Lisa

India

Mon, 01 Aug 2005 09:32:01 GMT

yo yo yo I'm in India. I've been here almost a month now and i'll be here for the next 8 months. so...if anyone's planning a jaunt to south asia, let me know.
I'm living in Chennai, which is the biggest city in the south. I'm really loving it here...every day is really exciting and new. I'm working at a small independent publishing house and we put out handmade silk screened children's books and novels. I'm working with a bunch of Indian writers and artists. I live in an apartment and take bucket showers and do bucket laundry. I shop at the corner market for vegetables and cook indian food every morning. craziness. who knew my life could change so drastically so fast? Yesterday I went to a concert of tradiational Baul musicians from West Bengal...they all used instruments i've never seen before. This week I'm going to Bangalore on a "business trip" with two of my coworkers...we're going to visit bookstores that carry our books there...and check out the crazy IT scene.

India

Thu, 05 May 2005 01:04:56 GMT

So in July I'm moving to Madras, India for a year. I'm going to be working in an independent publishing house called Tara Books. They support and put out a lot of emerging Indian writers and artists and need help marketing their stuff to the rest of the world...which is where a westerner like me comes in. But it's cool, i'll get to learn all about the publishing business and international business in general...while getting paid to live in and travel around India. Should be good...I graduate late June, will be home for a month, and then am off until May 2006. I'm wondering what other people are doing next year...

well, um, yeah

Thu, 13 Jan 2005 06:30:45 GMT

i was in new york city and boston for a while last week interviewing for jobs. i'm basically applying to everything i am remotely interested in for next year so i'll have something to do that pays me. i want to work internationally eventually. if i'm in the states next year it will be in a big city on the east coast...either boston, new york or DC. it is cold here. on friday it will be a high of -5. i have to suck it up for my last midwestern winter. i am a tough woman. i am holed up writing my 2 theses, starting a unite for sight chapter at carleton, taking a modern dance class to instill some gracefulness in me and learning to cook good meals. that's the news from minnesota.

home for a bit

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 06:47:26 GMT

I'm home for the last real vacation of my life. This winter break I'm spending at home, working on my thesis and researching jobs for next year. Right now I'm thinking I'll probably end up either in Boston, NYC, DC or San Fran...there's also the possibility of Thailand but we'll see. Everything in my life is up in the air right now. I graduate in June and then it's a blank slate once again. It's both scary and exhilarating at the same time. More and more I feel like just letting life tumble me where it will.

If you're around the Bay Area from now till New Year's, drop me a line...

12 days left...

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 21:28:16 GMT

I went to a Kerry rally last night in Minneapolis. There were a lot of people there but I'm nervous for the election. Minnesota is definitely a swing state...totally equally divided. Bush and Kerry have both been in Minnesota in the last week trying to get those undecided voters. People at Carleton are going crazy canvassing and trying to get people registered to vote. It should be exciting...here are some pictures from the rally.

Fall at Carleton

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 19:12:01 GMT

Here are the gorgeous fall colors...this was last weekend when it was still warm. Now it's cold and gray and more leaves have fallen.

Attempting to load pictures...

Sun, 10 Oct 2004 18:02:43 GMT

So I've never posted pictures on livejournal before but I just found out how to do it. So here are a couple pictures--one of me and lizzie before the martin sexton concert in the cities and one of me and my housemates at our Rock Star party.

life

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 04:36:04 GMT

the wireless is barely working. i'm stealing the signal from the house across the street. i'm at carleton and it's been crazy ever since i got here. crazy and normal at the same time. i turned 21 on wednesday and for some reason the whole school knew it...basically insanity ensued. it's all good though, i think i've partied enough for the rest of the term in the past couple weeks. time to crack down on my IR thesis which I'm doing this term on guerilla warfare and terrorism policy....should be interesting. actually the paper's already written, i just have to revise it.
when i have a stronger signal I'll attach pictures because i finally got a digital camera. rock!

Back home for a bit

Tue, 17 Aug 2004 17:47:55 GMT

I got home from Guatemala last night. I was there for 2 weeks working as a scrub nurse in a hospital in the rainforest. It was fun. I got to assist in the removal of a large hernia from a large lady and literally get a lot of blood and guts spilled on me. My main job was to pass instruments to my mom during eye surgeries and help her out. I even got to put a stitch in someone's eyeball. None of this made me want to be a surgeon, but it was great to be making such a difference. As a team of 35 or so doctors and nurses, we saw over 1500 patients in 10 days and gave healthcare to people who would never have it otherwise.
Outside of the hospital I made some friends with some guatemalan doctors (it paid to know spanish) and went to a town dance celebrating the acension of Mary...but it was really just a party for the village that went till 3 a.m. and involved dancing to elvis with a teenage boy, Alfonso.

So now I'm home and all I really want to do is hang out in san francisco. Anyone down? I'm home till Sept 1.

home

Sun, 06 Jun 2004 20:33:16 GMT

I'm home till Thursday...anyone around?

spring break craziness

Sat, 27 Mar 2004 19:42:46 GMT

Hi friends,

Well, it's been another month since my last livejournal update...I definitely neglect this thing. I'm currently in my sister's dormroom at Yale and I'm leaving tomorrow to fly back to school. Classes start monday and I'm not looking forward to them, although I'm taking a lighter course load this term (if you consider organic chemistry and genetics "light") with 2 classes instead of 3. I'm looking forward to it being spring though, it's always the best term of the year.

My spring break consisted of 4 days in NYC, 4 days in DC, another night in NYC and 3 nights in New Haven. I've been traveling a lot on trains/ghetto busses named "Vamoose"/cabs/subways with just me and my green backpack. i looked like such a typical college student vagabond. My break was a lot of fun; not exactly as relaxing as it would have been to go home, but really worthwhile because I managed to see a ton of people I haven't seen in a long fucking time. It was nice to connect with old friends and family and see what people are up to these days. I also didn't have to pay for housing anywhere because I just crashed at friends' places everywhere I went so here's a shout out to neta, kendra, elizabeth, my sister and her 5 suitemates and the crazy NYC apartment lady for putting up with me.

Well, it's a beautiful day in New Haven so I'm going to go for a run. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing this summer. It's very likely that I might end up doing research at Stanford, which would be interesting. I'm not sure if I can handle being at home for such a long stretch of time. If that happens I'm definitely taking the last 3-4 weeks off and traveling somewhere like South America. Anyone want to come?

interpreter of maladies...

Sat, 28 Feb 2004 17:08:02 GMT

is a great book. I'm writing a paper on it for my english class right now.
I love carleton and all, and don't get me wrong, I don't regret going here, but winters here just suck so much. I haven't had a good winter term here and I think this one was the worst. It might have had to do with the fact that a lot of my friends were off campus, I was taking organic chemistry, and I was holed up working all the time, never sleeping and it was too cold to go outside and do anything. Sad huh? I can't believe there's only 2 more weeks left in this term, though, and I'm really excited about my spring break plans. I think it's going to be really great, and I'm particularly excited about visiting my sister at school. I've gotten a lot closer to her since I left for college, and really in the last few months too...she's maturing really quickly now that she's away from home.
Last night I went to a party at this guy's house for American Studies majors, even though I'm not one. Seriously, I think American studies is one of the lamest majors out there...it's basically for people who want to take classes in every single discipline but not really focus on anything. The people there were really lame too...I looked around the room and realized why there are so many sexually frustrated and socially awkward people at this school.
Ok, gotta get back to work. Maybe more procrastination later...

spring break

Thu, 12 Feb 2004 07:57:23 GMT

So I'm going to be in NYC from march 17-21 with the fam. Then I'm going down to DC to visit kendra/neta, cousins, school friends until the 25th or 26th...then back up to NYC for a night or two if anyone wants to meet up, then heading to New Haven to visit Laura until the 28th. If you'll be in those cities at those times, let me know and we can party.

oh my god

Tue, 16 Dec 2003 06:14:47 GMT

So today I was introduced to and shook the hand of Dr. James Watson...as in Watson and Crick, the guys who discovered DNA. SO EXCITING!

home for a while

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 19:54:09 GMT

So home has been nice for relaxation purposes...I've definitely gotten my fill of good food and sleep. I have a job now at Anthropologie which is making me get up in the morning which is good. Other goals for this break: work on fellowship application, study some organic chemistry (my impending doom), read some good books and get bored enough so i'm excited to get back to studying in cold-ass northfield.

Thanksgiving was nice. We had no family present because my mom's half sister decided she wanted to make her own turkey and we were having none of that so we both made turkeys and ate at our respective houses. My grandma decided to stay in Las Vegas with her new piano teacher boyfriend, BeJon (pronounced Bee-Jean (all french-like))...I think he's ukranian or something. yeah, weird. They are both tightwads and he's afraid to fly so the combination led them not to fly here for Thanksgiving and they went to a 2 for 1 dinner special they saw available downtown. no comment.

get me out of here

Fri, 21 Nov 2003 03:06:37 GMT

I just want to leave. i hate finals. I've been stuck inside studying for so many hours on end I've lost count...I'm dreaming of thanksgiving, california, getting away from this depressing place. ok, i'm exaggerating, but nothing good is going on here right now. I hate this point in the term. Overall this hasn't been the greatest term...no real highlights. A lot of depressing shit. and i'm fucking things up with jake cause I keep putting it off and not caring which is pretty bitchy of me. oh well.

it's that point in the term...

Sat, 08 Nov 2003 07:17:20 GMT

when i feel like i just want to leave and go out and live in the real world.

carleton gets way too clausterphobic sometimes. i feel like i'm using my brain really intensely all the time...i never watch tv, watch movies, just tune my brain out...

i need to go home. i need to get out of this 2000-person world in which i'm sick of everyone because i know them each so well...

i'm drunk. goodnight.

halloween

Sun, 02 Nov 2003 04:01:52 GMT

I was a period for halloween. Yes, a period...like menstruation.

terminator = antichrist?

Wed, 08 Oct 2003 19:50:36 GMT

Ok, I can't just not write an entry about how insane it is that Arnold Schwarzenegger (or however you spell it) is our new governor. And he won by a LOT too. What is wrong with you californians? Did you all send in your absentee ballots?
Man...
Well, I'm sitting here kind of braindead, chomping on some granola and listening to lester young. I had a calc II midterm this morning at 8:30 AM and I've had research papers and a ton of other work for other classes due lately so I've been getting negative sleep. I finally have a little break in my work schedule so I think I'm going to take a nap and go swimming this afternoon.
So...last week it was in the 30's and 40's and I was getting depressed about winter already being here and today it's 82 degrees outside. The leaves are all changing and it's absolutely gorgeous. Taylor and I went for a walk in the arb yesterday and played on the bank of the river and tormented a little frog we found. It didn't even feel like I was at carleton, it was so incredibly beautiful.
I have digital pictures of my Guatemala trip but somehow I totally missed out on the whole how to put pictures on livejournal thing and I don't know how to create a website to put my pictures on and link it or whatever. If there are simple instructions, someone let me know.
Things are going well here outside of classes. I feel like I'm in a really comfortable spot socially...almost too comfortable. I feel like I need to meet some new people. I love my friends but I need some variation. I think I'm going to start hanging out with rebekah and some other china people more.
I'm trying to figure out what i want to do over winter break. I have this bad feeling that I won't be able to get a job, just cause the economy sucks and whatnot. I wanted to go to Cuba with Ben and Gates but they're not being very organized about it so I doubt that'll happen. There's also this $245 non-stop ticket special from SFO-London right now...very tempting, but I don't think I'd really want to go alone.

Black Eyed Peas are coming to St Olaf saturday night so I think we're gonna go to that...good times. ok, i'm sick of writing.

who cares?

Mon, 22 Sep 2003 21:33:21 GMT

Being 20 is so anticlimactic I can't even explain it. It's a monday, it's rainy and cold and I have a lot of work. On saturday I celebrated my birthday with ben, whose birthday was on saturday. Our friends threw us a party at Casa, where my friend Ivie lives. It was a spanish theme so everyone made a different tapas dish and we had sangria and everyone was dressed up. It was so much fun. The night was crazy after that, way too much partying. It involve going to a random wedding reception in northfield with Jake and abusing their open bar...it's a funny story but I'm too lazy to tell it.

oh lordy

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 19:15:42 GMT

I can't believe a week of classes is over already. Things here have been so so so busy ,I can't even begin to recount everything.
Living in a triple is definitely different from a double or single for that matter but we're getting used to it. Our room is looking cuter every day. The only thing that sucks is that I mailed all my posters to school from home and i think they got lost in the mail.
My classes are really enjoyable. I didn't get into orgo cause it was too full so i'll take it next term. I'm taking calc II (which sucks, it's an 8:30 MWF class too, ugh) Evolution, which is awesome, especially cause I'm all inspired after reading Guns, Germs and Steel, and this poli sci seminar on terrorism taught by the same prof that led the china seminar...it's awesome. Since I don't have a lab this term, I also have a lot more free time so I'm taking yoga classes, joining the sailing club, working at off-campus studies, being executive editor/designer of The Carl...it's going to be busy but really fun.
Tonight we're going to the cities and then coming home for a party in my friend Trevor's suite. I'm in a great mood.

boredom

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 04:27:46 GMT

I am so bored.
No one is around...my sister and my mom are on the east coast, people who are still home that I want to see have jobs (erica), and everyone else is at school.
I barely managed to fill my day today without going crazy by having breakfast with Chrissy--she leaves for India on Friday for a semester--, swimming, reading, buying groceries, cooking dinner and watching Sleepless in Seattle...all by myself.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to going back to school and seeing everyone. It feels like it's been a long time since I've been at school, and I guess it has since I haven't been in REAL school (classes, regular schedule, etc) since March. I think I'm just in a very temporary lull...this weekend I'm going down to santa barbara/LA with erica to see Nikki and hang out. I'm really looking forward to that, it's been a while since the three of us have hung out together.
Back to reading...The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy is excellent.

wow

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 22:26:46 GMT

I just talked online to my friend who's currently living in Namibia. The internet never ceases to amaze me...

Guatemala

Wed, 20 Aug 2003 17:03:46 GMT

Guatemala was absolutely amazing. I had one of the
most eye-opening experiences of my life...it was just
so incredibly rewarding. I was working at Hospital de
la Familia in Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala, a tiny town
on the top of a hill in the middle of the rainforest
right on the Mexican border. We saw a total of over
2000 patients in 2 weeks and did a ton of surgeries. I
worked mostly in the eye operating room. People were
lined up every morning starting around 5 a.m. to see
the doctors and families came from all over--some
walked for days just to get to the hospital. It's hard
to explain the impact this trip had on me, but it
really made me recognize my appreciation for medicine.

Medicine has always been sort of a shielded field for
me...and by that I mean that I've always been afraid
to even go near it with both my parents being
physicians and having them constantly telling me to go
to med school. I don't know, the more I think about
it, the more international medicine and health
interests me career-wise. I know it's not that
specific but at least it's a direction.

So now I'm home for a while until I go back to school
Sept 11. So give me a holla if you're around, my
sister leaves the 25th so i'll be pretty free after that.

home

Tue, 29 Jul 2003 04:54:11 GMT

So I'm finally home...it's the same as it always has been. I leave on Thursday for Guatemala. Lots of errands to run, time to be spent with the fam...yeah, that's all. I'll be back from guatemala august 17 and my sis leaves for school the 25th. Craziness.