Ordering...

This entry is dedicated to ordering. Ordering what you ask? Ordering lab supplies. Ordering computers. Ordering just about anything that will enable work in a lab.

Its ~ 4:55 pm in Singapore now. I came to this place about ten days ago having 'placed' orders for stuff about three months ago. I though I would be in lab, working away to the wee hours, getting some elusive data. But no. Ordering stuff here is quite a process apparently. To start of, nothing is here yet and I am learning the ropes of the process as we speak. The lead time for anything is at least three weeks (that is 'after' an order has been placed). It takes much longer to 'place' the order as I have learned. The people here work very efficiently...yet...

Back in MIT, I had gotten used to the online system aka. ECAT where everything can be gotten by the click of a button. It took me ten days, over fifteen emails and about five phone calls to order cells (despite the fact that I had been trying to order them since april). Apparently it will take a few more weeks for them to get here...and about a week to ten days for the computer monitor to be ordered...

Oh well. This whole process has just made me realize the 'greatness' of online ordering and sigh at the fact that I took all that for granted. Singapore is a great place with a lot of research money...but it needs to get a better ordering system in place!!

That was fourteen times I used the word 'order'/'ordering'/'ordered'. Now its seventeen :) I told you it was dedicated to it.