Wednesday, December 29, 2010

(non science) update inbtw holiday one and two....

I might not really call it holiday but.... hmm... "the time you spend a lot of time moving in between places meeting ppl, eating more food than you want, sleeping odd times and talking* constantly. *doesn't have to be you talking, "engaged in conversation" might be more on spot with what I mean.

I am tired at the moment, the sort of wouldn't mind a vacation from the catching up on holidays that  I am currently enjoying. It's been a few things keeping my mind working in over time even at night, when the rest of my body wants to sleep.

These constant questions; i.e. also known as "what are you going to be when you grow up" but now masked as "so, when are you moving home**?" or "you're not getting any younger you know"*** and "you're over there since you make a lot of money there, right?"****

And then a few of those "the old - they're old now" and I am not really sure on what to make of it. It sometimes breaks my heart. One thing is for sure though, you can't change other people. And old people are set in their ways. (Doesn't make for a wonderful relaxing concept all the time though ;) )

But I can play in the snow, sleep in some mornings, read lots of news papers in native language and maybe in the end feel a little less confused when I embark on the flight back to where my home is now. I have some thoughts on the post doc experience, the city to move to, the disappointments of failure, the confusion of uncertainty and other things like that.

Although, right now I will go back to the glögg and the saffronbuns and rest a little before the next "visiting with family and friends" start tomorrow again.

Happy New Years in advance! (the internet is splotchy.....)

** home = place where I was born, or country I was born in... or any place where they are - not necessarily where I have much conncetion. The saying would be "anywhere were you are closed so you can get 'home' to us more often. Often typed in with other comments as "we haven't seen you in ages" even when these things are a bit embarrassing obvious when others, who live in the same country, haven't been visiting either.... so... distance might not be the key thing, but rather interest to travel or making the effort rather....

*** want to venture a guess what this is about? Didn't think so. It's a bit more complicated than I care to venture into here... but I'm getting to a point where I wonder if I am the insane one. One person did in all honesty tell me that "going out on a Friday would solve it all and no need to worry afterwards".

**** again, it might have been a good paying gig once in a year like in the 80ies. Nowadays I am getting less or equal pay than people over here (and less social security and sick leave etc) but I ... HAVE a job.. and I got a job when I moved... again, it's apparently very hard to explain to some people.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

have a little... trap alarm?

I have a little something to blog about among all the unbloggable things in my life right now....

You know that you've been away from the (old) lab for a long time when you walk into the cold room to pull some plates out and you slip on the Big bag with unmentionables in it (read: things in an biohazard bad that need to be in cold room to die and not smell too much in the open room) and accidentally press the button close to the door..... BAAAAAAAAAAAAP (or however one would make the horrid sound look like in writing) and you panic since you can't turn it off....

My thought was "it's the fire alarm. Shit. It's direct to the fire department". And then some of the people still on the floor came rushing there and the nice (but oh so overly nice) guy show up to turn it off. Since it was the "trapped in the cold room alarm".

Yeah. Stealthy move. Not.

At least I got a compliment out of it since I apparently looked hot (in the cold room). And I now know that I ever get trapped people would get there quickly to save me....

Next time, I'll remember how to disarm the alarm. But I at least never have used it and thus never knew how to disable it. I guess what the running joke will be the rest of the week...

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

my twelve months....

A little "end of the year meme" that I maybe should've waited with until I had something for December?


Jan Happy New Years! It's been a bit of a break from the Internet with the holidays and all


Feb I alluded in my previous post that I was thinking about things I haven't blogged about.


March am a bit scared now.  


April Most of the people who "know" me get surprised when they find out that I test as an introvert as Mayer-Briggs.


May As I have mentioned several time... Law & Order and I have a bit of a relationship.


June How you deal with stress, failure and other external factors that collide with your internal thinking is very different. 


July So, tonight I watched both "He's not just into you" and "Titanic" and read Scienceblogs. 


Aug This story "What broke my father's heart" in the New York Times made me cry when I read it.


Sep Sometimes, just sometimes, I get so blasted tired of people. Certain people that is.


Oct As a young member of various organisations and movements I came to the realization that maybe I wasn't really a team player. (The disclaimer is actually first but still, within brackets; "As a side note, this was written prior to the Vikings game tonight" )


Nov One of the questions I have gotten since I moved to post doc city* is "do you think in your own language and then translate in your head"?


Dec A little "end of the year meme" that I maybe should've waited with until I had something for December?