And other ridiculous things…
Because after all, I am more me now, than when I got here
Have you ever just had one of those days where no matter what happens it just sucks? I try to be a positive person, but for the last few days that couldn’t be any further away from the truth. I couldn’t find that silver lining no matter how hard I looked. Ok, that’s the problem. I wasn’t really looking.
This all started Sunday. I spent last week at an end of the summer all of the interns present their summer research convocation in Minneapolis. It was a place where the question “where are you from?” has 3 meanings. A place where abbreviations were thrown around like footballs and small talk consisted of “where are you looking at for grad school?” I am not one to make friends easily, so for me stuff like this is basically 4 or 5 days of people not laughing at my awkward jokes. As far as jokes go, I have a lot. I am definitely one of those people that at first glance you would think takes nothing seriously. After 91 nanotech presentations, I finally understood what graphene was and was beyond ready to be home. By home I meant REAL home. That hot humid place in Oklahoma that I claim (maybe biased) to be the greatest place in the world. But alas I was back to Seattle for another week! So, there it was born my negative attitude. It couldn’t have come at a worse time!!! I have spent the last few days filling out surveys and questionnaires about my summer experience. In the right light, this summer like many things has had its shares of ups and downs, and for the most part the good has outweighed the bad. However, my negative attitude may have gotten the best of me. This morning I was extremely unpleasant. I was just being an “I hate this, I want to go home, spoiled brat.” I like to think this is out of character for me. All morning I sulked around lab preparing slides and samples. After I was finished, I went downstairs to wait for lunch. Matt had arranged a going away lunch for me and another undergrad with some of the lab group. Again, any other day this would be perfect. I really like the people in my lab group, and the French fries at the restaurant are delicious. But that negative mood!!! So, I am sitting at lunch still kind of sulking and then something just snapped. And there it was the silver lining. There were so many positive things that came out of this summer!!!! Then, I got back from lunch feeling much more joyful, and I check my email to see that my kind of but not really PI had edited my final paper. She had added to one section that the SPR results suggested that the mercapto blocking step was working efficiently (I realize this is technical jargon and I apologize, stay with me). I couldn’t help but laugh. This was a small yet important step that I hadn’t realized. I was so focused on the big picture I didn’t realize this little detail. So, goal : Focus on the positive no matter how small it may seem!
So, here is a list of positives that came from this summer!
- Meeting some WONDERFUL people
- Being able to sit outside in the middle of August in jeans and be comfortable
- Nutella ice cream
- Mercapto working efficiently
- “Holy Crap”
- A play about feminism, it’s a comedy. Obviously.
- Watching cheap and steep deals
- Fluorescence showing islanding
- FINDING SPOTS
- The plexera guys
- NESAC/Bio, all of them.
- $1.50 cheesecake
- FREE mango cheesecake!
- “ At least like nanofeelings, SEM that shit and we’ll see it”
- Meg’s MEG-SAMs
- Coolio mass
- Nkem’s sayings “fabulouso”
- Roger’s intense knowledge of all things Man V. Food
- Bible study with Lauren
- Heidi letting me complain about my day, lots of days
- Getting to know the other NNIN and GEM-SEC interns
- Tax free shopping in Portland
- “I would like a refreshing Arnold Palmer”
- Lots of laughter
- MEG SAMs working properly!!!!
- Fixing the leak in the SPR
- Learning a lot about surface analysis techniques
- Dominating the confocal microscope
- Desserts!!!
- Being a tourist
- Starting a blog
- Becoming addicted to Weeds, the show
- Becoming more confident
- Searching for the sound garden
- Celebrating the solstice
- Shoes that smell like BBQ
- BECOMING MORE OF MYSELF
There are plenty more. The good far outweighs the bad. The summer was a success!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Little Voice
I walked into work last week, and the new grad student says “Guten Morgen.” I may not speak German, but I knew this meant “good morning,” so I replied “Good morning.” Then for the second time in the last month I got asked the question, “What other language do you speak?” Nothing makes me feel more ignorant than having to reply none. I mean I took a couple years of Spanish in high school, but I didn’t learn much more than how to sing a few songs. He then went on to explain to me that he asks everyone that question because he likes to know how to say “hello” and “good morning” in multiple languages. I then told him that O si yo is “hello” in Cherokee. He looked at me like I was crazy, and asked me how I knew Cherokee. I told him I only knew a few phrases, and that I was from Oklahoma, so unsurprisingly I had some Cherokee in me. He replied, “Oh, it makes sense why you wear feathers in your hair.”
This got me thinking about how we perceive other cultures. He thought wearing feathers in your hair was a common practice whereas it is actually pretty disrespectful in certain circumstances. I wouldn’t expect him to know this, but this got me wondering what I don’t know about other cultures.
The answer? Not a whole heck of a lot! I know very little about other cultures.
So Culture Goal Number 1: Simply, learn about other cultures.
This is a very broad goal. I realize this, but I figure it can be as simple as a google search or as complex as a plane ticket.
Culture Goal Number 2: Learn another language
If for no other reason, the next time someone asks I can have an answer. I have no idea what language, but lately I have been really interested in Germany for no good reason, so maybe that would be a good choice? I enjoyed playing around with French a few months back, so maybe French?
Culture Goal Number 3: Go to more festivals, museums, plays.
I like these things, so this should be good =)
Culture Goal Number 4: Look more seriously into a summer research experience abroad.
I have been thinking I would like to do this next summer, so the early I figure out how to the better. I think I would enjoy this more than taking classes, so hopefully =)
Thanks for reading =) I truly appreciate it =)
This got me thinking about how we perceive other cultures. He thought wearing feathers in your hair was a common practice whereas it is actually pretty disrespectful in certain circumstances. I wouldn’t expect him to know this, but this got me wondering what I don’t know about other cultures.
The answer? Not a whole heck of a lot! I know very little about other cultures.
So Culture Goal Number 1: Simply, learn about other cultures.
This is a very broad goal. I realize this, but I figure it can be as simple as a google search or as complex as a plane ticket.
Culture Goal Number 2: Learn another language
If for no other reason, the next time someone asks I can have an answer. I have no idea what language, but lately I have been really interested in Germany for no good reason, so maybe that would be a good choice? I enjoyed playing around with French a few months back, so maybe French?
Culture Goal Number 3: Go to more festivals, museums, plays.
I like these things, so this should be good =)
Culture Goal Number 4: Look more seriously into a summer research experience abroad.
I have been thinking I would like to do this next summer, so the early I figure out how to the better. I think I would enjoy this more than taking classes, so hopefully =)
Thanks for reading =) I truly appreciate it =)
Monday, August 2, 2010
My Oregon Trail...
Don’t worry, I didn’t die of any disease.
My dad travels a lot for his job. He spends six weeks at a time in different cities across the US then he moves on to the next city. He is home every three weeks for a long weekend. This isn’t ideal by any means. It gets kind of difficult to plan my trips home from school around his schedule, so I don’t get to see him all that often. His current city? Portland, Oregon, the PDX if you will =) A mere 3.5 hour train ride from the emerald city (Seattle). When we realized that we would both be in the Pacific Northwest during the same time, we were quick to plan a weekend for my dad to come up to Seattle. It didn’t occur to me until last weekend that I could brave the Amtrak and make my way to Portland. So, impulsively I changed my weekend plans of sleeping/working on my final internship stuff to a quick weekend trip to see my dad.
When my alarm went off at 5:00 on Saturday morning, it was beyond too early to wake up. So, I didn’t. I am quite the advocate of the snooze button. When I finally rolled out of bed, I was in a bit of a rush to catch my bus to the train station, but I made it. As I sat on the bus, an older man came up to me and gave me a flower (this sounds a lot more creepy on here than it was, promise). All of a sudden my mood shifted from slightly frazzled to happy and excited. The more appropriate mood for the day! I mean I haven’t seen a familiar face in 7 weeks, and I had never been to Oregon! Not to mention they don’t have sales tax which is really wonderful.
I spent a wonderful weekend with my dad. Waterfalls. Doughnuts. Roses. Laughing. Much More.
Then I was sitting waiting for the train back to Seattle, and the guy sitting next to me asked me if I was heading to Seattle and what I was doing in Portland. I explained to him that I was in Seattle for the summer and my dad was in Portland for work. He asked where I was from, so I replied Oklahoma, and for the first time since I got here someone asked me what part. I told him I was from Muskogee, and it turns out he was from Ponca City. Small world. Meeting him made me feel comfortable.
Then, I made my way to my seat on the train to realize that I was sitting with a group of three people that knew each other, you know those seats that have two seats facing two seats. Ugh. This meant the whole way the three of them were going to be talking with one another and I would be in the way. They were really friendly people, but I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, so I put in my headphones and was ready to go. By the end of the train ride, they were giving me advice on my presentation. They were very friendly, and they made sure that I didn’t feel awkward. Small gestures, but they were very appreciated.
These encounters reminded me of a shirt that has a verse from Hebrews on it.
Hebrews 13:2
Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it
In each of these cases, I was the stranger not an angel, but the stranger. So, I am glad that these people entertained me. I didn’t end up being an angel, but all of these people helped me in one way or another. So, I realized that this should be a goal of mine. Entertain strangers. They could be angels and even if they aren’t angels they could be someone like me. Someone having a frazzled morning. Someone feeling homesick. Someone who happened to be the odd one out.
Also, when I was looking for the verse I wanted. I came across a website http://entertainingangels.ning.com/
It is pretty interesting. Worth a glance if you have the time.
In other news, the Seattle bound train that left before mine on Sunday killed a 16 year old boy that was standing too close on the platform. So, I ask that you keep this boy’s family in your prayers.
My dad travels a lot for his job. He spends six weeks at a time in different cities across the US then he moves on to the next city. He is home every three weeks for a long weekend. This isn’t ideal by any means. It gets kind of difficult to plan my trips home from school around his schedule, so I don’t get to see him all that often. His current city? Portland, Oregon, the PDX if you will =) A mere 3.5 hour train ride from the emerald city (Seattle). When we realized that we would both be in the Pacific Northwest during the same time, we were quick to plan a weekend for my dad to come up to Seattle. It didn’t occur to me until last weekend that I could brave the Amtrak and make my way to Portland. So, impulsively I changed my weekend plans of sleeping/working on my final internship stuff to a quick weekend trip to see my dad.
When my alarm went off at 5:00 on Saturday morning, it was beyond too early to wake up. So, I didn’t. I am quite the advocate of the snooze button. When I finally rolled out of bed, I was in a bit of a rush to catch my bus to the train station, but I made it. As I sat on the bus, an older man came up to me and gave me a flower (this sounds a lot more creepy on here than it was, promise). All of a sudden my mood shifted from slightly frazzled to happy and excited. The more appropriate mood for the day! I mean I haven’t seen a familiar face in 7 weeks, and I had never been to Oregon! Not to mention they don’t have sales tax which is really wonderful.
I spent a wonderful weekend with my dad. Waterfalls. Doughnuts. Roses. Laughing. Much More.
Then I was sitting waiting for the train back to Seattle, and the guy sitting next to me asked me if I was heading to Seattle and what I was doing in Portland. I explained to him that I was in Seattle for the summer and my dad was in Portland for work. He asked where I was from, so I replied Oklahoma, and for the first time since I got here someone asked me what part. I told him I was from Muskogee, and it turns out he was from Ponca City. Small world. Meeting him made me feel comfortable.
Then, I made my way to my seat on the train to realize that I was sitting with a group of three people that knew each other, you know those seats that have two seats facing two seats. Ugh. This meant the whole way the three of them were going to be talking with one another and I would be in the way. They were really friendly people, but I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, so I put in my headphones and was ready to go. By the end of the train ride, they were giving me advice on my presentation. They were very friendly, and they made sure that I didn’t feel awkward. Small gestures, but they were very appreciated.
These encounters reminded me of a shirt that has a verse from Hebrews on it.
Hebrews 13:2
Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it
In each of these cases, I was the stranger not an angel, but the stranger. So, I am glad that these people entertained me. I didn’t end up being an angel, but all of these people helped me in one way or another. So, I realized that this should be a goal of mine. Entertain strangers. They could be angels and even if they aren’t angels they could be someone like me. Someone having a frazzled morning. Someone feeling homesick. Someone who happened to be the odd one out.
Also, when I was looking for the verse I wanted. I came across a website http://entertainingangels.ning.com/
It is pretty interesting. Worth a glance if you have the time.
In other news, the Seattle bound train that left before mine on Sunday killed a 16 year old boy that was standing too close on the platform. So, I ask that you keep this boy’s family in your prayers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)