Motivated UMPH

I don't particularly like my step grandma, but she gave me some good advice in the morning. It's made me super motivated to do a thing.

Whoops

Oh my, it has been a while. So I've finished honours (I got first class, yay!) and it was probably one of my favourite years of my life this far! I achieved a lot and made some cool friends and I really miss being in the lab. Right now, I'm working in tattslotto (haha) and job searching for a lab job which I'm beginning to think I'll never get. Anyway, I've realised that I'd like to start studying again next year, but doing what is another story. I love working in the lab and contributing to research, but having a career in research is not a good idea because jobs as researchers are so unstable. You only can work year by year, hoping your lab gets enough funding to support you for the next. I think that kind of lifestyle is fine for a young person, but what happens when you want to settle down? I don't think it's such a great job then, as sad as I am to say it. So it's got me sort of conflicted. I love working in a lab, but I don't want to be a researcher. I could always work as a research assistant, but I can tell you now I'll end up wanting more after a few years.

That's why I want to study more next year. I'd love to do a PhD, but it usually leads to research jobs. So I'm trying to look at other courses that somehow lead to working in a lab...but not research as such. I'm sure there are heaps of jobs that exist like that, I just have to find them and then decide what I need to study! Life, heh.

Anyway, that's actually not what I came here to blog about. I came to blog about my skin. It's kind of terrible. I've never had great skin, but after puberty I used to get the occasional pimple or two. But lately I've been breaking out pretty bad, almost like the puberty days. I was thinking to myself, why? It could be stress, but then again last year I was super stressed and I never got THIS bad. I then realised, it's my diet. Last year (and all the years before), I used to eat a bit more healthier. I didn't have junk food as often and always had lots of fruit and veg everyday. Nowadays because I'm at home so much, when I'm hungry I usually opt for the unhealthy lunch because I have a choice. Last year I only could eat what I brought to uni, which was usually a healthy sandwich/salad and fruit or something. I know scientists say eating junk food doesn't give you pimples or whatever, but it clearly does! Well, to me at least. So I've decided I'm going to seriously start eating well again. Usually when health or trying to to lose weight are my motivation, it doesn't work because deep down inside i don't care TOO much about being healthy and my weight has never really bothered me. But my skin... I'm hella self conscious about that. So hopefully that will push me to be good! I was doing some research online, and compiled a list of foods that have shown to be good for the skin:

Dark berries, peppermint, pepitas, tomatoes, watercress, red grapes, beetroot, raw brocolli, sweet potato, tofu, beans, kale, avocado, green tea, garlic and alfalfa.

I literally did research, I even read some journal articles haha. These foods seem to be the best. I shall give it a go starting today!

Anyway, that's it from me. I'll let you know if I see any improvements in my skin!

Moosac

I orginally wanted to write a post about how I created a mutant for the gene I am working on in the lab. It's a pretty big thing, even Coral told me that "not every honours student is able to create a mutant, well done". It means something because Coral is Gibbs and never shows emotion. BUT instead I want to talk about the music I'm into at the moment because I am currently listening to music.

SO Alt-J is seems to be my band of the year because I've been listening to them quite a bit since the beginning of the year. They are very, very good musicians. If you like the technical side of music and like paying attention to the detail of songs, this is the band for you. But I don't think they'd be everyone's cup of tea. Although they have gathered quite a large fanbase in such a short amount of time, I was suprised they sold out festival hall in their first Australian tour. Anyways, here is my favourite song off their debut album. Look up the meaning of the song, and you'll fall deeper in love with the song.



I have recently purchased the new Queens of the Stone age album. This is a lot more rock and roll than alt -j. It's pretty good, but I think I prefer their older albums. Anyway, I really like the rock ballads on this album, and I'm not usually a fan of ballads. This song is one that stood out to me (not a ballad, but SO funky)



I also got other Garbage album for my birthday, one that was released in 2005. The reason I love Garbage so much is because all thier songs give me nostalgia for the 90s. Even the albums released in the 2000s. You'll know what I mean if you listen to their stuff! This song is my favourite song off the album. Musically it's quite poppy for my taste, but I just love it because the NOSTALGIA! Also, it's one of those songs that anyone can related to, you know, trying to find yourself and whatnot.



I've also been really into Radiohead, slowly making my way through all their albums (they have 8 :O ). Here is one song that is quite....abstract. But I love the chords and the feeling this song gives me. All of radiohead's songs are abstract.



Also been listneing to a lot of other music like mewithoutYou, cage the elephant, dead letter circus etc. Working in the lab has really opened me up to so much new music because a lot of the guys I work with listen to such alternative stuff that I never would have given a chance. It's been quite cool. OKAY I CONFESS I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WRITING MY THESIS BUT I PROCRASTIATED OKAY THIS POST WONT EVEN MAKE SENSE I JUST DIDNT WANT TO WRITE OKAY DONT SUE ME

I'm a messed up kid with no ideals at all

I realised recently that one of the songs I quote the most in my head is a song by Phoenix called "Long Distance Call". There's a lyric that goes "I'm a messed up kid with no ideals at all" and I noticed I say that all the time to myself. Such a simple lyric but so true. We are all messed up kids with no ideals, aren't we?

Anyway, that's not what I came here to blog about. I'm going to Sydney tomorrow for a Genetics Conference! I'm actually pretty excited. Not so much about the conference, but more about the fact me and my lab people are stuck with each other for five days. This sounds cheesy, but we're gonna learn so much about each other and perhaps bond a bit and that makes me excited for some reason. But really, if you live with a person, even for such a short time, you always learn something about them. I guess I'm just happy to be able to hang with them outside of the lab for once. Which reminds me, I'm also excited because I get to not go into lab for a whole week! I'm also excited about all the pastries I have been told about.

This whole year, I feel like I'm been chucked into the grown up world. I'm pretty much working full time hours, except not getting paid. I have to attend meetings, conferences, afternoon teas, have deadlines etc. Everyone else in the lab, the "grown ups" always seem to have it all together. That use to intimidate me a little because I still felt like a child who didn't know anything. But after looking closer, they are all just messed up kids too, like me.

Hm, I felt like I had more to blog about but I guess not. Either that or I'm too sleepy to bother to remember. Well, see you in 5 days!

Anklebiters

"Why do you care what people think? Are you hooked up to their leash?
You know anklebiters ate up your personality.
Try to remember how it felt to just make up your own steps.
And let anklebiters chew up, spit out someone else.
And fall in love with yourself.
Because someday you're gonna be the only one you've got.
Someday you're gonna be the only one you've got."

Sick Dayze

Ugh, so I'm sick at the moment and it's not very fun. The thing is, usually when I get sick, I bounce back within the week and I'm at my worst for max 2-3 days. This time around, I've caught the flu and I've been sick for just over a week now.

I took last Monday off from uni and even though I still wasn't feeling better, I went to uni for the rest of the week. STUPID MOVE. Then on the weekend I got even more sick and got this bacterial infection ON MY FACE. Apparently it's called "periorbital dermatitis". It's so gross, imagine your whole face swollen up and red, and tiny little white pimple things everywhere. Not even my mac makeup could cover this one up.

I got it because apparently my immune system has been so low, the bacteria thought it would be great to come and invade my body. All because I didn't rest last week and kept pushing myself, trying to prove what an awesome honours student I was. NOW I have to take even more time off AND take these stupid antibiotics.

I'm lucky, my supervisor has been totally cool about this and is supporting me and offering to do my lab work until I feel better. It's making me feel even more guilty about staying at home. But, since I am staying at home, I'm going to rest. Stay in bed all day and build up my immune system to fight them bacteria (ain't no way I'm leaving the house with my face like this). I even made me this vegetable super juice that's supposed to help you if you have the flu and to build your strength. I think I put too much parsley in, but it's not that bad.

So the lesson learned here is next time you're sick, get better before doing things or you're face will get ugly. 

I feel the knife go innnn

Something got me really bummed yesterday. I caught up with a friend who I hadn't seen in ages, because I've just been too busy. Anyway, that's not the part that bummed me out. What bummed me out was that she had been going through a really, really tough time in the past few weeks. I asked her why she didn't tell me, and she said it was because she knew I was busy and didn't want to add any pressure on me.

That just made me so, so mad. I know I'm busy, it's true. But I never wanted to be that friend who is always "too busy" for their friends. I just felt so mad at my self. Especially because I kept telling myself that I have to catch up with this friend because I hadn't seen her in ages, but I was always putting it off. I know I'm busy, but I never want to be too busy for the people I love. It just made me really mad, and the fact she was going through a hard time made me mad and bummed me out the past few days.

I guess that whole thing sort of motivated me to make more of an effort with friends I don't get to see at uni. I know it's hard, but at LEAST one night a week should be spent trying to catch up with my friends. Even if it's for 2 hours or something. Speaking of things getting you motivated, I have been more motivated lately to be more friendly. You see, the people in my lab. They are not the most social bunch, and the friendships I have made this far are all because I had to be the one to make the first move. They are very quiet and don't really talk to you unless you talk to them sort of thing. At the beginning, I used to be like that because I thought that's how things worked around here. But lately I've been realizing, we are all human. I should just talk to them and make the effort because quite frankly it's stupid sitting in silence.

So that's exactly what I've been trying to do. Be the one to make conversations and be more friendly I guess. So I guess that's what's been happening the past month, or at least in my head. Physically, I went to Groovin' the Moo, met Tegan and Sara and found $50, so that's also cool.

Well, I suppose I better head on off now!