One Semester Down!

The last two weeks of this semester have been crazy with final papers, projects and exams. I had two written papers and three project submissions for my finals, which was quite overwhelming! One of these projects one was the Fish Training Project I previously mentioned. After three weeks of intensive training, my fish successfully learned two tricks. The first trick was to swim up to the fish tank door after listening to the click sound of me opening the door; the other trick was for the fish to pass through a hoop in order to get food. I was thrilled to conclude my project successfully. My experience in training the fish also reinforced my belief in principles of behavior and learning theories. If applied meticulously these theories can enhance learning in any organism.

The two other projects I had to complete were based on my case studies at my practicum site; they also turned out well. The projects were followed by two written papers. The papers were lengthier then expected and covered all the topics of the fall semester. Finally, after a three hour long exam last Wednesday, I completed the last of my finals. After having been deprived of sleep for more then two weeks, I couldn’t think of anything but sleep.

The weekend after finals, I took a much needed break and went ice skating at Millennium Park with my friends. We reached there at 5 pm, but had to wait for about an hour in the queue to rent skates. The ice skates were available for rent for $10 for an unlimited time. If you have your own ice skates then you can save time waiting in the queue for skate rental. However, I didn’t mind waiting in line as it provided me a chance to watch others on the ice rink. It was really enjoyable to watch people displaying their skating talents. There were children as young as 7 to 8 years and adults as old as 60 years.

Once I got my skates I couldn’t wait to be on the ice rink. I had to tie my skates really tight to fit on my feet. Although initially I was scared to let go of the railing, eventually I could balance on the blades well. As I have previously roller skated in my school days, ice skating was like reliving my childhood days of sports and adventure. Ice skating is not very different from roller skating--just that it requires more balance since you are on a thin slice of blade placed vertically underneath your shoes. In the beginning I fell four times, but all the pain was worthwhile, as at the end I did skate without touching the railing even once. We spent some good 4 hours on the ice floor, with a nice music played in the background! I was so thrilled by this outing that I am planning to go there again next weekend. This reminds me next weekend will be all the more fun, as one of my Indian friends studying in California is coming to Chicago for Christmas.

Thanksgiving – eat, sleep, and be merry!

The last Thursday of November marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. My American friends told me that Thanksgiving is all about food and family--a short break for recuperating from the stressful work and an opportunity to give thanks for blessings in one’s life.

The week before Thanksgiving, I noticed that everyone, including my professors and people at work, were in the holiday mood. In discussing plans with my classmates, I learned that almost everybody from my cohort was visiting their families, and was looking forward to spend some time relaxing over the weekend. It was just enough reason for me to miss my family back home. However, I was grateful that Gina, my American roommate, had invited me and Naomi, my Indian roommate, to join her at her family’s home for Thanksgiving.

We visited Gina’s family on Thursday. We took a Metra train to Naperville, a city in the southwest part of Chicago. Gina’s mom then picked us up at the train station. The car ride from the station to Gina’s house was awesome—I immensely enjoyed the beautiful views of all the houses and Thanksgiving decorations in the verandas. After a half an hour ride we reached at Gina’s home. Her house was large and nicely decorated. Her parents were busy cooking a turkey and other delicious food so we utilized the time to tour her house and backyard. Afterwards we played lots of games on Wi-Fi (Video games) and enjoyed some a snack of hot chocolate and cheese and crackers. It was surprising that we were hungry again in just 2 hours. By that time, the much awaited dinner was ready.

We all gathered at dinner table, offered prayers and enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast. The table was full of bowls of different kinds of food, which looked and smelled delicious. Turkey was the main course. However, thankfully for vegetarians like me; there were lots of vegetarian dishes too. I enjoyed mashed potatoes (boiled potatoes with cheese and garlic flavor), green bean casserole (beans and crunchy onions cooked in the mushroom sauce), cranberries, Waldorf salad, and sweet potatoes. Everything was just irresistible!

After diner we all sat and talked, watched some movies, and enjoyed warm tea. It was a very relaxing day filled with great food and conversation. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to participate in this American holiday with Gina and her family.

The following day, I ventured out to participate in shopping on what is known as “Black Friday” because of all the great sales. Shopping the day after Thanksgiving is very chaotic; people are all pepped and set out early in the morning to get good deals on their purchases. I was quite thrilled to know that everything was extremely reasonable. I bought myself winter boots and a sweater for a real deal! Since we were in Naperville, we decided to visit shopping malls there, before coming to downtown. I bought my shoes from Nordstrom. Gina and her mother helped me choose proper winter boots, having no exposure to snowfall buying boots was really challenging. It is advisable to go for winter shopping with someone who is from Chicago or have been here for couple of years. Winter clothes are available in great variety and reasonable prices at most stores so having someone to assist you in the decision process can be helpful.

Shopping in general is fun in Chicago, There are really good shopping malls making it an ideal location for shopping. However despite good deals, it is always a good idea for students to stick to the budget.

After a long tiring shopping day we returned home. I was so tired that with all the pleasant memories of my thanksgiving holidays I collapsed in my bed and was fast asleep.

In reflecting upon the Thanksgiving weekend, I can truly say that Thanksgiving is a great time to eat, sleep, shop, and be merry. It also provided me with a much needed break in preparation for finals! I couldn’t have asked for anything more from God, I consider myself truly blessed for having such loving and friendly people around.

Trip to St. Louis – Educational and Recreational experience!

As a part of the course requirements for one of my classes, I had to attend at least one professional conference from the list of conferences assigned. Earlier in the semester I decided I would attend the MOABA (Missouri Applied Behavior Analysis) conference in St. Louis, Missouri as it was towards the end of the semester. I thought this would give me two months time to settle and adjust well with the routine before I travel to the new city to attend the conference. However, before I knew it, the dates for the MOABA conference were upon me. I was excited to know that some of my classmates were also attending the same conference and delighted to learn that my roommate, Naomi, decided to join me for the trip to visit her family friend. I was curious to see the city and the popular monument, the St. Louis Arch, also known as “The Gateway to the West”. It was overwhelming to manage a trip in the middle of such a crazy time of the semester. However in the end, I found my two-day visit to St. Louis was a very memorable and refreshing (much-needed) break.

We decided to travel to St. Louis via Megabus, a double-decker coach bus. After a long day at school we started our journey at 5 in the evening. I was feeling extremely sleepy, but the interaction with some of my classmates was so interesting that it kept me up. I am glad that I chose to go to MOABA, as it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know others in my class and socialize with more people.

We reached St. Louis Union Station at 11 pm. It was freezing cold outside so our group of 11 students quickly hailed two cabs to the hotel. We were pleased to reach the hotel so soon and rushed out of the cab and hurried to the reception so that we can go into our rooms. But we soon realized that we were at the wrong Holiday Inn. It was interesting to know that St. Louis had two hotels with the same name, but it was a very frustrating situation to face at that hour landing a strange city.

Fortunately the receptionist was very helpful and called for another cab. We all were helpless and couldn’t do much other than waiting outside in the hotel lawn. We were so irritated with the cab driver and started venting our anger and frustration about the situation. Our conversation soon moved to the comparison between the St. Louis and Chicago and we all agreed that Chicago is much livelier and a better place to live. Girls will be girls – we were so busy with our interesting random discussions that we almost forgot about going to the actual Holiday – Inn (Vikings) and that we were waiting for the cab. We had to wait for about an hour for another cab to go the Holiday – Inn Vikings. We were in a great relief to see a cab after such a long wait at that hour in the night, making our journey truly eventful.

Me and my roomies – A Wonderful Trio

It has taken me several months, but I am finally settled into my daily routine. It’s been great having the apartment, internet, utility, groceries, phone, and all the other basic necessities in place. And, I am fortunate enough to have wonderful roomies like– Naomi, and Gina – we make an awesome trio. After long, hectic hours at school and practicum, it’s a great stress-buster to sit down with them for some tea and small talk.

Yesterday we went to Devon for grocery shopping. There are lots of Indian and Pakistani grocers in that neighborhood. Indian spices and other foodie-goodies are available in huge variety; it looks like a mini-India. We bought some fresh vegetables like Eggplant (Brinjal), Okra (Lady Finger), ginger and garlic. My trip to the market reminded me how surprised Gina and some of my classmates were when they first learned that egg plant is a common food in India. They were all very curious how we prepare it in India. I am delighted by their curiosity and happy they are interested in my culture.

It has also been fun to learn more about U.S. culture from Gina (my American roommate). We often discuss and share a lot about our cultures and practices. Ever since I have been to the U.S. I have heard a lot about most awaited “Thanksgiving” holiday. We are planning to visit Gina’s place for Thanksgiving. I am very excited and looking forward to being a part of this traditional American holiday celebration.

Practicum Work

After a tedious week full of midterms, this week was comparatively relaxed—allowing me to more easily focus on work at my practicum site. I conducted some assessments and made exciting intervention plans for the children with whom I am working.

The senior therapist and colleagues at my practicum site are very friendly and supportive. My work there has been good exposure for me to the U.S. work culture. I’ve found that people here are very professional, and at the same time, open to other persons’ thoughts and ideas. Sometimes, I do feel apprehensive in my interactions with my colleagues due to some subtle cultural differences, but overall I’m very encouraged that my colleagues have been so open to others from diverse backgrounds.

Goof up at USPS!

Last Monday I went to USPS (United States Postal Services) to mail an important document home. I gave my debit card for the payment, but to my dismay the transaction failed. To make matters more embarrassing, I did not even have enough cash with me to pay for the service. I felt terrible. I couldn’t even cancel the order as the order was already placed and was fed into the system and I had to pay. I inquired for nearby ATM and requested the lady at the counter to wait and I will quickly go and get the cash from the ATM. I reached at the ATM only to realize that ATM machine was out-of-orderL!!! I wondered how and what would be the best way to get quick cash; I was very confused whom to ask for help in such a critical state. I was pacing in the hallway of the building and I instantly ran to the Center for International Studies hoping to see Kayoko – the ISO coordinator and one of my fellow international students. To my relief she was available and only person whom I could have asked to borrow five dollars. She was truly a savior for me.
The next day, I headed to my bank and got the debit card issue fixed. As it turns out I needed to reset my pin number. What a relief it was to get this sorted out. Never before had I been in a situation where despite of having money, I was not able to use it. These easy quick electronic facilities can be very frustrating at times. I learned an important lesson– to carry at least 20 to 30 dollars extra so I can be prepared should something like this happens again.

Course work and Midterms

In the midst of celebration and enjoyment of Diwali last week, I almost forgot about my midterms. Although the week was very hectic with two projects and an exam, I survived. I am noticing, however, as the semester unwinds that sometimes life gets very busy with work and I get very little time for myself. Nevertheless, I am enjoying my courses—I’m finding they are both interesting and challenging. In particular, I’m really enjoying my Observation and Measurement class. It has a lot of new technical terms and in-class activities that are increasing my understanding about behavioral studies. The professor is very cooperative and so far I have been able to maintain my grades. I hope that I continue to do well in the class. Being a new student in the U.S., I have been facing some challenges in terms of using U.S. English in my writings, in lieu of , British English as we use in India. I can’t tell you how many times I have written “behaviour” instead of “behavior”! Hopefully by the end of this semester I will get use to writing in the US style. The writing course that I am taking this semester, which is required for all new students, has particularly been helpful in this regard.

Rewind: My First Diwali in Chicago

This past weekend was my first Diwali away from home. I was highly upset and was missing my family, and friends badly a week before Diwali. Back home in India, a week before Diwali is so busy with all the preparation and decoration for the festival. It is full of lights, fire-works and crackers, lots of sweets, and social gatherings and parties. But, for the first time, I was alone; I did not even realize that Diwali was just few days away. I had just ended my phone conversation with my parents, and with a deep sigh I logged in to my college email account. I was surprised to receive an invitation for Diwali celebration by Asian Association and International Student Service. The moment I saw the invitation, I registered for the event and was really looking forward to celebrate Diwali with other students.

The event took place in one of the college classrooms on Thursday, 15^th October 2009 at 5 pm. I volunteered my help in coordinating the event. We all met an hour before the event, did decorations, music, and arranging refreshments. The event was open for all the students (Indians as well as non-Indians). I was pleased to see that American students also participated in the event. We all had fun take part in Rangoli (making different designs with color powder) and decorating Diya’s (small earthen lamps). Then, we all offered our prayer to the God, sang traditional Indian Song (Aarti) and had food together. The event was good gratifying moment for me. I am glad that I joined the students’ association and very much content that I participated in the Diwali celebration. I look forward to more such thrilling experiences while my long effortful study life in Chicago, away from home.

Rewind: Recuperating from loneliness and feeling home-sick

For students like me, who haven’t been abroad for studies and are traveling for the first time, things can really be challenging and the first few months can really be strenuous. There can be too many things happening at the same time, coping with the totally new surrounding, adjusting with the new culture, understanding and following the U.S classroom culture and academic expectations, and at the same time doing all the necessary things for your banking and housing, grocery shopping, and other additional errands. I have been lucky enough to have found supporting people around me and this has helped me cope with my initial anxiety, and feeling homesick. There were several occasions, where I would suddenly blank-out; I’d feel lonely and miss my home. But rather than focus on my homesickness, I choose to engage in my studies and class work as a means of keeping myself occupied. Initially I would keep to myself, but soon realized that it made me feel all the more depressed and lonely. It is necessary to socialize, to help revive your energy after a long week of hard work.

The best way to socialize is to join a group or club and participate in other events organized by your college. I’ve found this to be the best way of meeting and interacting with other students and developing a social network. It is safe and economically feasible. Participating in the International Student Organization (ISO) and Asian Association events not only has provided me with a social outlet, but also helped me resolve some of my difficulties.

Rewind: Fish Training Project

As mentioned previously, for one of my classes I am to train a fish. Having never had a fish for a pet, I was happy for the opportunity, but equally nervous. Finally, after collecting enough information about different types of goldfish, I purchased two goldfish during the first week of October. I named them Nemo & Khubbie (means foodie in “Hindi”). Nemo and Khubbie have kept me busy observing and exploring various ways of training them. I have been excited to observe and record their behavior, as they learn different ways of responding to me and my roommates to receive the food. It’s been three weeks and I am already getting attached to them--as strange as it seems, I can’t imagine my day without feeding Nemo and Khubbie. Watching them swim and play in the tank has become a favorite pass-time for me. It rejuvenates me from my everyday long tiresome days. (Orange – Nemo and White – Khubbie)