Blog
Life during a pandemic: the value of time
Time is a notion that we still don’t quite understand. We can measure it, we can think about it, we can draw conclusions from our past and make predictions about the future. We can easily tell others how to best use their time; many make a living by doing this. We...
Life during a pandemic: a list of whimsy films
I'm a big film nut. I love movies. Especially during challenging times. And since we're all shut-in for the next little while, I thought I'd share a list of fun and whimsical films that you can watch from the comfort of your home. So, where can you stream these films?...
Life during a pandemic: why slowing down is good for everyone.
I have been mulling over what to write these past few days. I’ve been watching (and preparing for) the pandemic spread since I first learned about it in December. It’s been hard. Let me clarify, it’s not been hard living in isolation. It’s been hard watching people...
When to say goodbye to a pet
I grew up not really knowing what it's like to have anything other than a bird or a fish in the house. My parents, who both grew up on farms, didn't want us to have cats or dogs. I asked my mom once why she was never keen on it and she told me that losing them is just...
Salary negotiations 101
Here's a little primer on how to deal with salaries for professional jobs. I've written this with academics and private industry professionals in mind, but it can apply to almost everyone who is applying to jobs where the salary scales aren't published. I know you...
That mid-life question mark
The world isn't like it used to be. The prescribed 'get a job, get married, get a house, have kids, retire with a full pension' life that our parents had doesn't really exist anymore. Things have changed. I grew up with the mindset that if you changed jobs too often,...
Five things I learned in 2019
1) I changed my relationship with social media In January 2019, I took the entire month off from social media and doing so completely changed my relationship with it, and with the world. I reconnected with ‘real life’, I read a lot of books, I enjoyed in-person...
Why I talk to Uber drivers
I took an Uber to a local store today to buy myself a new microscope. An Eritrean man, we started talking about culture and immigration. "You speak Tigrinya, right?". A huge smile appeared on his face. "You know that?!", he said. Of course. I've known people from all...
Do things the wrong way
As I delve further into the microscopic world, I’m discovering some interesting parallels between playing with my microscope and playing with my camera. I’ve always been a photographer who wanted to know as little as possible about the technical side of things...
Become what interests you
I listen to a lot of comedy podcasts. More specifically, podcasts hosted by comedians. I don’t watch a lot of stand-up, and in a lot of cases, I’ve never watched their specials. But, I absolutely love their podcasts. Why? Because when comedians get...
How do scientists sleep?
I wasn’t tired last night, and with DST, we got an extra hour so I figured, what the heck, I’ll go back to my microscope. Big mistake. See, I found some old pond water at the bottom of a Gatorade bottle and figured I’d take a look at it. Lo and behold, there was...
On the over-complication of things
I’ve had quite the day. You know, the kind of day where you find yourself staring blankly at the person across from you with those "are you fucking kidding me?" eyes. Things were so ridiculous today, from dealing with university bureaucracy to dealing with overly...