Repost: How to add a touch of surprise to your lab life

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The sun will set even if it isn’t pushed, and time will pass even if it isn’t delayed. Rather than going through the same routine day after day in the lab with no sense of excitement, it’s better to treat oneself to surprises from time to time, even if they are small or trivial things. As long as they can make one’s life more interesting, that too is a pleasant thing. Below, I share a few of my own little pleasures, with the aim of giving myself a surprise from time to time. You can also think of your own ways, and perhaps you’d like to reply and share them with everyone. 1. Pay attention to Google’s logo. As many of you know, Google changes the logo on its home page almost every few days; some of these logos are very illustrative, some are abstract, and some are quite amusing. I remember that not long ago, there were little games available on the logo at the top of Google’s homepage, which really amused me. Happiness doesn’t come in different sizes; it has to be sought out by oneself, even discovered – sometimes it’s as simple as paying attention to an update in Google’s logo. 2. Often sharing QQ status updates. I believe many people, just like me, have the habit of updating their QQ status. This way of keeping short records, similar to Twitter, is actually quite interesting for laboratory workers like us who are either busy or not really busy at all. Just update from time to time – something funny that happened on the way today, some gossip about someone in a certain lab, which expert drank another beaker of ultra-pure water from the lab, or that the movie I watched today was good, and so on. All of these can be recorded; it helps to keep track of one’s own thoughts and feelings, and it also allows us to share them with classmates and friends and have some fun together. 3. When you have time, go to instrument companies and get some small gifts. I’m sure that anyone who works in a laboratory has one or two such gifts from instrument companies. Some of them are really interesting; they look great and are fun to have in the laboratory or dormitory, and they can also be given as gifts. I’ve noticed that my friends really like them. Especially large instrument companies such as Thermo/Agilent/Waters/AB, etc., often provide some unique and interesting small gifts. Sometimes these are given as a bonus when purchasing instruments or consumables, or as part of some online promotion – participants in such promotions can receive them. Of course, they might also include some promotional materials or advertisements; this is normal for instrument companies. As professionals in this industry, it’s not bad to keep an eye on market trends as well. One can pay more attention to such small gifts in everyday life. If you’re interested, I can tell you a way to get nice stamps; it’s provided by Thermo, and there’s definitely no issue with the integrity of that company. Although the internet is so advanced these days that letters are written less often, it’s still interesting to collect stamps. Or one can occasionally send a letter to a friend who lives far away, to experience the feeling of writing with a pen on paper and sticking stamps in the envelopes – it has a touch of sophistication to it, as well as a sense of longing for a good friend. Hit children on rainy days? Since you’re idle anyway, why not get some stamps to enjoy? Click here. I generally don’t tell ordinary people about this :) 4. Learning English through movies. Those who work in research or technical fields are well aware that English plays a crucial role in the workplace; having good English skills results in salary differences that are far more than just a thousand or two thousand yuan per month. Watching original movies to learn English is arguably the most fun and effective way. 5. I occasionally shop online; other options include platforms like Taobao, Pinduoduo, and Dangdang. Girls can buy clothes and shoes, while guys can purchase electronic devices and books – it’s my source of enjoyment. What about you? Feel free to add more, hehe.