A Badger in the DC Rat Race (i.e q la chinga es bioinformatics)
Um, wow that year went by fast. My last post was in May right? I feel like I just time-jumped in the DeLorean. I really don't know why I continue this blog, but now its serving as an excuse not to face Monday Morning. Plus it will be a good chance to document what has happened so far in my move across the country. I guess I'll be going against some good advice to just shut the hell up and not let people know what I'm doing, but I can't fight against the ingrained generational tendency to overshare.
The move was quick and dirty. Got myself in a bourgeoisie neighborhood here in Northern Virginia. What's the best way to describe it. It's similar to a lot of new, more expensive, yuppie - hipster (yupster) neighborhoods being built across the country in its aesthetics. I mean it has everything I could ever buy in a mile radius, and of course a Whole Foods (with 2 dedicated cheese walls!). But along with this type of contemporary living, it does have some parts that are distinctly DC.
One of the most DC things here is the way people cross the street. I remember when I was in China, people took a very pragmatic prospective on walking across a thoroughfare. Succinctly it could be summed up as: "if you were safe, go." So like the proverbial Frogger I would look both directions and bend at the knees, ready to feel any oncoming 2-ton vibrations, and bound across the street.
Now in most of the US, this a quite unheard of prospective. In the US, it doesn't matter if all my animal instinct say DO NOT CROSS, if that light is green I'm crossing, with unshakable faith in God above that all motor vehicles will stop as I do so, my head, forward, straight, and firm. We are a nation of rule-followers and crosswalk users. We love the idea of our haughty laws. I mean really, what the hell is Jaywalking, crossing a piece of land when regulation doesn't permit. What a Mickey Mouse law! http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215409 -the truth is in our money-loving Yankee hearts
Anyway, in DC this professed civility has combined with the "gimme, gimme, gimme, take, take, take" attitude of the capital to produce some funny results. Basically no one can stand here to be not crossing the street when an opportunity arises. Letting that opportunity slip away would mean letting some other rat get ahead of you in the race. People are very antsy while waiting, and constantly crossing when they shouldn't. Getting stranded in shrubbery islands on the middle of some large two-way street, their eyes shiftily darting back and forth as they curse their delay under their Starbucks infused breaths. People drive here the same way. My favorite is when I'm crossing the street, and some left-turning mouth-breather looks me in the eye and proceeds to turn on top of me, rationale being now he can immediately go when I finish crossing, and doesn't need to wait for the oncoming traffic to pass to make his left turn.
Aside from the traffic everything is okay on this end. Still studying Bioinformatics, which if you haven't heard, is the smallest biggest field that no one has ever heard of (like Reno, Nevada!). Bar-tended at a Hilton Garden Inn for a good 5 months there and met some cool people. Bombed a recent job interview and had to go to lunch with them after. Maybe I'll talk about these things later, maybe not. Anyway I've already ate up too much of my pre-Monday beauty sleep. Keep kicking out there and I'll see you all later.
-RE Roane
One of the most DC things here is the way people cross the street. I remember when I was in China, people took a very pragmatic prospective on walking across a thoroughfare. Succinctly it could be summed up as: "if you were safe, go." So like the proverbial Frogger I would look both directions and bend at the knees, ready to feel any oncoming 2-ton vibrations, and bound across the street.
Now in most of the US, this a quite unheard of prospective. In the US, it doesn't matter if all my animal instinct say DO NOT CROSS, if that light is green I'm crossing, with unshakable faith in God above that all motor vehicles will stop as I do so, my head, forward, straight, and firm. We are a nation of rule-followers and crosswalk users. We love the idea of our haughty laws. I mean really, what the hell is Jaywalking, crossing a piece of land when regulation doesn't permit. What a Mickey Mouse law! http://muse.jhu.edu/article/215409 -the truth is in our money-loving Yankee hearts
Anyway, in DC this professed civility has combined with the "gimme, gimme, gimme, take, take, take" attitude of the capital to produce some funny results. Basically no one can stand here to be not crossing the street when an opportunity arises. Letting that opportunity slip away would mean letting some other rat get ahead of you in the race. People are very antsy while waiting, and constantly crossing when they shouldn't. Getting stranded in shrubbery islands on the middle of some large two-way street, their eyes shiftily darting back and forth as they curse their delay under their Starbucks infused breaths. People drive here the same way. My favorite is when I'm crossing the street, and some left-turning mouth-breather looks me in the eye and proceeds to turn on top of me, rationale being now he can immediately go when I finish crossing, and doesn't need to wait for the oncoming traffic to pass to make his left turn.
Aside from the traffic everything is okay on this end. Still studying Bioinformatics, which if you haven't heard, is the smallest biggest field that no one has ever heard of (like Reno, Nevada!). Bar-tended at a Hilton Garden Inn for a good 5 months there and met some cool people. Bombed a recent job interview and had to go to lunch with them after. Maybe I'll talk about these things later, maybe not. Anyway I've already ate up too much of my pre-Monday beauty sleep. Keep kicking out there and I'll see you all later.
-RE Roane
PS. The biggest thing that has happened is than Anh and my book club now has four members and has been creaking along for almost 2 years. Little miracles.
PPS. Bioinformatic Memes
PPS. Bioinformatic Memes
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