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!

Huh?

I got carded when buying Nyquil at Target.

I did not get carded when I bought a bottle of wine at Safeway....on the same day!

Again, I say....Huh?

Theater Etiquette

I've been to the theater twice in the last couple of weeks - to see Chicago and Wicked - and BOTH times I was seated by people who were in serious need of a lesson in Theater Etiquette!...

Lesson #1: DO NOT talk during the show! I always thought this was a given (I mean come on - common sense people!), but apparently some people are lacking in that mental capacity. During the Chicago show, there were 2 older women seated behind us and they talked during the entire show! Despite attempts to shush them, they just kept right on gabbing - and we're not talking at whisper level, oh no, it was full volume! I finally couldn't take it any more and turned around during the second act and said, "Do you mind? It's hard to understand when you're talking!"


Lesson #2: If you must eat candy during the show, kindly remove it from its wrapper BEFORE the show starts. I can understand needing a mint during a performance especially if you have a cold and sucking on a mint will help prevent you from coughing during the entire show. But what I can't understand is someone continually rustling their LOUD candy wrapper during a show.

Lesson #3: Get that child a booster seat. If you're child is too short to see over the adult ahead of her, kindly procure a booster seat for her. Do not continue to pass said child back and forth between parents during the show, and the parents definitely should not be switching seats during the show too. I paid $75 (well $50 really b/c it was subsidized, but that's beside the point) for my seat and I expect to be able to see the show, so pick a seat and stick to it!

This next gripe isn't really about theater etiquette but it drives me nuts all the same. Why, oh why, do theaters not stagger their seats? Again this is just common sense... It's kind of hard to see if someone's head is taking up the entire center stage!

One year ago today...

I was sitting on a plane ready to embark on my first Asian adventure. One of my really good friends from college was doing an international med school rotation in Taiwan (where she's from originally) and asked me if I wanted to come for a visit. My response??..."Hell yeah!" Five months later I was leaving on a jet plane bound for Taipei and my first authentic Chinese New Year.

During the next 10 days I learned how to eat proficiently (although not correctly) with chopsticks, drink barley tea without (outwardly) grimacing AND without sugar (that's a big one for a girl from the South!), navigate the subway system (not too hard since every stop was also written in English), and say "thank you" relatively well in Mandarin. I also learned that authentic Chinese food is probably not for me (although the fish was awesome 100% of the time).

I had an awesome time and it was really cool meeting my friend's family (they were so kind and so generous), experiencing a new culture, seeing the sites - including tallest building in the world (Taipei 101), and chuckling over how Western culture has pervaded EVERYWHERE. (I'm not kidding! We saw Outback, Macaroni Grill, and even a small replica of the Statue of Liberty!).

Here are some interesting things I noticed...

1. A lot of people wear masks that cover their nose/mouths. My friend says that this is not always because they're in respiratory distress. Hmmm, definitely makes for interesting people watching, especially when most of the masks have cute designs on them and are definitely not the disposable kind.

2. Food is a major thing here. Check out some of these yummy (in the mouth of the beholder) snacks...
Here's my friend eating (congealed) pigs blood. I tried it - not such a fan.













Squid on the barbie, anyone?

Snails for sale!














And my personal "favorite" - stinky tofu with a side of liver!













3. Squat toilets. I had never seen these before in my life! It was my first full day in Taipei and my friend and I were on our way to explore a popular area by the river. Before departing she insisted that we stop at Starbucks (see..Western invasion! and we coming from lunch out with the fam) to use the restroom because she couldn't guarantee that the bathrooms by the river would have toilets. Umm, excuse me? A restroom with no toilets???! I soon found out what she meant and boy was I glad that I used the facilities at Starbucks!

I even saw heavily pregnant women coming out of these stalls! That must have been some balancing act!








4. It rains A LOT in February (everyday but one afternoon I was there).

5. Chinese New Year is not the best time to visit Taiwan. Everything shuts down for the holiday and Taipei becomes deserted b/c everyone goes back to their home town. (But, this makes for shorter lines for the things that are open=)


Okay, I'm running out of steam, so I'll just post some of my favorite pics and let them do most of the talking. Enjoy!
I loved this sign. It' s a classic!

Taipei 101, tallest building in the world and the one with the fastest elevator;)

Yes, that is a gigantic rat in the background. (It was the year of the rat).

My friend's grandparents were a riot! I didn't understand a word they said but some things are universal!

The view from this temple was great.

Thanks S for an awesome time!

I'm feeling like this...

It's been a bit of a chaotic week, but at the moment I'm feeling absolutely great! (Dance class is responsible for this ;) )

This pic was taken on a whale watching trip this summer on Cape Cod. It was amazing! We saw tons of whales including one that was totally showing off right in front of our boat for nearly 30 minutes! It was my first time being on a boat (my roommate couldn't believe that) and I loved it!!!!

I'm hoping to keep some of these good feelings continuing throughout the weekend. TGIF!