Interactions
9:52am, bus stop
She is about my age, from Calcutta, pursuing a PhD in economics. She pointed to the tripod stand in my right hand and the leather bag slung over my shoulder.
"Taking pictures today?", she asked in my mother-tongue.
"Yeah, for my TA class. The professor is out of town and I need to video-record the class presentations today."
We got on the bus and swiped our cards before lunging for the nearest seat as the bus lurched forward. We chatted about how lacklustre grad student life has been lately and plans for the summer. I got off two stops later.
12:30pm, school elevator
She is 21, African-American, and always looks sexy in her boots and low-cut tops. She was going upstairs with me to my lab after class to take a make-up quiz. We chatted about how horrible the weather has been lately and I asked her how her grad school application process was coming along.
"What kind of programs are you looking at?", I asked.
"Oh I want to do something along the lines of operations management and information technology."
We chatted about her hometown, Philadelphia, and I told her I was going to attend a doctoral consortium at Drexel Univ. this summer. She took the quiz and left my office.
1:30pm, lab
He is older than 40, I think, and a grandpa. He's charming, funny, and we work well together. He is the grader for the class that I am a teaching assistant for. I showed him how to work the video camera and set it up for him on the tripod.
"Make sure you fast-forward the tape to the point after my recording so you don't overwrite it.", I said.
"Oh I didn't think of that."
I did it for him and we chatted about TA work. He laughed when I told him the professor wanted him to FedEx the tapes of the video presentations to him at the conference. He thanked me for helping him with the video camera and left.
7:03pm, on the phone
She is 26, pursuing a PhD in chemistry and one of my few close girlfriends here. I told her I couldn't get dinner with the girls on Wed night because I was driving down to [Teaching hospital]. We chatted about work and her job-search.
And then without preamble she said, "So I spoke to him yesterday."
"Really? How did it go?"I asked eagerly.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought." She was downplaying it.
"How long did you guys speak? What did you talk about?"
"About two hours. We just chatted about things, nothing serious."
After much hesitation, she recently got in touch with the guy her parents are trying to set her up with. We talked about how we should plan a trip to NYC so I can visit friends and she can meet him. We made plans for next week and I hung up.
11:30pm, on instant messenger
She is my best friend, at most times atleast. She was home today so we were chatting.
"I think everyday about how you and dad will feel when you come here. I'm sad that you are landing at night because you won't be able to see how beautiful the ride from the airport to my house is."
"Yes, we'll see everything... if God wishes", mom types.
"What do you mean?" I'm confused about what she is talking about.
"My mom is not doing well... so you never know." A sad note creeps into our excited discussions about her and dad coming to visit me. I picture my grandma, lying on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. She doesn't recognize anyone anymore and can't feed herself.
"Mom is only bones now.....no flesh. So its all God's wish now." I can feel the sadness in those letters as my mom types slowly with her usual weird capitalization and punctuation.
I think about how my mom and me are excitedly making plans and living life to the fullest while her mom lies on a bed almost lifeless, with no memory and no strength. I wonder if one day I will have a family of my own who will be the source of all my excitement and mom and dad will become secondary. I can't imagine that today because they are the center of my existence. I said a quiet prayer for the good health of my parents as I typed goodbye to her. I then sent her the kissing smilie.
She is about my age, from Calcutta, pursuing a PhD in economics. She pointed to the tripod stand in my right hand and the leather bag slung over my shoulder.
"Taking pictures today?", she asked in my mother-tongue.
"Yeah, for my TA class. The professor is out of town and I need to video-record the class presentations today."
We got on the bus and swiped our cards before lunging for the nearest seat as the bus lurched forward. We chatted about how lacklustre grad student life has been lately and plans for the summer. I got off two stops later.
12:30pm, school elevator
She is 21, African-American, and always looks sexy in her boots and low-cut tops. She was going upstairs with me to my lab after class to take a make-up quiz. We chatted about how horrible the weather has been lately and I asked her how her grad school application process was coming along.
"What kind of programs are you looking at?", I asked.
"Oh I want to do something along the lines of operations management and information technology."
We chatted about her hometown, Philadelphia, and I told her I was going to attend a doctoral consortium at Drexel Univ. this summer. She took the quiz and left my office.
1:30pm, lab
He is older than 40, I think, and a grandpa. He's charming, funny, and we work well together. He is the grader for the class that I am a teaching assistant for. I showed him how to work the video camera and set it up for him on the tripod.
"Make sure you fast-forward the tape to the point after my recording so you don't overwrite it.", I said.
"Oh I didn't think of that."
I did it for him and we chatted about TA work. He laughed when I told him the professor wanted him to FedEx the tapes of the video presentations to him at the conference. He thanked me for helping him with the video camera and left.
7:03pm, on the phone
She is 26, pursuing a PhD in chemistry and one of my few close girlfriends here. I told her I couldn't get dinner with the girls on Wed night because I was driving down to [Teaching hospital]. We chatted about work and her job-search.
And then without preamble she said, "So I spoke to him yesterday."
"Really? How did it go?"I asked eagerly.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought." She was downplaying it.
"How long did you guys speak? What did you talk about?"
"About two hours. We just chatted about things, nothing serious."
After much hesitation, she recently got in touch with the guy her parents are trying to set her up with. We talked about how we should plan a trip to NYC so I can visit friends and she can meet him. We made plans for next week and I hung up.
11:30pm, on instant messenger
She is my best friend, at most times atleast. She was home today so we were chatting.
"I think everyday about how you and dad will feel when you come here. I'm sad that you are landing at night because you won't be able to see how beautiful the ride from the airport to my house is."
"Yes, we'll see everything... if God wishes", mom types.
"What do you mean?" I'm confused about what she is talking about.
"My mom is not doing well... so you never know." A sad note creeps into our excited discussions about her and dad coming to visit me. I picture my grandma, lying on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. She doesn't recognize anyone anymore and can't feed herself.
"Mom is only bones now.....no flesh. So its all God's wish now." I can feel the sadness in those letters as my mom types slowly with her usual weird capitalization and punctuation.
I think about how my mom and me are excitedly making plans and living life to the fullest while her mom lies on a bed almost lifeless, with no memory and no strength. I wonder if one day I will have a family of my own who will be the source of all my excitement and mom and dad will become secondary. I can't imagine that today because they are the center of my existence. I said a quiet prayer for the good health of my parents as I typed goodbye to her. I then sent her the kissing smilie.
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