I have been assigned a committee member. Due to the two weeks delay in assignment, we were given a one week extension. The math seems a little sketchy there, but trying to complain means a long list of emails being shuttled back and forth between PIs inevitably resulting in a loss of information to the black holes of cyberspace where all lost emails go to die, so my classmates and I just sigh and carry on.
Second years traditionally host a welcome party for the first years, and this took place yesterday. I left lab early and provided peach pie and three types of cookies (including that weird modified mocha thing I made at Christmas that everyone seemed so fond of) in addition to copious amount of experience in untangling streamers and spreading out table cloth. ("You're good at this!" Exclaimed one of my classmates in astonishment, while she wrestled with tape -- the tape largely gaining the upper hand. I think she's under the expression that anyone who's as socially inept as me would naturally be equally inept in all aspects of social occasions. "Think again," I thought, and allowed my self thirty seconds of smugness while reminiscing back to the days when I built a castle out of cubed fruit and toothpicks. Those were the days, my friend.) Also, I taught my classmates how to cut watermelon, thereby confirming that there is some truth to the myth that the girls in grad school are there because they're horrible at normal girl-type things. (Myself being a key example of the different aspect of impairment in achieving normal girl-ness.) I left about an hour in, once the place (one of the conference cottages down by Scripps Institute of Oceanography) became packed full and no disaster seemed eminent, confident with the knowledge that at least there was enough alcohol supplied so that no one will notice if the decorations were hanging crooked.
(I've come to realization that I am infinitely more comfortable behind the counter, wielding a large knife, than socializing. I am better at the former than the latter, too.)
( I bask in the fulfillment of my annual obligation to the departmental social events. Now I can be anti-social for the rest of the year without feeling guilty.)
Orientation to working with rabbits was this morning. My mentor is a girl from Bulgaria (discovered when she was on the cell phone and answering things with "Da!". "Do you have Russian friends?" she asked later. I laughed). The rabbits are cute, though they are currently shedding enough to make their own twins in fur. I was told that unlike the cats and dogs, the adoption fee for rabbits here remains fairly consistent at 25$. There rabbits don't seem to particularly care for me, preferring their hay instead. I suppose it makes sense since the hay is quieter and less likely to scruff them if they refused to go where they are supposed to.
Well, should be fun anyways. Cheers.
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