"Monkeys are a menace in many parts of India. The South Indian monkey trap is a simple device for capturing a monkey. It consists of a coconut hollowed out from one end and chained to a stake in the ground. Some sweet rice is placed inside the coconut. The hole in the coconut is big enough for a monkey to put its hand in and grab the rice, but too small for it to remove its fist with the sweet rice.

Curiously, there is no physical barrier preventing a monkey from escaping this trap; there is only a mental barrier. Monkeys have been known to grab the rice and try to withdraw their fists in vain until their captors arrive. Monkeys’ inability to reevaluate rice in the context of the trap costs them their freedom.

People too have their own ’sweet rice’ that prevents them from achieving true freedom. They find their thoughts and actions constrained by mental barriers of their own creation. Such imaginary constraints often lead to poor decisions.

To achieve freedom, then, we must recognize our mental barriers, be fully aware of value rigidity that may creep into our thought process, and consciously choose our values, thoughts, words, and actions everyday."

On another note (or perhaps a related note?) the final year of high school commences ...!

It's great being able to get a taste of working in an actual lab with the grad students and professor, getting to know the lab "culture," discovering beyond-the-textbook science and a labyrinth of signal transduction pathways, while being across the other side of the country, free to explore the city.

Endocrinology and the goodness of 1,25(OH)2D3
But now I just need to think and focus.

ISEF was amazingly fun -- one of the best weeks of my life!

There were so many countries, from England, Australia, Russia, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Puerto Rico, to South Korea, Czech Republic, South Africa, Canada, Belarus, Austria, and so many more! Amazing science and engineering projects from all around the country.

And of course, down time was so so so much fun too! Too many things to get into much detail, but our group got along very well and every day was full of stories.

I am so glad I got this opportunity to go.
Striking.

(And our project got 3rd place + $1000, but regardless of the money -- of which some people won much more -- it was such a memorable week!)

I'm going to start an oil painting!
The first oil painting I've ever done,
4x3 feet of fun! (rhyme not intended)
It'll either somehow work out, or be a debacle *shrugs*

Back 3 or 4 years, for a little while...
Probably to be misinterpreted.