Two flights, a missed connection with EGIDE, and spending the entire Tuesday morning walking around the vicinity of Gare de Nord for the EGIDE office later, I have arrived at the museum.

I have a place in the lab, but there are lots of specimens to check as a quick look around the collection revealed jars of my stuff from New Caledonia. I will have to spend a day looking at specimens.

Other than that, R and I are fine. No news is good news I guess. Nope. Not killing each other yet. Yep. Still talking. Ok. back to work. Later.

An hour before I take off. R and I are off to France! Its quite exciting, but also surreal at the same time. We've occasionally talked about how we have never gone for a field trip together and how I've not had an opportunity to help him with his field work and now we're going off to Europe!
We've already squabbled over some minor problem last week, but fortunately recovered pretty quickly from it. I just hope that we'll still be speaking to each other when we get back! We've promised to agree to disagree, and not to let unhappiness fester, so hopefully there's enough space for everyone.

Apparently Paris will be FREEZING and I hope I am adequately prepared for that. R being the boy didn't fret so much about it but heading home last night, we had a fortuitous find. Its a good thing he was patiently sitting around waiting for me to finish up with my packing and other miscellanous distractions. I'm not going to say what it is, but its solved his wardrobe problem and he looks smart in it too!

Ok. So insurance has been purchased, all plugs and adaptors in the bag, passport - check. Money - check.

I guess I'm gonna sign out now. See y'all in Paris!

Hello Gwyneth

Gwyneth
Originally uploaded by island_girl.

Just a little over a year after my nephew Asher came into this world, my sister has done the government family proud by popping another sprog.

So everyone, meet Gwyneth. She's a tiny one, 2.95kg as opposed to her brother's 3.5kg. They look pretty much like each other (or perhaps all babies have the same 'look'?) and definitely a a crier. Also has more hair, which is always a good thing. She's so tiny that I am afraid to pick her up. By the time I come home, she'll hopefully be a lot bigger. More pictures then.

My mom has already made clear where her loyalties lie. "Asher was better looking". Sigh. Doting Chinese grandmothers and their male biases.

I could not resist showing off my shuffle to lab visitors, Paul and Chris, dropping by for a week before flying back home to London.

They were seduced too. A quick check at the UK store revealed that a shuffle sells for £55 (SGD163.30) compared with SGD138 here. Paul was especially tempted because he reckoned that it will solve his Christmas shopping conundrum and the shuffle makes great stocking stuffing. In any case, we headed to town for dinner at my favourite ramen shop and decided to walk over to iShop for a quick look-see.

As it happened, iShop is celebrating their first year anniversary and discounts are being offered for the shuffle. The first sales person we asked told us that the 15% off deal was on and quoted us a price of SGD117. I almost fell over and had to resist my urge to push Paul into closing the deal as he wanted to buy 6 'pods (That's a total saving of £90!!!). Trying not to appear too enthusiastic, I walked away to leave Paul and Chris to think about it without me trying to exert any pressure on them. I should have, cos the next saleperson they spoke with told them that the 15% discount is no longer valid but there still is a special price of SGD127.

In the end, Paul bought six pods and Chris bought one. I bought a new neoprene sleeve for my powerbook and everyone goes home happy.

Maybe I should think about going into sales if nothing academic works out. LOL.

The day the music came back

I was doing my usual round of blog surfing when I saw that Otterman beat me to acquiring the object of my lusty desire! An early birthday present for him, while I, on the other hand, had ordered it online a week ago and have been waiting for it every day since.

Well.. its a good thing I was just waiting and not holding my breath in the bargain because it finally made its way to me today. So much for 'delivery in 1-3 days.' *rolls eyes*

So even if its not my birthday today (shout out to FF cos it is his birthday - yay), it almost feels like it, cos I have a new toy! Engraving is free, so obviously, my long nickname finally got put to good use. Just two characters short of the limit.

Yay! No more TV mobile gibberish!

Brief flirtation with 'fame'

I unearthed this at the museum the other day. So there, I can rightfully say I've been a covergirl too. Muahahaha.

All I can remember is this; I was mucking around waiting to enter grad school and Otterman called to ask if I were available for some photoshoot at the museum. I was free that day and turned up in my dungarees. I mean, how was I to know that I had to look er.. academic and all, poring over books and examining specimens with a scholarly air?

We corrected that by borrowing GS's jacket but there weren't any hair gel or makeup to make myself look better. But its just as well. It turned out to be an accurate rendition of a taxonomist - pale skin and lips from being locked up in the collection for the longest time.

Here's a spot quiz. Can you name 3 errors in this picture?

First name out of the hat gets a slab of smelly cheese from Paris.

Intermission

So we sorted it out today. In exactly two weeks, I'll be off for three works, locked up in the labs and collections of the museum.

It will be fun, I think. Just have to sort out accomodation. That is getting quite hairy. Couchsurf? KOY's ex BIL? Or how about the lab attic? I just need a place to sleep I guess. Nothing too fancy. Although I did cave in and bought some stuff for the impending trip.

Wrote to DJ as well, asking if I can come over to Perth for a quick collection. If that works out, I'll be hitting WA with a quick and dirty job in the next week too. It probably is a long time coming, I'm ashamed to say. This locality has always been a non existant link in my sampling strategy and I don't think I will have any excuses if the examiners come in and ask me what happened to that black hole that is WA. I need an intelligent answer. Or at least be able to tell them that I tried.

In the meantime, werk werk. *grunts*

I am so lusting after the new ipod shuffle.

Have been musicless for sometime now, so this is really tempting. Its so tiny and good looking!! I don't care about it having no screen. Afterall, I am already using the party shuffle feature on itunes.

Should I? Should I not? Decisions, decisions. Waiting for the reviews.

Find yourself with naught to do on a Friday night?

Do it the GWTTIHS way.

Snoop around an old part of town which is now a hip yuppie neighbourhood with a partner in crime and pull off an art heist.

Celebrate with a Tiger and old time makan at the hawker centre.



Voila! Instant entertainment, and a nice piece of 'art' to take home for further admiration.

Nice meeting you again, Sir (the long and rambling post)

As the whole world (or at least my circle of friends) would have known by now, Saturday was a really special day because of one person. Yes. The clandestine planning on the part of Otterman had come to fruition. Sir David Attenborough - right here in sunny Singapore!

He's here to film a segment of his next documentary, Life in Cold Blood and the Sungei Buloh Mangroves is a set location. The week prior to his arrival, I had gone to Otterman volunteering to help coordinate his grad student meet and greet. A tea session was whittled down to an opportunistic window because the BBC film crew only had two days to complete their objectives in Singapore and time was a premium. My job was to find out which of the grad students were interested to meeting this amazing man and provide them with details as and when they came in from Otterman. I even told Otterman that I'm the perfect candidate for the job since I've met him before and would be better composed this time round. As in all things, those were famous last words.

I had wanted to buy him a cup of tea (cos I inquired half in jest with Otterman if the job of being his personal tea lady in Singapore is vacant), but completely forgot that when the call to CP informing all waiting at the cafeteria that filming has wrapped up and we could go in to the boardwalk. I misplaced my gold marker - specially bought from Kinokuniya and spent 5 frantic minutes looking for it before finding it and running to meet him.

Sir David was visibly tired but he was really nice and obliging, signing books, taking pictures and smiling. We all took turns to shake hands with him and when my turn came, otterman chimed in with 'that's the tongue tied student'. Perhaps he told Sir David about my meeting with him last year. Well.. it is all true. I couldn't open my mouth to utter a world to him last year when I really wanted to tell him what an inspiration he was- and still is to me when I was growing up, watching him travelling around the world in his khaki suit and telling me about the wonders of our planet. I don't think he remembers anything, because he probably met thousands of people on his tour last year, but it was really nice to see him try to recollect when it could have happened.


Me: Remember me?!?! I was fan number 1284086 at the NHM queue last year?!?! The girl with the red jacket and face? Tongue tied? Spluttering with a quivering lower lip?
Sir David: Hmm.. who is this person?



Then his face broke out into a smile. I don't think he remembers me per se, just that he had indeed been signing at the museum. But it was nice all the same.

I was better composed this time, but still didn't know what to say around him. I had brought along my copy of The Life of Birds and the DVD box set of his Life Collection to be signed. I had wanted to print out my photograph taken with him last year to be signed by him, but decided that would be too creepy. I'm just happy I got to meet him again, and in Singapore no less! What are the chances.

More pictures...

Group photo with the NUS crowd

I couldn't stop smiling all through the meeting. It was such a privilege to be able to meet him. Twice within a year! In the most unlikely of locations. I can't think of meeting anyone else that will make me this excited. My friends know this too, and I have a lovely collection of photographs to remember this occasion by. The autographed books and DVDs too. I'm thinking a little far now but I can't wait to show my children just how wondrous the world is through the eyes of David Attenborough when I become a mom.

Thanks to Otterman and Zee for taking pictures and also to Otterman for making this happen! :D

Today's song is brought to you by Scissor Sisters; Land of a Thousand Words.

Me: Why is it that almost every couple I know have called it quits? Why? Why can't we all just get along??!?! Is it the fall breeze of break ups?

Friend: Its just that stage in a person's life I guess. Fast forward 40 years and you'll be asking me why everyone around you is keeling over.

******

Another question I have no answer for:

How does a person who is crazy about you just change his/her mind. One day you are laughing and joking together, and the next, I'm sorry, it wasn't planned.

Just like that.
*****

And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
I don't know how

Because maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me ?
And after all
You're my wonderwall

Oasis ~ Wonderwall

Nice to meet you again, Sir.

Nice to meet you again, Sir.
Originally uploaded by island_girl.

So we meet again, after 11 months. I was better composed this time, only just.

We all know that math isn't exactly my forte, but I still gotta plug at my Tajima and Slatkins, Taus and Thetas.

Another field to add to the pile - I have to wrap my head around Palaeoceanography - in a week.

Reading for the weekend - The paleoceanography of the last glacial maximum in the Indian Ocean using clacareous nanofossils.

*Can I go lie down now*

It had better give me more returns than the t*****. Ideas for new projects maybe?

Wait.. what new proposals. Note to self: Finish up what you started (and there's two of 'em!) before asking for more money again!!!!

I need minions. Yum.

"We did it differently in my day...."

*** Update: I realise this person is in my TA group, meaning that he has in fact been turning up every other Friday afternoon, attending MY practical classes. That kind of makes it even worse, don't you think.***

This email landed in my inbox today.

"Hi,

May i ask you some questions on the biodiversity module as my mentor is unavailable.
Must i arrange an appointment time with you? Thanks.

Regards
XXX XXX XXXX"

*splutter*

Basic courtesy rule number 1 : If you are asking someone for help, the least you can do is to include their name in your salutations. C'mon. If you can find my email address, you know my name. In fact, scratch the name. I'm willing to settle for plain old "Dear TA" or something similar. No need to use the prose of PG Wodehouse and address me as the great esteemed teacher whose feet you would like to kiss but is not fit to.

I am not replying to this mail. It is not addressed to me. Pffft.