This dumb quiz says I'm not!
Paris here I come...
| You Are 16% American |
 You're as American as Key Lime Tofu Pie Otherwise known as un-American! You belong in Cairo or Paris... Get out fast - before you end up in Gitmo! |
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Ha, take that!
To all those people who constantly tease me about becoming American...
This dumb quiz says I'm not!
Paris here I come...
This dumb quiz says I'm not!
Paris here I come...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Yes I am a live, kinda
Wow there goes that month, but I really would like to know where it went... Why have I been quiet on the blog front this time? I am just trying to live through every day like everyone else. No apologies, but a warning. This is a bit of a Wah post.
It's all sinking in that I am leaving here at the end of the year (Jan at the latest). Work has started piling up. Some of my experiments take 3 months and I have to carefully use the time I have left. I am freaking out a bit that I just wont get things finished. I knew this was always going to be the case but reality is a different place. Just to give me more pressure, my boss has requested the paper I was going to write up before I left, be finished in October. That's two months away. I'll have to make do with what I have. I had planned to fit in another 3-month-er experiment in before then. Hope it will be okay without it. I also have a student starting in September that I'll have to supervise, and the new person who will take over my project to train. The reason the paper is now to be written by October is because my boss wants me to write another in Dec. I am also being constantly called on to look at/reanalyse/repeat experiments from the person I replaced so that paper can be written up (thankfully by my boss). Somewhere in there I have to find time to do my own experiments and wrap things up in some sort of sensible way so the work can be continued. I _really_ don't want a repeat of what happened when I left my last job. At least I am thinking about all these things now rather than at the end of November. However, I do need to learn how to say "No" a few more times!
I wont go into the stress my mum has added on top of all this with her super-helpful, super-organising mode she currently is in. Helping me to smoothly get out of Houston, "helping" with the wedding... (I know someone has to seeing I can't easily do it from here and manage all that is happening here). I am finding it all too much. I am barely keeping my head above the surface. Hence the silence. I just can't keep up with everything. I also know it is going to get worse before it gets better. Talking with people at work has helped a bit as it serves as a reminder that everyone has problems and pressures to cope with. Puts things in perspective. Venting also makes me feel better. But I am still waking up during the night and then finally giving up on pretending to sleep by 5 am and getting up to find something to do (talk to G if he is around). I usually wake up when the sun comes into my bedroom. But its definitely still dark at 5 am. I am the only cause. I just can't switch my brain off. Stupid brain. Just too much going on.
It's all sinking in that I am leaving here at the end of the year (Jan at the latest). Work has started piling up. Some of my experiments take 3 months and I have to carefully use the time I have left. I am freaking out a bit that I just wont get things finished. I knew this was always going to be the case but reality is a different place. Just to give me more pressure, my boss has requested the paper I was going to write up before I left, be finished in October. That's two months away. I'll have to make do with what I have. I had planned to fit in another 3-month-er experiment in before then. Hope it will be okay without it. I also have a student starting in September that I'll have to supervise, and the new person who will take over my project to train. The reason the paper is now to be written by October is because my boss wants me to write another in Dec. I am also being constantly called on to look at/reanalyse/repeat experiments from the person I replaced so that paper can be written up (thankfully by my boss). Somewhere in there I have to find time to do my own experiments and wrap things up in some sort of sensible way so the work can be continued. I _really_ don't want a repeat of what happened when I left my last job. At least I am thinking about all these things now rather than at the end of November. However, I do need to learn how to say "No" a few more times!
I wont go into the stress my mum has added on top of all this with her super-helpful, super-organising mode she currently is in. Helping me to smoothly get out of Houston, "helping" with the wedding... (I know someone has to seeing I can't easily do it from here and manage all that is happening here). I am finding it all too much. I am barely keeping my head above the surface. Hence the silence. I just can't keep up with everything. I also know it is going to get worse before it gets better. Talking with people at work has helped a bit as it serves as a reminder that everyone has problems and pressures to cope with. Puts things in perspective. Venting also makes me feel better. But I am still waking up during the night and then finally giving up on pretending to sleep by 5 am and getting up to find something to do (talk to G if he is around). I usually wake up when the sun comes into my bedroom. But its definitely still dark at 5 am. I am the only cause. I just can't switch my brain off. Stupid brain. Just too much going on.
Monday, July 9, 2007
The sweeter the apple...
"The sweeter the apple, the blacker the core"
Dorothy Parker (American short-story Writer and Poet, 1893-1967)
What is it about villains and bad boys eating apples? Green apples at that?
Dorothy Parker (American short-story Writer and Poet, 1893-1967)
What is it about villains and bad boys eating apples? Green apples at that?
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Can't think of a title
After Friday and Saturday's concert fest I really had had my fill so today I went shopping instead. I have been desperate for new jeans for work. The holes in my current pair have become too raunchy for the workplace. I hate shopping for jeans, hence why I have continued to wear the old ones until they fell apart. After trying on twelve different pairs I found two that I liked. I also scored two pairs of shoes, a skirt, two pairs of shorts and a new handbag. Not bad really. Mostly all from BT's favourite shop with designer names for bargain prices. I think I was in desperate need of clothes shopping. The last time I did some serious clothes shopping was when JD was here.
It was such a nice day. Today was the first day in a long time where it hasn't rained at all. I forgot what the sun looked like. I quickly remembered what it felt like, hot. Then again while it was bright and sweaty outside, it wasn't that bad. I know it can and will get a lot worse.
Ms Jimmy hear the news about Toni? Glad you guys had fun on Saturday. I was impressed with how smooth the streaming of the concerts went seeing how popular it all was (SMH).
I was searching for images of Captain Barbossa and I came across this site. It isn't in english but the pics are too cute! Not sure how they relate to Captain Barbossa. I was going to post some here, but I couldn't choose which one.
Just for you G no random pic today.
It was such a nice day. Today was the first day in a long time where it hasn't rained at all. I forgot what the sun looked like. I quickly remembered what it felt like, hot. Then again while it was bright and sweaty outside, it wasn't that bad. I know it can and will get a lot worse.
Ms Jimmy hear the news about Toni? Glad you guys had fun on Saturday. I was impressed with how smooth the streaming of the concerts went seeing how popular it all was (SMH).
I was searching for images of Captain Barbossa and I came across this site. It isn't in english but the pics are too cute! Not sure how they relate to Captain Barbossa. I was going to post some here, but I couldn't choose which one.
Just for you G no random pic today.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Music
7/7/07. Today was my Eldest cousin's Birthday.
Today was a productive day which is surprising seeing how little sleep I had last night. I hadn't originally planed on watching the entire Earth Live Sydney concert, but I did and therefore was up until almost 6am. Little did I realise that the online streaming of the concerts is on continuous cycle, so I could have gone to bed at a reasonable hour and then watched the rest in the morning. Oh well. As it was I napped in the boring bits and then when the Sydney concert finished I went to bed for 2.5 hrs as I wanted to watch the London concert starting at 8am Houston time. Yes I am mad. The London concert had the best line up by far. Not surprisingly I feel asleep on the couch and missed a slab of the London concert, but I have had it running in the background all day while I cleaned the house (that was the major productive aspect of the day), cooked dinner (masaman curry) for N and P who came over and stayed around to watch the concert. I now only have it running in the background to catch the slab I slept through. It is not too different to having music going but I can't help but think it goes against everything the concerts were promoting. Instead of conserving energy, I have been running my laptop and tv (laptop hooked up to tv) all day and night. But I have been very conservative with my air-conditioning for someone who lives in Houston! I also catch the bus to work everyday and hardly ever drive my car so maybe it balances out.
Seeing the previous post had a pic from my trip to Dallas, here are pics of one of the very few interesting things to do/see in Dallas.
The site of the JFK assassination.
This one is the old Texas School Book Depository (It’s now the Dallas County Administration Building). The sixth floor is a museum of the JFK assassination and conspiracies. The actual window is set up as it would have been at the time and is permanently half open (the six floor square end window).
People really do mill around and discuss the theories. You can see people pointing to the window and the cross in the middle of the road. They dodge the traffic to run out and take their photos. The markings on the road and curb are remainders of the many investigations that have taken place.
Today was a productive day which is surprising seeing how little sleep I had last night. I hadn't originally planed on watching the entire Earth Live Sydney concert, but I did and therefore was up until almost 6am. Little did I realise that the online streaming of the concerts is on continuous cycle, so I could have gone to bed at a reasonable hour and then watched the rest in the morning. Oh well. As it was I napped in the boring bits and then when the Sydney concert finished I went to bed for 2.5 hrs as I wanted to watch the London concert starting at 8am Houston time. Yes I am mad. The London concert had the best line up by far. Not surprisingly I feel asleep on the couch and missed a slab of the London concert, but I have had it running in the background all day while I cleaned the house (that was the major productive aspect of the day), cooked dinner (masaman curry) for N and P who came over and stayed around to watch the concert. I now only have it running in the background to catch the slab I slept through. It is not too different to having music going but I can't help but think it goes against everything the concerts were promoting. Instead of conserving energy, I have been running my laptop and tv (laptop hooked up to tv) all day and night. But I have been very conservative with my air-conditioning for someone who lives in Houston! I also catch the bus to work everyday and hardly ever drive my car so maybe it balances out.
Seeing the previous post had a pic from my trip to Dallas, here are pics of one of the very few interesting things to do/see in Dallas.
The site of the JFK assassination.
This one is the old Texas School Book Depository (It’s now the Dallas County Administration Building). The sixth floor is a museum of the JFK assassination and conspiracies. The actual window is set up as it would have been at the time and is permanently half open (the six floor square end window).
People really do mill around and discuss the theories. You can see people pointing to the window and the cross in the middle of the road. They dodge the traffic to run out and take their photos. The markings on the road and curb are remainders of the many investigations that have taken place.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Ah, technology
I don't know about this every day posting thing... Is it too much for people to read?!
There was me thinking posting everyday would mean I would have shorter entries but it just goes to show that I can write about anything. Also, that I am simply incapable of writing a short thing...
People often say to me after I do certain things "how unusual...". I catch myself saying it too. I am a little tired of it. I know I am predictable. I hate that too. Things I am predictable for that I am sick of:
- Inability to say things in a few words
- Always having a story for everything (and people have heard most of them so I am often repeating myself)
- Running late
After getting a bit caught up in the iphone hype. I have quickly overcome my excitement. I mean it is a $600US gadget that then requires a $60US monthly plan to use. I like my $40 prepaid mobile where $100US lasts me 8-12 months, I already have an ipod (old and outdated now, it was pre-colour menus and video, but it works fine and I love it's simplicity) and I have high speed internet at work and home -do I really need it in between as well?! My boss has tried to convince me how great BlackBerry's are. She can't live without hers. She takes it with her on holidays so she can keep reading her emails. I think it is rather sad. On holidays you should be avoiding work! That's the point of going away, to give yourself a break. There are times I like being out of contact. Everyone went crazy over iphones. It is a little amusing to see what the crazy people do. Reading SMH the other day I saw this article which includes a video of someone smashing an iphone. YouTube has a few videos of people carefully dismantling their iphones with the skills of a surgeon to see how they work, but the method used in the video in the above link is special.
Talking with G the other day, we ended the conversation with him agreeing to email me with news that we were waiting on. I get up in the morning excited to read the results only to find an empty inbox. It made me think. I realise that I am also slack with emailing people. I use gtalk or messenger daily but that's it. It is a sad day when email is too hard to do.. and we don't communicate if the other person isn't online. We really are a society of instant gratification/response. Digital cameras, instant messaging. So much for the old telephone, and even worse, hand written letters. Very rare. It is amazing to think back to the time when that's how people communicated and the letters could take weeks to get to their destination. They still do in America because US Postal Service is so bad (even internally let alone a letter from here to Australia). In the end, G didn't send me the email because he wanted to wait until he could tell me in person. I was hurt that he didn't write the email but now that I think about it, I was being unreasonably impatient (sorry G), wanting some of that instantaneousness we have become accustom to. It really was nothing to wait 24hrs until I could talk to him again, but I not a patient person and like to know things as soon as possible. My life is full of uncertainty and waiting and I hate it. Yes I am a control freak. Now, I want everything now!
I am doing a lot of literature searches at the moment for work, trawling journal articles. I often reflect how incredibly easy it is with the internet and electronic journal articles - now you can get a copy of papers before they are even published without leaving your desk. No more hours in the library flipping through dusty volumes. I try to think back to how it use to be done without internet.. Literature searching would have been harder and far more time consuming. Ah the days where you looked up books in the library using the card catalogue.
While writing this entry I was watching the Sydney component of the Live Earth concert. Ah magic of the internet. There were even photos up on the SMH website within an hour of the concert starting. It looked like a lovely day in Sydney. The sunset was amazing. Hope you guys at the concert had a blast (did you sway like a boat to Eskimo Joe? Feel the love).
Random pic time:
Here's a pic of the Sam Houston statue north of Houston. It is the world’s tallest statue of an American Hero. I am standing at the base to give it perspective. N and I stopped by the statue on the way to Dallas last year.
There was me thinking posting everyday would mean I would have shorter entries but it just goes to show that I can write about anything. Also, that I am simply incapable of writing a short thing...
People often say to me after I do certain things "how unusual...". I catch myself saying it too. I am a little tired of it. I know I am predictable. I hate that too. Things I am predictable for that I am sick of:
- Inability to say things in a few words
- Always having a story for everything (and people have heard most of them so I am often repeating myself)
- Running late
After getting a bit caught up in the iphone hype. I have quickly overcome my excitement. I mean it is a $600US gadget that then requires a $60US monthly plan to use. I like my $40 prepaid mobile where $100US lasts me 8-12 months, I already have an ipod (old and outdated now, it was pre-colour menus and video, but it works fine and I love it's simplicity) and I have high speed internet at work and home -do I really need it in between as well?! My boss has tried to convince me how great BlackBerry's are. She can't live without hers. She takes it with her on holidays so she can keep reading her emails. I think it is rather sad. On holidays you should be avoiding work! That's the point of going away, to give yourself a break. There are times I like being out of contact. Everyone went crazy over iphones. It is a little amusing to see what the crazy people do. Reading SMH the other day I saw this article which includes a video of someone smashing an iphone. YouTube has a few videos of people carefully dismantling their iphones with the skills of a surgeon to see how they work, but the method used in the video in the above link is special.
Talking with G the other day, we ended the conversation with him agreeing to email me with news that we were waiting on. I get up in the morning excited to read the results only to find an empty inbox. It made me think. I realise that I am also slack with emailing people. I use gtalk or messenger daily but that's it. It is a sad day when email is too hard to do.. and we don't communicate if the other person isn't online. We really are a society of instant gratification/response. Digital cameras, instant messaging. So much for the old telephone, and even worse, hand written letters. Very rare. It is amazing to think back to the time when that's how people communicated and the letters could take weeks to get to their destination. They still do in America because US Postal Service is so bad (even internally let alone a letter from here to Australia). In the end, G didn't send me the email because he wanted to wait until he could tell me in person. I was hurt that he didn't write the email but now that I think about it, I was being unreasonably impatient (sorry G), wanting some of that instantaneousness we have become accustom to. It really was nothing to wait 24hrs until I could talk to him again, but I not a patient person and like to know things as soon as possible. My life is full of uncertainty and waiting and I hate it. Yes I am a control freak. Now, I want everything now!
I am doing a lot of literature searches at the moment for work, trawling journal articles. I often reflect how incredibly easy it is with the internet and electronic journal articles - now you can get a copy of papers before they are even published without leaving your desk. No more hours in the library flipping through dusty volumes. I try to think back to how it use to be done without internet.. Literature searching would have been harder and far more time consuming. Ah the days where you looked up books in the library using the card catalogue.
While writing this entry I was watching the Sydney component of the Live Earth concert. Ah magic of the internet. There were even photos up on the SMH website within an hour of the concert starting. It looked like a lovely day in Sydney. The sunset was amazing. Hope you guys at the concert had a blast (did you sway like a boat to Eskimo Joe? Feel the love).
Random pic time:
Here's a pic of the Sam Houston statue north of Houston. It is the world’s tallest statue of an American Hero. I am standing at the base to give it perspective. N and I stopped by the statue on the way to Dallas last year.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Random observations
So with this daily posting challenge I was worried I wouldn't have anything to write about. I warned BT that it may be rather boring but she wants to hear about my day to day stuff. Things I see on the bus to and from work and such. So the following are some of my wandering thoughts while at the supermarket today.
Germs
The people who inhabit this country are incredibly germaphobic or whatever term you would like to use:
Mysophobia - An abnormal fear of dirt or contamination
Microbiophobia -An abnormal fear of microbes
Bacillophobia - An abnormal fear of bacilli
Bacteriophobia - An abnormal fear of bacteria and other microorganisms
This obsession is made obvious by the number of antibacterial products you can get. Even G thought the antibacterial wipes that are available free from a dispenser to wipe down the handle of your trolley at the supermarket was rather over the top. N was telling me today how a woman she works with is quite germaphobic and after returning home from travelling on a plane she wont hug her son until she has had a shower because of the germs.
Milk inflation
Frustrations. I have been avoiding dairy food for the last two weeks due to an upset tum and so I have decided to try milk again and see if I still have a bad reaction. In the two weeks in which I haven't bought any milk, the price has risen $0.70US. Fortunately today milk was on special but it was still more than I use to pay.
Wrapped shopping bags
I miss the green grocery shopping bags we have at home. I noticed today my supermarket has started to sell the same thing in black for just over a dollar. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag... But don't get me started on the issue of over-packaging that happens here.
Segway not segue
Yes that very bizzare form of transport, that of course is popular here because why would I want to use the legs I was born with when there is an easier way, the Segway. I saw a guy on one this afternoon travelling on the footpath up my street. In the past I have seen people who are information contacts using them because they stand out in a crowd. G and I saw a group of people in Austin mucking around on these. It was a tour group. Definitely a unique way to see the sites of the city -beats the Wally bus as my family call it (because you look like a Wally sitting up there). It would be kinda fun to hire one to play with for a bit however I would still prefer using my legs for the walking. Here's a pic of the group we saw in Austin:
Crazy backward, stubborn, wanna be different country
Spelling - it's the Queen's English I tell you. Making it simple, poor widdle 'mericans can't cope with a few extra vowels.
Measurements - Metric just makes more sense!!! Why are Americans so stubborn?! "Oh it's too hard to change now..." -crappy excuse if you ask me. I am thankful everyday that I work in a scientific field that uses the metric system.
Paper size - why is Letter the US standard? A4 and the other series are all lovely ratios. Maths is wonderful. I remember first looking at Letter sized paper and thought it was weird, all short and fat. I am sad to say that I have become used to it so that when I see A4 it looks so strange and skinny!
Driving - on the WRONG side of the road (it's fun actually because I know it's wrong!) just to assert their independence from England.
Germs
The people who inhabit this country are incredibly germaphobic or whatever term you would like to use:
Mysophobia - An abnormal fear of dirt or contamination
Microbiophobia -An abnormal fear of microbes
Bacillophobia - An abnormal fear of bacilli
Bacteriophobia - An abnormal fear of bacteria and other microorganisms
This obsession is made obvious by the number of antibacterial products you can get. Even G thought the antibacterial wipes that are available free from a dispenser to wipe down the handle of your trolley at the supermarket was rather over the top. N was telling me today how a woman she works with is quite germaphobic and after returning home from travelling on a plane she wont hug her son until she has had a shower because of the germs.
Milk inflation
Frustrations. I have been avoiding dairy food for the last two weeks due to an upset tum and so I have decided to try milk again and see if I still have a bad reaction. In the two weeks in which I haven't bought any milk, the price has risen $0.70US. Fortunately today milk was on special but it was still more than I use to pay.
Wrapped shopping bags
I miss the green grocery shopping bags we have at home. I noticed today my supermarket has started to sell the same thing in black for just over a dollar. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag... But don't get me started on the issue of over-packaging that happens here.
Segway not segue
Yes that very bizzare form of transport, that of course is popular here because why would I want to use the legs I was born with when there is an easier way, the Segway. I saw a guy on one this afternoon travelling on the footpath up my street. In the past I have seen people who are information contacts using them because they stand out in a crowd. G and I saw a group of people in Austin mucking around on these. It was a tour group. Definitely a unique way to see the sites of the city -beats the Wally bus as my family call it (because you look like a Wally sitting up there). It would be kinda fun to hire one to play with for a bit however I would still prefer using my legs for the walking. Here's a pic of the group we saw in Austin:
Crazy backward, stubborn, wanna be different country
Spelling - it's the Queen's English I tell you. Making it simple, poor widdle 'mericans can't cope with a few extra vowels.
Measurements - Metric just makes more sense!!! Why are Americans so stubborn?! "Oh it's too hard to change now..." -crappy excuse if you ask me. I am thankful everyday that I work in a scientific field that uses the metric system.
Paper size - why is Letter the US standard? A4 and the other series are all lovely ratios. Maths is wonderful. I remember first looking at Letter sized paper and thought it was weird, all short and fat. I am sad to say that I have become used to it so that when I see A4 it looks so strange and skinny!
Driving - on the WRONG side of the road (it's fun actually because I know it's wrong!) just to assert their independence from England.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Challenge
Okay, so BT challenged me to write a blog entry every day for a week. It may look like I missed a day, but technically although it was after midnight when I wrote the last entry, I hadn't gone to bed yet -the previous post still counts as the 3rd of July. This one is a second post to make up for it.
I would just like to point out:
Good one BT, challenging me to posting daily the week you are going away!!! Fine leave and have fun in NZ then. At least there will be stuff here to read when you get back.
Not much happened today (that's what you get with daily postings...). Today was a public holiday and it rained most of the day. Fortunately it stopped so the fireworks still happened. They were breath taking! I have seen so many that after a while they seem same old-same old. But this was a huge display (apparently the largest land based display). It went for ages and had some cool elements I hadn't seen before. Lots of great bangs. Today felt like a Saturday. Unfortunately it isn't and the boss is back from holidays tomorrow. There goes the peace and quite. Everyone is so more relaxed when the boss is away.
More pics from out trip to Zion NP:
I love how the snow brings out the cracks int the cliff faces. I love snow.
This Zion pic is my desktop pic. What's your wallpaper?
I would just like to point out:
Good one BT, challenging me to posting daily the week you are going away!!! Fine leave and have fun in NZ then. At least there will be stuff here to read when you get back.
Not much happened today (that's what you get with daily postings...). Today was a public holiday and it rained most of the day. Fortunately it stopped so the fireworks still happened. They were breath taking! I have seen so many that after a while they seem same old-same old. But this was a huge display (apparently the largest land based display). It went for ages and had some cool elements I hadn't seen before. Lots of great bangs. Today felt like a Saturday. Unfortunately it isn't and the boss is back from holidays tomorrow. There goes the peace and quite. Everyone is so more relaxed when the boss is away.
More pics from out trip to Zion NP:
I love how the snow brings out the cracks int the cliff faces. I love snow.
This Zion pic is my desktop pic. What's your wallpaper?
Drunken ramblings
The party tonight was at P's boss' new house. Very nice. Quite modern and geometric. Great colour schemes too. Red, grey and black with a black spiral staircase leading to his study being the main feature in the living area -very cool. Pina Colada's were also very yummy and someone finally made me a margarita that I liked. Quality of your Tequila makes all the difference. P was the DJ for the party as it was good practice for him. He has new software that allows him to mix MP3s but he still has two spin tables for scratching (ok so I know nothing about DJ terminology...). It looked impressive. P's Boss had his Real Estate agent (realtor they are called here) there too, which was a little odd but they are good friends. We were all given take home lolly baggies supplied by the realtor -a plug for his business but the tootsie rolls (chocolate caramel chewy lollies) went down very well.
One highlight of the night was playing with an iphone. Yes I have now touched one. I was very excited. As much as I like technology I am usually hesitant and take a while to come around to wanting what everyone is raving about. Usually on principle. However, before I even touched one, I couldn't help but want one!!! Iphones are very funky!! They are so easy to use. It was fun to play with. I read in the SMH about two Aussies over here for holidays who bought iphones and are hoping to hack them so they work back in Australia. They may have just bought $600US souvenir paperweights if they don't succeed.
Tonight on the way to the party I had to stop and get petrol. While this may not seem newsworthy, it seems to shock people that it is the first time I have had to fill up since G left Houston end of March. I filled up after I dropped him at the airport and then tonight the petrol light came on. One tank (~38L) lasted over 3 months. I do drive my car a couple of times a week but I guess I just don't go very far! Benefits of not having to drive to work. One thing that bugs me here is everyone complaining about the cost of fuel. Wah wah. Petrol ranges $2.74-$2.93US/gallon. That's still ~$0.70-$0.80US/L. They should try living in Australia or Europe... Someone at work actually told me they were cancelling their holiday because the cost of fuel had gone up so much. I know it is all relative but please! Also if they didn't insist in driving gas-guzzler cars, I mean trucks, maybe it wouldn't cost so much. But that's Texas for you. Everything has to be big here. I am unfortunately use to it now but when I first arrived, I felt dwarfed in a normal car. I still hate it with a passion when I park in a carpark and after shopping find that my car is between two enormous truck-like cars. It makes backing out of your car space very scary because you just can't see what is coming until you are nearly all the way out of your spot.
Here's a picture of an Armadillo outside of a restaurant I pass often:
Here's a real one I saw (Jan 2006) in Brazos Bend State Park just south of Houston. We saw so many of these little guys. They are so cute.
G really wanted to see an armadillo when I took him to Brazos Bend (March 2007) but the alligators were out inforce. Alligators are what people usually come to see at the park. They are all wild and just laze about. We saw so many! They are so huge and scarily close just sitting on the path.
One highlight of the night was playing with an iphone. Yes I have now touched one. I was very excited. As much as I like technology I am usually hesitant and take a while to come around to wanting what everyone is raving about. Usually on principle. However, before I even touched one, I couldn't help but want one!!! Iphones are very funky!! They are so easy to use. It was fun to play with. I read in the SMH about two Aussies over here for holidays who bought iphones and are hoping to hack them so they work back in Australia. They may have just bought $600US souvenir paperweights if they don't succeed.
Tonight on the way to the party I had to stop and get petrol. While this may not seem newsworthy, it seems to shock people that it is the first time I have had to fill up since G left Houston end of March. I filled up after I dropped him at the airport and then tonight the petrol light came on. One tank (~38L) lasted over 3 months. I do drive my car a couple of times a week but I guess I just don't go very far! Benefits of not having to drive to work. One thing that bugs me here is everyone complaining about the cost of fuel. Wah wah. Petrol ranges $2.74-$2.93US/gallon. That's still ~$0.70-$0.80US/L. They should try living in Australia or Europe... Someone at work actually told me they were cancelling their holiday because the cost of fuel had gone up so much. I know it is all relative but please! Also if they didn't insist in driving gas-guzzler cars, I mean trucks, maybe it wouldn't cost so much. But that's Texas for you. Everything has to be big here. I am unfortunately use to it now but when I first arrived, I felt dwarfed in a normal car. I still hate it with a passion when I park in a carpark and after shopping find that my car is between two enormous truck-like cars. It makes backing out of your car space very scary because you just can't see what is coming until you are nearly all the way out of your spot.
Here's a picture of an Armadillo outside of a restaurant I pass often:
Here's a real one I saw (Jan 2006) in Brazos Bend State Park just south of Houston. We saw so many of these little guys. They are so cute.
G really wanted to see an armadillo when I took him to Brazos Bend (March 2007) but the alligators were out inforce. Alligators are what people usually come to see at the park. They are all wild and just laze about. We saw so many! They are so huge and scarily close just sitting on the path.
Monday, July 2, 2007
I miss the sound of silence
After 8 peaceful quiet months, I finally have neighbours in the apartments either side of mine. Before I moved one apartment over, the guy who used to be in the apartment I am in now was very noisy. He often played loud music and had loud parties. His girlfriend was even louder and would turn up late at night and bash on his door yelling his name at the top of her lungs. I wouldn't have let her in either. This use to go on and on. When they moved, so the apartment could be renovated, I was very relieved. At least the renovators worked 9-6pm. I then moved into this renovated apartment last October so my old one could be renovated. It has been vacant since then as has the apartment on the other side. This weekend both apartments were filled. I swear the walls are made of paper as I can hear the tv clearly next door. When my new neighbour in my old apartment has people knock on her door it sounds like they are knocking on mine. She was up late last night hammering her pictures up. I guess I became use to not many people around because right now I am very aware of people constantly walking up and down the balcony outside my window or hanging around and talking out there -I hear it all. Tonight neighbour on the right made friends with neighbour on the left and they have been going to and fro from each other's apartments. I like living in houses!!! I miss houses!!! I am thankful everyday that I live on the top floor. I am sure people below hear people thumping around above. When I first arrived at this complex I will never forget the couple below my apartment and the huge fights they use to have. Full on scary rows of slamming doors, screaming and shouting. I was always worried about them injuring each other. One night I distinctly remember after one of their rows, hearing the woman crying in the bedroom directly below mine. At times I had almost considered calling the police. For now if I need to block it all out I just turn up my tv or music.
Ok so I need to get out more. Lucky for me there is a party tomorrow... Wednesday is 4th of July and so we have a public holiday. I have been invited to a party which was going to be on Wednesday night until everyone invited convinced the host to make it Tuesday night so we don't have to worry about going to work the next day. Fortunately he was convinced. Makes sense to me.
Here are more pics of the Art Car Parade:
This one reminded me of contact that you use to cover school books with:
Starlight Starbright...
I love the feet sticking out of the inverted car, and the person upside down is real:
Gargoyle car:
Ok so I need to get out more. Lucky for me there is a party tomorrow... Wednesday is 4th of July and so we have a public holiday. I have been invited to a party which was going to be on Wednesday night until everyone invited convinced the host to make it Tuesday night so we don't have to worry about going to work the next day. Fortunately he was convinced. Makes sense to me.
Here are more pics of the Art Car Parade:
This one reminded me of contact that you use to cover school books with:
Starlight Starbright...
I love the feet sticking out of the inverted car, and the person upside down is real:
Gargoyle car:
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Up to speed
I've been very busy over the last week so I thought it was worth jotting down some of the things I have been up to.
Concerts
Last Thursday N, P and I saw John Butler Trio. Then on Sunday F and I saw Wolfmother. Both concerts were at the Warehouse, which is a rather nice venue, a 1920's era warehouse revamped to hold concerts. Wolfmother sold out for a second time in Houston, even though the Warehouse is a bigger venue -and so much nicer- than the Meridian, where they played last time. I was prepared this time and bought my tickets early. The lighting at the Warehouse is great, although the sound at the Wolfmother concert could have been a bit better. F had never heard any Wolfmother before, even though I gave her a CD 6 months ago -she is so crap! I was happily singing along, but was worried the sound meant that you could hardly understand what was being said or sung. F still had a great time. Also got a chance to catch up with M and meet his lovely girlfriend. He told me he'll be able to come to our wedding which is cool! I was worried he'd be too busy.
Weddings
Speaking of weddings, I went to a wedding of a girl in my lab. She and her new husband are Chinese and so were nearly everyone attending the wedding. All the vowes, hymns and speeches were in Chinese. The booklets had a translation of the prayers so we had a little idea of what was happening. The sheet music and translation of the hymns were also printed so I could at least follow the notes... The MC, who was hilarious -so energetic, translated most of the jokes he told. It was a lovely wedding but it was the first dry wedding I have been to. No dancing or anything either. The reception went for 1.5hrs. It was all over so quickly. If it were ours I would have been disappointed. But there is no way our wedding will be dry!!!
More on weddings, G and I have a date!! I was sick of not making decisions and having our wedding being pushed back and back trying to please everyone (my boss). So I grew a back bone and put my foot down. Besides some v. important people need to organise plane tickets!!! :) Finally setting a date makes things more real and very exciting. It was a big cheer up. I have been suffering bouts of homesickness. This time last year I had a trip home, but I wont get one this year. I just had a meeting with my boss and the work is piling on. Head down, bum up, get it done so nothing jeopardises the end of the year and getting the hell out of here.
Movies
Caught up with some movies I have wanted to see:
-Spiderman3
-Pirates of the Caribbean3
-Shrek3
[heh three third instalment movies... although this is the summer of the sequels]
There is also a plan to go see Transformers on IMAX. F is going home to the UK for two weeks and so wont here when Harry Potter is released (she is rather dissapointed but I told her I'd wait for her). I mentioned the IMAX release of HP and her eyes lit up, so we'll see which version we end up going to.
Parades
Back on May 12th, a bunch of us went to the Art Car Parade here in Houston. It is a huge event and people bring their cars from all over the country to enter the parade. I have some wacky photos. At the Art Car Parade there was advertising for Houston's Pride Parade. I went along to the Pride Parade in 2005 and had a great time so I was disappointed that I missed it last year and was determined not to this year. This year's was on last Saturday. The night started with Cocktails at F's house. I was so grateful that I had a friend living in Montrose, a block from the parade, I could park in their driveway. Parking was impossible. Dinner was at a restaurant on the parade route that specialises in mussels which were washed down with more alcohol. I was also on a mission to collect more beads from the parade than last time I saw it. I had never really seen the beads thing before (except docos on the New Orleans Mardi Gras) but everyone goes crazy with the collecting. Thankfully you don't have to flash you boobs to get beads -which is what you are supposed to do in New Orleans apparently. We all moved on to Poison Girls which was packed with bead-wearing party-goers. Poison Girls is a bar in Montrose that has a great atmosphere. It was one of G's favourites when he was here. It is all red inside and there are tasteful and sexy paintings of women on the walls. One table, which is popular and a great idea, is a chalk board (chalk provided). The night moved on back to F's with more cocktails until the sun came up. It has been a while since I have had an all-nighter and I paid for it on Sunday! But I had a blast so it was worth it.
Here's an art car from the parade. All shells..
Concerts
Last Thursday N, P and I saw John Butler Trio. Then on Sunday F and I saw Wolfmother. Both concerts were at the Warehouse, which is a rather nice venue, a 1920's era warehouse revamped to hold concerts. Wolfmother sold out for a second time in Houston, even though the Warehouse is a bigger venue -and so much nicer- than the Meridian, where they played last time. I was prepared this time and bought my tickets early. The lighting at the Warehouse is great, although the sound at the Wolfmother concert could have been a bit better. F had never heard any Wolfmother before, even though I gave her a CD 6 months ago -she is so crap! I was happily singing along, but was worried the sound meant that you could hardly understand what was being said or sung. F still had a great time. Also got a chance to catch up with M and meet his lovely girlfriend. He told me he'll be able to come to our wedding which is cool! I was worried he'd be too busy.
Weddings
Speaking of weddings, I went to a wedding of a girl in my lab. She and her new husband are Chinese and so were nearly everyone attending the wedding. All the vowes, hymns and speeches were in Chinese. The booklets had a translation of the prayers so we had a little idea of what was happening. The sheet music and translation of the hymns were also printed so I could at least follow the notes... The MC, who was hilarious -so energetic, translated most of the jokes he told. It was a lovely wedding but it was the first dry wedding I have been to. No dancing or anything either. The reception went for 1.5hrs. It was all over so quickly. If it were ours I would have been disappointed. But there is no way our wedding will be dry!!!
More on weddings, G and I have a date!! I was sick of not making decisions and having our wedding being pushed back and back trying to please everyone (my boss). So I grew a back bone and put my foot down. Besides some v. important people need to organise plane tickets!!! :) Finally setting a date makes things more real and very exciting. It was a big cheer up. I have been suffering bouts of homesickness. This time last year I had a trip home, but I wont get one this year. I just had a meeting with my boss and the work is piling on. Head down, bum up, get it done so nothing jeopardises the end of the year and getting the hell out of here.
Movies
Caught up with some movies I have wanted to see:
-Spiderman3
-Pirates of the Caribbean3
-Shrek3
[heh three third instalment movies... although this is the summer of the sequels]
There is also a plan to go see Transformers on IMAX. F is going home to the UK for two weeks and so wont here when Harry Potter is released (she is rather dissapointed but I told her I'd wait for her). I mentioned the IMAX release of HP and her eyes lit up, so we'll see which version we end up going to.
Parades
Back on May 12th, a bunch of us went to the Art Car Parade here in Houston. It is a huge event and people bring their cars from all over the country to enter the parade. I have some wacky photos. At the Art Car Parade there was advertising for Houston's Pride Parade. I went along to the Pride Parade in 2005 and had a great time so I was disappointed that I missed it last year and was determined not to this year. This year's was on last Saturday. The night started with Cocktails at F's house. I was so grateful that I had a friend living in Montrose, a block from the parade, I could park in their driveway. Parking was impossible. Dinner was at a restaurant on the parade route that specialises in mussels which were washed down with more alcohol. I was also on a mission to collect more beads from the parade than last time I saw it. I had never really seen the beads thing before (except docos on the New Orleans Mardi Gras) but everyone goes crazy with the collecting. Thankfully you don't have to flash you boobs to get beads -which is what you are supposed to do in New Orleans apparently. We all moved on to Poison Girls which was packed with bead-wearing party-goers. Poison Girls is a bar in Montrose that has a great atmosphere. It was one of G's favourites when he was here. It is all red inside and there are tasteful and sexy paintings of women on the walls. One table, which is popular and a great idea, is a chalk board (chalk provided). The night moved on back to F's with more cocktails until the sun came up. It has been a while since I have had an all-nighter and I paid for it on Sunday! But I had a blast so it was worth it.
Here's an art car from the parade. All shells..
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The power of nature
It is fitting that I write this blog while there is a huge thunderstorm raging outside. I love the power of nature and weather. I am addicted to following storms and hurricanes on the radar and seeing images of tornados etc. Hurricane season has begun again in this part of the world. Last year was a quiet one, there are predictions this year will have a number of big hurricanes. The news programs here all try to out-do each other with the most high-tech radar systems and weather reporting. Due to Houston being so amazingly flat, there always seems to be so much sky which leads to amazing clouds and storms.
Sydney has definitely had its share of horrific storms lately. I hope everyone is coping ok. I was reading about the waterspout seen off Bondi last week. Very cool (SMH article 1 and SMH article 2). While searching SMH website I came across this huge waterspout seen in April this year near Wollongong. Then footage on YouTube of a waterspout off Croatia:
G travels to Somersby occasionally for work and has travelled many times over the road that collapsed in the storm and claimed lives. In fact some of his work colleagues would have used that road earlier that day. While up near Newcastle G dropped by to take his own photos of the beached ship. This one was one of his favourites. To paraphrase G: "I think the ship's captain failed to notice the no parking sign"
Sydney has definitely had its share of horrific storms lately. I hope everyone is coping ok. I was reading about the waterspout seen off Bondi last week. Very cool (SMH article 1 and SMH article 2). While searching SMH website I came across this huge waterspout seen in April this year near Wollongong. Then footage on YouTube of a waterspout off Croatia:
G travels to Somersby occasionally for work and has travelled many times over the road that collapsed in the storm and claimed lives. In fact some of his work colleagues would have used that road earlier that day. While up near Newcastle G dropped by to take his own photos of the beached ship. This one was one of his favourites. To paraphrase G: "I think the ship's captain failed to notice the no parking sign"
Thursday, June 14, 2007
So insular
Visiting the bank yesterday to deposit a check my dad sent me for my Birthday (yeah I know it has been months since my Birthday) I had to hold back my laughter. There was a new girl in training who was watching the teller process my dad's check. She looked up at me all inquisitive and asked "oh does Australia have its own money?". I think I was a too shocked at first to laugh. After I replied in the affirmative, she responded with "huh, I did not know that!". Now I know the cliché is that American's don't know what is happening outside there own backyard but jeez. I mean the girl is going to work in a bank, where there is money, all kinds of money.
N was telling me yesterday about a girl in her lab who went to Toronto for a conference, who was surprised to notice such a thing as an exchange rate and that it changed each day. It was her first trip to another country and therefore dealing with other currencies but to never have heard of exchange rates or that they change. Hmmm.
As an aside to the story above, I nearly wrote 'overseas' instead of 'another county'. I still think of travelling to other countries as going overseas seeing that's what we do as Australians, but of course US to Canada there's no sea to go over -duh. The concept of changing countries by simply crossing boarders is still strange to me. When I was in Niagara Falls last year (a day trip during my Toronto holiday) I saw the falls from both the Canadian and US side. It was so novel to cross the boarders by walking. It was kinda strange that my mobile phone worked on the US side but not on the Canadian side there isn't that much distance between them (I called mum so she could hear the roar of the falls). Incidentally, the US side is beautiful, all parklands, while the Canadian side is like Las Vegas, incredibly tacky. I was surprised because I kinda expected the opposite, but the view is better from the Canadian side so they have exploited that. The US tried with their viewing platform that attempts to provide a better view by stretching out from the cliff face but that's the limit of the tourist attractions. Even the hotels are understated in comparison, lacking the sickly neon lights which make the Canadian side seem as bright as day. At least when you are looking at the falls from the Canadian side, all that is behind you and you aren't as distracted from the view of falls at night by bright lights.
Looking at towards USA:
Looking towards Canada:
Returning to Canada after spending the afternoon in the US enjoying the parks:
N was telling me yesterday about a girl in her lab who went to Toronto for a conference, who was surprised to notice such a thing as an exchange rate and that it changed each day. It was her first trip to another country and therefore dealing with other currencies but to never have heard of exchange rates or that they change. Hmmm.
As an aside to the story above, I nearly wrote 'overseas' instead of 'another county'. I still think of travelling to other countries as going overseas seeing that's what we do as Australians, but of course US to Canada there's no sea to go over -duh. The concept of changing countries by simply crossing boarders is still strange to me. When I was in Niagara Falls last year (a day trip during my Toronto holiday) I saw the falls from both the Canadian and US side. It was so novel to cross the boarders by walking. It was kinda strange that my mobile phone worked on the US side but not on the Canadian side there isn't that much distance between them (I called mum so she could hear the roar of the falls). Incidentally, the US side is beautiful, all parklands, while the Canadian side is like Las Vegas, incredibly tacky. I was surprised because I kinda expected the opposite, but the view is better from the Canadian side so they have exploited that. The US tried with their viewing platform that attempts to provide a better view by stretching out from the cliff face but that's the limit of the tourist attractions. Even the hotels are understated in comparison, lacking the sickly neon lights which make the Canadian side seem as bright as day. At least when you are looking at the falls from the Canadian side, all that is behind you and you aren't as distracted from the view of falls at night by bright lights.
Looking at towards USA:
Looking towards Canada:
Returning to Canada after spending the afternoon in the US enjoying the parks:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Good time as any to laugh
It has been a while and I have been keeping mostly out of mischief.
Just thought I would post after hearing a old joke retold differently so that it just wasn't funny -or is that because I know the joke and the substitution didn't sit well with me.
The infamous sausage joke was substituted with two muffins in an oven (this blog about the muffin joke is rather amusing esp the comments and the rationale of the humour behind the joke -sad! but so is my post. I pinched the jokes below from the people's comments although I had heard most of them before). I just don't find muffin as funny as sausage but that may be because that's how I first heard it. In case you haven't heard it here is the version I knew:
Two sausages in a fry pan
One sausage turns to the other and says:
"Crap it's hot in here"
The other sausage replies:
"Ahhh a talking sausage"
Doing a few google searches I found many versions. One version starts with one sausage in the pan and a second is thrown in and says the first line. Quite a number of people seem to prefer the muffin to the sausage. On further searching I found another childhood joke with a different substitution (ah the fun memories of shouting CHICKEN at unsuspecting people... it doesn't work as well written down, oh well):
“How do you sell a deaf man a dog?”
“I don’t know”
You shout: “DO YOU WANT TO BUY A DOG?!”
Bottom line is though, as soon as you discuss and dissect the joke it looses it's humour, unless the analysis is over-the-top adding to the silliness.
While searching the internet here are a few more jokes that gave me a smile or caused a chuckle:
Two cows standing in a field.
A car drives past.
One cow says “mooooo!”
The second cow turns to the first and says,
“Bastard! I was going to say that!”
Two cows are sitting in a field. One cow says to the other “Have you heard about this Mad Cow’s disease that has been going around?” and the second cow replies “Really? How awful! Thank goodness I’m a helicopter”.
What do an elephant and an ant have in common?
I don’t know.
They both start with the letter “A”.
Hey, “elephant” does not start with “A”!
Ah, but my elephant’s name is Albert.
Q: How do you get an elephant out of a tree?
A: You throw a fridge at it!
Q: How do you stop a turtle from running away?
A: You put a fridge on its head.
What did the sushi say to the bee?
Wasa...bi?
How do you shoot a blue elephant?
With a blue elephant gun.
How do you shoot a pink elephant?
Hold its nose until turns blue, and then shoot it with the blue elephant gun
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
Fsh
What do fish say when they hit a concrete wall?
Dam!
[Some of these just shouldn't make me laugh but once I have started...]
What do you call a guy who lets everyone walk all over him?
Mat.
What do you call the swimmer with no legs?
Bob.
[It made me smile to see the following old classic quoted by someone else]
What’s brown and sticky?
A stick.
[And another of the same ilk which was new to me]
Q: what’s green and has four wheels ?
A: grass, I lied about the wheels
[I am the first to admit that I absolutely suck at telling jokes however I told the next set to a bunch o 'mericans and they cacked themselves. I was surprised it went down so well and couldn't believe they hadn't heard them before. They really aren't that funny but as G once told me perhaps the fact they had been drinking helped -thanks for the vote of confidence love!]
What do you call a deer with no eyes
No eye deer
What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs
Still no eye deer
Oh oh I have to stop...
Okay so mood really can make or break a joke and I am in a silly mood.
To end, here's a funny pic from our drive Las Vegas to Zion:
Just thought I would post after hearing a old joke retold differently so that it just wasn't funny -or is that because I know the joke and the substitution didn't sit well with me.
The infamous sausage joke was substituted with two muffins in an oven (this blog about the muffin joke is rather amusing esp the comments and the rationale of the humour behind the joke -sad! but so is my post. I pinched the jokes below from the people's comments although I had heard most of them before). I just don't find muffin as funny as sausage but that may be because that's how I first heard it. In case you haven't heard it here is the version I knew:
Two sausages in a fry pan
One sausage turns to the other and says:
"Crap it's hot in here"
The other sausage replies:
"Ahhh a talking sausage"
Doing a few google searches I found many versions. One version starts with one sausage in the pan and a second is thrown in and says the first line. Quite a number of people seem to prefer the muffin to the sausage. On further searching I found another childhood joke with a different substitution (ah the fun memories of shouting CHICKEN at unsuspecting people... it doesn't work as well written down, oh well):
“How do you sell a deaf man a dog?”
“I don’t know”
You shout: “DO YOU WANT TO BUY A DOG?!”
Bottom line is though, as soon as you discuss and dissect the joke it looses it's humour, unless the analysis is over-the-top adding to the silliness.
While searching the internet here are a few more jokes that gave me a smile or caused a chuckle:
Two cows standing in a field.
A car drives past.
One cow says “mooooo!”
The second cow turns to the first and says,
“Bastard! I was going to say that!”
Two cows are sitting in a field. One cow says to the other “Have you heard about this Mad Cow’s disease that has been going around?” and the second cow replies “Really? How awful! Thank goodness I’m a helicopter”.
What do an elephant and an ant have in common?
I don’t know.
They both start with the letter “A”.
Hey, “elephant” does not start with “A”!
Ah, but my elephant’s name is Albert.
Q: How do you get an elephant out of a tree?
A: You throw a fridge at it!
Q: How do you stop a turtle from running away?
A: You put a fridge on its head.
What did the sushi say to the bee?
Wasa...bi?
How do you shoot a blue elephant?
With a blue elephant gun.
How do you shoot a pink elephant?
Hold its nose until turns blue, and then shoot it with the blue elephant gun
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
Fsh
What do fish say when they hit a concrete wall?
Dam!
[Some of these just shouldn't make me laugh but once I have started...]
What do you call a guy who lets everyone walk all over him?
Mat.
What do you call the swimmer with no legs?
Bob.
[It made me smile to see the following old classic quoted by someone else]
What’s brown and sticky?
A stick.
[And another of the same ilk which was new to me]
Q: what’s green and has four wheels ?
A: grass, I lied about the wheels
[I am the first to admit that I absolutely suck at telling jokes however I told the next set to a bunch o 'mericans and they cacked themselves. I was surprised it went down so well and couldn't believe they hadn't heard them before. They really aren't that funny but as G once told me perhaps the fact they had been drinking helped -thanks for the vote of confidence love!]
What do you call a deer with no eyes
No eye deer
What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs
Still no eye deer
Oh oh I have to stop...
Okay so mood really can make or break a joke and I am in a silly mood.
To end, here's a funny pic from our drive Las Vegas to Zion:
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Rollercoaster
Oh my,
So many things happening. Last week was a bad week.
-Step-Dad extremely ill (Mum nearly called me to come home thinking he wouldn't make it). He is now improving.
-I had a computer virus and so had my lappie wiped and operating system reinstalled (BIG thanks to G instructing over the phone...).
-The long awaited results of my fellowship application came last week. I have been stressing over this to the point of making myself sick. Thoughts of "when am I coming home...?" and "how much do I really want to go through with this after all...?" have been in my head for quite a few months. I applied for this fellowship back in August but many things have changed. I had kind of decided to myself that if I didn't get the fellowship, which is my salary for three years, I would definitely come home (a sign or something). My boss didn't think I would get it because in December someone published results along the lines of what we proposed. I also thought that once I have the result maybe I would have a better idea of what to do. Well I actually got it. Instead of being very excited and happy, I actually cried (lots of that happened last week). It didn't make anything clearer, it made it harder. I don't know why I thought it would make it easer. I know I really don't want to be here that long, but it is a huge thing to give up. Money is extremely hard to get and competition is fierce (in the US and Australia). It is the fourth application I have submitted. The work I am doing is very novel and exciting (helping to understand breast development and also breast cancer), and I know how good the teaching environment and experience is, but, I am forever homesick. Also with the recent development of my Step-Dad makes me want to be a bit closer to home. I have exhausted my, G's, JD's, and BT's brains (many thanks guys!) going over the options trying to help come up with the right thing for me (us, I should say-- G is in this too) to do. I have yet to talk to my boss about it (She has been in Ireland and is back tomorrow). Ultimately G and I want to be together. But I am not sure if I want that to be here. Although the research possibilities and training are great and people wonderful, the pay and benefits are definitely not -officially no hols, sick leave, maternity leave or super for the first few years while I am a postdoc, or as they like to call it "in training" (but don't get me started on that). If I take the fellowship it will mean a pay rise but not by much. I actually have typed up my thoughts on this but never posted it to the blog wondering if it was too personal and dreary for people to read. This is a some what shortened version...
-Finally USA tax was due. I had refilled out my form after the death and resurrection of my lappie only to have the printer cease to work. More stressing about deadlines and closing time of the post-office, I filled the bloody thing out by hand. All to find that my huge return will be a whopping $9. SO NOT WORTH IT!!!! I get home to find a UPS package at the front office and it is Easter choccie from Mum -mmm Lindt gold bunny (and he arrived not melted or squashed!). Just what I really need right now.
Here is the sign at the base of the first chair lift at Taos ski village, New Mexico, where G and I went for a weekend while he was here. I loved it (the sign and the skiing)! When you first arrive all you can see is this sheer cliff of doom, rocks and moguls. The quickest way down is all extreme black level runs. This sign is to put you at ease that yes there are easier runs further up the mountain and another much easier way down.
So many things happening. Last week was a bad week.
-Step-Dad extremely ill (Mum nearly called me to come home thinking he wouldn't make it). He is now improving.
-I had a computer virus and so had my lappie wiped and operating system reinstalled (BIG thanks to G instructing over the phone...).
-The long awaited results of my fellowship application came last week. I have been stressing over this to the point of making myself sick. Thoughts of "when am I coming home...?" and "how much do I really want to go through with this after all...?" have been in my head for quite a few months. I applied for this fellowship back in August but many things have changed. I had kind of decided to myself that if I didn't get the fellowship, which is my salary for three years, I would definitely come home (a sign or something). My boss didn't think I would get it because in December someone published results along the lines of what we proposed. I also thought that once I have the result maybe I would have a better idea of what to do. Well I actually got it. Instead of being very excited and happy, I actually cried (lots of that happened last week). It didn't make anything clearer, it made it harder. I don't know why I thought it would make it easer. I know I really don't want to be here that long, but it is a huge thing to give up. Money is extremely hard to get and competition is fierce (in the US and Australia). It is the fourth application I have submitted. The work I am doing is very novel and exciting (helping to understand breast development and also breast cancer), and I know how good the teaching environment and experience is, but, I am forever homesick. Also with the recent development of my Step-Dad makes me want to be a bit closer to home. I have exhausted my, G's, JD's, and BT's brains (many thanks guys!) going over the options trying to help come up with the right thing for me (us, I should say-- G is in this too) to do. I have yet to talk to my boss about it (She has been in Ireland and is back tomorrow). Ultimately G and I want to be together. But I am not sure if I want that to be here. Although the research possibilities and training are great and people wonderful, the pay and benefits are definitely not -officially no hols, sick leave, maternity leave or super for the first few years while I am a postdoc, or as they like to call it "in training" (but don't get me started on that). If I take the fellowship it will mean a pay rise but not by much. I actually have typed up my thoughts on this but never posted it to the blog wondering if it was too personal and dreary for people to read. This is a some what shortened version...
-Finally USA tax was due. I had refilled out my form after the death and resurrection of my lappie only to have the printer cease to work. More stressing about deadlines and closing time of the post-office, I filled the bloody thing out by hand. All to find that my huge return will be a whopping $9. SO NOT WORTH IT!!!! I get home to find a UPS package at the front office and it is Easter choccie from Mum -mmm Lindt gold bunny (and he arrived not melted or squashed!). Just what I really need right now.
Here is the sign at the base of the first chair lift at Taos ski village, New Mexico, where G and I went for a weekend while he was here. I loved it (the sign and the skiing)! When you first arrive all you can see is this sheer cliff of doom, rocks and moguls. The quickest way down is all extreme black level runs. This sign is to put you at ease that yes there are easier runs further up the mountain and another much easier way down.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Babies everywhere...
I just had to post this when I saw it. I know there is a tonne of stuff on YouTube (and loads of baby related stuff... sigh) -which is why I usually don't hang out there much but wait for people to find the funny stuff, however this one came up randomly has anyone seen it? I giggled. Ah toilet humour. It seems the baby trend has spread here. Two women in my lab are preggers (one with twins). Babies everywhere...
Oh and this is cute too... (I am not clucky...)
Ok enough, now I really have to go to bed. Have to get up early to chat to G (stupid computer viruses infecting work computer. Lucky me I get a brand new virus grrr)
Oh and this is cute too... (I am not clucky...)
Ok enough, now I really have to go to bed. Have to get up early to chat to G (stupid computer viruses infecting work computer. Lucky me I get a brand new virus grrr)
Easter Weekend
So much to say not enough time!! Hope everyone had a great weekend where ever you were.
This weekend I helped doggie sit Miss Fliss' two lil monsters. They mostly behaved themselves, mostly. I had to laugh when N and I were walking the dogs, Jack did number 2's while N was walking him (N was rather unimpressed about having to clean up after him -N's not too fond of germs). Next time I walked Jack and it was Penny's turn to play up. She attacked another dog twice her size, bitting it on the nose, then she wriggled free of her collar and ran. Poor N wasn't having much luck.
On Sunday we drove out to Chinatown (45 min drive along Holcome* for those few who now have visited me and know this road**). Houston's Chinatown is nothing like any other Chinatown I have been to. As usual for Houston, everything was very spread out, single story and spacious, stretching for miles. Not many trees, lots of concrete. We were on a mission to try out an Indonesian restaurant that was supposedly the best in Houston (it would want to be for driving that far just for lunch). The restaurant was actually Chinese but also had Indonesian food however we had to request that menu. We sat down next to the fish tank, like all good Chinese/Indonesian restaurants have, only to note one of the gold fish floating upside down. Our distress was picked up by a neighbouring customer who remarked that that fish just like swimming upside down. At first I thought the man was trying to be nice to us, like you might to a 3 year old to prevent them getting upset, but no the fish was alive and actually did swim upside down. The end result was the food was yummy and the fish a constant conversation point but I wont really go back, as there are plenty of nice restaurants that are 5 mins away with no distracting talented fish.
On the way home we stopped by Hong Kong Market, a gigantic supermarket where N and I were the only non-Asians in the whole complex. I was very excited as I had been to a similar supermarket last year (also a long way from my place) and found tins of Thai curry and other delectable foods that I miss from home and aren't available in regular supermarkets in Houston. This time the best find was dum dum dah... a jar of Patak's Butter Chicken. I had completely given up hope of ever seeing this in Houston. I had even gone so far as to make my own Butter Chicken (love my recipe!). I also was able to stock up on Lychee jelly shots mmmm and grabbed a pack of the new Mango jelly shots yum!
Talking of dogs earlier, I was sent this from one of the students in my lab. It's so great!! At first I thought oh someone has put a dog on a skateboard and pushed, but no this is a clever doggie!!
*Yes it is a very long road (like most in Houston) and although there are a few name changes along the way we never actually made any turns except for left onto Holcome from my street and a right into the carpark of the restaurant.
**I often mention how Houston has an inner loop (610 freeway) and an outer loop (beltway 8). I live inside the inner loop. I was always told that mostly you want to stay inside the inner loop as it is another world outstide the 610. Actually it really depends on the area as there are some ok areas outside the loop but I digress. To get back to my point on how far we drove we were outside the outer loop, out near Beltway 6. Even I have not been that far except when leaving Houston for another fine city elsewhere.
This weekend I helped doggie sit Miss Fliss' two lil monsters. They mostly behaved themselves, mostly. I had to laugh when N and I were walking the dogs, Jack did number 2's while N was walking him (N was rather unimpressed about having to clean up after him -N's not too fond of germs). Next time I walked Jack and it was Penny's turn to play up. She attacked another dog twice her size, bitting it on the nose, then she wriggled free of her collar and ran. Poor N wasn't having much luck.
On Sunday we drove out to Chinatown (45 min drive along Holcome* for those few who now have visited me and know this road**). Houston's Chinatown is nothing like any other Chinatown I have been to. As usual for Houston, everything was very spread out, single story and spacious, stretching for miles. Not many trees, lots of concrete. We were on a mission to try out an Indonesian restaurant that was supposedly the best in Houston (it would want to be for driving that far just for lunch). The restaurant was actually Chinese but also had Indonesian food however we had to request that menu. We sat down next to the fish tank, like all good Chinese/Indonesian restaurants have, only to note one of the gold fish floating upside down. Our distress was picked up by a neighbouring customer who remarked that that fish just like swimming upside down. At first I thought the man was trying to be nice to us, like you might to a 3 year old to prevent them getting upset, but no the fish was alive and actually did swim upside down. The end result was the food was yummy and the fish a constant conversation point but I wont really go back, as there are plenty of nice restaurants that are 5 mins away with no distracting talented fish.
On the way home we stopped by Hong Kong Market, a gigantic supermarket where N and I were the only non-Asians in the whole complex. I was very excited as I had been to a similar supermarket last year (also a long way from my place) and found tins of Thai curry and other delectable foods that I miss from home and aren't available in regular supermarkets in Houston. This time the best find was dum dum dah... a jar of Patak's Butter Chicken. I had completely given up hope of ever seeing this in Houston. I had even gone so far as to make my own Butter Chicken (love my recipe!). I also was able to stock up on Lychee jelly shots mmmm and grabbed a pack of the new Mango jelly shots yum!
Talking of dogs earlier, I was sent this from one of the students in my lab. It's so great!! At first I thought oh someone has put a dog on a skateboard and pushed, but no this is a clever doggie!!
*Yes it is a very long road (like most in Houston) and although there are a few name changes along the way we never actually made any turns except for left onto Holcome from my street and a right into the carpark of the restaurant.
**I often mention how Houston has an inner loop (610 freeway) and an outer loop (beltway 8). I live inside the inner loop. I was always told that mostly you want to stay inside the inner loop as it is another world outstide the 610. Actually it really depends on the area as there are some ok areas outside the loop but I digress. To get back to my point on how far we drove we were outside the outer loop, out near Beltway 6. Even I have not been that far except when leaving Houston for another fine city elsewhere.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Anniversary
Happy Anniversary to us...
Yes we reached the big 10 yrs mark. Going on the lovely time we had together over the last 5 weeks there will be many more! It was great to spend a longer time together (more than my fleeting trips home allow for) confirming that nothing has changed and feelings are still as strong as they ever were, even with such a separation.
We went on so many short trips while G was here. Skiing at Taos in New Mexico, hiking in Zion National Park in Utah, a weekend in San Antonio and Austin, and a daytrip to Brazos Bend State Park south of Houston to see the wild alligators. It went so fast but at the same time things we did in the first week seem so long ago such as the pub/bar crawl through Montrose the day G arrived (he was awake for near 40 hrs straight and drank like a trooper -everyone was impressed, certainly a great way to win people over!!).
Here's a pic of us at the top of Angel's Landing at Zion. While definitely worth the view, it was a risky climb up the narrow knife edge cliff due to wind and scattered slippery ice and snow covering the path. There was a very long drop to the bottom and the only thing securing you is your death grip on the lengths of chain bolted into the rock. FUN! I was very grateful we had our gloves as the wind and temperature froze your fingers making holding on to the chain harder. I felt for the people who were gloveless (and beanieless for that matter!).
Yes we reached the big 10 yrs mark. Going on the lovely time we had together over the last 5 weeks there will be many more! It was great to spend a longer time together (more than my fleeting trips home allow for) confirming that nothing has changed and feelings are still as strong as they ever were, even with such a separation.
We went on so many short trips while G was here. Skiing at Taos in New Mexico, hiking in Zion National Park in Utah, a weekend in San Antonio and Austin, and a daytrip to Brazos Bend State Park south of Houston to see the wild alligators. It went so fast but at the same time things we did in the first week seem so long ago such as the pub/bar crawl through Montrose the day G arrived (he was awake for near 40 hrs straight and drank like a trooper -everyone was impressed, certainly a great way to win people over!!).
Here's a pic of us at the top of Angel's Landing at Zion. While definitely worth the view, it was a risky climb up the narrow knife edge cliff due to wind and scattered slippery ice and snow covering the path. There was a very long drop to the bottom and the only thing securing you is your death grip on the lengths of chain bolted into the rock. FUN! I was very grateful we had our gloves as the wind and temperature froze your fingers making holding on to the chain harder. I felt for the people who were gloveless (and beanieless for that matter!).
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
It's a Beaver!
Actually this is a new blog. For personal reasons I wont bore you with, I have abandoned the old Blog (it is still there as I want to keep some of the posts). Here is a shiny new one. I have missed sharing my adventures and there have been many since last Nov. I know I wasn't terribly faithful at posting but those personal reasons turned me off writing to my old Blog altogether.
The other excuse for taking so long to create a new one is that G was here and he was just too much of a distraction! Lots of trips away. We did and saw loads of stuff but more of that later.
The title of this entry was from a sign that G and I saw on the way to San Antonio near the accurately described town of Flatonia. Ah Texas has great names...
Anyway here's the sign:
It is actually advertising a resturant called Buc-ee's which we found out later after much tittering.
The other excuse for taking so long to create a new one is that G was here and he was just too much of a distraction! Lots of trips away. We did and saw loads of stuff but more of that later.
The title of this entry was from a sign that G and I saw on the way to San Antonio near the accurately described town of Flatonia. Ah Texas has great names...
Anyway here's the sign:
It is actually advertising a resturant called Buc-ee's which we found out later after much tittering.
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