Work and Stuff

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Oh yea...I don't talk about my research enough on this blog considering it is the entire reason I am in Vietnam. So to update everyone - good news!!!! We have launched one of the projects and are smoothly enrolling patients. I attribute the current lack of hitches to the fact that the IRB delays and such led to LOTS AND LOTS of prep time. Anyway, it's pretty exciting stuff actually. We're also launching 2 REALLY BIG projects right after the Lunar New Year so stuff is getting pretty busy. Our office is getting ready for some UCSF (and maybe Stanford) visitors, making constant sites visits, and doing all the other normal office stuff as well (like eating 2 hour lunches...gotta love the Vietnamese way).

Good deal.

Like I said and am always saying - no regrets on this last year. Although my research isn't going to be complete once I have to make my journey back to the states, I am more than thrilled to continue keeping in touch and keeping tabs on the data collection from abroad. I think the fact that I want to stay involved is solid proof that my mentor, my office, and the world of research is doing a dandy job at getting and keeping my attention. Hmmm...who knows where this will go.

As for other random things, I realized during a conversation I was having with J that I freaking love Vietnam and that it is because everyday is an adventure. This does not translate into meaning that I have near death experiences or see world heritage sites daily but somehow, being here makes even the simple things exciting and special. For example...cooking with friends from other parts of the world knowing you may never get a chance to hang with them again in a few months. And even things like appreciating every single day that I have a solid poop in Hanoi. Yea, those two things are totally comparable. Clearly.

And now for a random change of pace, here's a youtube song I like.