happy CNY =)

It really is getting creepy. Getting (almost) daily visits from an unknown someone from New Jersey. And he/she ONLY visits the November 08 archive of this blog. And this has been happening since erm yea November last year. I can't recall anything so interesting about November on something I wrote or photos I posted that someone would read about every single day.

I'm almost done with packing. Bits and pieces of stuff I should start bringing back to Kch since there's only 1 more week to go in SG after the CNY break. It's an odd feeling: I felt as if it was only yesterday that I'd just arrive here in SG, explored the city, stayed at my aunt's place, moved to this new flat at Holland, and now- I'm getting ready to go home (wow that sounded foreign to me as well) just to come back here for 1 more week, then home again. I can't say that these 3 months had been exactly like what I had expected, and I have gone through better 3-month periods, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything else. As cliche as it sounds, I do believe that I've been placed here at this moment in time for a reason; one which I might not even be aware of, or fully appreciate yet. But someday, I (hope that) I will. =)

I've been counting the number of flights I've been on and will be during these 3 or so summer months. 14 of them. 14 flights from 7th November 08 till 23rd February 09 (approximately 17 weeks)- which comes up to 1 flight in every 8 days.

AMAZING. Statistics really can do amazing things to your mind.

Anyway. I attended a seminar this morning by a professor from NIH who published articles on "How to succeed in science". The seminar was entitled "How to succeed in science WITHOUT TRYING". =P He jokes about how students come out of the seminar feeling disappointed and angry as they didn't think or KNOW that the title was meant to be a joke/sarcasm. I like that he was being honest with us: that most students in the biomedical field will not even wind up in a science-related career. The auditorium was packed with hopeful (probably not so after the talk) students; I took heaps of notes and walked away feeling somewhat.. comforted.

the 9 types of Principal Investigators (PIs)- aka supervisors.
I highly suspect mine falls into the 'demi-god' category.
I hardly see/talk to my PI. Sad, but true.

One of the cartoon drawings by a post-doc researcher, the one shown here was also in the paper the professor published. It's amazing how much words a drawing can convey.

I like this one too.

Funny. But scary (and true).

of food + science

I joined my aunts for lunch last Sunday. The place is at a mall near Dhoby Ghaut mrt- "Juju Hokkaido Hot Pot".

Probably one of the best lunches I've had since coming here. And boy, the service was GOOD. Every single time a customer walks in through the front door, an employee will shout out "Good afternoon!", followed by a chorus of good afternoons from the rest of the employees. I felt like I was back in primary school; still remember how we had to greet our teachers "selamat pagi, cikgu.." every time a teacher walked into the classroom?

Anyway, I had expected the whole thing to be awkward and errr uncomfortable. But surprisingly it was not! Pretty pleasant. It wasn't as expensive as we'd thought: just a little over $20 per person, but eh not like I paid for it =P

raw salmon; one of the three starters
I'm not a fan of salmon & raw fish so no comment on this one

what my aunt ordered: fish hot pot
very nice presentation

my choice of order: beef slices
yummy, very tender plus imagine the size of the enormous plate full of ingredients!!! (compare the size of the plate with the black cup beside it)

my "side dish", plain rice.
I find it funny they categorise rice as a side dish.
So basically we dump the raw ingredients into the "hot pot" (see pic above: it's the pot next to where the chopsticks are). Service was brilliant: the waiter & waitresses come to our table every 5 minutes and always made sure there was enough hot water boiling in the pot. Oooh we can even adjust the temperature of the soup inside the pot, how convenient.

refreshing sour plum drink ahhhh....

my choice of dessert: "pearl harbour"
It's basically mango milk with sago. very yummy and not too sweet

Did you salivate? That was my whole point of posting the photos ;P

Anyway today and yesterday, I attended the 2nd International S'pore Symposium of Immunology @ the University Cultural Centre, NUS. Was slightly late yesterday as I'd never been there before and waited at the wrong bus terminals TWICE. haha! But thank God I made it there and only missed a little of the first presentation. For this sympo, I paid $10 (student price) and was given 2 free lunches and 4 tea breaks. And oh, of course listening to presentations from immunologists around the world about the research they'd done/are doing.

Very HEAVY stuff. It was like sitting through the most intensive lecture series ever from 9 to 6pm. Plus food and coffee, which made it more bearable. But I chose to attend this as many were presenting research projects that had to do with the one I'm THINKING of doing this year as my honours project, provided that I do get my supervisor of choice, of course.

My name tag.

Yesterday after the sympo, I met up with one of my best buddies from secondary school, Julianna aka NANA. =P She's been studying at NUS for the past hmm 2 years? (correct me if I'm wrong). So she gave me a tour around the campus and I went to visit her hostel as well.

walking around campus and discovered this "stairway to heaven" =)
this was at the music school btw. very pretty

Julianna: seeeee? there is an NUS museum (just in front of the music dept!)

Yeap I was.
taken outside the Uni Cultural Centre (UCC) where the sympo was held

pretty in red

park area (very good area for pak toh sessions according to Julianna haha!) outside the library (which she helped me sneak into for a look). Otago uni still has the best-looking library (central) I reckon :)

try #3

so cute the library even has a "chat point"- basically a small room where people can take calls there and not disrupt other people studying

I wanted to take a photo of a vending machine selling UMBRELLAs at the canteen but was too paise to do that.

where Julianna's staying- Prince George's Park Residences. looks really flash on the outside but meh on the inside, ok for the small price they're paying for it though. Jul showed me more places suitable for pak toh-ing sessions here *ahem* haha!

cute little hamster she's taking care of temporarily for her friend
photo is slightly blur as it moves around very fast haha!
poor hamster doesn't have a name: it's just called 'hamster'

3 more working days this week! Woohoo!

Then it's back home to Kuching once again =)

a story about Jane

I've been unable to attend cell group here in SG for quite some time now (2 months! eeks). So when Jaslin's cell group had one last night, I went. And I'm really glad I did. =)

It was held at Mark's place, at a super flash condo (nice pool!) somewhere at Ang Mo Kio. The view from the balcony is breathtaking, postcard material - and I'm not exaggerating. I wish I'd brought my camera. It's practically a 180 degree panoramic view of the city lights, can even see the Flyer from a distance.

But the one thing I'd remember MOST about last night wouldn't be the nice view, the friendly people, exchanging phone numbers, good food (strawberry choc fondue yum!), free ride to a nearer mrt station though I really appreciate that, meeting another friend also working at the Biopolis (hence another lunch partner), or even the cool breeze of the night, something rare which I'd learnt to treasure.

While everyone was mingling with each other, I somehow made my way to the kitchen to put away my plate, and that's where and how I had the most interesting and I would say, meaningful, conversation in a while since I got here.

Most people hate small talk. But in a way, it is necessary when meeting new people.

"So where are you from?"
"Oh, and what are you studying?"
"Interesting... and where do you study?"
"ooo NEW ZEALAND! How nice..."
"OOHHH and how long are you going to be here for?"
"So fast! Will you be going home for chinese new year?"
"Wow that's nice!"
awkward silence.

(just an example)

I can tolerate small talk to some degree. That is, until you see me glancing over your shoulder 80% of the time I'm talking to you. Sorry in advance if that happens.

Where was I? Oh. At the kitchen, putting my plate away (assumingly for the Indon maid to wash up). I think our conversation started when she asked me if it was my first time here for cell group.

First of all, I'm surprised that she knows who's new and who's not.
Second, FYI she prepared all the food that night. Every single thing. And probably only one or two people actually said thanks to her for that, and mean it.
Thirdly, you know how we always include the cook when saying grace? e.g. thank you MAY for the muffins that we are about to eat etc etc? Not even a single mention of the maid who did all the work for every cell group meeting.

I regret not asking her name, so I'll just call her Jane.

Jane is from Indonesia, she's on contract as a full time maid for 2 years. She's been here for 3 months now, separated from her baby for so long that she missed her baby taking his/her first steps! She told me how she would cry every day while ironing clothes for her boss and family. How she would feel anger when her boss scolded her for not washing every single LEAF of the vegetables for dinner. How tired and lonely she is to be working all the time- no break, no compliments, no "how are you doing?"s, no holidays, not being able to watch her baby grow up, take in the scoldings without the ability to defend herself, even when she's already a married woman, a wife, a mother.

She told me how she would pray of better days ahead, for her long days to be over, for the day that she can see her baby (all grown up by then) again, for HOPE. How she believes without a doubt that even though her days are hard and no one seems to care, she is grateful, and longs for the 2 year contract to be over, and she'll be reunited with her family once again, maybe migrate to Malaysia, and not having to work as a maid again.

I just stood there, listening and nodding, saying words of comfort, not knowing what the right words are. Here I am, going overseas for my studies, coming to cell group, no worry at all if the next thing I do will end up with me getting scolded. We KNOW that we don't treasure what we have sometimes, we KNOW how other people are less fortunate than us, and yet we don't show gratitude. We complain, grumble, compare, and grumble some more.

It's times like these that I step back and look at the big picture again.

So we stood there at the kitchen, talking (mostly me listening) about life, while everyone else was at the dining area and living room enjoying the food and each others' company.

I didn't realise time passing by until another girl walked into the kitchen and said, "So this is where you've been hiding the whole night!" Then we said our goodbyes, wishing her well, went outside for a while and saw that people were already leaving =P

There's many more I'd love to tell you guys back in Dunedin about cell group here, but I'll leave that for the time when we meet again. =)

Home again, soon

Before the latest season of House, who would have believed if THIS (pic below) happened?

source

House, Cuddy, and cute little baby. Cuddy gazes lovingly at House, while baby looks like she wants to be anywhere but in House's arms =P

"oh no... so this is the guy mommy considers to be a potential daddy candidate... (gulps) "

Btw this is a promo photo from episode 5.13. I miss my tv series!!! Heroes especially.

***

I took a leap of faith in registering for a scientific symposium for this coming Monday and Tuesday. The last time I actually attended a symposium was at least 5 years ago at secondary school, for the school Koperasi. Something to look forward to before I head back to Kuching (again) next Friday. =)

Nothing new

Yesterday, on the way home from work, I bought bread at a bakery further away from where I usually buy from. The reason being I wanted to stop by Blk 40 to get the super yummy BBQ stingray =P Was carrying my laptop with one hand, and my Witchery handbag with another, so my laptop (almost) fell when I was reaching for the bread tray.

Then suddenly *wooooosh* came the salesguy from behind the counter and even left a lady customer there waiting. He asked me what I wanted to get and took the tray (and bread) for me.

Is that awesome customer service or what?


...versus


Today, I was carrying my laptop as well. Stopped by a bakery @ Holland Village to get the yummy floss bread. THREE girls huddled around the counter and didn't even look up when I handed my tray over. Then a Caucasian dude (mid to late 20s I'd say) came to the counter to my right.

The way the shop assistant said "one-fifty" to the guy was GOSH so yuckily sweeeeeet compared to the rude "one-fifty" she muttered to me just 2 seconds ago. I was so tempted to steal a glance at the guy to see if he flinched. After handing over a $2 note, the salesgirl gave back my change and receipt with her eyes still glued onto the guy, not even a 'thanks'. I'm not surprised when she said to him 'thanks' and 'bye' in the cheesiest way imaginable.

I guess the Pinkerton syndrome can never really go away even a country has upgraded from its 3rd world status.