the lab, tatoos and other misc. things

Excuse any typos in advance!


So I know I just posted (that was last week's news anyway : 0) but I thought I'd say a bit about my research. I'm working on the heme synthesis project trying to knock out three genes in the pathway. We're doing that by constructing three plasmids that we hope will undergo homologous recomb. (inserting a selectable marker) so we can see the effects.
It's challenging but I really like it and I've learned a lot! Plasmids are fickle things, I'll have you know. We've got four of the six pieces we need to put onto the plasmids but the last two don't have sticky ends so we're having trouble getting them onto the plasmids in the correct orientation. (We've got to clone the six inserts into cloning plasmids first and then put them on the transfection plasmids in pairs =ing three plasmids!)

I found a church in downtown Bangkok that I'm also really excited about. The pastor and his wife and some band members took me to the Filipino Embassy for the Filipino Independence day celebration. I saw some native dancing and had a few snacks. I also met this old..ahem...elderly guy who--Lord knows why he thought this--for some reason thought that I might find him attractive and that I might go home with him. I didn't really know how to let him down kindly so I just told him about Jesus and left it at that...Let's just say it was a day of adventure LOL

Oh and I mentioned to the pastor that I really wanted to get my tatoo in Thailand but probably wouldn't because it might be less sanitary. He pulled up his pant leg and showed me his--what did he call it--leg cap or something like that. His entire leg is tatted up. From ankle to mid thigh. He said he goes to a guy that is very clean and reliable. This is was NOT good news because now I have no excuse not to get it!! But I'll try my best to refrain.

Oh and the mango is going out of season, which is terribly sad. I feel a tear in my eye now. But the pinapple and watermellon remain so I'm recovering quickly.
I've found a new phenomena: sliced, buttered/sugared bread! Thai people don't eat bread with their meals....ever. But they sell individually wrapped slices of buttered bread at 7-Eleven for only 5 baht. Plus they sell lots of donuts 12฿ and DQ blizzards for 2o฿ ( .64 cents). I might actually be a size XL when I come back! Oh, and they fry 80% of the meat. Doubly wammy.

The food is great though!!! Smaller portions than we're used to in the US. It's sad how you really think you need all that food just because you're used to eating it. I found you actually need much less to be full. Lunch can be any type of noodles with some vegetables, or some fried pork and carrots and spinach-like-greens on a bed of rice or fried rice with pork and egg and vegetables in it. I eat lots and lots of rice. I think I could plant a small rice field with all the rice that gets stuck in my teeth after lunch lol

oh! My friend and I got our first Thai massage last Friday. Five dollars and eighty cents...one hour. THAT'S what I'm talkin about! We're gonna hit a Thai spa next so we can get the whole package--foot massage, oil massage, face scrub...the works!

Well...my plasmid is almost finished digesting so I'm off! It's so nice to read everyone's posts--granted like 12 at a time since I keep forgetting about the blog but I'm glad everyone seems to be doing well : 0)