Only to my dad...

I was greatly amused when my dad recited the following story to me...

My dad was travelling from Delhi to Chennai a few weeks ago and was seated next to some guy who was looking through some type-written sheets. One of the air attendants came upto this guy and asked him if he would like to see the cockpit. The guy said "yes" and went inside and returned some 5/10 minutes later.

My dad who had been watching this little scenario did not understand it so he ventured to ask...

Appa: I am sorry... do you happen to own this plane or something? Is that why the special treatment.

Guy (with a confused look): Don't you know me?

Appa: No... should I know you?

Guy: Umm... where are you from?

Appa: Australia...

Guy: You don't watch hindi movies?

Appa: I am some 30 years behind with them. I can't say that I do.

Guy: Oh ok. Hi, I am Salman Khan.

Appa: Hello. (Appa still has no idea how big Salman Khan is :P)

Guy: I am travelling down to Chennai for a shooting and am just revising my lines...

Appa: You guys seem a bit behind with your technology don't you?

Guy: I am sorry? I think Bollywood is quite advanced...

Appa: No...I still think you are a little behind

Guy: Why do you say that?

Appa: I see that you have type-written sheets... you know you can type them up on a computer these days right?

Appa went on to tell me that he was a very nice bloke and made a good flight companion! Appa said to me, "You know... he thought I was very funny!". I told him, "He probably thought you were an idiot!" :P

My dad is staying in some posh hotel in Delhi at the moment and told me that he keeps bumping into people who are obviously famous, but he doesn't know who they are or why they are famous...

Things like this will only happen to my dad!

I thought it was a pretty good story!!! :D

I AM GRADUATING!!!

AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I hope I don't stackit! I can hardly walk on a level floor with my shoes - let alone up stairs... and then back down again! Pray for me!!

Kids...

I get along with kids. I was tutoring Cassie today. She is 7 and I basically help her with her reading. She had two frineds over. I have seen these two girls before and they basically go and play by themselves when Cassie is being tutored.

Today I was teaching some Roald Dahl poems to Cassie and she was sooo proud of herself that she wanted everyone to hear it too. Her two frineds came and stood around her. One of the little girls asked me if she could read too. I couldn't say no! She read it really well and Cassie got jealous. Cassie was getting defensive, "Vidiiiya is my tutor!". Soon the other children's mum arrived and asked the two girls to pack up. The little girl came upto me and said "I like you Viidiya!" and then left. It was soo sweet!

I love watching kids. The way they think... the way they feel. People always say that being a kid is blissful - I think the reason for that is because kids are so forgiving. It doesn't matter what a kid does to you, or what you do to a kid - they always forget it and move on...

Waiting...

I am waiting for my media to warm-up so I have about ten minutes. Thought I might update this!

We had "donars" (people who fund our research) come and pay us a visit. Our supervisor sent us all a note asking us to look "pretty" and "busy"...Do you think that he implies that we are all neither pretty nor busy??? Perhaps he is saying that we should try atleast look "pretty busy"! :P

I just got out some ice and some reagents and started making fresh batches - it was really nothing requiring much scientific planning but it "looked" like I was doing ground-breaking research.

I have my graduation ceremony on Tuesday:D I am actually really excited about it!!! Can't wait to get home today! I think I might even go shopping today and buy some much needed pants!

Life is treating me well... hope you are all being good to yourselves!

Next week is going to be a short week. Monday is a public holiday... then Tuesday I graduate. I have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday allready planned! Lets home things go according to that plan!

Thirty-six

In the last 36hours...

1) I took yesterday off to stay home and clean the house
2) I went shopping for presents for people I don't even know
3) Our neighbours from Fiji got our address from our other neighbours who are now living in auckland and dropped by to say "hello". We haven't seen them since 1992 - so we were just a little taken aback!
4) Had two of my brothers friends come over - I bought them Pizza.
5) Went to my brother's friends house cuz their mum invited my mum and I over for "vethalai paaku"...
6) It was clean-up at the local ashram this morning.
7) I have been reading Deception Point
8) There was a "meeting" at my house about the next charity function.
9) I chatted to a very old family friend of ours who is currently living in Chicago.
10) I went tutoring
11) Drove all the way to Fairfield and back - with four ladies who spoke in telugu all the way there and back... (my mum was one of them)
12) Went and watched "Chandramukhi" at the theatres!!!!

The Chandramukhi experience...

My brother's frineds who came over yesterday are actually Telugu, but they told my mum that we HAD to watch this movie! I was originally going to skip it, but it the end managed to reschedule to make it possible!

I got sooo scared during the movie that I shifted seats and sat next to my mum! I had to hold her hand and stopped her from eating her "mixture" because I would let her move her hand...As we were sitting very close to the front, the sound was really LOUD and I freaked out totally! I actually screamed in one scene - even though it wasn't supposed to be scary!

My mum and my friend's mum forgot where they were for a moment... My mum argued her way into the theatres while many people were struggling to even get a ticket... I said, "Enna MAnni panara nee??" (What are you doing???). My mum replied, "Unnaku onnum theriyaadhu! Chumma iru. Naan pathukiraen!" (YOu don't know anything! You just stay quite!" She argued with the guy at the door - saying something about all of us being ladies and that the old lady who was with us couldn't stand for too long and all kinds of other stuff which weren't even true! I am never going to the movies with her again!

I liked the movie - I haven't seen Baba, but all the Telugu ladies were telling me that this is deffinetly better than Baba! Its funny and there is an actual plot. Vadivelu's comedy was pretty good!

The weekend isn't over yet!

Quick Update

1. Got a hair cut - I have never had my hair this short!
2. Joined a "health club"
3. Got a wisdom tooth infection
4. Feeling really "eecky" :-S

Happy Tamil New Year... Puthaandu nal vaazhthukkal! :D

Scientific Thinking

I remember when I first started at the hospital last year, I understood nothing. There are just way too many acronyms in Science! Even now, I understand my work and bits of what other people are doing, but most of the time I find it very hard to keep up with everyone.

However, I am finiding that I am slowly starting to understand what other people are on about. We have lab meetings every Monday and today our supervisor talked about this new technology and wanted us to think of ways in which we could utilise it.

While the question was not regarding my work, I was extremely happy in being able to make a positive contribution. I had two ideas... both of which were "clever"...

If only I could be smart all of the time! Then again, being stupid most of the time is also good - for the planet won't be able to cope with my brilliance! :P

The show and the lab

For those of you who I have spoken to in the last few weeks, I have probably been talking non-stop about this "show". If you are free, would like to come, and are living in Sydney (:P), send me a message and I'll send ya the details!

Apart from that, I bought expensive coverslips to grow my cells on. Turns out the expensive coverslips are crappy under the light microscope so I have to use the cheap ones anyway! Kind of frustrating! Never listen to others - always try it out yourself first!

Oh well! My dad left for India yesterday :( and he won't be back in time for my graduation :(:(... but oh well there will be other ones I suppose! (Yes, I am trying to convince myself!)

Went to a "How to write a literature review" course yesterday. While most of the stuff they see is commen sense, I find going to these courses accomplishes two things. 1) Gives you a VALID reason to take time off work! 2) Motivates you to get organised! (Doesn't really do much in making you want to write though!)

I am going to be playing "teacher" in the lab soon - am going to be in charge of an Honours/Masters student. I reckon I'll enjoy that. Wierd how quickly you move from being a "student" to "teacher"...

Also been thinking of writing a review paper for my gene - will be talking to my supervisor about that on Monday!

A total bum!

I didn't get my phone yesterday :(

Salesperson: Hi!
Me: Hi! I am looking for a new phone...
SP: Ok. How much are you looking at?
Me: Roughly $30 a month...

Shopkeeper shows me different models...

Me: Ok.. can I have that one? (It looked pretty and had a colour screen! Don't rem the model...)
SP: Sure. Before we sell a phone, we like to check our customers credit ratings.
Me: Sure (took out all the neccesary ID cards)
SP: Sp what do you do?
Me: I am student
SP: Ok. Do you work?
Me: No
SP: Hmm... part-time?
Me: Nope
SP: Oh...how do you support yourself?
Me: I get a scholarship...
SP: Oh... ok... I am not sure if I can give you a phone... I'll try anyway
Me: Ok... If you think its going to be too much of a hassle, I can think about pre-paid or something
SP: Nah... we will first try it and see how we go...

Then while he was waiting on the phone he asked me a whole bunch of questions...

SP: So what do you plan to do after you finish your studies?
Me: Umm... I haven't thought that far... been putting it off actually.

SP: What are your living arrangemetns like?
Me: I live with my parents...

SP: So what do you study?
Me: I major in genetics... (I wasn't sure how much detail was necessary!)

SP: How do you spell "University"???

After all that he told me I couldn't get a phone cuz I wasn't "employed". I said to him, "That's cool... I'll come back with my dad tomorrow and get him to buy it for me!" :P

Errr...why is it hot??

It's supposed to be winter! NOT SUMMER! Why is it sooo hot then??? I'll have to get bring my fan out of the garage again! ARRRRGGHHH!!

I left my mobile phone at the hospital on Friday. To top it off, I also left my swipe card in my room... so I cant get my phone till tomorrow morning. I need a new phone - my current phone doesn't even work half the time and it cuts me off half-way through conversations! Very wierd.

Such a busy weekend! I went shopping yesterday morning, played monopoly with fam yesterday afternoon (and I won - eventhough appa thinks he won!), completely forgot to go tutoring, and I couldn't even call them and apologize because I dont have their number - its in my mobile, which I left at work!

Today, I was out till 3 pm, came home, played monopoly with a 7 year old (and yes, I reckon I could have beaten him:P), cooked, made coffee, watched TV and did some editing for a souvenir.

Now I am going to fix my fan and get some sleep - hopefully...

Weekend come... weekend go!

Today's achievement: I made Srini fall at my feet THREE TIMES! :P Srini - if you are reading this... I am never letting you forget it :P

AT LONG LAST!

I finally got paid yesterday!!! YAAAYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYAAAAAAY!!!!

Got a mail sometime yesterday morning saying that I will be getting paid later in the day. I think I have every right to feel like it was just an April Fool's joke:P

Anyways, me going shopping today! Does anyone wanna come? Message me if you will be in Parra around 9 / 10 today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALMAS! :D Hope you ahve agreat day and year!

• Looking forward to catching up with Yumna today!
• Going to be a busy day in the lab!
• I bought my dress for my graduation yesterday! :D:D:D:D