(Photo: Flickr)

Autumn is...
Red & orange leaves, rain, more rain, wet shoes (eww...), and good news... ^_^

For 3 weeks now, I have transferred to a new department (Neuroscience) in the same institute, into a new team, new project and it's been like having promoted from the eighteenth depth of hell into heaven! The difference is so great. I no longer have to drag myself bodily to work, have fear and dread as my (only) constant companion at work because I'm afraid of when the boss comes looking for me, of having to see his angry face, of what he will say about me, not knowing what I will do each day, what time I can finish work each day, whether I can go for a coffee with colleagues or to the toilet (because if I'm not at my desk when he looks for me, I'm in trouble) etc etc...

My new boss is nice, approachable, almost always smiling, highly intelligent (at the age of 34, he has already 10 papers (1st & 2nd authorship), and is a team leader) but not arrogant (he asks me what I think when he gives me his opinion on my project!). I know I can go to his office to ask him questions anytime and he's there, or at least most of the time. We have a yahoo calendar where everyone in the team shares his/her experiment plans/holidays. He doesn't micro-manage me. My team-mates are all very nice too, they ask me to go for coffee together, or if I want to take lunch together. I can go on and on... :)

I actually feel like a real person now, not some stupid machine that sits around and waits for commands.

I have my very own project now, and I work again with animals (mice) which I realised I've missed, having had worked only with cells and bacteria the last 9 months before. I am happy with my work, so that I don't mind so much that I have to work harder in the remaining 2 years that I have which includes working full (9-hour) days on some weekends when I have experiments (for example, this weekend I'll have to work. I'm very thankful that I've had this chance to change my life. And that I've had friends who've pushed me towards this decision (because before the transfer I've had often doubts as to whether I should really request for this transfer). And for the prayers for me from those who knew about my situation before, I am grateful. And thank God for answering the prayers.

My Italian experience is hence improved somewhat. Ok, time to get back to work. :)