I'm pround to announce that my tofu polunga recipe won second place in the vegetarian category of the American Medical Students Association recipe contest. To check it out, or perhaps try the recipe yourself, see http://www.amsa.org/tnp/2007RecipeContest.pdf - I always thought it was a good recipe and am proud to see the medical students around the country agree.

Earlier this week, I had more of a mixed bag of culinary achievements. I went to the an Iftar celebration of the muslim student union on campus to support muslim students. Jill normally disallows any sort of evening activity, but because I had to volunteer the same night in Philadelphia, and because Jill is a strong believer in promoting religious and cultural tolerance, I was allowed to go the Iftar breaking of the fast. Unfortunately, many other students arrived before me and, though not many people had been fasting, many feasted on the the food for the fasting before I arrived. I got some pita bread and some hummus, which was really good. My friend, Katina, was so upset that the food was gone that she invited me to come to an AMWA (women in medicine group) lunch the next day. I agreed and then went to get a slice of pizza with Alithea and Curtis to fill up. We went to NYPD Pizza, which has very good pizza, and I got a slice of 'Brooklyn style' which had too much stuff on it. Next time, I'll just get the cheese.

Anyway, we went to the back of the pizza parlor and sat down to eat. The back door of the pizza parlor was open, and an enormous pitbull was restrained behind a flimsy tension gate. This dog's head was about as big around as my chest. The owner and some workers were teasing the dog, by pretending to beat up a kid (presumably the dog's owner or friend). I was trying to eat my slice while Cujo thundered and rattled against the toothpick gate. Finally, the owner must have felt sorry for us and put the dog away.

Before I talk about the next two free lunch events I attended, I should say that there are a plethora of free food giveaways (usually cheap pizza) to convince you to come and hear someone talk about medicine or to try and convince you to volunteer. Many of the clubs on campus that give the free lunches have 'leadership positions' open in which you work with a team of bright, overachieving students to organize the delivery and consumption of the free pizza. I am the secretary of the emergency medicine club, which means I print and distribute fliers about free pizza lunches.

The next day I went to the organizing meeting for the Women in Medicine group. They had wonderful Malaysian food from the Banana Leaf restaurant. The Pad Thai was possibly the best I've ever had. The women were a little suspicious of me, as I was the only man at the meeting, but I had two cover lines that I used to blend in with the crowd.

1. Actually, many of the issues that we talk about as 'women's issues' are really 'family issues.' When there are discussions about work/life balance, only women attend, but work/life balance affects everyone in the family, dad included. Affordable childcare, also sometimes called a woman's issue is really a family issue as well.
2. I support women in medicine (just as I support muslims on campus) and women in general. Women can do anything they want to, often women like to tell me what to do, and I do it. I like working with women and talking with women. I like the way women smell. Men usually don't smell as good and are not as sensitive. Additionally, women can have babies, are smarter than men, and wear a bra.
   

Wednesday was my last free lunch event of the week. I went to a talk on the latino community in Philadelphia (75% peurto rican, BTW) and public health concerns. I had a pickle, half a turkey sandwich, and half a roast beef sandwich. Then I went to a meeting where two faculty members and a small group of other students watched my terrible standardized patient interview. I showed them the best part of the interview and they thought I was pretty good.

News of the kids.

Yesterday, Ben, May, and Jill did their toenails. Benjamin loves to get his nails painted with the girls and practices on his own with toy makeups and real makeups. He also does his own chapstick and can put the cap back on the chapstick by himself.

May and Jill had a fight about what shoes Jill was going to wear the other day. May didn't like the shoes Jill was going to wear and got very upset because they were 'too old.' They went back and forth about the shoes until May earned herself a timeout. Jill got to wear her old shoes.