Saturday morning, I was feeling a mite sheepish. Robin and I had flown down to Delaware for his second cousin's bat mitzvah. Towards the end of the service, Elana gave a short speech about some things she had learned. One of those was to learn to let go; you don't need to have the last word in an argument, you don't need to dwell on your mistakes, just move on.
I'd spent the night previous trying to do just that. I have been ramping back my World of Warcraft play time, but was laying awake worrying and stewing over how the alliances and social networks that I set up were doing without me. After 45 minutes of steaming over it, I finally told myself that I had to let go, and simply trust that those who had taken over leadership would do a good job without me. Let Go.
Here I am at 25, and I'm still struggling with lessons that a 13 year old can comprehend.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
holding pattern...
Robin has a year left till he gets his ph.d. Various friends are also plowing their way through grad school. A fair number have good jobs. Others are having babies, even second children. It feels like everyone is making major inroads to their careers or families.. except for me.
In a way, that's silly for me to say. I've completed a grad degree already. I'm on my second job since graduation, everything's been on my own terms, and I've burned no bridges, only opened up possibilities. I'm happily married to a fantastic guy. I have zero debt. I have a biology GRE book sitting on my kitchen table, and a Harvard professor in my back pocket for when I apply to grad school. I'm doing pretty damned well.
But I still feel like I'm stuck in limbo while everyone else around me progresses to the next stage.
I suppose I am still nervous about my timing of everything. The thought of another 6 years of school is very intimidating. Am I really prepared for that? Can I really start having babies while in school? Do I have the chops to be an academic? What if I fail? After all, I still haven't even gotten into any schools, much less the prestigious ones on the top of my list.
Since college, I've been in an almost constant state of transition. The transition to grad school across the country, 2 years later to unemployment, half a year later to employment, and not even another year later to a different job. Overlay that with plenty of personal transition (from not dating Robin to dating again to moving in together to engagement to marriage). How did all that fit into 4 years? And how is it, despite all that movement, that I still feel like I'm stuck on a hamster wheel?
In a way, that's silly for me to say. I've completed a grad degree already. I'm on my second job since graduation, everything's been on my own terms, and I've burned no bridges, only opened up possibilities. I'm happily married to a fantastic guy. I have zero debt. I have a biology GRE book sitting on my kitchen table, and a Harvard professor in my back pocket for when I apply to grad school. I'm doing pretty damned well.
But I still feel like I'm stuck in limbo while everyone else around me progresses to the next stage.
I suppose I am still nervous about my timing of everything. The thought of another 6 years of school is very intimidating. Am I really prepared for that? Can I really start having babies while in school? Do I have the chops to be an academic? What if I fail? After all, I still haven't even gotten into any schools, much less the prestigious ones on the top of my list.
Since college, I've been in an almost constant state of transition. The transition to grad school across the country, 2 years later to unemployment, half a year later to employment, and not even another year later to a different job. Overlay that with plenty of personal transition (from not dating Robin to dating again to moving in together to engagement to marriage). How did all that fit into 4 years? And how is it, despite all that movement, that I still feel like I'm stuck on a hamster wheel?
Friday, May 27, 2005
end of an era.....
I am taking today off of work, in preparation for the 5-?? hour long drive to my youngest brother's college. Mostly I am nervous about having to endure Memorial Day Weekend traffic out of Boston. But part of me is a bit astounded at how far my brothers and I have come.
I think we grew up exceptionally close. It helped that we are all within 3 years of each other. Our parents also kept us pretty sheltered, and so we turned to each other to be playmates and best friends. Of course, we had our fights and grudges, but when push comes to shove, we have ALWAYS stuck together.
Since I left for college, our interactions have changed significantly. I almost feel like my brothers have grown up behind my back, despite the fact that my middle brother went to the same college that I did. And now, I am procrastinating packing to go to my youngest brother's college graduation. When did we all become adults?
Having spent most of these past 7 years living apart from my brothers, I now understand why some people settle down so close to their relatives. Lately, I've realized just how much I miss my brothers, and how I regret that I do not know them better as adults. I was really happy to have my middle brother at college with me for those 2 years, and I am looking forward to having my youngest brother in Cambridge with me for the next year.
In my heart I will always think of them as Big Baby and Small Baby, even though they both tower above me at 6' plus. Here's to you, my brothers!
I think we grew up exceptionally close. It helped that we are all within 3 years of each other. Our parents also kept us pretty sheltered, and so we turned to each other to be playmates and best friends. Of course, we had our fights and grudges, but when push comes to shove, we have ALWAYS stuck together.
Since I left for college, our interactions have changed significantly. I almost feel like my brothers have grown up behind my back, despite the fact that my middle brother went to the same college that I did. And now, I am procrastinating packing to go to my youngest brother's college graduation. When did we all become adults?
Having spent most of these past 7 years living apart from my brothers, I now understand why some people settle down so close to their relatives. Lately, I've realized just how much I miss my brothers, and how I regret that I do not know them better as adults. I was really happy to have my middle brother at college with me for those 2 years, and I am looking forward to having my youngest brother in Cambridge with me for the next year.
In my heart I will always think of them as Big Baby and Small Baby, even though they both tower above me at 6' plus. Here's to you, my brothers!
Friday, April 22, 2005
A excerpt from the Annals of Wedge - April 4, 2005 -
Again I seem to be lacking in discipline when it comes to paper journals. I've been here in the Bahamas for 3 nights, and nary a word, although I've had plenty of spare time to do so.
Before I came, I thought I'd have an opportunity to think hard about myself, my future, etc. etc. Seems like my mind wanted nothing but complete relaxation... and did no such thing as ponder my future.
Perhaps I do enough of that on a daily basis. I've done nothing but discuss my future since I met Nir in September. Maybe this vacation was the break I needed such that I can continue to think about my future in a constructive way.
Maybe these are all excuses.
I feel that I probably won't return to Nassau. It is a spring break town, a booze and dance town. I've seen Paradise Island, Atlantis, the straw market, the beach. I don't care for a tour of the rum factory, or for snorkeling here (I'm sure other islands of the Bahamas have better.)
But this beach (Cable Beach) in the morning is as peaceful and beautiful as can be hoped for. Layers of blues, white sand, calm waters. If only Robin were here to see it. **
If I have learned nothing else this trip, it has been that I need Robin in my life. Not every single day... these days have been beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. But I feel a great need to share these things and can think of no one else more deserving than him.
**footnote: Robin was at a conference that week, so I went on vacation with a friend; hence Robin's absence.
Before I came, I thought I'd have an opportunity to think hard about myself, my future, etc. etc. Seems like my mind wanted nothing but complete relaxation... and did no such thing as ponder my future.
Perhaps I do enough of that on a daily basis. I've done nothing but discuss my future since I met Nir in September. Maybe this vacation was the break I needed such that I can continue to think about my future in a constructive way.
Maybe these are all excuses.
I feel that I probably won't return to Nassau. It is a spring break town, a booze and dance town. I've seen Paradise Island, Atlantis, the straw market, the beach. I don't care for a tour of the rum factory, or for snorkeling here (I'm sure other islands of the Bahamas have better.)
But this beach (Cable Beach) in the morning is as peaceful and beautiful as can be hoped for. Layers of blues, white sand, calm waters. If only Robin were here to see it. **
If I have learned nothing else this trip, it has been that I need Robin in my life. Not every single day... these days have been beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. But I feel a great need to share these things and can think of no one else more deserving than him.
**footnote: Robin was at a conference that week, so I went on vacation with a friend; hence Robin's absence.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Girls Only...
I've spent my life surrounded by boys:
- I have 2 younger brothers, the youngest is only 3 years younger than me.
- Robin has no sisters, so when I visit my in-laws, I spend a fair amount of time with my brother-in-law (who is one cool cat, btw).
- I attended a science/engineering magnet program in HS, a Tech college, and a Tech grad school. So I spent most of my formative years in places where the great majority of my peers were male.
As a result, throughout my life, most of my best friends have been guys. This is not to say that I don't have girlfriends. But they have tended to be sporadic, both in space and in time. And rarely did I ever hang out with girls only. So while I occasionally enjoyed hanging out with just the girls, I didn't ever think of it as something I particularly needed.
I think I've finally been converted.
For New Year's, Robin and I, along with 2 other friends, visited college friends in Seattle. There were 6 of us, and 2 cars. We ended up with a girl car and a boy car. It wasn't that we didn't want to be with the boys; after all, 4 of us were in married couple form. But when we went shopping, out to lunch or dinner, drove up to the mountains to go sledding, and made the trek to Vancouver, we split off into girls vs boys.
At first, I didn't really think about it. In my mind, I was maximizing the utility of my time away from home by spending time in a car that didn't include my husband (I see him all the time, I don't need to be with him 24/7).
We were on our way back from Vancouver when suddenly, it all came together. Ady and I were chatting about our lives, our plans for the future, as Laura dozed in the back. We stopped at a gas station while the boys filled up their SUV, and Ady acquired some soda. Revitalized, we got back on the road, and turned up the music. I think "Buttercup" reached the top of the Ipod queue, and Ady and Laura broke out singing at the top of their lungs. I felt like I was in a warm, cozy bubble, shooting along the highway. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the passenger side window, and tried to put my finger on what I was feeling.
Clearly, a good portion of it was just good vibes from good friends. But there was something more. There are certain things that only other girls understand; the joy of pawing through underwear bins at a Victoria's Secret sale, for instance. Or the little pangs of the heart when seeing other people's babies. It felt really great to share these vibes with more than 1 person at a time. (my daily/weekly interactions with girls are limited to a housemate and one college friend, both of whom are in grad school and are really busy.)
I miss my girls. Thank you, for teaching me the good that is all girl.
- I have 2 younger brothers, the youngest is only 3 years younger than me.
- Robin has no sisters, so when I visit my in-laws, I spend a fair amount of time with my brother-in-law (who is one cool cat, btw).
- I attended a science/engineering magnet program in HS, a Tech college, and a Tech grad school. So I spent most of my formative years in places where the great majority of my peers were male.
As a result, throughout my life, most of my best friends have been guys. This is not to say that I don't have girlfriends. But they have tended to be sporadic, both in space and in time. And rarely did I ever hang out with girls only. So while I occasionally enjoyed hanging out with just the girls, I didn't ever think of it as something I particularly needed.
I think I've finally been converted.
For New Year's, Robin and I, along with 2 other friends, visited college friends in Seattle. There were 6 of us, and 2 cars. We ended up with a girl car and a boy car. It wasn't that we didn't want to be with the boys; after all, 4 of us were in married couple form. But when we went shopping, out to lunch or dinner, drove up to the mountains to go sledding, and made the trek to Vancouver, we split off into girls vs boys.
At first, I didn't really think about it. In my mind, I was maximizing the utility of my time away from home by spending time in a car that didn't include my husband (I see him all the time, I don't need to be with him 24/7).
We were on our way back from Vancouver when suddenly, it all came together. Ady and I were chatting about our lives, our plans for the future, as Laura dozed in the back. We stopped at a gas station while the boys filled up their SUV, and Ady acquired some soda. Revitalized, we got back on the road, and turned up the music. I think "Buttercup" reached the top of the Ipod queue, and Ady and Laura broke out singing at the top of their lungs. I felt like I was in a warm, cozy bubble, shooting along the highway. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the passenger side window, and tried to put my finger on what I was feeling.
Clearly, a good portion of it was just good vibes from good friends. But there was something more. There are certain things that only other girls understand; the joy of pawing through underwear bins at a Victoria's Secret sale, for instance. Or the little pangs of the heart when seeing other people's babies. It felt really great to share these vibes with more than 1 person at a time. (my daily/weekly interactions with girls are limited to a housemate and one college friend, both of whom are in grad school and are really busy.)
I miss my girls. Thank you, for teaching me the good that is all girl.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
A few thoughts now that I'm a quarter-century old....
Birthdays are strange beasts. As a kid, you get big parties with other little kids in attendance, cupcakes and sprinkles, loud games, etc etc. But what about now? I assume that my age equivalent would be a big drunken adult party. However, I don't know if I would enjoy that; it's hard to have fun while drunk when you also get a headache and want to puke after more than 1 drink. Watching other people act silly while drunk also gets old.
I digress. There's something to be said for being the center of attention, which is really the main point of a big party, at any age, for any occasion. The little kid with the crown blowing out birthday candles with everyone else watching. The bride in a big poofy white dress. You can do almost anything you want, and no one can say anything bad about it. After all, it's my party and I can cry if I want to, no?
But is that what everyone really wants for their birthday? Large events seem too fraught with responsibility for the guests. That's the last thing a birthday girl wants for her big day. People take the day off of work, sleep in late, and generally shirk responsibility on their birthdays, why would I want to worry if we have enough food for people, or about social niceties?
There's a point in here somewhere. But I am not sure where it went.
When all is said and done, I had a good birthday. My closest family (husband and brothers) and an observant waitress at Finale made sure that I was the center of attention for an evening. And I didn't have to worry about a thing.
I digress. There's something to be said for being the center of attention, which is really the main point of a big party, at any age, for any occasion. The little kid with the crown blowing out birthday candles with everyone else watching. The bride in a big poofy white dress. You can do almost anything you want, and no one can say anything bad about it. After all, it's my party and I can cry if I want to, no?
But is that what everyone really wants for their birthday? Large events seem too fraught with responsibility for the guests. That's the last thing a birthday girl wants for her big day. People take the day off of work, sleep in late, and generally shirk responsibility on their birthdays, why would I want to worry if we have enough food for people, or about social niceties?
There's a point in here somewhere. But I am not sure where it went.
When all is said and done, I had a good birthday. My closest family (husband and brothers) and an observant waitress at Finale made sure that I was the center of attention for an evening. And I didn't have to worry about a thing.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Holidays = food....
Yesterday, Robin and I spent the Thanksgiving eating and relaxing with friends in the Boston area. We stuffed ourselves silly on Turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken), mashed potatoes, yams with marshmellows melted on top, green bean casserole, salad, rolls, and 3 different kinds of cranberry sauce.
This photo of Tim with the aftermath of our meal pretty much sums up how I felt after we were done eating.
A lot of people have heard the urban legend that turkey contains tryptophan, and that this amino acid causes sleepiness after a Thanksgiving meal. Snopes has pretty well shot that myth down. However, I stuffed myself so thoroughly that after we were done eating, I curled up on Tim and Molly's couch and conked out for a good half hour . (But not before I unbuttoned the top button of my skirt. Yes, I really did eat that much.)
A couple hours later, we attempted to have dessert. (a few of us couldn't finish, they were still too damned full.) We had pumpkin pie, and a decadent chocolate hazelnut mousse cake that Robin made over the course of the two previous days. My only contribution to this cake was the powdered sugar decoration.... I printed out a picture of trogdor and cut out the outline, which on top of the cake before Robin sifted powdered sugar over it.
The paper cutting
The resulting cake
Unfortunately, powdered sugar Trogdor did not travel well... by the time we got to Tim and Molly's, the sugar was jostled all out of place, and the only recognizable parts were Trogdor's beefy arm and some majesty. The cake was delicious, though.
This photo of Tim with the aftermath of our meal pretty much sums up how I felt after we were done eating.
A lot of people have heard the urban legend that turkey contains tryptophan, and that this amino acid causes sleepiness after a Thanksgiving meal. Snopes has pretty well shot that myth down. However, I stuffed myself so thoroughly that after we were done eating, I curled up on Tim and Molly's couch and conked out for a good half hour . (But not before I unbuttoned the top button of my skirt. Yes, I really did eat that much.)
A couple hours later, we attempted to have dessert. (a few of us couldn't finish, they were still too damned full.) We had pumpkin pie, and a decadent chocolate hazelnut mousse cake that Robin made over the course of the two previous days. My only contribution to this cake was the powdered sugar decoration.... I printed out a picture of trogdor and cut out the outline, which on top of the cake before Robin sifted powdered sugar over it.
The paper cutting
The resulting cake
Unfortunately, powdered sugar Trogdor did not travel well... by the time we got to Tim and Molly's, the sugar was jostled all out of place, and the only recognizable parts were Trogdor's beefy arm and some majesty. The cake was delicious, though.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
Be still my beating ovaries...
Poor 1 month old Ben is blotchy because of the dry heat that is the inside of a Boston apartment in the winter, but he's still getting cuter by the day.
There are all kinds of writeups on the wonder that is a baby, so I won't add to the drivel. It suffices to say that I am amazed that this little man exists, and I will be watching his development with wide eyes.
There are all kinds of writeups on the wonder that is a baby, so I won't add to the drivel. It suffices to say that I am amazed that this little man exists, and I will be watching his development with wide eyes.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Monday, November 15, 2004
Why Blog?
I've been blogging for a long time. It started on my college webpage, over 5 years ago. Every month or so, I would add a text blurb about whatever interesting thing was going on in my life. Since then, I've gone through a variety of online presences (some on personal webpages, some on blogging sites), all with different amounts of interaction. In turn, I have watched as over the years, the number of people I personally know who were blogging grew exponentially.
A question that I have struggled with since the beginning was who my audience was, and what kind of interaction I was hoping for. Clearly, blogging is not just for personal record keeping... that is for paper journals. What I put on here is accessible to anyone and everyone; in essense, I am informing the world about events in my life, thoughts that I have, etc. Are my parents and brothers reading? What about my in-laws? Without interaction (or paying for web counters/IP trackers), it's hard to tell.
When I was simply posting text to my webpage, interaction was limited to email. Other online journals I have kept encourage a lot of interaction between the blogger and his/her readers in the form of comments on each entry. For some reason, I tended to chat a lot more with other bloggers whom I had never met in person, more than I did with friends I knew in real life. Slowly, my posting became geared towards interacting with these other online presences. It wasn't simply about keeping track of my everyday life anymore, it was socializing. Audience became tied in with interaction, something I didn't (but should've) foreseen.
And what about the people who are reading and not responding? I'm sure that my online blogging has had an unseen audience. I know that there are blogs and websites that I keep track of, but do not correspond with the author. Surely the same applies to me. Should I care about the voyeurs? Do I brag about my accomplishments? How much should I censor myself to prevent others from nitpicking/laughing over my entries the way I tend to do to others?
Ultimately, these are questions that only I can answer. I don't think those answers exist anyway. The reasons I blog are continuously evolving. All I know is that I have blogged online for a long time, and I will probably continue to do so far into the future.
A question that I have struggled with since the beginning was who my audience was, and what kind of interaction I was hoping for. Clearly, blogging is not just for personal record keeping... that is for paper journals. What I put on here is accessible to anyone and everyone; in essense, I am informing the world about events in my life, thoughts that I have, etc. Are my parents and brothers reading? What about my in-laws? Without interaction (or paying for web counters/IP trackers), it's hard to tell.
When I was simply posting text to my webpage, interaction was limited to email. Other online journals I have kept encourage a lot of interaction between the blogger and his/her readers in the form of comments on each entry. For some reason, I tended to chat a lot more with other bloggers whom I had never met in person, more than I did with friends I knew in real life. Slowly, my posting became geared towards interacting with these other online presences. It wasn't simply about keeping track of my everyday life anymore, it was socializing. Audience became tied in with interaction, something I didn't (but should've) foreseen.
And what about the people who are reading and not responding? I'm sure that my online blogging has had an unseen audience. I know that there are blogs and websites that I keep track of, but do not correspond with the author. Surely the same applies to me. Should I care about the voyeurs? Do I brag about my accomplishments? How much should I censor myself to prevent others from nitpicking/laughing over my entries the way I tend to do to others?
Ultimately, these are questions that only I can answer. I don't think those answers exist anyway. The reasons I blog are continuously evolving. All I know is that I have blogged online for a long time, and I will probably continue to do so far into the future.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Fall was nice while it lasted. Today is the first day it really feels like winter; it's snowing here in Cambridge. I'm still not used to the fall season being so short. While I was growing up in NJ, fall lasted till after Thanksgiving; I didn't have to break out gloves till December. But this year, I've been bundling my head up in scarves and shoving my gloved hands in coat pockets since the beginning of November. That's what I get for living 5 hours drive north of NJ.
When I was at Caltech, I complained a lot about missing the seasons. Now that I'm actually getting seasons, I sorely miss CA weather. Perhaps it is aggravated by our lack of a car; in NJ, I was driven everywhere and didn't have to be outside for more than 5 minutes at a time, but living in Cambridge means walking EVERYWHERE.
I know Robin wants to head back to the West Coast eventually. I think I'd be happy either here or there, as long as we get a car. Of course, job/grad school location will dictate it more than weather, but sometimes it's nice to dream.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
rolling rolling rolling...
I've been at Payload for less than a year, but already I'm moving on.
Robin and I attended the wedding of his second cousin, Michael, in September. I met Nir at the reception (Nir and Michael's new husband are both faculty at Harvard/MGH). He wanted to talk to me about my new camera(Canon Digital Rebel) which he saw me using. We eventually started talking about what we did for our day jobs, which resulted in him visiting me a couple weeks later to talk more about his lab, which resulted in this:
Dear Regina:
I am pleased to offer you the position of Research Laboratory Technician for MGH’s Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases.....
This is really a huge development, and not just because I'm switching jobs. I'm taking this job with the intent of completely switching fields. The plan is to get a couple papers out, and apply for a ph.d. in biology.
Where I go after that is anyone's guess. Industry? Academia? I don't know. And where does starting a family with Robin fit in with these new developments? I have no idea. There's only one thing I do know; for the first time in a long long while, I'm really excited about my career. It's a good feeling.
Robin and I attended the wedding of his second cousin, Michael, in September. I met Nir at the reception (Nir and Michael's new husband are both faculty at Harvard/MGH). He wanted to talk to me about my new camera(Canon Digital Rebel) which he saw me using. We eventually started talking about what we did for our day jobs, which resulted in him visiting me a couple weeks later to talk more about his lab, which resulted in this:
Dear Regina:
I am pleased to offer you the position of Research Laboratory Technician for MGH’s Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases.....
This is really a huge development, and not just because I'm switching jobs. I'm taking this job with the intent of completely switching fields. The plan is to get a couple papers out, and apply for a ph.d. in biology.
Where I go after that is anyone's guess. Industry? Academia? I don't know. And where does starting a family with Robin fit in with these new developments? I have no idea. There's only one thing I do know; for the first time in a long long while, I'm really excited about my career. It's a good feeling.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Just a Quick update
I have my own office at Payload now. It even has a window. (Well, the window looks out on a rooftop....)
There is now a Lollicup in Harvard Square.
We just got back from camping in Mammoth (near Mammoth Lakes, Red's Meadow, and the Devil's Postpile). There were 20 of us (all of Robin's dad's brothers' families, his grandfather, and a cousin and family) and I had a fantastic time hanging out with all of them.
If the prices stay cheap, I may take a trip to Australia to visit Laura.
And so it goes.
There is now a Lollicup in Harvard Square.
We just got back from camping in Mammoth (near Mammoth Lakes, Red's Meadow, and the Devil's Postpile). There were 20 of us (all of Robin's dad's brothers' families, his grandfather, and a cousin and family) and I had a fantastic time hanging out with all of them.
If the prices stay cheap, I may take a trip to Australia to visit Laura.
And so it goes.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
By the way, on the offchance that people actually read this thing, if any of you have photos from the wedding, please let me know! I'm trying to finish off our wedding album, and our photographer didn't stick around long enough for the bouquet/garter toss, so additional pictures would be really nice.
My office (or cubicle) is downstairs, along with other contractors who are not actually on Payload's payroll. Since it's winter, it's cold cold cold down here. So to keep myself warm, I brought in a small blanket (a birthday gift from Laura) and I drink lots of tea.
I feel like I'm the only one around here who doesn't drink coffee. I felt that way at my last lab as well. Hopefully, I've been drinking decaf stuff, or I might as well be drinking coffee. But I'm relatively sure that the chrysanthemum tea and other herbal stuff I find in the kitchen have no caffeine. Courtesy of whomever stocks the kitchen, I've been trying out all sorts of interesting flavors; cherry, passion (with hibiscus), green ginger, etc.
On a more amusing note, I left my ziplock with dried chrysanthemum upstairs in the kitchen, and my coworkers' first reaction to it was to jokingly ask who had brought drugs in.
I feel like I'm the only one around here who doesn't drink coffee. I felt that way at my last lab as well. Hopefully, I've been drinking decaf stuff, or I might as well be drinking coffee. But I'm relatively sure that the chrysanthemum tea and other herbal stuff I find in the kitchen have no caffeine. Courtesy of whomever stocks the kitchen, I've been trying out all sorts of interesting flavors; cherry, passion (with hibiscus), green ginger, etc.
On a more amusing note, I left my ziplock with dried chrysanthemum upstairs in the kitchen, and my coworkers' first reaction to it was to jokingly ask who had brought drugs in.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Well, I am finally in the job force, working 40 hour weeks as a scientist/engineer at Payload Systems.
After more than half a year of transition, life is settling down into normal routine. I'm having trouble getting up early in the mornings, but Robin's 2 alarm clock is doing it's job. I wonder if I will eventually get bored. Just got to wait and see.
After more than half a year of transition, life is settling down into normal routine. I'm having trouble getting up early in the mornings, but Robin's 2 alarm clock is doing it's job. I wonder if I will eventually get bored. Just got to wait and see.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Spent the weekend a few hours south with my parents and aunts, one of whom was visiting from Hong Kong. Because of the visitor, most conversation was in Cantonese. That was my first language, but I stopped speaking it once I was 7 or 8. However, if I listen carefully, I can still understand a fair amount.
It was somewhat exhausting, actually. I didn't participate in conversation as much as I normally do, and if I did speak up, it was in English (my aunt understands it pretty well, but is not comfortable speaking English). But eventually I had a really interesting revelation.
I don't translate Cantonese into English in my head. It stays in Cantonese, but I understand it.
My ability to speak Cantonese must be laying dormant, then, and all I need is practice. This is very exciting to me. I very much want to be able to communicate with my relatives, the majority of whom do not speak English. And I have always wanted to have bilingual children.
A week or two ago, Robin told me he wants to learn Cantonese. He does know a few words here and there (mostly names for Chinese food that he likes!) so I think it's possible we'll be able to do this. It will take years of work (especially for Robin) but we're gonna start now.
It was somewhat exhausting, actually. I didn't participate in conversation as much as I normally do, and if I did speak up, it was in English (my aunt understands it pretty well, but is not comfortable speaking English). But eventually I had a really interesting revelation.
I don't translate Cantonese into English in my head. It stays in Cantonese, but I understand it.
My ability to speak Cantonese must be laying dormant, then, and all I need is practice. This is very exciting to me. I very much want to be able to communicate with my relatives, the majority of whom do not speak English. And I have always wanted to have bilingual children.
A week or two ago, Robin told me he wants to learn Cantonese. He does know a few words here and there (mostly names for Chinese food that he likes!) so I think it's possible we'll be able to do this. It will take years of work (especially for Robin) but we're gonna start now.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
The rain stopped, the skies cleared, and we had the most wonderful day of our lives... so far.
Everything happened on time.
The flowers worked out wonderfully (we arranged all centerpieces and bouquets ourselves).
The ringbearer and flowergirl were instant best friends and stole the show, as we had expected them to.
(The ringbearer actually fell asleep on his ring pillow during the ceremony).
But best of all, our families got along spectacularly.
Sunday, July 06, 2003
oh man, it has gotten hot and sticky here in Boston. I really hope that it won't be hotter than 85 degrees on the day of the wedding... yesterday I was sweating like a pig while in tiny shorts and a tank top, I can't imagine moving around in a huge poofy skirt in that sort of weather.
I had a blast in Pasadena for a week; hung out, shopped, and went clubbing with Laura, and attended my little brother's graduation. I also ate a lot of good food. I really miss In&Out, Jack in the Box, and Shau May. The following week was all wedding stuff; not my wedding, but Tim and Molly's. The other two bridesmaids, Katharina and Katie, and Molly's adopted parents, the Borcherts, and I threw Molly a fun Hawaiian themed bridal shower. The wedding ceremony was outside, in a beautiful outside chapel. The reception was a laid back picnic reception (definetly above average picnic food though!) It was wonderful to see so many old friends from around the country, and of course, it was wonderful to see Tim and Molly so happy.
I hope that our wedding goes that well. It's getting really damned close now.
I had a blast in Pasadena for a week; hung out, shopped, and went clubbing with Laura, and attended my little brother's graduation. I also ate a lot of good food. I really miss In&Out, Jack in the Box, and Shau May. The following week was all wedding stuff; not my wedding, but Tim and Molly's. The other two bridesmaids, Katharina and Katie, and Molly's adopted parents, the Borcherts, and I threw Molly a fun Hawaiian themed bridal shower. The wedding ceremony was outside, in a beautiful outside chapel. The reception was a laid back picnic reception (definetly above average picnic food though!) It was wonderful to see so many old friends from around the country, and of course, it was wonderful to see Tim and Molly so happy.
I hope that our wedding goes that well. It's getting really damned close now.
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