The other day, an old Alanis Morissette song came on the radio and I was reminded of my childhood neighbor, Ashley. Ashley and I had spent hours listening to Alanis’ first album. I got to thinking how Ashley was the one girl on my street who treated me as a true friend; her being Jewish…
Category: World
An Open Letter to Jhumpa Lahiri
Dear Ms. Lahiri, It has been about two and a half years since I’ve read a novel from beginning to end. Residency sort of interferes with leisurely reading, especially when one’s mind is occupied with reading journals, studying for exams, and staring at computer screen trying to absorb a patient’s entire health history in a…
For the first time ever, Miss America matters to me
Since Monday morning, I have been taking in the positive and negative feedback towards Nina Davuluri’s winning of the 2014 Miss America crown and $50,000 scholarship. Ms. Davuluri is the first Indian American (not to be confused with American Indian, aka Native American) woman to win the title of her state, New York, and the…
Immortality & Ethics: The Henrietta Lacks Case
In May 2018, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery installed this portrait of Henrietta Lacks while three of her grandchildren looked on. The fascinating story of this important woman was revealed in Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2010). I initially read this book during residency, then revisited it two years ago for a…
The Sour Taste of Force-Feeding: Gitmo Hunger Strikers
“Where a prisoner refuses nourishment and is considered by the physician as capable of forming an unimpaired and rational judgment concerning the consequences of such a voluntary refusal of nourishment, he or she shall not be fed artificially.” …
Remembering Atticus and India Arie
In the age of electronic communication sent within milliseconds, keeping in touch with friends and family is always accessible. Our devices have become extensions of our beings, as vital as our own pulse. This has vast benefits, from the simple joy of sharing thoughts and photos to the amazing impact on politics, the fate of…
It’s a Wonderful World
Iguazu Falls, Argentina. Photographer: Francesco Filippo Pellegrini The news always highlights the horrific happenings in the world today. These are stories we need to hear about and try to understand, but the sadness and seeming lack of plausible solutions are often difficult to digest. We rarely hear of a good deed, positive influence, joyful occurrence,…
The Tragedy of Elephant Tourism
Overall, our time in Thailand was exceptionally relaxing and enjoyable. I am sad to say we did have one quite unpleasant experience, and it is something I feel the need to write about so that others can hopefully be better informed than I was. On our last full day, we were scheduled to go on…
Old Phuket Town
On our last full day in Thailand, we ventured into Old Phuket Town and thoroughly reveled in the old Sino-Portuguese and Sino-Colonial architecture, the various fabric shops along Thalang Road, a quick trip into a street-side temple, a handful of art galleries, and a delicious meal served up by 75-year-old Abdul, whose modest restaurant specialized…
Rainy Day in Kamala
Our last two days in Thailand showed us the monsoon season weather that is expected this time of year. The days were cloudy and intermittently rainy, sometimes pouring down and sometimes misting lightly. This did not stop us from exploring some more, however! Our fourth day in Thailand was supposed to have been spent touring…
A Lesson in Rattanakosin Cooking
During our third day in Thailand, we decided to take the Thai cooking class offered by our resort’s Recipe School of Culinary Arts. In the three major time periods of Thai history, the most recent one was the Rattanakosin period in which food became heavily influenced by China which brought in noodles and starches along…
The Big Buddha
On our second day in Thailand, we went out into Phuket for some sightseeing and souvenir shopping. The highlight of the day was the Big Buddha, the island’s most loved landmark. Sitting 45 meters tall atop the Nakkerd Hills, the calm face of Buddha looks out over the island with clouds and blue sky crowning…
pen . paper . storm 