tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55778202011-08-28T10:57:42.554-04:00In celebration of ordinary eccentricity.Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.comBlogger2401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-65827710646112298962007-04-15T18:39:00.000-04:002007-04-15T18:44:38.946-04:00

travel details for this summer:may 18 (sunday): arrival @ 6.30am, SQ 25june 19 (tuesday): departure @ 1.50pm, SQ 326this time round, instead of transiting at tokyo narita like i usually do, i'll be going the other way round the globe, via frankfurt. as a consequence of that, i'm taking advantage of the frankfurt stopover for a quick 2-day tour of the city.*scrambles for long-disused german

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-19533291861823848662007-04-08T20:43:00.000-04:002007-04-08T20:44:55.896-04:00

after spending an hour pestering my physics TA (who's all sorts of wonderful) about maxwell's equations, i feel like i can *sort of* grasp what those nutty physicists are babbling on about when they claim that maxwell's equations are "beautiful' and that the existence of a magnetic monopole would make them fully symmetrical and hence even more "beautiful". though personally, i'd rather spend time

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-86750061820955930522007-04-04T08:19:00.000-04:002007-04-04T08:20:27.039-04:00

Dublin photos are up!http://www.flickr.com/photos/21715607@N00/sets/72157600046621405/

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-63868099878845045162007-03-14T17:33:00.000-04:002007-03-14T17:43:39.576-04:00

remember that TCS drama serial '双天至尊'? now, thanks to the miracle that is youtube (which is being sued for a billion dollars in damages by viacom *boohiss*), we all get the chance to relive those childhood memories of watching 李南星 and 郑惠玉 doing their 赌王赌后 shtik and being ridiculously impressed by how drop-dead cool all those casino tricks looked:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QpXMjMO-EMif you

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-59355351355479742802007-02-24T19:50:00.001-05:002007-02-24T19:50:16.874-05:00

cny 097 Originally uploaded by banscylla. oh look, aren't the china adoptees simply adorable?

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-52538867698569224582007-02-08T06:56:00.000-05:002007-02-05T22:24:06.904-05:00

I have been struck by the sudden desire to pig out on roast pork, crispy bits of fat and all. But where can I get roast pork, in this accursed, culinarily-deprived backwater?Not for the first time, I wish that I'm studying in New York, or Boston. (Toronto's not bad, either.)

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-3068280864958272262007-02-05T22:20:00.000-05:002008-12-11T14:38:31.590-05:00

Arrived via Fed Ex this morning: Chinese New Year goodie pack from my dear daddy! Daddy's the best. :)

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-23576647383940526152007-02-03T23:38:00.000-05:002007-02-04T00:25:30.280-05:00

Frequent flyer programs - dark deeds untoldAs a modestly frequent flyer who has been on multiple, mind-numbing flights with less-than-satisfactory American airlines that misplace luggage, delay flights, serve lousy food and provide even lousier onboard entertainment, I have long since sunk my expectations into negative territory.But I had imagined there still was some good in those airlines,

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-24440009583426632242007-02-02T19:30:00.000-05:002007-02-02T19:35:28.703-05:00

It's the end of the week, and I want to crawl away and sleep for a very long time. But it would not be wise. For one thing, I don't actually need that extra sleep, because I've been getting 7 - 8 hours daily, which also means I haven't been getting any work done.Also, I managed to finish the milk and most of the yoghurt without dying of food poisoning. The remaining yoghurt has taken on a

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-79963895813482715972007-01-26T10:15:00.000-05:002007-01-26T10:32:46.748-05:00

I just did a very stupid thing. Yesterday morning, I unplugged my mini-fridge to make way for a hairdryer that could save me the inconvenience of going out in the sub-zero cold with damp hair - and then, after blow-drying my hair and returning the hairdryer, I rushed out for classes and forgot to plug the fridge back in.The happy state of affairs persisted until this morning, 24 hours after the

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-43722885203449795622007-01-21T10:28:00.000-05:002007-01-21T10:31:56.949-05:00

You Belong in AmsterdamA little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam.Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).What European City Do You Belong In?While I must confess a slight disappointment that it didn't turn out to be London, Amsterdam's not bad either.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-89621148667027503882007-01-11T19:34:00.001-05:002007-01-11T19:34:22.413-05:00

About 2 more weeks before spring semester starts, and I'm tired already, even though the most productive thing I've done in the 2 days since returning to campus was, uh, translating a German song for my sister, probably. Or checking out the textbooks for this semester's courses. I've decided to take the revised GREs (something like the SATs, but for graduate school application) in fall this year

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-78269611297772912822007-01-10T07:15:00.000-05:002007-01-10T08:29:10.789-05:00

After 19 days of happily gallivanting around Old Europe - England, Brussels, Amsterdam - in oppressively joyless weather conditions, I'm back once again to the New World, where morning doesn't skip over daylight to meld into twilight and the thermometer actually dips below zero like it ought to, even though winter is turning out to be ridiculously mild and some trees are already breaking out in a

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-14836124549614896002006-12-29T21:53:00.000-05:002006-12-29T22:34:31.171-05:00

Some snapshots of EnglandCambridgeLiverpool - AnfieldDover - The White CliffsThe British Museum - The Reading RoomCovent GardenCarolling at Trafalgar SquareChanging of the GuardSt. James ParkLeicester Square

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-56331256212404966332006-12-20T10:18:00.000-05:002006-12-20T10:23:50.535-05:00

A few pre-departure notesMy contact number in the UK: +44 772 613 8773Itinerary outline: London, Liverpool, Cambridge, Salisbury, Portsmouth, Brussels and Amsterdam.Date of return to the US: 8 January 2007And off I go. Wish me luck.And a Merry Christmas to everyone.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-11957972815421194742006-12-18T08:55:00.000-05:002006-12-18T09:07:56.767-05:00

The sun has risen, a new day dawns.And I am finally done with my tedious, repetitious, uninspired and frankly irritating paper. Hooray.I need breakfast. And caffeine detox. And probably a brain transplant.London beckons, just 2 days away. No time for daytime slumber - I need to attend to trip preparations, like compiling squee-worthy London walking guides for the terminally obsessed. In addition

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-53358665004306717482006-12-17T14:03:00.000-05:002006-12-18T07:19:33.085-05:00

Salmon with cheese tastes like heaven. I believe I may be addicted.Meanwhile, I've procured 3 cans of Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso to sustain today's paper-writing marathon. The next 24 hours are going to be entirely focused on cranking out 10 pages of pioneering efforts in chemotherapy. Oh yes.[edit: 11.30pm] Second can and third page, with an entire night and morning ahead of me. Life has

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-68480723436613359532006-12-16T17:55:00.000-05:002006-12-16T18:08:35.643-05:00

After the agony, the ecstasy.To celebrate this momentous occasion, I vacuumed my room for the first time in 2 weeks, filed away all my chemistry notes, and did my laundry. Don't look at me like that - it is a, uh, psychological thing: exerting control over personal environment as a way of wresting my life back from the tyranny of exams.Aaaaaand, I shall COOK. On the agenda: chicken and salted

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-2384983369910857242006-12-15T23:12:00.000-05:002006-12-15T23:30:40.181-05:00

Here's a sign that I've probably spent my day productively:Breakfast: 8 Digestive biscuits, 1 cup MiloLunch: Starbucks Iced Brewed Coffee, tallDinner: Subway 6-inch steak sub, 1 bottle Coke BlakSupper: Orange juiceDrinking orange juice evokes vivid impressions of cramped cabins, solicitous (or not so solicitous, depending on airline) air stewardesses, ceaseless engine hum and endless hours of

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-80597459555424539512006-12-14T19:50:00.000-05:002006-12-14T19:59:26.254-05:00

Physics put me through the deepest hells, but hey, one more exam down and only (only?) one more to go. It would probably be wise to commence low-level panicking for organic chemistry now, while there's still time to do something productive about it. I wasn't panicking for physics, right up till a few hours before the exam when it flared up all at once and nearly made me do something I would

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-81187275834857767242006-12-13T22:21:00.000-05:002006-12-13T22:28:23.935-05:00

2 more exams - Physics and Organic Chemistry - and one more term paper to go. With Immuno over and done with, life seems a tad brighter.It's a good thing the weather's somewhat warmer this week, because stress and cold don't go well together.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-63567591696971939562006-12-12T05:21:00.001-05:002006-12-12T05:21:33.876-05:00

Do. Not. Panic.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-68573020641134877572006-12-11T01:02:00.000-05:002008-12-11T14:38:31.901-05:00

There was some ghastly screaming coming from one of my Korean suitemates just now. Judging from past experience, she was probably reacting to late-night merry-making from our friends downstairs, whose joie de vivre seems undiminished by finals week. Good for them, bad for us.I think this sums up mein Leben zu dieser Zeit:今は、もう遅くなって、勉強する気分になれないけど、今週は期末試験が四つもあるから、徹夜で勉強しなければならないね。

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1165601939918941122006-12-08T13:18:00.000-05:002006-12-08T13:19:00.033-05:00

thanksgiving '06 Originally uploaded by banscylla. Being incapable of blogging anything coherent or interesting, I give all you long-suffering people the joys of... thanksgiving turkey! Mhmmm. The pleasures of protein, instead of this carbohydrate/ caffeine/ vitamin supplements diet.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1165523296285107802006-12-07T15:24:00.000-05:002006-12-07T18:57:44.933-05:00

I shall be cranky, and sulk, and brood darkly, and crack open a new bottle of caffeine, and go into library hermitage where late-night guitar playing cannot touch me... until this period of madness is over. Otherwise, I'll be priming myself for academic disaster.I will get through this, though, because that's what I always do, and why should this time be any different?[edit] After attending a

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1165435599158293662006-12-06T14:50:00.000-05:002006-12-06T15:06:39.173-05:00

My laptop came back after 2 long weeks of repair, and naturally, I celebrated by wasting time online on frivolities like this one: Er. I wouldn't take it too seriously. Pure misanthropy doesn't work for me, and I could probably use more cynicism, but all the same, it's not completely off the mark. Hmm.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1165246445386448422006-12-04T10:30:00.000-05:002006-12-04T10:34:05.403-05:00

First snow of the season arrived this morning, and I missed it by only an hour or so because I decided to grab a few hours of sleep after staying up till 6am. The disappointment of missing the first snowfall of the season! Argh.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1164812706773388522006-11-29T09:39:00.000-05:002006-11-29T10:05:07.663-05:00

Finals are getting way too close for comfort, and despite not having a life for the whole of this semester, academic preparedness is at an all-time low. The magical formula for time management continues to elude my best efforts, I have enough sleep but even that fails to make my waking hours more productive, I am mortally afraid of dozing off so I do caffeine gratuitiously (to diminishing effect

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1163746997603782932006-11-17T02:01:00.000-05:002006-11-17T02:04:07.100-05:00

The sun broke through the clouds for about an hour in the afternoon, so I managed to snag photos of, uh, mostly dying leaves. Lots and lots of dying leaves.There's a thunderstorm going on outside right now. You have no idea how much it thrills me to see a proper thunder-and-lightning storm again.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1163566296709735492006-11-14T23:30:00.000-05:002006-11-14T23:51:36.736-05:00

I have fallen on the wrong side of the academic code, apparently, for cheating, or rather, being an accessory to cheating. All I had to do was to lend my physics problem set, like a trusting fool, to a friend who then faithfully copied everything without my consent, because she was in too much of a 'hurry' to formulate her own solutions. As if this semester weren't enough of a crumbling ruin

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1163392519458688482006-11-12T23:31:00.000-05:002006-11-12T23:35:19.473-05:00

何だか気が散って、勉強できない。

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1163026931667657472006-11-08T17:57:00.000-05:002006-11-08T18:02:11.683-05:00

After burning out brain cells on immuno, I seem to have temporarily lost the ability to do physics, which is not a good thing with the midterm one hour away.Curse. Mutter.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1162953959970437902006-11-07T21:44:00.000-05:002006-11-07T21:58:55.270-05:00

Somehow, life seems to be lacking in something when dinner consists of soy yoghurt. Well, at least it was vanilla flavoured. And I did have pad thai for lunch.Looking forward to catching the sunrise - it's a lovely sight.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1162688326681759272006-11-04T19:45:00.000-05:002006-11-05T01:39:49.196-05:00

Immunology is an incomprehensible mass of arbitrary gibberish. I'm trying to make my way through a chapter that reads something like this: 'C3bBb generated in the alternative pathway can activate unhydrolysed C3 to produce more C3b autocatalytically... the C3 convertase activity of C3bBb generates the C3bBb3b complex, which exhibits C5 convertase activity... the nonenzymatic C3b component binds

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1162459275738845402006-11-02T04:18:00.000-05:002006-11-02T04:21:15.763-05:00

I know this is complete crack (seeing that I'm not American), but...What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.The Midland The Inland

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1162315755819137792006-10-31T12:19:00.000-05:002006-10-31T12:30:10.943-05:00

For some comic relief, check out what I had for Japanese listening comprehension today:「牛乳に相談だ」　(literally: 'consult with the milk)Wait for the page to load, click on [TVCM], and view the TV ads (which they call テレビCM - I am just as befuddled as you are) by clicking on [CMをみる]. The Japanese seem to have some very bizarre ideas about TV commercials. And apparently, these won awards.I have had more

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1162183323520529052006-10-29T23:13:00.000-05:002006-10-29T23:42:03.536-05:00

I have an organic chemistry midterm on Wednesday, and once again I feel like a second-rate overachiever. Deducing structures, developing syntheses and proposing mechanisms are all wonderful intellectual challenges, demanding a combination of chemical knowledge, logic, spatial reasoning, intuition, experience and persistence - which is all very intoxicating on a good day. But right now, my

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1161803911599044162006-10-25T14:55:00.000-04:002006-10-25T16:59:37.750-04:00

I got into trouble with my Japanese professor for submitting a script with unacceptable content, mostly the product of my partner's misguided notions of injecting fun and humour into what would otherwise be a routine exercise. As it turned out, of course, sensei was not at all amused. AT ALL. When she told us that she was 'very upset' when she read our piece, years of academic conditioning kicked

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1161455398942591512006-10-21T14:13:00.000-04:002006-10-23T16:55:09.230-04:00

'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Complete Recordings' will be released on Nov 7. About bloody time, too. I have been pathetically scouring the net and pining after it for months.Marco Beltrami (I, Robot, er... Scream, Resident Evil, Underworld Evolution... you see where this is going) is coming to Brown today. Of course, I'd rather have Howard Shore, Thomas Newman, Gregson-Williams,

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1161024965286693612006-10-16T14:50:00.000-04:002006-10-16T21:39:18.976-04:00

I find the summer course catalogue rather intriguing, and since I'll be spending most of the next summer at Brown slogging away at some research project anyway, why not take some fun courses on the side? Take for example PS0155: Intelligence and Economic Espionage. Better yet, it has no prerequisites - good news for a dilettante with zero Political Science background.Though I'm not sure how

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1160923228194487932006-10-15T10:21:00.000-04:002006-10-15T10:58:05.330-04:00

It's nice being the first one to be up and about and making (and eating!) lovely buttermilk pancakes while the rest of the dorm is still sleeping off the hangover from last night's exuberance. Unfortunately, it also means that you get to be rudely greeted with the leftover carnage from last night, and it wasn't pretty. On the 6th floor, where I live, one of the exit signs was broken and dangling

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1160789506422992742006-10-13T21:13:00.000-04:002006-10-17T12:43:04.640-04:00

Toronto photos are up.Somehow, maples seem prettier in Canada. Or maybe I've been brainwashed by their flag.Had dinner at an Indian restaurant with Ann and JiHee, for the first time in what felt like forever. Just because you live in the same suite with someone doesn't mean you see each other all that often. In fact, paradoxically, you may even end up seeing each other less, because living

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1160592426877483392006-10-11T14:41:00.000-04:002006-10-11T14:47:06.893-04:00

After today's immunology midterm, which doesn't bear talking about, I needed a distraction that I could squeeze into the 50 minutes before the next appointment on my schedule, so I watched the first episode of Ouran High School Host Club. ... I think I need to go traumatise someone else with it.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1160498965012369712006-10-10T12:41:00.000-04:002006-10-10T13:41:18.216-04:00

Toronto was great fun, although the travelling was as time-consuming and traumatic as usual. I missed my Northwest flight from Boston Logan to Toronto due to traffic gridlock on my way to the airport, but, thanks to airline staff competence and extraordinary good luck, managed to get rebooked on Air Canada - which was an even better deal than my original flight.Photos will have to wait, because

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1160100102374973332006-10-05T21:27:00.000-04:002006-10-06T01:53:06.343-04:00

Tomorrow I'll be off to Toronto to rendezvous with Woon Teng for my Columbus Day weekend getaway. There will be the Niagara Falls, the usual touristy things to do, high living at a youth hostel... I'm pretty jazzed - or would be - if not for the necessity of getting all my piled-up work out of the way before I hop off for a blissfully unproductive weekend. And it's a lot of piled-up work, because

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159879649079705592006-10-03T08:42:00.000-04:002006-10-03T15:40:32.610-04:00

Recipe for a wonderful morning: a shower, followed by hot pancakes, served with glops of butter and honey, and a cup of steaming Milo. To the merry accompaniment of Card Captor Sakura music.My dinner for last night, sliced beef stir-fried with flowering chives, green onions and garnished with coriander -Took me freaking forever from start to finish, but it was worth it.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159721606388888042006-10-01T12:34:00.000-04:002006-10-01T13:01:52.260-04:00

Argh. I now know the... er, physiological reason behind the bad week I was having, and I feel like a complete fool, because it's not the first time this has happened and I ought to have realised it from the start. Damn.I'm flirting with the idea of getting a diagnosis for PMDD so I may qualify for a fluoxetine prescription. Ever since Peter Kramer came to guest-lecture for one of my biology

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159292664648196572006-09-26T13:41:00.000-04:002006-09-26T20:46:41.170-04:00

Just now when I turned on the hot water tap, it gave me a great gush of yellow water. Even though the water cleared up after a few seconds, I'm now eyeing the taps with considerable suspicion. Subway's sweet onion with chicken teriyaki wrap is heavenly.[edit] Oh, it was just Facilities Management tweaking the hot water supply. So we aren't about to die of tap water poisoning after all.Because

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159250940334881392006-09-26T02:05:00.000-04:002006-09-26T02:09:00.353-04:00

Deducing chemical structures from IR, NMR and mass spectroscopy data is proving to be comfortingly therapeutic. Although I suspect I might change my mind about the mood benefits of spectroscopy problems come Wednesday's midterm, for now it would do nicely.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159166117003629502006-09-25T02:28:00.000-04:002006-09-25T02:35:17.020-04:00

*scream of intense frustration*Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Or will be, once I purge this latest provocation from my memory.It's NOT a good idea to get myself agitated when I'm on a caffeine regimen. That's something to remember.It's NOT a good idea to get myself agitated when I'm on a caffeine regimen AND dealing with a midterm/ paper crunch AND pulling a semi-all-nighter.No, no, no.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1159060387869815662006-09-23T21:02:00.000-04:002006-09-23T21:14:20.950-04:00

It's depressing to think how easy it is to screw up and how second chances aren't an automatic entitlement, no matter how much we may wish it. One miscalculation, one unwise move, and nothing would be the same, unless you get lucky. And the most you can do is pick up the pieces and try to move on.The obvious solution, of course, is not to be so stupid as to screw up, but that is too damned hard.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158954847366677912006-09-22T15:31:00.000-04:002006-09-22T17:16:55.246-04:00

The mood cycling seems to have levelled off a bit as the sobering effect of upcoming midterms sets in. So I am boring, am never seen around campus (at least by people who think they are the epitome of cool) and have 'no interests', unless academic hermitage counts. But it doesn't matter that much anymore, because I know, and my closest friends (who, after all, are the ones that matter) know, that

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158909087033781432006-09-22T01:00:00.000-04:002006-09-22T03:15:23.490-04:00

No specifics, I'm afraid, but it's happened again and brought me crashing down from Wednesday's stratospheric mood. I can't help but be bothered. Here I am trying to find some sort of happy equilibrium and make my own choices without having to conform unwillingly to someone else's rationally constructed ideal of a full and interesting lifestyle, and then I find these choices under attack. Not

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158802450382725182006-09-20T20:37:00.000-04:002006-09-20T21:37:08.793-04:00

Today's been such a glorious day that I simply cannot let it pass unremarked.It didn't have that auspicious a start - falling asleep in my first class prompted me to rectify the situation with coffee. And, dear me, how everything just soared from that point on. The weather was beautiful: buoyant sunshine, brilliantly blue skies, a late summer/ early autumn warmth with just the right amount of

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158635209280848542006-09-18T22:46:00.000-04:002006-09-18T23:09:49.850-04:00

I'm... disturbed (although a better choice of word would probably be offended) by the recent trend among the Singaporeans here at Brown of disparaging A*STAR scholars, whether or not as a harmless joke. Actually, from what I can perceive, there's very little that's purely jocular about this matter. Underlying the constant ribbing is a very real... something, I'm not sure what to call it without

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158550087140224162006-09-17T23:13:00.000-04:002006-09-17T23:28:07.156-04:00

The pace is picking up, leisurely sauntering is no longer a feasible option, but I haven't built up enough stamina to run. Dare I say - caffeine relapse?Met the Singaporean freshmen - many of them for the first time - while gorging on guo tie this afternoon. The intake this year was huge, and I idly wonder what sort of effect this is going to have on the Singaporean society here at Brown.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1158279879001746142006-09-14T20:10:00.000-04:002006-09-14T20:24:39.016-04:00

These days, I get up early in the morning, have breakfast in my room, put in an hour or so of work before heading for lectures, starve for the rest of the afternoon, cook or reheat leftovers in the evening, devour dinner (with enormous relish, I might add), and then spend the night doing whatever I feel like doing without anyone bothering me. It's heaven. Or close to it, if the suite below ours

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1157895331461555612006-09-10T09:33:00.000-04:002006-09-10T09:44:01.463-04:00

Graduate Center Tower D, Room 614Pictures, as promised.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1157671228162437252006-09-07T19:05:00.000-04:002006-09-07T20:40:00.866-04:00

Well, even if they aren't going as brilliantly as I'd hoped for, at least things are plodding along at a decent pace. I've settled in, made my room nice and comfy - if a little on the minimalist side, because I still haven't figured out what to do about wall decorations. I managed a blue/cream colour scheme for the bed alcove and zoned the room into 5 distinct areas: study table, larder/cooking

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1157513072491638712006-09-05T23:09:00.000-04:002006-09-05T23:24:32.506-04:00

I desperately want this term to start off brilliantly. Grand Plans have been dreamed up, mistakes that had marred previous semesters vowed never to be repeated. Etcetera. The actual results, of course, are disappointing, to put it mildly. And it's only - what? - the first day of term. Brilliant.We can never cease to be ourselves. Indeed. It's like a terminal disease, being myself, although I

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1157256350081919122006-09-02T23:36:00.000-04:002006-09-03T00:05:50.106-04:00

Fool I was to think that just because I went to the extra expense of flying SIA this time round, I would be lucky enough to escape the perverse fate that always seems to await me at airports.Oh, not that there was anything wrong with SIA. SIA was, as usual, irreproachably efficient and gave me a pleasant enough flying experience – as far as air travel can possibly be considered ‘pleasant’. I got

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1157015652961555582006-08-31T04:32:00.000-04:002006-08-31T05:14:12.976-04:00

And it's that time of the year again. When I have to haul my reluctant self out of tropical domestic bliss and switch over to the spartan, daily-struggle-for-survival life of a... ah, you know what, re-adapting isn't that big a deal, as long as you think of "daunting" as "challenging" and then transmute that to "exciting". And living abroad has its (many) compensations. Oh yes.So, flight

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1156349453089381662006-08-23T11:57:00.000-04:002006-08-23T12:50:41.366-04:00

Flitting around from this and that in a state of semi-panic seems to be the main thing occupying my time in these final, too-short weeks. I confess a certain reluctance to leave - yet there's an odd (and regrettable, because it's really very silly) sense of shame to this whole business of being so hopelessly provincial and limited in my outlook that I shudder to think of departing this cosy home

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1155625050225677212006-08-15T02:50:00.000-04:002006-08-15T03:03:40.823-04:00

'You two infinitely stupid male creatures!'3 weeks remaining, and I've discovered another distraction in the form of BBC 7 radio plays. Currently listening to the radio dramatisation of Pygmalion - and it's been great, every character as I'd imagined (given the limitations of my experience with London accents). I am especially enjoying Simon Cadell's portrayal of Professor Higgins. Every time he

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1154738205183790432006-08-04T20:21:00.000-04:002006-08-04T20:36:45.240-04:00

I'm officially done with lab work for this summer. Though I woke up this morning with the notion that 3 Mongolian warlords (in full battle regalia, no less) had commissioned me to finish research on transgenic Drosophilia for their own nefarious purposes, and since my home wasn't sufficiently equipped, I was obliged to return to the lab. I remember being extremely excited about the work - part of

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1154495797921147292006-08-02T00:59:00.000-04:002006-08-02T02:40:42.203-04:00

I am using my lunch break to blog instead of being a good little scientist and reading research papers or analysing data. I ought to be ashamed, but in my defense, I just came across these rather diverting articles while doing my customary surf through sci/tech news:Black box of our livesIf we don't know where we are, where will we be? Both articles discuss the impact of technology on human

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1154443741570485602006-08-01T09:58:00.000-04:002006-08-01T10:59:23.153-04:00

By week's end, I will have finished my attachment - something that seems to surprise nearly everyone at the lab. The common consensus is that it barely feels like I have been around that long. To which I usually smile and say something along the lines of, "Yes, it certainly seems that way, doesn't it?" I suppose the passing of time may have made a bit more of an impression on my lab-mates if I

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1153040411549673372006-07-16T03:49:00.000-04:002006-07-16T05:02:06.290-04:00

I'm in the early stages of the affliction described in this Newsweek article: Netflix Guilt: Who has time for all the great entertainment stacking up in our film queues, blog lists and digital TV recorders?Life at home is one of endless indulgence in asynchronous entertainment and relishing my consumer's role in contributing to the shift to a 'long tail' economy. And there are other things of

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1150728974826322292006-06-19T10:50:00.000-04:002006-06-19T10:56:14.826-04:00

Forgot to mention something important: I can still be reached at my old hand phone number. So, feel free. :)

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1150533837743581162006-06-17T04:41:00.000-04:002006-06-17T04:53:25.240-04:00

For your amusement, here's a little something I noticed during my all-too-brief stay in Tokyo:And zooming out, we see one of the designated 'smoking areas' scattered all over Tokyo, which people actually use:I've just concluded a protracted and massive photo upload on Flickr. And because I'm too lazy to post a lengthy travelogue, I shall just settle for that. : )I know I tend to seem to disappear

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1148763635092642062006-05-27T16:52:00.000-04:002006-05-27T20:15:13.946-04:00

That's me - yes, me - at HOLLYWOOD, being the model tourist. Squint to see the iconic signage.Frankly, Hollywood is best viewed on the screen. Take away the clever camera angles and lighting, the make-up and expensive gowns, all that red carpet dazzle, and all you have left is a couple of blocks of famous buildings along a street that is only impressive if you unfocus your eyes, blank out the

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1148322169659872682006-05-22T14:17:00.000-04:002006-05-22T14:22:50.610-04:00

OK. I'm in LA, typing away furiously at a terminal with only 15min internet access, so forgive me for being brief. I will probably be going to Hollywood today, although the un-Californian rain does dampen one's spirits, and I'm lodging at my roommate's place in the East Los Angeles ghetto - which hopefully isn't as alarming as it sounds, but I do draw stares from inquisitive Hispanic residents

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1148049019202374392006-05-19T10:19:00.000-04:002006-05-19T10:30:19.286-04:00

後は日本語の試験を受ける。　今、大雨が降っていて、気持ちの悪いだ。　本当に夏休みを楽しみにしているけど、今はどうしても快活にならない。でも、最後の試験だから、だいじょうぶだよ。　自信を持って、望みを失わない。

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1147823168699224242006-05-16T19:40:00.000-04:002006-05-16T19:46:08.706-04:00

I realise now that I am not one of those people who can thrive on irregular naps, sporadic meals and lots of caffeine - not even for a few days. It's not something I can keep up - it all quickly degenerates into recognisable symptoms of fatigue, inability to concentrate, irritability and moodiness which aren't conducive for productive studying so... Back to work, because it seems to be the only

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1147749318593549412006-05-15T23:06:00.000-04:002006-05-15T23:15:18.653-04:00

The caffeine pills that I procured at the campus minimart are bright yellow in colour and horribly so. If I take all the pills at once, 16 in total - 200mg of caffeine each - I could attain the minimum lethal dose. But of course, I have 3 finals to go and I can't possibly want to mess them up like that, so I shall stick to the recommended dose and try not to distract myself too much cramming cell

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1147494174465165492006-05-12T23:55:00.000-04:002006-05-13T00:36:17.860-04:00

My first final is 3 days away and I'm now in a healthy state of near-panic, because the last 3 days have been mostly spent valiantly attempting to conquer Japanese, with the net result being a woeful sense of inadequacy whenever I tackle one of the sadistically difficult translation exercises my professor seems to love so much. I need to start seriously memorising signalling pathways and cell

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1147393359818380962006-05-11T19:57:00.000-04:002006-05-11T21:02:03.910-04:00

午後、勉強するつもりで図書館へ行ったけど、コーヒーを飲んでも眠くて居眠りをしちゃったので、やっとドームに帰って、勉強をしてみた。しかし、今、勉強するのがつまらないって思っているので、コンピュータを付けてブロッグをしている方がいいって。 最終試験は来週で、時間がないのに、勉強する気がしない。でも、今、ルームメートがいないし、周りは別に静かだ。 どうしようかなあ。じゃ、そこまで。 勉強しなくちゃいけない！

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1146888079244933382006-05-05T23:56:00.000-04:002006-05-06T00:01:19.256-04:00

With finals one week away, the level of partying on campus seems to have shot up exponentially, if the racket going on outside (at bloody midnight) is any indication. The halls are probably going to be saturated with marijuana and strewn with empty beer cans and plastic cups soon. I've finally been inspired to buy noise-isolating earphones. I will happily endure the discomfort of inserting those

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1146707513756847182006-05-03T21:38:00.000-04:002006-05-03T21:51:54.313-04:00

I have this 5-page cell biology paper to write, about E-cadherin/catenin and its role in breast cancer. Which is a rather reasonable deal, really. The subject is understandable, not too broad, and sufficiently interesting. (And if all else fails, I have Red Bull and hyperactive anime music.) But to my dismay, I find that the very nature of research gets in the way of a nice, comprehensive paper.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1146137890865036632006-04-27T07:28:00.000-04:002006-04-28T11:01:27.356-04:00

This is hopeless. One hour before classes begin, I'm listening to spiffy Iranian pop tunes instead of dutifully memorising various types of religious chants or trying, for the umpteenth time, to bully my aurally-challenged ears into recognising the differences between classical Indian song genres. Bleh. I think I shall just give up on music and unwind with a bit of physiology revision.Not that

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1145824022960392982006-04-23T16:25:00.000-04:002006-04-23T16:27:02.970-04:00

Cherry blossom petals are drifting through the air like snow, the gingko tree outside my window is uncurling leaves of tender green, and I don't have the words to do this feeling justice.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1145770784420024432006-04-23T01:29:00.000-04:002006-04-23T01:39:44.430-04:00

Spring Weekend... and it's bloody cold. From a balmy daily average of 15degC for the past week glorious weeks of spring, a miserable 6degC now. The sakura blossoms are beginning to fall - in a week or so they would be gone. But in the meantime, I am living in a CLAMP wonderland. Minus the creative perversions.And since it's Spring Weekend at Brown, student debauchery is in the air, the police,

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1145259360690761372006-04-17T03:36:00.000-04:002006-04-17T03:36:00.763-04:00

st. james' park Originally uploaded by banscylla. Aww, I love this shot. It makes me think of diabolical duck-drowning. Besides, it's undeniably cute. This photo update is long overdue (I know, I know). Anyway, the London photo collection is now complete. I have the ducks of St. James' Park and examples of furtive Soho night photography up. And here are the photos from the recent lecture

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1145234952729206342006-04-16T19:31:00.000-04:002006-04-16T20:49:12.803-04:00

I find that alcohol doesn't have the desired effect on me. In the proper spirit of Saturday night fun, I went for my roommate's birthday party (a "real" party - i.e. no "surprise", sissy birthday cakes and singing "Happy Birthday" like what I'm accustomed to with the Singaporean crowd here, but beer, spiked punch, hard liquor, music and bump-'n-grindin') to have my first taste of alcohol in a

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1144883075929746512006-04-12T18:54:00.000-04:002006-04-12T19:04:35.996-04:00

I'm feeling inordinately pleased with myself today. I posted a parcel to my sister (which, as the postmaster commented, was "very well packed"), dropped off my winter jackets for dry-cleaning, went native and studied outdoors on the grass, and pulled off an information-gathering stunt on someone who had been intriguing me all semester by insinuating myself into the relevant social circle,

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1144618368226590962006-04-09T17:29:00.000-04:002006-04-09T17:32:48.243-04:00

The weather really is too nice to waste moping around indoors feeling ineffectual and irrelevant. Time to turn up the feel-good Amelie music and soak in the spring sunshine together with the merry people outdoors. I think a full day of anti-socialness should be more than enough indulgence for those bad humours.

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1144382030278879002006-04-06T23:44:00.000-04:002006-04-06T23:53:50.280-04:00

A good sleep always seems to clear out the refuse and unnecessary clutter of the mind, enabling one to think more clearly, dispassionately and logically. I find myself appreciating this more and more - stress and euphoria alike seem to magically evaporate after a good night's rest. Besides, it's just plain common sense, and not at all a difficult concept to grasp.Hence, sleep is good.Ergo, I

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1144273995081977052006-04-05T17:00:00.000-04:002006-04-05T17:54:13.426-04:00

I seem to have been afflicted with a temporary bout of Anglophilia. There was that trip to Wales, for one - which stirred up cosy childhood memories of lovely meadows, limestone cliffs, English cottages, crumbling castles, sinister caves, jolly good adventures and thrilling mysteries for 4 (or 5) children and a dog. Moving on from Enid Blyton, London evoked another series of literary associations

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1144042338852502722006-04-03T01:32:00.000-04:002006-04-03T01:32:18.896-04:00

atlantic college, wales Originally uploaded by banscylla. Too tired to blog intelligently, but needless to say, spring break is officially over, and I haven't done any work. But the trip was everything I could have wished for (except for the Heathrow nightmare at the end - truly, that airport sucks), and I got souvenirs and photos and bought 3 books (because British bookstores are just so

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1143500627847089572006-03-27T17:23:00.000-05:002006-03-27T18:19:25.743-05:00

It's spring break vacation right now and I'm typing this on someone else's laptop at the United World College at Llantwit Major, Wales; and this after - get this - travelling by bus to New York City, by subway and AirTrain to JFK International Airport, cross-Atlantic Air India plane to London Heathrow, by the Tube to London Paddington station, national rail all the way to Cardiff Central, and

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1143110135355704002006-03-23T05:30:00.000-05:002006-03-23T05:35:35.366-05:00

Thanks to my midterm crunch, I'm officially pulling my first all-nighter. And it feels surreal. Morning has broken. I must make haste.(Why do I feel so cold, even when the room temperature is a comfortable 24degC?)

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1140851573283001762006-02-25T01:49:00.000-05:002006-02-25T02:12:53.320-05:00

My idea of a Friday night well-spent: watching epic, overblown musicals extolling the virtues of the Chinese Communist Party and praising Mao every other verse. Even better, watching said propaganda musical with a friend from Taiwan whose grandfather fought in the Chinese civil war on the side of the KMT. It helped that she knew every detail of Chinese history and could fill me in when the

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1140327701126407482006-02-19T00:26:00.000-05:002006-02-19T00:41:41.136-05:00

I've got my replacement debit card in the mail, and things are clearing up nicely. Although I say that with reservation, because life never seems to want to settle down into the sort of comfortable rhythm I so crave. But nevermind.I've decided that instead of wasting energy being disappointed when I have much to be grateful for, and even more importantly, more work to do than I can ever get my

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139870971976300692006-02-13T17:17:00.000-05:002006-02-13T17:51:22.586-05:00

I went to Starbucks today. Not for coffee - just to use its restroom. So in I went, feeling considerably more collected than I was 2 days ago, because I had spent my day getting replacement cards, settling paperwork and generally cleaning up various messes at a nice clip. I had finally bought my textbook (second-hand and relatively cheap, considering), and I was in the process of booking flights

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139813728255743842006-02-13T01:35:00.000-05:002006-02-13T01:55:31.250-05:00

Well, now, isn't this just wonderful.The maximum liability for lost luggage is US$20 per kg. Which means, assuming my bag weighed in at 20kg (baggage weight limit for international travel being 23kg), I stand to receive a maximum of $400... if I am lucky. According to my estimations, to replace everything that I have lost, I need around US$600. This is after adjustment for the ridiculous US

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139681407507829882006-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:002006-02-11T13:10:07.523-05:00

After coming down from the exhilaration of my caffeine-induced Friday, a possible approaching blizzard is the only thing remotely cheerful about this weekend. Or maybe I'm just drained, as usual, after calling up Baggage Recovery for the nth time, with nothing to show for it apart from elevated levels of stress and frustration, which is really nothing new.Once again: Northwest Airlines has earned

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139268776319797562006-02-06T18:16:00.000-05:002006-02-06T20:55:14.970-05:00

Being falsely cheerful has become a way of life. And I don't even do it very well. Meeting with my advisor is always a chore, although he's a wonderful professor who likes John le Carre as I do - but it's his job to check on my welfare. And I don't know whether to tell the truth or paint rosy illusions. I usually settle for embellishing the truth - the 'yes, it has been great, though of course

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139068527534714492006-02-04T10:36:00.000-05:002006-02-04T10:57:33.430-05:00

CNN report: Air traveler complaints upHell, yeah. And the figures are probably understating it, since not all screwed-over consumers complain to the Transportation Authority. I should know.I dreamt that I got pregnant. It was horrible, not so much because of the pre-marital pregnancy thing, but because of the scholarship agency wrath thing. Much of the dream was consumed in angst, trying to hide

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1139027728207953372006-02-03T23:08:00.000-05:002006-02-03T23:35:28.266-05:00

'tis Friday night and predictably enough, I'm not getting myself passing-out drunk or engaging in the usual college Friday night traditions. I did do more socialising than usual today: finally hosted a male friend in my room (oh yes, please do ask if I'm finally getting a love life), spent an hour in the company of people whose conversation contained American cultural allusions about which I had

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5577820.post-1138747415926246812006-01-31T17:29:00.000-05:002006-01-31T17:43:35.976-05:00

I'm not a satisfied customer.They still haven't found my bag yet. What drives me absolutely, screaming mad is the lousy fact that I can't do anything about this situation. There are no strings I can pull, no legal threats I can invoke, and no amount of yelling is likely to be constructive. All I can do is to call them up repeatedly and to no avail, while the process of tracing continues, at

Banscyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11382482863734358473noreply@blogger.com2