Pina Coladas, Strawberry Daiquiris, and Sunsets

Yesterday and today have been beach days. I got up early Saturday to take my car in for an oil change but alas, island time has prevailed. The appointment I had set up fell through because the mechanic suddenly remembered that he cycled every Saturday and forgot to mention that at the time of making the said appointment. Errrm, okay?

What else was there left for me to do except to hit up the beaches? So...I did some more exploring. I found a beach super close to

my apartment and it's incredibly deserted and quiet with just one beach chair set out. Perfecccct.

I hit up a few more beaches but my fave is one that has a nice bar right next to it with water beds set out everywhere. I had the best pina colada there that I've ever had in my life followed by a strawberry daiquiri. Yum!

In short, the beaches are gorgeous. I itch badly everywhere though. Not all the itches are mosquito bites. I'm hoping it's just my body adapting to the weather here.

Orientation is tomorrow at 8:30 am. Hope it goes well! :)

Read More

Monkey Crossing

This morning I got up early and went to town to take care of all the technical work for transferring the car to my name and getting my license plate and insurance. I'm legit now. I named my car Liberty. She gives me a whole new sense of freedom. I hate relying on other people to get around and groceries and such on a public bus or a cramped up car/van is such a hassle. Luckily for me, I was able to bypass all that. Unfortunately, gas is super expensive down here. I want to drive as little as possible as the whole point of being down here is to save money on med school. Island life is expensive! As much as I love helping people out and giving rides, I really cannot afford to do that anymore. After groceries here and spending $70 USD to fill up my car....no way in hell can I retain my old ways of life. I used to eat out a lot during undergrad. Maybe it's good there are no Taco Bells and Panda Expresses here. Just can't get in a bad habit of blowing money. But I will definitely enjoy myself every now and then. This place is too pretty to pass up on the beaches and what not.

Tomorrow morning, or rather later today as it's already past midnight, I'm going to change Liberty's oil and hopefully hit up a beach and chill with a drink or two. I'm so bummed I left behind my Canon Rebel. This place is gorgeous and it woulda made for some amazing shots. But no worries. I'll grab it in November.

I learned today that monkeys were brought to Nevis from the French who came here to grow sugar cane. Now the monkeys are everywhere and I couldn't help but smile when I saw this sign on the side of the road as I drove past a monkey darting across. Forget squirrels and chickens. Why did the monkey cross the road? I have no idea but it was funny. I think I can make this place work out for me. :)

Read More

Initial Thoughts

Nevis has not changed much since my visit back a year ago to tour the campus but I had a different take on it this time around. When I came in 2010, it was, in a way, a school visit and a small vacay tied into one. I knew I'd most likely find myself in St. Kitts & Nevis again a year later, but it wasn't for sure. With vacays, you get a feel for what a place is all about but you know at the end of the day, you'll be heading home soon enough. You don't need to adjust for long, per se.

Now that I'm here to live, to reside, to go to class... A whole different look. I started missing America the second my dad and I got into San Juan, Puerto Rico and I paid $10.75 for a small personal pan pizza at the airport Domino's. Airports are always expensive, right? No biggie... Nah. Wrong! I realized it wasn't a dream in 2010 when we checked out the grocery stores here and a frozen pizza was $17. Everything is 5x as expensive here as it would be back in the States and that's saying a lot, seeing as I'm from California, one of costlier states. When I think about it, it makes sense....getting food out here, especially frozen goodies and things that expire quickly (milk, fruits, dairy) in a decent condition is hard. I paid $5.28 for a gallon of gas today.

Speaking of which... My second full day on the island and I'm already on wheels. Translation? I BOUGHT A CAR! Yessss! That was my main concern about the island--getting around. Everything is spaced out and as a busy student, it'll help me out tremendously to have a car. Granted, my car is old, very old. From the 90s and it certainly doesn't look very pretty but I had it checked out by a second mechanic and I got the thumbs up. I can get to and from campus with ease now. It would have been a 25-30 min walk, but now I can drive over in 3 minutes. Me gusta. Now I can get groceries with ease. No need to buy mass amounts of food and watch things rot and spoil when the power goes out. Which, apparently, it frequently does. It went out today for 3 hours. Reminded me of India.

On a side note, I have to thank my father for all his love and support. He accompanied me here and he did everything he could to make my transition to island life as smooth as possible. I mean, who gets their child a car on Day 2!? He was only here for one full day and two half days and he's already gone. I miss him but I cant dwell on how alone I feel here. School will start up soon and I'm sure I'll be kept busy. I'll just work at making good grades so his money will be well spent. :)

Anyways, I've been kept incredibly busy since we landed on the 23rd at 3:30 pm. We got quite a lot done. I bought a fan, got my phone down here figured out, checked out the bank and withdrew moolah, explored the island, bought a car, had it inspected by a mechanic, got groceries, and unpacked all my goodness. My dad and I even timed the walk from my place to campus. 23 min and 57 seconds. Haha! But I guess this car will make my life here a lot easier. I've got nothing to complain about. The expenses blow but that's life. I tried to go to med school for cheaper but of course I should figured that island life prices would factor in. Silly Pallavi!

Pics soon. More on my place soon. More about the goats that baa and annoy the hell outta me soon every morning. For now, I think I may take a power nap.

Read More

The Last....Hour?

Final hour in the States before boarding for San Juan, Puerto Rico to ultimately end up at Nevis. We boarded from SFO at 8:50 pm (Pacific time) and got into MIA at 4:50 am (eastern time). I slept for about an hour on the flight and am red eyed. Hurray! I don't think it's completely sunk in, to be honest...the whole loving to a tropical island thing. I just feel like summer break is over and I'm headed back to school, to FSU. It doesn't help that I'm at the MIA airport, the airport I always fly into from SFO to get back to Tallahassee for college classes. But of course, this time, there are subtle differences. Such as my dad snoozing two seats down from me and the fact that we checked in four huge suitcases. I wouldn't have my father accompanying me if I were just going back to FSU nor would I have so much luggage. Still, it feels unreal.

I had McDonald's yesterday for a snack and it hit me...wow, this might be my last fastfood outing for awhile. It was my final night to sleep in my queen sized bed. The last time to drive Priya, my Prius, which I now handed over to my little brother. This will be the last time I have my US phone number (which my brother will also be taking over). But those are all superficial things, right? Of course they are. But I still know I'll come to miss just hopping in my car and going for a drive or swinging through drive-thru for a smoothie. I'll miss America and all her conveniences but I have to stay focused and remember why I'm going to Nevis. I'm going to school to study to become a doctor. It's my dream and I know myself very well. Med school will stress me out. What better place to be than a tropical Caribbean island when stressed out? Time will tell. Classes will start soon enough and I'll be meeting my classmates. The people I'll have classes with for the next few semesters. I guess we'll be making this portion of the journey together.

One thing I am looking forward to...being away from my family. They drive me loco. But unfortunately for me, I somehow feel sad looking over at my sleeping father who will soon not be at my side. We will again be thousands and thousands of miles away from each other. I guess....I will miss him and my crazy family.

Read More

Starbuck's Secrets

This post has absolutely nothing to do with school or my preparation for it. I decided to take a break from that.

I'm not the world's largest Starbucks fan (too expensive for me!), but it is delicious. In June, my friend Susan and I met up at a Starbucks to catch up. She ordered a Captain Crunch Frappuccino. I don't know the Starbucks menu in and out, but a quick glance through didn't reveal what she'd just asked for. Apparently, it's a secret item. Upon trying a sip of her frapp, I found it actually did taste like the cereal. What's in it? It's a combination of hazelnut syrup (and perhaps toffee nut?) in a Strawberries and Creme Frapp.

Since then, I found there were many other secret items that could be ordered such as a:

• Green Eye - has 3 shots of espresso in your coffee
• Dirty Chai - A chai latte, hot or iced, with a shot of espresso added in (or a Double Dirty or Extra Dirty Chai if you get it with two shots of espresso)
• Zebra Mocha - Also called a Penguin Mocha; this drink combines the white chocolate mocha with the regular mocha for those who can't ever decide. To take it to the next level, ask to have raspberry flavoring added for something called the "Red Tux" Mocha.
• Chocolate Dalmatian - This is a White Chocolate Mocha with java and choclate chips sprinkled in.
• Cake Batter Frappuccino - There's actually no cake batter in this, it's just vanilla and almond syrup to a Vanilla Frapp.
• "Short" Drink - The Tall drink's smaller, less expensive younger brother.

I'm sure there are more secret items, but these are the ones I've discovered since my catch up with Susan. Let me know if you know of any others. :)

Read More

The Sleepies

So I leave for St. Kitts and Nevis in approximately 6 days, give our take a few hours. I am mostly all packed up, with an exception of a few random carry-on items and my external hard drive. I am absolutely 100% ready to leave home. I feel stagnant here and boxed in by my parents' constant nagging. I know once I start school, I'll miss not having had to study for 3.5 months, but at the moment, I'm ready to embrace school.

My dad and I leave out of the SFO airport on August 22nd at around 6 pm. We should arrive at St. Kitts the following day at 1:45ish pm. The layout of the journey? San Francisco > Miami > San Juan, Puerto Rico > St. Kitts > Ferry to Nevis > My Apartment! My dad will help me settle in until the 25th and then I'm on my own. Yippy! :)

I'm taking down 4 large check in bags and 4 carry-ons. This is, of course, the combined luggage between my dad and I. I left out quite a bit when packing. I can't believe how much I trimmed off, but it still surmounted to more luggage than I intended. Ay dios mio...

I'll be giving my brother my SIM card to my US phone, so kindly don't call/text that anymore after August 17, aka tomorrow.

I've been very restless but sleepy the past few days. Maybe it's all the nerves building up to the move or maybe it's simply the stress of being home? I know this is odd, but I really do not like being tied down at home. My parents, due to our culture clash, do not understand me and my desire to grow beyond textbooks and school. In short, school could not come any quicker! Nerd? Yeah, I'd say so. ;)

Read More

Packing

Now the MCAT is done with, all I have to "do" really, is pack for med school. At the time of this post, I have 11.5 days remaining until I leave California for the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.

My life is about to do a 180 degree rotation. The life I have here in the States is about to be exchanged for island life. But laid back island life as a med student!? That on its own is a whole different spin on "paradise".

I know I'll have to work to make Nevis my home, but I have no doubts I will be happier upon settling in and having a place to call my own. A place where I can once again, since the start of college, branch out and have a new start all to myself. It's time to go.

Read More

Sugar Coated Lies

That's what most people are filled with. Sadly. Sugar coated lies. :(

Read More

Hectic Day

What an absolutely insane morning it's been! I woke up multiple times throughout the night, which is, of course, a bad sign. I woke up a minute before my alarm went off, but STILL stayed in bed.

I finally get out of bed at 9, class at 9:30, and I rush through my morning routine. Looks like I'm good on time. But of course, as luck would have it, I can't find my keys!!

I searched everywhere, turned my clean apartment into a mess. Everything was upside down. No keys. Called the apartment office and asked if someone had turned in any keys. No luck.

I'd already missed 15 minutes of class.

Read More

Honey Badger!

Looove this video.

Honey Badger!

That is all. :)

Read More

Deja Vu

As I go through my day, every once in awhile, I stumble across some random topic and find myself daydreaming in class trying to come up with answers. Unfortunately, I never seem to remember my questions afterwards for when I'm in front of my Mac, but for the times that I do recall said questions, I decided I'd share my online research at home with everyone. Who knows, maybe you've wondered the same things I have... I'll cite my sources at the end, but don't hold anything I say as solid facts or even recent research. I'm just doing this for fun, as odd as it is.

I happened to have a feeling of "deja vu" today. That got me thinking...what's the science behind this concept, if there is any? And if there is no science...does that support the idea of reincarnation and recollecting memories and experiences?

What is "deja vu"?

The direct translation is "already seen" in French. Pretty simple concept. Those who have experienced deja vu describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that really shouldn't be so familiar at all. Let's say you've never been to India before. You enter a temple with a tour group and all of ausdden, out of nowhere, you feel that you've already been in that very same spot. Or you're having lunch with a group of friends and discussing the current news you saw on TV and once again, that feeling of already having "been there, done that" hits you; same people, same topic, same place. This is deja vu.

Are there types of deja vu?

Apparently there are.

Deja Senti: This feeling refers to something 'already felt'. It is a mental phenomenon and researchers believe that something felt in the past is very similar to that felt in the present. This similarity in the two experiences makes a person feel that he/she has felt the same way in the past.

Deja Vecu: A feeling that everything that is happening currently is identical to what had happened before and a strange idea about what is going to happen next, is termed as Deja Vecu. A person experiencing a Deja vecu feeling claims to know what is going to happen in near future and often feels to have remembered it.

Deja Visite: This form of Deja vu is a feeling of having visited a completely new place. A person experiencing this form of Deja vu claims to have knowledge of an unvisited place. One claims to be well aware of the geography of a place, when the person has never been there in reality. Deja Visite is characterized by a weird know-how of a spot one has never ever visited.

Is there science behind deja vu?

Researchers have looked into assciating deja vu with conditions such as schizophrenia, anxiety and even other neurological disorders, but no solid association has been found.

It has been found that this phenomena could be the result of the mal-functioning of the electrical system of the brain. In this sense, deja vu would be nothing more than an incorrect sensation of memory. Certain medicines are believed as being held responsible. Drugs such as amantadine and phenylpropanolamine have been observed to cause the feelings of deja vu. Certain medical drugs can cause hyperdopaminergic action in the mesial temporal areas of the brain, resulting in deja vu.

As we all know, the human brain is fascinatingly complex. Deja vu might be the tendency of the brain to derive associations between different situations. The brain often tries to experimentally reproduce a situation that it has never faced before. Thus one's own anticipation of a certain incident may make the person think he/she has already encountered a similar experience in the past.

Personally, I think this theory has some solid ground. It may be that one of the human eyes perceives a certain thing before the other. Simply put, one eye records the incident earlier; the other eye, which records the same incident milliseconds later, makes the brain get a feeling of recollection. One eye perceives something and the brain interprets it. The eye that lags in time by a few milliseconds perceives the same thing and sends the image to the brain. As the brain perceives the same thing milliseconds later, the person senses it as having seen it before. This can't be completely accurate as even people with a single eye claim to have experienced deja vu.

Then again, some people don't associate deja vu with science or logic at all. For many, it supports the beliefs of reincarnation and even having psychic abilities to detect the past and the future.

So what do you think? Science or not?

Sources:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-deja-vu.html

Read More

Stuck in a Rut

My dad came and visited me for the weekend. He left this morning. I wasn't too excited when he first got in; I was in an odd mood. Now that he's gone, I feel kinda bummed out.

My room is super clean. That makes me happy.

Thinking about staying in Tally until the end of May to just live life for me. Maybe hit up some beaches with my camera. Not sure at the moment.

I've just been stuck in a rut lately. I need to get outta this whack mood.

Read More

Med School

So January 31, 2011, I heard back from MUA. Looks like I'm in for starting classes this August. How insane! I'm a little late writing about it, but I look forward to it....and kinda....don't. More studying?? I guess that's just life though.

Weather has been rather bleak in Tally. Drizzly rain on and off. Took advantage of the weather's crappiness and cleared out half of my room. Shipped off four boxes back home to the west coast. Feels good to clear up my room. Drive back home is gonna be sick. Just me, myself, and I. And maybe some deadmau5 and Shakira. Haha!

I think about things to blog about as I go through my week, but then I never can remember when I get home. Unfortunately, this is all I feel up to for right now. Nap time!

Read More

Box of Chocolates

So my father knows I love Ferrero Rochers. You know what those are, right?

Anyways, for Christmas, someone gifted him with a box of two dozen! I was home in California at the time, with the family. Knowing that I loved them so, he managed to save 16 of them for me. This is a tricky feat. My mother and brother don't let chocolates linger around the house for more than a day or two. I like to savor my chocolate and have one a day as a treat.

Well, he packed them up neatly in a jar for me and tucked it away in my carry-on suitcase so when I got to my apartment in Florida, I had a sweet surprise awaited...literally.

So now I reward myself with one at the end of each productive day. Five bonbons remain. Thus I can safely say I've had eleven productive days.

Today hasn't been fairly productive, but I think I might go have one anyways. Thanks Dad! :)

Read More

Tiring Tuesday

Today has been just another one of those days in passing. Nothing unique to blog about, per se. But I do have this thought to mull over tonight-- If I want to be apart of one of my professor's research work. It'd be concerning tracking eye movements while reading working around 60 hours over the course of 4 weeks. If I want a chance at participating, and eventually getting a solid letter of rec, I'd need to email him by tonight. There are 5 other students who'd be competing for it as well... I just have a lot of free time on my hands and thought this would be something productive to fill my schedule up with.

Well, that's it for today. So...in other news, that's a sweet shot of Kuanidup Island from the San Blas Islands. It has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but of course I drifted there in my mind many a times today.

Read More

Hindus and Cows

Instead of writing about my day today, I'm going to answer a question I get asked probably twice or so a week.

Do Hindus worship cows? Why are cows seen as gods in India?

Both of the ideas presented in the questions above are wrong. Hindus do not worship cows nor do we view them as a god or gods.

So, why then do Indians not eat beef?

The above question is a good one, but a correction must be made here as well. Hindus do not eat beef; Indians, however, are simply people from India and are free to eat what they please. Not consuming beef is a religious concept, therefore it is associated with Hindus and not Indians.

Moving along... The cow is seen as a mother. That sounds whack, right? There's a story behind everything and this is no different. If you're familiar with Indian gods (which is also another incorrect statement, but I'll save that for another post), you might be familiar with Lord Krishna. He's the blue fellow who enjoys eating butter 24/7. Anyways, one day, the little Lord was lost in the woods. Many days passed and the little boy grew hungry beyond means. Just in time, a nursing cow happened to cross his path. Sensing the little Lord's distress, she suckled him with her own little calf, treating him like family. The lord never forgot what the cow had done. From that day forth, he deemed that cows never be harmed for because of the cow, Krishna was able to survive.

So that's the story, ladies and gentlemen. But if that's not enough for ya... The cow is seen as the ultimate giver to us humans. For many, the milk the cow provides is not only a source of calcium, but a source of income. Milk is essential in India throughout one's life, it's almost as if it's the new water. My own grandparents (who live in India) sell the extra milk their cows make for profit. Indirectly, other key products/ingredients such as yogurt and butter/ghee also come from the cow's milk.

In addition to milk, the cow also provides (warning, this is not for the weak hearted) its dung. Okay, that sounds lame, right? Cow dung actually has many useful purposes. Not only can it be used for construction of houses/buildings, but it can be used for flooring. That doesn't make sense, I know. Let me explain... Cow dung is rather sanitary and is often used in Hindu ritual ceremonies. The "dot" Hindus wear...in some religious functions, the dung, after burned and made into a powdery-like substance, is worn as a bindi (the forehead marking). Back to the flooring, the dung is seen as a natural cleanser. After the heavy rains, Hindus will often spread cow dung over the dry earth of their yards. When it dries and hardens, it makes for smooth flooring. What other purposes can cow dung possibly serve? Fire! That's right folks, cow dung is better than firewood when it comes to fuel purposes; it's a key source of energy for many homes.

So there you have it-- because the cow is constantly giving and never expecting anything in return, they're seen as symbols of the other; AKA "mothers of the earth". Hindus see cows as an extension, or a gift from God. It makes perfect sense why we would not consume beef.

So the next time you hear a Hindu being asked this question, step up with the TRUE answer. :)

Read More

1/11/11!

First off, it's 1/11/11. And you know what that means... If you know me at all, you know that I have an obsession with 11:11, and 12:34 and fun dates such as 1/11/11, so make a wish. :)

Next... Tigers > Ducks! What a joyous day! Auburn took down Oregon in the SEC Championship game to claim the title! For those who may not know (aka most people), I was born in Auburn and my dad got his Ph.D. at Auburn University. So by default, I have a soft spot for the team (and for Cam Newton!). But they really have played wonderfully this season. Pulling games literally outta nowhere, winning last minute. After 53 years, Auburn has finally made it back to the top. Congrats, Tigers! War Eagle!

Almost 2 am. I dunno how this keeps happening. I feel sleepy, to be honest, but for some reason, don't want to sleep. I'm doing this to myself. There's nothing amazing about staying up late when you have classes in the AM.

I always thought I'd be content with an empty schedule. I beg to differ at this point. Just look at it. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the elusive FOUR DAY weekend. Yes, it's true... It's possible. I'm not used to having this kind of spare time on my hands. So what's my plan? To busy myself, of course. I began job hunting a few days ago and am in the process of securing an internship at the hospital. That should help to alleviate my problem. But at this rate, I might hafta create roadtrips or something to keep mysef occupied. It's weird being a last semester senior and realizing this is it... All my friends seem to have already graduated or have full course loads. Med school is around the corner, hopefully, so I need to get crackin' on the MCAT. I guess I have ways to keep myself busy. But with no reinforcement, I can see nothing getting done. I'm gonna hafta crack down on myself, or else I'll go insane with the all the time on my hands.

I've never been good at keeping up with this, but here's to a new year, a new decade. More frequent blogging, perhaps!

Read More

2011 - New Year's Resolutions

I'm always kinda late on the uptake, but as always, I like to churn out a resolution or two. Here's the line up for 2011.

1. Get a part time job.

2. Secure a volunteer position in a hospital/clinical setting.

3. Practice photography with the DSLR.

4. Love myself more!

5. Begin my medical education.

6. Stop caring what others think as much; be a little more greedy.

7. Distance myself from my phone and the internet.

So let's see, that's what I had in mind for this year's goals. Since I brainstormed the above, I've already accomplished #2! In the midst of securing my internship at Tallahssee Memorial Hospital right now. I'm off to a good start, I'd say.

Full day of classes tomorrow. Hopefully, I do the right thing and go to bed before midnight tonight. Bad habit of mine; staying up with no purpose. Maybe there will be something good playing on the dream channel tonight...

Read More