OMG i love picasa

so, this is the new blogskin. and i worked soooo hard on it.
first made the writing on my index book during chem and health.
then took pictures of it like 5 times.
then edited the pictures.
worked in paint.
and picasa-ed the rest.
and now it freakin' looks like one of those mystery novels where the protagonist is searching for clues.
i love ittt :D
it took so much time, but it's perfectttt. :D
i'll put a screenshot innn... !!!

yayyy :D

reflecting ...

Italy seems like it was just a dream. i miss it already. i'm listening to regina spektor. i wish i lived in venezia. the romantic idea of living on water appeals to my senses. the last night in rome was so fun. now it seems like it barely happened. my excitements is gone, but it is not. going to italy made me realize 100s of things about others and about myself. i'm going back when i'm older. hopefully, i'll never have to leaveee!

x dop4minesc3n3st4!

ITALIA TRIPPPPP =)

a chronological look at my trip :]
paraphrased for edits and privacy

2/16
Milan landing !
so the first trans-Atlantic flight was sooo amazing. Even though my seat went from 37C to 35I, it was completely worth it! I hung out with hillary, watched chak de! india, ate bad indian food, followed the plane, did my chem hmwrk, used every entertainment system in the sky until the sunrise blew everything else away. i switched with hillary so that she could take amazing pictures. before i knew it, it was over.

the second plane ride was epic. short, but epic. i decided to study my Idiot's Guide to Italian and watch the Alps. this time, i switched with jess for the sake of belief and pictures. now we are in Milan. the sights from the bus window are extremely picturesque. almost unbelievable. i can't wait for venice!!

still 2/16 [around 11:27 am Bos/ 5:27 pm Verona]
Verona

Verona is a beautiful, beautiful city! We walked to Romeo's house, the lesser known relevant place to the couple. Then we saw the square where people were celebrating Valentine's with concerts, booths, and balloons with the words "Verona in Love!" emblazoned on them. We headed to Juliet's house, passing the market square. I stood on juliet's balcony. and then touched her bosom. :D After that, we made the long walk to the amphitheater. and the city hall. city hall's coloring and preservation looked so beautiful. and i can't even comprehend that they hold rock concerts in the arena. there were performers everywhere:guitarists, gladiators, a valentine's man dude, and clowns. The walking feels good. but the freezing does not. now i am stilllll waiting for venezia.

Driving [Bos 11:51 am / 5:51 pm Italy]
The wine grape field supports look like slinkies in the high speed ;)

2/18
Venice
Driving. Sun. Fun.

Last day (otherwise known as yesterday) was absolutely amazing. I awoke at 4:45am because my ipod time didn't understand DST. It was okay because I just held an impromptu dance party outside! I listened to the academy is..., "walk it out", "buy you a drank", etc. I mean, when in Venice, right? I just wanted to see sunrise from my (and jess') amazingg mini-house. w/ a terrace and a second set of table and chairs. and it was like detached from the hotel! whilst everyone else's rooms were supersmall :)

so i ate breakfast and walked to the boat. and then took 123.456 pictures! (more like 50) we got to piazza san marco with the doge palace (palace ducale), giant prison, Bell Tower, and scenic Venezia. We went to the Palace Ducale for a tour with local guide, Lucia. We saw fantastic architecture and the biggest non columned room in all of Europe. With an amazing canvas of 1000, maybe 2000 people. the bridge of sighs. (called so for the prisoners on the way to deathlike/prison.) the prison chambers were small enough for my head to fit through but made me feel short.

After visiting the Doge Palace, we had free time for lunch. We all went Venice-exploring in the deep trenches of st. mark's looking in different stores. later, we found a cutesy little cafe for sandwiches. i had the vegetariano panini with mozzerella, tomatoes, and chives or herbs or something. Then we headed to the glass-blowing factory for a demo. On the way there, I took soooo many pictures. At the demo, the guide was really funny and informative. The glassmaster made a tulip vase, a horse, and broken shards. The store was intimidating and I thought being "REAL" made it like 03493493 times better than fake. so i wanted something good. i got 3 pieces of venetian glass candy and a pretty pretty necklace. on the way back, the acappellians sang personent and signore. the view was really pretty.
when we returned to st. marco's, we had loads of free time. we went shopping and i had to buy batteries for my camera already. and presents for my friends. we went to meet anamaria, our tour guide (x333 herr!) for the gondola ride. she showed us casanova's bar and cafe circa 1700s. Then we proceeded to gondola. we had a grandddd time. i had a panoramic view. we laughed pretty much the entire time. the smell was atrocious but the views were soooo worth it. the only disappointment was the non-talking of the gondolier. to his clients. he talked on his phone. the only things he said to us :
gondolier: marco polo's house (*point*)
us: which one?
gondolier: THAT ONE.
but it was reallllly funny.
our free time after was spent eating yummy gelato (caffe e menta) i downed it in like 2 minutes. soon after, we ran throug hthe ubiquitous pigeons! We attempted to visit the basilica, but it wasn't open to tourists.then we headed to the bell tower. after some wonderful views and another camera refill, the BELLS BEGAN TO RING the hour! they were soo loud. but they were worth it. and they made a good story. we went shopping to keep warm. ultimately, all the children , freezing, waited for the chaperones for like a half hour. dinner was in our venetian wandering. for me, it was a veggie soup featuring all the veggies on the known planet, eggplant and potatoes that i think i saw made of food channel. and tiramisu that tasted assembly line.on the way to the Bellini, i watched venice at night through the boat window. it was truly magical. i felt safe. after getting there, some of the group went to the mask shop. (closed) and gelato (open!) i had nutella and amorenata (cherry and vanilla). yum. it was better tasting than the first, but thicker. and then the train station [open]. then it was time to sleeep. ish. i watched some MTV, packed, chilled, and sleeeeept. morninng-- i woke at 3. and stayed awake because of the things that go bump in the wall creeping me out. i read my phrasebook after getting ready. had breakfast. which was yummm. and now i'm on the bus. writing through the po valley. which is sooo pretty. ana maria is talking about how collegiate towns are.

2/18
Firenze(Prato)/Pisa

LUNCH : kurkare and pineapple.
then pisa!

-amazing pics of cathedral e leaning tower
-shopping carts
-leaning tower e pictures TIPPY TOP!
-church !!!
w/ latin!
-gelato (banana)
PRATO
-nice room #411
-supermarket [ bought blood oranges E1,18 , "quanto costa?", "solus", e home]
-DINNER
-cheese e ova e zucchini
-omelette e salado
GELATO! tiramisuu then walked to castle.


2/20
FIRENZE
-musei galleria academia
"david" by michelangelo
-DUOMO!
-replica "david" in original spot in senoria sq
-santa crux church
with the tombs of machiavelli, galileo, and michelangelo
-back to senoria for free time.
-PICS
-leather factory for mommy's coin purse
-walked
-ate yummmmmy pizza in the trattoria in sq
-marketplace ! ciao bellaaa
-decide to see pontevecchio
-walk run into andrew, shweta, lexi and cindy
-ginormous group where either me and cindy, or me and shweta would go cannoli/souvenir hunting
-open market!
-"let me gib you" LOL
-"good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to italy"
-GELATOOO (limon e arancione)
-walkk
-ANOTHER copy of "david" and an amazing view of FIRENZE
-dinnerrr (pasta yum with spinach and ricotta, and CHEESE. mozzerella, cheddar, parmesan, and milk jello)

-SLEEP


2/20
Siena

Siena was a beautiful city!
the town was 54,000 people (roughly twice b-town)
-17 districts (contrada) named for different animals and regions
-st caterina !
-palio race . 2x a year. 10 districts. prize = painting
museum and stable in each district

MIDEVAL!!
-dislike florence cuz of the conquest
-main sq = shell shaped
-amazingggg winding alleyways
-burnt siena crayon
-fritella (rice treat like fried dough)
-almond cookies and biscotti
-bruschetta lunch YUM


2/22
cesar augusto/sorrento
since the last time i wrote , we have since watched LOTR I on the bus, seen beautiful napoli on the way to sorrento, a resort town on naples. that night, i had the bestest pesto pasta this side of the atlantic and then poached veggies which weren't quite as yummy. and a lemon cake. *YUM*
The view of the street wasn't nearly as extravagant as other's options or views, but it was pretty. i watched some cnn and slept. yesterday, i ate an amazing nutella involved breakfast. then our group boarded the minibus to meet sandro at the port. he took us on to capri, an island where augustus spent some time and so had emperor tiberius(?). Capri was really rainy but pretty as the roads winded up the mountain of the island. i bough chocolate (lemon and orange) for the family. and then we walked on for the best view. then we went to a fragrance store and i bought soaps. and then we ate. i had mixed salad, macaroni, and water, and fragola gelato. then we left capri. the boat was very useful in sleep motivation. and once we were back at the cesar, it was time to leave again. this time for yum pastries, gelato, and free shopping time. my gelato was happy hippo and nocciola (hazlenut) and i bought a cannoli. and scarves for the friends. and a pretty dress :D
dinner was also really good. 1st course: pasta with red tomato sauce.
2nd: vegetables : pumpkin, zucchini, onions, tomato
dessert: coffe and vanilla gelato. [ but we pretended it was limon for andrew]
after dinner, the roommates and cindy shweta lexi and i tried for the internet point which unfortunately closed the minute we got there. and then cindy, lexi, shweta and i tried to go to the pastry store which was even worse with lights on taunting usss. but after we got back, coe and chelsea greeted us with an invite to "saxe in slacks!" a 25 act play made by none other than the musical theater trio of 07 [brad, peter, and andrea]
abby and jamie performed select scenes until the teachers came in. we finally told them about it,and they saw some of it but D-boomboom, being smart, opened the floor to poetry and other forms of expression. this quickly lead into a talent show type deal, where steph was pleading with me and shweta to dance. i did. NOT well, however. it was okay. but not my best. then shwet did comedy and bhangra. kate showed us how to salsa, some of the crew did the infamous potter puppets to the names of bhs teachers. it was EPIC. :D

2/22
POMPEII
Pompeii was stunning.The coloring was not as marbly as in my brain, but i have charles burbage to thank for that. we learned about the date change, more bath culture, bathROOM culture, food culture, women as entertainment culture, pretty much more about all the culture we've ever learned in latin because we were in an authentic roman establishment that was ruined. the house of the dancing fauns was incredible. and the signs and the fact taht the plaster casts looked so much in pain. so amazinggg.

2/23(24)22
ALPS/ROME
After seeing Pompeii, we finally made it to Roma! We switched buses and drivers and said "goodbye" to mariano, our badass bus driver. his bus allowed for much sleep.
we boarded a smaller bus with angelo. one of our first sights after the initial latin references and SPQRs were the glimpses of the colloseum [flavian amphitheater]. it was soooo big! when we finally stepped out to go see it, i could not believe it at all! Our local guide, Esther, was really funnny. she made lion jokes, called us brilliant, and was informative. the sheer reality of it being there was mind-boggling. we took some group pics. obligatory and nonobligatory. my camera died a death whilst there though.
after that we same the forum (fori?) Julius Caesar's was okay. I preferred Trajan's because of the engineering behind it. i mean, moving a mountain to build something is hard to beat. the column amuses me though because it just shows how the awesome trajan was so cool that he conquered dacia.
after that, and more latin iii pictures, we were off to see the trevi fountain! i wished and threw. and hopefully it came/comes true. then GELATO. indian dude there made fun of my mangoing, thought i was guju, thought i was ENGLISH, and then gave me a free cone in my icecream. he did the same for shweta, but more than halfthese things are true for her :P .
Then we headed to the bus to go to the hotel. the nova domus was very cute and nice and ecofriendly. i remember going up the stairs to open the room and immediately checking out the shared balcony where the schoolkids were playing futbol and basketball. it was a good time and we even danced around there after dinner.
the pizza dinner was good. and i had the orange-juice like fantaaa. yum. rome at night. it's sooo pretty.
2/23
yesterday, we started the day at the vatican museums. we saw so much with the help of our vatican guide giovanni. he explained the signifance of so many works. i really learned a lot. the pinecone as a symbol of fertility and birth. there was also a statuesque art piece. of a sphere within a sphere. the inner sphere represents our material world and the other space kids in the celestial world.
giovanni also retaught us the differences of greeks and roman. and the signicans of the medium used. i liked the one of the greeks that they copied. we even saw the room that leonardo davinci. the egyptian marble = pretty. and the tapestries are beautiful. finally we saw the sistine chapel. i loved how michelangelo planted it backwards to make everything more difficult. i also like the word juxtaposition of jesu christo and moses. we exiisted using the royal staircasing. swiss guards. FILLED sq for pope. i bought adi a ring and got it blessed. and i ate a pizza panini. after the pope, we left vatican. we walked to the pantheon, passing the wall that connects the angel house to vatican. lexi and i found bags on the corner later. we went toget mini cannolis and headed to the sq where cindy bought a mouse and we all bought paintings.
the service /mass at the vatican was tiring, but interesting. lots of getting up, sitting, kneeling, praying. i prayed for the familiy and then we headed to shops last minute before goign back. i packed then ate dinner. and then we all had mucho fun on the balcony. DBells visit was so cute. she sat in the chair while we all lay under the stars listening to regina. and the trip was over as quickly as it began!


FIN

italia italia italia!

italia italia italia!
dulce de italia!
parla englese?
parla englese?
parla englese?

^ me in italy :)
i can't believe it. in just about a day i'll be in ITALY.
in milan!
arghhh!
i can't believe it.
most of my packing is done. but i can't help but feel i'm forgetting things.
like really.
i hate this feeling. i have way more than enough clothes.
i have food.
i have money.
i have meds.
i have hygiene.
what's missing?
reading and camera?
check.
ipod and charger?
check.
phrasebook?
half-check.
daddy getting me one tomorrow.
late i know but i can learn fastttt
:D
photos of my friends?
not check. i can maybe put them on my ipod if i want.
nahhh. it's okay.
i can live without my home friends for a week.
i mean, it's a fabulous weeek.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
gotta finish my minute packing before sleep.
and then the last day.
before i'm in italy.
:D

SAT DIE-agnostic & assorted news :)

SAT DIE-agnostic & assorted news :)
so here's a post from behind enemy lines, a prelude to the upcoming junior year death, if you will. the sat diagnostic exam at mit!
"
(no DIE-agnostic doesn't mean we're all gonna not recognize god. or die. just --> death by sat!)
i'm on the fourth hour of it and no Chris Su :[
ah well, maybe he'll be my post-diagnostic teacher? or maybe he just runs it and doesn't teach?
alllll possible.
i have the feeling that i failed miserably though. and it's a liberating feeling. i mean, i never fail. but i never am presented with an opportunity where my failing isn't detrimental to me. and the diagnostic just shows how good i am at math. and if that's not that good, then i failed. but it's improvable.
that's goooood.
"


in other news...
the amc 10 was today.
and i have like NOOOOOOO way of winning anything
because i left like 5-10 blank.
because i didn't feel confident. and i felt infinitely more confident in my 1.5 points than in my 0 points.

but i tried hard. and that's all that matters.
i mean, with math, it's all about effort in versus effort out.
if i learned more analytical problems on my own--> i woulda gotten a better grade.
and advanced to the aime.
and so on.
but did i reallllly care?
nahh. more of a science freak. not math.
like math is fun. but not unless you get it. it's like an inside joke that everyone knows but you if you don't get it.

i have a mind-numbing headache.
and i neeeeed to sleep and drink water.
so that jet-lag doesn't killlll mee.
but that's being difficult with the schooling and the-wanting-to read-matt's-blog-ing. and the life which consumes food and pain and cooooooldd.
cooooldd = cold.
for those who don't speak that dialect of reyicoldiness.
i am currently in the "guestroom" freezing my gluts off.
and house isn't on tonight. at least i don't think so.
which makes me angry.
i love house.


and i hateeee school.
i don't want school tomorrow.
i don't want school friday.
but tomorrow-- there's actually a storm.
so we may not have a full day.
hopefully.
fingers crossed.



and i have to dance now.
so good bye cyberland.
i'll be back before i leave.
for italy
hopefully.
[amount of italian learned =

routine. health class post :)

routine. health class post :)
written on friday.
during health class.
before my woefully stupid health presentation
which was interrupted by the bell. how rudeeeee.
anyways, here it is, (i like blogging more when it's prewritten. go figure. )
"
so. i'm really bored. and i'm virtually finished with my NIH SIP application. and i have yet to START my ION application. and i need to work on getting it done by march.
but i am not fazed by not getting ION. i feel like i have an infinitely better chance of getting into NINDS. and there's housing and food paid for. ION doesn't pay for either. or my transport. so it's like bogus. adding in the fact that i can't drive yet. so living in ga, with all my other things, would be muy difficile est. and the prospect of living aloneee creeps me out.

but with NIH, i'll be living with the other stipended interns. and it's closer to my home. and in a larger city of baltimore. and yisuy can visit meee.
or i can visit her scary planned community! LOL :)
and i think NIH may be better in the long run experience wise. ION is great but intimidates me. NIH doesn't. it excites me. and for some reason, i get the better feeling thinking about nih lately than ion. i have no idea why.
oh and i <3 my mommy! she managed to get vertex pharm interested in me. and it's in kendall sq! and it probably would be a low-key-intern-coffee type thing but it's so exciting cuz i can talk to realllll scientistss. and MAYBE conduct research! woooohooo. and it's free/ i'm getting PAID.
way more excited/ing than biogen idec. or nylf.
like biogen is great cuz it's like an intro to biotech. but it's soooo teachy. and tired. and not exciting. whereas, nylf costs lots of dough. and is equally teachy. and not helpful. at all.

i can see my mastercard commercial now.
goggles - 20$
monkeys - 1000$ each
electroencephalogram machine- upwards of 100000$ (made up values)
finding a career- PRICELESSSSS!

i can't wait for this summer.
a reread of genome for wood's class.
for finding my way.

yay.
maithreyi <3
"

oh, and i must add------W00T for MIT ESP SAT class with chris s '11! an admissions blogger! WOOOO
that's exciting.
i saw the email and was like... there's a chris who blogs for mit.
let's check the last names...
they MATCH!!! :)

so that'll be fun.
i mean, 5 hours of SAT class doesn't sound fun.
esp not a DIAGNOSTIC.
cuz it's like the test. but it doesn't count.
:(
but having classes with chris?
sounds amazinggg.

WOO! READERS!

WOO! READERS!
LOL.
i always thought of my blogspot as just that.
a spot to blog.
and was never seen by actual human eyes.

but now i'm learning to write for humans.
as well as aliens, but that's on the downlow!
(maithreyi's conscience: USE inflexion. refrain from the use of smileys. they do not exist in realllll lifeee!)
real maithreyi, not caring: "=P"
and here comes the BASILISK! with it's hungry tongue! :O
LOL <3 [i love xkcd!] okay. so i was in the Burlington Union. actually, more like ON the Burlington Union. They took an unflattering picture of me at the Brain Bee. And they put it on the front page. fantastic. =) but go to the webpage for a MUCH more flattering picture where i don't look repulsed and angry. (
IN MY DEFENSE! the picture was taken during this episode:
i got the question: "what class are the neurotransmitters glycine and aspartate or glutamate in?"
my answer: AMINO acids (?!)
them: sorry, the cathecholamines.
me: sorry, come again? cathecholamines are dopamine and norepinephrine!
my head: Likeeee WTH? I studied for like... 2 months. esp on this chapter. i got this. why are they judging this? i look like an idiotttt!
judges: we'll give you another question!
etc.
)
so this was an unfair picture.
where i am clearly trying to make my point.
so don't judge. don't hate. don't discriminate.
but google maithreyi burlington neuroscience. or something like that. and if you're lazzzzzy,
here's the link!
(i just thought it was SOOO extremely awesome that i could google my name and find something relevant. and interesting!)
oh and the opening bit about BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL competing?
a lie.
or fabrication.
it was just me.
no teachers.
just me and mommy.
and m&ms and pistachios.
that's the REAL road to success, my friends!

haha
so this is basically a nonsense post.

i just got happy that my counter said 9.
READERS!
i think i got wayyy more excited when i was 12 and getting reviews on my fanfiction...
remnants which can be found at FANFICTION.NET/~gcsmores !
again, don't judge. i wrote romance at 12. based on television. mostly gilmore girls and 7th heaven. i didn't KNOW better !

oh and i taught my brother chemistry.
it was a realllly gratifying experience.
to see him get it.
and in some way appreciate science.
i mean, we are like polarish opposites.
i'm artistically and mechanically challenged--he's a mechanical and artistic GENIUS
i am a.... well that's where the comparisons stop.
i'm not a genius.
i'm a sophomore.
and as casey, my enigmatic literature teacher describes, sophomores are sophomoric.
soph=wise. moric= moron = STUPID

so wise stupidity = sophomore.
:)

yep that's me.

thank you, thank you,
i'll be here as long as web 2.0 is :)

i'll sign-off like gossip girl.
another victim of writer's strikeee.
along with harry potter 7 script.
heroes (RIP. for now <3)
ANDDDD... that's it for now.

if you are reading this--- TAGBOARD! click the middle heart :)
and write to meee
i promise i won't kill you!
no matter who you are.
and if you think i might, say so in your post.
and because you are considerate, i might reconsider!
=)

XOXO,
GOSSIP GI--- I MEAN, MAITHREYI <3

i love the scene aesthetic...

i love the scene aesthetic...
so the scene aesthetic is the coolest new band i've become hooked on that i just don't have on my ipod cuz of laziness.

i have a post ready. but the xkcd part doesn't make sense.
i thought that today's xkcd was funny but not in the way it normally is.
i like the a/s/l then DEATH BY BASILISK thing but i just didn't get it the first time :P

so here's the post,
" Did i update yesterday? Even if i did, i'll post today!
so, yeah, i did not end up coming CLOSE to winning Poetry Out Loud. but I don't even care. I'm happy with what i HAVE won. I'm happy with where I am. Like as I sit in Casey's class and watch these scenes (scene aesthetic <33) wash over me, I do not feel. I just think. Just laugh at the stupidity of my classmates in front of me. who do not know the charge of NO3-. which is of course -1. but i choose silence. I believe in work for results, not being given them. and stupidity is fun to watch anyways cuz it usually multiplies.
just writing with my Brain Bee pen. Just basking in my ability.
I think that MIT is now a tangible goal. Because I won. Because I love neuro. Because my grades show I am capable. Because Auntie thinks I am capable. Because I'm starting SAT prep on Sunday. Because I think like I think an MIT student would think / I think like an MIT student. And Because I want it. ANd whenever I really want something, and work for it, I usually get it.
Brain bee, for example, was wanted, worked for, and acheived.
NHS.
my GRADESSSS.
everything is falling into place, so POL, though fun, wasn't my aim. at all.
so now i know what tangible entity i want to be.
a course 9 major. at MIT. my hass concentration? no idea.
i love writing.
maybe i'll be an admissions blogger?
i always tangent too much. and not the kind where you're next to a circle, the kind where you runnnnn and go full speed at NOTHING! =)
It's wayy to early to have a college picked out. especially at the caliber of MIT.
but i think I can achieve it.
And having a tangible goal makes college all the more real.
and coming. and looming. and THERE.
i mean, i paid a visit, in a way, to where I want to spend four years of my education. and i left a mark.

i want my PhD in Neuro. esp after seeing what you can do with just a PhD.
you can save lives.
you can research, have a family, and make a difference.

i want to do that.

and MAYBE i want an MD. but right now, the only thing fueling that fire is HOUSE. and that cool dude who said he had an MD/PhD from emory. and he integrates clinic in his research and research into clinic. i think i may like that.
but after MIT.

for now? i'm sticking to winning at high school :)

xoxo,
REYI <3"

FORGETFULNESS

forgetfulness, by billy collins
this is a post about Poetry Out Loud.
I dunno if I posted about POL last year, but even if I have, I can reiterate a few facts about this competition.
At Burlington, it's school-wide.
i mean, poetry is permeating the school in every way. people are reciting poems to each other, people are basking in poetry on their way to class, the halls are decked out in poems, etc.
it's a wonderful season.
i started memorizing my poem today.
it's due tomorrow.
but every time i read it, i grin. i love it.
it makes my heart sing a little.
skip a beat.
it doesn't even bother me that two others are saying the same poem because i feel like i definitely have a different take on it than both of them.

it's called forgetfulness, by billy collins.

the name of the author is the first to go,
followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel,
which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of,
as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor,
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

long ago, you kissed the names of the nine muses goodbye,
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now, as you memorize the order of the planets,
something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of paraguay.

whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
or even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

it has floated away down a dark, mythological river,
whose name begins with L as far as you can recall,
on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

no wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
no wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem
you used to know by heart.

oh. my friday post that is completely bull and null and void :)

oh. my old post that is completely bull and null and void :)
so here's my quoted written out blog post from friday, when i was nervous and feeling really down and unsure.

" Blogtitle: Career?
Entry: Most of my educational career, I've looked at my adult life asa chance to make it big, to write the next great American novel. To be an AMAZING writer. To win the Pulitzer. To be Jhumpa Lahiri (sp?). Then CTY catered to the CIA detective side of me. And I love(d) it!
But now that I face college, I feel like i'm not giving myself room to grow. Yeah, freshman writing made me feel like I absolutely stink at writing. And writing courses would do no better. I feel like I need a chance to break through. To feed my artsy side and satisfy my scientific soul.
I mean, I'm ASIAN and my WRITING and READING SAT scores farrr surpass my mathematics scores. (that can be remedied, my parents'll say. "MATHS is in your blood!" exclaims my mother...) This should indicate that I'm ... SOMETHING.
For my career, I definitely want to do mind-altering research in neuroscience. But I feel like I want MORE. The MORE i get out of DDR, blogging, watching heroes and house. Out of CTY, not in class. and in class. That MORE. That fullfillment that my life isn't just numbers. or work. MORE."

So, looking back to friday, i realize i am pretty melodramatic.
I know what I want. and I'll always get the chance to write as a scientist in my papers. and i can still probably write books. about neuroscience. and the ever-growing field. I love writing, even though I'm not conventionally good at it.
at all! And just listening to career panel made me realize that a PhD isn't the end of the road. It's not a bajillion years and i'll be OLD! nahh, i think i can do what i want. And all i'll need is a MD/PhD or a PhD to do it.
and that's like what? 7 years or 9 years?
not too shabby.
and i'll get to do what i want all along the way.
shweeeet.

THE LUCKIEST DAY ON EARTH

THE LUCKIEST DAY ON EARTH
Today was beyond lucky.
It was Brain Bee day.
So mommy and I left the house at like nine-ish.
We went to the temple, which was closed. I still namaskaram-ed though :)
so then we headed to cambridge.
and got lost.
and then found vassar street. on the wrong side.
so we turned around.

and then we found the place. and the parking.
which was behind the funny looking building that had the stata-center sign in front of it.
:) which was incidentally the stata-center.
who'd have thought?
LOL mommy and i took pictures! :)
then,
we registered.
and i was excited.
and others were being nervous and studying, i studied the posters.
and then i chilled with mommy, eating pistachios and M&Ms :)
then a couple of western mass kids (seniors) came to sit with us. they were named lilly and ben
and i thought they were pretty awesome.
they were totally cool about the 2 hour drive
and we talked and chilled til testing.

the test was uber hard.
i thought i COMPLETELY failed.
legit.
my mommy could tell.
no money today , i thought in my head.
and all this while a guy from a biotech lab talked to our table about what he does, and then a panel discussion about how science careers work, and photo opps for the guy paid to take pictures and then the keynote about smell.
i was sooooo nervous.
esp when they called names for the live round.

they said my name so funny i didn't think i got anything.

i tried to concentrate and look over terms in between the keynote and live, but nothing went in really.

then i just took my seat in front of the audience and the panel.
nervous.
shaking.
trying to smile.
" :) "

but, hey, no one's perfect.

then the questions started.
and they wouldn't stop.
they judges probably sorta knew their stuff, but not enough to judge.
i mean, i KNEW i got a question right that they said was wrong. figures. but they gave me a second chance, which is good.

then it was strike 2.
i knew i couldn't afford another misstep.

i waited it out until there were 3.
i messed up.

oh well, third place !

so the sudden death was pretty much dead.

and a senior from newton south won
and 2nd was a senior from belmont high.
and 3rd was a sophomore from burlington high school.

ME.

and apparently, the 1st place winner may not go to nationals cuz she MAY be in paris.
and apparently, the 2nd place winner may not go in place of the 1st cuz she's in a play.
and I, apparently, am the fill-in if the 1st place winner can't make it.

i'm stokeddddddddd ;)

so my mother goes crazy. calling everyone she knows.
ranting about me, and how awesome i am. i love her.

and then we finally get home after appreciating the sunsetting on cambridge.

and i am greeted by my somewhat pleased father.
who likes making fun of my tunglish.

and while i check the mail, there are two letters from school.

one, more official looking, i open.

it's NHS.
i'm in.
second happy dance of the day.
and second time i laugh without laughing.

then my report card.
*open nervously*
OMG. OMG. OMG.
all A+s!
alllllll except casey. oh well.
AND i was super nervous about my vb program which wouldn't run.
i got an A+.
wow.

so we went to bertucci's to celebrate!

and ate goat cheese pizza (ewww) LOL <3

i love my family
i love my friends.
i love where i am right now.
--Maithreyi