Moving

Dr. Tang's lab is moving to a new building next week. So we have to stop all experiments this week, and start packing. There are boxes and boxes of flask, tubes, instruments etc. everywhere. It is a hiccup in my planned schedule because I was hoping to finish part of my work this week. However, it gives me more time to write my paper and I can continue my experiment next week.

It was the birthday of two lab members this week - Amber and Jin-Hong. There is huge thing in Taiwan now with huge rubber ducks! It seems that every province in Taiwan had borrowed/ bought this huge rubber duck (about 10m high) from Germany. They had placed it in the rivers and ponds of the respective province as tourist attractions. Due to weather and bad management, these ducks have "die" one after another (the rubber duck burst!)... back to the birthday... so for their birthday, their cake was the RUBBER DUCK!.... :)

Apartment in Taipei

As promised, here are some photos of the apartment I am staying in Taipei. It is located right in the institute, and the rent is about NZD300 per month! I have to pay additional NZD50 per month for the rental to exchange for new bed sheet and pillow case. Washing machines and dryer are located in the basement of the building, and it cost about NZD2 per 40mins wash (I think..haven't use it yet).

It is less than 5 mins walk to the lab, and the location is quiet as well. There are lots of shops around, and restaurants in the institute are not too expensive (about NZD3.5 for dinner) as well.

Excuse the poor quality of the photos. I am taking pictures using my iphone, which my sister gave to me...it is her older 3S version... even my nephews have 4S versions. However, I am very pleased with this phone, having been using a non-smart phone for years...this is a new experience :) The nicer, better quality photos will have to wait until Hannah comes with the better camera.

Living / dining room

Bedroom... single bed..so it will be slightly more cozy when
Hannah arrives :)

Refrigerator

Even has a microwave and water heater

Spotted crane hunting in the artificial pond / reserve
on the way to the lab

Back in Taiwan

Back to my lab and field work in Taiwan. I have been here since Oct 27, but trying to catch up with what I left behind the last time, thus did not have much time to write until now. I will be here until end of January 2014, and then will be going to Singapore for a couple of weeks (for Chinese New Year) before heading back to Auckland.

The goals for this trip is :
- finish all the microbial DNA samples for experiment 1, and send it for sequencing
- conduct experiment 2 (lab manipulation flow-temperature) and part of experiment 3 (field manipulation flow-temperature)
- extract microbial DNA samples for experiment 2 and experiment 3, and send it for sequencing

Hannah is joining me in Taiwan on January 1st, 2004! We know that it is a luxury when our budget is so tight. However, I knew that it is going to be tough for both of us when I am going to be away for 3 months (especially through Christmas, New Year and our wedding anniversary!). Therefore, I convinced her that we should try to get her on this trip, and we would save more when the school starts next year. Also, we feel that it is a good time to visit my parents for Chinese New Year as well.

I am trying to get as much done as possible before Hannah reaches Taiwan. I was (secretly, hopefully) hoping that I can get the last week off from work so that I can tour around Taiwan with Hannah. Believe it or not, this is my third trip, and I have only been around the research institute and my field site! Not much touring around the rest of Taiwan.

This time I am staying in the hostel in Academia Sinica. The place is SO MUCH better than the last one (I will try to put up some photos soon) and the rent is cheap as well. Accommodation is paid using the research funds, but I need as much funds as possible for all the stuffs that I need to work on.

Busy, busy...