quickie update: the past 8 months in a flash

I'm going just stop saying I suck at this blog thing because I've said it on every blog post so far and it's just getting way cliche. but one last time- I do suck at this blog thing. I have too many excuses... let's just say that it's because i have such a rockin social life (e.g. facebook) ;)

Just to keep my life simple and your reading simple I'll stick with a list to summarize my life since the last blog post.

1. Summer 2010: Singapore & Korea. A delightful time with family and friends. Also spent about half the summer in the hospital getting treated for a million little things. Nothing serious- just minor side effects from adjusting to a new life and program.

2. August: Return to Fonty. Get approval to move to the Singapore campus. Beautiful autumn weather begins.

3. September: My sweet Sooji comes and visits for three weeks! She was perfect for keeping my sanity in Fonty and we had a blast... I actually did all the tourist things for the first time in Paris. Sad to say it took me a year in France before I actually went to see the Eiffel. (pics are on FB)

4. End of October: Move to Singapore. Lovely reunion with my Singapore campus friends- love them! Move in with HeeJung unni into a lovely resort-y condo (12th floor) near school. The trips to Ikea, a new Thai lamp, a giant Vietnamese fan on the wall and the water fountain sound from outside-- all have add to the fengshui of resortyness in our apt. It just means that our place is pretty fabulous. The food exploration in Singapore continues. So does the upward trend in ayoung's size...

5. End of December: TRIP TO DHAKA. It had been ten years since I had left Bangladesh and I finally got to go for my dearest friend Nicole's wedding. THE best wedding I've ever been to- it was incredible fun- reuniting with all my old friends and my Dhaka family (the Mendes's), eating the best food, partying, being part of all the wedding festivities for a week and a half. I have pictures up on Facebook so you can check them out :)

6. The BIG DECISION:
I chopped my hair (see below photos-courtesy of sooji). I've always had long hair so this was kind of big. I loved everyone's responses-- especially the looks on my professors' faces- utter shock and the look of "what is going on in her life?"
The real reason?
In a few months, I have these HUMONGO exams that determine whether I stay in the program or not- the comprehensive exams (or "comps" as we call them). The written exams are in May and the oral exams (my research paper defense) are in June. It's like training for the Olympics- You either come out with a medal or you get eggs thrown at you. So in honor of this arduous process and the gravity of the exams, I decided to let go of my hair.
So it wasn't a brutal breakup, or the death of a loved one (knock on wood)...

This has certainly gotten longer than I initially planned. Thanks for reading nevertheless :)

Until the next post... let's hope that I have something exciting to tell you. I've had enough changes and events in my life this past year. It's time for me to buckle down and lock myself up in a corner in the library.