The pipette is my friend

I've been going in to the lab almost daily now. It feels like I'm working as a full-time research assistant with irregular hours. The current record stands at 9.00am - 9.30pm with a 2 hour lunch break to recharge my energy levels (10.5 hrs!!!).

I kinda like being in the lab. There is the general laziness to get out of bed early in the mornings especially on Mondays, but there I don't feel the heavy reluctance or the excuse-finding angst that is produced when I'm face something that I absolutely abhor (ie. going to a meeting, design project team discussions, etc). So does this mean I should go into research? I don't know. The thing is I'm not stressed with my lab sessions because I'm not actually doing my own research at the moment. Which means that I don't actually have to design the experiments and  don't have results to analyse; the two most stressful parts! I just condition, spike, elute, evaporate, dry, freeze and defreeze things (and repeat)!

Research is a field that I've been eying since I'd rather almost anything else compared to HSE. I think (from my previous stint as an intern) that there is a lot of things that a person can learn there. But to make a career out of it is definitely not for me! Nononono!

In order of preference
1. Technical (Environmental)
2. Technical (Civil or Chemical)
3. Research (Water/Wastewater)
4. Postgraduate Studies
5. Get married and become a housewife Other available jobs (can't be picky now, can I?)

Although knowing how The Company works, what I want is not going to matter anyway.

100 Years of Solitude

The first book to break my year-long drought of non-academic related reading materials... ehm... books.

First things first. Paperbacks! I love new paperbacks! With nice smooth creaseless covers and spine and crisp pages!! Okay, must not get sidetracked!

I first picked up this book, only because it was on offer. A bundle of three of Marquez's novels for the price of two. I've heard of him, but have never read any of his works. I was worried at first. Sometimes I buy books that I don't read. And they languish on my bookshelf at home. To be forgotten till the next time I decide the bookshelf needs dusting.

But this book I brought back to Sydney with me where it stayed in my cupboard for a year or so gathering Australian dust. However, this summer I set out to finally read it. And I finished it!

It was AWESOME!

I like how the characters, despite their obvious shortcoming and flaws, are still characters that you come to care about. Or how the supernatural blends in with the normal as if it is the most natural thing in the world (wiki tells me this is a sub-genre of its own). Almost every scene there's and underlying message that's both painfully obvious but still elusive unless you stop and ponder it.

I loved it.

When nothing can be said

Someone made a statement that I wholeheartedly disagree with. I'm not in a position to say anything so I'm keeping silent.

Someone else said something out of character. I know what I should say, but not how I should say it.

Another someone is being too forgiving. And again there's nothing I can say without it turning into an argument.

It is frustrating.

Avatar 3D

I'd been hearing nothing but praises for this so around a week ago I went to watch it with a friend at IMAX.

The good
- Superb graphics, that's breathtaking especially since its 3D.
- The pacing was good, high entertainment value
- Blue aliens!

The bad
- While I liked the concept, I don't think that the storyline or themes were groundbreaking or particularly new
- There were small bits that bugged me and just felt... wrong.
i) For instance, the concept "bonding"was emphasized a lot and was depicted really well in the scene where our blue hero was learning how to ride a horse. But when he went to "bond" with his ikram, it felt really heavy-handed. Going from aggresively trying to kill you to obeying your every command within seconds? Sheesh. More like brainwashing then bonding.
ii) Another scene that didn't quite make sense was during the attack on the village. The helicopter pilot (can't remember her name) decided to fly off because she didn't agree with the act. Wouldn't this be a violation of direct orders? Sure they're considered mecernaries rather than a proper army. But you'd think that they'd confine her as punishment for disobeying orders or at least restrict her movements so that she can't just freely walk around into secure areas. 

So for me at least: Good movie. Recommended watch. But not as awesome as everyone else seems to think it is.

Back!

It's been a while since I've read or written anything that's not related to academia. My last paperback purchase was in 2008. My last blog post was...? I wish I could say that my time was fully occupied with enjoyable things such producing chocolate sunshine or at least with productive things (read: study! extra-curricular! networking! etc.etc.). Unfortunately, I did neither.

I stopped blogging because it became an outlet for all the negative feelings and emotions. That's good and all, but everything was negative that it became a whole cycle of negativeness. Any "happy post" somehow morphed into a post about how much i suck at life. (Geh! Self-criticism!)

The truth is that I found myself in kinda of a stagnant phase in life. Sucks that it's taken up my whole 4 years of uni (Best years of a person's life? Eyh, really?). Not to say that I hate uni life. I like it. I learned a lot. Made friends. Hopefully grew a little wiser. But let's just say that I'm hoping that the future is a little brighter, a little more awesome. And that I grow up a little more.

2010! A year of big changes! Being a student, in many ways, protects you. You're a student. You're there to learn. But once that phase is over the world becomes harshers, expectations and responsibilities heavier. I'm scared. But I'm a little relieved as well.