Jury duty

My introduction to US justice system was through The Law and Order as well as Law and Order: Special Victim Unit TV series. The shows will have scenes shot in a justice court, with prosecutor and defendant lawyers presenting arguments to a group of lay people called the jury. All defendants have the right to a trial by jury which goes back to June 15, 1213. Then, King John of England granted part of the civil liberties designed to prevent too much power being in the hands of the king. The jury is ideally fair and impartial to determine the facts of the evidence in the case.

Well, I was summoned by the Circuit Court for Baltimore City to serve as a juror on Jan 5, 2010. Failure to comply with the summon may result in 60 days imprisonment, $1,000 fine or both after a hearing. This was my second summoning. However, with the current summon, there was not an option for me to check the box, stating that I am a non-US citizen. Other criteria to serve as a juror include residing in Baltimore City, persons who are under 70 years, and did not commit a felony.

Hopefully the Jury Commissioner's Office can strike me off their list after I fax to them my documents.

Inspiration from a song

This period has been a time of reflection as I come to closing my life chapter and looking forward to opening another. There are lots of factors to consider and no textbook for reference.

This song caught my attention when I was listening to the radio. As I grow older, I tend not to be as excited over things and taking certain things for granted. Living, as the lyrics goes, means taking chances, for that is how human grows.

I hope to dance too!

I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

A comfortable one-bedroom hotel suite while attending a course

From Nov 9 - 13, I attended a 4.5-day course on flow cytometry offered by BD and paid by my boss. My lodging was at Hawthorn Suite, North Chelmsford, MA.

I was impressed by the layout of the small suite. There was an open kitchen which was well-equipped, looking out into the living area. Two wooden doors at an angle led to the bedroom, with a big vanity area, opposite to a good-sized closet. The restroom had a bathtub. For one person, it was very comfortable and cozy.


Service was excellent too. The staff was helpful and courteous. It is hard to find good service here. The hotel even organized a shopping trip to Nashua Mall, NH on Tuesday evening. A light meal was offered complimentary to hotel guest on Wednesday.
Breakfast menu was different everyday, a refreshing and delectable change for my appetite.

I would not mind designing my own place after this hotel room. Every space was maximized and had a function. I took these photographs for design references in the hope of getting my own place in the near future.

Found it at last

I had been looking for my first generation iPod nano for the past two weeks. It was a farewell gift from my fellow graduate friends before I came to USA for my post-doctoral position.

I used it only when I work out at the gym and ever since I broke the ring of my armband while rowing, I have been putting it in my pocket.

After gym, I usually would place it near the kitchen counter for my next trip. When I realized that I was missing the iPod, I looked high and low for it at two possible places, my cluttered desk in my room and the equally crowded computer desk in the living room. It was strange that I still had my earphones.

I suspected that it had dropped out of my pocket when I was pulling out my keys. Nothing was turned in after my inquiries at my building concierge and gym.

Yesterday, I went to The Apple Store at Towson Town Center, intending to get a 5th generation iPod 16GB nano which cost USD$189.74. The new features that I like included a FM radio, video camera and its huge size versus my 1GB antique.

Not wanting to be in a hurry to get one, I left empty handed. For dinner, I just wanted to eat instant noodle and when I reached for it, lo and behold, I found the missing iPod. I wondered why I had left it there. Just a very strange place for me to put it.

As for the 5th generation iPod, it can wait now since I am contemplating on getting a iPhone which has all the features I wanted plus a telephone. Also, ordered an armband so that it would be easier to locate and would not obstruct my movement at the gym.