only 1 thing on my mind..

Aside from the many presentations in school, I still have to prepare for my upcoming first TAC meeting. Some people told me TAC meetings can don't care, coz we just need to meet them to get their signatures. Just a formality. But i don't want that to be the case, and my boss thinks along the same line. (actually, as the days pass, i find so many common points between boss n i) So, the TAC meeting is not just a 'get-your-signature' meeting, but also a presentation for me. To add on, my TAC team is made up of really high profile profs. And even my boss is giving me the jitters. He especially got me mentally prepared for it, telling me that they may scold me or reprimand me for my work, but i have to remember not to worry too much for they only mean good. Even he found the need to warn me before hand! (and i think i know why..) And he even got me to book a room to rehearse with him my presentation 2 weeks before the presentation. Whoa.. given that boss is such a busy person, this meeting must be so important that he's reserving so much time to prepare me for it!! Makes me even more stressed. I think it's partly of the team that we gathered lah. Such capable, high-achieving (and thus demanding) profs i invited. Digging my own grave, many would say. I am indeed feeling the jitters even though i still have 3 weeks before the presentation. Yet, I have faith and still believe that this is a good team that i have pulled together. And i am truly grateful that someone is there to drill me and train me to present better each time. I am sure i will manage fine in the end! GAMBATTE~

so much has happened. only a week passed?

To those who've been wondering where i've been to, my laptop has given up in this crucial handing-up-of-assignments period. As usual. Lucky i'm so experienced in this that i back up all my data on a daily basis.. haha. So that explains my disappearance from MSN.

Or actually, even if my laptop was alive, i'd prolly be too tired to do much online. This week is the first of 3 weeks of craziness, where i have 6 hours of school each day, plus project meetings (to prepare for multiple group presentations), plus my individual presentations to prepare for, plus essays to write, plus labwork to do, plus boss to meet. I am so physically and mentally tired that i can fall asleep watching tv, and i cannot even do my experiments without my eyes tearing.

But i must really thank alot of people for helping me through this hectic week (tho it's only the first week). The most being fangers, for my experiments would definitely be a gone case without someone else to take over! Then there're the other understanding pple around me, who keep cheering me on.. and of course mum who prepared a few days' lunch for me to keep me alive!

Amidst all that busy-ness, alot of other stuff happened too. I had a meeting with boss.. to discuss my upcoming presentation for some other big bosses. STRESS. and i tried to whine to him regarding the recent 2-month worth of failure in my experiments. but he completely ignored me!! grr. haha. but he was really nice and helpful with everything. going down to minute details like powerpoint animation for my presentation. his powerpoint skills are like amazing.. you think powerpoint is just powerpoint? NO!! with boss' skills, we can do amazing things with powerpoint! But the main thing wasn't that. Like any other meeting with boss, i come out enlightened. This time, I came out thoroughly excited. exhilarated. however you describe it. i couldn't even sleep that night. Coz boss has proposed that i take up an additional project. and since it's not 100% confirmed, i shall not say too much. but in short, i may have a chance to go London! WOOHOO!! Though there's not much of my business there even if i'm involved in the project, it seems that boss knows us so well. He knew what kind of person i really am. I don't know how.. for we have minimal interaction.. yet he really knew how i see things. and what i want. Get me involved in London, meaning just fly there to mail something back! haha.. it's obviously just to let me have a chance to go there lah. I've never been there! i really hope it gets through.. i wanna visit london.. ^_^

pray for safety

Riots have been going on for some time now, in that land high up. Honestly speaking, I wouldn’t have bothered more if this happened a year ago. However, I cannot ignore such news anymore, for I know that someone is there. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t worry for that friend. Our friend. I can’t help but wonder if he was there in that city? Or was he back home in the village? Or painting something in his own peaceful corner? At least, I know that I am not the only one worrying. All of us are concerned. No matter how short we had known him, he’s a friend nonetheless. And today’s church bulletin reminded us to pray for the people there, for the matter to be resolved in the best manner possible, and because this may be a very good opportunity to reach out to them. Indeed, I always think back and blame myself, asking why I never thought of planting a seed in him. A friend, I call him? And I never uttered a single word about the gospel to him. He said so much about his faith, but I said nothing about mine. They’re so deeply embedded with their culture and religion, that it’s impossible to change, I declared to myself. And I wonder why I always back off and admit defeat even before I try? Building a barrier for myself. God can work wonders, why don’t I always remember that? Too late to regret. I just want to keep him, and the rest of the population in my prayers, and I hope all of your would do that too. For safety and peace to come upon them soon. For the matter to be resolved with wisdom. And maybe someone would bring the message over to them. I pray for open hearts. I pray that they may be saved.

Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional

That scene had appeared so many times in my dreams. Day dream night dream. Then.. it happened. Or so I thought. Or maybe it was just another daydream. But a dream that felt so real. Not just look like. Talk like. Dress like. Stand like. Only much nicer manners. It was so surreal facing him and talking to him. Right there, where I always imagined it to happen. I did. Or so I think.

words of wisdom

Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional

Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional

Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes
provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

Beauty in Beer and Butterflies

Bong sent me this. Made up only of beer cans. It's really pretty.. ^_^
My personal favourite~

The artwork of Paul Villinski. Many other artsy pretty stuff here.

Uncertainty

Work hasn’t been going too smoothly. Things started to change this week, showing signs of possible success. Everyday, I hold this hope in me that I’ll finally succeed in whatever I’m doing. Everyday, I face disappointment. I know that such “failure-blocks” occur every now and then, but I really hate it when it happens. Especially when this “block” has been so extensive, from early February until now. Being at such a loss, I really don’t know how to face my examiners next month. I can only live by faith, believing that I am on the right path.

It's Palm Sunday~

Palm Sunday is the Sunday just before Easter. It commemorates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his crucifixion on Good Friday. So why the name PALM sunday?

It was a common custom in many lands in the ancient times to cover, in some way, the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honour. It was recorded that people gave Jesus this form of honour. In the synoptics they are only reported as laying their garments and cut rushes on the street, whereas John more specifically mentions PALM FRONDS. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and of victory, in Jewish tradition, and is treated in other parts of the bible as such (e.g. Leviticus 23:40 and Revelation 7:9). Because of this, the scene of the crowd greeting Jesus by waving palms and carpeting his path with them has given the Christian festival its name. It also shows the freedom wanted by the Jews, and their desperation to have political freedom.

Interesting eh? ^_^

save money and health together!

"...a smoker who goes through 20 cigarettes per day could spend more than £2,000 per year..." Came across this piece of news here. I knew that cigarettes do cost quite alot, and i know prices are rising. But i never knew it cost THAT much. only an accumulative calculation could reveal how much money is thrown into destroying health. That's the irony, when people in this age are actually spending their entire fortune to improve their health, and to live longer.

"..Yorkshire Bank recently echoed these arguments, stating that the 1.1 million Britons who quit smoking 12 months ago have since saved a collective total of £1 billion.". That's a whole lot of money! Yes, that is a total by 1.1 million people. But that's only in 1 year! Manz.. if only all smokers would be more money-minded, then they'll all quit smoking to save money! haha..

and it said.. ""Spending over £2,000 a year on cigarettes means that smokers have less money than non-smokers, making them less likely to pay off their credit cards or Mortgage as quickly as somebody who doesn’t smoke,". So maybe that makes me, a non-smoker, a richer person? haha

family of 6~

so glad they actually came without any wrappings. so i had a few days of enjoying my possession of them, before i gave them away as presents. now that most of the recipients have gotten the surprise, i can finally post the pics online. the first family of 6 that i got. ^_^

(L-R: Sea sparkle, lyme disease, syphilis, bookworm, pimple, EBV)

Song's POP

Time really flies. One moment he’s enlisting, the moment he’s a private. The parade was really cool. Even if it was under heavy rain. And it’s always different to see your brother amongst those who’re marching past. Took lots of photos today. And the videocam I won from DnD was so useful! ^_^ I realized I need some arm strength to take good videos though. My arm was so tired after just a minute, resulting in quite a lot of shaking scenes after that. But still, the 32X zoom was so useful for taking photos that my other camera couldn’t!

The day ended really late though. We were trapped in Tekong for 3 hours because of a major accident along Pasir Ris area, which resulted in no buses able to reach the ferry terminal. And that accident happened right after we arrived at the ferry terminal for the POP! In a way, the timing was ‘perfect’ for us. Besides waiting at Tekong til our butts hurt, it was a great day. ^_^ Congrats to recruit, err, no.. private Soon! haha

TEDtalks, the path to scoring A

I came across this site some time ago, TEDtalks. It's really interesting, featuring talks ranging from science to politics, from environment to motivational. During my brother's prelims last year, i recommended him a couple of talks to listen to, for the topics he was sourcing information for his GP (that boy likes to pick questions to study). And i told him, this site is good. Willing or not, it's up to him to search and listen for himself any other talks that may come up now and then. Well, though he is really quite a slacker most of the time, he is smart enough to know when he is required to put in the effort. I noticed that he took the initiative to search for himself, and listened to quite a number of talks, that he turned around to recommend me some talks to listen to instead! And i'm so glad he did that. Coz i think it benefitted him to some extent for his general paper. Thanks TEDtalks. ^_^

need money

I still remember a friend telling me, how his boss started his business years ago. He was married with 2 kids, but wanted to start a business badly. With limited money. So, this guy went around getting loans from banks. credits were his source of money. credits gave him his business. And this site bad credit credit card actually compares 10 of the top credit cards on the market for bad credit for you, and provides links to their online applications! spoonfeeding, i tell you. haha. you want a business? try it. i'm not sure if it works.. but that's what my friend told me anyway

not only for microbiologists

so i was wrong. not only microbiologists can appreciate this toy. coz my sister thinks they're cute too!! that makes me so very happy ^_^ this is my favourite.. i dunno why, but the spiral is nice. it's gonna be the last i will part with. the rest have their (potential) owners already. boohoo. had partial insomnia last night, coz i was contemplating whether to give the sea sparkle to another person (other than the original friend it's meant for). but i decided against it.. it's too childish a thing to give to someone so old. haha. next week i'm going to give away some very 'mean' viruses! be careful not to get any STDs from me!! muahahaha~

congratulations!!

As proud of him as ever, he got what he really deserved. Well done bro~ ^_^

the glint in his eyes

he was around for a longer time than normal. then, he disappeared. notice came a day later. I wonder how he is, and when he'd be back. Hate it when such things happen. Yet, they're an inevitable part of life.. >.<

I gave Wyee EBV

Giantmicrobes.com rocks! I simply love it. The best place to get gifts for friends who're microbiologists. Had wanted to buy the whole collection, but realized that it's took much $$ to waste on myself. And it's so meaningless to buy things for myself. so i bought a few, and gave them away. It's a joy to see the smiles on their faces when they receive it.. and the eyes of envy of those who don'y.. ^_^

i cost more than a house!

When i met up with a friend last weekend, he told me he didn't buy any insurance, not even aCheap Car Insurance, as his company already has him covered. Not surprising, as many companies now buy insurances for their staff. How nice of them. Too bad for me, as I'm still a student, and noone wants to pay to insure me. Seems like i am not valuable enough for anyone but myself. haha. But then again, on second thought, is the insurance that companies buy, sufficient? What does it cover? visits to the doctor? minor accidents? major accidents? serious illnesses? death? And when it gets to this, people ask.. is it really necessary to think about all these? Die means die, what's the money for? Throw in for nothing, for we can take away nothing after we die. Insurance agents would say at this point of time, that the money is for family members, especially those who're dependent. But for me, i don't support a family. I'm not so concerned (if at all) about finances if anything happens to take away my life. What i am truly concerned about, is the event which something terrible happens to my limbs/fingers/toes/eyesight/spine. Becoming handicapped in any manner is way worse than death, as i would then have to figure out how to carry on the rest of my life. I'm not too sure if this sounds weird, coz i am more afraid of accidents than death. haha. And since today is World Glaucoma Day, news everywhere is trying to educate us about how Chinese females are more susceptible to blindness (the result of untreated glaucoma). scary!! I don't want to go blind. You may say, oh, blindness is only if left untreated. so treat it lah! BUt.. the problem is, glaucoma can be symptomless. No pain, no detectable problems, until it is too late. Until blindness arrives within 2-3weeks. 2-3 weeks! That's so short a time to lose your sight! Almost instant! What will happen then? How to support yourself? How to even take care of yourself? the thought itself scares me. Actually, even with alot of money, life would still be difficult. But at least, it's one worry less?

Irresponsible people

They keep losing my documents. It's getting so irritating. I submitted my information when I first started school in august last year. But in november, the new girl who took over the admin told me they hadn't received it. Fine, maybe the handover was messed up so I did her a favor, filling in the form again for her. Now, she emails me telling me I have yet to submit that form. EXCUSE ME, this is the THIRD time you're asking me for the form. And i am 100% sure that I filled it in and submitted it the past 2 times, coz my supervisor's signature is required! Now i have to get him to sign the very same form, for the 3rd time. When have i ever liked NUS admin? Never.

a time to dream...

No wonder God made man to need sleep. We all need to sleep. Noone can ever survive not sleeping. Even the man who challenged not sleeping for a guiness world record, was allowed to catch a teeny weeny amount of sleep every day, just to keep him alive. That explains why research on sleep deprivation is not progressing much... coz they cannot subject people to excessive lack of sleep, or their clinical subjects would die before experiments are over!

Since sleep is essential in our lives, the importance of a good bed is thus magnified. And i saw Oak Beds online.. whoa.. those photos.. make me want to sleep immediately! Soporific effect... zzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Rutland is the best of all those listed. Wide enough for me to roll around, yet does not take up unnecessary space. and it has a pretty streamlined effect, which i tend to look for in everything.. haha. Simplicity is definitely important in a bed. Who can feel relaxed in a complicated bed? haha. actually, i don't know if it happens for everyone, but a wooden bed seems more sleep-inducing than a plastic or a metal one. Erm. If there's any metal/plastic bed that exists, that is. Yeah. Haven't really wondered til now, why most if not all beds are made of wood? Is it just for beauty, or is there something scientific about it?



*this is a sponsored post*

must compensate...

That company.. gave me faulty stuff.. wasted my entire sunday and today (and probably tomorrow) .. grr.. i'm gonna lodge a complaint tomorrow after i gather even more proof that their stuff is faulty.. and they better give me a new set.. and better still, compensate for the time lost.. i don't mind a free PCR kit!! =P

Botulinum Toxin

"Cowell: Botox is no more unusual than toothpaste.."

Read this from Cosmetic Surgery news..

What a chunk... botulinum toxin... but tt's the true name of the well known BOTOX. after plastic surgery and Boob Job, botox is the next big 'in' thing for cosmetic surgery. And who knew that we'd one day start injecting the world's most poisonous neurotoxin (poisonous stuff that harms our nervous system) into ourselves? And who'd think the source of this up and coming cosmetic product is a teeny weeny thing called the Clostridia? Just like penicillin, these microscopic organisms are becoming real famous in our human world.

Did you know that, before the use for removing wrinkles, botox was widely used for many other medical purposes, such as headaches, Parkinson's, stroke, cerebral palsy, and excessive salivation?

BUT.. is this botox thingie.. really so wonderful? Is it the next wonder drug for humans? I'm not too sure. Although not well publicizes, botox has been linked in some cases to adverse reactions, including respiratory failure and death, due to its ability to spread to areas distant to the site of the injection. (report from FDA)

So.. do your research before you want to look pretty. ^_^

time not wasted..

I can't believe my work can fail at the very last minute. at a step that noone can make mistakes in. just makes me feel so terrible, for not knowing what went wrong, but so very wrong that my entire sunday seemed wasted. went to the lab specially on a sunday afternoon, just because the coming week would be full of lessons that i would have not much time for labwork. so it was all in vain? I pray hard for a miracle tonight, for a revival of my bacteria.

Fortunately, ram called and jio-ed me out for dinner! That chap just moved into the block across the road! haha.. it was nice catching up.. and getting updates about every other person who went to Philadelphia 2 yrs back.

Oh how i wish i could travel again. a long, relaxing trip. Tried to ask friends who're graduating this semester, but all seem to be heading to the US, and to places that i've been to. Why can't anyone go to someplace more exciting, like Brazil or Cuba? Arzhou is heading to NZ, a place i've wanted to go for years. But he's graduating in december, which is summer in NZ! no no.. i will only go NZ in winter. and to visit my relatives there too. i heard my uncle is a fantastic tour guide. which june will i be free? I dare not say. the past 10 junes have been so busy i never got to visit them since they migrated. >.<

Maybe i shouldn't be so ambitious. Should just dedicate my only holiday to mission trip in dec. Picked up the language 4 years ago, but never stepped into the country ever since. And since june sounds too hot a period to go there (june's too hot for every place except NZ, aus and the mountains!), dec this year would be my target. i hope this time round nothing crops up to take away my trip again like last year. And.. zp just sms-ed me to invite me to help teach thai next month! haha.. i've only taught english to thais, never thai to english. i wonder if i'm up to it. but it'd be fun, if i manage to end work on time and commit myself!.

oh man.. so many things.. so many big thoughts.. but nothing concrete. i should just think of the present. think of tomorrow. think of my bacteria being revived from the dead and growing miraculously tonight.