Tag initiation

One of my favourite things to write blog posts on were tags. But since I have been so out of touch with my fellow bloggers, I really haven't been tagged in anything. But I just randomly came up with a potential tag for myself (and anybody else who is interested).

Pick 10 objects on and around your work desk and write something about each of them, why is that item there and what significance does it hold to you?

- A fridge magnet taped to my desk

I bought this little trinket for myself at the airport. It reads "my job is to be like a duck. Calm + unruffled on the surface, paddling like crazy underneath!"

- A stuffed white rat

His name is Sebastian. I bought him at Ikea for myself, just to keep on  my desk, since all my work is done on rats. It seemed very fitting.

- A PhD comic strip on F-1 student visa (which you can see here)

Well, I am an international student and I just found it amusing how damn close to true the comic is! It reminds me to smile at being an international student here rather than angst about being away from home!

- A post it note from a colleague that reads "Good luck! I know you will do great!"

I started learning survival surgeries in rats as soon as I joined my new lab. And my first few attempts did not go well. Determined to master the procedure, I decided to lock myself in the surgery room and practice till I got it right. When I got back to my desk after a day of hard work, I found this note from somebody who knew how frustrated I was with my lack of progress. It was an amazing form of encouragement... still is!!! :)

- A short letter from Dad joking about using some money that is supposedly mine to fund a trip for him to Kenya for a Safari, the back side of that paper has the estimated costs of such a trip. Pinned behind this letter is the envelope that it came in, with my home address in India

This reminds me of all the things I want to do for my mom and dad when I eventually have enough money. A trip to Paris, a trip to Kenya, maybe a nice SUV. And the home address on the envelope serves as a reminder to me of where I come from, so I don't forget who I am and how I got here (I know... heavy stuff! :P)

- A small stack of origami paper

To de-stress on days that I feel overwhelmed. There is something extremely zen about folding objects out of paper. Its very soothing and calms me down.

- Lots and lots of fortunes out of fortune cookies!

I have decided... this is one of my strange things, I shall collect the fortune from fortune cookies and see how many I have by the time I graduate from grad school! One day, I shall sit and read through all of them and have a good laugh :) My personal favourite out of this collection?

"You may be hungry soon: order a takeout now"

- My minion!

I made him! Need I say more? :)

- A kitten calendar

Clueless sends me one every year for my birthday :)

- A generic penstand (used to be a beaker earlier :P :P)

To remind myself that I should stop being lazy and make a nice personalized penstand for myself!!!! If possible, before I graduate :P :P


Here is my random post.... I have been craving to write a random post and now its out of my system :)

If you have a blog and are wondering what to write as your next post, maybe you should try this tag :)