Narcissistic Description of Illness

My blog has not been updated lately, mostly due to my feeling under the weather. I've diagnosed myself with an ear infection and strep throat. Normally, I would go to a doctor, but without health insurance, I have had to make the best use of webmd.com

It's been years since I've had symptoms quite like these. (Reader, prepare yourself for some exciting descriptions of unpleasant symptoms!) For about a week, I'd had mild pain in my ears and throat, but Thursday night I had a terrible, sleepless night. I spent half the night shivering, and the other half sweating profusely. I had an insatiable thirst and a relentless headache.

Friday, I spent most of the day in bed. I felt pain all over my body, and the fever persisted. My only relief came during a 20-minute visit from my friend, because love can be quite the antidote.

Saturday the fever and headache went away, but I started to feel pain in my right ear, and there was yellow drainage continually coming out of my ear. (Yes, liquidy gross-ness!) My throat was very sore, making it extremely painful to swallow my own saliva.

But Saturday I went out to celebrate my friend Bridget's 25th birthday anyway. I was feeling drowsy on the train to NYC, and when we arrived at the restaurant, I nearly fell asleep sitting at the bar. (Sorry, Camilo!) Then, after having some chips and salsa, I had to run to the restroom because I was feeling nauseous. There was someone in the stall, so yes - I had to puke in the bathroom sink. Woops. Luckily, no one saw me, and I tried to be as discreet as possible. I try to be a considerate sick person, when I can.

After drinking many glasses of water, and feasting on some Mexican-inspired food, I felt much better.

But, this morning I had the oddest symptom. Listening to the radio, I thought there was something wrong with the radio because the voices sounded robotic and dissonant. Then, when I went to the gym, I realized my ears were the source of dissonance because everyone sounded metallic and robotic.

Sidenote: I decided to try spinning (or cycling) and my crotch hurts SO MUCH from the bicycle seat! I've had to pick a fleshy butt cheek and sit on it all day, alternating for evenness.

I've managed to take unexpired antibiotics leftover from previous prescriptions, but I'm concerned about my trip to Guatemala. I leave this Thursday, and I would hate to be useless and sick - especially at that altitude.

Till then, much water and rest!

Feminism, according to Alanis

Those who know me well understand that Alanis Morissette is a very important figure to me. My sister said the other day that she wished Alanis and I could be friends because our brains are connected somehow. Her influence has been so profound that I don't even know how much of our personalities are similar because of coincidence or because I've let myself be led by her example.

I believe Alanis' art provides a clear and beautiful glimpse into the inner human condition, and her openness and honesty is a model that should be infinitely replicated.

I was pleased to learn today that Alanis Morissette has almost completed her first book (excellent birthday present idea, wink wink) and I can't wait to read it. She recently wrote an essay about feminism.

As a side note, I wanted to mention that you can really see the Buddhist influence in her writing. One of her biggest influences is a Zen Buddhist teacher named Adyashanti and here's quote from his book "Emptiness Dancing," where he describes his moment of awakening or enlightenment:

"All in the step of a foot, everything disappeared. What arose was an image of what seemed like an infinite number of past incarnations, as if heads were lined up one behind another as far back as I could see. Awareness realized something like, 'My God, I've been identified with various forms for umpteen lifetimes.' ... All of a sudden, consciousness was unconfined to the form and existed independently...It was like someone just stuck a million dollars in my pocket, and I kept pulling it out as if I didn't believe I had it. But it couldn't be denied either. Even though I am using the word 'I", there was no 'I', only the One....This was the awakening, the realization of Self."

My favorite part of Alanis' article is this:

"[T]he days of believing that any one person singlehandedly and messianically can create a profound sea change are over (and perhaps never really existed). And how our overly identifying with this role as "feminist who deserves credit for singlehandedly changing the world" can actually distract us from doing what we need to do to move forward in consciousness."

I think that passage speaks to many things, but especially the need for community and grassroots...everything. Grassroots organizing, education, community gardens, popular education, neighborhood watch groups, local farmers' markets, and so on.

Some of the Tea Party people are crazy, but I can agree that too many people are relying on the government for things they can very well handle on their own. Of course, part of the grassroots organizing that is critical is the kind that lobbies local council members and congress members for changes in laws that are a priority for particular communities.

I don't think I'm an anarchist, but a little more anarchy might just do a lot of good.

Arizona, a trendsetter state

Arizona has been getting a lot of attention lately because of the SB 1070 law that virtually compels law enforcement agents to engage in racial profiling.

Even Shakira had something to say about the bill.

Now, it looks like other states are quickly following suit.

The many facets of this issue could be discussed ad nauseam. But what really infuriates me is that while so many people are yelling at each other about whether undocumented immigrants (or illegal aliens, as Glenn Beck prefers to call them) should be allowed to use public hospitals, or whether illegal workers are the backbone of the U.S. economy, they fail to see that the immigration "problem" is only one symptom of a greater illness - that of U.S. imperialism and the devastating effects that multinational corporations and IMF loans have on the developing world.

The Structural Adjustment Packages that the IMF requires developing countries to adopt in exchange for much-needed loans, often call for the reduction of government spending on programs for the poor, creating the economic conditions that compel people to migrate to the U.S., where many people still believe that if they only work hard enough, they will be "successful."

It's easy to blame the immigrants, but much harder to understand the greater forces at work.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

My nuclear family has always loved to cook and eat good food, but only recently have we really begun to learn about food and the food industry in the U.S.

A few months ago, I watched Jamie Oliver's TED talk and instantly liked him and felt inspired by his will to help the U.S.'s children fight the battle against obesity. My good friend Grecia, who enchanted my parents with her wicked flan, has also inspired me throughout the years with her passion for real, wholesome and delicious food.

Today my sister told me she was inspired by Jamie Oliver's show on ABC called "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." After watching one episode, I felt so happy and I'm hooked. Please watch it, sign the petition, and let me know where it takes you.

Adventures of Flat James

I was asked to continue a school project called "The Adventures of Flat James." It's a project based on a story called "Flat Stanley," about a boy who becomes flat because a bulletin board falls on him. He is able to go on many adventures because of his flatness (I imagine him drifting in the wind, like the plastic bag in "American Beauty"). Kids made flat people (only Flat James found his way to my life) to represent themselves and sent them around the U.S. to see how many places their flat people would visit.

After having Flat James for a few days, I'm told to send him off to someone else. Whoever has Flat James on May 14 is supposed to return him to the school where the project originated.

In the few days that I've had Flat James, I've taken him to a community graffiti clean-up project in Brentwood, Long Island, New York:

Flat James also attended a May Day rally in Union Square, NYC:

Flat James had great conversations with people on all sides of the immigration debate. He felt happy to live in a society where people have the freedom to peacefully assemble. He told me.