New Distance, New Direction

Sunday, June 28

저번에 갔었던 Marigold Cafe가 바리스타분도 친절하고, 커피도 맛있고, 토스트도 대박이었어서 다시 방문했다. 이번엔 새로운 white bean 토스트를 시켜봤는데, 저번에 먹었던 것보다는 솔직히 임팩트가 크진 않았지만 든든한 식사를 하는 느낌으로 괜찮았다 ㅎㅎ 여유롭게 이곳저곳을 다니다가, 가봐야지 가봐야지 했었던 Deli Board (1058 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103)에 다녀왔다. 거의 한 시간이나 기다리기도 했고, 우리 앞앞 순서에서 brisket이 다 팔려서 결국 원하는 메뉴를 먹지는 못했지만 그래도 맛있었다! 다만 주말보다는 평일에 사람 없을 때 가면 좋을 정도? 대표 메뉴를 못 먹어보기도 했고, 다음에 다시 시도해보려고 한다.

We visited Marigold Cafe again because last time the barista was kind, the coffee was good, and the toast was amazing. This time, we tried a new white bean toast. Honestly, it did not have as much impact as the one we had last time, but it was still a good filling meal ㅎㅎ After leisurely wandering here and there, we finally went to Deli Board, a place I had been meaning to try. We waited almost an hour, and the brisket sold out just two orders before us, so I did not get to eat the menu item I wanted, but it was still delicious! That said, it might be better to go on a weekday when fewer people are around, rather than on the weekend. Since I did not get to try the signature menu, I want to try again next time.

집에서 쉬면서 side project 관련해서 일을 열심히 하다가, 저녁에 정말 정말 오랜만에 (아마 4년이 넘었을 거다) 약대 후배 친구와 저녁을 먹었다. 아우성이라는 동아리 회장을 했을 때 밑 학번 임원진 친구들 중 한 명이었는데, 최근에 이직을 해서 샌프란으로 출장을 왔고 마침 시간이 맞아서 보게 됐다. 전혀 소식을 못 듣고 살다가 오랜만에 졸업하고 뭘 했는지부터 얘기를 들으니까 흥미롭고 재밌었달까. 분야는 다르지만 자기가 하고 싶은 것을 찾아서 잘 살고 있는 걸 보니 저절로 동기부여도 되고, 내가 현재 있는 상황이 얼마나 운이 좋은 건지 생각하고 감사하게 됐다. 10년 동안 이직한 회사에서 잘 입지를 다져서 성과를 내고 싶다고 했는데, 진심으로 응원한다! (10년 뒤면 난 또 뭘 하고 있을지 궁금하다 ㅎㅎ)

I rested at home and worked hard on a side project, and in the evening, I had dinner with a younger friend from pharmacy school for the first time in a really, really long time, probably more than four years. When I was the president of a club called 아우성, he was one of the officers in the class below me. He recently changed jobs and came to San Francisco for a business trip, and luckily our schedules matched. Since we had not heard from each other at all for a long time, it was interesting and fun to hear what he had been doing since graduation. Even though we are in different fields, seeing him live well while finding what he wants to do naturally motivated me and made me think again about how lucky I am in my current situation. He said he wants to build a strong position and achieve results at the company he just joined over the next 10 years, and I sincerely support him! I wonder what I will be doing 10 years from now too ㅎㅎ

Monday, June 29

오늘 Shokat Lab group meeting에서는 faculty job interview를 받은 포닥의 practice talk이 있었는데, 앞으로는 미팅 형식이 두 시간을 꽉 채워서 하는 게 아니라 한 시간에서 한 시간 반 정도에 최대한 타이트하게 끝내고, 남은 시간에 discussion을 더 집중적으로 하는 format으로 바꾼다고 한다. 이 변화가 좋아 보이는 게 내가 지금까지 느낀 바로는 중간중간 질문들이 끊임없이 이어지면서 흐름이 끊기고, 동시에 준비해왔던 것을 마무리하지 못하는 경우도 있었기 때문. 정작 연사가 노력을 많이 쏟고 의견을 듣고 싶은 부분에서 시간 관계상 피드백을 많이 못 받으면 아쉬운데, 이러한 경우가 좀 덜해지지 않을까 기대해본다!

Today’s Shokat Lab group meeting had a practice talk by a postdoc who received a faculty job interview. Going forward, the meeting format will change so that instead of filling the full two hours, the talk will be kept as tight as possible, around one to one and a half hours, and the remaining time will be used for more focused discussion. This change seems good because, so far, questions often come in continuously throughout the talk, interrupting the flow, and sometimes the speaker does not get to finish what they prepared. It is a bit disappointing when the speaker has put in a lot of effort but cannot receive much feedback on the parts they really want input on because of time, so I hope this format will reduce those cases!

일을 어느 정도 마무리하고 블로그를 (너무 많이 밀렸다) 빨리 쓰려고 했는데 참 일단락이 되지가 않는다.. 일단 side project의 경우에는 분석은 다 했는데, 수학적으로 이게 정합한 것인지 진정으로 완벽히 이해되지는 않아서 일단 hold하고 main thesis project에 시간을 더 쏟으려고 한다. 또 내 생각에는 굉장히 중요한 걸 발견해서 (왜 끊임이 없지 ㅋㅋㅋ) 재밌게 시간을 보냈다. 오후에는 일정이 없어서 Hardware Coffee Co. (32 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127)에 가서 공부했는데, West Portal이라는 조용하고 좋은 동네에 있어서 그런가 집중도 잘 됐다. 저녁으로 Khao Tiew (272 Claremont Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94127)라는 유명한 식당에서 저녁을 먹었는데, 흠 맛있긴 맛있었는데 조금 느끼한? 막 다시 시도해볼 것 같진 않았다. 느끼한 걸 아주 잘 먹는 나도 탄산이 먹고 싶을 정도였으니. 그래도 기분 좋게 잘 먹고 집에 와서 오랜만에 밤늦게까지 일을 몰아서 했다. 빨리 일단락해야 할 텐데… 욕심을 버리고 쉬어가는 게 잘 안 된다.

After wrapping up some work, I tried to quickly write my blog posts because I had fallen so far behind, but things just would not settle.. For the side project, I finished the analysis, but I do not yet fully and truly understand whether it is mathematically consistent, so I decided to put it on hold for now and spend more time on my main thesis project. I also found something that I think is very important (why does this never end ㅋㅋ), and had fun working on it. In the afternoon, we had no scheduled plans, so we went to Hardware Coffee Co. to study. Maybe because it is in a quiet and nice neighborhood called West Portal, I was able to focus well. For dinner, we went to a famous restaurant called Khao Tiew, where there was a long wait. Hmm, it was definitely tasty, but a little greasy? I do not think I would necessarily try it again. Even for me, someone who usually handles greasy food well, it made me want a soda. Still, I enjoyed the meal, came home, and worked late into the night for the first time in a while. I need to wrap things up soon… It is hard to let it go and take a break.

Tuesday, June 30

언젠가 Wiita Lab에 있는 CCB 동기가 랩에 안 쓰고 방치되어 있는 OT-2 (a benchtop liquid handler)가 있다고 해서 혹시 관심 있으면 setup을 해서 다시 사용할 수 있겠냐고 물어봤었다. 버리는 건 아깝고 랩 공간을 차지하기만 해서 권해줬는데, 나로서는 엄청 좋은 기회였던 게 내가 애초에 여유만 있었다면 내 프로토콜을 위해 이걸 사고 싶었기 때문. 하지만 나만 사용할 기기를 사기는 쉽지가 않고, 그 당시 내가 protocol을 재현할 수 있는지조차 보여드린 게 없어서 그냥 무마되었었다 (사실 없어도 되긴 한다). 그래서 오늘 랩에 가서 봤는데 음… 내 남은 기간을 생각하고 이걸 잘 사용할 수 있다고 생각하면 처음에 투자해야 하는 시간들은 충분히 가치 있을 거라 생각해서 좀 더 알아보기로 했다. 그리고 이 친구도 쓸 수 있기 때문에 더 효율이 올라갈 거라 믿는다.

At some point, a CCB classmate in the Wiita Lab told me that their lab had an unused OT-2, a benchtop liquid handler, sitting around, and asked whether I would be interested in setting it up and using it again. It would be a waste to throw it away, and it was just taking up space in the lab. For me, it was a really good opportunity because, if I had had the flexibility, I had actually wanted to buy one for my own protocol. But it is not easy to buy an instrument that only I would use, and at the time, I had not even shown that I could reproduce the protocol, so the idea just faded away. Honestly, it works fine even without it. So today, I went to the lab and took a look at it. Hmm… Considering the time I have left and the possibility that I could use it well, I think the time I would need to invest in the beginning could be worth it, so I decided to look into it more. And since this friend can also use it, I believe the efficiency will go up even more.

흐.. 어제 일을 하다가 중요한 걸 발견했는데, 사실 지금까지 했던 것이 꽤나 잘못된 것일 수도 있다는 생각을 하게 됐다. 계속 테스트하고 있고 다음 방향도 생각은 해뒀지만, 확실히 다시 시작하려는 건 쉽지가 않다… 뭐 물론 많은 것들을 배우고는 있지만😭 저녁에 뛰러 나갔는데 아니? 몇 마일 그냥 가볍게 뛰었는데 오른쪽 복숭아뼈 부근이 조금 시큰해서 바로 그냥 걸었다. 이제 한 달도 안 남았는데 부상은 절대 안 된다..

Hmm.. While working yesterday, I found something important, and it made me think that what I had been doing so far might actually be quite wrong. I am continuing to test it, and I do have the next direction in mind, but it is definitely not easy to think about starting again… Of course, I am learning a lot through this. In the evening, I went out for a run, but wait? I only ran a few miles lightly, and the area around my right ankle bone started to ache a little, so I immediately just walked. There is less than a month left now, so an injury is absolutely not allowed.

Wednesday, July 1

오늘은 어제에 이어서 새로운 방법에 대해 공부하고 하나씩 시도하고 있다. 다행히 기존에 했었던 걸 완전히 버릴 필요는 없고, 심지어 최종 design candidates에도 넣을 수 있는 것으로 결론이 났다.. 휴. 오후엔 DeGrado Lab group meeting이 있었는데, 이제 정말 exit talk date도 정해진 Stephanie가 마지막 발표를 했다. 5년 동안의 시간을 정리해서 발표한다는 게 얼마나 벅차고 뿌듯할까 (그리고 잘 풀리기도 했다!). 저 단상에 하루빨리 서고 싶다는 생각을 했다. 물론 내 스스로 만족할 만한 시간을 보내고💪

Today, continuing from yesterday, I studied the new method and started trying things one by one. Thankfully, I concluded that I do not need to completely discard what I had done before, and that it can even be included among the final design candidates.. whew. In the afternoon, we had the DeGrado Lab group meeting, and Stephanie, whose exit talk date has now truly been set, gave her final presentation. How overwhelming it must feel to summarize five years of work in one talk, and how proud she must be that her story came together so beautifully. It made me want to stand like her as soon as possible too. Of course, only after spending time in a way that I can be satisfied with myself💪

Thursday, July 2

새벽에 여자친구를 공항에 배웅해줬다. 이제 진짜 롱디 시작이라니!! 서로 얘기도 많이 했었고, 각자 자기 일에 열심히라 생각보다 힘들지 않을 거라고 믿는다. 지금 집중하고 있는 프로젝트가 일주일 사이에 굉장히 많은 것들이 바뀌어서 내일 Bill과의 미팅에서 말할 게 많을 것 같다..

Early in the morning, I saw my girlfriend off at the airport. I cannot believe the long-distance relationship is really starting now!! We had talked about it a lot, and since both of us are working hard on our own things, I believe it will not be as hard as I might expect. So many things have changed in the project I am currently focusing on over just one week, so I think I will have a lot to talk about in my meeting with Bill tomorrow..

Friday, July 3

새로운 기준으로 design candidates를 filter했더니 한 plate를 채 채우지 못해서, 새롭게 시도할 pipeline으로 나올 후보들까지 충분히 sampling한 후에 합쳐서 order하기로 했다. 너무 조급해하지 않기로. Bill은 다행히 지금 방향을 긍정적으로 봐주셨다. 혼자서 이것저것 시도하고 결론 내고 다른 걸 시도하는데 믿어주시니 다행. 나는 micromanage하는 PI와는 정말 안 맞았을 것 같다는 생각을 해본다 ㅎㅎ

When I filtered the design candidates using the new criteria, I could not even fill one plate, so I decided to order only after sufficiently sampling candidates from the new pipeline I am trying. I decided not to rush. Thankfully, Bill viewed the current direction positively. I am grateful that he trusts me while I try different things on my own, draw conclusions, and then try something else. I think I really would not have fit well with a PI who micromanages ㅎㅎ

러닝하고 밀프렙하고, 오늘 새로운 barbershop을 시도해봤다. 전체적으로 마음에 드는 게 일단 위생적으로 도구를 관리하시고, 꼼꼼하게 머리를 해주시는 것과 더불어 효율적으로 30분 내에 잘라주셔서 참 좋다. 그리고 걸어서 15분이면 가서 저번에도 말했지만 생각보다 엄청 비싸다고 느껴지지는 않아서 계속 다닐 것 같다. 또 엄청 몸이 좋으셨는데, 예전에 bodybuilding을 하셨다고 사진까지 보여주셨다 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ… 약학을 전공했다니까 갑자기 선수 시절 때 쓰셨던 peptide랑 약물 얘기를 하셨는데 뭔가 신기했다. Anabolic steroid만 있는 게 아니더라고.. 뭐 여튼 머리도 마음에 들고, 시행착오 없이 새로 정착할 곳을 찾아서 좋다. 혹시 근처에 산다면 추천 (1512 Barber Shop, 1532 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94107).

I ran, did meal prep, and tried a new barbershop today. Overall, I liked it. First, he manages the tools clean, cuts hair carefully, and also works efficiently, finishing within 30 minutes, which I really liked. It is also only a 15-minute walk, so as I mentioned before, when I consider my time as money too, it does not feel that expensive. I think I will keep going there. He was also extremely fit, and he said he used to do bodybuilding and even showed me photos ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ… When I told him I studied pharmacy, he suddenly started talking about the peptides and drugs he used during his bodybuilding days, which was kind of fascinating. Apparently, it is not just anabolic steroids.. Anyway, I liked the haircut, and I am glad I found a new place to settle into without much trial and error. If you live nearby, I recommend 1512 Barber Shop.

Saturday, July 4

오늘은 미국 전역에서 250주년 불꽃축제가 열리는데, SF는 금문교 근처에서 (40년? 만이라고 했던 것 같은데) 행사를 한다고 해서 며칠 전에 Bill이 랩 멤버들과 지인들을 집으로 직접 초대했다. 1년 반 전쯤 로테이션하는 동안 여러 멤버들이 자리를 잡고 나가는 걸 기념하는 파티를 Bill 집에서 했었는데, 그때는 정신이 없어서 잘 몰랐지만 참 집이 좋다 ㅋㅋㅋ 준 궁전이 아닐까 싶을 정도. 생각보다 과학 분야에 종사하는 분들보다는 Bill과 아내분인 Susan의 지인분들이 많이 오셔서 얘기가 쉽지는 않았지만, 그래도 맛있는 식사도 하고 불꽃놀이도 잘 봤다. 너무나 아쉬웠던 건 안개가 너무 자욱해서 반만 봤다는 점.. 그리고 집에 들어가는 데 무슨 2시간이 걸려서 (올 때는 20분 ㅎㅎ), 좀 지쳤다는 것만 빼면 다 좋은 하루였다. 아 별거 아니지만 딸기 꼭지 따는 게 정말 편해서 사진으로 남겨본다. 과일을 Trader Joe’s에서 사 갔는데, 생각보다 딸기는 별로고 수박은 괜찮아서 앞으로는 수박을 더 많이 가져가려 한다 ㅎㅎ

Today, the 250th anniversary fireworks celebration was happening across the U.S., and SF was holding an event near the Golden Gate Bridge, apparently for the first time in 40 years? Because of that, a few days ago, Bill personally invited lab members and acquaintances to his house. About a year and a half ago, during my rotation, there was a party at his house to celebrate several members settling into their next positions and leaving. At that time, I was too overwhelmed to really notice, but his house is truly amazing ㅋㅋㅋ It almost feels like a semi-palace. There were more friends of Bill and his wife Susan than people working in science, so it was not always easy to have conversations, but still, I had a delicious meal and watched the fireworks well. The only disappointing thing was that the fog was so thick that we could only see about half of it.. Also, it took about two hours to get home, even though getting there had taken 20 minutes ㅎㅎ, so I was a bit tired. Other than that, it was a great day. Oh, this is not a big deal, but removing strawberry stems was so convenient with this tool that I took a photo. I brought fruit from Trader Joe’s, but the strawberries were not as good as expected, while the watermelon was pretty good, so I think I will bring more watermelon from now on ㅎㅎ