bits and pieces

it's been quite a whirlwind of late... and sadly it is only with me falling ill last week and now battling them hay-fever, thanks to the pollinating trees, that i get a little 'time-off' the silly buzz carried over from the post-madness of finishing up 4 1/2 years of research; most of which -- the frustrating parts -- did not end up filling the actual thesis. thank goodness! in any case, i had an excuse to dispose it in person... be in bonnie edinburgh, tidy up some of the stuff i left behind with dear lucy, & got to meet up with my first-year undergrad flatmates (hannah, anna, and amy), and to drop by to say hello to me brother and li anne!

dropping off the final bound copy of the thesis was probably the happiest moment in my entire journey towards the 'light' beyond the tunnel. i don't think graduation in person would top it. i am done with all that silly garb... it's good fun as an undergrad and for taught-degrees where you have fellow course mates to make merry and celebrate with you. but parents always want 'the' moment to feel proud of their kid's achievement... even if it is 5 mins at the tops... and i am depriving them of that opportunity. tsk tsk tsk. instead, they are coming to visit me! RAH! i think that's much more worthwhile... =)

more pictures soon... although i've placed some on facebook... go here to see them!

i am still figuring out which picture application is best. flickr is okay although i don't find it easy to organise my stuff because i am a cheepo and am not paying for a pro-account. i quite like the interface from facebook but am chronically unsure as to how 'secure' it is... but then again how secure is google mail when you have adverts all over staring at you based on search words?! i've not used picasa for uploading of pictures... hmm. any recommendations?

else... i am catching up on enjoying life a little, learning new things (as always!)... and erm... yes tidying up before my parents show up! oooops!

in love with the green little blue plastic thing

it has to be said, bringing your own shopping bag to stores and markets is a very continental thing for you are often charged for every plastic or paper bag you take from the store. i had to learn the hard way but it was a quick nearly one-shot learning... for i never really see the point in paying for plastic bags at a big store! and the very idea of re-using and cutting down on the plastic-bag clutter is very appealing to me! i even go to the point of bringing my own bags to the local supermarket whenever i visit my family in Singapore! the cashiers are often surprised but more often than not, they have been positive about my occasional 'being-green' quirk. with all the hype on branded goods in asia... the idea of bringing your own grocery bag is still a very new concept; although asians do like their shopping trolleys/baskets! i'm quite optimistic though, as i think with more new campaigns like the ones IKEA promote... I am sure it won't be long before everyone is on the same page re. green-ology =)

i love my large IKEA tote bag(s) which i use for laundry, grocery shopping, and almost anything to do with carrying things... road-trips... hauling paper and cardboard to the recycling bins... and possibly even as a sleigh on a sleigh-ride! but i was deliriously chuffed when i found its little version last week on my trip there to pick up a few things! i LOVE the little blue bag. it's about the same size as my small messenger bag and i love the fact that it's got a pair of short and another pair of longer handles... just like its bigger half! it's perfect for the few bits and bobs e.g. lunch or rain-jacket you want to take along outdside... =)

best of all, such lovely blue bliss comes only at a cost of 30 US cents (plus state-tax)! i am so tempted to get another just because it is much more functional than all the existing grocery bags i own!

oh how lovely & green these blue plastic things are!

ill...

it's snowing in april(?!?!)... and i am stuffed up with icky sticky slimey bug of some flu that refuses to disappear. and my hay-fever is nowhere near dissipating... baaaah

see how evil the bugs look?!?! eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks!!!

today's occupation is to do with coaxing myself to get my mountains of laundry done and tidy up my mess. it's a challenge... all i want to do is feel sorry for myself.

=(

geeky DIY

ahhh... i wanted to write about something else, really... because this side of me, the 'geeky' side, is so erm.. un-flattering! =P and i do have more exciting news to honk about... really! in any case, i thought it might be good to share a bit of what i've learnt today, in case you find yourself in the same situation.

in today's world of mobile technology... we often end up with laptops crashing after its life-span of 3-4 yrs (typical of a PC) or longer (often for a Mac or a good PC like the Thinkpad) and then what do we do with the parts that still (kind of) work?! i mean a hard-disk-drive (hdd) can still be functional even if the motherboard's fried. as in the case of my old lappy top... the flimsy dell. you can remove the 2.5" hdd and get an enclosure (i.e. a little box with some funky electronics that link the hdd to a usb or similar device so you can hook it up to your computer) for it and use it as an external hard drive until... well, it eventually dies, too. by then you are left with an enclosure and no hard drive! oops.

yesterday, i decided that i should replace the dead and gone 2.5" hdd that went kaput recently. i thank my lucky stars because it decided that it's had enough only after i've transferred my files to a new lappy top (thinkpad x61s ... i wish the x300 came out earlier!!!) i get to use... but it's always good to have a backup; i know what hassle it is to lose data... like gigabytes of data; no fun. so i went to get a 2.5" laptop hdd at a computer store. they come in all sorts of brands but i am generally partial to the japanese ones... i got a 120gig Fujitsu drive and learnt that a lap top hard drive is often associated with the synonyms of either IDE or PATA, which should not be confused with SATA; as the synonyms are printed on the packaging, you just don't want to get the wrong one because the Advance Technology Attachments from your hdd enclosures must match. once you've got the right hdd (or hope that you do), you happily go home and try to assemble it in your existing enclosure.

there are usually about 20 to 22 parallel rows of pin-sockets in the drive enclosure to which you fit the hdd. there may be 4 (or more) pins on the hdd which are not necessarily used. once you've done the assembly you try to see if your lappy top recognises it. usually the usb mass storages that you stick into the usb ports will initiate your machine to recognise the new device... the thinkpad did so too but no drive was displayed in 'My Computer'. within the 'Device Manager' window, and the 'Drives' option, the new Fujitsu hdd was listed as being in existent. hmm...?!?! i reckoned that it's not been formatted that's why the system didn't load it as a drive with a path location... how does one format a new laptop drive when you aren't using it as a laptop drive but as an external hdd?!

yikes!. i thought... so i googled for answers... and was relieved to find this web page that provided the answers. Project: DIY External Hard Drive went through it step by step with clear screen-shots of how to go about the whole procedure. i mainly needed to partition and format the drive and so i followed the instructions to deal with that within the Administrative Tools in a PC. there might be something similar out there for macs. despite a bit of frantic panicking, i am happy to say, it all worked out! and now i have a functioning hdd with enough capacity to hold as much crap as i so desire! =)

baaah.... so much for such geekiness!

indulging in good food...

the germans were in town last week... old classmates of mine while i was in the little dreamy university city of tübingen some nearly 5 yrs ago... d is often in town for his research collaboration and c is here to visit him! even though i've been here longer than d, i am quite embarrassed to admit that he has a better knowledge of all things fun and exciting in the twin-cities than i do. they suggested trying out the minneapolis restaurant week fanfare which ran till the leap day of 29th Feb... the foodie in me was hyped up with curiosity!

i left the decision to d & c as to which restaurant to pick... but i ought to have anticipated that d who has a nose for good food would at times pick something quite posh and extravagant... we sped through the minneapolis downtown skyway during friday's after-work madness to the Cosmos...

déjà vu... it hadn't occured to me when the name of the restarant was mentioned, that we were actually dining at the place where i had a rather formal dinner nearly 3 yrs ago... quite uncanny; the experience was utterly awkward and i experienced my first ID check in this country for ordering an alcoholic beverage. the same waiter, with the stout and somewhat condescending demeanour was assigned to our table.

i generally like good food without the fuss... or more appropriately, without the snobbery attached... but this was to be a 'high-brow' dining experience. i felt inadequate in all sense; a little under-dressed for the chic venue, particularly with my black rucksack and layers of jacket to fight the wintry wind. faux-pas galore, ooops.

they were eager to get us served with drinks. i ordered some sparkling pear juice while d had some belgium beer, and c was happy with her pelligrino wasser, after what i remembered as a frustrating exchange with the waiter. the thing about dinning at such posh places, as i've come to appreciate, is that you should assume they would have everything under the sky... literally... so asking what they might have as alternative beverages to their alcoholic selection could appear a little insulting to them... also, let them make a fuss about your drinks, even if it is welches' sparkling pear because, it may just be true that "it is not cold enough!" and thus require an ice bath within the champagne chilling bucket! i suppose, they practice their own dinning philosophy within their 'cosmos'...

we ordered the Cosmos Restaurant Week Menu, and for 30 US dollars, we got a splendid 3 course selection:

First Course
Cosmos Lettuce Blend from the Chefs Garden in Huron Ohio Roasted Shallot Banyuls Vinaigrette

Second Course
Choose One

Confit of Chilean Sea Bass
Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, Tomato Water
or
Minnesota Grass Fed Ribeye
Blue Cheese Potato Gratin, Green Peppercorn Spring Onion, Truffle Pommes Paille

Dessert
Chocolate Gâteau

$30 per person, tax and gratuity not included

while d indulged in the ribeye, c and i savoured the Confit of Chilean Sea Bass that was served atop lightly mashed Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, and topped with a drizzle of Tomato Water. a first bite sent my taste-buds into heaven... the light but subtle blending of white fish, tomato water, buttery cauliflower mash and the occasional zingy tones from the capers and olives, with a little sprinkling of parmesan flavours fused into a delightful gastronomic experience!

yuuuummmm mmmmmm mmmm mmm.

the entree was amazing... and everything else paled in comparison; even the chocolate gâteau, which i found a little too rich and heavy...

if my previous visit to Cosmos was a little awkward, the Pan Seared Wild Acres Duck Breast served with Butternut Squash Flan, Granny Smith Apple, Glogg Demi, Raisins that i ordered might have a little to do with it. searing isn't how i'd imagine duck ought to be prepared... but that's just me; i prefer it crispy on the outside and tender within. but if there's an entree i'd recommend the chefs at Cosmos to consider listing on their regular dinner menu, it would be the sea-bass with it's eclectic pairing of flavours.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cosmos, at the Graves 601 Hotel
601 First Avenue North, Minneapolis MN 55403, Tel: 612-677-1100

Cons -- $$$$ (pricey) / condescending waiter(s)
Pros -- good small selection of entrees prepared with high standards / a classy bar next to restaurant / meals served by well-mannered chefs; a delightful respite from the condescending waiter(s).

transitions...

they don't tell you about them at school... but we go through a bunch of them all the time. so i stumble upon yet another one of the many ones i might still find myself encountering during my life journey... whooooop whoooop! i think i am beginning to get used to their occurrences... maybe.

so here are the current challenges:

-- finishing up the 'minor' corrections to my magnum opus so i may eventually get THE official diagnosis of Poly-traumatic Hypertension Disorder... (i really am cynical about it yes you can tell! i probably wouldn't have done it if i had been given a second chance to choose... yes i regret it quite a bit... but that's that. it's an acknowledgment. people often tell me i shouldn't talk about regrets. i say we need feelings like regret to learn not to make similar choices; if we never reflect on life and paths taken, it is unlikely we will learn from our experiences.) ... and also to rework the chapters into articles... as you know: publish OR perish!

-- learning to work with others in new projects even though i am not really enjoying the dynamics at the moment and having to get used to the people who are involved... more specifically, learning to work with some people who aren't really practical about things... a test of my patience & tolerance!

-- figuring out if i'd like to stay in research and to try to get into academia (btw in case you think it's the case: no you aren't guaranteed a position with a PhD, no... hardly!) or whether medical school is another option or something completely different...

-- trying to figure out why other people seem to have gotten everything sorted out and how they do that... i am envious!

a friend who died in war-torn Dafur while trying to make a difference in the troubled land of Sudan once told me that we go through life figuring out what it is that we don't enjoy doing or don't tolerate too well... in hope that we might find something that is agreeable... some people definitely strike it lucky in their first few attempts; they end up doing what they love. others, myself included, seem to take longer... i sometimes wish i didn't have so many different interests and were only able to a few things whether i do them well or not... that way, i won't have so many different paths that i could explore. oh well. i really don't know which is better...

Lunar New Year

i am somewhat regretting not buying a last-minute ticket home for a week last Friday after my oral exam so i could spend Lunar New Year with my parents and family... it's been more than 10 years since i last spent it at home. i had to wait a week for the exam report to reach me... but had started with some corrections nonetheless... still, it would have been nice to catch up with friends over the festivity even if i might only be home for merely a few days... the warmer weather... the oooh so yummy kuey lapis cake my mummy bakes every new year for visitors to enjoy. sigh... i am kicking myself hard. =( maybe my parents and my brothers and their family might visit me instead... =)

sigh... wouldn't it be nice if one could just beam oneself anywhere! =)

on the more happier note... i got my oral exam report; it's mostly positive (more so than i give my work credit; something which i am still struggling to acknowledge) except for the list of so-called 'minor' corrections etc. and i got to prance about in a pair of new Clarks (which i got for 1/2 price) last friday with my date during the med-school winter ball... i wish they were more into Ceilidhs or Scottish country dancing here... seriously, that's a lot more fun and ahem, "civilized" than bouncing to rock n roll... you get to dance and mingle and be silly among strangers with your date or company of friends all in one single activity... isn't it what 'social' events are for?! =)

i also went downhill skiing last sunday with my colleague and some of his Brazilian friends and am happy to say i didn't fall and survived the blue trails of the midwest (which are more like the scary green ones in Snowbird -- i never quite finished my anecdote!) and actually enjoyed curving down the slopes. skiing is such a fun sport once you get the hang of the 'basics'! maybe some of the friends i met during the ski-trip might send me the pictures we took that day... maybe they'd forget! oh well.

i am generally more homesick and nostalgic during this time of the year... and any asian-like cuisine here is better than none but is still not as good as what i know i'd get when i do return home to visit again... ahhh the sacrifices of a nomadic existence... sob.

in any case... we have a lot of snow and freezing wind to celebrate the lunar new year of the RAT... squeak!

nearer the end...

i defended my thesis last friday via web-cam and phone-conferencing between Scotland and the USofA... it was strangely interesting, and the whole grilling experience was surprisingly shorter than the 3 hours i had psyched myself up to bear... suffice to say i survived it and am more relieved than anything because the whole journey has not been enjoyable, to say the least. the challenging part isn't so much the 'Science' itself, rather, it's the people involved... bureaucracies, politics, constraints, life... etc.

oftentimes people think that research is not 'real' 'work'... because it's often based at a university and so it's more like 'school'... i can totally understand if people don't get why researchers are paid so little to work such long non-conventional hours... because i think it's totally insane... but i find it hard to tolerate the comparisons they make between the working hours of the corporate world and the research lab; the finance people get paid a tonne more for the inhumane hours while it is reasoned that 'scientists' choose to work overtime in search of 'truths' or insights which in itself is rewarding enough to compensate for the less desirable income... i think the whole earnings and career-prestige is totally skewed. sigh.

in any case... i await the official report from Scotland... and am looking forward to the final close of this endeavour and moving on... fossicking... but ultimately, still being who i am, regardless of the extra title.

brrrrrrrrrr i wish it would snow!!!!!

when it's about minus 6degC, it is pretty mild for winter... when it gets below minus 10degC, it starts to make you aware that staying outdoors for longer than 10 mins is a bad idea.... when it drops below minus 15degC, you really want to start to run out of the cold just as you find yourself out in the freeze.... when it is below minus 20degC, all the layers of wool and thermal underwear will only help you tolerate the madness so long as there's no chill or wind... and really, at any level below minus 20degC... people should really move about outdoors only if they have a snow-suit... but they don't make snow-suits like those that cosmo/astronauts wear... i want one!!!

IT IS SO FREAKING COLD...................................................................................

desired things...

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

~Max Ehrmann © 1927