From La Frontera/ Borderlands

I walk through the hole in the fence
to the other side.
Under my fingers I feel the gritty wire
rusted by 139 years
of the salty breath of the sea.

Beneath the iron sky
Mexican children kick their soccer ball across,
run after it, entering the US

I press my hand to the steel curtain-
chainlink fence crowned with rolled barbed wire-
rippling from the sea where Tijuana touches San Diego
unrolling over mountains
and plains
and deserts,
this "Tortilla Curtain" turning into el rio Grande
flowing down to the flatlands
of the Magic Valley of South Texas
its mouth emptying into the Gulf.

1,950 mile-long open wound
dividing a pueblo, a culture,
running down the length of my body,
staking fence rods in my flesh,
splits me splits me
me raja me raja

This is my home
this thin edge of
barbwire.

But the skin of the earth is seamless.
The sea cannot be fenced,
el mar does not stop at borders.
To show the white man what she thought of his
arrogance,
Yemaya blew that wire fence down.

This land was Mexican once,
was Indian always
and is.
And will be again.

--Gloria Anzaldua

Remind me to punch myself next time I complain about something

Fragile life makes light of quake, 64 days later

MUZAFFARABAD: A woman has been recovered alive from the debris of her flattened home near Muzaffarabad, 64 days after the October 8 earthquake, medics said. Forty-year-old Naqsha Bibi was rescued from the rubble of the wrecked Kamser refugee camp by some people who were digging to retrieve the bodies of their kin on Sunday evening, said Dr Hafizur Rehman of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) hospital.

She was rushed to PIMA facility where her condition is stated to be out of danger. Doctors say she does not bear any visible wound or cut on her body. However, she is malnourished and 80 percent of muscles have withered. "She has been admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital and we are closely monitoring her condition," said Doctor Hafiz, the incharge of PIMA Field Surgical Hospital. He said: "We have started administering liquid to control the dehydration she is suffering from. She is improving and we do hope she will survive." "It is miraculous that she survived two months under the debris and without eating or drinking," said Dr Riaz, another physician of the PIMA. The villagers who dug the woman out said pieces of rotten food were found in the hole, and that she might have survived by drinking rainwater, Hafeez said. Over-200 people died in the Kamser refugee camp, 6 kms north west of Muzaffarabad, due to the October 8 tremblor.

Progress on the home front

Starting to answer the 'what now?' question has been the reason I fell off the face of the planet for a bit.

I've completely thrown myself into applying to jobs and grad school, heart and soul. (A HUGE thank you to everyone that helped me make the deadline today!!) Finding cool opportunities, meeting inspiring people, and, as always, so impressed with all the unbelievable things that my friends and family are up to (though they can never see it themselves).

Highlights:

1. Went to a forum organized by some amazing women who have all started their own things (dance companies, publishing, galleries, music tours) and are making a living doing what they love (all Indian, all artists -- I didn't know that it actually happens!) My jaw was dropped the entire time.

2. Crashed on my brother's apartment floor for a week to get advice from my old professors (weird) (luckily some ppl I know and love (that are my own age) live in town).

3. Chased a FedEx truck (to its main distribution center) (near Midway airport) (with my mom) (during a snowstorm).

4. Surrounded by, and super grateful for, all the crazy-inspiring people that push me to challenge myself. You guys rock.

so, long story short: no, I am not "home eating Cheetoes" as my cousin likes to believe.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)