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This year feels special. A good proportion of people from different faith traditions are fasting around the same time, which happens once in 33 years! There is something beautiful about that shared discipline. Ramadan, for me, is more than decorations, iftar gatherings, self-discovery, and celebrating identity. It is also a time to quiet something else — what many now call “food noise.” What Is Food Noise? Recently, I had a thoughtful conversation with my healthcare provider

Hola, indeed, after a long time! I intended to write about my experience in Cancun, Mexico—hoping to paint a picture for curious minds and to amplify my internal gratitude. But before the beaches and crazy bus drivers, let’s reflect on my first semester teaching at VCU. I should probably admit that I had a lot of head scratching the first two weeks. The type of scratching that peels off the crust of a pimple that just healed. My anxiety and scratching gradually settled down t

I wanted to share a bit of exciting news—this fall, I’ll be joining Virginia Commonwealth University as an Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics. 🎉 I’ll be mostly teaching bioinformatics and continuing my research and collaboration efforts 🙏 My curiosity for bioinformatics first bloomed during my postdoc, when I found myself deep in single-cell RNA-seq. I remember puzzling over UMAP: how could something be “not wrong,” and also “not correct”? That question pulled me into th

Today is my second (or maybe third?) day with a sore throat and strep infection. I’m having a hard time swallowing and speaking. I had meant to study and make progress on my collaborative projects or coursework—but then I remembered I still needed to write my London reflections. Before we get to London, though, I should share something closer to home: we now have a flock of parakeets . A total of five babies have hatched, and there are more eggs being kept warm under their ma

We just returned from a 10-day vacation in Europe, and I want to put my experience into words—first, to solidify the memories for my...

Today, I thought about the cartoons my son watches— Paw Patrol  and PJ Masks . It’s hard not to go a little crazy watching how...

Today, my mind is dancing around the word “merhamet.”  It translates as mercy, compassion, grace, loving-kindness. One of God’s names...

This morning, my mind wandered into the idea of self defense. Walking downtown, I often feel a manageable level of unease—just enough to...

Yesterday, I took my kids to their piano lesson at Melody Magic Studios . The teachers there are not just educators—they’re musicians in...

It is pouring today in RVA. My son was asking "Mommy, why does it rain?" I told him the clouds have so much to carry and they have to...

What Does It Mean to Change? I was born naked, like all of you. I went to school as normal. 🙂 When I started college, I began wearing a...

Yesterday in My Dream… I told the driver of a car that I hitchhiked that I was doing a PhD in Computer Science. (What kind of...

Trying to beautify the place you are in, shows your joy of life.  Joy of life does not pour as rain. You have to cultivate it in...

We tossed out our Ninja coffee maker because it was burning the coffee. I’d almost say my husband felt a wave of pleasure dumping it and...

While shopping for a shirt for my husband, I noticed something strange—one shirt costs $20, while another (same fabric, same function)...

Confidence and Women: A Seedling That Grows This Women’s Day, I found myself reflecting on confidence—why do women, on average, have...

Today was a rainy day. As I drove to work, I found myself singing: This morning There is rain in RVA My eyes fill with tears, for no...

Do you enjoy water sports like kayaking or rafting? My only experience with rafting was a mild one—Beaver’s Bend State Park in Oklahoma....

Yesterday, I tossed two pieces of chicken bones with some meat on them into the backyard. Today, I saw a big hawk circling above. It...

Today is the first day of Ramadan, and I’ve noticed something striking—time feels extended. Of course, in a practical sense, fasting...