At a home party last time, i was told by multiple people independently that 1) I don't look Japanese（日本人に見えない！！）and 2) I don't look my age (they actually guessed older.... which to me isn't very flattering) （えーー未だ２＃だけなの？大人っぽいね。落ち着いてるね）.
These are comments I get all the time everywhere.
I admit, compared to other Japanese girls my age, I at least act older. In fact, Japanese people are always commenting on how "american girls" seem so much older. Even when I was in middle school, I thought my classmates were a little more childish compared to my own. How? That's difficult to say... less independence? less defined personality? less ambition for something greater? more shy with a quivering sense of self? There must be something about the "American childhood" or values or education or SOMETHING that raises children to be so obviously difference from japanese children. What that is, I can't put a finger on quite yet.
By blood, I'm 100% Japanese. Yet, people in the US and people in Japan have this idea of what a typical Japanese woman looks like, and for some reason, I don't fall into that category. I guess that also means they have an idea of what non-Japanese looks like. One thing about Japan that I find unfortunate is that it can be xenophobic... it can be afraid, unwelcoming, or just distant from what they view as the "other." Of course, Japanese are obsessed with the "Western" world -- fashion, music, food, the brown hair, big-eyed european... But there's a difference between staring at wonder - like a piece displayed at a museum - versus that "other thing" becoming an intimate part of their lives.
I was speaking to one 34 year old gentleman who's been working in Texas as an antique dealer for 5 years. He told me that he initially could not get used to the lifestyle here, but now, he really loves it. His wife has only been here for about 3 years and desires to go back to Tokyo. They have one 2 year old daughter. One of his worries was that he doesn't know whether or not to raise his child in the US or in Japan. He doesn't know which is "better" for his child. But one truth is that if they stay in the US, his child will inevitably be "americanized," and he can't imagine his child being culturally different from him. Of course, as long as his child is happy and is raised properly with good values, that's the best he could ask for. So he admits this worry must be so miniscule but he does think about it. He then said that I act very Japanese, so he's feeling more reassured after meeting me.I honestly have never really thought about that ever... maybe because I AM like that daughter, raised in a bi-cultural environment. I will never be fully "american" and never fully "japanese" at the same time -- whatever that means! But I take pride in that. Not being able to be placed in to a label box.
But I wonder, how good are those label boxes for anyone, really. Can people be put in a box of japanese or american? And how productive is that? Yea, I don't look Japanese, I may act Japanese, I am genetically Japanese, I seem more mature than Japanese my age -- but none of those description really say anything about me at all. Trying to put people in categories ultimately create the in vs. out, familiar vs. other, us vs. them - that kind of mentality. Not that this isn't beneficial at times, but it can slow down true growth....? true acceptance? true celebration of humanity in the world? haha getting cheesy now.
sigh. These are issues i will probably continue thinking about throughout my life. Perhaps I will come to new realizations after I start a family of my own.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Difficult introduction of 2 cats pt.II
It has been a week since I've adopted my new kitten, and I am thrilled.
The introduction process - although going slowly at first - suddenly took off!
Day 3
By day 3, I had decided to introduce the two through just a cage, uncovered.
On day 2, I took new kitten to the vet, so during that time, I let resident cat sniff out the bathroom where kitten was confined. I also covered the carrier with a cloth, and put that in the center of the living room. Of course, resident cat hissed at it.
So here are the steps for Day 3
- I put new kitten in the carrier and placed it initially covered, in the living room.
- Let resident cat become aware of its presence
- I then took out resident cat's favorite treats and gave them to her in front of the still covered cage
- Slowly, I unveiled the cage while the resident cat was scarfing down the treats
- Lots of hissing. Even a cat punch. Actually, resident cat even cat punched me when I was trying to push new kitten's paws back into the cage. It's funny, even though a big cat is hissing and punching right in front of him, new kitten didnt seem scared at all. He was sticking out his paws through the cage, meowing. Luckily, resident cat has never punched baring her nails, so I didn't get hope and hopefully kitten didn't either
- After the treats, I just left the cage uncovered, in the room for 30-40 minutes.
Day 4 - MIRACLE DAY!
So Day 4... Perhaps I was rushing. BUT, I decided to just introduce them face-to-face
Why so soon? Well -- I saw resident cat and kitten pawing at each other through the crack of the bathroom door.
Resident cat didn't seem afraid of the kitten anymore, and definitely less hissing. She also just lay by the bathroom, relaxed.
So what I did:
- Again, I put kitten in carrier and put it in the living room.
- Once resident cat was aware.... I just opened the cage door. Let nature run its course!
- Cautiously, kitten steps out.
- No hissing yet!
- Kitten then begins exploring the living room
- Resident cat follows kitten
- Kitten starts playing with the curtain strings.
- Resident cat curiously paws at the kitten.
- Kitten takes off in a run -- Cat follows -- then a long whirlwind of cat-chase begins.
- They switch being chased and chasing.
Now, 1 week after adoption, I hear no hissing at all. They get along great. Rough play a lot, resident cat even licks kitten sometimes, they eat food together...
I think things will be just fine.
:D
The introduction process - although going slowly at first - suddenly took off!
Day 3
By day 3, I had decided to introduce the two through just a cage, uncovered.
On day 2, I took new kitten to the vet, so during that time, I let resident cat sniff out the bathroom where kitten was confined. I also covered the carrier with a cloth, and put that in the center of the living room. Of course, resident cat hissed at it.
So here are the steps for Day 3
- I put new kitten in the carrier and placed it initially covered, in the living room.
- Let resident cat become aware of its presence
- I then took out resident cat's favorite treats and gave them to her in front of the still covered cage
- Slowly, I unveiled the cage while the resident cat was scarfing down the treats
- Lots of hissing. Even a cat punch. Actually, resident cat even cat punched me when I was trying to push new kitten's paws back into the cage. It's funny, even though a big cat is hissing and punching right in front of him, new kitten didnt seem scared at all. He was sticking out his paws through the cage, meowing. Luckily, resident cat has never punched baring her nails, so I didn't get hope and hopefully kitten didn't either
- After the treats, I just left the cage uncovered, in the room for 30-40 minutes.
Day 4 - MIRACLE DAY!
So Day 4... Perhaps I was rushing. BUT, I decided to just introduce them face-to-face
Why so soon? Well -- I saw resident cat and kitten pawing at each other through the crack of the bathroom door.
Resident cat didn't seem afraid of the kitten anymore, and definitely less hissing. She also just lay by the bathroom, relaxed.
So what I did:
- Again, I put kitten in carrier and put it in the living room.
- Once resident cat was aware.... I just opened the cage door. Let nature run its course!
- Cautiously, kitten steps out.
- No hissing yet!
- Kitten then begins exploring the living room
- Resident cat follows kitten
- Kitten starts playing with the curtain strings.
- Resident cat curiously paws at the kitten.
- Kitten takes off in a run -- Cat follows -- then a long whirlwind of cat-chase begins.
- They switch being chased and chasing.
Now, 1 week after adoption, I hear no hissing at all. They get along great. Rough play a lot, resident cat even licks kitten sometimes, they eat food together...
I think things will be just fine.
:D
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Difficult Introduction of 2 cats
My last true summer is almost over.
It has been a very fruitful one - my internship has been an amazing experience. My mentor is amazing, the surgeries I've seen and patients I've meet have been truly engaging.
I feel like I have stepped out of this summer a little bit more mature. I have a clear direction - surgery - that I want to go. And I feel ignited with ambition and determination, something very important during these long years of constant studying, where we often feel the fuel drain away as we burn out.
In other news, I am on a quick 10-day vacation. Well, not really a vacation because I have a lot of work to do - but my mentor is out of town, so I can work from home.
During this time, I decided to adopt a new kitten.
I have one cat - a tortoiseshell - who is about 1 year and 2 months. I found her in my parking lot last summer, and my boyfriend decided that adopt her. I found her right before my 1-month trip to SE Asia, so I wasn't planning on adopting her. I was going to feed her, take care of her shots/immunizations, socialize her a bit, and then ask a shelter to take her in. We found her at 5-6 weeks, so still a very young kitten and thus popular among adopted pets.
I went to several shelters in the area and finally found the kitten I thought would be the one. It's a boy, 8 weeks, and a creamy orange tabby. He has white feet (like stockings) and a white belly. Cutest little thing.
The introduction - still ongoing - is progressing... slow or fast? Depends, I suppose. I've read that cats can take from hours to months to accept one another... And some might never. But I wasn't expecting my resident cat to react with such aggression... so the road has been difficult.
Day 1
Day 1 was simple. I adopted kitten in the early afternoon (Wed Jul 20), and once I got home, I took him to the bathroom where I set up his temporary confinement. I brought back the carrier and placed it in the living room for resident cat to smell. So far... no hissing... Then I went into the bathroom and cuddle with kitten for a while, letting him know that everything is okay and that he is safe. Then I left my apartment and went back to work. Wanted to give both of them time to just calm down.
At night, I played with resident cat.
Troubles 1: When I went into the bathroom to be with kitten for a while, then when I came out, resident cat was really quite angry. Her posture was tense. I let her smell my hand and she actually growled and hiss at it many times. She didn't attack me or anything, but I have never seen her growl or hiss except just once at the vet. So surprised... I was expecting just curiosity at the least... and was really hoping for that chirping purr that resident cat did to the neighborhood stray cats. I guess since kitten was actually in her turf, she felt threatened.
I covered the crack under the door so that they won't be able to see each other, and just went to bed. Resident cat never came close to the door. Just hissed at it from a distance
Patience seems to be the true virtue in this scenarios. Don't rush anything!
It has been a very fruitful one - my internship has been an amazing experience. My mentor is amazing, the surgeries I've seen and patients I've meet have been truly engaging.
I feel like I have stepped out of this summer a little bit more mature. I have a clear direction - surgery - that I want to go. And I feel ignited with ambition and determination, something very important during these long years of constant studying, where we often feel the fuel drain away as we burn out.
In other news, I am on a quick 10-day vacation. Well, not really a vacation because I have a lot of work to do - but my mentor is out of town, so I can work from home.
During this time, I decided to adopt a new kitten.
I have one cat - a tortoiseshell - who is about 1 year and 2 months. I found her in my parking lot last summer, and my boyfriend decided that adopt her. I found her right before my 1-month trip to SE Asia, so I wasn't planning on adopting her. I was going to feed her, take care of her shots/immunizations, socialize her a bit, and then ask a shelter to take her in. We found her at 5-6 weeks, so still a very young kitten and thus popular among adopted pets.
I went to several shelters in the area and finally found the kitten I thought would be the one. It's a boy, 8 weeks, and a creamy orange tabby. He has white feet (like stockings) and a white belly. Cutest little thing.
The introduction - still ongoing - is progressing... slow or fast? Depends, I suppose. I've read that cats can take from hours to months to accept one another... And some might never. But I wasn't expecting my resident cat to react with such aggression... so the road has been difficult.
Day 1
Day 1 was simple. I adopted kitten in the early afternoon (Wed Jul 20), and once I got home, I took him to the bathroom where I set up his temporary confinement. I brought back the carrier and placed it in the living room for resident cat to smell. So far... no hissing... Then I went into the bathroom and cuddle with kitten for a while, letting him know that everything is okay and that he is safe. Then I left my apartment and went back to work. Wanted to give both of them time to just calm down.
At night, I played with resident cat.
Troubles 1: When I went into the bathroom to be with kitten for a while, then when I came out, resident cat was really quite angry. Her posture was tense. I let her smell my hand and she actually growled and hiss at it many times. She didn't attack me or anything, but I have never seen her growl or hiss except just once at the vet. So surprised... I was expecting just curiosity at the least... and was really hoping for that chirping purr that resident cat did to the neighborhood stray cats. I guess since kitten was actually in her turf, she felt threatened.
I covered the crack under the door so that they won't be able to see each other, and just went to bed. Resident cat never came close to the door. Just hissed at it from a distance
Patience seems to be the true virtue in this scenarios. Don't rush anything!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Japan like a Native
I have a lot of friends ask me about Japanese food; and to be frank --- most people only know Japanese food as sushi, tempura, and maybe teriyaki chicken.
For example, my friend asked me my favorite local Japanese restaurant. I say Sushi Ro****. And he replies, oh, their sushi rolls were okay... AH! Did you even see the other 70% of the menu? All of the fried, grilled, steamed dishes? The robata-yaki menu?? What about just good ol' ankimo (あんきも monk fish liver pate) with a nice glass of cold beer??
So, since I do have a passion for food, I would like to start a list of "authentic" foods to try in Japan. I put quotes around authentic because, well, what is really authentic? Great Japanese cuisine can actually be what we called "fusion" food. Some creative Japanese chefs can be experimenting with the traditional, and I still think that can be considered "authentic" because its heart and its creators are rooted in tastes of Japan and you know what, it tastes good. So... what I guess I won't call "authentic" is a sweet sticky, thigh fillet "teriyaki chicken" with a boob-shaped mold of rice (that's not even cooked in the teriyaki way! teriyaki, btw, is more of a style of grilling food over charcoal and basting it constantly with gooey and flavorful sauce that a restaurant will spend years mastering and developing. grilling of kabob-ed food is just referred to as robata-yaki)
List of foods to try: Part 1
Salty-and-Flavorful Rich
1) Ramen（ラーメン）. Of course. Most people know what Ramen is. But I'm not talking about the instant maru-chan crap that's sold in grocery stores here. Small hole in the walls can be some of the greatest. Just find somewhere you see a bunch of Japanese people. Really. All Japanese menu probably is a good thing too. Just point and smile and eat whatever comes out. I can guarantee it'll taste great.
1.1) Tsuke-men (ツケメン). I had this at 2am with my boyfriend after a whole night of drinking in celebration of a good friend's wedding. Let me tell you, whatever late-night drunk food the US has, it can't beat this. It's noodles with a hot dipping saucy soup. But so much more. The noodle of thicker and chewy. The dipping soup is thicker than just broth... and has this delicious Chinese/Japanese flavor... and the soup tastes like it's been cooking and perfecting for days.
2) Motsu-nabe （もつ鍋）Now this will take some research to find a restaurant that serves this delicious dish. Last winter, I had dinner at one very popular motsu-nabe restaurant near Ebisu. It was.... incredible. So amazingly good. Nabe is hot-pot. Motsu is, well, intestines. BUT don't let that gross you out! It's actually flavorful, chewy but tender, and the hot-pot broth/soup they make for it is so rich and beautiful. Don't forget to finish the meal with either rice or udon cooked in the hot-pot broth that become even richer in flavor with the motsu/other vegetables you've cooked in it.
3) Monja-yaki (もんじゃ焼き）Ohhh my uncle introduced me to this dish. It's basically a rendition of Okonomi-yaki (what I've heard English speakers call the pizza of Japan. Not really but okay). But anyways, okonomi-yaki style varies all over the country and every household has a unique way of making it... so I'm not going to talk much about it... Basically think of it like a pancake bound with a type of flour and cabbage usually, filled with whatever-you-want-to-eat. Monja is basically a more gooey form of it. You eat it with this mini-shovel-like spoons. It's cooked over a teppan, and you do it yourself too. I guess it's the melting but mochi-type quality of it that I love.
I would love to post pictures from actual Japanese sites/bloggers... but with the current blogger set-up, I can't just put pictures from other sites directly onto blogger (even if I display the link the follow! Grr. I have to add it into my picasa or something. A bit inconvenient)
For example, my friend asked me my favorite local Japanese restaurant. I say Sushi Ro****. And he replies, oh, their sushi rolls were okay... AH! Did you even see the other 70% of the menu? All of the fried, grilled, steamed dishes? The robata-yaki menu?? What about just good ol' ankimo (あんきも monk fish liver pate) with a nice glass of cold beer??
So, since I do have a passion for food, I would like to start a list of "authentic" foods to try in Japan. I put quotes around authentic because, well, what is really authentic? Great Japanese cuisine can actually be what we called "fusion" food. Some creative Japanese chefs can be experimenting with the traditional, and I still think that can be considered "authentic" because its heart and its creators are rooted in tastes of Japan and you know what, it tastes good. So... what I guess I won't call "authentic" is a sweet sticky, thigh fillet "teriyaki chicken" with a boob-shaped mold of rice (that's not even cooked in the teriyaki way! teriyaki, btw, is more of a style of grilling food over charcoal and basting it constantly with gooey and flavorful sauce that a restaurant will spend years mastering and developing. grilling of kabob-ed food is just referred to as robata-yaki)
List of foods to try: Part 1
Salty-and-Flavorful Rich
1) Ramen（ラーメン）. Of course. Most people know what Ramen is. But I'm not talking about the instant maru-chan crap that's sold in grocery stores here. Small hole in the walls can be some of the greatest. Just find somewhere you see a bunch of Japanese people. Really. All Japanese menu probably is a good thing too. Just point and smile and eat whatever comes out. I can guarantee it'll taste great.
1.1) Tsuke-men (ツケメン). I had this at 2am with my boyfriend after a whole night of drinking in celebration of a good friend's wedding. Let me tell you, whatever late-night drunk food the US has, it can't beat this. It's noodles with a hot dipping saucy soup. But so much more. The noodle of thicker and chewy. The dipping soup is thicker than just broth... and has this delicious Chinese/Japanese flavor... and the soup tastes like it's been cooking and perfecting for days.
2) Motsu-nabe （もつ鍋）Now this will take some research to find a restaurant that serves this delicious dish. Last winter, I had dinner at one very popular motsu-nabe restaurant near Ebisu. It was.... incredible. So amazingly good. Nabe is hot-pot. Motsu is, well, intestines. BUT don't let that gross you out! It's actually flavorful, chewy but tender, and the hot-pot broth/soup they make for it is so rich and beautiful. Don't forget to finish the meal with either rice or udon cooked in the hot-pot broth that become even richer in flavor with the motsu/other vegetables you've cooked in it.
3) Monja-yaki (もんじゃ焼き）Ohhh my uncle introduced me to this dish. It's basically a rendition of Okonomi-yaki (what I've heard English speakers call the pizza of Japan. Not really but okay). But anyways, okonomi-yaki style varies all over the country and every household has a unique way of making it... so I'm not going to talk much about it... Basically think of it like a pancake bound with a type of flour and cabbage usually, filled with whatever-you-want-to-eat. Monja is basically a more gooey form of it. You eat it with this mini-shovel-like spoons. It's cooked over a teppan, and you do it yourself too. I guess it's the melting but mochi-type quality of it that I love.
I would love to post pictures from actual Japanese sites/bloggers... but with the current blogger set-up, I can't just put pictures from other sites directly onto blogger (even if I display the link the follow! Grr. I have to add it into my picasa or something. A bit inconvenient)
Listen to the Body
Listen: It can tell us many things if we just pay attention to its whisper. Listen: Because by the time our body is yelling at us, it may be too late.
As I grow older, I know that I will witness the passing of many close and loved ones. I am afraid, although I know it is inevitable.
Yesterday, my boyfriend's young friend passed away of lung cancer at the blossoming age of 32. He was married, has a 1 year old baby boy, healthy and fit as can be. Thirty Two Years Old. Far too young... Do the good really have to die young?
My boyfriend met up with him a month or 2 ago as this friend was in TX for a business trip. He said that the friend seemed fine, but he did ask my boyfriend how his health was. My boyfriend laughed saying, everything is good, just getting older and fatter. The friend, however, said that his lower back has been really aching lately. In early May, he finally went to the doctor and they diagnosed him with metastatic end-stage lung cancer. He died only a few weeks later, complete shocking everyone. Even a mere 4-5 days before his death, he was eating home-made food from friends, saying how delicious it was. Just a week before his death, he was writing to people that although the treatment is aggressive, draining, and sometimes painful, he is feeling better and feels physically and mentally ready for a full-blown chemo or radiation therapy. And then he just... dies. At 32.
Listen to your body... At 32, so young and fit... a chronic back ache that seems strange and misplaced really might be your body telling you "something is wrong! get it checked out!" Just make a quick appointment to a family doctor... go to a screening. If you can, just order some X-rays. Really, not as expensive as MRIs or CTs or PET scans. I would much rather be labeled a hypochondriac then to realize a disease too late.
My mother also told me that her lab member came to her this past week, saying that he has stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. Prognosis... I don't know... But the tumors on his kidneys are large. My mother cried and cried and cried. She noticed that he had been losing weight lately, and her co-worker just said, yea! I've been working out every Thursday after work, and I feel great afterwards. But think about it! Working out one day a week can't lead to noticeable weight loss... That was probably another big sign the body was trying to shout out.
As I grow older, I know that I will witness the passing of many close and loved ones. I am afraid, although I know it is inevitable.
Yesterday, my boyfriend's young friend passed away of lung cancer at the blossoming age of 32. He was married, has a 1 year old baby boy, healthy and fit as can be. Thirty Two Years Old. Far too young... Do the good really have to die young?
My boyfriend met up with him a month or 2 ago as this friend was in TX for a business trip. He said that the friend seemed fine, but he did ask my boyfriend how his health was. My boyfriend laughed saying, everything is good, just getting older and fatter. The friend, however, said that his lower back has been really aching lately. In early May, he finally went to the doctor and they diagnosed him with metastatic end-stage lung cancer. He died only a few weeks later, complete shocking everyone. Even a mere 4-5 days before his death, he was eating home-made food from friends, saying how delicious it was. Just a week before his death, he was writing to people that although the treatment is aggressive, draining, and sometimes painful, he is feeling better and feels physically and mentally ready for a full-blown chemo or radiation therapy. And then he just... dies. At 32.
Listen to your body... At 32, so young and fit... a chronic back ache that seems strange and misplaced really might be your body telling you "something is wrong! get it checked out!" Just make a quick appointment to a family doctor... go to a screening. If you can, just order some X-rays. Really, not as expensive as MRIs or CTs or PET scans. I would much rather be labeled a hypochondriac then to realize a disease too late.
My mother also told me that her lab member came to her this past week, saying that he has stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. Prognosis... I don't know... But the tumors on his kidneys are large. My mother cried and cried and cried. She noticed that he had been losing weight lately, and her co-worker just said, yea! I've been working out every Thursday after work, and I feel great afterwards. But think about it! Working out one day a week can't lead to noticeable weight loss... That was probably another big sign the body was trying to shout out.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Cancer Screening
There was a free melanoma screening event going on at several of the local hospitals/clinics today, so I took my boyfriend there. He has many many moles all over his body, and although he is Asian, that isn't an automatic guaranteed protection from skin cancer. These screenings are free and there for many good reasons with good intent, so why not use the available resources?
First, I had the doctor check his back, which has a light colored but large mole which the doctor said is probably is a birth mark and nothing to worry about. Although the shape is large and irregular, the mole itself is even in tone and very light. He has other darker spots around his back that he should stay aware of but are too small for any kind of intervention at the moment.
I then asked the physician to check his legs, which do have darker spots/moles. Indeed, he pointed to a few more which were a little darker and bigger and requires attention to make sure they don't get bigger or change in any way.
Then, he found a lesion in the lateral portion of his calf. I knew he had that mole/moles - I called it the triangle of moles and jokingly told my bf that I will use that mark to identify his body if his face had become too damaged. I honestly thought it was a clump of three moles that were close together, and my bf said he thinks he's had for quite a while. So I wasn't too worried. The doctor, however, did say that was very abnormal and needed to be removed and biopsied immediately - within a week. My gut says that it's benign because it's been there fore the 2 years that I've dated him and I don't think it's changed in the 2 years I've been with him either.
We'll set up an appointment this week to get the lesion excised.
But the lesson is - free screenings are such great events. Everyone should take advantage of them. They're preventative and can catch diseases which have great prognosis with early intervention. People may scorn and say - oh hyperchondriacs - but really, better safe than sorry. This is a perfectly rational and reasonable way to ease any anxiety and make sure your health is at its best. Nothing is lost at all. What is truly ridiculous is to freak out and pile up with worries and pay hundreds of dollars to see physician after physician for expensive diagnostics... when quick screenings are free. Even a quick trip to the family doctor is relatively cheap with insurance. And, what is truly sad, is to notice something about your body that doesn't seem right then NOT do anything about it... until it's really too late.
Life is too short.. take small preventative measures early on and prevent major damage and pain later on.
First, I had the doctor check his back, which has a light colored but large mole which the doctor said is probably is a birth mark and nothing to worry about. Although the shape is large and irregular, the mole itself is even in tone and very light. He has other darker spots around his back that he should stay aware of but are too small for any kind of intervention at the moment.
I then asked the physician to check his legs, which do have darker spots/moles. Indeed, he pointed to a few more which were a little darker and bigger and requires attention to make sure they don't get bigger or change in any way.
Then, he found a lesion in the lateral portion of his calf. I knew he had that mole/moles - I called it the triangle of moles and jokingly told my bf that I will use that mark to identify his body if his face had become too damaged. I honestly thought it was a clump of three moles that were close together, and my bf said he thinks he's had for quite a while. So I wasn't too worried. The doctor, however, did say that was very abnormal and needed to be removed and biopsied immediately - within a week. My gut says that it's benign because it's been there fore the 2 years that I've dated him and I don't think it's changed in the 2 years I've been with him either.
We'll set up an appointment this week to get the lesion excised.
But the lesson is - free screenings are such great events. Everyone should take advantage of them. They're preventative and can catch diseases which have great prognosis with early intervention. People may scorn and say - oh hyperchondriacs - but really, better safe than sorry. This is a perfectly rational and reasonable way to ease any anxiety and make sure your health is at its best. Nothing is lost at all. What is truly ridiculous is to freak out and pile up with worries and pay hundreds of dollars to see physician after physician for expensive diagnostics... when quick screenings are free. Even a quick trip to the family doctor is relatively cheap with insurance. And, what is truly sad, is to notice something about your body that doesn't seem right then NOT do anything about it... until it's really too late.
Life is too short.. take small preventative measures early on and prevent major damage and pain later on.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Hospital Visit
For our last college mentor session, Dr. Cx took us to Parkland to meet with a patient and also get practice hearing various diastolic and systolic heart murmurs.
Regarding the latter, I am still extremely bad at detecting the murmurs. I have no idea what I'm looking for and where I am looking for it. But, Dr. Cx said that he was a junior resident before he could hear some of the murmurs. But once you hear it once, you will always be able to hear it. That is reassuring.
The more moving part of the day was our talk with our patient. She is a 25 year old woman battling stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized all over her body... 25 years old.
She said that she felt a lump on her breast around 18-19 but didn't really do anything about it. However, around 24 years old, she said she couldn't eat anymore because of nausea and pain, lost about 60 lbs. The doctors originally said she had gastroentitis... the horrible thing is, they felt a lump on her breast and took an X-Ray, but she never got the results back. She's currently in a little law suit but that is absolutely terrible. The neglect and mistake of not even looking at an X-Ray result probably cost the patient her life... or severely shortened it. When they finally diagnosed her with cancer, she was already stage 4. The amazing thing is, however, it's been 14 months since her diagnosis. She has gone through bouts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and though she never feels 100% well or herself, she still is trying to live life normally. That's absolutely amazing..
But god... 25 years old. That is way too young. way way way too young.
Regarding the latter, I am still extremely bad at detecting the murmurs. I have no idea what I'm looking for and where I am looking for it. But, Dr. Cx said that he was a junior resident before he could hear some of the murmurs. But once you hear it once, you will always be able to hear it. That is reassuring.
The more moving part of the day was our talk with our patient. She is a 25 year old woman battling stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized all over her body... 25 years old.
She said that she felt a lump on her breast around 18-19 but didn't really do anything about it. However, around 24 years old, she said she couldn't eat anymore because of nausea and pain, lost about 60 lbs. The doctors originally said she had gastroentitis... the horrible thing is, they felt a lump on her breast and took an X-Ray, but she never got the results back. She's currently in a little law suit but that is absolutely terrible. The neglect and mistake of not even looking at an X-Ray result probably cost the patient her life... or severely shortened it. When they finally diagnosed her with cancer, she was already stage 4. The amazing thing is, however, it's been 14 months since her diagnosis. She has gone through bouts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and though she never feels 100% well or herself, she still is trying to live life normally. That's absolutely amazing..
But god... 25 years old. That is way too young. way way way too young.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Deep Asian Flavors (without the calories!)
We all know about the obesity epidemic in the US.
I think it's a huge problem - no doubt. The rising cost of healthcare, the rising death toll... a lot of it because of the poor eating and active habits of this culture. I mean, take say Paula Deen and her cooking which represents southern cooking. Hello! No wonder there's such a huge obese population in the south!
But the thing is, food is a wonderful thing. Really. It draws people, friends and families, together. It nourishes. It energizes. It comforts. And it's beautiful - captivates all of the senses. Seriously - sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell... what is not excited by food and cooking? Walking into a room filled with the aroma of a childhood favorite... hearing the searing or simmering of dinner...
I really think it's the presentation and structure of food consumption that needs to be changed... now, what I exactly mean by that, I'll save for another post.
Right now, I want to talk about my stocks. I think more people really need to try this out. It is so so easy... and the rewards are so great, hardly any consequences!
Steps:
Chop up some garlic, ginger, onions/scallions - or whatever you have, actually!
Buy some cheap cuts of boned meat (neck... feet... whatever!! cheaper the better!!)
Throw it all in a slow cooker and press "ON"
Leave it alone and go about your day. Don't eeeeven worry about it.
At the end of the day, just dump the content through a sieve and into a tupper ware. This is probably the most time-consuming part, if you consider it time-consuming.
Put the stock in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you'll see that the fat has risen to the top and solidified.
Just get rid of that fat!! Low-fat, No fat! Immediate lift of guilt and calories! Plus - all of the delicious flavors are in the gelatinous bottom layer, full of collagen and flavor.
Now, whenever you're cooking a soup or sautee or stirfry, just boil down that stock and i am telling you - you will get extremely meaty and deep flavors. Like you got the dish at a street market in a small Asian town. But this time, you KNOW that animal fat - which is often the most problematic part about animal meat - has been removed.
Please, try my stock method. You will be amazed.
I think it's a huge problem - no doubt. The rising cost of healthcare, the rising death toll... a lot of it because of the poor eating and active habits of this culture. I mean, take say Paula Deen and her cooking which represents southern cooking. Hello! No wonder there's such a huge obese population in the south!
But the thing is, food is a wonderful thing. Really. It draws people, friends and families, together. It nourishes. It energizes. It comforts. And it's beautiful - captivates all of the senses. Seriously - sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell... what is not excited by food and cooking? Walking into a room filled with the aroma of a childhood favorite... hearing the searing or simmering of dinner...
I really think it's the presentation and structure of food consumption that needs to be changed... now, what I exactly mean by that, I'll save for another post.
Right now, I want to talk about my stocks. I think more people really need to try this out. It is so so easy... and the rewards are so great, hardly any consequences!
Steps:
Chop up some garlic, ginger, onions/scallions - or whatever you have, actually!
Buy some cheap cuts of boned meat (neck... feet... whatever!! cheaper the better!!)
Throw it all in a slow cooker and press "ON"
Leave it alone and go about your day. Don't eeeeven worry about it.
At the end of the day, just dump the content through a sieve and into a tupper ware. This is probably the most time-consuming part, if you consider it time-consuming.
Put the stock in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you'll see that the fat has risen to the top and solidified.
Just get rid of that fat!! Low-fat, No fat! Immediate lift of guilt and calories! Plus - all of the delicious flavors are in the gelatinous bottom layer, full of collagen and flavor.
Now, whenever you're cooking a soup or sautee or stirfry, just boil down that stock and i am telling you - you will get extremely meaty and deep flavors. Like you got the dish at a street market in a small Asian town. But this time, you KNOW that animal fat - which is often the most problematic part about animal meat - has been removed.
Please, try my stock method. You will be amazed.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Crazy Dinner Series
I've had several of these crazy dinner series... where I spend 3-4 hours making a full course menu of things for the BF.
Yesterday, I made him a flavorful dinner series inspired by Asian and SE Asian flavors in celebration of the end of his Master's Program year 1 and also in apology for my post-medical-school-prom-inebriated behavior. Heh.
The menu:
Balsamic Fennel Sautee
Crab and Avocado salad with cucumber and cilantro in a fish sauce base dressing
Cucumber yogurt with mint
Lemon and mint cous-cous
Eggplant curry (Baingan Bharta-esque)
Chicken and chickpea curry (Tikka Masala ish)
Thai-inspired tilapia and bell pepper curry
I think he enjoyed it. : ) And I definitely enjoyed preparing it.
Yesterday, I made him a flavorful dinner series inspired by Asian and SE Asian flavors in celebration of the end of his Master's Program year 1 and also in apology for my post-medical-school-prom-inebriated behavior. Heh.
The menu:
Balsamic Fennel Sautee
Crab and Avocado salad with cucumber and cilantro in a fish sauce base dressing
Cucumber yogurt with mint
Lemon and mint cous-cous
Eggplant curry (Baingan Bharta-esque)
Chicken and chickpea curry (Tikka Masala ish)
Thai-inspired tilapia and bell pepper curry
I think he enjoyed it. : ) And I definitely enjoyed preparing it.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
vaginal prolapse
So this summer, I'll be doing a summer research internship with a physician/research in the urology department of my school. I'm really excited about this internship because I'll be able to see how a real, practicing physician/surgeon also balances research.
His specialty is female urology, in particular vaginal prolapse. His week is half surgery, half research.
This week, I was able to observe some of his surgeries and part of a hysterectomy. I wasn't able to observe the full surgery treating prolapse because part of my job is to take the tissue from the anterior vaginal wall which he removes for the procedure then test the tensile strength of it using this big, fancy Instron machine. I, and the research student before me, aren't really enthusiastic about this study. First, the measurements are pretty crude and very prone to human error and variance between testers. My second task is to help my PI take elasticity measurement of the prolapsed tissue in vivo. This is pretty neat. The one problem, though, is that the machine is so bulky that the elasticity measurement can ONLY be taken for a prolapsed vagina - it's too large to take measurements for normal vaginal tissue. This unfortunately means that he has no control measurements. However, fortunately, there is a new model of machine coming out that is much smaller and thus hopefully will allow for in vivo measurements to be take in a non-prolapsed vagina.
What I really would like to try and start this summer with my PI is to see if there are other ways we can use the vaginal tissues that we collect. For example, are there any biochemical assays we can do (mRNA assays, microchip analyses, etc.). I mean, we have FRESH, HUMAN tissue! There must be something more we can do than just obtaining its tensile strength. We can even use one side of the vaginal wall for physical measurements and then the other side of more biochemical measurements? The problem is, those tests cost money... I don't know what his budget is like.
I worked for a year at a pretty well-established, large laboratory (the PI has been recently elected into the National Academy of Sciences and he will also run a major research administrative position at the university). This lab... had a lot of money. I could basically order kits and procedures that costs in the hundreds of dollars.. even thousands.. range, and it was completely acceptable. So I guess in a way, I'm fairly spoiled in terms of freedom to pursue any random research interest. BUT, let me tell you, my work with him did open another field for him to pursue... a phenotype he's never seen in his knock-out mice involved weight loss. That's pretty good, right? for a recently undergrad graduate to do in a year. Anyways, enough about myself, more about research.
But yea, those are my aspirations for the summer.
And I'm really glad I'll be able to work with him throughout the year. I hope I can produce good, productive results for both my PI and myself.
His specialty is female urology, in particular vaginal prolapse. His week is half surgery, half research.
This week, I was able to observe some of his surgeries and part of a hysterectomy. I wasn't able to observe the full surgery treating prolapse because part of my job is to take the tissue from the anterior vaginal wall which he removes for the procedure then test the tensile strength of it using this big, fancy Instron machine. I, and the research student before me, aren't really enthusiastic about this study. First, the measurements are pretty crude and very prone to human error and variance between testers. My second task is to help my PI take elasticity measurement of the prolapsed tissue in vivo. This is pretty neat. The one problem, though, is that the machine is so bulky that the elasticity measurement can ONLY be taken for a prolapsed vagina - it's too large to take measurements for normal vaginal tissue. This unfortunately means that he has no control measurements. However, fortunately, there is a new model of machine coming out that is much smaller and thus hopefully will allow for in vivo measurements to be take in a non-prolapsed vagina.
What I really would like to try and start this summer with my PI is to see if there are other ways we can use the vaginal tissues that we collect. For example, are there any biochemical assays we can do (mRNA assays, microchip analyses, etc.). I mean, we have FRESH, HUMAN tissue! There must be something more we can do than just obtaining its tensile strength. We can even use one side of the vaginal wall for physical measurements and then the other side of more biochemical measurements? The problem is, those tests cost money... I don't know what his budget is like.
I worked for a year at a pretty well-established, large laboratory (the PI has been recently elected into the National Academy of Sciences and he will also run a major research administrative position at the university). This lab... had a lot of money. I could basically order kits and procedures that costs in the hundreds of dollars.. even thousands.. range, and it was completely acceptable. So I guess in a way, I'm fairly spoiled in terms of freedom to pursue any random research interest. BUT, let me tell you, my work with him did open another field for him to pursue... a phenotype he's never seen in his knock-out mice involved weight loss. That's pretty good, right? for a recently undergrad graduate to do in a year. Anyways, enough about myself, more about research.
But yea, those are my aspirations for the summer.
And I'm really glad I'll be able to work with him throughout the year. I hope I can produce good, productive results for both my PI and myself.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SAGE Session: Senior Mentors
We just had the most incredible - absolutely inspirational - college session.
Last week, we interviewed/played with infants, children, and their parents to gain experience on the type of interaction and questions we should ask this age-specific patient group.
This week, we met our senior mentor, Ernest 'Bud' Mantz, a 90-year old man who really is.... a super man. I came out of the session so moved, so inspired, so excited about life and the future. I felt so honored to meet this man, to hear his stories, to receive his life advice...
So Bud, the superman. He has hiked, traveled, kayaked -- any physical activity ever possible -- all over the world. He starts his sentences nonchalantly like, "When I was on my last five miles of the Tour de France..." or "While I was hiking across the Sahara Desert..." He lives his life driven by what he described as a sincere, natural energy and passion to really.. be alive. He doesn't do what he does because it's "good for you" or "healthy" or "recommended" by physicians, philosophers, educators, whatever. Every day he lives, each moment is to fulfill his passions and to do what he loves with the people he loves. He embodies passion, raw energy, and love.
He gave us several pieces of advice which really.. made me teary-eyed.
One is to find the things that we would love to do... and just save the money and time to go do each and every one of them. It doesn't matter what a particular goal is - doesn't have to be some crazy adventure half-way across the world. Whatever draws us in like a natural magnet.
He told us that all of the regrets he has in life is not what he has done but what he has not done. I know we've all heard that before, but it vibrates so differently within when you hear it from this amazing person who truly lived life following that personal mantra.
He talked about how he used to be a hiking guide for this rugged, unmarked terrain somewhere in the US. He told us about this one time, he met this Native American man. During their conversation, the man held intently in front of his face a random piece of nature - a rock or leaf or twig - while gazing directly and deeply into Buds' eyes. Later on, the Native American man, alone in front of his fire, would get out those little amulets? reminders? of the people and places that have marked his memory and would thus no longer be alone. (Bud told us the name of those small trinkets -- but I forgot it at the moment -- managan? something like that.) Bud then told us to have something like that as well. Bud himself keep various notes of all of his important experiences. And, while he was hospitalized after an injury, he was able to look at those notes and be reminded that he is not alone - that his life has been filled with blessings, amazing people, unforgettable memories which are alive and within him each and every day.
AHH... I'm getting a little teary-eyed just thinking back to this afternoon...
I asked him if he has any secrets to a good, long-lasting marriage.
He said that each man and woman has his or her own set of interests and hobbies, but it's nice to be able to share passion and activities and adventures together. When he hiked across the Sahara, his wife followed because she "married him to be with him." However, he also said that spending too much time together can lead to irritation, so it's also nice to spend some time separately. So, for them, after a trip, his wife would go off to some city or country and go explore her own interests. Then, when she returned, "it'll be like honeymoon all over again."
Last week, we interviewed/played with infants, children, and their parents to gain experience on the type of interaction and questions we should ask this age-specific patient group.
This week, we met our senior mentor, Ernest 'Bud' Mantz, a 90-year old man who really is.... a super man. I came out of the session so moved, so inspired, so excited about life and the future. I felt so honored to meet this man, to hear his stories, to receive his life advice...
So Bud, the superman. He has hiked, traveled, kayaked -- any physical activity ever possible -- all over the world. He starts his sentences nonchalantly like, "When I was on my last five miles of the Tour de France..." or "While I was hiking across the Sahara Desert..." He lives his life driven by what he described as a sincere, natural energy and passion to really.. be alive. He doesn't do what he does because it's "good for you" or "healthy" or "recommended" by physicians, philosophers, educators, whatever. Every day he lives, each moment is to fulfill his passions and to do what he loves with the people he loves. He embodies passion, raw energy, and love.
He gave us several pieces of advice which really.. made me teary-eyed.
One is to find the things that we would love to do... and just save the money and time to go do each and every one of them. It doesn't matter what a particular goal is - doesn't have to be some crazy adventure half-way across the world. Whatever draws us in like a natural magnet.
He told us that all of the regrets he has in life is not what he has done but what he has not done. I know we've all heard that before, but it vibrates so differently within when you hear it from this amazing person who truly lived life following that personal mantra.
He talked about how he used to be a hiking guide for this rugged, unmarked terrain somewhere in the US. He told us about this one time, he met this Native American man. During their conversation, the man held intently in front of his face a random piece of nature - a rock or leaf or twig - while gazing directly and deeply into Buds' eyes. Later on, the Native American man, alone in front of his fire, would get out those little amulets? reminders? of the people and places that have marked his memory and would thus no longer be alone. (Bud told us the name of those small trinkets -- but I forgot it at the moment -- managan? something like that.) Bud then told us to have something like that as well. Bud himself keep various notes of all of his important experiences. And, while he was hospitalized after an injury, he was able to look at those notes and be reminded that he is not alone - that his life has been filled with blessings, amazing people, unforgettable memories which are alive and within him each and every day.
AHH... I'm getting a little teary-eyed just thinking back to this afternoon...
I asked him if he has any secrets to a good, long-lasting marriage.
He said that each man and woman has his or her own set of interests and hobbies, but it's nice to be able to share passion and activities and adventures together. When he hiked across the Sahara, his wife followed because she "married him to be with him." However, he also said that spending too much time together can lead to irritation, so it's also nice to spend some time separately. So, for them, after a trip, his wife would go off to some city or country and go explore her own interests. Then, when she returned, "it'll be like honeymoon all over again."
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Beef tendon and tofu braise
In an attempt to entertain myself in the midst of exam studying, I decided to experiment with some beef tendon and tripe.
I ended up creating an assortment of dishes, as usual.
Here's one that was particularly successful.
Beef tendon and tofu braise
1) Prepare the tendon
Ingredients:
Beef tendon (can be frozen)
Lots of salt/other flavorings
- wash wish warm water
- place in a big tub with water and plenty of salt/other flavors you would like to tendon to absorb. I think it's really important to not go lightly with the seasoning here, as you want your tendon to taste of something
- bring to boil then reduce to simmer, getting rid of the scum and oil that rise.
- keep simmering for 3-4 hours or until the edges of the tendon are tender enough. Inside may still be a bit firm, but it'll finish cooking in the stew
2) The Braise!
Ingredients:
Minced garlic and ginger
oil
stock/water
dark miso
soy sauce, mirin, rice wine
sugar or kepap manis (optional, if you like the sauce a little sweeter.)
XO sauce, to taste. I used about 2-3 teaspoons
tofu
tendon
Fish or meat balls, the frozen kind you can find in Asian grocery stores, often used for Oden (おでん）
cilantro or green onion
- Stir-fry some minced garlic and ginger in oil in a big wok or pot for a few seconds
- Add some cut tofu, letting it warm through and brown a little bit (I personally like that color on my tofu)
- Add some water or salt-less beef stock. I actually used the stock from the tripe that I'd been cooking in my slow cooker.
- Let things come to a boil
- Add a table spoon of dark miso and mix well
- Add a good glug of sake, soy sauce, mirin. I honestly don't know how much I put... I just make sure there's some color, then taste, and add according to what I think tastes good.
- Add some XO sauce. This really is key - takes the dish from tasting really Japanese to a nice Chinese/Japanese fusion dish
- Cut the tendon up into nice chunks and throw into the soup
- Throw your fish/meat balls into the pot. These are really added for extra depth of flavor in the sauce.
- Let everything simmer for a while until you tendon is almost melting away. Really, the tendon in this dish should melt in your mouth.
- In the end, add some cilantro or scallion for some freshness
Delicious~~
I ended up creating an assortment of dishes, as usual.
Here's one that was particularly successful.
Beef tendon and tofu braise
1) Prepare the tendon
Ingredients:
Beef tendon (can be frozen)
Lots of salt/other flavorings
- wash wish warm water
- place in a big tub with water and plenty of salt/other flavors you would like to tendon to absorb. I think it's really important to not go lightly with the seasoning here, as you want your tendon to taste of something
- bring to boil then reduce to simmer, getting rid of the scum and oil that rise.
- keep simmering for 3-4 hours or until the edges of the tendon are tender enough. Inside may still be a bit firm, but it'll finish cooking in the stew
2) The Braise!
Ingredients:
Minced garlic and ginger
oil
stock/water
dark miso
soy sauce, mirin, rice wine
sugar or kepap manis (optional, if you like the sauce a little sweeter.)
XO sauce, to taste. I used about 2-3 teaspoons
tofu
tendon
Fish or meat balls, the frozen kind you can find in Asian grocery stores, often used for Oden (おでん）
cilantro or green onion
- Stir-fry some minced garlic and ginger in oil in a big wok or pot for a few seconds
- Add some cut tofu, letting it warm through and brown a little bit (I personally like that color on my tofu)
- Add some water or salt-less beef stock. I actually used the stock from the tripe that I'd been cooking in my slow cooker.
- Let things come to a boil
- Add a table spoon of dark miso and mix well
- Add a good glug of sake, soy sauce, mirin. I honestly don't know how much I put... I just make sure there's some color, then taste, and add according to what I think tastes good.
- Add some XO sauce. This really is key - takes the dish from tasting really Japanese to a nice Chinese/Japanese fusion dish
- Cut the tendon up into nice chunks and throw into the soup
- Throw your fish/meat balls into the pot. These are really added for extra depth of flavor in the sauce.
- Let everything simmer for a while until you tendon is almost melting away. Really, the tendon in this dish should melt in your mouth.
- In the end, add some cilantro or scallion for some freshness
Delicious~~
Monday, February 14, 2011
Quick Update
It's been a while since my last post. Medical school is getting busier and more hectic.
We're currently in our physiology and cell biology block.
We finished our first CB test and just finished our 2nd physiology test (pulmonary and GI).
The tests were supposed to be on Fridays, 1 week apart (which means about 2 weeks of intense studying). However, due to the crazy weather, school was canceled for 4 days, resulting in the test being postponed to the next Wednesday. Let me tell you... that was hard on everyone's energy and drive. We were all ready to celebrate the end of 2 weeks of studying, enjoy the nice weekend. But instead, we were stuck indoors in the snow and ice. I definitely struggled to open my syllabus again.
However, that's what friends and colleagues are for. We were able to help each other keep up the study spirit, making sure we go through the entire syllabus yet again before the test on Wednesday.
I actually ended up scoring really well this last physio test - perhaps the extra time and extra help from friends was beneficial.
Today, we are having our first FULL physical exam practice with a standardized patient. 25 minutes. Video-taped. We are all not prepared... but hopefully, 25 minutes will go by quickly, and I'll be able to do the basic things that I know how to do (vitals, head/face/neck, cardiovascular and pulmonary...) I'm not as good with the abdomen, musculoskeletal, and nerve reflexes. But we have to learn and practice at some point.
They're really throwing us into this. But I guess that's just how things are. Everything has a start - sometimes it's an ease-in kind of thing, sometimes it's a blind-dive.
I wonder when we will begin transforming into the naive, immature students that we are to mature, professional physicians.
We're currently in our physiology and cell biology block.
We finished our first CB test and just finished our 2nd physiology test (pulmonary and GI).
The tests were supposed to be on Fridays, 1 week apart (which means about 2 weeks of intense studying). However, due to the crazy weather, school was canceled for 4 days, resulting in the test being postponed to the next Wednesday. Let me tell you... that was hard on everyone's energy and drive. We were all ready to celebrate the end of 2 weeks of studying, enjoy the nice weekend. But instead, we were stuck indoors in the snow and ice. I definitely struggled to open my syllabus again.
However, that's what friends and colleagues are for. We were able to help each other keep up the study spirit, making sure we go through the entire syllabus yet again before the test on Wednesday.
I actually ended up scoring really well this last physio test - perhaps the extra time and extra help from friends was beneficial.
Today, we are having our first FULL physical exam practice with a standardized patient. 25 minutes. Video-taped. We are all not prepared... but hopefully, 25 minutes will go by quickly, and I'll be able to do the basic things that I know how to do (vitals, head/face/neck, cardiovascular and pulmonary...) I'm not as good with the abdomen, musculoskeletal, and nerve reflexes. But we have to learn and practice at some point.
They're really throwing us into this. But I guess that's just how things are. Everything has a start - sometimes it's an ease-in kind of thing, sometimes it's a blind-dive.
I wonder when we will begin transforming into the naive, immature students that we are to mature, professional physicians.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Incredible Literature
Pretty neat! article
10 works of literature that were really hard to write
January 16, 2011 11:07 a.m. EST
These 10 authors may not be Shakespeare, but they sure had vaulting ambitions.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ernest Vincent Wright's novel was written without using the letter "e"
- "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," a memoir, was dictated solely through blinks
- "Baby Shoes" by Ernest Hemingway is a powerful story told in only six words
"Gadsby" by Ernest Vincent Wright
Some might call "Gadsby" a "love" story. But Ernest Vincent Wright wouldn't have used that word. Instead, he described his novel as a story of "strong liking" and "throbbing palpitation." That's because in 1939, Wright gave himself one restriction: He promised to write "Gadsby" without using the letter E.
Wright wanted to prove that a great author could work around such a restriction and still tell a gripping story. To prevent any stray Es from entering the text, he tied down his typewriter's E key, and then put his expansive vocabulary to the test. The result is an astounding feat of verbal gymnastics. While vividly describing a wedding scene, Wright manages to avoid the words "bride," "ceremony," and even "wedding" (he calls it "a grand church ritual").
To explain away the verbosity of the language, he uses a narrator whose poor command of English and circumlocution even irritates the story's other characters.
When the book was announced, one skeptic attacked Wright in a letter, claiming that the feat was impossible. "All right," replied Wright in the book's intro, "the impossible has been accomplished." Sadly, Wright didn't live long enough to revel in "Gadsby's" critical acclaim. He died the year the book was published.
2. The tale told in the blink of an eye
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Many authors have struggled through illness and injury to write their masterpieces, but none more so than Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French fashion magazine Elle. In 1995, at the age of 43, Bauby suffered a major stroke and slipped into a coma. He regained consciousness two days later, but his entire body -- with the exception of his left eyelid -- was paralyzed.
Still, Bauby was determined to write. Using only his lucid mind and one eye, he began working on his memoir, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." Each night, he'd lie awake editing and re-editing the story in his mind, memorizing every paragraph as he hoped to relay it.
By day, his transcriber would recite the alphabet to him over and over. When she reached a letter Bauby desired, he'd wink. Each word took about two minutes to produce, and during the course of a year, Bauby managed to tell his story of life in paralysis. His moving and often funny prose won critical acclaim, and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" became a bestseller throughout Europe.
Sadly, Bauby died of pneumonia in 1997, soon after the first edition was published in France. He missed not only the English translation, but also the award-winning film adaptation released in 2007.
3. The poetry of speed
"Transcendence-Perfection" by Sri Chinmoy
Before his death in 2007, Indian spiritual master Sri Chinmoy wrote at least 1,000 books, 20,000 songs, and 115,000 poems. Some he penned in his mother tongue, Bengali, and some in his second language, English.
His poems won numerous awards and inspired countless writers and musicians. And while Sri Chinmoy was clearly a fast writer, he was never as quick as on November 1, 1975, when he wrote "Transcendence-Perfection," a collection of 843 poems -- all written in 24 hours.
How was Sri Chinmoy so prolific? He believed the key was meditation. As he once explained, "The outer mind is like the surface of the sea. On the surface, the sea is full of waves and surges ... But when we dive deep below, the same sea is all peace, calmness and quiet, and there we find the source of creativity."
Mental Floss: Rejection letters that packed a big punch
4. History's greatest sonnet
"Washington Crossing the Delaware" by David Shulman
Etymologist David Shulman was a true lover of words. One of the most prolific contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary, Shulman tracked down the roots of Americanisms for more than 70 years. But those weren't Shulman's only contributions to the world.
During World War II, he served in the army and used his language skills to crack Japanese codes. His most astonishing feat as a wordsmith, however, occurred in 1936, when he composed the sonnet "Washington Crossing the Delaware."
What makes the poem so remarkable is that every one of Shulman's 14 lines is an anagram of the title. What's more, the lines are rhyming couplets, and they tell a story, more or less. Here's an excerpt:
A hard, howling, tossing water scene.
Strong tide was washing hero clean.
"How cold!" Weather stings as in anger.
O Silent night shows war ace danger!
As poetry, it isn't exactly Walt Whitman. But then, Whitman was never this good with anagrams.
5. Six powerful words
"Baby Shoes" by Ernest Hemingway
According to legend, Ernest Hemingway created the shortest short story ever told. While having lunch at New York City's famous Algonquin Round Table, Hemingway bragged that he could write a captivating tale -- complete with beginning, middle, and end -- in only six words.
His fellow writers refused to believe it, each betting $10 that he couldn't do it. Hemingway quickly scribbled six words down on a napkin and passed it around. As each writer read the napkin, they conceded he'd won. Those six words? "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn."
While the anecdote may be apocryphal, whoever did write "Baby Shoes" has forced writers forever after to consider the economy of words. Today, the work has inspired countless six-word memoir and story competitions, proving that a story's brevity is no limit to its power.
Mental Floss: 7 tiny books that packed a big punch
6. The story of youth
"The Young Visiters" by Daisy Ashford
Daisy Ashford's novella about Victorian society is considered something of a classic. First published in 1919, the work is still in print and has been turned into a movie. But if that doesn't sound remarkable, consider that Ashford was only 9 years old when she wrote it.
To preserve the authenticity of the story, publishers decided to leave in Ashford's plentiful grammar mistakes and spelling errors (the title, for example). They also added a foreword by Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie to assure readers that this was no hoax. Barrie reminded people that the novel was indeed written by a little girl, who was "hauled off to bed every evening at six."
7. The most visionary story ever told
"Futility" by Morgan Robertson
Occasionally, literature is prophetic. H.G. Wells' stories, for instance, predicted video recordings, portable television, aerial bombings, and a Second World War starting in 1940 (only one year late). And a 1941 comic book written by Gil Fox described the bombing of Pearl Harbor in surprising detail, precisely one month before it happened.
But perhaps the most meticulously prophetic work of literature is Morgan Robertson's short and poorly written novel, "Futility." In it, Robertson describes the maiden voyage of a British luxury liner called the Titan, which claims to be unsinkable, but sinks anyway after hitting an iceberg. Nearly every detail resembles the story of the Titanic. Of course, nobody thought about that when "Futility" was released in 1898, a full 14 years before the Titanic set sail.
"Futility" wasn't Robertson's only prescient piece of literature. In 1912, three years before his death, he wrote "Beyond the Spectrum." Much like Gil Fox's tale, Robertson's story predicted a Japanese sneak attack on an American fleet in Hawaii, and the resulting war between the two countries.
8. Writing by ear
"Anguish Languish" by Howard L. Chace
Sinker sucker socks pants, apocryphal awry.
If those words don't make sense together, try saying them out loud: "Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye." Now imagine a whole book written like this, and you've got Howard L. Chace's 1940 collection of nursery rhymes and fairy tales, "Anguish Languish." The work contains classics such as Marry Hatter Ladle Limb and Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, which begins with the immortal line, "Wants pawn term, dare worsted ladle gull hoe lift wetter murder inner ladle cordage."
Although "Anguish Languish" is playful, there was also a serious side to it. As a French professor, Chace used the stories to illustrate that, in spoken English, intonation is almost as important to the meaning as the words themselves.
Mental Floss: 5 geniuses who renounced their work
9. James Joyce's deaf translation jam
"Finnegans Wake" by James Joyce
James Joyce wrote his final novel, "Finnegans Wake," during a 17-year period in Paris, finishing the work just two years before his death in 1941. During that time, Joyce was nearly blind, so he dictated his stream-of-consciousness prose to his friend, Samuel Beckett. That led to some unexpected results.
For example, during one session, Joyce heard a knock at the door, which was too quiet for Beckett to perceive. Joyce yelled to the visitor, "Come in!" so Beckett added "Come in!" to the manuscript. When Beckett later read the passage back to Joyce, the author decided that he liked it better that way.
After several such sessions, "Finnegans Wake" became one of the most impenetrable works of English literature. But the experience didn't just affect Joyce's novel; it seemed to have a lasting effect on Beckett's writing, as well. Beckett would go on to become a leading playwright in the Theatre of the Absurd, where his characters often spent their entire time on stage sitting in the middle of nowhere, hoping that someone would hear their voice.
10. The art of writing by committee
"The President's Mystery Story" by Franklin Roosevelt and seven other novelists
Many American presidents have written books, but only Franklin Roosevelt has contributed to a mystery novel. At a White House dinner in 1935, Roosevelt pitched his story idea to author Fulton Oursler. Roosevelt's tale started like this: A man named Jim Blake is trapped in a stale marriage and a boring job. He dreams of running off with $5 million and starting over with a new identity.
Unfortunately, the President hadn't worked out one major plot point: How does a man with $5 million disappear without being traced?
To solve the problem, Oursler formed a committee of five other top mystery writers: Rupert Hughes, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Rita Weiman, S. S. Van Dine, and John Erskine. Each author wrote a chapter and ended it with Jim Blake in a terrible situation, which the next author was left to resolve. Despite being the work of a Washington committee, the end result was surprisingly successful. "The President's Mystery Story" was serialized in a magazine, published as a book, and even turned into a movie in 1936.
Yet, the writers never came up with a solution to Roosevelt's original problem. That didn't happen until 1967, when Erle Stanley Gardner wrote a final chapter to a new edition of the book. In it, the secret to Jim Blake's mysterious disappearance is discovered by Gardner's most famous character, Perry Mason.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Bill Zeller Princeton GS
http://documents.from.bz/note.txt
I read this haunting farewell... his last will and effort... the day he died.
I was struck so hard, so deeply, that I couldn't even find the words to respond or think. I just felt - felt the tears well up in my eyes and a partially mended wound crack again in my heart.
I still can't write anything that would serve the proper purpose and fully express my thoughts in a way that would honor Bill Zeller.
So all I know do right now is spread his words the most public way that I can...
Please read, if you can, all of it. In its entirety.
Fully embraced.
I read this haunting farewell... his last will and effort... the day he died.
I was struck so hard, so deeply, that I couldn't even find the words to respond or think. I just felt - felt the tears well up in my eyes and a partially mended wound crack again in my heart.
I still can't write anything that would serve the proper purpose and fully express my thoughts in a way that would honor Bill Zeller.
So all I know do right now is spread his words the most public way that I can...
Please read, if you can, all of it. In its entirety.
Fully embraced.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Standardized Patient: Abdominal Pain
For our second standardized patient interview, we were given a patient with complaints of abdominal pain.
However, the secondary task was to incorporate 4 techniques:
1) Following a Patient's Lead
So, if the patient is describing their chief complaint and mentions something on the side (ex: I should have come in earlier.... Since my mother passed away... I needed a way to wind down)
2) Redirection
If a patient begins to ramble on and on, end it with a comment of empathy and continue seeking further, medically pertinent information. (ex: This must be a rough time for you, and I would like to help in the way that I can. So, can you tell me more about the stomach pain you've been experiencing...)
3) Clarification
Patients can be vague. They can just say, it hurts. So clarify.
4) Sensitive topics
Drugs, Alcohol, Depression, Sexual issues --- never show judgment ever. We can use the "Sometimes" techniques. (ex: Sometimes, when people feel really low, they just feel like giving up. Have you ever felt this way?)
I had hoped that I would get a female patient this time, so I can practice asking questions about reproductive issues (especially with abdominal pain, since ectopic pregnancy could be a possibility). However, I actually interviewed the exact same patient as my first time. An older gentleman... but he's nice but gives good constructive criticism, so it's alright.
My patient had pain, which I had to clarify as abdominal, and he mentioned that drinking makes it better. Ding Ding. Drinking problem. So I expanded on that.
But I think I did a pretty good job at the non-judgment part - I treated his "drinking half a bottle of vodka a day for the pain" as "taking an advil whenever the pain occured."
What I need to improve on is saying Um and Er less!!
Also, I need to make sure and ask everything in the patient history template. I often forget to ask about social support.. or I'll ask about recreational drugs but not smoking, etc.
These standardized patient interviews are a good way to practice and can be kind of fun.
We've now received a USB that will save the video of every interview we do for these next 2 years. I hope to see a lot of improvement from now until end of MS1
However, the secondary task was to incorporate 4 techniques:
1) Following a Patient's Lead
So, if the patient is describing their chief complaint and mentions something on the side (ex: I should have come in earlier.... Since my mother passed away... I needed a way to wind down)
2) Redirection
If a patient begins to ramble on and on, end it with a comment of empathy and continue seeking further, medically pertinent information. (ex: This must be a rough time for you, and I would like to help in the way that I can. So, can you tell me more about the stomach pain you've been experiencing...)
3) Clarification
Patients can be vague. They can just say, it hurts. So clarify.
4) Sensitive topics
Drugs, Alcohol, Depression, Sexual issues --- never show judgment ever. We can use the "Sometimes" techniques. (ex: Sometimes, when people feel really low, they just feel like giving up. Have you ever felt this way?)
I had hoped that I would get a female patient this time, so I can practice asking questions about reproductive issues (especially with abdominal pain, since ectopic pregnancy could be a possibility). However, I actually interviewed the exact same patient as my first time. An older gentleman... but he's nice but gives good constructive criticism, so it's alright.
My patient had pain, which I had to clarify as abdominal, and he mentioned that drinking makes it better. Ding Ding. Drinking problem. So I expanded on that.
But I think I did a pretty good job at the non-judgment part - I treated his "drinking half a bottle of vodka a day for the pain" as "taking an advil whenever the pain occured."
What I need to improve on is saying Um and Er less!!
Also, I need to make sure and ask everything in the patient history template. I often forget to ask about social support.. or I'll ask about recreational drugs but not smoking, etc.
These standardized patient interviews are a good way to practice and can be kind of fun.
We've now received a USB that will save the video of every interview we do for these next 2 years. I hope to see a lot of improvement from now until end of MS1
Saturday, January 1, 2011
End of International Year of Youth
United Nations had named 2010 (MMX) as the International Year of Youth
Farewell, Year of Youth.
Welcome..... International Year of..... Forest and Chemistry?
Well, the symbolism of this year's theme has yet to grasp my understanding, but I am hoping for a good year.
The end of my first year of medical school
My perhaps very last summer break
The start of my second year of medical school...
And hopefully many many exciting, challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable memories to come.
As a side note, here is wikipedia's summary of 2010
(wikipedia, 2010)
Farewell, Year of Youth.
Welcome..... International Year of..... Forest and Chemistry?
Well, the symbolism of this year's theme has yet to grasp my understanding, but I am hoping for a good year.
The end of my first year of medical school
My perhaps very last summer break
The start of my second year of medical school...
And hopefully many many exciting, challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable memories to come.
As a side note, here is wikipedia's summary of 2010
(wikipedia, 2010)
January
| January 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- January 1 – Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Sweden.
- January 1 – A suicide bombing occurs at a volleyball game in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 95, and injuring over 100.[2]
- January 4 – The tallest man-made structure to date, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is officially opened.[3][4][5]
- January 8 – The Togo national football team is involved in an attack in Angola, and as a result withdraws from the Africa Cup of Nations.[6]
- January 12 – A 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurs in Haiti, devastating the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince. With a confirmed death toll over 230,000[7][8][9] it is one of the deadliest on record.
- January 15 – The longest annular solar eclipse of the 3rd millennium occurs.
- January 25 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, killing all 90 people on-board.
February
| February 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
- February 3 – The sculpture L'Homme qui marche I by Alberto Giacometti sells in London for £65 million (US$103.7 million), setting a new world record for a work of art sold at auction.[10][11][12]
- February 12–28 – The 2010 Winter Olympics are held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.
- February 18 – The President of Niger, Tandja Mamadou, is overthrown after a group of soldiers storms the presidential palace[13] and form a ruling junta, the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy headed by chef d'escadron Salou Djibo.[14]
- February 27 – An 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurs in Chile, triggering a tsunami over the Pacific and killing 497.[15] The earthquake is one of the largest in recorded history.
March
| March 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | ||||
- March 16 – The Kasubi Tombs, Uganda's only cultural World Heritage Site, are destroyed by fire.[16]
- March 23 – The ROKS Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sinks off the country's west coast, killing 46. In May, an independent investigation blames North Korea, which denies the allegations.[17][18]
April
| April 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||
- April 7 – Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flees Bishkek amid fierce rioting, sparking a sociopolitical crisis. Former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva is placed at the head of an interim government as the opposition seizes control.[19]
- April 10 – The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, is among 96 killed when their airplane crashes in western Russia.[20][21]
- April 13 – A 6.9-magnitude earthquake occurs in Qinghai, China, killing at least 2,000 and injuring more than 10,000.[22]
- April 14 – Volcanic ash from one of several eruptions beneath Eyjafjallajökull, an ice cap in Iceland, begins to disrupt air traffic across northern and western Europe.[23][24][25]
- April 20 – The Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers. The resulting oil spill, one of the largest in history, spreads for several months, damaging the waters and the United States coastline, and prompting international debate and doubt about the practice and procedures of offshore drilling.[26][27]
- April 27 – Standard & Poor's downgrades Greece's sovereign credit rating to junk four days after the activation of a €45-billion EU–IMF bailout, triggering the decline of stock markets worldwide and of the Euro's value,[28][28][29] and furthering a European sovereign debt crisis.
May
| May 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | ||||||
- May 2 – The Eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agree to a €110 billion bailout package for Greece. The package involves sharp Greek austerity measures.[30]
- May 4 – Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso sells in New York for US$106.5 million, setting another new world record for a work of art sold at auction.[31][32][33]
- May 7 – Scientists conducting the Neanderthal genome project announce that they have sequenced enough of the Neanderthal genome to suggest that Neanderthals and humans may have interbred.[34][35]
- May 12 – Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 crashes at runway at Tripoli International Airport in Libya, killing 103 of the 104 people on board.[36]
- May 19 – Protests in Bangkok, Thailand ends with a bloody military crackdown, killing 91 and more than 2,100 injured.[37][38]
- May 20 – Scientists announce that they have created a functional synthetic genome.[39]
- May 20 – Five paintings worth €100 million are stolen from the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.[40][41]
- May 22 – Air India Express Flight 812 overshoots the runway at Mangalore International Airport in India, killing 158 and leaving 8 survivors.[42]
- May 31 – Nine activists are killed in a clash with soldiers when Israeli Navy forces raid and capture a flotilla of ships attempting to break the Gaza blockade.[43][44]
June
| June 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||
- June 9 – Ethnic riots in Kyrgyzstan between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks results in the deaths of hundreds.[45]
- June 11 – July 11 – The 2010 FIFA World Cup is held in South Africa, and is won by Spain.
July
| July 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
- July 1 – Belgium takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Spain.
- July 8 – The first 24-hour flight by a solar powered plane is completed by the Solar Impulse.[46]
- July 25 – Wikileaks, an online publisher of anonymous, covert, and classified material, leaks to the public over 90,000 internal reports about the United States-led involvement in the War in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.[47]
- July 29 – Heavy monsoon rains begin to cause widespread flooding (pictured) in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Over 1,600 are killed, and more than one million are displaced by the floods.[48]
August
| August 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | |||||
- August 10 – The World Health Organization declares the H1N1 influenza pandemic over, saying worldwide flu activity has returned to typical seasonal patterns.[49]
September
| September 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
- September 28 – Seven people are reported to have been killed and around 100 are missing after a landslide in Oaxaca, Mexico.[50]
October
| October 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- October 10 – The Netherlands Antilles are dissolved, with the islands being split up and given a new constitutional status.[51]
- October 13 – Thirty-three miners near Copiapó, Chile, trapped 700 metres underground in a mining accident in San José Mine, are brought back to the surface after surviving for a record 69 days.[52]
- October 22 – The International Space Station surpasses the record for the longest continuous human occupation of space, having been continuously inhabited since November 2, 2000 (3641 days).[53][54]
- October 23 – In preparation for the Seoul summit, finance ministers of the G-20 agree to reform the International Monetary Fund and shift 6% of the voting shares to developing nations and countries with emerging markets.[55]
- October 25 – An earthquake and consequent tsunami off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, kills over 400 people and leave hundreds missing.[56]
- October 26 – ongoing – Repeated eruptions of Mount Merapi in Central Java, Indonesia, have killed at least 240 people and forced hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate.[57][58][59]
November
| November 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | |||||
- November 4 – Aero Caribbean Flight 883 crashes in central Cuba, killing all 68 people on board.[60]
- November 11–12 – The G-20 summit is held in Seoul, South Korea. Korea becomes the first non-G8 nation to host a G-20 leaders summit.[61]
- November 13 – Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi is released from her house arrest.[62]
- November 17 – Researchers at CERN trap 38 antihydrogen atoms for a sixth of a second, marking the first time in history that humans have trapped antimatter.[63]
- November 20 – Participants of the 2010 NATO Lisbon summit issued the Lisbon Summit Declaration.
- November 21 – Eurozone countries agree to a rescue package for the Republic of Ireland from the European Financial Stability Facility in response to the country's financial crisis.[64][65][66]
- November 22 – A stampede during Bon Om Thook (Khmer Water Festival) celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, kills 347.[67]
- November 23 – North Korea shells Yeonpyeong Island, prompting a military response by South Korea. The incident caused an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula and prompted widespread international condemnation. The United Nations declared it to be one of the most serious incidents since the end of the Korean War.[68][69][70]
- November 28 – WikiLeaks releases a collection of more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables, including 100,000 marked "secret" or "confidential".[71][72]
- November 29 – The European Union agree to an €85 billion rescue deal for Ireland from the European Financial Stability Facility, the International Monetary Fund and bilateral loans from the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden.[73]
- November 29 – December 10 – The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference is held in Cancún, Mexico. Also referred to as the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16), it served too as the 6th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 6).[74][75]
December
| December 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | ||
- December 2 – NASA announces the discovery of a new arsenic-based life form in California.[76]
- December 21 – The first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the northern winter solstice/southern summer solstice since 1638, takes place.[77][78]
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