tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76010538092377554202012-01-25T14:04:57.078-05:00thoughts and stories from MIT, Sri Lanka, Boston, and beyondEllenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-53016778773199179352009-07-14T02:34:00.005-04:002009-07-14T02:44:39.981-04:00

Yesterday Emerge Global's new Country Director Rachael Pool was introduced to our girls in Sri Lanka, and it turned into one of the most hectic, emotional workshops she could have visited.Hectic because the workshop wasn't run like normal. We are about to change the workshop bead colors from Spring/Summer to Fall/Winter, so instead of handing out new beads we only collected products, and asked

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-62363818706264098372009-07-09T07:14:00.001-04:002009-07-09T07:15:21.558-04:00

Yesterday I received the official documents from the Sri Lanka Registrar of Companies that approved Emerge Lanka Foundation as a charitable company (company number GA2271). This approval is the culmination of my work in Sri Lanka, and very fittingly arrived two hours before Emerge's new Sri Lanka Country Director did.When I arrived to Sri Lanka in late-August of 2008, I realized that we needed

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-29261170116469488722009-07-02T23:09:00.004-04:002009-07-03T00:09:25.122-04:00

My birthday is coming up on June 12th, and instead of getting me, or not getting me, anything I would love if you would donate to Emerge Global on my behalf. I've set up a fundraising goal on facebook, and you can find it by following this link. Alternatively, you can donate through our JustGive site.I really appreciate all the love and support I've received from you all in regards to my work

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-78459895789056556772009-06-26T00:31:00.000-04:002009-06-26T00:43:10.235-04:00

Four days ago Emerge Global was featured on the front page of ColomboPage, a Sri Lankan internet newspaper. With the title "A beaded necklace can transform the life of a troubled teen in Sri Lanka," the article is a beautifuly written tribute to the work that Emerge Global is doing in Sri Lanka. I met the author, Chandrani, when I was back in the United States in August of 2008 and when I

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-36472892433726180502009-06-16T05:52:00.012-04:002009-06-17T04:01:48.725-04:00

Last summer I spent three weeks traveling through China. A portion of that time was spent teaching students at Qidong (pronounced "Chee-dong") Middle School about leadership and globalization via the MIT China Development Initiative.Being a part of CDI was an enlightening experience. As I began to grow closer with the students, and particular those I was paired up with to mentor, I became

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-48964148316851811002009-06-10T06:54:00.005-04:002009-06-10T07:11:40.611-04:00

My most recent trip back to Colombo has been interesting to say the least. Here are some snippets:1) On my Boston-Atlanta flight the guy sitting next to me tried to kind of buy me a vodka tonic ... with a free drink coupon.2) In the Dubai airport the guy who sells Cuban cigars at the duty free shops told me I looked like a movie star, although he couldn't remember which one. Truth or just a

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-46822766197204893272009-06-05T17:15:00.004-04:002009-06-26T00:52:52.461-04:00

Watch my brother do the Evolution of Dance for Harrison High School's talent competition. He goes on to win the event, and being his big sister I get to brag about him. I'm also proud of the fact that I was finally able to get this video onto Youtube. You have no idea how long it took me to figure this out, and was helped immensely by my friend Bryan.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-51391433944921269892009-06-03T21:50:00.003-04:002009-06-03T21:55:01.659-04:00

The past month has been, in terms of travel, ridiculous. I just counted how many flights I will have taken between the time I left Sri Lanka until the time I land again: 14. That doesn't count a bus ride between New York and Boston, and a car trip from West Lafayette, Indiana to Washington D.C. At least I'm racking up the frequent flyer miles. And getting to catch up with a lot of people. And

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-56479162866767652612009-05-12T17:45:00.006-04:002009-05-18T08:50:30.980-04:00

I don't know how teachers do it. Today I spoke in six different classes at Harrison High School about Emerge Global and my time in Sri Lanka. And it was exhausting. The kids were great, don't get me wrong, but it was a physically draining process and by the end of the day I had déjà vu every time I began my talk.One of the highlights was reconnecting with old teachers, coaches, mentors, and

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-4978877890154939022009-05-08T09:05:00.006-04:002009-05-09T16:59:09.706-04:00

On my 43 hour journey from Colombo, Sri Lanka to West Lafayette, Indiana I had a six hour layover in Dubai. During that time, I met up with some Emerge Global supporters who showed me around the city. Also during that time I came to the conclusion that I could never live in Dubai.Residing in the middle of the desert and looking vaguely like what I imagine L.A. looks like minus the sand (huge

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-10019508821543027992009-05-01T07:21:00.023-04:002009-05-01T08:32:09.222-04:00

A couple weeks ago I had two friend from MIT, Matt and Morgan, visit me in Sri Lanka.Planning and executing the trip, and serving as the tour guide, was incredibly fun for me. I'm a details person, and a planning person, and a people pleaser. All of these traits are very useful, I found out, in crafting a vacation itinerary. Highlights from the trip are below, and suffice it to say if

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-45396004122720839742009-04-28T04:50:00.005-04:002009-04-28T06:23:07.800-04:00

Last Friday was officially the hottest day of my entire life. The Sinhalese and Tamil New Year was on April 14th, and our Bead Program Coordinator Nirukshi was able to find someone to sponsor a belated New Year's Party, held last Friday. All of the girls have asked April and I several times to wear saris, and with no better excuse than the New Year's celebration (which was also April's last

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-73869471749412022072009-04-18T01:11:00.002-04:002009-04-18T01:18:39.303-04:00

I had a real veggie crisis at my friend Antonio's place last Friday. He was serving a caviar and toast appetizer, and when presented with the vegetarian dilemma to eat or not to eat, I didn't know what to do. I ended up playing it safe and didn't eat the caviar at the time, but I have yet to come to some sort of rational resolution to why or why not fish eggs are kosher. What makes it

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-8662986509429715762009-04-10T01:49:00.002-04:002009-04-10T01:59:32.757-04:00

This weekend I have two friends coming to visit, and I made a list of things I need to warn them about. Because I find these warnings/tips amusing and interesting, I thought I would share them with you all. 1) A smile can go a long ways in Sri Lanka. Much more than any other places I've visited so far.2) When we go to hotels, even nice hotels, there will be cockroaches. And lizards and other

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-36761147891758430152009-04-05T22:59:00.003-04:002009-04-05T23:08:04.092-04:00

I wouldn't normally put a giveaway on my blog ... except for the fact that I've recently become obsessed with the thought of getting an iPhone and therefore have been very susceptible to Apple-related promotions.So without further ado - check out this site. http://ipodrip.com/giveaway/Although now that I think about it the mere fact that I'm sharing this with you all decreases my chances of

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-54802307922626952782009-04-04T04:42:00.006-04:002009-04-10T02:03:50.091-04:00

Yesterday I graduated from Sinhala I, a class I've been taking for the last several months at the British Council. I can't tell you how good learning Sinhala has been for me. It's helped me to communicate better with our girls, and to navigate Sri Lanka and negotiate prices with less stress.Along with those practical benefits, it's also given me something peripheral to Emerge to throw myself

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-6256476157045651532009-04-03T02:38:00.003-04:002009-04-18T01:10:05.257-04:00

SRI LANKA!!! AHHHH!!!!Everything here takes FOREVER to happen, and is never as URGENT as it sounds, and really depends on who you KNOW, which means that absolutely nothing is CERTAIN.Please pardon my excessive use of capital letters, but this week I have been spending a lot of time working on establishing "Emerge Lanka Foundation," the Sri Lankan branch of Emerge Global. And I've been to several

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-39763052207991354632009-04-03T02:03:00.003-04:002009-04-18T01:10:29.730-04:00

Being a veggie sucks when there are no good options for you on the menu. Example: if you go to the beach in Sri Lanka. Most typical Sri Lankan beach places offer limited vegetarian options. In my case, I could order vegetable fried rice or vegetable fried noodles. I went with the veggie fried noodles. Wouldn't recommend it.Next time I'm just going to ask them to make me an omelet.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-23711026152701961442009-03-30T23:29:00.002-04:002009-03-30T23:39:29.752-04:00

I know I've invited a lot of you to "follow" me, and I just wanted to encourage you all to click on the follow button on the right hand side of my blog! It's nice to know who is reading this, and to be honest it makes me feel good :) Kind of like having a lot of facebook friends or twitter followers. Speaking of which (blatant promotion coming) here is my twitter link.And please comment on my

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-72250820265489498582009-03-27T07:05:00.006-04:002009-04-18T01:10:59.128-04:00

Two stories that were inspired by the Colombo French Film Festival.Number OneQuestion: How do you get into an invitation-only party for the opening of a French film festival to which you don't have an invitation.Answer: Act like you're supposed to be there.It amazes me how much I can, and have, gotten away with since I've been in Sri Lanka simply by acting like I'm not getting away with anything.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-56705440726935023132009-03-17T03:13:00.003-04:002009-03-17T03:29:24.834-04:00

I'm addicted to The Office. I've come down with a crazy Sri Lankan virus that is only now working itself out of my system, and my latest and greatest pastime has been finding TV series that I haven't seen before, buying the bootlegged DVD's at Majestic City for super-cheap, and then watching several seasons in the span of a few days. It's been working out well for me.Why buy completely new

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-28335990753614569192009-03-08T06:13:00.003-04:002009-04-18T01:11:18.385-04:00

Astrology is something that is taken very seriously in Sri Lanka. Weddings are planned and special ceremonies are set to occur on "auspicious dates" foretold by the astrologer. When I first arrived in Sri Lanka astrology was something that caught my interest immediately, although I'm sad to say I've yet to get my horoscope done properly. So you can imagine my excitement when a link to the

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-60189049177682866532009-03-03T00:36:00.002-05:002009-03-03T00:47:53.235-05:00

Yesterday I tried acupuncture for the first time, and even though I'm pretty good around needles I was still nervous. In total I was stuck 9 times. Four in my neck to relieve the stress and tension I carry there. Two in my left hand to help with the sore throat I've developed in the past two days, as well as my lung capacity (apparently the smog is really affecting my ability to breathe here).

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-11749797331501490072009-03-02T03:05:00.002-05:002009-03-02T03:17:36.180-05:00

(1) I feel like a 20-something year old trapped in the life of a 30 year old.Sri Lanka is forcing me to "grow up" fast. I put that in quotations because, being the oldest child and a massive over-achiever in general, I've always felt a bit older than I really am. But here on the island I'm meeting and socializing with people who are older to much-much older than me. And I'm in a job that would

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-68175325688881922302009-02-03T23:47:00.002-05:002009-02-04T00:02:41.526-05:00

In preparation of Valentine's Day, I Love You More Than Blank has come up with a fun way to profess your love via internet. Some of my favorites:I love you more than Cleopatra Ptolemy VII loved Julius Gaius Caesar, and then Mark Antony.I love you more than grilled cheese and harry potter, combined.I love you more than baby tigers.I love you more than I hate Twilight.I love you more than we loved

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-77505767392676588772009-01-28T08:19:00.002-05:002009-01-28T08:22:25.735-05:00

If you haven't gotten hooked on 30 Rock yet, you should. And if you need one episode to convince you, watch "Tracy Does Conan" from episode 1. By far the best episode in the series."Jack Welch has such unparalleled management skills, they named Welch's grape juice after him because he squeezes the Swedish juice out of his workers mind grapes."

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-115603515831910332009-01-16T10:49:00.003-05:002009-01-16T11:06:53.952-05:00

My new favorite site to waste time on. www.wordle.net You feed wordle a list of words, a website, or a blog rss feed and it aggregates the words into a "word cloud" that you can then play with. See what I made from the rss for The Natural Log: For a larger version of my wordle look here. Reply and let me know if you've tried out the site!

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-24208954436883434912009-01-15T06:01:00.003-05:002009-01-15T07:06:29.120-05:00

I've recently had a surge in my interest in government, specifically working in government, and I'm not sure what to attribute it to. Part of me thinks I may have fallen for Obama-mania. I mean let's be honest, who hasn't? But I think the real answer comes from viewing the political system here in Sri Lanka and realizing not just how good I have it in America, but how much I love that about

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-70664359839295440702009-01-11T02:33:00.006-05:002009-07-01T00:12:29.217-04:00

I have a love-hate relationship with New York City.*photo taken by yours truly in Times SquareHATE:- how stressed out it can make me feel- how expensive it is- the ability to feel incredibly isolated even when there are millions of other people living all around you- the fact that your proximity to a subway line can make a dramatic difference in your commute- the grandiosity of it allLOVE:- the

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-15767699757098409752008-12-30T11:31:00.002-05:002008-12-30T11:41:47.761-05:00

I think everyone has this happen to them at some point: you go home for the holidays, spend the evening at a local bar, and end up seeing people from your past that you thought you might very well never see again in your life. Some people dread these encounters ... "Oh my god there's X, I hated him in high school." But I actually enjoy them quite a bit. Maybe it's because I've spent the last

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-43575831706366735622008-12-21T14:43:00.002-05:002008-12-21T14:54:50.522-05:00

It's zero degrees in West Lafayette right now, and for some reason my last four years of living in Boston didn't teach me how to dress adequately for the weather. Couple that with the fact that after living on a tropical island for three months everything feels colder than it really is, and you'll understand my predicament. I've been surviving today by hopping from one coffee shop to another,

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-45358722101742294322008-12-20T09:49:00.004-05:002008-12-21T14:43:11.663-05:00

Not long after I landed in the States from Sri Lanka, reverse culture-shock struck. I was driving to Boston from New York City with Kristin, a good friend of mine, when we decided to stop at a gas station on the Mass Pike. To put it bluntly, I was overwhelmed and a bit disgusted by the selection of candies cookies crackers chips and gum in front of me. In Sri Lanka there is no such thing as

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-66876527183553785202008-12-03T09:49:00.008-05:002008-12-20T09:49:16.533-05:00

Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to explore a part of Sri Lanka called the Cultural Triangle. This area includes the three major ancient capitals of Sri Lanka: Kandy, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa. Together (and with three other close friends) we hiked through ancient monastic ruins, biked around palaces, dagobas, and stone Buddha's that were over 1000 years old, and explored caves with

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-38830182857305096432008-11-23T09:07:00.010-05:002008-12-03T09:50:14.973-05:00

A week ago I was lucky enough to be invited to the Colombo Marine Ball as the date for Marine who had recently arrived in Sri Lanka. The Marine Ball is something that occurs yearly all over the world, and celebrates the founding of the Marines and their service of protecting American Embassies in foreign countries. Here are the highlights: 1) I wore a sari for the first time ever, and I loved

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-84677420905564831502008-11-15T00:36:00.006-05:002008-11-23T12:22:30.342-05:00

Yesterday night a group of friends and I celebrated Thanksgiving, Sri Lankan style. However, their were a few aspects of our dinner that resembled the traditional American holiday. We went around the table and said what were thankful for. We cooked and ate a bird for dinner, although it was a roast chicken, not a turkey. I made an apple pie-like concoction for dessert (more about this below).

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-51494351491257810892008-11-09T01:31:00.010-05:002008-11-09T02:39:02.151-05:00

The past couple weeks I've been super-delinquent with blog posts, and there have been a couple of celebrations, and one non-celebration, that I wanted to share with you all.The first is Halloween, which was unfortunately a non-event here in Sri Lanka. Understandably no Sri Lankans celebrate the holiday, but what really hurt was that none of the expats were all that excited to celebrate it either

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-67164138163645216202008-10-20T07:55:00.002-04:002008-10-20T08:24:24.867-04:00

I wish I was a good enough writer to describe the view from my balcony right now. It's basically a sheet of solid rain. When I say solid rain, I don't mean continuous rain that is falling hard. I mean it looks like blanket after blanket of water is being dumped from the roof of my apartment complex.I believe it's monsoon season. It's kind of an ongoing joke when monsoon season actually is,

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-6421646935172516912008-10-15T09:28:00.002-04:002008-10-15T09:32:46.458-04:00

... practicing yoga on the hard floor of your hot Colombo apartment, and being able to get your heels to touch the ground in downward facing dog for the first time.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-24261309811251782682008-10-07T10:33:00.013-04:002008-10-12T12:35:27.213-04:00

I took a trip to the Maldives with Mika last week for six days that was beyond incredible, and not just because the country itself was beautiful.Our host for most of the time was Imthi, a friend we met on couchsurfing. When Mika and I boarded the plane to the Maldives, we had no idea what to expect. Imthi took care of us from the minute we landed until the minute we took off again. Words

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-89999809865993221072008-09-30T08:05:00.008-04:002008-09-30T09:27:57.428-04:00

Don't worry, I can't pronounce the name either. Ok that's a lie, I can, but it took me several days to get it down so that I don't embarrass myself saying it. Last weekend Mika, Cathy, Jillian and I took a short day-trip to the Muthurajawela Marsh.This wildlife haven is located only 45 minutes north of Colombo, and satisfied my two main sightseeing criteria:1) badass2) cheapThe 2.5 hour boat

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-18386294968669714802008-09-23T11:21:00.008-04:002008-09-24T03:41:06.328-04:00

Last weekend I took my first legitimate vacation since arriving in Sri Lanka ... although I did have networking with people as an underlying motivation for going, so it wasn't purely for pleasure. I went to Negombo, a sea town about an hour north of Colombo, with Mika and other people in the UN Colombo office.The picture above makes Negombo look like paradise, and it was great. But, I had

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-73872377962683985652008-09-16T12:58:00.004-04:002008-09-16T13:06:38.509-04:00

I made my first piece of Emerge jewelry on Monday. I've written about it here, but I just wanted to share a couple photos.The first is of me stringing the beads on the memory wire with a young onlooker ...... and the second is of the finished product. I'm so proud!

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-19561851869786153942008-09-11T05:43:00.006-04:002008-09-11T05:52:13.635-04:00

After having been in SL for almost two weeks, I really appreciate the United States. Not in a "we're better than you" type of way, but for the simple things that I take for granted in the USA. For example, I was driving along Galle Road and I saw a sign for a savings account with 14% interest. I thought this was amazing, until the Sri Lankan I was riding with pointed out that inflation is well

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-16794764328304862782008-09-08T06:06:00.004-04:002008-09-08T06:14:38.541-04:00

I've made new friends! It sounds so funny to say, like I'm back in Elementary School and have just moved to a new town where I don't know anyone, but in some sense it feels (and is) like that. On Saturdays, some of the ex-pats in Sri Lanka get together to play ultimate frisbee in a park in Colombo. Last Saturday it was pouring rain, and I thought to myself "Oh great, another weekend before I get

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-21167959331630306052008-09-04T03:41:00.004-04:002008-09-08T06:22:35.697-04:00

I've made it to Sri Lanka, as evidenced by the 40 mosquito bites on my legs and feet. Seriously, what was I thinking coming to an island without any bug repellent? But although there are mosquitoes, and it is pretty hot and humid, Sri Lanka is amazing. First of all, I've never had such delicious fruit in my life. I always avoided papaya in the States because it tasted bland and watery. My friends

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-62346361839701056612008-09-02T04:31:00.021-04:002008-09-02T05:09:15.787-04:00

So I’ve been in China for the past three weeks. I’m chronically bad at updating these posts, but I’m working on it. We started in Beijing, then went down to Qidong, Nantong, Suzhou, and finally ended up in Shanghai. Right now I’m in Sri Lanka, and am super-tired because of both the heat and also because I came down with a little cold. So this will be brief (sorry!) BEIJINGIn Beijing Esther

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-91023221228434396512008-08-09T17:49:00.004-04:002008-08-09T18:02:44.276-04:00

As I was going through Europe, I made a list of all the things that, when I am a millionaire, I will go back and buy/do.1) Rug from Osman's Carpet Shop (Grand Bazaar, Istanbul)2) Black gold and diamond jewelry from Merim Kuyumeuluk Jewelry Shop (Grand Bazaar, Istanbul)3) Magic bath towels and linens from Eğin Teksil (Grand Bazaar, Istanbul)*4) Real çini tiles for my house (Istanbul)5) Imre Varga

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-24008331430569273482008-08-09T16:56:00.007-04:002008-08-09T17:28:58.480-04:00

I had a couple of days to kill before heading back home to the United States, so Dad, Karole and I took some short day-trips to different cities in Germany - including Nuremberg, Baden-Baden, and Stuttgart.7/7"This view alone is worth it." - Ellen standing in the middle of Hitler's unfinished Congress Hall.We decided to hit up Nuremberg on our way home from Berlin to Karlsruhe. Nuremberg is

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-82209493172897488802008-08-05T14:51:00.008-04:002008-12-13T02:33:31.540-05:00

Out of all the cities I visited, Berlin is the one that I could really see myself living in. It's so real, and so vibrant. There is a great mix of eclectic and fun neighborhoods, amazing food from other ethnic cuisines, and best of all, the city is always changing. I guess maybe the best way to sum up my impression is that Berliners are living in the present and thinking about the future, not

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-86702323300836324402008-08-04T00:17:00.013-04:002008-12-13T02:33:32.204-05:00

Krakow as a city is very relaxed - the atmosphere is mellow, and the streets are uncrowded. I think Polish food has been my favorite cuisine, but I'm a big soup fan and Poland is known for its soup so maybe that's an unfair statement to make. One funny thing about Krakow: people eat ice cream all the time. I would walk down the street at 10 AM and see a family eating ice cream. At times I

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-15413804349075012852008-08-03T21:14:00.020-04:002008-12-13T02:33:33.090-05:00

Everyone and their mother talked up Prague before I got there. Even as I was traveling, when I told people I was headed to Prague everyone gushed "You'll love it there." So maybe I was setting myself up for disappointment, but I found Prague to be like Disneyworld - perfect facades, incredibly long lines, and very little to any authenticity. That may be harsh, but compared to the other places

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-81727893771143799362008-07-30T21:43:00.008-04:002008-12-13T02:33:33.787-05:00

You may be wondering where the heck is Cesky Krumlov. It's a tiny town in the Czech Republic, and Doria and I stopped for two days three nights of R&R before heading on to Prague. The Vltava River flows through this small village in an almost perfect "S," and between the river below and the castle situated high above, Cesky Krumlov feels like it came straight from a fairytale. In Cesky Krumlov

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-5660909744897267162008-07-21T23:54:00.013-04:002008-12-13T02:33:34.537-05:00

Vienna is definitely a city of indulgences - from breathtaking artwork to mouthwatering desserts. On the outside it is not the most beautiful place I visited, but it has a culture, history, and way of life that make it incredibly appealing. Without further ado ...6/20"What exactly qualifies as a boy?" - EllenDoria and I went to see the Vienna Boys Choir perform on our first night in Vienna.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-83782626846914574742008-07-19T17:57:00.010-04:002008-12-13T02:33:35.130-05:00

I definitely felt the remnants of the Iron Curtain while in Budapest. It has a grittier, rawer feel then the other cities I visited: from the graffiti that is everywhere to the old tram system, to the not un-friendly but definitely not friendly people. Here are the highlights:6/16"Go outside the building. Make a right, and then another right. Take the stairs." - an usher at the Hungarian

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-24883917661035261112008-07-14T21:13:00.004-04:002008-12-13T02:33:36.120-05:00

Istanbul is by far one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. Maybe it's because it was the most foreign to me. Or maybe it's because the people are just so dang friendly. Regardless, here are the quotes and pictures that (hopefully) sum up the 5 days I spent rockin' out in Turkey.6/11"No problem my daughters." - Ismet AydinWhile trying to find somewhere to eat, Doria and I

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-29319478523476262932008-07-13T08:10:00.002-04:002008-07-13T08:17:22.758-04:00

After 30 days of amazing traveling, I'm officially back from Europe. It's incredible the places I've gone and things I've seen ... I've seen churches, synagogues and mosques. Ballets, operas, black-light shows, and classical music concerts. Rivers and oceans. Art museums and market squares. Presidents and Chancellors. Just about every type of architecture imaginable. And I feel like that

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-27488208844180664672008-06-09T21:11:00.003-04:002008-12-13T02:33:36.294-05:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.That's my whole pack. I'm going to try to post as I go, so stay tuned.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-20661517716945425242008-06-09T09:42:00.011-04:002008-12-13T02:33:37.125-05:00

Instead of spending this post talking about how much I'm going to miss everyone at MIT and how semi-frightening it is to be a real, official grown-up, I'm instead going to give you all the inside story on how MIT manages to logistically get over 2000 graduates to Killian Court and across the stage in the correct order.The answer: a good old-fashioned cattle drive. Complete with pens:herds:green

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-82217233553649307222008-06-09T07:11:00.008-04:002008-12-13T02:33:37.589-05:00

I think everyone's a little guilty of this: you move to a new place and the minute you become a resident it becomes much less pressing to see all the interesting places around you. Then, when you realize you are about to leave, you have this "Oh crap" moment, and quickly become a tourist. I am no exception. When I finished my last final and realized that I was about to leave Boston for

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-71163805393435396982008-05-31T18:20:00.003-04:002008-05-31T18:25:07.529-04:00

To kick off Senior Week, I went to the first event last night which was wine and chocolate tasting. I have one major conclusion from this event: Moёt & Chandon's Nectar Impèrial champagne may be the most heavenly thing I have ever tasted. Seriously.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-48167794809206980912008-05-29T10:02:00.011-04:002008-12-13T02:33:38.288-05:00

I've spent the past week in Cape Cod - in Hyannis to be more specific. Home of the Kennedy's. Actual current residence of Ted Kennedy, who is unfortunately not doing so hot. Great timing, right? MIT gives seniors two weeks between the end of finals and graduation. One of those weeks is "Senior Week," where we do fun things like wine tasting, movie night, trips to the beach, dim sum, etc ...

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-53251135407460325812008-05-26T16:12:00.013-04:002008-12-13T02:33:38.715-05:00

I saw Boston Pop's "Night at the Movies" on Friday, conducted by John Williams. John Williams is my hero for many reasons (45 academy award nominations anyone?), with the top one being for his french horn parts - pretty much all the good riffs in any of his pieces are played by the best instrument ever. The theme in Indiana Jones, the scary tune in Jaws ... yep, that's the french horn

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-6380159164366193022008-05-19T22:28:00.008-04:002008-12-13T02:33:39.034-05:00

So I finally saw the Boston Red Sox play today, and it was awesome. I didn't realize how small Fenway Park is, because it's such an institution ...... i think I heard "Fenway Park: America's Favorite Ballpark" over the loudspeakers at least twice. But it was actually quite small. I don't claim to know much about baseball, but the atmosphere was incredible. You really feel close to the game,

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-52237162883794652942008-04-21T21:06:00.003-04:002008-04-22T00:22:12.092-04:00

The Boston marathon was today, and is probably the last one I'm going to see for a while. In honor of that, I wanted to post what it feels like to run the marathon, or at least what it looks like from my front door. If this doesn't make you want to go out and run 26.2 miles, I don't know what will. Personally, I have no desire to put myself through that ... but it would pretty awesome to

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-13084857983123714762008-04-21T20:52:00.008-04:002008-12-13T02:33:39.277-05:00

The final event in the Millennium Campus Conference this weekend was a dual-performance by Jeffrey Sachs and John Legend. You may be asking yourself, as I did, what do a 5 time Grammy winner and a Economics professor from Columbia have in common? Apparently they both want to save the world. Below is a picture of Jeff Sachs, in case you don't know what he looks like.In this video, John is

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-74680772231242227762008-04-18T20:06:00.006-04:002008-12-13T02:33:39.350-05:00

This weekend the inaugural Millennium Campus Conference is being held on MIT's campus. The MCC was the brainchild of MIT student Anne Liu, who wanted to bring awareness to the issue of poverty through her work as Executive Director of MIT group the Global Poverty Initiative (GPI).Over 1400 people are registered for the conference, with over half of them coming from other schools. I'll admit, I

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-21739639120225655812008-04-12T23:12:00.005-04:002008-12-13T02:33:40.085-05:00

I'm DONE with Chemical Engineering!! My senior design project was due on Friday the 11th, and I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to have turned it in. So that you can all empathize with me, this is a view from the computer cluster in the basement of the ChemE building on Thursday evening, before the 10 AM Friday deadline.I'd like to note that there was a line of people waiting for

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-22025273173612337382008-04-05T12:37:00.006-04:002008-12-13T02:33:40.749-05:00

Yesterday I went on a trip to Mohegan Sun with about 50 other members of the MIT senior class, including the lovely ladies below.Mohegan Sun was like a cruise boat, minus the water. In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I lost $10 on slot machines, and immediately stopped gambling. At first I didn't intend to gamble at all, but when both Kiki and Caroline made about $30 each

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-16242907615060455282008-04-02T17:20:00.003-04:002008-12-13T02:33:41.000-05:00

Today I saw Tom Brokaw speak about how "Life is Not Virtual"at MIT via the Karl Taylor Compton Lecture Series. Here's a picture from the event:To give some perspective on the type of people asked to speak in this lecture series, last year's speaker was Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. In general, this lecture series is great, because I think MIT doesn't get big-name speakers to campus enough

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-17252552599032698822008-03-30T13:15:00.004-04:002008-12-13T02:33:41.158-05:00

Unfortunately now that I'm back in the States, I have other things I have to do besides blog - like studying for exams. So I'm going to give a brief summary of the trip and then come back later to add the exciting details.Day 1 - Frankfurt. Phil and I arrived at 7 AM ish Germany time, which was 2 AM back at home. Fortunately, we got to check into our room early, and promptly slept until lunch.

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-78806571708453631112008-03-29T22:45:00.003-04:002008-12-13T02:33:41.330-05:00

a couple other words i remembered:1) ausgang - exit (from an exhibit or a museum, etc ...)2) ausfahrt - exit (on a highway)3) mit - is "with," unfortunately not Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is what I thought for about 0.5 seconds.My favorite sign in Germany:Picture me, or my brother, or anyone else you know who doesn't have a problem making a fool of themselves saying this in a

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-61305926454886773962008-03-28T13:15:00.003-04:002008-03-28T14:11:58.996-04:00

After being in Germany for a week, there are several things that, had I have known in the first place, may have saved me some embarrassment/ confusion/ frustration. Here they are:Germans love two things: (1) their dogs, and (2) the outdoors. The later makes me want to come and live in Germany since I too love the outdoors. The former makes me, at times, a little weirded out. Imagine going

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-22778105367364869032008-03-27T19:58:00.000-04:002008-03-27T19:59:02.893-04:00

three words: water with gas

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-56385755976979082362008-03-21T12:28:00.011-04:002008-12-13T02:33:42.333-05:00

I saw Avenue Q for the second time last week (3/13) at the Colonial Theatre in Boston (see left), and I am happy to report it was just as funny the second time. A brief plot recap: Avenue Q is a sort of parody on Sesame Street/Cartoon Network/etc... and features both puppets and people as main characters. Princeton, a recent college graduate with a B.A. in English, moves to Avenue Q in New York

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-61556539364351695802008-03-21T01:23:00.001-04:002008-03-21T01:23:52.117-04:00

I say link of the week like I regularly post links ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2tHaDo... maybe I'll start

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-41041802293108151922008-03-20T22:46:00.010-04:002008-12-13T02:33:42.756-05:00

Finally I'm getting to post about Restaurant Week in Boston. One important thing to know about Restaurant Week: every meal costs exactly $33.08. I planned two outings with different groups of AXO's: one dinner to Sibling Rivalry on 3/11 and the other to Todd English's Olives on 3/17. When you have a big group of people, its nice to have everyone bring cash so that you don't have to split up

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-49317688248368543622008-03-09T00:07:00.007-05:002008-12-13T02:33:42.779-05:00

On Friday the 29th I went to see Romeo and Juliet at the Boston Ballet. MIT's Council of the Arts gives away free tickets to various events around Boston and Cambridge, and this one was advertised in The Tech, so I decided to give it a try.I've never claimed to like the ballet. In fact, the only other time I've been I had a not-that-great experience. I saw the Nutcracker in Boston last

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-11890047279874779712008-03-08T22:46:00.005-05:002008-12-13T02:33:45.105-05:00

I need to give a little background before going into the details about my trip to Worcester, Massachusetts to watch the Colgate Men's Basketball team play Holy Cross. I'm from Indiana - and a not-very-large town at that. When I decided to go to the East Coast for college, there were only two other people in my graduating class to make the same decision. One, my best friend Nicole Durbin,

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-1901400096944026532008-02-22T16:41:00.013-05:002008-12-13T02:33:46.063-05:00

In keeping with the tradition of blogging about something I do a week after it actually happens, this post is about my trip to Salem Massachusetts last Saturday (the 16th) with Liane. But before getting into the details, let me first make a comment about driving in the suburbs of Boston. DON'T DO IT if you can avoid it. Roads turned into other roads, there are no street signs, and even my

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-61662319474702088162008-02-16T18:07:00.004-05:002008-12-13T02:33:46.200-05:00

Last Saturday (the 9th) I saw the Alvin Ailey Dance American Dance Theater at the Wang Theatre (right) in Boston with Tess. We got student rush tickets - basically you go to the theatre an hour and a half before the show and can buy pretty decent tickets for $20. As we were trying to figure out how to kill time before the performance, we ran into a bunch of AXOs (and others) who had graduated

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-59617481383004588102008-02-09T11:58:00.001-05:002008-02-09T11:58:26.506-05:00

Last night I went bouldering at MIT. Bouldering is rock climbing without the harness - you don't go as high (probably 10 - 15 feet up) and you do it in a big padded room so when you fall it doesn't hurt. The MITOC (MIT Outdoor Club) posts a schedule of all the times they open up the facility, depending on when someone qualified enough to supervise wants to show up. The wall is in Walker Memorial,

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-7496915017415692302008-02-09T11:48:00.001-05:002008-12-13T02:33:47.306-05:00

One of the best parts about living in Boston is having access to GREAT concerts. I've been to a lot of really awesome performances, but this one was by far the best. I know that's a pretty bold statement, but I am willing to stand by it, and have friends (Amy Gilpin, Julia Kiberd, and Grace Yao) to back me up on this one.The concert was at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston - even though the venue is

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-81504882489991154382008-02-09T11:40:00.001-05:002008-12-13T02:33:48.133-05:00

A couple weeks ago, a group of my sorority sisters and I rented cars and drove out to Cape Cod for a day of hiking. Here we all are:Our fearless leader Mariah found a hiking trail at Nickerson State Park. Interestingly enough, one of the people on the hike, Anya, is from the area and had actually been to the Park before in the Summer. Small world, huh?The hiking trails mainly went around several

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-7732037672223185242007-12-07T00:54:00.000-05:002007-12-07T01:02:10.463-05:00

It's funny, but I definitely spend more time on Emerge then I would have expected during this semester since joining. However, I love it so much, it's incredibly fun for me to do so. It's like given the choice of working on 2008 budgets for the Bead Project or working on my ChemE work, I would pick the budgets in an instant. Maybe I've found my calling! Or maybe I'm just so tired of doing

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-7254653653721449362007-12-01T14:06:00.000-05:002008-12-13T02:33:48.337-05:00

Ok, this is more information on what I'm doing in my more immediate future. Next year I will be working with Emerge in Sri Lanka, and after that I'll be working for Teach For America for two years.So what is Emerge? Emerge was started by MIT Senior Alia Whitney-Johnson when, as a Sophomore, she went to Sri Lanka to help out with the Tsunami relief effort. While she was there, she found a women's

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601053809237755420.post-56695647900808505772007-11-30T13:19:00.003-05:002009-06-26T01:03:36.675-04:00

So I probably should explain where I got the title "The Natural Log." First, I need to thank Phillip for helping me come up with the name. As you know, my name is Ellen, which can be abbreviated as LN, otherwise commonly known by those who enjoy technical/math subjects as natural log. However, this blog is also my log of what I'm doing with my life, particularly my experiences inSri Lanka and the

Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00506646675273070802noreply@blogger.com3