Time can be understood through natural and celestial phenomena. It is marked by changes in precipitation, lifecycles and animal movements. You can sense time’s cycle on a routine traverse through the woods. Breathe in deeply; the scent of decaying berries and leaves unmistakably mark time’s shift in the breeze. Tune your ears to the … [Read more…]
Hey graduate students! I hope you are doing well with the last days of the semester and the year. I would like to ask you a question: have you ever asked yourself what makes you different from others? I guess most of you will say “No”. Yup, no problems, but you should be yourself because … [Read more…]
I’m writing these lines sitting at St. John’s airport. I’m headed for Frankfurt, Germany again, after the first leg of the trip was cancelled due to fog and high winds yesterday. Luckily, I didn’t have any pressing appointments and could simply defer the voyage for one day. While I was never affected by a flight … [Read more…]
I recently finished my thesis and graduated with my Master’s degree. When I say recently, I submitted my thesis at the absolute last possible minute (literally 11:58 p.m.) to make the deadline to attend October 2021 convocation. I am usually very organized, I rarely procrastinate, I work normal to slightly over a full work week … [Read more…]
I run with this river, adjacent to the salmon beneath its surface. When we meet, the icy water cools the blood running through my veins, and there is balance. The energy of its current on the skin, and the life within, breathes meaning into stories of ecology, ontology, mythology, epistemology. Don’t be fooled by the … [Read more…]
As a new blogger, let me briefly introduce myself: I earned a bachelor’s degree in Vietnam and a master’s degree in the Republic of Korea. (Both degrees are in Chemistry.) Currently, I am completing the Ph.D. program in Chemistry with Prof. Francesca Kerton (Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award in 2019). My research focuses on … [Read more…]
For any of the new students who’ve come to MUNL this fall – welcome! When I was in your place a few years ago, I was overwhelmed with the novelty of a new city, new province, new neighbourhood, and new social circles. And this was all before any signs of a pandemic. So I can … [Read more…]
Every fish begins their life in a protected and sheltered environment. Like all good things, the protection ends and eventually, the small fry sets out on its own. I grew up a fish. At least, that’s what my parents would say. In January of 2021, in the middle of a pandemic, I packed up all … [Read more…]
Starting a Ph.D. across the Atlantic at the age of 49 was certainly not something I had always planned, so let me briefly outline the route that took me here. High school teachers corrupted my early interest and love in visual art, which is why I turned to physics after graduation. I made it all … [Read more…]
This is my final blog post for the Memorial School of Graduate studies. I’ve been writing for them over the past three years of my graduate school career, and putting pen to paper for one last blog post provokes nostalgia I never dreamed of feeling for this arduous process that is higher education. I entered … [Read more…]