Tree climbing, thats brilliant. Did you win on style or speed?

yeah I sometimes think that way too. I certainly didn't fit the stereotype of the straight A student who's destined for a Ph.D. I always wanted to, mind you, I was just so damn lazy.

Re: decimal points in numbers: Fabry was using the correct notation for Europe (a comma, not a decimal) The UK is the odd one out in that sense.

True enough MistaG: when I look back at some of my undergrad behaviour I cringe. I would have slapped me.

Mind you I'm surprised you didn't know about databases till the end - how did you avoid them? Didn't your lecturers point you to them?

Pushy undergrads...you always get one who wants endless one-to-one attention, special treatment, advice that the others are not privy to. They are the same ones that ask if they can work extra days in the lab when the other students are not there, which seriously disrupts my PhD research cos I can't get on the instruments and they're asking endless questions...in a way I admire their motivation, but I don't like them trying to get ahead by gaining unfair advantage over the others. My colleague even had one student calling her on Christmas day asking about bloody lab work.

LOL Aliby. And I hope I didn't sound like I was suggesting you were arrogant: I think earplugs are a great idea. My hair covers my ears anyway. Now I just need something to cover my 'orrible greasy hair.

Mind you it's interesting seeing how terratorial people get over their little bit of the room. There's little notes stuck on every surface with bollocking reminders not to do this or that and to damn well keep your bags/books/self off this/that/the other. And God forbid you go near anyone elses biscuits; there's near warfare breaking out on that issue.

Thanks Aliby, I had thought of earplugs but I wondered if people would consider me rude for wearing them in a public room. I guess not if you wear them too.

Having to share a computer room...only now do I realise how lucky I was that I had my own computer in my supervisor's office. My computer has now been "borrowed" to drive the Mass Spec and until I get it back I'm in the PhD student's computer room. Bloody hell it's noisy - yakking and rustling of crisp packets and beeping of phones, and fidget-arses that wander round and round the room. I feel sorry for thise who have to share all the time.

I like winter, actually - just bloody Christmas I can't stand.

In Leicester we get 3 celebrations for the price of one: the lights went up last week for Diwali, then stay up via Eid and eventually through to Christmas.

Yeah, I thought about adding the "humbug" myself but I figured someone else would do it for me

I hate Christmas. All that false jollity, sending cards to people you don't like, eating food that hardly anyone likes, sleeping on a cold uncomfortable floor in some relative's house for 2 weeks, watching crap TV - all because "Its Christmas!" Sod that. I'll celebrate when I feel like it, not when the calendar says you must.

I've found all her books have a similar theme: the narrative splits between modern-day San Francisco and historical China - usually in the form of an elderly mother describing her childhood to her American-born daughter. I like them because they describe a lifestyle and culture so totally different from anything I know - not just the food, although that takes a big part, but the belief in ghosts and superstitions, and the relations between family members. They're often very funny too. I would recommend them.

Does anyone else have a recommendation? I also like the No 1. Ladies Detective Agency books for a bit of escapism.

Hey Pea, I just bought that one! About to start it. Amy Tan is great, such a talent for describing smells and tastes of China. Never been there meself like. My favourite was The Hundred Secret Senses.

Yeah, since it's Friday night I may go for a lemon chicken with fried rice and hot and sour soup - that's the stuff...

Yup, me too. In the last month I've pretty much got through the collected works of Amy Tan, which has the side effect of making you really fancy Chinese food.