2013 (& abit of 2012, because I apparently forgot last year...)

2013

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

- (2012) travelled to the USA for a conference (San diego)

- (2012) moved to Belgium to live (Liege)

- (2012) started a PhD in Genomics

- Explored parts of Belgium

- Visited Lake Tekapo

- Spent a week in New York (conference and a couple of days in NYC)

- Spent 3 weeks in Seattle! (Courses)

- Couple of days near Chicago

- Tried to learn French...

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- As always the one from 10 years back to make no new ones

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- (2012) J&J

- Friends from work (S&J)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- No

5. What countries did you visit?

- Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, USA

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

- A published paper

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- None

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

-Lots of Travel & PhD work

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- Getting the 1st paper written & learning French

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

- Nothing significant.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

- A very nice Camera :)

12. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

- Politicians as usual

13. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

-  Nothing specific

14. Where did most of your money go?

 - Living costs

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- My PhD and some associated research

- The new Camera

16. What song will always remind you of 2013?

- None

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

- Much the same

b) fatter or thinner?

- Much the same

c) richer or poorer?

- Much the same (being a student slows things down) $ wise, Richer in experience

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

- Travelling around Europe

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

- Procrastinating, sitting in Air planes

20. How did you spend Christmas?

- (2012) With new friends in Liege

- With an old friend from High school days

21. Did you fall in love in 2013?

- I wish

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

- Psyco Pass

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

-No one specifically

24. What was the best book you read?

- To many to count

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- none

26. What did you want and get?

- Camera

- New friends

27. What did you want and not get?

- GF

- A paper published

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Probably the second Hobbit

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

- Nothing, turned 29.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- gf probably hard to know though and life is good as it is

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

- Merino

32. What kept you sane?

- Animals.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- Didn't meet any.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Stupidity of current ideologically driven government actions

35. Who did you miss?

- The Kiwi (and NZ) crowd

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- Lots of people in the Lab

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

- Travel!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

-None

An Update From Liege: AKA the Undead Blog moves again.

Damn just found this post from the begining of 2012 that 
i thought I'd already published ah well better late than never:
----------------------------------------------------------------

So I thought is was time for an end of year post for 2012, considering all that's happened during the year.
Note: I've absolutely no idea how many people still have this in there RSS feeds, so it will be interesting to see if any one views this.

So as those who know me are probably aware I applied for and was awarded a Scholarship to study for a PhD in Genomics/Sequencing in late 2011 by my employer (LIC). After investigating a few options I decided that the best supervisor for my interests would be Michel Georges head of Animal Genomics at The University of Liege based in Liege, Belgium.

Liege & The Meuse @ Sunset - December 2012

After this was agreed on by all parties it was decided that it would be best to start in the first Semester of the European academic year, October 2012. As a result I spent most of 2012 living in NZ working for LIC on there next generation sequencing project and taking a few papers at the local University (University of Waikato) and attending a couple of conferences.

San Deigo, USA - Jan 2012

University of Waikato - Hamilton, NZ

Knox Chapel - Dunedin, NZ

Then in September 2012 I packed up and moved south from Hamilton (NZ) to Christchurch (NZ) where I spent a few weeks catching up with friends and family before leaving for Liege.

Banks Peninsula - Canterbury NZ

I arrived in Liege on the 1st of October 2012 after 33 hours in transit (Christchurch > Singapore > Frankfurt > Brussels > Liege). Dropped at the door of an apartment I had for 2 months I had time to put away my luggage and then was picked up by a very helpful member of Michels staff. Who showed me around the area, helped setup a Bank account pointed out the Bus routes and then took me to the lab and introduced me to the other members who thankfully all speak English to some degree or another and thus my time in Liege began.

A few Interesting things about Liege:

Liege is one of the major cities of Wallonia, the French speaking region of Belgium and as such French is the primary language. This can make for interesting times for a monolingual English speaker, as many of the older locals (30+), speak very little English or prefer to pretend they don't speak any.
Belgium is slightly obsessed with your address. Unlike New Zealand (at least as far as I'm aware) the location in which your living is of critical importance when ever you try to deal with any official in Belgium. As such you are required to register where you are living with the Local city hall (both Citizens and Visitors) if your planning to stay for more than a short period of time. Once you've registered with the city hall they send a Police officer to visit you at the location you've specified to confirm you do actually live there and the Police register it as your place of Residence. This can cause so irritation if you've just arrived and are looking for an apartment as you need a permanent address for Residency, you need Residency for Health Insurance and so on. Theoretically you need a local address for a Bank account though thankfully I managed to get away with using my NZ address to many peoples surprise for the first couple of months. Though the Bank did managed to send my first bank card to NZ which was slightly troublesome.


Anyway I eventually managed to settle in and start the PhD work.

2011

Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2011, though she's managed to beat me this time.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

- Plenty of awesome technical (Sequencing) related stuff at work.
- Got to work with real Whole Genome Sequence data
- Attended a Scientific confrence
- Traveled (domestically) for work
- Found out that Cider is drinkable
- Joined a regular pub quiz team
- Went to a world cup rugby game

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- As always I'm still following one from about 8 years back which was to make no more New Years resolutions

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- Still nope, thankfully

5. What countries did you visit?

- None unfortunately, though looking alot better on this front for 2012.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- Hmm Feb 22nd I guess, that's earthquakes two years in a row even though I was there for neither.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Getting the LIC PhD Studentship/Scholarship, (A new Job effectively for the third year in a row), this one's going to result in a lot of changes, less money medium term though much better long term prospects if all goes well, and effectively commits me to working for LIC for the next 6 or so years.

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- Same as last year probably to be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

-None

11. What was the best thing you bought?

- Nothing really fills me with amazement, the tablet is cool and the books/games were interesting but that's it really

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

- A certain percentage of the worlds population involved in Arab spring and the Occupy movement.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Same as last year I guess.

14. Where did most of your money go?

-Rent, Savings, Books and Games

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?


-The PhD scholarship I guess, everything's going to change. Nervous and excited at the same time.

16. What song will always remind of you of 2011?

-none

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?

- Happier again I got to spend a large part of the year working with Sequencing data and other interesting problems at work and then was offered the PhD position a few weeks before Christmas!

b) fatter or thinner?

- No change from last year seem to have stabilised would be nice to drop a little more, even though it's currently on the lighter side of a perfectly healthy weight.

c) richer or poorer?

- Richer, pay rises + a decent job tends to result in this.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

- Getting to know people/make new friends

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

-Spending money, as always and probably spending too much time sitting around in the flat.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

-With family in Chch

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

- I wish

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

-  None really this year

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!

24. What was the best book you read?

- I've read so many I'm lossing track.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- None

26. What did you want and get?

-  The Studentship role at work.

27. What did you want and not get?

- Love/relationship

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Tintin

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

-Turned 27, absolutely nothing different from a normal day

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- Love/relationship

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

- Same as always, casual

32. What kept you sane?

- Books and Friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- none, they're all idiots

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico

35. Who did you miss?

- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

- Uhm... I'll pass on this one

2010

Following my tradition of copying Katherine's New Years post, here is 2010, though this time I've rather preempted her.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

- Uhm a few technical things at work
- Started playing social Touch Rugby

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for the next year?

- There weren't any. No, technically you could say I'm still following one from about 7 years back which was to make no more New Years resolutions

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

- No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- No. Never been to a funeral.

5. What countries did you visit?

- None unfortunately.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

- A lover or relationship deeper than a friendship, which unsurprisingly is the same as last year

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched in your memory, and why?

- September the 4th, not that I was in chch but family still live there.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

- Getting a better job, (for the second year in a row)

9. What was your biggest failure of the year?

- To be more outgoing, failure to actively seek out new people or find a relationship

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

-None

11. What was the best thing you bought?

- Another camera I guess, either that or my cellphone both are quiet awesome, or the multitude of books I've acquired

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

- No one really

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

- Certain local politicos who seem to think digging up nonrenewable resources from near pristine land is a way to improve the country
- The world leaders as usual with regards to politics and climate change
- Christian and all other overly religious and or fanatical peoples.

14. Where did most of your money go?

-Rent and savings

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- The Towers of Midnight

- Mass Effect 2
- The new camera

16. What song will always remind of you of 2009?

-none

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?

- A bit happier I mean once again my job got better!

b) fatter or thinner?

- No change from last year seem to have stabilised on 70kg, hopefully a few more sports may drop that a little more, even though technically it's a perfectly healthy weight

c) richer or poorer?

- Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

- Getting to know people/make new friends
- Getting out of the flat and visiting cousins, friends and family in the North Island

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

-Spending money

20. How did you spend Christmas?

-With family in Chch

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

- I wish

22. What was your favourite TV programme?

- Star Driver and Big Bang Theory

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Not really, still hate stupidity, especially the religious type
- oh and any one who smokes, I really really hate smokers!

24. What was the best book you read?

- Either 'Under Heaven', or 'The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms' oh and 'Changes' was awesome

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- Vienna Teng

26. What did you want and get?

- A better Job

27. What did you want and not get?

- Love/relationship

28. What was your favourite film of this year?

- Haven't seen many, none of those I saw stand out

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

-Turned 26, absolutely nothing different from a normal day

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

- Love/relationship

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

- Same as always, casual

32. What kept you sane?

- Books and Friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- none, they're all idiots

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Talk of mining conservation land, first time I've written a rather annoyed email to a politico

35. Who did you miss?

- Not so many people this year, getting used to living away from everyone

36. Who was the best new person you met?

- A couple of new work colleagues, excellent people

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.

- Hmm maybe jump at all chances, it's worth it even if you don't quite get there, though I guess I already knew that.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

- Uhm... I'll pass on this one