Expect the unexpected.

Andrew Card, the former Bush White House chief of staff, said, "August is a challenging time to be president. I think you have to expect the unexpected."*

Hypothetically, if I were to intentionally spin that quote to better fit my own situation, say, in a blog entry, I'd note that August is also a pretty challenging time to be a recent college graduate, move into your own apartment with minimal help from others, and start an accelerated graduate program. Not only do you have to expect the unexpected, but you also have to learn to handle it reasonably well.

A rose from our garden at home (Mobile, AL)

Photograph taken by Dr. Sailen Barik

Today was definitely a case in point.

After spending about five days at home in Alabama, I departed for my five-hour drive back to Atlanta. One unexpected power outage, two four-way intersections without functional traffic lights, and over a dozen torrential downpours later, I arrived in Atlanta.

Unfortunately, more unexpectedness was still to come.

Granted, you can't really hope for the royal treatment when you're paying nearly nothing for an old, starter apartment within 5 minutes of an unbelievably expensive university - but after moving in loads of items in the summer heat and unpacking for an hour or two, there's a basal standard of living that you do expect: running water, functional air conditioning, and, perhaps, a general level of cleanliness (i.e., no mold, unfriendly rodents, or pesky pests with wings or antennae).

There's certainly running water and no mold, but so far, I've killed two small spiders, one creepy roach, and two unidentifiable six-legged (or maybe eight-legged?) arthropod-like creatures... and there are probably more that either got away or couldn't be caught in the sweltering 88 degree heat of my apartment interior - because the air conditioning, according to my "interesting" roommate (for lack of a better adjective), apparently "works sometimes if you don't keep it on for too long, but the temperature usually doesn't change".

For the time being, I've borrowed a sizeable floor fan from my roommate, but it's safe to say I'll be stopping by the leasing office first thing tomorrow morning. Paris might not have had central air, but at least the outdoor temperature was cool enough at nights to open the windows and breathe in chilly, fresh gusts of oxygen...

Andrew Card might have gotten it wrong in his TV interview last week - I'm pretty sure that every month is a challenging time to be president. And I'm pretty sure that September will also be a trying time to be a new graduate student in a starter apartment.

At least I know to "expect the unexpected" now.

*Quote from Frank Rich's August 8th Op-Ed article in the NY Times, "Is Obama Punking Us?"

First, Break In Spring

Here's a recap of the images, words, and sounds that made my Spring Break more enjoyable - as usual, interesting factoids and copious amounts of commentary are included, too. Officially-speaking, the break's not over yet; but, unofficially, it's pretty much ended since it's time to get back to work again.

Flo & Tiny

"Our best built certainties are but sand-houses and subject to damage from any wind of doubt that blows." ~ Mark Twain

The photographs* below (click on them to view them at their full-size) probably speak for themselves, but the phenomenally-crafted sand sculptures of "Flo" and "Tiny" on Dauphin Island beach were one of the most memorable parts of my Spring Break. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, hundreds (if not thousands) of beach-goers were definitely amazed and entertained by your one-of-a-kind works.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Sometimes, religion (and religious phrases) , like art, show up in very predictable places - like the bumper stickers on the cars of conservative Alabama towns, the welcome signs outside of Protestant churches, or the Sunday morning broadcasts of church services on local television channels. Other times, though, they show up in the least-expected spots - like the bottom of your bright yellow, plastic Forever 21 shopping bag.

Don Chang and his wife, Jin, immigrants from Korea and the founders of the clothing chain, were apparently "deeply religious" devout Christians. But store managers, customers, and news reporters (like Deborah Kolben of the New York Sun) have their own ideas as to why the Bible passage is quoted on Forever 21's bag. Religion, even in small and seemingly inconspicuous doses, always seems to be up for interpretation and never ceases to stir up controversy and confusion.

"Jai Ho"

"May victory be yours."

Speaking of things that are "up for interpretation", the Pussycat Dolls have recently come out with a cover of A.R. Rahman's song, "Jai Ho" (from the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire film) - the original song won an Oscar for best song; but, the cover, in my opinion, is just an overly-Anglicized pop version of an already Anglicized Bollywood song. As talented and gorgeous as the Pussycat Dolls are, I feel that this cover is one that doesn't really do justice to the true meaning of the original lyrics. It's always difficult to find a perfect medium between staying true to the original traditions and social morays of more conservative Eastern culture when trying to gain popularity with incredibly liberal Western audiences. In this case, what's happened with "Jai Ho" almost exactly reminds me of what the teenage-pop star-character Cora Corman initially did to the song "Way Back Into Love" in the movie Music and Lyrics... except that this is real life, and not the movies.

Since musical preferences are a personal thing, though, I'll just let each listener and/or viewer independently and individually decide what he or she thinks about the song and music video. Maybe some things just take getting used to and you enjoy them more over time - I mean, it's not until you break-in a pair of shoes that they actually start feeling comfortable, right?


*Dauphin Island photographs captured by Dr. S Barik.

It is a truth universally acknowledged...*

...that a single college Senior in possession of an excruciatingly slow home internet connection must be in want of some sort of entertainment during her time in Alabama for the holiday season.

So far, two weeks out of my four-week winter vacation have been filled with movie-watching with the 'rents (oldies, newbies, and James McAvoy-ies), sporadic runs past the homes of neighbors (and the McCain-Palin signs that are ever-present on their perfectly manicured lawns), science-y/med school-related book-reading, and random errands with my mom. And, recently, I had dinner with old friends from high school, at the iconic corner of "Good Food and Good Times". Still boggles my mind that so many of them are married already, though...

Today was a prime example of finding a happy medium between coexisting with the social nuances of Southerners and being individually productive. While most people from a city like Atlanta might get easily annoyed by how aimlessly (and badly) Mobilians drive or how it seems as though no one is ever in a rush to get anywhere, I think I've actually begun to find some solace in these seemingly frustrating realities of small town life. It's not that I've completely stopped paying attention (to the ignorant, uninformed, and close-minded individuals that continue to be permanent fixtures where my family resides); I've just started to not let unnecessary things bother me as much. Maybe I've become more patient, or maybe I'm just getting older. Whatever it is, I think it's a better expenditure of my time and energy to concentrate on what actually matters.

After taking my dad's Audi TT roadster for a joy ride (in all honesty, it was more of a slightly nerve-wrecking ride to brush up on stick-shift car-driving, and my dad was in the passenger's seat the entire time, making sure I didn't stall or crash his snazzy car), I spent approximately 4 hours in the West Regional Public library, studying B.S. about the male and female reproductive systems. [I especially like how B.S. is the abbreviation for the Biological Sciences portion of the MCAT, quite possibly the most clinically relevant section, but ironically named, nonetheless. The test-makers sure have a hilarious sense of humor.] Had it not been for the random, middle-aged man (supposedly a painter) who struck up a conversation about my "intriguingly photogenic facial structure" and my potentially promising future in modeling and art, it would have otherwise been a relatively uneventful afternoon of academia.

I'll take the 5-hour exam in about a month, on January 31st, 2009 - hopefully, this third time will be the charm, i.e., the first time I complete the test, and the last time I ever take the MCAT. Note to self and other aspiring pre-med students: the key to success is to a) not move the test date for a third time, and b) not punk out after the very first section/prematurely void your scores.

P.S. Kitty, if you read this, I took a look at your latest post and I was absolutely shocked to read about your gum-smuggling criminal activities. The Singaporean government is probably assembling a clandestine group of agents at this very moment, in hopes of tracking you down... Seriously, though, I'm glad you're having a nice time so far and adjusting to life in Singapore - it's definitely entertaining to hear about your everyday escapades!


*Quote adapted from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.