md: i'm lovin' it
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This is not a story about food and a girl. This is not a story about food, as told by a girl. It is a story about a girl, as told by food. Final Paper for HumBio 99Q Autumn 2010 at Stanford University With Professor Larry ZaroffTRANSCRIPT
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To be perfectly h onest, I'm not sure. It was born out of a desire to play with prettypictures of food, and h as since becom e a sort of experim ent involving colors and wordsand reflective m usings.
I've always loved food and believed in its im portance and h ealing powers. Tastesand sm ells evoke m em ories, sooth e th e soul, and relieve weariness. Th e righ t m eal or drinkcan expedite bonding between new friends, spice up a first date, ease th e sorrows ofdisappointm ent, and m ake staying up all nigh t to write a paper m uch m ore bearable.
So, I figured it would be fun integrate som eth ing th at is near and dear to m e, withsom e of m y th ough ts related to course m aterial and discussions. One of th e biggesttake-h om e points for m e h as definitely been th e im portance of taking care of oneselfth rough out th e process of becom ing a doctor -- and beyond. Th is of course includes th eph ysical sense, wh ere food plays a m aj or role, but also extends into th e m ental andem otional realm s. After all, trying to take care of som eone else before you've got yourselffigured out j ust seem s im possible and irresponsible.
As well, I th ink I've concluded th at taking care of yourself doesn't necessarily m eanth at perfect balance can ever actually be ach ieved. Instead, wh at m atters m ost is effortand m indset -- and allowing room for risks, m istakes, and guilty pleasures.
M cDonald's cam e to m ind because of its relationsh ip with efficiency, and appealedto m e as a th em e because I could integrate som eth ing com m only perceived as lowbrowwith one of th e m ost prestigious of professions. ( I sh am elessly stole ph otograph s andnutritional inform ation from th eir website, but am a student with no intention to profit, so Ibelieve th is is in com pliance with th eir copyrigh t policy.)
Using som e popular m enu item s, I h ope to tell th e story of one ordinarilyextraordinary wom an wh o experiences life as a patient, a doctor, a daugh ter, and a m oth er.From early ch ildh ood to old age, th e struggles and q uestions sh e faces will be personifiedby th e particular food item of ch oice. Th ese m etaph orical snapsh ots relate broadly tosom e of m y opinions about m aj or course th em es, but are also h igh ly specfic on anarrative, h um an level. After all, you are wh at you eat!
I h ope th is com pilation is both entertaining and th ough t-provoking. If it also m akesyou h ungry, th en m y work is done. Enj oy! :)
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In th e old days, th ere would be h ot griddle,batter m ade from scratch ,
and fresh syrup from a m aple tree
Mom serving Sunday brunchth e entire fam ily gath ered 'round
talking and laugh ing and being silly
Now, in place of an apron and oven m ittsare a Blackberry and stylish pencil skirt
Th is is wh at th e little girl sees
I com e fresh off th e gas-guzzling m inivanencased in unrom antic styrofoam
th e h andiwork of a sullen teen trainee
So th e presentation is lackingand th e taste rath er subpar
but don't be so q uick to denounce m e
Th e loving sm ile and m aternal touchare one and th e sam e
Th is is wh at th e little girl sees
Hom em ade or not,h otcakes are h otcakes
it is th e warm th th at is key
Ch ange is constant,Efficiency is elusive.I can't be everyth ing
But I can be th e best I can be.
Moth er adds a syrup sm ileyand th e little girl sees
yes sh e loves m e
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I am th e box of possibility
//
I look differentI am different
I am still th e sam e
//
I am a sym bolI am a troph y
I epitom ize norm alcy
I am containedI am inaccesible
I am oh -so-covetable
I am unh ealth yI am a bad decision
I am so trivial, really.
I am h er dreamI am th e oth er kidsI am th e oth er kids'
//
Little th ings m atter to little people( and to big people, too! )
Sh e watch es Toy StorySh e wants m y toy
Sh e wants to write h er own story
And all th e tubes and beeping m onitorscan't keep h er from running away
from th e trays filled with Bland and Blander
Even if j ust for a secondbefore returning to resting position
sh e wants m e
Th e box of possibility
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If noth ing else, th is m uch is certain:I m yself am com posed of contradictions and curiosity.
How did I becom e a ch ocolate sundae,and not a sim ple vanilla cone or a m essy Oreo McFlurry?
W h y are we separated by th ese lines and plastic walls,wh en we are all j ust frozen dairy treats at h eart?
And h ow did sh e ch oose to order m e, j ust m e,wh en vanilla and strawberry sundaes are both oh -so-delicious too?
Am I worth th is price exactly, not m ore or less?Is sh e sure of h er decision? W ill sh e regret it?
Such a difficult ch oice to m ake, based on j ust pictures.Or h earsay, ads, a m ere wh im , even?
Not m uch tim e, and no real ch ance of return.Definitely not an ideal situation.
Still, sh e m akes up h er m indto em brace th e unknown.
After putting in due tim ewaiting out th e long line
unperturbed by th e rowdy noontim e crowdssh e approach es th e register at last
Putting it on creditsigning on th e dotted line...
( laying it all on th e line)
Th e deed is done.Sh e advances.
W ill sh e be able to h andle th e sh ockfrom th e rude clash of ice cream with h ot fudge?
W ill I burn h er, will I freeze h er,will I swirl h er into confusion?
I wait.I am h opeful.
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Mirror m irror on th e wallwh o's th e fairest of th em all?
Lettuce see wh at we h ave h ere:I've been ch icken th at girl out,
and ch eese-us crouton, sh e looks fine!W ell-rounded like a ch erry tom ato
topped off with a sm ile and a dash of ranch .
It all com es from eating salad, I tell you.
At first, th ey com e to m e for j ust looks.To lose weigh t, to keep up,
to reach th ose glossy m agazine goals.
Noth ing wrong with th at,ligh ten th e load
lessen th e burden.Green is th e new black, after all.
And with th e tim e sh e savesand th e energy sh e gains
th at's fuel to sh ape up h er resum e too.
So don't h ide beh ind greasy donuts and leftoversSh ow th e world your crisp new salad
Own it. W ork it.
Plus, true beauty goes beyond th at --Stop tossing and turning
wh en you find th e righ t saladyou won't h ave to pick out th e olives
or sh ove th e celery underneath your plate.
Th ere m igh t occasionally be a stray bit of ch eddaram ong your beloved Parm esan,
But all th e zany ingredients and zesty flavorswill m ix and m atch into unexpected h arm ony
A beautiful baseSide dish or m ain course
Starter or standalone
Th e ch oice is yours.
1 1
Nearly two decades ago, I was first introduced to th e classic five paragraph essay. Th is
trusty tem plate h as served m y owner well, from elem entary sch ool book reports to h igh sch ool
research essays to th e occasional last-m inute college paper. However, I never im agined th at
sh e would still be in sch ool after all th ese years, and need to call upon m y trusty sidekick and I.
Sh e h as always worked h ard, but m edical sch ool is proving to be especially ch allenging.
In such tim es of need, I feel proud to rise to th e occasion. Not only am I a tasty side dish
and a fill ing snack, I am th e perfect finger food for all th ose tim es wh en stam ina alone is not
enough . Rath er th an being forced to interrupt productivity to deal with th e inconveniences of
cutlery and com plex two-h anded eating m otions, sh e can sim ply place m e at h er side, in m y
portable, iconic package, and refuel wh ile working.
To im prove custom er experiences, I am available in different sh apes and sizes to suit
every need, but m y crispy golden goodness rem ains unch anged regardless of form at. But do
you feel guilt at th e th ough t of so m uch grease? To th is I can only respond: desperate tim es
call for desperate m easures. More im portantly, indulging a bit h ere sim ply m eans cutting
som eth ing else out elsewh ere. Th e best th ings in life are worth figh ting for, and worth
sacrificing for!
After all, I am not claim ing to be a m aj or food group or even a daily staple. I realize m y
role as a treat and a guilty pleasure. I am not to be consum ed in excess, but enj oyed in
m oderation. So good for you, because it's bad for you. And such indulgences som etim es
necessary, despite knowing better and generally h aving good goals -- j ust like th ose late
nigh ts th at I often find m yself fueling.
In conclusion, I truly believe th ere is a lesson to be learned h ere. Don't envy th e early
risers with th eir h ash browns and scram bled eggs. Don't th ink about th e fancy steak dinners
with finely scalloped potatoes. Focus on th e task at h and, with your goals in m ind, and be
th ankful th at you h ave yum m y fries to m unch on.
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Th e clock strikes twelve,m arking th e beginning of a long nigh t
th e first of m any.
I h ave enorm ous responsibilityrelied upon for clear j udgm ent
and superh um an stam ina
1:00Sh e is alone
Left to h er own devicesA rush of power, q uickly replaced by crippling fear
2:00A doublesh ot of caffeine
cascades into m ounting doubt.Differential diagnosis? Dam m it.
3:00A stolen nap
over before it even beganA second j olt
of sudden understanding
4:00Drop by drop
like th e sweat of an Olym pic ath leteSh e builds endurance
5:00Th e odds are im proving
I bear witness to beautiful transform ationTh ere is no end in sigh t but
sh e can see th e ligh t.
6:00Dawn.
I am drained.Sh e is too.
7:00Refill .
Rech arge.Resum e.
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If it looks like a duckand q uacks like a duck...
[ not just a sandwich ]
From afar, th ere are striking sim ilaritiesvertically stacked circular layers
food staples in ch eese and m eatwrapped up in one easily portable package
[ not yet a burger ]
But upon closer inspection,th e curvature of th e ends betrays a dirty secret
th ese are English Muffins, not sesam e wh eat buns!and th at m eat is no beef patty, but a sausage im poster
[ not just a sandwich ]
Most bizarrely:wh at is th at egg! ?
broken down and beatenreform ed under h igh h eat
[ not yet a burger ]
It certainly adds som eth ingA ch aracteristic m orning fresh ness
Som eth ing invigorating
[ not just a sandwich ]
Earnest in its sim plicityNot as glam orous as lettuce
Or as acidic as tom atoYou'll get th e calories, m iss out som e fiber
[ not yet a burger ]
Breach th e activation barrierTh e first step is rate-lim iting
CatalyticCatastroph ic
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Let m e tell you a little secret.
I am widely known as th e biggest, baddest burger around.Piled h igh and stuffed full with h earty goodness
A m inor feat of balance and ingenious engineering
Layer upon layerof collective knowledge
and com m unity traditions
Did it take years to m ake m e?Does it take effort to keep it all togeth er?
Does th e world look different from h igh er up?
Yes and no.
I don't feel all th at different from m y h um ble ch eeseburger daysA bit wearier and a tad less self-deprecating, perh aps
But every day I walk a fine linebetween confidence and com petency
Th e lettuce still needs to be ruffled j ust soTh e m eat grilled to exacting specifications
And h eaven h elp th e one wh o grabs th e wrong ch eese
I can tell.
Really, th ough , it's still about feeding th e fam ilyProviding a reliable m eal wh en th ings get busy
Filling a need; solving a problemA treat for a h ungry son
A relief for a fasting patient
An incredulous expressionon a young ch ild's face
Pure j oyGratitude
Open wideSay "Aah h "
Sm ile!
1 9
A good life, fond m em oriesBegan with a blur of
Caram el apples and cotton candyDancing to Disney songsEleph ants at th e zoo andFollowing th e butterflies
Good tim es never to be forgottenHelped tide over th e darker days
I was a ch ildh ood favoriteJuice could never com pare
Kool-Aid a distant th ird
Lazy sum m ers becam e busierMore th ings to do, m ore people to m eet
New York, Nepal, and everyth ing in betweenOpened a world of possibility
Prem ed, from potential to positive -- so m anyQuestions with no answers
"Run with it! " th ey saidSo sh e did th e best sh e could
Taugh t and was taugh t, h ealed and was h ealedUntil th e very end, now, with
Vanity interrupted, independence interrupted
W orked with a h eart - th e kind inX-rays, and th e one th at reach es
Zen
//
A return to th e startBeautifully blended and
Cold, Cream y,Deliciously dream y.
Easy drinking: th eFinal straw:
Goodbye ( you say)Hello ( I say)