Still breathing, dummy.

Rock lover and hi from the road!

2012-09-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived at Berkeley and the entire trip was only 6 days! It was definitely well worth the time and energy and I'm very glad I was able to spend that time with my folks. The drive went very smoothly and I was able to listen to all my tunes and then some! My favorite pit stop was the Grand Canyon. Here are a few photos:

Dad and I (Dad never smiles in photos, but believe me, he's very excited to be here!)

Mom and I.

Hello, hello out there!

Two condors soaring together...lovebirds.

We saw the sunset as well which was quite breathtaking.

I had such a good break, but I'm happy to return to work. Amazing how much has changed for all of us in the past 6 months. I'm really proud of us. Pacific time sucks though when all your friends are on eastern time, but I can accommodate the change. We will definitely need to coordinate phone/skype times, but for now here's to a really bright future. Cheers, my friends. :)

Good night.

Moving Day

2012-09-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

I watched this really superb documentary last night called, Happy. It examines happiness and its various forms across the globe. I won't reveal too much in case you're interested in watching it yourself, but I really do encourage you guys to check it out. It's on instant queue in Netflix! It gave me a different perspective on life and just the unmitigated value of simplicity. Happiness comes from within. Make the choice and be happy...or at least try. Though I'll admit, sometimes being happy and maintaining such emotion is beyond our level of control, but ultimately, it is up to you (well, unless you have a chemical imbalance or you're already genetically predisposed to be depressed, then it really isn't up to you, but...details, details!). At the very least, watching this documentary gave me some vindication for leaving Ithaca. Ha ha! Anyways...

Tomorrow I'll be on my merry way to Berkeley. Moving can be so stressful, but deep breaths, deep breaths and everything will be okay. That's what I keep repeating to myself. In all honestly though, I don't have any serious problems. Life is good...and much better with music. Doo dooo dooo!

I have about 30 roadie cds and counting. That should suffice, I think.

I hope the people are friendly. I hope my new lab will be a better fit. I hope I'll like the weather more. I wish there was someone I could talk to out there. I wish for a smooth transition. I hope, I hope, I hope...wish, wish, wish. I guess you never can predict what will happen in your life. Just go with the flow and enjoy that ride. I hope I won't have to move again because moving is annoying. I hope...

Pictures of the journey to follow. Toodles for now! xx

On love: Try a Little Tenderness

2012-09-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of versions of this song, but I think Otis Redding's take is by far my favorite. Etta James isn't far behind. I melt every time. Here, have a listen:

There is now one more week until moving day. Hello, new beginnings: your life awaits you. Time sure does fly. I'm scared, but hopeful. That's more promising, I guess.

Good night. xx

3000 Miles

2012-09-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

I'm in the midst of compiling songs for my roadie playlists. My folks and I decided that we will drive the 3000 miles from Palm City, Florida all the way to Berkeley, California. My dad figured that he would probably never in his lifetime ever again have this opportunity to drive across the country with his wife and daughter and so he said, "eh, why not". It's sad that we always assume that time will always be so generous as to allow us to seize those seemingly un-seizable opportunities. We think, "there's always tomorrow" and so we postpone what we were going to do because there's comfort and security buried in tomorrow, but the truth is life oftentimes gets so muddled with other obligations that usually take higher precedence than the thing we were going to do and then invariably, we forget that thing and just continue the routine. I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: the time is now. Whatever it is you want to accomplish in your life, do it and don't wait because you just never know what can happen. This sounds like those high school videos you watch in social studies with the bad actors with crooked teeth who always encourage you to "reach for your goals!" But silly or not, it's true.

My dad had surgery a few weeks ago and fortunately is recovering very well. I think about all the problems in my life and how trivial they seem in comparison to the big stuff. My family. My dad. As long as the people who I love are still in my life, there is nothing that seems too troublesome anymore. Nothing else matters, really. Leaving Ithaca was an excruciatingly more difficult decision than I would ever have imagined. Oddly enough, I miss it--well, not Ithaca per se, but my friends. I do have a lot of pride and no matter what anybody says, I couldn't allow them to dictate to me how to live my life nor could I let them tell me that I'm not good enough. That was just unacceptable and so I left. If you haven't already heard all the details, bug me again and we can chat over cookies and tea. There are so many uncertainties, too many, that lie ahead, but I guess sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and take the next step. Onwards, my friends, to a better life!

I went to Gainesville over the past Labor Day weekend. Here are some photos from the visit:

Harald, Scott, and I went to catch a movie and when we were leaving the parking lot, we found this beside our car. Wtf, right? Weeeeeeeird!

Afterwards, Harald cooked the rest of us a gourmet dinner and later we played some cards.

I love these guys!

It took us about 5 times before we could capture this photo! Haha.

I went underneath the Roosevelt Bridge again today to read my book and low and behold, a rainbow!

This song has been stuck on repeat. If you have any songs that have been stuck on repeat, please send them my way! I welcome all suggestions as I'll need about a thousand songs (quite literally) for my impending road trip.

Have a good week. xx

Wedding Bells and Gator Cake

2012-04-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

Man, since my return from DC, these past couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind, but such is life, amirite? Anywho, the wedding was loads of fun and I'm glad I was able to attend and see our guy. Here are a few photos of the big day:

Here I am about ready to leave the hotel.

Have a look at Kyle as he waits patiently (or not so patiently as you may be able to infer from his facial expression bahaha).

And finally, the lovely bride has arrived!

And now introducing for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs! They were wed in this very comfortable historic building. It was a warm day and as trite as this may sound, you could really feel the love inundate the room.

First dance to The Way You Look Tonight.

I think my favorite part was Kyle and his gang of friends reenacting that scene from Top Gun. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling has been on constant repeat for some time now, but you gotta admit, that's a pretty good song.

The cake was so yummy. I love how he tied the Gators to the cake. The Gator nation really is everywhere. W00t w00t!

And finally, here's our guy now tossing the garter.

I would have to say that this wedding was probably among the best that I've attended and I'm not just saying that because Kyle's one of my closest friends. His wedding is probably how I would want to have mine: small and intimate with only the people I love around me. And nothing else matters. I think apart from that, a ta-die-for cake, and a rockin' dance party, that would be my ideal wedding. And Kyle's definitely had all of that. I'm so happy for the two and I wish them well on their journey together. Congratulations, my friend.

Goin' to the chapel and we're...well, not I but...

2012-03-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be heading down to DC to see Kyle get married! Aaaaaah, omgzomgzomgz!!! Freak out, seriously. Congrats to one my closest pals from college! March was a big month for loads of folks. Hello, adulthood! Photos to follow...

Today, I totally got ripped a new one as I had my first committee meeting which incidentally was also the prelude to my A exam. This was so not anticipated. Ten minute meeting? Yeah, right! This turned into an hour-long meeting with so too many questions about bud formation. Sometimes it kinda sucks when the proteins you're studying happens to be something that your boss discovered in his lab. Buh, whateva, s'all good, I s'pose. This just means more reading. I've got vesicles and spirals on the brain now. What is going on, really? It's beyond me.

Anywho, yahoo and yahoo again and again to my friends! xx

This reminds me of college.

This will be our year...

2012-03-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I would resurrect my "Dear diary/friends." It's been a long time. March has been/is going to be HUGE/life-changing/around-the-world big--Jennifer moving to the city that she loves, Bala defending his thesis, and Kyle getting married. You're among the small group of people that I care about most and I'm so happy for you all. I just wish I could be there. Anyways, for you guys:

Lots of love and hugs. xx

Doobie Brothers

2012-01-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

Who cares about all this crap--he said, she said, panic, tomorrow, worry--what? The Doobie Brothers got it right. Just pause and listen to the music all the time, all the time. Frankly, your life is much too precious for it to be spoiled by all these trivialities.

Remember Sublime? This takes me back to high school again. Imagine if we deposited songs instead of tangible objects in our time capsules. Our children would be greeted by the melodies that made us happy--think a dance, sing-song celebration every time somebody opened this memory box. Wonderful, huh?

I'm enjoying a warm cup of mango green tea and am about to fold another paper crane. Ugh, tomorrow...oh, well, can't dwell on any more of these absurdities, right? Right.

Good night.

Northern Lights

2012-01-15T04:36:00.000-08:00

My room is like its own tiny planetarium now with my constellation projector. I like to listen to my records or my "Lake Alice" playlist while watching all the lights flicker fireworks on my ceiling. It's probably one of the coolest gadgets I've ever purchased. Maybe it will help me sleep better. Here's to hoping. From time to time, I tend to suffer from these terrible migraines presumably because of my poor sleeping habits, but I've learned to deal with it in spite of how awful these attacks can be. Yick. Anyways, one of these days I'd like to go to Yellowknife and see the Northern Lights. It's been a dream of mine for some time to witness something so beautiful. Anybody interested in going?

I don't know why this song feels so sad to me, but I love Rufus.

Well, back to work! Finishing up an experiment...

Hello, Goodbye

2012-01-11T00:55:00.002-08:00

Why does the new year always inspire people to better themselves? Whine less. Read more. Lose 10 pounds. Shouldn't we strive to be better people everyday? Beginning and end are all relative anyways. I don't have an "end" per se in my calender, but there is a beginning. Maybe one day, after we fly my kite, I'll tell you my very uncomplicated story over coffee. I've started writing Valentine's letters early because I know that once classes resume again, I'll be one of those pathetic people who uses the excuse "I'm too busy" to write a Valentine's letter. Inconvenience is such a pitiful excuse, though admittedly, I can't say that I've never been one of those "pathetic people." Strike one. Well, as part of my endeavor for self-improvement, here is my first attempt. My relationships with people are so important to me and I always feel terrible when I lose touch with a friend. It's a bit analogous to reading the first few pages of a book that you know is good and never completing it. How tragic! Perhaps all these social networks (i.e. Facebook) eliminates the need for phone calls and letters, but I don't want to discover on a news feed that "so and so" is getting married or that "so and so" is moving here. I want him/her to tell me about it.

But sometimes, if one's efforts at maintaining ties with a person are not reciprocated, you just have to let go. Oh, well. Though I suppose, it's never really "goodbye." It's "goodbye" until fate or circumstance brings you back to somebody and then it's "hello" again.

Anyways, my love for planetariums has driven me to purchase my very own in home planetarium. Merry Christmas to me! This has pretty much been the highlight of my week...that and finding multicolored tube racks in my lab today. Oh, what a life...

Good night.

Until next time

2012-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

So long, my home. Back to biz tomorrow...sob, sob, sob!

The photos above are of the Roosevelt Bridge in Downtown Stuart. Underneath the bridge is my absolute most favorite spot in all of my hometown. I could spend hours just sitting there, entranced almost.

Here is footage of my kite at the beach. Feast your eyes!

Bingding gets beached

2012-01-03T01:08:00.000-08:00

Kim, Alex, and I decided to take Binding to the beach.

This has been such a wonderful week--listening to my dad retell stories about his childhood, talking girl-talk over ice-cream with my mom, lunching at the Olive Garden with my cousins, car rides and long chats with friends, long walks, long drives, and flying kites. I love home--the sunshine and warm people--but as much as I don't want to return to the hell hole (otherwise known as Ithaca) I feel like a lot of time could be wasted if I diverted my focus away from living life to hating a place, so I'll carry on like that 1930s poster advises we all do. Harald, Scott and I have been discussing the very real possibility of hightailing it to California once we serve our time in grad school. My tolerance for cold weather progressively gets lower and lower with each snowfall so we shall see where the next 2 years will lead us.

Here is my Roadie #52 playlist:

Roadie #52 by Jeanne Q on Grooveshark

And a few other songs that weren't on Grooveshark:

16. Let It Be by The Beatles
17. Don't Let Me Down by The Beatles
18. Whatever Happened? by The Strokes
19.Inland Empire by Peter Bjorn & John

Happy New Year! Joseph Addison once said that the three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for so my wish for you all is that this year and future years to come will bring you those "somethings." Missing you all! xx

Roadie Number 50-something

2011-12-27T22:19:00.004-08:00

I'm in the process now of devising my "Roadie" playlist for the drive up to Gainesville. So far I have Sweet City Woman by The Stampeders and You Are The Woman by Firefall. One of the things I miss most about my time in Florida are the three-and-a-half-hour-long drives from my home (Gainesville) to my home (Palm City). I have about 50 "Roadie" cds from 2004 to present all scattered in the back seat of my car. There isn't any particular theme that I assign to these playlists. Each song is just a feeling, a memory--happy--for the most part. I rarely drive in Ithaca so I don't have much opportunity to listen to my Roadie playlists. A long time ago, I named my iPod "Jeanne's River of Dreams." Listening to music is like breathing to me and so while I do listen to a lot of music in my apartment, in my living room, in the kitchen when I'm making a sandwich, while I'm brushing my teeth, when I'm showering, while I'm falling asleep at night, nothing really compares to that solitary drive where the melody of a song meanders with the road and it's just you humming a tune that you love so much--escape. Ah, moments, moments. I've only been home for a few days, but already my heart feels so full of--I don't know, many things, but they're good.

I ate way too much, but it was soo, soo delicious. Hats off to you, Jennifer and Dad! Hope you all had a lovely holiday.

Happy Ho-ho-holidays!

2011-12-12T19:32:00.002-08:00

I love Christmas. I spent the better part of my weekend decorating and holiday shopping. Check out my apartment:

This tree cracks me up. I got it for 3 bucks at this crafts store, but I find it adorable.

I miss you all so much, but only two more weeks until I finally get to come home!

What ever happened?

2011-12-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not terribly fond of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, but the cinematography is beautiful and the film has a rockin' soundtrack. I've always loved that scene where Kirsten Dunst runs through some hallway and music from The Strokes rushes in.

I'm just taking lines from that song, but the notion of forgetting--completely erasing one's past--seems so sad to me, but I suppose sometimes, it's just easier that way. Anyways, I'd like to run down the blindingly white halls of Weill and have Julian Casablancas sing "I want to be forgotten, and I don't want to be reminded." Liberation, maybe?

The Christmas countdown has commenced long ago. Wheeee, exciting! I still have so much holiday shopping to do (yargh), but hopefully the weekend will allow me to complete my gift search for the majority of people on my list.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I went out to the break area to wash out my coffee mug the other day, I discovered:

I'm assuming Scott's assistant is responsible for all this. Cute, no? No doubt, Christmas is in the air. Man, these have been very trying weeks/months, but the end of the term is approaching and I'll have more to add later, but hope you're enjoying December. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing you all so very soon. Now cue Mariah Carey.

Dusty vs. Jack

2011-11-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

or...

I think I prefer The White Stripes version, but yeah, that's essentially all there is. Nature. Beast. Hello!

And now...it's been real.

Feliz Navidad

2011-11-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

A health benefits fair was offering free flu shots and so my lab mates decided to take advantage of this marvelous opportunity and go. Though goaded by my friends to follow suit, I declined the offer and insisted that I haven't had the flu since I was about 10. I have the immune system of an ox (Do oxes get sick? I dunno, but if they do have strong immune systems then that is what mine would be akin to)! With that, I thought it best to sit comfortably, injection-free, in my chair and scan the Justice headlines on CNN. Naturally, because irony is such a dear friend of mine, I later caught the flu a mere 2 days later. Plans to take over the world were foiled by a virus. I suppose there's next week then. So the past week, I've been battling a 104 degree fever, but oddly enough the fever and chills weren't what bothered me. It was the torture of staying confined in my apartment--trapped in my thoughts. Terrible. Anyways, during my recoup, I did accomplish many things. I watched both, count 'em BOTH, Paranormal Activity 1 and 2, watched all the seasons of Parks and Recreation, finished my documentary on the galaxy, finished another documentary on serial killers, and of course I watched a few chick flicks here and there. Dirty Dancing is cute. Patrick Swayze (back in the day) and Jennifer Grey are cute. The whole soundtrack--cute. So yeah, I totally got my TV watching on that week.

I taught my last genetics lab a few days ago. Talk about bittersweet. I'll miss my students (most of them, not all) but I'm happy that I can finally put more energy into my research. I wrote on the board their last assignments for the term: "This week: Think about microbes and stuff; Next week: Eat lots of food" (in light of the Thanksgiving holiday).

Today my parents celebrated 28 years of marital bliss. My parents and I were eating dinner with the television on one day and suddenly the theme song to Green Acres began to play. As soon as it came on, my dad grumbled, saying under his breath, "I hate that song." My mom and I just laughed and asked why. When my mom was living in California and my dad in the Philippines, my mom would call him once a month on a Sunday. Which Sunday of the month and at what time she would call was the mystery, but without fail, my dad would wait all day in this public recreation area (which is where the only phone in my dad's province was located) and every time he waited, Green Acres would play. He waited for her for 3 years before they decided it was finally time to get married. Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

I started listening to some Christmas tunes last week. Thanksgiving is next week and so no, I don't think it's too early to whip out the Christmas Partay playlist. I'll admit, I actually began listening to Christmas tunes back in June, but whatevs. It's all good. I'm looking forward to a visit from mom again next week. Sadly, it costs significantly more to travel back home than it does to fly here to New York which is why I'll be spending the holiday here.

I'll kick off the Christmas season with one of my favorite tunes...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Everybody's workin' for the weekend

2011-11-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

I like to indulge in the simplicities of life. To me that defines a good weekend--it is nothing extravagant, but it sure is comfortable. Thank goodness one of the TAs had to go out of town for the weekend so we weren't stuck grading the students' dang fly exam. So far, these kids are 1 lecture exam, 1 microbe lab exam, 3 lab reports, 6 quizzes, and 1 final away from being completely donzo with this god awful class. I've dealt with so many panic-stricken kids in the past few weeks, I'm beginning to feel more like a therapist than a teacher. This class is like no other I've ever taken before and it still amazes me how much they must endure for one measly 5 credit class. But like I've been telling my kids, any hardship that you go through, this too shall pass. And it's true. Come mid-December, we will all wash our hands clean of Genetics 2810. Hurrah!

Anywho, the weather (surprisingly enough) has been absolutely lovely these past few days. I hate how my mood tends to reflect the weather patterns here, but I will take any sunny day I can get, honestly. Sunday has become my favorite day. I went to lab in the morning to take pictures of my canavanine assay, went to mass and afterward I grabbed a coffee and sat at the Barnes and Noble to read my book. People watching is great. I noticed this old husband and wife (presumably so) browsing the $10 section and debating what Elvis cookbook to buy. Adorable. Later, I went for a run and ended the afternoon in lab to deconvolute my microscopy images.

This past week, Aaron Ciechanover came to deliver his Racker lecture and then he visited us in our lab. Apparently, him and Scott go way back and are pretty chummy. This guy was hilarious and had a lot of charm. But he did offer some sage advice which I felt was quite apropos since many of us have no idea what we want nor where we're going in life (well, not completely true for everyone, but I will repeat what he said regardless of where you are in your life): "It's important to study and do what you love. I mean who knows why a banana curves, but there are people who study it because that's what they love."

Good night.

I really like that song too.

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

2011-10-30T22:13:00.002-07:00

Things change, but there are just some things that will always remain the same. You're so right, my friend, so right. Whenever I reflect on my past, I always envision myself as this child peeking into a window and through this window are my memories, but this child-like version of myself can't enter this fortress which houses those precious memories, though try as she might. One mustn't strive to live in a fortress forever because there's beauty and life that exists beyond those walls. Anyways, I hope everything turns out alright for you, though I know it will no matter what the outcome may be.

This was such a productive and fulfilling weekend. I spotted these enormous marshmallows at Wegmans today and had to buy them because they thoroughly amused me. Here's a photo to give you some perspective on the sheer magnitude of these monsters. Spook-tacular, yes?

And now, I leave you with a song...

Happy Halloween!

Bermuda, Bahama, Come on pretty mama!

2011-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just purchased my tickets to go home! Wheeeee--I can't wait to leave this place. See you all so very soon!

December 23-January 4.

Tomorrow never felt longer, but soon...

Abstract Pumpkins

2011-10-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I went on an "art trail" which is basically where local artists showcase their work in their studios and homes. My favorite artist was this retired physicist who painted with watercolors and gardened during his spare time.

Impressive, no? I give him props since watercolors are so difficult to manipulate. I'd like to think that when I retire, I'll do the same: paint and garden.

Despite the chilly temperatures, October through December are definitely my favorite months of the year. I went pumpkin carving today. It was good fun, though needless to say, I don't think I should make a career out of this.

Pitiful. I'm not sure where I was going here. I wanted to put glasses on this fellah, but then one thing lead to another and somehow I ended up with a hybrid of Salvador Dalí and a tiger/bear of some sort. Oh, well, it's..."abstract art."

The next time somebody extracts DNA, won't he/she be in for a surprise, eh?

Dance Your Ph.D!

2011-10-14T21:08:00.002-07:00

There's this contest that Science (yeah, this is totally legit!) is having where contestants are asked to create an interpretive dance of their Ph.D. research thesis. Check out my friends' video about human protein phosphatase. Woop woop...they made it to the finals!

Contestant vids

Cornell's very own

These vids are pretty dang good. Feast your eyes!

Ugh...there are some obnoxious, drunk undergrads singing Britney Spears outside my window now. She had some good hits, but come on, let go! Sometimes the convenience of living so close to lab doesn't compensate for the raucous bar noise that spills into the streets and into my window. I've contemplated moving so many times, but I've already grown accustomed to the walls of my small, studio apartment and so I renewed my lease. I imagine I'll live in the same apartment for the next 3 years or at least until I grow tired of it all and finally muster up the energy to just move already.

Anyways, I love Django Reinhardt...well, all manouche jazz really, especially during the autumn season. Ain't nothin' like a mug of tea, some oatmeal, and Django on a cold, Friday night. Here are some favorites:

It feels like fall now...

Zoom zoom

2011-10-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Mom's asleep and I don't want to turn on the telly and wake her. I escaped to my bathroom to read my book, but my back aches now from leaning against the door so I started perusing my old photos more out of boredom than anything else.

Hard to believe these were taken exactly 2 years ago when we (Mavis and the gang) embarked on our journey to CHESS. And now...I live here. Yowzahs, the mind does reel. I'm finding that I'm having trouble distinguishing between years. Sometimes 2 or 3 years ago feel like just weeks ago...days even. But I suppose that's the nature of the beast--the beast being time. Yesterday commingles with tomorrow and pretty soon your life is just one big stew. Hopefully there will be some tasty bits in there though.

I tend to organize much of the music I listen to in an autobiographical manner so Andrew Bird is a good throwback to 2009.

Tomorrow, I'm planning on taking my mom out for waffles and ice-cream. There's a Friends of the Library book sale so maybe we'll check that out, but I know she's been itching to see Contagion.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends.

Apples, but no apples!

2011-10-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

I went to Ithaca's Apple Fest yesterday and today and contrary to what the name may suggest, there was surprisingly not an abundance of apples or apple baked goods. Needless to say, there was still a lot of tasty, albeit heart attack-inducing, treats to choose from.

My friends and I petted some goats. Aren't they adorable? They remind me of my pet goat I had as a kid which to my horror we later had for dinner at a party. We're savages, I know.

Temperatures dropped to the low 40s over the weekend and there's talk that we might receive our first snowfall. My mom's coming to town this week so hopefully we won't get any of that terrible weather. Fingers will be crossed. I am so not mentally prepared for another 7 months of cold. Snow is overrated.

Been listening to a lot of Motown recently. I think this has to be my favorite genre of music because most every song tends to have this sunny, animated beat even if the song is about heartbreak.