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?).