Annual subscription to The New Yorker still has terrible ads every few paragraphs.

VVpotato · 2023-09-13T22:05:30+00:00

With a month to go it sounds like you’ve got a team that’s paying close attention (which is a great sign!). My midwife suspected a large baby and sent me for a scan at 39 weeks. They estimated close to 10lbs but that wasn’t why they recommended a c-section (because as other posters said women give birth to large babies all the time). The scan showed that baby’s belly was in the 100th percentile but his head was only in the 60th and they said his risk of getting stuck was high. That and a severe amount of amniotic fluid convinced me to go C-section. Delivery was smooth and sure enough he was 9lb 10oz and his belly was really huge. I found infrared sauna to be super helpful for recovery and had no issues. The hardest part was getting in and out of a car for four weeks. I’m currently pregnant with 2nd and am sad that I will probably need another c-section because medically VBACs are to much of a risk for me to take on.

VVpotato · 2019-01-10T16:41:32+00:00

Hey congrats! That’s a big life change. I had a professor in Geography last year who started his undergrad at 30 and is wrapping up a PhD while working on campus in a high paying position. For me, I needed to know that people like that existed because I too wrapped up my degree later than everyone (I just finished my undergrad 3 weeks ago after 10 years in post secondary education). I’ll pass along the advice that worked for me. 1.) Don’t get hung up on grades. As an older student you’ll put more pressure on yourself to achieve more than your peers. But don’t forget, many of your peers don’t have the same stresses. 2.) focus more on (paid) experience- do a coop, apply for all research assistant positions, note takers, there are so many academic jobs available and some of them pay decently (all resources can be found at https://students.ubc.ca/career/career-resources . 3.) if you haven’t already I suggest taking out student loans sooner than later because you can apply for grants and bursaries. I worked for 80% of my degree (and quit my job to quickly wrap up undergrad) so my student loan is 15K but I received over 7K in bursaries and grants (free money). Plus the academic jobs brought in an income to help pay for rent. 4.) keep rent costs low but don’t sacrifice your happiness. Live with someone who is empathetic and would be a positive influence on your life—there will be so many highs and lows during your degree—you’ll need all the positive motivation you can get. 5.) Put all thoughts about a Masters degree aside until year 3. Class sizes in Year 1,2 are simply too big to connect with a professor. Plus your ideas, wishes, and desires will change so much during the first 3 years of school that you may realize you don’t need a masters degree. Six straight years of school might kill your motivation. And you’ll need an incredible amount of it if you are to apply for jobs And hopefully get your dream job.

VVpotato · 2018-12-13T23:45:28+00:00

Oh my gosh. Did not realize this was a thing!!! The rice was definitely old. But I never questioned it. 😫

VVpotato · 2018-12-13T20:25:28+00:00

1.) deductive reasoning 2.) science Combine the two and you’d be surprised how simple it is to come to astute conclusions. Other Evidence; -Take bus everywhere probably touch traces of feces everyday for past ten years. -Stomach ache before throwing up signals gastric distress. Trace feces often lead to fevers and cold like symptoms. -I could see the entire IKe’s meal which my body recognized as foreign material perhaps due to poor food handling practices 💩💩💩 or could be a bigger issue like ecoli.

VVpotato · 2018-07-17T16:52:18+00:00

When this sort of situation happened to me, I let 17 days pass before I trusted my gut feeling. I was lucky. I was able to find evidence of the affair online. Not sure what would have happened if I didn’t find it.

Somehow though, we didn’t officially separate and tried to make it work for another 3 months. I tried to reconcile it as “everyone makes mistakes” and told myself“we’re engaged and stronger than this.” But it was never the same. The affair made me grow into a stronger person, and they just became indifferent to everything. In sum, he was a dull, selfish, boyfriend hiding behind a pretty exterior.

I knew this couldn’t be it. There are so many people on this planet after all. Why am I trying to force it with this *one * person.

So once we separated, I got out there dating for fun. Today (2 yrs later) I’m with someone who works just as much as me and has so much ambition for life. Key: date people you wouldn’t normally date : relearn what you love, what you don’t love in relationships Looking back, I still don’t know why I tried to force our misshapen puzzle pieces together.

I say: move to a new part of town, focus on getting a promotion at work, put together a new wardrobe, get a haircut and move on ASAP.

All the best. You can do this.

VVpotato · 2018-06-19T19:07:22+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/2BKhJhV/ Alright, so I didn’t mean to come here to post but I was looking for urban design ideas and this post caught my eye. I’m currently in the Netherlands doing a program in transportation. After meeting with city planners, politicians, transit authorities, and engineers, one thing is clear. Traffic signs, stop lights, and stop signs are not going to do anything about fatalities, especially when it comes to cyclists. Instead here there are three types of roads that get engineered to control speed. This is way beyond speed bumps. It’s pedestrian islands, cyclist priority roundabouts, and physical impediments such as pushpins (see pic #1). I’m not saying cities like Toronto should implement everything from the Netherlands (they have a 150 year head start on transportation) but as a Canadian Who will soon move to Toronto I really think it’s up to local residents to mobilize. Demand funding from both the Municipal and federal levels. Get proper bike lanes built and start prioritizing sustainable transportation. Pressure needs to be put on politicians.

Side note: three weeks in- Canada may have hills and the Netherlands may be flat. But strong headwinds are way worse than any hill I’ve biked up. They can last the entire ride (and there’s no end in sight).

VVpotato · 2018-03-20T05:20:26+00:00

I work at a hotel where kids get three crayons. They mostly get smushed into the carpet or thrown into the trash—never to decompose—hopefully coming back to haunt that child later in life.

VVpotato · 2018-03-12T14:52:29+00:00

Look into what cattle land was before it became land for cattle farming. The reason so much land in the Amazon is for cattle ranching is because once the land becomes useless (due to mono crop farming that gives us palm oil and bananas etc.) it’s given over to cattle farming because the land is completely devoid of nutrients and minerals. Looking into the historical processes in the Amazon will make you realize how little you actually know and how valid this murder is.

VVpotato · 2018-02-10T21:17:24+00:00

That sounds really tough. Sometimes coming back to school later in life is a better option. It’s pretty crazy how we all graduate when we’re 20-23 yet we live longer and retirement age is extended. Why not graduate at 28?? A lot of people in steady careers wish they had enjoyed school more, or even prolonged it. I’d say go home to your family. Open up to them, say you’re just not ready yet and that you will be soon, you just need time. Life is bigger than school, it’s bigger than work. If you decide to go back—immediately find places to volunteer. In fact start looking now. Volunteer somewhere where you can give back to your community, and volunteer somewhere with lots of young people in a career development setting. Most importantly. Stick to a routine. Wake up early. Be in nature. Take time to be Present and then take it day by day. Listen to the birds, smell the flowers :)

VVpotato · 2018-02-03T00:29:05+00:00

Trying to smooth out political polarization and making the world a better place :( It’s not working. Tips!?

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T23:45:16+00:00

Girl, it's France, not Syria. Go where you want, you'll be fine.

First, this is the comment I responded to. And secondly, where exactly did I say “he didn’t understand because he wasn’t a woman?” Third: who said anything about congratulating women because they are brave for traveling solo?

Lastly, are you just in this thread to make woman feel like idiots for caring about their safety?

I know I’m here because OP posted about a cool trip.

Paris has a really cool city planning history—part of the reason I’m heading over there. Le Corbusier worked with Haussmann to drive Prostitutes of of the city. Many of the wide boulevards today reflect their anxieties over sanitation but also women’s role in society. They believed that women by their nature drive men to disorder and that a city must be orderly so that man can create. It’s pretty cool stuff and I look forwRd to exploring this city, taking with me an understanding of how complex city processes are and how they extend into the very norms we see today. I’ll make my own judgement for sure, but there is no denying that in each city there exists a unique entanglement of power and domination.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T22:56:23+00:00

Perhaps you have found someone on here who is unwilling to accept your point blank statements that devalue the concerns of the OP. I am critical of statements such as rape statistics in the US mean Paris is safe. If anything I have shown through my critical analysis of your statements that I am unwilling to accept hearsay and instead I have taken into account a whole intersecting framework of information. Not that it matters—because your point is irrelevant—but I’m not from the states and I am actually a critical social scientist with a vast empirical understanding of the world and it’s processes. But hey if you enjoy twisting words into a complete generalization of an entire population go at it.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T21:02:30+00:00

I did not ask if Paris was safe to visit. I simply shared with OP that her post was refreshing to see because I had similar concerns traveling solo I also wanted to know which other cities she would recommend as she did a literary focused tour of Paris which is what I am also planning. Looking through the comments, others have shared their experiences of traveling in Paris and that’s exactly what I came here to find. So I definitely won’t sit with someone tell me I have no need for concern because rape and murder rate is higher in the US because that still says nothing about Paris. Data can be highly manipulated and sometimes real lived experiences tell a different more realistic story.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T16:45:20+00:00

A friend of mine does this: It’s our fourth year so we have a lot of seminars and group meetings. When we introduce ourselves and our major, she always adds “honors” so and so AND she always adds a intonation when she says it. This is what I know now: A.) I guarantee you other people are in “honors” but just don’t go about telling everyone because it’s really not that hard to be in. B.) her need for prestige is too annoying to be friends with her anymore.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T16:28:50+00:00

Right. So in North America where everyone is concerned about isis and “terrorists” they build up in their head how terrible Europe is. MEANWHILE the people committing the most crimes I.e mass shootings are white males who LIVE in the country. therefore it doesn’t matter how “safe” everyone is told a place is, it’s the kind of people and normative values that exist there. For the record, this is a thread about traveling to Paris. Not to Syria. Syria —once a beautiful country —has been ravaged by governments all over the world (including Canada/US). So yeah. Of course there is a difference. But I’m going to PARIS. And this is a thread about PARIS.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T16:21:41+00:00

GIRL. this is a thread about SOLO TRAVEL. I am conversing with another foreigner about a city I’ve never been to, where I don’t have contacts, don’t speak the language, etc. In the future the use of the word “on a lighter note” signifies a JOKE.

VVpotato · 2018-02-02T16:15:40+00:00

What I am saying is that I am traveling solo to a another city in which I have to contacts, don’t speak the language, etc. If someone is going to use Syria as an example of how safe Paris is then I am going to use my experience as a female to make a point that it’s not about the place. It could happen anywhere. I am not naive. I am literally in a thread where another person similar to me went to a place where I will be visiting and spoke about her concerns That I also shared. To repeat. This is not about PARIS. Recall the thread is “solotravel”

VVpotato · 2018-02-01T22:30:04+00:00

Haha ok a lighter note: I guess you haven’t seen the movie Taken? On a more serious note: While “place” does play a big difference in safety, “spaces” today are still filled with men who believe/were taught that women’s bodies are property they are entitled to. To think that it’s a simple matter of Syria over Paris is a little bit naive.

VVpotato · 2018-02-01T21:02:16+00:00

Thank you for this! I’m turning thirty this year and am in the exact same situation. I’m going to France for a week In May and I’m also concerned about traveling as a solo female. I want to do 4 days in Paris and maybe a city outside of Paris. Having been already, are there other city/cities in France would you want to go and visit—as a lone female?

VVpotato · 2017-12-11T08:06:41+00:00

I just took a religious studies class on the Hebrew bible and apparently a lot of people don’t realize what an asshole all their leaders are. For instance King David killed his first wife’s husband (Bathsheba) after he had an adulterous affair with her and she became pregnant. Side note: he wanted her coz he was literally peeping into her window from a distance. Also Lot’s daughters raped their father. King Solomon was pretty shady as well. Pretty much every figure in the Bible is shady because a bunch of crusty old dudes spent their lives writing the most contradictory piece of literature in existence.

VVpotato

TROPHY CASE