In typical Peter fashion he signed my copy of his new book, 'To my good friend and mentor.' I think the 'mentor' was written without irony and was just a sign of Peter's generosity. I am certainly not a mentor, just an admirer of his poetry and his skill with language.
By coincidence for reasons relating to work, I also got in touch with another poet of the Midlands, Simon Fletcher, who I used to know before I left for SOAS. Some of Simon's poems are full of local references and remind me of growing up on the Welsh Marches, and those are the ones I like best. I can't find a good example on his web site.
Now it's another cold and rainy weekend.
Instead of doing some paid work I have to catch up on - this Sunday afternoon! - I have been listening to Vincent Racaniello's course on virology from Columbia University on my ipod. Hurrah for Columbia for putting out to graze on the Creative Commons! You can subscribe through iTunesU
I'm up to lecture five and though it is hard going sometimes, as I don't have the basic molecular biology needed, I am getting by and finding the course fascinating.
This follows on from the origin of life lectures I listened to a while ago. Going into more detail about viruses rather than the more complex cells made a kind sense to me. There seem to be almost enough pieces of the jigsaw to see what the picture is. To be able to say, that's how life started. Enough even for an idiot like me to be able to make a not completely wild guess. That's exciting!
I could get a Nobel Prize! But I don't think they give Nobel Prizes to people who haven't passed the exams. Not in science anyway. Maybe I shoul go for the one for Peace? I'm wondering off the track.
Back to cells.
I'm learning about cells indirectly and they are a bit more complicated than the blobs with a dot in the middle I remember drawing in school.
I was in school at a time when some of the greatest and most wonderful advances in science were being made. Things that would uttely change the world I lived in.
What an effort my teachers must have put into making it all seem so boring!
Anyway I am still unsure about what constitues and enzyme, a protein, a lipid and all the other organic molecules, the building blocks of life, as the cliche goes. I think that should now be the Lego of Life. I shall go back to the basic molecular stuff if I find myself struggling with the virology, or when I have got to the end of the lectures.
The picture is of Mimi, my favourite virus. It used to be Adenovirus because it looked like a sputnik. But Mimi is BIG and has a mysterious star.
Wouldn't it be great if the star opend up and Mimi shot out an iron tipped dart to break into the host cell. Just like the bacteriophage virus in the picture below
Below that is an electron micropscope picture of the iron spike at the end plate
Isn't that amazing!.
There is just so much to do.
I have to do a lot more street Indonesian. Bahasa brandal! Those kinds of streets. I have to keep up a little with Khmer and Jawi and SEA archeology and Chinese history, James Sneddon's history of the Indonesian language to finish. And a little bit of philospohy too.
Talking of Chinese history, this week's In Our Time is on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's one of those books that everyone should know about even if they don't read it, because it shapes the culture of a nation; like Don Quixote or Narrow Road to the Deep North.
I clearly remember the first time I came across that red leather-bound volume in my friend John Brew's library. 'You have to read this!' he said.His youthful voice brimming over with enthusiasm.
Sad to say I have still not got around to it, but I have seen several films based on episodes found in the book.
And perhaps one day when I have the time I will read it.
Meanwhile you must all listen to the radio, or the podcast. I will be setting a test.
I realise this entry has made me sound a complete prat.
Never mind Agus and Madison will shake it out of me when I see them in In Indonesia.
Indonesia! Here is the great Iwan Fals singing about the reality of the beautiful country.