AGU Part 3
Ugh...I think I am coming down with a cold. I have a runny nose that is now more than just from change in temperatures, and while that's the only symptom I just feel generally rotten. I want to curl up in big sweatshirts and blankets and do nothing but watch t.v. But, I have a poster presentation this afternoon and I need to study for E&M. Betsey called me this morning to tell me I should pack extra clothes along and go out with them to Giredelli square and Pier 39...but...I had to tell them no, because I had already told Sandra I was interested in seeing Alcatraz with them on Thursday. I really want to, and part of me wants to say screw E&M and hang out with my friends I'll only ever see at these such conferences...but I know I NEED to study or risk the chance of being kicked out of grad school.
Last night was great though. Well, first I accidentally found Sandra at the THEMIS session in the afternoon, so after listening to Vassilis' talk we went down to the posters where Rob and Dr. Lopez were presenting and said hi to them. After talking for quite awhile, I decided I should really get back to the THEMIS session, so I went back and eventually so did Sandra. After the day was through, we all met up at the Marriott (where apparently NO ONE was staying) for an FIT reunion and headed to Buca di Beppo's. It was so much fun! Let's see, there was...Dr. Lopez, Dr. Zhang, Dr. somebodyidon'trememberhisname who was a Chinese post doc a couple years back, Robert, Betsey, Ximena, Maher (aww, Maher!) I mean...Dr. Al-Dayeh...Sandra, and Chuck Somebody who is very involved with CISM and good friends with Lopez. Okay so as an undergrad I never got to partake of the festivities with Lopez and his grads, but now I got to see the side of Lopez that enjoys WINE and enjoys gossiping...Oh man...the evening started out a little awkward but once everyone had had a glass of wine people loosened up and we were all laughing about the craziest stuff...Somehow Maher brought up the story about the Minnesota senator who was tapping his foot in a bathroom stall in the airport to signal he was gay and would like some from the guy in the stall next door (who ended up being a polic officer), so the entire night the underlying joke was about "tapping". I heard Lopez recount what Bob had told Jenni and I was how they became such good friends, and how Tony sorta views Lopez as a traitor for not fully agreeing with Tony's view of substorms (though it didn't seem like Lopez was a full reconnectionist either...)
The only uncomfortable thing was when he asked me how I felt his E&M class had prepared me for grad E&M, and to be honest....I was like, how do I honestly tell you not well? I sorta danced around the answer by saying no one really liked the professor and at least threw him the bone that while I understood Legendre polynomials just fine Bessel functions were what got me on the last midterm. It was so good to see everyone again--I really wish that our grad student dynamic at UCLA was similar to that one. Oh that reminds me...Apparently, according to Chuck, UCLA is known for generating young female "objects of desire"...scientists. (Don't read creepy into it, at the setting we were in it wasn't creepy.) But I was thinking and it's true--there are a LOT of female grad students in our department. Maybe it has to do with UCLA wanting to achieve its "diversity quota".
Alright I'm feeling guilty--Jiang is studying next to me (looking like he's having a difficult time). I should really get going too...Sigh...I just don't know where to start. And feeling sick is NOT helping by any means.
On a final note, another one of my HS classmates is getting married (Cara Kiel) and another is pregnant (Elizabeth (Sohre) DeVries). Even though we're all 22-23, it still seems weird!
Last night was great though. Well, first I accidentally found Sandra at the THEMIS session in the afternoon, so after listening to Vassilis' talk we went down to the posters where Rob and Dr. Lopez were presenting and said hi to them. After talking for quite awhile, I decided I should really get back to the THEMIS session, so I went back and eventually so did Sandra. After the day was through, we all met up at the Marriott (where apparently NO ONE was staying) for an FIT reunion and headed to Buca di Beppo's. It was so much fun! Let's see, there was...Dr. Lopez, Dr. Zhang, Dr. somebodyidon'trememberhisname who was a Chinese post doc a couple years back, Robert, Betsey, Ximena, Maher (aww, Maher!) I mean...Dr. Al-Dayeh...Sandra, and Chuck Somebody who is very involved with CISM and good friends with Lopez. Okay so as an undergrad I never got to partake of the festivities with Lopez and his grads, but now I got to see the side of Lopez that enjoys WINE and enjoys gossiping...Oh man...the evening started out a little awkward but once everyone had had a glass of wine people loosened up and we were all laughing about the craziest stuff...Somehow Maher brought up the story about the Minnesota senator who was tapping his foot in a bathroom stall in the airport to signal he was gay and would like some from the guy in the stall next door (who ended up being a polic officer), so the entire night the underlying joke was about "tapping". I heard Lopez recount what Bob had told Jenni and I was how they became such good friends, and how Tony sorta views Lopez as a traitor for not fully agreeing with Tony's view of substorms (though it didn't seem like Lopez was a full reconnectionist either...)
The only uncomfortable thing was when he asked me how I felt his E&M class had prepared me for grad E&M, and to be honest....I was like, how do I honestly tell you not well? I sorta danced around the answer by saying no one really liked the professor and at least threw him the bone that while I understood Legendre polynomials just fine Bessel functions were what got me on the last midterm. It was so good to see everyone again--I really wish that our grad student dynamic at UCLA was similar to that one. Oh that reminds me...Apparently, according to Chuck, UCLA is known for generating young female "objects of desire"...scientists. (Don't read creepy into it, at the setting we were in it wasn't creepy.) But I was thinking and it's true--there are a LOT of female grad students in our department. Maybe it has to do with UCLA wanting to achieve its "diversity quota".
Alright I'm feeling guilty--Jiang is studying next to me (looking like he's having a difficult time). I should really get going too...Sigh...I just don't know where to start. And feeling sick is NOT helping by any means.
On a final note, another one of my HS classmates is getting married (Cara Kiel) and another is pregnant (Elizabeth (Sohre) DeVries). Even though we're all 22-23, it still seems weird!