Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah HEY! finally after sooo many years of resisting Apple's products, I have decided to make the leap of faith..well sort of..Yea, it was actually in some ways a cornerstone for me because I have always harboured the impression that Apple's products despite being cool and stylish in designs were always complicated in functions(think Mac book and Safrari). Furthermore, with more and more people joining the Apple's bandwagon, Apple's products have also started to lose its once uniqueness. Anyway, all my anxieties were transformed into excitement as I first lay my hand on my newest baby- the iphone 4.0. Well to be honest at least, I still do not really know what all the fuss is about the iphone and frankly speaking, I only brought an iphone based on the assumption that it could have a lot of interesting applications(considering that it has now over 200,000 and still growing)for me to fuss over. However, I must still admit that I was pretty amazed by this phone as the scroll function compared to my previous LG Viewty is simply just heaven and earth apart. In addition, thanks to the retina display which provides such high definition resolution, reading webpages and texts on my iphone proved to be such a breeze and delightful experience. The camera function on the phone was also pretty awesome especially since it also comes with a LED flash that will proves useful when taking night shots and in low light conditions. Not only that, some of the photo editing applications in itune store really does enhance the whole photo-taking and editing experience, even a mountain tortoise when it comes to photo editing like me found it to be so easy to use and master. Nowadays I just can't stop taking pictures! However, the best thing about owning an iphone must be that I can finally now surf the net on the go! With 12gb of data plan(which translate to virtually unlimited usage in my language)provided by Singtel, I can log onto facebook and hardwarezone forum anytime I like now. Yes, although any smartphone with data plan can allow one to do so as well, the crystal clear resolution on the iphone screen just distinguish it so effectively from any other smartphones out in the market. The many free games applications out there also proved to be a bonus(who can get enough of tap tap revenge? it reminds me so much of beat mania!) as I at least have something now to occupy those boring minutes while waiting for buses/trains or simply queneing up to get my KFC chicken every weekend..
Currently am still in the midst of discovering the wonders and thrills of what the iphone can bring me and I can safety say that up till now, it has not disappoint me yet. Who knows maybe just maybe I would get myself a Mac book next?
P/S: Should I jailbreak my iphone? =P
Yours Sincerely, Yongster
Live the life you want. More terrific years ahead!
Alright, I know I had been neglecting this blog for quite some time which is mainly due to the fact that I am plain lazy and that nothing very much exciting or happening has, have, had happened in the past couple of months..(save for the fact that I had AT LAST found a job, but is going to be jobless again in a few months time AGAIN). Therefore, in a bid to "try" to improve my English standard once again for the 1008th attempts as well as to try to trick you people into thinking that I am now leading a more active and exciting(see now I cannot even think of another word to substitute "exciting"...really terrible..) lifestyle now, I am going to try to update this blog more frequently provided that I can overcome the tremendous inertia of my laziness first and foremost of course.But then again, frankly speaking, I am only able to revive the blog now because of the bloody fact I am so BORED at work...Come to think of it, I have never once thought that being efficient could work against one so well..until now that is..I have practically nothing to do at work for the WHOLE day at about 80% of the time with the remaining 20% being dedicated to assignments that could be finished in ahem...at most 1 hour time..so terrible huh? This is indeed a job that is meant for those lazy bums and those who only want to retire peacefully because it was such a damn unchallenging and stimulating(both physically and mentally)job. Most often then not, I had always feel that I am "white white taking new water".
Alright, got to go now before the boss found me browsing my facebook for the 1675th time( not that I care very much either)=P
Yours Sincerely, Yongster
Live the life you desire..Many more fantastic years ahead!
Chapter 54-- And then its the end(Time to say goodbye)
And then it the end...
"Graduation (Friends Forever)"
And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June
I didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real blue
Stay at home talking on the telephone
And we would get so excitedand we'd get so scared
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels
[1] As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
From whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever
So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?
I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
And this is how it feels
[Repeat 1]
La, la, la, la:
Yeah, yeah, yeah
La, la, la, la:
We will still be friends forever
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
Adapted from Vitamin C "Graduation(Friends Forever)" lyrics
Yesterday mark the official final day of my tertiary life as I finally graduated from NUS armed with a humble degree ready(or not quite ready?) to face the working world and enter the university of society. Looking back, I cannot help but wonder how 4 years can possibly passed by just like that when the memory of matriculation still seems so fresh in my mind. Wow…4 years…that's twice the amount of time I spent in NS yet the feeling of time passing by is so so so different. Talk about the concept of time and different experiences at different stage of our lives.
Arrived at university cultural center(UCC) at around 7pm and was in quite a rush to change into my gown..Really have to thank Nick for once again being my rescue hero when I desperately needed help especially since I still do not know how to put on the hood till yesterday at the roding room at about 45 minutes just before the ceremony lol. My parents arrived shortly after I had put on my gown but because Jiayi was late(I still wonder who was the one who told me that her work ended at 6pm), I had to braved through the numerous ushers that kept coming up to me and "reminding" me to go into the auditorium for the ceremony which is about to start VERY SOON. Fortunately, she finally arrived at the last minute for me to shove the invitation card into her hand before rushing in to the auditorium whereby half the video content of the faculty of science was already shown.. The ceremony was officially declared open by the presiding officer LG(NS) Ng Yat Chung after the national anthem was "sang" and this was followed by a boring speech(no offence) by Dr Steve Lai from PSB Academy, really, my mind literally go into dreaming mode the moment he opened his mouth.. I guess the content of his speech just did not resonate and register into my little brain.
The presentation of graduands was next! I was intially a little apprehensive about going onto stage to receive my degree "scroll" as I kept having the probia that I will trip and malu myself on stage lol. Luckily, my probia never came true and I was actually quite pleased with myself for the way I carried myself on stage lol. However, the loudest appause for the night undoubtedly went to whom else but Bernard when he went on stage to receive his degree, what a pity I was in backstage during that time getting prepared for myself to go up the stage. I could still remember the uproar that can even be heard clearlyfrom backstage and the rest of us in backstage was wondering who was causing it before we viewed the CCTV and realized who it was. Didn't know also that there were going to be so much activities going on back stage with the helpers helping us to adjust our gowns and hoods for us to present ourselves at our very best. Really appreciate the help that these helpers has provided us.
I was also very fortunate to have 2 outstanding valedictory speech by Dr Lena Lui who received her PhD in physics and my fellow course mate Cedric Tan who received a first class hons in Biology and winners of multiple awards respectively. Having spent 11 years in NUS, Dr Lena was able to provide us with nuggets of information about science faculty that we fresh graduates never knew existed until yesterday. For instance, who would have ever thought that the predecessor of Dily's healthy eating was actually the fattening KFC? I have always lamented about the absence of finger licking chicken during my years in NUS and to know now that there was actually KFC right here in NUS and even at Science faculty itself really make me go...argh! Really hope that the managements could bring it back in future for the benefits of my juniors who crave for crispy fried chicken especially when one have to stay back in school till late to rush for their project(s) or lab assignment(s). Trust me, eating fatty and sinful food can really help elevate one's mood and relieve stress. In addition, Dr Lena also mentioned about another particularly puzzling question about science faculty which up till this day, I still could not fathom either, why are the toilets for the opposite sex located at different floors of most buildings for science faculty? I mean, one can really curse and swear when one is in a urgent rush to the loo only to realize that the cleaning aunties are always washing the toilet at that precise moment(which reminded me why are the aunties always washing toilets just when I needed them.) and when such unfortunate incidents occurred, it can be a REAL bug to think that the next nearest toilet are one that is 2 stories above of you not to mention that by the time you reach the nearest toilet, the shit are probably already on your pants.
Cedric on the other hand surprised the audience by showing us a photo of him when he was still a toddler shaking the hand of the former late president Wee Kim Wee during his father's master degree commencement ceremony which must have took place like more than 20 years ago. What made the photo so special is the headline which read "When will this small boy graduate"? Now, fast track back to yesterday and I am sure that both him and his parents must be so damn proud that the "small" boy have finally graduated no less armed with a first class hons degree.
After the ceremony, it is time to finally take some photos with the pals that have been helping me in one way or the other contributing to the memorable experiences I had in NUS. It is a pity though that I cannot find some of my peers for this purpose. Anyway, if you guys and gals have been reading this, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for my life in NUS would certainly be so different without you people. I would like to say a really big thank you to all of you! However, I would like to also especially mention some buddies who have really been there supporting me. Thank you Nick for been with me though the ups and downs during the years in NUS and for been able to tolerate and accommodate my sarcasm most of the times. You have helped me so so much especially in the final year that I really couldn't imagine my undergraduate life without you. You are certainly one great friend that I really must thank god for letting me know you. I would also like to thank Zhong Hui and Zhi cheng for helping me with academic queries. It has also been an enjoyable time working with both of you for the Bioinformatics and Ecological system project work. I wish both of you the very best in getting your PhD soon! I would also like to thank Zhilian(GEK1541), William(Lab and LSM4221, 4232), Jiewen(GE3221), Shaokai(Lab), Alvin(LSM 4211), Lu Xi(LSM 4232), Benjamin(LSM 4211, 4221), Siling(LSM 3212), Sheilyn(LSM 4232), Song kun(ES2007S), Vanessa(ES2007S) and Zhi Hui(ES2007S) for working with me either in project works or laboratories sessions. Believe me, it really was an honour working with you people because I have so much fun and I learned so much from you people. Even though I am unlikely to meet or contact some of you again, I would still remember the good times that we have together.
Yes, my years in university have been overall a pleasant experience and I highly treasure the times. Some of the small regrets lies in the fact that I am unable to take some modules which although I am interested in, could not find myself committed to it either due to timetable or exam clash. I would have love to take Intro to Psychology(to find out how the human mind works and thinks emotionally and behaviorally), human anatomy, molecular and cellular neurobiology(this time to find out how the human minds function biologically), molecular basis of human disease(aka pathology) and last but not least pharmacogenetics and drug response.
But then again, life is always filled with some small regrets.
I have been recently introduced to and addicted to mousehunt! Now spending most of my time trying to catch those pesky mice(especially those rare mice) in a bid to level up quickly to join my friends that are at "legendary" and above level..
Excuse me now as I have to go check my traps.
P/S: Thanks to all those friends out there who have helped me by donating golds to me.
Chapter 52-- Review of Year 4 Sem 2( Finale review)
Ok, its finally time for my final review of modules that I took in NUS..yay people, its time for the FINALE!
LSM4221--Drug discovery and clinical trials
This module must surely be the highlight(and summary) of all pharmacology modules that I have taken to date as it incorporated quite a few priniciples and concepts from the previous pharmacology modules taught including toxiology(which properly explains why this module was only offered in the final semester). Content wise, some might find it boring and uninteresting as the concepts taught in this module such as GCP(Good clinical practice) and lead/target discovery can be quite dry at times. In addition, there aren't many "hard" facts to cover in the clinical trials section as well but do not be fooled by the "lack" of concepts covered in this module for there are actually many extra things that one has to study in order to fully appreciate the complexity of clinical trials that are carry out today. This means that even though it seems quite straight forward the definition of phrase 1,2,3,4 of clinical trials and the purposes of these different phases, one still has to actually consider quite a number of factors when designing clinical trials targeted or require to be tested at different populations of people such as the elderly, paediatics and yes, even women who by themself constitute quite a few sub group such as women of child bearing age/potential and those that are not as well as those on contraceptives vs those that are not etc(talk abt the complexity of women hehe). Therefore, it would be absolutely foolish of one to think that there aren't many things to study for this module especially since the final exam comprises of thinking and application questions that requires one to read outside of lecture notes in order to score. One more worth thing to mention about this module is that the lecturers do really stimulate our thinking(such as the consideration of certain morals and bioethics in GCP and the considerations one has to take into account when designing trials some of ehich I had mentioned earlier) in this module and I feel that I really benefited quite a lot even in the project presentation at the end of the modules. In short, this module is really one that one can take away a lot of infos and continue to think about the certain issues that were raised in the module. Quite a useful module that I would recommend to my junior to take especially if they concentrate in biomedical sciences.
LSM4223--Medical Microbiology
It was a real tussle for me during the bidding period to chose whether I should take this module or "free radicals and antioxidants" and I must admit that I am slightly disappointed that I seemed to have took the wrong option. It is not to say that I am completely uninterested in this module or I wouldn't have took it in the first place especially when it is the only level 4000 module that have a strong laboratory component in it(which means we must attend lab sessions lah). Content wise, I really expects more out of it but I guess I should be thankful that quite a significant portion of the module is actually on Immunology such as pathogen evasions strategies and vaccines and I certainly manage to breeze through it during the lectures. The lab sessions and even more so the lab report make it really difficult for me to devote my full attentions and concentations to it since I had my final year project to handle at the same time and I am very reluntant to spend so much time and effort on an assignment that is worth only 10% of the final grade. As a result, I would recommend this module only to those people that are really interested in Medical Microbiology and who prefentially had Immunology background as well or those who enjoy laboratory work a lot for the workload in thi module must be one of the heaviest among all level 4000 modules as it includes, lab sessions, project presentation and a written report.
LSM4199--Honours project in Life Science
Ahh...the curse and swear of many final year students, the whole experience would most likely determine whether one wants to work in the research field in future or not. There was a saying that say that honours year in NUS are even more tougher to handle than PhD as one has to juggle both experimental works and school work at the same time compared to NTU whose students devote one entire semester on their final year project. To me, the honours year experience is certainly something that I do not want to repeat again as it took just sooo much time and effort not to mention the tremendous stress that comes along with it as well. Imagine spending so much of your time in the lab even on weekend working on something that might and most properly would yield negative results and you get what I meant. In addition, my mentor is really a bitch from hell whose greatest pleasure is to induce suffering and pain to us students ans accuses us of doing things that we never done before(there were so many classic examples whereby she was clearly in the wrong and yet she still blame us for HER mistakes). The She devil is actually the most unpopular person in the lab and even research officers there lamented that we got one of the worse person to "mentor" us. I utterly dislike and hate her and hope to never see her again in my entire life or I surely push her down the nearest flight of stairs. Hope that she returns to hell soon. Bloody Bitch. Luckily, my strength came from fellow NTU students who were also unfortunate to be mentor by her and we are constantly supporting and consoling each other. Thanks guys for your support or I shudder to think of my mental stage at the end of the project. In reality, there are many times during the project whereby I consider giving up as the work seems so overwhelming at times( my fellow NUS mate withdrew from his project 4 months into it) but I am glad that I finally perservere through it. During the printing of the poster at Sunshine plaza, I really had the surreal feeling of giving birth as I watch my poster got printed bit by bit and flashbacks of the endless nights and weekends spend working on it which cause me to have almost zero social life came coming back. This was indeed my baby that I had work so hard for during the past 9 months and here it is, the fruit of my intense labour. At times like these, I had to control the urge to cry. Luckily as well, the poster presentation went along quite smoothly and I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised that the 2 examiners are profs from BTI as well making me slightly less edgy. The thesis was much easier to complete after the poster presentation and thanks once again to my NTU mates Eric and Sherry and Jiewen for helping to proof read my drafts and correct any spellings and grammar errors that I had.
On a more serious note, I start off the honours project with the intention simply to experience what research is all about and had completely no idea what the whole process would encompass or entail but I realized that I actually accomplished much more at the end. In a way, I actually surprised myself as I never thought that I possess the courage and tenacious to complete such a major task. Even my devious mentor taught me the highly desirable act and skills of tolerance bringing the level of my zen to a new high level. Nevertheless, the final year project experience is one that I hope not to go through again if I can..
And so, this post wrapped up all the modules that I had attempted throughout 4 fruitful years in NUS some of which I had success although there are many others that I struggled with from time to time. I have however absolutely no regret chosing life science as a major even though it is a "jack of all trade but master of none" subject. If not for life science, I would not have discover that my true interest actually lies in biomedical sciences. Even for those optional modules such as Singapore studies, general education modules or unrestricted electives, I almost never regret taking any of them as well. In fact, my only regret is not being able to take many other interesting modules due to timetable clash or due to the fact that I have to sacrifice taking them in order to concentrate more on my core modules. Haiz...if only I had 1 more semester to take these modules so that I can leave without regret..
Have been catching up on reading these past few days and most of the books that I read were actually textbooks! Haha, can you imagine that I only started to take a REAL interest in the content of these books only after moi have completed my bachelor education? Hee, have been revisiting my pretty much already rusted physiology, nutrition, microbiology and Immunology concepts and I am truly shock that there is actually so much interesting info in these textbooks that I had conveniently just missed them in the pursuit of attaining those elusive As during my undergraduate days... It was also only now then I realized that some of the concepts learned in Immunology were actually more well explained in a microbiology textbook! But again, it was only now without the pressure of scoring in exams that I can truly enjoy reading the content in these books on medical/health subjects which I am just sooo interested in( I mean, as a typical singapore student, in the past, I would just skipped whatever sections that were not going to come out in exams, dun wanna waste time mah). Actually, from year 2 onwards after I had finished the course on Metabolism and regulation, I am already pretty certain that my real interest lies in health science rather than life science and that I prefer working in a clinical setting much more than a laboratory setting but alas since there is no health science degree(nursing not counted!) in Singapore and since the modules under biomedical science concentration covers quite a bit of health science related topics, I decided to press on lor. Nevertheless, I still hope to ultimately work in the healthcare industry someday even if my first job does not entail working in a clinical setting. It was also my desire to one day have the opportunity to pursue post graduate studies in health science related discipline overseas but before that must of course save a lot of money lor...haiz, wonder when my dream would come true especially since I am typing now as a jobless dude... Hopefully can achieve that in 5-6 years time lah.
Regards, Yongster
Live the life you want. Many more good years ahead
With most of the final year students FINAL exams in NUS now truly over, I believe that most of graduating students would now be discussing about their graduation trips that they have waited for so long. I have friends who will be going to nearby countries such as Thailand, Cambodia while there are others(those with fatter wallets) who will be travelling to more distant countries such as Europe and US. For me? I will also be travelling of course but instead of going overseas, I will be touring around our very own sunny island! Although this may sound silly for some of us, I think that it is rather an exciting prospect to really travel all over Singapore to places that I have always wanted to visit or have not visited for quite some time and slowly "absorb" the scenery which is something that I have not done since 1675. Through this graduation trip, I hope that I can rediscover the beauty of our little island and prove to those who have always lamented about the lack of activities that can be done right here in our very own country so very wrong. I mean, I realize that the people who always complain that there is nothing to do in Singapore are usually those whose only activity in Singapore is to go shopping. I mean, if the only thing that one is interesting in is to go shopping, then of course one is bound to lose out on the more "rural and boring" activities that one can enjoy here. Just ask yourself when was the last time you visited Sungei Buloh or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and enjoy a moment of peace and tranquility with Mother nature? When was the last time you visited the farms in Choa Chu Kang and becomes a "farmer" for a day? When was the last time you step into a studio or threatre to enjoy a concert or play?Or even when was the last time you enjoy a truly nice walk in a park or beach? In essence, there are actually tons of things that one can do on this tiny sunny island yet most of us simply tend to overlook these small things that one can enjoy and conclude that there is "nothing" to do here beside shopping. To me, I hope that this graduation trip will not only allows me to re-connect with my homeland on a deeper level, but also serve as a form of self reflections. I hope that I will be able to encounter small surprises through this journey and in the process reflect upon the things that have happened in my life. I hope to spend a few hours on the beach listening to the waves and trekking through Sungei Buloh soaking in the energy from mother nature while in the meantime appreciate what god have given me. I hope that the challenges of finding directions to the more remote locations will allows me to realize the challenges of finding my own directions in life. This would not just be a graduation trip to me but also a trip to find what I really wanted in life in the transition from student to working adult.
I can't wait to start this soul searching trip.
Enjoy your graduation trip too.
Regards, Yongster
p/s: My heart went out to those who have to cancel their overseas trip due to the recent swine flu.
Live the life you want! Still many more good years ahead.
