I've had on and off misgivings about undergrads and their misplaced sense of entitlement, but what happened today took levels to a new low. 

It was a relatively peaceful afternoon and 4 PGs were at our benches, working. The door was unlocked. 

In walked two UGs (Hons year, so they, of all people, should know better, but I suppose I am giving them too much credit) did not bother to acknowledge NNK who was sitting right by the door (with her back facing it) and S, who was sitting out in the middle of the lab, visible to all. They put their bags down on the couch, pulled out their computers and proceeded to pull books off our shelves for their literature search within one metre of S. S was new so he didn't ask them what they were up to. 

That's right. No permission asked, no greetings. Just walked in like its the bleddy Science Library and merrily did their thing, short of helping themselves to tea in the pantry.

Needless to say, they were told off in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable behaviour, in the lab, when they go out to work, basically everywhere, and asked to leave. They are welcome back into the lab next time for their research, I told them, when they've got their manners back, i.e. emailing in advance or walking in and asking someone politely. One of the two, I later learnt, had been in the lab before but his attitude was dismissive and he behaved (according to the PG who let him in) like he had the right to come in and nosy around. 

To give some background, no one in the lab are TAs to the particular module they are taking. They were give a project centred about an aspect of crustacean biology so naturally, the lab is a literal gold mine.  I am personally in contact with one student who corresponded with me and asked if i can have a chat with him and I have let him into the lab to look around our shelves. This is done in my personal capacity as a researcher. I really don't mind, but is basic courtesy really too much to ask of our undergrads nowadays? 

And the writing begins...

Half of February as flown by and I'm ashamed to say that I've broken my resolution of setting aside time every day to write. 

I cannot put it off any longer. I don't know why. I want to write my papers, but every time I turn on my computer, the internet beckons and I end up surfing randomly. Or I see the sheer amount of reading and a thousand an one miscellaneous files to work on and I end up doing all sorts of rubbish displacement activities. 

My current desktop. I know. It's a mess.

Its about time I stop and to do that, I need to focus on the important things at hand. I need to cut myself off from the web and while I can't bear to pull the plug, I can start little by little.

First step - Moving my workspace! I've created another account on the powerbook and this will be my writing room. My safari bookmarks aren't imported here and while that won't stop me from looking around the world wide web once in a while, I hope it will reduce the amount of time I spend online. I can't access email here and there is no IM programme (if you see me online, that's probably because I'm logged in from the original account). 

So what I see in the writing room now is this: 

Stripped down to the essentials. Will my productivity increase? Will I have a draft and a tree to show the boss by the end of this week?

I certainly hope so. Time to fatten up the CV! 

Bags and cups

After 10 fond years, I've finally retired my lite-alp. It could have kept going except its left shoulder strap is unravelling. My fault, really, as I had left it beside a burning joss stick during one of my mad aromatherapy phase and it singed through the strap. 

So the fraying began. That was eighteen months ago. I still use it everyday, esthetics aside, as its tough as nails; only last week I cycled in the rain along the East Coast Park Connecter for at least an hour and a half. Only my electronics were kept in a plastic bag and everything else was not. The bag isn't waterproof anymore, but it still did a great job of keeping water out. My change of clothes were only damp on arrival and still wearable. I almost brought it to France with me the year before last; it was foiled when my mom took a look at me just as I was sailing out of the door, luggage in hand and gasped "You're not going overseas like a beggar!" In the end I took my brother's rucksack. Its big and ugly (although from a very reputable company as well) and the last I saw of it, its zippers have called it a day. 

However, the fraying it getting worse and lite-alp is beginning to show its age. Foam shoulders shrunken and it looks as it the left strap may come undone soon ( I doubt it really, but don't want to be proven wrong at inopportune moments out in the field or commuting to work on the bike). 

So now.. I have a NEW! replacement for Lite-alp!  Check it out. Isn't it a beaut? I'm completely chuffed. Aztec fabric, lots of compartments and great design. Its not cheap though but considering how the lite-alp lasted ten years of rough abuse, this ought to tahan for at least eight (difference between then and now? It used to be manufactured in New Zealand but they've shifted operations to China- so minus two years for that.) 

I find it an irony that I have no idea about women's purses but know exactly what I want in a rucksack. 

***Proceed on if you want to read about women's hygiene product plugs***

Speaking of things that last a very long time, I've also recently taken the plunge and dived into the waters of conscientious and environmentally friendly women's sanitary products. Yep. Applecow tried it out first and it completely changed her life. We're talking about the mooncup here. 

Do you know that the average women uses 11, 000 tampons and pads in her lifetime (do the math yourself). And that's just one person! I digress.. anyway.. Applecow became a mooncup evangelist and a local distributor because as she said "I was talking about it so much that I may as well be a distributor." 

Well said and that's how the BioD girls jumped on the bandwagon. I've used it for my last three cycles and you know... this little thing would have been really useful if I had known about it back when I was doing field work. On some island with no fresh water and questionable sanitation? I think I'll cope better with a mooncup than a pad or even a tampon. 

Of course there is a learning curved involved and that may put off many girls who cringe at the thought of using it (after all, it involves shoving your fingers into the place where erm.. the proverbial the sun don't shine.. no no.. the other one.) But trust me.. once you get the hang of it probably by the second or third cycle, it will be OK. You see those girls wearing white trousers in pad commercials jumping about with balloons in their hands, riding bicycles and looking like a million dollars? Well.. we all know commercials are there to sell things and you don't feel like doing all that shit when you've tried brand X's pad. Or brand Y's nanotechnology (snigger) surface guaranteed to keep you 'dry' feels squishy.

But you know what? If you've got the mooncup, you can do all that and its all true. You'll feel great because the mooncup is leakproof, stays in place and you don't have to leave the house with a wad of pads and tampons in your bag during those days because you can replace them every 8-12 hours (its made from medical grade silicon, so no TSS scare there, and no.. your cup won't runneth over). And best of all.. once its in place, you don't feel a thing. I mean it. Not a single sensation. 

So girls, do yourselves a favour and check out the mooncup, keeper, divacup or femmecup. I really can't think of anything bad to say about them and don't let huge advertising budgets of sanitory pad companies mislead you into settling for less! 

You can buy all these products online or better yet, email Applecow. She's selling these out of her personal conviction that these will make a difference so please support her in the cause!