10x lunch protocol

This is my 10x lunch box which I used for work this week. It is tall rather than broad to fit squarely in my backpack without spilling when I cycle to the train station. As always, it is good for 10 meals. I am still readapting 10x to locally available ingredients.

My shelf

I put up some prize possessions on my office shelf. On the left, 'Entering Mentoring' (a parting gift from the lab) so I don't botch up the mentoring thing too much. On the right, a clock which was another lab gift. In between them are the only books I brought from the US. 

Commuting device

Check out my new bike, delivered to the house and a bargain at 70 USD. I ordered it from a dodgy looking website which turned out to be legit. I used this engineering marvel for the first time yesterday to commute to the train station from home.

The aggressive styling and dazzling decals will surely make everyone envious.

Bloody Shit Ambulance

 D picked me up from lab on my first day and we saw this on the way home.

(1) A lorry/van with inscriptions all over it.
 

(2) Apparently, it is the Bloody Shit Ambulance.

A quick search for 'Bloody Shit Ambulance' reveals that it is a plumber's van set up to look like an ambulance. The following link has eight close up shots.  

http://dariofauri.com/this-is-too-funny-plumbing-service-the-bloody

Picture #7 goes out to IK.

First day (10 Feb 2011)

Today was spent doing the following in order* (1) Talking to the senior PI with whom I am sharing lab space to coordinate logistics* (2) Meeting with HR to do paperwork* (3) Walking around like a confused roomba, finding out who makes what happen where* (4) Eating my pre-packed lunch because I am not yet set up for my 10x lunch protocol* (5) Helping the maintenance guy to assemble my office table* (6) Waiting for computer which ended up not arriving till late yesterday, hence this late post* (7) Enjoying the view from my window.* See pics below.

* LIKE A BOSS

Picture 1: I'll be the first to be rescued in case of a fire.

Picture 2: A view of Singapore's port facilities from afar.

Picture 3: The left side of my view. A greenhouse for plant experiments and a housing estate in the distance.

My new roommate

This is my new workspace which I have populated with a IKEA table and bookcase. My new roommate is a low energy cat who is unlikely to cause self-injury by chewing my computer cables or licking my soldering iron. Both her position (lying in her favorite cushion) and momentum (zero in relation to earth's surface) are simultaneously defined to high precision, thus violating heisenberg's principle. Or perhaps she has become a bose-einstein condensate...

Monster minivan

This is the minivan which we used last tuesday to transport our luggage to newark airport. It was a 20 mpg monster. We did not ship anything.

Battery Minder

Last tuesday, I installed a battery conditioner which supplies a trickle charge to D's car battery, thereby keeping it charged for the months when we are away. It has the added bonus of desulfating the car battery through high frequency pulses. Crystallization of non-conductive lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4) on electrodes are the biggest problem for batteries which have been left discharged for too long.

Dear Friends

This blog is to keep you updated on my attempts to start a lab, do some science and set fire to random objects. May Thor's hammer protect you from my experimentation. FYI, Thor's help is much preferable to Odin's as unlike Odin, Thor does not demand human sacrifices for his help. Definitely, if you have misgivings about human sacrifice, ask Thor.

Last monday was my last day in lab. I did walkthrough with my microcamera and here is the video.