I've been thoroughly enjoying the past week -- perhaps little too much. I'm at home in Trois-Rivières, and supposed to be working for reading week. I have been working and reading, but not nearly enough writing as I was supposed to. Or perhaps I just thought I would accomplish more. Ah, the standard lament of a student in reading week.
I have a list of things to do about as long as my arm, and I think I've been able to cross of maybe one item. Closer to half an item. So here it is, Friday, and I still have all of those other things to finish. And seeing as it's Friday, I really don't want to do them. I won't even go into what I'm working on, because one of the major problems I'm having is that I'm very much forcing myself to be interested in them. Not so surprisingly, the things that I didn't enjoy as an undergraduate I find I still am not enjoying as a doctoral student. Funny how that works.
At any rate, it's been very nice to be at home, to sleep in my own bed and to be distracted during the day by my own cats. And not to feel like I'm intruding on someone else's turf. Even if I think Francis has gotten used to having the apartment to himself...
The rest of the semester I'm sure will fly by, and promises to have lots of exciting things coming up. I'm going to a development conference in April (in Mt. Tremblant, on the lab's dime), and have an offer to go ant collecting in Arizona in May (all expenses paid!). There's still the possibility that I'll be doing an embryology course on the west coast (not covered by the lab), which would bring me back to the west before heading back down to Panama. At some point I suppose I might actually have to do some work on my own research, assuming I ever find the time.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
¡Hola! Hello! Âllo!
We're not in Bocas* anymore.
We are in fact back in the cold bosom of winter. Being tickled by the icy fingers of Jack Frost. Having out pant legs soaked by the salty puddles of slush in Montréal. Winter, happily, is not as bad I had remembered it being. I was actually starting to miss changing seasons while I was in Panama. Give me a few weeks, I'm sure I'll be sick of it soon. February has a way of doing that to you.
Since last I updated, a long, long time ago in a country far, far away, things have been busy. I know, it's shocking. I had a really great couple of weeks at home in TR, a very good Christmas and super-fun New Year's, and then an amazing week in Seattle where I presented the work that I had been doing in Panama. I met loads of people, made some good contacts, and hopefully didn't sound like a dolt while I presented my poster.
The conference was going on while classes were already in session, so I caught the red-eye back to Montreal, had a shower at the new apartment, went to my class on "Gene Activity in Development", had a Spanish placement test and then caught the bus to TR for a weekend of packing before moving more or less to Montreal. I say more or less, because I'm still heading back on alternate weekends.
I've been pretty much consumed by catching up with the first week of classes that I missed, and getting used to life in the big city. Classes are going alright - I'm facing a steep learning curve in the above mentioned biology course, and double-time Spanish acquisition in the intensive Spanish course I succeeded in getting into. So just getting into the rhythm of not one but two mega intense courses has been rough. And I know, two classes doesn't sound like much, but I am supposed have time to do a thorough literature review and design at least some preliminary projects. Oh, and those boring things like eat and sleep as well. And maybe even get out once in a while.
I am really enjoying the lab, even if I have no idea what people are talking about half the time. And not just because they are ant people and I'm a snail person. I feel light years behind in a lot of ways because I come from such an old-school embryological background (morphology, histology, organismal) whereas the lab is full on molecular (they are also organismal though, so I'm happy: they want to know what the molecules are doing at a the whole animal level and beyond, which is more complicated, but that's the way life works). But I'll catch up.
My Spanish is also improving. I can now talk about yesterday, which may not be as zen as only being able to talk in the present (tense, that is), but is much more useful in real life situations. And yes, it is ironic. I study Spanish at McGill - an English-speaking university in a French-speaking city. Though I must say, I probably hear more Spanish than French on the streets some days.
I'm working on connecting with people I know here, and trying to get involved in something that doesn't involve reading or sitting and thinking. I'd better hurry up about it though, because sooner than I think, I'll be off again...
*Bocas del Toro - a supposedly beautiful part of Panama I have never actually visited, but there's a marine station there so it's on my list of places to work next time I head down.
We are in fact back in the cold bosom of winter. Being tickled by the icy fingers of Jack Frost. Having out pant legs soaked by the salty puddles of slush in Montréal. Winter, happily, is not as bad I had remembered it being. I was actually starting to miss changing seasons while I was in Panama. Give me a few weeks, I'm sure I'll be sick of it soon. February has a way of doing that to you.
Since last I updated, a long, long time ago in a country far, far away, things have been busy. I know, it's shocking. I had a really great couple of weeks at home in TR, a very good Christmas and super-fun New Year's, and then an amazing week in Seattle where I presented the work that I had been doing in Panama. I met loads of people, made some good contacts, and hopefully didn't sound like a dolt while I presented my poster.
The conference was going on while classes were already in session, so I caught the red-eye back to Montreal, had a shower at the new apartment, went to my class on "Gene Activity in Development", had a Spanish placement test and then caught the bus to TR for a weekend of packing before moving more or less to Montreal. I say more or less, because I'm still heading back on alternate weekends.
I've been pretty much consumed by catching up with the first week of classes that I missed, and getting used to life in the big city. Classes are going alright - I'm facing a steep learning curve in the above mentioned biology course, and double-time Spanish acquisition in the intensive Spanish course I succeeded in getting into. So just getting into the rhythm of not one but two mega intense courses has been rough. And I know, two classes doesn't sound like much, but I am supposed have time to do a thorough literature review and design at least some preliminary projects. Oh, and those boring things like eat and sleep as well. And maybe even get out once in a while.
I am really enjoying the lab, even if I have no idea what people are talking about half the time. And not just because they are ant people and I'm a snail person. I feel light years behind in a lot of ways because I come from such an old-school embryological background (morphology, histology, organismal) whereas the lab is full on molecular (they are also organismal though, so I'm happy: they want to know what the molecules are doing at a the whole animal level and beyond, which is more complicated, but that's the way life works). But I'll catch up.
My Spanish is also improving. I can now talk about yesterday, which may not be as zen as only being able to talk in the present (tense, that is), but is much more useful in real life situations. And yes, it is ironic. I study Spanish at McGill - an English-speaking university in a French-speaking city. Though I must say, I probably hear more Spanish than French on the streets some days.
I'm working on connecting with people I know here, and trying to get involved in something that doesn't involve reading or sitting and thinking. I'd better hurry up about it though, because sooner than I think, I'll be off again...
*Bocas del Toro - a supposedly beautiful part of Panama I have never actually visited, but there's a marine station there so it's on my list of places to work next time I head down.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Independence from everything
This week is the beginning of holiday season in Panama. No, not Thanksgiving (though I'm thinking that being surrounded by Americans is an excellent opportunity to make a turkey, if only I can figure out a way to not have an oven on for hours on end -- it may be the rainy season and cold*, but that's only by Panamanian standards) but a series of days to celebrate independence. Today is independence from Colombia; Thursday is the same thing, but in Colon (it took a couple of days for independence to make it across the isthmus I guess); the 10th is the first call for independence from Spain; the 28th is actual independence from Spain, and the beginning of December marks Mother's Day, which is also considered a national holiday. And then there's the more or less standard Christmas and New Years holidays. I've been told that nothing of an official nature is accomplished here from now until the new year, which is easy to believe.
Not that any of this applies to lowly graduate students. Although I do enjoy holidays, because there are fewer people around the lab to distract me (or to have to share equipment with). I'm thinking more about December 3, which marks my own personal independence from Panama return date. Coming up both far too quickly and not soon enough.
*If you thought I was a cold wimp after living on the west coast, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Not that any of this applies to lowly graduate students. Although I do enjoy holidays, because there are fewer people around the lab to distract me (or to have to share equipment with). I'm thinking more about December 3, which marks my own personal independence from Panama return date. Coming up both far too quickly and not soon enough.
*If you thought I was a cold wimp after living on the west coast, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
and on the seventh day, she rested
Busy, busy, busy.
A little too busy, actually. I'm in the midst of collecting data for a conference in January, reading like mad for this mini-project and you know, that doctorate thing I'm supposed to be working on, and staying in the lab far too much for my own good.
So today, I decided to take a day off. Precipitated by spending all of Saturday in the lab, and getting overly frustrated with the relatively simple tasks I was attempting to accomplish. So today, I did fun house things. CBC Radio (thank God for streaming online radio), laundry (you know you are in the lab too much when laundry becomes a fun task), hanging curtains in the kitchen, reorganizing the living room, and I think I might yet prime my bedroom. My roommate has led me into a painting binge. We did most of the living room -- from baby puke yellow, to a rich red against a warm, nearly mauve-pink neutral. It looks good. Really. The red still needs a few more coats before it's finished, but I'm waiting for her to get back before I do that. And I'd really like to get rid of the dingy, industrial look of my bedroom. Washing the walls and changing the curtains made a huge difference, but now that the painting urge has been released, I feel like taking the next step and putting at least primer on the walls. We'll see.
I shouldn't really be taking the day off based on the amount of work I have to do, but there is, I suppose, a limit. I have been feeling far too stressed for my own good, and I've decided that it is due to me trying to do everything at once. Yes, there are lots of things that I need to and want to do, but trying to do everything at the same time tends to lead to nothing getting accomplished.
And it feels good, so I'm going to run with it.
A little too busy, actually. I'm in the midst of collecting data for a conference in January, reading like mad for this mini-project and you know, that doctorate thing I'm supposed to be working on, and staying in the lab far too much for my own good.
So today, I decided to take a day off. Precipitated by spending all of Saturday in the lab, and getting overly frustrated with the relatively simple tasks I was attempting to accomplish. So today, I did fun house things. CBC Radio (thank God for streaming online radio), laundry (you know you are in the lab too much when laundry becomes a fun task), hanging curtains in the kitchen, reorganizing the living room, and I think I might yet prime my bedroom. My roommate has led me into a painting binge. We did most of the living room -- from baby puke yellow, to a rich red against a warm, nearly mauve-pink neutral. It looks good. Really. The red still needs a few more coats before it's finished, but I'm waiting for her to get back before I do that. And I'd really like to get rid of the dingy, industrial look of my bedroom. Washing the walls and changing the curtains made a huge difference, but now that the painting urge has been released, I feel like taking the next step and putting at least primer on the walls. We'll see.
I shouldn't really be taking the day off based on the amount of work I have to do, but there is, I suppose, a limit. I have been feeling far too stressed for my own good, and I've decided that it is due to me trying to do everything at once. Yes, there are lots of things that I need to and want to do, but trying to do everything at the same time tends to lead to nothing getting accomplished.
And it feels good, so I'm going to run with it.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Hill Top Living
So, I moved again this week. Let me say, it's much easier to move when everything you own fits into one suitcase and a few small bags. And even though I hardly brought any books here with me, I have a disproportionate number of them already.
Instead of living well on the other side of town in the middle of a traffic nightmare, I now live on a forested hill, reasonably close to work, in a former American canal house. It's lovely. A big room, window, back patio overlooking jungle, and apparently the occasional visiting monkey (I hear they like to visit - I have yet to see them here). And I only share with one other person, as opposed to six. Much better.
Instead of living well on the other side of town in the middle of a traffic nightmare, I now live on a forested hill, reasonably close to work, in a former American canal house. It's lovely. A big room, window, back patio overlooking jungle, and apparently the occasional visiting monkey (I hear they like to visit - I have yet to see them here). And I only share with one other person, as opposed to six. Much better.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Housekeeping
Happy Saturday all. I'm enjoying a relaxed morning at home with a pot of coffee and streaming CBC radio. Lovely. Next up is studying Spanish. Fun.
Anyways, I thought I would point out that I have activated comments on this blog, as on all of my other blogs. I hear reports that people have had issues with being able to post comments though, so here's a primer. At the bottom of this post is a link to add a comment. Click on that link and you'll reach a comment box. That's where you write your comment. Once you've done that, you choose how you would like to be identified -- I believe it's a little drop down menu. If you aren't a registered user, you can still comment either giving your name, or as anonymous. In any case, you will also have to verify that you are human and not a spamming robot and type in a code. Nothing difficult. If you're still having trouble, you can always just email me. That's cool too. I love to hear feedback in any form.
***
In other housekeeping news, housekeeping, or the lack thereof, is becoming a problem.
At the moment, I'm sharing a house with a number of other people. A Panamanian couple, a Colombian, a French couple and another French girl. People are generally nice, but the kitchen (and most other public parts of the house) are a mess. Conveniently, we have a maid coming in to clean twice a week. But that doesn't change the fact that dishes don't do themselves, and that insects and other less than welcome guests are attracted to piles of rotting garbage. It's not quite that bad, but as I write, the sink is still full of dishes from two days ago, and the table is only clean because I cleared up after somebody else's breakfast.
Unfortunately, it makes living in this beautiful house much less pleasant. Nothing say unwelcoming like a big pile of stinky dishcloths and other peoples unwashed dishes when you come home after a long day of work. It's not everyone who causes problems, but it is definitely an issue.
Luckily for me, I have decided to move. Not only has living with so many dirty people been less than fun, but the house is REALLY far from where I work. And because I value my time I've been taking taxis to work. Which is getting REALLY expensive. Individual rides aren't so bad, but it's adding up. I've also had a really hard time doing any work here. Not only do the housemates leave messes in the kitchen, they leave their crap on all of the other horizontal surfaces. Which makes it difficult if I or anyone else wants to make use of said surfaces. So, I've got a place lined up with another person from my lab. It's quiet, it's nearer to work, the house is amazing, and I think it will work really well.
So next weekends project is moving. Again. It's too bad, as my current house is really convenient for everything except work (and living with so many other languages was a really good way to force me into speaking more Spanish).
Anyways, I thought I would point out that I have activated comments on this blog, as on all of my other blogs. I hear reports that people have had issues with being able to post comments though, so here's a primer. At the bottom of this post is a link to add a comment. Click on that link and you'll reach a comment box. That's where you write your comment. Once you've done that, you choose how you would like to be identified -- I believe it's a little drop down menu. If you aren't a registered user, you can still comment either giving your name, or as anonymous. In any case, you will also have to verify that you are human and not a spamming robot and type in a code. Nothing difficult. If you're still having trouble, you can always just email me. That's cool too. I love to hear feedback in any form.
***
In other housekeeping news, housekeeping, or the lack thereof, is becoming a problem.
At the moment, I'm sharing a house with a number of other people. A Panamanian couple, a Colombian, a French couple and another French girl. People are generally nice, but the kitchen (and most other public parts of the house) are a mess. Conveniently, we have a maid coming in to clean twice a week. But that doesn't change the fact that dishes don't do themselves, and that insects and other less than welcome guests are attracted to piles of rotting garbage. It's not quite that bad, but as I write, the sink is still full of dishes from two days ago, and the table is only clean because I cleared up after somebody else's breakfast.
Unfortunately, it makes living in this beautiful house much less pleasant. Nothing say unwelcoming like a big pile of stinky dishcloths and other peoples unwashed dishes when you come home after a long day of work. It's not everyone who causes problems, but it is definitely an issue.
Luckily for me, I have decided to move. Not only has living with so many dirty people been less than fun, but the house is REALLY far from where I work. And because I value my time I've been taking taxis to work. Which is getting REALLY expensive. Individual rides aren't so bad, but it's adding up. I've also had a really hard time doing any work here. Not only do the housemates leave messes in the kitchen, they leave their crap on all of the other horizontal surfaces. Which makes it difficult if I or anyone else wants to make use of said surfaces. So, I've got a place lined up with another person from my lab. It's quiet, it's nearer to work, the house is amazing, and I think it will work really well.
So next weekends project is moving. Again. It's too bad, as my current house is really convenient for everything except work (and living with so many other languages was a really good way to force me into speaking more Spanish).
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Living in the Lab
This weekend marks my second week back in the lab. It hasn't actually been terribly eventful, and sadly, I haven't accomplished much. Yet. That should be remedied shortly.
I'm waiting for a sonicator and looking for a plankton wheel. And maybe some Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). That last one isn't super necessary though, as long as I get my sonicator.
So what, exactly, will I be doing?
Well, the basic idea of the experiment is to see if larvae are able to eat little tiny spheres of plastic, even if they aren't larvae that are supposed to be able to eat. Different larvae have different ways of developing. Some of them are small, and feed on unicellular algae in the plankton to get bigger before they metamorphose to their juvenile form. Others are bigger, and have enough yolk reserves from mom that they don't feed in the plankton, but they still swim around. Still others have given up that plankton step altogether and finish their development in their capsules -- sometimes even still having the same or similar structures for swimming and feeding in the plankton even though they don't seem to use them. I'll be feeding different types of larvae various sized microspheres, to see if these structures are still functional, even if they aren't being used in the same way.
It's not quite what I want to be doing for my dissertation, but it's an excellent and simple project to get me back into the rhythms of the lab and to play with the animals. That is the goal of my time here for the moment. That, and to figure out exactly what I want to work on. I guess it's as good a place to start as any.
I'm waiting for a sonicator and looking for a plankton wheel. And maybe some Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). That last one isn't super necessary though, as long as I get my sonicator.
So what, exactly, will I be doing?
Well, the basic idea of the experiment is to see if larvae are able to eat little tiny spheres of plastic, even if they aren't larvae that are supposed to be able to eat. Different larvae have different ways of developing. Some of them are small, and feed on unicellular algae in the plankton to get bigger before they metamorphose to their juvenile form. Others are bigger, and have enough yolk reserves from mom that they don't feed in the plankton, but they still swim around. Still others have given up that plankton step altogether and finish their development in their capsules -- sometimes even still having the same or similar structures for swimming and feeding in the plankton even though they don't seem to use them. I'll be feeding different types of larvae various sized microspheres, to see if these structures are still functional, even if they aren't being used in the same way.
It's not quite what I want to be doing for my dissertation, but it's an excellent and simple project to get me back into the rhythms of the lab and to play with the animals. That is the goal of my time here for the moment. That, and to figure out exactly what I want to work on. I guess it's as good a place to start as any.
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