Greetings, gentle reader. I am sorry to not have posted before this moment in time, but my engagements are numerous and some time is required in order to truly blog well.

JUST KIDDING!! I have a feeling that if I used my Victorian Lady voice all the time, people would get pretty sick of me. In fact, I bet half of you have stopped reading! Except I really hope not, because that would be sad. And now I am rambling, which I always do when I meet new people. Even if it’s just on the Internet. Not to say that you’re not important if you’re on the Internet–

OK, self. Deeeeeeeeeep breaths.

All right, let us begin, shall we? My name is Lubabah Chowdhury, and I wish I had a nickname I could tell you to use, but most of mine are waaaaaay too cutesy to admit to strangers. I am a second-semester junior at Cornell double majoring in English and Near Eastern Studies, mostly because I love literature but also desperately needed some reprieve from the Euro-centric world view toted in most high school history classes. (I say “most,” because I know that’s not always the case; and props to you if you know something about the Islamic empire AND World War I! )

I was born in upstate New York, not too far from Ithaca, but my parents are from Bangladesh. I also lived in France from 2007 to 2010 with my family, which was both the most traumatic (mostly because I had never moved before) and most wonderful experience of my life thus far. So I don’t really know what that makes me. A Fericandeshi? A Brenchian? I think I will go with Bangladeshi-American who also really likes anything French. Especially the food.

Seriously, I could eat all of those in one sitting. Ces sont delicieux

Anyways, besides looking at pictures of baguettes online so that I can share them with all of you, I love to read, write (I am actually working on a novel which I am sure you will hear about sooner rather than later), play the flute, sing, knit (I taught myself how to cable last weekend, yaaaaaaay!!) and watch movies with friends. I’m sure there are other things I like to do as well, but I can’t reveal my hand all at once, now can I?

I enjoy my life here at Cornell: yes, the weather is godawful (it’s averaged around 2 degrees F for the past three days, and no, before you ask, classes have NOT been cancelled), yes, there is a lot of work, and yes, I get homesick (I know it’s hard to believe, but homesickness is not specifically designated for freshmen, believe me!). But I love what I study from the bottom of my heart all the way up, and more importantly, I have friends and family for whom I have enough love to fill two and a half hearts. (I really do mean this, friends-and-family-who-will-inevitably-read-this-post. No, that is NOT a Hoover in the background, geez!!)

Well, I promise to write more later, but right now, I have to bundle up and walk to Lincoln Hall, the music building, for rehearsal with Cornell Chorale. Rehearsal doesn’t start until 4:30, but as it is a mere 12 degrees outside and snowing like the angels are brushing their hair and gracing us with all their little bits of dandruff at once, I should start bundling up now.

But first, I need to powder my nose. Because once I put on my two scarves, two pairs of socks, three hats and four sweaters, I refuse to take them off just because nature calls.

Until next time, gentle (or not-so-gentle, whatever you prefer) reader!