Since I started my job as a clinical researcher a few months ago I have not done any data collection. I and Danielle, the other researcher, have been preparing paperwork so that we can begin paperwork. Right now the independent reviewers from DC are here looking at what we have done and then they will issue an opinion about whether we are fit to do research. In our case this will be trivial, I am sure – we have been ready for weeks.
Last weekend I went to an environmental festival in Ballard at the skatepark across from the library. The emphasis was on energy conservation. They were asking people to drive less, use fluorescent bulbs, buy local produce, and support community parks. I also went to a fundraiser booksale put on by the Seattle Public Library. I spent about $100, which accounts for a lot of books considering that I never paid over $1 for any of them. I really like having Dorling Kindersley books at hand. Some of these I will probably send to Nandan.
Nandan is on track to get his license as a government tour guide. I might have brought this up elsewhere in the blog, but the situation in India is that citizens do not have authorization to be in the company of foreigners at public historical sites unless they have government licensure. Obviously, this rule is unclear and not consistently enforced, but police do enforce this as often as they want bribes in exchange for not reporting the crime. Getting this license will give Nandan a legal right to be in public places with foreigeners. Because of the 2012 Commonwealth games in Delhi the government has a new quota of about 200 of these licenses to give out in and for North India this year, and this is the first year in more than 5 that they have issued these licenses. The whole business is very censorial and strange to me.
I found a Hindi tutor in Seattle. His name is Ali and his website is http://www.zabaan.com. He uses the Shapiro book and he seems cool, even though I have only had one lesson with him so far. I plan to meet with him twice a week. I enrolled in a mushroom identification class put on by the Puget Sound Mycological Society in conjunction with the University of Washington. I will go to four classes in four weeks and then also probably go to some of their collection outings.
This weekend is AIDS Walk at Volunteer Park and the Northwest Tea Festival at the Seattle Center. Also this Saturday Lee is entering Dillinger in a hampster race at Petco across the street from both of our places (we live across from each other).