Category Archives: rituals
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six weeks in the desert: green valley, arizona
Posted on June 28, 2013 by nikkimeredith in odds and sods, rituals, science/research, unexpected adventures.At home above my desk I have posted this poem by Mary Oliver: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Oliver calls the poem “instructions for living a life” and it’s advice I try implementing every day of the year — every day except for the six weeks between Memorial Day and the 4th of […]
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absence makes the stomach grow fonder: food variety deprivation, fantasy and phenomena in the humanitarian aid worker life
Posted on October 21, 2012 by nikki in aid work, odds and sods, rituals, unexpected adventures.Food cravings are a motherfucker. After a few weeks of being in the field with the same slop every day, my gastronomic fantasy life takes on a bigger and bigger portion of my conscious and unconscious mind with debilitating consequences. I’ve been through this cycle enough times now to recognize the signs and symptoms, which […]
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what do I have in common with Julia Roberts? how being a dog owner is like being a celebrity
Posted on September 25, 2012 by nikkimeredith in dogs, family, odds and sods, rituals, unexpected adventures.I have never been, nor will I ever be, a celebrity — not even for Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes. But I maintain that having a dog shares some of the features of celebrityhood and if you walk around with two dogs, you’re on your way to being a super celebrity. When our dog Alice was […]
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shitty in pink: lady aid worker conquers night time latrine visits
Posted on August 18, 2012 by nikki in aid work, health and beauty, odds and sods, rituals, unexpected adventures.I have one key piece of advice for female aid workers on their way to Africa: once you get there, get a potty. This might even be more important than my earlier advice about underwear. Displaying your undies in full view of your boss only happens once a week – the potty issue comes up […]
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aid worker underwear
Posted on July 29, 2012 by nikki in aid work, rituals.I’m at it again. Packing. This time it’s for a one-month stint in South Sudan. The conditions will be tough, I’ve been warned. Shared sleeping tents, limited electricity, knee-deep mud, two latrines for forty people. I’ve already gotten much advice from the hardened colleagues already there: Bring vitamins, Ruby shared, because fruits and vegetables are […]
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