My newly published paper has been garnering interest of late, having swept much of the awards circuit this year. The most recent and by far most generous was the Evangelos S. Gragoudas award, which gained me entry to the exclusive Macula Society meeting this year. Despite the cash award, I was unwilling to shell out for the pricey Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo where the conference was held, and opted instead for a Travelodge in Florida City some 30 miles south of Miami. My trip began inauspiciously, however. With my laptop in the shop and my tablet charger left in our Charleston hotel, I had to borrow my co-fellow’s laptop. And just when I thought things couldn’t be worse, I overslept again, and had to speed to RDU to barely make my flight, only to realize that I had forgotten my cell phone also. After an annoying hour-long wait at Hertz and almost having to take a 12-person van due to the shortage of rental cars, my luck turned around and I was given a snazzy ride for the road. My GPS rental also turned out to have cell phone service and unlimited WiFi hotspot functionality, which made me feel better by the time I settled into my hotel Wednesday night. The meeting itself ran daily from 7am to 1pm, which gave me a chance to explore around. I spent Thursday afternoon in Miami beach, where I enjoyed a refreshing ceviche on the grass while watching the police handcuff a guy on the nearby sidewalk. From the Art Deco Welcome Center, I purchased a self-guided walking tour, which led me through the neighborhood to appreciate the unique architectural elements – curved corners, vertical lines, eyebrows over windows, and “rule of threes” – that characterized the Art Deco movement. Dinner at famous Joe’s Stone Crab included five large stone crab claws with nothing else needed. Lunch on Friday was fish and chips at the Fish House in Key Largo, where the fish of the day turned out to be dolphin. I spent the afternoon catching up on papers and reviews before the evening gala on the beach, where I sat next to Dr. Gragoudas himself and received much unsolicited life/career advice. The meeting also gave me a chance to discuss research with our NEI collaborators and chat about scheduling with future UCD colleagues. After my award talk on Saturday, which has been well-rehearsed by now, I drove to Little Havana to immerse in the Cuban atmosphere, passing cigar shops and intense games of dominoes at Maximo Gomez Park, before getting lunch at Versailles with arroz con pollo, followed by an order of chicharonnes from El Palacio de los Jugos for the flight back. Feeling refreshed after coming home, I wonder if my lack of cell phone access these few days did more good than harm?

Our plan to have my wife visit for the long weekend and spend Valentine’s Day in Charleston was nearly foiled by another polar vortex which dumped only 4 inches of snow, but was enough to cripple Durham. After multiple flight cancellations and some franctic rescheduling, Melody finally made it here Friday morning. We filled on crisp pork belly noodles & pumpkin curry at Bida Manda, then crashed in bed all afternoon until dinner at Yamazushi, where the 8-course kaiseki meal was both a gastronomic and visual experience with highlights that included mind-blowing uni and perfectly-seared black cod. We spent the evening trying out Last of Us, which featured a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world and Naughty Dog’s iconic cinematics and excellent voice acting. The late-night gaming made us oversleep on Saturday, necessitating a caffeine-fueled high speed drive down to Charleston to make our reservation at Husk. Here, the tasty pork belly lettuce wrap appetizer was followed by an amazing shrimp and grits preparation that easily beats out the other versions I’ve tried in NC. We walked off the meal past several old churches and an underwhelming Old Slave Mart Museum, before reaching the Waterfront Park where we relaxed on the swinging bench and enjoyed hazelnut gelato. There were some events related to the Southwest Wildlife Expo, but we opted instead for another nap at the hotel before dinner. At FIG, which stands for “Food is Good,” we dined on soft, fluffy ricotta gnocchi and earthy liver pate appetizers, followed by a salty triggerfish entree and an incredible fish stew that had me mixing in my own roux and sipping the broth in utter ecstasy. On Sunday, we drove out to Magnolia to experience one of several renowned plantations in the area. Although the gardens were devoid of blossoming flora, Melody was more interested in the fauna, which included a small friendly hen and licky deer at the petting zoo, and turtle and alligator sightings at the Audubon Swamp. A tour of the house also gave some insight into the Drayton family and plantation life. After sharing some shad roe scramble and a low country omelette at Hominy Grill, we toured the city market on our way to McCrady’s. Having watched the second season of Mind of a Chef, we had high expectations from Sean Brock’s high-end restaurant, which delivered with a solid 4-course tasting menu for each of us. Afterwards, we stopped by the Peninsula Grill to take home a slice of their world famous 12-layer coconut cake to munch on as we watched Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s reprise in Before Midnight on our tablet in bed. We drove back on Sunday, making a pit stop at Fallout-esque South of the Border and grabbing some Korean food for lunch before Melody’s flight back. Once again, our weekend trip felt too short. But amidst Charleston’s charm, the comfort of Southern cuisine, nostalgic video gaming, movie watching in bed, and a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints as a gift – Valentine’s Day has never been more romantic.

My article on laser safety has finally been published and to my surprise, has garnered some notice in the media from Reuters and Fox News, although the attention seemed more focused on my advisor than me. I did receive a phone interview from the folks at LaserPointerSafety.com, which is probably all the fame I can handle for now. Meanwhile, filming has begun on our AVS skit this weekend, and I was impressed by our faculty’s dedication and willingness to make fools of themselves. With four type-A OCD retina fellows sharing the role of screenwriter, director, and editor, I’m confident that the final production will be of epic proportions – assuming that we don’t kill each other first. I’m gunning for my “Breaking Bad Surgeons” script to be the showstopper, although it will have to compete with a Mission Impossible heist scene, an “A-Team” parody, and a Chippendales revue. On a related note, now that I’m done with 6 seasons of Breaking Bad, 3 seasons of Spartacus and 5 seasons of Arrested Development, I’ve decided to make my first foray into the Doctor Who universe. There is much discussion among geeks on which season for first-timers to start watching the long-running sci-fi show. The general consensus seems to be Russell Davies’ reboot of the series in 2005 after a 16-year hiatus. And so my journey begins with the Ninth Doctor, as I embark on my adventures with Rose, TARDIS, Cybermen, and Daleks. Delete! Exterminate!

Chinese New Year and my birthday both fell on the same week this year, prompting a visit from my parents for the double celebration. Now midway through my fourth decade, I did not feel the same urge to rejoice, but instead had a low-key, homecooked dinner with my folks at the apartment. This was good as I was off again the following day to sunny Miami to attend the AUPO conference. Having my project selected for the Resident-Fellow Research Forum meant that I had to present my data again, for the third time, although I was pleased to soak up another honorarium. The event was held at the Trump National Doral Resort, which despite millions of dollars in recent renovations, remained unfinished. The ongoing construction made navigating the expansive property difficult. As consolation, we were given a $50 resort credit, which I ended up spending for a monstrous dine-in breakfast. The talk itself went smoothly with little rehearsal, and I celebrated by walking to nearby La Esquina del Lechon, where their pan con lechon paired well with some chicharrones and a guava nectar. I returned to Durham the next morning in time for dim sum and a Chinese NY dinner with my parents at the Hong Kong. Since this year coincides with my zodiac sign (which forbodes bad fortune), I will need to be extra careful and watch my back.