Procrastination... Not...

The first week in the lab has passed and soon will come the second week. I've been deviating so much from the actual work I need to do that I'm truly and most terrifyingly behind on my lit review. So far, I've only read one review and another paper on the effects of reelin' expression on cell migration in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and even so neither of them I can talk about without uncertainty.

However, this week I've been on a steep learning curve, with the first and second day running around in the lab preparing artificial CSF and RNA/DNA mediums, trying to remember which chemicals have to be kept in under 4 degrees, -20 degrees and -80 degrees, or in the water bath, and when to switch the temperature, and when to remove them from those temperatures. Huge pain in the arse, I might say, that the supervisor seems to place a large amount of trust in my memory by giving me instructions as a passing comment. One time, I forgot to remove the artificial CSF from the magnetic stirrer on my second day and left the solution at room temperature overnight, and so I had to remake a new batch on the day next and so there was a delay in the rat brain harvest surgery.

There were 2 cool events that happened in my first week, one of them by chance. On Tuesday my lab partner Gabi was showing me on how to weigh rats when one of the status epilepticus rats went into grade 5, then 4, then 6 seizure. Grade 6 is most terrifying and is also known as 'popcorn' among the lab people - because it is when the rat jerks violently up and down like popcorn popping. I thought 'popcorn' was a bit of an understatement because the rat jumped up and down so violently that the lid above broke off and the creature unconciously made its escape. Thankfully, Gabi was quick enough to lift it and hoist it back into the cage before the rat fell off the table. The second cool event (but perhaps not too cool) was the rat brain harvest. Rats had to be guilotined for the brain harvest and since general anaesthetics will alter the methylation status in the brain, decapitation had to be done with the rat fully awake (and writhing for its life). I'm thankful that I'm not ethically permitted to decapitate a rat, because it's terrifying watching a living creature being killed like that, let alone doing it. My only job in this process is to wipe up the arterial blood spurt and wash the bloody equipment. Until now I can still remember the rat's eyes as they widen with fear when the blades hit all 4 sides of its neck, and that gaping mouth to let out one last unheard squeak. I don't think I will forget this, ever.

Ok, I think this will do for now. Time for dinner!

Lunchbreak!

My favourite time of day! The office is quiet today, for some reason. Franz Babl (what an awesome name, right?) is back this afternoon and we are somehow throwing an afternoon tea (who has afternoon teas at 2pm?). Franz is the research head in the ED here, and one of the crazy hardcore doctors who seem to do everything.

Nom nom I love corn...

Had an enlightening conversation over lunch about the age that people want to get married.

Getting tired of literature review, as I find it impossible to absorb anything on screen, but feel guilty printing all the time.

Brain stops...

...here.

New blog appearance

Tell me what you think about the new blog appearance... I changed it to this so that landscape pictures aren't cut off.

Some photos of the past few days...

Well, here are some photos, at long last. There are a few more on my flickr page. Sorry for crowding up the front page of the blog...

Another weekend on the other side of the world...

Well, yesterday and Friday both count as weekend, I think. My coworkers needed a break, so Friday turned into an extension of the weekend. We went into the city centre, and finally I bought a sim for this phone. Unfortunately, while I was in the city, rain began. Enormous drops began to fall, thunder pealed, lightning forked out of the sky (destroying a couple of mobile phone towers and giving me signal problems), and I became a thoroughly wet figure, riding with bowed head into the driving rain. I was so soaked that I ended up having to turn off and go back home to change, before taking the bus back to work, and from there out to a very long lunch. The afternoon was spent back in the lab talking, with a very long discussion about the biological aspects of homosexuality. It is interesting how, for someone speaking a second language, the language itself betrays prejudice. For example, my co-worker was trying to differentiate between homo- and heterosexual, and he said, "If he is gay, or if he is man"... I knew what he meant, but it's funny how the language shows part of his view (essentially that homosexuality is a mental disease, [though he wouldn't have put it quite like that] and that it bears no resemblance to "natural" [sic] relationships). It was a very interesting discussion, however, and continued on the walk home, even when the rain began anew. I'm so glad that my coworkers are people with whom one can have this kind of conversation.

Saturday and today were largely consumed by the need to shop. I rode down to Sainsbury's (a British supermarket chain), and it was not a supermarket but a hypermarket. It was the size of a large Bunnings, and had aisles or everything from organic fruits and vegetables, to stationary, toys, homewares, garden products, etc. They even had a cafe for tired customers! I suppose I shouldn't really be so shocked, but I am in a town not much larger than Frankston, and this is one of two of these monstrosities, and one of at least 10 supermarkets. There is a giant tesco, a small tesco, two small sainsbury's, etc etc etc. What I found strange was that for all the European and Indian foods available, the Asian food was limited to two varieties of soy sauce and some pot noodles. Worse than even safeways... Therefore today I went exploring and found two Asian supermarkets. They were somewhat pricy, but I managed to find most of what I wanted. The Chinese supermarket was funny, since the lady there didn't speak English, so I had to use my very very limited pidgin Chinese to ask for what I wanted, and didn't understand when she asked me if I wanted a bag. At least I know where those shops are, even I I'll hopefully only have to cook for another 3 months. Well, that will do for now. I might post something again soon.

My computer is still two days away if I am lucky. I hope that they give me a shiny new computer, though... Would be nice indeed! :)

I know this is a blog, not a tweet, but seriously.

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN FAIL

Commiserations to anyone who has been screwed in any way.

A weekend of exploration

So, my second week begins. I spent the weekend exploring Cambridge with Hon, and it was a lot of fun. My student card worked wonders when attempting to enter colleges, as the '2.50 fee is waived for Cambridge students, and queues may also be avoided. The colleges are amazing in their scale and their intricacy, and their age is evident in every stain of lamp-oil, in the paths worn smooth by centuries of feet, and in the ancient stems of the ivy growing up the yellow limestone facades. Each college is immaculate; enormous lawns stretch out, perfectly clipped and as flat as the mirror-like Cam which bisects them. They are often surrounded by pleas to avoid walking on the turf, or noting the exclusivity of the location to Fellows or members of the college, which may contribute to their maintenance in this state.

Photos will unfortunately not yet be forthcoming, as my computer is in at the Apple store (so nice to live within walking distance of one) for repairs. I am hoping to have it with me again my Wednesday, but we shall see.

We explored not only the colleges, but also the many laneways and sidestreets of Cambridge, and walked up and down the banks of the Cam. Punters were out in force, and it was amusing to note the difference between the graceful, effortless control exhibited by the professionals, and the directionless meandering of the first time punters. Particularly chuckle-worthy was an incident in which someone had planted the pole and been unable to twist it free, and had therefore been forced to watch as their pole remained fixed in the river bottom while their punt sailed blindly forward. I unfortunately didn't have the chance to see (and photograph for posterity's sake) an upset punt or a punter left in the river after trying too hard to free their pole. This had apparently happened not long before we arrived on the Backs of John's, as there were a number of males dressed in nothing but underpants and looking rather wet. It appeared that one had fallen in and the rest had followed, deciding to swim if that were the present fashion.

We ate at a number of interesting places. The Lettuce and Slug was an interesting modern pub, serving some kind of Mexican/Italian fusion food, while The Mitre was very much a traditional pub, complete with drunkards. A group of young men, and one old man, were enjoying rather too much of the local ale, and much hilarity ensued upon their attempts to walk, talk, or drink from a glass. Also in that pub, Hon struck up a conversation with our neighbouring table, and perhaps only in Cambridge would you discover that a table of four similarly-aged, multinational people are conducting research into carbon nanotubes and molecular genetics. Their nationalities would have suggested a Contiki tour; two Turks, a Pole, and a Frenchman.

Food here, at least in restaurants, is proving a deal more exciting than expected. It seems that even staid old England is coming to realise that not everyone eats meat, and is thus beginning to provide vegetarian options. Even food in the supermarket is labelled "vegetarian" when it satisfies the criteria. Even cheeses note whether they are suitable for vegetarians or not (whether their rennent is made from processed calf). I had a delicious baked potato with garlic mushrooms at "Tatties", a potato specialist restaurant.

I'll post this now and write more later. I'm getting frustrated with how long it's taking the bank to send me my pin, as well as the fact that my computer is not back yet!

Convergence

• ethics not done, supervisor n00b at it, due monday, supervisor leaving for overseas on Sunday for a week
• someone pulling out of seeing Harry Potter with me and refusing to reimburse me or to find someone to take the ticket
• problems with new property

... in short: bad luck, thanks for playing.

stocks are low?

So we settled into our new office today, and I noticed a box in the corner with scrap paper, some stationery, and some other bits and bobs. And four full boxes of Tamiflu.

Awesome.

a tale of two burnings

It was the best of foods, it was the worst of foods, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of pressing too many buttons, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of disbelief as I walked back into the kitchen, it was the season of Light (fire), it was the season of Darkness (rice+bowl), it was the spring of cluelessness, it was the winter of total fail, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us but smoke inhalation, we were all going direct to AMS tomorrow, we were all going direct to lung cancer - in short, the period was so far like when I was eight and mum said "10 minutes" in the microwave and not "10 seconds".

---

It was the year two thousand and nine. Culinary and academic revelations were conceded to me at that favoured period, as at this. I had recently attended my first blessed day at AMS, bestowed with a paltry three hours sleep. Even the prospect of a full day ahead did not remove the thought of the smoky microwave from my mind. At 12:30 am that morning, I had risen from bed and attempted to clean it. Even at 2:30 in the morning it stressed me. I believe I got up at 6 am.

The Royal Children's Hospital, less favoured on the whole as to matters holiday-related than her sister of the late bedtime and lazy breakfast, loomed with exceeding ugliness up the hill, making my day several hours too long. Under the guidance of Michael Marks, she gave us an insanely boring two-hour seminar on how to use Ovid to search for things, as well as a rambling talk on Clinical Research something-something (quality? This was at about the time when the lack of sleep kicked in). It is likely enough that, rooted in the yonks of experience of the RCH AMS unit, they have good reason for doing this. It is likely enough that my grudging acceptance of this may have been slightly (very) influenced by the excellent morning tea of berry friands, muffins and jam donuts. And tea. Lovely tea.

In the Fourth Floor of the RCH, there was scarcely an amount of order and excitement to justify much blogging. Daring powerpoints by men munching covertly on potato chips, and seminar-way robberies of my valuable brainspace and time, will take place every two weeks, compulsorily; victims... I mean, students, were publicly cautioned not to go out of town at these meeting times; the students will annoy the supervisors, and the supervisors will annoy the students, and nobody thought any of these occurrences much out of the common way. In the midst of them, the hangman of boredom, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a lazy kid on Saturday who had been told off on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand with whatever came out of the microwave, and now burning rice at the door of an apartment on Lygon Street; today, taking the life of a rather stupid girl, and tomorrow of my dad who is gonna come over for a little while (he says that smoke smells take forever to come out).

All these things, and a thousand like them, will come to pass in and close upon the dear old year two thousand and nine. Environed by them, while I work unheeded, trod with total randomness, and carried their rights in a plastic bag that gets shoved under the seat when I need to be Asian. Thus did the year two thousand and nine conduct their Lessnesses, and myriads of small creatures - the creatures of this chronicle among the rest - along the roads that lay before them.