focusing on what works--the outliers

we hear a lot about failed development projects, things that implementers can improve on, wasted development aid funds, development projects which do more harm than good...you get the picture. think bill easterly.

i listened to a talk from the positive deviance initiative (based at tufts university, although that's not why i'm writing about them) yesterday. the positive deviance method focuses on what is working, and allowing people to live better, right at this moment. instead of going into a community and telling people what will work, the method listens to members of the community and identifies the outliers. those who are succeeding against the odds. not the sick, but those who are thriving. and again, instead of telling the community what they need to do to improve their predicament, the method encourages the community to realize the solutions--and implement them.

yes it sound a little crunchy, and yes, it's probably really difficult to monitor and display concrete results (good or bad). but, it sounds like a good way to work in this field if you want to be an optimist.

http://www.positivedeviance.org/

weekend in denver

tim and i flew out to denver a few weeks ago to have a mini-reunion with my high school girlfriends- i hadn't been out since i cracked my leg a year and a half ago! i know colorado is beautiful year-round,  but i almost appreciated it more in the summertime. we packed in quite a bit in 3 days! these are shots from our "hike" in breckenridge.

columbine- the state flower! and i learned something today!

snow on breckenridge

weekend in the north country

we just returned from a tiring, but rejuvenating weekend in westport, ny. had the chance to catch up with many good friends, had some laughs, and attended an amazing chapel service on sunday morning. quite a long ride from boston--but certainly worthwhile.

lake champlain experienced record water levels this year --and landslides happened.
so,camp dudley is housing a few campers in yurts!

another incredible sunset at the schoolhouse

crowne point bride--almost completed!

the most powerful photo essay i've seen...

this photo essay, which a friend who is currently working in afghanistan posted, depicts the world's most dangerous countries for women. it is haunting. powerful. emotional. frightening. all of the above. what amazing women, and what incredible circumstances they must face on a daily basis. makes one think about how much we take for granted here, and how much there is to be done to make life better for women everywhere.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/07/worlds_most_dangerous_countrie.html

my new favorite restaurant

friends, i have something very important to report. i have a new favorite restaurant. the food at sushi thai garden (rod dee thai here in boston) is amazing. this is something that is simply not negotiable. but the lobster pool restaurant in rockport, ma is just incredible. great food, a casual atmosphere where you bus your own tables, BYOB, a guitar for guests to borrow and play, a sunset to be compared with the schoolhouse in westport, ny (note: to be compared with--not to beat!) and free seaside smores over a fire when the sun goes down.



so the lobster was tim's...but what could be better than this?



i just can't say enough. tim and i had a wonderful meal at the lobster pool a few weeks ago and i've been lazy to get a post up about it. some people may prefer upscale ambiance for a birthday dinner...for me, this was perfect. we spent less than $30 on our food, brought a great bottle of wine, weren't bugged by a waiter looking to flip our table, and stayed for hours.

can't wait to go back with family and friends in tow!

i've never seen anything like it- people actually picked it up!

http://www.lobsterpoolrestaurant.com/main/index.php

ode to 37 clamshell

over the past 5+ years, i have spent quite a bit of vacation time at tim's grandfather's cottage in chatham, ma, on the beach and on the water with tim's family. although i had spent some time in chatham as a little tyke, i've gotten to know the area a bit more recently...it's impossible not to love it...here are some of my favorite shots from memorial day weekend. maybe another post will include some of my favorite things to do!

what a wonderful place!

walking back from an afternoon and cocktail hour at the beach

...and i've realized that i should probably start including posts about my shoebox-sized apartment in cambridge to counterbalance all of this talk of vacationing!

a few days in the berkshires...

my mom is a college professor, and is always on the academic calendar. as i'm back in school, i'm now able to join her! i had a few days in between the end of finals and being back to work, and took advantage of it by going away in the berkshires with my mom for a few nights.

we stayed at the beautiful inn at rock hall, and as we were there mid-week, we were the only guests there. it was surreal. i like to go out for a meal here and there, but for the most part, i'm pretty self-sufficient. as the only guests, being self-sufficient was a challenge! we enjoyed being there so much that we barely spent any time outside of the inn.

amazing kitchen!

elaine mixes up a blueberry mojito

http://www.19rockhallroad.com/

super money maker

i'll admit that i can become a fan of most african tunes. on my first trip to zambia, i developed a keen appreciation for a radio commercial...."hello africa, tell me how you doin!" i love this video, and the idea behind it. what a guy, this mr. ebbo. this could very well be why i'm so excited about this organization and the super money maker. but there's more to the story which is actually very interesting...

kickstart, an organization that works to fight poverty through technology, developed the super money maker, an irrigation pump sold in kenya (and now tanzania) for less than $150, and produced this video as part of its marketing efforts. uniquely kenyan marketing efforts, that's for sure! donor funds are used for product development and marketing, but once the product reaches the "tipping point" of profitability, kickstart pulls out, and allows the supply chain to operate in the private market. the technologies have one goal in mind in the development stage: helping the poor generate income. an interesting model, and a really great video that i'll probably watch at least five more times.

day trip to marblehead

through this blog, i'm truly realizing how in touch i am with the seasons. last friday, i decided it was time to take the first day trip of the spring season. i've barely done any exploring since moving to boston, and it was time to start to change that...you can't work all the time! marblehead is a 40 minute drive from our place in cambridge-amazing how close boston is to these cute seaside towns! its seems like the town is packed with sailors and vacationers in the summer. i can only imagine what it will look like 3 months from now. boats in the water, shops open past 4:30, wait times at all the local restaurants and bars...

not so in the middle of march! still, a nice day, and a welcome break from the books. we made sure to stop at the landing, right on the harbor, for a beer before heading back to the city. a little "vacation" amidst final papers, exams, and study groups!


empty streets of marblehead



marblehead harbor...2 boats...the harbormaster and the mooring guy!

tim hates being the subject of my photos. oh well.  we now live 45 minutes from the ocean! woo!

international women's day 2011

i'm a day late in getting to this--no matter. yesterday, the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of international women's day. i spent quite a bit of free time clicking through the websites of different organizations to see how they were marking the occasion from a communications standpoint. there were a few websites i paid closer attention to...emma willard, my high school, and usaid, as i've developed quite an affinity with the usaid brand over the past few years! given that i'm studying women's health and women's right to health, i was particularly interested in mary robinson's blog recognizing womens' right to health, and the need for the international community to help realize the right: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/foundationnotes/Pages/mary-robinson-110307-international-womens-day.aspx. my favorite class this semester focuses on the right to health, but the right to health for women is particularly interesting/important in my mind.

i've was lucky enough to be raised by a woman who wanted to show me what it meant to be  'strong' pursue any career that i wanted to. i was lucky enough to attend an incredible high school that introduced me to women in the past who fought for a woman's right to high-quality education, and my classmates, who continue to amaze me all the time. and i am lucky enough to have found a few mentors in my professional life who have guided my career decisions thus far and have helped me learn quite a bit along the way. i have many wonderful women to thank. guess it's time to break out that stationary and get cracking.