MEME! Pop Culture style

Seven Easy Steps to Complete Pretentiousness—And How To Avoid Them

1. Name a book that you want to share so much that you keep giving away copies: This question reminds me of how Ed used to give people copies of one of Eduardo Galeono's books (I believe it was "Book of Embraces). For me, the book I give away to people is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. I'm reading all his stuff now and there are books I like of his even more than that one - but it is a classic.

2. Name a piece of music that changed the way you listen to music: The hymns "In the Rifted Rock" and "Praise God from Whom (606)". These two hymns are the theme songs if you will of the Mennonite faith and as a young child they formed in me how music could symbolize culture and meaning and community. Both were songs at my wedding - the 606 was a congregational hymn and I walked down the aisle to "In the Rifted Rock".

3. Name a film you can watch again and again without fatigue: My new one for this is "Elizabethtown". There's something about it that just makes it a great place to spend time for a while.

4. Name a performer for whom you suspend of all disbelief: Ronnie Burkett also transports me to this wonderful world he creates. He truly inspires me.

5. Name a work of art you'd like to live with: I've always loved Emily Carr's work but also Bill Mason who is somewhat of a mentor to me. His artistry is amazing and so having one of his prints would be incredible. Here's one that I'm particularly fond of.

6. Name a work of fiction which has penetrated your real life: Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker. This book is about Female Genital Mutilation. I was a teenager when I first read this and I finished it early one Sunday morning sitting in the grass in my backyard. After I finished it I took off all my clothes and ran around in my backyard naked celebrating my complete womanhood. I credit this as the beginning of my journey in becoming an OB/GYN.

7. Name a punch line that always makes you laugh:

[Cobra Commander, Skeletor, Mum-Ra and Lex Luthor are car pooling] Skeletor: Oh, that was a good one.

Lex Luthor: What was a... OH, Dear Lord!

Skeletor: Haha! Behold the gaseous stench of Skeletor's breakfast burrito!

Contemplating Calgary

I've been living with Bus for the last 2 weeks here in Calgary and at first I was just doing this elective to stay in the West before my Western interviews (which are next week?!?) but more and more Calgary is starting to grow on my as a place I think I would like to go for residency. Here are my reasons:

1. Close to home...but not too close.
It's a little bit the best of both worlds here. I'm only 2.5-3 hours away from my family and Foreman's family and our friends but we'd also have our own space too. That's a pretty great deal.

2. Close to the mountains
I didn't realize how close the mountains are here (which is stupid I'm from Alberta). But with my constant canoeing passion and my new-found interest in snowboarding it would be great to be close to the mountains. Plus, there's always horse-back riding in the Foothills which I've always loved.

3. Friends
In addition to my great friends in Edmonton that would be close there are great people here in Calgary that I'd love to spend more time with. I've loved living with Bus and I think that he and Foreman would get along really well and he could have pie dates with PrincessGwyn. Also, I always forget how much I like the Reeds and I got to spend time with them this weekend and the 4 of us have quite a bit in common and that would be really cool to hang out with them more.

4. Calgary Inter-Mennonite Church
This church has always been a part of my life even though I've never been an official member. I went there today and was so warmly welcomed - like I had come home. It was such a supportive, wonderful place to be and I went to potluck and a bunch of us were there til 2pm (church started at 10am). It gave me faith again that church can be laid-back and meaningful and I really appreciated that today.

So...we'll see how the interviews go but Calgary is a definite possibility.