What a crazy weekend in lab! I had wanted to take some time off from lab next week so I was trying to get as much work done as possible. Within the last three days, I was able to complete a DRG growth cone collapse time course, two neurite outgrowth experiments, and two separate biochemistry experiments, while PCR amplifying a gene from mouse cDNA library, gel-purifying the products, ligating and transforming to competent cells, and then picked clones, did minipreps, and verified the clones with restriction digests. Interestingly, this was all done while I was moving to my new apartment! With Leo and Jeff’s help, we were able to haul all my junk to my new pad yesterday, despite the brief period of rain that ironically decided to begin when we started moving and ended when we were about done. Some of my furniture also came in, including my new Simmons “Captivation” mattress, so I can at least start sleeping at my new home. Other significant events this week included two of my friends getting engaged, and a friend of mine getting a job as a night club promoter. He even got us free admission and free drinks at Bill’s Bar last Tuesday!

We finally closed on the condo this afternoon! Of course, the transition from dorm life to living alone will take a lot of adjustment… the first being the need to buy furniture. I didn’t realize how much it’ll cost to furnish this place until I started visiting furniture stores this afternoon! Kinda made me relieved that I didn’t invest in a bigger apartment.

Melody, Jeff, and I revisited Embassy Friday for yet another night of top-notch hip hop/reggae/top 40’s dance mix. This place is quickly becoming my favorite clubbing locale as both the attractive Asian crowd and mind-blowing, immersive dance music help redefine Friday-night-out for me. I did have a run-in with the bouncer that night when he told me I was dressed too casually, and almost didn’t let me in. Fortunately, after a bit of jedi mind trick, I was able to join my friends and dance the night away. It was almost a difference of night and day when comparing the experience with last friday night’s annual HST formal at the Charles Hotel. Though the hor d’oeuvres (can anyone actually spell this?) and Jazz music were quite enjoyable at the beginning, the dance afterwards totally blew. The music consisted of some rather bad Latin techno/trance stuff that wasn’t really possible to dance to. Oh, we also caught a showing of “Better Luck Tomorrow” last week. The movie received a lot of hype at the beginning ’cause it was the first major film starring an Asian-American cast that DIDN’T feature martial arts or other cultural stereotypes. Personally, I felt it was an above-average film though certainly not groundbreaking in any way. My Asian friends from Cali did remark how much the setting of the story reminded them of home. I guess it was quite different from my childhood growing up in Brooklyn. Of course, having gone out so often recently, I’ll really need to haul ass in lab now…