Smiling cells

Do you have an experience of imagining some objects when you look at clouds in the sky or abstract patterns of wall, something like that? I remember that I used to be afraid looking at some stain (?) on the bathroom wall of our house when I sit on the toilet. Sometimes it looked like a scary face of ugly guy - especially at night... Even if it is a simple stain, if you keep looking at that and start imagining something... the best imaging acquisition and process hardware/software in the world - the brain start working and make up something out of the simple stain. That is a truly amazing process, which happens so quick.

As I get older, I graduated from being afraid of many imaginary fears. I know that there is no monster around the corner of a dark alley, and there is no ghost wandering around the house. On the other hand, I learn that the real danger in your life can be a human being with bad intention, not ghost or monster.

When I do some measurement or imaging thing - taking pictures of cells or surfaces, sometimes I found very interesting features. They can be a dried-out salt crystals on protein spot or fluorescence image of cells or proteins.

Few weeks ago, I was looking at picture sof erythrocytes - red blood cells and found one funny looking cell. It was a malaria parasite-infected red blood cell. Malaria parasites produce some dark crystals inside of the cells - called hemozoin. This particular cell has three hemozoins, and they look like eyes and nose to me. Also small shadow under them just looks like a mouth.

Well well... you can tell me that that is my imagination. Of course it is. However, look at the below picture. Do you think that it somehow resemble a face? Very round face, eyes, nose, and mouth! No ears and hair... but it definitely looks like a face to me :)

It is good to find a small funny and happy things in daily life... and appreciate them.

Do you see me?

The Big C

I started watching this show mainly because of the main character, Laura Linney. I saw some films and shows that she appeared, such as Love Actually, The life of David Gale, The Savages, John Adams, and so on. I like the way she act. She is not 'very' beautiful woman, but she is beautiful enough as an actress and very good at showing the inner strength hiding in vulnerable appearance.

The Big C is a show talking about cancer. Middle age woman just realized that she has a late stage cancer. Gosh... what if I face that kind of situation. You know that you're dying and currently do not have good 'treatment' for the disease. At first Cathy - the leading role in the show, played by Laura Linney, of course her name starts with big 'C' - decided to enjoy her life instead of taking 'not-that-promising' painful treatment attempts for her own dignity. Throughout most of the first season, she takes her own journey in life without letting her family/friends know about it. Only her doctor and old lady living across the street know that she has a cancer. She tried to tell her family few times, but somehow it dosen't work out well.

At the end of the season, she changes her mind and decides to fight back to cancer with her family. Recently it is announced that the second season will air next year. I thought that the first season was good as is, but I am very curious how the creator/writer will continue the story in the next season. The writer was pretty smart in not telling much about 'cancer' and also 'drama and tears' coming from the cancer story except the very last few seasons.

I really appreciate the fact that I didn't have to go through this kind of hard time during my life, and hope to be lucky like this for the rest of my life. However, if I were to face this kind of situation, I hope that I could be strong enough to handle it...

When Cinema and Biology Meet

Few days ago, I read an interesting article in the New York Times homepage. It was about the biological/medical illustration. Truly people are doing extraordinary works to visualize 'the life'. Seeing is believing. They think that presenting visualized biological objects/events will attract many kids/students in life science and also help them to understand the life.

Below is the link for the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/science/16animate.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=gener

Amazing work...

You may find other video or clips from the harvard MCB website.

http://multimedia.mcb.harvard.edu/media.html

A talk in TED from whom participated in creating the animation, David Bolinsky.

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_bolinsky_animates_a_cell.html

More history on medical illustration can be found from the website below.

http://www.netterimages.com/artist/netter.htm

Life is... extraordinary.

Trip to Germany Part III: Rothenberg, o.d.T.

After BBQ for lunch @ Minjung's house, we drove to Rothenberg ob der Tauber, which is famous for its well-reserved medieval old town.

So beautiful town.

Many buildings are decorated with ivy, which turned reddish...

We were following a beautiful sunset.

Minjung is explaining menu for us.

Platz in front of the citi hall. We were sitting outside of a cafe.

Getting cold after the sunset, but still loved the chilly air and couldn't leave.

Trip to Germany Part II: Heidelberg

We took a train to Heidelberg.

View from our hotel room.

We loved our hotel. It was small and cozy. Also very close to nice places...

I loved looking outside from the hotel room.

The other side of town, Old Bridge, people, and autumn leaves...

Look down from our hotel room.

There was a pub/restaurant on the first floor.

Also a lot more nearby... German truly love beer.

View from the Philosopher's street.

It was pretty steep in the beginning, but top area was relatively flat and moreover... nice view.

Beautiful Old Town, Old Bridge, and Heidelberg Castle in one frame...

Old Bridge seen from Philosopher's street.

I love the color of this city.

Walking down to the Old Bridge.

Heidelberg Castle and Old Town view on the way to Old Bridge.

With Suyong @ Old Bridge.

Heidelberg Castle is seen behind.

With Minjung @ Old Bridge.

Monkey mask and mouse on the left.

Near old bridge and also near our hotel.

There are many restaurants and cafe.

Platz in old town.

People enjoy sitting outside in spite of the chilly weather.

They also provide blanket.

View of old town and old bridge from Heidelberg Castle.

With Minjung @ Heidelberg Castle.

She has a great smile :)

With Minjung @ Heidelberg Castle.

Pretty old and famous castle.

With Minjung @ Heidelberg Castle.

You can see the old bridge and the other side of town.

Trip to Germany Part I: Regensburg

Trip to Germany, from 2nd to 10th October.

Stepped in Regensburg downtown.

The first city that we visited in Germany.

Dome (St. Peter's Cathedral).

Tallest architecture in this town and can be seen from anywhere.

Detailed view of the post (Dome)

Dome is the center of the downtown.

Of course, there is a platz in front of the dome.

My good company during this trip, Suyong @ Dome.

Ji Youn @ stone bridge.

View from the stone bridge.

We asked a gentleman to take a picture of us on the stone bridge.

Some people are not familiar with SLR camera and don't understand why LCD window is not showing the view. He put us in the very middle of the frame :)

Other side of the city, across the river. Colorful buildings.

We loved German sausages, especially with sourkraut.

@ Historische Wurstkiiche

One of the distinct culture in Europe for me is Platz (plaza).

Plazas in Germany are larger and more open compared to those in Italy.

Unexpectedly meet the root to Santiago.

Walk around the town.

Have you ever heard of this country?

I am proud of being a Korean.

[Book] Interpreter of Maladies

written by Jhumpa Lahiri

Maybe this is first time reading novel by Indian American author. India is a country that once popular travel spot for college students for spiritual explorer. India is a country where my previous labmate Sunny came from. India is a country that only got 20 medals in olympics in spite of the huge population because sports is not considered as things to do for people of high cast who can afford - as far as I heard. India is a country that people die and bath in the same river. India is a country that sends lots of people in American universities for study. Also lot of immigrants. What else...? What do I know about India? Curry?

Reading is good because I can expand my view in many different ways. Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of this short story book is an Indian American and she mainly write about the life of Indian American, especially middle class, well-educated northern east coast residents.

I read this book in a bookclub whose members include Korean and Korean American. So I could enjoy more of this book with the help (?) of bookclub members. Two of them came here in their teenage - one for study and one with her family, immigration. They shared their memories and feeling and their experiences were not that far from the stories of this book.

Moving to a different continent, country where you need to speak different language and have to meet people with different skin color and cultural background is not that easy thing to do. For some people that is a choice and also for some people they are forced to do that. Whichever it is, it is hard... Whether you're well-educated and rich, or poor... it is definitely not easy thing to do.

In that point of view, the author captured very well the small details in life of immigrant, which people in similar situation can agree. Although people's experiences are all different from each other, there exists a universal truth that people can agree with.

Also in many episodes, the author deals with 'temporary matter' talking about different kinds of relationship between people. Actually 'A Temporary Matter' is one of the episode in the book, which I liked.

I recommend this book :)

Attitude is a choice..

I like watching tennis. Watching sports is not as fun as me doing them by myself, but it is fun enough to spend some time on it. US open started today and there was an opening ceremony in the evening. I was washing dishes, but didn't much attention on TV, but it looks like some tennis players are getting award or something. One of four recipients was Martina Navratilova. I could hear last part of her speech after finishing washing dishes. She talked about her recent fight against cancer and said '... attitude is a choice...'

Somehow, that moment, that sentence appealed to me. Yeah.. she is right. Attitude to your own life is your own choice. You can complain your current situation. Or, you can admit what you're having right now, and try to make it better. That attitude is your own choice.

That is a simple truth in life.

Why am I blogging in English?

Once one of my friend told me that my blog looks cool because it is written in English. Well.. That was not my intention actually. Then what was my intention starting writing in English rather than Korean, my native lovely language.

First of all, I thought that it would be better if my international friends also could visit and have a peek on my life. Actually that is the main reason for the whole English thing. Well well... not many non-Korean friends are visiting here, but well... English is a kind of global language, isn't it?

In addition, I thought that writing in English would be beneficial to me too. I have been pretty much exposed English-spoken environment for the last five years, however I hardly write essays or journals in English. I speak, read, note, and sometimes write scientific articles/presentations in English but don't describe small things or feelings in English. That is a whole different story in writing.

I know that simply writing - rather scribbling won't improve my essay-style writing that much. However, it is better doing something than doing nothing.

I took a picture of toys in our place. They are sitting there like that during most time, except we have some young visitors. Aren't they cute? :)

This evening.. Ji Youn tried to capture rain...ing.

I cannot say Summer in Maryland without mentioning rain... and thunderstorms. Still there are trees fell down in the campus. I like the raindrops on the roof... A capture of moment...

Can you see the sky? covered with clouds...

[Book] Someone Knows My Name

by Lawrence Hill

It is a history fiction book that Suyong recommended. I am not familiar with the modern history of the United States. Moreover, I cannot possibly imagine the life of African who was trapped in her own land at the age of eleven and lived in South Carolina, New York, Nova Scotia, Sierra Leone, and finally London. However, compared to my previous years... I can say that I know a lot more than before since I moved to the States. It is mainly because I am more exposed to this culture and tried to know more since I have my feet on this soil.

Maybe my knowledge about slavery has been only limited to some scenes in movies such as 'Gone with the Wind' or very simple sentences in world history class. When I first had this book in my hand, I was pretty intimidated by the thickness of the book. Last page number is 486... wow... Mainly due to the strong recommendation from Suyong, and partially my own curiosity, I started reading it.

What would I say after reading this book? I recommend it although it is pretty thick book. This book taught me a lot. It let me think again about my attitude or perspective to other (?) side of the world. My thoughts on Amazon or Africa (especially those places in 1700's) was... under-developed and under-civilized. However, are (or were) we really civilized and better people than them? Who traded people and still cannot stop killing each other in wars all over the world... No way...

Other interesting thing that I found in this book is the units. Often times, she uses sentences such as

'... walked for three moons... (three months)'

'it was ten times the distance a man could throw a stone (to describe how wide the river is)'

'Eleven rains (when being asked the age)'

I couldn't help smiling when I read those sentences. yeah... that can be a unit! Why not? :)

One more thing is her description about money.

Money (coins) = round pieces of metal

She doesn't understand why they use those different kind of coins instead of barter. She thinks chickens are more valuable than those coins. Also you know what? Her opinion was right when there is a deflation and nobody accept or use coins for the trade! We invented money... but it restrains people who own it. How irony it is...

Even though she was enslaved and had a hard life, she was a smart person and therefore she had a chance to learn languages and also how to read and write. Although this asset (her literacy) distinguished her from other enslaved people and provided her more opportunities than other people, her life was as hard as anyone else enslaved.

We take it for granted... out freedom. And complains that we are becoming slaves of internet, cell phone, and so on. How small things that we're complaining now. She was born free, but captured and suffered long period time in her life. One who have lost freedom (and anything else) may truly value it.

Language is one of the most important motives in this book along with freedom and home. How many languages do we have in this world? Speaking different languages lead to many issues... really many. Do chimpanzees or other primates use different language if they inhabit different locations? Very curious about it.

Anyway, throughout reading this book, I had been uncomfortable. Whenever I opened the book, I had to expect reading her another sad story. I do not think that I would read this book again, but definitely I learned a lot and would pay more attention to black people and history, early American history, and also African history. Also my freedom, thank you.

My new buddy, Mini Cooper

I dreamed about having mini for a long time. At least few years. I didn't quite make the decision mainly because I had my own car (White Honda Civic LX which accompanied me for last five years) and I didn't know where I will move to in the near future. I visited dealer shop in Sacramento and did test drive. I remember the first feeling. It was not as fantastic as I used to imagine because it's been a while since I drove manual car and also the fore window was very very small. However, I still loved that car and wished that I could own this car in the future before I get too old.

When it is decided that I would move to Maryland. Everything gets cleared. I will not bring my old car and I may stay there (now here) for a while. It may sounds not right to have two cars even though we are working at the same institute. However, one who have lived in the States may understand that. You cannot go anywhere without a car - except few big cities with public transportation.

So, I have very good excuses, but still spending that much money on a car... was not easy decision. Especially after reading 'Musoyu (Non-posession)' and other books of the late monk Bubjeong, still I have concerns on buying expensive car. However, I thought that I might regret if I don't buy Mini now and keep thinking about it. So, finally I made my mind and we bought this car.

How do I feel now? I am very happy whenever I see and drive my Mini. It is a really good feeling that you own/achieve something that you've been dreamed about... It is not as thrilling as you expected usually, but still it is worthy.

It's been almost three months since I moved here, and almost two months since I started working, and more than 1.5 months since I bought Mini. Time goes like this... So, Grab your day and Enjoy your day! Carpe Diem! :)

Zhuangzi - The butterfly dream

昔者莊周夢為蝴蝶，栩栩然蝴蝶也，自喻適志與，不知周也。俄然覺，則蘧蘧然周也。不知周之夢為蝴蝶與，蝴蝶之夢為周與？周與蝴蝶則必有分矣。此之謂物化。

Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.

-- copied from Wikipedia.

I recently read a book about 'Eastern Philosophy'. This book was published by a publisher where my uncle is working for (also CEO is my mom's cousin). It was pretty popular introductory book about eastern philosophy. I should have read this book long long time ago, but hardly remember the contents.

I enjoyed reading this book and also revisiting easter philosophy. I realized that my way of thinking is truly influenced by those philosophies. Somehow... the story of butterfly dream from Zhuangzi touched me. What is a life and what we pursue in life...

Apoptosis

Recently, I started reading papers about apoptosis, light absorption/scattering imaging of tissue/cells, and so on. Good thing about apoptosis is that it is a very established field and there are tons of good review papers written almost 10~15 years ago. In the case of light absorption/scattering imaging, I cannot find many articles after 20th century. People started working on this field in 1990's but there is no breakthrough work yet. Is it because the equipments have been limited its application? or simply cell/tissue is too complex to image only by its endogenous molecules and their characteristics? It just looks like.. an impossible task to carry out for now. We can try :)

Korea won the first game in 2010 World Cup against Greece

I'm very happy and proud of our team. First game against Greece, 2-0, a perfect win.

Few days ago, I saw an internet post saying that the four teams in group B have something in common. All four countries got help from IMF because of their economic downturns. Greece is the most recent recipient of the fund.

That remind me of 1997, 1998... those years with huge difficulties in our country.

After that, we hosted 2002 World Cup and ranked in the forth place. Then 2006 World Cup in Germany and we almost made the Round of 16, but eventually failed. Now is the time.. 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Very good start.

We have two more games on Thursday and next Tuesday. Team Korea, Cheers!

P.S. Team Korea made last sixteen. Very proud of them and our country... :)

Was off my routine for a while.

I was... and am on vacation since the last day of March. So, it has been one and half month.

So my routine has been broken, such as... listening to podcast, fruit in the morning, going farmers market on Saturday morning, blogging with some pictures, work-out, and so on.

Now, like 50% back on my routine life. Although many things have changed. The physical address had changed, temporarily unemployed and will get back to work from 24th May, and.. what else?

I found old diaries from my high school. Myself seen in those diaries is... very similar to me now, but smaller. I definitely have a narcissism. I like seeing me. I believe that I'm not the only one. Even my friends tell me that they like more a child who is similar to them compared to the other. Anyway... get back to my ordinary life :)

Trip to SF with J sisters Part III - The Pacific Ocean

It is a great thing that I live near the ocean. I can see the ocean with little bit more than 1 hour drive. Wow...

Some people were enjoying kitesurfing.

I like this kind of silly pose :)

Feel the air!

with JoJo.

Beautiful... sunset.