ephlis01 SUMMER/FALL 2001 (THE LOST ISSUE): Part 6
Page 9: The last installment of the popular ephlis01 column from our Siberian office, Dispatches (Courier New font):
DISPATCHES
The final dispatch from Oleg, our Russian correspondent in Novosibirsk…
Hello everyone, I couldn't find out who's "in", but I hope that all of us who is using email anyway. I am very glad for Marina but at the same time mega-jealous that she can visit Budapest again. I have so many sweet memories connected with that place and I long to be there again. The human environment was truly unique. And these sexy Hungarian guys everywhere... :)
I guess now there's an opportunity to briefly highlight you on my recent life events. First of all, I am still working in my lab, that same project with searching for genes responsible for scoliosis in humans, very interesting but 400 (four hundred) blood samples kept frozen at -70 deg. Celsius drive me crazy. I have to extract the genomic DNA from blood cells, purify it, put in into the polymerase chain reaction that specifically allows one to amplify the copies of a certain needed sequence of the genome, and then I'll screen the population for the polymorphism in the aggrecan gene located in the X chromosome) and try to link this statistically with cases of scoliosis.
This is just to give you the main idea of what I am currently doing, it is surely simpler than it sounds. It absorbs all of me, most of my time, no time at all for fun, sex, partying etc. What makes it easier is that there's not really much to engage myself in! I mean the entertainment opportunities are rather weak, so becoming a facultative workaholic seems like an option to me. :)
Otherwise-- we had a wonderful week of -30 or so, at home it was quite cold as well and I was longing to visit Marina in Uzbekistan!! :) Then it passed and -20 felt quite cozy and comfy. Everyone is going crazy about the new year. I heard that the colour of the New year parties should be silver, shining, gray, and so on. Very symbolic and cosmic. I really miss the mad Cow and Chicken cartoons, those who shared this passion will understand me. Dexter is still a bit of a trouble, memories of his voice wake me up in the middle of the night and leave me screaming! :)
Do you picture our reunion some day? Or it might take place only in the cyber-space? I found a tape with Bossa Nova music and am enjoying it immensely. Remember? One evening at Fat Mo's, this Hungarian band which played bossa nova... it was so sweet.
Love,
please write back to me,
Olegos
