Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Sep 23, 2008	Listening is essential; so is speaking
I call my grandmother every week and talk about how things are going. Yesterday, we were talking about el crisis de julio . I told her about the meeting that I went to with a group of patients to meet with the authorities from the department of health. The meeting was supposed to be an...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Sep 11, 2008	My digital pensieve and hopefully a clean slate
It literally feels as though my head is too full of concerns and anger over some things that I have not felt the desire to blog. I truly miss writing but when my fingers hit the keyboard, no words appear on the screen. So I took a cue from a fellow BC blogger , and I decided to share what is...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Aug 18, 2008	Traveling without knowing the destination
One of my favorite parts about traveling, especially if I am staying for more than a few days, is that inevitable moment when you realize some daily practice or activity is missing or is profoundly different in the country you are in. Let’s call it a Well, Duh moment. I’m not...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jul 21, 2008	Thoughts on race and life abroad
Living abroad challenges your cultural perceptions as much as the cultural perceptions of the people you meet. I have traveled to locations varied enough to both appear to be from the country that I was in and appear to be a foreigner. More often than not, reactions and comments, positive and...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jul 9, 2008	Four Life Lessons Learned From Bicycle Commuting
I have had a bicycle to ride to and from work for the past few weeks. This is my first time riding a bicycle in a major city much less in a place that has no stop signs. Argentine drivers are not known for their superior driving skills. These are  a few of the lessons that I have picked up...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jul 1, 2008	Segunda dia de Semana de Lenguages
*This is the second post in a series as part of Language Week 2008. Today’s post is in Spanish. You can find the first post here . Hoy yo conocí una paciente nueva. Ella estaba embarazada pero recientemente perdió su bebe. Cuando la enfermera hizo un análisis de sangre, resultó...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jul 3, 2008	Brief updates: Alltop and Lifestreaming
I have a little confession to make. I have been on Alltop for a little bit now, but didn’t make an announcement about it. How could my little blog be recognized by the awesomeness that is Alltop? But then I decided to abandon that little bit of insecurity and put the badge up. This...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jun 18, 2008	Is mandatory service an oxymoron?
During the last week, I have worked on tweaking my project include more community involvement. While talking with my boss, one of the ideas that I proposed was working with students from the national university in La Plata through internship opportunities at the clinic. There is clearly an...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Jun 11, 2008	It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood
The sun is shining and today is almost warm enough to walk around in only 2 layers. However, you walk to the center of town on Avenida 7 and the street is blocked. Last night, ruralistas , or people from the countryside in the province of Buenos Aires basically set up camp in the street last...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Nov 27, 2007	Things I miss…
and feel guilty about missing, but miss nonetheless. Washing machine Bookstores Walking alone at night American television Fast public transportation Things I know already that I will miss about being here Mango trees The quiet of Sundays The constant stream of wedding...... [view]

Posted By:  vanessamason Posted On:  Dec 2, 2007	Cholera? Now? Here?
While the United States has worried about outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli over the past year, there has been an outbreak of cholera here in Mozambique. And not just in a rural, remote part of Mozambique. Here. In Maputo, both in the city and the province. I learned about the outbreak from...... [view]