The clock is ticking

I absolutely HATE it when people think that their time is more valuable than mine.  The situations in which this irks me the most are when graduate advisors/supervisors/bosses (i.e. people with more power than me) are involved.

For example, I have a standing appointment with my graduate advisor every other Thursday to discuss progress/data/direction, etc.  Often times she can't remember that we have a meeting (hello! This is the 21st century - use a calendar!  Use Google Calendar for that matter!).  Other times, she shows up very late (e.g. 15-20 min late for a 30-60min meeting).  And to make matters worse, the reason she is usually late is because she is shooting the breeze with someone.  How hard it is to say "I would really love to hear about X, but can we schedule a time to talk later because I'm running late for an appointment?" This has always irked me, but has really become an issue lately as I'm trying to  graduate and I need timely input from my advisor.

When I posted my frustration on my facebook status this morning (after another canceled meeting - this one due to a full day of interviews that she has known about for likely months!), a friend responded with this statement: 

"Just playing devil's advocate.... But what makes your think your time is better than theirs? It goes both ways....I just think Americans have serious entitlement issues..."

I replied with "I'm not saying that my time is more valuable than theirs, but that our time is equally valuable. This is more of a respect thing... I respect you enough to be on time and be prepared for our meeting. I would hope that you respect me enough to also be on time and be ready for the meeting. Canceling at the last minute or showing up 15 minutes late with no prior warning says to me that I must not have anything important to do and of course I will be willing to wait around for you to get your act together."


I would like to think that this is not "American" entitlement, but rather just basic human courtesy.  What do you think?

Take two.. or is it four?

Okay.  I'm giving this blogging thing another try... I've got lots on my mind, so we'll see how this goes.  Enjoy the ride!

My room: My life

Right now (and to be honest, for the last couple of months), the state of my room has pretty accurately reflected the state of my life... varying stages of chaos. I look at it, feel the need to clean it up and put everything in its place, and yet somehow never totally achieve the neat and organized look.

Right now, lab (i.e. school) is a bit overwhelming and challenging. I know the direction I want (and need) to go in, but somehow putting it into motion is hard. I'm intimidated. I know that I can't drag my feet much longer (and not only because my PI told me to get a move on it), but because I do want to graduate at some point (okay, hopefully within two years... if I can get mt act together).

I'm a big fan of lists (a carryover from my mom). So, I'm hoping that my newly made "to do" list will light a fire under my butt so I can start checking things off.

Wish me luck!

Quote of the Day

I was at the hair salon the other day, when a long-time customer of my stylist walked it. This woman was a soon to be medical school graduate. The following interaction ensued...

Male stylist in the salon says, "Hey, I've been having this pain in my lower back."
Soon to be doctor says, "I'll tell you what I tell everyone else. After medical school, if you don't have a vagina, I can't help you."

I thought this was hilarious! And everyone else in the salon busted out laughing, too. Apparently, there is soon to be another OB/Gyn in the world.

The Eyes have it

I hate the question, "What's the first [physical] thing you notice about a member of the opposite sex?" I hate this question because I never really know what to say.... I notice different things about different people - it's not always the same.

I am a sucker for eyes, however. I don't usually notice the eyes first, but rather they become a natural focus once you start having a serious conversation with someone. (The topic doesn't have to be serious, but it's definitely a one-on-one, tuned-in kind of conversation). For me, it takes a moment for the eyes to register, but when they do it's like "Wow! You have really nice eyes" (internal dialogue only, of course!).

I wonder if people with nice eyes ever feel awkward around others. I mean, it must be weird to have people you've just met (especially members of the opposite sex) staring intently into your eyes.

I must admit that I feel a little superficial when I notice someone's eyes... Let's face it, eye color (or shape) is not something that you have any control over (unless you're into colored contacts - and that's just weird!).

What was the inspiration for this post, you ask? Well, there's this new guy in my salsa class and on top of being a really great leader (who also cares about leading correctly... ladies, this can be a rarity), he has fantastic eyes. The first time I danced with him I mentally perked up and said to myself "Well, hello!" They're a beautiful light blue/green color...really unique.

My eyes, on the other hand, are brown - not hazel, not chocolate...just brown. Some people have all of the luck ;)

Two weeks

In two weeks from right now, my sister will be here!...to visit ME!...NOT to sightsee! I'm so excited! I love my sister very much, and I wish we lived a little closer so that we can hang out more.

Two weeks! Let the countdown begin!

In my next life...

I want to come back as an Alvin Ailey dancer.

I say this a lot - "In my next life...". I'm not sure if I really believe in reincarnation (and this will not turn into a crazy philosophical blog), but I would like to believe that everything exists in continuum and that when we die we don't really cease to exist, but that our spirit lives on to try new things. (This probably stems from the fact that there are so many things I want to try and do in life that can't possibly fit into the 90 or so years that I've currently been given). Okay, that said, in my next life (as of today at least) I want to come back as an Alvin Ailey dancer.

We went to see Alvin Ailey perform in Berkeley last night and it was just amazing! I have seen them perform at least 3 times, but this one was my absolute favorite. I loved every piece, and throughout the show, I just wanted to get up and dance with them. I was literally still bouncing with energy, love, and happiness when I arrived home at midnight (and to be honest, even today).

So, bottom line... if you have a chance to see the Alvin Ailey company perform, do so, and you, too, will want to come back as an Alvin Ailey dancer. I guarantee it!

I am so excited....

I spent the summer in a parasite lab course on Cape Cod. It was amazing for many reasons, but some of the biggest things I took away from it were a renewed sense of interest in my PhD project (and science in general) - this is especially big since I was really starting to doubt what the hell I was doing in science, a new sense of independence, and a new sense of ownership about my project and the direction it would/should go. Previously, I and my PI (my academic mentor/advisor) had focused mostly on genetic manipulation and analysis - often with frustrating results. (I mean trying to do genetics in an organism that is not really genetically tractible is just asking to bang your head against the wall). Over the summer I decided that biochemistry was really the way to go. I told my PI this when I came back and she made some polite noises, but didn't really get it. Now, after going to a meeting in Mexico, she is convinced that we need to ditch the genetics and pursue the biochemistry. All I can say is ... thank goodness! I don't know why she couldn't have seen this in August, but I am glad that she has finally seen the light! (I do hope she recognized that it was my idea to begin with, hmmm...). So hopefully, this new path will lead the way to exciting data and to graduation (well in 2 years anyway).

Woo-hoo!