My amazing classmate and co-Zuckerman Fellow Joe Negron is a candidate in tomorrow's special election for the Florida Senate, District 28 seat. Learn more about Joe here.
Joe is not only an accomplished attorney and committed public servant, he is an incredible friend. Joe was an early and enthusiastic supporter of my tiny law practice, and his encouragement helped me maintain confidence through some incredibly difficult times. And he took time from his incredibly busy schedule to complete an affidavit about my practice for the New York bar.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
My Starbucks Tour of Istanbul
Lest you all think that I'm spending everyday sightseeing and vacationing and having fun, let me put that rumor to rest right now. In truth, I have spent every single morning and afternoon this week parked in the warm-toned splendor of various Starbucks locations, working hard on my case study.
While this is perhaps not the ideal trip, I'm enjoying myself and having all the fun I want to have when Ariel and I are both done with work. I came here to spend time with her, and I enjoy that time more if I have already finished my work for the day. I don't feel any pressure to do any sightseeing here -- it's at least my fifth trip to Istanbul, and I've seen all the sights and done all the exploring that I want to do, so I don't feel that I'm missing out on anything. I'm very excited to be working, and particularly happy to be working on an interesting project involving issues that I really care about.
It feels wrong to be in a gorgeous foreign city and spend all day sitting in an American-owned franchise, but this is the best way to maximize my productivity while Ariel is at work.
I initially tried working in more local establishments, but they weren't as comfortable. They didn't have free wireless Internet access. They weren't air conditioned. They weren't quiet. They had attentive waiters who interrupted me every 10 minutes, not indifferent barristas who are happy to ignore me for hours.
I'm trying to jazz it up a bit by working at Starbucks locations near cool Istanbul sights. Monday, I went to the Taksim Starbucks. Tuesday, I went to the Sultanahmet Starbucks. Yesterday and today I've been holed up in the Besiktas Starbucks. Tomorrow, the Ortakoy Starbucks.
While this is perhaps not the ideal trip, I'm enjoying myself and having all the fun I want to have when Ariel and I are both done with work. I came here to spend time with her, and I enjoy that time more if I have already finished my work for the day. I don't feel any pressure to do any sightseeing here -- it's at least my fifth trip to Istanbul, and I've seen all the sights and done all the exploring that I want to do, so I don't feel that I'm missing out on anything. I'm very excited to be working, and particularly happy to be working on an interesting project involving issues that I really care about.
It feels wrong to be in a gorgeous foreign city and spend all day sitting in an American-owned franchise, but this is the best way to maximize my productivity while Ariel is at work.
I initially tried working in more local establishments, but they weren't as comfortable. They didn't have free wireless Internet access. They weren't air conditioned. They weren't quiet. They had attentive waiters who interrupted me every 10 minutes, not indifferent barristas who are happy to ignore me for hours.
I'm trying to jazz it up a bit by working at Starbucks locations near cool Istanbul sights. Monday, I went to the Taksim Starbucks. Tuesday, I went to the Sultanahmet Starbucks. Yesterday and today I've been holed up in the Besiktas Starbucks. Tomorrow, the Ortakoy Starbucks.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Besiktas
The Besiktas (Beh-Sheek-tash) area of Istanbul is right near the water and convenient to everything. There are lots of parks and shops and fun things to do. Ariel's neighborhood is a pleasant 15-minute walk from the water and the heart of Besiktas -- IF you're going downhill.
Istanbul is a beautiful city that spans a lot of steep hills. It's wonderful when you're at the top of the hill and can enjoy beautiful views -- like this one from Ariel's apartment at sunset.
But the hills lose their charm (for me) the moment I start the steep uphill climb to Ariel's apartment. It's a nice walk, but it involves hundreds of steep steps like the ones above.
I'm trying to look on the bright side -- great workout!
Great Success!
I just tried cooking for the first time since my accident. And I didn't burn myself! Hooray!
Ariel has a gas stove, but it doesn't require me to light a match -- it lights all on its own. With shaking hands and a wildly beating heart, I lit a burner on her stove and successfully boiled water.
I've avoided stoves and all gas-powered appliances since the accident, but I didn't realize until today how nervous I was about cooking again. But the worst is over, the next time will be better, and soon I won't think about it at all.
Ariel has a gas stove, but it doesn't require me to light a match -- it lights all on its own. With shaking hands and a wildly beating heart, I lit a burner on her stove and successfully boiled water.
I've avoided stoves and all gas-powered appliances since the accident, but I didn't realize until today how nervous I was about cooking again. But the worst is over, the next time will be better, and soon I won't think about it at all.
Audio Links Fixed
They should work now.
The Obama clip directly below is hilarious -- at least, it is to me.
The Obama clip directly below is hilarious -- at least, it is to me.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Ariel is Gorgeous
Yesterday, I posted a terribly unflattering picture of me and my gracious host, Ariel. I've filled the blog with flattering pictures of myself, so it seemed fair that I put up better pictures of her.
Kicking tush and taking names at work
Taking in the sights
I suppose that I could have just taken down the first picture, but that would be way too simple.
Kicking tush and taking names at work
Taking in the sightsI suppose that I could have just taken down the first picture, but that would be way too simple.
Happy Not-Taking-The-Bar Day!
One year ago today, I ended three tortuous months of studying and began three tortuous days of bar exam-taking. It was the most intense and frightening and unpleasant thing I have ever done. Luckily, I passed both exams (NY and MA) on the first try, and I never have to take a bar exam for the first time ever again. If I take another bar exam, and I probably will, I will only have to take part of the exam and it will be far easier and less frightening. (Except for California, and that's not going to happen.)
So today I am actively celebrating the fact that I don't have to spend the day hunched over a rickety card table in Albany or Boston, frantically disgorging every bit of law that had been crammed into my head, while sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated, and nauseous from fear and hunger (being too nervous to eat breakfast).
I have been ridiculously blessed and I try to take time to appreciate this every single day. Today, I will remember to count my post-bar exam freedom among those blessings.
So today I am actively celebrating the fact that I don't have to spend the day hunched over a rickety card table in Albany or Boston, frantically disgorging every bit of law that had been crammed into my head, while sleep-deprived, over-caffeinated, and nauseous from fear and hunger (being too nervous to eat breakfast).
I have been ridiculously blessed and I try to take time to appreciate this every single day. Today, I will remember to count my post-bar exam freedom among those blessings.
Interview Quotes
My experience researching the case about the JBCP was a transformative experience. I have learned so much about so many things -- everything from public health to business operations to capacity-building. It was a wonderful compliment to my Zuckerman Fellowship experience.
The process of transcribing my interview recordings has been slow-going and tedious, but I am really enjoying the opportunity to take a second look at what I learded and reflect to a deeper degree.
Here are some quotes that I transcribed today:
"I looked at the subject and I thought, okay, we have an obligation to the community. We have to do something, and then the thing came as breast cancer. If you look at cancer control programs, they look at the burden, and the resources, and what the country can offer. So the burden was #1 cancer in Jordan is breast, even if you combine male and female, breast cancer will stand out as the most common cancer in Jordan. If you took the females, 37-38% of all cancers in women in Jordan are breast cancer. (We don't have many cervix cancer cases.) We decided to take up breast cancer, and breast cancer has been tested, the way to handle breast cancer has been tested over the past 40-50 years, so there are models to choose from."
"One of the challenges we face at the Ministry of Health is finding resistence from doctors. Some doctors, they don't even believe in screening mammography. Others are just too lazy -- they say, 'you're coming in and you're bringing more work for me? I don't like that.' You're dealing with different personalities. A lot of people challenge what we're trying to do, but somehow we have to find ways around that. So I want to meet with those doctors. Usually in such centers we try to get the doctors who meet with women of our target group, who are usually in family medicine, or the internists, mainly the specialists, but not the gynecologists, (because the gynocologists here generally see young women in their 20s who are still having babies.)"
"At the ground level, you do find a lot of resistence because, believe it or not, these doctors are overloaded."
"And their argument is valid. At one of the health centers where we installed a mammogram machine, an average doctor sees, per day, over six working hours, sees 60 patients to 70 patients. So that doctos is basically overloaded ... you're taking about 5 to 4 minutes per patient, probably even less. So the doctor comes to me and says, 'how do you expect me to perform a clinical breast examination on a female and then refer her for a mammogram?' (I need to take her information, then perform an exam, which takes minimum 15 minutes.) They make a strong argument, but nonetheless, we need to have to get this rolling."
"We have no national guidelines, so every doctor will do what he thinks is right. If you are young, and you are afraid, and you are scared, and so on, my duty is to reassure you, and everything is okay. But I will reassure you after I have done all the necessary things. What they do is say, "Come on you're young, this is nothing, this is a milk gland, you don't need anything. And they don't do neither an ultrasound or a mammogram. And this poor woman, she was looking for that reassurance, and she flees, and she doesn't come back, and after six, seven months, she has a full-blown something."
"I had a general idea about cancer. No one in my family had ever been through that ... the idea was in my mind. For example, if someone has breast cancer, it should be something very obvious and they can see it easily. Whenever I look at my breasts, they are very good-looking! I thought it was just in the shape! But in the lecture we attended, the doctor said, no, the diagnosis should be in the early stages. If you can see something, it means it is in the late stages and it's dangerous. That was the thing that shocked me -- you might have the tumor and never know it. If it's going to happen, it will happen despite all this (health, family, environment)."
"We are all looking for success -- if I see that this program is successful, why should I keep money away from them?"
"[Arab Women Speak Out is] quite a flexible program, but it helps to build women's empowerment, and get women to have an opportunity to recognize, to some degree, their own worth. We find that it's very much a prerequisite to women's ability to take action regarding their own health. Letting women see how important their own health is to the success of their family, and therefore, empowering them to seek medical care or family planning."
"For any behavior change and process, it is like like, there are dimensions. It's not awareness only. So you start with awareness. Then you need to have policies, you need to have services, so it's a chain ... so awareness won't do much without having the services available."''
"What is the point of awareness if there are no services for diagnosis and treatment?"
"What is needed in Jordan, more than the [mammography] machines themselves, is to have a standard for the quality for mammography. Most equipment is not checked, and most equipment is not ready for mammography. Even the CRs -- not all of them. I think this is a problem, because a lot of them, they have CRs, they have X-rays, but they don't have a standard, because if your machine is not 100% correct, it will give false negative or false positive results ... This is what is needed, more than anything else. Plus, the equipment doesn't work."
The process of transcribing my interview recordings has been slow-going and tedious, but I am really enjoying the opportunity to take a second look at what I learded and reflect to a deeper degree.
Here are some quotes that I transcribed today:
"I looked at the subject and I thought, okay, we have an obligation to the community. We have to do something, and then the thing came as breast cancer. If you look at cancer control programs, they look at the burden, and the resources, and what the country can offer. So the burden was #1 cancer in Jordan is breast, even if you combine male and female, breast cancer will stand out as the most common cancer in Jordan. If you took the females, 37-38% of all cancers in women in Jordan are breast cancer. (We don't have many cervix cancer cases.) We decided to take up breast cancer, and breast cancer has been tested, the way to handle breast cancer has been tested over the past 40-50 years, so there are models to choose from."
"One of the challenges we face at the Ministry of Health is finding resistence from doctors. Some doctors, they don't even believe in screening mammography. Others are just too lazy -- they say, 'you're coming in and you're bringing more work for me? I don't like that.' You're dealing with different personalities. A lot of people challenge what we're trying to do, but somehow we have to find ways around that. So I want to meet with those doctors. Usually in such centers we try to get the doctors who meet with women of our target group, who are usually in family medicine, or the internists, mainly the specialists, but not the gynecologists, (because the gynocologists here generally see young women in their 20s who are still having babies.)"
"At the ground level, you do find a lot of resistence because, believe it or not, these doctors are overloaded."
"And their argument is valid. At one of the health centers where we installed a mammogram machine, an average doctor sees, per day, over six working hours, sees 60 patients to 70 patients. So that doctos is basically overloaded ... you're taking about 5 to 4 minutes per patient, probably even less. So the doctor comes to me and says, 'how do you expect me to perform a clinical breast examination on a female and then refer her for a mammogram?' (I need to take her information, then perform an exam, which takes minimum 15 minutes.) They make a strong argument, but nonetheless, we need to have to get this rolling."
"We have no national guidelines, so every doctor will do what he thinks is right. If you are young, and you are afraid, and you are scared, and so on, my duty is to reassure you, and everything is okay. But I will reassure you after I have done all the necessary things. What they do is say, "Come on you're young, this is nothing, this is a milk gland, you don't need anything. And they don't do neither an ultrasound or a mammogram. And this poor woman, she was looking for that reassurance, and she flees, and she doesn't come back, and after six, seven months, she has a full-blown something."
"I had a general idea about cancer. No one in my family had ever been through that ... the idea was in my mind. For example, if someone has breast cancer, it should be something very obvious and they can see it easily. Whenever I look at my breasts, they are very good-looking! I thought it was just in the shape! But in the lecture we attended, the doctor said, no, the diagnosis should be in the early stages. If you can see something, it means it is in the late stages and it's dangerous. That was the thing that shocked me -- you might have the tumor and never know it. If it's going to happen, it will happen despite all this (health, family, environment)."
"We are all looking for success -- if I see that this program is successful, why should I keep money away from them?"
"[Arab Women Speak Out is] quite a flexible program, but it helps to build women's empowerment, and get women to have an opportunity to recognize, to some degree, their own worth. We find that it's very much a prerequisite to women's ability to take action regarding their own health. Letting women see how important their own health is to the success of their family, and therefore, empowering them to seek medical care or family planning."
"For any behavior change and process, it is like like, there are dimensions. It's not awareness only. So you start with awareness. Then you need to have policies, you need to have services, so it's a chain ... so awareness won't do much without having the services available."''
"What is the point of awareness if there are no services for diagnosis and treatment?"
"What is needed in Jordan, more than the [mammography] machines themselves, is to have a standard for the quality for mammography. Most equipment is not checked, and most equipment is not ready for mammography. Even the CRs -- not all of them. I think this is a problem, because a lot of them, they have CRs, they have X-rays, but they don't have a standard, because if your machine is not 100% correct, it will give false negative or false positive results ... This is what is needed, more than anything else. Plus, the equipment doesn't work."
Has everyone seen this?
It has nothing to do with the trip, but I wanted to make sure all of you had had an opportunity to enjoy this. I can't get enough of it. So much infectious joy and fun ...
I loved that the dancing clearly reflected the personality of the bride and groom both as individuals and as a couple. It's not something I would choose (I could not hate dancing more), but I would happily boogie down the aisle for a close friend or family member.
I loved that the dancing clearly reflected the personality of the bride and groom both as individuals and as a couple. It's not something I would choose (I could not hate dancing more), but I would happily boogie down the aisle for a close friend or family member.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Getting Down to Work
After a few days of fun and relaxation, it is time to get back to work on my case study. Even though I have to work, I have the luxury of choosing where I do the work. So today when Ariel left for work, I left too, determined to find somewhere fabulous to transcribe hours and hours of interview sound files.
Ariel guided me to the bus stop. I admired the colorful ads.
I chose to go to Taksim Square.
Taksim is a very popular commercial area, filled with shops, cafes, cinemas, and restaurants. My plan was to find a quiet coffee shop or restaurant with free wireless, and camp out all afternoon. I was spoiled for choice, but eventually settled on Starbucks. (For those who are curious, Starbucks looks the same everywhere.)
I chose Taksim for its proximity to two of my very favorite activities: Turkish bath-ing and discount shopping. There is a wonderful old Turkish bath just a short walk away. And the alleys off the main street are filled with clothes -- glorious piles of brand-new, dirt-cheap, wonderful clothes. For those like me, who enjoy the shopping of the clothes more than the actual owning wearing of the clothes, it's pure heaven. I can hear the clothes calling me: "There's something gorgeous at the bottom of this pile, just waiting for you to find it."
But I managed to resist the siren song of shopping. I was a good girl and spent most of the day transcribing the many many many MANY interviews I conducted and recorded. Behold part of my collection of business cards collected from said interviews. Tomorrow will be much the same.
P.S. One of those business cards is HRH Princess Dina's!
Ariel guided me to the bus stop. I admired the colorful ads.
I chose to go to Taksim Square.Taksim is a very popular commercial area, filled with shops, cafes, cinemas, and restaurants. My plan was to find a quiet coffee shop or restaurant with free wireless, and camp out all afternoon. I was spoiled for choice, but eventually settled on Starbucks. (For those who are curious, Starbucks looks the same everywhere.)
I chose Taksim for its proximity to two of my very favorite activities: Turkish bath-ing and discount shopping. There is a wonderful old Turkish bath just a short walk away. And the alleys off the main street are filled with clothes -- glorious piles of brand-new, dirt-cheap, wonderful clothes. For those like me, who enjoy the shopping of the clothes more than the actual owning wearing of the clothes, it's pure heaven. I can hear the clothes calling me: "There's something gorgeous at the bottom of this pile, just waiting for you to find it."
But I managed to resist the siren song of shopping. I was a good girl and spent most of the day transcribing the many many many MANY interviews I conducted and recorded. Behold part of my collection of business cards collected from said interviews. Tomorrow will be much the same.P.S. One of those business cards is HRH Princess Dina's!
My Interview With HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan
As I posted earlier, I had the honor of interviewing HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan for my JBCP case study.
According to the King Hussein Cancer Center web site:
"HRH Princess Dina Mired has led the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) in Jordan as Director General since 2003. Knowing first-hand the difficult experience of cancer when her son was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of two, this experience was instrumental in both preparing and directing Princess Dina in her efforts to combat cancer."
She is no figurehead -- she is the COO in every sense, in the office 3-4 days a week and involved in every aspect of the organization.
I was impressed by everything about her -- she was so down-to-earth, so warm, and so passionate about her work:
And she asked me about my travel plans:
According to the King Hussein Cancer Center web site:
"HRH Princess Dina Mired has led the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) in Jordan as Director General since 2003. Knowing first-hand the difficult experience of cancer when her son was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of two, this experience was instrumental in both preparing and directing Princess Dina in her efforts to combat cancer."
She is no figurehead -- she is the COO in every sense, in the office 3-4 days a week and involved in every aspect of the organization.
I was impressed by everything about her -- she was so down-to-earth, so warm, and so passionate about her work:
And she asked me about my travel plans:
Greetings From Istanbul
Sorry I haven't been posting much. I've been having lots of fun with Ariel. Also, working on my case study.
We've been hanging out and catching up, going to malls and cafes. Yesterday, we went to the touristy area of Sultanahmet so I could enjoy the gorgeous scenery. It was a beautiful summer day, sunny and relatively cool.
I just love the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia is also breathtaking, but for some reason, I can't get enough of its sister.
Then we went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world, Doy Doy's, sitting on its amazing rooftop terrace. The picture above was my view. As usual, the food was excellent, the service attentive, and the prices were low. We said hello to the waiter who has worked there since Ariel started going there 9 years ago -- he remembers us every time we come back.
I just love the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sofia is also breathtaking, but for some reason, I can't get enough of its sister.
Then we went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world, Doy Doy's, sitting on its amazing rooftop terrace. The picture above was my view. As usual, the food was excellent, the service attentive, and the prices were low. We said hello to the waiter who has worked there since Ariel started going there 9 years ago -- he remembers us every time we come back.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Lana Al-Sakka
Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting Lana Al-Sakka, the founder and managing partner of iJordan. She studied law in England, but never practiced, first working in banking, then starting her own PR firm. Then she casually mentioned that she had started a school. My ears shot up so fast, it hurt.
Her PR firm funds "Badu Al Yawm," a nursery school for the residents of Beidha, in Southern Jordan.
Lana explained that until 20 years ago, the people of Beidha lived in caves. "Caves!" she emphasized, as I asked her to describe the living conditions.
"Did they have beds? Toilets? Electricity? Anything in the caves?"
She looked at me. "No, nothing. CAVES!"
The government forced them to move out of the caves and into shelters, but they were not prepared for life outside the caves. They were unaccostomed to earning money for rent, mattresses, electricity, etc. Today, the people of Beidha make their living from tourism.
Lana spent a lot of time in Beidha visiting friends, and people kept asking her to open a nursery school. Children there do not begin school until age 6, and their time before that was very unstructured. Parents wanted their children to learn letters and numbers and the material that their peers were learning in nursery schools nearby, but many of them were illiterate themselves.
Last year, Lana opened "Badu Al Yawn." She rented the building, fixed it up, filled it wtih toys and equipment, trained the teachers, and, last month, saw the first class graduate to school. She hired local women to serve as teachers: "I wanted it to be of the community and by the community." She cites the U.S. Head Start program as a model.
Lana has a lot of plans for the school. She wants to hire a local director to supervise the teachers and therapist to work with the children. She wants them to have access to medical and dental care. She's been talking to her corporate clients about equipment donations and organizing training sessions. She wants her school to drive change across the community, particularly among the women. The school's brochure reads:
"Your support will mean that the once over-worked and exhausted Bedouin mothers willnow have the time to manage their household chrose or learn the basics for child care to implement in their houses.
Your support will strengthen the women of Beidha, boost their morals, and provide them with training opportunities to help them embark on their child care careers and bridge the gap that is evident when entering schools.
Your support will result in a pre-school where small children will be taught the necessary educational and social skills to support their natural growth."
Social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, early childhood education, lawyers acting as social engineers ... Lana is my new hero.
Her PR firm funds "Badu Al Yawm," a nursery school for the residents of Beidha, in Southern Jordan.
Lana explained that until 20 years ago, the people of Beidha lived in caves. "Caves!" she emphasized, as I asked her to describe the living conditions.
"Did they have beds? Toilets? Electricity? Anything in the caves?"
She looked at me. "No, nothing. CAVES!"
The government forced them to move out of the caves and into shelters, but they were not prepared for life outside the caves. They were unaccostomed to earning money for rent, mattresses, electricity, etc. Today, the people of Beidha make their living from tourism.
Lana spent a lot of time in Beidha visiting friends, and people kept asking her to open a nursery school. Children there do not begin school until age 6, and their time before that was very unstructured. Parents wanted their children to learn letters and numbers and the material that their peers were learning in nursery schools nearby, but many of them were illiterate themselves.
Last year, Lana opened "Badu Al Yawn." She rented the building, fixed it up, filled it wtih toys and equipment, trained the teachers, and, last month, saw the first class graduate to school. She hired local women to serve as teachers: "I wanted it to be of the community and by the community." She cites the U.S. Head Start program as a model.
Lana has a lot of plans for the school. She wants to hire a local director to supervise the teachers and therapist to work with the children. She wants them to have access to medical and dental care. She's been talking to her corporate clients about equipment donations and organizing training sessions. She wants her school to drive change across the community, particularly among the women. The school's brochure reads:
"Your support will mean that the once over-worked and exhausted Bedouin mothers willnow have the time to manage their household chrose or learn the basics for child care to implement in their houses.
Your support will strengthen the women of Beidha, boost their morals, and provide them with training opportunities to help them embark on their child care careers and bridge the gap that is evident when entering schools.
Your support will result in a pre-school where small children will be taught the necessary educational and social skills to support their natural growth."
Social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, early childhood education, lawyers acting as social engineers ... Lana is my new hero.
Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women
Wednesday was my final day of interviews for my case study research. Eager to give me the opportunity to speak to absolutely everyone who might be helpful, JBCP scheduled me to speak to at least 5 people every day for the last week. By the last day, I was so tired and overwhelmed that I did not expect to enjoy any of the last meetings.
But the first meeting was the one of the most memorable and enjoyable of all. I had the privilige of speaking to Munira Shaban, Executive Director of a chapter of The Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women. Her location serves the women of an impoverıshed neighborhood on the outskirts of Amman.
But the first meeting was the one of the most memorable and enjoyable of all. I had the privilige of speaking to Munira Shaban, Executive Director of a chapter of The Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women. Her location serves the women of an impoverıshed neighborhood on the outskirts of Amman.
From the moment we met ın the
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Besiktas Hammam
Early this afternoon, I arrived in beautiful Istanbul, Turkey, home to two of my favorite things on the planet: Ariel and Turkish baths. Since Ariel was at work, I dropped my bags at her apartment and trotted down the hill to the local Besiktas Hamam.
The workers did not speak English, and I do not speak Turkish, but there is no language barrier too high for the strategic use of hand gestures. I had a wonderfully relaxing steam, scrub, and massage. The bath was simple and small, but it had a wonderful domed ceiling with tiny windows covered with colored glass. I wish the steam room and stone had been a little hotter, but considering that it was 95 degrees outside, I suppose that can be forgiven.
Bath Quality: 6 (out of 10)
Facilities: 5
Decoration: 2
Atmosphere: 6
Hospitality: 6
Massage Quality: 8
Price: 7 (very fair)
Overall: 5.7/10
A solid local option, but there are better baths to be had.
The workers did not speak English, and I do not speak Turkish, but there is no language barrier too high for the strategic use of hand gestures. I had a wonderfully relaxing steam, scrub, and massage. The bath was simple and small, but it had a wonderful domed ceiling with tiny windows covered with colored glass. I wish the steam room and stone had been a little hotter, but considering that it was 95 degrees outside, I suppose that can be forgiven.
Bath Quality: 6 (out of 10)
Facilities: 5
Decoration: 2
Atmosphere: 6
Hospitality: 6
Massage Quality: 8
Price: 7 (very fair)
Overall: 5.7/10
A solid local option, but there are better baths to be had.
Leaving the JBCP
Earlier this morning, I bid a very emotional farewell to the wonderful JBCP staff members. At least, it was emotional for me. They were so very good to me in every possible way, from arranging my hotel and transport to literally holding my hand when I was in the hospital.
The wonderful JBCP team.
The awesome JBCP car that drove me all over Jordan for interviews.
And they threw me a farewell party with pizza and cupcakes!
The wonderful JBCP team.
The awesome JBCP car that drove me all over Jordan for interviews.
And they threw me a farewell party with pizza and cupcakes!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Morning TV
I will miss my regular morning TV shows. They include:
* Harry and the Hendersons (the TV series)
* Seaquest DSV
* Vintage ER
* Late Show with David Letterman
and
* The Oprah Winfrey Show
* Harry and the Hendersons (the TV series)
* Seaquest DSV
* Vintage ER
* Late Show with David Letterman
and
* The Oprah Winfrey Show
Who has two thumbs and a normal-looking face?
This moi! (Who gets the reference?) I'm all better! Hooray for skin!I've been shocked to discover that vigilant application of sunscreen and moisturizer, plus keeping one's face shielded from sun, IS actually good for the skin. Good to know.
King Hussein Cancer Center
Last week, I had the opportunity to tour the impressive King Hussein Cancer Center. Director General Mahmoud Sarhan, who is also the chairman of JBCP's executive board, has built KHCC into a world-class comprehensive cancer care facility.
The name, "King Hussein Cancer Center," itself reflects big changes in Jordanian society. Many people have told me that, until recently, the subject of cancer was a huge taboo. The word itself was rarely spoken -- people called it "that disease" when they spoke of it at all. KHCC used to be called "The Hope Center" for this very reason.
Not long ago, most cancer patients sought treatment in secret, from friends and even family members. Cancer carried a huge social stigma. Many worried that if people knew a member of their family had cancer, no one would want to marry into the family. Again and again, I heard stories of husbands who had divorced their wives upon hearing that they had cancer.
There was little public awareness about the development and treatment of cancer, particularly breast cancer. Women were told by their mothers, grandmothers, and aunts that they could not get breast cancer if they breast-fed their children, or if there was no history of cancer in their families. I met an educated woman, with medical training, who said she had believed that she could not have breast cancer as long as she was in good general health and her breasts looked normal. Apparently, there was a common misconception that having a biopsy for a mass would cause it to metasticize -- that "disrupting it" or trying to treat it was the cause of harm. Many women refused to seek treatment or even a diagnosis, saying that if it was cancer, they didn't want to know about it, and whatever would be would be.
The death of the late King Hussein I from cancer in 1999 had a profound, but mixed impact upon the way the country viewed cancer. It made it easier for Jordanians to acknowledge and discuss cancer, but also seemed to confirm their worst fears. "The King has all the money and resources in the world, and even he dies from cancer -- what hope is there for the rest of us?"
The Jordan Breast Cancer Program, in coordination with their partners, has done a great deal to educate the public about breast cancer, to de-stigmatize the disease, and to motivate people to change their behavior to facilitate early detection and treatment. One of their most important partners is SANAD, a group of cancer survivors who travel throughout the country to counsel and support cancer patients. SANAD volunteers work closely with women, and if possible, their entire families, to educate and support them throughout the treatment process.
The name, "King Hussein Cancer Center," itself reflects big changes in Jordanian society. Many people have told me that, until recently, the subject of cancer was a huge taboo. The word itself was rarely spoken -- people called it "that disease" when they spoke of it at all. KHCC used to be called "The Hope Center" for this very reason.
Not long ago, most cancer patients sought treatment in secret, from friends and even family members. Cancer carried a huge social stigma. Many worried that if people knew a member of their family had cancer, no one would want to marry into the family. Again and again, I heard stories of husbands who had divorced their wives upon hearing that they had cancer.
There was little public awareness about the development and treatment of cancer, particularly breast cancer. Women were told by their mothers, grandmothers, and aunts that they could not get breast cancer if they breast-fed their children, or if there was no history of cancer in their families. I met an educated woman, with medical training, who said she had believed that she could not have breast cancer as long as she was in good general health and her breasts looked normal. Apparently, there was a common misconception that having a biopsy for a mass would cause it to metasticize -- that "disrupting it" or trying to treat it was the cause of harm. Many women refused to seek treatment or even a diagnosis, saying that if it was cancer, they didn't want to know about it, and whatever would be would be.
The death of the late King Hussein I from cancer in 1999 had a profound, but mixed impact upon the way the country viewed cancer. It made it easier for Jordanians to acknowledge and discuss cancer, but also seemed to confirm their worst fears. "The King has all the money and resources in the world, and even he dies from cancer -- what hope is there for the rest of us?"
The Jordan Breast Cancer Program, in coordination with their partners, has done a great deal to educate the public about breast cancer, to de-stigmatize the disease, and to motivate people to change their behavior to facilitate early detection and treatment. One of their most important partners is SANAD, a group of cancer survivors who travel throughout the country to counsel and support cancer patients. SANAD volunteers work closely with women, and if possible, their entire families, to educate and support them throughout the treatment process.
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