Evans' Gate

Who Is Buenos Aires?

2010-03-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

If Buenos Aires were a person, who would it be?

I think Buenos Aires is the lover you had, before you got married, who was exciting and romantic, but so fucked up you knew you wouldn't marry her.

She's sophisticated and artistic: She introduced you to a lot of new things: mate, closed-door restaurants, the surrealistic short stories of Cortazar.

She's exciting: She took you to clubs where you danced until 7AM, and then went out to breakfast afterward. She has a party to go to every night if she wants, and with a few text messages can wrangle up an impromptu gathering. She loves sex.

Work is a means to an end: She has a job which just pays the bills. Always just pays the bills. She works hard, but when work is over, she leaves it behind and looks for ways to enjoy life, because she knows that her work will not get her anywhere in the long-term.

She's fading: She's not in her "first youth," as they say, and a bit saggy around the edges. She smokes. She knows she has to quit, but not quite yet.

She can't get her shit together: "What happened? The electricity got turned off? Oh- I must have forgotten to pay the bill. Light some candles." She puts a bucket on the floor when the roof leaks, and never gets around to getting it fixed.

She's neurotic: She talks over every aspect of your relationship with her therapist.

She's not faithful.

You adore her. You have a wonderful, passionate time together. But she's not for a long-term commitment. At least, if she is to remain in your life, it must be between periods of sanity.

Meanwhile: "Open another bottle of champagne, darling. And dim the lights. It makes me look younger."

Skype Lesson with Mom

2010-02-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Mom: I have an invitation to add someone to my list.

Me: Who?

Mom: It says "Assim." Maybe it's DJ. I'll say yes.

*click*

Me: No! Don't accept invitations from strangers!

*Skype Ring on her computer*

Me: Don't answer that!

*click*

Assim: Hello?... Anyone there? Turn on your video!

Mom: Wrong number! How do I hang up?

Assim: Hello?... Hello? ...Turn on your video!

Me: Click on the "Hang Up" button, and then close Skype. I'll talk you through taking him off your list later.

*click............... click*

Mom: I thought it might be DJ.

Me: Mom, his name was Assim.

Mom: I don't know..... I just clicked the wrong thing, I guess.

Me: You can't accept invitations from strangers, Mom.

Mom: Well- I would have liked to see the expression on his face when he sees he called an old lady!

Me: No you don't. It might not have been his face.

Mom: Oh, dear.

Buses and Cars

2010-01-14T05:13:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited that we will be renting a car on Friday for the weekend. We tried to rent a car last weekend, but we didn't plan ahead of time, and every car agency was fully booked. (why had we imagined there would be cars waiting for us for the choosing?)

So far, we have been getting around by bus, which is not bad, just a bit inconvenient, since we are about 24 kilometers outside the city center. And the bus stop is about 1/4 mile from the cabin down a steep hill. Not so bad if the weather is nice, but the weather has NOT been cooperating lately, and lugging groceries up the hill in the cold wind and rain is not too fun.

This will be the first time we will drive in Argentina. We don't need to drive in Buenos Aires, and I really wouldn't want to anyway, because the traffic is crazy. But it's a bit more sane up here in the mountains, and so it shouldn't be too stressful.

More than anything, I look forward to the freedom of being propelled through space and time by our OWN POWER. Being dependent on others to move you has a kind of effect on one's psychology, I think. In Buenos Aires, I don't really feel it, because there are so many taxis, buses, subways, remises- plenty of ways to get around, and they are not prohibitively expensive for me. I always feel I have the power to get where I want when I want (barring city flooding or protests, of course.)

But here, taking a taxi from the center of Bariloche to our cabin is $70 pesos- a little too pricey for a daily ride. And renting a car for two months is expensive as well. Our bikes are fine for little trips to the local convenience market, but we can't take the laundry or carry a lot of groceries. And biking all the way to town is too far to be convenient. So we've been dependent on the bus.

If I'm not worried about time, I actually like taking the bus- I like watching the variety of people. Moms with babies, workers sleeping on their way home from a hard day's work, tourists trying to figure out which stop to get off, teenagers stealing kisses. I love the way old ladies get on, fix their eyes on someone, and tell them to get out so they can sit down. Sometimes the bus gets so crowded, people are crammed together like sardines; it hurtles down a curvy mountain road faster than it should, and everyone goes about their lives, chatting, sleeping, flirting, thinking. I get this feeling like we're all in this together- whatever THIS is. Life? It's a reminder that I share this world with all kids of people-- something you forget when you are isolated in your own car all the time.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to have a car for the weekend. To go where and when we want, stop where we want, fill the car up with food, and not have to carry groceries up the hill. The only drag is that it's a manual transmission, which I have never learned to master.

So I'm dependent on Rob's driving. Ah, well. Independence is relative, isn't it?

Bariloche Impressions

2009-12-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

We took the 24-hour bus trip to Bariloche from Buenos Aires, and I have to say, I loved it. Yes, it's long, but we got seats that fold all the way back into a bed, and they serve food and drink. I actually appreciated the time to see the scenery (mostly flat pampas with cows)and unwind. In the past few weeks before this two month trip, we were dealing with immigration issues, a lawsuit against our building, finding someone to look after our apartment, etc., so it was nice to have the time to unwind. Going back, we might choose to fly, but I'm glad I did the bus trip at least once. It also gave me a sense of the scale of the vastness of the country. Argentina is huge!

Bariloche is like a little Swiss village in at the base of the Andes. It's beautiful, next to lake Nahuel Huapi, with stunning views all over the place. And really Swiss-like. They take advantage of this- you can get your picture taken with a St. Bernard, eat fondue, buy chocolate at one of the numerous chocolate-makers.

BUT- and this is a big but- this is where the Swiss similarity ends. We're still in South America, as we discovered when taking the bus from the little cabin we rented into town. No one knows how much it is, the stops on one side of the road are not marked, and except for "every twenty minutes" there is no timetable. Not that I care that much-- but I have a feeling that this very imprecise attitude towards transportation doesn't exist in Switzerland.

The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. We haven't been out much yet to explore the surrounding area, as we've been busy settling in and celebrating Christmas, but we will be exploring over the next several weeks by bicycle, bus, etc.

An Interview with Jill Greenberg

2009-10-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Jill writes the blog First World White Girl and lives in Buenos Aires.

How did you decide to come to Buenos Aires?

I ended up here by accident. In 2008, I quit my job and decided to take a three-month sabbatical and travel in South America. I decided to start here in BsAs and lived here for about a month and a half before traveling around. I returned a few months later, lived her for six months and jut got back a couple of weeks ago after spending the North American summer traveling in the US and in Colombia.

How long do you plan on staying?
I’ve become sort of a snowbird, so probably until it gets cold.

How is your Spanish? How important do you think it is to learn Spanish here? And how did you go about it?

I didn’t speak really speak Spanish when I first came to Latin America a year and a half ago, but now my Spanish is pretty solid. I am working on my second magazine piece where I have conducted all the interviews in Spanish, which was not easy but it gives me the feeling like, yeah… I finally speak Spanish. Or at least totally understand it.

I love language in general and was super motivated, so I didn’t have too hard of a time picking it up. Since I have been in BsAs, I have lived in houses where I had to speak Spanish and I make it a point to have friends who don’t really speak English or are willing to speak Spanish with me, which is key. I took classes for a while here and will probably get back to it eventually. When I am in the U.S., I always have a Spanish tutor and keep up by reading books or the papers in Spanish. Even watching telenovelas while doing the elliptical helps.

I think it makes a huge difference if you speak the language. There are more things and people accessible to you and nuances that you just can’t catch without it. My Spanish is stronger than when I lived here earlier in the year (because I spent about two and a half months in Colombia) and I feel like I am experiencing and seeing things more deeply because of it.

You write a lot about the cultural differences between North and South America as they affect women. What do you think are the biggest cultural differences in how women are treated here vs. the States?

Men here do lovely things, like open doors for you. Men here also do sketchy things, like ask you to go out with them even if they are married or have a girlfriend. I used to get annoyed about men saying random things to me on the street about how I look, but now I sort of find it charming. I don’t think it comes from a place of something demeaning; in this culture it is a compliment of sorts. Or maybe that’s my coping mechanism talking.

Have you been treated differently? Or does your status as a foreigner leave you somewhat immune from cultural expectations?

I think generally people are more forgiving to a foreigner. If I say or do something that is unusual, they just think, “Oh, she’s a foreigner.” I tried to think of something specific that I have done, but I can’t. BsAs is a pretty cosmopolitan city, so it’s not such a big deal here – people are used to foreigners, particularly North Americans since there are so many of us living here.

All cultural differences have trade-offs. There are things about South America that irk me, but some traditions or cultural norms that have a positive influence. What customs or norms do you find positive?

I love that people kiss hello and goodbye. Just love it. I find myself doing this everywhere and people think I am nuts. Also, people are loud here and as a loud person, it’s nice to be in similar company.

What misconceptions do you think North Americans have about Buenos Aires? About South America in general?

I think most Americans lump it all together. They think it’s all unsafe, dirty and scary. I’ve blogged about this before – there are plenty of cities in the US that are sketchier than many here in South America.

When I went to Colombia, everyone I know was freaked out. They were like, Colombia, really? But I didn’t have any problems at all there and found that people went out of their way to show me how hospitable and safe it was. The same when I was in Cuba – people were incredibly friendly and open.

Does the city get to you sometimes? If so, what keeps you going?

Oh yeah. I am city girl through and through, but sometimes it is too loud, too crowded and too dirty. I try to get out every couple of months by traveling. On a more regular basis, I ride my bike everywhere and if you avoid rush hour and stay to the northern parts of the city, it is quite lovely. I also love to swim and go swimming on a regular basis – the pool is a great place for some peace and quiet.

I see from your blog that you are a HUGE Mets fan. Have you become a fan of any Argentine sports teams?

Nah. I occasionally watch soccer when everyone else is, but baseball is my one and only sport. I sadly had to give up my baseball blog when I began traveling because I didn’t have time to write my traveling blog and my baseball blog. Plus, the Mets totally melted down this season so I am probably better off.

I read that you recently went back on a trip to the States. what did you bring back with you in your suitcase?

Electronics for my Argentine friends, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Yogi Bedtime Tea, Orbit Gum, new running shoes, tons of beauty products, and a Star Wars ship replica for an Argentine friend.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

Titles and cards

2009-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

So I finally had personal cards made up. I've been wanting to do this for sometime, so when I go to a social function, I have a card with my phone number and email on it. It is very common here for people to exchange cards.

So when I asked an Argentina friend what I should put on my card, she said that I must decide what title I wanted before my name: Señora (Mrs.), or Licenciada (a degreed person- equivalent in the U.S. to putting B.A., or M.A., etc.).

In the U.S. I wouldn't put any title on a personal card: not even a "Mrs." I would just put my name, and maybe something funky or funny below it, or a picture, and my phone number/email.
It seems a little arrogant to me to put a title on a card of you don't need it. But here, titles carry more importance. Just to make sure, I asked the guy at the printing store of it's customary to put a title, and he said, "If you have one, it's best to put it." So, I decided to go with the academic title instead of Mrs.- because I'm always looking for job opportunities anyway, and it will help people remember me.

Then the question is: English, or Spanish? Lic. is a Spanish title, but should I translate my degree into Spanish? I decided on a compromise-- since my degree was from an American university, I put it in English, but put the title Lic. before my name:

(Of course, it has my email and phone # on it, too, but I didn't want to post that on my blog. )

They will do, but I'm still thinking they are a little stuffy for me. The next batch might be more creative with a made up title. Next time, I might go with: Boolean Goddess, Master of Organizing Shit, or Semantic Ninja.

Back in BsAs

2009-10-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well...

We finally made it back to BsAs. Four months was quite a long time, but it went by pretty fast. I am slowly getting adjusted to being back. It has taken me about a week for me to realize completely where I am.

Rob, on the other hand, adjusted much more quickly than I. I think visiting the States made him realize that it is not really home, that we will be here at least for the forseeable future, and we might as well make ourselves comfortable. So he hit the ground running, and bought a bunch of things to redecorate the living room. I'm grateful for that. One of us needs to have an aesthetic sense. (I'll post some pictures once the living room is finished.)

There are a few things that we want to take advantage of that we didn't do enough of before:

Travel: We are committed to seeing more of the country, so that I get to see some scenery every once in a while. I'm not used to living somewhere without hills. We will be going to Bariloche at Christmastime, and I hope to go see more of the north of the country as well.
Culture: I want to see more ballet, theatre, music. We did some of that before, but I really need to take more advantage of it since there is so much of it so close. Food for the soul.
Socializing: Working from home is great, and I enjoy my alone time, but I need to force myself to socialize more, or I become a melancholy hermit.
Spanish: My Spanish definitely improved since I moved here, but I slacked off quite a bit before we left. It's easy to surround myself in an English bubble since I work in English all day. Both Rob and I are scheduled for some classes to brush up. He has been trying to incorporate a lot of Spanish into his conversation lately, which I am really proud of.

So we are both glad to be back, and the trip away has motivated us to try and soak up as much of the place as we can. Remind me to go back and read this post the next time I spend three days inside the apartment working without seeing the sun.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

What I Will Miss About California (link)

2009-09-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Dear California

Drama Over

2009-09-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it all went very well. I can't say enough for Escondido Endodontics. It is one of the best-run medical offices I have ever been in. Rob was seen at 7:30AM, his face drained, root canal performed, and given prescription strength ibuprofen AND narcotics, just in case he needs it.

He is happily snuggled in bed, watching a documentary with a plethora of soft foods waiting for him.

We are all relieved- both physically and psychologically.

More Dental Nightmare

2009-09-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

If you don't want to read about dental sh*t, skip this post. I am writing it more for my own benefit of being able to look back on it later.

It's 6AM Monday morning, and we have an appointment at the endodontist at 7:30AM. We made it through the weekend. Yesterday, thankfully, Rob was starting to feel a little better. I think the penicillin must have started kicking in, because taking ibuprofen seemed to keep the pain at bay without the need for any other pain medication. In fact, Rob was starting to feel a little silly about the scene with the urgent care doctor guy earlier that day.

Until last night. When he dozed off and slammed his teeth together in his sleep.

I have never seen ANYONE in so much pain in my life. It was awful. He took the rest of his pain meds and was agonizing for about twenty minutes. Agonizing doesn't even describe it. How do you describe someone who is at the very limit of their pain threshold? And this is not muscle pain. It's nerve pain. Eyes glazed over, drooling uncontrollably, not knowing whether to walk or sit, clenching fists, groaning, short, shallow breaths. It made ME want to throw up. All I could do was watch.

So, to avoid that incident again, he stayed awake the rest of the night. I dozed and slept, intermittently checking on him. His face is more swollen than it was yesterday. The swelling is all the way up just below his eye. The pain seems to be at bay, however, as long as he does not talk too much or eat anything. He has a low-grade fever, but it hasn't gotten any worse.

Please, please, let this doctor be able to help. All I want is for him to feel better.

Taxes: Everyone Wants Their Piece

2009-09-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

Living in a foreign country brings with it a whole host of challenges, not the least of which is figuring out how to pay what to whom. If taxes in the United States aren't complicated enough, now there are two countries to worry about. I'm not an expert at this, and I don't do it all myself, but here is some of what I have learned so far:

Income tax: If you earn U.S. dollars but live abroad, there are some pros and cons:

The foreign-earned income exemption: You don't need to pay U.S, taxes on the first 85k you earn in a foreign country. Yes, even if you work for a U.S. company. The hitch is, you have to have been in that country for all but 30 days of the calendar year (which we have not been-- doh!)
State Taxes: If you haven't been in the U.S. and don't have a house there, you are not a resident of any state. So you don't pay any state tax, right? Well, each state has different rules about what qualifies as a resident, and CA is VERY tough on this one. You have to be careful how you prove you are not a resident. AND if you are NOT a resident of any state, complications arise with all kinds of other bureaucratic tasks, such as banking.
What do I withhold? When I got a job working virtually, my status as an overseas resident stumped the accounting department. What taxes are they supposed to withhold? The solution was to create my own business, and just send the company an invoice. So technically, my boss is my client. Now I have to include the business income on my tax returns.
Argentina: Don't know much about Argentine income taxes yet, as we are not residents, But there is no treaty between the countries, and Argentina requires you to pay taxes on worldwide income. No exemptions for what you already paid in the U.S. I'm procrastinating on this one. Needless to say, I will try my hardest to stay within the letter of the law in both countries while not getting f**ked. (I know what you are going to say- it doesn't matter whether you are a resident- only the length of time you have been there.... *has hands over ears* BLAH BLAH BLAH- I CAN'T HEAR YOU....)

Property Taxes:

If you own property in Argentina, you have to pay annual property taxes on that property (usually about 1.5% of the purchase price.) NO ONE WILL TELL YOU THIS UNLESS YOU ASK ABOUT IT, AND THERE IS NO BILL. If you don't pay these taxes, you won't be able to sell the property in the future without a lot of complications. An Argentine accountant needs to register the payment with the government, so don't do this by yourself. This is different than the tax bills you get to cover the cost of city services (below:)
City taxes: I don't know about other cities, but in Buenos Aires, you get a quarterly bill for a tax that covers the cost of trash pickup, etc. Not very expensive, but don't pay the bill late, or you will have to take 1/2 a day to go do it at the city office.

Sales Taxes:

Taxes on imported goods in Argentina are insane. You can end up paying twice or three times the cost of electronic equipment you would pay in the U.S. All I can see this doing is keeping laptops from teenagers who could use them to learn highly valuable skills. There is wifi on every corner, but only the elite use it. What a shame.

That's all the taxes I can think of. I didn't get into a lot of details, since I am not an accountant, but it gives you an idea of the issues you have to deal with between two countries. It takes a little bit of the romance out of traveling abroad. It requires organization, patience, and tenacity.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

How I Deal With Thyroid-induced Depression

2009-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

With our family histories of mental illness, I think Rob and I are both secretly afraid that one of us is going to crack up some day. Hence, the worried expression on his face when I wake up in tears. Literally. Coming out of the fog of sleep, there is a weight pushing down on my chest, making me feel acutely, profoundly, sad.

He asks me what's wrong. I don't know. He asks if it's something he did... No. He asks if I had a bad dream... No. He asks if something has happened... No. It's not rational. I've experienced a rational grief before when my father died. I know when it's justified. This time it's not. It feels like someone has died, but nothing serious has changed in my life.

If you have read my blog before, perhaps you know that I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, which makes my thyroid under-function. This depression happens occasionally, I believe, due to hormonal fluctuations, despite the medication I take working fine most of the time.

And so the way I deal with it is this: I think of the depression as something separate from me. It's not me; it's a symptom. I deal with it the same way I deal with a bad cold. When a virus hits you, you do what you can to get through it. I'm sad for a day, or a few. I let myself be sad. I cry at sappy commercials, feel pessimistic about the world, feel lonely, turn off the chat clients, and unplug the phone (and I'm usually more productive at work- like a cold, it's not debilitating, just annoying).

Then, over a few days, I gradually begin to feel better. I giggle at something. I put on a dress and make-up. I clean something, want to go out, and at some point it dawns on me that the dark cloud has passed, much the same way you realize after a cold you are not coughing or blowing your nose anymore.

Depression is really not as big of a deal as commercials for anti-depressants make it out to be. If it went on for months with no end in sight, then it would be a problem. But temporary mild or even moderate depression is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. It's not "crazy." It's just part of life. If it weren't for depression, we wouldn't have half of the great poetry that exists in the world, or Russian novels.

I think there is too much pressure on us to be in a good mood all the time. Where does this pressure come from? Is it an American thing? I don't know, but it's just not life. Embrace your melancholia. It makes the happy times that much more enjoyable.

Life By Default

2009-09-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

Coming back to the U.S. for a while has been a nice break from struggling with a different language and culture. But after being away, it has also given me some perspective on the culture I grew up with.

In this economic downturn, a lot of people are struggling with houses they can no longer afford, keeping up with car payments, the cost of children, etc. You can blame it on bad decisions, causing people to live beyond their means (as conservatives do). Or you can blame it on the evil corporate empire taking advantage of people in a big marketing machine (as liberals do). But I think it's a much more complicated intertwining of both. For a long time, my generation (X) in the United States has had it very easy. Unless you were a complete moron, you could land a job doing SOMETHING and get by. The economic situation was so good, you could major in philosophy, backpack through Europe, start a career late and still land on your feet. This has made us lazy about making decisions, and so a lot of people live life by default.

What is life by default? It's doing what everyone else does or what the great public relations and advertising machine tells you to do without thinking about whether it really fits the context of your life. It's having a huge white wedding because you dreamt of it since a child even though it will start your marriage in debt. It's getting into a mortgage that costs 40% of your income every month because the bank said you could "afford" it. It's getting saddled with a new car payment because you are too embarrassed to drive a clunker to the office. For a long time these "non-decision decisions," or default decisions didn't really matter, because even though you made major economic mistakes, you could sell your house at a profit, change jobs for a 20% raise, or cash in some stock options to make up for it. Not any more. I think for the first time in a long time, my generation has to economically grow up. The fantasy is over, kids.

I've made my share of "default" mistakes. I have a student loan hanging over my head that some "counselor" in a financial aid office stamped me through with a ten-minute decision that has stayed with me for over ten years. But I've tried to make my decisions with increasing deliberation as I have gotten older. When I asked myself why I wanted to have children in my twenties, the answer "because I always thought I would" was not good enough. It had to fit what was going on in the immediate context of my life. I wanted a lot of things as a little girl--to be a princess or a ballerina--but that doesn't fit whom I have become. I have responsibilities to a spouse whose feelings I need to respect, I have health issues I never could have anticipated, I have increasing awareness of my capacity to handle new burdens, whether financial or otherwise. Any decision has to fit who I am now, not who I was or who I want others to see me as.

It's O.K. to take the bus. It's O.K. to live in a trailer, not own a TV, get a job wherever you can to make ends meet, reconsider your political views, cut your hair short, change religions, change careers, have children, decide NOT to have children, as long as it's deliberate. As long as it fits. As long as it is YOU.

The next time I find myself being manipulated into something that doesn't feel right, whether it's pressure from a sales person to buy something I can't afford, or pressure from people to "keep up with the Joneses," I'm going to tell whoever it is to fuck off. No more decisions by default. That's my new mantra. When anyone asks why I have made a decision, I have an answer. That way, if my life takes a tumble, at least I know I have been true to myself.

Tour de Maine: final Thoughts

2009-09-07T09:29:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since we have been back, and I've done a lot of resting and recuperating from the bicycle tour. I've had some time to think back about it, and organize my thoughts:

The Challenges:

Bike handling. My balance is terrible, and it definitely hampered my progress. I need to go downhill slowly, and I get nervous on dirt and rocky roads. I have never done much cycling, however, so this should improve with more time on the bike.
Health. I had two health challenges: My thyroid, which made me a little emotional and tired, and my hands, of which I think I managed to injure the tendons a bit. My thyroid made me slightly moody which caused me to be depressed some mornings, and took some enjoyment out of the trip. I think this was because I'm not used to prolonged effort day after day. Next time, I think I may need to increase my meds just a touch- I will talk to a doctor about it. The injury to my hands made me incapable of performing a lot of tasks involved with packing, setting up the tent, etc. I think if my hands had held up I would have a better sense of efficacy and not felt so useless. This can be solved by adjusting my handlebars, and loosening my grip as I get more comfortable on the bike.
Difference in fitness: Rob is much more fit than I am, so the pace of the tour was a compromise; he had to slow down for me, and I had to push against my limits. He carried most of the weight which served to mitigate this somewhat, but I think he would enjoy a tour with someone who can ride 50-80 miles a day.

The good stuff:

The feeling of self-sufficiency. There is something very rewarding knowing that you can pack up and head out wherever you want, carrying everything you need with you. Even with all my problems, I felt so proud when people asked, "You are carrying everything on your bikes?" and said they had always wanted to do it. We came across a group tour with riders that carried nothing but fanny packs and had all their stuff in a van that rode behind them, and I have to admit I felt a little smug.
The connection with place. Getting to know a place by bicycle is very different than by car- you don't have the barrier between you and the world. You can smell the fields, read the hand-made signs outside people's driveways, and feel the undulations of the land. I feel like I know the Maine coast better than if I had driven it in a car.
The people we met. Our bikes were an easy topic of conversation for people who were interested, and I have to say, that people who are interested in bike touring are pretty cool. We had some really nice conversations with really nice people. It made me feel optimistic about humanity.

The future:

Will I tour again in the future? Definitely. What we might do differently next time:

Different handlebars. My hands are still not healed.
I need to work on my bike handling skills. It is still hard for me to look behind me or take a drink on the bike without losing my balance.
Take less stuff. I had too many clothes, and we didn't use our stove after we realized we were close to delis with warm food, even at our campsites.
Up my thyroid meds. Don't want to be so moody.
Pay more attention (via map or GPS) to the terrain. 30 miles with hills is as difficult (or more) as 50 miles of flats.
Keep stuff in dedicated bags. WE ended up doing this by the end of the trip, but we spent a lot of time in the beginning of the trip just looking for stuff.

Overall, I'm proud that we survived. It was a big leap for someone who hadn't done much cycling before, and Rob had a lot of patience with me. On balance, the sense of self-sufficiency and adventure outweigh the challenges. After I recover a bit, I'm ready for more. Patagonia, here we come!

What to Do About My Drinking

2009-09-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

I'm going back to Buenos Aires in three and a half weeks, and on my mind is how I am going to stay healthy when I get back. I am going to try and stay active, and eat a paleo-ish type diet.

One question I still haven't completely come to a decision on is what to do about drinking. Here in the U.S., I drink moderately by most standards. I have a hangover usually twice a year or so, on New Year's Day and the day after my birthday. I have wine or cocktails two or three times a week, and don't have more than three drinks usually. Two drinks is probably average.

When I was in Buenos Aires, I drank more than that. I couldn't give an average per day or week, but I was hung over a lot more than twice in a year. There are several reasons that drinking is easier there:

It's cheap. If you earn dollars, alcohol is very inexpensive. You can get a good bottle of Malbec for about $5 U.S. You can get a liter of beer for $2.

It's easily available. The grocery store is 50 yards from my front door. Two of the most popular bars for tourists and expats are within two blocks. Some stores deliver.

It's the center of social activities: Social gatherings are almost always in bars, and at parties, I am given a filled wine glass as soon as I walk in the door.

I don't have to drive. After dinner, I only have to be coherent enough to give a taxi driver my address, and I'm home.

I have more leisure time. Because I have domestic help, my life is centered around work and play. When work is over, it's over, and I have more time to enjoy myself.

There are a lot of expats over 40 who develop red noses and drink in the early afternoon. Bars are full of them. I know several people whom I think are on the edge of drinking dangerously, and one who has a definite problem. I don't want to be one of them. I don't think I have to quit drinking altogether. But I need to monitor myself.

So the question is: how do I maintain moderation while surrounded by excess? Give myself rules? Two drink max? No alcohol at home?

How do you handle moderation?

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

Tour de Maine: The End

2009-09-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! I'm back at Mom's house safe and sound. I feel quite lucky to have air conditioning, cable TV, and a nice bed.

We rode from Wiscasset to Freeport, and stayed at a campsite for two nights at the Desert of Maine. The Desert is this weird sand dune in the middle of the forest where they have a cheesy little museum and give guided tours.

On Wednesday, we rode into Freeport, about three miles from the campsite and did a little shopping and site seeing. The biggest attraction in Freeport is the L.L. Bean "campus":

It's a Mecca of outdoor activities. They have a whole building dedicated to fishing and hunting, another building dedicated to bikes and kayaking, etc. It's HUGE. They have created it as not just a store, but a destination, where they do concerts in the park. It seems a little weird to me to build an "experience"around a product, but whatever. (I bought a pair of shorts).

The reason I had to buy some stuff was that we finally left some stuff behind somewhere. With packing and unpacking almost every day, keeping track of our stuff was no small task. We finally left a compression bag of cycling clothes behind somewhere. Disappointing, but not a big deal.

Overall, I think the trip was a little more challenging than I thought- not physically, but psychologically. I was out of my element, and it is difficult to persevere in something you are not competent in. But I'm glad to have done it, and I'm sure after some time, I will do another one.

I'll have some final thoughts about the whole thing a little late after reflection, but for now, resting and catching up.

Tour De Maine: What Day Is It?

2009-08-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we were still camped at Camden Hills State Park, and that night it rained. And rained until midnight. And huge gusts of wind from another hurricane blew until about 3AM. But I have to say our Hilleberg tent is friggin' awesome. You could use this thing at the South Pole. I have to admit I was a little uneasy and had a hard time sleeping with the noise, but we were warm and dry.

On Sunday we only rode about 20 miles and stayed at Moody's Diner & Motel. This place is great in a weird, rustic, old-timey kind of way. The motel consists of little cabins that have had running water and electricity put in them, and the diner is full of locals that enjoy cheap and good eats. The place is still family-run.

We are getting pretty close to Portland and we don't want to be too early, so today we stopped in Wiscasset, which is another in a long line of charming little coastal towns. We are in another little hotel that is run by a woman who runs back and forth between the office and the Chinese restaurant in front.

My body is holding up pretty well, except for my hands, which are still a little worse for wear. I'm not going to return to CA any lighter, being too tempted by lobster rolls, fried fisherman's dinners, and whoopie pies. A whoopie pie is two chocolate cake-type cookies with a frosting between them:

Tomorrow we are off to Freeport, I think, where we might spend two days before riding to Portland. Southward ho!

Tour de Maine: The difference Between Fearless and Courageous

2009-08-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not fearless. I'm afraid of a lot of things. I'm afraid of going downhill too fast, of riding too far on the right side of the road, getting off balance with loaded panniers. But one doesn't have to be fearless to have courage; you just have to face your fears. I'm giving myself credit for being courageous enough to ride on despite my fears. It's been worth it.

After the hostel, we rode and camped on Mount Desert Island the next two days. The weather and scenery were great. I had a problem with my brakes, so we spent one day walking around Southwest Harbor while the nice guys at the bike shop fixed them. They adjusted my gears a bit as well.

On Wednesday, we rode off the island 30 miles and got a hotel room in Ellsworth. Did all our laundry, took long showers, etc. The hotel was a bit depressing. A lot of people with not much going on in their lives. Ellsworth is a place to get to other places.

On Thursday we rode 40 miles to Searsport and found a great private campsite next to the water. 40 miles was tough. With our bikes loaded, we do an average of 10 miles per hour, so it took us four hours riding time. The campsite had hot showers and laundry, however, which made us much more comfortable.

Yesterday we rode about 25 miles to Camden. After the hard day the day before, we were pretty tired. We knew there was a storm coming, so we rode into town for something to eat, bought some food and a couple of books, and hunkered down for the night in the tent at the state park. The rain started at about 3:30 in the AM, and still pours as I write at 1:30 PM the next day.

The tent held up fantastically, and we were warm and dry all night; but the thought of spending a whole day in the tent was too much, so we took a taxi in to town for breakfast, and are now at the public library catching up with the world.

My bike handling is getting much better. I still need to go downhill slowly so that I don't get off-balance. Rob usually ends up way ahead of me going downhill since he is carrying most of the load, and I catch up going uphill. We've each had our moments of getting frustrated at ourselves and each other, but we've had a lot of laughs as well. I'm glad to have a day off of riding, and I think Rob is, too. The last two days were tough.

Mainers are friendly, taciturn, and sporty. Lots of boots and ball caps. I don't see a lot of women dolled up unless they are rich. People here are tough. You have to be to survive the winters. The land and the weather are very important. People live on the lobster, blueberry, and forest industries. They are laid back as well. We haven't been honked at once. People in cars just slow down and calmly drive around us.

I hope the rain will stop soon. One more night at the state park, and tomorrow we keep heading south.

Tour De Maine: The Blueberry Adventure Day 3

2009-08-24T17:59:00.002-07:00

It rained all night lst night. Good thing we were in the hostel. Hostels are weird places. Rob stayed up talking to someone really interesting, but he said the funniest quote was, "Wait! I haven't shown you all my knives yet!"

The day started not so well. We dropped off the rental car and started back to the island on our bikes fully loaded, but I was not very good at keeping my bike balanced. I think my bags were unevenly packed, and my front end would waver as I went downhill. So I got all panicky and didn't have a very good time. I felt a bit discouraged, the way I felt when I first started riding and found that bike handling is difficult for me. After we got to camp and set up, we rode a little without the panniers, which went a little better.

Our campsite is just off a fjord- I can't recall the name just now- but the view from the waterline is gorgeous. We went out onto the dock at the end of the day and just "wasted time" in the sun with our feet in the water, surrounded by puffy clouds and a pine-lined shore. It made the day more bearable, and despite thinking that bicycle touring might be a failure, I feel like I am able to persevere tomorrow.

Right now we just finished eating a dinner of canned chili, and Rob is building a fire. There is an open wireless network, so we are checking our email and the news of the day a bit before we wind down and go to sleep.

Tomorrow will be better. The only thing I regret right now is forgetting to pack soap. :(

Tour De Maine: The Blueberry Adventure Day 2

2009-08-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

The shack where Rob used to work as a teenager

Portland to Bar Harbor (Bah-ha-bah)

Today we took the rental car and drove up to Bar Harbor. On the way, we stopped at Bucksport and Rob reminisced about some of his childhood memories. Just outside the town we stopped at the shack where he used to work as a teenager cutting up frozen chickens and deep frying seafood for a little over $2.00 an hour.

The drive was gorgeous and relaxing- everyone drives so slowly there is nothing to get stressed out about- and we spent the day looking at trees and water.

We continued up to Bar Harbor, and walked around the little town. We thought the weather would be terrible due to the hurricane off the coast, but it was beautiful. However, there were some very high waves in the afternoon that swept some people into the ocean, which was the talk of Bar Harbor today everywhere we went. We had a lobster dinner (of course) and are staying the night in the Bar Harbor Hostel. As I speak, the rain just started, so it's a good thing we are spending the night inside. We thought we would use the tent platforms behind the hostel, but they are too small for our tent, so perhaps that was fortuitous.

The hostel suits our needs- it's halfway between "roughing it" and staying in a hotel. We are not the oldest ones here, as we feared. There is a couple in their 30's (perhaps we are older than them, but I'm not sure) and there is only one weird guy who seems off-kilter. The rest of the guests are travelers from all over the globe in their 20's. The Swiss girls are getting flirted with.

We thought we would spend four nights in Bar Harbor before moving on, but the town was so crowded and touristy, we are anxious to get on the bikes and into nature, so tomorrow we will bike back onto the island from returning the rental car and go to a campsite, weather permitting. If it's pouring down rain tomorrow, our plans might change.

So tonight maybe we will venture out for a nightcap and try to get a good night's sleep in separate dorms. Then onward into the wilderness.

Tour de Maine: The Blueberry Adventure Day 1

2009-08-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing I said as I saw the Maine countryside through the window of the plane was, "It's full of trees!" I've never seen so many trees, but the lush surroundings come with a price: humidity. It's humid, bit not hot enough to be too uncomfortable, about 85 degrees. The hurricane is off the coast a little further south, but we didn't see any sign of it today. It was lovely.

From the airport, we dropped of our wheels at a bike shop to be trued (straightened and the spokes adjusted) and checked into the hotel. The bike shop called us and said they were done earlier than we thought, so I drove back to pick them up. And got lost. I found the bike shop all right, but it took me about an hour to get back to the hotel. The roads in this town are crazy! Half of them don't have street signs! I even stopped and asked for directions and still was completely clueless.The bright side is I got to see a lot of Portland, which is an old, quaint, hip, laid back town. We didn't think we needed a GPS on this trip, but now I'm reconsidering.

We went out to dinner at a French restaurant called Evangeline-- the last nice dinner we will have for a couple of weeks. We had duck prepared in a duck press. If you have never heard of it, google it. Prettty bizarre. Of course, we took video, so we will post it soon. Our busboy was from Sudan and this was his last night working. He's starting at the University of Maine on the 28th to study medicine.

So far, no big problems. The bikes got through the flight all right, and seem to be in working order. Rob put them together while I was driving around lost. We will know more when we start riding.

Tomorrow, we drive to Bar Harbor and check into the hostel for the night. We won't start riding in earnest until Monday. Rob spent a lot of his childhood in Bar Harbor, so it should be nostalgic for him.

Now, for a good night's sleep.

Maine Tour: Countdown

2009-08-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

We leave tomorrow evening for Maine, where we will be bicycle touring for two weeks. We fly into Portland, drive up to Bar Harbor, stay there for four days, and then bike back to Portland. I think preparations are going well:

Fitness: when we were visiting my brother, we took a 3-hour ride and did 40 miles on the flats, so I feel pretty good about that. The third hour was tough on my arms, neck, and back, but my legs were fine. Yesterday we did a 70-minute ride in the hills that took 90 minutes when I first started training, so I am definitely stronger. There should be some hills on our route, but I'm not sure how many or how steep they will be. I think CA hills should prepare me for just about anything, though. Rob's fitness is not a problem. He can blow by me up hills with his bike loaded with gear. I'm the slow link.

Bike Gear: We have broken down and put the bikes back together (they are Ritchie Breakaway frames), and everything has been fine. We did a one-night camping trip at the beach and our tent worked fine as well. My gears are slipping a little bit, so we need to adjust that. We will get the wheels trued in Portland before we drive to Bar Harbor.

Weather: I need to buy a couple of warm, thin layers for the cold mornings and we need some rain jackets for showers. We already have rain protectors to go on the outside of our panniers, and Rob is buying a dry bag for our electronics, so we should be able to handle a few showers. What we can't ride in, however, is the HURRICANE that is expected to blow by when we get there! The hurricane looks like it might blow through while we are in Bar Harbor though, so the worst case is that we have to hunker down for a couple of days and read instead of cycling around the island. At least I hope that is the worst scenario- here is the projected path:

It should make things a little more unpredictable, so we'll see what happens.

Electronic Gear: We will have a little netbook so we can check email, download maps, etc. We will also have a camera and a Flip video camera, so I hope to update pictures either during the trip or shortly afterwards. It would be nice if I can blog day by day.

Digital Guidebook: Telecommuting Challenges

2009-08-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have a new post on the Digital Guidebook about the challenge of over-reaching while telecommuting.

Link

Personality and Love

2009-08-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about personality lately. Rob and I have totally different personalities: He is high-strung, impatient, and passionate. I am mellow, slow-but-steady, and shy. This leads to fights sometimes, but they don't matter that much. They usually have to do with me being too timid to send back a dish I don't like at a restaurant, or his spouting off his political opinions at inappropriate times. We are together a lot- we both work from home, and we are going bike touring together- so these little flare-ups happen quite a bit.

But one's personality is quite separate from their values, and these Rob and I are totally aligned on. All the major decisions in our lives have been made together, harmoniously, from moving to Argentina to choosing bicycle touring as a hobby to keep us fit. Keeping this perspective helps me through the times when I get mad at him- he might talk too much or eat what I had saved for myself in the fridge, but he also has offered to live with my mother when she is too frail to take care of herself.

Personality has little to do with friendships, either. Often, I will make friends with someone new because their personality is charming and bubbly (I am shy, so making friends with another shy person doesn't happen as often). But one's personality has little to do with whether we become close friends or not. Choosing friends has more to do with values. A bubbly charming person who thinks that lying or stealing is acceptable is not going to be my close friend. There are people whom I enjoy having lunch with, but lose respect for when I find out they believe in a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world (seriously, this has happened).

I was very saddened when an acquaintance going through a divorce told me that she loved her husband, but he was "too critical" all the time. Granted, there might be more to the relationship than I will ever know, but I hope she is not tearing apart her life for a personality conflict.

Too often we admire those who "get along with people." We hold this up in school and in corporate life. But getting along with people is really as superficial as whether someone is well-groomed. It matters, but less than we think. It's important to see past the personality to the real person- and this has to do with what one values, the decisions based on those values, and the actions based on the decisions.

So the next time Rob annoys me by yelling at the AM radio station or makes me cringe by asking sensitive questions at a dinner party, I remember that he has also encouraged me to quit my job if I want to write full-time, helped lift my father from the bed to the toilet when he was ill, and just finished a road trip with my mother in the back seat to visit my family.

That's Love.

Humanity

2009-08-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

Mom, Rob, and I are staying at the Stockton Hilton while visiting my brother and family. The Hilton is one of the better hotels in town, and we splurged a little on the hotel because we drove all the way up here and didn't buy any plane tickets.

So far the hotel has been great, with the exception of one night.

There was a wedding the night before last, and unfortunately, the hotel has one of those designs where rooms look out onto an open courtyard. The room with the wedding reception also opens into the courtyard, so we could hear the music all night. I don't really care too much- it's a wedding after all. I'm not going to complain about someone's big day. Turn the TV up and stay in the room- normally.

But. There was also as softball tournament somewhere close by, and some of the players were staying down the hall from us. Twenty-somethings, getting drunk after the game and ordering pizza. They were also hanging out in the hallway and looking over the balcony at the wedding reception. I was in my room when this happened, but apparently, they eventually made some rude remarks to the wedding party.

I came out of my room when I heard some wedding guests yelling at the softball dorks about being insulted by racial comments and threatening to come upstairs and start a fight. To cut a long story short, police came, the jocks moved to the bar across the street, so did some of the wedding guests, police came again, then the police came a third time and escorted the wedding party out of the hotel after the reception (Can you imagine this happening at your wedding?).

Some of the wedding guests were pretty drunk and rowdy I guess, but I suppose I give them a little slack since they were provoked. They were all pretty young as well, probably all in their twenties.

Here is what really bothers me: Who gets drunk and has the nerve to make nasty comments to people at a wedding? Comments that provoke violence (or the threat of)? RACIAL comments?

Young testosterone-filled binge-drinkers who apparently have no sense of common decency. This is not the first time I have seen jerks like these, and I'm sure it's not the last. I haven't seen any in Argentina, except for American or European tourists. These guys are scary. They are big, strong, drunk, and dumb. A toxic combination.

Part of it is a group mentality, like a pack of wild dogs. I bet if I were to meet any one of them individually, they wouldn't seem so bad. But put them together, and they all convince each other that what they are doing is macho. This is how rapes happen.

Where did these guys come from? How did they turn out this way? Who raised them, and how did they devolve into the cretins they are?

Very, very disturbing.

Eating Healthy in Buenos Aires

2009-08-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

I've been back in the States now for three months, and my health is definitely improving from all the cycling I've been doing, but my eating has not been as healthy as it could be. I'm not putting myself under a lot of pressure about it, but I'm definitely trying to plan how I can eat better when I get back to Buenos Aires.

I try to stick to a paleo-ish diet at least 80% of the time (No grains, little dairy- a diet of mostly lean meats, fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables). Lately, this percent has probably gone down to about 50 or 60%, because my family eats different things and it's hard not to eat grains when they are in the house.

But it is possible to eat a paleo diet in Argentina, especially in the city, because meat markets and vegetable markets are all within walking distance. I just have to take the time to walk to them. And now that my Spanish is good enough to actually speak with the vendors, it should
be easier. Here is a list of things I am going to shoot for, and things I'm going to try to avoid:

The good list:

Image via saltshaker.net

1. Meat, of course. Argentine beef is grass-fed, so it is pretty lean. I eat a lot of red meat and my digestion is fine, and my cholesterol is fine. I can order a variety of meat at a parrilla along with a salad and skip the bread. It is easy to get organ meats in Argentina, as well. I love the sweetbreads.

2. Fish- Argentines don't eat a lot of fish, typically, but there are fish markets, and I need to learn a few more types of fish in Spanish so I can pick out some good fish for a quick dinner. Most restaurants have at least one fish on the menu, typically merluza.

3. Salads- when eating out at a cafe, salads usually consist of a list of vegetables you can have cut up and put in a bowl, served with oil and vinegar. You choose from a list- beets, carrots, and lettuce, for example. I definitely need to take advantage of this more often.

4. Nuts. I don't eat enough of these. It's a great way to get some good fat, and make me feel full. They are generally pretty pricey compared to other things in the grocery store, so I tend to avoid them.

The bad list:

Empanadas

1. Pizza. Cheese and bread do not a healthy person make. Carbs, + fat + salt. Avoid when possible.

2. Empanadas. Hard to avoid. They are everywhere, cheap, and fast. Meat and/or cheese filled savory pastry. Some are fried. Ham and cheese is popular.

3. Pasta. There are a lot of home-made pasta shops, so I have to try hard to avoid these as well. Once in a while I will splurge on a special occasion. But a pasta meal makes me feel bad the next day if I am not used to eating it.

4. Pastries. Croissants, facturas, etc. In shop windows everywhere, and popular for breakfast. Not as evil as Krispy-Kreme, but almost.

The once-in-a-while list:

Image of a picada via visualvamp.blogspot.com

1. Tarts. These are very popular, and although they are made with a dough crust on the bottom, they are usually filled with eggs, and various different kind of vegetables. Squash is popular, as is acelga, which I believe is similar to chard.

2. Milanesa Napolitana. Breaded chicken or beef cutlet, fried, and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. There is usually too much cheese to be healthy, but it is so good, I gotta have it once in a while. And other than the breading, there is not much grain. They usually use safflower oil for frying.

3. Picada. This is a platter of meats and cheeses for snacking. Many come with nuts as well. I try to avoid meats that are processed with salt and nitrates. But it is an adequate choice once in a while, when shopping or walking around on a hot day, with a beer. Since there is so much fat, they are very filling, so a little goes a long way.

4. Yogurt. Argentines love their yogurt, but it's hard to get natural yogurt that doesn't have a lot of stuff added. I can find sugar-free yogurt, but that has aspartame, which I don't think is great on a daily basis. But it helps the digestion, and you can't buy the digestive supplements in pill form like you can in the states.

Like I said, I'm not a diet nazi, but I try to keep myself within the 80% range of a paleo-type diet. I do have ice cream occasionally, or pasta. But the healthier I eat, the worse I feel when I go off the pattern, so I can keep it pretty steady when I am on a roll. With a little will-power, it is possible to eat paleo in Argentina.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

Bike Fitness

2009-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's my fourth week training for bicycle touring, and my fitness is definitely improving: both my cardiovascular fitness, and my muscle strength. Before I started this "program" I wondered whether I could get a Crossfit-style workout on the bike: variation, big movements, intensity. the answer in general, is yes. Especially if you live in the hills.

Riding up hills gives intervals of very high intensity with periods of rest. If I push a big enough gear, it's a great leg workout. It's as intense as running sprints.
I work all the big muscle groups in the lower half of my body. Even when trying to keep a high pace on the flats, I work my abs and lower back in order to keep stabilized.
You can do intervals on the flats if you push the pace high enough.
We change our route every time we go out so we will get a different type of workout: Long and flat one day, hilly and short another, working skills in the park another.
We take days off in between where we do nothing.

Of course, the obvious muscle group that is missing is arms. Eventually, I will work in some arm exercises after a ride when I can handle it. But you'd be surprised at the level of arm strength needed for descending, so the arms don't stay completely unused.

Bicycle touring does not equal fitness necessarily. One can ride from town to town at a leisurely pace, and drink a bottle of wine and a huge pasta dinner each night. But if you keep the intensity up, vary the route so that you work in some hills, and watch the diet, it can be a great way to keep in shape, and see some of the country besides.

Being Healthy vs. Being Thin

2009-08-06T08:33:00.001-07:00

It's now the third week of training for bicycle touring, and I am already feeling a lot fitter. The first two weeks were very difficult to get through- I felt tired all the time. But now I am recovering faster, and starting to feel a boost in my energy. My bike handling skills have gotten better as well--I am clipping in and out, climbing quite well (relatively), and rode three hours out to the beach with panniers (of course Rob takes the heavy stuff on his bike). Yay, me!

I haven't lost much weight, though. I thought I would be down about five pounds at this point. I was discouraged at first, but it has made me reflect on why I am doing this in the first place, and how important the weight loss is.

First of all, you have to ride intensely to get fit and start losing weight. In order to ride intensely, you have to build up your capacity to do so. Noodling around at 10 miles an hour isn't going to help you burn calories. So I need a few weeks to be fit enough to handle the intensity that will lead to weight loss.

Second, and more importantly, I need to keep in mind that being thin and being healthy are not the same thing. I want to be healthy. That means have a healthy heart, good lungs, some strength, and good energy throughout the day. I can be 15 lb.s overweight and have all this.

Losing 15lbs. is vanity. I don't want dimply thighs or a fat ass. I want clothes to look good on me. There is nothing wrong with this, it's just important to keep it in perspective. Judging one's health by weight alone is like judging the health of the economy by the stock market, and we all know how that goes. I've seen plenty of skinny people who drink too much, smoke too much, eat poorly, and have a high body fat percentage because they don't have any muscle. You can be skinny and unhealthy.

Of course I have some health issues that make staying thin a good idea, like type II diabetes in the family. But these health issues usually come at the border of obesity, and I am not there.

So I'm not discouraged by the scale. The weight loss will come. (My vanity cannot be shaken.) But more importantly, I have energy today! And after the months (years?) of suffering fatigue from being hypothyroid, this is heavenly. Dimply thighs or not.

Our New Adventure: Week 1

2009-07-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

So Rob and I are preparing for some bicycle touring. Next to moving to another country, this has got to be one of the most challenging things I have ever done, because

I am way out of shape.
It's my first time ever riding a bike in any serious way. I don't even know how to shift or clip into the pedals.
I'm clumsy. I haven't fallen over yet, but I will soon, I'm sure.
I'm about 15 pounds overweight, which makes hills that much harder.
I'm old. O.K., so I'm the same age as Lance Armstrong, but he's considered an old dog for cycling, and I have 1/1000th of his capacity.

It's been a week since I've had the bike, and I've been out every day on it. I've definitely had some "What was I thinking?" moments. The first day riding I flipped out going uphill when I had to stop and couldn't get started again, broke down crying because I was scared and panicked, and walked it down the hill. I've improved since then. I can get started on a hill now, even if I am a little clumsy about it. I've gotten used to shifting, but still have a little trouble clipping in. I'm not a very good climber, and get scared descending very fast. I haven't ridden with the panniers yet. I've been exhausted all week.

However, I've managed two hours solid in the saddle my first week, which is pretty good. I'm getting more comfortable riding with traffic, (although riding on empty country roads is what we aim for), and I can feel my body starting to adapt little by little.

We have an apartment booked in Bariloche for two months in the South American Summer, so I need to have the basic fitness to cycle daily in the Andes. I've looked at the pictures of the views from some of the rides, which as definitely kept me motivated. (That, and the hope that I will lose the extra 15 lbs.)

After I get past the "Oh my god, this is torture" phase, I can see the fun at the end of the tunnel. Rob and I can chat as we ride along, and enjoy the outdoors together. It will keep us healthy, and provide us with a way to see other parts of the world.

Nothing worth doing is ever easy. But this is definitely worth it.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

The Four Biggest Things That Creep Me Out about the U.S.

2009-07-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the country for a year and a half, with the exception of a couple of weeks last year. I expected to just slide right back into the culture here, like riding a bicycle with a big "Aaaaah." Not so. I feel uneasy. Whether the USA has changed or I have changed, I am not sure--probably a mixture of both.

I don't want to dwell on my existential crisis about not feeling at home in either country, but I do want to mention the biggest things that creep me out about the U.S. since I have been gone for a while.

The obesity epidemic. Seriously. Yesterday I was in a coffee shop, and as I watched people walk by, I did not see one person who looked to be their ideal weight. A lot of people looked like they could shed 15 lbs. or so (including me), but there were a scary number of people that are going to (if they don't already) have serious health problems. The food portions everywhere are huge, and made of layers of carbs, fat, and salt, made to stimulate our pleasure centers. We are being manipulated into eating. If everyone were addicted to drugs there would be an outcry. But being "addicted" to eating seems to be O.K. Weird.
The news. The majority of news on television is awful. It's emotional, sensationalistic, puts celebrity in front of serious issues, and just plain trashy. I'm sure a lot of Argentina news is the same way, but I don't understand enough Spanish to get it. If the food companies are manipulating our food cravings, the news stations are manipulating our emotions.
The car culture. At least where I am, in the California suburbs, you have to drive to get anywhere. No corner shops or pubs where people run into each other. The only time neighbors get together is when there is a robbery or the old lady across the street died. We are all isolated from each other.
Religiosity. I just spent a year and a half in a country that is 80% or so Roman Catholic, and no one mentioned God the whole time I've been there (almost-expat Americans did.) The truth is, most Argentines are religious in name only- it's a tradition more than a belief system. Religion is for weddings and funerals, Christmas and Easter, and the rest of the time, real life presides. I cannot believe the number of Americans that think the earth is 10,000 years old or younger, or believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. I know I am biased as an atheist, but I think even believers from other countries would be creeped out of they knew what most Evangelicals believe, and how serious they take it.

I still love the United States. The National Anthem makes me cry every time. But coming back after some time away has made me see it in a way I couldn't before. I feel a little more like a stranger.

Burgers and Sandwiches and Pies, Oh My!

2009-07-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is a take-out menu from Marie Callendars. They don't put the calories on the sit-down menu. Check out the "The Works" Frisco burger: 1810 calories! That's a whole day's calories in one sandwich, and it doesn't include a drink or dessert. The pies are 500- 600 calories a piece. No onder half the people walking in were so big. Jeez.

Comparison of Legal/Illegal Activities between Argentina and the U.S.

2009-07-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

I made a spreadsheet that compares what is legal/illegal in Argentina and the U.S. This is from my own general knowledge, so if you see mistakes, please leave a comment.

I would also be interested in things that are legal in one country and illegal in the other that I missed.

Link to spreadsheet

It's hard to make a generalization about either country by what each chooses to make legal/illegal, but I think the laws reflect the different religious roots. Argentina is largely Roman Catholic, and abortion is illegal, but the people generally have a "live-and-let-live" attitude to most people's personal lives. The protestant background of the U.S. generally is reflected in less restrictions on trade, but a more moralizing aspect to people's personal lives.

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

How Google Works and What to Do When It Doesn't

2009-06-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

A new post on The Digital Guidebook .

Don't Worry, Argentina is Probably not Crying for You.....

2009-06-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

So it turns out the Sanford, the lost governor was is Buenos Aires. He was having an affair with a Porteña. I love this quote:

"I spent the past five days of my life crying in Argentina," he said, "so I could come back and cry here."

Plenty of men come to Argentina for the women. He's just the one that got caught. Great press for the city.

Link to story

Yay!

2009-06-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

This came in the mail to my brother's house a while ago, and he just forwarded it to me at my Mom's. It feels good to see the piece of paper.

Who is Circadia Anyway?

2009-06-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Jumping across the equator from winter to summer has been fantastic, but it has messed up my sleep rhythm a little bit. It is light out right now until well after 8PM, and the sun rises obscenely early.

I kept the little sleep mask that Delta gave me on the night flight over here, and I've been wearing it at night. It's helped my sleep pattern a lot. I'm very sensitive to light, and wearing the mask helps me to get to sleep faster and wake up when I want to in the morning.

I've used sleep masks before, but often-times the ones I have bought are uncomfortable because the elastic is too tight, and I stop wearing them.

A bonus: Rob can use his computer in bed without the light waking me up.

Blog Readers

2009-06-20T22:44:00.001-07:00

I have a new post on my Digital Guidebook for newbies on Blog Readers. If you don't already use one, you might want to check it out.

Boys' Club

2009-06-15T09:20:00.001-07:00

There was another presentation at a Flash conference recently that was highly inappropriate for the context. Wow.

From the Geek Girls Guide

Phone Solutions

2009-06-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

This post was written, in part, for affordablecallingcards.net where Julia writes about her expat adventures, as well as on this blog. You can follow her in both places.

I'm in the U.S. for a little while, and while I am here, I'd like a cell phone to use. There are plenty of places that sell inexpensive phones with pre-paid plans. But I want:

A Querty keyboard, so I can text message easily because I'm a total boob at texting on a regular keypad.
A phone that I can unlock and has GSM quadband so I can pop in my Argentine prepaid phone card when I get back to Argentina.

That's it. I don't want email, Internet-- all that stuff. Just a phone. A phone that I can call and text with. And I want to take it to South America with me.

AT&T is the only place that has a pre-paid phone with a Querty keyboard, but you have to go to a third-party retailer to have it unlocked, which is risky. If they do it wrong, you freeze your phone and it's no good.

Solution: I bought an unlocked phone from Overstock.com. It's a three-year-old Blackberry. I can't use all the data stuff, but I don't care, because I just want a cheap phone. I bought a SIMM card from AT&T, and I have a pay-as you-go phone. And I can pop in my Argentine SIMM card when I get to Argentina and have my Argentina # work. Plus, I have my Skype-in number forward to whichever phone I am using at the time.

The best part? It cost me about $80 dollars. Cheaper than the AT&T pay-as-you-go phone.

The 16:20 in the pic was an accident ;)

I'm Watching You

2009-05-31T04:31:00.000-07:00

Google Analytics lets me know how many people come to my blog, and from where. It's pretty handy. It also lets me know what keywords people used in Google to search for my blog. Here are yesterday's search terms:

Look at the last one. WTF? O.K., people, I *hope* you are looking for nude pictures of another Julia Evans. If not, stop it. You won't find any of me on the intertoobs. Holy mackerel. [Shivers and goes to get the bad taste out of her mouth.]

My Experience with the Argentine Medical System

2009-05-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I was diagnosed as hypothyroid, which means I have to consult with an endocrinologist, take meds every day, and go get my blood checked once every few months. I have done all this here in Buenos Aires, so I thought I would give a little summary of what the experience has been like.

Argentina has a national health system, which is free for its citizens. I have heard two things about this: 1) It's free for everybody and isn't that great, and 2) Don't use it if you can avoid it, especially the hospitals. They also have a private health system, which can be paid for with insurance, or by cash.

Since the cost is low enough for me, I pay cash. It's simple. No forms, no hassles, and you know how much everything costs. No one turns you down for anything. I get the tests I want. (Libertarian rant: Does anyone who is in favor of national health care consider that if health care is nationalized it will go the way of eduction--crappy? That seems to be the case here. The private system is superior.)

I got diagnosed with Hashimoto's when I went to an OB/GYN for a regular yearly exam. He asked me how I was feeling generally, and when I said fatigued, he sent me for some blood tests. He has a small office in a high-rise building run by just him and his secretary. I never wait more than two minutes past my appointment time. He never has more than one patient at a time in the waiting room. It's quiet, comfortable, and I pay around $200 pesos per consultation (about $55 bucks). This is pricey. He is very exclusive. His office is five blocks from my apartment. But he is wonderful, and he practiced for years in Chicago.

I go for the blood tests at a lab 1 1/2 blocks from my apartment, taken by a little old man who has been doing it for years. There is no one else in the lab. I am in and out in ten minutes. I pick up the blood tests MYSELF a couple days later. I bring them to the doctor. I think my thyroid tests cost me $50 pesos ($14 dollars).

This is a major difference here. With a few exceptions, I have picked up my lab results for a mammogram, thyroid ultrasound, and blood tests myself. I keep them myself. They are owned by me. It is a little more work on my part to get them and keep track of them, but I can take them to a different doctor if I want, or research the numbers myself online. My thyroid biopsy was done at a hospital, and they kept the results because it is the hospital where the endocrinologist practices.

My endocrinologist is a $20 peso taxi ride out to another neighborhood. She is excellent. Like the OB/GYN, she spends time talking to me, writing all my information down by hand on an index card. She speaks English (just got back from a conference in the U.S.) She charges $70 pesos per consultation (about $20 dollars). She gives me the change out of her pocket. She writes me a prescription for some medicine, and I go to the pharmacy down the block for it. I don't even have to show them the scrip. I just tell them what I want and they give me a box of bubble-wrapped capsules. $14 pesos (about $4 dollars-- granted, this medicine is cheap in the States, too.)

I need to go through the blood test/endo appointment thing about every three or four months, and go back to the OB/GYN each year.

So this is my experience-- good health care, low cost (at least for me. I know my financial situation here makes me very lucky), extremely efficient. I feel more in control of my health here than I did in the States.

New Blog

2009-05-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

I always get questions from non-technical types about what Twitter is, how does one follow more than a few blogs, how to search beyond Google, etc.

I have new blog that will be specifically about managing a digital life: from navigating social networks, to online tutoring, to simple life hacks. It's sort of an everyman's guide to managing a digital life.

The Digital Guidebook

Comments welcome.

At Least You Have Your Health

2009-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting as much as I wanted to over the last few months, mostly due to health issues: I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which means that my thyroid isn't producing the hormone it should. The result is that I get wicked bouts of mood swings and days that I am so fatigued I can't get out of bed for more than a few hours at a time. I thought I was just extremely lazy, or getting bouts of the flu.

The good news is, I've been taking meds for it, and feel my energy coming back. The mood swings are fewer and farther between, so I am not insane or driving Rob insane. I have had very positive experiences with the medical care here, which I might expand on in another post. The other good news, had a biopsy on the nodules on my thyroid, and there is no cancer. So. I've dived into a few new projects, so I will probably have more to blog about:

1) I'm getting paid to blog about expat issues for a site that wants to build a community around it, so I will definitely be blogging on a regular basis there, and here.

2) I'm taking singing classes. Fun, fun, fun. The teacher is Viviana Scarlassa, a tango singer. I recommend her highly. Enjoying myself. I like a singing teacher that starts classes with a medical diagram of the respiratory system.

3) I have a couple of book ideas. One is about my experience teaching for the B. Family for seven years as their private teacher, and the other is a book on managing digital information for the non-technical person.

Of course, I still have my regular work and Rob has a business project in the works. So I am glad to get the whole hormone thing sorted out.

It's so true that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything.

Unnoticed

2009-05-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

The phone rings. Husband picks it up.

"Hola?"

"Hi Rob, it's S-. May I speak with Julia?"

"Julia left a while ago, I think."

"No I didn't! I'm here!" I yell from downstairs.

"Julia was there but you didn't know it?" Laughs S-.

"Wow. I guess not."

How can you not be aware of someone else's presence in a 1,000 sq. ft. loft where every snore, gulp, or hiccup bounces off the walls? I guess I need to start wearing a bell around my neck. ;)

One batata, two batata

2009-04-27T17:17:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of the package of french-fried sweet potatoes I am making.

I'm going to translate, to the best of my ability the directions on the back of the package:

1. Preheat the oven.

2. Place the potatoes on a pan in one layer.

3. Turn them to have even browning.

4. Take them out when they have reached the desired state.

It's funny- a couple of items of information seem to be missing:

Preheat the oven to what temperature? Cook them how long, approximately? I guess it doesn't matter. My oven only has "high" and "low" anyway- no temperatures.

Update on the Porn Preso

2009-04-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

I got an email back from the creator of the preso below, explaining himself, but not understanding my point of view at all. I won't publish his email, because I respect his privacy, but I will post my response:

Hi XXXX,

Thank you for your response. You are right about the aggressiveness of my last email; I apologize for the strong words. I wrote while I was angry, and frankly, I didn’t expect a response. Since you took the time to reply, I will attempt to explain myself in kind. In fact, I feel I must, since you do not seem to understand my position.

Let me be clear: I am not offended at any particular image or even the theme of your presentation as such. I am shocked at its use in the conference. Let me explain by analogy. It is common to wear a bikini on the beach; nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong even in going topless (in my opinion), or even nude in some circumstances. However, if one were to attempt go directly from the beach into a restaurant and sit at a table with a tablecloth and wine glasses, one would be summarily removed from the restaurant. This is not because bikinis are morally reprehensible, but because they do not belong in the restaurant.

In the same vein, I would not be surprised to see a porn-themed presentation at a John Waters festival, for example. I could imagine several places where one would not bat an eyelash. The conference at which you presented, however, was sponsored by IT businesses and was meant for the professional software developer. If this presentation were given at one of these businesses, the employee who presented it would be FIRED, or at least severely reprimanded. Companies prevent these kinds of presentations for a reason. They can be sued, or they can build a bad reputation. I would expect that a conference geared toward professionals would adhere to professional standards; if not the strict standards of the workplace, then slightly “edgier” standards with a little leeway. This presentation went way beyond a little leeway. You considered a porn-themed presentation that would get one fired in a professional environment appropriate for a corporate-sponsored conference.

I don’t accept your defense that pornography is everywhere that the internet exists and is therefore acceptable. By this logic, since we have to relieve ourselves each day, I should be able to relieve my bowels on the sidewalk. (Is the importance of context becoming clear?) Nor do I accept your defense that this must be a cultural issue. I live in a country where the standards of what is acceptable on television and advertising is far more liberal than what is accepted in the United States, and yet, I would not expect to find these things presented to me in a professional context. There is a divide made where I live, between what is acceptable in private life and what is appropriate with work colleagues. It is not any more difficult to understand that divide than it is to understand where to wear one’s bathing suit or where to go to the bathroom.

It is not solely the sexual nature of the presentation that makes it in appropriate. There are several other topics that would be out of line. I would have sent you a similar email had you used Christianity as a metaphor for Couch DB development, or the situation in the Middle East. These would be inappropriate as well, and perhaps provoked angry responses from others.

The fact that this presentation was voted on to be included does not forgive its content. If anything, it makes it even more mortifying. How is it that the values of a community of developers can be so far removed from the values of professionals at large? When did being a software developer require shocking people into listening instead of inspiring? When did proving how cool *you* are become more important than how cool the technology is? My father was an assembly-language programmer who helped to build the industry upon which you base your livelihood. He would be deeply saddened if he saw the shift from technical culture to pop culture that the industry is undergoing.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing of all is not the selection of material for your presentation, or even that it was voted to be used by colleagues, but that you fail to understand WHY I am upset. That you can only imagine I am an uptight American puritan shows a shocking lack of imagination and proves a limited experience of others. You misunderstood my comment about the Ruby community being mostly young and male. I am not blaming you for that. What am saying is that it provides a positive feedback loop that reinforces certain behaviors that work to provide an atmosphere that is unwelcoming to outsiders. Your presentation simply reinforces that. It wasn’t done intentionally, of course, but that is the point. We often do the most damage when passing on memes by not being aware of them.

I hope this helps you to understand my reaction to your presentation. I didn’t mean to insult you; but when one feels insulted, it is easier to strike back than to explain. At the very least, I hope I have given you food for thought.

Sincerely,

Julia Evans

Nasty Email

2009-04-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest nasty email:

Mr. Aimonetti:

I just saw the slide deck of the presentation you created for the Golden Gate Ruby conference, entitled “Perform like a Pr0n Star.” I saw that your name and the title was on the schedule for the conference, and so I can only assume that it was given.

I wanted to express my extreme displeasure at the fact that 1) this presentation was approved for the conference, and 2) that you thought it appropriate.

In what world is pornography an appropriate metaphor for a public professional presentation? Are you out of your mind? Are you completely oblivious to the context in which you work and live? Did you come into the workforce straight from the fraternity house?

I have nothing against pornography. I actually like pornography, in my PERSONAL life. I don’t assume other people like it, however, and I wouldn’t put a poster of a woman’s ass on my front door, or read Penthouse on the subway. I doubt you would either. But somehow, you thought it acceptable to give a presentation with allusions to porn, group sex, acid-taking, pole-dancing, etc. in a public conference. This astounds me on so many levels.

You obviously thought it would go over well, because your audience was probably a bunch of privileged, infantile male programmers who don’t have teenaged daughters that want to enter the world of science and engineering. And thanks to scumbags like you, they won’t WANT to go into science and engineering, because they are forced to deal with overly macho reptilian-brained imbeciles who think it’s appropriate to mix porn and their professional life.

Please grow up. Please think about the larger context of what you do, and how it affects the world. If you think software a respectable profession, then treat it like one.

Sincerely,

Julia Evans

(Here is the preso: http://www.slideshare.net/mattetti/couchdb-perform-like-a-pr0n-star)

You can email hi yourself if you want. His email is in the preso.

New Blog

2009-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

I started a new blog of poems that have been rejected for publication. I am trying to write and submit a poem a week, so after they get rejected, I will post them here:

Rejected Poems

Runaround

2009-01-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get a copy of my birth certificate. In order to prove that I am authorized to get it, I have to sign an authorization saying I am me. And have it notarized, which I did, at the U.S. Embassy. Then, I have to send it to this clearing-house that the U.S. Gov't (or maybe the CA Gov't) has outsourced record keeping to. Here is some of what I have been dealing with:

Customer (Julia Evans)Response (Stupid Person1) - 01/27/2009 10:46 AM
Dear Ms Evans,

We have received your scan. However, the notary seal is not coming through clear enough to use.

Sincerely,
VitalChek Online Support

I took a close-up of the seal with my computer camera and sent them the image.

Customer (Julia Evans)Response (Stupid Person1) - 01/27/2009 11:47 AM
Ms Evans,

Thank you for your response.

What you will need to do is to take a pencil and shade in the bumps on the seal. Then make a copy and see if you can read the seal. If you can then scan the copy.

Sincerely,
VitalChek Online Support

Did that.

Customer (Julia Evans)Response (Stupid Person #2) - 01/29/2009 01:41 PM
Hello Julia,

The scanned images attached to this e-mail do not show the seal any better. Once we receive your scan, we have to fax the form to the agency. the seal in these images does not appear to be shaded over with a pencil. Sorry for the inconvenience. have a nice afternoon.

Sincerely,
VitalChek Online Support

Me:

Hello again,

There must be some sort of confusion. Please check the attached image,
named "Image_Jan29.jpg" I can see the image of the seal so clearly, I
can read EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and see the Eagle in
the middle. This must not have been the image you were referring to in
your past email.

There might be some confusion since I emailed these documents twice
before I heard back from anyone.

-Julia Evans

Keep scrolling down. It gets better. Here is the image in question. You can even click on it and get a close-up of what she is seeing:

Response (Stupid Person2) - 01/29/2009 02:06 PM
Hello Julia,

I can see the seal in the picture, but it is not going to show up when I send the fax and the fax will be rejected again. I apologize. I also so not see that it has been shaded over by a pencil.

Sincerely,
VitalChek Online Support

She is going to FAX it? FAX it? What year is this?

Me:

OK.

1. I shaded the image darker and re-scanned it. This is as dark as it
is going to get. It is shaded with a pencil. The notary seal is
embossed on white paper. White on white. That is why it did not show
up at ALL when I sent it the first time. It should show up now when
you fax it.

2. If this does not show up when you fax it, then it is a problem with
YOUR equipment, and maybe you need to talk to a supervisor about how
you can get the document to the agency by using the same 21st-Century
technology that I am using. I am in a third-world country and I am
capable of finding a way to get this document to YOU digitally so that
YOU can read it with high resolution. Perhaps, being in the United
States, a country on the cutting-edge of technology, you can find a
way of doing the same.

3. I am halfway around the world, or I would go to the San Diego
County Recorder's office myself. Since this is not feasible, I am
willing to consider any alternatives you can offer. I can send a
scanned copy of my passport. You can even call the U.S. Embassy and
verify that the paper was notarized, since they keep a record. I
can't believe this is so difficult.

4 Please take some initiative and think out of the box. If you are
unable, maybe you can forward the problem to someone who can.

-Julia Evans

Update on the letter below

2009-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

Got a response today:

Hola Julia-

Wanted to give you an update. I spoke w/ my partners and we made a few changes that bring the ad a little closer to US norms. Just wanted to let you know that your opinion was valued and considered.

Un beso-

XXXXX

Hey, I made a difference! :)

Something to Look At

2009-01-27T04:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, living in Argentina brings out my inner Germaine Greer. This is a letter I recently wrote to the owner of a local business:

Hi XXXXX,

Congratulations on your XXXXXX -project: it seems like it is moving along well and will be very successful. I wanted to email you because of something in your most recent job ad that I couldn't let go by without a comment.

I know in Argentina it is a common practice to explicitly state the age, gender, "attractiveness" of the person you want to hire, and ask for a picture. But in the States and in Europe, this has become socially and professionally unacceptable.

I would have assumed that as XXXXXX caters to U.S. and European clientele, and as the ad is going to be seen by many (hundreds?) of expat women, you would hold yourselves to more modern hiring practices.

You have every right to hire whomever you want, and post whatever ad you want- but as a potential professional female U.S. client, it makes me uncomfortable doing business with a company that almost openly states it will hire based on looks, gender, and age. (And a little ironic given the open political support for a "progressive" presidential candidate).

I don't want to go on some feminist rant- I just thought I should share my point of view that you might not have gotten elsewhere. If the ad irked me, I might not be the only one.

Sincerely,

Julia

****Update ****
In fairness to the American involved in the project, he responded to my letter saying that he will bring the issue to his Argentine partners. Kudos.

Knives

2009-01-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

I asked on an expat email forum not too long ago where I can go to get my knives sharpened. It turns out they don't have professional knife sharpeners here. There are peddlers that go around and play a special sound on a flute to let you know they are in the neighborhood. I heard this the other day while I was on my way back from doing some errands. How do people take advantage of this service?

1. I live in the back apartment of a posada and don't hear noises on the street. I wouldn't hear one of these guys even if he were in my neighborhood.

2. Am I supposed to carry my knifes around in my purse when I go out, in the event I happen to hear the knife sharpener?

Puzzling. There must be another option, I just have to search a little more.

Communication

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Went to get an ultrasound for my thyroid today. The technician asked what the problem was, why I was there- in Spanish.

"Uh..... para mi tyroid.... el numero en mi sangre es bajo."
(Uh... for my thyroid... the number in my blood is low.)

"De donde sos?"
(Where are you from?)

"California."

"Ah!" She starts singing. "....California swimming..... You know? That song?"

"Um... California Dreaming?"

"Yes! California Dreaming. Sixties."

Dreaming, swimming, whatever.

Chávez, allies manipulating anti-Israel views

2009-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Quote:

Newspapers in this corner of the world are splashing headlines about
the conflict across their front pages, much more prominently than the
global financial crisis or local stories. On television, the Israeli
attack on the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza after the group's constant
rocket attacks is the focus of debates, with most voices criticizing
Israel.
Hamas, which the United States and the European Union
officially consider a sponsor of terrorism , is often not identified as
such in the South American media.

Link

Bills and Shoes

2009-01-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Rapipago to pay the city bill for the trash pick up & etc. This bill gives you two choices: pay the whole year at once, or pay in six smaller installments. I figured it would be easier to take care of the whole year at once, but- lo and behold, I was one day past the due date and cannot pay for the year. According to the Rapipago guy, I could go to the gvernment office and get a new bill printed out and come back and pay it for the year. Fine.

Walked about 12 blocks to the government office today. According to the government herlper boy, if I miss the date for the yearly payment, there is no way to pay it for the year. You MUST make six payents. Whatever. Walked all the way back and paid the first two payments at Pharmacity- which I could hve done yesterday in about 10 minutes. (which cost about $25- for two + hours of my time)

On the plus side, I found some hand-made leather shoes on the way back that I liked. So it was not all wasted:

Some Paintings at the Borges Cultural Center

2009-01-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

More info on the Borges Cultural Center:

Wealth and Income Inequality

2009-01-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

I was quite surprised to find that after my last post, there was a comment (or rant rather) 8,000 words long about income inequality. It has nothing to do with my post, but obviously came up in someone's search on blog posts about Oprah.

Despite the fact that the commenter has some emotional problems, he or she ranted on about one of my pet peeves which many people take for granted: income or wealth inequality. There are so many myths that surround this that disappear given a little thought:

1. Wealth is not based on a bell-curve. There is no limit to the amount of money one can make, so it is not surprising that there are people who become wildly rich,while others do not.

2. Wealth-creation is not a zero-sum game. Just because someone writes a book and sells a million copies does not take wealth away from anyone else. It may increase the "gap" in a statistical sense, but so what? I don't have any goods in my house magically disappearing every time a Harry Potter book is sold.

3. Even though the income or wealth gap may be large, the standard of living gap is not. The difference between Oprah's day to day life and my day to day life is not at the same scale as the difference in our wealth. Her day might be filled with more assistants and luxury products, but we both sleep in a bed, eat three meals, take a shower, etc. If the standard of living scale matched the wealth scale, I would not have running water or electricity. Despite the constant publicity regarding statistical "gaps," the standard of living is increasing for everyone on the globe overall.

4. What is the answer to materail "inequality"? Material Equality? Based on what? Everyone should have the same amount of money coming in? Who is supposed to decide who has what? Greed is laying a claim to something you haven't earned. Oprah is not greedy. She has earned her wealth fair and square. Good for her. Childish people who claim it is unfair somehow need to look at their own greed.

Dear Women: You and Oprah Have Thyroid Problems Because You're Unable to Vocalize Your Shame and Pain

2009-01-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Oprah has to win some kind of prize for spreading pseudoscience to the most people:

Last year, when Oprah talked about her thyroid problems
on her show, with guest and close advisor, Christiane Northrup, MD, a
holistic physician. During that show, Northrup suggested that thyroid
problems were a result of an energy blockage in the throat region, and
result when women "swallow" words they are aching to say. Oprah and
Northrup never discussed thyroid testing, diagnosis or treatment, but
Northrup did counsel relaxation, stress-reduction, self-love techniques
like blowing kisses to yourself in the mirror, and a diet heavy in soy
foods.

LINK

Give me a break, people. This is scary.

No Mullets, Please

2008-11-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

From Lingus.tv, the blog that goes with the Spanish video learning program:

How do I say, “Please Don’t Give Me a Mullet” in Spanish?

If you’re like me, you are already panicked before you even walk
in to the front door of a salon. On that dreadful day, I have
visions of walking out of the hairdresser in Spain looking as if
I’ve played on a Canadian hockey team for years. Yeah, the mullet after four years is still going strong, and is still unattractive as ever!

Chavez Watch: More Nationalization

2008-11-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

With all the election coverage, this is getting lost:

Chavez takes over biggest gold mine in Venezuela: minister

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's
government will take over and nationalize La Cristinas, the biggest
gold mine in the country owned by Canada's Crystallex, Mining Minister
Rodolfo Sanz said Wednesday.
The move is part of leftist Chavez's
socialist agenda that calls for nationalizing Venezuela's natural
resources. Over the past year, he has taken over the electricity, oil,
steelmaking, cement and telephone enterprises
"This mine will be seized and managed by a state administration," Sanz said in a statement.

Castellano

2008-11-01T14:19:00.000-07:00
So I've been living here a year now, and my Spanish is coming along so-so. I can have a general conversation, which is good, but I must say I am learning slower than I should because I am not immersed in it all day. that said, I've found some online resources to help me out:

LoMasTV:

It has some great features, like a "slow" button an a built in dictionary. You can click on any word and the definition appears n the right. What's more, it has videos specifically with an Argentine accent. $10 a month subscription.

SpanishDict:

The lessons look like they are pretty new, and for beginner beginners. But they are free. There is also a forum, grammar reference, and chat.

October 2, 2008: Shakespearean Candidates - Stephen Greenblatt

2008-10-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

Clip from the Colbert Report comparing the presidential candidates to Shakespearean characters.

Link

(I tried to embed the clip, but it doesn't seem to be working. Click on the link above.)

Odd disco craze: Free boob jobs

2008-10-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina --
Argentine discotheques are trying a novel approach to attract more
clients -- young women in particular -- to their dance floors: a door
prize with the winner getting free breast-enhancement surgery.

Link

Argentine farmers resume protests

2008-10-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Here we go again....

Farmers in Argentina are resuming nationwide protests against the
government over what they say is its inadequate support for them.

They want economic concessions for smaller farms, and say they will
suspend grain exports and limit the export of beef for the next six
days.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7650222.stm

Spring has Arrived

2008-10-02T13:21:00.001-07:00

Gallery Here

Mom's Spanglish Lesson

2008-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00
My mother just got a Spanish dictionary, and has been practicing her Spanish. She called and left this voicemail tonight. You might want to listen to it first and try to figure out what she is saying, and then scroll down:

Translation:

...

....

....

....

.....

....

The towels are in the dryer. (The toallas are in the secadora.)

That is all. Lesson over.

Chavez-Watch: Armed and Dangerous

2008-09-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

I know everybody's attention is on the U.S. election and debates, but let's not lose sight of this little tidbit:

Russia offers Chavez $1 billion for weapons

MOSCOW:
The Kremlin has decided to offer a $1 billion loan for arms purchases
to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is currently on a two-day
swing through Russia aimed at bolstering an already solid relationship
that has caused increasing discomfort in the West.

Link to Article

Parenting

2008-09-20T19:11:00.000-07:00
I'm reviewing tons of parenting sites for a research project (I know, it's ironic that my work always revolves around children when I'm not going to have any).

Anyway, I found a great Dad Blog: MetroDad:

MY DAUGHTER THROWS LIKE A GIRL

I recently realized that while the Peanut and I have been spending our afternoons farting on the dog, drawing funny pictures of the neighbors, and pretending to shop at Whole Foods so we can sample the free food, a lot of the other kids in the neighborhood are immersed in after-school activities like gymnastics, swim lessons, tae kwon do, or Super Soccer Stars. Really, I had no idea.

Fitness Check-in

2008-09-20T03:45:00.000-07:00
The first week of the push-up challenge is done. I can now do over 10 push-ups in a row. Next week will be a little harder.

I've been consistently losing weight, although I don't have a scale to measure. My clothes are getting looser and looser, though. The Evo-fitness seems to be working. I have been lifting weights a couple of times a week (I wish I could do crossfit, but it doesn't exist here!), and eating a paleo-ish diet. No grains, no beans, little dairy. Just lean meat, fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils. I also have a mini-fast every few days- just eat dinner early and then not eat until about 2:00 the next day. Then I eat a little more later to make up for it.

It's pretty easy to eat this way here in Argentina, if you don't give in to the pizza and empanadas. The meat here is lean (beef is grass-fed), and it's easy to shop every couple of days for fresh fruits and vegetables. I eat very little processed or canned food.

Of course I'm not too strict about the diet- but I try to hit the 80% ratio. Things I've noticed;

I no longer have low blood sugar crashes. I get hungry if I don't eat, but it's a hunger that can be tolerated. No lightheadedness, or shakiness.
My energy level is generally higher, except the day after workouts, when I need extra sleep.
I have trouble digesting big starchy meals now. I no longer want to binge on bread or potatoes, because it just makes me feel bad.
Fasting (from 8:00PM to 2:00 Pm the next day) is no big deal- it seems to happen naturally anyway. When I'm not hungry, I don't eat much. When I'm hungry, I eat as much as it takes to satisfy me.
My alcohol tolerance is much lower (learned this the hard way)- two glasses of wine MAX. If it's a very long evening, maybe one more. That's it. Otherwise, I'm sick the next day. (This is probably a good thing.)
I've been losing fat without a lot of time spent exercising- I workout hard and fast. I walk through the city maybe once or twice a week to do errands, since I have no car.
So far so good.

The Challenge

2008-09-14T03:33:00.000-07:00

Having a hard time getting motivated to get in shape. Haven't been doing too bad, but because I'm so busy lately, I haven't been very consistent. Saw someone tweet this, and thought it is just the right trick: The 100 push-up challenge. A six week program to build yourself up to do 100 push-ups in a row. Let you know how it goes. Day 1 tomorrow. I know I can do about 8 push-ups in a row right now.

What is feminine?

2008-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

The last time my hair cut, two porteñas came in when I was just about done, and complimented my haircut (a short bob with bangs.) They said how courageous I was for cutting it short. (And it's a bob- it's not that short.) Why not do the same? I asked. They were afraid it would look unfeminine.

This made me reflect on any differences the perception of femininity between Argentina and the United States. Here are some generalities:

Things considered feminine:

Long hair. Below the shoulders. Even the president has long hair.
Lots of make-up. Generally, a lot of made up faces here would be considered tacky in the U.S. (At least in the nature-loving areas of California I am used to. Maybe Argentines would fit right in in Dallas...)
Revealing shoulders. I see a lot of strapless tops, even on television hosts.
Big lips. This is usually considered feminine universally, but here, the plastic surgery is generally unnatural.
Things NOT considered feminine:

Sweating at the gym. Seriously, women chat and read magaznes while they are on the eliptical machines, and they lift weights less than five pounds.
Drinking. Women don't drink much- and if they do, it has to be a glass of wine or a fruity cocktail- no martinis or whiskey sours. Some of the younger ones drink beer.
Of course there are a myriad number of other differences about being a woman here: despite the fact that there is a woman in the presidential office, the roles women have in society are about thirty years behind the United States. But that is another post.

Think I'll go to the gym with my short haircut, no makeup, sweat a lot, and prove that it doesn't make me manly.

In Memoriam

2008-09-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Can Kids do Boolean?

2008-09-11T04:08:00.000-07:00
I think so. As long as the concepts are added one at a time, simply. Here is a five-minute tutorial I created about the difference between AND and OR in searching:

http://gallery.me.com/jwevans01#100000

At the comisería....

2008-09-11T03:31:00.000-07:00
Rob and I have started the process of getting our residency. Need a lot of paperwork gathered together. Apostilled birth certificates, yada yada. We have to get a letter of "good conduct" from the FBI, which requires sending in our fingerprints.

Fingerprints need to be taken by the local police station. So.....

We go to our comisería (the police "headquarters" for our barrio), and have to wait about an hour for the fingerprint person, because he is with smeone who has been detained (or so we are told).

Finally, we are taken through the parking lot, into a tiny back room, where four or five policemen are drinking mate and watching the Simpsons.

The officer takes some equipment out of an old cupboard, rolls ink onto a flat thingy, and has me ink my fingers up. He takes my fingerprints while glancing at the Simpsons to see what's going on and joking with the other officers. Same thing with Rob. Then I have to spend several minutes washing all the ink off my hands in a sink older than Moses.

Talk about OLD SCHOOL!

The last time I had a fingerprint done in the states (passport? driver's license?) I think it was digital. Definitely not int he digital age here. It's ink, paper, and who-do-you-know.

Taxi Ride

2008-07-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've Got Music, I've Got (Spanish) Rhythm....

2008-06-06T09:18:00.000-07:00
Had a thoroughly good time at Tiempo Gitanos last night. Dinner and a Flamenco show. A little pricey ($65 pesos per person- it's $85 on the weekends), but we learned that we can go and just have tapas instead of dinner in the future.

I love Flamenco. The guitar, singing, and dancing. It's so passionate. The singing has that haunting Arabic influence, the dancing has a gypsy-like influence, and the guitar, is intricate and dramatic at the same time.

It also has a complicated rhythm. Has anyone else noticed that Argentines are not very rhythmic? Tango does have rhythm, but I've noticed that nobody taps their foot, claps their hands, or otherwise visibly marks rhythm to the live music I've seen here. Even in clubs with a pounding beat, young Argentines don't dance much.

Last night, in contrast, the waiters were always clapping or tapping on something. Made me feel less of an outcast as I tapped and clapped along.

Evolutionary Fitness Argentine Style

2008-06-03T05:22:00.000-07:00
Somehow, being gone has given me a motivation to get back in shape and get healthy. I've essentially been ignoring my body for the last six months, and I've put on a little padding around my waist. I'm also sluggish a lot.

I've been following Art Devany for quite a while, since I did Crossfit before I left CA. I'm going to start following his suggestions and see what happens. After reading his blog awhile, I think they make a lot of sense.

Eating a paleo-style diet here is easy and difficult at the same time. Easy because there are a lot of fresh ingredients, and a steak/salad combo here is a no-brainer. But it's also hard (at least for now) to ignore the pizzas, empanadas, pastas, etc.

Of course, I'm not completely anal about any diet- I figure I will try for 80% and go from there.

Back Home

2008-06-03T05:09:00.000-07:00
I haven't blogged for a while because I have been on a three-week trip to California. What did I notice the most about CA after being gone for six months?

Wide open space. LA and San Diego are so spread out, compared to the density of BsAs.
People walking around with coffee cups. (Of course, this might change now that Starbucks is here.)
More strikingly obese people in CA than BsAs.
Efficiency at checkout lines.
The beauty of the rolling hills. I took it for granted when I lived there, but after being gone for a while, I realize how beautiful the rolling hills and orange groves are.
It's true nobody walks in LA. I went to a restaurant with friends, less than a mile from my friend's house, and we drove. (Of course, my friend was pregnant, so we probably would have driven anyway.) I'll walk a mile in BsAs with no problem, unless the weather is inclement.
By the way, I saw two celebrities that night in half an hour- Carson from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and the lady who is in all sorts of stuff, but I remember her as the tall, blond, lesbian companion in Best in Show-- Hollywood is so funny.
All in all, I'm glad to be back. I love the density of the city, the fact that it is getting cold enough to freeze the cockroaches and other bugs into hibernation, and of course, my hubby. :)

Colonia, Uruguay

2008-04-30T05:09:00.000-07:00
Image: courtesy of raabenb @ Flickr

Went to Colonia, Uruguay for the weekend. A quaint little village on the mouth of the river. We took the fast boat, which got us there is about an hour.

Couple of lessons for next time:
Uruguay uses different plugs than Argentina. Only an hour away, but bring an adapter. (This is why I had to grab a photo from Flickr. Didn't have an adapter to charge camera battery.)
Avoid renting a dune buggy to get around. Although it is reminiscent of the Speed Buggy cartoon, it's loud and bumpy. Take a scooter or golf cart.
Instead of coming back Sunday night, we had to get an extra night in a hotel so I could empty the contents of my stomach. Not sure if it's the flu or bad food, but I will avoid seafood from a sleepy restaurant next time.
Overall, it's a nice little place for a weekend getaway. And it's true, our passports are stamped for another three months.

Matt Lauer in Buenos Aires

2008-04-29T07:23:00.000-07:00
More evidence that Buenos Aires is appearing on the US radar......

Where in the World is Matt Lauer - TODAYshow.com

The Equalizer

2008-04-24T17:52:00.000-07:00
I just realized that my boss, whom I have never met in person, doesn't know what I look like. He knows I'm a woman, clearly, because of my name, but he doesn't know my race or religion.

Come to think of it, I don't know his, either.

I was hired because he liked my resume, cover letter, and an essay published on my website.

Nice feeling to know I am appreciated for my ideas, independent of anything else.

Does anyone ever bring this up as a benefit of the networked world?

Cato-at-liberty » Argentina Decriminalizes Drug Consumption

2008-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00
Cato-at-liberty » Argentina Decriminalizes Drug Consumption: "This just in… A federal court in Argentina has decriminalized the personal consumption of drugs in that country. According to the court’s ruling, punishing drug users only “creates an avalanche of cases targeting consumers without climbing up in the ladder of [drug] trafficking.”"

Oh, no! Buenos Aires is going to have mobs of potheads running around and terrorizing the city ..... by...... sitting on their couch, watching Lord of the Rings, and ordering McDonald's.

Or

Maybe they will all end up wearing turtlenecks, smoking cigarettes in dark cafés and improvising poetry while everyone snaps their fingers in applause.

Working from Home

2008-04-24T05:52:00.000-07:00
This new job I have is the first experience I have working from home. It has its pluses and minuses.

Pluses:

I don't have to worry about what I wear. I have spent years scrambling through my closet in the morning, trying to find an appropriate outfit, putting on makeup, and furiously ironing at the last minute.
No commute.
I can listen to music while I work. Blast heavy metal or Reggae occasionally when I need to wake up.
Flexible schedule- I can fit in errands, grocery shopping, appointments during the day if I need to.
Power naps.
Husband works from home too, so we can have spontaneous "quality time" together. ;)
Minuses:

It's easy to let errands and whatever push my work later and later until I find it's late in the afternoon and still haven't gotten anything done. I have to be disciplined about my time.
Cabin fever- If I don't get out of the house once a day, I can get a little stir crazy. 5:00 rolls around, and I have to think: Did I take a shower today?
Social isolation- don't get the "water cooler" chat of an office. Sometimes it's nice to have random conversations.
Husband works from home, too, so we can get on each other's nerves.
I've found that being connected with people through chat and Twitter helps with the social isolation. I follow several people from all over the world on Twitter. And although at first I thought getting updates from random people about what they are doing was lame, I am starting to find it oddly refreshing. "Overhearing" snippets from people's everyday lives reminds me that I am not alone in the world. It replaces the ambient social atmosphere of a traditional workplace.

Here are some random tweets:

sara: Just used my first "I park like an idiot" sticker.

Confessionist: I never pull my pants down too far in a public bathroom because i think the people in the stalls next to me can see my underwear.

life_enthusiast: Okay, yard is finally mowed (procrastination phase over). Now, back to e-mails.

lordlikely: Huzzah! The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hip hooray!

We are not alone.

You mean it takes a Master's Degree to shelve books?

2008-04-21T12:47:00.000-07:00
Today is the due-date for my e-portfolio work for the semester. I have to prove fifteen competencies, and I have ten written, and seven passed (I'm waiting to hear about three).
I'll have to finish the other five next semester. These are the pieces of evidence I've submitted so far:

Information Transfer at Cisco Systems — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-01-26 10:44
A power-point presentation created to present the results of an interview with an information architect at Cisco Systems. This was a group project with Meriam Smith.

Observations at a Public and Academic Library — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-01-26 10:48
A report on my observations of the reference desks of the Santa Cruz Public Library and the University of California Santa Cruz Library

Market Summary of Service Catalogs — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-01-26 10:49
A value-added deliverable I created for my seminar in Competitive Intelligence

CI in Latin America — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-02-06 10:05
A summary of a podcast that describes the unique qualities Competitive Intelligence practices in Latin America.

LIBR 202 Group Database Project — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-05 19:43
A group project in which we created a database for an inventory of a pet store.

LIBR 202 Group Query Project — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-05 19:48
A group project in which we created, based on several journal article abstracts, a keyword list, stop word list, and stemming algorithm. We then applied Boolean queries to our keyword index and simulated machine retrieval of relevant documents.

Evaluation of Ujiko Search Engine — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-05 19:49
An evaluation of a new search engine, Ujiko.

Thesis Proposal — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-06 13:02
My Thesis proposal created for Research Methods in Library and Information Science investigating the correlation of seeding a wiki to its growth.

Quicktime Movie of Narrated Power Point Presentation — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-09 09:56
A narrated critique of a case study presented in Research Methods for Library and Information Science.

Group Project for Reference Services — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-09 10:04
This was a group project in which we posed the same reference questions to eight different online sources, and compared the results.

Online Searching Assignment: Dialog Transcript and Summary — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-09 18:08
This assignment, for Online Searching, required me to conduct searches in Dialog and record the results.

Toward a Definition of Relevance — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-13 19:09
A paper written for Information Retrieval, in which I compare several definitions of relevance.

Vine's Information Model — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-13 19:11
A documented search using Rita Vine's suggested information model for search instruction.

Budget — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-14 13:20
A sample budget for a corporate library, cut by 20%

TQM Diet — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-14 13:21
A paper comparing different management methodologies.

Blogs vs. Wikis — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-14 13:22
A summary comparing blogs and wikis as library marketing tools.

Multiculturalism in Libraries: A Critical View — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-17 16:12
A paper written for Information and Society, exploring the issue of multiculturalism in libraries.

Copyright — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-17 16:15
A paper written for Information Organizations and Management, summarizing the copyright issues facing modern librarians.

The Legal and Ethical Boundaries of Misrepresentation — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-17 16:28
A paper written for my seminar in Competitive Intelligence, exploring the ethical issues of misrepresentation.

XML Assignment — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-21 06:55
These are three files for an XQuery assignment: evans_modsRecords.xml is the xml file with the sheet music records evans_mod.xq is the XQuery file evans_htmldoc.html is the out put of the XQuery displayed in a web page.

Screencast of website built for LIBR 240 — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-21 07:08
This is a screencast of a website I built as my final project for LIBR 240, Information Tools and Technologies.

Accessibility Assignment for LIBR 240- Iformation Tools and Applications — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-21 12:23
This is a review I made of two websites for principles of accessibility and cultural awareness.

Documented Search for LIBR 244, Online Searching — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-21 12:26
A search in which I documented my strategies for finding an answer to the question: What effect does music have on studying?

References Services Quiz — by juliaevans — last modified 2008-04-21 12:28
A quiz for Reference Services, in which I was required to find the best reference source for a variety of reference questions.

Back to the 80's

2008-04-20T12:20:00.000-07:00
Someone down the hall is blasting "Eye of the Tiger."

I hear Air Supply and REO Speedwagon, occasionally as well.

Mistake, or on purpose?

2008-04-18T11:23:00.000-07:00
Google knows I am searching from Argentina. So occasionally, I get error messages, etc. in Spanish.

I was doing a blog search, and the blog I found doesn't exist anymore. But I got this message from Blogger instead:

No se ha encontrado el blog.
Sorry, the blog you were looking for does not exist. However, the name shitted is available to register!

Register shitted

Mistake, or on purpose? What do you think?

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes...

2008-04-18T07:13:00.000-07:00
For the last week or so, the skies in Buenos Aires have been extremely smoky. Supposedly, fields outside the city are being burned and some of the fires have gotten out of control.

Consequently, the air periodically gets as translucent as fog, and the smell is everywhere. This morning, I smelled it when I woke up, as it is seeping into our apartment through the cracks.

My eyes are puffy and my sinuses are swollen.

Don't want to go outside.

¿Habla Castellano de Cocina?

2008-04-15T07:41:00.000-07:00
I tried to make some oat bran this morning, but my measurements were off somehow.

"En dos tazas de leche fría agregar tres cucharadas soperas colmadas de Salvado de Avena Quaker y azúcar a gusto."

In two cups of cold milk, add three heaping tablespoons of oat bran and sugar to taste. Right?

"Revolver mientras hierve durante 1 o 2 minutos o hasta qe logre la consistencia deseada."

Stir while boiling one or two minutes or until desired consistency. Right?

Hrmm...... I ended up with way too much milk and too little oat bran. Of course, I don't have any measuring cups so I was eyeballing it. Time to get some measuring utensils, I think.

¿De donde sos?

2008-04-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Flirty-Flirty

2008-04-13T19:35:00.000-07:00
Went to the Kiosco tonight to buy some Coca-Light and keep the caffeine fuel burning.

The twenty-something sales clerk called me "Señorita."

*smile*

Then, he gave me an extra candy because I'm very "bonita."

*smile, blink-blink*

I know this flirting is as common as ham and cheese around here, but it still makes a thirty-something lady who is tired and has been writing academic mumbo-jumbo all day feel good.

Buenos Aires Daily » Blog Archive » Funny race

2008-04-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires Daily » Blog Archive » Funny race: "Yesterday, at the Avenida de Mayo, lots was happening. Many cultural events took place in the afternoon. One of them was the traditional “carrera mozos y camareras” (waiters/waitresses race). Dressed in their traditional uniforms, around 400 waiters worked out the balance with their trays, for an audience, which exceeded some 150 people.

Photo from LaNacion."

Chavez-Watch: Countown to Dictatorship

2008-04-13T07:42:00.000-07:00
Venezuela | Strategic move | Economist.com: "Oil, steel and cement have all been declared “strategic” industries, and must therefore, according to the government's economic and political programme, be placed under state control."

Another red flag: Nationalizing the steel and cement industries.

Reaching the Outside World

2008-04-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

I had a visit from Tehran last month.

I wish they had commented. I'd like to know what they thought.

Who Needs a Librarian?

2008-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Drop it LIke It's Hot!

2008-04-11T19:27:00.000-07:00
Drop.io

Try it.

Here's an example:
http://drop.io/champagne

Add a note, picture, video, link, even a voicemail. Could be fun, could be useful.

Very Stigmergic.

Smack, Smack

2008-04-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

My husband brought me some peanut butter. It means he loves me.

Remember what your mother always told you..

2008-04-11T00:41:00.001-07:00
So it's about two weeks until the due date for my e-portfolio and I have a lot of last-minute writing to do. (I'm the Queen of Procrastination) I also have my new job to work at as well.

So after a 15-hour day, Rob and I come back from getting something to eat (at 4AM- I love this city), and I'm getting ready for bed, and I realize that I have my underwear on inside-out.

Good thing I wasn't hit by a car tonight.

More Economic Myths: The Income Gap

2008-04-10T07:29:00.000-07:00
Here is an excerpt from an article, again by Sowell, discussing the "income gap."

"Anyone who follows the media has probably heard many times that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and incomes of the population in general are stagnating. Moreover, those who say such things can produce many statistics, including data from the Census Bureau, which seem to indicate that.

On the other hand, income tax data recently released by the Internal Revenue Service seem to show the exact opposite: People in the bottom fifth of income-tax filers in 1996 had their incomes increase by 91 percent by 2005.

The top one percent -- "the rich" who are supposed to be monopolizing the money, according to the left -- saw their incomes decline by a whopping 26 percent.

Meanwhile, the average taxpayers' real income increased by 24 percent between 1996 and 2005."

Sowell explains why IRS data is a better indicator for income statistics than census data:

"That is why the IRS data, which are for people 25 years old and older, and which follow the same individuals over time, find those in the bottom 20 percent of income-tax filers almost doubling their income in a decade. That is why they are no longer in the same bracket.

That is also why the share of income going to the bottom 20 percent bracket can be going down, as the Census Bureau data show, while the income going to the people who began the decade in that bracket is going up by large amounts.

Unfortunately, most income statistics, including those from the Census Bureau, do not follow individuals over time. The Internal Revenue Service does that and so does a study at the University of Michigan, but they are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Following trends among income brackets over the years creates the illusion of following people over time. But the only way to follow people is to follow people."

The complete article is Here

Econmic Myths

2008-04-10T07:14:00.000-07:00
If you tell people they don't have enough money, they will usually agree. Reports like these always make the front pages of money magazines and websites:

Harder to handle widening income gap in recession - Apr. 9, 2008: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Poor and middle-class families are entering the recession in a precarious situation due in part to declining or stagnant income growth, a study released Wednesday has found."

Here is a video that briefly addresses the fallacy:

A longer podcast with Thomas Sowell discussing more economic myths is here

But...But...Javier! Noooooooo!

2008-04-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Coppola character not for a man - BostonHerald.com: "Javier Bardem has pulled out of Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming flick “Tetro” and has been replaced by a woman, the Hollywood Reporter reports."

Oh, no! This is going to be filmed in Buenos Aires, and I was hoping to apply for the job of Javier Bardem's stalker!

Rats.