Tom and I visited the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park last weekend, and we had a great time! Admission is only $3 with your student ID. Definitely worth a trip out - to take a break from studies.

They currently have a special children-friendly display on butterflies, called "The Butterfly Zone"

As always, you'll see...
breathtaking orchids:

Spunky bromeliads:

Enchanting Gingers & Heliconia:

And even the understated beauty of Penjing landscapes:

*Tom took all of the photographs in this entry.

Posted by Christina at 5:06 PM | Permalink

Hey folks!
Happy Earth Day!

National Arbor Day is this Friday - so get ready to hug some trees.

Posted by Christina at 5:01 PM | Permalink

What interesting news! I just had to share.

A group of 6 Masai warriors ran the London marathon earlier this week, to raise money for a new well for their village. They ran the marathon in traditional attire, chanting, dancing, and walking all the way - and they raised nearly $120,000!

You can read a blog from this group's leader here: http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,,2273114,00.html

Here's a link to a CNN article about the warriors and their cause: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/10/maasi.marathon/index.html#cnnSTCText

Here's a fun little article about it from the London Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/02/nmasai102.xml

The Masai warriors' guide to England
By Andrew Pierce
Last Updated: 1:47am BST 03/04/2008

Six Masai warriors, who are so fierce they kill male lions with their bare hands, have been warned that surviving the perils of the African bush will be child's play compared to what they can expect on their first trip to England.

The warriors, who are leaving their remote Tanzanian village to run in the London Marathon, have been given a detailed four-page guide on how to contend with the most curmudgeonly species they may ever encounter: the English office worker.

The visiting Masai will run the London marathon to raise money for water supplies back home

"You may be surprised by the number of people that there are and they all seem to be rushing around everywhere," the guide says.

"Even though some may look like they have a frown on their face, they are very friendly people - many of them just work in offices, jobs they don't enjoy, and so they do not smile as much as they should."

The warriors, who are leaving their village of Eluai in northern Tanzania for the first time, will run the 26.2-mile course in their traditional red robes, complete with shields and sticks, to raise money for life-saving water supplies back home.

Continue reading "Masai run London Marathon" »

Posted by Christina at 4:48 PM | Permalink

2 days of sunshine turned on its head and now the fog has rolled through town. Clouds rule the sky and the air is cool. Some may be thrilled. I hold out hope to see the sun by noon.

Posted by Christina at 8:31 AM | Permalink

I'm going to Miami University!

It's a little school in Ohio, with a well-established, thriving Botany department. Fall 2008, I'll start on my Master's degree. I'll be working with Dr. John Kiss.

Check out my previous entries for more information on Dr. Kiss and rest of the faculty I was able to meet in January.

Posted by Christina at 4:54 PM | Permalink

Fret fret freezing cold, fret fret freakout, fret fret fret fret.

Wake up late? Rush, run faster, catch a random bus, and make it to class earlier than you usually do.
Get an exam back? Hit the books again and maybe worry some more until you improve your grade, or, alternatively cheer!

Today was one of those fret fret freeze fret fret CHEER!!!! days, which makes it significantly better than average.

Posted by Christina at 2:48 PM | Permalink

It's St. Patty's Day!
You know what that means - a massive celebration of Irish heritage!

Green, green, everywhere. Most everyone wears green. In elementary school, you'll pinch your classmates if they're not wearing green. Usually the university crowd isn't going to pinch you if you forget to sport a clover.

So, yeah, you can wear just about any color you want on St. Patrick's Day - just don't wear orange!

Why not?

Protestants (represented by the color orange) have been oppressing Catholic Northern Ireland (represented by the color green) since 1509, when Henry the 8th was King of England, but especially since 1690's Battle of the Boyne when Protestant William of Orange defeated James the Second. source
According to my friend of Irish Catholic heritage, wearing orange is"...like wearing a KKK hood on MLK day." He cringes whenever he sees someone sporting orange on his happy holiday. So, as we in Berkeleyans strive to be sympathetic of all cultures, let's remember to wear something other than orange as we celebrate this snake-chasing, green-wearing Saint.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, Everyone!

Clover image from:
http://www.co.bay.mi.us/bay/home.nsf/public/BE2FEDCC7EDDC47885257346006800F6/$file/four-leaf_clover2.jpg

Posted by Christina at 4:45 PM | Permalink

I used to hate the thought of using the microwave, everything always turns out rubbery or just odd. But last night changed my mind...

I didn't want to wait to heat up the oven, but I really wanted sugar cookies. Found this recipe at www.cooks.com decided to try. It turned out delicious! Cakey, fluffy not-too-sugary cookies.

MICROWAVE SUGAR COOKIES

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Soften butter (15 seconds in microwave). Cream butter; gradually add sugar. Cream until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Toss flour, baking powder, and salt to mix; add to creamed mixture and combine well.
Chill dough 1 hour until firm. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut in shapes. Arrange 8 cookies in a ring on waxed paper. Cook 2 minutes on HIGH. Yield 3-4 dozen.

This experience has opened my mind to the fact that yes, sometimes microwaves can help you make things that taste good.

Posted by Christina at 9:51 AM | Permalink

Daylight savings came up on me unexpected this year. Isn't it supposed to be the first weekend of April? Sunday morning, I looked at my watch, looked at the clock on my computer, and realized one of them was probably wrong.

Then I looked it up - starting March 2007, the United States changed Daylight Savings permanently, extending it one month.

What's the point? I mean, people tell you that it's saving money, and that it's worthwhile - but has anyone actually done studies to prove it? Today I found this article by National Geographic, addressing these questions. Figured you folks might enjoy it, too.

Extended Daylight Saving Time Not an Energy Saver?
Brian Handwerk
for National Geographic News

March 7, 2008
On Sunday people in the United States will roll their clocks forward an hour at 2 a.m. and begin the country's second consecutive year of extended daylight saving time.

The change, adopted into law last year, was touted as a way to save energy. But some studies suggest the move actually has consumers using more power—and paying bigger energy bills.

Hendrik Wolff, an environmental economist at the University of Washington in Seattle, is skeptical of the purported savings.

Wolff and colleague Ryan Kellogg studied Australian power-use data surrounding the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when parts of the country extended daylight saving time to accommodate the games.

The pair compared energy use in the state of Victoria, which adopted daylight saving time earlier than normal, to South Australia, which did not.

"Basically if people wake up early in the morning and go to bed earlier, they do save artificial illumination at night and reduce electricity consumption in the evening," Wolff said.

"Our study confirmed that effect. But we also found that more electricity is consumed in the morning. In the end, these two effects wash each other out."

Continue reading "Daylight Savings" »

Posted by Christina at 4:08 PM | Permalink

Want to share a file with your classmates, but it's too large to send reasonably via e-mail? When I run into this problem, I always turn to Cal Web Files: https://webfiles.berkeley.edu

What is it?

Online file storage and file sharing! It's hosted on campus, is super secure, and available to students, faculty, and staff.

A few tips:

- It takes a little time to become familiar with the interface.

- Since their servers are based on campus, files upload faster when you're on campus than when you log on from a distance.

- You can choose to store things in a private folder, a shared folder, and a public folder. With the public folder, you can share files with anyone, not just Cal students. Shared is only accessible to people with Cal WebFiles accounts, and the private folder is viewable only to you.

Stuff I've passed along via Cal WebFiles:
- Class notes
- GIS maps
- Digital audio recordings of class lectures
- Photographs from study abroad

Posted by Christina at 1:27 PM | Permalink

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Time: 7pm - 9pm.
Location: Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way, Berkeley.
Cost: Free.
Info: 510-548-2220 x233, erc@ecologycenter.org, www.paksbab.org.

Rebuilding with Straw Bale in Earthquake Affected Pakistan
Berkeley architect Martin Hammer recently returned from Pakistan where he has been working to bring straw bale and other sustainable building practices to the mountainous region devastated by the 2005 earthquake, which was responsible for over 80,000 deaths, and left millions without permanent shelter. He'll give us an update on the work he presented last year, as well as provide details about straw bale construction. Straw bale construction is earthquake resistant, energy and resource efficient, and an affordable solution to northern Pakistan's enormous reconstruction needs. Martin Hammer has been involved with the design, engineering, and construction of straw bale buildings since 1995, and is the lead author of the proposed straw bale building code for the State of California. In 2006 he co-founded Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (http://www.paksbab.org ). Come join us for this informative talk and slideshow.

Posted by Christina at 9:50 AM | Permalink

Would you believe this beautiful earthquake-proof California home is made of hay?

You can find more pictures of that beautiful Berkeley home here:
http://www.2339ninth.com/

Straw home construction started in the sand hills of Nebraska, when the European settlers couldn't find building materials, and made do with straw. Now desired for its incredible ability to insulate, and its safety against strong winds and earthquakes, straw is starting to move up in the world, beyond hobbyists and into the mainstream as a sustainable building method. Even this conference and retreat center, the Presentation Center in the Santa Cruz mountains, has chosen straw for construction.

Straw construction is reinforced with steel and framed by wood. Compressed hay bales make up the bulk of construction, which is later covered with several layers of plaster. Not only are these homes earthquake safe, they are esentially sound-proof with their two-foot-thick walls.

(photo from http://www.redfeather.org)

An organization called Builders Without Borders is making a difference with straw home technology in earthquake prone countries like Pakistan. Straw has become one of the most practical and economical methods for common folk to rebuild their communities after earthquakes. Since hay is grown locally, costs are reduced in all areas of construction, especially with transportation. Here is a link to an organization that promotes and educates the people of Pakistan with hay building: http://www.paksbab.org/

Here's a story from CNN about a straw house in Santa Cruz:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/08/10/straw.bales/
Website for the Presentation Center in Santa Cruz:
http://www.presentationcenter.org/

Websites of interest:
http://www.strawbale.com/
http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca/strawbales.shtml
http://builderswithoutborders.org/
http://www.redfeather.org/programsStrawBaleConst.html

Posted by Christina at 8:29 AM | Permalink

Today Dr. John Francis came to speak to my American Cultures & Natural Resource Managment course.

Experience of a lifetime.

He's the one who spent 17 years not speaking while he crossed the United States by foot. He currently spends 6 months every year walking around the world to raise awareness of environmental issues.

He's a UN delegate, and writes environmental policy.

Check out his website (his photo came from here):
http://www.planetwalk.org/

Posted by Christina at 3:55 PM | Permalink

Yesterday in my Adventures in Neuroscience DeCal course, I learned just how aerobic exercise is linked to increased memory capacity. Quickly explained, without the nifty chemical signaling processes and complicated biology, thirty minutes of aerobic activity three times a week increases the oxygen flow to your brain considerably, which facilitates the growth of new memory-building cells.

With this in mind, I decided to check out the Cal's Recreational Club sports website:
http://rsf-pwf.berkeley.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=95fadc92-319a-4482-a635-7b3091add462
Look at all the great club sports available!
Archery
Volleyball
Waterpolo
Lacrosse
Figure Skating
Gymnastics
Soccer
Squash
Field Hockey...and more!

I found Cal's Fencing Club!

Since I was in the fencing club at my old school, you can imagine that this makes me super excited. They were nowhere to be found in 2006 when I started at Cal, but now they seem to be going strong. I even saw a guy wearing a "Cal Fencing" sweatshirt the other day when I was riding the bus. We'll see if they let me join this late in the semester!
Here's their website:
http://fencing.berkeley.edu/

The nifty fencing image comes from the NBC sports image gallery.

Posted by Christina at 11:31 AM | Permalink

Thought maybe a few folks will find this interesting! I'll definitely be there.

Intellectual Reflections of a Christian Geneticist
7:30pm. Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley
Francis Collins
Author—The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.
Director—National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH.

The talk will be followed by an interview conducted by Professor Jasper Rine (Howard Hughes Professor and Professor of Genetics, Genomics and Development UC Berkeley (MCB))

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-geneticist and currently serves as the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In this capacity, he oversaw the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, and its landmark effort to sequence the entire human DNA code; the Human Genome Project. Building on the foundation laid by the Human Genome Project, Dr. Collins is now leading the NHGRI effort to ensure that this new trove of sequence data is translated into powerful tools and thoughtful strategies to advance biological knowledge and improve human health.

Posted by Christina at 10:02 AM | Permalink

I love my little bath sponge. I love it even more now that I know where it comes from.

I bought a new loofah sponge Saturday, since mine died a sorry death in French Polynesia months ago. As I pulled it out of its packaging, I noticed a seed. Then I stared at the placentation. I thought, "This is Curcubitaceae." And I wondered why I hadn't noticed that about my last sponge.

This image shows the placentation:

Always a curious sort, I put it on my list of things to look into. Did you know that you're scrubbing yourself with xylem? Here's a great step-by-step how to prepare your own loofah article written by Aaron Newton, who grows his own Luffa :http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/?p=689 In this article, Aaron describes the simple process of "milking" the Luffa fruit, to remove the fleshy fruit and seeds, leaving just the fibrous xylem that makes the exfoliating sponge we all love.

Here's a Luffa gord dried out on the vine:

Many species in the genus Luffa, within the Curcubitaceae, are grown for use as sponges. This is the same family as cucumber, melon, and squash. Luffa cylindrica, Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca are a few of the species that are grown for this purpose.

Here's a flower with a bumble bee:

Click on "Continue Reading" to see references for further reading, and my sources for all of the photographs of this entry.

Continue reading "Loofah Explained!" »

Posted by Christina at 7:42 AM | Permalink

Grab your student ID, hop on the Hill Line at the Hearst Mining Circle, and get your bum up to the Botanical garden. Yeah, I realize it's raining.

Ok, if you don't go, I won't hold it against you.

I might shed a tear or two for you, though, since you'll miss the orchids that are going crazy right now in the Fern and Carniverous Plant House, which is a little, almost invisible greenhouse right by the main gate to the garden.

Posted by Christina at 9:25 PM | Permalink

We all get one for free, as long as we're enrolled in classes at Berkeley. It's the AC Tranist bus pass. It goes on the front of our ID cards, next to our picture. Most of the time, students just use it to ride around campus on the Perimeter, Reverse Perimeter, or Hill Line.

But there's an awesome resource that few students know about. The online trip planner:
http://transit.511.org/tripplanner/index.aspx

Just type in where you're starting, and where you want to end up. It'll tell you the best way to get there. If you scroll to the bottom "4. Transportation Options", you can choose Only Buses.

Some enticing places to visit, via AC Transit:

- Tilden Park
- Tilden Park Botanical Garden
- El Cerrito Plaza (Trader Joe's, Barnes & Noble, Lucky's, Ross, PetCo)
- Michael's Crafts in Emeryville
- Home Depot in Emeryville
- Office Depot in Berkeley
- Oakland Animal Shelter (to pet bunnies)

Continue reading "Getting the most out of your bus pass" »

Posted by Christina at 9:20 PM | Permalink

Do you like bunnies? They're soft and fun to pet.
Well, even if you can't have one in your apartment, I know of a great place to go and visit them in the afternoons. The bunnies at the Oakland Animal Shelter will welcome your pets and affection, even if you do have to put them back in their cages and go home without them.

At the Oakland Animal Shelter, they take care of a couple dozen rabbits. With their no-kill policy, excellently trained volunteers, and plentiful healthy hay, they take great care of their rabbits. Unfortunately, they're trapped in little boxes in a back room for most of the day, with tons of hay and good sanitation - but still, not much room to hop or folks to cuddle with.

If you find some free time, you should definitely go to keep them company!

To get there from campus with your free bus pass, take the 1R line (#1lx/1) from Telegraph Ave. in the direction of the Bayfair BART station.

Here's a website that tells you all about the available dogs, cats, and rabbits in Oakland:
http://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/index.php?z=4

If you live anywhere in the United States, here's a great resource to help you find your new companion. With Petfinder, you can search all of the animal rescue centers nationwide, by zip code or city name:
http://www.petfinder.com/

Posted by Christina at 8:56 PM | Permalink

Part of the governor's massive state-wide budget cuts includes a significant reduction in aid for our California state parks, forcing the closure of nearly 20% of our parks.

Here's a map with the affected parks:

Here's the official stance of the state parks on this issue:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/budget%20fact%20sheet%20w-graphics%20-%2001-14-08.pdf

*Most* of these parks will be closed to public, and placed in a "caretaker status," which requires fewer full-time employees. Many will be closed with no care. The parks they have chosen have the least amount of traffic, generate the least revenue, and are dependent on volunteers. Previous budget cuts have made it impossible to do trail maintenance anyway, so why not shut them down (ACK!!!! If I had known, I would gladly have chipped in extra for admission!)

It is horrible, but it's good to read that the parks tried their best to find the parks that will make the least impact. I'm super sad, though, because Topanga State Park was a favorite for Tom and I to go backpacking. It's on the cutting block, along with several others that I've visited and loved, like San Simeon State Park, Benecia, Railtown, Sutter's Fort, Bolsa Chica, and Tomales Bay. Tomales Bay was one I visited recently with a class. There was some interesting geology there and unbelievably beautiful wetlands.

Here's a website where you can write a letter to the governor about your sentiments on the issue:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/preservation/state-parks?id4=TAFsent

Continue reading "California is Closing 48 State Parks" »

Posted by Christina at 8:22 PM | Permalink

When the sun peaked out from the clouds the other day, I decided to pull out my camera.
Hope you enjoy!

Posted by Christina at 8:13 PM | Permalink

Today there's a guest lecture on campus that many will find of interest!

Dr. Edward F. DeLong is visiting from MIT to discuss his work on Genomics in Microbial Oceanography.
His seminar will be from 4-5 today, January 31, 2008 in 100 GPB.

Here is a link to one of his papers, to give you a better idea of his research:
http://pmb.berkeley.edu/~taylor/pmb290cg/pdfs/DeLong_2005.pdf

Posted by Christina at 2:27 PM | Permalink

If you're in GPB or MB, you're going to meet the awesome Undergraduate Advisors Trey and Dana. If you haven't spent time with them yet, you will be required to meet them soon. Be sure to ask them all the questions you have about course requirements - they can tell you all about creative ways to meet your elective requirements, or let you know that you don't really need that insane MCB class you were planning on taking.

Now, something to know - they're new! And dangit - they know their stuff. But occasionally some paperwork gets lost in transitions like this, so don't be shocked if you need to remind them you've completed a requirement.

For any of you transfer students out there - you're going to want to make super good friends with Trey and Dana. That's because they approve all of your course substitutions. If you've attended another four-year school like me, it can get pretty tricky. Like most upper-division transfer students, I took almost all of my lower-division requirements at another school. That means that Trey and Dana have to work some magic to make each one of those count toward graduation. It can be tricky at times, but worth it to not re-take courses.

Posted by Christina at 11:57 AM | Permalink

What you should NEVER, EVER do:

- Never answer your phone and carry on a conversation in the library. It's going to bother at least one person near you.

- NEVER leave your phone on "ring" during class. Turn off your phone, put it on silent, or put it on vibrate

- Do not ever use your phone in a computer lab. Most have it posted on the wall as a no cell zone, but all expect you to know not to use one.

- Never answer a phone during office hours. Just a bad idea. Terribly disrespectful.

- Please do watch where you're walking when you're talking on your cell phone. It's no fun getting trapped behind cell-phone-talking, slow-walking, hand-gesturing oblivious folks on your way to class.

- Please don't have a loud and obnoxious ring tone, in case you accidentally forget to turn off your cell phone in class.

Posted by Christina at 3:21 PM | Permalink

Miami University of Ohio is a small school with a well-established Botany department. I am considering them for my graduate studies. Their graduate Botany department offers a small student - to- faculty ratio, ample funding, and graduate course offerings to drool over.

While I was meeting with faculty, Tom spent his afternoon touring campus and taking photos. A few highlights.

The Botany & Zoology Building

Posted by Christina at 9:14 AM | Permalink

Today I visited with a large portion of the Botany faculty at Miami University of Ohio. This is one of the schools to which I have applied for graduate school. You can visit their Botany website here: http://www.cas.muohio.edu/botany/

Tom toured the little town and took photos while I met with faculty.

My schedule for today:
8:45am - Hotel pick-up by Dr. Prem Kumar (Post-doc in Dr. Kiss' lab)
9:00am - Dr. Linda E. Watson (Botany department chair)
9:30am - Dr. John Kiss (NASA-funded space Botany)
10:30am - Dr. R. James Hickey (fern systematist)
11:00am - Dr. Mike Vincent (herbarium curator)
11:30am - Dr. Quinn Li (genetics)
noon - Lunch with Prem Kumar (Post-doc for Dr. Kiss' lab) and Neela Kumar (PhD student Dr. Kiss' lab, vegetarian)
1:30pm - Dr. Richard Edelmann (electron and light microscopy specialist)
2:00pm - Dr. Nik Money - (Mycologist)
2:30pm - Dr. Beth Schussler (Biological sciences education researcher)
3:00pm - Dr. David Gorchov (Ecology)
3:30-5:15pm - Meet with Tom and discuss day.
5:30pm - Driving tour of campus with Dr. Kiss (Tom, too)
6:00pm - Dinner with Dr. Kiss (Tom, too)

The weather was cold, but not at all unbearable. Dreary in the morning, clear blue skies in the afternoon. People asked me often my impression of the weather. It was pretty. I liked watching the little flurries of snow caught up by the breeze.

Impressions of the program:
Well-established Botany program. Knowledgeable staff. Focus on teaching. Kind people.
Dr. Kiss is my favorite faculty member. His research is fascinating. The folks in his lab are kind and fun.

Drawbacks of the program:
May not be easy to petition into PhD program. Many encourage you to complete your master's, then move on to PhD.
Described by one graduate student as having "low expectations" (challenged by other students I met, who found it quite difficult to juggle teaching, their own coursework, and research)

Pluses:
Excellent funding
Diverse coursework offerings
Gentle people
Fun, fairly isolated college town, but driving distance from Cincinnati and Dayton.

I like it.

Posted by Christina at 5:46 PM | Permalink

The UC Riverside Biological Sciences Graduate Division has officially lost 2 of my transcripts, GRE scores, supplementary application information, check, fellowship application, and 1 (of 3 total) letter of recommendation.

5 separate envelopes. 2 of which sent from outside the state of California.

They tell me it's all lost in the mail. "If you sent it certified, we might be able to track it."
I didn't.

Let's have this be a lesson for all of us:
Choose to mail everything certified.

Oh, and... Don't plan on getting small-school attention from UC Riverside. No matter how small the program is that you're applying to, the school is massive and you can still fall through the cracks.

Posted by Christina at 3:09 PM | Permalink

This was my favorite super hero when I was a kid! He still is!
Stopping sugar-eating criminals in the act, Captain Vegetable convinces all of us that eating veggies is cool.

Posted by Christina at 1:52 PM | Permalink

A Berkeley legend passed away this month.

Dr. Kaplan's clearly-written readers got me through Dr. Specht's Plant Morphology course. I never was able to meet him, but I've wandered by his office many times, cracking up at his memorable bumper sticker: "With fronds like these, who needs anemones."

Here's a link to the article from the CNR newsfeed: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/12/21_kaplanobit.shtml

Posted by Christina at 11:14 PM | Permalink

Here are a couple of poems written by my fiance Tom Sullivan.

(untitled)

One tiny drop,
teeters on the lip,
threatening intoxication.
Notes of fruit and chocolate
pervade,
drawing on the depths
of the old and mixing
with new.
Men, aged ‘n oaken
with the raw and undeveloped,
talk of the way
things
could have been—
glass after glass.
We weep and rage
over ifs and loves.
Husbands of the grape
and lovers of yeast,
we touch glasses
with friends and enemies.

Rose Marble

The marble feels so strong,
bathed in heavy sunlight,
scorching to the touch.
I wonder how those lines
cut their way through the silica--
pink and flashes of blue.
I’ve tried to make my own way in,
too slow to realize that my bone
and blood
are too weak, and feel the heat
more--brutally.
The master craftsman
chipped it away,
intentionally leaving flaws
for character, and shading in sunlight,
or moonlight.
Many attempt to imitate the craftsman,
adding their own curves and notches,
all beautiful, but not the same.
Creations of motionless marble,
with more character, and feeling,
than we--
Rose marble, smooth, strong, and hot.

Continue reading "Two Poems" »

Posted by Christina at 2:18 PM | Permalink

For those of you who have been following my blog from the start, you're already well aware of all the time I love spending at the UC Botanical garden. But after speaking with a group of garden volunteers last week, I realized just how unique it is to even FIND the botanical garden as an undergraduate student, much less visit it regularly.

A link to their website:
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/index.shtml

So, here I'll highlight some of this year's great events given by the UC Botanical Garden, and mention the bus schedule to get there - to encourage more students to make their way to this beautiful oasis!

Look for the Hill line bus at the Hearst Mining Circle. You can use your student Class Pass to ride for free, otherwise it's $1. The bus comes every half-hour at 10-past-the-hour, and 40 -past-the-hour. Be sure to be on time!

Have a sick plant? Don't know what to do? Bring it up to the Sick Plant Clinic, every 1st Saturday of the month! Here you'll have experts tell you what's wrong and how to bring your favorite plant back to health.

FREE tours! Led by knowledgeable, trained docents every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30pm.

Garden Gems of Asia - In early July, an opportunity to walk with horticulturist Elaine Sedlack through her masterpiece Asian garden (pictured above), to learn about hassle-free beauty that you can add to your garden.

Glass Houses at Twilight - In early August, here's a special opportunity to see the closed-to-public rare orchid house!

Summer Bird Walk - Check out the garden's beautiful birds with an expert birder!

Fall Plant Sale - at the end of September every year, you'll find a bustling scene of exotic plants for sale. Honestly, they have many of the same great plants for sale EVERY DAY at the gift shop, and you don't even have to wait in line.

Food of the Americas - an event that runs nearly every day in October, where kids can learn about all the different varieties of colorful corn, peppers, chocolate, and more, in the education marketplace!

Children's Carniverous Plants Workshop - Kids get a tour of the greenhouse, then learn how to pot, plant, and care for their very own carniverous plant!

Posted by Christina at 3:11 PM | Permalink

While daydreaming of summer vacation (and all that hiking I'd like to do) I thought it'd be nice to look up all of the national parks found in California. I didn't believe it, but there are some on the list that I've never heard of, even in the bay area!

So here I share...

Here's a link to the national parks website: http://www.nps.gov/

Bay area National Parks
( * next to those that are new to me)

Point Reyes
Muir Woods
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park*
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site*
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park*
John Muir National Historic Site - John Muir's home*
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial*

And...
Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Which includes:

Alcatraz Island
Fort Point National Historic Site*
Presidio of San Francisco

Posted by Christina at 2:44 PM | Permalink

When I was in Moorea, I found this resource especially enlightening:

http://www.hear.org/pier/

With multiple photos of each plant, traditional Polynesian names, and links to resources and herbarium records, it's a pretty handy guide when deciphering the plants of the Pacific.

Posted by Christina at 2:41 PM | Permalink

Ever wonder where to find an online flora of wherever you're traveling? Chile, Ecuador, Nepal, Madagascar?

Well, wonder no longer. Here you go!
http://www.efloras.org/index.aspx

Their Flora of North America is super handy when on road trips around the US.

Posted by Christina at 2:20 PM | Permalink

For those of you who are crazy about geology, here's a great article from the National Geographic. It focuses on the formation of the moon, through analysis of moon rocks.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071219-moon-collision.html

Earth-Asteroid Collision Formed Moon Later Than Thought
Richard A. Lovett
for National Geographic News

December 19, 2007

The moon was formed from fragments of Earth after a collision with a giant asteroid relatively late in our planet's formation, new tests of moon rocks show.

The finding upends many of the prior theories for how the moon came to be, researchers say.

Scientists have long believed that the moon was formed by a collision between our planet and a Mars-size object.

Computer models have shown that in this scenario 80 percent of the moon's material should have come from the asteroid, with only 20 percent from Earth.

But the new study of moon rocks collected three decades ago by Apollo astronauts, however, found that Earth and the rocks were too similar for that to be the case.

Continue reading "Moon Rocks" »

Posted by Christina at 2:03 PM | Permalink

Finding a smaller campus environment within the monolithic, intimidating UC Berkeley is crucial to success as an undergraduate. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. Even within the smaller, more intimate College of Natural Resources (CNR), where class sizes are smaller on average and academic advisors are not over-worked - sometimes, students get lost. It's just harder to fall through the cracks when you have people looking out for you. Looking out for you, giving you the best experience possible out of Cal - that's what everyone working for CNR strives for.

Just a few of the exciting majors offered by CNR:

Genetics & Plant Biology (GPB) - Of course I'll start with this one, it's mine! Here you're able to get through similar coursework to the School of Letters & Science Molecular Cell Biology program, but with a plant twist. Also, the required upper-division courses have 60 or fewer students - no more of those nightmarish 500-student courses.

Forestry - Here's where I've found most of my friends. This major is challenging and prepares you for a career in land management. It's biology with a twist, if you will. But doesn't require the same Organic Chemistry requirements as the GPB program. If you love plants, but hate Chemistry, this might just be the program for you.

Conservation & Resource Studies (CRS) - Here's the one where you get to design your own program of study! Want to go into environmental law? This program will prepare you well.

Environmental Science (ES) - our blogging friend Wendy Chen is an ES major. Here's a great program that's joint with Letters & Sciences. With courses in hard-core sciences and policy alike, this is a great option for someone who's interested in getting in on both sides of the environmental debate.

Nutritional Science - Want to become a pharmacist? How about a nutritionalist, or maybe a dietician? Perhaps you're looking into med school, but you want to be enabled with a background that will allow you to help people more than a background in molecular cell biology would. Well, here we are: Nutritional science.

Posted by Christina at 1:40 PM | Permalink

Weather today:
mist clearing to drizzle
fragrant moist evergreens
soil crushing under the toes
sense the peaceful calm
looking from a distance
forced behind concrete and glass.

Posted by Christina at 9:18 AM | Permalink

Weather in Berkeley this morning: 43 degrees. But SUNNY!
I'm sure it'll warm up by the afternoon. In the meantime, I've taken to sitting in the sun, bundled in my coat and gloves. Why? Well, it's difficult adjusting to Winter when you've just experienced two back-to-back summers. The joys of jumping hemispheres.

My behavior is justified by recent travels. But what about those cherry trees that are blooming in Japan right now? Normally they bloom from Feb - May. This year, they're seeing something completely unseasonal.
Here's a run-down of when cherries bloom in Japan, according to the Japan photo guide webiste http://babibubebo.com/:

Here's an article from National Geographic that discusses the out-of-season blooms:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071127-cherry-blossoms.html

Continue reading "Japan's Cherry Blossoms - now??" »

Posted by Christina at 8:42 AM | Permalink

My friend Josh saw this entry and pointed me in the right direction about the chess player. Apparently he's not a bum!

He's a beloved Berkeley street musician. Don't I feel out of the loop!
In 2005, students Sean Staub and Ben Hadden made a 14-minute documentary about his life, called "Future Past Remembered."

Here's an article written about Fizer's vision in The Daily Californian:
http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=17840

Faces of Berkeley: A Voice of the '60s Plays for a Peaceful Tomorrow

BY Catherine Yang
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, March 2, 2005


John Fizer, a self-proclaimed "peacenik," sings and plays guitar in front of Dwinelle Hall. "I try to be there every day," he says.

He may look like country crooner Willie Nelson, but John Fizer-better known to students as the man who plays the guitar outside Dwinelle Hall-would rather think of himself in terms of Bob Dylan.

The 59-year-old Virginia native has traveled across the country, from the cafes of New York's Greenwich Village to the streets of Santa Cruz, hoping his music will inspire students as much as Dylan's music inspired a generation of peace advocates in the 1960s.

Continue reading "Correction: Fizer the Musician" »

Posted by Christina at 8:09 AM | Permalink

After returning from Paradise, I started walking around campus and realized what an interesting place it is. It's as though the past two months of gazing at beauty everywhere gave me a desire to search for the beauty in my every-day. Berkeley offers an unexpected culture of contrasts, along with occasional snippits of the breathtaking.

Morning sun on the walls of Hilgard:

Winter's grasp:

Bustle of Sather Gate:

Chess game with a bum - guitar and voice:

Acapella nonsense:

Weekly organic mini-market:

Posted by Christina at 11:05 AM | Permalink

Back to work - and ready for it.

For those of you who aren't sure what's up, here's the run down:
I'm in IB C158/ ESPM C107 this semester. It's a field course (apply for it in March as a junior!) that involves designing your own biological research experiment from start to finish, and carrying it out in a researcher's heaven: Mo'orea, French Polynesia. You spend the first 3 weeks of the semester on Berkeley campus, learning about the island geology, geography and a little on each of the major ecosystems. Next comes 2 months in Mo'orea, where you turn out a project proposal, carry out all your research, then write a few rough drafts of your paper. You then return to Berkeley, complete a statistical analysis of your data, write a paper to be published in the class's own journal, and participate in a symposium for the projects.

Where am I now? Said goodbye to Mo'orea last week, returned to visit my family in SoCal for Thanksgiving. Now I'm back in Berkeley to work on all the bits and pieces that remain before turning in the final paper and presenting at the symposium.

Feeling motivated since Monday's meeting with professors and classmates. We met at 9am and heard updates on everyone's projects. Most people had just barely made it back to Berkeley in time for the class. The professors discussed various lectures that they'll offer to help us complete our projects. After the big group meeting, the professors spoke briefly individually with those that they felt they could most help, to arrange times to meet. 2 weeks to get done with everything - should be a rush.

Today I met with Dr. Brent Mishler. We went over the statisical methods I should use for my project, and discussed me making a small key to the Cyperaceae found on Mo'orea, and adding to the Moorea digital flora project. We also sorted through my voucher samples. Mainly sedges, but also associated species, like grasses and composites. He'll pass them along to some of the experts in the herbarium to confirm my identifications.

It's great to feel motivated with my project. Seems there's so much to do - GIS modeling, statistics, keying, writing - I hope that I have time for it all!

Posted by Christina at 12:04 PM | Permalink

Hiking here is extreme - or can be, if you'd like to tackle razor-thin ridgelines and climb to the peak of the tallest mountains possible. Beauty everywhere.

Pointing at Mt. Rotui from 3 Pines

Hiking through Hibiscus tiliaceous

The Mouaputa crew

Continue reading "Mo'orea Hiking Adventures" »

Posted by Christina at 7:24 PM | Permalink

Went in search of my sedge on the 3rd tallest mountain on the island. Found another of the same family, not mine. But then again, we didn't get to the top. We were rained on so hard we had to turn back about 3/4 through the trail. Waterfalls of rain and mud making up the one-mistep-and-you're-dead path, and a kind graduate student named David that was worried about our safety stopped us from continuing. We'll go for it again in a few weeks.

Here are some photos of the day:

Posted by Christina at 11:17 AM | Permalink

From the past couple of entries, one might assume that I flew an island in the middle of the Pacific to go on a semester-long vacation. This just isn't the case.

We're 22 students, working on our own personal research projects. Diatoms, octopus, fish, crabs, ethnobotany, invasive plants, skinks, micro snails... everyone has their own project. We go out into the field in pairs and help each other collect data and samples, learning statistical methods to apply while doing field research, and learning how to write a proper publishable scientific paper.

It's a rush of a time, with a few hours here and there of fun, mixed in with a lot of searching for applicable references, figuring out our model organisms, understanding dispersal, learning about habitat, and so on.

It's a great experience, but not for the faint of heart.

Several of the students say that the Field Lab section of Bio 1B has prepared them for this research. Other students were boyscouts, girl scouts, divemasters, lifeguards, worked for environmental firms, and so on. A diverse group of students, with fascinating backgrounds - scientists at heart, trying to make sense of their natural surroundings.

Posted by Christina at 3:37 PM | Permalink

Yesterday we went as a class to Tetiaroa. It's a two-hour boat ride from Moorea. Here's a map of the Tetiaroa atolls:

I didn't take my camera with me for the trip, since they warned us in advance that we wouldn't be able to keep our bags dry. So, all of the photos in this particular entry have come from travel and dive websites, which are cited at the end of the journal entry.

Why weren't we able to keep our bags dry? The only way to access the island is by little French Polynesian fishing boats (Yes, the map indicates that there's a private airport, but it was shut down in 2004). These boats can get within a few feet of the fringing reef. But, oh, um... the ocean floor is about 30 feet deep at that point, and we had to jump into the water from the boat, swim 15 feet to the coral ridge crest (2 ft. under water still), and walk 100 meters to the shore, along the tops of reefs and between, sometimes in knee-deep water, sometimes in neck-deep water, the whole time dodging stone fish, diadema sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and fire coral.

It's worth it, though!!!

These low little motus are essentially untouched by man (the only hotel was shut down in 2004), with shockingly crystal-like water, mild currents, waters rich with rays, little reef sharks, rich varieties of coral, a rainbow of fish, and the nesting region of blue-footed boobies, and many other birds.

Incredible just doesn't seem to describe it thoroughly enough.

Photos are from these sites:
http://www.tahitinuitravel.com/fr/ile/tetiaroa/tetiaroa.asp
http://www.dive-tahiti.com/old/site04.html
http://www.tahiti-tourisme.fr/articles.php?id=783
http://www.tetiaroa.com/

Posted by Christina at 8:15 PM | Permalink

This morning I woke up early and decided to take a few photos around the station. The early morning sky was pink and beautiful.

Posted by Christina at 8:05 PM | Permalink

Erin Martin asked 1) what program I'm in Moorea with, and 2) how I found out about this opportunity.

I'll answer the 2nd question first:
You find out about cool study abroad opportunities like this one while attending CNR's Welcome Week new student orientation. Someone in the CNR staff mentioned the program, and I thought, "I need to look into that."

Now for that 1st question:
I'm here in Moorea through a class offered under the course title ESPM 107 and IB 158. It's a semester of research in French Polynesia, 13 units of coursework that can typically count as the bulk of your elective units. Check out the past semester of blogs under "Tina" in the categories, to find a few more entries that give background on the program and a couple different tours of the Gump Research Station.

In the meantime, here are some more photos....

Continue reading "Moorea Program Details" »

Posted by Christina at 2:27 AM | Permalink

Well, we're here! Moorea is a truly beautiful island. And this program is just incredible! 22 undergrads learning how to become scientists. Goodness - the past few days have been a complete rush. No time to sit and rest- much less check e-mails and do research. Oh, but it's a good busy.
Before we left for the island, we had a few weeks of class where we learned what to expect from the island. During those few weeks, we did preliminary research on potential projects, went on a field trip to the Bodega Marine Lab, took a swimming and snorkeling examination, wrote a paper, and took our midterm. That coursework was mingled in with hunting down supplies, getting our visas, and all the other hassle that comes along with making sure we can leave the country safely.

Coming up on Moorea by boat, from Tahiti

Now that we're on the island, we've had a great time.
Monday we went on a tour of the island. Dr.Jerry Lipps and Dr. Carol Hickman gave us a geological tour of Moorea, from the estuaries, to the basalt mountains and the coral reefs. Beautiful!

Today we visited one of the Motus of Moorea. They're tiny coral islands off the coast of Moorea. Since the motu we visited was isolated from tourism, we were able to see how very close the fish would come to the shore -within feet, all happy and healthy. On the way there, we stopped to snorkel with domesticated stingrays, little sharks, and fish along the small barrier reef that surrounds the island. We also caught glimpse of a humpback wale from the boat on the way back to the station. Goodness - what a good day.

Posted by Christina at 11:59 PM | Permalink

I stopped by the STA travel office on campus today to pick up my international student ID card. There's place where I didn't need to stand in line.

I also picked up my bus pass for the semester, so I can ride up to the Botanical garden for volunteering on the off chance that I have a day off from class in the few weeks before I leave. That was a line.

Then I picked up the textbook that I needed and returned another textbook that I didn't need. Different lines. Different bookstores.

So many lines at the beginning of the semester. Hopefully I won't need to stand in one for a while. Wait. Tomorrow I'm getting my French Visa in San Francisco. That's probably another line.

Posted by Christina at 1:37 PM | Permalink

My friend Lori-Ann showed me this one. It got me laughing. Hope it does the same for you!

Posted by Christina at 4:14 PM | Permalink

Today I went to Caltopia. It's happening Saturday, too. You should go, too! Seems like everyone was making friends with the random people they were in line with at the various booths.

What is Caltopia? It's some sort of crazy welcome fair at the sports gym. They had games with prizes like stuffed animals and t-shirts, and vendors for every local company, handing out free stuff. People were walking away with bags crammed full with pointless junk, or priceless treasures. Some of it was actually useful! I was sure to grab only the stuff I'd use:

I picked up:
- Wooden 12" ruler
- Brown Cow blueberry-flavored yogurt
- 2 Cliff bars
- 1 slice of pizza and small drink (you actually have to go to a pizza place on Telegraph for this one.)
- post-its
- whistle and keychain
- Organic India brand Tulsi Ginger tea.
- Nicely-weighted clicky pen
- Pad of paper with magnet on the back for a grocery list
- 1 Whole Foods Market "Support Your Local Planet" button
- Bang trim from the Paul Mitchell School. They actually trimmed my hair there on the spot. Pretty fun. I liked my stylist. Now I have cute, long-ish bangs and a side part.

Check out what Caltopia has to offer you!
http://www.caltopialive.com/details.php

Posted by Christina at 4:00 PM | Permalink

Don't let this entry stress you out! If you're not a senior, you probably don't need to worry about this yet. If you're a junior, you may want to take a little look at this entry, so you can figure out how to make your life a little easier in your senior year. This entry is helpful to juniors and seniors at any institution, not just UC Berkeley.

Read on, if you dare...

Continue reading "Graduate School Thoughts" »

Posted by Christina at 11:21 AM | Permalink

Tuesday, August 28; 4pm - 5pm in 2063 VLSB
Transfer Lab Research Workshop
If you're a transfer student, (or you can sneak in if you're just a regular junior or senior), here's the event for you. It's a workshop to show you how to get involved with research. The event is for all students in Biology-Related programs throughout the campus. There's SO MANY research opportunities for CNR students! Moreso than the L&S biology majors have available. Here's where you'll learn how to snatch your own coveted spot in a research lab, so you can make those MCB and IB friends drool with envy.

Tuesday, September 4; 9am - 12pm in 260 Mulford
CNR Student Resource Center Welcome Reception!
Ok, here's the perfect opportunity to explore the Student Resource Center (SRC), if you haven't already.

My favorite stuff about the SRC:

- New, soft Couches. It's a great place to take a break on those long days when you're stuck on campus.

- Computer lab. You have to sign in at the beginning of the semester so you have a login account, but after that, you're home free. There aren't too many computers, and usually they're in high demand, but dang they're handy. It's the closest computer lab to all of the CNR classes. Also, these computers have all the stuff you need, from word-processing to excel and internet. You can print stuff out there, too. Oh, and CNR students get to print 15 pages/day for free.

- Tables with a little tilt. While a odd at first, you soon realize that their tilted wooden tables are excellent for long reading assignments.

- Great place to meet people. It's a reliable, quiet place to study, where you see the same folks every day. By the end of the semester, you've made a new friend or two.

- Snacks during finals! At the end of last semester, they stocked up a little table with cookies, chips, fruit, coffee, and tea to entice us to spend hours on end studying in the resource center. It worked.

Posted by Christina at 10:44 AM | Permalink

What's a Resume? Well, it's something that American high school and college students write a lot of! You'll need one to apply to that part-time campus dream job.

What's a Cover Letter? A letter no longer than one page that entices folks to read your resume.

Here's an example of a resume, from this helpful website: http://www.improveyourresume.com

Key elements to a resume:
- Education. What high school did you attend? What university are you now attending? What is your major field of study? What is your GPA?
- Work Experience.
- Volunteer Experience.
- Hobbies. This is where you get to mention gardening, painting, or whatever you love to do. Hobbies don't have to be directly related to the job you're looking for, they can just be a conversation-starter for your interviewer.
- Keep it short. Since they're reviewing sometimes hundreds of resumes, 1 page is all they have time to read.

So, write one up! When you've finished, have people look at it. Lots of people! Before you use your resume, it is very important that you catch all the little glitches. It's also important that you know if it's appropriate for the position you're applying for.

People to proofread your resume:

The folks at the UC Berkeley Career Center! Here's a link: http://career.berkeley.edu
Their Peer Advisors are great.

Also, don't hesitate to ask the kind ladies at the CNR Student Resource Center front desk. While they don't have the intense training in resume-making like the advisors at the Career Center, they can still help you catch basic typos. If you print your resume out in the Resource Center computer lab, you can ask them to give it a look-over right there before heading over to your appointment with a peer advisor at the Career Center.

Posted by Christina at 9:31 AM | Permalink

Check out the Work Study job listings website to find the perfect on-campus job.
http://workstudy.berkeley.edu/JobSearch.aspx

Here are some jobs currently available on campus for students who love plants!

Job Title: Lab Asst III
Employer: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING
Hourly Rate: $ 14.01
Positions: 3
Start Date: When filled
Description: Horticultural tasks general garden maintenance.
Qualifications: past experience
My comment: For this job, looks like they need someone who is comfortable pulling weeds, mowing lawn, and all sorts of other tasks. The pay is good, too! $14.01/hour for 16 hours/week.

Job Title: Clerk
Employer: AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS
Hourly Rate: $ 12.50
Positions: 1
Start Date: When filled
Description: Working in the Giannini Foundation Li