Between Worlds
For the longest time I could not decide what to write about this week. I’ve settled into life as an intern in New York City pretty well and I felt that another post about food in the city would be a tad silly. So I had decided upon writing about the subway and some hilarious stories but then I read one of my friend’s comments about appreciating moments when you’re in a room full of female scientists because they’re rare. And... Read More
Bodies
Why do we alienate ourselves so much from our bodies? It’s that big piece of machinery attached to your head. ~Carrie Latet My body took me up a 14,000-foot mountain the other day. Female bodies are the subject of constant, and often contradictory, messages about what they can and cannot do: They’re too weak to run a marathon or lift dumbbells, but all-powerful when birthing a child. Pregnant bodies are too weak to carry a bag full... Read More
Go, Girl, Go
The original GoGirl logo, taken by Beth in Portugal. “It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn – which is what life is all about.” -Oprah Simone de Beauvoir once wrote that “women are not born, but made.” What she meant when she said this was that the gendered traits most often associated with women- how they... Read More
The Push to Be White
One of the many plastic surgery ads in the Seoul subway. Comparing a woman's face to a slice of bread or a football isn't exactly a positive message to send to our youth... I faced the camera with the air of someone awaiting a root canal. Always preferring to be behind the lens rather than in front of it, and liking to capture the spontaneity of life in my pictures, I loathe posting for photographs. As I stared down the photographer,... Read More
Body Scanners and Why They Worry Me
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the new security measures involved in domestic and international air travel, about body scanners and enhanced pat-downs, and about the reasons for them, and the reasons I want to object to them. If you’ve flown in the past few months, or even if you’ve just kept up with the news, it’s likely you’ve spent at least a little time reading, listening or watching the debate about the body scanners currently... Read More
Get yourself a girlfriend, or two!
By AJ When trying to think of a topic for this months column, I found myself skimming through accounts of women’s travels to dig up some themes. Something that comes up again and again is outrage or at least incomprehension at how acceptable it is for men to be unfaithful to their partners in some countries. I haven’t done any kind of study, but from what I’ve seen and read, it seems like it’s fairly common in Africa and... Read More
Sexism and Candy
Sexism and Candy By Beth At night I sit around with the boys and drink beer. We slap at mosquitoes while we chew the basics- soccer, women, who’s talking about who. Most of the time I just listen; I have nothing to add to conversations like these. But this doesn’t mean that the conversations aren’t adding to me; I certainly learn a lot between the guzzling and spitting. Like, for example, I learn that my boyfriend here, Kilson, is... Read More
