I have no idea why I am so addicted to honey roasted peanuts from Walmart. They are so tasty, and I know that they aren’t particularly healthy, but it’s hard to stop. I guess it’s better that being hooked on something more fattening like chips, fried food or desserts. It’s like I get hooked on something every year. Another thing that I love is the Strawberry-Banana nectar from Walmart and the Fuze Refresh Strawberry-Guava drink.

Okay, enough of trivial speak. I figured this was a good time as any to write something on my blog and web space that I am paying for. I just didn’t have the motivation to blog the past few months. It would come up in my head but I never got around to actually doing it. But, instead of blogging, I’ve been doing a ton of photography and uploading on flickr. I just cleaned up over 1300 images from my winter trip and uploaded them onto Flickr. Flickr’s unlimited upload limits are fantastic for my needs. The service is really worth the money I pay every year. I’ll start using Zooomr when they get the Flickr import tool integrated because I don’t have the patience to upload, and tag all the information that I already have on Flickr.

Best of India (352 images) | All the shots from India (1012 images) | Heathrow and Philadelphia International Airports (120 images)

It’s unbelievable that I’ve been at Penn State for 8 months already. I’ve been learning so many new things. All the reasons for grad school are panning out, and I’ve gained experience in more ways than one. Academically, I’ve been filling the holes in my education from a non-materials engineering background. So, an introductory glass course, surface chemistry, thermodynamics of materials, advanced glass structure, kinetics of materials and characterization of materials later, I’m starting to gain some theoretical insight and knowledge for my research. [warning: science content ahead ] The big picture is to look at interface chemistry of Rohm & Haas‘ green Aquaset polymer and John Manville’s wool glass composition which make up the EPA award-winning new environmentally friendly formaldehyde-free insulation products (original pdf file). For now, I am making flat glas samples to check the contact angles of the polymer and its components on the glass surface. And then, do a time dependent contact angle analysis and surface composition after the solutions dry out using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). I will also do Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to look at surface morphology. This should give me some idea what to expect with the same tests on glass fibers. I’ll describe the fiber making process when I actually start making my samples for real.

Beyond school, swing dancing is going rather well. I pick up a few new moves every month. I also have 4-5 regular dance partners who mesh well with my style. I would mention names but I guess I shouldn’t. All I can say is that there is a girl who is an amazing follow who has an great style of her own. And then, there are three girls who picked up swing and Lindy so quickly, it’s still mind-boggling. They move very well, and can follow my lead style. And related to that, I’ve also uploaded several swing videos on Youtube, and found plenty of videos to pick moves up from.

Amnesty International (PSU Chapter) has been a great club and cause to be a part of. I’ve learnt a lot more about human rights, and have gotten more interested in such matters as the Sudanese genocide and terror war based human rights violations. I’ve also made some friends in this club which is pretty nice. The other one that I am involved in is the Penn State Public Issues Action Committee. I am trying to get a new fundraising idea off the ground that has the potential of raising several hundreds of thousands of dollars. The up side of this range is $1,000,000 and up if we get access to all the sources we need, and over 50% of students/staff/faculty participate. We want to use this money to support non-controversial sustainable projects in Third-World countries. We want to ask people to donate 1% to 5% of every transaction they make on campus towards this fund including parking. But so far, the Parking department is not willing to play ball and not giving us a reason. I am still to hear back from LionCash.

I have to start working out soon. I feel slow, and my stamina needs rejuvenation.

And I leave you with this candid of a girl with an iBook at Heathrow International. I like this shot.

I know that my new beginning started the moment I left undergrad, and truly took off when I stepped foot on Penn State’s campus. Classes have been underway for a couple of months, and it is ridiculous to stop and think that two months have sped by at the speed of light. However, in terms of what differentiates this experience from Coe is the expectations involved in research, as that’s paying for my education, and more. So, during the last few weeks, I’ve been diving into my work and learning the ropes of the trade. I just got trained on the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) today morning, and took a short day course on Fourier Transform Infrared Microscopy (FTIR), and a training session on the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). I am just excited to broaden my instrumentation skill set. I’ll be learning how to use the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). I need these instruments to characterize the surface and interfaces on my glass and polymer coating. You’ll know more when I know more.

I am also leaving the field of casual amateur photography, to a serious amateur level as I got new gear including a brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi (black) [$750], three lenses (Sigma 28-70mm F2.8-4 [standard, $80], Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM [zoom, $560], and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II [lowlight, $75]), a Canon photo backpack 200EG [$35], Canon 200DG bag, extra battery [$70], a Canon monopod 100 [$30], Canon RC1 wireless remote [$18], and a Sunpak 6601 UT tripod [$20]. I started with a few shots of the sunlight breaking through the clouds, and I’ll try to take more tomorrow during the dances.

I’ve also gotten involved in a few clubs on campus, although I think I might be the only graduate student in most of the groups. I love Penn State Swing Club because it is incredibly active, and I dance more than twice a week. That helps me de-stress, and make new friends. I am also heavily involved in Amnesty International, and the Social Awareness Committee. I recently attended the regional Amnesty International meeting at Delaware, and made a few friends from Penn State and University of Delaware, apart from staying/hanging out with Jenn for the weekend. The Social Awareness Committee needed a person to manage and create a new blog for them, as well as help with the podcasts. So, most days I have my hands full, and love any down time I can get. I usually leave in between 8 or 9am, and get back anywhere in between 6.30pm, and 1am. Monday’s and Wednesday’s are the two days that are the busiest, with full load of classes and clubs in the evenings.

And to end this post, an image that personifies a new beginning in a novel way that’s not related to plants or bugs.

The Birth of Water, originally uploaded by javanutmom.

My first class at Penn State is in 45 minutes at 104 Steidle. I am undertaking an advanced Thermodynamics of Materials which should help with my understanding of the basics of the research that I will be doing. I also enrolled in a comprehensive Introduction to Glass and Surface Chemistry because I will be looking at surface interfaces in glass compositions. I have been reading up on Sol-gels and glass fibres for some background before I started actual research.

Right now, I’m just sitting at the HUB amazed at the massive crowds. I haven’t been around so many people forever. It’s a little bit of a culture shock, I dare say..

I must also write about the kind of students that study at Penn State. I have been observing the population, and have reached some conclusions..

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city, people end up waiting for all sorts of stuff. People wait for elevators, transportation, bank clerks, seating and the list goes on. The reason why people have to wait for services is because there aren’t enough resources to accommodate everyone’s needs at once. Another reason why people need patience when it comes to waiting is due to the inherent fact that people take time to make decisions. Everyone has different needs, so they take differing amounts of time to get things done which either increases or reduces the period of waiting. Waiting slows down the pace of life because everyone needs a reprieve from the craziness of everyday life.

I am going to concentrate on the issue of waiting in the cafeteria. The main reason why I wanted to observe and write about this was that I have had to wait in a line plenty of times and there were a lot of subjects to observe right here at Coe. This falls into an urban practice due to the fact that we are in an urban campus very close to the downtown of a major city. Coe’s cafeteria serves about 300-400 students every meal and that’s a big number for a single cafeteria on a college campus. So, waiting is an eventuality at our cafeteria. We wait to get into the cafeteria which could either be instantaneous or delayed depending on how long the line is which could extend all the way to the bookstore. And then we wait in the food lines which snakes its way around the front of the cafeteria. And then there are lines for salads, deli meats, and liquid refreshments. Some people say that we spend a small yet significant chunk of our time at school waiting for food.

Human nature dictates our restlessness while standing still, so it is interesting to note the different ways that we entertain ourselves while we linger to get food. I interviewed some friends and asked them to tell me what they did or observed people doing at the cafeteria lines. I summarized their answers and my observations and I shall proceed to describe them.

If students go to eat in a group, and are held up, they usually talk among themselves. It could be a conversation that they were having on the way to the cafeteria or something that came up while standing around. But generally speaking in this situation, they tend to ignore people around them as I have observed that many of the conservations get very boisterous and loud and tend to irritate others nearby. While on the other hand, if someone is by themselves, they could be doing or thinking about a multitude of things. Usually they would look around for familiar faces or someone they can stand next to so that they don’t feel lonely. That usually leads to further conversation and an imminent sense of belonging and purpose. However, that doesn’t happen all the time as people can end up being alone. So at times like this, I have observed them to be uncomfortable and shifty as they look around to see if anyone is looking at them. Sometimes in the solitude, you could reflect on classes or events in life. When I was alone, I would think about my pending work and formulate a plan to finish it. Another possible thought that could be running through our mind could be to eat the right amount because it’s a good thing to strive for. Since the cafeteria allows us eat as much as possible, over-eating is a regular occurrence. Humming seems to be a popular option because it’s a sign of letting your mind wander. It’s usually a tune that’s stuck in your head and you don’t know why. It’s funny to see the person next to them start humming the same tune unconsciously which means that we influence our surroundings to a large extent.

The cafeteria is where a lot of the social interaction between students occurs during school days. While standing in line, students check each other out and notice what they are wearing or doing. This is perhaps one of the most popular actions while waiting. If someone in a group notices something different about someone, it sparks instant talk. Something else that comes up in a group is gossip. Waiting in lines allows time for people to catch up on gossip as well. We also scope out the area for seating which either could be finding an empty table to accommodate the group or find an existing table with people you would like to eat with. We also greet each other when we see one another and we also tend to greet the people working there and strike up a conversation with perhaps a chef.

I know a lot of people who either read a newspaper, mail or start homework while the line inches forward. That is a judicious use of time, for time stops for no one and time is money. We also try to look at the food set out and pray the food is good. If the food is good, some people visibly start salivating or tapping their foot in impatience. We must like observing other people because one of the people I interviewed said that she likes to look at the food that people choose to eat.

In conclusion, I think that there are three main things people do while waiting for food. They are socializing, observing, or something self-absorbing. We also need things to entertain us while we are held up. This is however not a complete list of things people do while waiting but rather the observations of an international college student who has never had the opportunity to experience a cafeteria in school.

The act of writing is like swimming under water. Before we dive into the water, we take a deep breath. Then when we are fully immersed in the water, it feels like moving from one world with worries to one with tranquility. The view under water is serene. While underwater, one is cut off from the top world and can be at peace with oneself. It’s a place where a person can be truly by himself. Writing is a very personal activity. It’s how we put out our random thoughts in an organized pattern so that other people understand our viewpoint. While writing I need peace around so that my writing shows a calm ordered thought process. I block the rest of the world out while writing because I can think better while concentrating. Just like swimming involves rhythm, writing also requires a certain cadence which goes out of phase sometimes. As we start writing, we build up tempo reaching a peak and then slow down. But as when diving under water, we need a breath of fresh air to revive the heart periodically and bearing in that analogy in mind, we shouldn’t be submerged in the writing world for too long a time. A small period of rest does wonders to the tired grey cells and then writing comes fluently once more just like we can make powerful strokes again with our lungs filled with precious oxygen. And the cycle keeps going on and on till the task is over.

Technorati Tags: Personal, Writing, Style, Short Essay

Here are the chronicles of the last 10 days of Joy (me ) as an undergrad.. Here are pictures (flickr).

Britta and Kelly bought me chocolate and The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded] : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover). I’ve wanted to read it for a long time, and I know it’s going to be an addicting read..

I passed my Physics oral. So, I am officially allowed to graduate with a physics major. We do have stringent standards for graduating physics majors at Coe College. A written comprehensive on General Physics and oral comprehensive on Modern Physics just so we don’t embarrass ourselves and our school when we go to graduate school..

Hear my previous podcast for the rest of the stuff that’s going on in my life..

I have been studying like crazy the last week which explains the lack of posts. I have another week or so of this stressful ordeal and then I’m free! I have 4 finals with most being comprehensive. Finals are crazy times. Tempers flaring, head aching, panicking, sweating profusely, lack of sleep, tensions right before the exams.. Ahh!! Shit, five more years of this! Thank God for the little break at home to recuperate, and revitalize and getting excited about graduate school, and work, and lack of life in general.. I have to keep sane. Being a bum in the summer never looked so inviting .

Keeping with PhDcomics humor, this strip is pertinent to the subject of me being published. This strip is not necessarily accurate in my case .

Rate Your Students: Advice to Parents: Which College Major is Best?

• Missed Flunk day. Yeah! The day that I was looking forward to all year. I told everyone I knew about it. And. I friggin’ miss it. I knew if I thought about it, I wouldn’t be very happy. So, I suppressed all thoughts about Flunk Day while and after the PSU visit. I missed hanging out with friends, drinking endless amounts of beer, and taking ton of pictures. Flunk day would have been a great day for photography
• Swing at PSU sucked. This is one of my foremost passions. The swing lessons and social dance I went to was painful. It was so painful that I left part way. I hope it gets better when I start PSU. Let me tell you, I was sorely disappointed to sum this experience up.
• I’m in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. I guess I was nominated and selected. This is an annual award given to outstanding campus leaders for their scholastic ability, participation and leadership in academic and extra curricular activities and community service (link).
• Got PSU’s official offer today. I have been given a Research Assistantship, with a bi-semester stipend and a summer stipend totalling around $18,700.
• Taking the oral Modern Physics test next Monday. I have to memorize a lot of equations, and understand the concepts to pass this trial of fire! Well, here’s to hoping for the best..
• Browsing PhD Comics and getting addicted. I must have spent a few hours going through and saving my favorites. After I’m done saving all the ones I want, I’ll put them up on Flickr.
• Had a bad dream about rejection. Again. I wish there was a better way for me to stop feeling this way. Well, apart from time anyway. I suppose this sort of dreams are getting sporadic and that is progress. There has been a lot of rejection in life so far. Grad schools, certain people, scholarships.