Empty

It's one in the morning, I'm still mulling over my freaking paper... my brain has really vacated the premises! I can seem to write anything!!! Gah!. Other than this empty cranium, I keep having hunger pangs. Glad that there is so much of the turkey from xmas leftover :P... Just how much can I eat? Odd thing is, my BMI puts in the underweight catergory. Where is all the food going?

Man do I feel empty!

Clinging on... just barely

It has been a massive turmoil for the last couple of weeks. I feel like I'm about to be swept off by the waves (dare I say, of tsunami scale?) of stress and unrest in the group. Needless to say there is really one giant root of all problem. My head is like a giant volcano, really to explode/implode...
I'm so ready to get a breather now, and with the latest cock up... everyone in the lab may actually have to take that break...
Oh wait, I still got piles of work to do :(

There's trouble brewing in the new year. I know it. But I do hope at least that it'll come and go quickly and so I can get on with my life.

2007 is supposed to be a very special year for me and a certain group of old friends... simply because we vowed to meet up in that year after 5 years of separation... I just need to hang on tight for a while and ride out these turbulent days.

I need a drink...

Happy Birthday Ping!

A quick shout-out to Ping!

Happy birthday! I hope you will have a good day, and... celebration perhaps?

Anyway, many happy returns!

Wrung out

It's been a hectic week. And then bar things till late at night ... I'm glad on days like a Saturday to make up for the sleep debt. But that means I rarely see the sun... not that there is much at this time of the year!

Christmas is coming... time flies... oh boy...

Season Warmer - Tapioca style!

(LEFT: My pudding on my ugly red carpet.)

When it gets all dark and cold and wet during this autumn, I'd love a warm and comforting dessert. So after much experimenting about with tapioca, I've made a pudding... much like the asian sago pudding classic. It was yum! Here's how.






Ingredients:

Tapioca pearls
Palm Sugar
Double cream
Coconut milk powder
Soya milk

1. First cook the tapioca pearls in lots of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then leave it to cool for another ten and let the pearls turn completely transparent. Strain and wash under a tap to remove excess starch.
2. Return the tapioca into the pan. Add coconut milk powder and a little soya milk and mix to make a thick liquid.
3. Add chunks of palm sugar according to your level of sweetness. Gently heat the mixture until sugar dissolves.
4. Add a dash of double cream and stir until mixture is thick.
5. Pour into cups/bowls and top it up with some peach slices or other fruits of your choice.
6. Eat!

(Right: Close up of my half eaten pudding.)

Something to take away those winter blahs eh?
Right now, back to work!

Running away from responsibilties

It is as if I am jinxed or something. Experiments are going awry, even the simple ones... The amount of stupid mistakes that I would normally not make is ridiculous... and sometimes just unexplainable that things go wrong.
So naturally I'm feeling down in the dumps. I can't get around how come I'm majorly this bad? I've done lab work before and never had a problem. It's like my brain has died or gone missing. Maybe I killed it or left it behind in Cardiff with Brains (lager).
To make matters more complicated,I'm still managing a bar part-time that is under pressure to perform better. When I first took over, it was a tip! Every health and safety (not a big fan of this, but the basic H&S common sense should be obviously applied) and hygiene regulation was practically broken. At least that is somewhat under control.

So, I've decided to take a trip to visit a friend in Exeter. Don't care of the running experiments. Nor the bar. I'm running away from here!

Maybe when I come back I'll be better?

"Well here I go,it's coming at me through the trees
Help me, someone, help me, please
Take my shoes off, and i will throw them in the lake, and I will be, two steps on the water

I found a fox, who was caught by dogs, he let me take him in my hands
His little heart, it beat so fast
And I'm ashamed to be running away
From nothing real, i just can't deal with this
I feel ashamed to be there"

- The Futureheads/ Kate Bush, Hounds of Love.

Grumble grumble

The days are getting oh so short, yet there is more and more things to do. I'm having to keep an updated dairy... something I've never done. This week, I'm fully book... really, my day starts at 9am and ends at 11pm... today I'm only going to bed at 3 or 4am.

I want to lie down!

Halloween aftermath

After a record earning at the bar for Halloween on Friday, my recently acquired flu decided to punish me even more.
Well, at least in misery I will have the satisfaction of being told of doing a good job - even if right now I've lost my voice, coughing, sniffling and have tons of academic work to do. And darn, still have to go back to the bar and do the stock... even with the extra hour gain is not helping enough!

Have a great Halloween to all.

Health and Safety... BAH!

Sometimes (and by that I mean most times) Health and Safety has no logic whatsoever. So afraid that we might hurt ourselves in everything we do, H&S officers are adamant that we fill out forms after forms after forms of safety rules and follow them. We now have to wear goggles and mittens when using a microwave!!!

But then, last week someone had a bit an accident that was potentially dangerous. What was Health and Safety good for when you really can't expect the unexpected? They can't even tell me how I could dispose a long plastic pippette that does not go into the normal pippette bins...

As most people who watches Top Gear will know, that Richard Hammond was injured while driving a Dragster for the show recently. Now Health and Safety is crawling all over them, trying to find fault at why this was unexpected.

Same goes with my lab now. Things like a dirty shelve is suddenly a H&S issue.

I do think we need a level of safety, but really, it is a common sense thing. But we can't have everything dictate to us. If the UK had an earthquake tomorrow and the chemicals on the shelves were to fall down on us, are we then gonna put all chemicals on the floor and have no shelves?

Meantime, I wish the Hamster a speedy recovery and can't wait for the new season to show. I heard that filming has resumed today for Jeremy Clarkson and James May. Yay!

Embarrassed

One morning I cycled to work, lightly singing a song that is supposed to be Karma Police.

And just as I cycled pass a bus stop I saw someone that seemed quite familiar. It took me a while to realise...

It's Thom Yorke. Again. (Hmm, why is he waiting at a bus stop?)

The expression on my face when I finally recognised him must be errr, amusing. I don't think he heard me singing.

Embarrassing...

Then again, maybe I'm mistaken and that person is not Thom... (wishing partially that it was a mistake).

Summer is over

And just like that the summer has come and gone. The trees are turning yellow and red. Days are rainy and colder... though with the occasional warm sunshine.

So, recap of the summer: What I did

Work, work, work...
Outdoor sports like tennis and cricket
Get to see a Bollywood film being made in Oxford. Their trailers and cars were parked outside my department. It seems that Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan was here (oops, I saw them but didn't really recognised them in the flesh... my bad. Plus, I walked pass the camera while going for lunch. Oops again.)
Karate in the stuffy dojo.
Holiday in Italy
Worldcup
Summer Ball
Punting
Picnics

Hmmm, it was a great summer I think. I wish it wasn't over so quickly.

Goodbye, Crocodile Hunter

Not a good start to a Monday morning when I read the news. 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin has just passed away early today from a diving accident. According to BBC news, he was killed by a sting ray.
This is a sad, sudden loss. He was such an inspiration. He was probably the first person to make me look at reptiles in another light...
He truly loved wild life and I guess at the end he died doing what he loved.
He will be truly missed. But his legacy will go on.
Thank you, Steve. People like you are the reason I studied biology.

My condolences to Terri Irwin and the rest of the family.

In between experiments 4

Waiting for another experiment to finish. Been listening to a band called The Shins from someone's iTunes. I love the music sharing thing. Anyway, I think this song is good:

So Says I
By The Shins

An address to the golden door
I was strumming on a stone again
pulling teeth from the pimps of gore when hatched
a tragic opera in my mind...
and it told of a new design
in which every soul is duty bound
to uphold all the statutes of boredom therein lies
the fatal flaw of the red age.

Because it was nothing like we'd ever dreamt,
our lust for life had gone away with the rent we hated
and because it made no money nobody saved no one's life.

So we burned all our uniforms
and let nature take its course again
and the big ones just eat all the little ones
that sent us back to the drawing board.

In our darkest hours
we have all asked for some
angel to come
sprinkle his dust all around
but all our crying voices they can't turn it around
and you've had some crazy conversations of your own.

We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs
but we still can't just behave ourselves
even if to save our own lives, so says I, we are a brutal kind.

Cause this is nothing like we'd ever dreamt
tell Sir Thomas Moore we've got another failed attempt
cause if it makes them money they might just give you life this time.

Such a loser...

It's bank holiday and here I am at work. The building is quiet and I feel very odd indeed. Sigh!
Since all cafeterias are closed, I went to Sainsbury's to buy lunch. Big mistake. The noodle salad a bought was not only cold, but half of it was frozen. Now I would have gone back to complain but it's like a 20 minute walk. Blech!

Today I feel like such a loser... :(

Gloomy thoughts

Boss (AKA supervisor) is throwing hissy fit again... well as far as I know that it's got nothing to do with me, but the fact that he is taking it out on people creates resentment.

That is only one of his problems.... Anyway, here I am thinking if continuing this course of work under is one particular person is a decision I should change. If it was just a regular job, I would think about not renewing my contract or quit before things get worse. But as it were, I'm actually trying, at the end of three years, to obtain a PhD. I'm in doubt now wheter I would finish my PhD at this rate. Sigh!

Just how far would I go before actually resolve to give up for good?
Well, I got a meeting with the Boss today. Hopefully it won't be too bad. Must remember to not cower in fear... X_X

Life without a computer

My powerbook has finally kicked its aluminium bucket. And I'm without a computer at home. Life seems so much more quite and boring without a computer. I've began to pace around in my noiseless room, it's just so odd...

That is how dependent some people has become to computers, sadly.

I need to get my little lappy fixed! I'm now using a very old iMac at work... well, at least it's better than none.

Lab boredom antics

If you work in a lab, do you sometimes find yourself sitting around waiting for your samples? Long enough to get bored, but not long enough for you to walk away and do something else. Here are 10 things I've done/seen in my lab other than the usual sitting and stairing into space.

1. Sleep/dose. I've observed a researcher in my lab taking forty winks on his chair, feet up on the mini fridge, while waiting for his samples/results. Surprising how he never falls.
2. Kata practice. Tekki Shodan is the best for long and narrow lab spaces such as mine. Perplex glass on the microbiological safety cabinet/ fume cabinet is good for seeing your reflection while you practice. Recommend you do this when no one is around. Be careful not to topple things.
3. Spinning around on the swivel chair. Makes you dizzy. Only if you have one of those in your lab. I remembered doing a lot of when I was four or five, and broke my tooth once when I fell... Oh well.
4. Talk. Have a good chat with another colleague. Only if you have friendly and good-natured ones. Some researchers get highly annoyed if you try to chat with them or make noise generally in the lab. Luckily, non of my lab colleague are grumpies.
5. Sing. Sing along with the radio in the lab. Or just sing your own song. A couple of researchers in my lab like to do this. Sometimes one of them would whistle a tune. Mostly though this is done when they are still doing something, and not waiting around.
6. Clean. Give the work bench a good wipe down.
7. Read. Anything from newspapers to work articles. Bleh.
8. Dance. Know some moves? Why not try it out on the smooth floor (if you have a smooth floor) of the lab. Again, alone is best to avoid embarrassment.
9. Organise. Keeping your work place free of clutter.
10. Write/draw. Usually work-related things like a 'to do' list for tomorrow or 'to buy' list. Sometimes though it's just doodles.

OK. That's all. Hope that inspired someone, or made someone laugh at least.

My week

Here are some things I did for the past week in my mundane life.

Monday: Laugh at a new video made by two guys called The Dormitory Boys/ Back Dorm Boys, taking the piss out of Jessica Simpson's new song (great Monday blues killer). Order drinks for the bar that I manage part-time. Dinner with a housemate.

Tuesday: Piping woes in the insectary, giving us a private paddling pool, hence I feel like a janitor. Tried to call a certain someone but as usual phone is off. Karate training to vent out stress and whatever. Laundry.

Wednesday: Dinner with housemates.
While another housemate had a BBQ party in the garden, which annoyed the house when drunken guests made a ruckus at midnight. Some people had to get up at 6am for work!

Thursday: Due to lack of sleep, the day seemed long and no work was really done. A colleague then had the fab idea of going for a drink after work. Yay! Late dinner :P

Friday: Bank in a cheque from Inland Revenue! They had taxed me too much last year. Dinner by way of Chinese takeaway :P... wasting time by loitering in the room, emails, listening to music. Got the new Keane album from a friend :).

Saturday: Get up late :D. Late lunch. Karate Training. Grocery shopping. Dinner with housemate again. Defrost the dodgy freezer so that technicians can fix it on Monday.

Sunday: Sort out bills. Tidy my room a bit... Laundry (My karate trousers needed a wash). Defrost the fridge so that technicians can fix it on Monday too. Dinner at a friend's place, plus Battlestar Galactica! :D


So that's my week. How is yours like?

Pressure! Here comes the gripe.

Gah, work things are not going my way. I'm so frustrated. Pressure to get results is building and I feel like I could explode. What to do when experiments don't work like it's supposed to and you don't know what to fix??? That and the heatwave is making me mad. My room sometimes goes up to 30 degrees at night and the fan I bought feels like it is blowing hot air, which means I don't get much sleep, which adds to more grumpiness.

Which makes my theme song of the week being Pressure Point by The Zutons.

I can't get this pressure point out of my head
I can't get this pressure point out of my head
I feel it in work, you know, I feel it in bed
I can't get this pressure point out of my head
I've paid all my bills and I've acted so well
Ain't been cheating, there's nothing to tell
So why all this pressure, I dont understand
I call on my neighbours, and lend them a hand

Doctor, oh doctor, I'm willing to learn
Well all of my bones, well they toss and they turn
Mother, oh mother, I'm begging you please
To rid me of madness and cure this disease

Maybe told you what I have become
With all of this pressure, my mind's on a run
Why maybe its changing, let's hope for the best
Maybe it's something to get off my chest

Doctor, oh doctor, I'm begging you please
To rid me of madness and cure this disease
Mother, oh mother, I'm willing to learn
Well all of my bones, well they toss and they turn

Pressure pressure pressure pressure...
Pressure pressure pressure pressure...
Pressure pressure pressure pressure...
Pressure pressure pressure pressure...

I can't get this pressure point out of my head
I can't get this pressure point out of my head
I feel it in work, you know, I feel it in bed
I can't get this pressure point out of my head

AAAAAAAhhh ... Pressure pressure pressure pressure pressure...
AAAAAAAhhh ... Pressure pressure pressure pressure pressure...
AAAAAAAhhh ... Pressure pressure pressure pressure pressure...
AAAAAAAhhh ... Pressure pressure pressure pressure pressure...

If they were true...

And if only they were real... Well I guess the checkout machines are.
I love going to Co-op!

The End of World Cup 2006

Ahem, first of all... YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! Bravo Italy!!! My Italian friends must be crazily happy at the moment. Outside my window, I can hear some fans cheering, cars honking...

So that is the end of this year's World Cup. And what a spectacular one! Until next time...

Meanwhile, enjoy these guys paying tribute to World Cup 2006. Dadada!




Oh and yay to Roger Federer as well for clenching the Wimbledon title again! *Happy Dance*

Spammers and scammers, please... NOT!

Now even my private work email address is spammed! Here is one that I've just received. I can't help but to laugh at this.

DEAR SIR,

URGENT & CONFIDENTIAL!!!.

AFTER DUE DELIBERTION WITH MY COLLEAGUES, I HAVE THE
PLEASURE TO FORWARD TO YOU THIS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL
PROPOSAL. WE REQUIRE A RELIABLE FOREIGN INDIVIDUAL OR
COMPANY WHO WILL ASSIST US TO RECEIVE THE SUM OF
USD$100 MILLON INTO HIS/HER BANK ACCOUNT.
(Why make millons when we could make *pinkie to mouth* millions?)

THIS FUND RESULTED FROM A CONTRACT WHICH OUR COMMITTEE
AWARDED IN 1999 IN COLLABORATION WITH SOME PAST
MILITARY OFFICERS. THE SAID CONTRACT WAS SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED AND COMMISSIONED AND THE FOREIGN CONTRACTORS
WAS PAID THE PRINCIPAL COST OF THE CONTRACT LEAVING
THE SUM USD$100 MILLION WHICH WE DELIBRATELY ADDED.

UNFORTUNATELY,AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO
OWN FOREIGN ACCOUNT.HENCE WE ARE SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE. MY COLLEAGUES AND I AFTER DUE CONSIDRATION AGREED ON THE FOLLOWING SHARING RATIO;
1, 30% FOR YOU THE ACCOUNT OWNER
2, 60% FOR MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES.
3, 10% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENCES THAT
MIGHT BE INCURED IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION.
(yeah right, mate. 60% isn't that fair! Civil servants of which country anyway?)

TO REDUCE YOUR CURIOSITY AND DOUBT, LET ME SINCERELY
INFORM YOU THAT WE OBTAINED YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS FROM
REPUTABLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES AND I AM
THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CONTRACT AWARD COMMITTEE
OF THE FEDERAL OIL AND GAS BOARD (FOGB).
(I didn't know I had connections with reputable chamber of commerce and industries since I'm in the poor research business. And Pat here seems to be a highly ranked, secretary of the... what again?*getting curious*)

WE ALL HAVE PUT IN SO MANY YEARS IN SERVICE AND HAVE THUS
PATIENTLY WAITED FOR THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WE WANT TO CONCLUDE THIS TRANSACTION
BEFORE THE END OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.

TO FACILITATE THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND, WE SHALL
REQUIRE:
1, YOUR BANKER’S NAME,ADDRESS,ACCOUNTNUMBER,NAME
OF BENEFICIARY,FAX AND PHONE NUMBERS.
2,YOUR COMPANY’S NAME,ADDRESS,PRIVATE FAX AND
PHONE NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATION.

WITH THE ABOVE INFORMATION, WE WILL ON YOUR BEHALH
SEEK APPROVAL FOR THE FUND TRANSFER FROM OUR FEDERAL
MINISTRIES CONCERNED.
(And on my behalh please go and hang yourself)

TAKE NOTICE THAT A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENTIALITY
SHOULD BE ACCORDED THIS TRANSACTION AND EVEN A HIGHER
LEVEL OF TRUST AND HONESTY EXPECTED ON YOUR PART.
(Oh I took notice alright... Trust and honesty to a scammer... right, got that.)

NOTE:- KINDLY REPLY THROUGH THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:- pattychim500@yahoo.com
(anyone who would like to say hi to Pat please go ahead and email him.)

BEST REGARDS.

DR. PATRICK CHIM.

(I wonder where did Dr. Patrick Chim got his PhD?)

Summer Hols

Been away on a little break to Italy. It was great. Florence was the choice of stay, but I got to travel a bit around the country on day trips... My week of rambling was filled with extreme (37 degree) temperature, Culex mosquitoes, Italian language, fumes of alcohol and generally trying to pace the Italian way of life...Here are some of the memoriable pics of that lovely country.

Shock! That was my expression when I realised that I'm going to have to sit on that ATR plane courtesy of Alitalia. Err... give me Ryan Air anytime... but then again what an experience... I doubt I'll have a chance to sit on a propellar plane again.

Room with a view.
The Villa I stayed in was eclectic, with their own orchard and vineyard... best part though was the view from my room... Overlooking the city of Florence, I just had to enjoy a cool drink of Campari mixx on the balcony amidst the scorching temperature.

Yes, why don't I?

Replica of David looking a little shy there...;)

The famous Florence Duomo, peaking out at the end of a lane...

The hand of San Giovanni on display in the Siena Duomo.

Gondolas parked in a row in Venice's San Marco square...

Where else would you go to get Venetian masks?

In Italy, kids are in a hurry to get to school... Go kids!


Bye bye Firenze... I'll definitely be back to ramble around the Tuscan landscape again! But for now, I'm back with a tan and work starts again... sniff.

Sushi!

And the weather is back to the warming twenties. Times like this makes me wanna eat sushi. So even when there is no time to sit and eat comfortably, there is always Sainsbury's that does (not so great) takeaway sushis. Well, it's better than a sandwich! Then again, where abouts can I find a sushi ya in Oxford? Hmmm.

Here's a funny video I found on YouTube about sushi etiquette. Enjoy!

Not exactly DNA, but...

Got this personality DNA quiz thing from SeaDevilyn. It's fun. But don't think it's really reading your DNA, mind.

Generous Inventor

You are an Inventor

Your imagination, self-reliance, openness to new things, and appreciation for utility combine to make you an INVENTOR.

You have the confidence to make your visions into reality, and you are willing to consider many alternatives to get that done.

The full spectrum of possibilities in the world intrigues you—you're not limited by pre-conceived notions of how things should be.

Problem-solving is a specialty of yours, owing to your persistence, curiosity, and understanding of how things work.

Your vision allows you to identify what's missing from a given situation, and your creativity allows you to fill in the gaps.

Your awareness of how things function gives you the ability to come up with new uses for common objects.

It is more interesting for you to pursue excitement than it is to get caught up in a routine.

Although understanding details is not difficult for you, you specialize in seeing the bigger picture and don't get caught up in specifics.

You tend to more proactive than reactive—you don't just wait for things to come to you.

If you want to be different:

Try applying your creativity to more artistic arenas, and letting your imagination take less practical forms.


How you relate to others:

You are Generous

Your awareness of those around you, along with your nuanced perceptions of the world at large, makes you the GENEROUS person that you are.

You value time to yourself and understand how rich your private world can be—you know that you don't have to go wild to have a good time.

You are excited and energized by ideas and often enjoy things more through observation than through experience.

This tendency gives you an appreciation for different perspectives and opinions about the world.

Being as aware of others as you are doesn't mean you find it easy to trust them immediately—this is something that happens more slowly for you.

Despite this, you are aware of the complexities of many situations and are reluctant to pass judgments on others.

Although you have fewer friendships than some people, those that you have are meaningful and are important to you.

You value spending time alone—it is while reflecting on the world around you that you often learn something new about yourself or begin to understand something that's been bothering you.

If you want to be different:

Given how attuned you are to others' thoughts and feelings, you might find that trusting people more is a way to broaden your perspective even further.

While you know how much can be learned from observing the world around you, remember that much of life can be lived by experiencing it, not just by understanding it.


Hmmm... that sounds like me in a nutshell alright. Look at the pretty colours ooooo @_@.

Sleepy...

Just when I've said it's too hot, down comes rain... and lots of it (okay, not a tropical storm or anything like that mind). So now the temperature is down to 16 degrees. Actually, I'm glad that it's raining. My room isn't so warm anymore.
But then again, this weather is making me lazy... I wanna go home and have a nap...
zzzzzz

I think I'll just go home now. To heck with work.

Scorching Weekend

Temperature: 27 degrees. It isn't even this hot in Cardiff!
And as this weekend was that hot, play was really really in order!

Saturday:
Karate training for 2 hours straight! And the dojo was like an oven. I think I almost keeled over with Sensei's zealous but great training.
Then, a small late birthday dinner party till really late. Lots of cocktails which was not such a good idea when hydrated before from a 2 hour workout...
Some sneak peek at World Cup scores in between (Sweden draws??? eh???)

Sunday:
Lazy start of the day. Spent some time with a friend watching TV. Then off to the park with some people to attempt cricket. I say attempt because I don't know what I was doing most times... This is then followed by a mini-picnic.

So I guess that was a good weekend. But I wouldn't mind a bit of rain now. Brain is overheating and sleeping at night is getting difficult. And my laptop is desperately trying to cool down with its noisy fan.

Hope everyone has a good weekend?

Here comes the sun!

And I say it's alright...

Yay finally the feeling of summer is here! It's a lovely 25 degrees. I'm gonna try enjoy this as much as I can while it's here!

Punting, Rowing, Tennis, World Cup, Cricket, Gin and Tonic, Pimms and Lemonade, Strawberries and cream, barbecues, Rosé wines...

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

^_^

Busy Monday

So yesterday was my birthday yay! But what a Monday. the usual lab work until 6.30pm, then a meeting at 7.30pm, and finally a couple of my friends and I went out for a pub meal at about 9pm! The said two then gave me presents, a birthday muffin, and a special cocktail to boot. My birthday celebration, when celebrated, are always on the low key. I like that.
Alas now I'm coming down with a cold I think. Sigh!

Midweek blues

Breakdown of lab machines,
Setting back experiments,
Cleaning duty woes,
Mosquito rearing boredom.

Alarms are beeping,
From the cooling facility,
Due to broken air-conditioning,
Giving me a headache.

Brain drained away,
By mundane repetition,
Of laboratory life,
Situated in a basement.

Bank Holidays mean nothing,
When you have to work anyway,
At my wits end,
when things go wrong.

So this is midweek,
Another two days labour,
Time flies by so quickly,
Even when you are not having fun.

It's still raining!

After two weeks, the weather is still grey and wet. Gah! Please! I don't want to cycle on the slippery road and getting a free shower anymore! Besides, would like to participate in some outdoor sports. Right now, what is on offer is Aqua Tennis. But really that isn't my thing...
So anyway, I've gone for two lessons of Karate... Ouch! Seven years of hiatus in this field has left me in muscle fatigue (pain!) that did experienced when I first started in martial arts. At least I can still remember some basic kicks and blocks :S, but not much else. So at the end, I've resolved to start again from the beginning. One thing I like about the Oxford Karate Club is the dojo. It really is a dojo! Wow! Oh and the sensei insists on using Japanese terms only so I'm left a little baffled at times because my previous experience was taught in English. But hey, at least then joining Karate not only gives you the workout and martial arts skill, but also teachers you a new language.
Right, I best cycle home now while the rain is letting up a little.

An obscure observation: When it is raining, and you sing the song "Rain rain go away", does it rain harder or does the rain stop? In my experiences, it always rain harder and harder! Okay, this is bull I know. (For the record, I only did this when I was young! :P)

Bunny coolness!

Have a look at today's Bunny.
Hehehe!
I love Bunny!

English Summer Rain

"English Summer Rain
Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages.
Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages."

Somehow sometimes the weather suits my mood. As said absent grey matter in cranial cavity is no where to be found, and things just feel absolutely stagnant at the moment.

I'm in the basement, you're in the sky,
I'm in the basement baby, drop on by.
I'm in the basement, you're in the sky,
I'm in the basement baby, drop on by.

And what is worst is my basement lab (which I sometime refer to as the "dungeon" for it's cold and gloomy interior decor). I could just about see the rain from the small underground window. There is hardly any light coming through it.

Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages.
Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages.

I'm in the basement, you're in the sky,
I'm in the basement baby, drop on by.
I'm in the basement, you're in the sky,
I'm in the basement baby, drop on by.

Hold your breath and count to ten,
And fall apart and start again,
Hold your breath and count to ten,
Start again, start again...
Hold your breath and count your step,
And fall apart and start again,
Start again...

Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages.
Always stays the same, nothing ever changes,
English summer rain seems to last for ages.

Hold your breath and count to ten,
And fall apart and start again,
hold your breath and count to ten,
Start again, start again...
Hold your breath and count to ten,
And fall apart and start again,
Old your breath and count to ten,
And start again, and start again,

Start again...

Maybe when the sun decides to make appearance sometime this week, my life would feel and be a little better. Right now I'll have to wait patiently and plough on.


"English Summer Rain" lyrics by Placebo

Wanted: Missing brain

If there is a theme song for me, right now it would be "Where's your head at" by Basement Jaxx. Really, I'm doing research like a headless monkey. I get so muddled up and tell my supervisor (who can be scary sometimes) the wrong things. It's like a writer's block, except that there's no capacity to analyse or execute experiments properly instead of creative writing.
So, I was told to go and review my work. How shameful.
:(

Why in the world am I so confused? Lack of concentration? Maybe I don't really have the brain to do this line of work... can someone lend me a brain please?

Maybe I need to clear my head first.

Bogged down

I'm so bogged down with work and other responsibilities to the point of going insane.

"I think I'm drowning
asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
that you've created"


Just how far will I let this go on?


"you will be the death of me
you will be the death of me

bury it
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it

our time is running out
our time is running out
you can't push it underground
you can't stop it screaming out"

I need to find a way to keep myself in one piece. I can't and won't let things get in the way of my own life.

(Partial lyrics from Muse, Time is Running Out)

May Day, Oxford style

Sunday. A few new friends and I took a trip down to Magdalen College for an all nighter movie marathon, hoping to brush away this dark cloud that is building within me. Magdalen as some may have known, is one of the more well known Oxford colleges, and more recently as one of the colleges used for the Harry Porter movies. We stayed awake the whole night, watching films that require little or no brain power. Then at 6 am May Day, we braved the rain and cold, and gathered in the courtyard to witness an annual tradition that dates back to the 4th century called Evensong. Above the Magdalen Tower, the choristers gathered and as the soon as the bell in the tower finished ringing six time, they started to sing, it was as if everything was frozen, except for the hymn that echoed into the stillness. Then there was a short latin prayer, and another hymn. Somehow, it was a calming experience, even though I was still carrying a gloom along with me...

I guess that the previous weeks' positivity is at it's end, I am back to the melancholy that is too familiar. I remember my teenage years, when nearly everyday was like this... even to a point where I could barely move to do anything. It's sometimes amazing how I could have gotten myself somewhat afloat again, even if it isn't so well done. But hey, I'm still here, fighting year after year to maintain buoyancy... And here again I feel that same dead weight that wants to drag me down into the deeps of despair.
So as I was standing on the grass of the courtyard, looking up at Magdalen Tower, I wonder what is it I am here for... I now remind myself of a quote from a former Magdalen college student:

"The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for."
- Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900

I hope you are right, Mr. Wilde. I hope you are right...

Now, I wonder how many idiotic students has jumped off Magdalen Bridge into the shallow river Cherwell as part of a May Day celebration this year?

Another Sunday antics

Sunday was rainy, so what better to do at home? Another cooking experiment! My, is this turning out to be a food blog?

After Easter, I had some leftover white chocolate and about a pint of double cream... what better excuse to make some creme brulee? :P


Firstly, made some Langue De Chat on Friday night... to much of a housemate's irritation as I only finished baking by midnight. Sorry!


And then on to the brulee - white chocolate and raspberry brulee that is... Unfortunately, I couldn't get the burnt sugar layer right as I only have an electric grill... Here's the first one served with extra raspberries and Langue De Chat.


Second attempt , still couldn't get the caramel right. I guess that's why people usually use a blowtorch. So if anyone would like to buy me a blowtorch as a birthday present... much appreciated, as strange as that sounds!

The People's Petition

It's Saturday and I'm avoiding the city centre as I got news that there will be a large animal rights demo today. I'm tired of these people, and I know many others are too.
Hence, David Taylor has the idea of putting an online petition that is pro-research. If you want to know more about the three statements this petition is for, and hopefully sign up for it, then click on the title of this post. Unfortunately, as these so called animal lovers are so aggressive, the petition can be signed anonymously.
The anti-vivisectionists critise this of course, but after all that has been happening, you cannot say that it is unneccessary. Once, I've witnessed students being shouted at and intimidated as they enter the Zoology Department, even though many of these students studies and work for the progress of welfare and conservation of animals. Buildings belonging to the university are also damaged thanks to them.

I am pro-life, therefore I agree with this petition. How about you?

Easter is the excuse for choc overdose

What a weekend! Was your Easter weekend a pigging out session on tons of chocolate? Mine was, starting with a rich chocolate cake of my own concoction on Saturday. Then Sunday, a chocolate egg hunt in a local garden, then a lunch, with more chocolate afterwards.

As you can see, my oh so bold attempt to decorate it as a bird's nest did not turn out quite so well after a couple of mishaps. So then I dubbed it the Easter Dinosaur Nest. Amount of chocolate: 500g of Belgian dark (for the cake), 100g of white chocolate and a bag of Terry's chocolate orange eggs.


Here's one of my egg hunt reward: The evil Cadbury's Creme Egg! So sweet that even your teeth cries in protest! :P
Amount of chocolate consumed at the hunt: 3 eggs, fragments of a chocolate bunny, and a handful of other chocolates.

Ugh, maybe that is why I'm feeling a little sick now... ooo! there is still a quarter of the cake left in the fridge!

Stuck in between experiments

I've run out of a few essential things for experiments... Nothing I can do now but wait till next week, when hopefully I can continue.
Everyone is more or less is in a holiday mood. The department is pretty much empty now, save or a few mental people (including yours truly) that will work over Easter. Le sigh, I hope at the end of my three year research, something useful will come out of it. Meanwhile, Happy Easter... even though it isn't of any significance to me, except that I'll be stuffing myself with chocolate. That I will :).

Here's what I'm listen to at the moment: Bloc Party's "Plans"

Wake up dreamer
It's happening without you
Cut your hair and shave your beard
You squandered your chances
I'll give you a thousand pounds
To show me how you do it
Stop being so laissez-faire
We're all scared of the future

Been training vipers to come for you
In your dreams to release you
Been training vipers to come for you
In your sleep
And the ravens are leaving the tower
And the ravens are leaving the tower
Make your peace

I've got a taste for blood
Leave the weak, leave the young
I've got a taste for blood
I'm walking out without you
You will kill or be killed
It's about progress
I've got a taste for blood

Wake up sleepyhead
It's happening without you
Such a nice guy
You tell me everything twice
Whipcrack speed jump
We will run backwards
Stop being so laissez-faire
We're all scared of the future

We make plans for big times
Get bogged down, distracted
We make plans for good times
All neon, all surface
So kiss me before it all gets complicated
I've got a taste for blood

Something's up with Mos...

Many failed experiments, but I do have some results to work with... What does it mean? I feel like I'm at a dead end... I'm reminded of Jack Skellington's obsession with solving the secret to Christmas.

"There are so many things I cannot grasp
When I think I've got it, and then at last
Through my bony fingers it does slip
Like a snowflake in a fiery grip

Something's here I'm not quite getting
Though I try, I keep forgetting
Like a memory long since past
Here in an instant, gone in a flash
What does it mean?
What does it mean?"

Oh woe, what to do with my data?

"Simple objects, nothing more
But something's hidden through a door
Though I do not have the key
Something's there I cannot see
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Hmm..."

I've stared and tinkered around with my data, I still can't make any sense with it other than some basic stuff...

"Or perhaps it's really not as deep
As I've been led to think
Am I trying much too hard?
Of course! I've been too close to see
The answer's right in front of me
Right in front of me"

Or is it? Time for a visit to the supervisor...

On a Sunday...

I usually spend my Sundays at home. Doing laundry, food shopping, reading, artwork... So today's no different. The day started out with plenty of sunshine, and so I cycled down to visit the Prophets of Tesco. The fresh chicken shelves were on sale: Buy one get one free! Needless to say this was sparked by the recent event of bird flu in the country. Oh for goodness sake! It's in Scotland! But anyway, I thought I should stock up on chicken since memory serves that the prices of poultry and related products will sky-rocket after this. I also bought a few stuff on a wimp that will soon be my lazy Sunday's main event...
So lugging kilos of food (of which half being chicken), I cycled home: in the rain. The meak sun was smothered again and heavy dark clouds summoned tiny droplets of near iced rain dancing around with the chilly winds. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my gloves and so had the luxury of watching my hands turn snow white, then an angry red. And the pain! Heh, that is spring for you.

Right, so after a nice cup of tea and a flapjack (whilst watching the rain that turned into hail and then return of the sun), I started my first attempt at making a japanese cheesecake. I don't know why did I suddenly felt like making cheesecakes... I started at around 4pm, and by the time I've finished with the baking it was 6.30pm! But I guess it was well worth it because the cake turned out quite yummy, if not soft and fluffy as it should. But with the decor on, it was rather pretty. And I was pretty chuffed too when some housemates thought I bought it. Too bad the cake's pristine condition was to last for like 10 minutes! Most of it now sits in the stomachs of five people.


The cake after all the lovely trimmings on. Sad to say the souffle-ness started to sink after a bit.


After dinner, I've got something else to look forward to... yum!

So all in all, not a bad first attempt. ;)

In between experiments 3

Waiting for the results... and some chemicals for further experiments... so la dee da!

Here's anothere song by The Editors that's stuck in my mind thanks to my little sister.

"Distance"

Distance, I'll keep my distance
These things I never seem to meet
So I'll leave the murder scene

Honey, what got broke here
Won't go back together again
So I'll leave this while I can

Here
Here
Here
Here

Nothing, to be scared of
My dreams they keep a hold of me
My guide when I can't see

Call, I will be there
I'm sure you're passing the test
I wish you all the best

Here
Here
Here
Here
...

Escape to the Welsh landscape

And so after much stressful work, I've decided to go back to Cardiff for a visit. Unfortunately, I failed to catch wind of a football match that weekend (Swansea vs Carlisle if anyone is interested, oh and Swansea won). But fortunately, my friends brought me to escape the city football-craze scene: the Brecon Beacons of superb Welsh landscape! Didn't take many stunning pictures though...


Taken in a moving car...


Abergavenny Castle... in Abergavenny (Y-Fenni in Welsh) Town, Monmouthshire of course.

Now that I'm no longer living in Wales, I realised it is not a bad place to be afteralll. With that, I was a little sad to leave the country... by train packed full of people in blue and white, or black and white.

Start all over again

What happens when you failed to get things done right?
Start all over again!
:(

Anyway, a little cheer me up by watching the latest Never Mind the Buzzcocks on BBC2. Here is a snippet of the episode. You can watch the whole episode on the BBC2 website.


Okay here's another one:

RNA is a pain

I hate it when I work with RNA (Ribonucleic acid). It's so sensitive to degradation that everything has to be sterile and RNase(protein that kills RNA) free. That means heaps of autoclaving (um, a sterilsing chamber) and keeping everything clean/sterilised at an almost paranoia level. I hate working with RNA!

For those who don't understand what the heck I'm going about, please disregard this post. I just have to gripe on a Monday.

Monday Blues

Like a Carpenter's song: Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

And even more so when it's a rainy Monday.

To top it off: lots to do, not enough time to do it!

In between experiments 2

And as I leave my experiments to run overnight, here I am posting another before I head home after a day's hectic work.

Radio 1 is playing "All Sparks" by The Editors alot. And since it's the only channel I could get in my basement lab, it's now stuck in my head. Heh, this song is somewhat suitable for me at the mo... just read the lyrics.


You're answering questions that have not yet been asked
All sparks will burn out in the end

You burn like a bouncing cigarette on the road
All sparks will burn out in the end

All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end

You're casting opinions at people who need them
All sparks will burn out in the end

Well be careful angel, this life is just too long
All sparks will burn out in the end

All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end

You burn like a bouncing cigarette

All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
All sparks will burn out
In the end

I was served by Draco!

Went to my local Co-op for some groceries. And guess who was the cashier? heheheheh!





It's actually the self-service checkout machine I'm afraid.

In between experiments 1

While I'm waiting for my experiment to finish running, I thought I should post something here. Listening to Radiohead's "Bullet Proof... I wish I was"

Limb by limb and tooth by tooth
Tearing up inside of me.
Everyday, everyhour, wish that I was..
Was bullet proof

Wax me, mould me
Heat the pins and stab them in.
You have turned me into this, just wish that it..
Was bullet proof

So pay me money, and take a shot
Lead fill the hole in me.
I could burst a million bubbles, all surrogate..
& bullet proof (slowdown, slowdown, slowdown)
Bullet proof (slowdown, slowdown, slowdown)

The Art of Talking

Whenever I go for an interview - formal or otherwise, I would be a nervous wreck! I would start to sweat (so much that shaking hands is an embaressment) and fidget in my seat like I was sitting on a pin-cushion. My face would be warm and a Joker-like grin would be plastered on it. I would also talk at a fast pace... And sometimes it's just gibberish! Gah! Why?
On the other spectrum, when faced an audience (i.e. more than two people!), I would get so scared that my mind would go blank and I would have a somber expression like something bad had happened to the world. Hmmm that bad thing happening would probably be me doing a speech. (The world's a stage, and it groans when Moshunter comes on to talk!)
It's been years. How do I get over this? A tutor once told me that some people are just like that. And the best way to overcome is to prepare something beforehand. But what about impromptu situations? Am I to sound like/worse than George Bush Jr. for the rest of my life? @_@.

I guess if I sound like the US President it would mean I'm as powerful! Kidding.

Caffeine is my friend

Today it was glorious sunshine until 3.55pm, then it's snow and ice. My life is like the weather at the moment. First boredom, then work that drops on me suddenly like a grand piano drops in a Warner Brother's cartoon.
I'm trying to do two experiments at once. On top of that, managing a run-down bar and fundraising. I've been sleeping at 2am every night for the past week... drinking Coke and Lucozade to keep me awake. But I still have five minutes to spare writing in this blog. Bleh! Right, best not waste my time.

Pro-Test

Saturday saw a large march by Pro-Test to support animal lab testing. Wearing mainly blue and white, they held signs like "Vegetarians against ALF" and chanted "Animal testing saves lives, build the Oxford animal lab!" as they walk around the Oxford Science area and parts of the city centre. They were well behaved and quite orderly as far as I could see. No angry phrases, no verbal attacks...
One street away, the anti-vivisection activist was doing their weekly march. But the two groups did not clash. Of course, the police made sure of that.
I am quite happy that finally people are voicing out their support for animal use in Science, despite the intimidation from animal rights activists. Maybe I'll join in next time.
But right now, work is pilling up like mountains. bleh!

Did I really saw Thom?

As I was cycling past the Natural History Museum on my way to work this morning, I so happened to glance up at the cyclist going in the opposite direction. The man was on one of those foldable cycles and his face looked somehow familiar. I stared for a moment... and then it hit me.

Did I just saw Thom Yorke?

I could have been mistaken... or did I? Heh, one of the things I'll never know for sure. But I'd like to think that I did see Thom, nothing like a little star-struckness to start the week...

Mondays are not so bad afterall. :)

Childhood memories: Labyrinth

I came across the song 'Magic Dance' by David Bowie the other day, which jolt my memory of the movie that song was played in. Labyrinth is one of my all time favourite movies still, and very much so during my childhood... I can't remember how many times I've watched it. One most dreamy scene I've found on youtube.com: The Masquerade!
For those who share my sentiments, enjoy the clip.



I didn't realise that the girl is Jennifer Connelly... no wonder I thought that actress in 'A Beautiful Mind' looked familiar. And of course, David Bowie is fantastic! ;)

My other job...

Hee! Like I had nothing better to do. I've just got a job as bar co-manager. I hope I will get extra cash for this, and that I will have fun managing a smoke-free bar.
From mosquito genetics to bar managing. Let's see how I fare... all the same, I am excited.

*Goes power hungry*

Listening to people talk...

Yesterday was the last of a lecture series that I had been going to held by Green College - Climate Change: Evidence, Effect and Evasive Action. It has been intriguing for attending this series that goes on every Monday evening for the last one month. It touches on the evidence of climate change, the impact it has on us all, problems facing us, and lastly what we need to do right now. I do hope people will take home the message in this series of lecture and make the effort in helping our environment. But what I like about this lectures are that the speakers are the experts and remain realistic... unlike some green evangelists I know.

Later that evening, I went to a religion versus science debate at the Oxford Union which was packed to the brim.
Not exactly what I thought it was going to be as I got the impression it was going to be a evolution versus intelligent design debate. But it turns out to be more on the lines of memetics versus religion. Well, I didn't know who was speaking until the actual debate started... (Speakers were: Susan Blackmore and Alistair McGrath)
But still, it was an interesting debate (from what I could hear of it) and I finally got to see what Dr. Blackmore look like. Not exactly what I thought she was going to be either ;).

Now I need some quiet...

Down

The temperature outside is down to -2 Celcius. I have a headache and running at a higher core temperature.
There seems to be some sort of mini-epidemic in the house. I'm the latest and fourth victim. Hope my decision to take the day off will help me get better soon (well at least no need to cycle outside the cold) before I get as bad as one of my housemates. :(
I hate being ill.

Happy Dog Year!

It's Chinese New Year's Eve today. For those who are celebrating, happy Chinese new year!
Have a good year ahead. Woof!

Around Cardiff

Apart from being in Cardiff, I sometimes take short trips outside the city with friends. Wales is a beautiful place if you care to look...

Castell Coch (Castle Coch). Meaning The Red Castle. Located just outside the city. If you bother to walk upstream of the River Taff, you will eventually arrive here.



Some spring flowers blooming in the many hills of Wales.


Mumbles. Lovely seaside and places to go walking. Home of Catherine Zeta Jones I am told...


More Welsh Seaside... lovely.


Swansea City. About an hour's drive away from Cardiff.


Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly. Not only do they have a cheese named after their city, they also have one of the oldest castles in the world.


Lake in the Breacon Beacons. Photo by Nat.


And you gotta have sheep in Wales! :) Photo by Nat.

The Mosquito Relocation

This morning we had to relocate all our mosquitoes and equipment to a new insectary next door. All the elbow grease... that plus the tropical condition of the insectaries while wearing a jumper is near torture. Meanwhile, outside temperature was -1 Celcius! I can't help but to laugh at the irony...

Attack of the Mosquitoes

Arrgh! The mosquitoes has escaped during the weekend and was happily flying around the insectary! The moment I stepped into the room they all went for me. I've just spent the last hour and a half trying to recapture/kill them while evade from being bitten.
Bleh! I hate it went there is a containment breach.

Cardiff Revisited Part Two

Now down south is the bay. Here are some of the pictures...

Parts of Cardiff Bay still has its marshlands. This patch is protected for the interest of conservation.


The Millenium Centre. There is Ping demonstrating the size of the building. No, we did not see any TARDIS appearing at the time :(.


And here is Ping again nearer by the water. Bird book and binoculars in hand! :)

Cardiff Revisited Part One

I'd gone back to Cardiff for Nat's birthday celebration. It was fun. It was refreshing to come back to this city. So I thought to put up some pictures of Cardiff City I took for the past year...


Here is one of the animals on the stone wall along the street of Cardiff Castle.


Inner part of Cardiff Castle. This is the original bit of the castle. Other castle builidings was later on built in.


Cardiff's very own Clock Tower. I could hear it ringing from my old house!


A part of Cardiff City Centre and an alternate view of the clock tower. Photo by Ping.


The Welsh dragon on Cardiff Town Hall roof.


Millenium Stadium as seen from a bridge in Bute Park.


Another bridge in Bute Park that I always cross during my evening jogs in the summer.


Cricket game during summertime.


The centre piece in the Univerisity Park (or is it Garden?).