That Steamy Weather.....

It's been super humid and sunny outside with small patches of rain this entire week. At one point, I walked out of a building and was blasted with a rush of hot air. I felt like I was walking into an oven. But we were begging for summer to come a few weeks ago and now it's finally here. So no complaining is allowed. Just slather on some sunscreen, put on a pair of cool shades, and soak up those rays (while making vitamin D).

My orgo lab class is still going on. The other day, I was telling my friend that every time I open my lab notebook, I'm greeted by the smells of all the chemicals that we've used in lab. Sounds like a lovely aroma, doesn't it? Yuck.
We have to clean most of our glassware with acetone. After taking orgo lab, I can't even look at nail polish remover in the same way anymore.
A fun thing about lab is that I learn all of these long names for chemical compounds, and I get to thrown them around and sound intelligent. haha. Can you pass me some of that 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine?

I spent last Friday afternoon with one of my old friends from high school. I see him a few times a year, and we catch up on all the stuff that's going on in our lives (and talk about our memories of high school). I've known him since 7th grade, and we've seen each other grow up in the last few years. It's always interesting to me how our conversations become more and more mature with each passing year. Of course we still joke around and talk about silly stuff, but we spent a good portion of last Friday talking about relationships and our future careers. I guess that's how it's supposed to be. We can't be 16 forever. Not that I would want to be. The other day, I was reading some of our emails from 10th grade, and I cringed at the girly stationary and the amount of emoticons and lol's I used in my emails. 

I am so happy about the Supreme Court's decision about DOMA this week. It's such a great step for our country. Nobody should stand in the way of another person's happiness. 

A couple of weeks ago, my AP English teacher from high school invited his former students to a retirement party at his house. I went with a few of my friends, and I had the best time. It was so great to see some old friends and to celebrate this fantastic teacher. I never thought that I would take AP English because I never thought that my writing was strong enough, and I thought the class would be too challenging. Then, in my junior year, he became English teacher, and he convinced me that I should take the AP class the next year. I was hesitant, but I signed up anyway. It ended up being one of the best decisions that I made in high school. We read some great books, and he made us see words in a different way. He's also incredibly funny and just a joy to be around. There are many great teachers and professors out there. Make a connection with the ones that really inspire you.

S.

This song is from awhile ago, but it's fabulous. Super simple and poignant.

Song of the Week

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And so if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know

~ "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane

P.S. Congratulations to Jemi! She's been a fantastic coordinator of this blog.  <3

Happy Endings

So its well past graduation, and well past the time of saying good-byes at our Macaulay community. I guess with all the hubub in my life right now, I had no other time than now to sit down and type out my thoughts. Also, typing out a good-bye post seemed like an unalterable step in the process of leaping into my future.

Anywhoo...

I must first start off by saying that I am really grateful and thankful for being the MacBlog Coordinator this past year. Reading posts from  bloggers and the comments they would receive gave great views and insight into the many facets of Macaulay at Hunter. Coming to Macaulay at Hunter was one of the greatest decisions of my life, something I will never regret. As I look back, I can only be grateful for all the experiences and challenges I faced, as I faced them not by myself, but with my friends, my professors, mentors, advisor ( shout out to Adrienne!). Macaulay has shaped me into a better world citizen, and I feel blessed to be an alumni of this institution.

Having graduated two Wednesdays ago, and finally seeing my grades on CUNYFirst (*shakes fist*), I am finally starting to realize and understand the gravity of my future. I will be starting dental school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine this coming August, which was a huge step that I didn't think would ever happen. To help stave off some of the future debt I most probably will be facing, I applied, and was thankfully accepted, to become a Graduate Associate at Stouffer House at Penn.

But, more interesting ( at least I think) is that right now, I type this in Turkey. I will be here till mid July to teach English as part of a South Asian youth program. My stay in this country has been amazing thus far. I now realize why people love traveling- the people you meet, albeit for short periods of time, are some of the most memorable and interesting people you ever meet in a lifetime.

View of a Turkish Flag on Camlica Hill, the highest hill in Istanbul

Overlooking the main space of the Hagia Sophia

 As I sign off from my last post ever for this blog, I wish everyone the best in their endeavors. Never be afraid to break the norm, to pursue the difficult, to accomplish the impossible. Life will be more interesting and rewarding.


Love always,

Jemi

The Education of S.

Hello, everyone.

I honestly can't believe it's already mid-June. Thankfully, my days haven't been as busy as during the semester, but I've still got a lot going on. Like Orgo Lab II. It's actually not as terrible as it sounds. We learn a bunch of interesting techniques, and I'll take any opportunity to acquire new skills. It's definitely a lot of more intense than Orgo Lab I because we have to do these multi-step reactions in a limited amount of time, but it's manageable if you plan out your work. That's what serious scientists and doctors do. They have to be incredibly organized and focused. The more sciences classes I take, the more I realize how fast this is all happening and the more I realize that I need to start thinking and acting in a particular way. Nothing happens over night. But it's good to get yourself into the habit of what you'll be doing as a professional out in the field.

Speaking of professionals, I'm constantly in awe of people who do amazing work with their hands whether it's painting, sculpting, massage, pipetting, or writing. I love watching people who are skilled at a particular activity. It takes a lot of time and focus to get good at something, but it's so worth it. You never know what skill will come in handy one day, so take the time to learn how to do things. It can be anything- cooking, playing an instrument, knitting, fixing cars, etc.

Also, since many of us have a bit more free time over the summer, it's the perfect time to educate yourself on a particular topic. What is a topic that you've always wanted to know more about? It can be a person, a particular time period, or the history of toys, (haha). Start with an Internet search, and then get yourself to the library and get some books. Take the time to truly learn about that topic. Pick something that really interests you so that you'll stay committed to your research. Education shouldn't only happen during the semester. You should be learning everyday. Knowledge is a powerful thing. And it doesn't have to be boring or tedious. We live in a time where we have access to millions of books, films, videos, blogs, and databases. Use them!!

Summer is also a good time to review your old notes. I know that's probably the last thing that anyone wants to do, but it's actually important. It's not good enough to take a class, memorize your notes, regurgitate them on an exam, get an A, and move on with your life. Maybe that was ok in high school, but it's not ok in college. You should be retaining the stuff that you learn (especially the material for your major). So take the time to review your old notes for an hour a day.

I just finished reading this book about medicine in the Middle Ages. It talked about the kind of work physicians and medical scholars were doing back then, and it was fascinating. Scholars in Europe and Asia wrote these huge textbooks at a time when much of the natural world was still not understood. Even though they had no idea about things like bacteria, they still did impressive work. There was no Internet or fancy laboratories. All they had were their own minds, their experiments, and those wonderful old libraries. Reading about that time makes me want to be better because with all of these resources available, I have no excuse to not challenge myself.

S.

Song of the Week

I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque
I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades
I like it in the city when two worlds collide
You get the people and the government
Everybody taking different sides
...

Round my hometown
Memories are fresh
Round my hometown
Ooh the people I've met

Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of this world
Are the wonders of my world

~ "Hometown Glory" by Adele

P.S. I've decided to post every two weeks during the summer.