So I was back at youth night tonight. Half the kids are still calling me chronic. The others are trying to get me to adopt a new nickname: "Dody." Having learned my lesson, I refused their Dody advances. After our meeting, Booboo pried "whyyyyy won't you let us call you dody??" I told her I'd tell her next week. I knew that I needed to look up the term on urbandictionary.com, my new favorite online resource.
Just as I suspected:
1. dody: weed; marajuana; pot; lye
i.e. where da dody at?
pass dat dody.
wanna buy sum dody?
2. dody: a show of extreme slowness in mental capacity.
i.e. how dody is that...?
Herein lies the dilemma: the kids refuse to call me Marla, they have rejected all of my pre-approved suggestions, and all of their names ideas are actually illegal substances. Does anyone have any suggestions? They've already shot-down the following:
1. Marz Barz
2. Mar
3. Doc
4. Stumpie
5. stumpAH (actually, when I mentioned this one they all started to laugh and said "no! that sounds like a white rapper's name!" I bit my tongue.)
Any/all ideas are welcomed. Please run your suggestions through urbandictionary.com to screen for drug and/or sexually explicit references.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Chronic
So I've started helping out with the jr/sr high youth group at my church in South Phoenix. Tonight was my second time, and I'm still trying to get 'in' with the kids. Upon hanging out with a bunch of the kids who happen to be nick-named after popular candies, 'Skittles' told me that I was not allowed to be named Marz Barz because that's a chocolate name and I'm not black. Instead they dubbed me "Chronic" allegedly after an energy drink.
I later learned that chronic is a slang term for pot.
I later learned that chronic is a slang term for pot.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Dr. Marla?
I have a little news to share (that most blog-readers probably already know)... I'm going to medical school next year!!! That's right. Bring on the late nights and the pj pants. Bring on the cottage cheese and cereal dinners. Bring on the extra-curriculars and the spring breaks. I'm in for 4 more years!
Really, I feel soooo undeserving and thankful to have been given this opportunity. The premed process has been arduous, and I'd be lying if I said there weren't times I second-guessed my desired future. Some of you may remember that I became quite interested in studying clinical engineering as an alternative career choice after serving as a biomedical technician on the Africa Mercy. But these days I'm feeling confident about my decision to go to med school in the fall. I had been thinking and praying about med school and clinical engineering a lot over the last few months, and it seems that both are options that would allow me to glorify God (top priority), and I think I would really enjoy both (also very important). A downside of clinical engineering is that it doesn't quite offer the patient interaction that medicine does. When I first got back from the Africa Mercy I really just wanted to get back to the international missions field asap, because it was so clear in my mind how much need there is, and clinical engineering was appealing because it would allow me to get back to the field sooner. But now that I'm 3 months removed from the post-ship buzz, in the long run I don't mind that I'll be in training for 4-7 more years before I can really throw myself out there. I figure that in our fallen, pre-second coming world, the need will always be there. I've also realized over the last few months that I really miss school! In Jan/Feb I took an engineering class at a near-by community college (had to withdraw from the class once I started working again), and I loved it. I'm really excited about being in classes again. Please remind me how much I love school when I'm studying for my boards and ready to pull my hair out.
OH, and I almost forgot to share where I'll be going: The University of Arizona!!!! This has been my top choice for several years now, so I'm tickled. The school colors are red and blue, which conveniently correspond to the colors of my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.
GO WILDCATS!
Really, I feel soooo undeserving and thankful to have been given this opportunity. The premed process has been arduous, and I'd be lying if I said there weren't times I second-guessed my desired future. Some of you may remember that I became quite interested in studying clinical engineering as an alternative career choice after serving as a biomedical technician on the Africa Mercy. But these days I'm feeling confident about my decision to go to med school in the fall. I had been thinking and praying about med school and clinical engineering a lot over the last few months, and it seems that both are options that would allow me to glorify God (top priority), and I think I would really enjoy both (also very important). A downside of clinical engineering is that it doesn't quite offer the patient interaction that medicine does. When I first got back from the Africa Mercy I really just wanted to get back to the international missions field asap, because it was so clear in my mind how much need there is, and clinical engineering was appealing because it would allow me to get back to the field sooner. But now that I'm 3 months removed from the post-ship buzz, in the long run I don't mind that I'll be in training for 4-7 more years before I can really throw myself out there. I figure that in our fallen, pre-second coming world, the need will always be there. I've also realized over the last few months that I really miss school! In Jan/Feb I took an engineering class at a near-by community college (had to withdraw from the class once I started working again), and I loved it. I'm really excited about being in classes again. Please remind me how much I love school when I'm studying for my boards and ready to pull my hair out.
OH, and I almost forgot to share where I'll be going: The University of Arizona!!!! This has been my top choice for several years now, so I'm tickled. The school colors are red and blue, which conveniently correspond to the colors of my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.
GO WILDCATS!
Friday, February 22, 2008
London
...and here are some of my London pictures. again, about 2 months overdue.
I decided to extent my stopover in London to 3 days, since I'd never been to England before and don't know when my next opportunity will be. Tim, the boyfriend of my dear friend Ruth, very kindly picked me up from the Airport at 1:30am and let me crash at his flat in Roehampton. Outfitted with Tim's extra mobile and a map of London, I set off into the city the next morning. I did a lot of wandering, a favorite pastime of mine, and I was able to meet up with a few friends in the city. The trip was a great time of relaxation and introspection, and I think it helped ease my adjustment back into life in the good ol' USofA.
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| London |
I decided to extent my stopover in London to 3 days, since I'd never been to England before and don't know when my next opportunity will be. Tim, the boyfriend of my dear friend Ruth, very kindly picked me up from the Airport at 1:30am and let me crash at his flat in Roehampton. Outfitted with Tim's extra mobile and a map of London, I set off into the city the next morning. I did a lot of wandering, a favorite pastime of mine, and I was able to meet up with a few friends in the city. The trip was a great time of relaxation and introspection, and I think it helped ease my adjustment back into life in the good ol' USofA.
The Canary Islands
...here are some photos from the Canary Islands. They're about two months overdue, but that's how I roll these days...
After our outreach in Liberia, the crew of the Africa Mercy set sail for the Canary Islands. The ship spent a couple of months in the islands over the holidays so that it could be repaired and prepared for its next 10-month expedition. I was able to enjoy 5 days in this European vacation hot-spot with my fellow crew members. It was a special experience to re-enter Western society with other Mercy Shippers. Together we were able to freely gawk at the paved roads, the order, the variety of food, the electricity, etc.
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| Gran Canaria |
After our outreach in Liberia, the crew of the Africa Mercy set sail for the Canary Islands. The ship spent a couple of months in the islands over the holidays so that it could be repaired and prepared for its next 10-month expedition. I was able to enjoy 5 days in this European vacation hot-spot with my fellow crew members. It was a special experience to re-enter Western society with other Mercy Shippers. Together we were able to freely gawk at the paved roads, the order, the variety of food, the electricity, etc.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
more photos
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| Dock and Ducor Palace |
Here are some photos of the ship, the dock, and Ducor Palace. Ducor was at one time one of Liberia's most prestigious hotels. It is seated at the top of the highest hill in Monrovia and has some of the best views of the city and sea. The hotel was looted by rebels during the war and was closed for business. Later it became a shelter for thousands of refugees. Now it remains guarded and deserted.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Boomerang Child
...So yeah, I'm slightly embarrassed that I haven't updated my blog in about a month and a half. Motivation is low because I feel like Gilbert isn't quite as interesting or noteworthy as Liberia. But that's a bad attitude; there are events-a-plenty around here.
After 5 days in the Canary Islands and 3 days in London, I headed back to AZ via a direct flight on British Airways. (direct flight=super exciting) And then, I entered what I now refer to as The Time Warp. I slept a lot and then got sick and slept even more and then it was Christmas and then I went to the East Coast to visit friends and then I started to take a class and continue the med school application process and look into some other graduate schools and now I'm here. Really I can't believe I left the ship over a month ago. I've gotten to reconnect with several Mercy Ships friends state-side, which has been such a blessing!
I'm going to sift through my thousands of pictures from last fall (no joke) to find some fun Canaries and London shots for da blog. So stay tuned...
After 5 days in the Canary Islands and 3 days in London, I headed back to AZ via a direct flight on British Airways. (direct flight=super exciting) And then, I entered what I now refer to as The Time Warp. I slept a lot and then got sick and slept even more and then it was Christmas and then I went to the East Coast to visit friends and then I started to take a class and continue the med school application process and look into some other graduate schools and now I'm here. Really I can't believe I left the ship over a month ago. I've gotten to reconnect with several Mercy Ships friends state-side, which has been such a blessing!
I'm going to sift through my thousands of pictures from last fall (no joke) to find some fun Canaries and London shots for da blog. So stay tuned...
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