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Happy Bday to my bro and fav couz (and richest too, probably)! The 1st and 5th. Sorry to couz for not sending an email or something, but I guess blogging it makes up for it.

We had a final farewell for our last TSA president, Jerry today at China One dim sum. He's leaving tomorrow for Taiwan, and that'll put to an end his time here at Duke and Durham. It's kind of sad as this is signalling the first trickle of friends that I have hung out with for considerable time over the last two years will be leaving. It's harsher for the PhD's I guess, since we are a minority in the Taiwanese students community. Most people come here for Masters and leave in a year or two. Best of luck and wishes to Jerry in his future endeavours.

I think I'm finally coming off this cold. Throat is still slightly sore, but I feel a lot more energetic. I mean, I worked till nearly 1 am tonight with no dinner. What a loser. Actually I was feeling like a loser...not because I'm not excited about the work or things, but overall just frustrated with how we are still encountering problems with our samples, how we are so close to that first breakthrough but...It's also a little frustrating how you're basically the only one in the lab, and when done and tired, head home alone with an empty stomach. Practically everyone else in the lab is married! It may not seem like much, but having people or someone who asks "How was your day" and not as a passing greeting as a lot of people use it, but actually because they want to know and care makes such a difference. I guess at the end of the day, the only person who will stick with you till the very end..is yourself. So it's ok to think fairly well of yourself. Maybe not egotistic, but confident about your own importance. I mean if you don't, who will? But yea it's hard to start a conversation with yourself (unless you're psycho with multiple personalities, btw Ed Norton plays these roles so well, think Fight Club). Imagine, Right hand asking your Left hand, "How was your day?" left responds, "Why rightly fine, thank you." Just nuts!

Anyways, I'm glad my mom knows how to use aol. Cause she sent a message while I was working and we kind of chatted on and off as I tried to do things. Then phone call and yea, thanks mom for calling. I know someone cares.

Alright that's enough venting for a night. Need to sleep as I want to come off this cold completely and there's a full day of work ahead. I've planned the work sequence for tomorrow all out...chugga chugga choo choo..like a nonstop train on the track to...

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