On the Middle East...
While watching CNN, my mom observed, "Couldn't we just have a giant alien invasion so everyone would be distracted and stop fighting?"
Mmm, someone's already thought of that. In 1986, no less.
The Fountain
Our bodies are prisons for our souls,
All flesh decays.
Death turns all to ash.
And thus, death frees every soul.Everytime I watch that trailer, tears stream down my face. I guess it's a remnant of this past year, finally comprehending what death means. When I was in the Taipei hospital watching my mother pat my grandmother's head and talking to her like a small child, the only vision that went through my mind was me in the future, doing the same thing to my mother.
Long-due updates...
My summer has been productive, even as I wake up everyday at home at noon. :P For one thing, I got a nice job working at City of Hope, a cancer research hospital, contributing back to society. At least that's what I will tell myself when I look out the window and see cancer patients in face masks and wheelchairs. Even if my contribution won't be applicable until like...2020, it's still something!
In more specific terms, I'll be looking at the mechanisms of chromosomal repair in mouse stem cells. Once we've got the process figured out, it may lead to a way to alter cancerous tumor cells before chemo so that less radiation is needed to kill them. "May" being the operative word here. But I've just gotten word from the boss that the NIH and NCI (National Cancer Institute) is going to fund us, so what we're doing sounds awfully important.
In more practical terms, I'll be working with a lot of petri dishes, and hopefully if things work out, also looking for pretty cells under the microscope. For hours on end...
For my second productive summer accomplishment, I found someone sharing a nice condo in Arcadia for a terrific price. Yay for Craigslist. I have enough space in my room to set up a little corner art studio, and the new elementary-school-teacher roomie seems very nice. I may flex my artistic muscles for elementary school in a different way now. I did miss elementary school, since I didn't really have a chance to show off my talents anymore once we had to take tests and junk.
And I just found out that there is a 99 Ranch Market less than a mile from my new place. Ahhh, life is good indeed.
Now, um...for the packing. In 100+ heat. Ugh.
