In Medias Resolution

Only about an hour or so into the day and this happens. A "Kuwagata" (or "Stag Beetle" in English) makes a momentary cameo on a window screen and the whole lot of us turned into a frenzied group of primary school kids again. You see how easily our concentration falters? #naist #lifeinjapan #lab

So, I just finished giving a semi-impassioned presentation on Minimalism in Shadow of the Colossus for my lab. At the climax of the talk, I kind of slammed both fists down on the podium to make a point. A mostly unscripted, spontaneous moment (but in truth I have been wanting to punch my desk in frustration, recently). Then I suddenly realized that the Polycom microphone for Kadobayashi-sensei (who was joining us from Tokyo via internet conferencing) was right right there on

Chronicles of working in a lab in Japan during summer: For lunch today the M1 students organized a semi-impromptu somen party. #lab #lifeinjapan

Thank you to Faii Na, Noey Hole Cheek, and Yuk PamSeven Warit! Found this on my desk at the lab when I came in this morning. This was a great surprise during a busy week of seminar preparations. ホンマにありがとうございました。 When things like this happen, it reminds me that there are actually a lot of reasons for me to smile more often these days. Here's to new international friends, new international foods, and more smiling in general. #lab #lifeinjapan #gradschoollife

Newly-noticed trend: Of course, it is always good practice to be present in one's own laboratory. But it is becoming gradually more apparent that it is particularly beneficial to be here on Fridays. This is the third time that providence has ambushed me on a Friday at the lab. Fridays--those most loathesome of days to be at a place of work, is slowly but surely evolving inversely into a day of surprise goodness. A month ago it was the boon of revelation gained from an intense