Oh he he he :)

I got quite tipsy after work on Sunday - having two and a half pints of cider in three hours isn't much so it either means I'm getting really old or it's just I haven't been drinking much that's all. Working in a pub is so much easier than being a waitress. Guess it's also because it's a local pub so people aren't as demanding. I think I miss having lots of attention too. I don't think I'm usually an attention seeker (I hope) but it's nice to have guys around who want to talk to you. =D

Pete's final week at the Isle on Wight and he starts work at the Science Park next week! It's actually a bit scary thinking that I'm going to see him every day. It's just been weekends so far and I get my-time-along on weeknights. But it's been a bit more difficult for him having to drive nine hours every weekend. Anyway, hope things go okay!

cold cold

It's 8am and sunny. And it's two degreess.

stupid door

I got locked out of my flat today. I saw my keys on the table. I put my coat on and took my bag. Went down the stairs without my key and shut the door behind me. Uh oh. Crap. Oh no! Call Pete. Argh. Took bus to work. Read about coding rules. Took free bus to letting agent in city centre. Got my keys from them surprisingly effortlessly. Wait and wait. Took bus home to get bike and my own keys. Cycle and thanking god (or whoever the higher being is) that I didn't have to pay for a locksmith. Phew!

undercooked salmon again... grr

It's getting really cold here - 5 degrees at the moment. Like every year, it's summer one moment then winter the next. Brrrgh.

Pete and I went to CUMSA Asian Food Fest last Saturday and for the first time, it's held in New Hall and catered to 120 (apparently) people. It's become quite a big event now - lots of non-Chinese people there too. I think I still like the HMH hall and being served (instead of having to be kiasu and rush to queue) better. Not many recognisable faces left either. There were only two teams this year in the food competition so that wasn't too exciting either. But I got to eat some nice homecooked food so yay! I think we'll need to get a small ricecooker the next time we go back to Singapore - need more rice.

I've also started work at a local pub called The Plough. It's a small hassle-free place and almost the same people come in every night. People say "Ta!" instead of "Thank you!" Hah! I don't do (PhD) work in the evenings and can always do with more money! I'm only working two nights a week anyway. I'm not telling my mum that I'm working cos' she probably won't like the idea very much. She'll say stuff like, "Is it safe or not?", "One girl come home so late wait something happen how?" or "You need the money meh?" etc. I'll tell her when I go home in Jan la. My boss reminds me of my dad, both being skinny, and smokes, and drinks a lot. Heh.

PhD-wise: Martin (sub-supervisor) and I did some scans (yes on a hospital MRI machine!) using the technique that I would be optimising - the image is very noisy which (I think) is due to motion-caused artefacts. I spent the whole of today Java-coding. It's just always the simplest thing that's hardest in coding. I stared at the screen all day, trying to read in some data and then converting it to some understandable format but am still stuck. How annoying! I hope I will get that Java book tomorrow. Reading notes from the screen is just cruel - even though one has two screens.

Oh and I've got internet at home! Wahey! And I've got a very sweet iMac G5 too! Yes, I've decided to come off Microsoft. Furthermore, iMac has got all the coding tools (C, Java, TeX) that I need and is best part, based on UNIX and entirely configurable. Yes, it will probably take me forever to learn how to do that well but I'd like to know that it's possible. Of course, and that the screen, drive, disk, processor and camera is on this one piece of beautiful case is too tempting to resist. There's also the IR remote that controls the Front Row cinematic experience. Oooh. Thus I am now broke (and that's why I need the money!) but a very satisfied person.