I cycle a lot, and I've been told recently that cylists very often develop tight tendons, esp. the Achilles tendon. Apparantely you need to do lots of leg stretches to compensate.

Green mangoes...I always assumed it was coriander or something. It's very nice.

I saw a recipe online, I may have a go at the weekend.

I get them from a shop round here, and they come with a little tub of green dip.

Have you ever made them?

Really? That's possibly the best news I've had all week

Know what I'm having for lunch now.

I'm in a savoury mood today, so still on Indian stuff: dokla

Give me your top five, then!

Seems like an odd thing to say: my first year report focused only on research plans and preliminary results. Are you in the US then?

Yes....I wasn't entirely serious, Swantje

You'll be in good company, I'm sure. As Shani said, those in their 30s seem to be the majority here too.

People will be impressed that you took a salary cut to do this. Where I am, a good few of the academic staff are refugees from industry: they took a pay cut to work in academia, but are happier here.

I'm aiming to lose 8lb over a month, (took up kung fu and thought this new exercise meant I could eat whatever I wanted - not true...) and I'm bloody starving. This is what's on my mind:

1. Chocolate digestives
2. Fish and chips
3. KFC (that's how bad it's getting)
4. Pistachio barfi
5. Old El Paso tacos (since I saw the advert for the new "Standable Stackable taco shell).

Hungreeeeee...

I think you need to grab inspiration when it strikes! Like Tom said, working on something you feel good about can be less tiring than sitting on the sofa watching News 24 (or whatever you do on your time off).

yes, I know hoe you feel but I tend to get myself into those situations! Agreeing to write articles, and so forth. But from what I can see, that's what both academia and industry are like at all levels, not just PhD. I try to think of it as "all good experience" (whilst gnashing my teeth).

That's very true: confidence gives the audience confidence in you.

As long as the audience are on your side - and for PhD students, they always are because they know it must be nervewracking for you - then presentations generally go fine. I would just try to laugh about it if I made a slip up.

Actually I didn't know that! I've heard that polyphenols in tea are precipitated by milk and rendered inactive: is it a similar reaction?

(just trying to sound as if I know my medicinal chemistry...)

Thanks H. So I will be nice and regular if I take this stuff? Last time I took iron I was bunged up for a week.