Someone sent me a link to a Louis Theroux program on crime in Johannesburg. As I watched it, I found myself thinking, "The crime in Philly may have been bad, but at least I wasn't living in Johannesburg. I mean, Theroux picked Jo'burg for a reason." Then it came to my attention that the South Africa segment was the second half of a two-part series on city crime, the first part being about... Philadelphia. I'm watching it now, let's see if I can recognize any of the scenery...

change of plans

It's something I will always carry in my heart
A place when dreams begin and life can start
Who cares what people know?
Let me go...
North

- Elvis Costello

Two finals down, both the easy ones, with now biochemistry (difficult, but doable) and anatomy (difficult, much less doable) to go.

Anatomy. Oh, anatomy. As much as I hate the way it's taught it's has some surprising and unexpected impacts on my life, the most noticeable being when I'm buying meat at the grocery store. The other day I found myself staring at the cuts of beef, trying to figure out what muscles they came from. That eye of round? That's the semitendinosus. It's simultaneously a bit morbid and fascinating.

I've also discovered the key to happiness is doing as many weekend wet labs as possible. We spend so much time in lecture (as well as studying for exams) it's easy to forget why we're here. But getting to do actual hands-on things like delivering a poorly-positioned baby alpaca, or helping out with an equine endoscopy, is a good way to remind yourself why you're spending 8 hours in lecture every day. (As a side-note, the reproduction vets like to praise my small hands--apparently I could have a promising future as a large animal OB.)

I'm also looking into externships and a possible research project at the large animal hospital next summer. There is life beyond the TCA cycle!

Ah, vet school. First year has been described as the "great slog through all the core courses that no one likes," and often that feels like the truth, especially in regard to gross anatomy. I do enjoy most of the material most of the time, but there are times when I wonder why I didn't go to medical school at McGill, an altogether less expensive and less arduous route to a top health career. However, there is a balance to be found, often obtained by closing the damn anatomy textbook and going out to enjoy what Philly has to offer.

Philadelphia, for all of its problems, has surprised and delighted me with its amazing live music scene, wonderful restaurants and breweries, and the sheer number of galleries and museums. There is a healthy artistic community here, with 2500 murals throughout the city and innumerable examples of street art.

This is Reflectorman, seeing in various locations throughout Philly (and NYC too):

my handwriting has deteriorated significantly since 1990

On the eve of my move down to Philly, I stumbled across this little artifact from my childhood. When I was 9, my class took a field trip to a local vet clinic. At the time I wanted to be a hematologist when I grew up, but maybe that visit to a vet hospital planted the idea of veterinary hematology (or rather, hematopathology, given my current interests) instead. Here's the rough draft of the thank-you letter I wrote to the owner of the clinic:

I went to Montreal on Saturday to see the Craft Mafia Bazaar and the Indyish Arts Mart at Fringe, as well as to see some friends at the store where I teach. Some highlights of the trip:

- Having two people I don't know come up to me at Fringe and say, "Oh hey, you're the one who teaches spinning workshops here in Montreal." I was, needless to say, surprised.

- The one-legged cyclist (!) who stopped by the yarn store to say (in French) he was "looking for a dress for a larger lady." When the shop owner told him she could sell him yarn and a pattern but not a finished garment, he switched to English and said, "You mean I'd have to do the work myself? Aw, shit." And then he left. We were impressed that even though he was cycling shirtless, he stopped and put on a grubby t-shirt before entering the store (and removed it as soon as he left).

- Brunch at Le Cagibi. Some very filling and tasty thing with eggs, sweet potatoes, and kidney beans. Also coffee and surly hipster service!

- Realising that the stuff I make (handspun yarn and knit items) are at least as good, if not better, than the fibre arts stuff I saw for sale at Fringe. It really inspired me to start selling some of work. That's going to be a big goal over the next year.

It's too bad about the silly name, but I love the concept of these sustainable houses. Someday I plan to build one somewhere in the Rockies as a cottage.