I had my first day of classes on Thursday. I'm taking 7 courses this first quarter (one of them is an online course - Fundamentals of Epidemiology), and had 3 of them this week. You know, I really like them so far. The professors seem great and the material really interesting and well-presented. The only thing is figuring how to navigate the Hopkins online systems - there are a lot and already it's been quite an adventure. For one thing, I don't have my Hopkins email yet; previously, there had been 29 other folks at the school with my username (mwang), which is confusing the email system thingy, and so I need a new username. Maybe they'll give me mwang257. I like 257 for some reason :-)
I think Su and I will go out with a friend of hers to a cafe in Inner Harbor tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing a bit more of the city. And to eat ...mmm ...I can never resist the call of food :-)
To everyone reading this, I hope you are well, wherever you are! I want so much to be able to talk to/see my friends more than I currently do, but it always makes me happy to hear of your news. So, let me know how you are! And I will most certainly reply, in as timely a manner as things here permit :-)
(I've only used this once before, when talking to Jetze on Skype today, so here goes!)
dooie dooie!
(casual way to say goodbye in Dutch)
Hey, so I also want to learn German, Korean, and Russian...help? More time please? *with cherry on top*
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
2 days of [dis]orientation
Well, before you can say "broiled crab cakes" it was time to wake up early, get dressed, and take the big white bus (the JHMI shuttle) to my first day of school. No breakfast, you say? Why no, because the jump start one needs every day and the essential part of a healthy lifestyle was provided by the school (sweet..)! After downing a cup of coffee (not a single thermos of decaf anywhere, now there's a sign!) and a cranberry muffin, I joined the herd of new students (some 300 bleary eyed folks) to be greeted by our deans and department chairs. And other people to help with our transition, including the head of corporate security.
What is to be gleaned from this description: People at Hopkins really need the regular strength coffee, as well as the security guards posted every 40 feet or so on the medical campus.
In the afternoon we broke out into our departments and subsequently, our cohorts/divisions of more concentrated study. We were inundated with even more information and I think the heads of our division got a kick out of our sleepy responses :-)
Today, we registered for courses, signed up for time slots to have our computers connected to the school wireless network (aka "bringing chillun to Momma"), got health and dental insurance if we needed the coverage, and took care of all the administrative stuff that comes with starting at a new school. I also had my photo taken for my school ID, twice. At first attempt, the combination of humidity-induced facial shine and three extremely bright floodlights resulted in a photo that had me looking like someone had smeared Pepto-Bismol on my face. I know these kinds of photos never turn out well but the first one was just too hilarious. I mentioned the Pepto-Bismol thing to the guys printing out the badges, and everyone in the room just burst out laughing :-D Anyway, they turned off one of the lights, someone gave me a paper towel, and I grinned for this second, much improved photo. heehee...I love that we have ghetto-quality photos at this world-class institution (it feels weird to say "world-class", but it really is the contrast that I love).
Afterwards, I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon with a new friend, exploring our new school and the Bayview Medical Center, a newer part of Hopkins Medicine about 15 minutes from my downtown East Baltimore campus. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm really here, and it is so humbling and exciting to know that every student and every professor at this great place has really earned their right to be here. And spotting the fruits of the research that is being done here, the implementation of new findings, and the general atmosphere of dedication and collaboration...these people will change the world. And, just as important, is the fact that the people I've met so far know how to laugh and have a sense of humor. Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you really had a great, genuine laugh straight from your belly?
I think I am going to learn so much from everyone, and I am really going to love it here.
So even though the sheer amount and complexity of the information we received had me feeling a little dizzy at first, the feeling that I am going to have a great two years ahead of me has only gotten stronger.
--ps--
-broiled crab cakes, are, in fact, delicious! Many culinary adventures await...
-I love my department.
-for the first time ever, I have no class on Friday this quarter!
-4 happy hours/receptions in the first week alone, which means free food for the frugal grad student!
-the asthma/allergy research center at Bayview has a huge hanging "sculpture" of sneeze droplets in its main lobby...:D
-I have one day of class this week (Thursday)...and then a four day weekend...perfect to take care of many things and study.
Oh! and if you have any suggestions on poll topics, let me know...I'll also try to think of more creative ones for the future :-)
What is to be gleaned from this description: People at Hopkins really need the regular strength coffee, as well as the security guards posted every 40 feet or so on the medical campus.
In the afternoon we broke out into our departments and subsequently, our cohorts/divisions of more concentrated study. We were inundated with even more information and I think the heads of our division got a kick out of our sleepy responses :-)
Today, we registered for courses, signed up for time slots to have our computers connected to the school wireless network (aka "bringing chillun to Momma"), got health and dental insurance if we needed the coverage, and took care of all the administrative stuff that comes with starting at a new school. I also had my photo taken for my school ID, twice. At first attempt, the combination of humidity-induced facial shine and three extremely bright floodlights resulted in a photo that had me looking like someone had smeared Pepto-Bismol on my face. I know these kinds of photos never turn out well but the first one was just too hilarious. I mentioned the Pepto-Bismol thing to the guys printing out the badges, and everyone in the room just burst out laughing :-D Anyway, they turned off one of the lights, someone gave me a paper towel, and I grinned for this second, much improved photo. heehee...I love that we have ghetto-quality photos at this world-class institution (it feels weird to say "world-class", but it really is the contrast that I love).
Afterwards, I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon with a new friend, exploring our new school and the Bayview Medical Center, a newer part of Hopkins Medicine about 15 minutes from my downtown East Baltimore campus. It still hasn't sunk in that I'm really here, and it is so humbling and exciting to know that every student and every professor at this great place has really earned their right to be here. And spotting the fruits of the research that is being done here, the implementation of new findings, and the general atmosphere of dedication and collaboration...these people will change the world. And, just as important, is the fact that the people I've met so far know how to laugh and have a sense of humor. Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you really had a great, genuine laugh straight from your belly?
I think I am going to learn so much from everyone, and I am really going to love it here.
So even though the sheer amount and complexity of the information we received had me feeling a little dizzy at first, the feeling that I am going to have a great two years ahead of me has only gotten stronger.
--ps--
-broiled crab cakes, are, in fact, delicious! Many culinary adventures await...
-I love my department.
-for the first time ever, I have no class on Friday this quarter!
-4 happy hours/receptions in the first week alone, which means free food for the frugal grad student!
-the asthma/allergy research center at Bayview has a huge hanging "sculpture" of sneeze droplets in its main lobby...:D
-I have one day of class this week (Thursday)...and then a four day weekend...perfect to take care of many things and study.
Oh! and if you have any suggestions on poll topics, let me know...I'll also try to think of more creative ones for the future :-)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Hello, Baltimore
After a hectic day of packing and unpacking the family minivan, with some driving in between, I'm finally in my new apartment and home for the next year. The place is pretty nice; two bedrooms, spacious living room, nice kitchen, etc. I've finished putting my kitchen stuff away, and now it's time for dinner. Food from home, from my wonderful mother, and soon I'll have to start on the cheese that we just bought. I've had a craving for Brie for a few weeks now, and to my delight, the Safeway foodstore carries Ile de France Brie..I can't wait to eat :-D Now, if only I can find Roquefort somewhere...
Thunderstorm, Diana Krall, cheese and fruit, mmm. It's going to be a lovely evening.
Tomorrow, my two roommates will both be here, and then the fun will really begin :-)
Thunderstorm, Diana Krall, cheese and fruit, mmm. It's going to be a lovely evening.
Tomorrow, my two roommates will both be here, and then the fun will really begin :-)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In transition
In three days I will be moving to Baltimore, where I'll start my MHS in Health Finance and Management at the JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health. I guess this time is as fitting as any other to start a new blog. The year promises to be exciting and full of changes, so I hope to record as much of that as I can in this blog. This will also help me keep in touch with my friends (well, as long as they feel like reading this, anyway!), so guys, your comments are more than welcome :-) Post on my blog, or email it, or Skype/IM me, whatever works!
A few weeks ago, I moved out of what had been my home for the past year and a place of many changes, International House of Philadelphia. I chose it for its location - in the heart of University City, walking distance to UPenn, where I worked as a research assistant in anesthesiology/critical care at HUP - as well as convenience. There were no landlords, no hassles or surprises that come with renting in the city. Just promises of culturally diverse and interesting people with whom to live and share bits of life.
I didn't have many expectations for my time in Philadelphia; my goals were to gain more clinical and research experience, focus my interests in medicine (which, as you can see, also fostered a steadily growing interest for public health), and to see what the "real world" is about. I never expected to meet all the wonderful people that I did, and the friendships we developed were more than I ever could have asked for. I started out focused and driven on what I guess you can call my professional life, and then all you amazing people came and gave me incredible friendship, joy, and love.
Before I get wayyy more sappy than is appropriate for public weblogs, let me just thank you - all my I-House buddies, you know who you are!, my friends from college who were also in Philly, and my colleagues from Penn - for a wonderful year of growth, discovery, and good times. Because of you, I'll look back on this past year with happiness, and I have the strength and motivation to continue to enjoy life's journey.
And of course, thank you to my family for your unwavering support, and for providing a place for me to crash ;-)
Also... because of you guys, I can say thanks in a few more languages, here goes - arigatou gozaimasu, merci beaucoup, danke, bedankt, tack, xie xie, grazie, gracias, shukran! hehe
I'll keep adding to the links section of my blog. Check out what Michael, one of my friends from I-House who is now back home in Germany, has to say in his blog!
I'll be back later, you can count on that..right now, there is a poster for the ASA 2007 meeting that is screaming to be finished (and which I am also internally screaming and begging not to do!), packing packing packing, and school stuff.
A few weeks ago, I moved out of what had been my home for the past year and a place of many changes, International House of Philadelphia. I chose it for its location - in the heart of University City, walking distance to UPenn, where I worked as a research assistant in anesthesiology/critical care at HUP - as well as convenience. There were no landlords, no hassles or surprises that come with renting in the city. Just promises of culturally diverse and interesting people with whom to live and share bits of life.
I didn't have many expectations for my time in Philadelphia; my goals were to gain more clinical and research experience, focus my interests in medicine (which, as you can see, also fostered a steadily growing interest for public health), and to see what the "real world" is about. I never expected to meet all the wonderful people that I did, and the friendships we developed were more than I ever could have asked for. I started out focused and driven on what I guess you can call my professional life, and then all you amazing people came and gave me incredible friendship, joy, and love.
Before I get wayyy more sappy than is appropriate for public weblogs, let me just thank you - all my I-House buddies, you know who you are!, my friends from college who were also in Philly, and my colleagues from Penn - for a wonderful year of growth, discovery, and good times. Because of you, I'll look back on this past year with happiness, and I have the strength and motivation to continue to enjoy life's journey.
And of course, thank you to my family for your unwavering support, and for providing a place for me to crash ;-)
Also... because of you guys, I can say thanks in a few more languages, here goes - arigatou gozaimasu, merci beaucoup, danke, bedankt, tack, xie xie, grazie, gracias, shukran! hehe
I'll keep adding to the links section of my blog. Check out what Michael, one of my friends from I-House who is now back home in Germany, has to say in his blog!
I'll be back later, you can count on that..right now, there is a poster for the ASA 2007 meeting that is screaming to be finished (and which I am also internally screaming and begging not to do!), packing packing packing, and school stuff.
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