Ok.. here's my wishlist

1) A Zenith Open star Sea El Primero Calibre 4021

That's quite enough. Thank you.

Sad Shit Songs

Longpigs ~ On and On

Life hasn't been great. Just saddled with lots of uninspiring things to do and not much motivation. I'm just going through the motions. How I am going to graduate this year. I need to. I must. I hope the two weeks in Paris gig works out. I REALLY NEED TO GET AWAY. Either way, if R gets to go, it will be terrific too. I hope there is enough money for the two of us.

A paper that was sent out for review came back today with minor changes neeeded. I guess that goes straight into the to-do pile for now. Next week. I have to do the minimum for everything else that hasn't been done yet. Have to email genbank to sort out the id tags of some sequences I sent them, eeeugh.. sometimes I have so much work to do that when I think about it, my brain goes into toxic shock and I end up visiting the happy empty room in my brain and curl up in a corner, not wanting to come out.

On a related note. Seriously, I wonder how some students end up in our "world class university". There is no evidence of any thought process going on in some of the scripts I have been grading. In horrid english too. Like M and A, my brain melts reading them. I probably use less effort wading through glue. It's hard to go through 5 without wanting to hit my head against the nearest brickwall.

Stop lifting from the book people! If I have to read another introduction that quotes the "Department of Statistics", I might just lose it.

******
Why am I the Girl with the Thorn in her Side?

Because I am. How can you look into my eyes and still you don't believe me.

Misc thoughts

Why is it that everytime someone sees me, they invariably say "OMG.. you've lost weight again!"

To which I reply "Where got."

To be honest. I don't think I have. Cheeks are still round. Bum is still big. 'Nuff said.

In fact, I reckon the reverse is true. All these nights of liver destroying activities can't be doing any good.

*************

I received an email from B today. Telling me that I am missed in Vanuatu. Actually not just B. M and A were disappointed too. I could have been there now! It could have been me out in the sun and sand, collecting, going about with Pierre in the fossil quarries, clamouring up limestone karsts. But I passed it up because I wanted to concentrate on my thesis because I thought I was going somewhere. Well.. less said about it the better at this point. Maybe I should have gone in the first place. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

B's already booked a slot for me in the next expedition. I better catch that boat.

*************

Maybe it is the season, or maybe love isn't in fashion this fall. But it seems like relationships are falling apart all around me. It sucks, it really does. And there is nothing you can do about it except to hide away and grieve. You can't make someone love you. You wish you can, but you can't...

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

From my guidebook on how to be a (good) person, The Prophet.

*************

Because it is Thursday, here's a nice little ditty from Scissor Sisters! Courtesy of LHam. Thank you!

Shiver me timbers!

Ahoy me hearties!

Today be International Talk Like a Pirate day.

Get yerself a right pirate name here and join the crew! There be lots of rhum and yo ho hos. Fly our Jolly Rogers and we be sailin the high seas! Not for the lily-livered, ya hear me ya old scurvy dogs?

Aaaarrrr.

Dry Bone Branson

If ya be needin some elp, try 'ere



More?


cheers to me good lad One Eye Thor. Yo ho!

Wishlist

Am thinking of a birthday wishlist.

Will post something up soon, for those of you who have been asking me about it ;)

E. coli surprise - hope not

Update: All is fine. Like all happy discoveries (think penicillin and finding out that its 50% off for drinks at Cafe Iguana after midnight), I might have uncovered something here. 10 hour burgers are still good! And its greasiness might have helped me out, for nary a hangover today too, while A is in bed with 'a tender head'. :D

I did something really nasty.

I ate a Rendang double that was kept in my bag for the last ten hours.

Keeping my fingers crossed now.

Wednesday blues

You are the last drink I never should have drunk.
You are the body hidden in the trunk.
You are the habit I can't seem to kick.
You are my secrets on the front page every week.

Like a friend ~ Pulp

File for later

It seemed like a long time ago, but not that long, I was made to attend a TA teaching workshop at CDTL. Ok.. so it was a graduating requirement. I took two days off and sat in workshops and lectures talking about 'pedagogy' and learning 'how to teach'. I think some of the newer TAs were quite taken aback with my teaching style when I related my anecdotes.

While I am enthusiastic, I do not spoon feed and tell my students that I will not engage them unless they engage me first. This leads to uncomfortable silences at the beginning of each term, but it is worth it as by the end of the semester, they will be more outspoken.

We also had a session where each of the TAs have to give a short ten minute presentation on any topic. I chose to show them my holiday pictures from the South Pacific. I thought I did a good job then (c0mpared with the engineering folks and their petroleum analysis charts), but having received the CD recording today, I think there is still much room for improvement.

1) I need to write a script - several times I waffled on some key points, and used the wrong turn of phrase to describe what I meant.
2) I use the word 'actually' way too much. Actually.
3) Smile more and engage the audience with eye contact!
4) Diction could have been better.

Never mind. More practice will make it perfect.

And.. I look so tiny in the clip! Must be the camera and its magic lens.

Sian 1/2

This site is amusing. Get your own slogan today!

I tried 5 random reloads and here they are

1) The curiously strong. The girl with the thorn in her side.
2) All you add is the girl with the thorn in her side.
3) The girl with the thorn in her side is mightier than the sword
4) Its just for me and my girl with the thorn in her side
5) The world's local girl with the thorn in her side.

and because I'm so bored.. I used my other handle too.

1) Islandgirl, take me away
2) I think, therefore Islandgirl
3) The world's favourite islandgirl
4) Better living through islandgirl
5) I wish they all could be islandgirl girls

hahaha.. amusing for ten minutes.

work work.