 |
 |
| January 21, 2004 Wooowie!! It's almost been a whole month! Sorry, but I have to make this quick. I can't really update because the computer at home makes me want to scream, so I have to do it at work, but work is very busy, so here goes nothing... So I'm adjusting well to Toronto life. Amanda and I have been able to spend some time together, so that's been fun. I am so blessed to be living with my cousin Annie in Cabbagetown. I'm only a half hour walk from work, so I get some excercise and I'm never too far from the heart of downtown. Groceries and such are only two blocks away, as well as the street car stop, which I take on extra cold days. With my spare time, I have taken up watching forensics science shows (including CSI... Kim would be proud!) and writing my book. It's been 5 months since I have added anything to it because school and CCF was so busy last term, but I have a little more time on my hands now. Not to say I don't work a lot. Sometimes, I start at 9 and get off at 7, but it's really enjoyable. Bart has been patient with Karen (my co-worker and fellow co-op student) and I, and is really good at explaining all the procedures. Already, I know how to purify proteins, run SDS page separation gels, perform Western blots and Bradford assays. And the coolest thing is that I get to use micropipettes all day long! (You know when you see researchers on TV with those handheld things...)....but actually I'm lying. Cooler (literally) than that is having to work in a 4 degree cold-room when handling the proteins... brrrr! Even colder than that is liquid nitrogen... we have some fun with that stuff! Anyways, I'd like to shout out a belated birthday wish to my dear friend Sarah, who is now 21. Yay Sarah! Tonight I'm going for Thai food with Karen. Should be fun! Anyways, I miss... well, everybody =) Shouts out to the O-dot and to friends from the 'Loo.... and to CCF, I wish I was there! But in the meantime, enjoying city life. God bless everyone. |
| January 28, 2004 No time to update... I'm still alive and kicking though! Laters! Oh yeah, and I am now part of the cell phone world.... E-mail me if you want the number =) |
| 2003: |
| 2004: |
| February 2, 2004 Hello! It feels like such a long time since I've done a proper blog. I'm at work right now, but on my lunch break, so I have an extra few minutes, thank goodness! It's been a great month here in Toronto. I'm always learning so much at work, and though the days are long, it's not too bad since I live so close. This past weekend was really fun. Amanda came over to my place and we bought some pizza and rented "Down with Love" and "Identity". I really liked them both, but just loved (for the second time... I went in theatre), Down With Love. It's so funny and it's got this energy to it that's awesome. And it actually has a pretty good moral in the end of it all I think. Anyways, after that, the next day Amanda treated me to a movie at Paramount (thank you Mandas) and we saw "The Butterfly Effect". It was pretty creepy. One of the kids was really super messed up, and it's sad to think that some people actually grow up under similar circumstances. You'd have to see it to know what I'm talking about. I really enjoyed it though. It wasn't scary, but it made my heart jump a lot because of the sound effects. Very suspenseful. Oh yeah, and that reminds me, Karen and I went to see "Lost in Translation" last Wednesday and it was hilarious. A different sort of movie... not one that I'd buy, but entertaining all the same. Though the acting was great, I don't think it deserves best actor... I'm totally rooting for Johnny Depp! =) Karen and I may see "Mystic River" this week... have to see it before the Oscars =P I've never ever followed them before, but it will be interesting to see who wins. This week, I may also go see a dancing movie with Lynette. Lynette is leaving for England soon and I'm going to miss her very much. I really enjoy all our chats and stuff... she's such a wonderful person. Well, that is my mega movie week ^_^ I've never been to the theatre so much in my life. I'm reading a book right now lent to me by a retired researcher that Annie used to work for. I met him at a lunch at the house and we talked about everything under the sun! We got onto the topic of travelling and subsequently, China. This book is called "Wild Swans" and is an autobiography that starts with the life of the grandmother of the author. What's really neat about the book is that the woman from each generation each lives in a different China... meaning that they are living in completely different frames of mind as far as the government goes. The rate at which the government changed in China and how radically in the 20th century was huge! Usually, these changes would happen over hundreds of years. Anyways, really fascinating, and let me just say that I'm very thankful not to have gone through everything that the people of China had to endure. As much as our government bothers me, I am thankful for it. Well, Bart has just told me that our yeast library has been contaminated so I have to go check it out. God bless, and I will update later... not regulary, but wait for it! =) ~Mari-J |
| February 6, 2004 - Happy Birthday Mich! Questions, questions... I was sitting in the lab today, thinking as I was making glycerol stocks of our yeast library. I envisioned myself in the future, sitting at a similar bench, until the late hours of the night and on the weekend. Then all of a sudden, my thought trailed off to teaching into a classroom, and I felt more at peace. Being a teacher would be great. The hours are good, the pay is good, the vacation time is great. You get summers off to do other things. (to be continued...lunchtime)...... ~Mari-J |
| February 16, 2004 Okay, I'll talk about teaching later. For now, I'd like to write about the wonderful weekend I just spent at UW CCF Winter Retreat. To begin, it was everything I expected and more. I was so excited to be re-united with my good friends. Seeing everybody again just made me so happy. It was really well-organized, and the activities were great, especially capture the flag in the snow! But what made the weekend the most special was that it helped me to get back to the basics. Over this co-op term, I have become really wrapped up with myself and my own comfort. Not wrapped up with myself as in arrogant. Just shifting the focus from God's will back to my will. I learned (again) this weekend how important it is to be people-centered. We talked a lot about self-awareness and how it can actually interfere with our relationship with God, and this rang very true to me. Once again, God has humbled me and gave me a tap on the shoulder, saying, "Don't you remember the point of it all? Don't you know that it's about more than you? That life is bigger than your little sphere?" I really want to genuinely remember others and think of their needs before my own. It's always something that I've struggled at... it seems to come more naturally to some than to others. But God helped me make a big step in my heart this weekend, and for that, I'll always be grateful. And now, I am standing at a crossroads, looking, and asking God what to do. I have been asked to consider running for committee. I have considered it before, and would consider it an honour to help lead the fellowship. I can't help but feel though that others think I am more capable than I really am. I know though that if this is something that God is calling me to do, He will use my weak areas to build my character and demonstrate his miracles. The problem is, is it Jesus that is calling me, or something else? That is what I'm trying to discern at the moment. With LifeSeekers so new, I don't want to abandon it, but perhaps my purpose within it was simply to get it up and running and then let somebody else run with it. I know however that if it is a ministry that glorifies God, I need not worry about its survival. God will grow up leaders. Look at CCF! My goodness! We've been praying so hard for leaders since the end of last year, and the frosh this year are incredible! I couldn't believe how they jump in, so courageous, full of spirit and purpose, to help out the fellowship. I think that God has indeed answered the fervent prayers of the leaving committee. Where I fit into this puzzle, I don't know. But I find comfort in the fact that God does. He'll let me in on his plans when he's ready to =) Please pray for me in this big decision. And pray for Vince, who's struggling with cancer. And a belated Happy Valentine's Day to all! I hope that your day was full of love for one another. You can never have enough love! Thanks to all those involved in pulling off this retreat. See you at Grad Dinner! ~Mari-J |