You must remember this...

Back Again (Yet Again)

2010-03-30T22:44:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy year, but after 15 years of living the States and going through 3 different visa status, I have finally become a permanent resident as of March 24th.

Here in Central Texas, the weather has been nice for the last week or so (it went up to about 80F today), although I get to enjoy it only a little bit since I spend most of my day indoor with year-around temperature of ~72F. Those wild flowers like bluebonnets are blooming now, and it's a nice site along highways. We had quite a bit of water coming down from up above this winter (if you can call it winter, that is), so the flowers look so much better than the last year. This also means that the air in Austin area has been thick with pollens from a variety of sources (live oak, grass, etc., etc.) to keep our sinuses stuffed. But that's ok. All is good here.

I'm off...

2009-07-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe that it's already end of July. This summer has so far been productive at work, getting some image/data analyses done. We've also been exploring some Austin restaurants these days - mostly Tex-Mex and burger joints - which I hope to write about in the coming weeks. For now, I'm off to Utah for a few days -- will be back with some photos...

Back again

2009-06-09T21:25:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post. We've kept ourselves pretty busy for the last several months, getting married, getting a new job (for Johanna), getting new projects up to speed (for me), etc., etc. Austin is getting warmer and warmer everyday - it's been around 90F for the last two weeks, and we definitely need more rain. I know Johanna wouldn't mind dry weather so much, but having lived in humid places for most of life, I feel the need for summer like you can feel the air as you walk through it.

It's almost nine months since we moved to Austin. No, we haven't picked up any of the west Texas accent, not yet at least, but it's been rather easy to adjust to the life here in Austin. Not entirely sure why, though. Maybe it's the traffic (or lack thereof), the city's compact size, or the weather for that matter. Or maybe it's just that I feel happier with my current job than the previous one.

Anyhow, now that we've got our wedding out or the way (many thanks to our friends and family who utterly overwhelmed us with their love and support), we can spend more time exploring Austin and tackling some summer projects (organizing one of the closets, for one thing...). And hopefully I'll get around to sharing bits of our life with you here...

Happy World Philosophy Day!!

2008-11-21T00:07:00.001-05:00

Today is World Philosophy Day, and if you are in a mood for contemplation, here are some questions you can think about...

There's no place like Austin...

2008-10-19T21:09:00.008-04:00

It's almost been a month since we moved to Austin. We are pretty much done unpacking at this point, and started exploring around the town.

This weekend, we went to Town Lake (just south of downtown) for a walk along the trail. This is a view of the lake from north, looking over Barton Creek.

Here's another view of the lake with Lamar Street bridge (and a guy standing on a longboard rowing along).

This was taken from an ad for a real estate agency in "2008 Austin Newcomer Guide"

South by Southwest

2008-10-10T21:53:00.002-04:00

I know it's been more than two weeks since we moved to Austin, but we've been pretty busy since then. I've already got my hands full with my new job, and Johanna has been keeping herself busy with new a tutoring job etc., etc. Anyway, as I promised before, here are some photos that we took during our road trip from Laurel, MD, along with some smart-alec comments...

09/20/2008

1030 EDT (mile 0) - One last look at our place in Laurel, MD. The place has been great for this past year that we lived in it, but it's time to go...

We have a full tank of gas, five apples in a ziploc bag, it's sunny outside, and we are wearing sunscreen and sunglasses.

Leaving Salt Lake City... I mean, Washington, DC. The DC Mormon temple is a big traffic landmark that we'll never forget. I-495 (outer loop) just North of DC.

Introducing our enthusiastic passengers (aka hot chili peppers) sitting cosily in a box. They are looking forward to better weather in Austin.

1145 (mile?) - Lunch at Subway in Marshall, VA. Masa also buys extra battery for the camera.

1345 (mile 169) - Rest stop in Mt. Sidney, VA.

Driving though Shenandoah Valley along I-81. Shenandoah Mountains on the right, Blue Ridge Mountains on the left. Cows, small towns, and quite a few liberal arts colleges.

1530 (mile 265) - Gas stop just outside of Roanoke, VA.

Emory, VA - Home of Emory & Henry College.

1730 (mile 380) - Our first stop in Meadowview, VA, where one of Johanna's friends lives. We were rather surprised to find a local restaurant that serves organic, locally raised food (in picture: The Harvest Table Restaurant and Meadowview Farmers' Guild).

09/21/2008

0900 - Start the second day of driving.

Yes, we are in the middle of the Bible belt. Victory Baptist Church close to VA-TN border.

mile 404 - "Tennessee Welcomes You"

1245 (mile 550) - Gas/lunch stop outside of Knoxville, TN. Next to the gas station/Subway we stopped at was a big fireworks shop.

1220 CDT (mile 593) - Rest stop near Crab Orchard, TN.

And then a bit of rain came while driving though Putnam County, TN.

1540 (mile 714) - Nashville, TN is our stop today. Kevin, Masa's friend, was kind (or crazy?) enough to put us up for the night. We also got a chance to get together with Liz and Mike, also friends of Masa's. Apparently we were too tired to take pictures this day - but then again, it's not like we were driving through downtown Nashville anyway...

09/22/2008

Left Nashville after breakfast at the Pancake Pantry, which is supposed to be one of the best places in town for breakfast.

Bucksnort, TN is a short drive west of Nashville. No further comment.

1030 (mile 840) - Gas stop in Jackson, TN

Fort Pillow - I'm not so into the civil war, so I didn't know that this is actually a historically significant site. Just thought that it was a funny name for a military installation.

There was a bit of traffic jam near Exit 42 caused by a burnt trailer tractor.

1230 (mile 911) - Memphis, TN - Johanna's first Stake 'n Shake experience. Yes, this was more important than trying some local BBQ.

Driving through Memphis.....

....and crossing Mississippi River into Arkansas.

A public service announcement of sorts (with local flavor)...

... and here's another one. Who are they targeting anyway?

1530 (mile 1069) - Arriving in Little Rock, AR. This is actually the view from our hotel room. The building in the center is the Clinton Library.

After so much driving, it really was nice to walk around downtown Little Rock. Not that they have a lot to see, mind you.

A good place for fried seafood.

Sun sets over the Arkansas River.

09/23/2008

0935 - Start driving for how many days now?

1015 (mile 1113) - Malvern, AR - Gas stop.

Passing through Hope, AR, birthplace of Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee.

We had lunch at a Subway in Texarkana, AR-TX. This is the US courthouse and post office in town, which actually straddles the TX-AR border. The gentleman in the picture coming out of the right-side door is one of the city board members (who made sure to introduce himself to us and welcome us to Texarkana).

Driving through Detroit, TX, along US82.

US82 runs through South of Red River, and this is pretty typical of what you'd see. Nothing special, but vast (and I'm sure beautiful to some) exapance of farmland.

1430 (mile 1314) - Tea stop in Paris, TX. Yes, we actually talked about eloping in Paris (TX, of course). The downtown area actually has some nice buildings, but it's just in the middle of rebirth, I think.

1600 (mile 1391) - Arriving in Sherman, TX. We stayed at my aunt's house for this night.

09/24/2008

0955 - Starting the last leg of the trip.

And passing through downtown Dallas

Going South on I-35. This is a big truck repair shop somewhere before Waco.

Passing through Waco, TX. In the background is the campus of Baylor University. Incidentally, Crawford (aka Western White House) is just outside of Waco.

And we got caught in a big storm seen ahead in this photo.

Almost there...

We arrived at our new apartment safely, and cerebrated the long trip with some margaritas at a Tex-Mex cafe acress the street from our place. There's still a lot more to explore in Austin (and around), so I'll be reporting about things new/weird/etc here in the coming days...

We are in Austin, TX!

2008-09-24T21:04:00.001-04:00

We safely arrived in Austin today! Travel photos and stories coming up soon...

Last Supper (in Maryland)

2008-09-19T20:47:00.003-04:00

So this is our last supper in Maryland: 2 pieces of home-made whole wheat bread; fresh tomato; stir fry with cabbage, mushroom, and tofu; parmesan cheese; mushroom risotto, etc., etc.

Masa takes the last piece of cheesecake with a cup of tea.

Yes We Are Moving

2008-09-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

This is our dining area on 9/16/2008.

And this is the same area on 9/17/2008.

And this is today.

Yet another nerd scam...

2008-09-03T17:43:00.002-04:00

I just found this scam email message in my inbox today:

=====
From: Who's Who Publishing [Publishing@mwwpublishing.com]
Sent: Wed 9/3/2008 14:38
Subject: Final Notice: Reserve Your Place in Who's Who

Dear Candidate,
Congratulations! Because of the reference value of your outstanding achievements, on September the 2nd, 2008, Who’s Who has selected your biography for inclusion in the forthcoming 2008-09 edition of Who’s Who in the World.
This exciting and unique edition will provide the biographical information of the world’s most accomplished men and women from across all fields of endeavor. It is a testament to your hard work and dedication to success that you have earned a place in the world’s premier biographical resource. You should be proud of your achievements... and you should also realize your inherent potential for growth.
By answering our call for the world’s elite you can be a member of, and have at your fingertips, information which can lead to valuable networking ties with the most accomplished and prestigious men and women on both the global and national levels.
Please click the link below to provide us with your contact information. As we are striving to create an active networking forum for our members, you will be enrolled (after an introductory interview) in our basic program with no cost or obligation to purchase atany time. Please Click Here

Sincerely,
Matthew Johnson
Managing Director

Madison Who's Who - 3001 Northern Blvd. 2nd fl. Long Island City, NY 11101
Madison Who's Who is not associated or affiliated with Marquis Who's Who or any other Who's Who.
=====

Here is an example of people on this "Who's Who" list: This guy has a Ph.D. in "NASA Technology" from Harvard, and owns a company that "generates annual revenue exceeding $20 billion" and "personal assets valued at $100 trillion."
Also, I had to laugh when I saw that they kindly caution you against Who's Who scams.

58 Days and counting...

2008-08-04T18:17:00.002-04:00

October 1st will be my first day at the University of Texas at Austin, so we'll be moving in late September. I'm really excited about this move for both personal and professional reasons. I can hardly wait to get there!

One Sunday night, Two hands.

2008-05-11T22:57:00.006-04:00

This is how my hand looked this evening (I was making whole wheat bread. See below for the recipe):

And this is how her hand looked this evening:

Whole wheat bread recipes

2008-05-10T21:29:00.005-04:00

1: Whole Wheat Bread (2 loaves; This recipe was found on the package of whole wheat flour)

INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/4 C warm water (~105F)
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 pkg active dry yeast
- 5-6 C whole wheat flour
- 3/4 C non-fat dry milk
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 C vegetable oil
- 1 C whole wheat flour (or bread flour)

PREPARATION
- Dissolve yeast and brown sugar in 2 C warm water.
- In a large bowl, blend 4 C whole wheat flour and other dry ingredients.
- Slowly mix yeast into the flour mixture. Rinse yeast from the cup with remaining 1/4 C water, and add to dough.
- Add oil slowly, blend well. Stir in only enough flour so that the dough cling together.
- On clean, lightly floured surface, knead for ~10 min or until smooth.
- Place in a greased bowl, loosely cover, and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
- Shape dough into two loaves, and place one in each pan (grease the pan if not non-stick).
- Cover, and let rise again in a warm place until doubled. (optional: sprinkle sesame seed on top)
- Bake at 400F for 10-15 min, then at 350F for 20-25 min.
- Remove from pans, let cool on wire racks.

2: Parmesan Herb Bread (2 round loaves; Recipe from a Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast package "recipe #623")

INGREDIENTS
- 2 envelops active dry yeast
- 2 C warm water (~105F)
- 2/3 C olive oil
- 3 tbs sugar
- 3-1/2 C whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 3/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 to 1 C bread flour

PREPARATION
- Dissolve dry yeast in warm water in a large bowl.
- Add oil, sugar, whole wheat flour, and mix until smooth.
- Let sponge rest for 20 min.
- Mix down: add salt, cheese, garlic powder, basil, and oregano.
- Stir in enough bread flour to make the dough easy to handle.
- Knead about 10 min, or until smooth.
- Shape into two rounds, and place them on greased baking sheets.
- Loosely cover and let rise in warm place until double in size (~45 min).
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 min.
- Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.

Happy belated April Fool's Day

2008-04-02T21:29:00.002-04:00

I hope you all survived April Fool's Day. Did you pull any pranks? Mine was rather uneventful, just keeping myself busy with work. Anyway, I saw this compilation of "Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time", and thought you might enjoy it. Also, here's my personal favorite that I would like to try sometime: How to change the "Ready Message" on HP printers to whatever you'd like.

Happy Pi Day, among other things...

2008-03-15T12:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Pi Day, to celebrate the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (Pi = 3.141592...). It was also the birthday of Albert Einstein, Horton Foote (who wrote the screenplay for 'To Kill a Mockingbird'), and most importantly, my brother Shinji (who will be starting a new government job in April). Happy birthday, and good luck on your new job, brother!

Ayyyy, matey...

2007-09-19T21:53:00.000-04:00

Today is the "Talk Like A Pirate Day"! And here's the pirate name generator, in case you don't have your pirate name yet... (Mine is Cap'n Thomas Roughnight, by the way.)

Long time no see...

2007-09-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

OK, it's been almost three months since the last entry. Summer is already gone, and autumn is upon us yet again. We've actually been having some cool weather for the last several days, and warming up my car definitely takes longer than a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, in the last three months, I moved (as many of you may already know) to a suburb between Baltimore and DC with my girlfriend Johanna, built a computer, had my parents visit us for several days, did some hiking in Catoctin Mountains, etc., etc. So it was rather busy summer for me.

We moved on a sunny Saturday in mid-July, with me driving a yellow 16-ft truck rented from Penske. We also hired a couple of helpers for loading/unloading, so that we don't have to break our backs. The day started with us picking up the truck around 9:00 in the morning, and our plan was to load my things first, load Johanna's stuff, then go to the new place about 30 min from Baltimore. Everything actually went so smoothly that it was almost scary. That's right. Not even a scratch on the truck. We were actually done unloading, and returned the truck before 2pm...

Just by looking at how much stuff we had to load onto the truck, we were a bit nervous about unpacking and figuring out where to put what. But then again, the idea of hosting my parents in a week was a great motivation to get the place look presentable. Within the next few days we had most of our furniture set up, unpacked almost all of the boxes and organized the closets, and got the kitchen up and running (including my espresso machine). It was amazing...

Then came my parents toward end of July. My dad was in Baltimore last year, but this was my mom's first time on the East Coast. We had a little tours of DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis, visiting museums and historic sites, going to good restaurants (e.g., Black Salt in DC), etc., etc. My dad has a habit of roaming around when he's in a novel environment, which made their visit a busy one, but I hope they enjoyed it. Above all, I hope the whole experience wasn't too stressful for Johanna...

And yes, I did build a computer on my own for the first time. It was something that I have been interested in doing for a while, and I thought this was a good chance because I have office space at our new place. Another thing that I wanted to see was if all those open-source softwares (e.g., OpenOffice.org) work well enough to replace more commonly used commercially available softwares (e.g., Microsoft Office). For OS, I decided to stick with Windows XP at least for now, as I'm not quite ready to switch completely to Linux just yet. Anyway, I managed to assemble what I think is a decent system around $900, and it's been working pretty well so far.

We did not forget to go outdoors for Labor Day weekend. We picked Catoctin Mountain Park for hiking, which is located about 50 miles North of DC, outside of Frederick, MD. We really enjoyed our hike, which was about 6 miles of well-maintained trail, and the weather was just perfect - sunny with dry cool air and almost no wind. Highlights included a view of Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as a 78-ft waterfall, Cunningham Falls. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of the fall because it was mostly dry, and there were just too many folks enjoying the last bit of summer before getting back to school.

Anyhow, it's been about two months since we moved in together, and so far things are going pretty well. I guess we are still adjusting to how each of us does some things differently (e.g., doing dishes, cleaning, folding laundry, etc., etc.), but I think we are flexible enough to accommodate each other...

Well, I guess that's pretty much all I got for now. I'll try to post more often - and yes, I promise...

So it's summer again...

2007-06-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

Time does fly, doesn't it? I hope y'all had a wonderful summer solstice. I've just been trying to keep myself busy and out of trouble (especially now that Johanna is out of town for a couple of weeks -- ha ha). Anyway, here are some of my photos from the last several weeks:

Sunshine, MD (just north of Brookeville on MD97)

Brighton Azalea Garden on Triadelphia Reservoir (between Brookeville and Clarksville). With more than 22,000 azalea plants this 5-acre garden was opened in early 1950's after the completion of Brighton Dam.

Cayenne peppers growing on my window...

...and here is my new car (2007 Honda Fit Sport). It hasn't got a name yet (any ideas?).

Spring is here (finally!!)

2007-04-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like the old man Winter has finally left the town. It did get a bit warmer during the last few days of March, which prompted us to visit the Tidal Basin in DC to enjoy the annual cherry blossom festival there (first photo), but cold air returned for the following week to keep us from going outside for additional two weeks or so. We even got snow flurry on Easter Sunday! The second (out-of-focus) photo shows our Easter dinner - on the plate clockwise from foreground: 1) Artichoke, Leek, and Potato Gratin, 2) Herb-roasted leg of lamb with vegetables, and 3) Italian loaf (Recipes available at epicurious.com; bread from Whole Foods). The wine: Atlantis Red 2002 Argyros from Santorini, Greece (very dry and robust flavor of wild cherry with tannins - definitely good with lamb).

This is a time of year that gets me into more of a reflective mode not just because of the changing weather, but also because so many things (or emotional events, if you will) had happened to me around March-April. To name a couple: It was on Easter Sunday twelve years ago when I left my family in Japan to go to college here in the States. And I met Johanna during the first week of April last year (I'm still having a difficult time believing that it's already been a year). It is a good thing to look back sometimes at things I have done and where I have been, and (at the risk of sounding like a cliche) to realize that life is still good even with all the things about which I might complain and whine...

Anyhow, it actually got quite warm the last weekend, and we went for a walk around Loch Raven. The loch is an artificial reservoir just outside of Baltimore City, providing drinking water to about a million people in the area. It is also a nice place for fun activities during weekends since they close a portion of a road on Sundays so that people can walk/run/rollerblade/bike/etc. without worrying too much about the traffic. Just as we were walking though the woods, many trees looked like they were just coming out of winter (third photo), with some small flowers peeking out on the ground. On the way back, we stopped by at the Basignani Winery in Butler, MD (last photo). We knew nothing about this winery beforehand - we just found it on the map - but a little spontaneous detour for wine tasting wouldn't hurt. This small family-owned winery is tucked in rolling hills just north of Baltimore, complete with four Shetland sheepdogs roaming around their small tasting room/shop. I thought that their wines would do well at most dinner tables - I wouldn't say they are extraordinary, but they do have quite traditional and solid flavor. Anyway, now that we've been to several wineries around here, we are starting to accumulate wine glasses with their logos...

So these are some of the things we've been up to for the past month or so. Time really flies. So many things to do and so little time... Happy spring, everyone!

Baltimore Streetscape - Caption Contest

2007-03-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

CAPTION WANTED!

Just took this photo a couple of days ago from the lab (In case you don't know, you are looking at a portable toilet dangling from a construction crane.), and I'm looking for a pretty good caption for it. Have fun!

'Beer goggles' effect explained

2007-02-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

From BBC News online today --

"'Beer goggles' effect explained

Scientists believe they have worked out a formula to calculate how "beer goggles" affect a drinker's vision.

The drink-fuelled phenomenon is said to transform supposedly "ugly" people into beauties - until the morning after.

Researchers at Manchester University say while beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder, the amount of alcohol consumed is not the only factor.

Additional factors include the level of light in the pub or club, the drinker's own eyesight and the room's smokiness.

The distance between two people is also a factor.

They all add up to make the aesthetically-challenged more attractive, according to the formula.

The formula can work out a final score, ranging from less than one - where there is no beer goggle effect - to more than 100.

Nathan Efron, Professor of Clinical Optometry at the University of Manchester, said: "The beer goggles effect isn't solely dependent on how much alcohol a person consumes, there are other influencing factors at play too.

"For example, someone with normal vision, who has consumed five pints of beer and views a person 1.5 metres away in a fairly smoky and poorly lit room, will score 55, which means they would suffer from a moderate beer goggle effect."

The research was commissioned by eyecare firm Bausch & Lomb PureVision.

A poll showed that 68% of people had regretted giving their phone number to someone to whom they later realised they were not attracted.

A formula rating of less than one means no effect. Between one and 50 the person you would normally find unattractive appears less "visually offensive".

Non-appealing people become suddenly attractive between 51 and 100. At more than 100, someone not considered attractive looks like a super model."

KEY TO FORMULA

An = number of units of alcohol consumed

S = smokiness of the room (graded from 0-10, where 0 clear air; 10 extremely smoky)

L = luminance of 'person of interest' (candelas per square metre; typically 1 pitch black; 150 as seen in normal room lighting)

Vo = Snellen visual acuity (6/6 normal; 6/12 just meets driving standard)

delta = distance from 'person of interest' (metres; 0.5 to 3 metres)

A Weekend in St. Michaels, MD

2007-02-05T21:40:00.000-05:00

It's been cold for the last few weeks, but it's really got cold this week, although I suppose the weather here in Baltimore is nothing compared to what Lisa is having in Boston, or Kim in Stockholm, or Stan in Calgary for that matter. Leah must also be freezing for the last few days up in Frederick, MD. Anyhow, right now, my thermometer says 13F outside, and with the wind chill, I don't even want to know how cold it is. So it's been a while since I had a really cold weather for my birthday (which was a couple of weeks ago) - since my college years back in Indiana.

What's different about this year (and very heartwarming in this weather) is that my girlfriend decided to take me to a clandestine trip for the 10th anniversary of my 20th birthday. The destination that she chose, as it turned out, was St. Michaels, MD, a historic small town located on the east coast of Chesapeake Bay. We got there in mid-afternoon on Saturday to start our tour of the area at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which has nice displays on the local history and the life on the bay before and after the area became a vacation destination.

After checking in at Old Brick Inn (second photo; the house was built in 1816), one of about two dozens of charming bed & breakfast there, we went for wine tasting at St. Michaels Winery. Founded in 2005, this small winery (producing most wines at 250 cases or less) features some good white wines, and their first Cabernet Sauvignon will be available in 2007. We especially enjoyed their Viognier and Long Splice (Seyval/Chardonnay blend), which are both dry, with Long Splice having more acidity. They would be perfect with seafood.

Our dinner was at 208 Talbot, "the premier restaurant on the Eastern Shore" that offers on Saturday nights a prix fixe, four-course menu. Did I thoroughly enjoy that venison stew, and the brownie I had for dessert was so dense that I almost couldn't finish it.

The next day after a nice breakfast at the inn, we went for a walk around the town, strolling by a frozen marina, peeking into an antique shop, etc. One of the shops that we stopped by was Simpatico, which sells artisan products imported directly from Italy. There I bought a couple of espresso cups (shown on the left), specially designed for this shop by an artist based in northern Italy.

We spent the rest of Sunday afternoon in Easton (with most of their attractions closed) and Oxford, getting back to Baltimore just in time for the Super Bowl XLI.

I don't think I had a weekend as memorable as this one - and all of it thanks to Johanna!

Baltimore Streetscape IX

2007-01-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

First snow of this winter in Baltimore. First photo: on Sunday afternoon looking out of my apartment. Second photo: the construction site across from the lab on Monday morning. There's no snow remaining as of Monday night...

Happy New Year! 謹賀新年

2007-01-04T21:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you all had nice holidays. I spent my Christmas in Salt Lake City with my girlfriend's folks, and the New Year's here in Baltimore. Even though for a few days, it was nice to get out of town, see some real snow, and get to know her family.

The second photo is a view of downtown Salt Lake City, which I visited for the first time (I once got stuck at the airport for a few hours, but that's entirely another story). The tallest building is (not surprisingly) the world headquarters of the LDS (aka Mormon) church. Right next to that is the Temple Square, which is basically a walled-in compound of the temple, welcome centers, gardens, and etc., encompassing one entire city block. This is basically THE center of the city (if not of the world), and if you live in Salt Lake City, your address would indicate where you are in the city in relation to this square. In any case, the square was decorated beautifully with Christmas lights. We stopped by at the welcome center, complete with a model of the city of Jerusalem, about a dozen paintings describing the life of Jesus, a tall statue of Jesus , etc. You can take a seat in front of the statue and the guide will tell you about the teaching of Jesus, in your language. If there's one thing that's truly unique to Salt Lake City, this would be it.

Another big thing in this area is of course the winter sports. I don't ski (done it only twice in my life), but if I get to stay longer, I would definitely like to try some snowshoeing, or even cross-country skiing. The third photo is from our drive along the Little Cottonwood Canyon, which is home to ski resort areas like Snowbird and Alta. The fourth photo shows a Santa on top of a Jeep Cherokee parked at Snowbird.

On Christmas day, I tagged along my girlfriend and her folks to service at the local Unitarian church, which I though t was rather nice. I wonder if anyone can imagine me spending Christmas in a Unitarian church in the middle of the Mormon country...

The last photo is the one I took on board my flight back to Baltimore, when the plane was flying over the Great Salt Lake looking over the airport and city to the south.

From Masa's Wine Rack IX

2006-12-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

A-MANO 2003 Primitivo Puglia

Very dark - almost purple color, rich berry-like aroma. This red wine from Puglia (South of Italy) has an intense flavor full of fruit, but well-balanced with acidity and tannins. A bit similar to Zinfandel, and as such, would be great with grilled meat (e.g., steak etc.).

The Nutcracker in a DC suburb

2006-12-10T19:35:00.000-05:00

One thing that I have been doing for the last few years around this time of year is going to see "The Nutcracker". I was trying to get tickets for the show at the Warner Theater in DC, but they were apparently sold out. So the alternative that I found was at the Olney Theater Center, performed by the Olney Ballet Theater. Olney is a suburb of DC in Montgomery County, MD (about 20 miles North of downtown DC, or 30 miles from Baltimore), complete with the cookie-cutter single-family houses, chain stores lining the strip malls, and streets dominated by minivans and SUVs. To be honest, I was not quite sure what to expect of the show at this small community theater. Sure, the price of the tickets was much more reasonable, but would this be just a bunch of junior/senior high school kids performing (or attempting to)? What I'm used to is a quite elaborate production by the Atlanta Ballet! (Now I'm beginning to sound like a spoiled brat!) Anyway, the picture posted here is basically what we saw the first thing as we entered the parking lot - rows of minivans! The main stage of the theater probably accommodates a couple of hundreds of people, who were mostly moms (and a few dads) with their kids, making us wonder how many of them were actually family members of the performers. The major characters (e.g., Sugar Plum Fairy) were played by professional guest artists, with the supporting roles played by kids from local dance schools. The show itself was nicely done, I thought. It's not like I know much about ballet, and I was there mostly to enjoy the show and to continue my personal tradition, anyway. What's nice about Baltimore-DC area is that "The Nutcracker" is produced by multiple companies - as far as I know, the aforementioned Olney and DC performances, and there's another one in Annapolis, MD (at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts). If I get to stay in the area long enough, I'll definitely try to see different performances.

Baltimore Streetscape VIII

2006-12-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

Baltimore welcomes the holiday season by lighting the Washington Monument with fireworks... Happy holidays, everyone (whatever you are cerebrating)!!

Nerd Scam!

2006-12-05T22:42:00.000-05:00

Today in my mailbox at work: a letter from International Biographical Centre (Cambridge, England), nominating me as "Outstanding Health Professional Worldwide for 2007". According to the letter, "this accolade is credited to those individuals that have fulfilled a standard of merit in the eyes of their peers that is beyond the norm." The reverse side of the letter conveniently serves as an order form for "Full colour certificate" (which 'measures impressive 11"x16"') and "Official silver-gilt commemorative medal" (apparently 'sophisticated and resplendent') for $195.00 and $360.00, respectively, or both for a reduced price of $495.00, including shipping. They most likely got my work address from the SfN directory, and put the title of "Professor" in front of my name. Anyway, click on the images below for your enjoyment. Also, don't forget to visit their website to see who made it to their "Hall of Fame"!

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

This was my first Thanksgiving since I moved to Baltimore. Oh, do I miss the big Thanksgiving pot-luck dinner and Leah & Katrin's back in Atlanta! But I suppose I have to move on... Anyway, we decided to do a small dinner just for two of us, and this is the photo of what we had. In the left photo, clockwise from top-right: Turkey Breast Roulade with Crimini, Porcini, and Pancetta; Gravy; Orange-Glazed Carrot Ribbons; Crimini, Porcini, and Pancetta Stuffing; Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Fresh Sage. In the other photo: Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake. Not pictured: a couple of bottles of wine, and cappuccino. The recipes can be found at the holiday planner section of epicurious.com.

Baltimore Streetscape VII

2006-11-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Kim in Stockholm

2006-11-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

We have another bloggin' nerd! Here in this picture, Kim (the new blogger) tries to blow bubbles while camping somewhere in north Georgia in September 2004.

Baltimore Streetscape VI

2006-10-24T22:57:00.000-04:00

This is the view from my desk as of October 24th. The tip of the crane is too close to see it from my window when it's facing the window. Compare this photo with the one from April 22nd...

From Masa's Wine Rack VIII

2006-10-22T22:55:00.000-04:00

Linganore Winecellars, located in Mt. Airy, MD (about 40 miles West of Baltimore), is one of the oldest and largest family-owned wineries in Maryland. They produce grape wines (Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.), as well as fruit wines (plum, strawberry, peach, etc.) and other specialty wines. It was a bit cloudy and windy, but we went to their arts/crafts/wine event to see what they got. I thought the Merlot was rather nice - dry, with soft tannin and a hint of plum/berry flavor.

Henri Rousseau

2006-10-15T21:25:00.000-04:00

10/08 (Sun): We went to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC for the Rousseau exhibit (which I think ended today). They had many of Rousseau's works, but what made it very interesting to me was the fact that they complemented the works of art with historical and cultural artifacts from the later 19th century Paris (e.g., paper clippings, documents, photos of botanical gardens and the zoo, etc.), to help us better understand his work in historical/cultural context. It was pretty refreshing to me because it was almost like an art history class in its own.

Camping in MD

2006-10-15T15:16:00.000-04:00

09/22 (Fri): This was actually our second try at camping - the first one didn't materialize because of thunderstorm. But it's not like we had a better weather this time either, because it was rather cloudy and the forecast was telling us about 30% chance of shower during this weekend. Then again, this was probably one of the last weekends of the year before it gets too cold, so we decided to take our chance. Destination: Susquehanna Sate Park, located on the South bank of Susquehanna River about 35 miles North of Baltimore. In addition to the campgrounds (they even have hot shower!), the park has good trails for hiking and biking, historic sites, and of course it's a great place for fishing and other water sports. We got there around 6pm, set up the tent, etc., and had dinner of teriyaki chicken skewers and roasted vegetables, which attracted quite a few uninvited guests like this grasshopper in the photo.

09/23 (Sat): A cloudy day, but we went for a hike in the park. The trails were pretty easy, and the weather turned out to be perfect because it didn't get too hot. The old mill in the second photo is known as Rock Run Grist Mill, built in 1794, and still operational (they do demonstrations during the summer months). It ended up being a good three-hour hiking, and we didn't do much for the rest of the afternoon. Campfire after dinner was very nice (complete with smore packets - marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers, wrapped in aluminum foil and roasted in/by the fire).

09/24 (Sun): I woke up with a sound of raindrops. Not a good sign at all. One of the neighbors was already gone when I got out of our tent. At least it was not pouring, so we decided to have some breakfast, pack things up, and go home. Despite the weather, it was a nice camping trip, and it's always nice to get out of town once in a while...

A little update...

2006-09-20T22:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still alive... and I've been doing pretty well, in case you were wondering.

At North Point State Park on Labor Day. This park, located on Chesapeake Bay just outside of Baltimore City, was the site of the old Bay Shore Amusement Park, which was a popular summer holiday spot from 1906 until 1947.

"From Masa's Wine Rack" goes on a field trip! At Boordy Vineyards on Sep. 10. Established in 1945, this is one of the oldest and largest winery located in Long Green Valley just Northeast of Baltimore City. They own more than 200 acres of vineyards, but they also use grapes from other vineyards in Maryland and California because of their high quality and the recent high demand for wine in Maryland. You pay $10 per person and you get to taste everything that they produce (port for extra $1) and get to tour the winery. I was most impressed by their Syrah, with its rich, full flavor and a bit smoky aroma. Their Chardonnay taste more like those from France than the ones from California. This (which I learned during the tour) is because they use French oak barrels, which would give softer oak flavor, instead of American oak barrels that result in much more distinct, sharper flavor. Anyway, the winery also hosts a variety of events on weekends, such as the "Dancin', ...thru the decades" featuring classic rock music (and a lot of older folks dancing) that they had when we visited the place.

Sep. 15: This is a photo of the first bud of papyrus plant (cyperus papyrus). I sowed the seeds a couple of weeks before, and it's supposed to take 3-4 weeks for germination. I'm hoping to see about 20 more here, but I'm still waiting for that to happen...

Back in ATL

2006-08-14T20:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was in Atlanta with my girlfriend for a 48-hr getaway and to visit my old friends. Despite the not-so-nice weather (the sun came out just several hours before we left), we had a lot of fun visiting Churchill Grounds, the Carlos Museum, and Georgia Aquarium, as well as getting together with some of my grad school friends...

Hooray!

2006-08-10T20:34:00.000-04:00

Three cheers for Dave (who successfully defended his PhD dissertation this afternoon)!!

Baltimore Streetscape V

2006-07-25T17:19:00.000-04:00

Baltimore City Fire Truck 1 - 0 Black SUV

From Masa's Wine Rack VII

2006-07-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

Two very nice reds from Casablanca Valley, Chile. Go to http://www.veramonte.com/ for more info. Both of them should go well with grilled meat.

Veramonte Merlot 2003
Rich and ripe berry flavor with a hint of oak. Very smooth with a bit of tannins on the finish.

Primus Veramonte Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere 2003

Dark, ripe, and smoky. Medium body and smooth, but enough tannin to make it memorable. Carmenere is a variety originally from Bordeaux, long thought lost until recently re-discovered in Chile.

Sleepless in Baltimore (That doesn't sound so pretty, does it?)

2006-07-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

It's way past midnight and seems that I cannot get to sleep.
Maybe it's the hot and humid weather that we are having here in Baltimore.
Maybe it's the general anxiety that I have over the progress (or lack thereof) my current research project.
Maybe it's just that I'm not getting enough exercise.
Maybe I'm thinking about my family a bit too much lately.
Maybe I'm just getting old.
Maybe it's that she's out of country until end of the month.

It's way past midnight and seems that I cannot get to sleep.
And I can only hope Miles can help me here just like he has done many other nights...

More pictures from Philly

2006-07-12T12:13:00.000-04:00

So here are some more pictures from my Independence Day trip to Philadelphia, starting with the cheesesteak sandwich that I had for lunch. I took this picture after swallowing the other half. Note the Cheeze Whiz oozing out of it!

Walking around in Society Hill, with the streets lined with old townhouses.

At the fountain in Rittenhouse Square.

Philadelphia, 230 years later...

2006-07-07T18:58:00.000-04:00

Note: I have more pictures from this trip - it's just that I'm having trouble posting them here.

0600, July 4th, 2006
So tired. Don't want to get out of my bed. Thanks to Sid Meier and his extremely addictive "Civilization IV", I haven't got much sleep last night. But it's Independence Day, I'm taking a day-trip to Philly, and I've got a 7am train to catch. It does sound (or is it actually?) rather corny to visit Philadelphia on this particular day, but I live close enough, and I've never been to the City of Brotherly Love. Basically, I had three objectives: 1) To visit the Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell, 2) To eat a good cheese steak sandwich, and 3) To have a nice dinner before heading back to Baltimore.

0815
Arriving at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, which is actually an impressive building on its own. I planned to take the subway to the Old City on Delaware River and make my way back to the station slowly through the day.

1000
After security check that is not unlike what you expect to see at the airport, I'm inside the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall complex. It is rather interesting for me to note that the Declaration of Independence was actually not signed by the delegates until early August of 1776. It was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4th, first read to public a several days later, but the delegates had to get approval from their respective colonial assemblies before signing the document. And of course the war didn't end until a few years later. So the process of independence was more gradual one than how I learned in school (which was basically memorizing what happened in what year).

Around noon
I did a homework the day before to find out who's got the best cheesesteak in town, and came upon "Jim's Steaks", at the corner of 4th and South. Inside I order a "Cheesesteak Whiz", which uses Cheese Whiz (a kind of spread made of cheese-like substance; a trademark of KRAFT Food, Inc.) instead of real cheese, with a can of Beck's. After walking around for almost 4hrs, I'm too hungry to discuss about the quality of the sandwich. The interior walls of Jim's are covered with autographs of celebrities - NBA players, musicians, actors, etc. - and John Candy is one of them. His autograph reads,

For Jim's Steaks
Best wishes always
Signed, John Candy
P.S. Sorry the check bounced

Afternoon
Having already accomplished two of my objectives, I decide that Walk around the town and do some people watching at Rittenhouse Square. Then comes a big thunderstorm. Luckily there is a Barns & Noble across the street, so I get a cup of coffee and a copy of "Wicked" to kill time.

About 1830

Although that cheesesteak filled me up pretty well, I'm ready to eat again. The place I picked out for dinner is "Friday Saturday Sunday" at the corner of Spruce and 21st. This cozy restaurant is home of quality food at reasonable prices served in charming atmosphere. I order a glass of Pinot Grigio, pan-crisped fillet of red snapper with soy sauce/shiitake glaze, and then a cup of coffee and a banana bread pudding, which was excellent but just too large and too dense for me to finish... I'm stuffed like a pig.

2030

Well, I could've stop by at a bar for a drink - I still have about 2hrs until my train pulls in. Fireworks is about to start near the museum. But I'm too full and too tired, so I head back to the station, sit on a bench, and read "Wicked"... As it turns out, the train is about 30 min late. Oh, Well, it's been a good trip...

From Masa's Kitchen on Sat., 6/24

2006-06-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

A stack of (almost) perfect pancakes for breakfast....

...and seafood stew for dinner (the recipe from Capalbo C. 2001. "Italian, The essence of Mediterranean cuisine" Hermes House, New York. ISBN 1-84309-149-6), served with toasted French bread. The wine shown in the picture is Villa Puccini Toscana 2001.

People-watching at the cafe IV

2006-06-20T22:16:00.000-04:00

I don't know why that guy wearing dirty blond pony-tail is carrying on such an animated conversation with three others sitting at his table - it's almost as if he's on a theater stage in the middle of some critical moment of a play. Anyway, I'm finally enjoying some warm (80+ degree)weather here in Baltimore for the last several days. The cafe has been more or less the same since my last visit, minus most of the undergrads who are out of town for the summer.

And then she's looking at me again, sitting next to me with her laptop, sipping a glass of Shiraz. It was her idea that I'm here this evening - she thought she would take care of her work a bit at the cafe, and asked me if I was interested in joining her. I could of course have said no and watch a movie by myself, etc., but at that time nothing really sounded better than spending a hot summer evening with her at a cool (almost cold, in fact) cafe.

Anyway, that loud pony-tail and his friends have already left the building, thank you, thank you very much. A couple of nursing students studying at the table next to us. A server collecting empty cups and wiping the tables, looking like she's on auto-pilot. Two guys and a girl laughing at something I couldn't quite catch. A couple of gay guys walk in - both wearing matching shorts and sandals. I suppose this is where I should say "awww, that's so cute", but I'm looking at a couple of balding heads here. Sorry, not that I have anything against them, but just not my idea of cuteness.

It's past 10pm, it's getting late, I had a long day, and I can feel that I'm getting old. Besides, she's asking me if I'd like some massage later... mmm...

Road Rage as a mental disorder

2006-06-06T16:17:00.000-04:00

Below is from an NIMH press release dated June 5, 2006:

Intermittent Explosive Disorder Affects up to 16 Million Americans

A little-known mental disorder marked by episodes of unwarranted anger is more common than previously thought, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Depending upon how broadly it's defined, intermittent explosive disorder (IED) affects as many as 7.3 percent of adults — 11.5-16 million Americans — in their lifetimes. The study is based on data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a nationally representative, face-to-face household survey of 9,282 U.S. adults, conducted in 2001-2003.
People with IED may attack others and their possessions, causing bodily injury and property damage. Typically beginning in the early teens, the disorder often precedes — and may predispose for — later depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders. Nearly 82 percent of those with IED also had one of these other disorders, yet only 28.8 percent ever received treatment for their anger, report Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and colleagues. In the June, 2006 Archives of General Psychiatry, they suggest that treating anger early might prevent some of these co-occurring disorders from developing.
To be diagnosed with IED, an individual must have had three episodes of impulsive aggressiveness "grossly out of proportion to any precipitating psychosocial stressor," at any time in their life, according to the standard psychiatric diagnostic manual. The person must have "all of a sudden lost control and broke or smashed something worth more than a few dollars…hit or tried to hurt someone…or threatened to hit or hurt someone."
People who had three such episodes within the space of one year — a more narrowly defined subgroup — were found to have a much more persistent and severe disorder, particularly if they attacked both people and property. The latter group caused 3.5 times more property damage than other violent IED sub-groups. Affecting nearly 4 percent of adults within any given year — 5.9-8.5 million Americans — the disorder leads to a mean of 43 attacks over the course of a lifetime and is associated with substantial functional impairment.
Evidence suggests that IED might predispose toward depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse disorders by increasing stressful life experiences, such as financial difficulties and divorce.
Given its earlier age-of-onset, identifying IED early — perhaps in school-based violence prevention programs — and providing early treatment might prevent some of the associated psychopathology, propose the researchers. Although most study respondents with IED had seen a professional for emotional problems at some time in their lives, only 11.7 percent had been treated for their anger in the 12 months prior to the study interview.
Although the new prevalence estimates for IED are somewhat higher than previous studies have found, the researchers consider them conservative. For example, anger outbursts in people with bipolar disorder, which often overlaps with IED, were excluded. Previous studies have found little overlap between IED and other mental illnesses associated with impulsive violence, such as antisocial and borderline personality disorders.
Also participating in the study were Dr. Emil Coccaro, University of Chicago, Dr. Maurizio Fava, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dr. Savina Jaeger, Robert Jin, and Ellen Walters, Harvard University.
In addition to primary funding from the NIMH, the National Comorbidity Survey Replication received supplemental funding from a number of sources, including National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Ocean City, NJ (June 3-4)

2006-06-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

On books

2006-05-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."

Joseph Brodsky

From Masa's Wine Rack VI

2006-05-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003

This pleasantly rich Cabernet is from Valley de Canenten in Colchagua province of Chile. Made from vines originally brought from France in 19th Century. A richly dark red color, spicy aroma, well-balanced flavor of fruit/berry and tannins. Great with grilled meat. More info on this wine can be found at: http://www.pasternakwine.com

From Masa's Wine Rack V

2006-05-12T23:20:00.000-04:00

Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2005

This crisp Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough region in the South Island of New Zealand has a vibrant fruity flavor. A bit more on the sweeter side, but still quite dry, with almost no aftertaste. Would be good for a picnic on a warm/hot Sunday afternoon with mild cheeses.

People-watching at the cafe III

2006-05-05T18:58:00.000-04:00

A sunny late afternoon at the cafe. I'm having a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie, reading the Atlantic Monthly, which is not so monthly any more because they publish only 10 issues/yr.

It's Friday, and the air in the cafe is definitely relaxed. A few old guys in dark suits talking business over coffee. Three brown-haired young professionals in their summer dresses yupping about their personal lives. A mother with two daughters and a son waiting to meet her husband. A guy rocking his head back and forth to whatever he's listening to on his iPod, while checking his email. Folks coming back from the annual Baltimore flower mart with a pot of flower that I don't quite recognize.

And then, she sneaks up behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulder. I turn around and meet her blue, but not icy cold blue, eyes. She's wearing her curly dark blond hair short, black shirt and khaki pants, and a quiet smile. And... Well... Excuse me, but I... must go...

Take me out to the ball game...

2006-04-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

Well, actually, I just took myself out to my first Orioles game at the Camden Yards on Friday. It was a chilly evening (I couldn't believe that some people were eating ice cream!), but I was pretty excited to see the O's for the first time. I was also excited to see a couple of Japanese guys playing for the Mariners (Ichiro and Jojima) because I have never seen them before (in Japan or elsewhere).

The stadium is actually a nice piece of architecture. It was built in 1992, but its style is more like stadiums from early 20th century, using steel instead of concrete trusses, with brick facade and an asymmetric field. There's no seats behind the center field, so you get a good view of Baltimore downtown skyline.

I had a fortune of getting great seats from a season ticket holder who couldn't make it to this game, and I was sitting between home plate and the Orioles dugout about 15 rows from the field. The game started with a Towson University student throwing the first pitch, which ended up short and way off to the right, followed by another Towson student singing the national anthem. I guess it was a college day - it made me wonder as to why it is so easy to spot a college student (or rather, why they all dress the same way). Anyway, I'm not going to write about the game because you can read about it elsewhere, but the O's won the game 5-2, and it was a lot of fun.

Ichiro gets ready for his first at-bat.

From Masa's Wine Rack IV

2006-04-30T16:05:00.000-04:00

Toscolo Chianti 2004

This medium-bodied Chianti from Tuscany has a fresh fruity flavor that can go well with a wide variety of food. Darn good Chianti for the price ($12).

Baltimore Streetscape IV

2006-04-29T23:43:00.000-04:00

This sunny Saturday was the Grand Opening of Luckie's Store in South Baltimore, featuring a cow waving at potential customers...

"Are you gonna put it back on? Oh, come on, you have to!" says the lady in an orange T-shirt.

Baltimore Streetscape III

2006-04-22T12:40:00.000-04:00

This is the view from my lab bench, which is located on the 9th floor of a research building in East Baltimore. Over the next few years, several blocks in the foreground of the pic will be transformed into Science + Technology Park that will host research buildings, biotech business incubator, as well as residential/retail complexes.

One sunny spring afternoon in DC

2006-04-22T12:22:00.000-04:00

I took this picture of the Capitol dome from the National Gallery of Art on the Mall two weekends ago. Cherry blossom was already gone because of a rain storm, but it was a beautiful day nonetheless. The Cezanne exhibit at the Gallery was quite impressive, although I had to negotiate my way through a big crowd...

Adventures at the MVA

2006-04-15T07:20:00.000-04:00

So I finally got my MD driver's license yesterday, and I thought I'd share with you the ordeal that I went through...

First, here are some background info regarding the process. These are direct quotes from Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration website:

"Proof of age, name, identity and residence
All applicants for MD license and ID card must present the following documents (choose from A, B, or C, plus D):
A. Birth certificate; or court change of name order; or valid foreign passport with visa and valid I-94/adit stamp or valid INS document plus one additional primary source of identification with the applicant's signature; OR
B. Birth certificate; or court change of name order; or valid foreign passport with visa and valid I-94/ adit stamp or valid INS document, plus two additional secondary sources of identification, one of which must contain the applicant's signature; OR
C. A document or documents with the applicant's full name and signature if digital image is on file with the MVA and is retrievable for identification purposes; PLUS
D. Two proofs of Maryland residence."

OK, that sounds simple enough. I've got my passport (issued by Japanese government), valid INS documents, my GA license, my phone bill, etc. BUT of course, there's a fine print for non-U.S. citizens (i.e., me!), which reads:

"Due to the time and complexity involved to review documents produced by foreign countries, the MVA has limited the number of applicants processed for these services on a daily basis. The process will be as follows: 1.) review of your documents, and 2.) completing the application and taking the vision test."

Ah, the joy of being an alien in the States. Now, how "limited" is it, you ask? Well, let me tell you right out - they take only 20 (maybe +2 or 3) applicants per day, which they don't tell you on the website (and therefore, I didn't know until I got to the office).

Anyway, it went like this:

Day 1 (Thursday, 4/13)
It's about 7:30am. I just got off the subway, and am walking towards the MVA office. I notice that there are about 40 people in front of the entrance. The office will not open for another hour, and there's already a big crowd - not a good sign. As I join them, a guy with Spanish accent asks me if I'm an out-of-country applicant. I say yes, and he tells me that there is a sign-up sheet, which was started by someone also in the line. I am #33.

Around 8:10 - I hear the door being unlocked, and people stirring. Oh, it's just a janitor trying to clean the front door...

8:30 - The door opens, and all out-of-country applicants are led inside in a line separate from everyone else. An MVA personnel starts handing ont the numbers, and I notice that several people on the sign-up sheet has not shown up. The last number is handed out at 4 persons in front of me. The MVA guy says, "There is no more numbers for today. You must come back first thing tomorrow." Frustrated, disappointed, outraged, shocked, broken-hearted, or whatever you want to call it, I just stand there with a blank head for a few seconds, and then go out of the building. "First thing tomorrow"!? What time!??

Day 2 (Friday, 4/14)
It's 6:30am, and I find myself again at the front door of the MVA office. The crowd is smaller, and I'm a bit more hopeful, although the sigh-up sheet tells me that I'm #22. Awfully close to the cut-off, but all I can do is to wait. I overhear that one of them has been here since 5am.

7:10 - The same MVA guy from yesterday opens the door: "Are you all here for out-of-country application? Ok, I see that you guys got the list going again. I have only 20 numbers to hand out..." The numbers are handed out one by one according to the list. A couple of folks ended up not showing up, and I get the #20. Two more numbers are handed out, and that's it for the day. There's not much I can do before the office opens, so I go for a walk.

8:30 - Again, the door opens, and I go inside to take a seat on a wonderfully uncomfortable bench made out of sheet metal. I try to read a Journal of Neuroscience paper, but I cannot seem to concentrate. I just keep looking at the number indicator on the wall, even though I know darn well that it won't be my turn anytime soon. A Chinese gentleman next me is reading a book on how to deal with diabetes. A Spanish-speaking lady with her three kids. A married couple with British accent (or rather, propah English, as they may say). A lady from Cameroon. We are all here, waiting, waiting, and waiting.

12:30pm - I finally get my turn. I show all the documents, the lady behind the counter verifies them, takes my picture, and hands me a piece of paper stating that my documents are satisfactory to their standards, and that I can go ahead with the rest of the process. She then tells me that I need to get another number to complete my application. This time, my number is #A131. The indicator on the wall says #A78. I go out of the building to get some air and something to eat. There is a hot dog stand right outside (my hats off to the guy running the stand for his business sense), so I just get a hot dog to keep myself from passing out waiting. Getting back inside, I find the number is up to A85. Maybe this is not so bad. Maybe. I go to the restroom, do what I needed to do, and get back on the bench. Talking with a guy sitting next to me who is accompanying his daughter applying for her first license. #A93. A tall slim lady walking with her daughter who is not even tall enough to reach her mother's waist. #A105. Friends running into each other. A baby is crying somewhere to my left. #A112. A Korean lady next to me asks me where I'm originally from. #A126. Almost there...

3:00pm - #A131. The rest of the process seems just too easy. I answer a few questions (e.g., is this your first license? etc.), pay the fee ($45), and voila!, my brand new, shiny MD license comes out of the ID/license maker.

Needless to say, I couldn't do much for the rest of afternoon. I just felt so numb by the time I left the office and took the subway to work... Thank heavens it's over...

From Masa's Wine Rack III

2006-04-12T20:51:00.000-04:00

2004 Ferrande Sauvignon Blanc. The weather has warmed up quite a bit, and I thought it might be nice to have some chilled dry white wine. This Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux has robust citrus fruit flavors with a hint of tartness. Great for a Sunday afternoon picnic with appetizers, fruits, and cheeses (esp. goat cheese).

Baltimore streetscape II

2006-04-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

I'm having my first thunderstorm in Baltimore this evening. It's been cloudy and windy since the morning, and as soon as I came home and finished dinner, Zeus decided that it was time for him to have fun playing with some lightning. Thick dark-gray cloud was gathering from northwest, bringing a heavy rain storm with it. Next thing I knew was the sound of rain (and maybe some hails) hitting on my window. Another lightning. It's still far enough, judging by the thunder, but getting closer every minute. A glass of cheap Spanish red wine in my right hand. And of course jazz flowing steadily from the speakers hooked to my laptop. The wind changes, and the rain is now hitting from southwest. A couple of folks running along the sidewalk to their car screaming and laughing. The car starts and follows the beam of its headlights along the street bathed in rain shower and orange light emanating from the lamppost. I'm hoping there would be enough cherry blossom left after the storm. Then the wind stops. The rain continues falling quietly, washing out the dusty air. There's nothing quite refreshing as the first morning breeze after a thunderstorm. Kinda wish I had someone to share this moment with me, but oh, well. Just let me have another glass...

I Wish I knew How it Would Feel to be Free

2006-03-30T00:08:00.000-05:00

I Wish I knew How it Would Feel to be Free
(As sung by Nina Simone)

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free
I wish I could break all the chains holding me
I wish I could say all the things that I should say
say 'em loud, say 'em clear
for the whole round world to hear.

I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart
remove all the bars that keep us apart
I wish you could know what it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
that every man should be free.

I wish I could give all I'm longing to give
I wish I could live like I'm longing to live
I wish that I could do all the things that I can do
though I'm way overdue I'd be starting anew.

Well I wish I could be like a bird in the sky
how sweet it would be if I found I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun and look down at the sea
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
and I'd sing cos I'd know that
I'd know how it feels to be free
I'd know how it feels to be free
I'd know how it feels to be free

From Masa's Wine Rack II

2006-03-29T10:06:00.000-05:00

This week I opened 2001 Tomaiolo Chianti Riserva. This enjoyable Tuscan chianti has bright red color with a robust (but not too heavy) cherry-like fruity flavor and a slightly bitter aftertaste. It goes very well with pasta, grilled meat/vegetable, and I'm guessing also with pizza (I'm talking about real Neapolitan pizza here!). I can't recall the price, but I'm pretty sure it was somewhere around $15 -- I rarely spend more than $20 (or less than $5) on a bottle of wine, unless absolutely necessary. It's just a habit that I picked up during my grad school days...

From Masa's Wine Rack I

2006-03-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

The bottle I opened this week is: Banrock Station Shiraz 2004. I picked it up because it was the first thing on the shelf that came into my sight. Anyway, this shiraz from south eastern Australia has a dark red-to-purple color and rich fruity taste with a hint of oak that leaves a pleasant aftertaste. It went very well with pasta dish (linguine with red clam sauce) that I was having last evening, and at the price of $8.99 (at Eddie's of Mt. Vernon), this is a pretty good deal. The environmentally conscious Banrock Station vineyard is located outside Adelaide, South Australia, and also offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon, White Shiraz, Chardonnay, Semillion Chardonnay, and Sparkling Chardonnay. You can find out everything you need to know about them on their website, including a virtual tour of the vineyard.

Eavesdropping at the Cafe I

2006-03-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

"My daughter. Hates. Me." a guy in his early 40's wearing khakis and a blue dress shirt confesses to his cell phone. Brown hair, brown eyes, pointy nose, square jaw that's softened a bit by a layer of fat, slightly bulging gut, munching on a grilled chicken sandwich with fries on the side. "She gets annoyed by everything I do or say, and she doesn't even look at me when I'm home." He goes on. "No, no, she doesn't just care - she hates me, okay? See the difference?" He tries to keep his voice down - after all, who wants to broadcast his/her private life to general public? - but you can definitely feel how tense he is. "She's almost 18, and she always talks about how she couldn't possibly wait to turn 18 and be free and get out of the f---ing home and away from me and all that, and I'm talking about the girl who's got half my gene and whose diapers I changed!" A girl sitting at the next table trying to study throws an annoyed look toward him, but he's too preoccupied. But he pauses at the sight of a group of six Baltimore cops walking in for coffee and cake. Then he continues his tense mumbling. I'm no longer listening in on him - it's getting a bit too painful... The cops are yakking about what they saw on the beat this afternoon, their families, etc. The girl is trying to read her book, but she's most likely thinking about her upcoming spring break. Outside, a bus is rumbling down into orange street lights. No wind. Some folks are walking without their coats on. Spring is almost upon us...

Correction to "Farewell to Emory webmail (07 MAR 2006)"

2006-03-10T21:18:00.000-05:00

As it turned out, my loss of access to the Emory webmail was due to some temporary glitch. I can still check it, although much less frequently - so if you would like to reach me, please use the other address...

Farewell to Emory webmail

2006-03-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

My third week here in Baltimore. The air is still cold, but they say it could go up to 60's later this week. Spring is upon us, I suppose. I've been going through NIH's online orientations for the last few days - overview of NIH, network security, code of conduct, research ethics, diversity, lab safety, animal resources, etc. - the list just goes on and on. Just sitting at my desk staring at the computer screen for hours. I mean, this couldn't possibly be good for my eyes, or my back, or whatever. Maybe I should complain about it when I visit the occupational medical services next time. Anyway, just as usual I'm here at the cafe sipping a cup of Earl Grey, and I just found out that I no longer have access to my email account at Emory. It's gone. No warning whatsoever. I'm feeling a bit like something inside me has abruptly been terminated, but I guess this is just another part of my transition process that I'm supposed to take and like...

(can't think of a good title today)

2006-03-03T19:44:00.000-05:00

I spent this morning at NIH for medical check-up. Blood pressure 100/60, pulse 68 per min., weight 135 lbs. There's really nothing wrong, except for that fact that I haven't had a tetanus booster shot in the last 10 yrs. So I got the shot, and now my left arm feels a bit weak. I'm supposed to go back there on Monday to get the TB test read, and get my blood drawn. As a friend of mine can attest, NIH (just like any other government agency) is a haven for paper work-heavy bureaucrats who are happier following the procedures ("doing their jobs") than helping us make sense of the policy - you are just supposed to file whatever the forms necessary or else they will just glare and scream at you. I guess this is a gross generalization and I know at least some of them are willing to be helpful. But anyway, there were four different forms to be filled out (two by myself, one by my boss, one by my contact administrator) just to get today's appointment. Two of them are directly related to my health, and the other two are necessary for the results of the check-up to get to the right people/office. Oh, well. At least I'm getting paid, I have medical and dental coverage, and I like my project. It could be worse. Have a nice weekend, folks.

People-watching at the cafe II

2006-03-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

This must be a company mixer of some kind. As I came into the cafe, I was greeted with a loud dance music (to which no one was dancing), a crossfire of loud conversations, and occasional camera flashes, which were not directed at me. There are about 40 people in the coffee shop part of the place, almost everyone holding a glass of red wine. I’m sitting at one of the tables by the window (which was the only one available at the time), just looking at this big group pretending that I’m not paying any attention to what they are saying. “Have you been here before?” “No, you?” “I live like a few blocks from here, so I often come here for breakfast with my boyfriend.” etc., etc. Then a cop walks in for a cup of coffee, looking a bit overwhelmed. The crowd doesn't even notice him, who tries to wade through them toward the casher. As I listen in on some of the conversations, I become even unsure of what this group is: some of them apparently are teachers, some of them are…I have no idea. It’s pretty international, too. One with Italian accent, another with… I’m also confused by the random assortment their attires. Jeans, khakis, dark dress pants, etc. Students, maybe? Another camera flash. Two more bottles of red wine brought out by a server. A girl carrying a black case of some musical instrument joins the crowd. Could they be from Peabody? Well, whatever. I’m feeling too tired to think this evening. Let me just go home and watch CSI.

People-watching at the cafe I

2006-02-27T20:56:00.000-05:00

Brown hair in rough ponytail over a slender face. A set of large, yet modest hazel eyes underneath neatly trimmed brows that form a pair of arches leading to a bit pointy, straight nose. Lips are thin and pale, but they are also capable of delicately reflecting her mood. Her jaw line is rather narrow if you look straight at her face, and makes a matching v-line with the nose when she looks down at the book. Strands of hair hanging from behind her right ear, accentuating her jaw line. No make-ups or earrings, but she wouldn't need them anyway (at least here at the cafe). A white cardigan over a pink cotton shirt (not ironed) with top three buttons undone, showing the collar of her white v-neck undershirt. Stone-washed blue jeans and black low-heel shoes. About 5-10, good posture, and the way she carries herself is a mix of a seemingly innocent kid and an intelligent young woman. She’s here to study human anatomy with her dirty-blond friend, who is wearing an earth-green turtle neck sweater over a pink t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans with her flip-style cell phone poking out of the right hip pocket.

Sound of 80’s music blaring from the speakers. Servers in black hurrying around the floor, bringing food and picking up dirty dishes. And of course smell of coffee swirling in the air. Another cold evening in Baltimore.

Baltimore streetscape

2006-02-26T18:59:00.000-05:00

It's a cold and breezy night here in Baltimore. Not that it's unusual or anything. I'm at a cafe with wi-fi access a couple of doors down from my place, having a cup of Earl Gray and a big fat chocolate chip cookie and looking out at the window. Some good blues streaming out of the speakers, cars passing by on Cathedral Street, people hurrying down the street to get to their cars before becoming frozen fish sticks, street signs rocking back and forth in the wind. A girl bundled up in a black coat and a pair of tight black work-out pants taking her black lab on a red leash out for a walk. A guy stepping out of the cafe to smoke and come back after five quick puffs because he doesn't have his coat on. Looks like a bit busy at the cafe this evening, with people in for late Sunday dinner and Hopkins undergrads with a stack of papers and books on the table. And me - I'm sitting right next to a bulletin board because that was the only spot available when I came in. One of the ads on the board says: "WANTED: Drag Queens and Kings", which reminds me of my old neighborhood, Midtown Atlanta.

It's been a quiet weekend for me. I was walking around Inner Harbor yesterday among other tourists and seagulls. There are quite a few attractions in the area, including the National Aquarium and several historic ships that are open to public (one of which is USS Constellation in this picture). I didn't feel like spending much money, so I just walked and walked. Maybe next time. Today was for laundry, cleaning, reading, etc., etc. Nothing too exciting, but getting things done is good. Also among today's catch: two pubs, a pharmacy, a dry cleaner, a deli, a liquor store, and a pizza shop, all within a few blocks from my place. Not too bad. Not too bad at all...

Lisa's here!

2006-02-23T21:21:00.000-05:00

"one of the best story-tellers I've encountered in a long time" - peppersnaps

"she offers up some of the most hilarious, memorable, original and honest one-liners I've ever heard in my life" - stan

Every critic loves it, and so will you. A new addition to our expanding family of bloggin' nerds - Lisa's got her blog site "Accidental Verbosity". Be sure to check it out...

Donate your car to charity

2006-02-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in the last post, I was contemplating on getting rid of my car. There was a few pretty good reasons for doing this: 1) Parking - street parking in my neighborhood is just a big hassle unless you are willing to pay for at least $80 per months for a reserved space. 2) You have to get your car inspected before registering it in MD, and my car didn't pass as expected. This meant that I had to spend hundreds of dollars to fix all the identified problems. 3) I chose my place based on the fact that I don't have to drive to get to work, and that there's a grocery store and other necessities within several blocks from my place. So there just isn't much incentive for me to spend so much money for insurance and fixing all the issues on this 10-yr-old car that will not be used much. The first thing I thought of doing was to sell it as-is. I was pretty sure there would be many people who would be willing to work on this beat-up Mitsubishi to get it back on street. But then I wanted to avoid dealing with them haggling over the price. Also, I realized that I would be saving quite a bit by not paying for insurance and maintenance, and a few hundred bucks by selling it wouldn't make a huge difference in a long run. So I donated it to a local NPR station. This turned out to be an extremely easy process: All you have to do is to go to cartalk.com, click on "Donate your used car", or you can call their toll-free number to arrange for pick-up. You can also donate your car to other non-profits like the Red Cross (just Google for "vehicle donation"). In most cases, your car will be auctioned, the proceed will be donated for the charity of your choice, and you get to claim the amount of the proceed for your tax return. I made a phone call on Monday afternoon, and my car was picked up before end of Tuesday. Just like that. I guess I miss it in a way (after all, I like driving - I just hate dealing with bad traffick), but I am more relieved that I won't have to deal with it any more...

North by Northeast

2006-02-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

2/15: I have no idea why this place that I had lived for the last five years is called "Lakeview Apartments", because there is no lake nearby except for Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park, and you have absolutely no view of the lake from this building. Like I mentioned in the last post, it was a pretty good place to live for a grad student: The rent, which includes all utilities, was not too high, with off-street parking, close to a park, many restaurants and bars, museums, theaters, etc. Maybe a bit too small for some folks, but I've been single, and don't own much stuff anyway. I guess it also helped that I grew up in Japan, where the size of a house/apartment tends to be smaller than here in the States.

In any case, the day has come for me to move out of this place, and on to a new life in Baltimore. It was a warm and dry, sunny day - just perfect for moving. I kind of wish that I could say here that "it was a dark and stormy night", just to make it sound more mysterious and to make you more anticipating, but such was not the case on this day.

1405 (0 mile): Everything that was left in my apartment has been either loaded in my car, or left in the dumpster. It's 700 miles to Baltimore, I've got a full tank of gas, half a bottle of mineral water, it's sunny, but I'm not wearing sunglasses.

1420: Stopping by at my bank, and then off to I-85 Northbound.

1530 (79 miles): There is a small town in GA off I-85 called Homer. Since I've worked on a family of proteins called Homer for my Ph.D., visiting this town was on my list of things to do before leaving GA. I meant to do this before today, but I've been just too busy for the last couple of months. Anyhow, it turns out that the town is known as the "Home of the world's largest Easter egg hunt." Did anyone know about this? How large does an Easter egg hunt have to be to become "the largest"?? The town is pretty small (estimated population of 1,013 as of July 2004), so I'm assuming a lot of people from out of town must come to join this joyous festivity every year.

1550 (97 miles): A 5-min. break.

1605 (117 miles): Into South Carolina.

1700 (189 miles): Passing through Spartanburg, SC.

1723 (213 miles): Although the phrase "Peach State" refers to the State of Georgia, South Carolina actually produces more peaches. This is a picture of a water tower disguised as one huge peach. From the other side, it kind of looks like a big butt with a crack.

Sometime after the big peach, tears were running down my cheeks. I'm more inclined to blame on the music ("We will meet again", composed by Bill Evans, played by Kenny Drew Jr. Absolutely beautiful!), but I admit that I was also feeling blue at this point, leaving friends and all. It's just peculiar that I didn't feel this way until I crossed the GA-SC border...

1735 (229 miles): Into North Carolina. Getting hungry by the minute, since I didn't have much for lunch.

1755 (350 miles): I-85, exit 22 in NC. Dinner at a Burger King, which is something I haven't done in several years. A Whopper, large fries, and a big cup of very sweet ice tea. I don't usually drink sweet tea, and I was sugar-high for a while after this. The sun went down as I was munching on fries. Partly cloudy, no wind, very dry air.

1945 (350 miles): Exit 111 in NC. Stopping for bathroom and gas and coffee. Put David Sedaris on tape, listening to "Dress your family in corduroy and denim" that a friend of mine gave me on my last day at Emory.

As I was heading to Durham, the moon was rising, which was hiding behind a thin layer of cloud and looking like a giant fuzzy orange hanging low in the sky. David Sedaris was killing me at the steering wheel.

2135-2300 (480 miles): Into Virginia. This is the first rest area/welcome center on I-85 coming from South Carolina (with my car in front of the building, and the moon in the background). At this point, I was slightly tired, but quite awake, and way ahead of schedule.

2350-0045 (539 miles): Rest area near Dinwiddie, NC. What kind of name is Dinwiddie anyway?

2/16, 0115 (585 miles): Passing through Richmond, VA.

0150-0210 (612 miles): Rest area near Ladysmith, VA.

0218 (632 miles): Passing through Fredericksburg, VA.

0300 (665 miles): Stop for gas in Dale City, VA, which is just south of DC.

Around 0330: Passing through DC, and into MD.

0335-0900 (727 miles): Rest area near Laurel, MD. Snow on the ground, and it's pretty cold (around low 30's?). Actually, I was not too tired at this point. But since there's no point in getting into the City of Baltimore at four in the morning (The rental office wouldn't open until after 0930), I decided to take a nap here.

This picture, which is meant to show the Baltimore skyline behind the haze, was taken just a few miles before getting into Baltimore. Almost there...

0930 (745 miles): After making a few wrong turns, I parked my car in front of the rental office, which was not open just yet. I decided to take a little drive in the city to kill the time.

1010: Back at the rental office. Got the keys, and everything is set for me to move in!

1015: So this is it. My place is in the middle of the pink brick building. On the first floor are (from left) a flower shop (with a blue awning), a pet shop, a boutique, a custom furniture store, an art supply store, and cafe/restaurant. There's a grocery store around the corner, and several bars and restaurants within a block, which should keep me reasonably happy for years to come.

2/19: It's been a few days since I moved in. Even though my stuff and furniture haven't arrived yet, the place is looking better, thanks to IKEA and Target and Home Depot... Right now I'm thinking about getting rid of my car because I don't have to drive to get to work, and parking is just a big hassle unless you pay about $100 per month for a reserved spot. Well, I'll write more about this later.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

For those of you who were expecting my cheesecake today, Masa's Kitchen & Bakery is relocating to Baltimore, MD, and a cafe will be added now that I've got an espresso machine, which I received as a going-away gift from the lab.

Anyhow, in about 18 hrs from now, I'll be hitting the road to Baltimore. The movers came this morning to pick up most of my stuff, and this is how my place looks as of 2145. As you can see, this is a tiny studio apartment of about 270 sq. ft. I'm not going to show the kitchen area (or kitchenette, to be more precise), which is on the right hand side of this picture, because it is just so embarrassingly small (complete with a dorm-size fridge!). But hey, it's right next to Piedmont Park, with so many restaurants and bars in walking/stumbling distance, and you can't beat the price tag at $525/mo. including utilities in Midtown Atlanta. I ended up living at this place for 5 yrs, but it served me well enough for my life style (if there was one) and paycheck. One interesting thing about this apartment building is that most of the residents are either retirees, students, or people with multiple jobs. And the resident turn-over is pretty high because the place has served as a sort of stepping stone for many of its former residents. I'll miss chatting with people here, which gave me an opportunity to peek into different walks of life that I otherwise wouldn't have a chance to see as a grad student...

not-so-deep thoughts of a phony second-hand Zen master

2006-02-09T00:22:00.000-05:00

I have started packing my stuff yesterday, and I think I've put away about half of my stuff into boxes so far. At the risk of sounding like a phony second-hand Zen master from a B-movie, this made me realize that 1) about half of what I own is not essential in sustaining my basic standard of living, and 2) it's rather amazing how much attachment I've developed with so many trivial things in my closet (other than a few dead roaches, of course). Now, I have a soft-spot for books, so there's no way I'm getting rid of them (Ha! Attachment, my foot!). In any case, at a moment like this, it's always good to think back to where I started, which, in my case, is me leaving home with two suitcases on one sunny day in April 11 yrs ago. That kid who was just so eager to get out of his home and make a new start. I hope he's still in me somewhere. I hope he can still make me run. I hope...

Life after Ph.D. defense

2006-02-06T23:25:00.000-05:00

So I submitted my dissertation to the grad school on Thursday last week, which made it official that I've completed all requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Now that was a relief, I tell ya! Since then, I've been putting together a paper, packing things up, cleaning out my desk and file cabinets at the lab, etc., etc. Just to keep myself busy and out of trouble. It's quite amazing how much stuff you can accumulate over several years. I mean, just looking at my desk at the lab - name tags from old conferences, several to-do lists from years ago, mostly meaningless data from my flopped side projects, piles of papers that I never got around to read and have nothing to do with my new job, and what-not. The list just goes on. Speaking of papers, I have a couple of piles of them in the lab that will be taken to a recycle bin at end of the week - anyone interested in the subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, mGluRs, etc.? Nah, I guess not...

It's like stepping into a new room without knowing what to expect...

2006-02-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

To be honest, I still don't feel that I just passed my thesis defense this afternoon. I guess I just have to let the fact sink in, and take some time to get used to the idea of putting "Ph.D." after my name. Right now, I have enough ethanol in my bloodstream, my brain feels so empty after answering (or trying to answer) all the questions from my committee members, and I can't really think of anything (then again, I don't really have to right now). Looks like I can finally get some sleep (I couldn't get much sleep for the last couple of days), and I think it'll be a rather slow day for me tomorrow...

Morning call from Nigeria

2006-01-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

5 minutes to 0900. My phone started ringing, just as I got off line (yes, I still use dial-up). At this hour?? Must be my parents. I took the receiver, and my right ear was greeted with a flood of static noise intermixed with incomprehensible utterance of a human male.

Me: "Hello?" (I could hear my voice on the other end a few seconds later, making me think: 'this must be international, but the noise couldn't be this bad with Japan...')

Him: !$*^@%$&#(!&^%!^$!!!

Me: "Who is this?"

Him: "#$(*Y@(&T$)#&!@T!("

Me: "Moshi-moshi?" (That's Japanese for 'hello?' as used in answering the phone.)

Him: "^*)&)*^%$#%*))(" (No, definitely not Japanese.)

Me: "Who. Is. This?"

Him: "I'm calling from Nigeria. I want to talk with XXXXXX (couldn't get the name)."

Me: "You've got a wrong number, sir."

Him: "Oh, sorry."

Nigeria? Nigeria??? Of all the places on this planet? He was probably speaking in whatever was his native language when I first got to the phone. Good thing I was already awake - otherwise, I would've been making some rude comments to him, which would have made this experience tolerable for neither of us.

Anyway, that was an interesting way to start a rainy Sunday.

72 hrs remaining

2006-01-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

...until my thesis defense. I'm at the lab, taking a brake from revising my 230-page-long dissertation. Am I nervous about the whole situation? Slightly. Am I Scared? No. Somehow, I feel calm - this may be because of my false belief that I'm ready, or just because of my realization that there's not much I can do at this point. Whatever, it'll soon be over, and I'll be shitfaced from heavy drinking with or without Ph.D. Looking at my dissertation, it is rather funny that several years of my work can be typed into just 230 pages. Have I done enough? I hope so. I know I've had enough of looking at brain tissue under an electron microscope. At least for now, that is.

Back to work...

one of many old photos

2006-01-24T18:03:00.000-05:00

Ooooh... I'm soooo full.... (I think this photo was taken on Easter 2005)

This blog is under construction (and will be for a good while)...

2006-01-24T02:08:00.000-05:00

That's right - I'm feeling like I just moved into a new house: no pics, no furniture, nothing. Not yet, that is. I know for sure that it'll be a slow process for me to get this blog into a more visually pleasing condition, but I hope you would stick around to watch it grow....