Sapana Vora, PhD Candidate

Only July 7th, 2009, I successfully defended my thesis proposal and became a PhD candidate in Cancer Biology at the University of Chicago. The process was both informative and a little nerve wracking, and I'm glad it's over. My committee is smart, thoughtful, and truly engaged with my project and I am grateful to have them all signed on until the bitter end. Unlike at my prelim, I was able to amicably banter with my adviser and another prof and truly felt at ease the whole while, even when they asked me questions I couldn't answer. We did find the gaps in my knowledge and I have vowed to fill them to overflowing before my SRP (student research presentation) next February and certainly before my next committee meeting sometime next summer.

So what's my thesis project? In short, a case-control genome-wide association study of genetic susceptibility for the development of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML). What it basically means is that I'm going to genotype the germline DNA (what you're born with) of patients who are treated (more or less) the same way for the same primary cancer and see what's different between the people who develop t-AML (cases) and those who do not (controls). In terms of genetics, I'm primarily interested in SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and CNVs (copy number variants) found across the genome (genome-wide). It's the differences we're interested in, because they could potentially serve as markers or beacons representing susceptibilities to developing t-AML, a secondary, treatment-related cancer.

For those not familiar with the whole PhD process, it typically goes something like this:
Year 1: Take classes and rotate through labs (usually 10-weeks apiece).
Interim: Take some preliminary/qualifying exam to test knowledge and confirm student is ready to continue in the program. Join a lab for the thesis project.
Year 2: Take any remaining classes and fulfill TA requirements.
Interim: Assemble thesis committee (adviser+ at least 3 other profs, at least two of which are within one's department). Successfully write + present = defend thesis proposal.
Years 3-?: Conduct thesis research. Fulfill any class/TA requirements remaining. Meet with thesis committee at least once a year. Attend conferences, meetings, etc.
The End: Successfully write + present = defend thesis. Send copies to the five people who will ever read it. Graduate and put "Dr" in front of name. Figure out what to do with rest of life.

I am currently in the second "interim" stage. Now, all I need are my cases, controls, and data before I can move on. You know, small things.

California Dreamin'

[The last time I posted was June 9th. This is rather sad. I vow from here on out to post at least once a week, hopefully on interesting things going on in my life and barring any dearth of such news, at least interesting thoughts going on in my head.]

The past two months have been rather exciting though anxious at times. First the trip to California. On June 11th I flew out to California to celebrate Saket's graduation from Stanford. The flight was horribly delayed and I joined my family hours late, only to arrive exhausted to some terrible news. My Dad's mother's health had taken a turn for the worse and our greatest fears rapidly darted to the front of our minds. We promptly canceled our weekend at Yosemite (quite a shame, since my dad loves Ansel Adams' photography and longed to see the subjects in person) and started searching for the earliest flight to India. Unfortunately, my dad didn't have his passport with him (something I've made a personal point to always have with me when I travel, just in case...) so trip planning was slightly complicated. Our friends and neighbors, the Shahs, were a tremendous help in packing Dad's things and getting him to and from the airport as quickly as possible. We really owe them. He left on the 12th, just a day before Saket graduated.

The graduation ceremony was fun, though the sun was a bit intense (the tan lines have only just fully faded). We got to meet a lot of Saket's friends, tour the gorgeous campus, and enjoy a performance by the (in) famous Stanford band (tree included). Pictures are up on facebook.

The next couple of days were spent in the City. We toured the Marin Headlands with had incredible views of the Bay. We visited the fabled Berkeley campus where Greek architecture is the style of choice and meeting places and cafes just scream *liberal*. Just walk along the streets bordering campus and you'll inhale more than fresh, left-slanting air. We also ate at this great little Thai restaurant and basked in the glory that is Thai iced tea (half tea, half half-and-half, and half sugar).

We also had 2.5 days schedule for Lake Tahoe and it was a splendid trip. We had heard much tell of the lake but never got around to seeing it, despite our many trips to the Great Bear Republic. Though the skies threatened rain the first afternoon, they promptly cleared for the next two days and we were showered with glorious weather. We took a few hikes, took lots of pictures of the lake, visited a Scandinavian castle, ate some of the best pizza I've ever had, found a delightful Thai restaurant with approximately 8,000 vegetarian choices, and in general enjoyed ourselves.

While I was busy having fun, a rather serious deadline was bothering me. My thesis proposal was scheduled for June 26th which mean the written part needed to be done by the 19th at the latest. I "worked" on it on and off but was starting to panic that I wouldn't get it done in time (poor vacation scheduling, eh?). Viewing the highly enjoyable Star Trek reboot with the sibs pushed the deadline further back but not forgotten. Sachi and Mom were scheduled to leave the next day (the 19th) and I was determined to just finish it all in one day. Then I got the email.

The stepmother of one of my committee members had passed away. Tim's, my friend and labmate, thesis proposal was scheduled for the 22nd and had to promptly be rescheduled. We decided it was best that he take my spot (since we share the same committee and the room was already booked) and that I reschedule to a later date. My new date ended up being July 7th, which meant I just received an 11 day extension. While my heart broke for my professor, part of me couldn't help rejoicing at the turn of events. Not quite schadenfreude, but too close for comfort.

With a deadline suddenly lifted, I found myself free to actually enjoy the last couple of days I had with my brother in California. We still worked in a student center for most of the 19th, though more or less relaxed the rest of the time. We played Smash Brothers with Nader until 3 a.m., toured the campus art museum (famous for its Rodin sculptures), attended a lovely BBQ with the people from DripTech (we got cool shirts too), attended an amazing farmer's market, and of course got more froyo (frozen yogurt for the uninitiated). I was sad to leave Cali but am seriously considering finding a post-doc out there someday....

Something useful for PPT2007

Hate always starting with the Calibri font package in PowerPoint 2007? Wish you could go back to Arial or Times New Roman? Then look no further than this post! Just follow the simple instructions below to set your own default presentation theme or design a new one:

In order to change the default font for PowerPoint 2007, we have to create a base
template and save it in default templates folder. Please follow the steps mentioned
below to create and save a base template and see if that will meet your
requirements.

1. Start PowerPoint 2007.
2. Select View tab ; then select Slide Master
3. On the Slide Master (Slide Master: the slide that stores information about the design template applied, including font styles, placeholder sizes and positions, background design, and color schemes.), make the changes that you want to be
reflected in every new presentation. You have to make the changes to each slide of the slide master.
4. Then click Close Master View.
5. Click Office Button and then click Save As > Other formats
6. Pick PowerPoint Template from the Save As Type list box
7. Save the template as Blank.potx. PowerPoint will automatically chooses the folder as %Appdata%\Microsoft\Templates, so accept the default location. The default location would be \Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.
9. Close the file and start a new presentation to verify the font.
For your testing, attached a sample Blank.potx file based on your requirement.

(Courtesy of: Office Deployment Support Team Blog at http://blogs.technet.com/odsupport/archive/2009/04/24/how-to-deploy-specific-fonts-in-office-2007.aspx)

Whoa, I've Moved and Other Stuff!

Wow, so it's been an inexcusably long time since I've posted. I really should model my blog more after Saket's. He does a better job of actually, you know, blogging.

So what's happened since the middle of March? Obviously, the rest of that month, April, May, and about a week of June. In that time I've completed both of my required TAships (to smashing successes), finished my last graded class EVER (at least for grad school), and MOVED! My new digs are downtown, just two blocks off Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile stretch of that great street) along Ohio St. For those who know the city, I'm very close to the Northwestern Medical Campus. And Nordstrom's. And the Gap. And Eddie Bauer. Oh my....it's going to be fun come day-after-Thanksgiving sale weekend!!

Once I get my act together and blog from home (I'm on my school comp right now), I'll post pictures. In short, I can see: the Chicago River, the Trump Tower, the Sears Tower (a sliver), and the skyscrapers bordering Millennium Park. I'm also about five blocks away from Navy Pier, so I'll be attending a lot more WBEZ events.

So what's next? Before June is over I'll have traveled to California to celebrate Saket's graduation from Stanford (CONGRATS), celebrated my Dad's 64th birthday (insert Beatles song here) and Father's Day, visited Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe, and both written and succesfully defended my thesis proposal. I will actually have a laptop on that trip so I promise to update in a more timely fashion.

Until then, my sweets, farewell!

Science Olympiad at COD

In high school my friends and I were perennial participants in Science Olympiad, a national organization dedicated to getting students engaged with science and engineering. Having won several medals at both the regional and state levels and enjoyed nearly every minute with my team in and out of competition, I have since tried to help out with SciOly competitions nearly every year since graduating.

My specialty was the big-ticket biology events, namely Cell Biology (basically general biology), and Designer Genes (genetics/genomics), and I've been privileged to write tests for these events for both North Carolina and Illinois competitions. This year I wrote a Cell Bio test for the Illinois regional tournament held at the College of DuPage (COD). I find it tougher each year to write an age- and skill-appropriate test, though I think I did pretty well this time. The highest percentage result I had on the Designer Genes test I wrote two years ago was 60% from NCSSM (an elite, nationally-ranked science and math school for 11th and 12th graders). Those numbers are slightly worse than what you see on graduate exams! This time my highest was right around 80% while the lowest was about 25%.

It's interesting to interact with science-oriented high schoolers after so long. I'm always amazed by the great range in knowledge there is. I heard one student from a team exclaim confidently that while the cell they identified was from a plant it was definitely prokaryotic too. I just smiled and tried not to laugh. I put some tough questions on there that I didn't really expect anyone to get right, but some were total gimmies. I just wish I had a copy of the exams I took so that I could try to make mine as fair and reasonable as possible. Maybe next year...

I didn't attend the tournament alone. Kevin drove me and Nikhil (a housemate) there and we met up with Yan, another material sciences student at NU who went to UC as an undergrad (a connection to each of us!) While those three managed the Chemistry Lab event (which Kevin also wrote), I handled Cell Bio mostly on my own (they helped set up and brought me pizza for lunch). Overall we had a pretty good time, though I have to say our location in NC (Garner High School) was much better.

After getting all of scores in (and checking them twice) we left around four. It was an odd time between lunch and dinner and we were kinda hungry but unable to pick a place to eat, despite my GPS giving lots of choices. I missed a Culver's and couldn't find another, so we settled for Baskin Robbins. Turns out the one the GPS pointed us to was in a mall, so we ended up getting different choices from a food court to make everyone happy. For a poor economy and a late Saturday afternoon the place was absolutely packed. We made it back to Hyde Park around 6 where I caught up a bit with Bonnie and Jeffrey before messing around on my computer. Great day!

Radio City Skating Ya'll

When I moved to Chicago about 18 months ago, I only really knew one person here. Since then, other friends from times recent and past have moved to the city. I really need to find the time to hang out with more of them and haven't done a great job so far. Fortunately, Kevin's been a help here. He came up with the idea of bimonthly/monthly meals that he, Megha Bisarya (our Cary friend from high school), and I could share. Genius! After some deliberation we decided that today would be the day.

As you might know I'm not exactly the most social person, and thus my Friday evenings are typically low-key. Thus it was weird to suddenly have four different places I wanted to be on a Friday night: 1) dining with Aneta, Jeff, and Tim, 2) watching Tropic Thunder at movie night, 3) watching Battlestar with Matt, and 4) attending WBEZ/Chicago Public Radio's open house followed by ice-skating and dinner with Kevin and Megha. Naturally, I picked option 4.

I left lab surprisingly early (3:45) in order to catch a bus to Navy Pier by 5. WBEZ is lucky enough to broadcast from the most visited destination in all of Chicago (and the state of Illinois for that matter). Tim, my lab mate, thought an hour to get to the Pier was a bit excessive, but given the stifling traffic we encountered on Lakeshore Drive (also called LSD, hah) it took a solid hour to go about 9 miles. Yeah.

It took some hunting to find the studios at the Pier, but at last I got there. The party was just getting started. There was a swag table set up and the first thing I thought was "buttons!" I picked up several of those along with a Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me magnet, some bumper stickers, etc. They even provided bags to hold all the swag. How sweet. Mingling solo is easy for some people, but not for me. I just feel so awkward entering other people's conversations. I picked up a glass of 312 (brewed by Goose Island, a local brewery, and named after downtown Chicago's area code...click "no" for the 'are you over 21?' question on the website), and started wandering. I admired the (open) trophy case which housed an Emmy for This American Life, several Peabody awards, among other honors. Walked past the DJ from Sound Opinions and headed out onto the terrace to admire the view of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. Got over my awkwardness and joined a group of staffers. Talked to some people who work on fundraising and community outreach. Nice people!

Needed to warm up so I went back inside and started to see how far I could explore before someone said I shouldn't be there. Peeked into the lunchroom (nice vending machines) and as I passed some studios I saw a tour group heading into one. I slipped in behind the last person and got to visit a recording studio where live music acts play (complete with piano and fancily designed wood panelling for acoustics), another recording studio, and the main office area where pretty much everyone works. It's a giant cube farm with several nice flat-screen TVs posted around the walls. No one, not even the execs, has a doored office, just bigger cubes. It's a very egalitarian setup and apparently convenient for impromptu meetings. We got to meet Richard Steele, a longtime radio man and one of the hosts for EightForty-Eight (which I discovered just today was named after WBEZ's street address: 848 W Grand Ave). He talked about what it was like to work for WBEZ and some of the challenges the employees face by working (as opposed to just visiting) Navy Pier; food prices are astronomical, commuting can be a real pain, and all those tourists can be really annoying (and clueless) sometimes (example, people standing next to the ferris wheel and asking where it is). Seems a great guy.

I was supposed to meet up with Megha and Kev at 7 by Millennium Park so I left after the tour. It's a bit of a hike to get back to the Loop from the Pier, but it was a beautiful if chilly night and I had my camera. There's something about cities at night that I just love. The lights, the bustle, the way everything takes on this otherwordly look. Daytime means work, nighttime means play. I took my own sweet time walking down since I'm rarely downtown in the evening and just had to take advantage of the clear sky and shining moon. Please see facebook for the pics.

Finally met Megha at a Dunkin' Donuts where we chatted and waited for Kevin. By 7:15 we were at the skating rink in Millennium Park for its last week staying open (who knows, though, it might snow in April). The line was mercifully short and the rink not too busy so we got our skates and got laced up in no time (though Megha needed some help tightening hers). I don't consider myself a very good skater, Kevin's much better, but I felt good enough on the ice to move pretty quickly, smoothly, and confidently. I hate falling, while doing anything, so I'll never be great until I'm ready to get hurt. Oh well.

Skating was a blast. Kev thought it'd be a great idea to try swing dancing on ice and I agreed. Megha taped us with my camera and the result is hilarious if not terribly well executed. It's harder than it looks at the Olympics!

We stopped around 8:30, just before the ice was set to be zambonied, again, and took the El to Grand Ave to find a Mexican place, Su Casa, Megha suggested. We shared some dishes and had a nice conversation. There was a lot of food and while Megha and I were stuffed, Kev suggested we grab some ice cream from the Coldstone we passed on the way to the restaurant. We protested but agreed anyway, and naturally ate some of his minty chocolately delight (I don't remember what it was called but it was delicious). Coldstone kicked us out at 11 and we decided we should probably head to our respective homes.

All in all, it was a fabulous evening and I hope to repeat it soon!

AAAS Annual Meeting: Our Planet and its Life, part I

This year the American Association for the Advancement of Science, better known as AAAS and the publisher of Science magazine, a world-class journal that contains papers from vastly different fields of science (from astronomy to anthropology, psychology to physics, neurology to nanotechnology, etc) held its annual meeting in my very own Windy City. I got wind of the meeting from a university email that announced the meeting organizers were looking for student "session aides" to keep things running smoothly. In return for at least eight hours of aid, the aides would have their registration (normally $70 for students) paid for. Naturally, I immediately applied and was got a position a few days later.

The day the meeting started I attended a brief orientation session to find out what exactly I'd be doing and when. Simple things, though some people had dumb questions (I believe there are such things). But that always happens. Brooke Sylvester, a 4th year in my program, kindly gave me a ride home.

Friday is when the real fun started. I wasn't scheduled to perform my aide duties until Sunday so I had Fri and Sat free to explore the massive Hyatt Regency, pick up free swag, and of course attend interesting seminars on all kinds of neat topics. I first attended a seminar discussing AAAS's plans for "Year of Science 2009," basically a program that works to get schoolkids and the public in general interested in science. Some interesting comments, including emphasizing to students the non-linearity of science, especially in terms of the scientific method. Science is not always hypothesis-->experiment-->gather data-->draw conclusions, then rinse and repeat. Insights can come from unexpected places and science is more like a web of interlinked pieces in which new connections are made all the time. A neat site that has a picture of the "real scientific method." Science education is a big passion of mine and I was interested to see what the panel and attendees, including journalists, researchers, teachers, and students, had to say about the subject. Another interesting group is COPUS, or the "Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science." I got an idea for a "Rock-It Science Concert" that could be fun to stage here at UC. The last neat thing I pulled from this seminar was more info on "Science Cafes" which are informal sessions between scientists and the public that occur in public, non-academic places like coffee shops and bars. Ben Wiche from NOVA and WGBH in Boston described going into bars with a scientist and how he could get the attention of the bar patrons and engage them in a science topic they normally would probably never discuss. Takes a lot of guts to engage the public in such a direct way, but the payoff would totally be worth it! I get to host my own "junior" Science Cafe in May at UC.

The first plenary lecture was delivered by Dr. Sean Carroll of the Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Carroll is a very talented and famous evolutionarily biologist who has written and lectured extensively on evolution and Charles Darwin. 2009 is a special year for scientists, and in particular evolutionary biologists. This year we mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species" (by means of natural selection) by that great naturalist and celebrate what would have been his 200th birthday. As you can imagine, the meeting was something of a Darwin lovefest and Carroll's speech epitomized the reverence for the man, the theory, and as a nice touch, the other scientists, namely Alfred Wallace, and Henry Bates, who were friends of Darwin and supportive of his theory. Great lecture with some compelling stories about Bates and Wallace in particular (mishap- and adventure-filled treks through South America and Indonesia all in the name of science).

The headline for the evening was recent Nobel laureate and environmental champion Albert Gore. I'd already purchased tickets to see him at the Chicago Theater in April before hearing of this meeting, so I was thrilled to get a second chance to see Mr. Gore. I respected him as VP and like him even more for his campaigning on the behalf of scientifically sound environmental policy. Part of the lecture felt like Inconvienent Truth, Part II, while the rest was an impassioned and moving call to action to scientists to get them, rather us, more active in politics and their community. I've got videos posted on YouTube and some pictures on my Facebook page. Check them out!

Cruisin' V: Scuba Diving in Belize City, Belize

Overnight our ship cruised a short distance down the Yucatan Peninsula to reach Belize City, Belize. The country of Belize became independent from Britain only a short time ago, 1981. As such, it is quite a young country and appears to still be getting to its feet. Tourism is far and away the greatest source of income and a good portion of that industry takes advantage of the nation's beautiful beaches and spectacular marine treasures. One particularly well-known treasure is the Great Blue Hole, which, based on the picture on the link, is rather aptly named. Over 400 feet deep with much of the water inky black due to lack of sunlight, divers looking for real adventure head to Belize. Amateur divers like us, however, stick to the shallow reefs.

Having taken a scuba class at UNC my senior year, I've been pining for the chance to don a BCD (buoyancy control device), some fins, my mask, and play around underwater. When Sachi listed the possible excursions for the cruise, the one thing I insisted on was scuba diving. She made it happen. We arose earlier than usual after arriving in port, donned our swimsuits, and headed to the dive shop. A group of both experienced divers (as evidenced by their gear) and novices gathered and then got onto a smaller speedish boat right from the cruise ship. At an appreciable clip we pulled away from the Navigator and headed to an island scuba training camp. You really get a sense of how large the ship is when seeing it adrift at sea accompanied by a few other behemoths.

On the island we took a brief dive class where we signed our life away (oh liability forms), swore we were in perfect health, watched a video, and then boarded another boat. We reached a small sandbar where we donned our gear and practiced skills essential to get diving permission: 1) remove and replace the regulator (breathing apparatus), 2) remove own regulator, breath from buddy's reg, then replace buddy's with own reg (how to share air in an emergency, and 3) allow water to fill the mask and then clear it (very useful skill). Maybe there was another but I can't remember it. In any case, all but two of the ~20 divers passed (including all of us). Next stop, the reef!

The reef started at a depth of about 30 feet and extended another 10 feet down to the bottom, so our total depth was around 40 feet. Although the waves were quite choppy and it even rained for a little while, the sun was out and the water looked gorgeous. Far more beautiful, though, was the sight that first greeted my eyes when I jumped in. Aquamarine water with incredible visibility with greens and darker hues near the coral and plant life. I was the first of our group (us three + a UW undergrad we sort of befriended) to hit the water, so I hung out by a buoy until the rest jumped in. Their technique could have been better, especially concerning the mask. The trick is to hold it against your forehead with the heel of your palm when jumping in so that it doesn't get moved or even ripped off your head. Oh well, everyone made it in fine. We followed the guideline down slowly, equalizing pressure often. I felt like that last year and half hadn't even passed, it was so easy. We cruised around the reef and I managed to achieve neutral buoyancy which was my favorite skill to practice at school. The dive lasted about 30 minutes but it felt so much shorter. It was a thrill to move through the water with so little effort and be so close to plant and animal life otherwise inaccessible. Our poor friend had some trouble and had to surface early. Saket was next to leave and ended up a little low on air (breathing too fast!). I was last up and sad to go.

There were snacks and drinks on the boat, and we soon headed back to island. We grabbed a "lunch" of chips and salsa, then waited for the boat to take us back to our ship. It was early afternoon by the time we returned, so we met up with our parents, showered, then relaxed for a while before wandering a bit then eating dinner. After dinner we watched another fun song-and-dance show, then it was off to bed early. I can't wait to go diving again!

44.

Today, January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. The moment was historical for many reasons, and I enjoyed watching the proceedings with my colleagues and friends at school. Everyday we witness history in the making, but seldom do we recognize truly "historical" moments as they are happening.

As we watched his inaugural address, I could literally feel my lungs swelling with pride to hear Obama declare that America is ready to lead the world again. Some might argue we have been leading the world since the end of World War II, but I would hardly call the last eight years an example of leadership. From mishandled/misguided wars to negligent global trade and environmental policies to of domestic policy, George W. Bush and his administration failed America and its people, and they failed the world.

No longer will the world be so wary of America's might. The roots that bind America to the world will be nourished once more by policies that will put peace before pre-emption, cooperation before condescension, and freedom before fear.

Hello, world. The United States of America is back.

Hail to the Chief.

Cruisin' IV: Cozumel

This morning we pulled into Cozumel, Mexico. Rather sad that despite living in the South my whole life, and in Texas for almost ten years, it took a cruise to get me into Mexico. Frankly, I had no real desire to visit the country until now; not to hate on our neighbor to the south, but there are many places in this great world I would rather visit. But I digress...

We arrived in port early in the morn, and after a hearty breakfast we headed ashore. Naturally, the first thing we encountered was a mini town selling all kinds of souvenirs. Cruise ships seem to make port a good distance from both downtown and the major businesses. I'm sure practical nautical considerations are a factor here, but I can tell you taxi drivers certainly benefit from this arrangement. We hired a driver to take us to the Mayan ruins Cozumel, and Mexico in general for that matter, is famous for. The Mayan civilization is famous for its elaborate architecture, religious rituals, and famous prediction based on its calendar that the "End of Days" will occur on December 21, 2012. The driver waited for us while we explored the ruins:

You can see Saket walking off in the distance. This was an entrance to the complex.

We had arrived soon after the place opened so we managed to beat the crowds. A setting like this is best enjoyed in solitude. Mosquitoes proved to be our most significant companions and we were all bitten rather soundly. I noticed trilingual signs and tried to find out what the third language was (the first and last are clearly Spanish and English, respectively).

My hunch is that its a Mayan language (still spoken in some parts of Mexico), but I am not sure. After leaving the ruins we were on our way to the beach. Considering the tropical clime, Mom was just itching to get her hands on some fresh coconut and asked our driver where we could get some. Our driver had some sharp eyes (and good reflexes) and, sure enough, spotted a man selling coconuts by the road. With some deft whacks with his machete, Mom, Dad, and Saket were in coconut heaven:

Next stop: the beach. We ran into some difficulties when we tried to pay our driver. Unfortunately, we were a bit light on cash and of course there was no ATM at the beach. Travelers checks it was, except I was a fool and improperly signed mine; in any case I wouldn't have gotten cash for it since the retailers saw our distress and abused us roundly. They agreed to cash one check (if we bought something), but then claimed they didn't have enough cash for the second (after saying they did before we cashed the first one). That was upsetting, and we ended up tipping our driver enormously for the trouble we caused him. Anyway, the next hours were more pleasant. We enjoyed ourselves by relaxing, swimming, and eating some junk food (nachos, guacamole, beers, and margaritas) for lunch. The water gleamed like shimmering sapphires by the scintillating sand:

Finally it was time to return to our ship. We hung around for a little while in the shops picking up some swag. I finally bought a shark's teeth necklace beaded with red and black coral. I've been coveting a shark's teeth necklace ever since our trip to the Outer Banks in 2004. It's not that I don't like sharks. I think they're marvelous creatures and we should respect them instead of hunt them mercilessly. They are truly masters of the open seas, and I don't think I'm being hypocritical by wearing some of their teeth. These are creatures that practically shed teeth like we shed skin (okay, that's exaggerating but they do replace them quite frequently). You'll see that necklace in later pictures.

Back on the boat, we ate some snacks and lounged a bit before heading to dinner. For dessert, the ship was serving a "second dinner" of sorts up on the top deck that started around 11. It was a gorgeous spread and I could only convince myself to eat some dessert (coffee and vanilla ice cream). I also saw the most beautiful watermelon on the planet (next to an adorable eggplant penguin:
It was late after dessert, so we headed back to the staterooms for some rest. We were due in Belize City, Belize the next day and the three of us were scheduled to do some scuba diving, so a good rest was needed for all.

Cruisin' III: First Day at Sea

For some strange reason, I didn't sleep as soundly as I am wont, and found myself wide awake just after 7. This was a fortunate bout of insomnia on my part, since it meant I could witness my first sunrise over the open ocean.

And what a spectacle it was. Rosy-fingered dawn, indeed, couched on a bed of Carolina blue.

But, during the fifteen minutes in which I stood rapt on our balcony with my camera frequently held to my face, the sunrise soon turned into something spectacular:

Regretfully, sunrise never was so splendid for the remainder of our cruise. I will certainly treasure those solitary minutes with the sun for years to come.

After everyone had risen we breakfasted on a deck up high and set our exploring again. Dad, Sachi, and I found ourselves at the prow of the ship where we luxuriated in the sun and took some pictures.

It was very much a "Titanic" setting, and I'm sure many a passenger has found themselves compelled to shout (laughably) immortal words to the indifferent waves below. After enjoying the prow, I headed upstairs to see how high I could climb. Sachi and Dad went swimming while Saket sat in the sun to read. I'm rather at odds with the concept of swimming on a ship at sea, but I suppose it is an easy way to entertain a large number of passengers and keep them in close vicinity to virtually 24/7 bars.

We spent the rest of the day engaged in various activities, from watching some dodgeball tournaments to rock climbing and catching a variety show or two. Dinner that night was a swanky affair and we all got dressed up. There was free champage on the Promenade and it was nice to see everyone dressed so elegantly.

After dinner we attended a song-and-dance show that was quite good and then headed back to the stateroom to change. Some more wandering (and maybe some drinking too) and then we called it a night. We were set to arrive in Cozumel in the morning. We also found this as a present when we returned.
How sweet.

Cruisin' II: The Journey Begins

After unloading our gear, we headed up to Deck 11 (of fourteen decks) for lunch at the all-you-can-eat buffet style dining room. The cruise ship had many dining options from casual cafes to swanky sit-down restaurants featuring fare from all over the world.

After lunch we spent some time playing mini-golf,

and enjoying the view.

In compliance with federal (and no doubt international regulations), we had to assemble on the deck in full emergency regalia (i.e. a bright orange life vest properly worn) at 4:30 to go over emergency procedures. Unfortunately, due to either the crowd or the poor PA system, we hardly heard a thing the announcer said, so we just stood around and tried to stay comfortable in the hot sun.

Finally, the drill being over, we dropped our jackets at the stateroom and headed out for more exploration. The ship was rather large and there was much to see. We began by heading to the main deck, the Royal Promenade.

It looked almost exactly like a shopping mall, which makes sense since this is the place the cruise line wanted you to spend the most money. The deck was lined with shops, two cafes (well, one was free the other you had to pay for the coffee and ice cream), two bars, access to the casino below, and ended with our dining room, the Swan Lake Room. Dinner was pleasant, as we had two nice waiters attending us. The fare was pretty good with aesthetic presentation.

We shared a bottle of wine every night; something of an extravagance for our family.

After dinner, we split ways to either to relax and unpack in the stateroom or check our some karaoke. Instead of just relying on a computer for music, this night of karaoke featured a live band accompanying the singers. Ended up being an enjoyable show with some folks really strutting their stuff. Nearly the whole room (including us) joined in for "Hey Jude" sung by a couple in their later years. After karaoke I caught a little bit of the welcoming parade while Saket and saw us finally leave the shore on an upper deck (we were supposed to set sail at 5 but didn't leave until 11). That's about it for day 1!

Cruisin': Drive to Florida and Boarding the Ship

As you might know, my family loves to travel. Finding time to go places has become a bit challenging in the last couple of years since Saket and I have both moved out of the house and our schedules no longer align as often and as long as they once did. A cruise to some warm destination has been in the plans for many years now, and trip to the Caribbean even longer (an almost sure trip in 1998 was abandoned because I broke my wrist two weeks before we were to leave). This winter the stars (and planets, and comets, and other heavenly bodies) finally aligned and on Dec 14, after Saket and I flew back to NC from Chicago and Palo Alto, respectively, we began our drive to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The drive was easy and uneventful for me since, for once, I was exempt from driving duty. In order to save some money, and since I would seldom be using any of the family vehicles, we decided to take me off our auto insurance. As a result, I could still legally drive but would no longer be insured in case of a collision or other mishap. To be on the safe side, Dad thought it best that I stay away from the wheel. Hey, no complaints...I got to sleep and relax instead :).

As the temperature steadily increased and the flora changed from pine to palm, we found ourselves staying the night in St. Lucie, just a short ways from Ft. Lauderdale. Seeing all the Christmas decorations made me wonder what Floridians feel about the holiday. The near-universal portrayal of snow and sleighs must be a little disappointing for children used to temperatures in the 70s F and surfboards instead at that time of year. But since Santa isn't exactly part of the Christian tradition, I suppose there is nothing heretical about a well-tanned Santa in shades.

Our cruise-line-of-choice was Royal Caribbean. Rather, Sachi and my parents did all of the preparation for this trip, and for that I am profoundly grateful. Last quarter was rather trying for me and it was nice to able to embark on a vacation knowing everything was already well-planned out. Our ship was the Navigator of the Seas and it was a sight to behold. Boarding took some time because there were so many people, but by about 2 o'clock we were aboard and headed to our stateroom. The space was certainly smaller than your average hotel room, but well supplied and certainly adequate to our needs. We didn't plan on spending too much time in them after all.....

Obamamania

As many of you no doubt know, I am an avid supporter of now President-elect Barack Obama. Compared to friends like Saket and Mike (Lee), I was a little late in joining the Obamatrain simply because I did not know enough about then-candidate Obama at the end of 2007. It didn't take me long to become a fan and devoted supporter. I admire Barack Obama not only for his uplifting rhetoric, but his clear talent and vim for gathering the best minds together to tackle issue, and not surrounding himself with a coterie of yes-men and sycophants who lack both backbone and the will to approach matters objectively and intelligently (read George W. Bush). The star of the United States of America, my country and one of the finest nations on this great Earth, has lost much of its luster in the past decade, not just the last eight years. Compared to Bush, Clinton was a saint, but he left the White House smelling of scandal and shame that was later overpowered by the cloying odor of deeper and danker iniquities.

Enough of ranting at and criticizing the past. Every informed citizen of America knows how badly we need change in this country, and not just at the highest levels of government. I thought I'd draw up some lighter reasons why I like Barack Obama:

1. We live on the same street in Chicago (three blocks apart).
2. He likes to play Scrabble (my favorite game) and Texas Hold'Em poker.
3. He likes college basketball and placed the Tar Heels favorably in his bracket in the last tourney.
4. He is a family man who clearly cares deeply about his wife and daughters.
5. He likes to dance (and is pretty good at it)
6. He remains cool and unflustered even when under great pressure.
7. He worked at the University of Chicago (where I am a student).
8. He can take care of himself.

Enough with the adulation for now. Let's see if he can fulfill even a quarter of the promise's he and his campaign have made. I wish you all the best, (soon to be) President Barack Hussein Obama.

Other new summery/fall things

1. I got a bike! It's a Gary Fisher hybrid (between road and mountain bike) that goes easy over curbs and is easy on the eyes in a slick black and silver combination. I need to find a better helmet (the one I've got, free, makes me look silly) and a better lock (a little coil ain't good enough for HP).
2. I got (now president-elect) Barack Obama gear that I proudly wore during the Grant Park rally and which I proudly drink out of everyday.
3. I spent many hours reading about political news surrounding the conventions and all the election hoopla. A memorable moment from the Republican convention: the moderator (or whatever you call the speaker) asks if there are any other nominations besides John McCain, one man screams "Ron Paul!" and is quickly ignored as the moderator declares "with no other nominations..." Kinda  sad that a party so hellbent on protecting our freedoms should blithely ignore one of the fundamental ones. The man was clearly audible and yet not heard. How sad.
4. My laptop died and has since been replaced by a Lenovo SL400 Thinkpad. My old T40 may still be saved since the motherboard is apparently fried. After over five years of nearly unfailing service (only had to replace the fan and DVD drive once each), I will miss the machine that has traveled far with me and taken me places too numerous to count. Why so sentimental about a machine? Why do people weep when their cars finally die out on them?
5. Saket got me a really sweet new Nano!! It's a beautiful blue color and best of all, it comes with an inscription that only my brother would think of: "for Sapana, my favorite bear of all." ::tear::
6. B&J went on a semi-cross-country 10-day (and well-earned) vacation during which I successfully managed to keep all their plants (and myself) alive and not completely trash the apartment. Yay me! Funny too how my TV viewing increased dramatically during those days. As enthralling as the "boob tube" may be, it can never replace genuine company.
   
7. I saw WALL-E with Kevin and enjoyed the movie (though the fact that we saw the flick shortly before he had to leave for Champaign to attend his grandfather's funeral, may he rest in peace, did dampen my spirits more than a bit). Pixar continues to amaze me with the creativity and heart they put into their movies. I have seen them all except Cars which was the first to not excite my interest and, perhaps non-coincidentally, is also their worst-reviewed movie to date.
8. The Dark Knight was awesome. I only wished they had filmed some true IMAX shots of Batman swooping down over Gotham City. Alas.
9. I still can't believe I went skydiving.
10. I still can't believe my DAD went skydiving.
11. Nate came to visit! Totally awesome (something I really needed after my prelim experience), especially since the poor guy was sick most of the time, yet he was such a trooper. Hats off to anyone who can put up with my jabbering nonstop for an entire weekend. With a fever too. Oh, and we went to the temple by Obama's "mansion" for a brief yet interesting visit. The woman who let us in to another woman: "Can you show them around before service? Or maybe throw them out?" All this while we were standing there. Awkward! The temple is quite beautiful though and has an interesting history, much of which I've unfortunately forgotten. Oh well, as good an excuse as any to get past the security blockade in front of Obama's house!
    
12. Anything else? Only if I think of it.
    

Summer in the City

All right, so it's been quiet some time since I last updated this. Needless to say, I've been pretty tied up, but that's no excuse for not blogging, since blogging is what all the cool people are doing these days.

First I'll catch up on what's been going on since my family left Chicago back in June...in order of most recent to most...non-recent:

1) I completed my laboratory rotation with Dr. Ken Onel who I've discussed in an earlier post. The man is just awesome. I'll discuss my new lab mates in detail later, but just know they're a fun bunch and I look forward to working with them as long as they're in the lab.

2) I wrote and presented my prelim not just once, but twice since I wasn't exactly brilliant the first time. The second time went only a bit better, but rest assured I'm still in the program and will be just fine. It's nice to know i have such a supportive network of friends and colleagues to make sure I succeed. And it's really nice to know that I have an amazing advisor and supportive classmates who've always got my back.

3) I've discovered some new music (shocking, I know...I do listen to artists other than Sarah McLachlan). They're from different genres but some pretty neat stuff. Ken and I were talking about international music (I may have been discussing a Bollywood film) and he mentioned an artist named M.I.A. She was born in Sri Lanka but raised in the UK and has produced her albums from several different countries. I find it a little difficult to describe her music succinctly since it's definitely cross-genre material. It's rap/hip-hop based, with a dance infusion and hints of Bollywood drama and sounds. Anyway, you should check out her latest album "Kala." Another group I discovered through Pandora Radio (the "music genome project"; really a neat site that streams songs based on artists or genres you like. For example, I've created a "Sarah McLachlan" channel and so songs by Sarah and artists like her are streamed through there) is called Bond. I haven't looked much into them, but they're apparently a group of women who do classical music but in a rather funky modern way. A standout is "Shine" which has some Hindi lyrics (awesome). I like some modern classical-sounding stuff like E.S. Posthumous and Mythos, and these ladies fit in pretty well. The last new cool artist comes from the west side of Chi-town and his name is Lupe Fiasco. Saket attended a neat outdoor concert in SF to see Radiohead and got to hear this guy as well. A song of his, "Go Go Gadget Flow" made an impression on Saket by the craziness (and geekiness) of the lyrics and the energy with which Lupe and his band performed the song. So Saket sent me a YouTube link of his song and, impressed with his lyricism and sound, I downloaded his latest album off Ruckus. For someone who's not a big fan of rap, I was very impressed. Not only are the beats wicked, but most importantly the lyrics are so thoughtful and relevant it's hard not to like what you're listening to. How many rappers do you know can sing about AIDS in a way that's both tragic and beautiful (Streets On Fire) and also about child soldiers (Little Weapon)? Now this guy is definitely worth listening to.

4) I got to meet up with my aunt and cousins from India!! How cool is that? I found out just after my folks and sister left that my cousin Shweta, who's currently in her senior year at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (go Blue!). Finally, a chance to meet more family! As you may know, about 99% of our family lives in India still. The other 1% can be found in Canada (cousins of my mom and their families) and Houston (a niece of my dad's). We've only had a handful of chances to meet that 99% (and I've been lucky enough to see more of the folks in Canada than Saket or Sachi) due to the length and timing of the school year, my dad's work schedule, and the sheer expense and time committment it takes to make a family trip to India. Thankfully, now that we're no longer in traditional school binds, we can take trips more frequently. Nonetheless, our last trip as a family was nearly four years ago. But I digress.

You shouldn't need a special occasion to meet family, but we found a good one in any case. Shweta was working as an intern for Walgreens in Chicago for the summer and Archana Masi (aunt) and Shruti (Shweta's younger sister) were visiting her from India. The last time I remember talking to them was back in 2004 when Shweta was seriously considering coming to the US for college. I have to say I'm happy she decided to come, regardless of whether she'll consider settling here or moving back to India when she's got her degree in engineering/environmental studies. Since they were in Chicago (living in Evanston), and I am in Chicago, we decided to meet downtown at the Taste of Chicago. The Taste is a popular summer food festival featuring hundreds of local restaurants and eateries who give out "tastes" or small portions along with full servings of their iconic items. As you can imagine, there were lots of places serving deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and cheesecake, but a lot of ethnic food as well from Indian to Ethiopian and beyond. Despite a sky threatening rain, we enjoyed ourselves at the Taste eating tasty things (see what I did there?) and catching up on life since December 2004. I got to see them a couple more times before Masi and Shruti headed back to India when we saw The Dark Knight together at the IMAX theater at Navy Pier and when I came up to Evanston for pizza night at Kevin's place. I can't wait to see them again in India the next time we go (though who knows when that will be...)

Those are the main points of summer. Additional details in the next post.

Rest of Family Visit II: 19 Jun- 21 Jun

19 Jun: Thursday and it's time to visit more of the city. Dad had a meeting with a colleague for work so while he was at that, Sachi, Mom and I headed to the Sears Tower. Originally built by Sears Roebuck and Co. in 1973, the Sears Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world (110 stories for 1450 feet, 1725 if you count the antennas) and home to the offices of dozens of companies (no longer Sears though, they moved to the suburbs). It offers one of the finest views of Chicago from the top although some areas, like my Hyde Park, are nothing more than a blur even on good days. It is possible to see Indiana nearly everyday and even Michigan on the clearest days. We spent some time taking lots of pictures, then headed down to meet up with Dad at lunch. We ate at a Potbelly's in the Loop and then caught a bus south to the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park (maybe a dozen blocks from my university). The MSI complex was constructed as a temporary structure for the 1893 World's Fair, part of Chicago's famous "White City." Rain and the elements threatened to disintegrate the city until locals decided the buildings were worth maintaining and thus refurbished the structure into the museum it houses today. The classical Greek style of the columns and facade make the MSI a valued addition to Chicago's long history of architectural treasures.

The Museum was quite crowded since it was celebrating its 25th anniversary and thus decided not to charge an admission price. We spent a couple hours admiring the chicks, checking out some DNA exhibits, meandering through some naval and space history, and leaving rather abruptly given the fact that we were a little fatigued and Dad was getting a headache from the crowd and noise. It took quite a bit of time to catch a bus that would take us downtown but finally caught one back to the hotel. After resting and freshening up, it was time for dinner. We visited the "Star of Siam" just off State Street and it proved to be a delightful little Thai restaurant. I was especially impressed with the cushions in the middle of the room. It looked as though the diners were seated with legs crossed on level with the table (as though on the floor), but in fact they were sitting as normal; it was just that the cushions had table-shaped square holes cut through them to the floor, creating a hollow space for legs. I guess it would help to see the place, so come visit me sometime and I'll show you.

After dinner we stopped at Kevin's favorite used bookstore that happened to be right next door, and then caught a cab for Buckingham Fountain (it's more fun to see this fountain at night). A light and music show is put on so of course we stayed for that and I took many pictures. After a pleasant evening by the fountain, we caught a cab back to the hotel for some rest.

20 Jun: It's Friday and we're going skydiving! It's also Dad's birthday! What a day for adventure! We headed out early due west for Hinckley, IL, a tiny town with a big love of flying. Our destination was the Chicagoland Skydiving Center where Sachi, Dad, and I had booked a day with destiny. The weather started nice but as we waited for our class to begin and our instructors to arrive (at my insistence we had arrived ludicrously early, but to good effect as you'll see later), the sky turned gray and before we knew it rain was falling. Uh oh! Finally, our team arrived and just in time too the sky cleared. We watched a video with the other divers and were shown briefly how to properly deploy the chute and jump (Sachi got to demonstrate some moves for us). Operating the chute was optional; if we didn't our tandem instructor would do so.

In what seemed like no time, we were suiting up for our jump. All three of us elected to have a videographer/cameraman accompany our jump to record our freefall for posterity. As a result, we were quite a crowd bundling into the little airplane (3 of us, our 3 instructors, 3 videographers, 2 pilots, and 2 other divers from CSC). The ride up didn't take too long, and we chatted with our fellow divers as best we could over the roar of the engine and wind. Although I appeared calm and excited on the outside, I was secretly fighting nerves within. I trusted my instructor and the equipment, but you just never know...

All of a sudden, we were at about 14,000 fight. Since I was first to board, I was last to jump and got to watch as Sachi first and then Dad were escorted out of the plane and into thin air. Shuffling awkwardly with Eddie, my instructor, I found myself poised on the brink of the aircraft. My videographer (I only remember his first name started with a J, so I'll call him J) was already hanging off the plane, and before I could think to have second thoughts, Eddie was counting down and rock forward, rock back, and OUT!!

The next minute is largely a blur, but I remember the sudden rush of cold air, the roar of the wind, my mouth turning dry in an instant, and sheer exhiliration. As J expertly manuvered around us, I smiled and posed the best I could. He distracted me from any fears that may have arisen and as a result I mostly looked ahead and around instead of down. Eddie was fun too and he pulled some delightful poses. The fall was both fast and slow and in my last moments of freefall, I remember J spinning around like a top and my downward velocity reversed in an instant as the chute opened above us. The air became calmer immediately, and after the second chute opened and we glided a bit, Eddie said I could remove my goggles and just relax. I still had my contacts in, of course, so taking off goggles at 6,000 feet made me a little nervous, but the air was still so it was fine. We drifted for a few minutes admiring the view of the Illinois countryside (Chicago alas was too far away). I landed in a bit of a heap and after freeing myself from Eddie, triumphantly walked back to the hangar. Although I was last out, I managed to barely beat Dad and Sachi. No fair!

After getting our DVDs and paying, we headed back to the city. The whole adventure took about 6 hours (driving to and from, waiting, and diving) so we were hungry by the time we got back into town. The rain that had passed us had passed into Chicago so navigating the streets was a little harrowing, but we managed to find India House, a fabulous Indian restaurant that Bonnie and I had gone to with her friends to celebrate her birthday last October. The food was wonderful and after we said it was Dad's birthday, our waiter brought out a delicious dessert of kulfi (Indian ice cream), light cake, and orange slices.

After dinner we drove back to my apartment where we chatted with B&J a bit before I packed up things to send home and we got ready for bed.

21 Jun: This morning we ate brunch at the Mellow Mushroom (not the pizza place in Raleigh) along 53rd street. It's an old-timey breakfast place that serves omelets, waffles, pancakes, etc. After the hearty meal, it was straight back to the apartment for some final packing, directions, and then goodbye. Such a delightful visit filled with memories I shall treasure for years to come. I didn't do much the rest of day except check in with the family occasionally to make sure they were doing fine. Next trip...December!

Rest of Family Visit: 16 Jun- 18 Jun

To keep things brief and reasonably current, I'm going to sum up the rest of my family's visit to Chicago.

16 Jun: It's Monday and we're greeted by the first bout of rain in days. Fortunately, we had planned a trip to Devon today and since we didn't leave the hotel until almost 11, we managed to miss all the showers. Devon Avenue is essentially Little India (and I guess Little Pakistan...how 'bout Little South Asia?) located south of Evanston and north of Lakeview/Lincoln Park. The street is lined with shops selling everything Indian from sarees to sweets, aliments to accoutrement, and Bollywood CDs to chapatis. The sights and smells assault the senses and for a brief moment one can imagine being on the streets of Mumbai or Bangalore. We strolled around for some time, eating lunch in a couple of different small restaurants and checking out some music and cooking utensils in various shops.

After lunch we decided to head out to the western suburbs to visit the IKEA store in Schaumburg. This adventure took up most of the remaining day and concluded at an Olive Garden in the mall complex near the IKEA. I managed to stock up on some new clothing and found some things for the apartment (some sweet glasses and an organizer). It was back to the hotel after dinner.

17 Jun: Tuesday and we're off to Wisconsin for a couple of days. The Wisconsin Dells are much heralded for their beauty and affinity for water parks, so thanks to some research by my mom and sister, we headed there for a spell. Given the recent flooding in the area, accomodations were easy to secure so we focused on lunch and entertaining ourselves first. Lunch was at a festive Mexican restaurant overlooking a lake. I had a strawberry-mango margarita that was about the size of my head and quite delicious. After lunch we booked ourselves a Duck tour and river boat ride. The "ducks" are amphibious vehicles that were employed during WWII to ferry soldiers to shore from the warships that could not approach the coast thanks to various obstacles such as mines and artificial barrier reefs. Many of these vehicles have since been co-opted into entertainment vehicles that allow civilians, like ourselves, to ride around in them on land and on the water. The river boat ride, although longer and more scenic, did not have the same novelty as an amphibious boat. Alas.

After our boating adventures, it was time for dinner. Thanks to our GPS, we selected a pizza place near the hotel. It quickly became apparent that this place was popular with the locals, though we were seated astonishingly quickly upon arrival, despite the crowd waiting in the foyer. Maybe it was my Indiana Jones hat. Dinner was delicious and a satisfying end to a long day.

18 Jun: Wednesday and it's time to head back to the city. On our way, we did what every real visitor to Wisconsin must do. Visit a cheese factory! (Green Bay Packers fans are not called "cheeseheads" for nothin'). The one we chose was both open to visitors, offered a tour, and was not too far out of our way back south. Perfect. The manager generously gave us about 40 minutes of his time to explain the cheesemaking process and though we didn't get a walk-around tour, he pointed out through the window step-by-step what was transpiring on the floor. Naturally, we bought about five pounds of the cheese including a few bags of "cheese curds", a favorite treat with locals (if it's not squeaky, it's not really fresh!).

Our Wisconsin experience was not complete without a stop at a Culver's restaurant. For those on the West Coast, Culver's is much like an In N' Out burger. I don't know the equivalent on the East Coast. Perhaps a Cook Out for you NC folks. In any case, it's a popular chain that serves comfort food from burgers to fries to various ice cream treats (ice cream is another thing you simply must try in Wisconsin. A state that has that many cows must have good cheese and ice cream. Beer factors in as well, but that's because there's so much leftover grain from feeding all those cows :) ). We ordered conservatively at first, but after some prodding from our cashier, our order rapidly expanded until she was convinced we'd order half the menu. It was delicious.

Finally, back to the city. We stopped in Evanston to pick up Kevin since it's a tradition that we always have to take him out for food when the family's in town. Works out well for him, eh? We moved from our hotel out in the burbs to one right smack in downtown that we got at a deep discount thanks to it's grand opening. After settling down, we walked out to catch a trolley to Navy Pier. Navy Pier, as the name implies, was originally established as a commerical enterprise that also served military purposes during the Second World War. Since it's on a great lake (and not the ocean like naval bases in Maryland and Virginia), the utility was necessarily limited and Navy Pier is long past it's naval days and now the most popular destination in all of Chicago. Taking about 40 minutes to walk up and down, the Pier is a treat for the senses. Lined with food stalls and entertainment options, it's a great place for kids and adults alike on a sunny summer afternoon. There's a Ferris Wheel for those who want a nice view of the Chicago skyline and an IMAX theater for those who prefer to soar to new heights more passively.

After a stroll along the pier, it was time to think dinner. Kevin recommended Khyber Pass, an Indian restaurant he and his Northwestern friends had visited some time earlier. The food was decent, but the service rather deplorable considering we were some of the only guestst that night. Oh well. The real treat came after dinner as we caught the fireworks display from the Pier. The show is put on every Wednesday and Saturday and is beautiful if rather (understandably) brief. We bid Kevin farewell by the river and then headed back to the hotel.

Sunday, 15 Jun cont

So now we're at Second City. Before we left the field, Sachi made an important discovery. She realized that she had only purchased 3 tickets for the show instead of 4 after being used to counting in terms of three for so long. Oops! While she was on the phone, my folks and I discussed who would get left behind while the others watched the show. Turns out, we didn't have to resort to drawing straws since Sachi was able to acquire one more ticket. Disaster averted!

On to the show. The troupe was hilarious as expected, regaling us with funny takes on what it's like to live in Chicago (from the Lakeshore Drive "rollercoaster" to the different attributes of Chicago neighborhoods) as well as some digs at politicians and entertainment celebrities (most notably R. Kelly). At one point, in a song discussing how our stereotypes tend to be confirmed whether we like them to or not, the singers reached their "Indians always smell like curry" line. The four of us were seated rather conspicuously near the front and naturally the singers looked at us significantly during that line. It was hilarious (and you know we do, that stereotype is totally true. Along with Indians being super smart and able to break into song and dance on a whim).

After the show, we caught a belated dinner at a little Mexican place in Lincoln Park that was fortunately still open. From there it was back to the hotel for some rest.

Congratulations Michael Phelps!

I will return to my story (related belatedly) shortly. First, a quick Olympic update and tribute to a man many are calling "the greatest Olympian of all time".

Citius, Altius, Fortius.

During this past week, I have been fortunate to watch Olympic history being made in Beijing, China. Ever since the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, I have been a huge fan of the Olympic Games (hence referred to as OG for simplicity's sake). I have diligently watched every OG: Atlanta, Nagano, Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, Torino, and now Beijing, whether I've been in Round Rock (TX), Cary (NC), London (England), or Chicago (IL). Not being very athletic myself, excellence in sport is something I have long admired in my friends, countrymen, and fellow human beings. The OG offers a chance every two years to witness arguably the highest form of such excellence in sport in the world and I don't want to miss a minute of it if I can help it. I love how the Olympics brings the world together and asks all of those participating and watching to seek the best in themselves. For these all-too-brief fortnights, conflicts can (mostly) be put on hold, disputes delayed, and patriotism rekindled.

Faster, higher, stronger. These adjectives, the motto of the OG, also embody the goal of each Olympic athlete to achieve the superlative of each: fastest, highest, and strongest. This week in Beijing the world has witnessed what may be considered the greatest single performance at an OG:

American swimmer Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals in eight events (5 individual and 3 team), 7 of those in world-record time and the last in Olympic record time.

Yes, he is perhaps the most overexposed athlete so far of these Games. We know what he eats, when he sleeps, what he wears, and how he trains. But we still don't know how he did it. How he made history for the most number of gold medals won at a single Games, winter or summer. How they were all in record time. How they all took place over the course of just nine days. And most of all, how he made many of them look so easy. Was it the new LAZR suit from Speedo? Was it the "faster" pool in Beijing? Was he sent from the future to compete with mere mortals today? Whatever it was, however he did it, we know one thing for sure: Michael Phelps is an incredible athlete and has set a new benchmark many will admire and others will aspire to surpass. Congratulations Mr. Phelps. I hope to see you shine again four years from now in London.

On the Olympics in general:

The modern games, begun in 1896 in Athens, Greece, involve the traditional Olympian events such as the marathon, wrestling, and running, and also include various point-based sports such as soccer, basketball, handball, water polo, etc, as well as more subjective events such as gymnastics and figure skating.

The latter two, as much as I (and millions of others) enjoy watching them, should not be Olympic sports in their current form. Although these athletes are superb at what they do, from leaping into the air and performing dizzying spins to pulling an "iron cross," the ultimate gymnastics feat-of-strength, the judging and subjectivity involved in determining the best performance is just too much to be called a "sport." Real sports are by and large objective; the most (or least) points, the fastest time, the highest height, the heaviest weight, etc. The only subjectivity permissible should come from judging penalties. (For that matter, cheerleading is an athletic activity too, but not a sport).

If I had it my way, the IOC would determine fixed routines of different levels, say "easy," "medium," and "hard." For example, of the four apparatus on which the women gymnasts compete (floor, balance beam, uneven bars, and vault), only the floor would be open to "free expression" or a routine entirely of the athlete's choosing (this would encourage and reward creativity). Athletes can pick any combination of difficulties, from all easy to all hard and everything in between. By having everyone compete from the same pool of routines, each performance can be compared more objectively with the others. For some people, such a competition would be more boring (most likely current gymnasts and former gymnasts who are commentators for gymnastics events). Frankly, most spectators cannot tell the difference between the skills of one routine and the next, but can usually tell the difference between a well or poorly executed routine. Given this observation, people viewing these events will still be entertained and the athletes will be judged more fairly. This system could also be implemented for the men's gymnastics and both men and women's figure skating for the winter Games.

But after all, who am I to judge how Olympic events should be run? I am no gymnast, figure skater, swimmer, skier, hurdler, luger, wrestler, bobsledder, pole vaulter, or athlete period. I do love the Olympic Games, however, and believe that such displays of amazing athleticism should be rewarded with as little bias as possible.