The Summer Olympics are one of my favorite things to watch. Obviously Track & Field events are my favorite, but swimming, gymnastics and the rest are clearly incredible too. Just imagine being at that level of athletic competition and among that much greatness and dedication, not to mention the uniqueness of the cultural, ethnic, and background diversity represented by the 205 countries in this year's games. Inspiring is an understatement.
There were also several Georgetown athletes (3 current students and several alums) in contention at the track trials in Eugene, Oregon this year, which made things interesting. My family (who had to deal with me rushing to get home to watch the trials several times in late June), knows how excited that made me!
Interesting facts about the 2012 Olympics:
- There are 300 events and 205 countries competing
- London is the first city to host the Olympics 3 times
- This is the first time women's boxing is included
- My favorite: For the first time in Olympic history, women are represented on every country's Olympic team. The 3 nations that never had women before - Brunei, Qatar, and Saudi Arabi - are all bringing female athletes this year. There is plenty of controversy surrounding this fact, i.e. these women did not meet the same qualifying standards and were given leeway just so that the IOC could ensure that each nation had a woman athlete, BUT it is still a great step in the right direction, in my opinion.
Now for the excitement of trying to watch in Grenada.
First - check schedule online - NBC is airing the opening ceremonies at 730pm EST, check.
Second - invite people over for a party to watch
Third - buy food and drinks
Fourth - convince people to make and bring fun snacks and be as excited as I am
Fifth - everyone arrives in time
Sixth - there seems to be coverage on NBC...and then...at 7:29pm...
BLANK SCREEN...MESSAGE: only the GBN station in Grenada has rights.
um, great.
but wait!
Seventh - Kim finds that we do have GBN, so it seems, crisis averted.
for a few minutes.
AND then...
True Grenadian "style" comes through, and there are incessant ads for Grenadian products, dancers, music, tourism, etc. interspersed with 2 second snippets of Olympic coverage
okkkkkk....
everyone think....
Eight - Plan B.
Computer!
Find a youtube recording of the ceremonies.
30+ people crowd around to watch my VERY TINY LAPTOP perched on top of the TV playing this.
We're all invested...for a little while...
and then,
the 1hr30 recording is almost over, and
the countries have not even started to enter the stadium yet!
UGH!
Everyone is being great sports and having fun chatting, eating, relaxing, (and sweating), so it's fine, but this is such a typical Grenada scenario - good thing we have all learned to go with the flow here.
Eventually, the live stream of the whole thing from an NBC site is discovered and a handful of us watch the countries enter one by one. Loved it. Our geography skills were tested a little bit as we tried to guess the next country in alphabetical order each time. You know I loved that game :) Grenada even has 10 athletes in the games this year, including Kirani James, the runner who everyone is really excited about.
Well, perhaps it didn't all go as planned (but what really does anyway?), and I do believe everyone had a good time just hanging out and socializing regardless of the technical hiccups.
I DO hope the actual events are aired, but either way, this will be an unforgettable attempt to watch the Olympics, that's for sure!
Oh Grenada.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Midterms are Over. Release. Relax. And a quote for the next round and beyond.
The midterm is over. The anxiety is gone. The eyelids are
drooping - and I'm not trying to coax them open with tea, chocolate, walking
around with my notes rather than sitting, or blasting music in my iPod. Release.
It is amazing to observe how anxious and stressed you WERE
after a big test is over, especially when you thought you were coping just
fine. Turns out, I was stressed. My huge neck crick when I woke up this
morning (Advil worthy even!) was one sign, but I still thought I was relatively
calm compared to my state before some exams!
However, the zen that comes with the end of the test reminds you how un-zen
you were. Now, I am totally content to
have an empty brain and be as physical as possible for the next three days.
Today I already ran, swam and played tennis with Alex. Wonderful.
My only thoughts were, "Why is Alex kicking my butt right now?" or "Nice
fish." So much better than reading incessant
amounts of Psych disorder criteria, drug mechanisms, and development
stages. Oh yeah, and Biostatistics
running through my dreams. Hopefully tonight I will dream of ANYthing else!
They already posted the grades (yes the test was THIS
morning), and all the studying was worth it.
It's not a given that tons of studying --> passing grades in this
place, so it's nice when it does work out.
Confidence boosts are in small quantities, so I'll take any I can get!
Finally, I like this quote from Kristin Armstrong's blog on
Runnersworld. While I certainly am comfortable now, med school is a lot of
discomfort at times, so I am going to try and take her words to heart,
especially after this weekend of downtime wears off.
She writes, "I want to get more comfortable being
uncomfortable. I want to get more confident being uncertain. I don't want to
shrink back just because something isn't easy. I want to push back, and make
more room in the area between I can't and I can. Maybe that spot is called I
will."
I just love that.
Friday, July 13, 2012
"Comparison is the thief of joy" - T. Roosevelt
I was just reading my favorite running blog on Runnersworld, called Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong, and this quote was essentially the topic of her entry. I think that that statement is a perfect reminder here in med school, where comparisons are endless and too often I succumb to that game myself.
Besides the fact that we eat, sleep, study and sit in class with the same, motivated and determined people day in and day out, we are also somewhat isolated from a more realistic view of society here in Grenada, at least in the sense of having mentors, wise old family members, Starbucks employees, artists, writers, and other non-med students influencing our daily lives. The result? It's easy to lose perspective sometimes and comparisons and insecurities can creep in - particularly around stressful study or exam times.
My self-confidence is usually pretty stable. After 27 years of self-development, I'd say I'm pretty secure with how I operate and what gifts I have or don't have to share with this world. I.e. working with kids, yes vs. singing and playing the violin, no. For academics, of course it takes some time to adjust to the rigors of any new program, and med school is certainly no exception, but I've relearned how my brain works and what I need to do to "get it done" in this environment at the times I've needed to, i.e. pictures = good vs. slides stuffed with text = bad.
In addition, I am happy in the somewhat hyper, nerdy skin I have and features like the fact that I'd prefer to get up with the sun and run for miles rather than drink until the sun comes up. Coffee makes me totally spastic and I should avoid it, and I just don't like french fries or small talk. However, despite this overall opinion that I basically know who I am at this point, my (especially academic) self-confidence wanes in this place sometimes, and comparisons are the first thing to cause those dips should they arise. And yes, comparison IS the thief of joy.
There will ALWAYS be someone smarter, faster, richer, and more peaceful. And there will also be many people looking at you and wanting what YOU have. Neither of those facts of life should be motivating or depressing. One day at a time. Live our own lives. Do the best we can with what we have where we are (someone else's great quote).
I am trying to reflect on this now while things are still not TOO intense this term, and I have a good wave of "you can do its" carrying me from home. That said, midterms are next Friday... and people are getting squirrely. Confidence, perseverance, and not apologizing for doing what I need to do.
I want to be the most wonderful and capable doctor I can be someday, and comparing myself to my fellow future physicians will certainly suck the joy out of this incredible and life-changing process. Thanks for the quote Kristin (and Roosevelt, of course).
Besides the fact that we eat, sleep, study and sit in class with the same, motivated and determined people day in and day out, we are also somewhat isolated from a more realistic view of society here in Grenada, at least in the sense of having mentors, wise old family members, Starbucks employees, artists, writers, and other non-med students influencing our daily lives. The result? It's easy to lose perspective sometimes and comparisons and insecurities can creep in - particularly around stressful study or exam times.
My self-confidence is usually pretty stable. After 27 years of self-development, I'd say I'm pretty secure with how I operate and what gifts I have or don't have to share with this world. I.e. working with kids, yes vs. singing and playing the violin, no. For academics, of course it takes some time to adjust to the rigors of any new program, and med school is certainly no exception, but I've relearned how my brain works and what I need to do to "get it done" in this environment at the times I've needed to, i.e. pictures = good vs. slides stuffed with text = bad.
In addition, I am happy in the somewhat hyper, nerdy skin I have and features like the fact that I'd prefer to get up with the sun and run for miles rather than drink until the sun comes up. Coffee makes me totally spastic and I should avoid it, and I just don't like french fries or small talk. However, despite this overall opinion that I basically know who I am at this point, my (especially academic) self-confidence wanes in this place sometimes, and comparisons are the first thing to cause those dips should they arise. And yes, comparison IS the thief of joy.
There will ALWAYS be someone smarter, faster, richer, and more peaceful. And there will also be many people looking at you and wanting what YOU have. Neither of those facts of life should be motivating or depressing. One day at a time. Live our own lives. Do the best we can with what we have where we are (someone else's great quote).
I am trying to reflect on this now while things are still not TOO intense this term, and I have a good wave of "you can do its" carrying me from home. That said, midterms are next Friday... and people are getting squirrely. Confidence, perseverance, and not apologizing for doing what I need to do.
I want to be the most wonderful and capable doctor I can be someday, and comparing myself to my fellow future physicians will certainly suck the joy out of this incredible and life-changing process. Thanks for the quote Kristin (and Roosevelt, of course).
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Can't believe another week is almost over. Time is starting to fly a little faster now that we're more in study mode. Biostat started this week, and actually isn't nearly as bad as anticipated. The teacher is really great (although she sounds exactly like Miranda from Sex and the City, which I can't stop thinking about sometimes...). Otherwise, we finished our culture and medicine lectures and today did some interesting things with Mood Disorders. Not sure if it's good or bad, but Psych stuff definitely caters to self (and family/friend) diagnosis more than other subjects!
I don't have too many other updates except that my car is still running like a gem and now has new oil and coolant (thanks for the reminder Mom), and I actually have insurance so I'm legal :) Been doing my running workouts with hills and stair workouts included in the afternoons, which is not my usual style (I'm totally a morning person), but it's actually so much better because it gives me a nice little dangling carrot to help me study and focus after class until the sun starts to chill out around 530pm.
Been feeling really grateful for the wonderful people that I have been lucky enough to become friends with here too. Among all the crazy, type A med students, there are just some very genuine and caring people who I know I couldn't navigate this place without. This calmer term is helping me to re-solidify some of these friendships and to have time to talk to friends about things other than stressors or class material, which unfortunately doesn't always happen when the workload gets hectic.
In other news, Abby is off for an adventure of her own tonight, so I've been thinking a lot about her and her travels. We talked for a little while before she left, so that was fun, and her excitement was infectious. I know she is going to see some amazing things and have her opinions and horizons opened a little wider. Having parents who value travel and the opportunities and friends to be able to explore with is an amazing blessing in our lives.
Alright, time to listen to some pathology videos for a nice nighttime dose of med school. Until next time!
I don't have too many other updates except that my car is still running like a gem and now has new oil and coolant (thanks for the reminder Mom), and I actually have insurance so I'm legal :) Been doing my running workouts with hills and stair workouts included in the afternoons, which is not my usual style (I'm totally a morning person), but it's actually so much better because it gives me a nice little dangling carrot to help me study and focus after class until the sun starts to chill out around 530pm.
Been feeling really grateful for the wonderful people that I have been lucky enough to become friends with here too. Among all the crazy, type A med students, there are just some very genuine and caring people who I know I couldn't navigate this place without. This calmer term is helping me to re-solidify some of these friendships and to have time to talk to friends about things other than stressors or class material, which unfortunately doesn't always happen when the workload gets hectic.
In other news, Abby is off for an adventure of her own tonight, so I've been thinking a lot about her and her travels. We talked for a little while before she left, so that was fun, and her excitement was infectious. I know she is going to see some amazing things and have her opinions and horizons opened a little wider. Having parents who value travel and the opportunities and friends to be able to explore with is an amazing blessing in our lives.
Alright, time to listen to some pathology videos for a nice nighttime dose of med school. Until next time!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Good people + Good Adventures = Good 1st weekend.
Well I'm off to bed after a good first weekend back and full of things and people to make me continue to appreciate Grenada. The weather has been gorgeous and there are so many beautiful flowers out this time of year, especially with all the rain to water things. The themes were peaceful (read: slowly and Chloe-pace) studying and lots of good outdoor fun. Like I said, I really don't mind studying when I feel like I have time to really learn things and go over it all well...but yeah, that's a rare thing here most of the time. For now, I cannot complain. And, since one day at a time is my current motto, I'm not going to think too far ahead and start getting anxious. :)
Saturday morning, my friend Marieke and I did a very muddy hash in Beaulieu. It was basically walking through rotten mangoes + mud + greenery for about an hour or more, and there were some very steep inclines with nothing to pull yourself up on! Lots of fun (especially since we survived to tell the story). We enjoyed some lambie (conch) soup at the end and watch all the brand new hashers get dowsed in beer- surprise! Luckily, Marieke and I both new the drill...and rode home without the smell of beer coming out of our pores. The sweat was bad enough :) Sorry too many details. The next hash is in St. David's, which is sort of far away, so we might pass on that, but I definitely want to try and do some more before August and Pathology arrive together.
This week we start Biostat...hopefully it's better than I'm anticipating. I'm also trying to keep up with my new commitment to yoga, and Cyndy and I just had a nice pre bedtime session on the porch. If coated in bug spray, it really is a perfect and calm place for yoga. Great way to get the kinks out of vertebrae twisted into study position and to get nice and sleepy before climbing under my mosquito net for bed.
Going to go read some BRS Pathology with a flashlight in bed...let's see how much 'reading' actually happens. Goodnight!
Saturday morning, my friend Marieke and I did a very muddy hash in Beaulieu. It was basically walking through rotten mangoes + mud + greenery for about an hour or more, and there were some very steep inclines with nothing to pull yourself up on! Lots of fun (especially since we survived to tell the story). We enjoyed some lambie (conch) soup at the end and watch all the brand new hashers get dowsed in beer- surprise! Luckily, Marieke and I both new the drill...and rode home without the smell of beer coming out of our pores. The sweat was bad enough :) Sorry too many details. The next hash is in St. David's, which is sort of far away, so we might pass on that, but I definitely want to try and do some more before August and Pathology arrive together.
This week we start Biostat...hopefully it's better than I'm anticipating. I'm also trying to keep up with my new commitment to yoga, and Cyndy and I just had a nice pre bedtime session on the porch. If coated in bug spray, it really is a perfect and calm place for yoga. Great way to get the kinks out of vertebrae twisted into study position and to get nice and sleepy before climbing under my mosquito net for bed.
Going to go read some BRS Pathology with a flashlight in bed...let's see how much 'reading' actually happens. Goodnight!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Tennis!
Last day of the first week. Long-winded professors...made those four hours of lecture take ages. But, it was a good week overall and I don't feel overwhelmed yet, which usually happens pretty easily in this place, so that's a good thing!
Went for my first Friday swim in the ocean today too, and, although the current was pretty intense (it took me 30 minutes one way and 10 to get back to the start), it was great and reminded me that I really do love so much about it here and am so lucky to get to live here. Saw some bright little schools of fish and managed not to swallow TOO much water, another bonus.
After the swim, I drove my little red box of dented love home for lunch, did a little studying and then met Alex for tennis with my new racquet that I brought down. There is only one public court, but it's not too far away, and it was so much fun. I'd forgotten how much I love tennis, and the new racquet helped me feel more competent than I probably am. Sadly, we got 'kicked off' by 4 young girls who had a tournament to practice for, but it was a great first game, and I know there will be many more. Alex and I are debating what we should bet each time we play, since we're both pretty obsessed with bets and winning. Should be interesting :)
Now I'm trying to preview some Micro stuff because it still seems like a "fun" activity and I really don't mind studying when it's at my own pace. I probably will not be joining the rest who go to Bananas, but I'm totally fine with that. I had my kind of fun all day, and my body is pretty exhausted. Tomorrow I am going to do a hash (only have done done before), so I'm really excited about that.
Missing family and friends, but also much more settled and appreciative of my situation here. I am definitely a little nervous about the pace picking up, but trying to just take it a day at a time and be as disciplined as possible while still breathing the delicious air that we are so lucky to have here.
Goodnight :)
Went for my first Friday swim in the ocean today too, and, although the current was pretty intense (it took me 30 minutes one way and 10 to get back to the start), it was great and reminded me that I really do love so much about it here and am so lucky to get to live here. Saw some bright little schools of fish and managed not to swallow TOO much water, another bonus.
After the swim, I drove my little red box of dented love home for lunch, did a little studying and then met Alex for tennis with my new racquet that I brought down. There is only one public court, but it's not too far away, and it was so much fun. I'd forgotten how much I love tennis, and the new racquet helped me feel more competent than I probably am. Sadly, we got 'kicked off' by 4 young girls who had a tournament to practice for, but it was a great first game, and I know there will be many more. Alex and I are debating what we should bet each time we play, since we're both pretty obsessed with bets and winning. Should be interesting :)
Now I'm trying to preview some Micro stuff because it still seems like a "fun" activity and I really don't mind studying when it's at my own pace. I probably will not be joining the rest who go to Bananas, but I'm totally fine with that. I had my kind of fun all day, and my body is pretty exhausted. Tomorrow I am going to do a hash (only have done done before), so I'm really excited about that.
Missing family and friends, but also much more settled and appreciative of my situation here. I am definitely a little nervous about the pace picking up, but trying to just take it a day at a time and be as disciplined as possible while still breathing the delicious air that we are so lucky to have here.
Goodnight :)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Day 2 of Year 2
Today we learned about Schizophrenia. And Sexual Dysfunctions/Disorders. Guess which one grabbed more peoples' attention? :) Plus, our teacher was awesome. Blunt, engaging, honest, and interesting. And she and her husband, who is also our Neuro teacher and just as quirky as she is, apparently have tons of goats at their house - pictures confirmed. That'd be a fun house to hang out at that's for sure!
Now I'm just trying to motivate myself to look over the notes and not let my cruise control stay on since the material is not "SO hard" yet, but also letting myself adjust to the island lifestyle again and ease in since I know that it will pick up the pace before I know it.
Biggest annoyances I had forgotten about? Those stupid cicadas (or whatever they are)! They are incredibly hard to ignore when trying to sleep even with earplugs in. Oh, and I have not missed the red mosquito bumps on my legs. Brutal.
Best parts of today:
- driving to school rather than taking the bus
- figuring out how the iPod hookup works so that I can grace the streets with my Chris Brown and Usher (sometimes I listen to more mature music...) rather than the one radio station that's decent
- the sex lectures, clearly
- a really hard (unexpected, thought I was going to be lame today) weights (my usual least favorite) workout followed by a quick walk to the ocean and a really pretty sunset from my porch
The End!
Now I'm just trying to motivate myself to look over the notes and not let my cruise control stay on since the material is not "SO hard" yet, but also letting myself adjust to the island lifestyle again and ease in since I know that it will pick up the pace before I know it.
Biggest annoyances I had forgotten about? Those stupid cicadas (or whatever they are)! They are incredibly hard to ignore when trying to sleep even with earplugs in. Oh, and I have not missed the red mosquito bumps on my legs. Brutal.
Best parts of today:
- driving to school rather than taking the bus
- figuring out how the iPod hookup works so that I can grace the streets with my Chris Brown and Usher (sometimes I listen to more mature music...) rather than the one radio station that's decent
- the sex lectures, clearly
- a really hard (unexpected, thought I was going to be lame today) weights (my usual least favorite) workout followed by a quick walk to the ocean and a really pretty sunset from my porch
The End!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Back in Grenada - Year 2, let's go!
After some tough good byes, several airport delays and and an otherwise uneventful flight, I am back in Grenada.
Excited to move forward ( I think the behavioral science classes this term should be interesting! ), but also struggling a little to get adjusted into the routine of life here as a student, etc. However, my new little red Escudo is making me VERY happy, and the efficiency factor is definitely going to make a huge difference I know already.
It's also been great to see some familiar faces and to just remember that I have a great bunch of people to study alongside everyday and that many people have done this before so there is no reason to doubt that we can do it too.
Unpacking, cleaning and fresh Caribbean air are also good for the soul and helped me feel at "home" once again. A good run to the lighthouse without any dog encounters this morning was also refreshing, and I am going to my first Fountain of Youth yoga class tonight at 5:30 (as part of my new commitment to yoga - thanks Kwaz for the inspiration!), so I'll let you know how that goes.
The house is the same except for our new roommate Sal, who is #5 replacing Bassem, and the fact that I impulsively started rearranging furniture at 1 in the morning when I arrived and now most of my furniture is kiddy corner :) It looks better I think! Less big white boxy insane asylum vibe. I have also recruited some friends to be crafty and help me arrange and display some photos and things to make it more me and personal.
Well, that's my update for now. Wish me luck with yoga!
Excited to move forward ( I think the behavioral science classes this term should be interesting! ), but also struggling a little to get adjusted into the routine of life here as a student, etc. However, my new little red Escudo is making me VERY happy, and the efficiency factor is definitely going to make a huge difference I know already.
It's also been great to see some familiar faces and to just remember that I have a great bunch of people to study alongside everyday and that many people have done this before so there is no reason to doubt that we can do it too.
Unpacking, cleaning and fresh Caribbean air are also good for the soul and helped me feel at "home" once again. A good run to the lighthouse without any dog encounters this morning was also refreshing, and I am going to my first Fountain of Youth yoga class tonight at 5:30 (as part of my new commitment to yoga - thanks Kwaz for the inspiration!), so I'll let you know how that goes.
The house is the same except for our new roommate Sal, who is #5 replacing Bassem, and the fact that I impulsively started rearranging furniture at 1 in the morning when I arrived and now most of my furniture is kiddy corner :) It looks better I think! Less big white boxy insane asylum vibe. I have also recruited some friends to be crafty and help me arrange and display some photos and things to make it more me and personal.
Well, that's my update for now. Wish me luck with yoga!
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