Second QBC Retreat

Sunday, November 2

153.8 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Rest (6/6)

With beautiful weather, I headed to Japantown. It was my first time really exploring the area, even though I’ve visited a few times just for food. I tried a sushi spot where a little train brings plates to your table. It was just decent, so I’ll skip the name😅 After lunch, browsed a tiny shop next door full of cat-themed trinkets. Everything was adorable, especially a plush cat lounging in a sleepy pose. People say I must be drawn to that relaxed, cozy kind of cute (like Snorlax and Totoro) and they’re probably right😛 Then grabbed a crepe at Belly Good Cafe & Crepes (1737 Post St #393). It was great. I also tried a gachapon but didn’t pull the one I wanted… Later I wandered over to GIO Gelati (1998 Union St) for pear gelato, which was excellent. A simple day, perfect weather, and a full recharge.

Monday, November 3

154.0 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Done (1/6)

Today was my second QBC retreat. I can’t believe a year has already passed since my first rotation. This time I felt much more relaxed and could really enjoy being with my cohort. The food was great, honestly better than a typical hotel buffet, and I probably ate close to 400g of protein😆 After catching the talks we were interested in, our second year went for a hike to a butterfly spot in the woods and then out to the coast. We stopped by an arcade near the resort and headed back. Before dinner I squeezed in a quick gym session, then we watched skits from four programs, including our CCB one (I would say the best one). It was fun though a little embarrassing. People went to parties afterward, but I headed home and slept early. The program ran past ten!

Tuesday, November 4

🏃🏻 Done (2/6)

Woke up feeling refreshed, grabbed a great breakfast with a friend, then took our coffees out to the terrace right next to our room. We laughed about how we were both worried about lab placements this time last year. Luckily, we each ended up exactly where we wanted. I squeezed in a quick workout, spent bits on a few talks and friends’ posters, and had a solid lunch before heading home. On the way back, a guy in a sharply modded Cybertruck smiled at me after I gave him a thumbs-up. Back home, I took a short nap and went out for a run. A one-night, two-day retreat feels just right, leaving me fully recharged. Time to hit it hard again tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 5

152.5 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Done (3/6)

OMG.. when I checked the OD of the sorted cells that we had left in the cold room over the weekend, it was unexpectedly high. I suspected contamination, but I still subcultured into fresh SD after calculating the cell number for ~OD 1. It turned out my first instinct was right; it got contaminated. A postdoc confirmed it after spinning down the inoculum, we saw a pale, fluffy white layer above the yeast pellet and an unusually high OD (and the new culture changed color dramatically the next day). I won’t leave sorted yeast sitting in the cold room again. We’ll rerun the sort and handle everything as sterilely as possible (the FACS session wasn’t fully sterile last time, and the tubes may have been the culprit). After the group meeting, I spent most of the time on in-silico work and sketched a plan for the next steps.

Thursday, November 6

153.4 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Done (4/6)

Back to chemistry today. I’m helping a postdoc who’s about to go on the job market; with a bit of luck, I’ll probably be done with my part by next week. Chemistry really does fit my personality. More straightforward, and the checks/iterations are fast. As expected, the yeast culture I inoculated yesterday was contaminated, so I set that aside and spent the rest of the day advancing the computational design pipeline. Now that my cut is over, I’m planning to a few new nutrient sources: rice cakes, fat-free milk, mandarins, tilapia, and shrimp. So I went to Costco after work. Training-wise, I’m shifting to lower volume and higher intensity, and it feels right. I’ll keep it slow and avoid rushing.

Friday, November 7

154.8 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Done (5/6)

I watched a YouTube video on maintenance, cutting, and bulking that featured a really useful graph. The takeaway: TDEE(Total Daily Energy Expenditure) can drop a lot during a cut, so when the cut ends, it’s smarter to raise calories conservatively rather than jumping straight to the pre-cut surplus target. I’m still finding my current maintenance, so I’m resisting the urge to rush calorie increases. Once I find maintenance, I’ll add a small surplus.

The RIPS talk today was one of the best I’ve seen: clear logic, crisp delivery, and flawless slides. Exactly the kind of presentation style I want to give. Work-wise, chemistry went well too; I have one substrate left to make (besides the one I’m waiting on). Wrapped up with some work at home and a good night’s sleep.

Saturday, November 8

154.8 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | 🏃🏻 Done (6/6)

Started with a refreshing run, then stopped by Parachute Bakery in the Ferry Building. The line looked intimidating but moved quickly. The pastries were good, but not particularly special, and a bit too pricey. So we still prefer Arsicault. The weather was perfect, and the walk home put me in a great mood.

I spent the afternoon at the library (Union Square Macy’s already has its Christmas tree up🎄). I used the entire session to work on a more effective PyMOL figure. It wasn’t the most urgent task, but I learned a lot, and I’m hoping it pays off later. Dinner was at Saap Ver Damn Good! Thai Street Food: pad see ew, spicy fried chicken, and a mixed-cut pork rice bowl. Third visit, still great. At night, I watched the League of Legends World Championship, but it got too late to finish the full series.