春風の
花を散らすと
見る夢は
さめても胸の
騒ぐなりけり
-- 西行
the Spring wind
scattering blossoms
I saw it in a dream
but when I awoke the sound
was still rustling in my breast
-- Saigyō, translator unknown
ねがはくは
花の下にて
春死なむ
そのきさらぎの
もち月のころ
-- 西行
Let me die in spring
under the blossoming trees,
let it be around
that full moon
of Kisaragi month
-- Saigyō, translator Burton Watson
Welcome to my salon pour une. Enjoy the cherry blossoms.
(My lab mate is really good at chemistry puns, actually…)
Anyway. I’d like to think I totally rocked the conference–my presentation even picked up a prize, and I met some really awesome people (how could they not be awesome? They’re chemists!) Despite my misgivings about the small town of K—, it turned out to be irrelevant: We chemists know how to drink. And enjoy board games. Especially drunken board games.