Update: We broke a vacuum-funnel (~15 EUR) and a 3-headed distillation flask (~33 EUR) today.. I have a feeling I should have done a glass-insurance before this. ;)

Together with the petri-dish I think this is the price for the new WLAN card I was about to get.. darn! This course is really getting expensive :)

Additionally (as usual there is more) the flask was filled with the product of a looong (the whole day) synthesis when it broke. Causing hot benzil and nitric acid to spill over my partners and my hands, arms and clothes. Nice…
Luckily we could save enough of the crystals to pass this day, otherwise I would really be pissed now. I proudly carry my shoes and pants with ventilation-holes now! :D

Somehow this chemistry-thing combined with two exams (Physics and Microbiology) make me sleepless. At the moment, I go to bed at around 1 a.m. and get up at 6:30 a.m. again. I mean, no problem with that but in the weekend I will just collapse and sleep 24h nonstop :P

I am getting into quite some excited state, almost manic – I wonder for how long I will be able to keep it up like that :)

Physics is done, one more to go.. I really need a break

Today is Anna’s birthday :)

Happy Birthday, my Love!!! I wish you were here…

The fact that we are separated on this day reminds me of the old days when our relationship was young and somehow focused on the appearance of a small green flower on the other side’s ICQ client. We fell in love with each other without having seen ourselves once. ;)

Well, you have just begun a new job in Amsterdam and I am involved with my compulsory chemical exercises so it can’t be helped but to celebrate this day on another occasion.
On the other hand, I bought a small chocolate-cake from our favourite bakery. It is a “baby version” of the special cake that is crispy on the outside and liquid in the inside. Remember? I let it melt in the sun and then ate it sitting on the wall next to the Maas where I spent the whole afternoon studying. I also ate your piece ;)
Continue reading →

Finally, the fuel-cell powered mp3-player is ready.

Toshiba has released a prototype of a mp3-player that plays 35 hours of music with 3,5ml of Methanol. It shall be released in 2006.
Now, think about Laptops and other Gadgets that finally will be operational for a reasonable amount of time!

Now, think about a colony of bacteria, yeasts and algae on your roof that will produce the neccessary (m)ethanol by the power of the sun!
Hard to believe? The department of Biotechnology (where I study, actually) has a working prototype on the roof that produces not too much ethanol yet but 3,5ml per week are definitely possible!
And making Methanol from Ethanol is a piece of cake.

Click the picture here for details:

http://www.biotec.rwth-aachen.de/english/bioenergy.htm

why can’t I motivate myself? why can’t I concentrate?
what’s the problem with me?

I mean, I have two exams coming up in less than 2 weeks and I keep distracting me like.. like a boy at school that doesn’t want to do his homework.

Somebody told me once I am afraid of not passing the exam and that’s why I try to keep diverting my attention from it. Hard to believe.. yet possible :)
My head hurts from all this, I’ll get some chocolate and coffee and get going again. I want to pass this @#$^%& exams.

out there on the street a couple is shouting at each other for 10 minutes now.. at 00:50 in the night.
I considered throwing something down but couldn’t find anything that I would not regret afterwards.. I opened the window and yelled “Hey!” in their direction but that kept them silent only for a couple of seconds.. I don’t know enough insults in Dutch, I realized.. and as they are a man and a woman shouting I’d even have to use gender-neutral curses..
Someone remind me to ask Sander for an update in Dutch cursing ;)
Anyway: what’s the point in loudly yelling at each other like that? Last year, the girl that used to live under our appartment had similar arguments with her boyfriend.. especially at night. Wonderfully relaxing and absolutely idiotic. What’s the outcome of yelling at each other? And why do it so loud that everyone can (has to) listen?
Weirdos..