I stayed at Tsukioka onsen, a hot spa in Niigata, with my friends. Dr. S, who is one of my coworker, largely attributed to enjoy the trip.
(left) A view from the hotel. (Right) We were provided Onsen-manjuu, a cofection with filling.
(Left) Dr. S brought us premium sake. (Right) A footbath near the hotel.
(Left) Ocean of colza blossoms. Fukushima-gata is a good place for bird watching in winter. (Right) A long jetty at West-Niigata port. It takes 2.5 miles to get the end and back.
"Scientists for Better PCR", or BioRad PCR song, is a famous Music Video for every molecular biologist.
Lately, BioRad made a music video "GTCA Song" for better realtime PCR too. This is a parody of YMCA. YMCA is popular in Japan too; that hit in 1990th as "Young man" by Hideki Saijo.
"Protein Synthesis: An Epic on the Cellular Level" is an old film that vulgarizes protein synthesis. The description says that this short film directed by Robert Alan Weiss in 1971 for the Department of Chemistry of Stanford University and continues to be shown in biology class today.
"Ensuring the Future of Food" The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) provides this through the website. Japan is now the largest net food importer in the world: the Japan's self-sufficiency rate in food is less than 40%. The MAFF promises to take efforts to increase the self-sufficiency to stabilize food market in the world. Groovisions, a design group in Japan, created the motion-graphic video. The group also made promotional videos for Halfby, a Japanese solo project. http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=1lMsnj4AT78 http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=TtX_ezx6VKw These videos got popular by sharing. People around the country, including in Akihabara, Nagoya, Higo, and Sapporo, attempted to make the live-action films. Here the video that gathered four distinct versions. Upper left, Nagoya version; Lower left, Higo version; Upper right, Sapporo version; and lower right, the original motion graphic video. Each has unique local character, but the Higo version is much better because that really tunes with the original one.
On Monday morning, Ken woke up and run to me having my breakfast. He slipped up and had a pain on his neck. I applied him a poultice, but his pain was not relieved. So Mari was called from his daycare and took him to a hospital. The doctor diagnosed him as whiplash injury and gave him a poultice, a painkiller, and a neck collar for immobilization.
At the night, I saw his pitiable appearance. That reminded me of my cat Perja with an Elizabethan collar by her injury. He completely recovered in a few days.
The entrance ceremony of the newly established University was held on Apr 8. I met many of freshmen and quarter of cherry blossoms.
I got a small grant of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI). I decided to continue my research in this University. I will make the best of it.
Ken is eager to become 5 years old. He is looking forward to do a lot of the things on his birthday. Yesterday, he asked Mari again and again about when he would turn 5. "Seven months later" she said, and Ken thought that was seven o'clock. "I reached 5!" he said, and Mari mocked his mistake. Ken got angry and cried out, "I really wanted to be 5 years!" Ken, don't worry. Times flies.
(Left) Ken duck. (Right) Tearing Ken who "got scolded by me".
I am working at a University since Apr 1. The room is my new lab, and is my private office. There is few of equipment and materials in this University. I have to improve the environment to continue my research. I have a lot of to do. I look forward to a better tomorrow.
