Mallorca, Where I Learned to Really Curse Like a Sailor

This week as my days are filled with grading final papers and interviewing students, it's hard not to let my mind wander back to where I was this week last year: on a sailboat off the coast of Mallorca.

A view from the hill of the harbor in Palma

It all started when C's dad's then fiancee signed them up with a sailing adventure club based out of Texas. They had planned this Mallorca sail, and C's dad invited C and a guest along to meet his new fiancee and of course to sail of the coast of a beautiful island.

When we arrived in Palma de Mallorca, we met our sailing group-- about 3 dozen or so, with a fleet of 4 sail boats that we chartered. We were on the crew of the Maha, and if I say so myself, we had the best crew. I had the least amount of sailing experience, having only taken a beginner's class out of Newport beach. Everyone else had a lot of sailing experience, and so it really was a fun way to travel-- we were travel buddies and crew, with everyone participating in the sail. I learned a lot about knot tying and wind, that's for sure!

Our hotel in Palma.

The crew of the Maha

We sailed around the south side of the island and back, staying in different ports every few nights. It was an amazing way to see the island and to discover some of the smaller, less-touristy towns.

a map of our sail

It was to be my first time meeting C's dad, and C's first time meeting his dad's new fiancee, so as you can imagine, there was a lot of nervousness. It's normal enough to feel a bit queasy when meeting a significant other's parents for the first time, but add actual sea sickness to the mix, and a week aboard a 50 foot sail boat with few places to escape to, and you've got what would probably make for a messy situation. Lucky for all of us, everyone got along just fine, and we're all family now.

Phil, our new buddy from Texas

Harnessed to the boat during gale force winds. Safety first, yo!

I got my sea legs after the first full day, and on days like today I especially miss the feel of the ocean spray in my face, the gentle bobbing of the boat, the final snap you hear as you unfurl the main, and the cold beer and laughs on deck. C and I plan to take to the high seas again, hopefully soon!

My Unsolicited Keynote Address to Graduates

Since it's that time of year, the odds are you might be attending a graduation this month. And at some point, some keynote speaker will address all of the graduates with some inspirational speech about forging into the future and making their own path.
At almost every college graduation, a speaker will advise the graduates that the best way to be successful is to "follow your passion."

I think that this is a bullshit thing to say to college graduates.

Now, hear me out. I am all for people finding what they are passionate about and working towards that goal, but let's think about this a little more.

Most college graduates in their early 20's don't know what their passion is. And why should they? They are young and are still figuring out the world. They might know what they enjoy, or what field they plan to go into, but what their passion is? That's making a big assumption. When I finished undergrad, I think my passions were reading and drinking. Some graduates may have a passion that they fully intend to pursue, and they should, but assuming that every graduate has a passion, and that that passion is one worth pursuing, is presumptuous to say the least.

It can also be limiting. Say for example a graduate does have a passion that he or she wants to follow, and in doing so, turns down opportunities that at the time don't seem to align with that passion. When one advises young people to "follow their passion," there is this assumption that they have many choices and options available to them. We all know that isn't the case for many college graduates these days, and holding out for something better that "speaks to your passion" can be just plain dumb.

The statement also assumes that following a passion is a clear and obvious thing to do, as if there were a yellow bricked road that would take you to a dream job. As if you just need to stay on that road, and eventually you will get there. Now for some, a passion might be that clear-cut-- you want to become a doctor, you get into the best medical school, get into a good residency program, get a fellowship, land a job. But if your passion is not one that has a clearly defined academic path, how do you even know if you are following it?

So here's what I want to say to college graduates:

1. Take every decent opportunity that comes your way. Even if it is not a job that you imagined you'd have, even if it isn't as glamorous as you had hoped for, just say yes. If it doesn't work you can always find a way out of it. But get in the habit of saying yes. You never know what other opportunities may arise as a result, and the seemingly unimportant connections that you make may come in handy later. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so get over the idea of holding out for something more appealing and work with what you are offered. Who knows, you may uncover the path to your passion, and you never would have if you hadn't said yes.

2. Treat every position as if it is your passion. If you work at Starbucks after graduating, that's okay. But be the best damn barista you can be. There is no job that is beneath you. I waited tables all through college and on through grad school. There were times when I had the biggest chip on my shoulder and felt like customers or chores were beneath me. You better believe I had plenty of people ready to tell me otherwise in an instant, and I was always put in my place any time my attitude needed checking. And now that I am working in a career that I am passionate about, I can say that many of the lessons I learned while waiting tables are what make me successful now.

It's easy to feel like you are above the work that you are doing, but I will tell you, strong work ethic and a good attitude go so much farther than you would imagine. This is still a tough job market for new graduates, and Bachelor's degrees are a dime a dozen. As you apply for jobs, there will be several other people applying who are just as qualified as you are, if not more. There aren't that many ways to set yourself apart from the crowd anymore, except for having an exceptional work ethic. People remember that above anything. People mention it when giving a reference or a letter of recommendation. People get promoted for it. And having strong work ethic does not mean that you plan to give it your all when it really counts in your dream job; it means giving it all when no one is watching, when you're sweeping the floors after closing time.

Eventually, you will discover your passion, and eventually the path to follow will become clear. But you have to find it; it won't find you. You have to say yes to those opportunities that sound frightening or unexciting.  You have to demonstrate integrity and discipline, and trust me, by doing so that path to your passion will become so much easier to follow, and so many doors that stood in the way will eventually open for you.

Me and my mommy, just after my M.A. graduation in 2008.

Garlic Ricotta Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Your food should be colorful. That's a fact. If your meal lacks color variation, you're doing it wrong.

That's why I love this pasta. The rich green from the spinach and basil leaves, the pop of red from the cherry tomatoes, the creamy white ricotta, all of it make this dish just as easy on the eyes as it is on the taste buds.

Here' all you need:
A pound of wheat pasta -- I like penne, but shells are also fun here. It don't need to be whole what pasta, but I like the texture and taste (and fiber) better.
One 15 oz container of ricotta
A handful of fresh basil leaves
a container of cherry tomatoes
a few handfuls of baby spinach
about a quarter of a white onion, diced finely
Minced garlic, as much as you want.

Now, when it comes to garlic, I hate, hate, hate chopping or pressing or mincing garlic. So this is my secret weapon, and even if you're not much of a cook, I think this is a good weapon to always have on hand:

These containers are usually in the grocery store next to the garlic cloves, and they keep for months in the refrigerator. The mincing is already done for you, saving you so much time, and even more importantly, the problem of having your finger tips stink for the rest of the day. This way, you just scoop out a couple of spoonfuls and plop it right into the skillet. Brilliant!

So once you bring a large pot to boil and dump in your pasta (I don't really need to explain how to make pasta, right?), lightly brown the garlic and onions in some olive oil over medium heat. Be careful not to burn them; you just want to brown them so that they get a nice, roasty flavor.

In a medium bowl, add the garlic and onions to the ricotta cheese.

Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste, and then ladle in a little bit of the pasta water (about one large spoonful) and stir until you have a nice creamy sauce.

Slice all of your tomatoes in half, and I like to shred my basil leaves. The easiest trick for this is to stack up several like-sized leaves, roll them lengthwise into a tube shape, and then cut horizontally. This will give you several small strips of basil, perfect for tossing in the pasta.

Once you drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and on low heat, stir in the tomatoes, basil, spinach leaves, and garlic ricotta sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now, you can stop there, and Voila! You've got a beautiful pot of pasta! It's light and healthy and flavorful...but... if you want to be just a little bit naughty and you happen to have some shredded mozzarella in the fridge, throw in a handful or two and you will have extra creamy, cheese-stretching-from-the-fork-to-the-plate pasta.

I promise I won't tell.

High Five for Friday

It's Friday, I finished teaching yesterday, and you can safely assume that the number of f--ks given over here is 0.

But C is taking a nap and I am working up the motivation to go for a run while he sleeps. Until I work up that motivation, I figured I'd post my usual 5 things Friday post.

So this is how a Friday spent giving not giving a f--k looks:

1. Arrested development on Netflix. From the beginning. Because look what's coming up soon:


Yup!
And laughing that hard all day long is the BEST ab workout, ya know?

2. California Pizza Kitchen.  When you really want to spend a day not giving a f--k, you roll into curbside pick-up at 2 pm and order a bunch of pizzas and salads so that you don't have to go out in search of food later, or maybe even tomorrow. BTW, they have a really good Waldorf salad.

3. Cherry Coke zero.

Because let's be honest, I do give a f--k about sugar, but I want to drink cherry coke all day as if I didn't. 

4. The Target Boyfriend Tee. 

image via 

I have stocked up on these, and I am sure I am not the only one. These shirts are flattering on everyone, and have that lazy, I am just laying around the house on Friday look, while actually looking somewhat attractive.

5. Wine. Obviously. I don't think this needs more explanation; I am just waiting to get this run out of the way first. If THAT is not motivation for going for a run, I don't know what is.

Linking up with

The (un)Official Beginning of Summer

For some, Summer officially begins with Memorial Day weekend. For purists, it begins June 22nd. For me, it begins with the last day of classes of Spring semester.

So as my students anxiously staple together final research papers and camp out in library study rooms, I am already in a Summer state of mind. Last night I welcomed the beginning of Summer the best way I know how: with tickets to the Dodgers game.

It was a beautiful, clear night filled with Super Dodgers dogs, peanuts, and beer. The Dodgers beat the Nationals 3-1. Even the traffic en route to Chavez Ravine wasn't too bad.

Now, you may see me at an Angels game or two this season also. Don't hate. The teams both have their places in my heart, and when you have two local teams, it just means more games, right?
Except in the case of the Lakers and the Clippers. That's different. Don't ask me why, it just is.

So as I slurp my coffee today and struggle to stay awake, at least I know that by 2:30 pm today, Summer will have officially begun.

Angelina Jolie and Women's Health

Many of you have by now heard of Angelina Jolie's Op-ed piece in Tuesday's New York Times where she revealed having undergone a preventative double mastectomy.

photo via NPR

And for that I want to applaud her. Kudos, Mazel, fist-bump, tip of the hat, and high five to Angelina. Her choice was no doubt an incredibly difficult choice to make, but what she did shows bravery, courage, and intelligence.

If you haven't read the article, Angelina carries the BRCA-1 gene, and genetic testing shows that she had an almost 90% chance of developing breast cancer, and a 50% chance of ovarian cancer. Before testing positive for any cancerous cells, she opted to have both breasts removed, lowering her risk to only 5%.

While I am certain it was an uncomfortable choice to make, and an even more uncomfortable procedure, in my mind, it was absolutely the best choice to make. I think it is even more important that she publicly explained her decision. She chose intellect and reasoning over emotion. She showed that making the choice to remove her breasts does not make her any less feminine. She gives women who are facing the same choice someone to connect to, and by making it so public, she helps other women to avoid some of the (uninformed) scrutiny for making the decision.

There of course have been those who disagree with her choice. Some are calling this a publicity stunt-- but a publicity stunt for what?

Others argue that her decision was too extreme. Eat a plant based diet they say. (Really. Read the comments on any article reporting this.) I believe that those who make this argument completely miss the point. Carrying a gene like BRCA-1 predisposes a person to cancer, regardless of diet or lifestyle. While there may be some virtues to a vegan lifestyle, it bothers me to no end that people declare this as the cure for cancer. It isn't. Especially not in the case of a person carrying a specific gene. For some reason, people distrust western medicine and the opt instead for anything that sounds unconventional or exotic.

It's no secret that I am a fan of evidence-based science and medicine. Call me crazy, but I like peer reviewed studies, hard data, and informed decisions. And in a culture of anti-intellectualism and Dr. Oz wisdom, it's refreshing to hear someone as prominent as Angelina Jolie make an informed, evidence-based decision. Sure it's more trendy and sounds hip to say that an all organic, vegan diet will defeat cancer causing genes, but the fact is that there is no evidence that it does. There IS evidence that her BRCA-1 gene most likely would lead to breast cancer, and there IS evidence that her double mastectomy dramatically reduced that chance.

photo via L.A.Times

Unfortunately, her story does highlight another issue that she acknowledges: the cost and access to genetic testing make it unavailable to a great percentage of our population. Justifying a prophylatic mastectomy would not go over well with most health insurance agencies, making this option not a reality to many women. The Affordable Care Act (Obammacare) was a step in the right direction, but we need to do more to make sure that women even have the option to make the decision that Angelina Jolie did, if they find themselves in that position.

In Honor of San Martin, Guatemala

On Friday, while everyone was watching the trial of Jody Arias (I am still not sure who she is), another, more important trial came to a close in Guatemala.


On Friday, a Guatemalan court found the general and former dictator Efrain Mont guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Guatemala was engaged in a civil war, known officially in Guatemala as the "Internal Armed Conflict," and during that time, the general is charged with ordering mass killings of indigenous Mayan people.
It is the state's first official acknowledgement of the genocide, and the first time a nation has tried its own former dictator of crimes against humanity-- usually these things happen by international courts.

In 2008 and 2012 I traveled to Guatemala and worked with children in a Mayan village outside of Quetzaltenango. To honor such a symbolic moment of Guatemala's history, I want to share some of my favorite images from that village.

This is San Martin. It's in the highlands of Guatemala, in hilly farmland. As I look over these pictures I can smell the combination of chimney smoke and rich earth. I can feel the mist and afternoon rain on my face, and hear the children singing in Spanish and talking excitedly in Mam (the native language).

Above the village is a volcano where laguna Chicabal has formed in the crater of the volcano. Lake Chicabal is considered the center of the Mayan-Mam "cosmovision." It is a sacred lake surrounded by several shrines, and you cannot swim or bathe in it. It is the site of ceremonies and blessings, and only accessible after a steep hike.

The lives of those in San Martin inspire me. To know that they were at one time targeted for killings breaks my heart, but on Friday, the people of Guatemala brought Efrain Mont to justice, and while it won't undo all that happened, it gives a class of oppressed people a voice in Guatemala's history.