face

Arguably one of the most infamous pictures when one thinks of the word "face."

Check out this project, profiling 10 random New York citizens and asking them to comment on what they think about their face.

www.simonhoegsberg.com/faces_of_new_york/index.htm

The Gap- Australia

"The Gap," is a cliff that has become a prominent suicide location in Sydney Australia. Check out this story about an incredible man who lives near this location and has intervened in over 160 potential deaths with the simple use of a caring smile and conversation :)

http://current.com/1nhfo4c

ice!

Today is sooo icy outside, I felt like this on my drive to school:

I think I am definitely affected by SAD (seasonal affective disorder) syndrome. It can have fairly serious effects, including depression, sleep problems, lethargy, over eating, loss of concentration, social problems, anxiety, loss of libido and mood changes. Pretty depressing. I think that's why around February everyone gets anxious for winter to end and spring to begin. Some tips I find helpful for fighting off SAD is to stay active throughout the winter, and embrace winter as a season of celebration! Spending time with friends more often, especially in the evenings when it gets dark so early can keep some of these symptoms at bay!

I love to cook/eat, so getting together with friends for good: food, drinks and conversation is always fabulous. The following is a picture of one of these days, gingerbread house building!

I also like to start planning for outdoor activities to come in the spring. Even though it's cold, it's still refreshing to be outside on nice days. Below is a picture of my sister on the beach on a cold but sunny October day. I am also planning on tackling the 5km Around the Bay race this spring, so that is motivating me throughout the winter as well as giving me something to look forward to.

Lastly, it's always nice to daydream about the hot hot heat of the summer. Last summer I was lucky enough to take a trip to Cuba with 2 of my best friends. Here is a picture of us feeling the ocean water when we first arrived ~ definitely one of my "feel-good" pictures.

lace

I think lace is beautiful, but has been overdone and overly trashy lately. Here's a beautiful photo that restores it's beautiful nature :)

Cute Video

locavore

I have become much more concerned recently with how food choices impact individual and community health. I have tried as much as possible to become a locavore, only eating foods from within a 100 mile radius (though I find this challenging because of "necessary" foods like sugar, and my love for fruits and vegetables like bananas, pineapples and avocados that are clearly unavailable from a local source). I am also very concerned with the quality of foods I'm ingesting and a major focus of medical anthropology is the unknown long-term health consequences of pesticides, growth hormones and over processing that plague the majority of food available in North America. A great way of ensuring food security, autonomy and sustainability while creating strong community networks is to buy from places like local farmers markets.

This is a picture of the Hamilton Farmer's Market where I'm proud to say my family purchases the majority of our groceries. I feel privileged enough to know many of the vendors because of my mom's long-term consumerism and I think that no matter my location, local markets will always be something I support and enjoy. I think that creating and maintaining local food security has an untapped ability to build positive and nurturing relationships that advocate for peace based communities.

Community gardens are an exceptional way of promoting these relationships, especially within impoverished environments, and I would like to look into getting involved with one this upcoming summer.

Life and Debt