Today, I spent seven straight hours in the clean room. No lunch break, no restroom break. Had two depositions done and got all the necessary stuff out of the newest eight films. Those and the enourmous amount of data from temperature tests will be good enough to embelish a weekly report for the advisor that's due tomorrow.

Thank God, I was able to manage the fear and anxiety resulted from that one accident. For precaution this second time around, I put a pair of foam ear plugs and a safety mask on top of my safety glasses. The gloves won't do any good but I wore them anyway.

I slowly opened the window to the cabinet while managed to stand behind it, touched the cylinder (for what I thought wpuld serve for a grounding purpose), cautiously opened the process valve, and finally, the main cylinder valve. I saw a slight increase in pressure and then slowly closed the window. It was all safe like that for both depositions. I was one happy operator.

.
.
.

One of these days, I might get sick. Got a bit of a sore throat and some hint of nasal congestion. All in all, it's fair enough and (is about time too!) since I have been nowhere near to be yet another victim of allergy attack this year. Am wondering if it is not too late for a daily dosage of 1000 mg Vitamin C.

Statistics, giovedì, febbraio 23, 2006

So today I was pronounced an anemic, martedì, gennaio 31, 2006


Miss X giving out relationship advice, mercoledì, gennaio 18, 2006


12 days to Christmas (Eve), mercoledì, dicembre 14, 2005

Picture this, mercoledì, novembre 02, 2005

For the universal flock, martedì, agosto 09, 2005

Tending a (soft drink) bar at a church function, lunedì, luglio 12, 2005

Inks Lake State Park, TX, '05, lunedì, luglio 04, 2005


Renaissance women, we are , sabato, maggio 21, 2005

Forward déjà vu, sabato, aprile 23, 2005


The Saturday stuff, sabato, aprile 16, 2005

Confession, mercoledì, marzo 23, 2005

The mini and the maxi, sabato, marzo 19, 2005


Age-old question, martedì, marzo 08, 2005


It's a white (sand) Christmas, y'all, sabato, dicembre 25, 2004

Let them eat cake, venerdì, settembre 17, 2004

F-ster bulettin board, giovedì, agosto 12, 2004


Dirgahayu, Papa, mercoledì, luglio 28, 2004


Awkward? Yes, definitely., lunedì, maggio 24, 2004


One Flew over a Xinda's Nest , venerdì, maggio 28, 2004


My Cinema Paradiso moments, sabato, aprile 24, 2004


Did you notice, domenica, dicembre 14, 2003


About a boy, venerdì, ottobre 03, 2003


A Few Good Men , martedì, ottobre 07, 2003


Kind Heart and Coronet, mercoledì, ottobre 15, 2003


Poll poll, lunedì, settembre 29, 2003


Lasagna Photoblog , domenica, agosto 31, 2003


Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time a.k.a. Public Auction and the
Navajos, domenica, luglio 20, 2003


2nd Day of Summer, Part II, martedì, giugno 24, 2003


2nd Day of Summer, Part I, lunedì, giugno 23, 2003


Wake Up and Smell the..., venerdì, giugno 27, 2003

Have you ever tried, oh-so-hard, to be associated with an "in-crowd" for the sake of revitalizing whatever's left of your so-called social life? Only to find that you are remotely far from being welcomed or something. You then tried to psychoanalyze these treatments but never discerned anything out of things. Maybe it's just you being anti-social? Maybe you just don't belong there?

I had given up hope for this particular community a long time ago, I wonder why I even bothered trying it again.

Over lunch yesterday at a locally famous spot in Summerville, the six of us were talking about current events, movies, and medias. Don't you hate it when some know-it-all dominates the conversations, generalizes everything, all so proud and so sure, obsequious, irrespectful of everyone else, even when he/she gets all the facts wrong?

Totally the opposite of the pacifist that I am, I sometimes feel the need to personally smack this person right in the head. A couple of examples:

The basketball
C: Who invented Badminton?
Know-it-all Guy (KIAG): The Brittons, they have invented most sports, but rarely excel on it, badminton, basketball, soccer...When was the last time they won the soccer? Some fourty years ago?
X: Nah, not basketball, it was invented in America, James Naismith. Remember, he got it all started at the YMCA.
KIAG: Nah nah, it was the Brittons. *looking all tense but gave no further supporting argumentation*
X: *Demonstrating a whatever dude look, getting back to cut her chicken fried steak*

The fictional character on Kingdom of Heaven
So, the KIAG had been talking all the way about the Crusades that were depicted on the KoH....

X: You know which character I found kind of interesting on that movie, the leper king. There's something romantic about him.
KIAG: Ah yes, they're all real characters you know. That King too. He was 31 when he died.
X: Yes, Baldwin IV, he was 20 something when he died on that battle. Oh, they're all real except for the Godfrey character, and there was never an affair between the Princess Sybilla and Balian.
KIAG: No, no, Godfrey is real, Balian is not. The war ...blablablabla...
X: *Demonstrating a whatever dude look, reaching for more fried okra and french fries*

Richard the Lionheart and the Third Crusade

KIAG: ...and you know who that guy that was asking for Balian enroute to Messina at the end of the movie? It was Richard the Lionheart of England. He will have a victory over Saladin.
X: Nope, he didn't win. They got a truce.
KIAG: ...well, yeah, kinda a truce but in the end, he captured back the City.
X: *Demonstrating a whatever dude look, asking NY to pass the overly buttered Texas toast*


Gaah, somebody needs to learn how to shut up, while I need to learn to be more persuasive.

Ndoro Yadda and I added one more project in our foolish quest to become somekind of renaissance women. It was to ressurect The Rage back to life. The poor coupe had been out of commission since September last year. Due to financial constraint, as well as time, to get it all fixed up, the three of us managed to synchronize our schedules to go around with only one working car. It had been too much of an inconvenience lately, so we decided to fix The Rage no matter what.

The real wake up call, however, was something that could only be described as the weirdest act of vandalism ever known in College Station, TX. It happened just last week on the wee morning of Friday the 13th.


Anyhow, back to the ressurection project. Our reasoning was simple. Since The Rage failed to be started even with the help of jumping, the problem(s) should be related to the starting mechanism of the engine. It was either the sparkplugs, the starter, the alternator or simply the battery. The cheapest component, the sparkplugs, had been changed earlier. However, it still lead to a status quo condition. So, off we went to a shopping spree to the nearest Autozone for the remaining parts.

On Thursday morning, after looking at the starter, alternator, and the belts arrangement on the engine, we decided it would be a real challenge for the two us to install the new starter and alternator with the assistance of limited tools and a simple jack. At this point, we were ready to tow the car over to our friendly backdoor garage and let them do the dirty work. We decided, however, to install the battery first.

We started with applying generous paste on the terminals and then placing the protector ring. Out of curiosity, Ndoro Yadda started the car. Turned out, the starter and the alternator functioned just as well, the belts started to move, and voila, after several trials, The Rage was back to life. We were startled and petrified at first, but then quickly rejoiced.

The next step was to change the flat tire on the driver side so that we can go around for a test drive. With the help of a neighbor, the spare tire was installed and we were prepared to drive the car down to a tire shop for fixing. There was a problem with the spare tire since it could never be filled to reach enough pressure. Instead of driving all the way down to the store, we just brought the flat tire over.

For some reason, the front side of the car was sinking low, it left not enough room to put the jack on the car frame. We had to put one jack on the back side of the frame to raise the car a little and only then we were able to place the front jack. When enough ground clearance was reached, we started opening the four bolts. One of the bolt, however, was stuck. We tried to squirt some oil somehow. Ndoro Yadda used her foot to put more force on the tire key, when suddenly, that nut went broken. Apparently, when I drove the car to the gas station to fill the spare tire with air, I was already driving it on the rim. It supposedly gave to much force on that one bolt.

We then proceeded to install the fixed tire and then I drove The Rage with remaining three bolts to another shop so that they can replace the broken one. Ndoro Yadda tailgated with the other car, just in case. Other than the bolt treatment, we also had the State Inspection and the oil changing done.

Our weekend has never been this perfect.

"Pick a song everyone knows.
Take the lyrics to babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr) and translate English to German to French to English.
Copy out the result and give clues and see who can guess the song."

I LOVE this Eighties group's particular song.

if it me know not far speak,
ce which I must say,
I say that him in one way or another
une manière ou d' une.autre currently another day find it with
Shying far me for which come you,
of love APPROVE.

If it takes on me
if it takes to me
which I am continued
one day or to two

so unnecessarily, it is me to say advantages and ends,
but that is me and stumbles
far slowly, learning that the life becomes GUTGEHIESSEN.
It should not of the legends after me
be better sure as sad

to take on me
is caught
which I am continued
one day or to two.

The things, you legends are,
him precisely, or phase my to be played is to him
far all the things
which I have to recall me
that one ensures oneself you will come far in one way or another
shying me
to take

to you on me
take me
which I am continued
one day or to two

Ndoro Yadda told me that Rory is not coming back to school next year and that Lorelai is asking Luke to marry her.

Grup riset kita kedatangan satu peneliti (visiting profesor) dari Cina untuk satu tahun. Ibu peneliti ini usianya sekitar 40 tahunan dan men-dosen (bener nggak sih istilahnya) di salah satu universitas terbesar Cina yang letaknya deket-deket perbatasan Mongol, lupa namanya apa. Orangnya baik juga, keibuan, tapi agak males, yah itu juga kalo dibandingin dengan kita-kita yang bersedia diperbudak pagi, siang, malam, hehe. Nah, kalo dia mah cuek aja pulang jam 5 teng dan nggak balik lagi.

Jadi, dia, saya dan satu temen segrup harus bekerja sama untuk nyelesain satu projek dari pembimbing kita. Selain hambatan komunikasi antara saya dan dia, ada juga permasalahan mendasar yang baru saya sadari. Ternyata bekerjasama ama orang teori itu gampang gampang susah ya. Iya saya menganggap diri saya orang praktek. Pembimbing saya juga dalam memecahkan masalah kebanyakan melihat dari sudut praktikalnya daripada teoretikalnya, begitu juga dengan anggota grup riset yang lain.

Ya gitu deh, selama kurang lebih tiga jam saya harus berulang-ulang menjelaskan langkah-langkah yang harus dilakukan dalam menguji kualitas transistor yang kita buat, dan dia agaknya masih kurang ngeh juga sampe saat ini. Aduh, Bo', kali faktor usia juga ya. Saya bisa maklumin sih, tapi saat ini kebetulan kadar hormon saya lagi tidak seimbang. Ditambah lagi dengan saya yang kepepet waktu untuk menyelesaikan tes-tes untuk transistor ini dalam dua hari. Uh, bener-bener siang yang tidak mengenakkan jiwa. Untung saya inget, entar kalo balik makan malam, masih ada Cap Cay dan Telur Balado masakannya Ndoro Yadda, jadi sedikit terhibur. Makasih Ndoro Yadd!

I didn't know that our sleek, and not to mention ergonomic and comfortable, office chairs could cost as much as $ 529. Did the department have that much money? Did they get a deep discount or something? Was it one of the requirements for the 100-year building life expectancy?

At first, I thought the chairs were designed by one of those Scandinavian minimalists. Looking at the bottom back, it's actually a Herman Miller, pretty much an American company.

Interesting.

I am dead bored with layers, it's back to basic...

Him:
When are you gonna graduate?
Me:
No clue. Course works are mostly done, it's a matter of research and publications now, those and the God-like advisor.
And what's the plan next?
Ohh, getting a real job somewhere, somehow, or if I am not lucky enough, a Post Doc.
Marriage? ha ha ha
*long pause*
Do you have a proposal or something?
I'm leaving it as an open choice...

Undeniably, my world currently revolves around the primordials: school, future employment, and a bunch of self-indulging activities. At times, I wonder if this path chosen will lead mostly nowhere than somewhere in that personal life.

Come to think of it, it really is a trivial matter for a pair of "right" partners for life to exist in the same time continuum. It might be tomorrow or it could take 20 years until you meet that person who turns your world up-side down and changes your ideas of a liveable life--both of which you gladly accept.

So, the whole ordeal of my listening to parental unit (and best friend's) screaming off-springs, answering the age-old question, and handling a ticking clock should be better put off indefinitely.

Meanwhile, going 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu doesn't sound like a bad idea.


-- The 25-year-old Xinda whom as of 5:30 AM today had been deprived of food & water and sleep for 15 and 18 hours, respectively. Who knows what she will think of it tomorrow.

A friend (T, you know who I am talking about) chatted me into buying these supposedly cool things for him from E-Bay. The mirror and and the headlight will be shipped out to me first. His mother & sister who will travel back to the country in one week will take them over then.

The tail light seller --I just found out when I checked out to buy-- is located in HK, as in the Chinese island city, so it will be directly JKT bound from there.

The buying experience would have been much better had I not paid for them first, 300 something bucks is quite an expense these days. I know, it's between friends and all, but some (financial) incentive should work wonder for me to be content on doing this type of stuff in the future. At least the mother sent us a v. yummy roasted whole chicken last Sunday.

Just 24 hours to go and I will be on detox. Promise. :D
.
.
.
.
It's hard to stay up
It's been a long, long day and you got the sandman at your door
But hang on, leave the TV on and let's do it anyway
It's OK, you can always sleep through work tomorrow, OK?
Hey hey
Tomorrow's just a future yesterday

--Craig Ferguson's LLS theme song

I love this wacky guy.

I have just realized, I will have three meetings running on Friday and Saturday:

• 10 AM Friday is the Graduate Student Council meeting with the Department Head

• 4 PM Friday is the weekly research group meeting

• 9:30 AM Saturday is the Pastoral Council Meeting to discuss how to fully integrate all the different international communities with the ever expanding church activities

Meeting # 2 will be pretty OK. It's not my turn to speak this week since only last week I presented several points that us, experimental TFT people, should pay more attention into. These group meetings, at the very least, only require whole-hearted acceptance of the advisor's tones of "encouragement", if you know what I mean. And just so you know, we are kind of blessed with that kind expertise. Hee hee.

The other two are the ones I am worried about. Final exam, leaky gas cabinets and whatnot already get me fully occupied. I couldn't think of any issues important enough to be brought forward to these meetings. I hate to do this all over again, but maybe it's my best to be an observer/wall flower.

In any rate, have a good weekend.

"People look at me and think that I'm this person who is always content and is free of problems. Truth is, I am merely human.

Every morning, once I'm all dressed up ready for work, I look in the mirror, smile at myself, and say this out loud, 'Today, it's going to be good day'. It helps, you know, to start the day with that kind of attitude."

A very positive person that G.

On a blogging note, I just stumbled upon this salt to the ever expanding blogworld. The author is a self-described generation-X priest at the Diocese of Arlington, Northern Virginia. A blog written by a young priest from the North, whose other-than-church-related interests includes jogging along the Ptomac, road threading, museum visits, and much much more, definitely could make one interesting read.

See, I'm always leaning towards learning more about the church's traditions, liturgies, and history, but have never followed the subjects as much as I wanted to. This could be one fun starting point to erudicate my illiteracy on the subjects.

Truck hauling garbage and birds chirping.
Rays of sun will soon follow.
Group project presentation in four hours.
Just got back home.
Ate my snack, washed my feet, brushed my teeth.
Should catch a few z's, but couldn't.
Utterly numbed.

...Miss Catherine Cookie (4 years old) and I did today:

• Playing with her Pet Parlor


• ...Baby Bop


• ...Valentino


• ... and Pooh Santa


• Drawing rainbows, pink flowers, and purple grasses
  
• Random jumping, dancing, and twirling (my idea)
  
• Singing off-key: Humpty Dumpty, Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star, Old McDonald Had a Farm, and one unrecognizable Chinese song (definitely her idea)
  
  
• Sharing peanut butter cheese cracker and drinking pints and pints of water
  
• Building 2-D cars with my stock of magnetic strips
  
• Making a headband out of some yellow string
• Tracing patterns (my idea)
  
• Learning ryhmes (my idea)
  
• Power napping (the Dad's order)
  
• Bubble blowing lesson (from bubble gums, hope the Dad won't mind)
  

Six hours and not a single cry. She is definitely the most adorable, well-mannered four-year-old alive, well, beside Princess Nadja, off-course *getting blown with Princess kisses*

All those and guess who has a certain clock ticking faster!