Atlanta Panda!

In accordance with my promise, I shall be updating TWICE in this merry month of November, or should I say...MOVEMBER! Obviously, I have decided to once again participate in the hair growth festivities, and without obvious facial hair, have been exercising the right of my underarm, leg and other (ahem) areas to FOLLICLE HEAVEN! Needless to say, The Boyf is not pleased. In fact, I suspect the reason why he isn't coming home for Thanksgiving is less that he "has to work," but more that he is disgusted by the feathery delight that is emerging on my legs. But hey, at least I don't have to pay for those tights that prevent rape - I can just grow my own pair!

In other news, The Boyf has been working so hard lately...to the point of pulling all nighters and even taking intermittent naps on the office couch (that was especially brought in for the purpose of resting his weary head) between 23 hour days. This means that I am...STRESSED OUT! Even the promised annual Christmas card collage photo session did not happen this trip...which lead to a series of pathetic shots of just myself in travel mode...without a partner.


Like a blowfish, I have been simmering my stress internally until the day my unshaven body parts decide to blow up into a large inflatable ball! While this may seem entertaining to the average bystander, it is EXTREMELY entertaining to even myself, although typically I enjoy the blowfish effect on The Boyf and not myself. Nevertheless, I have learned to freak out less about these things and am instead pursuing other ways of getting involved and being productive while in the city.

A particular venture with which I am very excited is the starting of volunteer consulting services! I have started assembling a spreadsheet of student groups that offer pro bono consulting for local businesses and nonprofits, in hopes that we may be able to produce our own group to help biotech startups around the city. This also provides me a platform for networking, which is always fun because I still have a million business cards that have outdated information on them that I need to finish handing out, so I can buy more because I still can't part with my Atlanta roots.

I am also in the process of applying for scholarships since the NSF grant runs out next year. Not only does this entail writing applications/grants/essays for the money, but also "drafting" (writing everything except the header and signature) recommendation letters for my selected references. Gone are the days when your advisor sings your praises; instead, you sing your own praises in this new era. Although it's a little weird writing about yourself, it's actually a great idea for references that are too busy or haven't been able to interact with you thoroughly. Plus, they'll verify the letter is true before placing their John Hancock on the document. And if you're slightly schizophrenic, it can be a fantastic experience writing from the perspective of different people. See how mental illness can actually be a contribution in the academic workplace!

Last week I had a chance to go to Atlanta for a conference. The conference was pretty good, and REALLY GOOD if you take into account that some sort of delicious food was served almost at every break. Who could not love a conference that serves apple pie and ice cream at a poster session? Plus, it was a pretty productive trip. I got to see The Boyf, some friends from school, a bunch of people from school at the actual conference, some faculty members, AND eat at the best brunch spot in town! And, you'll never (no, you will) believe this, but...

I USED SHAMPOO!

Four dreadful months of baking soda and vinegar are over! I haven't been happier. And of all shampoos, I ended up using Head and Shoulders (apparently the worst kind according to the sulfate-free enthusiasts) to break the fast, since it was the only one available in The Boyf's bathroom. But with amazing results! No blow dry, no brush, air dried quickly, no tangles, shone beautifully, and did not get oily for 2 days! I've used shampoo twice again since then...and I'm totally converted back to traditional hair products. Although I may try out castile soap, since it's more natural. But what I really need is a trim and some country fried lovin' from my hairdresser. GOD IS GOOD!

Posting soon....

March Madness Panda

Alright, so I need to get this post in for the month of March so I can keep my New Year's resolution (I'm counting the second post from January as one for February; deal with it).

Although I am partly to blame, most of the lag comes from The Boyf, who is highly superstitious and likes to wait until everything is perfect to release any details. I suppose it pays off, though, because just secured a position at McKinsey and Co.! My only question is, who is the Co.? Is it like Colin Powell, or Colonel Sanders? Because it's a consulting company, and fried chicken is delicious. Ah, it stands for "company", you say? It all makes sense now...

So now that The Boyf is going to be making pretend beaucoup bucks (apparently the benefits are worth more than the salary itself there), he has moved on to greener pastures and will be moving (away from me!) to another apartment uptown. Ho hum. The good news is that I've also found a roommate from my lab that will live with me in Richmond! I've got my heart set on an apartment right now, but I'm having The Boyf scout it out on his way home (from vacation, another thing I've waved bye bye to long ago) to make sure we won't die in the ghetto ("I've made a huge mistake,", G.O.B.)

And what other term would summarize my life than "March Madness", for I will be proposing in exactly one week from today! Due to the time difference between here and China (where one of my committee members will be groggily waking up), I will be having my proposal at 7pm. I've gotten a lot of crap for it, but the 7am slot was already taken by another lab member and plus I'll be providing dinner, so just be happy that you didn't have to dumpster dive at Panera (HELLO RICHMOND). Apparently there is a Panera Bread right near campus in Richmond so I'll be able to try my old, experienced, bacteria-covered hand at finding stale bagels in the dumpster. College; what fond memories.

I also filled out my bracket today for the spring basketball fling, even though I know nothing about sports. As of 5pm today, I wasn't doing too shabby. This makes me realize that men's hobbies, i.e. sports, are much better at creating camaraderie than women's hobbies, i.e. men. Most women only aim to please other men, and this creates weird tension between females that only age can resolve because everyone turns flabby and realizes they would rather just own a pet instead of deal with a relationship. Men, however, have SPORTS, the shining gold star in the dreary night sky that is life. For something like March Madness, there is fun competition that doesn't require an expensive wardrobe or perfect hair. I had a lot of fun just choosing random teams without any prior knowledge. I seriously think women need to go back to cooking, just so they have a common hobby that's shareable without creating contention amongst themselves.

I WANT CHEESECAKE.

Happy Panda New Year!

Happy new year from the graduate panda! Obviously I gave up on the regular updates at the start of last semester, but after a refreshing break at home and some exciting news, I am ready to get back in the blogging saddle! One of my new year’s resolutions this year is to update my blog at least once a month! I have never failed on a new year’s resolution before, so this will be a good way for me to get back on schedule in my shasty internet life.

First, I need to update you on all the happenings from August until now.

“I found out, much to my amazement, that I do in fact have a little butt crack.”  

OOPS A DAISY! I’m currently sitting on the airplane from Philly to Atlanta and had to take a urine break. The Boyf took liberties to infiltrate this post and add the above line. Quite the literary genius. Never fear, I am back! And on with the updates!

The Boyf and I finally moved in together! After about 7 or so odd year of dating, we really made strides in the past year in our relationship. We have been living in Atlanta for one year now, and living in the same room for approximately four months…which may or may not have contributed to the lack of updates. While maintaining my graduate student duties, I have found it slightly challenging to stay on top of my personal hobbies (such as blogging, guitar/music, writing letters) while spending time with The Boyf. And here is what I have to say to those little doubt-monsters about moving in with my significant other:

Once you live together, you’ll never have enough personal space. Besides fighting over closet space, we have done pretty well in sharing space and understanding each other’s personal boundaries. Plus, we are both at work almost 12 hours/day, so when we come home we actually want to be with each other. The biggest thing we fight about is who is doing the dishes. 

You’ll discover each other’s messy habits. My biggest pet peeve about the boyf is that he likes to step out of the shower without drying his feet, soaking the bath mat in the morning before I get in the shower. I HATE stepping onto a wet bath mat. His pet peeve is probably that my now ridiculously long hair sheds ALL OVER the place – which I also hate. We’re learning to deal with it, but those aren’t problems that can’t be fixed. 

One of you will be messy. The Boyf likes to sleep early and I always go to bed late. I usually do the laundry, clean the dishes and all when he is in bed, which frustrates me because I feel that he is just being lazy by zonking out. However, he is always prompt in the morning (to the point of being slightly irritating) and takes out the trash and gets all the outside-of-the-house issues done during the day, when I don’t have time (for instance, doing the research on car shopping, picking up the car tag, stopping at Home Depot to get apartment fixing stuff). Putting away laundry sometimes gets to be a problem, but I have found that the sex boycott works extremely well for getting your significant other to do things around the house.

And not only have we basically overcome these move-in myths, we have learned a great deal more about each other. Such as our obsession with cheesecake! The local cheesecake restaurant is moving to within a few blocks of our apartment, so now we’ll be rolling around in cream cheese heaven (and our own belly fat, if this continues). However, to balance our hedonistic dieting, we should start a good workout regimen. We have been having way too much fun just eating (delicious) crap and sleeping instead of going to the gym and doing the rabbit nibble. Hopefully this new year will let us start getting in shape. You know how the gyms are always packed for the first two weeks, then everyone remembers that 11 months of weight isn’t going to come off in a week, and stops working out altogether. 

We have also been obsessing over Arrested Development, which is coming out with a new season apparently in May this year! 2013 definitely has a few good things in store for us (which you’ll see as you keep reading), including the Chinese year of the snake…MY YEAR! So all you skeptics can kiss my flat pancake panda butt. HATERS GON’ HATE.

The Boyf and I also bought a car! Well, technically we are leasing the car, which happened fortuitously in the midst of our frantic car searching two months ago. We settled on a Toyota Prius, which has brought me great joy (as it has been my dream car since high school, fo’ rizzle) and The Boyf great ridicule. Apparently there is a Prius forum online where Prius owners get together and devise secret handshakes and head nods for when they encounter each other on the road. I kid, but not really. So call me if you have a Prius.

But the biggest news of all, for which I have been delaying this post, is that….

I am moving to Richmond!

My advisor has decided to leave the landlocked Atlanta for a boat friendly Richmond, Virginia. As it turns out, my obsessive compulsiveness in taking way too many classes has paid off. I’ll be able to finish up my graduate class requirement in May, while still earning a certificate in management, and be able to finish my research in Richmond. We had to negotiate a little, but if I pass my proposal by May and finish my courses, I’ll be able to still get my degree from Georgia Tech/Emory/Peking University and partake in research for one year in Beijing, while finishing up my research in Richmond. I’ll have to return to Atlanta for bi-annual committee meetings, which will actually be nice, and paid for. Although I’m sad about leaving some friends in Atlanta and the good food on Buford Highway, I am really looking forward to the opportunity space in Richmond and also being closer to my home in Lancaster, PA. Padre is pretty excited about being able to see me ALL THE TIME, while still denying the fact that The Boyf and I are basically married, and continually tries to plan a future where he will live in my house with me and make me soup every day for dinner. 

I’m pretty nervous about my proposal this semester, since I’ll be busy finishing classes and trying to push out my first grad student paper (WOOT!). But I am really excited about the other projects I am working on in lab. This first year and a half of grueling work has seemed to finally start paying off. I’ll be attending my first conference of graduate school in three weeks in San Antonio, followed by another conference in March in Seattle. If the year finishes out well, I’ll have another conference in September in Boston to add to my CV also. Being able to share my research makes me feel like what I am doing is worthwhile! It’s definitely nice to be part of a community that understands what you are doing as opposed to the blank stares you get when you go home for the holidays and people are like, “Oh that’s cool…so if you are going to be a doctor, can you write me a prescription for weed?” Okay, so that’s not really how it goes, but now that marijuana is going to be legal in Washington and Colorado, we might as well invest in the brownie factories early. I need a retirement fund, especially since apparently NSF does not count as income that I am able to contribute to an IRA. CRIKEY! NSF has really benefitted me while screwing me over at the same time. I get a great stipend and my tuition and fees paid for, yet I have to pay taxes, can’t apply for a mortgage and can’t contribute to an IRA with the income. Sounds like the US government, all right. But I won’t complain. I do need to thank NSF for providing me with these great shoes.

So anyway, that’s it! I’m sure that I forgot some stuff, but all the important things are in here. Also, I started TAing last semester and my instructor recommended the book The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand for me to read. I was getting really bummed out with my research and the politics I saw in academia. This week’s break at home (including the immense amounts of shopping) plus the book’s message (be true to your art!) has put me in a much better mood. I would recommend it to anyone who is in any field that requires a little bit of creativity (or even if you don’t think it does, read the book and reconsider; you’ll have a lot more to think about at least). 

There’s one final thing that I wanted to share this new year’s day. Of course we’ve all heard it – to live life to the fullest – but it is hard to practice with so many daily responsibilities. During break, I and another formed student visited my undergraduate research advisor in the hospital. He has suffered a stroke and underwent brain surgery. He is recovering fine now, but I wonder if he will ever really be the same. It was funny and strange, because just a few months ago I had send him a link to this TED talk on surviving a stroke and having the will to relearn everything and live again. I wonder if he had thought about it at all or if he even remembers watching the video (or if he even watched it – professors are always so busy). But I do want to say that he was a great advisor, and the person who influenced me most (besides crazy Padre) to go to graduate school. He truly loved his art, science. He never did have any children, but I almost think he made more of an impact as an advisor to lots of the “homeless” scientific community’s children than he would have had he invested all his time and energy in one or two people. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have children, I’m just suggesting that ended up “fathering” more of us in a way that he shouldn’t feel bad about not starting his own family. But anyway, things like that just make you think about your life and how you want to make an impact in the world. And they make you realize that everyday little things, like smiling at someone or being a good advisor/mentor, are great contributors to your legacy. Never forget who you are and, in the words of The Boyf’s cousin, WORK TO EARN everyday! 

Happy new year 2013! I look forward to a fruitful and fun year ahead!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Once again, I have been riding the procrastination train, but fortunately I am back again with vigor! The past month has been filled with many exciting things, including but limited to: a huge fight with Padre, start of my second semester in graduate school, The Boyf’s move to Atlanta, and celebration of the Lunar New Year.

From my last visit home over Thanksgiving break, I received some verbal disapproval from Cabbage about The Boyf. She remarked on how I “could do better” and what not, and so on and so forth, without any basis and completely out of the blue. After this incident, I decided to be more cautious about disclosing information to her. Over Christmas break, she asked me what The Boyf was planning on doing after graduating college. So I replied truthfully and said he received a job offer in Atlanta, and would probably be moving shortly. I figured she would tell Padre at some point anyway, but I feel like lying about it anymore because I am over this whole “hide and seek” situation.

Of course, she DID tell Padre. He walked in on Christmas Day pissed as a pigeon, demanding to know whether my allegiance lied with him or with The Boyf. I told him that forcing me to make this decision was ridiculous and that there were never any sides involved anyway. I said I would leave if he wanted me to, and that I wouldn’t promise whether or not I would break up with anyone. This is my own life and it is time for me to make my own decisions. If things don’t work out, The Boyf and I will break up. But we won’t break up just because Padre says so.

The next few days were awkward to say the least. I wasn’t particularly angry about the matter. I thought Padre was being childish about the situation but figured he would get over it. He didn’t call me for two days and we didn’t see each other because I hung out with Little Swallow while Padre was at work during the day. I would have left the house but somehow didn’t feel like things had escalated to that point yet, but I definitely felt weird living in the house and not speaking with Padre. On the third day, I went to the outlets with Little Swallow. We walked into J. Crew and walked out immediately because she decided she wanted to look at shoes and not clothing, and I didn’t really care since I’m a po’ motherf*****. Shortly thereafter, Uncle Tom called to ask what the deal was, because apparently he is my familial guidance counselor now. Apparently Padre was in J. Crew and thought I was purposely avoiding him when I left the store prematurely. The entire situation escalated into a huge deal, and Uncle Tom even asked if The Boyf was “Italian or Jewish” when he asked me to describe him, which just goes to show how ignorant they are in the first place.

Long story short, I went to the restaurant for dinner later that evening and Padre was so happy that we both didn’t mention what happened over the past few days. I guess I’m also happy to have not lost my father. I was pretty upset, even though I didn’t show it to my family. Probably because I hate most of them. But all’s well that ends well. Padre just told me to take it slow and let him know if anything happens, which I will do anyway.

Between Christmas and New Year, I went to New York City to visit Coral Diver, my old roommate from college! It was planned poorly due to the previously discussed situation with Padre, but we did meet up for a little during the day. Also, I finally got my hair trimmed by my lovely hairdresser. I save my haircuts just to get them done by her. She does a great job.

I returned to Atlanta on January 3, and The Boyf moved to Atlanta on January 13. The new semester has been okay so far. I believe my classes will not be as time intensive as last semester, although it may be too soon to speak. Also, Dr. Zebra was here the first week of January, so that stress has already passed. He will be here again in mid February, so I will have to start buckling down again soon.

It has been surprisingly good with The Boyf living in the city. He is rooming with Danto, his best friend from college, who also happens to work in the same firm. So things are working out nicely with those two. They live about 25 minutes away from me, but it is easily accessible by the rail, which is also pretty cheap. It’s only been the second weekend and I’ve basically spent every weekend at their apartment since The Boyf’s arrival, but strangely I don’t feel like I am wasting my time or “not being productive,” like I usually stress out when The Boyf is in town. I also thought it would be weird to go from seeing each other once every 3 months to seeing each other every weekend for the entire weekend, but it was a very smooth transition and not weird at all. I have gotten to finish my own work and I believe that in the near future, we may be able to live together without me pulling my hair out trying to finish some assignment, while The Boyf suggestively darts a condom near my peripheral vision every once in a while. Having the same schedule also helps a lot. And when we are together, I hardly ever go on the Internet, which actually saves a lot of time. I do what needs to get done, and nothing more (no Youtube, not Craigslist!). So in reality, I’m not being that much more “productive” when I’m sitting at home anyway. The other thing is that I spend a lot of time playing guitar. I am considering just moving my guitar over the The Boyf’s apartment, so I can play it during weekends and focus on my schoolwork and research SUPER HARD during the week. This also gives me an incentive. And like I told The Boyf, having him around really puts things into perspective. I feel like I stress less because I know that we can both get things done together and I can focus on the priorities at hand.

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR! Technically it’s called “CHINESE New Year,” but to be politically correct, it is according to the lunar calendar and more than just Chinese people celebrate it. Jacky Fabulous, a senior graduate student in our lab, went to China about a month ago and was stuck there with visa complications. He finally returned last Wednesday, and in order to celebrate his and The Boyf’s arrival into Atlanta, a few of us went to KFC BUFFET on Friday evening. You are thinking one of two things:

1.       1. Ew…KFC Buffet? Not a classy place at all to celebrate anything. And super unhealthy, too.

2.       2. WOW, KFC BUFFET! I didn’t even know such a thing existed! YOU MUST LOVE THE SOUTH!

To continue the celebratory streak, a bunch of us also gathered together on Saturday evening for a Chinese hot pot, followed by a mean karaoke session. This was my first time doing karaoke in the United States; in fact, I didn’t know it existed in the US (besides maybe New York), but apparently there are places popping up everywhere with Asian style Karaoke. And it’s a big hit. We all had a great time, and The Boyf is slowing becoming accustomed to Chinese traditions. This afternoon, we had dim sum at a restaurant that is very near to The Boyf’s apartment.

It is so weird to be “grown up,” even though I don’t feel like it because I am still in school. Many of my friends are graduating or already in industry, and living in the city also accelerates these changes. Although considered the gold standard in academia, an NSF fellowship will only get you one third of what anyone else working in a high rise in the city makes. Of course, I am not concerned about the money. In fact, it makes other people look more foolish when they waste their money on superfluous things, when I realize how hard someone has to work to make only a fraction of their salary. But what I am gaining is knowledge, which in in my opinion is worth just as much as the actual monetary value I get from my stipend. And in reality, that is the point of graduate school, isn’t it? Plus, having the The Boyf around is nice because I get his hand-me-downs, like the new blackberry I upgraded to today when he purchased a new iphone. But just to humble him, I dragged him to Goodwill for an hour while I browsed around for hidden treasures (no luck this time, will try again next weekend!).

On a very sad note, Joe Paterno has passed away. JoePa was the head football coach at Penn State for 61 years, before receiving an extremely undignified dismissal from his position following a sex scandal story. JoePa was not directly involved in the scandal, but was fired because he did not follow up on his original reporting of the situation to higher officials. There is a lot of controversy over this but THERE HAS BEEN NOT TRIAL, so nothing can be said. The facts can also be interpreted very differently. I won’t go into detail into the story; if you want to know, you can read the brief yourself. However, I will go ahead and say that I still love JoePa with all my heart and that I believe he was completely innocent. I am no expert on football and I have never met Joe Paterno, but sometimes you have to give your intuition credit. And in this case, my intuition is shock and outrage at the sequence of events regarding the entire situation. While at Penn State, I and many other always thought JoePa might pass away while coaching (either in the physical act or at least still employed, in the very least), and speculated on how many people would attend the funeral, the ceremony most likely held on the football field. No one ever thought anything like this would happen. I am terribly sad that we weren’t able to say our goodbyes and that such a wonderful man had to pass away under the critical eyes of society. It is true that you are always true to your alma mater. So many of the experiences that shaped my love for Penn State had to do with JoePa. I feel like he was my grandpa, and I know most alumni feel the same way. I hope that we will be able to find some collective way to pay tribute to JoePa, and I also hope that the University will realize how foolish it was to punish one man for the misdeeds of many others.

In closing: life is both wonderful and very tragic at the same time. I realize how fortunate I am to have support from people that I love, and to be in place where I can still achieve my dreams. At the same time, it is important to prioritize things, because life is funny most of the time, and likes to catch you off guard.

Well, that’s my rant! I still need to call Padre and Cabbage to wish them a happy new year, reply to Coral Diver’s email, and get to bed! Sorry I didn’t include photos in this post; I am running out of time and have decided that sleep is a priority now (along with drinking more milk!). Happy new year!

Panda is "B"sian

Instead of replying to my regular email correspondence with Coral Diver, I have decided to FINALLY update this damn thing. It seems that every time I promise to update "soon", it ends up being taking even longer than my usual update time. Part of the reason is because I get lazy: I have started reserving all work for the lab, so that when I go home, I tend to vegetate and eventually succumbing to ingesting alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, as a graduate student the WORK NEVER ENDS. In trying to keep my work-home life separate, I have started to spend approximately 12-14 hours PER WEEKDAY in lab, and about 6-8 hours per weekend day. It's nice to be braindead when I return to the apartment, but at some point my office chair is going to start growing mold from the constant warmth emanating from my butt. Anyway, I am here now. So let's start with some very exciting news:

THE BOYF WILL BE MOVING TO HOTLANTA! We have been dating for 5 years, 4 of which have been distance. And as you probably know, 2 years where I have considered calling it quits (and 1 time where we did, but luckily we are back together). Somehow, though, we made it. The Boyf just received his job offer on Friday afternoon, and he will be accepting on Monday morning! Once things are finalized, he finish his last semester of school and move down in mid-January. However, I am a bit confused as to where our relationship stands. Now that he is actually moving to Atlanta, we still won't be living together. His best friend Danto is also working in the same company, so they want to be roommates. Although The Boyf and I agreed on living separately, part of my is still pissed about having to continue to pay full rent while Danto and The Boyf can subsidize each other. Oh, but socially, you mean? That's fine. 4 years of distance should probably be mended slowly. It might be better to see each other mostly on the weekend, then move in together when we both decide that the time is right. If things don't work out, he still has a sweet job and I am still at an awesome school (unless I don't pass qualifying exams).

I HAVE A PLAN FOR MY FIRST PAPER! Dr. Zebra is in town again, and my meeting with him yesterday went smoothly. At the time, I thought things were very clear. In hindsight, I have no idea what is going on and what the plan is for my first paper. However, the holiday party is this Friday at Dr. Barbie's hizzouse, and I am hoping that I can acquire a very aesthetically displeasing sweater for the event in order to throw off Dr. Zebra from my social antics. Apparently upper management is not amused with my jokes. So for the next unspecified period of time, I will have to remain boring and nondescript. Usually things turn around once everyone realizes I'm not a bimbo (OR AM I). For the time being, I can still express myself online (OR CAN I). And at least winter break is coming up and classes are ending, so I'll be able to have some time to enjoy myself (OR WILL I). I guess the point here is that nothing is certain in grad school, and I would really like some ice cream.


THERE IS A COCKROACH IN MY CEREAL! About three weeks ago I started seeing an increased number of cockroaches in my kitchen. I called pest control twice, bought two cans of raid and still have yet to set off my three fumigator bombs. I stopped cooking and started eating cereal. Unfortunately, I did not expect a cockroach to crawl out of my cereal box. So basically I haven't entered my kitchen within the past two weeks. Yesterday I cleaned out my entire fridge of rotting food, and gave most of my pantry items to my lab and apartment neighbor. And lo and behold, when I threw out my cereal, the damn cockroach was still crawling around INSIDE THE BAG. I am hoping the problem is getting better since I haven't seen any more cockroaches crawling around (although I hardly enter the kitchen anyway) and hopefully the removal of the food will keep the roaches away. I am also armed with RAID anytime I enter the kitchen. Anyway, the apartment lease ends in May so I am actively looking for roach-free locations to live. If you have suggestions, let me know!

IT IS STILL WARM IN ATLANTA! One of the great things about living in the South, besides the nicer people, is that the weather is fantastic. It is already December, but it was 70 degrees as I was walking to campus this afternoon. I am so unused to this weather, but it is still amazing. I'll be going home for one week for the holidays, and although it will be cold, at least it will feel more familiar than this Twilight zone weather.

I AM A "B"SIAN, NOT AN ASIAN! I believe the minimum GPA requirement for taking my qualifying exams in May is a 3.0, which means all B's. As you may recall, most Asian parents are crazo (not a typo) about their kids getting perfect grades. This semester, I will most likely be getting all B's, as long as I don't fail my mass transfer course, in which case, I am going to quit the program and join the traveling circus as the "black sheep Asian". Hopefully I will pass all my classes, but it won't be with flying colors. Although research is the main priority, I still have to get through the program first. And Dr. Zebra and Dr. Barbie prefer students with better grades. At least Padre doesn't know a lick about graduate school and isn't breathing down my back anymore about studying (a typical phone conversation: "hello? where are you? are you in the library? are you studying? did you eat yet? can you call the phone company because there is an extra $5 charge on my statement this month? is my email account KMAIL OR GMAIL [disclaimer: THIS WAS A REAL QUESTION]?). Today I finished my last exam for my biology course (remember "Block 0"?). I have a paper due next week, then one final in my management course and one final for my mass transfer course.

Until then, I'll be studying in lab! Wish me luck! And wish the The Boyf congratulations (now if I can ever get him to read my blog...)!