ouch for fear of spoiling the aesthetic quality of the gift.Thank you Kwok Wah!!!!
(PS sorry, I haven't been able to take a photo, because, my camera charger is still at your place haha. So this is from the company website) xx
2008年3月22日
easter gift
What must I have done in a past life to deserve such amazing cousins and friends? Just as I'm at my lowest ebb they always do something to remind me how lucky I am. I came home today to find a parcel from Kai, one of my Dutch cousins, waiting for me in my kitchen. I got very excited, although it did cross my mind that it could just be my camera charger (which I think I left in Eindhoven when I visited last month) and it could be a massive anti-climax. But it turned out to be a beautiful easter egg, filled with gorgeous looking chocolates that I don't want to t
ouch for fear of spoiling the aesthetic quality of the gift.
Thank you Kwok Wah!!!!
(PS sorry, I haven't been able to take a photo, because, my camera charger is still at your place haha. So this is from the company website) xx
ouch for fear of spoiling the aesthetic quality of the gift.Thank you Kwok Wah!!!!
(PS sorry, I haven't been able to take a photo, because, my camera charger is still at your place haha. So this is from the company website) xx
2008年3月13日
Last day in Oklahoma
How fast times flies! It's already my last day of my research visit to Stillwater, Oklahoma. My flight is at 11am tomorrow morning, which means being ready at 8am, and as usual, I haven't packed my bags yet or sent a postcard to any of my friends or my lab (that will happen tomorrow at the airport). I HAVE remembered to get sweets and biscuits for morning coffee in our department tea-room on Monday (Oreos, naturally), and chocolates for my friends. Not American chocolate, because I do still want them to be my friends for a little longer! I did toy with the idea of buying some of the sugar-free chocolates and toffee that you can get here for a laugh- how can you get sugar-free TOFFEE?! On second thoughts, I don't want to know, though I did take a look at the ingredient list and various kinds of oils feature heavily. That's why the confectionary does come with a disclaimer - it is NOT low-calorie. In fact, the sugar-free chocolate contains much more fat and calories than the non-low-sugar Hershey's peanut butter cups (which, incidentally, also come in a sugar-free form. I dread to think what goes into that). I've missed several of my friends' birthdays in the two weeks that I've been away, but I think I'll do my present shopping at the airport instead, where they might have some nice European or Mexican chocolate.I'm really very glad that I came on this visit. I've learnt a lot, and gained so much in confidence both in my work and in myself. I have the bad habit of burying myself in lots of experimental work when I'm not sure of what to do next, and wasting a lot of time and effort in the process when actually, I need to step back and consider what my aims are. Being here has forced me to step back, take a look at what I've got already, and what I need to do next. Of course, having someone who's willing to go through data analysis methods and experimental design, step-by-step, is a major help! My supervisor in Cambridge is a really great guy, and really knows his stuff, but on statistics and confocal microscopes, he's not so confident. Which is precisely why he's sent me here! Over the last few months my self-confidence, regarding both my work and my own character and sense of self-worth, has taken a lot of buffeting. But right this moment, there's a flow of enthusiasm and energy that seems to be lifting my spirits up and making me eager to face the challenges facing me back in Cambridge - let's hang onto this feeling and make the most of it. I know you will all be happy for me! ^_^
2008年3月11日
Yet another sex scandal
Today's the day of the Mississippi primary but the political spotlight seems to have been usurped by Eliot Spitzer, the governer (for how much longer?) of New York. He's been said to have been hiring prostitutes - at a massive $1000-an-hour - which is all the more ironic given that he investigated prositution cases when he was still New York's attorney general. It's not just a sex scandal case though; it seems likely to escalate into a full-blown investigation of corruption charges and even money laundering.
So how much can we demand to know about the private lives of our politicians? Or indeed, other figures of authority? When I was at high school, the headmaster of one of the schools in our area was nearly forced to resign after copies of Playboy were found in his office drawers. This seemed a little extreme to me, especially since at that particular time a lot of the boys on our school bus were publicly ogling the same sort of magazines. The problem though of course, was that as headmaster as a school, his conduct and moral behaviour would influence not only the reputation of the school, but also all the pupils in that establishment. If a cleaner could find the magazines, what would prevent a student from entering his study and finding them as well? However, knowing a lot of the boys on my bus, they didn't require much 'corruption' in this area and if they did, the older boys were already doing a very good job of it. And to have found the magazines in the headmaster's (normally locked) study, students would have had to be snooping around somewhere they shouldn't have been in the first place.
But this current case, at least in my mind, another matter entirely. Spitzer is refusing to comment on these charges, saying that it is part of his private life, separate from his work and ability to govern. However, Spitzer has based his political reputation on his intentions to stamp out corruption and bring a high standard of ethics to New York politics. This goes down to the issue of trust and whether he can deliver the promises he made to the citizens of New York when he was voted into his post. Using prostitutes is one thing (not that I condone it, but that's a different issue), to cover it up and use state money to arrange these meetings is another.
Not that it's entirely all that surprising to the American political news reporters. It's only been a few years since the governer of New Jersey, James McGreevey, had to step down after having a homosexual affair with his state's head of Homeland Security. Mark Foley had to resign from the House of Representatives in 2006 after he was found to be sending 'sexually explicit' text messages to teenage male interns in the House (which I think is worse). And of course, there was that high-profile case of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky several years ago, when he was still US President. I wonder how long it'll be before that case gets dragged up and used in negative publicity against Hillary Clinton, with this political sex scandal case emerging at such a crucial time in the election process?
Of course, American politicians don't have the monopoly on sex scandals. Plenty of UK MPs have been thrust under the spotlight over the exposure of affairs and the use of prositutes, or indeed, 'rentboys'. The question we have to ask is whether or how much their conduct in their 'private' lives affects their work and standards, and our perspective of them and their suitability as decision-makers for our country. A lot of it depends on the nature of the 'indiscretion', the legality of it (for example, an affair with someone not in the political or business sphere is very different from someone who's a subordinate you've just promoted!), and also how honestly and well the politician deals with it once it comes out under the public eye. In the case of Eliot Spitzer, having built his reputation on the moral high ground, he may find that the higher you rise, the greater the fall.
So how much can we demand to know about the private lives of our politicians? Or indeed, other figures of authority? When I was at high school, the headmaster of one of the schools in our area was nearly forced to resign after copies of Playboy were found in his office drawers. This seemed a little extreme to me, especially since at that particular time a lot of the boys on our school bus were publicly ogling the same sort of magazines. The problem though of course, was that as headmaster as a school, his conduct and moral behaviour would influence not only the reputation of the school, but also all the pupils in that establishment. If a cleaner could find the magazines, what would prevent a student from entering his study and finding them as well? However, knowing a lot of the boys on my bus, they didn't require much 'corruption' in this area and if they did, the older boys were already doing a very good job of it. And to have found the magazines in the headmaster's (normally locked) study, students would have had to be snooping around somewhere they shouldn't have been in the first place.
But this current case, at least in my mind, another matter entirely. Spitzer is refusing to comment on these charges, saying that it is part of his private life, separate from his work and ability to govern. However, Spitzer has based his political reputation on his intentions to stamp out corruption and bring a high standard of ethics to New York politics. This goes down to the issue of trust and whether he can deliver the promises he made to the citizens of New York when he was voted into his post. Using prostitutes is one thing (not that I condone it, but that's a different issue), to cover it up and use state money to arrange these meetings is another.
Not that it's entirely all that surprising to the American political news reporters. It's only been a few years since the governer of New Jersey, James McGreevey, had to step down after having a homosexual affair with his state's head of Homeland Security. Mark Foley had to resign from the House of Representatives in 2006 after he was found to be sending 'sexually explicit' text messages to teenage male interns in the House (which I think is worse). And of course, there was that high-profile case of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky several years ago, when he was still US President. I wonder how long it'll be before that case gets dragged up and used in negative publicity against Hillary Clinton, with this political sex scandal case emerging at such a crucial time in the election process?
Of course, American politicians don't have the monopoly on sex scandals. Plenty of UK MPs have been thrust under the spotlight over the exposure of affairs and the use of prositutes, or indeed, 'rentboys'. The question we have to ask is whether or how much their conduct in their 'private' lives affects their work and standards, and our perspective of them and their suitability as decision-makers for our country. A lot of it depends on the nature of the 'indiscretion', the legality of it (for example, an affair with someone not in the political or business sphere is very different from someone who's a subordinate you've just promoted!), and also how honestly and well the politician deals with it once it comes out under the public eye. In the case of Eliot Spitzer, having built his reputation on the moral high ground, he may find that the higher you rise, the greater the fall.
2008年3月10日
Politics do get dirty. Why act surprised?
A few days ago, I mentioned that I thought the American Democratic candidate race, although close-run and very competitive, was still fairly civil. Yes, there has been a lot of canvassing, and a lot of playing each other off, but on the whole it wasn't TOO dirty, at least not by historic standards.
As soon as those words streamed from my fingertips onto the screen, it appears that the going has just got dirtier. All the negative publicity against Obama that Clinton harnessed; how one of Obama's close aides allegedly told Canadian officials that Obama's campaigning on negotiation of trade agreements was just for campaign purposes; the trial of one of his early patrons for corruption and money laundering; the doubts cast into voters' minds about the experience and ability of Obama as a President - these worked in her favour last week and it seems that she is keen to carry on in this vein.
But politics has always been dirty - at least, I've always thought so. The battle for the power and control of the country, and for the right to speak as a world leader, on an international platform; these are high stakes, so of course the competition will be fierce. The question is - who will prevail, and how far can they go without alienating their supporters OR their rival's supporters when it comes to the General Elections? Barack Obama has his hands half-tied at this stage, he's made a big point of wanting to be 'a different type of politician', one who doesn't resort to the political lecturn's equivalent of a no-holds-barred, fists bared, street fight that we've seen so often in the world of politics. However, if he can hold his ground and deflect these attacks with dignity and confidence, it will be a real demonstration of his strength of character and ability to deal with problems.
It appears though that the Democratic party leaders are already thinking of damage limitation when this is all done and dusted and the Presidential candidate is finally elected. They're currently corresponding with both Clinton and Obama to consider collaboration of the two rival campaigns when the primaries are finally over. I still think it's possible. After all, they haven't resorted to setting up the assassination of either their rival or themselves, and they haven't throw tables at each other. Not yet.
As soon as those words streamed from my fingertips onto the screen, it appears that the going has just got dirtier. All the negative publicity against Obama that Clinton harnessed; how one of Obama's close aides allegedly told Canadian officials that Obama's campaigning on negotiation of trade agreements was just for campaign purposes; the trial of one of his early patrons for corruption and money laundering; the doubts cast into voters' minds about the experience and ability of Obama as a President - these worked in her favour last week and it seems that she is keen to carry on in this vein.
But politics has always been dirty - at least, I've always thought so. The battle for the power and control of the country, and for the right to speak as a world leader, on an international platform; these are high stakes, so of course the competition will be fierce. The question is - who will prevail, and how far can they go without alienating their supporters OR their rival's supporters when it comes to the General Elections? Barack Obama has his hands half-tied at this stage, he's made a big point of wanting to be 'a different type of politician', one who doesn't resort to the political lecturn's equivalent of a no-holds-barred, fists bared, street fight that we've seen so often in the world of politics. However, if he can hold his ground and deflect these attacks with dignity and confidence, it will be a real demonstration of his strength of character and ability to deal with problems.
It appears though that the Democratic party leaders are already thinking of damage limitation when this is all done and dusted and the Presidential candidate is finally elected. They're currently corresponding with both Clinton and Obama to consider collaboration of the two rival campaigns when the primaries are finally over. I still think it's possible. After all, they haven't resorted to setting up the assassination of either their rival or themselves, and they haven't throw tables at each other. Not yet.
2008年3月6日
Blogging and singledom
Just a random observation - after flicking through my friends' blogs, I've noticed a general common denominator. All who update their blog regularly are currently single. Now, I hesistant to draw a link between the status of blogger and singledom, but I guess those of us who are single might have more time to spend on the computer typing and less time fixing the latest hole in the 'wok'. Also, blogging is a way to make our thoughts known about issues that are bugging or interesting us at the current moment. There's only so many random emails you can type to your friends (even bestest friends) without generating a reputation of strangeness for yourself. Having said that, most of my good friends (and several of my undergraduate students as well) already know that I make random observations about almost anything, and have heard me rant on at various times on issues I care about. What else are friends for?
You can blog about anything, your views, your day, people who annoy you, be as random as you like. Other people can either choose to read an entry or or ignore it, and they don't feel obliged to think of something appropriate to say in return. But if you want an opinion you might also get one. Simple therapy without the hefty bill at the end! However, as part of a couple, your partner might be the one you call or email everytime you think of something you want to chat about (and if they have too many opinions you're not happy with they may no longer be the other half of your couple). Maybe that's why my single friends are bloggers, but not many of my attached friends.
And of course, if you're in a relationship, you may not want them to read about everything you think of in the day. Unless you don't let them know you keep a blog. Or you're training to be a diplomat, in which case it'll make for good practice.
You can blog about anything, your views, your day, people who annoy you, be as random as you like. Other people can either choose to read an entry or or ignore it, and they don't feel obliged to think of something appropriate to say in return. But if you want an opinion you might also get one. Simple therapy without the hefty bill at the end! However, as part of a couple, your partner might be the one you call or email everytime you think of something you want to chat about (and if they have too many opinions you're not happy with they may no longer be the other half of your couple). Maybe that's why my single friends are bloggers, but not many of my attached friends.
And of course, if you're in a relationship, you may not want them to read about everything you think of in the day. Unless you don't let them know you keep a blog. Or you're training to be a diplomat, in which case it'll make for good practice.
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