I miss home soooooooooooooooo much!!! I was reading kstang's blog and decided to check out the site he recommended - Penang Hokkien Podcast. The moment I heard the Hokkien accent, I just wish so much that I am still that good at Hokkien. It reminds me of the words that are hardly used these days due to excessive English influence from the States. That's also because no one speaks Hokkien here. Some of the Penangites here doesn't seem to know Hokkien very well as part of their family are of the Cantonese origin. It's sad to know that not many people seem to know Hokkien very well anymore, especially the one from Penang.
The Podcast seem to remind me of all the 'si ku, go ku' that my ah kong used to tell us when we were kids. I wish I remember more of it but frequently, mum still likes to say 'U lui kai bo lor' whenever I get something which she thinks should not be spent on. Literally, it means 'got money spend no road' but the meaning behind it is that the money has been spent foolishly. There's also the often heard 'Bo tua bo sae' when we don't greet a visitor when they come to our house with 'aunty, uncle'. It brings the meaning 'impolite' or not showing respect to the elders, although it literally means 'no big, no small'.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
first accomplisment
My first attempt towards designing a proposal for my research thesis is to create a plasmid that carries a fusion proteins of 'enhanced cyan fluorescent protein - betagalactosidase - enhanced yellow fluorescent protein'. The plasmid has already been created but in order to make use of the plasmid, I have to transfer this fusion gene into a broad host range plasmid so that I can transform the plasmid into a large variety of bacterial species.
My approach for the transfer was to amplify the fusion gene by PCR, digest the amplified fusion gene and my broad host range vector, pMMB67EH, with restriction enzymes SmaI and XbaI, and clon the fusion gene into pMMB67EH. Initially I was having trouble with my PCR and it was solved after about a month. Then I couldn't get any positive transformants after I ligated the fusion gene into pMMB67EH. For the past 3 months, I've been changing one variable at a time, trying to find out the best conditions for the ligation. I was also trying different ways to obtain the DNA preparation without losing too much each step. But again and again, I've been getting white colonies on LB Amp-IPTG-Xgal.
Finally, I found a blue colonies! However, these colonies were initially white. But after spending last whole week screening these colonies, it has finally been confirmed that they do carry the plasmid that I have been aiming to construct. Phew!! This is a big step towards preparation for my research proposal. I finally have a thesis subject!!!
Now I'm looking forward to finding out more about the expression characteristics, which seem to be quite weak as I could not see any fluorescence under the microscope even after 6 hours of induction with IPTG. But knowing that they are blue when grown in the presence of IPTG and XGal, they are definitely expressing the gene. Woohoooo...I'm sooooo happy to achieve such accomplishment. At least it's a happy start of my PhD career.
My approach for the transfer was to amplify the fusion gene by PCR, digest the amplified fusion gene and my broad host range vector, pMMB67EH, with restriction enzymes SmaI and XbaI, and clon the fusion gene into pMMB67EH. Initially I was having trouble with my PCR and it was solved after about a month. Then I couldn't get any positive transformants after I ligated the fusion gene into pMMB67EH. For the past 3 months, I've been changing one variable at a time, trying to find out the best conditions for the ligation. I was also trying different ways to obtain the DNA preparation without losing too much each step. But again and again, I've been getting white colonies on LB Amp-IPTG-Xgal.
Finally, I found a blue colonies! However, these colonies were initially white. But after spending last whole week screening these colonies, it has finally been confirmed that they do carry the plasmid that I have been aiming to construct. Phew!! This is a big step towards preparation for my research proposal. I finally have a thesis subject!!!
Now I'm looking forward to finding out more about the expression characteristics, which seem to be quite weak as I could not see any fluorescence under the microscope even after 6 hours of induction with IPTG. But knowing that they are blue when grown in the presence of IPTG and XGal, they are definitely expressing the gene. Woohoooo...I'm sooooo happy to achieve such accomplishment. At least it's a happy start of my PhD career.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
getting there
Woohooo! I finally got blue colonies. I was looking through my old plates (about 2 weeks old) so that I can throw away the unnecessary ones. As I got to a set of plates from August 8, I saw blue colonies. That was VERY surprising! I looked back in my lab notebook and my comment was ‘No blue colonies (’. So how come there are blue colonies on the same plates now? The blue colonies are also very dark blue and definitely seem to be growing fine.
Without hesitating further, I picked the blue colonies and streak them on LB plates supplemented with ampicillin, IPTG and X-Gal. There were 8 of them. The next day, I found that only 6 of them were still blue. The other two had reverted to white colonies. I am not sure what they mean but it’s an indication that these clones are not very stable. Delighted to see that these blue colonies are indeed expressing the lacZ gene, I inoculated them for plasmid prep. Isolated the plasmids yesterday and digested them today. Just before I left, I managed to analyzed the bands from these digestion and guess what…they ARE DEFINITELY different from my vector and from the plasmid that my gene came from. This is good news! It does mean success yet but definitely a step forward. At least I have something to troubleshoot on now. I was about to give up as I was repeating the same protocols again and again, changing one factor at one time.
Came back here after dinner to look at the restriction digestion patterns of the plasmids. They are close to the prediction based on my calculations but something is still not right. Will be digesting with different enzymes tomorrow to get more patterns. Will also have to start writing up a new protocol to confirm the expression of the gene. Woohoooo!! Maybe I can finally give Tom (my boss) the green light to buy the fluorometer.
Without hesitating further, I picked the blue colonies and streak them on LB plates supplemented with ampicillin, IPTG and X-Gal. There were 8 of them. The next day, I found that only 6 of them were still blue. The other two had reverted to white colonies. I am not sure what they mean but it’s an indication that these clones are not very stable. Delighted to see that these blue colonies are indeed expressing the lacZ gene, I inoculated them for plasmid prep. Isolated the plasmids yesterday and digested them today. Just before I left, I managed to analyzed the bands from these digestion and guess what…they ARE DEFINITELY different from my vector and from the plasmid that my gene came from. This is good news! It does mean success yet but definitely a step forward. At least I have something to troubleshoot on now. I was about to give up as I was repeating the same protocols again and again, changing one factor at one time.
Came back here after dinner to look at the restriction digestion patterns of the plasmids. They are close to the prediction based on my calculations but something is still not right. Will be digesting with different enzymes tomorrow to get more patterns. Will also have to start writing up a new protocol to confirm the expression of the gene. Woohoooo!! Maybe I can finally give Tom (my boss) the green light to buy the fluorometer.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
seafood dinner
Just finished organizing some of the photos I took while on vacation back home. I came by this picture and started to feel homesick. When I was still in Malaysia, we used to have 'lean lor' (steamboat) on the eve of Chinese New Year every year. It was always an occasion where everybody is there. This is at my maternal grandma's house since my 'gee kim' is always the best cook and she stays there.
As years goes by, our two oldest cousins, J and C left for studies in United States. Later, my 'tua ee's' family would skip the event as they have to go over to her husband's side in Kelantan. Then there was a few years when dad couldn't make it back from China during CNY. Just the year before I left to come to US, it was almost a very quiet celebration. When I left, it became even quieter as Mei, my closest cousin, also left for her studies in Australia. My parents would also skip it as they were both in China the past few years. However, it was maintain until today that it is a reunion regardless of how many can make it.
It's been a long time since we've had the chance to gather like this again. So this past reunion dinner, which was a pre-celebration of Aaron and Emily's wedding, is a very important occasion to me. I had a chance to chat with Mei and Ling. My dad was the 'crazy uncle' he always was. All our mums were cooking together in the kitchen. The ahmah's were exchanging about the latest health topic. Jokes were shared, laughters continuously, smiles naturally on all our faces. It'll always be a memorable occasion. Even better was the food - it's all homecooked by my gee kim. We had steamed crab, balitong (that's my fave!!), char bee hoon, fried belachan chicken, 'hae kean' (deep fried prawns), some kind of shell which took a lot of effort to get the meat out and fried fish (can't remember what but they were good!, next to the balitong). We also got cold sparkling wine sponsored by Aaron.
It'll be a very long time before we get to gather like this again. The only people missing from there are J and C as they are still here in the States and my bro who could not get off from work in KL. There's more pics from that night's dinner here.
As years goes by, our two oldest cousins, J and C left for studies in United States. Later, my 'tua ee's' family would skip the event as they have to go over to her husband's side in Kelantan. Then there was a few years when dad couldn't make it back from China during CNY. Just the year before I left to come to US, it was almost a very quiet celebration. When I left, it became even quieter as Mei, my closest cousin, also left for her studies in Australia. My parents would also skip it as they were both in China the past few years. However, it was maintain until today that it is a reunion regardless of how many can make it.
It's been a long time since we've had the chance to gather like this again. So this past reunion dinner, which was a pre-celebration of Aaron and Emily's wedding, is a very important occasion to me. I had a chance to chat with Mei and Ling. My dad was the 'crazy uncle' he always was. All our mums were cooking together in the kitchen. The ahmah's were exchanging about the latest health topic. Jokes were shared, laughters continuously, smiles naturally on all our faces. It'll always be a memorable occasion. Even better was the food - it's all homecooked by my gee kim. We had steamed crab, balitong (that's my fave!!), char bee hoon, fried belachan chicken, 'hae kean' (deep fried prawns), some kind of shell which took a lot of effort to get the meat out and fried fish (can't remember what but they were good!, next to the balitong). We also got cold sparkling wine sponsored by Aaron.
It'll be a very long time before we get to gather like this again. The only people missing from there are J and C as they are still here in the States and my bro who could not get off from work in KL. There's more pics from that night's dinner here.
laundry
Laundry area are provided here in my apartment complex like most apartments do. Here we have four dryers and four washers for each apartment block, which consists of 36 units. There is hardly any problems when it comes to availability of the dryers or washers since the laundry area is open from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week. We are given keys to the laundry room as it is locked to prevent outsiders from using it. The washers cost USD1.25 while the dryers cost USD1 and they are most of the time quite efficient. However, I have clothes from Malaysia which tend to shrink in the dryer under the hot cycle.
Yesterday, I was in the laundry room sometime in the mid-afternoon loading my clothes into the dryer. I was loading my dark colored clothes into one while my light colored clothes into another. There is two other washers and one of them seems to be occupied as the cover is closed. Since it was closed and there are other washers available, it didn't bother looking into it as it has nothing to do with me. So while I was loading my clothes, this aunty walked into the room, opened the closed washer, picked up a pair of shoes and walked out. The moment I saw the shoe, I was stunned. She acted like there wasn't anyone in the room. Did not even look at me and say hi, which is very common here in Michigan, especially from the Americans.
I've heard of friends talking about washing your shoe in the laundry washer but I've never known people who actually does it. How disgusting is that??? I'm gonna make a note to myself never to wash my clothes in that particular washer anymore. Thank God she didn't put it into the dryer, which will be worse! But then again, she might have done that before or have used other washers before too. Ewwwwww!!! How sick can these people be? So inconsiderate! I wonder how dirty is her shoe..urhg! i don't even want to think about that.
Please please please do not ever wash your shoe in the washer, unless it is specified to be for shoes only. How hard can it be to wash your shoe in the bath tub or in a pail?
Yesterday, I was in the laundry room sometime in the mid-afternoon loading my clothes into the dryer. I was loading my dark colored clothes into one while my light colored clothes into another. There is two other washers and one of them seems to be occupied as the cover is closed. Since it was closed and there are other washers available, it didn't bother looking into it as it has nothing to do with me. So while I was loading my clothes, this aunty walked into the room, opened the closed washer, picked up a pair of shoes and walked out. The moment I saw the shoe, I was stunned. She acted like there wasn't anyone in the room. Did not even look at me and say hi, which is very common here in Michigan, especially from the Americans.
I've heard of friends talking about washing your shoe in the laundry washer but I've never known people who actually does it. How disgusting is that??? I'm gonna make a note to myself never to wash my clothes in that particular washer anymore. Thank God she didn't put it into the dryer, which will be worse! But then again, she might have done that before or have used other washers before too. Ewwwwww!!! How sick can these people be? So inconsiderate! I wonder how dirty is her shoe..urhg! i don't even want to think about that.
Please please please do not ever wash your shoe in the washer, unless it is specified to be for shoes only. How hard can it be to wash your shoe in the bath tub or in a pail?
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
free ice-cream!
Sometime after 1.30pm, just after I thawed my restriction enzymes buffer and DNA, the whole lab was pitch black. There was a power failure and apparently it was bad enough that it involves the entire campus. Someone called the power plant and was told that it might take at least an hour. However, after about 30 minutes, the electricity was still not back yet. We couldn't really do anything..
I wanted to digest my DNA
Steph wanted to measure DNA concentration - involves the fluorometer.
Uri wanted to run PCR - needs a thermocycler.
John was looking through his slides - needs a microscope.
and the list goes on for other people...
Then we heard that the Dairy Store is giving out free ice-cream!! It's free! Who wouldn't go for it? So we went over there, lined up for like 10 minutes and got ourselves a free single scoop of ice-cream. I didn't got my favorite - Rocky Road - I got the orange sherbet instead. But hey, it's free! So no complains. They had to do that because the ice-cream were melting and there's no way they could sell that after that. The news travelled so fast that all the ice-cream was gone within an hour.
Unfortunately, when we were done with the ice-cream, the power was still down. So we decided to pack up and leave. Everyone left and I stayed back to lock up the doors. Just as I closed the door, the electricity came back...so I ended up staying.
I wanted to digest my DNA
Steph wanted to measure DNA concentration - involves the fluorometer.
Uri wanted to run PCR - needs a thermocycler.
John was looking through his slides - needs a microscope.
and the list goes on for other people...
Then we heard that the Dairy Store is giving out free ice-cream!! It's free! Who wouldn't go for it? So we went over there, lined up for like 10 minutes and got ourselves a free single scoop of ice-cream. I didn't got my favorite - Rocky Road - I got the orange sherbet instead. But hey, it's free! So no complains. They had to do that because the ice-cream were melting and there's no way they could sell that after that. The news travelled so fast that all the ice-cream was gone within an hour.
Unfortunately, when we were done with the ice-cream, the power was still down. So we decided to pack up and leave. Everyone left and I stayed back to lock up the doors. Just as I closed the door, the electricity came back...so I ended up staying.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
a lovely evening
It's been such a long time since I spent some time doing stuff I enjoy. Did not plan any huge experiments today as I had to go down to Kalamazoo to pass something to a friend. Went there for lunch, catch up with some friends and just to be away from Lansing for a while. Planned to come back to Lansing before the Folk Festival end but time passed so fast when I'm having fun. It was nice just to sit down and chat about everything without having to worry about time.
So I missed the Folk Festival this year but it's okay since I'm not a big fan of folk songs either. Went back to lab for a short while after that - yeah, I still can't let go completely, it's tough, there's just too much aura in the lab that attracts me back there - Came home, had dinner and I couldn't help wanting to tell somebody all that I've done today. It's a weird feeling. I just wanted to send him an e-mail. But then after I start typing about two paragraph, I realized that maybe I'm telling too much. But I sent it a while ago anyway, hoping to hear from him tomorrow or soon. I hope I'm not getting myself into trouble.
But now I have the entire evening just to read, laze by the window, listening to my favorite songs, looking out at the changes of color as night falls and just let my mind wander endlessly. I might even be able to catch a movie if I can find something interesting in my yet-to-be-watched DVD collection. It's refreshing. I hope this short break will be good to motivate me to keep going in my experiments that have yet to bring success.
So I missed the Folk Festival this year but it's okay since I'm not a big fan of folk songs either. Went back to lab for a short while after that - yeah, I still can't let go completely, it's tough, there's just too much aura in the lab that attracts me back there - Came home, had dinner and I couldn't help wanting to tell somebody all that I've done today. It's a weird feeling. I just wanted to send him an e-mail. But then after I start typing about two paragraph, I realized that maybe I'm telling too much. But I sent it a while ago anyway, hoping to hear from him tomorrow or soon. I hope I'm not getting myself into trouble.
But now I have the entire evening just to read, laze by the window, listening to my favorite songs, looking out at the changes of color as night falls and just let my mind wander endlessly. I might even be able to catch a movie if I can find something interesting in my yet-to-be-watched DVD collection. It's refreshing. I hope this short break will be good to motivate me to keep going in my experiments that have yet to bring success.
excitement
The past few days have been quite a hectic days. Whenever I told myself that I should cut down on the number of experiments I plan to do in a day so that I can go home before 8pm, it never seemed to work. Once I get one thing done, it leads to another experiment.
At the mean time, it's been quite fun days. Have you ever had days in high school when your crush or the person you admires so much past by you and your heart starts to beat faster? Or when you feel like you have to say all the right things to this one person? It's been like that these past few days. I have yet to meet the person but that's exactly how I feel. When the phone rings, my mind start to search for the right thing to say. Should we talk about this? Would he care? Am I telling too much? What if he gets bored? But after a while, all those thoughts are gone and we're just chatting happily away like we've known each other for a long time.
Every morning when I wake up, the first thing that I want to do is to check my e-mail. Did he have time to e-mail me last night? Did he think of me last night? It's not love. No, at least I don't think so. I've yet to met the person but it never once crosses my mind to wonder if he's fat or thin, ugly or good looking. I wonder why? I usually do wonder when I meet a person online. But this time it's different. There's just the need to talk to him, to share stuff with him or to just have fun and joke. Even just thinking of him makes me smile. Furthermore, we have so many common interest together that it feels good to know that someone actually do understand the importance of my work. And how often can one find a guy who likes to go for a walk? It's rare. It's weird that when we talk, we make plans about where to go and what to do. But if feels right. It might not happen but knowing that I've explored this in mind with someone...it just feels good.
It's a rare vivacity.
At the mean time, it's been quite fun days. Have you ever had days in high school when your crush or the person you admires so much past by you and your heart starts to beat faster? Or when you feel like you have to say all the right things to this one person? It's been like that these past few days. I have yet to meet the person but that's exactly how I feel. When the phone rings, my mind start to search for the right thing to say. Should we talk about this? Would he care? Am I telling too much? What if he gets bored? But after a while, all those thoughts are gone and we're just chatting happily away like we've known each other for a long time.
Every morning when I wake up, the first thing that I want to do is to check my e-mail. Did he have time to e-mail me last night? Did he think of me last night? It's not love. No, at least I don't think so. I've yet to met the person but it never once crosses my mind to wonder if he's fat or thin, ugly or good looking. I wonder why? I usually do wonder when I meet a person online. But this time it's different. There's just the need to talk to him, to share stuff with him or to just have fun and joke. Even just thinking of him makes me smile. Furthermore, we have so many common interest together that it feels good to know that someone actually do understand the importance of my work. And how often can one find a guy who likes to go for a walk? It's rare. It's weird that when we talk, we make plans about where to go and what to do. But if feels right. It might not happen but knowing that I've explored this in mind with someone...it just feels good.
It's a rare vivacity.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
First car
I've been away from the 'virtual' world for quite sometime. I do leave my MSN online but have not been able to reply any of the messages I've got. This was not due to me ignoring my friends and family but I've been busy trying to juggle work and also settle some stuff = my new car!!!
I started looking for a car early this year as some of you has read in my earlier entries. Ever since I came back from M'sia, the need to have a car became more important as it's hard to plan my experiments all at the same time and that takes up a lot of time. Furthermore, it's nice to be able to go home and get some dinner before coming back here to work.
On Saturday morning, I went down to Kalamazoo to check out a Honda Accord. However, it wasn't a very well-maintained car and heeding the advice of a friend who is experienced in car mechanisms, I decided not to go get it. But on the very same day, a new listing for a 97 Honda Accord came out on cars.com and we went to check it out. It was at Battle Creek. We went there, test drive it, checked the car and asked a few questions, within 40 minutes, I issued a check for the car.
But the owner wanted cash as she's moving to a different state. So I came back to Lansing on that same night, worked on Sunday, get the cash on Monday morning and took the train back to Kalamazoo. My friends there brought me back to Battle Creek to get the car and settle the payment. I drove the car back to Lansing from there, got my insurance settled and went to register it yesterday morning. Lastly, I got a parking permit for the year this morning.
*phew* It sure was an adventure for my boring life. This together with all the events that had happened to me over the past three months have been the most exciting part of my life since a very long time. Work just seem to take part of my life away..and it's a huge chunk.
I'm just so happy to finally find a car and at a reasonable price. Now back to work..boss is back.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
burnt
Yesterday night was the worst night I've ever had. I was doing gel extraction all day and have been looking at my gels with the UV light illuminator. I usually don't wear goggles when working with the illuminator since it's only a few minutes. However, I used the illuminator multiple times and I didn't realized that the UV was starting to affect my eyes.
Around 9pm, I head to the bathroom before leaving for home. As most other girls would do, I looked into the mirror while washing my hands and realized that my eyeballs are blood-shot red. I know that my eyes are tired as my contact lens was getting dry. But I've worn the contacts for more than 24 hours straight and I know that once I get a chance to wash it, it'll be fine. So I didn't think it was a big deal and the redness was probably due to improper cleaning of my contacts. I got home around 10.30pm, took out my contacts and laze around before going off to bed at around 11.30pm.
At 12.30am, my eyes started hurting. It felt like I've been swimming without goggles in a highly chlorinated pool for hours. In Hokkien, I would describe it was very 'siap' and at the same time, 'si'. So I tried to open my eyes and tears started to fall. It was worse than crying as the tears came down like rain was dripping from my head downwards. It hurts even more and I had to squint my eyes shut. I groped my way to the bathroom in the dark, switched on the light and tried to open my eyes. I got to it after a while and realized that I can hardly see anything clearly. I washed my eyes as best as I could and it still hurts. Since there wasn't anything I could do about it, I went back to bed and tried to sleep. But all I could do was just lay on the bed and cried. I wasn't really crying either since it's not an emotional thing. The tears kept falling and in the end, I just cried myself to bed.
This morning, I woke up just a few minutes before my alarm clock rang. I tried to open my eyes and it was sealed shut with my dried tears. So I peeled open slowly and all I saw was a blurry image of my room. I thought I should try to adjust my eyes to the dark first so I hide under my blanket and opened my eyes. I could then open my eyes and tried to look around my room. It was still a little blur but decided to just get to work. Took my bath, washed up and I put on my glasses. I realized that it's still blur. That sucks. So I took a deep breath, peeled my eyes open and tried my best to put on my contacts without crying.
Got to work this morning wishing that I had stayed home. Unfortunately I've already made the cultures to prepare electrocompetent cells and I don't want to delay anymore as time is already running out. Felt better after a while but I still have to wear my sunglasses every once in a while when my eyes get too tired. Can't look at the computer screen for long either. Definitely not gonna run any gel or extract any DNA today. Hopefully I get to finish these cells early and get back into my room, close all the curtains and just stay in the dark.
Lesson learned..prevention is better than cure. Goggles shall be worn at all times when utilizing any equipment that emits UV light.
Around 9pm, I head to the bathroom before leaving for home. As most other girls would do, I looked into the mirror while washing my hands and realized that my eyeballs are blood-shot red. I know that my eyes are tired as my contact lens was getting dry. But I've worn the contacts for more than 24 hours straight and I know that once I get a chance to wash it, it'll be fine. So I didn't think it was a big deal and the redness was probably due to improper cleaning of my contacts. I got home around 10.30pm, took out my contacts and laze around before going off to bed at around 11.30pm.
At 12.30am, my eyes started hurting. It felt like I've been swimming without goggles in a highly chlorinated pool for hours. In Hokkien, I would describe it was very 'siap' and at the same time, 'si'. So I tried to open my eyes and tears started to fall. It was worse than crying as the tears came down like rain was dripping from my head downwards. It hurts even more and I had to squint my eyes shut. I groped my way to the bathroom in the dark, switched on the light and tried to open my eyes. I got to it after a while and realized that I can hardly see anything clearly. I washed my eyes as best as I could and it still hurts. Since there wasn't anything I could do about it, I went back to bed and tried to sleep. But all I could do was just lay on the bed and cried. I wasn't really crying either since it's not an emotional thing. The tears kept falling and in the end, I just cried myself to bed.
This morning, I woke up just a few minutes before my alarm clock rang. I tried to open my eyes and it was sealed shut with my dried tears. So I peeled open slowly and all I saw was a blurry image of my room. I thought I should try to adjust my eyes to the dark first so I hide under my blanket and opened my eyes. I could then open my eyes and tried to look around my room. It was still a little blur but decided to just get to work. Took my bath, washed up and I put on my glasses. I realized that it's still blur. That sucks. So I took a deep breath, peeled my eyes open and tried my best to put on my contacts without crying.
Got to work this morning wishing that I had stayed home. Unfortunately I've already made the cultures to prepare electrocompetent cells and I don't want to delay anymore as time is already running out. Felt better after a while but I still have to wear my sunglasses every once in a while when my eyes get too tired. Can't look at the computer screen for long either. Definitely not gonna run any gel or extract any DNA today. Hopefully I get to finish these cells early and get back into my room, close all the curtains and just stay in the dark.
Lesson learned..prevention is better than cure. Goggles shall be worn at all times when utilizing any equipment that emits UV light.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
an unfortunate event
The past Sunday was just like any other Sunday except that this time I went to look at a car. I got home around 7.30pm, do some small things here and there and came online to check my mails. The moment I signed in to MSN Messenger, CY messaged me. His housemate, Lim Jiang Wei was pronounced dead due to drowning. His exact words was that 'his body is in the hospital'. I thought that he was in a serious condition in the hospital so I said "wish him get well soon for me" when he was leaving for the hospital. That's when he told me, "No, he died". I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. This shouldn't be happening. He's the only son in the family, he has yet to see his parents for quite sometime, he was just having fun, he's only one semester or rather two classes away from graduation and he's a great friend to have around. It's just not fair.
I am not very close to him but we've hanged out a few times together with other Malaysians. I have came to know that he's fun and he's good at bowling. The last time we met was during a picnic event followed by bowling. He was really good at the game but was not boastful at all. Adeline and me were not playing that night as we are really bad at it. So he sat by us between his turns and explain the game to us. It was a fun night. On Sunday, I was just asking CY if he's gonna move in with him soon as he's still bunking over at another friend's place. Just hours later...the news got to us.
The official news came out on Monday in Muskegon Chronicle and on Tuesday in State News. Earlier today at 4pm, a memorial service was organized by the Office of Internatial Students and Scholars to honor him. His close friends had made a website to remember him. Although I wasn't very close to him, knowing that I have the opportunity to cross-path with him makes me feel very lucky. It was also very nice of the Engineering department to grant him his Bachelor's of Science in Engineering. Unfortunately, they had to present it to his parents.
May God bless Jiang Wei...you'll always be remembered in our memories.
Friday, July 22, 2005
cars
I have been thinking of getting a car since early this year but the finding has yet to be fruitful. Initially I didn't know what car to get and thought that most cars are too big for me. After driving Nok's car (Honda Civic Coupe) for quite sometime, I find that it's actually not that big after all. When I was back at home, the largest car I drove was Proton Wira aeroback, which is not very big compared to most Japanese and American cars. So I think it's an improvement in my driving skills as I now feel more comfortable driving a larger car.
That had increased the choices of cars I'm looking at - Honda Civics or Toyota Corolla, ideally VW Golf. However, I feel that my budget is way below the prices of cars available here. I don't intend to get new cars but just simply want a car that has a total mileage of less than 100K. Unfortunately, cars with such low mileage seems to cost more than USD6K, which I feel is too much to spend on a car that I will be using only for 5 years or so.
Does that mean that I should increase my budget or am I just looking at the wrong place? I'm been looking through our MSU network, the local newspaper classifieds, and online car listings. Maybe I should just stick to taking the bus and cycling. That's a lot cheaper than getting a car even in the long run. But not having a car also means that I don't get to go around and taking the bus seems to be taking up too much time. It's also hard to set up experiments that require attention 24 hours as I can't come back later at night.
Why is it so hard to get a car?
That had increased the choices of cars I'm looking at - Honda Civics or Toyota Corolla, ideally VW Golf. However, I feel that my budget is way below the prices of cars available here. I don't intend to get new cars but just simply want a car that has a total mileage of less than 100K. Unfortunately, cars with such low mileage seems to cost more than USD6K, which I feel is too much to spend on a car that I will be using only for 5 years or so.
Does that mean that I should increase my budget or am I just looking at the wrong place? I'm been looking through our MSU network, the local newspaper classifieds, and online car listings. Maybe I should just stick to taking the bus and cycling. That's a lot cheaper than getting a car even in the long run. But not having a car also means that I don't get to go around and taking the bus seems to be taking up too much time. It's also hard to set up experiments that require attention 24 hours as I can't come back later at night.
Why is it so hard to get a car?
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
jet-lagging
Was awakened a while ago by some alarm going on downstairs. I left my door open when I went to bed hoping that my bag is still gonna get here. Unfortunately, they either did not get here or I was too dead to hear any knocks on the door.
Can't seem to get back to bed now. It's probably jet-lagging effects. There isn't much to do at this time of the day..so I started surfing the net and I couldn't help checking out the prices of air tickets and hotels at Vegas or Chandler. BK is currently at Chandler and he has been bluntly asking me to go over to spend a weekend with him. Part of me really wants to go there but part of me asks - is it worth it to spend that much amount of money for a weekend with the guy I know that I'll never get? But then again, if I don't go, will I be wasting the opportunity to be with the love of my life for one weekend?
Maybe it's time I thread lightly on this path of my life. Just go along with the flow, do what my heart says and not think about it so much. Furthermore, he's still single at this point of time. Why should I be the one thinking so much about it? Why should I be the one worrying about him being playful? Like a friend have said before, flirting can be the most fun activity. Yeah..I shall set my mind on that.
Can't seem to get back to bed now. It's probably jet-lagging effects. There isn't much to do at this time of the day..so I started surfing the net and I couldn't help checking out the prices of air tickets and hotels at Vegas or Chandler. BK is currently at Chandler and he has been bluntly asking me to go over to spend a weekend with him. Part of me really wants to go there but part of me asks - is it worth it to spend that much amount of money for a weekend with the guy I know that I'll never get? But then again, if I don't go, will I be wasting the opportunity to be with the love of my life for one weekend?
Maybe it's time I thread lightly on this path of my life. Just go along with the flow, do what my heart says and not think about it so much. Furthermore, he's still single at this point of time. Why should I be the one thinking so much about it? Why should I be the one worrying about him being playful? Like a friend have said before, flirting can be the most fun activity. Yeah..I shall set my mind on that.
Monday, July 11, 2005
back at Lansing
Arrived Lansing a little before 3pm after what seemed like a neverending flight on Korean Air from Penang. Left Penang at 1.05am Monday morning with a heavy heart. Due to my dad's 'the-early-the-better' character, I was at the airport at 10pm. After checking in, we sat at Coffee Bean drinking hot chocolate and talk about the house, the garden, me getting a car, me getting a green card and etc. At 12.30am, it was time for me to go to the gate. All of a sudden, tears started pooling in my eye and all I could do was hug my dad tightly and cried. I didn't want to let go. I did the same with my mum. I've done this many times and like the first time, I didn't want to leave and the tears never seem to wanna stop. I cried all my way to the boarding gate and just sat there, wishing that I have more time with them.
When I left home to pursue my bachelor's degree, I never did expect to leave home for such a long time. All I had in mind was that I want to go home after I finish my degree. It was set to be that way until that very last year of my degree. I got really interested in research and the appreciation I received from my professors, professors who didn't know me, from peer researchers, it was all very motivating. I knew that if I want to continue towards success, I would have to stay here. At the same time, the expectation of family members for me to stay is so high that it became part of the reason I stayed. Today, I wished that I had stayed home a few years before pursuing my higher degree. But since I'm already in the middle of it, I will finish it and this time, I am going to go home to find my destiny. If I can't find it at home, I'll roam again. But I'll definitely take the time off to stay home.
The flight from Penang to Incheon was a disastrous one. I was having a bad cold and a heavy head. I slept most of the way until they served breakfast, which was just some fruits and yogurt. I am a huge fan of yogurt but at that time, nothing seems to appeal to me. I picked on some fruits and went back to sleep. However, I can't go back to sleep this time as my meninges seems to be filled with fluid. I can't blow them out and the pressure was killing me. I was holding onto my head all the time. As the plane started descending about an hour later, it hurts even more as my ears are now hurting too. It felt like my head was going to burst due to excessive fluid. Thankfully, the pain was gone when the plane touched down.
I arrived Chicago at about 10.30am this morning. I brought my luggage to clear the custom requirements and went straight to United Express counter to request for an earlier flight. I got the 1.10pm flight and was so glad. However, I didn't thought that my luggage might not make it because it was still at the international terminal at about 11.30am, when I brought it for custom clearance. But I didn't want to spend 6 hours at the local airport because there is nothing much to do there. My cell phone was out of battery so there's noway I can call anyone to chat. There is also no wireless connection so I can't really do much.
Arriving Lansing at 2.50pm, I waited for my two baggages. One arrived but the other still seemed to be filed as missing. I took a cab straight home and took a bus to the lab. I tried to call Nok from there so that she don't go over to the airport to pick me up. But until now, I have yet to get my other baggage. It was supposed to arrived tonight when they called me around 8pm. Should I wait or should I just go to sleep? Keeping my cell phone charger in a check-in bag is probably the dumbest thing to do but I didn't realize that the battery is still being drained even if the item is switched off all the time. How dumb...
When I left home to pursue my bachelor's degree, I never did expect to leave home for such a long time. All I had in mind was that I want to go home after I finish my degree. It was set to be that way until that very last year of my degree. I got really interested in research and the appreciation I received from my professors, professors who didn't know me, from peer researchers, it was all very motivating. I knew that if I want to continue towards success, I would have to stay here. At the same time, the expectation of family members for me to stay is so high that it became part of the reason I stayed. Today, I wished that I had stayed home a few years before pursuing my higher degree. But since I'm already in the middle of it, I will finish it and this time, I am going to go home to find my destiny. If I can't find it at home, I'll roam again. But I'll definitely take the time off to stay home.
The flight from Penang to Incheon was a disastrous one. I was having a bad cold and a heavy head. I slept most of the way until they served breakfast, which was just some fruits and yogurt. I am a huge fan of yogurt but at that time, nothing seems to appeal to me. I picked on some fruits and went back to sleep. However, I can't go back to sleep this time as my meninges seems to be filled with fluid. I can't blow them out and the pressure was killing me. I was holding onto my head all the time. As the plane started descending about an hour later, it hurts even more as my ears are now hurting too. It felt like my head was going to burst due to excessive fluid. Thankfully, the pain was gone when the plane touched down.
I arrived Chicago at about 10.30am this morning. I brought my luggage to clear the custom requirements and went straight to United Express counter to request for an earlier flight. I got the 1.10pm flight and was so glad. However, I didn't thought that my luggage might not make it because it was still at the international terminal at about 11.30am, when I brought it for custom clearance. But I didn't want to spend 6 hours at the local airport because there is nothing much to do there. My cell phone was out of battery so there's noway I can call anyone to chat. There is also no wireless connection so I can't really do much.
Arriving Lansing at 2.50pm, I waited for my two baggages. One arrived but the other still seemed to be filed as missing. I took a cab straight home and took a bus to the lab. I tried to call Nok from there so that she don't go over to the airport to pick me up. But until now, I have yet to get my other baggage. It was supposed to arrived tonight when they called me around 8pm. Should I wait or should I just go to sleep? Keeping my cell phone charger in a check-in bag is probably the dumbest thing to do but I didn't realize that the battery is still being drained even if the item is switched off all the time. How dumb...
Saturday, July 09, 2005
trip to KL
Haven't had the chance to update for quite sometime. I was trying to change the look of my blog but before I got to change anything, I had to borrow my laptop to my uncle. Was also away in KL for the past two days. It was a very short trip meant to meet up with some old friends.
Got a ride from BK to KL. I was afraid it was gonna be awkward because I didn't really know what to chat with him and plus we just had an argument just the night before about who's being understanding. But after the first half an hour or so, the tension seemed to disappear into the air and it was actually comfortable. It felt okay to just be silent and enjoy the ride. It was also helpful that he seemed to remember some of the stuffs we used to share and it felt okay to talk about it with him. We went for dinner when we got to KL and he was soooooooo nice that he asked me to make the choice..I suggested Murni at SS2. We went there last year the night before I left for the States and I like the mango drink they have there.
He brought me back to my place after dinner and I wished so badly that we could have more time. But I know that no matter what I do..there's where it'll end. But I wasn't upset for long as I went out right after that to meet up with my friends from high school - EF, San, Irene, Kenny and Kas. We met at Ming Tian for a drink but it wasn't a lot of catch up since I was missing most of the stuff they talk about. Edmund ( a frequent anonymous commentor on my blog) came shortly after that and San, Irene, Kenny and Kas left. Edmund and me then left for Zouk.
Zouk was fun - drink and dance..what more can I ask for? Plus a really sporting guy by my side. But the crowd that was there kinda surprised me. It was a culture shock in my own country. But I shall not elaborate it here because I might be offending certain group of people.
Despite the fun I had that night, when the alcohol effects disappeared, I couldn't help thinking about the question BK asked me - Do I want to go over his place? I really wanted to but I know that it's not the right thing to do. It's wrong. Very wrong. But when he called me sometime around 1am..the urge to go over was even stronger. So after we left Zouk, Edmund brought me there. I guess at that point, only Edmund could understand how I felt because I know that if it's an outsider, that would be the most foolish thing I could do. But he never did looked at me a different way than he usually think of me. He respected my decision to go over.
I was at BK's place until 8am the next day. All the time, in my mind I kept telling myself it was wrong to be with him even if it's just sitting there next to him. But it felt right. It felt in place. It wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. He said it's okay. I told him that it's wrong. But he said that it feels right to him. The next thing I know, it was 8am and it's time for him to send me home. I was sad but I know that I should be happy because that was one more day with him when I can be myself. No more tears to flow down because I know that there are still things that need to be solved between us and the time is not here yet.
Got a ride from BK to KL. I was afraid it was gonna be awkward because I didn't really know what to chat with him and plus we just had an argument just the night before about who's being understanding. But after the first half an hour or so, the tension seemed to disappear into the air and it was actually comfortable. It felt okay to just be silent and enjoy the ride. It was also helpful that he seemed to remember some of the stuffs we used to share and it felt okay to talk about it with him. We went for dinner when we got to KL and he was soooooooo nice that he asked me to make the choice..I suggested Murni at SS2. We went there last year the night before I left for the States and I like the mango drink they have there.
He brought me back to my place after dinner and I wished so badly that we could have more time. But I know that no matter what I do..there's where it'll end. But I wasn't upset for long as I went out right after that to meet up with my friends from high school - EF, San, Irene, Kenny and Kas. We met at Ming Tian for a drink but it wasn't a lot of catch up since I was missing most of the stuff they talk about. Edmund ( a frequent anonymous commentor on my blog) came shortly after that and San, Irene, Kenny and Kas left. Edmund and me then left for Zouk.
Zouk was fun - drink and dance..what more can I ask for? Plus a really sporting guy by my side. But the crowd that was there kinda surprised me. It was a culture shock in my own country. But I shall not elaborate it here because I might be offending certain group of people.
Despite the fun I had that night, when the alcohol effects disappeared, I couldn't help thinking about the question BK asked me - Do I want to go over his place? I really wanted to but I know that it's not the right thing to do. It's wrong. Very wrong. But when he called me sometime around 1am..the urge to go over was even stronger. So after we left Zouk, Edmund brought me there. I guess at that point, only Edmund could understand how I felt because I know that if it's an outsider, that would be the most foolish thing I could do. But he never did looked at me a different way than he usually think of me. He respected my decision to go over.
I was at BK's place until 8am the next day. All the time, in my mind I kept telling myself it was wrong to be with him even if it's just sitting there next to him. But it felt right. It felt in place. It wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. He said it's okay. I told him that it's wrong. But he said that it feels right to him. The next thing I know, it was 8am and it's time for him to send me home. I was sad but I know that I should be happy because that was one more day with him when I can be myself. No more tears to flow down because I know that there are still things that need to be solved between us and the time is not here yet.
Monday, July 04, 2005
back to original
Managed to reload the original one but still can't seem to change the borders to fit my photos. Aik..but I'm sleepy already. How in the world does people manage to read all those codes and decipher them? It's like a totally different language.
screwed template
Since I had some time last night, I tried to play around with my template and was trying to make the entry section wider so that I the photos can fit in nicely without overlapping with the sidebar. Unfortunately, while messing around with the size, I changed the position of the side border and I have no idea how to change it back. Now I'm still trying to play with it. Anyone wanna help? Maybe I should just change the entire template.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Busy Bangkok
This picture was taken outside Central World Plaza, which is a shopping mall. There are also other smaller shopping malls around the are and at the end of the street is the largest 'Si Bin Hood' which is known to be very 'sia' (meaning any wish made will come true) but one would have to come back and thank the 'Si Bin Hood'. I don't know how true it is but if my wish does come true, I will definitely come back.
Not knowing much about Thailand, I am surprised to find out that Bangkok is so much more advanced compared to KL. It shows how much we are still lacking behind. It is also very internationalized as there are lots of Western food chain franchises and shopping malls with branded clothes. There are also lots of people and cars everywhere. This is so unlike shopping malls in Penang, which are such an eye-sore. There are hardly any shops left open, especially in Prangin Mall and Komtar.
I don't think I can ever drive in Bangkok. They drive so close that you can literally roll down the window and touch the car next to you. You would have to squeeze in to get into a lane or else you'll be stucked there forever. The jam is also very bad that it can take 5 times longer to get to a place during peak times. We took cab to get to places and they are very cheap. They don't charge extra for 4 people either.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Bangkok
Just came home from Bangkok, Thailand on Tuesday. It was a one week trip of fun, laughter and of course, tiring too. Will elaborate more when I get the chance to.
We are currently busy preparing for the my cousin's wedding - Aaron & Emily - this Friday at Park Royal. All my cousins, aunties and uncles are back too so it's one of the big family gathering. In fact, it's even more 'lau juak' than days during the Chinese New Year. So we girls are also busy updating each other about our 'busy' lives.
I also had the chance to go out with BK yesterday night after the delicious home-cooked seafood at my grandma's place yesterday. My cousin, Mei went along with us and it was fun too. We went to Coffee Bean at Gurney Plaza and just chat. But it's still not easy being friends...my mind was tumbling along a busy road.
We are currently busy preparing for the my cousin's wedding - Aaron & Emily - this Friday at Park Royal. All my cousins, aunties and uncles are back too so it's one of the big family gathering. In fact, it's even more 'lau juak' than days during the Chinese New Year. So we girls are also busy updating each other about our 'busy' lives.
I also had the chance to go out with BK yesterday night after the delicious home-cooked seafood at my grandma's place yesterday. My cousin, Mei went along with us and it was fun too. We went to Coffee Bean at Gurney Plaza and just chat. But it's still not easy being friends...my mind was tumbling along a busy road.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Pickled fruits
Went to Balik Pulau on Saturday to get some rambutan, mangosteen and durians from the fruit farm. Grandma was talking to an aunt of mine who is staying there so dad and me took a walk to the market. These are pickled fruits soaked in some diluted vinegar. I love the ones made with mangoes. I saw the honey dried strawberries mentioned by 5xMoM at the market but it didn't look very appetizing to me. This M'sian delicacy is actually not very clean as the container are usually not tightly covered while some are not even covered at all. Since they are sweet, the flies tend to feed on them, some ended up drowning in the vinegar. However, I have yet to know anyone who face health complications eating them. They're good!!
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