Hello readers :).
Hope you all had fun weeks! My days are now consistent, and enjoyably so: get up at 8:30am, walk to work (say hi to the guy on the bench on the way), work at work, eat lunch with the rest of the lab (discuss just how abhorrent catcalling is on the feminist scale), work some more at work, take the bus home at 7pm, eat a quick dinner (if time read some more of my “How Doctors Think” book), walk across the bridge to the MIT sports center (admire the synchrony of the rowing practice boats), exercise, walk back to the House at 9pm (admire the waves on the water), join the rest of my roommates downstairs in the kitchen, cook the next day’s food and talk until 11pm, skulk around on the internet and do more reading, then go to sleep at around midnight. It’s pretty much a fantastic life—I’ve always kind of dreamed for a nine to five job, given that my usual job as a student is rather 24-7 :). And then we get weekends off! This is the life, people :).
Saturday was probably one of the best days in my memory, so I’ll leave it until the end for a special treat. Today, Sunday, was busy busy busy. It turns out that when I’m not especially busy normally, I tend to procrastinate a bit :). Thus, today I had to finish my stats homework (a stats class I’m taking for fun—the homework will get done!) answer emails (it’s amazing how long emails take. It’s my main mode of communication with my sisters and friends, and you may have noticed I struggle a bit with concision :)), exercise, make up a possible research project, go grocery shopping, call the family, write, finish up the work from Friday, and cook. Then I was encouraged by my family to perhaps try a bit harder in participating in the frat’s social events, to reach out more to the professors available to me, and to take advantage of all the opportunities I have been gifted with. I had similarly been instructed during the week by my research lab to participate more in conversation. Ah, the social pressures—I deal with them about as well as I deal with my arrow weeks (my craziest academic weeks), which is to say not very well. But just as I was feeling demoralized, I ran upon one of my favorite xkcd comics thus far. I don’t know if you all read xkcd (I keep this comic as my homepage there), but it’s second on the list for websites I check after email. This Friday’s comic (with the mouseover text):
And this just pleases me so much. Because I am not alone in my nonsense, and I can know that nonsense it be :).
Let me tell you about Saturday, when we all work up at nine. Or attempted to wake up at nine, at least—there’s some disagreement amongst my roommates about the hour one has to be woken in order to arrive at Haymarket at ten. After much blinking at each other, descriptions of the mouse seemingly underneath the bed (“I saw it! I swear!” “But I vacuumed! There’s no place—” “We just need a cat—” “The bathroom’s overflowing,” “Nope—third floor and fifth floor toilets are both being used, you’ll have to go down to the basement—” “Are you guys done yet? We’re supposed to meet Erin at 10!”) we arrived, backpacks at the ready, to meet Erin. Erin is a rising senior at Wellesley, and just spent the year abroad in France. We introduced her to the four members of our clan: Iulia (my rising sophomore roommate), Alice (rising junior roommate), Emily (also a rising junior, and a fellow neuroscience major—she lives on the floor above us), and me, before squeezing down the narrow aisles of the open-air market in the hunt for cheap fruit and veggies. Half an hour later, with less money in our pockets but laden with significantly more weight—Alice just couldn’t help herself, and had to buy a full-size watermelon—we marched off to Pride, Boston’s gay pride parade, in the hunt for rainbows, freebies, and food. I was disappointed I hadn’t thought to bring my rainbow umbrella, but the weather here has taken a lovely turn for the better.
Then we were off on the T (our subway system) to Hei la Moon, the dimsum place Alice and I have deemed the best in Chinatown. Just like every weekend last year, I’ve included a picture of this week’s gathering, and I hope to continue the tradition for the rest of the summer. Behind Hei la Moon lies the Asian supermarket (I am half-Chinese, but have become so much more Chinese since leaving home), where Alice gathered the ingredients for potstickers that she would home-make and generously share with us later that night (we fail at making dumplings, but we are improving!) Then off to the Chinese bakery for pastries (I love introducing people to egg custard tarts for the first time), and we returned to the frat house to deposit the best of all hauls: food :).
Erin, me, Alice, Emily, and Iulia, at dimsum!
After some lounging around on the couch in the room (whatever shall we do?) Alice had heard of a good movie playing. We walked down Beacon Street to Boston Commons, where we watched “Now You See Me,” and proceeded to discuss it for the entire way back. Then it was cooking time: down to the basement! We made potstickers with another member of the frat, Ky (Alice: “For shame, Monica! You’re Asian, you’re supposed to know how to make these!” “I can cook pancakes! It cancels out!”), and had a late-night dinner, as is our wont. Then back to the room, chatting and eating.
The walk back. I have no idea where we are, but Boston surprises you with its beauty :). Iulia, Alice, Emily.
Upon arrival, we decided it was time for another movie. After Netflix hunts and movie discussions, we watched “RED,” and finished that at midnight. Then in a desire to be rebellious (my favorite form of rebelliousness is staying up late) we learned a few Romanian phrases from Iulia, who is an international student.
Upon arrival, we decided it was time for another movie. After Netflix hunts and movie discussions, we watched “RED,” and finished that at midnight. Then in a desire to be rebellious (my favorite form of rebelliousness is staying up late) we learned a few Romanian phrases from Iulia, who is an international student. I now know how to say “monkey” in six languages, along with the Romanian “I eat food!” (Iulia: “No one would ever say that, you know.”), and “Where is the bathroom?” (Emily’s more practical choice.)
Then more reading in bed, and finally time to fall asleep. A lovely end to a lovely week, and I wish you all that moment, when you realize it has all come together.
Best wishes to you all, and I love questions and comments!
Cheers,
Monica