a) Get tube to party, have to leave at 11pm in order to get home (night buses not a viable option)

b) Drive, can stay as late as I like but can't drink and therefore get shy and fed up and leave early anyway

Stupid London.

The answer in Edinburgh was always that I could walk! OR get a taxi that didn't cost more than £10

Please miss, can we go to Pharaonix in March?

http://bellydancestore.biz/gallery.php?searchId=1880&search=search

Exactly what I want, clearly a Melaya dress but differenty (love the balls) and a more flattering design for munchkins than those standard sacks with a massive frill across the chest.

Just finished ‘The God Delusion’. I liked it more than I thought I would. Since reading ‘The Selfish Gene’ aged about 16-17 I got the impression that Dawkins is a bit arrogant, and his TV show, well, his ‘confrontational’ style doesn’t do the cause any favours. Not saying I don’t’ agree with him, I definitely do, but coming across as rabid as the religious nutjobs isn’t really helping. However, having read (or actually listened to ) the God Delusion, I suspect his TV show was ‘sexed up’ by the media, much as the way most media pieces about our dance turn into a sexy nipples tassels disaster.


His iffy explanation of some Physics (although n.b. HE admits is knowledge is iffy because he’s a scientist!) and my recent watching off too much ‘The Big Bang theory’ has made me think I really need to get over my childhood physics hate and start understanding more. I want to know what string theory is etc! I don’t expect I’ll understand, but I at least want to understand what its trying to explain and get a gist etc. Much as I finally got over my hatred of history prompted by an entire year of boring war poetry and trenches , hopefully I am finally able to embrace physics


Re the big bang theory, yes the execution (and acting) is often stereotypical trashy american sitcom at its worst, but it really has its moments. Plus sadly, even though I’m sure the physics in it is dodgy, it is probably the most realistic (fictional) portrayal of actual real science I have ever seen in TV/Film

Anyway, this scene makes me chuckle, a hard days work for theoretical physicists:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5oc-70Fby4

N is currently whistling 'Ana Kul Maghol el toba' whilst having a shave. He probably doesn't even know where he got the tune from.

Heh

The Bellydance Mania website is up!!

Am I crazy to book this instant? It'll go on my credit card, plenty of time to find the money after that LOL

p.s. congrats to evil_spice you kept that one quiet!!

I should really make an effort to go to Bellyworld Silk Route seeing as it is literally like 4 tube stops from me and I constantly complain about everything being in north london!

Can't go today, but in the new year, I really should . . . .

For anyone in/previously in academia:

The ticket price is more than I paid for congress

I will still have to pay extra for masterclass

Yet I have nothing but warm fuzzies and excitement about the event whilst I was blah about the congress at best (and pretty fecked off at times during)

I think its a reflection of the organisers and how they come across and how they treat people, whether you feel like they are doing it for love or glory.

I emailed the natural history museum to see if they were interested in my tupperware box of horror, as their website says there are few confirmed spider bite cases with actual specimen of the spider. They mailed back and asked me to send it in.

Is it sad that this is the most exciting thing that has happened all week?

Off to the lab to find suitable tube to put it in. . . .

I woke up at 4:30-ish, probably coz I needed a pee. I felt a prickle feeling in my left cheek, thought it was a spot brewing. Pain increased a LOT. felt cheek. massive wheel (3cmish) on face. Freaked out and checked din mirror, big raised white wheel on cheek. Went back to bed, looked under pillow and found dead spider in centre, between pillows. FREAK OUT.

I'm not scared of spider, I was always the kid that picked them up, rescued damsels in distress etc, although as I grow older am less bold and more uneasy around them

I have it in a tupperware and brought it into work, at least I work next to a hospital.

Anti-histamine and codeine seem to have sorted me out but still dull ache in face, although just sleight red patch, swelling gone down.

Anyway, being me (I am a biologist after all) I wanted to find out what species it was (also check it was actually not some scary crazy thing that came in with the bananas or something). Am pretty sure it fits this description:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/identification-guides-and-keys/spider-bites/false-widow.html

I wonder whether the natural history museum are still taking submissions?

The description of other people's symptoms seems to fit too . .and am vindicated in the fuss I was making to N at 5am as it is described as 'far more severe than a bee or wasp sting' and I emphasise it was ON MY FACE!

My car passed its MOT with no issues whatsoever (its like a legal roadworthyness test cars older than 3 years have to do once a year in the UK). I'll prob need to get new front tyres in the next few months but there is nothing major.

I am actually stunned because every year there is usually at least something minor wrong (it's now 12 years old) and last year was horrendous, stressfull and expensive and took more than a week and 3 trips to sort (although how much was necessary and how much was 'single woman at the garage' syndrome who knows).

This time I sensibly waited until after it had passed the MOT before ordering an annual service (£££) although the garage man thought I was a bit crazy (last year I'm convinced half of the servicing done was probably undone by the subsequent work required to pass the test). This year I went to one of those 'one man and his shop' type outfits even though its a pain in the ass to get to . . I think kindly old one man outfits that are a bit like your Dad are the least likely to rip you off. I ask questions and make them show me everything, and make sure the bits they say need changing look old or broken to me and then look shiny new when finished, but you are still at their mercy really.

Why does everything clash (e.g. have an empty February but now 3 invites for the 20th March)???

Just realised (thankfully before booking) that April JoY clashes with a conference in Washington I might be going to. Submission deadline for conference is 1st of Dec (and my boss will no doubt leave it till then to make final decision) so I'll have to wait until then to know whether I can book JoY or not.

last day in Ho Chi Minh - need to leave for airport in 3 hours and no mental energy to brave the crazy city so hiding in hotel.

My parting shot: Me me MEEEEEE

Seriously

You know you need a holiday badly when the prospect of a 13 hour flight is enticing as you will not be obliged to be doing anything other than sitting and wasting time.

Half a day left!

Paper is almost drafted, some of the discussion still to do (will be half assed). Slightly over word limit at the moment. Going into work for final bollocking this afternoon.

Missing my dance peeps. Something intense happened to me last weekend, some sort of chemical bonding to them! I'm sure being in Vietnam will help with that!!! Even though looks like its a bit typhoon-y there at the moment. Tropical rain beats grey UK blah anyday!

Some chav in a royal mail jacket just came past our block of flats (I am on ground floor working with clear view of road). I saw him ask a passer by for the time. You see, one of the changes all this striking is about is about re-arranging their pay so they can't get away with doing their round as fast and as hafl assed as possible and then go home early.

There are about 5 letters for our block of flats (which has no number but is basically number 0 as we are opposite number 1 and next to number 2, and is clearly named with 'XXX house' above the door)

We have post for flats in number 2 (different postcode but moderately understandable I guess) and even better, numbers 8, 10, 38 and 40.

Better still they will strike again later this week.

Fucking hell.

I wonder how much of my missing post is scattered throughout wimbledon?!

Thankfully my car tax disc is going to my parents address and my holiday documents were sent by email so nothing desperately important left missing.

The postal strikes are meant to be over in my area since last Tuesday. The post for our block of flats is delivered through a communal post box and then whoever finds it dumps it (the more enthusiastic sort it into piles) on a table in a communal hallway. Its a small, nice modern block of flats full of young professionals so this is safe enough. So even if there wasn't any post for N or I, with 10 other flats and about 20 other residents you'd expect to see some post there everyday. No new post to entire block since Friday!!!! I find it hard to believe all 20-25 residents have had nothing posted to them in that time!!! Fucking lazy royal mail bastards!

According to the Royal Mail website, my area (SW19) is only supposed to have been on strike one day a week last week and this week. But, I only had post Monday and Friday last week (just after I left for congress of course - leaving the dreaded red card and a parcel fuck knows if i will ever get) and this week have only had post on Monday and some letters today but none of the billionty parcels I am waiting for (including the recorded one they said they could redeliver today). When I went on an internet shopping spree 2 weeks ago I wasn't aware these strikes would happen as they are keeping them hidden well.

Either the Royal Mail website is lying, there are extra wildcat strikes or something, or someone is stealing all my parcels. Play.com posted me 2 t shirts last Friday morning and i got the shipping emails within an hour of each other - one arrived on Monday, one still in limbo somewhere. My weekly food boxes that are sent from Middlesex - i.e. just outside of London and quite near me are currently taking a WEEK longer than usual. 1-2 days delay my ASS.

Fucking hell

I didn't get a bloody pay rise (not a cost of living one, I did go a point up the scale but that's different) last year or this year and I just have to live with it because the economy is in the shitter. Deal with it post people, or get another job. If you want more pay, go and get some education/training for a better job. If I wanted fat wads of cash I'd go an train to work in the City, I chose this career knowing scientists will always be underpaid and underappreciated, why should the choice to be a postman be any different?

I didn't say goodbye to anyone really because Moyra and I left as soon as it was clear there was no more Randa dancing, to get out of the car park (and therefore home) before it went insane. So tired today.

No energy for big post but wow, an ahem *interesting* weekend.

Randa is awesome. I felt like I was keeping up better than before in her workshops, but I guess having done some of the choreos before in Nottingham is cheating. I didn't really do any other workshops that I had a brain capable of taking in as Randa melted my brain for the day, although Yasmina's Om Koulthoum once was nice and chilled out. I was embarrasing in Khaled's on Sunday evening. Just a zombie incapable of doing anything :-s.

Otherwise, eye-opening on many, many, levels. I have seen some shocking behaviour from people that should know better, and some people lived up exactly to my bad expectations of them. The food was shite. Friday was the best day because we went to the pub for lunch and the chippie for dinner. Sadly we were too lazy to leave the complex the rest of the weekend.

In a more positive eye opening way, although I felt like I was being lazy watching both competitions instead of doing workshops, I think it was actually quite educational. I think most people had picked the top 2 picks for the pro competition, but the amateaur one was . . .interesting, not what I expected. Obviously I know I can't be totally objective regarding Caroline as I've known her for years and seen how much she had upped her game for this comp, but aside from that, hmmm I guess the judges had a completely different set of priorities. Anyway, it took the mystique away from competitions, UK ones at least. I should give one a shot, and not worry obessivly about 100% perfect technique, rather I think my style is distinct enough from what I saw to stand out on its own merits.

But to finish the shit sandwich, Randa was awesome. I have an actual physical reaction when her music starts playing, like having an exam and falling in love all in one, the racing heart, the sweaty palms etc. I teared up at one point, I need to find that song and play it obessivly as it has such Randa vibes for me.

The rest of the shows were mainly good, with some WTF moments. I think they really should have swapped friday and sunday shows tho, its really unfair to both participants and Randa that a lot of people couldn't stay for the Sunday show. Dissing of Randa by the organisational powers seemed to be a theme of the weekend tho. I hope she knows we still love her.

Khaled was also awesome (of course), Yasmina was really on form last night, really relaxed and full of joy. She is always good but last night she was also awesome and the dealing with the cane issue (it broke in a very awkward way) just made her even more awesome. Really impressed with Anasma, really different (Rachel who? LOL). The highlight for me was the slo mo fighting part, hilarious. N would have liked that I think.

Um . . Fifi of course. Something you have to experience once in your life!

Congrats to Khalida! She really shined on stage, looked really in her element.

Best get on with some work!

Was going to go to the gym this morning. Yeah, I'm crazy, but as far as addictions go obsessivly going 3 times a week is a fairly healthy one.

I really still ache from Weds though, I got a new program a few weeks ago and it is still kicking my ass becuase I can't go as consistently as I'd like with all the dance rehearsals etc. The ache isn't so bad it will affect today (although not shoulders are up to 2 hours of Randa arms) but its probably really not wise to go today. Damn, next avaliable op is next Weds, a week later!! Maybe I can be naughty and go at lunchtime on Monday - the benefits of working form home for a bit! Although, I was going to go and do some lab work on Mon. Hmmm.

But I don't think I'll be on the 'Tru blood' bandwagon anytime soon. N and I have run out of other downloads to watch so we tried to watch the first episode. I think I have a new record for number of eye-rolls in one hour. I didn't expect much from a TV show where the only 'fan buzz' is about who is going to bloody sleep with who and who is 'hot', but it was even worse than I expected with all the ridiculous stereotyped people (sassy black girl Check! Camp gay guy Check! Scruffy but lovable unrequited love slightly floppy emo guy CHECK!) and emo 'oooh I'm so broody' crap. I wish I could have the last hour of my life back! I actually enjoyed watching the main character get the shit kicked out of her at the end.

In other news, N and I have been enjoying 'defying gravity' but it looks like it will be cancelled :-(