much needed holiday

WOW this has got to be one of coolest screensavers ever: the DROPCLOCK.

Description from the website:

DROPCLOCK IS AN AESTHETICALLY INTRIGUING MOTION CLOCK SCREENSAVER. EVERY MINUTE OF REAL TIME IS NUMERICALLY EXPRESSED WITH HEAVY HELVETICA DROPPING INTO WATER IN SUPER SLOW-MOTION.

The free version is good enough. $15 to buy full version which I think is unnecessary since the free one is already so pretty :)


Download here at the official site.



Uses quite a bit of space so make sure that your comp can cope with the requirements: ram needs to be 512mb or higher. And the file size is pretty big for a screensaver too: 150mb.

***

Easter break is here!!!

I'm taking 5 full days off lab work! =D I think I deserved it since for the past month I've been working on experiments during weekends as well. Leaving for Wellington on Sunday morning and coming back on Friday. I almost double booked myself: scheduled a group meeting on next Friday at 3pm when I'm only arriving back at 3.15pm -_- But all's good.

Exam timetable is out already BTW; I only have 1 exam this semester on the 16th of June. A 3 -hour written exam (75%) plus an oral exam (25%) which will be given by 3 lecturers/research fellows. Very scary but I'll worry about that later.

Collecting data from today's experiment tomorrow; fingers crossed that it'll turn out well so I have 1 less experiment to repeat/run!

looking forwaaaaard

BLAH.

It's freeeeeeeeezing! and it hailed this morning. while I was on my way to the lab gosh.

My fuzzy possum merino gloves which has a hole right at the tip is not helping at all in keeping my fingers warm. At least it's relatively warm at the lab.

I had a blonde moment at the lab this morning :P

***

The fire alarm sounded (again) yesterday afternoon. The mock one was held last week. Just 5 minutes before I decide to pack up and leave for home. That means walking down 8 floors worth of stairs, and waiting in the cold while the firemen came to check out if there was anything serious. The 3rd floor lab caught fire apparently, nothing serious from what I heard- heh the 3rd year students. It felt as if it was a long time ago that I was once a 3rd year student.

This 4th year feels like a roller coaster ride. One day I'm happy that my experiments are going well; the next day it doesn't and I'm left wondering what and where went wrong. I guess in Msia we're used to being spoon-fed and just nodding and absorbing whatever the teachers say/ written in textbooks. In a way I'm still learning to be more independent and NOT cringe when calling my supervisor by his first name.

***

One of the longest place names in the world is found somewhere in Hawke's Bay: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauota-mateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (without the dash). Haha! I stumbled upon it while browsing through things to do and places to visit at Hawke's Bay when I go there with Mich and May this coming Easter monday. FYI it's a Maori name for a hill which roughly translates to The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one (thanks to wikipedia). That's 85 letters in total.

One place I'm keen on visiting is the Napier Prison. Taking a mug-shot looks cool!

an awesome weekend

The annual Hyde Street party was held last Saturday. The noise (and drinking) started as early as 7am when I woke up -__- gosh they must be spending a lot on booze. and decorations. Even on Fridays there were some people spray painting their fences & walls, putting up the couches (see pic below) and stealing road signs to decorate their flat.

And since my flat is at the corner of Hyde and Frederick Street, the noise was pretty bad. More than a hundred people gathered in the middle of the street, on rooftops (YEAH), threw beer bottles around when they got drunk, and even knocked on the door of my flat. The police and campus watch were everywhere on Saturday, probably just making sure there were no riots or couch-burning going on. Which didn't, thankfully.

The street still stinks (of puke and beer). Yeap it was that bad.

Thank God it only happens once a year.

I'm amazed at how they managed to move the couch up there

this was taken at 8am-ish

"Wall Street", the new mall next to Meridian

lunch at Golden Harvest :)
Shaza came back for a visit from Chch, doing a research thing for a few days here

A friend of a friend's cute lil son!

Shaza & Mich

the 2 Sharons
see I'm being nice by putting that LESS embarrassing pic of yours here ;)

It's nice having an afternoon off :) Instead of being stuck at the lab (which I was until 9.30pm last night) today, I attended the Student Away Day thing- it's just basically postgraduate students from different departments in the Health Sciences giving short talks about their research projects & some tips on how to survive being a postgrad student. Good food! yums. And it was nice spending time "bonding" with the other postgrad students at my lab.

WEeeeeeeee here I come Welly/Hawke's Bay =D wait for my arrival this Sunday!

the payoff

Oh happy day!

My experiment finally worked! =D not perfect, but good enough. My supervisor said "good" TWICE- which meant a lot to me.

I hate band aids. No matter how sticky they claim to be, they never stick long enough to my injured palm :( Doing experiments require me to wear gloves and wash my hands very often, and the band aid fell off halfway through the experiments today. Which was really scary especially since I dealt with blood today (not human, SHEEP blood heh); don't want to contract any of the sheep diseases. An open wound + unknown microbes in sheep blood = scary stuff & a very careful me.

I can't exactly say what bacteria I'm going to work on soon, but they are scary enough as well. Let's just say the diseases they cause are not very treatable, which means I can't daydream or think about shopping/food that often anymore while pippeting.

helping Waszowski to be vain

Busy, busy weekend. I'm on roster to play the keyboards Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday morning. The 1st two times for Encounter, third for church. Wow I've been on duty every single week since I got back to Dunedin; it's nice having a week off next week during Easter =)

Sigh. I'm so in love with the colourful scarf I bought while (initially window-) shopping with Chyi today. Good deal, too. Who knew I could actually spend $45 for 3 items!

:/

1. Who is your best friend(s)?
It's amazing how I have heaps. Mr & Mrs Pancakes, Ms Chiu, Lenik, the Yeos. the list goes on

2. If someone were to tell you they like you right now, would you care?
I would, but wouldn't do anything I feel I SHOULD do to care enough. makes sense?

3. Do you still talk to the person you fell hardest for?
Every night ;) the Man above, of course.

4. Where did you last sleep other than your house?
My cousins' house at KK, Msia.

5. Do you have a best friend?
Nope. I have many best friends.

6. Do you smoke?
Nope.

7. Do you remember what you were like when you were a kid?
vaguely. I remember being very vain and pretending to be a teacher.

8. Can you vote for the next election?
yeap but I don't think I will

9. What are you listening to?
nothing

10. When will your next kiss be?
in my dreams ;)

11. Who do you want to see right now?
all of you not in dunedin now. but right now, the Lee sisters =)

12. Ever have a sleepover with the opposite sex?
hmm yup

13. When did your last hug take place?
monday night

14. Do you date smart people?
erm he would have to have at least above average IQ heh

15. Where were you at 2:02pm this afternoon?
at the lab @ 8th floor, micro building. busy pippeting/running experiments

16. What does the last text in your phone says?
"Thank you! :) Jo"

17. Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?
Yup :) :) :)

18. Have you ever changed clothes in a vehicle?
woo no

19. Who did you last eat with?
my lovely flatmates Sharon & Amy

20. Do you text alot?
average?

21. How old will you be in 13 months?
>_< OLD.

22. When is the last time you tattooed?
Never will.

23. If you like that person will you talk about your feelings or hide them?
Hide. but I'll blab all I want to my friends about it =P

24. Do you wear glasses?
Yeap. contact lenses most of the time

25. What are you looking forward to in the next month?
Completing my APPS499 report

26. Will you talk to the person you like tonight?
n/a

27. What color shirt are you wearing?
my blue cow pajamas & black jacket

28. Do you have a reason to smile right now?
Yeap I'm actually DOING this. this quiz thingy. that i hate a lot.

29. If you won a lot of money on the lottery, what would you buy first ?
air tickets!

30. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you had a conversation with? What was it about?
Anthony. Call of Duty 5 woohoo!

31. Who was driving the last car you were in?
Michelle!

32. Who was the last person that called you?
some random dude who got the wrong number

33. What are you craving right now?
May's cooking

34. What if you married the last person you kissed?
I'd be crazy and totally stupid to do that

35. What are you excited about?
Welly/Hawke's bay trip this Easter

36. Ever kissed your number 1 on facebook?
???

37. When was the last time you cried? And why?
hmm a few weeks ago? at Val's house feeling really sad about what's been happening to Lighthouse

39. Is there one person who can make you feel better no matter what?
YEAP!

40. Last person you hugged?
Hsiu Ping

41. What were you doing at 2:00 am last night?
sleeping

42. Have you cried today?
nope

43. What bed did you sleep in last night?
my own single bed? -__- that I bought at Union Street

44. Are you currently frustrated with a girl/guy?
more like frustrated with the microbes

45. Ever talked to someone that was high?
hmm. not sure

46. Does it snow where you live?
rarely. hopefully yes this year

47. When is the next time you will see your grandma?
in heaven

48. Have you kissed or hugged someone today?
no :(

49. Will you be married in the next two years ?
no, but I'm sure to attend some weddings in the next 2 years ;)

50. Have you ever wanted someone you thought that you couldn't have?
ooo yes

51. Are you in a relationship, single, complicated, married, or engaged?
very much single and happy that way

52. How have you felt today ?
anxious & hopeful

53. Do you like your name?
Most of the time, not when it's spelt or pronounced wrongly. Joceyln. SERIOUSLY?!

54. Are you happy at the moment?
:|

55. What were you doing at 10:00pm last night ?
researching

56. Last person who drove you somewhere (besides your parents) ?
Sarah, to music practice last Thurs

57. Ever kissed someone in a closet?
er no

58. Do you live alone ?
nope. with my flattie hunnies!

59. Do you have a friend of the opposite sex that you can talk to?
yeap

60. Are you crazy ?
don't think so

61. Who was the last person to call you Darling?
probably some checkout lady at New World or Sharon ;)

62. How has this past week been for you?
A week I'm eager to get over with

63. Last thing you drank ?
SO GOOD soya milk w/ chocolate flavour

64. Do you believe that every thing happens for a reason?
yeap definitely

65. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
I have already did

66. If you were reincarnated as a sea creature, what would you want to be?
Nemo!

67. What do you normally order when you're at McDonald's?
the yummy breakfast meals

68. Last book you read?
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

69. Describe your mood.
eager

70. Describe the last time you were injured?
i scraped my palm on the door knob of the bathroom coming out of shower gah. a 1cm gash.

71. Of all your friends, who would you want to be stuck in a well with?
the tallest one :)

72. Rock concert or symphony?
rock concert YEAH

73. Do you like taking the MRT?
Not after someone farted in a super crowded mrt ride

74. If you could only use a form of transportation, what would it be?
a personal driver heh :)

75. What's your favorite kind of cake?
All cheesy ones

76. Look 20 degrees to your left, what do you see?
TV & kitchen

77. Do you untie your shoes when you take it off?
depending on how tight it's tied

78. Do you buy your own groceries?
yeap. with my flatties

79. What's your favorite fruit?
mango!

80. Do you like running long distances?
never tried

81. Have you ever eaten snow?
yeap yeap! incredibly hard might i say (at least in dunedin)

82. What color are your bedsheet?
brown

83. Do you hate someone very badly at this moment?
nope

84. Do you watch Spongebob?
just the movie

85. What temperature is it outside right now?
5 degrees. my fingers are getting numb

86. Do you consider yourself smart?
nope

87. How many piercings do you have?
just the 1 pair

88. What language do you speak at home?
english & Hokkien

89. How do you feel about your family?
I thank God for them

90. What time did you go to bed yesterday?
12 ish

91. What CD is currently in your CD player?
don't have one

92. What do you want for Christmas this year?
a graduation trip & graduating with 1st class honours

93. Favorite ice-cream?
no particular flavour. natural fruity ones i guess

94. What's the way people most often mispronounce any part of your name?
JoYce-seh-lyn

95. Lastly, whats your favorite color?
purple is THE royal colour


95 questions. I'm so proud of myself. Now only if I would get good results for experiment #8...