Personal Interests

As much as I enjoy research and teaching, I do enjoy activities that seem separate from my academic work. I actually have problems with the idea that "work life" and "private life" are separate because it implies that these spheres of activities are unrelated. Anyone who has lost balance between these spheres, though, understands they are interrelated. In fact, many of the things I choose to do as I "rest" away from work (hah) are related to the politics I have gradually developed as a scholar during my "work." For instance, as I gain respect for the impact of human activities on the environment (aka, the living habitat that sustains our existence), I get more interested in reducing my own impacts on it and create avenues for sensitizing myself to its contributions. Thus, my interests away from campus include,

•  Gardening: "Food Not Lawns"   

•  Carrotistas: http://www.foodnotlawns.com/permaculture_links.html

• Running: You can feel the difference between running along heavy traffic areas and running amidst lots of lush, oxygen-generating vegetation.

• Biking: "Say no to internal combustion engines" Non-motorized vehicles with wheels are, admittedly, faster than my legs. You still can feel the air quality difference mentioned above.

• Canoeing: Quiet water and whitewater are both awesome. You might be surprised how much life is thriving in your local urban waterway. Water creatures have been amazingly flexible (although, we shouldn't continue to push their limits).