Thesis - really!

Ahck, the point of both excitement and dread has come... the time to concretely settle upon my thesis question. As many of you have noticed, I have taken the usual twisting, turning path towards deciding on a specific topic. Ultimately, though, I am becoming quite committed to this topic:

How is safe sex represented in the Q&A column of Nairobi's Daily Nation Saturday Magazine? In particular, how has the discourse changed over the last 5-10 years?

Here's a brief explanation of the logic behind each of the component parts:
representations of safe sex - media discourse often is a major influence on popular perceptions
Q&A column - this Q&A actually consists of real questions by individuals, which are answered by professionals. Thus, it provides some additional insight into the popular thinking.
Daily Nation's Saturday Magazine - this is a very widely read publication; the leading one in Kenya
shift in discourse - this is the really interesting part. No one has studied this so far, yet engaging the media is a technique that is growing in popularity among public health workers. Is this evident in the paper itself? Also, knowing the current status of the media portrayal will help with future collaboration between the public health and media fields.

Of course, there are still hundreds of other topics that I am interested in and enthusiastic about researching. But, I am coming to terms with choosing just one (at least for this masters) and addressing it in depth. In particular I am sad about not pursuing the role of religion in safe sex, but I have the feeling that it is something I can look into more in the future. Also, I had a debate about whether or not to do field work, but ultimately decided that I should maximize my time here in Amsterdam while I have it. By analyzing a Kenyan paper, I feel that I am still working in another context, but I can do so more or less while living in A'dam. (I will probably need to travel to London to access the Daily Nation archives, but after making copies I can return here.)

I welcome any questions or comments you have!

Birthdays and Adventures

The second half of January has proven to be just as fun and exciting as the first half. Katie's birthday came in the middle of it, which provided a good excuse to go on many adventures. Notably, we took her to a fondue/raclette dinner in Haarlem, at a wonderful and old little place, 'in 't Goede Uur':

There, we ate so much cheese we thought we would burst. But it was well worth it!

Further, on Sunday we took an adventure out to Apeldorn:

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to go on a pea-soup walk and see some free range monkeys. This was also incredibly fun. First, there was a nature hike through the forest. In the middle of the forest, the park employees set up a table, where you could get a stamp. This stamp entitled you to a hot cup of pea soup at the end of the walk. It was so nice to get out into the countryside and walk amongst trees instead of buildings.

Then, we went to the Apenheul, which is a primate park where many of the monkeys get to roam free among the visitors. They were only open one day all winter - in honor of the pea soup walk - so we were lucky to be able to go.

I have also kept up with my share of cultural events... everything from two operas in one month - Daphne and Snow White - to jazz dinner concerts to films. Now, classes are starting again on Monday, which means I have a full weekly schedule - Research Methods on Monday, Yoga on Wednesday, and Flamenco on Thursday. Of course, the idea is that I must use the rest of my time to work on my thesis... but more on that in the next post.

Where did December go?

If you're anything like me, you may be wondering what happened to the glorious month of December. Looking back at it, I would say that my December was characterized by a strange combination of writing papers, good food, visiting friends and family, becoming violently ill, and returning to Amsterdam to start the year off with some good, old-fashioned relaxation.

This picture does a good job describing the first half of the month:
(notice all the papers, books, laptop, dog-on-head indicating need for vacation...)

Whereas this photo is more characteristic of the second half, and the new year:
(needless to say, the Escher museum in the Hague is really, really fun!)

Now it seems, with the opening of a new year and a Masters thesis ahead of me, that it's time to head back towards picture number one. I am quite excited about the challenges and potentials this next year holds... who knows where in the world I will be at this time next year!