Happy 2025

The last post on "no-off-switch" was in August 2020! I know it has been a long time, and today seems like the second best time to pick this up again! A LOT has happened between August 2020 and January 2025, and I am not going to try to capture every single moments. Rather, I am just going to let you know who "runs" the "no-off-switch" in this post, and I promise to be more on top of things, updating you on Hannah and my adventures. 

Hannah and I were driving back (it was a long 12 hours drive) from visiting mom, and we promised each other to actively seek out adventures in the new year! We will go camping, running, diving, and just pure adventures, AND I will post them here. We are going to Grand Caymans in about a week, so keep a look-out for that write-up!

Professionally, I graduated my second PhD student (Tanner Richie) at the mid of December, just in time for her to celebrate her Christmas and New Year in style :) She is heading to become a post-doc scholar at University of Virginia.

Tanner and I at her hooding ceremony

Hannah is the Director of Operations at SB Pharma Solutions, and also a jet-setter - in 2024 alone, she has travelled to Vienna, LA, Brussels, Chicago (and probably more places that I had forgotten), not just for fun, but for conferences and meetings. She presented to the world leaders in the The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting - so proud of her!

Hannah being "sneaky", and took a quick pic of herself at the UN meeting in Vienna

 

The SB Pharma Solutions gang!

Meanwhile, here are the "true owners of no-off-switch"... Happy 2025 from Hannah, Mona, Zorya, Rye and I 🎉🎈🎊

Mona

Mona being "tortured" by Hannah

Zorya

Rye

Happy New Year

It's 4am on the first day of the new year 2014! I am up and ready to go take the bus to the Taiwan Taoyuan Airport. Hannah is coming today! She had travelled a long way - from Auckland to Melbourne to Singapore, and finally after nearly 24hrs,  she is here!

New Year lunch

It's the last day of 2013. Dr. Tang bought pizza for the lab. It was an informal and fast lunch because everyone is busy with their work. We also took the opportunity to wish Xue-Ping all the best in her future endeavours. Today is her last day of work. She had helped me so much on and off during these two years... every time I am here in Taiwan for my research, whether is it field or lab work, she is here to give me a hand.

Happy new year everyone.

(Clockwise) Me "with the mask", Wei-Ling, Chia-Ling, Xue-Ping,
Hsing-Ju, Jia-Ho, Pei-Wen, Shan-Hua.

Dr. Tang, Ching-Hung, Beck

Beck, Yu-Ting, Chia-Ling

Xue-Ping

Jia-Ho

Grace's "There and Back Again" DAY 1

Hannah picked up Grace from the airport this morning. I was not there, but from what I heard - people were smiling at their sisterly-love while they hugged each other for 10 minutes! I think any longer, they might have to be escorted out of the airport by the security :P

Grace and Hannah reached Waiheke by 11:45am, and they were among the thousands of tourists who flocked to the island to welcome the New Year. Thus, the usual idyllic island becomes very crowded! Hannah and I had planned to bring Grace to Auckland city to have a drink and welcome the new year. However, looking at the craziness, we decided to stay on the island, have a BBQ, drink some beer, just relax and get ready for our road trip tomorrow.

We got steak and beer from the local supermarket. Our friend, Janis joined us as well. After BBQ, we chilled out ... the girls playing "SET", listened to Jazz music, Grace trying to stay awake from the jet-lag, until midnight came when we made her open the "champagne" much to her delight and also apprehension.

Summer ale... perfect drink for the day

Grace "double-fisting" drinks

Janis, Hannah and Grace

Happy new year... and tomorrow, the journey begins.