10 miles🏃🏻

Sunday, May 3

드디어 10 miles! 아직은 주간 마일리지가 충분하지 않아서 주말 장거리는 아주 천천히 가는 걸로 하고, 여기서 더 늘리려고 하지는 않을 예정. 다음 주에는 꼭 평일에 3번 이상 뛰어봐야지. Arsicault Bakery는 언제 가도 만족스럽달까. 항상 크루아상이랑 샌드위치만 시도해봤는데, 스콘이 정말 맛있어서 놀랐다! 역시 5/5. 오후에는 종빈이랑 스벅에 갔고, revision response 작성한 것에 대해 comment가 바로 와서 바로 제출해버렸다! 이렇게 빨라도 되는 건지 하하… 이후에는 언제나와 같은 주말 대청소를 하고 푹 쉬었다.

Finally, 10 miles! Since my weekly mileage is still not high enough, I plan to keep my weekend long runs very slow for now and not increase the distance further yet. Next week, I really need to run at least three times during the weekdays. Arsicault Bakery is always satisfying whenever I go. I had only tried their croissants and sandwiches before, but I was surprised by how good the scone was! Definitely 5/5 as expected. In the afternoon, I went to Starbucks with Jongbin, and I immediately received comments on the revision response I had written, so I submitted it right away! I am not sure if it is okay to be this fast haha… After that, I did my usual weekend deep cleaning and rested well.

Monday, May 4

오늘은 밀린 블로그를 전부 쓰고, 논문을 좀 읽었다. 수요일에 DGL JC 발표가 있는데 어떤 논문을 해야 할지… 좀 내가 이해하기 어려웠던 걸 들고 가는 게 아무래도 discussion하기에도 좋을 거라 믿는다. 또 오늘부터 본격적으로 새로운 pipeline을 구축하는 걸 시작했는데, 생각보다 쉽지가 않다 흠…

Today, I caught up on all my overdue blog posts and read some papers. I have a DGL JC presentation on Wednesday, and I am still thinking about which paper to present… I think bringing a paper that was a bit difficult for me to understand might actually lead to a better discussion. I also officially started building a new pipeline today, but it is not as easy as I expected, hmm…

Tuesday, May 5

지금 상황을 쉽게 말하자면, 자격시험은 잘 통과했으나 현실적으로 내 박사학위 동안 집중해서 할 중심 연구 주제는 확정이 안 된 상태. 일단 교수님들과 미팅하기 전에는 최대한 아이디어를 많이 모아서 가려고 한다. 오늘도 하루 종일 논문을 읽고, pipeline을 어떻게 해야 할지 어느 정도 감이 잡혀서 구체적인 to-do list를 작성했다. 종빈이랑 윤서 누나랑 또 자주 가던 카페에 가서 했는데, 개방감도 있고 날이 좋아서인지 참 집중이 잘되는 것 같다.

To put my current situation simply, I passed the qualifying exam, but realistically, the central research topic I will focus on during my PhD is still not fully decided. Before meeting with my professors, I want to gather as many ideas as possible. Today, I spent the whole day reading papers, and I started to get a better sense of how I should build the pipeline, so I made a concrete to-do list. I went again with Jongbin and Yoonseo to the cafe we often go to, and maybe because the space feels open and the weather was nice, I was able to focus really well🙂

Wednesday, May 6

운동 가려고 일어났는데 아침부터 기분 좋게 accept됐다는 메일을 받았다. 아무래도 저널 에디터가 동부에 있는 게 확실하다 ㅋㅋㅋ 기분 좋게 하루를 시작하고, 오후에는 내 CCB student mentor인 친구와 coffee chat을 한 뒤 일에 열중했다(DGL group meeting은 취소!). 확실히 맨 처음 연구실에 들어왔을 때 열심히 고생을 해둔 것이 있어서인지, 지금 pipeline을 새로 만드는 게 상대적으로 더 쉽게 느껴진다. 뭔가 속도가 붙으니 재미도 있고. 오늘은 side project와 관련된 논문도 읽고, 동기가 발표하는 SKL group meeting에 참여했다. Title이 “Targeting Tumor Suppressor LOF with a Chemical Genetic Circuit”인데 아주 아이디어가 좋다.. 참고로 모찌도넛 너무 맛있ㅇ.. 어제와 같이 오늘도 가볍게 2.5마일 정도만 뛰고 하루를 잘 마무리했다.

I woke up to go work out, and right away in the morning, I received a happy email saying that the paper was accepted. The journal editor must definitely be on the East Coast ㅋㅋㅋ After starting the day on a good note, I had a coffee chat in the afternoon with my CCB student mentor and then focused on work (DGL group meeting was canceled!). Maybe because I worked hard and struggled a lot when I first joined the lab, building a new pipeline now feels relatively easier. It is also fun once things start picking up speed. Today, I also read a paper related to a side project and attended the SKL group meeting where my cohort member presented. The title was “Targeting Tumor Suppressor LOF with a Chemical Genetic Circuit,” and the idea was really good.. Also, the mochi donut was so good.. Like yesterday, I lightly ran about 2.5 miles today and wrapped up the day well.

Thursday, May 7

Gladstone에서 Possu Huang 교수님의 protein design seminar가 오전에 있어 참석했다. 내 화학부 친구인 진호가 이 랩에 박사과정생으로 있어 종종 연구 얘기를 하곤 했는데, 실제로 발표를 들어보니 아주 집중도 잘 되고, 내 관심사와 상당히 밀접한 부분을 연구하고 계셔서 시간 가는 줄 모르고 들었다. Baker Lab 출신들이 아주 그냥 이 분야를 지배하는 게 아닌가 하는 웃지 못할 생각이 들기도 했다 ㅋㅋ 오후에는 열심히 일하고 내일 Bill과의 미팅을 준비하는 것 외에는 딱히 특별한 일은 없었고, 오랜만에 퇴근하고 운동하면서 재민이랑 전화를 했다. 항상 자기 자리에서 최선을 다하는 친구들과 얘기를 할 때면 괜히 뭔가 나도 기분이 좋고 덩달아 힘이 나는 것 같다. 연구실 이전으로 정신이 없을 텐데 일이 잘 마무리되었으면 좋겠다.

In the morning, I attended Professor Possu Huang’s protein design seminar at Gladstone. My friend Jinho is a PhD candidate in his lab, so we have talked about research from time to time. But actually listening to the seminar, I was able to focus really well, and since the work was closely related to my interests, I lost track of time. I also had the funny thought that people from the Baker Lab are really dominating this field… In the afternoon, there was nothing particularly special other than working hard and preparing for my meeting with Bill tomorrow. After work, I called 재민 while working out for the first time in a while. Whenever I talk with friends who are doing their best in their own places, I somehow feel good too and gain energy from them. He must be very busy with the lab move, so I hope everything wraps up well.

Friday, May 8

보통 금요일에는, 내가 애정하는 수업인 RIPS를 재밌게 듣고, 동기 몇몇과 함께 점심을 먹는다. 내가 보통은 펑퍼짐한 바지를 입고 편하게 연구실을 다녀서, 뭐 조금이라도 깔끔하게 입고 오는 날이면 어딜 가냐고 놀리듯이 항상 물어보는 친구들인데 오늘 저녁에 종빈이랑 윤서 누나랑 맛있는 저녁을 먹으러 좀 차려입었더니 역시나 여지없이 놀림을 받았다 ㅎㅎ.. 근데 뭐 내가 술을 취할 정도로 마신 게 언제인지 기억이 안 날 정도라 미국 친구들이 생각하는 파티?와는 좀 거리가 멀다. 윤서 누나는 진작 자격시험을 통과했고, 나도 최근에 통과했고, 종빈이가 오늘 딱 시험을 봤는데 역시나 무난히 잘 통과했다🎉🎉 후다닥 Bill과 미팅을 끝내고 같이 모여서 ABSteak by Chef Akira Back (124 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102)로 향했다. 아주아주 신기했던 건 (한참을 얘기했던 것 같다), 위 동영상에 나와 있듯 특수 제작된 불판이 연기를 수평 방향으로 빨아들여 냄새가 잘 배지 않게 하는 획기적인 흡기 시스템이었다. 뭐 이걸 한국에 어떻게 들여와야 하니 마니 얘기를 많이 했던 것 같은데 ㅋㅋㅋ 결국 많이 비쌀 것 같다는 결론을 내렸다. 음식은 전체적으로 괜찮았는데, 난 아직 한국과 끊임없이 비교하게 되어서 다시 갈 것 같지는 않은 고기 퀄리티와 비싼 가격이었다. 칵테일과 저 와규 피자는 나름 괜찮았던 듯. 참 셋 다 이제 PhD candidate라니.. 뭔가 믿기지가 않는데, 저녁을 다 먹고 카페에 들러 얘기가 끝나갈 때쯤에는 벌써 졸업을 빨리 하고 싶다고 노래를 부르는 셋이었다 ㅎㅎ 별일 없이 잘 끝나길.

Usually on Fridays, I enjoy RIPS, one of my favorite classes, and then have lunch with a few classmates. Since I usually go to lab very comfortably in loose pants, whenever I dress even slightly more neatly, my friends always tease me and ask where I am going. Today, I dressed up a bit because I was going to have a nice dinner with Jongbin and Yoonseo and of course, they teased me again without fail. But honestly, I cannot even remember the last time I drank enough to get drunk, so it is pretty far from the kind of “party” my American friends might imagine. Yoonseo had already passed her qualifying exam a while ago, I passed mine recently, and Jongbin took his exam today and, as expected, passed smoothly too🎉🎉. I quickly finished my meeting with Bill, and then we gathered and headed to ABSteak by Chef Akira Back, 124 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102. What was really fascinating, and I think we talked about this for a long time, was the special grill shown in the video above. It pulls the smoke horizontally, so the smell does not soak into your clothes as much. It was a pretty innovative ventilation system. We talked a lot about whether and how this could be brought to Korea ㅋㅋㅋ, but eventually concluded that it would probably be very expensive. Overall, the food was decent, but I still keep comparing Korean barbecue here to Korea, so considering the meat quality and the high price, I do not think I would go back. Still, the cocktail and the Wagyu pizza were pretty good. It is hard to believe that all three of us are now PhD candidates.. But by the time we finished dinner, stopped by a cafe, and wrapped up our conversation, all three of us were already singing about wanting to graduate soon ㅎㅎ I hope everything goes smoothly.

Saturday, May 9

평화로운 토요일이랄까. 날씨가 너무너무 좋았고, 일도 어느 정도 진전이 있었고 운동도 잘 됐다. 저녁에는 gym에 정말 정말 꾸준하게, 하루 두 번, 오는 이탈리아에서 온 몸 좋은 Tanja Lab 포닥 형님이 있는데, 맨날 밥을 같이 먹자 먹자 하면서도 시간이 잘 안 맞았는데 오늘 드디어 Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, 1570 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133라는 피자 맛집에 갔다. 마르게리타만 시킨 게 조금 아쉽긴 하지만 정말 맛있게 잘 먹었고, 다음에는 다른 피자도 많이 많이 시도해보고 싶은 가게였다!!!

It was a peaceful Saturday, I would say. The weather was really, really nice, I made some progress with work, and my workout went well too. In the evening, I finally had dinner with a very fit postdoc from Italy in the Tanja Lab who comes to the gym incredibly consistently, twice a day. We had always been saying we should eat together, but the timing never worked out until today. We finally went to Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, 1570 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94133, a pizza place that even he approves of. It was a bit unfortunate that we only ordered the Margherita, but it was really delicious, and I definitely want to go back and try many other pizzas next time!!!