Syntetik TOM

 It is Saturday, Dec. 18, day after the last group meeting of 2021. On Friday, we exchanged few small Christmas presents as SUGAR&INI research group. The message reads this:  Dear all, thank you so much for your Christmas presents! Especially , I thank you all for your dedicated work on the projects, for your creativity,  dedication and enthusiasm,  for your excellent team work and endurance in these uneasy times.  I wish you all health, happiness and success in the coming year. Alla It just warmed my heart. It is good to know, you work under the supervision of somebody, that cares and appreciate your efforts. What a feeling! It really did excite me for the upcoming year 2022. 👦💨✌ Merry Christmas, everyone (and chemists especially)!

 As a synthetic organic chemist, I spend hours and hours in the lab performing experiments. Another chunk of my time is spent by the computer to analyze the data, writing reports, presentations, networking with other scientists, that may turn out to be my future colaborators and dear life-long friends. A week has 7 days, but spending them all in work are debilitating (I did this for 2,5 weeks in a row at my first employer, just to see how it feels). I found myself to be less creative and uninventive, working more in a robotic fashion.  As we speak more openly and more often about the work-life balance, I appreciate having weekends off. I love Saturdays especially. I call it a day for a trip or as I would tell Anetka, our 2 year-old daughter "Ideme na výlet". It is the time, when I can solely spend valuable moments with my daughter. Although, she is still unable to understand things I say, I can sense, she enjoys me talking to her ... and who knows, perhaps she actually gets s