It was another long Saturday afternoon and I had few options but to remain at home with my toys, desperately seeking new narratives for them. On that day alone, Dinosaur had avenged his brother twice while Spotted Cow had met his fate at least five times. Even they seemed bored. I heard the jangle of keys, and looked up to see my father heading toward the garage. I wondered whether I could get him to play with us when he returned...
Throughout my life, I have been raised in two cultures belonging to two different countries: America and India. While the majority of my time has been spent living with my parents and brother in Pittsburgh, the two and a half years that I spent at The International School Bangalore, and with my relatives in India, has left an indelible mark on my soul...
Knees slightly bent, I kept telling myself, “Just pass the ball." But each time the ball headed towards me, I was unable to pass the ball up. "Sub!” I glance at the sidelines as another player was awaiting me. I had been taken out. My eyes were looking down forcefully, too ashamed to look at anyone. As a three year varsity player, I was humiliated to be taken out. Elbows on my knees, I pressed forward to watch the game while sitting on the bench, I thought to myself, “What am I doing here?” I realized that I became a spectator, not a player. I was irritated that I couldn't make a difference on the court because I was taken out of the court only to be sitting on the dreaded bench...
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I stared at her blankly.“Put the xibao in the lixinfenliji. Then pour out the shangqing.”
“…okay…”
She handed me a tube of liquid and left.
She was Mengmeng, a research associate in the neurobiology lab where I was interning for the summer. Like many other lab members, she recently came from China and spoke little English. Despite my ten years of Chinese School classes, her scientific jargon was simply too much—I hardly understood anything...
To she who has the pleasure of being my roommate:As you prepare to spend the next year living with me, there are a few things you should know:
1. I love being a roommate. Though I grew up as an only child, I attended a residential high school and had a fantastic experience. It taught me that respect is the key to a positive roommate relationship, especially when it comes to living space (and food)...
“What a nerd,” she scoffs as she walks by. I look up from my book. “Maybe,” I say with a smile. A few years ago, I would have cowered further beneath my book if somebody even mentioned the word “nerd.” Secretly, I was always far too excited for school to start, though I never would have admitted it for fear of being judged. But now, I embrace that enthusiasm...
If it was up to me, I would declare the human body the eighth wonder of the world. I am constantly amazed by how the heart can pump so consistently for over 80 years without so much as a break; I am captivated by how the brain manages to integrate a cacophony of inputs into a coherent thought. I am fascinated by both the potential and the limitations of the human body--I want to understand it all...
The woman on the other end of the line began to sob. I felt helpless.I was volunteering with the ALS Association, and my job was to invite families affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease to a support gathering. This particular woman felt so distraught by her husband’s battle with the illness that she broke down as I spoke to her...
I drugged flies…for the sake of science, of course! I spent the past two summers conducting research in a university neurobiology lab. During the first summer, I tested potential drug therapies on a Drosophila fly model of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS. The following summer, I worked with a neuronal model of ALS to study synapse formation and evaluate mitochondria as a potential target for drug treatments...
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