A New Start

So it's definitely been a long while since I last updated this blog. I'll take some time to do so before I report for my last shift at Staples.

A lot of things have happened this week, and I could say I have gone through an emotional rollercoaster. On Monday, I finally witnessed a positive result from the experiments that Evette, the PhD student I've been working under at the lab, had from the ELISA we were doing up to 10.30pm at night. So that night ended on a positive note.

Then, on Tuesday, I forgot all about proper practices of labelling, and I mislabelled Valeria's (a post-doctoral fellow at the lab too) spleens, and I had to wrack my head to get the correct label out. I ended on a low note.

Wednesday, during class I was put in a group I didn't want to be in, so I talked to Richard about switching out. Another low note.

On Thursday, I had a great day in class, especially for BIOL200 and PHIL230A, where I partook in the discussions very actively and I felt I learned a lot. Then, I went to work, did up my lab duties when I had to speak to Dr. Takei about my lab work. It was there and then that I learned that he wanted to lay me off, and was really sorry for doing so because of the circumstances (I had nothing much more to do; the mice weren't giving birth to knock-outs that we could analyze). I was sad that day, for I had just started to get to know the others there well, especially Tim, who accompanied me down to Java Express for a last coffee (at least in the capacity of colleagues) before I left for home and he left for Flow. I was sad all night.

Friday, Richard tells me that he and I are switching groups together to join another two in the other room, and I sense hope again. Then I check my mail and see that I've had an invitation to join Golden Key, which I did. While working on the CPSC111 problem with Jonas, I receive an e-mail from Dr. Ninan Abraham, who said there may be a possibility for me to volunteer at his lab. In the afternoon, I did my programming for CPSC111, and completed 80% of my homework assignments due on the 25th of Sept, as such freeing my afternoon up. I went for coffee (well, hot chocolate in my case) with Qingning, before coming back home to a night of productive philosophical reading and memorization of amino acids. It ends happily, for I had spent time with friends, was productive, and saw vindication of my efforts.

God put out the rainbow after the flood, as a covenant of His promise to mankind never to bring about such massive destruction. At my lowest point of the week, Thursday, though I didn't consciously know it, I sensed the promise, and kept my hope up. Friday, it all showered down on me. The shower of rain and the gusts of wind that drowned me and blew me around all week stopped, only for me to see light again.

Sad as I still am for losing an opportunity to stay on an have a valuable long-term experience at the lab, I see hope in that opportunity. At random times throughout the day, I will think about what good may have come out of it; Zigang said it is an opportunity sifter to be rejected, so that golden opportunities may come. I really hope I'm on the right train of thought.