I had the day off today in lieu of the public holiday last Saturday, so along with my husband and mother-in-law, we brought the dog out for a walk at Labrador Park. I’m well aware of this place, yet have only been there once before – which was when we had our pre-wedding shoot, so this is the first time I’ve actually had a proper walk around the park.

Well it seems like there’s something wrong with the display panel in the elevator at school, so instead of level 1 we now have a level β. I reckon that this is still better than having the elevator display completely wrong floors though. At least I can still make out which level I’m on from this display.

It was Elynn’s PhD oral examination yesterday, and we had a celebration after that! The lab is awfully quiet these days wow that 2 people have graduated and left. We used to have so many people that there was no free space in the office or the lab, and our hood bookings were always full. But the situation’s pretty much reversed now – there are empty workspaces, the hood is left unused at times, and there are moments when you’re all alone in the lab. We’re all getting used to it, but I must still say that it’s way too quiet for me sometimes. I miss the days when everyone was around, and the lab was a lively place. But when you’re in the research field, one of the things you have to get used to is people coming and leaving all the time. Students will leave upon graduation, and even the post-docs don’t usually stay for long – if they want to advance their careers, then it is important that they gain experience from doing research in different areas and in different labs. New staff and students are also constantly coming in to replace them. Nothing is constant, except for the fact that the experiments are always going on.

When people come or go, the group dynamic always changes, and it’s a matter of getting used to it until the next change happens again. I’m glad that the few of us were able to meet because we all entered the same lab, even if it was for a short period of time. When the next batch of students leave it’s only going to get quieter and lonelier… and I don’t want to be the last one that gets left behind! So for now, that will be a source of motivation to work hard, so that I can graduate as soon as possible. I doubt I’ll be able to graduate together with them (some are a whole year ahead of me), but at least I won’t be too far behind.

We bought ourselves some Marimo recently:

Marimo (毬藻, literally “ball seaweed”), also known as Cladophora ball, Lake ball, or Moss Balls in English, is a species of filamentous green algae (Chlorophyta) found in a number of lakes in the northern hemisphere. A marimo is a rare growth form of the species where the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. Colonies of such balls are only known to form in Iceland, Scotland, Japan and Estonia. (source)

Did you know there’s a legend behind it too? Apparently, in a tribe near Lake Akan in Hokkaido, the daughter of the chief of an elite tribe fell in love with a warrior from a rival tribe. Their tribes forbade their love, so they decided to give up their possessions and flee from the land where their love was forbidden. Although their new life was harsh, they survived because of the deep love they had for one other. Legend has it that the lovers’ spirits metamorphosed into Marimo, a plant of love at the deepest reach of the Lake Akan where they lived happily ever after. Marimo has become a symbol of determination in overcoming adversities in search of true love and happiness.

I don’t exactly believe in legends, and that’s certainly not the reason why I bought the Marimo. I just think that it’s interesting, and doesn’t require too much care. And since it’s small, it can be kept on the table or somewhere where the dog can’t get at it. I just wonder how long before they grow noticeably bigger…

I bought mine from Giveaplant, but Marimo can be bought online and from some fish shops as well.