Where the hell have you been? And why haven't I talked to you in six months?

Most of you probably haven't had a real conversation with me in six months, and for that I am very very sorry! Among the other things that I have mentioned on this blog, one thing that takes up all of my time these days is school. Many of you know, I only really started my education in the sciences a bit over a year ago, so running experiments that cost thousands of dollars each run causes me to be in a state of constant terror.

The pictures above are of my team's latest experiment involving a line of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells that my lab has never used before and one of the bioreactors that was used.

I just got home, and it's been a solid 12 hour day...

...But I can honestly say that I find nothing more rewarding than working in the sciences. I just started my postbacc program, and I am working with/under many a postdoctoral student. These folks are incredibly intelligent and probably have a decade more of experience than me in the sciences. The adjustment so far has been rough, and at times I even feel like I'm being hazed into this foreign world. But I still find it incredibly worth it, and even exciting and enjoyable. It's constantly evolving and you could even be a part of positive change.

Bring on the kinases and oncoproteins.

Hmph.

I am impossibly grumpy right now. The last 2-3 weeks have been madness in terms of deadlines and other work that needs to get done. I miss seeing the people I enjoy spending time with(yes, I miss you, you and YOU). And I miss sleep.

Better too busy than sitting idle though, right?

The good news? I am officially done with my first master's degree. Hurrah! Hopefully no more than 2 more degrees until I've reached the terminal degree of my academic education.

A more substantial post to follow in a few days.

Night Owl Status

So it's nearly 3am, and I am up late, yet again, pondering the meaning of the world. And by pondering the meaning of the world, I mean writing another ridiculous paper for my master's program. It's about the use of online assessment tools to enhance the practice of adult education in the workplace. Yep, it's totally as exciting as it sounds.

While up this late, deep thoughts come into my mind such as: Damn, I'm really craving a bagel right now. Should I start trading in the stock market again? (too deep for this hour). Should I paint my fingernails hot pink? I wonder why I thought Donald Trump was so awesome until he began his run for President? Why is Donald Trump's hair so ugly, you would think a man that rich could afford a decent hair cut? Etc.

Hey, I never promised all of my blog entries would be insightful.

So, what are some of the musings you have late at night?

So um...your blog background?

Friend: Whoa cool, glad to see you're blogging again..
Me: Yeah, thanks, it's interesting being digital again..
Friend: So, that background?
Me: Funky, isn't it?
Friend: Yeah, um...did you happen to be tripping on some type of hallucinogen when you chose it?
Me: Right...and you've known me to be the type of person that uses hallucinogens, right?
Friend: Dude, you're so tight-lipped, you could be married with a couple children and I'd not know it...
Me: True. No, I wasn't tripping. On anything, really. I liked it because it's bright and happy!

So that conversation (^^) above is one that I had with a good friend of mine just today. So allow me to explain. To me, the peacock/peacock feathers are classic representatives of South Asian culture, so I figured they would make a perfect background for my blog. Clearly I like vibrant colors, which I also feel are quite fitting to my culture. So what better than technicolor peacock feathers for this purpose? Nothing.

Now you know.

On another note, I have a bundle of very important deadlines tomorrow for my master's degree. Could this explain my sudden re-interest in blogging? I think yes.

I'm back!

Five years ago, there were few things that relaxed me as much as sharing my thoughts and experiences on my Xanga blog. While that blog is still in existence(ask me for the URL, and I'd be happy to share...), I soon felt like the purpose for which I created that blog no longer fit. I had created that first blog of mine during the Fall of 2003, when I was a senior in high school. Oh, how innocent those times were.

I stayed with that blog through the Summer of 2006. A few years after that, I began to blog anonymously. I enjoyed the freedom of writing about anything and everything that came to mind without judgement. But eventually, that too, did not feel right as I enjoy having a sense of openness and honesty about my life with those around me. Just recently, I deleted that blog. And here I am now.

My idea behind this blog, I Was Born Desi, is to recognize that while I was born with a certain cultural identity and raised with these ideas and biases, I truly feel that it is our independent experiences, thoughts and interpretations thereof that actually define who we are. I hope to share a bit of this journey with you.

Let me warn you, if you are looking to hear me expunge the intimate details of my personal, everyday life, you might be sorely disappointed. Many of you know that I am a deeply private individual, so I will likely be writing more theoretically.

So here we go:

I am a mid-20s young woman living in the murk and mire of Southern California. To give a bit of background to my posts, and to sum up the events of the last five years of my life: I got into two significant car accidents within the span of 6 months that changed my life; I barely graduated college; I dated and repeatedly broke up, and ultimately completely broke up, with the same person for 5 years; and I struggled with various eating disorders.

Now? I'm about to graduate with my first master's degree. I'm healthier than I've been in a very long time. I'm hoping to work in the healthcare field someday. I'm in awe of the people in my life. And I'm as happy as can be. 

Who says life can't turn around?
My name is Nishi. And I was born Desi.