Just to describe the day today…..
Didn’t wake up in the morning…cos didn’t go to sleep the previous night!! No earth shattering reason other than the fact that I had an exam and that too in Physiology. Which means cramming useless information into the brain and -I-hope-it-stays-there-till-next-day-morning. And it was a particularly bad topic -Endocrine Physiology which means it had twice the number of twisted names and even a smattering of biochemistry. Reached late for the exam (whats new?!!) but what luck..the room was full ..no place to sit so we (subbu and I) got to sit in another room…. with no supervison.  And so with a little bit of “share and care†attitude the exam went off peacefully..
Reached the lab with only one thought in mind…Finish off the next test ( I had another one yesterday too- a take home test!) and go home and sleep…It was a comparatively simple test so I figured well it may take me just an hour or so then I can go home…when …when,…when…Subbu comes in a scribbles a note..†Bahar aa ek minute †it says. That’s how we pass messages so that others in the lab don’t know anything!! I frown at him but he insists…Once I am outside he grabs my arm and pulls me out of the building…all the time murmuring †there is something I have to tell you ..its important..†yes go on I say rubbing my arm….â€Bahut badi baat hai..main dip change maar raha hoon…(Which translated into UVA Grad speak means ..I am changing my major and shifting my department). I gawk at him open mouthed…Apparently he has got aid and a transfer to the EE department.
Subbu launches into a monologue on why he is doing ( hates this that and the other) how he did it ( secretly oh so secretly….) and when he will do it ( as soon as possible) and advisor’s reaction ( who cares a damn)!! I sit there staring at him ….all the while thinking (lucky lucky lucky devil!!) .It is a long conversation punctuated by a visit to he cafeteria and a slice of pizza. and bitching about others in the lab!! By the time I am back its time for the take home to be due…I scribble down the answers …simple stuff ..for once…
And I am just about to pack my bags when Mitali walks in. ..†we are taking images across the street ..it would be nice if you could join usâ€..Hmm..ok …I murmur giving her back DARK looks…â€couldn’t she arrange it some other day…I grumble†and go off…. Well 2 images means 20 minutes or so and then I ‘ll be back home..But well how could it all go smoothly…First the comp complained of less disk space …then the cooler refused to cool the detector to the right temperature and finally the program just didn’t initialize …SO after a bit of fantastic troubleshooting ( Shut the whole damn thing and restart it again!!!) everything went off well…Shot a couple of X-rays and done done done at last
Reached home at 3
Oops I forgot to mention the reason for this rush earlier…I had invited the members of my International graduate women’s club home and promised them something Indian!!! It was already three…house in a mess..trash still full….sink overflowing with dirty vessels left over from some ancient day…my room scattered with papers after studying for the exam..Whew and just 2 hours to do it all and these videsis are so goddamn punctual!! Well when lots need to be done and there is no time to do it in….Call Seejo
Woke him up …and rattled off a list of instructions…while he stared at me bleary eyed…Before he knew what was happening he was already at the sink washing dishes…I gathered the trash and dragged it over to Seejos place,,,(keep it for the time being there…throw it later..i promise!!!) Kept the cooker to make dhoklas (tarla dalal ki jai!)..Ok ..Seejo done with the dishes ,,,well then you can make me some chicken!!!) While I made pav bhaji cleaned my house , shoved all my papers under the table…Well By this time Vrushali runs in Screaming†I GOT A CAR I GOT A CAR†Rushed out to see her new second hand car!! Mazda Protege ,,,Cool nice car…Refused the offer of the maiden ride ,,,,had to go back to the kitchen….Finally everything was set…Changed my dress and waited for the others.
Helga was the first one to come ( German female studying German literature and interested in philosophy) .As we waited for the others talked about India and Indian food and Indian dresses and she show my photos and then pleased her by applying a bindi on her forhead….â€its soooo pretttttyâ€â€¦Ah well!!.Kareen was the next to come ( Singapore born Chinese MBA from UVA now working in her own start up with her professor husband) we ate food and talked about the rigors of academic life, and then topic changed to guys…
Helga was the one to start it….†I woke up one day and decided enough was enough I need a man in my life….so what do you do when you want a man ..and don’t know how to get one…you open the newspaper and search ( didn’t know there was such a column!) And she was telling about this guy whom she met…Kareen says that she is thankful she is married and doesn’t have to go through “is he right one for me “question anymore..I shut up wisely…no experience ..When Kareen asks me “are you going to have an arranged marriage†.What do I say†By this time Helga is intrigued by the thought of arranged marriages †I explain the concept to her ..she stares at me open mouthed..
“Are you going to come back with man in June?†she enquires…ahhhhhhh
I am the youngest of them ..Helga is 34,kareen 30,Ruby 25 and me the baby at 23…â€oh how come you are so young Helga asks…Well I didn’t enough time to grow.. I reply…
Ruby comes in by this time —we have almost finished the food—tasty they say–and the topic turns to roommates .Ruby is looking for a girl…â€why a girl enquires Kareen…†Ruby says she is more comfortable if her roommate is a girlâ€â€¦ I murmur assent…â€Kareen yells†oh you two are so traditional ..and conservative get out of that mindset..†Me traditional…me conservative..never thought so before
Helga goes into another anecdote of how she jumped out of bead one morning to answer the phone in her underwear ..while her roommate ( a guy) stood staring at her all the time.. Kareen comments “well ,if you are most comfortable in your underwear..perhaps you should share with a girlâ€
Then we comment on the health system in America compare it with Germany and Singapore and Taiwan…again had no idea what to say about the Indian health system!!
Its late by this time ( 8 o clock ) and they decide to leave ,..offer to wash dishes which I magnanimously waive away…Talk about how helping to wash dishes is an Asian /European concept ..Americans don’t offer to do it…
Anyway its 8.15 and they have all left…
Its just me and the dishes now…
Let the dishes go to hell….me off to bed
Dreamt about hitting Subbu with a jhadu on his head and smiling as he yells,,,
Just to describe the day today…..
Didn’t wake up in the morning…cos didn’t go to sleep the previous night!! No earth shattering reason other than the fact that I had an exam and that too in Physiology. Which means cramming useless information into the brain and -I-hope-it-stays-there-till-next-day-morning. And it was a particularly bad topic -Endocrine Physiology which means it had twice the number of twisted names and even a smattering of biochemistry. Reached late for the exam (whats new?!!) but what luck..the room was full ..no place to sit so we (subbu and I) got to sit in another room…. with no supervison.  And so with a little bit of “share and care†attitude the exam went off peacefully..
Reached the lab with only one thought in mind…Finish off the next test ( I had another one yesterday too- a take home test!) and go home and sleep…It was a comparatively simple test so I figured well it may take me just an hour or so then I can go home…when …when,…when…Subbu comes in a scribbles a note..†Bahar aa ek minute †it says. That’s how we pass messages so that others in the lab don’t know anything!! I frown at him but he insists…Once I am outside he grabs my arm and pulls me out of the building…all the time murmuring †there is something I have to tell you ..its important..†yes go on I say rubbing my arm….â€Bahut badi baat hai..main dip change maar raha hoon…(Which translated into UVA Grad speak means ..I am changing my major and shifting my department). I gawk at him open mouthed…Apparently he has got aid and a transfer to the EE department.
Subbu launches into a monologue on why he is doing ( hates this that and the other) how he did it ( secretly oh so secretly….) and when he will do it ( as soon as possible) and advisor’s reaction ( who cares a damn)!! I sit there staring at him ….all the while thinking (lucky lucky lucky devil!!) .It is a long conversation punctuated by a visit to he cafeteria and a slice of pizza. and bitching about others in the lab!! By the time I am back its time for the take home to be due…I scribble down the answers …simple stuff ..for once…
And I am just about to pack my bags when Mitali walks in. ..†we are taking images across the street ..it would be nice if you could join usâ€..Hmm..ok …I murmur giving her back DARK looks…â€couldn’t she arrange it some other day…I grumble†and go off…. Well 2 images means 20 minutes or so and then I ‘ll be back home..But well how could it all go smoothly…First the comp complained of less disk space …then the cooler refused to cool the detector to the right temperature and finally the program just didn’t initialize …SO after a bit of fantastic troubleshooting ( Shut the whole damn thing and restart it again!!!) everything went off well…Shot a couple of X-rays and done done done at last
Reached home at 3
Oops I forgot to mention the reason for this rush earlier…I had invited the members of my International graduate women’s club home and promised them something Indian!!! It was already three…house in a mess..trash still full….sink overflowing with dirty vessels left over from some ancient day…my room scattered with papers after studying for the exam..Whew and just 2 hours to do it all and these videsis are so goddamn punctual!! Well when lots need to be done and there is no time to do it in….Call Seejo
Woke him up …and rattled off a list of instructions…while he stared at me bleary eyed…Before he knew what was happening he was already at the sink washing dishes…I gathered the trash and dragged it over to Seejos place,,,(keep it for the time being there…throw it later..i promise!!!) Kept the cooker to make dhoklas (tarla dalal ki jai!)..Ok ..Seejo done with the dishes ,,,well then you can make me some chicken!!!) While I made pav bhaji cleaned my house , shoved all my papers under the table…Well By this time Vrushali runs in Screaming†I GOT A CAR I GOT A CAR†Rushed out to see her new second hand car!! Mazda Protege ,,,Cool nice car…Refused the offer of the maiden ride ,,,,had to go back to the kitchen….Finally everything was set…Changed my dress and waited for the others.
Helga was the first one to come ( German female studying German literature and interested in philosophy) .As we waited for the others talked about India and Indian food and Indian dresses and she show my photos and then pleased her by applying a bindi on her forhead….â€its soooo pretttttyâ€â€¦Ah well!!.Kareen was the next to come ( Singapore born Chinese MBA from UVA now working in her own start up with her professor husband) we ate food and talked about the rigors of academic life, and then topic changed to guys…
Helga was the one to start it….†I woke up one day and decided enough was enough I need a man in my life….so what do you do when you want a man ..and don’t know how to get one…you open the newspaper and search ( didn’t know there was such a column!) And she was telling about this guy whom she met…Kareen says that she is thankful she is married and doesn’t have to go through “is he right one for me “question anymore..I shut up wisely…no experience ..When Kareen asks me “are you going to have an arranged marriage†.What do I say†By this time Helga is intrigued by the thought of arranged marriages †I explain the concept to her ..she stares at me open mouthed..
“Are you going to come back with man in June?†she enquires…ahhhhhhh
I am the youngest of them ..Helga is 34,kareen 30,Ruby 25 and me the baby at 23…â€oh how come you are so young Helga asks…Well I didn’t enough time to grow.. I reply…
Ruby comes in by this time —we have almost finished the food—tasty they say–and the topic turns to roommates .Ruby is looking for a girl…â€why a girl enquires Kareen…†Ruby says she is more comfortable if her roommate is a girlâ€â€¦ I murmur assent…â€Kareen yells†oh you two are so traditional ..and conservative get out of that mindset..†Me traditional…me conservative..never thought so before
Helga goes into another anecdote of how she jumped out of bead one morning to answer the phone in her underwear ..while her roommate ( a guy) stood staring at her all the time.. Kareen comments “well ,if you are most comfortable in your underwear..perhaps you should share with a girlâ€
Then we comment on the health system in America compare it with Germany and Singapore and Taiwan…again had no idea what to say about the Indian health system!!
Its late by this time ( 8 o clock ) and they decide to leave ,..offer to wash dishes which I magnanimously waive away…Talk about how helping to wash dishes is an Asian /European concept ..Americans don’t offer to do it…
Anyway its 8.15 and they have all left…
Its just me and the dishes now…
Let the dishes go to hell….me off to bed
Dreamt about hitting Subbu with a jhadu on his head and smiling as he yells…..
