Things I've Learned: Saint-Malo, The Birds of America, & Fluffy Cattle

My ENT rotation flew by and I've moved on this week to radiation oncology. Being assigned to work with one radiation oncologist for the next four weeks affords nice continuity (something that's been lacking in my rotations so far) that will really facilitate good learning. Coming from doing more general rotations, it's nice to know what I need to focus on this block; and it looks like I'll have a good mix of clinic time and self-study time to learn as much as possible. In terms of non-oncology learning, here are some things I learned and found interesting in the past week:

1. Saint-Malo -- Anthony Doerr's wonderful WWII novel, All the Light We Cannot See, features the walled northwestern French port of Saint-Malo on its cover. Within the first few pages Doerr provides this description: "Saint-Malo: Water surrounds the city on four sides. Its link to the rest of France is tenuous: a causeway, a bridge, a spit of sand. ...In stormy light, its granite glows blue. At the highest tides, the sea creeps into basements at the very center of town. At the lowest tides, the barnacled ribs of a tousand shipwrecks stick out above the sea." Known for its oysters, history of piracy, and being the birthplace of Jacques Cartier, explorer eastern Canada, Saint-Malo has evolved into a tourist destination. Doerr's descriptions of the city are so vivid that I feel like I've wandered the lanes and stood in the salty breeze at the water's edge -- and am inspired some day to do so in person.

   

   Saint-Malo, France (http://ifa.saintmalofougeres.cci.fr/fr/alternance-a-saint-malo/le-cfa.html)

2. John James Audubon -- Doerr's characters are as well developed as his descriptions are rich. One supporting character, enamoured by ornithology, introduces the main character to John James Audubon's The Birds of America. Upon looking up the book I identified easily with the character's reverence for the work of art that it is -- and for the French author who aspired to paint "every bird in America". Audobon tirelessly hunted birds, wired up the specimens to look lifelike, and painted each one in exquisite detail.

   

   Louisiana heron by John James Audobon (http://www.icanvas.com/audubon-louisiana-heron-canvas-print.html)

3. Pak-o-Bird -- I came across these bird-carrier backpacks on a blog and thought they were a neat idea!

   

   Pak-o-Bird (pcatid=28230 http://greeninprogress.com/gardenhouse/2014/06/07/budgie-backpack-3/)

4. show cattle -- My sister sent me a cute photo of fluffy cows -- cattle that had been all coiffed up for an exhibition. The cows are shampooed, blow-dried, combed, trimmed, and hair-sprayed to achieve the look.

   

   fluffy show cattle
   (by Matt Lautner, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/17/iowa-fluffy-cows/2433179/)

5. omurice -- This week I was introduced to omurice, a form of yōshoku, Western-influenced Japanese cuisine. It's an omelette filled with meat and vegetable fried rice. It is also popular in Korea, having been introduced there during Japanese rule. There are many variations of omurice, utilizing different meats, vegetables, and sauces ranging from ketchup to demi-glace.

   

   models of different types of omurice at a Tokyo restaurant
    (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Omurice_restaurant_2_by_alainkun_in_Tokyo.jpg)

What's something new you learned this week?