Slacking...

After 2 days of working conscientiously, I could finally slack today.

About the tumours I mentioned in my previous post, I informed my boss about them and we went together to check them yesterday morning. I can't help but wince everytime I see them. He agreed with me that the tumours are humongous. But said the mice still appear healthy enough (that is, they still move around quite well and he said that movement is the best sign of life.) hence their 'quality of life' (the exact words he used) should still be ok. So we are going to leave the tumours and see how things go. Am not looking forward to measuring them next Mon!

I really should be job searching in my free time. I have tried to put it off because I really have no idea what I want to do after this. (One of my bosses recently asked me if I had found a job in Singapore or if I am looking and when I said not really, he asked if I had struck lottery. Humph! I am just lazy, can?)

The same question I had when I go this job offer hung around. Should I continue in R&D or should I go back to business/marketing? My former boss have kindly told me I could go back to my former position (business/marketing). He even called me on my mobile sometime in June to ask how I am. But I really don't know if he meant it (the job offer) or not. Guess that I'll only find out when I get back. I received an email last Friday from GSK that they've a vacancy for a 'scientist' in their new R&D Centre for Research in Cognitive & Neurodegenerative Disorders @ Biopolis. I was happy to receive the email, but as usual they prefer a 'real' (face-to-face) interview which I am not able to accomplish right now. I haven't got a reply from them since. Am quite sure the vacancy wouldn't wait for me till Nov with the many honours students out there.

The previous 'job opportunity' from ES cells ended with a polite group email (2 of my colleagues were interviewed too. They have since returned to Singapore. They didn't send any news, but I don't care either.) saying 'We remain interested in your candidacy and ask that you contact us as soon as you repatriate to Singapore. At present, it is difficult to offer a position sight-unseen...'

Anyway, other than being undecided about what I want to do, that's one of the other reasons why I'm not actively searching/applying for a job now. They all require physical presence in Singapore for interviews, which is understandable, in a way... (I mean, I did get this job through am application form, a resume and a couple of phone interviews... But maybe that's cos' the company's French, not Singaporean. Less stringent. Besides, we are not paid by them.)

Talking about the company here, I believe I have mentioned that I will miss working here when I go home. Am once again reminded of that. Think I would actually get work culture-shocked (if this term exists). During lunch with my French colleagues this afternoon, we noted how empty the canteen was. (Everyone's on summer vacation that seems to last forever! A few weeks at least.) In France, everyone's entitled to at least one month of vacation days per year. By law, mind you!!! (Plus a whole lot of other leave and stuff and only 35 working hours a week!) And in Singapore, we get what, 2 weeks??? Here I get 2.5 days per month that I work, which works out to be 6 weeks per year! From time to time, I do wonder, with their shorter working hours and long long vacation, how does the country progress?
The workers union here is so strong, they regularly have strikes, protests, hands out pamplets etc. Sometimes I wonder if one actually exists in Singapore. It is so silent. Well, not up to me to comment on politics.

Shesh, gotta go now, need to do some work in the lab before I leave today. Am crossing my fingers that it'll not be too busy tomorrow!