Warning: I wasn’t sure whether to write about this or not. This can be upsetting, so please skip or stop reading if you need to. Last week I had the unfortunate experience of stepping blindly into a bullfighting ring. As I passed by the stadium one day as I wandered […]
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PAP SMEARS Do you have questions about pap smears? Q: What’s the point of a pap smear? It’s to prevent cancer of your cervix. A brush picks up a few cells to be looked at under a microscope. If they start to look abnormal, your […]
WHAT IF YOU HAVE AN ABNORMAL PAP SMEAR? What if your pap smear is abnormal? The cells from a pap smear need to be looked at under a microscope, so it will take about a week to result. What happens next depends on the result. Your doctor will […]
WHAT IS HPV?! What is HPV? HPV = Human Papilloma Virus. You know the warts you can get on your hands or feet? Yep, you can get them on your lady parts, both outside and inside. They’re gross, but mostly harmless. Unless you get them on your certain […]
In my new life as a digital nomad, I tried out Couchsurfing for the first time last month, and then wondered, “How am I this late to the game?! Where has this been all our lives??” I had always thought of it as a somewhat sketchy service, a last resort […]
WOMEN’S HEALTH WITH CARTOON ART: PROJECT “DR. TOONI” Click on each women’s health question to see it answered with fun, easy to understand cartoon art! What is the Clitoris? What is a Period? What are STIs/STDs (Sexually Transmitted Infections/Diseases)? What is a Pap Smear? What if you have an […]
One of my favorite games of all time is “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.” It is not an accurate translation from the Japanese origin – “Gyakuten Saiban,” (逆転裁判) which means “Turnaround Trials.” “Gyakuten” means reversal, comeback, turnaround, or change. The heartwarming story’s hero is a defense attorney who is so […]
There has always been something drawing me to languages. I find learning and practicing them to be so much fun!! I was fortunate enough to have spent my first 2.5 years in China; the exposure at such a young age made it possible to keep Chinese in a separate part […]
I started my journey in California, to visit old friends but also to explore one of my favorite states, where I would consider settling down, if I ever do. I’m pretty sure I have seasonal affective disorder, thus sunshine is extremely important to me. I have fondly been called “solar-powered,” […]
There is an Asian concept of “losing face.” We are a culture of appearances, and it can be deeply embarrassing to have a crack or flaw in the mask we have striven so hard to maintain in society. I feel a bit like Mulan here, setting out to start over […]