I know, I know. If you follow me on facebook you will know that I complain about the weather in British Columbia, Canada ALL the time. But I will say it here officially for the record that that is THE only reason I may at times not like Canada.
Here though are the reasons I DO!
1) We have UNIVERSAL health care!!!
2) Women can, if they want to, have up to ONE YEAR of maternity leave!
3) Women are treated fairly and equitably in the work force.
4) Our armed forces are used exclusively for the purpose of peace keeping.
5) Tim Horton's whole wheat carrot muffins.
6) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police wear the most fashionable red uniforms.
7) We have places with cool names like Tuktuyaktuk and Nunavut.
8) HOCKEY!
9) We get to say eh? at the end of all sentences.
10) One of our coins is called a loonie.
11) Newfoundland's very own Great Big Sea - just about the BEST band on the planet!
12) Multiculturalism.
13) Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise, the Niagara Falls and the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.
14) When people speak, politicians listen.
15) We have, hands down, the most beautiful National Anthem (writing this, for some strange reason, has, all of a sudden provoked in me a sudden need to play hockey).
16) Sebastian would kill me if I didn't mention this one, so here goes, #16 reason: the resident orca pods of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (although the are not officially Canadian, we like to think of them as belonging to us).
But MOST of all, I LOVE Canada because it welcomed me with open arms, allowed me to become the doctor I wanted to be AND is the place where my children were born, thrive and learn among all other cultures free of judgment and in peace.
Happy 145th Canada!
Friday, 29 June 2012
Friday, 22 June 2012
Wonderwoman
I was sitting at the kitchen table last night with one very large printed calendar in front of me and my laptop outlook Express open so that I can sanely keep track of my clinic dates, summer holidays and trips, Fragile X related activities as well as other conferences while at the same time recording (on both systems, electronic and printed) the children's summer camps, trips and other summer activities, when Benjamin, (who has been looking over my shoulder the whole time) says: "I bet you not even the President of the United States has a schedule as busy as this".
As soon as I heard that I was tempted to say f*ck it, dump the whole scheduling thing and wing the whole summer on a let's-take-it-one-day-at-a-time plan. But after a long deep breath I realized that "plan" would cause me such anxiety that it was just not worth it. So I got hold of my "wonderwoman" inner self and planned, scheduled, made lists and I am pretty sure that I have the next 75 days under control. Yes, the whole summer is under control.
Today my friend and fellow geneticist posted a provocative article on Facebook written by Anne-Marie Slaughter http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-can-8217-t-have-it-all/9020/. She is the first woman director of policy planning at the US State Department , a very BIG and important job, her dream job, as she describes it. Unfortunately, she writes, while performing her dream job she was unable to stop thinking about ther 14 yeard old first days in high school and the difficulties he was having. THIS I thought is EVERY full time working woman's dilemma, a universal experience or so it seems to me from numerous conversations with other women over the years. The question is: Do we take the dream job and "neglect" the children?
I have clinic all day today, I love my job but I would have also LOVED to be a Benjamin's Sports Day, putting up balloons and cheering my child with all of the other mothers. Instead I did my work while feeling guilty and neglectful. It also does not help that at other times I have been judged because as one of the other mothers put it: "Isn't it sad that you miss all of the important events in the kids lives?". Funny, how I would have been considered totally RUDE if I had said : "Isn't it sad that you do not make any money to help your family?" but she felt it was okay to judge me. At any rate, I held my tongue.
Last year I was offered a positon at Harvard, when I told my aunts in Mexico (I come from an unusual Mexican family where all of the females in the previous generation are career working women where professional achievements are celebrated in full) one of them said "I just got goose bumps from hearing that, such an accomplishment, will you take it?" and I said: "No, I want to be with my children and I do not want to disrupt their life." Her response: "Good choice".
It IS a good choice but it would be better if the measures proposed by Slaughter were put in place. It would be better if women supported all decisions made by other women without judgment. It would be better if we could all amp up our career after children were "finished" growing up as she suggessts. It would be better not to feel guilty about not being the perfect mother while working. It would be better if we could all be wonderwomen but that only happens on TV.
As soon as I heard that I was tempted to say f*ck it, dump the whole scheduling thing and wing the whole summer on a let's-take-it-one-day-at-a-time plan. But after a long deep breath I realized that "plan" would cause me such anxiety that it was just not worth it. So I got hold of my "wonderwoman" inner self and planned, scheduled, made lists and I am pretty sure that I have the next 75 days under control. Yes, the whole summer is under control.
Today my friend and fellow geneticist posted a provocative article on Facebook written by Anne-Marie Slaughter http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-can-8217-t-have-it-all/9020/. She is the first woman director of policy planning at the US State Department , a very BIG and important job, her dream job, as she describes it. Unfortunately, she writes, while performing her dream job she was unable to stop thinking about ther 14 yeard old first days in high school and the difficulties he was having. THIS I thought is EVERY full time working woman's dilemma, a universal experience or so it seems to me from numerous conversations with other women over the years. The question is: Do we take the dream job and "neglect" the children?
I have clinic all day today, I love my job but I would have also LOVED to be a Benjamin's Sports Day, putting up balloons and cheering my child with all of the other mothers. Instead I did my work while feeling guilty and neglectful. It also does not help that at other times I have been judged because as one of the other mothers put it: "Isn't it sad that you miss all of the important events in the kids lives?". Funny, how I would have been considered totally RUDE if I had said : "Isn't it sad that you do not make any money to help your family?" but she felt it was okay to judge me. At any rate, I held my tongue.
Last year I was offered a positon at Harvard, when I told my aunts in Mexico (I come from an unusual Mexican family where all of the females in the previous generation are career working women where professional achievements are celebrated in full) one of them said "I just got goose bumps from hearing that, such an accomplishment, will you take it?" and I said: "No, I want to be with my children and I do not want to disrupt their life." Her response: "Good choice".
It IS a good choice but it would be better if the measures proposed by Slaughter were put in place. It would be better if women supported all decisions made by other women without judgment. It would be better if we could all amp up our career after children were "finished" growing up as she suggessts. It would be better not to feel guilty about not being the perfect mother while working. It would be better if we could all be wonderwomen but that only happens on TV.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Scientific conference college dorm living - dos and do nots.
1) Pack very little - basic science dudes are not into high fashion. Remember THEY ARE INTO MICE! Thus will NOT appreciate your cute shoes.
2) Pack hangers and blankets - I KNOW - who would have thought eh?
3) Make sure you have a good computer with a good battery so you can do other stuff (check e-mail, check facebook, correct patient reports or write blogs) while they talk about the mouse neuronal synaptic LTP (long term potentiation) and LTD (long term depression). Interesting I'll give, but only the first time!!
4) Bring a big towel to cover yourself - a big one! One that goes around ALL THE WAY. You will have to run across the shared hall to retrieve your soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower cap, etc.. a few times in in front of what at one time will likely be the entire Scientific Research Ethics Board of your University.
5) I do not want to repeat myself BUT - Bring a BIG towel to cover yourself. Again, one that goes around ALL THE WAY. As I said, you will have to run across the shared hall to retrieve numerous forgotten items in front of what at one time will likely be the ENTIRE grant funding Committee and all members of the Pharmaceutical Company sponsoring your study.
6) DO not bring a hair dryer, MOST basic scientists wear ponytails, a sure sign they do not care that your bangs are a little off.
7) Needless to say - absolutely no need to pack make-up.
8) Pack lots of socks, it is completely acceptable attire to wear socks with sandals at these meetings.
2) Pack hangers and blankets - I KNOW - who would have thought eh?
3) Make sure you have a good computer with a good battery so you can do other stuff (check e-mail, check facebook, correct patient reports or write blogs) while they talk about the mouse neuronal synaptic LTP (long term potentiation) and LTD (long term depression). Interesting I'll give, but only the first time!!
4) Bring a big towel to cover yourself - a big one! One that goes around ALL THE WAY. You will have to run across the shared hall to retrieve your soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower cap, etc.. a few times in in front of what at one time will likely be the entire Scientific Research Ethics Board of your University.
5) I do not want to repeat myself BUT - Bring a BIG towel to cover yourself. Again, one that goes around ALL THE WAY. As I said, you will have to run across the shared hall to retrieve numerous forgotten items in front of what at one time will likely be the ENTIRE grant funding Committee and all members of the Pharmaceutical Company sponsoring your study.
6) DO not bring a hair dryer, MOST basic scientists wear ponytails, a sure sign they do not care that your bangs are a little off.
7) Needless to say - absolutely no need to pack make-up.
8) Pack lots of socks, it is completely acceptable attire to wear socks with sandals at these meetings.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Things I have learned about Seahorses.
I was driving to work while listening to CBC radio yesterday morning and they were talking about the sci fund challenge. This researcher was talking about seahorses, one of those fascinating animals where the male seahorse, instead of the female carry the offspring in a pouch for the duration of the "pregnancy" - which I believe is evolutionary pay back at a very very very small scale.
It turns out that this researcher had lots to say about seahorses and since I already know about farting fish I paid attention so that I can learn something new. Here's is her home page: http://scifundchallenge.org/seahorseadventures/ and a few seahorse facts:
1) Seahorses can be as small as quarter or as big as a banana
2) Seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. Food passes through their digestive systems so quickly, they must eat almost constantly to stay alive.
3) Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They propel themselves by using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. Cool eh?
4) Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. This, a rather unfortunate evolutionary set back I must say.
Anyway, all of this new knowledge is tied to very creative ways to raise research funds (small amounts, not NSERC or CIHR type funds) with this great little online challenge. This website allows the public to see EXACTLY where their research funds are going and they offer rewards for different amounts donated (a la PBS style). The rewards are quite small, for example for a $5.00 donation you can get a digital photo of a seahorse - which you could probably get online anyway, but this way you help support the people who are passionate about what they do and help them achieve their goals.
The most interesting research project I found was a person wanting to reintroduce a type of shrimp into the waters of West Africa http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7509-projet-crevette-save-children-from-disease.
Schistosomiasis (or "schisto") is a debilitating parasite that infects millions of children in third world countries around the globe. Because of their infections, they may suffer anemia, growth stunting, and learning disabilities. Projet-Crevette means "Project Prawn" in French. At Projet Crevette they are working on a solution that could eliminate schistosomiasis, sustainably and permanently. They are looking into a new method of prawn farming that will allow prawns to eat (and eliminate) the disease-carrying snails that are the source of the infections. This research may pave the way to saving millions of children and adults from contracting this disease.
Easy solution to a big problem right? One well worth supporting! Have a look!!
So plug in the website: http://scifundchallenge.org/ and have a look.
It turns out that this researcher had lots to say about seahorses and since I already know about farting fish I paid attention so that I can learn something new. Here's is her home page: http://scifundchallenge.org/seahorseadventures/ and a few seahorse facts:
1) Seahorses can be as small as quarter or as big as a banana
2) Seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. Food passes through their digestive systems so quickly, they must eat almost constantly to stay alive.
3) Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They propel themselves by using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. Cool eh?
4) Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. This, a rather unfortunate evolutionary set back I must say.
Anyway, all of this new knowledge is tied to very creative ways to raise research funds (small amounts, not NSERC or CIHR type funds) with this great little online challenge. This website allows the public to see EXACTLY where their research funds are going and they offer rewards for different amounts donated (a la PBS style). The rewards are quite small, for example for a $5.00 donation you can get a digital photo of a seahorse - which you could probably get online anyway, but this way you help support the people who are passionate about what they do and help them achieve their goals.
The most interesting research project I found was a person wanting to reintroduce a type of shrimp into the waters of West Africa http://www.rockethub.com/projects/7509-projet-crevette-save-children-from-disease.
Schistosomiasis (or "schisto") is a debilitating parasite that infects millions of children in third world countries around the globe. Because of their infections, they may suffer anemia, growth stunting, and learning disabilities. Projet-Crevette means "Project Prawn" in French. At Projet Crevette they are working on a solution that could eliminate schistosomiasis, sustainably and permanently. They are looking into a new method of prawn farming that will allow prawns to eat (and eliminate) the disease-carrying snails that are the source of the infections. This research may pave the way to saving millions of children and adults from contracting this disease.
Easy solution to a big problem right? One well worth supporting! Have a look!!
So plug in the website: http://scifundchallenge.org/ and have a look.
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