New HIV Education Campaign in the U.S.

Don't have much time to go into details, but just heard of this new education and awareness campaign that could really do some good things.

It is called Living Positive By Design

Back to it

I am sure that by this point most of the people whom were following this blog have now moved on. And I don't blame them. This summer brought a lot of new adventure and demands into my life and I wasn't able to make the commitment to keep up two blogs. With that being said, this one is back. After taking a much needed break from technology and everything anthroplogical, I am back to needing a venue for writing and expressing myself in the most anonymous way possible.

So everything starts back today. Classes resume (6 hours of class without a break to be exact) and I am diving head first back into my work from Uganda. While the much needed break from my research and research partner are over, I am ready to get back to the grind. This semesters classes are already proving to be a challenge with the amount of reading that I know lies in store and the demands of my graduate assistantship. I have to admit that I am having extremely mixed feelings about getting back to it.

This summer allowed for a plethora of personal and professional exploration for me and led me to make some rather big decisions. The most substantial of which was deciding to work in the field after getting my masters versus heading straight into a Ph.D. program. While I deliberated over this for some time it was the secondary factors that were more of the deciding moment for me rather than pure academic ones. Spending another couple of years here in Memphis and being able to give back to the city that has given me so much is something that I think is necessary. Adding to that I hope that I am able to apply my interest and work that I did in Uganda to the population here in Memphis for both philanthropic and academic purposes.

Regardless, this semester will be a challenge and an adventure and while I am hesitant to get really excited, I am curious about what this next year will bring.

I will be blogging on the same randomness and often ranting that is usual in hopes that someone out there may actually find it interesting.

Cheers!!!

Still alive and Kickin

Hello All.

The last thing I wrote was of me heading off to Uganda. Well, I have been here over a month now and am finding it rather fascinating. We are here to do an evaluation on an HIV/AIDS education program, but being medical anthropologist minded we are diving into the culture as well. And in order to study the culture of HIV/AIDS, one must study the culture of sex. So far we have been conducting random conversations on the topic at popular local hangouts, bars, and clubs which has been a riot. Also, we have recently made our way into one of the high sex work areas of town and have befriended both a "pimp" and "prostitute" in the sex work industry. The interviews were very interesting and emotional and more informative then I think they could ever realize.

I am learning a lot on this trip and it has undoubtedly changed my world view. I have so many topics that I could carry in Ph.D. research and so many NGO's that I want to start that will actually do some good and that I can actually see in the field. That topic is for another time though. Hope you haven't given up hope on my blogging, internet access here is sparse.

Headed to Uganda

So I am getting ready to go to Uganda. Yep. It is finally here. I am gonna to be there for exactly 63 days and am nervous and exited all at the same time. The reason that I want everyone to know this is because this blog will be my sort of blog for venting my frustrations and trials while I am gone. That being said, i am not sure how much I will blog here because I have a second blog that I will also be keeping up with.

Ok, time to get back to packing. Check out my other blog about my time in Uganda as well, Ramblings from Abroad.

Wish me luck.

It paid off

I feel that this semester is by far that I have had in my entire school career. I had many, many sleepless nights and there was even a wedge driven between me and my wife. This semester took a toll on my life that I could have never imagined. Now it is over.

I never thought that just getting grades back could provide validity and resolution to the work, effort, and strife that has gone into a semester. I really had no idea that I would feel better after just seeing my grades.



There were several obstacles that I had to overcome this semester. There were several times that I thought I would never make it through. Yet somehow I still didn't feel vindicated, until I saw my grades. It is really strange though. I knew that I was doing well. As always, I could have done better and put more time into it, but I did well. Somehow seeing those grades really allowed for me to formulate my identity. If there was doubt that I was going to cut it or those moments that I doubted if I was an anthropologist all became moot knowing that I could do it and get perfect scores.

Now comes the next stage of my career. While I have my reservations about working in the field and my ability to do so, I am diving in head first to learn from my mistakes and be an anthropologists. Knowing that I made the transition from a biological anthropologist to a biocultural/medical anthropologist really gives me the confidence that I can do this. I will be heading into new, unchartered territory in my career having to act professional and confident while in the inside I will be terrified and scared out of my mind. I am ready , though, and these grades made me realize that I can do.....and be good at it.

Wow.. A must See

LHC Rap

Nerdiness!!!!