Undulations

Not being a gambler or much of a drinker/party person, Vegas was perhaps not the most fitting place to go. However, I was curious and figure I should see it once. I wanted to see the bright lights and an Elvis impersonator. I also had left the city of Chicago in about 6 months, so I thought I should leave for a bit.

My vacation was actually really good for my dancing. Despite being quite sick the bulk of the trip, I had a 2 hour private lesson with Aradia of Las Vegas. I only heard of her from Bhuz, which is a shame. I think she’s one of those kind of hidden jewels in the dance world. I felt really comfortable with her, even though I just met her. She’s incredibly sweet, friendly, and humble. She seemed to really enjoy herself teaching.

My lesson was on Hagallah, Persian dance, and a brief intro to Turkish Oriental. I love the “folkloric” dances, so this really exciting for me. Aradia is very knowledgeable on what she teaches; I learned as much historically as I did about combos and style of dancing. Until I had emailed her, I had no idea that she could teach these things. My familiarity with her was that she was a cabaret dancer, not someone who was also a folkloric dancer. It just goes to show that it never hurts to ask someone.

I liked the Persian and Turkish Oriental the best. The Persian dancing she taught me had more theatrical elements to it; for instance, she taught me how Persian dancers will act out doing their makeup during slow parts of songs. As much as I love dancing to the music and just feeling the drums or the violin, I prefer somewhat of a story or a mood for dancing. The Turkish Oriental is different from what I’m used to with Egyptian Oriental. Turkish is bigger and more energetic. Having done Egyptian-based technique for so long, I found doing the Turkish really difficult, even though they were moves I was familiar with. Hagallah was fun, but going into it, I didn’t know that it was a coming of age dance. Since Aradia studied this dance under three different people, she has solid knowledge. The hagallah felt much like the Aida Nour workshop dances; very simple but intriguing.

I saw a Cirque du Soleil show, Mystere, while there. I wasn’t expecting to be inspired by it in terms of my dancing. The attention to detail was breathtaking in the costumes. The performers were always in character, even if they were rather difficult to see (balcony singers off to the side). The physical movement was gorgeous; they weren’t just performing stunts but doing artistic work. I haven’t read much about the show, but there was some kind of story or theme in it. Adding that really blended everything well and made a cohesive show that could amuse a child or an adult. I know I can’t do a show of that magnitude, but I’d like to do a show that’s powerful and can reach so many people on different levels.

Now I’m back to the daily grind, with about 2 weeks left of vacation. Time has really flown.

I have to go to a meeting with my advisor, but I thought I’d announce that I made it back to my apartment at midnight. OHare was a mess of problems. I will write more about my trip later today or tomorrow.

A few seconds ago, I just sent off my application to one of the schools (a Dec. 15 deadline, ouch). With that out of the way (and the worrying begins, along with the dash to finish off other apps), I need to pack for Vegas and get out of the cold Chicago weather!

Have a good weekend. I’ll be back on Tuesday.

When looking at grad schools, I have a list of priorities I want to keep in mind. Among those are that I want to be able to dance where I go next. I have been screening places not only by selectivity and where they are and what they offer but also by what kind of dance scene there is. It may seem shallow or like I have misplaced priorities, but a good deal of my happiness is reliant on dance and being happy means I’m more productive and learn more.

And hey, you have to have some fun criteria thrown in there

This one is curtesy of this blog. I am avoiding going outside right now; it is again col.

8 favorite TV shows:

1. The Office
2. Daria (even if it isn’t on anymore)
3. Tabatha’s Salon Takeover (even though I watch in fear that I’ve been to one of those salons)
4. Nip/Tuck
5. The Colbert Report
6. Project Runway, Seasons 1-3
7. Futurama
8. The Simpsons

8 things that happened yesterday:

1. I did the first edits on my personal statement
2. I setup my printer so that it is wireless
3. I cleaned
4. I made paneer and curry
5. I also made and ate cupcakes
6. I began reading papers for my research
7. I practiced with my new pretty veil (turquoise fading into dark blue)
8. I ordered some warmer shoes for winter

8 favorite places to eat:

1. Viva Fresh Pasta (sweet potato ravioli and delicious homemade sauces)
2. Herrell’s (The best ice cream ever)
3. Buddha’s Delight (fake meat from there is so good)
4. The Bagel (but only for the bagels. Everything else is overpriced)
5. Haymarket Cafe (they made me love salads)
6. Joy Yee’s Noodles (a variety of good pan-Asian)
7. Noon a Kabob (Persian food)
8. Cafe Vittoria (Coffee and dessert)

8 things I’m looking forward to:

1. Vegas
2. My new boots
3. The holiday party I’m hosting
4. Making body butter
5. My cold being over!!
6. Being finished with applications
7. Starting research in the lab
8. The beginning of Nip/Tuck’s season

8 things on my wish list:

1. Get into grad school
2. Odissi classes (I just want a teacher, not even for them paid for)
3. Makeup from Stila, Nars, Too Faced, or Urban Decay
4. Paid for lessons and workshops in Middle Eastern dance
5. New yoga pants and cropped tops
6. A deep fryer (yes, fried food is bad for you, but I’m craving fried ravioli right now)
7. A new luggage set (mainly because mine already is wearing out and black is hard to spot)
8. A trip to Europe

8 people I tag:
No one, but if you want to take this, please comment so I can read your response!

Allowing myself to heal was a great decision, since I am now better. Not 100% better (sniffling and coughing a bit), but better enough to practice dance a little, including turns and better enough to finally send out forms for recommendations to everyone.

Since I’m about halfway through break, I thought I’d update where I stand with my goals. I kept them short and sweet, since I was very exhausted with everything. I’m slowly but surely completing my grad apps. The “hard” part is over (besides the waiting), which is that I’ve written a personal statement. I have to edit it, but it is indeed complete. I have been attending my dance classes and even practicing real practices.

By tonight, my dance notebook should be complete. I’m really happy with it. I find that rewriting sloppy notes has helped me remember what I learned, even workshops that were a while ago.

Because of being sick and the apps, my research reading commences tonight. I look forward to it. I luckily have indeed organized my desk so it’s workable space. I wish I could do my reading at my office (it’s not as cozy, but that’s why I like reading there sometimes), but the building as far as I know is still under construction.

As for relaxation? I have done that, despite being sick. This Friday I leave for Vegas, which I hope will be more relaxing. In any case, it’ll be warmer there than it is here!

I woke up today with a sore throat and earache. Normally, getting sick of breaks is okay by me, since nothing is normally do. However, I had a whole day planned out of application work and research reading

Maybe this is a sign I should consider grad schools in areas that are warm year-round?

As I have been vigorously working my applications and making life decisions fast, my fiancee informs me that he may look at doing sociology instead of physics. I typically try not to write about specific people, but I feel inclined to write about this, because I think he is not unique in this issue.

By “this issue” I mean changing career paths. I feel like for him, science was more a part of his life than mine. When I went over to his parents’, he showed a children’s book to me that is this woolly mammoth descrbing physics (and to boot, it’s accurate). I didn’t grow up in a household that did physics or really, science. I’m not sure if I totally understand what he’s going through, but I think he really has concluded that doing physics isn’t what he wants.

Oddly enough, what made him realize this was writing the personal statement for his applications. I’ve been griping about this, but in a sense, the exercise has been helpful to really make me think about why I’m still doing this. I overall don’t write a lot of things about my physics life that are negative, but believe me, there are negative aspects I encounter. Since I’m only human, I do have those days where I wonder why I do what I do. My future in physics isn’t going to be easy and fun, either. After applying for a PhD program, if I get in, I will have some more classes to take. I will have to take a qualifier exam that determines if I can stay in the program. Then I have to complete research and defend a thesis. After that, I will have a PhD but will be competing with others to get post-doc positions, and even after that, I will have to figure out where I’m going to work and hope I get tenure.

I can’t blame anyone for not wanting to stay in physics if they know it isn’t for them, knowing all of the above. I don’t believe they’re stupid or lazy or whatever have you; I believe that they were smart enough to know themselves and what makes them happy. I believe 100% my fiancee could complete a PhD in physics if he wanted it, but I don’t think he does. As much as he struggles with the idea of not doing physics, I think this is for the best.

As for me, my personal statement made me really think about what makes me stay in physics. I think it’s more than habit, since I hate applications. I genuinely enjoy what I do, thinking about physics and learning about the world. I like the people who are sincerely in it. I may have written this here before, but I really am sincere that I picked physics not only because I enjoy it but also because I like the people. Not all of them are great, mind you, but the bulk of them I get along with well in the work environment. I think that’s way more important than people give stock to.

Being the end of the year, I think a lot of people do soul searching to figure out where they are in life and where they want to be. I know that changing your mind is scary, but I laud anyone who does what makes them happy.

I’ve been working on my personal statement more vigorously since class left out. Because I’m going to Vegas and will be without steady internet (not to mention relaxing), I had to up the deadline for myself from 15 Dec. to 12 Dec. I know 3 days doesn’t sound like a lot, but you never know.

I’m not normally a work in public kind of gal, but for this, I learned that I work better at a cafe than at home. I think it has something to do with the weather. It’s cold here (right now we are about 10 degrees above 0 F), and when this

is your view, you tend to go for the cozy and cheerful. There’s something about working the cafe that makes me more productive, even though there are plenty of people to watch.

The game plan for today is to get everything written so that I can sit on it, forget it, and edit it on Monday. Hope for the best for me, please?

I returned to Sonya’s studio last night after a 3 month stint away (school got in the way). It felt good to be back and around familiar faces. Sometimes, it was hard to remember to return to cabaret mode after doing tribal fusion fairly religiously for a while.

I am taking half of her veil class, because she does very beautiful veil work and I haven’t done much veil besides some workshops and a beginner dance. I also am taking it, because I think having 3 cats under foot will ruin the flow of the veil.

I’m excited that I can do 3 yard veil. Believe it or not, I’ve never used one. Because I’m short, I always “cheated” my veil by making them 2.5 or so yards. The longer veil didn’t bother me. I stepped on it occasionally, but for using a new veil, it wasn’t bad.

Tonight is drills! I’ve really missed this class a lot