my "people"

What an eventful week it's been. Busy with my research project, sitting in front of the computer for eight hours a day is tougher than I thought it'd be. And two-hour meetings with my supervisor almost everyday! Full-on, I tell you, full-on!

I went to donate blood again on Monday morning, which was... difficult, as always. My brachial veins are too deep, I think, and they always have to use these tiny ones at the side. I like donating blood because I think it's really important, and in theory I'm fine doing it... until the GINORMOUS needle goes in and you have to SIT THERE for however many minutes. The other two times I've done it haven't been that bad, but this time the lady managed to put the needle into my left arm but it wasn't stable and blood was coming out, etc., so decided to take it out. It was okay on my right arm her second go, but now I have a huge bruise on the left, making me look not unlike a suspicious IV drug user. Hmmm... Mum and Kirsty even came with me this time and gave it a go, however reluctantly at first. But Mum was so proud of herself in the end, and a little proud of the fact that she's got "man veins." LoL.

Like I said, it's been a busy week, working on my research project, working a the lab Friday night, getting my hair done (yay!), doing more journal stuff, meeting up with people, etc. I even had time to bake some Caramello brownies for my summer research roommate who is flying home tomorrow. He's just finished second year and I kind of knew him from the Queenstown Medical Christian Conference at the beginning of last year, but not really well. It was so cool because on Friday (his last day) I got to have such an awesome conversation with him about God and Christianity, ended up sharing my testimony, I guess, and just hearing about how he found being a Christian in med school. Our conversation got cut short though unfortunately because of a meeting I had with my supervisor, but it's all as per God's will in the end.

Today my dad got back from his two-week trip to Korea -- he looked and sounded so incredibly tired. He's a bit sick too, which makes him appear even more... fragile, LoL. We looked through photos of his childhood neighbourhoods and all these strange people who, theoretically, share my bloodline. Kirsty remembers some of them more than I do because she was there till she was eight. But it was kind of nice being reminded of the fact that we do have family, however far away they are physically. Looking through his photos actually made me want to go back and visit... for a second. A twang of not nostalgia because that implies I remember things, but more like, hey, that's my heritage, that's my bloodline, that's my... people...??

But the true highlight of his going to Korea has to be the fact that he came back with, literally, about thirty pairs of earrings, maybe more! No other presents, just earrings, which is exactly what Kirsty and I wanted. He chose some himself, but most from aunties and cousins, and on one occasion, a semi-drunken uncle who, when he found out we liked earrings, ran out to the nearest store and bought a box full. Suffice it to say that box is the "let's-give-away" set. LoL. Nonetheless, some great selections overall!