The Long Way Home

Queuing for trains; queuing for immigration; queuing for airport security ("any liquidshampooperfumetoothpastewatershaversscissors in your carry-on sir?" "Sorry, come again?"); queuing for boarding; queuing for the lavatories; queuing for disembarkation; queuing for baggage reclaim; queuing for food; queuing for connecting flight.....
The 12-hour flight from Paris seems surreal when I did not sleep a wink at all, too preoccupied by the inflight movies and a crying infant just in front of me, I felt the full blast of consequences when I was walking like a zombie in KLIA.
Nevertheless, the relative relaxed atmosphere in KLIA and the people speaking a more familiar accent is comforting for me. After idling 4 hours at KLIA, it's time for me to board the flight back to Penang.
The weather this morning is not really friendly to a jet-lagged guy - hazy with little sunshine and the threat of a thunderstorm - it reminds me of the sorrow of leaving gay Paris.
Nevertheless, Penang and its familiarity soon greeted me upon exiting the airport - the bushy trees and sandy terrain, the crazy drivers, the heat and the humidity - it was as if the Jun Yi in Penang had not left at all since February. To make long stories short, it's good to be home.
Paris is roaring in pictures here soon!

Paris to Penang

Would depart Paris at noon today and arrive in Penang a staggering 24 hours later.
Updates about Paris soon.
And wish me a pleasant flight.

Bordeaux-Paris

I would have liked to cry a little today, but the 'guy thing' and the fact that one month is really short on the scale of 7 years, my tears decided they would only come out during graduation day. 

My last day in the lab went on as usual as any other day. Enjoying my last 10.30 coffee break, and having lunch at 1.30, accompanied by senior lab assistants who were discussing the possibility of equipment contamination because their results come out funny (I hope I have nothing to do with that). I distributed some post-cards I brought from Taiwan, with some scribblings and my name, just for the memory of Sim to stay a little longer in their minds - "h'm, Sim who might have contaminated the equipments causing a terrible mess-up for my Nobel-winning submission."

Enjoying my last tram ride home, strolling the last time along the old streets of Bordeaux, and bidding farewell to all the people connected to me for a brief 24 days. My only grief was not being able to see chief boss one last time and thank him sincerely for his care and my project. I did, however, stick a signed postcard on his door with the sterile laboratory scotch tape.

My big boss Bernard took a long time off for farewell, too. He might not stay in this lab come September, because without a PhD he is only on temporary contract, renewed in certain time intervals. I personally saw him sending applications to different universities all across France. I cannot justify if he would prefer to stay or change a new environment, only that I wish he gets what he wanted.

Ernest Hemingway once wrote "if you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Leaving for Paris tomorrow, I certainly am excited from top to toe. However, having to part Bordeaux chills my heart by half. I have so many thanks to say and so much hugs to give, yet it would be impossible to do all of that in the remaining hours.

Lastly, thanks to Président Nicolas Sarkozy, who is in Bordeaux tomorrow for the EU-Africa Meetings, I'd have to walk to the train station (instead of a tram ride) with my 2-month worldly possessions.

Resolution

Remember when you study literature a long-long time ago (3 years and counting), a story always develop from the exposition, complication, climax, and a final resolution. A resolution does not always have to end with a full stop, and cheeky writers nowadays always like to trick readers into buying the sequel by adding 'all was well for the following 2 months until...' at the very last sentence of the novel. Sometimes it could also end in a bang, as in '...when he woke up he was in the hospital. The end.'

After such a long-winded exposition, what I wanted to express is that my exchange is coming to an end tomorrow. This week was not a good one for me, because I started out Monday with a slight nose-block. My throat was rather sore. But Emilie (remember the lady who raised her hand in defence of her seat?) made such tempting chocolate gâteux two days a row I gobbled down many. By Wednesday morning my lips were cracking.

Apart from my travel-wearied body, the lab research had also came to a standstill. My DNA sequences were messed up last week, and I had to re-sequence a lot of samples. Obligingly I completed everything by Friday and sent it to another lab for sequencing. Thanks to the infamous French bureaucracy, my sequences were only given to me today. I waited Monday and Tuesday away reading Anwar Ibrahim and the interesting news clips on Malaysiakini.

Nevertheless, I am glad things took for a turn today. My sequences flocked in at 9.30am. Though not cutting-edge and certainly having nothing to convince the Chief Judge that this is a DNA sequence able to convict a sodomite to jail (some areas were 'jagged' while some sequences ended abruptly), they were remarkably better than my last attempt (so you can imagine how bad it was before). I quickly assembled them together and align them to see their similarities conferring antibiotic resistance.

Of course, my supervisor Bernard was very busy today doing suspectability tests (test of sensitivity of antibiotics on bacterial species). So I was again left guessing in the wild where the significant sequences start and stop.

Come 4pm, my chief boss, Prof. Mégraud summoned me to his office to discuss about my paper. Prof. Mégraud was the pilot behind my project and he was very supportive and positive since the very beginning. Entering his room, he asked me some casual questions before we proceeded to the paper. I was rather apologetic because I will leave very soon and my jagged DNA sequences would mean not having enough time and evidence to complete the study. In fact he was disappointed I couldn't stay longer because the entire lab is going on a boat trip come Tuesday, and it sounded really fun. He admitted he was rather skeptical about suggesting the project because 1 month is really short for a study.

Once again I told him being given a project is really an honor (some won't even bother you are present or went hunting in the school canteen), and I did learn a lot during the process. He said I was a good student who have no problem in adapting and picked things up really quickly.

I blushed, and told him the DNA sequences were not really handsome to look at. He responded by saying 'this is your first try. I'm sure if you have more time you'd be able to perfect the skill.' 

A brief conversation with chief boss ended my gloom these two days. Once again he reminded me that most of the time the results are not as important, and not as educational as the process of obtaining results. Seeing myself with zero lab abilities four weeks ago, and this morning I was operating a DNA assembly program - using artificial intelligence to determine the sequence to life - while zooming through sequence precipitation protocols to complete my final set of DNAs - this is already something I learned.

La Marseillaise by Placido Domingo 

Besides lab skills and multi-tasking abilities, my nights skimming through French history (in my Lonely Planet) and speaking to my housemate allowed me to see France from a brand new perspective. Most people presume the French are arrogant because they shun at you at the first English word. However, it is important to note that French was the language for diplomacy and international relations up till WWII. French colonies are not less than the English during their prime (Indochina being a fraction of it), and needless to say the pioneers they produced in arts, fashion, design and architecture.

The French, however, have a disturbed and restless history. Since the French Revolution, France has been in constant social turmoil over citizen benefits, workers, politics, technology and foreign immigrants. Their national anthem (above) while being extremely arousing, is full of violence, much like French history. La Marseillaise is written after a French defeat, which depicts its uplifting yet melancholic mood. France had been, in history, occupied by England and Germany. While the verse 'French patriotism' is not entirely true - statistics showed that barely 5 percent of French participate in the Résistance - they went through both the best and worst of times. One day Paris was the focus of all and the day after it was occupied by Nazis - something similar to this extent.

French history has a greater lesson behind, however, and that is life has its ups and downs. We may never successfully meet targets all the time, and things don't usually go well (especially when you're in a hurry). However, at the end of the day, we must constantly remind ourselves the process is much more important than a glowing result. The extra detours we made are no in vain at the end of the day - something has to be there for you to pick up along the way.

I hope you enjoy the uplifting anthem and appreciate the roaring spirit behind it.

The Last Weekend In Bordeaux: St-Emilion

St-Emilion is actually located within the fences of Bordeaux it shares the similar fame for its red wines. Unlike the charming Poitiers yesterday, St-Emilion is jam-packed with tourists on Sunday, which took away some of its old-time charm with flashy Americans yakking "I kinda mis'd Noo York in the winter," (it was kinda warm that day); and Britons sharing in the chorus "Do you think it'll be rAther troublesome to ask the lAd to put THese into a paper bAg?"

We visited a château (winery) with a group of tourists like myself. Before leaving we were given approximately 45 minutes to explore the little hamlet on our own. It was quite a deal for €25 for the afternoon tour, organized by the Tourism Office of Bordeaux. Our guide, a French lady who speaks excellent English, went on and on introducing Bordeaux wines and its close relations with St-Emilion. I'm sure with a little attention and understanding of English, tourists would have a clear-cut knowledge about the town. This made me reflect on Taiwanese tourism and tour guides - giving little or no introduction at all, encouraging 'tour harmony' by singing karaoke the entire journey, and last but not least, as the infamous phrase goes - board a bus, sleep; alight from bus, the mad rush for washrooms, take photos, and board the bus again (no pun intended).

Vast vineyards greeted us as we entered St-Emilion

The berries that brought cash and fame to Bordeaux. They have really nice names and they can fruit even when very old. This is a Merlot, I think, and it's over 50 years old, the bush. These grapes will redden in August, and subsequently harvested to be fermented into wine in September-October

The owner of the château (young dude) briefing us over the aging and maturation process of wine, with his excellent English translator (old blond lady) just in front. He is the 5th generation in his family to manage the winery

Barrels rested in the room for maturation. For a bottle of wine, tax-free, priced €5, the cost of the barrel mounts up to €1.50. The barrels, made only using the finest oak, adds flavor to the wine

Vines are trimmed so that they don't overgrow and produce sour grapes, which the fox can't reach and assumed they were sour

Then to St-Emilion Centre - the old clock tower of the hamlet

Land in St-Emilion is expensive (the soil specific for vines particularly), causing an average winery in the area not exceeding 12 hectars. Farmers struggle to keep costs low due to the low cost-to-benefit ratio caused by small plots of land

Gate to St-Emilion, dating back to the 12th century

St-Emilion's ancient side

And its modern side - school of wine

As well as its rustic side

The courtyard of a monastary reminiscent of an era of horse-riding knights clad in armour and handsome kings (and the queens wearing gowns that sweep and collect dust as they go)

Did I mention St-Emilion is another UNESCO World Heritage Site too?

Vines and history - it's not surprising tourists are easily fascinated by these two 

Once again to the great wines of Bordeaux

The Last Weekend In Bordeaux: Poitiers

Wanting to spend the last weekend with a slower pace, I departed for Poitiers at 11am, allocating only 6 hours for 'the cobblestone city'. Within 1.5 hours I was navigating my way through Poitiers and the charm of the city starts setting in.

Poitiers train station with its modernistic design

I will soon uncover Poitiers - another charming hill-side town rich with history but not too touristy

Dining at La Gazette, with its sumptuous brunch (recommended by Lonely Planet)

I will let the following set of pictures do their own talking and convince you the cobblestone city is not unlike something out of fantasy stories (you'd have to imagine your own prince/princess in the pictures to make it work more effectively)

Another sort-of view from the top, again

Memorial for soldiers sacrificed during the two world wars - a touching scene of an angle holding a deceased soldier's hand heading towards heaven

St-Emilion coming up soon

French French

This makes 2 posts in an hour. Make sure you check out 'Bordeaux 3' as well.

The adjective 'French' may refer to the typical Frenchmen - arrogant, fashionable, dirty, no civic sense, extremely bureaucratic and 'merde, you just don't speak French do you?'

The noun 'French' refers to all French people, which comprises a high percentage of immigrants from north Africa - Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia etc. They enjoy 7 weeks of paid holidays every year, and on top of that, works only 35 hours per week. They consume more fat than Americans, yet managed to stay slim enough to be wearing all the designers clothing. Demonstration is their second most common activity, first being football.

My housemate's girlfriend Amira (Tunis immigrant) and brother Alexandre in front of a Japanese restaurant. I am holding a kebab. Speak of culture integration

With Amira on the waterfront. It was my bad hair day

In front of the ship Sagittarius docking on the riverfront

On weekdays, I always try to participate in the 10.30 coffee break

(from left) Cédric, a PhD student who likes to tease Bernard, my supervisor, who doesn't like being photographed

More people around the table during lunch. (from left) I-forgot-her-name, Emilie waving her hands shouting "that's my seat, i'm just off for the phone!", Alice just spotting I'm snapping them, and Christine, always graceful, looking at the seat-robber

My 'big boss' (quuoting Cédric) doesn't like being photographed. 'The queen' (quoting Bernard) is the seat robber in the previous picture. With Emilie giving her the seat and taking this photo for us

Bordeaux 3

My days in France are coming to a close very soon. This time next week I'd be in Paris enjoying the last days of being in Europe, and after that I will fly back home for the rest of the summer until August 31.

I wouldn't say this is one life-changing journey I embarked on, but I never regretted a single minute spent in France. Apart from laboratory skills and knowledge Mr. Bergey had imparted upon me, and the 'slow and steady wins the race' values all the lab staff exudes, I learned not to fear the unknown. A few years ago a trip to Butterworth alone might just freak me out; now, I'm drawing plans to comb through Paris in the least possible time (given that I have only 4 days) and maximum efficiency (skipping ticket queues and maximizing my travel pass).

It is also with shock and sadness today that I received news about Prof. Tsai, our Malaysian guardian in Tzu Chi University, is diagnosed with stage 4 (out of 4) lung adenoma some time ago. He just fathered a son and his career is just about to take flight. Prof. Tsai is also the key person who got me admitted into TCU - it is touching at times when people you don't even know will go out all the way to help you. I wrote him a postcard while on the tram heading to the post office. The lesson learned here is nothing waits for us once the time comes.

I am glad I naively agreed to sign up for the exchange (you'd be surprised me being here is actually sort of an accident, stories soon) two semesters ago. In one way it had opened my horizons, and in another it had taught me how some material things doesn't matter anymore at the end of the day. When you stand at the finishing line an A+ for Anatomy or being elected as the Prime Minister won't buy you a single gram of happiness, it's the knowledge that you did everything from the bottom of your heart, that you put your best foot forward that brings peace, and that kind of peace will be eternal.

Without further ado, let's enjoy more of Bordeaux.

Pey-Berland tower stands highest in Bordeaux, originally erected as a defensive watch-tower beside Cathedral St-Andréa

Another gold-clad Mary and Jesus on top Pey-Berland

View of Bordeaux from the top - I am starting to love view-from-the-tops

St. Andrew's Cathedral (St-Andréa) is one of the many churches on the Spain-Jerusalem pilgrim's road

A typical Gothic cathedral will shape like the cross with the main entrance facing the west. This is so that when you enter the cathedral on Sunday morning, the sun, which rises in the east, will shine in through the tainted windows and the church is transformed into an instant heaven

Interior of the 900-year old church - much of them are renovated in the 14th and 17th century

Hôtel de Ville is the administration center of Bordeaux - all dressed up for nomination of Europe's culture capital

Hôpital St-Andréa - the old and grand medical provider of Bordeaux. The university where I live in is correlated with Hôpital Pellegrin, a newer hospital  

A smaller church which name failed to stick in my mind at the moment

A synagogue is the spiritual place for the Jews. This Bordelaise synagogue has memorials dedicated to deceased Jews during WWII 

Bordeaux's prime commercial space is Esplanade Charles de Galle

Nearby, the Baroque St. Bruno's Cathedral stands guard to a large cemetary

Place de la Résistance paying respect to French patriots during WWII

On another side of town, Cathedral St-Michel is equally grand, if not grander

Located on a poorer district of Bordeaux, it is less of an eye candy. However, hawkers and shoppers fill the square around it almost daily

Cathedral St-Seruin has beautiful tainted glass windows. It's a pity my camera chose that instant to run out of battery, so I did not manage to snap any (or you're so tired of churches now?)

Bordeaux oh Bordeaux, when shalt I see you again? Signboard writes: Bordeaux 2013 -European capital of culture: candidate city