Reconsidering

I think I may abort plan "Chinese Hero Hair" until the winter.

It's just too hot.

Rapunzel style

My hair doesn't look too different, despite my trip to the haircutters yesterday. This is a novel thing for me. Typically, I get my hair cut quite short. Subconsciously, I must think that having more hair cut off is a better value than having less hair cut off.

Well, no matter. I've decided to try my hair longer. It'll take some time obviously. The last time I had long hair was... never. I think this may have something to do with the fact that my Mother REALLY likes crew cuts, and she was the one who cut my hair for the first 17 years of my life. I'll always remember sitting on the deck outside to get my haircut:

"Can you leave it longer this time?"
"You mean like this?"
"No Mom, that'd be the same crew cut you gave me last time."
"It's much tidier this way."
"You have an army fetish don't you?"
"Uh oh."
"What!"
"Don't worry. I can paint your eyebrow back in with an eyebrow pencil."
"That's it. Justine is cutting my hair next time!"

Haha. Just kidding. You think I'd take that tone of voice with my Mom? That much sass would have meant the intervention of my featherduster-armed Father. If that doesn't make sense, it is because you've never lived in an Asian household, where discpline is meted out in vigorous fashion with various household cleaning supplies. But I digress. The conversation was more like this:

"Can you leave it longer this time?"
"You mean like this?"
"Yes! That's fantastic! You're an artist, Mom." (I die a little inside)
"It's much tidier this way."
"Yes. Who wants to look cool or hip anyways?" (Maybe if I leave school from the side door, I can avoid those bullies...)
"Uh oh."
"What!" (Please no.)
"Don't worry. I can paint your eyebrow back in with an eyebrow pencil."
"That's a great idea! Say, wouldn't it be fun to let Justine have a try cutting my hair next time?"

I wish I could say that was the end of my hair ordeals. But, as it turns out, Justine's talent for art does NOT translate into barbering skills. You live you learn.

lost and Found!

I stopped by the lost and found on my way through Union station yesterday, and found to my delight, that my rollerblades were turned in!!!

I had left them on the bus a few weeks ago, and apparently they just made it to the lost and found a couple of days ago.

I'm glad I decided to hold off on purchasing new rollerblades. Hoorah!

Grandma-sitting

Justine and I are grandma-sitting this weekend.

She frequently hums this song about God protecting her. Apparently, she made this song up herself. While eating dinner yesterday, we were singing along with her when she broke out a whole new verse. Who knew Grandma's song was so in depth?

I think being around family keeps one grounded. I've lived away from family for such a long time now. I think my centre is drifting.

Graduation

I just came from the oath ceremony for the class of 2006. (Where graduating medical students recite some form or other of the Hippocratic oath.) A group of my classmates (well, former classmates) had formed a small choir to provide musical interludes, and I had signed my voice up to give myself an excuse to attend, even though I'm graduating next year. Shermeen gave the valedictory address, and it was absolutely the best I've ever heard.

When I made the decision to lengthen my program and graduate with the class of 2007, I knew cognitively what this meant. I wouldn't be graduating with the people with whom I went to medical school.

But I forget, sometimes, what this means. These people have been part of my world for the past three years. We've done tutorials together. We've done blood pressure readings on each other. We've spent lazy afternoons chasing soccer balls. We've gone to clubs, danced at formals, gone snowboarding, written songs, played at weddings and sang in choirs together.

You become molded by those who surround you. And the people who've supported, and as Shermeen today reminded me, inspired me are graduating today.

So I look back, and even though I know it'd go by in a flash, I really do have to say it went by even faster than I had expected. And though it was wonderful to sing in the choir today, and wonderful to see my classmates again, it was at the same time sad ot realize that this was the last time we'd all be together like this. Sad to realize my classmates will be leaving hamilton. Sad to realize that life always goes on.

Maybe Mom should have gone for the PhD

Holy hannah!

The number of doctors in the family will go up by one.

Congratulations Sarah!!!

My life as a poser

Every year, the medical association gives every first year student in Canada a backpack. It's always some shade of blue, and it quickly becomes an easy way to identify your classmates from afar. When medical students head somewhere en masse, the sea of backpacks always make me feel like I'm part of some sort of cult.

Wearing the backpack not only marks you as a medical student, it also signifies what year you're in, since every year's backpack is slightly (but significantly!) different. This has proven to be problematic.

Since acquiring my laptop (my best friend and centre of my world), I've also "appropriated" my sister's backpack. While I don't doubt the practicality of this decision (Her backpack has a very handy laptop pouch that mind does not.), I am finding that her backpack makes me feel like a marked man.

I receive all sorts of curious stares since the first year students assume that they'll see a familiar first year face attached to the first year backpack. Their looks are questioning. But more than that, I can sense an undercurrent of hostility. They're eyes demand questions: Who is this imposter? Who did he steal that from? Should we beat him to take it back?

If only we lived in a world where a person was not judged by the colour of his backpack.

And the conclusion is...

I need peons.

If there is one thing I'm going to take away from all this research, it's that I am tired of being the lackey. I'd like to to have minions to do my grunt work. I need a medical student of my own.

I like it more than I expected though. I think I'm going to try and keep this research thing going.

Back to work.

Uncut, unwheeled and printed

I made the Dragonboat team!

I'm uncertain as to the magnitude of this feat, but I'm pleased. This can only mean more KFC.

I left my rollerblades on the bus a couple of days ago. They shut down one of the roads between Toronto and Hamilton, so that the trip took twice as long as usual. I napped as always, and woke up a bit groggy. My blades were in the overhead compartment and I completely forgot I even had them there. I haven't yet been able to get ahold of the lost and found, but I'm keeping optimistic. I've become very attached to those blades. I've had them for... eight years now. Holy.

Anywyas, I've also started to keep my eyes open for rollerblade deals, just in case. I've also been looking to buy a multifunction printer (It's getting to be too much of a hassle to go to school all the time to print things.). Do you realize we live in a day and age where you can buy a machine that prints, scans, photocopies and faxes for less than HALF of what you'd pay to strap 8 wheels to your feet?

That laptop bag sure looks heavy.

I've become a laptop snob.

Or as my friend Sunita says, a laptop bully.

My laptop is sleek, thin and light. I can (and do) carry it anywhere and everywhere with me. I've taken to making derogatory comments about the monstrous machines other people like to call laptops. I mock their suitcase-sized laptop bags. I chuckle at their pathetic battery life, as I cradle my ultra-portable laptop in my arms.

My laptop is my best friend.