandip at the very beginning of May. We went to see our very good friends Ashley and Nick who are in Cornell's grad school. It's an oddly specific major, so I never get it right. Something about landscape design, creating environments, people friendly spaces, or something. I'm sure I will be corrected at some point. Stay tuned for comments from Ashley!! Anyways, I absolutely love this picture of Ash. Doesn't it look like she has just been sprinkled with Tinkerbell's fairydust and is off to join the Lost Boys on some crazy wonderful adventure where Captain Hook will be called a codfish? I love it. I have also just discovered how to input pictures! Hurray!!! I really need to set up a picassa album or something for all of these things, but I have been sooooo crazy busy with everything. I didn't even think I'd get my nice camera out in time to go to Peru. It was tucked away in a box. However, today I destroyed our nice condo by taking everything out of every box. I still can't find half of what I need, but I did find the other half! I suppose that's a half-full scenario. Anyways, loved the picture and NEEDED to post it.

Ash- if you need to find me in Peru- second star to the right and straight on til morning!!

Sex and the City: The Movie

2008-06-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, if you couldn't tell from the title, I just saw the Sex and the City Movie. I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but some things are inevitably going to come out, so don't read this unless you've seen it or can handle the dirt.

First of all, I'm aching that I didn't get to follow through on the original plan to go see this movie with two of my best friends ever, Inna and Ashley. A multi-state best friendship would be easier if we had the magical financial abilities of the characters in the movie. (Ps. how do those women afford all that stuff...? When would a journalist in NY, NY be able to afford all of those designer shoes, not to mention the purses, dresses, apartments, parties, etc... I wish my writers would increase the cash flow to magical levels like that...) Anyways, I spent half the movie wishing I could be there with my good friends, drinking cosmos, and feeling that wonderful feeling of camaraderie when you've shared so many experiences and are just happy to be in each others' company. Not that I wasn't completely happy to watch it with Sandip. He's a sweetheart and one of the three men in the movie theater. I'm pretty sure the other two were holding hands.

However, judging from the previews before the movie, I'm guessing chick flicks will abound in the near future, so we'll see one of those together. However, it won't be the same. Then again, we probably would have been the annoying women in the theater that kept going, "OMG! They're talking about that one episode where Carrie was in Paris!" "OH! Alexander Petrovski!!" Then, of course, Inna would say that she loved him best because he was Russian, to which I would HAVE to respond that he was a total sleaze bag that deserved to be kicked in the nuts. Since, I think Ashley liked Aiden best, this would have come up and much drama ensued, in the middle of the movie. So, we will wait until the DVD comes out and we'll watch it in a room where we will only disturb each other.

So, what did I think of the movie? It was good. In parts, it was dramatic. In other parts, it was laugh for 3 minutes straight funny. I felt like some of it went too fast. I'm used to things being strung out between episodes, but this was like watching an entire season in one sitting. Don't get me wrong, I really, really liked it. When I watch it with my friends in the fall, post-Peru, I will love every second of it. But it was a lot to take in, sometimes.

However, I have to say that I really like the phenomenon. As much as every guy groans when they hear that Sex and the City was liberating for women, it really was. It was a whole bonus women's movement, starting in the late 90's. It helped de-youth glamor. These women were in their mid to late 30's (and beyond in Samantha's case), but they were still, in a word, fabulous. Men still wanted them, they were still beautiful, and most importantly, they could be independent. Sure, every moment was filled with drama and fights, but so is life. It also helped put women on an equal footing with men in terms of sex. It is a well-known fact that a guy that sleeps around is admirable. A guy can sleep with 30 women and be told that he is "living the dream." A woman in the same position is a grade-A, piece of slut. Now, don't get me wrong, I find myself judging all the time, very unfairly. But if you look down on one, look down on the other. I just want equal treatment here! Before you say that you do, really, really think about it. Most guys will get a "boys will be boys," even if you're slightly disgusted. Women never get off so lucky.

Beyond that, though, underneath all of the drama, there was a message about relationships and their imperfections. No relationship is perfect. Any relationship that hasn't had a big fight doesn't have enough honesty in it, and I really believe that. Nobody is 100% compatible. It's impossible. It's when you can acknowledge every flaw, every annoying little habit, every failure to communicate, but love someone despite (or even because) of them that you have a real relationship.

That said, I think this is a great time to plug living together. Living together is the new engaged. Engaged is the new married, and married is the new five year anniversary. What's the five year anniversary? It's the new ten year anniversary, and ten is the new twenty. Beyond that, making a relationship last that long is just plain impressive. But living together for the first time after marriage seems so much harder. When you live together, you can't escape back to your place when you get in a fight. You have to get along or else. Every little crack and flaw come into view. You have to like it or lump it, as my brother would apparently say.

It's a great way to figure out if you love somebody, as I mentioned above. Not that I love being lectured about picking up my stuff. I got enough of that from my mother growing up, but I think the whole experience of living together has been very educational. Speaking of my mom, don't go see the movie. Except for the whole power to the older woman thing, I doubt you'll enjoy it. Anyone who could be labeled a prude, in general, I would advise against it. The rest of the world, go! Enjoy! It's totally worth it, especially if you can go with your very good friends. Love you, miss you!! One week until Peru!!

So what's with the song lyrics??

2008-05-27T21:05:00.001-07:00

I want to keep posting, but I am SOOOOO overwhelmed with life right now, so those two songs are embodying what I'm feeling right now. Things can be hard and totally suck, but we have to keep trying to make things better!! Plus, those songs are on my playlist as I study for my last exam of the quarter. Don't get too excited!! I still have a HUGE paper that's not exactly started due Monday plus the oh-so-wonderful IRB to take on. not to mention a trip up to the BC to see my family before I leave on my Southern Hemisphere adventure. Whoooooo!!! So anyways, to add a less idealistic note, but just as "you'll get through this" kind of a song: "If you're going through hell, keep on going. Don't slow down, if you're scared, don't show it. You might get out before the devil even knows you're there!!"

I'm dedicating all three songs to my fellow activists, grad students, loyal readers, who can all get down in the dumps because, let's face it, life can be hard sometimes. Capitalist scum, keeping us down!! (Marxist class exam tomorrow.) Well, it's not actually Marxist, but the professor is, so it totally has the spin on it. However, I feel like Marxism has its good points. I mean what is communism but a way to try to make everyone have a good quality of life?? That's gotta be a positive. Just because pretty much all communal societies end up with a fascist dictator doesn't mean it isn't a sweet idea. I mean sweet as in nice, not sweet as in Dude, that's Sweet! It's just something to ponder in this post-Castro in power world. Anyways, the point is that despite everything, we will get through all of this and it will be OK. Maybe not perfect, but OK. Chin up! Pip pip cheerio! Stiff upper lip! Tut-tut it looks like rain.... hmm, doesn't quite make sense... Have a good one!

The "Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha

2008-05-27T21:01:00.001-07:00

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Sarah McLachlan: World on Fire Lyrics

2008-05-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

The worlds on fire its more then I can handle
Ill tap into the water try and bring my share
Try to bring more, more then I can handle
Bring it to the table
Bring what I am able

Hearts are worn in these dark ages
Youre not alone in these stories pages
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying
And Ill try to hold it in
Yeah Ill try to hold it in

Chorus

I watch the heavens but I find no calling
Something I can do to change whats coming
Stay close to me while the skys falling
I dont wanna be left alone dont wanna be alone

Chorus

Hearts break hearts mend love still hurts
Visions clash planes crash still theres talk of
saving souls still colds closing in on us

We part the veil on our killer sun
Stray from the straight line on this short run
The more we take the less we become
The fortune of one man means less for some

Chorus

Cuddling, Kittens, and More Work

2008-05-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

I know that I will get in trouble with my sweetie for this post. I am trying to do more work than I have time for, but I'm completely distracted. COMPLETELY! I am unable to concentrate or get anything done. However, I have three weeks until I leave for Peru. Just three!! And I still have the IRB, 2 loooong papers due and a final! Not to mention finish booking my hostels, school, flights, trip, and making a final schedule. Oh, and did I tell you that we're renovating our condo and have to move in the next week and a half??? Plus, we have to find a wedding photographer before I go so we can get engagement pictures between when I get back and when school starts. Lord....

So, anyways, I will get in trouble when everyone reads this. After all, I am giving myself a guilt trip about it. However, as I've learned in the best class ever, Qualitative Research Methods, sometimes you need to express your vulnerable, frustrated self. So, here I am. I'm just overwhelmed with everything. I really have to get the paper and the IRB done by this weekend so I can get my other paper done next week so I can go to Bay City the weekend after for my darling goddaughter's 9th birthday. Oh, yeah, and the move has to happen within these next two weeks. However, I like that the last week will really just be involved with being settled, booking my last hostel in Cusco and perhaps the photographer. Who knows.

My blogs have all been fussy, huh? Well, what're you going to do. My apartment is covered with crap, everywhere. The condo is messy. I'm messy. My neighbors are fighting again. They yell a lot. I've got a lot going on here. Oy, I'm feeling the pull of my work. So, later days.

New Condo!!!

2008-05-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Helloooooooo Nurse!, I mean, World...

So, we bought our condo yesterday. WHOOOOO!!!! I'm currently sitting in the only real chair we have here, in our new condo. The kittens are here, as well, but I don't think they're particularly happy. They're very jumpy and weirded out. It probably won't help when we take them back to the apartment while everything here is cleaned and/or painted. However, we just wanted them to be here on our first night. They're adorable. I woke up with both of them within 2 feet of me, but not too close. All morning they followed me around and didn't let me out of their sight. Now, they're hanging out on the same level as me. I went upstairs, they went upstairs. I went downstairs, they went downstairs. Wow, this is a REALLY entertaining blog!!

Getting a condo makes you think about things, though. I don't mean like a complete existential re-thinking everything kind of thing. It's just so odd to be growing up. I don't think of myself as an adult, but I have been for five years. Wow. I'm responsible for a piece of property. Holy wow. It's just odd.

So, anyways, I was thinking about paint colors for the upstairs bedrooms. The previous owner left a big ol' unpainted spot on the wall. So, we're definitely going to repaint that, but I think we should repaint both bedrooms. Something with color. I don't mind the downstairs being all white because there're a lot of other things going on, like the fireplace, the kitchen, and all that. But upstairs needs some happy color. Ugh, I'm supposed to be cleaning right now. The last owner did not leave things very tidy. What're you going to do?? We're going to get the carpets cleaned and the ducts cleaned. I'm also thinking about painting the kitchen cupboards. They're a medium brown wood veneer thing right now. It's pretty dated. It looks like th 70's to me.... Could be just me though. Anyways, gotta run. Cleaning waits for no woman. I swear this blog'll get interesting sometime. ;-p

I am a squirrel...

2008-04-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I was just having an informative conversation with my fiance, and he was frustrated that I like to hoard things. I calmly informed him that I am a squirrel and that's just what squirrels do. However, I would like to point out that if you buy party decorations every time you have a party or a holiday, it's very expensive. We had a Hollywood themed birthday party with lots of stars and decorations, and Mr. Suvedi claims that I should throw this stuff out because it's taking up space. However, my squirrelly nature wants to keep it all for future use. I can see having a Hollywood theme again, right??? Makes sense. However, we're moving very very soon, and everything has been threatened with Salvation Army. Don't get me wrong, I love the Salvation Army. I like to buy stuff there and I think it's a wonderful place for reusing old stuff. However, I do not want to give the Salvation Army all my stuff. I am a squirrel. I keep stuff until it's useful. And the stuff I forget about one day becomes a tree.... well, maybe not a tree, but it'll be good for something.

Speaking of squirrels, the saddest part of moving for me (other than having to move AGAIN :() is leaving Phyllis behind. Phyllis is our squirrel friend who sometimes eat peanuts that I leave her on our balcony. She and I have become good friends over this past year, starting somewhat rockily when she was determined to dig in my potted plants. However, we moved past the flora destruction into peanut fiestas. She visits my baby kittens through our glass door. (They're not babies anymore... their first birthday is coming up in May) But they hang out and play through the door. She used to sit on the chairs when they were out there, but she'd knock them over when she got scared/excited. Torie especially likes to watch to Phyllis and the bird do-wop group through the windows/doors. I've stopped giving Phyllis nuts lately because we're moving and I don't want her to get in trouble with the new residents of our apartment. Don't worry, she's got plenty to eat this spring, I made sure. She's still quite fat and sassy. Phyllis the fat and sassy squirrel. Sounds like a children's book. Phyllis is such a funny name for a squirrel. Sandip blames me for it, but I can't help it if Phyllis's parents were mean!! Like I should listen to Deep-Sand-but-switched on that one, anyways!! (LOVE YOU SWEETIE!!!! Remember the chicken!)

Anyways, I should stop ripping on him or I'll get in trouble. I'm in trouble anyways because I have an exam tomorrow and should be studying. It's not my fault my class is so boring..... :) Anyways, gotta run. LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sarah the Squirrel

I miss the Gilmore Girls

2008-04-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hello for the second time!!

I was just sitting here, watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls, while doing my homework. I really, really miss having new episodes of Gilmore Girls to watch. It is such a good show!! I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE it. It's brilliant. Funny. Touching. I miss it uber lots. I mean, it's the relationship every mother and daughter wants to have. Plus the crazy grandparents thing!! BRILLIANT!!! OK, ok. The Gilmore Girls rock, and I miss it.

Anyways, I am a brilliant chef. I thought you would all like to know. Tonight, a wonderful pasta dish full of asparagus, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and lots of spices. Oooh, and some cooking wine. Plus, I made chicken. Now, if anyone reads this who doesn't know me, they may not understand how big of a deal this is. I am a vegetarian. The non-fish, lactose intolerant kind of vegetarian. The I-hate-touching-all-meat-products kind of vegetarian. The fact that I made chicken shows how very much I love my fiance, Sandip. Because even when I ate meat, I HATED touching raw chicken. It's gross and slimy. And you have to play with it to get all of the fat off. You have to finger it and fiddle it, and it's GROSS. Slimy, awful chicken. I'm very very sweet. Hugely. In case you were wondering, I am incredibly humble, too. In case you were wondering.

All right, all right. I've now bragged about myself and discussed my heartbreak over missing the Gilmore Girls, and I still have all that homework that I needed to do. Whoooooo..... Lots of love!!!

My First Day

2008-04-16T16:56:00.001-07:00

Hellooooooo World!!

This is my first blog ever, created in anticipation of my trip to Peru this summer. This will hopefully help me keep in touch with everyone who I might not regularly email. For now, however, I am writing to practice. Perhaps I will even have some insight!

So, I turned 23 yesterday. It's really hard to believe. I don't even feel like I've turned 22 yet, let alone 23. I know, I know, 23 is SUPER young, and I have tons and tons of time left in my life, but still.... Time flies, doesn't it? Sometimes I feel like I am a four year old trapped in a body that's just growing up too fast. Ugh, 23 is grown up isn't it? :-p

I guess this blog will be able to recount life after 23 years on the planet. Oy, my birthday was great, it's just the idea that time goes so fast that bothers me. Except in really, really boring classes. Then it stops, completely and totally stops. Yes, to anyone I don't know, I am in graduate school. I am getting my Master's from Ohio State in geography. What will I do with a degree in geography, you ask?? I have no idea either. Something else, I suppose, since I won't be doing GIS. Work for the government. Get a Ph.D. Become a hermit. Start a Pirate Themed Bakery. I'll find something or other. In fact, I've been seriously considering a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology. Not that I've ever taken a class, but it seems less stressful than the geography department. We're required to take 15 credit hours, but full time at OSU is only 9. I mean, holy wow, what a difference!! I could possibly work for the university in some capacity and take classes every once in a while. That could be fun.... ?

Ok, you may have realized that I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up beyond 23. It's a really hard concept to get my head around because I've ALWAYS had very definite goals for the future. They've changed over the years (although, I still think I would have been an EXCELLENT hollywood actress, thank you very much!), but there's always been something after whatever I'm doing. Now that I'm doubting the Geography Ph.D., I just don't know what else I'd do. I'm a lost little puppy.

Oh, I've got ideas about what might be fun to do, but nothing that's like, YES! That's what I want to do!!! I want to have a job where I KNOW that I'm making a positive difference in the world, but I love what I do. Why is it so hard to combine those two things?? I'm just too neurotic. Stress eats me up for breakfast. Like a hungry tiger. In fact, since starting grad school, I've developed tension headaches, had stress outbreaks of rosacea, and made my eye allergies worse all because I internalize stress. That's why I'm thinking of possibly switching departments if I feel like doing my Ph.D. 6 fewer credits a quarter would be fabulous!! Or at least, so it seems from standing on the brown and stubby grass on this side of the fence.

WOW.... What a cranky blog this has been so far! How about I move on to some of the positives going on right now. I'm going to Peru!!! Whooooooo!! That's pretty cool. Oh, and I got lots and lots of cool stuff for my birthday. I got tons of movies from my sweetie: The Indiana Jones Collection, Marie Antoinette, John Tucker Must Die, and The Devil Wears Prada, not to mention a mountain of candy. Very nice, sugah. From my grad school friends, I got a lion stuffed animal, a Target gift card (because I LOVE that store... seriously, LOVE!), a Grow-Your-Own Oscar, lots of candy, lip gloss, colored pens, and yummy smell spray. I mean, whoa!! It's good to make friends!! From my very good friend, Ashley, I got beautiful earrings (which I'm wearing now!), two Grow-Your-Own kits (Princess and Vacation!), chocolate, and a journal. This isn't even counting the wonderful cards and facebook messages from my friends and family!! I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

Anyways, that's enough for now. Since I have NO IDEA who'd read this, I'm out like a failed Project Runway contestant. Should I find that anyone cares, I will tell you all about the fabulous Hollywood Birthday Party and my feelings on dill pickles. Heck, I may do that anyways. Thanks for reading!!

LOVE,

The Sar-bear