Tick tick tick tick …
滴答滴答……
24/4/2008
13:40
I read the e-mail from the student in my lab group, in Madrid at that time to learn how to perform an experiment so that he could repeat it in my lab next Tuesday, 29/4 (and some time in the future for me too). So he told me and my direct supervisor what he would need. The main instrument turned out to be something that our department doesn’t own, while he mentioned a special requirement for one of the reagents. I have used it before from a particular company, but it may not meet his requirement, and it’s also run out.
Time to get into gear and hunt for those things – after all there were only 2 full working days between that day and the experiment day.
Didn’t feel too optimistic about the experiment being able to go ahead on 29/4 as planned (now postponed by another day for another reason). Wrote back to the student telling him to prepare for a possible delay and asking for more specs for the reagent.
收到實驗小組的學生從馬德里發來的電郵，他在那裡一家實驗室作交流，學習如何做一個實驗，以便下星期二（4月29日）他回來後在我的實驗室再做一遍。他告訴我和我的上司需要甚麼器材和化學品，其中一台機器是我系內沒有的，另有一種化學品，他有特別要求，那化學品雖然我以前用過，但早已用罄，而且我不曉得我用過的牌仔對他合不合用。
離實驗祇有兩整個工作日，事不宜遲，趕快行動找儀器和化學品！
老實說，我對實驗能否如期進行並不樂觀，我問那個學生索取更多有關化學品的資料時也對他如是說，着他有心理準備會延誤（結果延了一天，不過是另一緣故）。
15:00
Fortunately the Core Facility in our institute does have the right type of instrument for us. The contact person listed 3 phone numbers on the web site but none could reach her. Dropped her an e-mail.
幸好給我發現了研究所內的核心設施部有一台合適的儀器，網頁上列出聯絡人的三個電話號碼，逐一撥過都找不到她，便給她發了篇電郵。
16:00
The student told me exactly what he wanted. Checked our institute’s on-line ordering system but could not find it!! (The reagent isn’t so exotic and is produced by one of the big companies, after all.) A bit puzzled.
那個學生告訴我化學品的詳細資料，我便在研究所的網上訂購網頁尋找，但找不着，說也奇怪，那化學品並非甚麼偏門東西，而且出自一家大公司的，怎麼會找不到？
16:30
When there’s no on-line ordering, good-old ordering by paper comes to the rescue!
(It turns out that the stupid company called it by a slightly different but incorrect name which I, of course, did not think of when I searched the on-line ordering system!)
Added a remark on the form: ‘Needed for experiment on 29/4, so please place the order immediately. Thank you.’
Wrote back to the student and told him to hope for the best.
不能從網上訂購，也非絕路一條，總有傳統的紙筆落單嘛！
（原來那家公司，把品名改了一點，我搜尋時怎會想到那個根本是錯誤的名字呢？）
訂單上特別加註：「須於4月29日用，煩請盡早訂購。」
寫電郵回覆那個學生，說這回成事在天，希望化學品如期到達。
16:45
Asked the person in my department in charge of purchasing to sign the form. He told me to take the form to the reception and place it in the ‘Purchasing’ pigeon hole.
系內負責訂購的先生給我在訂單簽名後，着我馬上到接待處，把訂單放在「採購」信箱內。
16:55
Checking all the pigeon holes at the reception. Finally found it! Luck had it that I bumped into a lady from the institute’s purchasing department there. She looked at my form and promised to send out the order before she finished work as she would be away the next day. Fingers crossed!!
在接待處找了好一會，才找到那個信箱，剛巧研究所採購部的一位小姐也在那裡，她看過我的單，便答允我馬上落訂，因為她翌日放假，看來我這回走運了！
17:00
Phoned the lady of the Core Facility again but still no response. No reply to my e-mail enquiry earlier.
再打電話給核心設施部的聯絡人，但仍找不着，我的電郵也沒答覆。
25/4/2008
09:00
Bumped into someone else I knew from the Core Facility. I told him about my situation and he told me (not surprisingly, after all) that the best thing to do was to go into the lady’s office or lab directly.
碰到核心設施部另一個我認識的人，問他我該怎樣做，他說最好還是親自上門，跟她當面談談。
11:30
During a break from my experiment, I went to the Core Facility and found the right person. She turned out to be nice and helpful (contrary to the impression that I got from her lack of response to my e-mail) and I could book a whole day on Wednesday 30/4 (the new day of experiment). It was over and done with in 15 minutes!
趁實驗中途的空檔，我便摸上門到那個聯絡人的辦公室，她挺樂意幫忙和解釋很多東西（她不答電郵而給我的不好印象，那時一掃而空），我訂了4月30日用一整天都沒無題，真好，15分鐘便把儀器問題辦得妥妥當當。
16:55
Exactly 24 hours after I sent out the order, I found the reagent sitting on my desk (well, it’s probably arrived some time earlier than that). Very impressed that it came so fast!
把訂單遞交剛好24小時後，我發現化學品已放在我的辦公桌上，想不到化學品能在24小時後送到（送貨時間應該更早），真沒浪費我前一天的心血呀！
Missions accomplished. Ready to roll on 30/4!
任務順利完成，4月30日實驗可如期上馬！
Moral of the story: in this electronic age, face-to-face contact with the right people is still the fastest way of getting things done if one is prepared to run around all places!
感想：任憑科技再先進，要把事情盡快辦妥，還是四出奔波、找對人當面解決最可靠！
滴答滴答……
24/4/2008
13:40
I read the e-mail from the student in my lab group, in Madrid at that time to learn how to perform an experiment so that he could repeat it in my lab next Tuesday, 29/4 (and some time in the future for me too). So he told me and my direct supervisor what he would need. The main instrument turned out to be something that our department doesn’t own, while he mentioned a special requirement for one of the reagents. I have used it before from a particular company, but it may not meet his requirement, and it’s also run out.
Time to get into gear and hunt for those things – after all there were only 2 full working days between that day and the experiment day.
Didn’t feel too optimistic about the experiment being able to go ahead on 29/4 as planned (now postponed by another day for another reason). Wrote back to the student telling him to prepare for a possible delay and asking for more specs for the reagent.
收到實驗小組的學生從馬德里發來的電郵，他在那裡一家實驗室作交流，學習如何做一個實驗，以便下星期二（4月29日）他回來後在我的實驗室再做一遍。他告訴我和我的上司需要甚麼器材和化學品，其中一台機器是我系內沒有的，另有一種化學品，他有特別要求，那化學品雖然我以前用過，但早已用罄，而且我不曉得我用過的牌仔對他合不合用。
離實驗祇有兩整個工作日，事不宜遲，趕快行動找儀器和化學品！
老實說，我對實驗能否如期進行並不樂觀，我問那個學生索取更多有關化學品的資料時也對他如是說，着他有心理準備會延誤（結果延了一天，不過是另一緣故）。
15:00
Fortunately the Core Facility in our institute does have the right type of instrument for us. The contact person listed 3 phone numbers on the web site but none could reach her. Dropped her an e-mail.
幸好給我發現了研究所內的核心設施部有一台合適的儀器，網頁上列出聯絡人的三個電話號碼，逐一撥過都找不到她，便給她發了篇電郵。
16:00
The student told me exactly what he wanted. Checked our institute’s on-line ordering system but could not find it!! (The reagent isn’t so exotic and is produced by one of the big companies, after all.) A bit puzzled.
那個學生告訴我化學品的詳細資料，我便在研究所的網上訂購網頁尋找，但找不着，說也奇怪，那化學品並非甚麼偏門東西，而且出自一家大公司的，怎麼會找不到？
16:30
When there’s no on-line ordering, good-old ordering by paper comes to the rescue!
(It turns out that the stupid company called it by a slightly different but incorrect name which I, of course, did not think of when I searched the on-line ordering system!)
Added a remark on the form: ‘Needed for experiment on 29/4, so please place the order immediately. Thank you.’
Wrote back to the student and told him to hope for the best.
不能從網上訂購，也非絕路一條，總有傳統的紙筆落單嘛！
（原來那家公司，把品名改了一點，我搜尋時怎會想到那個根本是錯誤的名字呢？）
訂單上特別加註：「須於4月29日用，煩請盡早訂購。」
寫電郵回覆那個學生，說這回成事在天，希望化學品如期到達。
16:45
Asked the person in my department in charge of purchasing to sign the form. He told me to take the form to the reception and place it in the ‘Purchasing’ pigeon hole.
系內負責訂購的先生給我在訂單簽名後，着我馬上到接待處，把訂單放在「採購」信箱內。
16:55
Checking all the pigeon holes at the reception. Finally found it! Luck had it that I bumped into a lady from the institute’s purchasing department there. She looked at my form and promised to send out the order before she finished work as she would be away the next day. Fingers crossed!!
在接待處找了好一會，才找到那個信箱，剛巧研究所採購部的一位小姐也在那裡，她看過我的單，便答允我馬上落訂，因為她翌日放假，看來我這回走運了！
17:00
Phoned the lady of the Core Facility again but still no response. No reply to my e-mail enquiry earlier.
再打電話給核心設施部的聯絡人，但仍找不着，我的電郵也沒答覆。
25/4/2008
09:00
Bumped into someone else I knew from the Core Facility. I told him about my situation and he told me (not surprisingly, after all) that the best thing to do was to go into the lady’s office or lab directly.
碰到核心設施部另一個我認識的人，問他我該怎樣做，他說最好還是親自上門，跟她當面談談。
11:30
During a break from my experiment, I went to the Core Facility and found the right person. She turned out to be nice and helpful (contrary to the impression that I got from her lack of response to my e-mail) and I could book a whole day on Wednesday 30/4 (the new day of experiment). It was over and done with in 15 minutes!
趁實驗中途的空檔，我便摸上門到那個聯絡人的辦公室，她挺樂意幫忙和解釋很多東西（她不答電郵而給我的不好印象，那時一掃而空），我訂了4月30日用一整天都沒無題，真好，15分鐘便把儀器問題辦得妥妥當當。
16:55
Exactly 24 hours after I sent out the order, I found the reagent sitting on my desk (well, it’s probably arrived some time earlier than that). Very impressed that it came so fast!
把訂單遞交剛好24小時後，我發現化學品已放在我的辦公桌上，想不到化學品能在24小時後送到（送貨時間應該更早），真沒浪費我前一天的心血呀！
Missions accomplished. Ready to roll on 30/4!
任務順利完成，4月30日實驗可如期上馬！
Moral of the story: in this electronic age, face-to-face contact with the right people is still the fastest way of getting things done if one is prepared to run around all places!
感想：任憑科技再先進，要把事情盡快辦妥，還是四出奔波、找對人當面解決最可靠！
Comments