Using the Hubble Telescope to discover elements of interest - Week 4

Week 4: Summer Adventures of Another Kind

by Rabeea Ahmed

To  many, many people that I know, summer time is about exploring new things. For most of the people I know, this means traveling to exotic parts of the world, going on city tours and immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of where they live. Although I grew up in the relatively tiny city of Islamabad, Pakistan, my spirit of adventure – at least when it comes to exploring new areas - is actually quite subdued.

I could blame the summer heat for my aversion to exploring my city but that would be untrue. The fact of the matter is that I just really like staying at home in general – where I enjoy cooking.

Yes, exploring new cuisines and trying new tastes on a plate are what I relish in doing the most when I’m not working. Although this might seem strange to some people, I never really get time to actually cook while in school and the fresh and hot entrées in the dining hall are a healthy and convenient way to feed myself. Although convenience meals are a popular choice these days (and indeed, my fellow interns informed me that they benefit from those immensely), I find the process of chopping carrots, blending smoothies, sautéing onions, and cooking meals to be almost therapeutic and given the extra time provided by not having problem sets waiting for me when I get home, I cannot forego it. 

Although I love cooking, getting used to serious repetitive failure is what my kitchen is readily
teaching me this summer – sometimes multiple times a day.  That said, I am very proud to inform the reader that I have finally perfected the art of boiling rice and of making semi-edible bean dishes. Occasionally, my stove churns out perfect chicken curry dishes as well, but only
occasionally. Ergo, as a survival tactic, I have also learned how to order food online and have it delivered so I can consume it whilst ignoring the culinary disasters that sit on my stove. Truly, there are few things as humbling as a failed bid at making a cheese omelet.  

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About the Blogger

Rabeea Ahmed is an Astrophysics and Computer Science major at Harvard (class of 2014). She was born and raised in Pakistan, where she spent her formative years before moving to the United States for college. She's been fascinated by science since elementary school. She also enjoys roller-blading, having conversations about government and foreign cultures with my friends and absolutely loves cooking!