..:･yuka･:..

it's a brown family thing

2010-01-05T22:31:00.000+08:00

I got myself a pair of brown flats in japan from st mary's and i love its versatility because brown goes well with almost everything.

And the fact that the colour brown is something my family have in common. Our shoes, clothings, bags are mostly in shades of brown. I like the earthy feeling i get when i wear something brown. And we look pretty good in brown, surprisingly all of us do.

One of my prized brown item is a Bree handbag passed down from my mom. It was initially brown but after years of possession, the leather has turned into a beautiful coral pinkish-brown shade. Simply gorgeous.

Do you possess an object/trait/habit that is commonly shared among the family members?

revamp va va vroom

2010-01-05T09:53:00.000+08:00

If you have been following my blog these past few days, you probably would have noticed that it looked differently almost every time you see it.

I was trying to change the look of my blog and experimented with many templates. The thing is, i wasn't satisfied with the templates i tried out even though they looked really pretty on their own.

But after a few days of trial revamps, i FINALLY found one which i think i will stick to for a while.

:)

sugar candies

2010-01-03T22:31:00.002+08:00

[ dustenharward ]

[ tumblr ]

[weheartit]

[etc]

happy belated new year

2010-01-02T11:58:00.003+08:00

I know I am a day late, so here is a belated happy new year post to you:)

Last night, we had a quiet and peaceful dinner with relatives from the UK, and I was asked whether I had made my resolutions. The truth is, i haven't made any new year's resolutions this year because i was ~~lazy to get my bum off the couch and start writing a list~~ skeptical about the whole resolutions thingie and questioned myself on the significance of making resolutions that i probably will not fulfill anyway.

Instead of making a long list of resolutions for 2010, i thought i should reflect on what i have done in 2009, learn from the mistakes and try to make something more out of 2010.

2009 was like a rollercoaster ride for me when it came to schoolwork and grades. I was constantly obsessed with getting better grades and pushed myself multiple times harder to achieve an ideal grade. Which i never reached because i was never satisfied with my own progress. The jan/may semester's goal was to get through the dilemma on whether to continue with a honours year. The aug/nov semester's goal was to pull up my grade to be able to pursue my graduate studies. I was an emotional wreck too because there were many times i felt that nothing was working out and i would cave in easily (which was the first time for me because i could manage my feelings pretty well in the past). It was a neverending chase and during that one crazy year i hardly felt the exhaustion surprisingly.

The fatigue (both physical and mental) started coming in when i decided to stop work for two weeks and went on a short getaway to japan. I had more room for thoughts on my personal life by then, since nothing was on my mind but grades during my semesters. I reflected on what the past few months had done for me as a person, and to my horror, i realized i didn't really learn much. I did learn how to work and deal with difficult people when i was working in the lab. But that was it. It only revolved around my school life. I didn't have much personal development and frankly, i felt that it has affected many relationships that i have with some people who were once dear to me.

2010 marks a new start for me in terms of personal development. I am proud of my academic achievements that i have clinched last year, but this year i feel i should work on being a better person. I am still facing the same amount of stress, and what is worse i need to round up my application for graduate studies pretty soon. But that isn't an excuse for me to not work on my personal life, something which i have neglected very much for the past year. I need to make more time for the people close to me and also know how to deal with problems in a more mature manner.

On a positive note, i wish you a brand new fresh start to 2010 and remember to cherish the lessons you have learnt in 2009.

think of problems as opportunities in disguise

2009-12-30T09:01:00.008+08:00

[ thingsweforget ]

Sometimes we get so caught up with the notion of problems holding us us back but we rarely look at problems as second chances for us to reflect and better ourselves. Problems do not hold us back. It is we who allow problems to hold us back.

NUS life science modules- LEVEL 3000

2009-12-28T23:15:00.002+08:00

I have written my reviews on the non-core modules i have taken over the past 3.5 years in NUS and i think it would be also useful to write about the life science modules i had to take, as a christmas gifts for my juniors:)

So for starters, i will go in a reverse chronological order and kickstart this review with the Level 3000 LSM modules.

Firstly, i am a biomedical science (BMS) student, so i will be mostly reviewing on BMS modules. If you are a MCB or Bio student, or are planning to venture into those concentrations, do email me if you would like to know more about the related modules and i will see how i can help you.

1. LSM3211 Fundamental Pharmacology and LSM3221 Human Pharmacology
The emphasis of the module is on the various classes of drugs and their mechanisms, which means one thing: PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY as a prerequisite. It involves a great deal of memory work.

The fun part of the module are the practicals which involve playing around with the lab rats, measuring your heart rate after caffeine intake...etc.

There are two CAs and a final examination. The CAs were generally simple but the final exam was a killer.

I loved reading about the different drugs but i hated studying for it. Ironically, fundamental pharmacology is a popular module among the biomed students but the number that continues on with human pharmacology dwindled considerably.

2. LSM 3212 Human Physiology: Cardiopulmonary System

The module curriculum is divided into three important components of our body: blood, heart and lungs.

Best part of this module is the practicals that are held in the DSO building. We are granted access to the DSO building (the security is super tight!) where we learn about ECG (electrocardiogram) and the stress test. A volunteer among the class is put to extreme physical stress (on the threadmill) and we can determine the level of fitness of that individual. We were cheering on till that guy reached his limit.

There is one CA and the final exam. Beware: the CA questions are very application-based and require a thorough understanding of the concepts.

3. LSM3223 Immunology

An honest opinion here: i regretted taking this module. I truly regretted taking it.

I took it in the first semester and it happened that guest lectures made up the bulk of the classes. Not only were the slides skimpy and full of pictures, it was quite hard to catch up with the lecturers who had a tendency to mumble, or spoke softly, or talked at the speed of light,

The practicals were 6 hours long each session. I guess the exciting part of the module was that we got to cut up lab rats, took out their pancreas and spleen, crushed them to extract T cells and B cells.

4. LSM3232 Microbiology

Microbiology's curriculum is categorized into general microbiology, food microbiology and medical microbiology. Again it requires a memory committed to memorizing names of parasites, bacteria, related diseases...etc. For the food microbiology practical, we worked on food samples from our wonderful science canteen and measured their bacterial counts. Which yielded very interesting and insightful results...

I enjoyed medical microbiology the most because we got to observe parasites under the microscope, and it was very interesting to learn about how tiny microscopic organisms could cause so much harm to us. The photos of individuals inflicted with parasitic diseases were quite disturbing but intriguing.

5. LSM3273 Global Change Biology

This was a module that took me by surprise actually. It was the module that i scored the highest among the other LSM modules (how ironic that my highest score came from a module outside my concentration).

There are two assignments that make up the CA and a final exam. The first assignment involved trekking down into the 'jungle' in kent ridge and studying pitcher plants and their inhabitants over the dry and wet seasons. Results on their growths and inhabitant profile were generated and we had to write a short report on it. The second assignment was to use credible data available online to generate a global trend of anything we could think of (which shouldn't be a 'duh' trend, like increasing number of logging results in increasing concentration of carbon dioxide). We had to think of interesting trends that should capture the interest of our professor marking it. I almost yanked out all my hair that was left on my head to come up with a mind-blowing trend. Seriously.

The final exam is open-book and one observation i have made on the biology modules is that getting the right materials for the open book exam is highly crucial. The amount of materials brought to the exam hall doesn't matter. What matters is the relevance of the materials in helping you answer the question. Always prepare materials that are related to Singapore's context because questions on Singapore have always been a big favourite.

merry christmas

2009-12-25T23:18:00.002+08:00

A merry christmas to everyone:)

Had good company for this year's annual christmas dinner.

Shall update you guys with the pictures pretty soon.

Enjoy the last 40 minutes of christmas!!!

before we move on

2009-12-24T00:00:00.000+08:00

Here's a small snippet of my current status that i have sandwiched in between my entries on my trip.

Accomplished many tasks that i have lined up before i came back:
1. Clean up the entire house that includes: vacuuming, mopping and scrubbing.
2. Did the groceries because we cleaned up our fridges before we headed off to japan.
3. Helped with the never-ending pile of laundry. Never knew we wore so much clothes during the trip *smacks head*.
4. FINALLY the 2m tall christmas tree is up and we have pretty presents placed at the bottom of the tree :]

I decided not to head back to school for my experiments because it is christmas week and i have lots of things to sort out on my own.

Yesterday's all girls' night with my lovely girlfriends was a revisit back to the lifestyle of a young adult, something which i have been deprived of for the past six months. Talking about girly girly stuff with us all dressed up, in an affordable italian place in the heart of orchard.

My crazy life will start again next week. Surprisingly i no longer feel the pressing urge to head back to school to focus on my fyp 24/7. I have come to a realization that my body and mind need a break and it's time to kick back once in a while and ignore the nagging thoughts of having to do your experiments. Seriously, my life is not about having to crystallize a protein. I need to lead a life of a regular 22 year old, who needs some enjoyment above the stress and expectations of university life.

ojisan party

2009-12-23T20:30:00.015+08:00

Ojisan refers to 'uncles' in japanese and it was truly a lively ojisan party with lots of booze and sashimi. We headed down to ebisu to meet up with my dad's ex-colleagues and seriously i never knew middle-aged men, including my dad, could get so crazy. The food was great and i was coaxed into having some shochu (焼酎) by my dad's friends. It got me a little tipsy after that though, but not as tipsy as some of the ojisans.

Here comes the torturous part...

FOOD!!!

These were some of the dishes we had, along with a soya milk-based steamboat (豆乳鍋), chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し) and roasted pork slices.

The last event was more like a preparatory lesson for we girls when we step into adulthood (which i have already). It happened that there was a function going on near where we ate, an oyster bar to be exact.

Fresh oysters in their shells were served with alcoholic beverages, and it was really an all-adult place to begin with. It felt a little bizarre to be enjoying alcohol and oysters with your dad around. The taste of fresh oysters was even more bizarre because i never really liked oysters to start with, and i no longer crave for raw food.

kaminari-mon

2009-12-23T20:12:00.006+08:00

Kaminari-mon (雷門) is a definite must-visit place when you happen to drop by asakusa in tokyo. It resides in the heart of a buzzling and beautiful area, vibrant with colours and activity. Whether it's the summer or winter, kaminari-mon looks like the picture above. It never changes.

It holds a sentimental place in my heart because my late grandmother loved it very much and we would always bring her to kaminari-mon.

Apart from the long stretch of souvenir shops that cater to the tourists, one of the highlights of kaminari-mon is the area where visitors would sweep the smoke of incense over to their heads, which is supposedly a sign of good luck. It is very popular among the younger visitors, especially students, who would fervently fan the smoke to their heads, so as to become more intelligent in one way or another.

the chopsticks that move without hands

2009-12-23T10:00:00.008+08:00

This was taken outside a ramen shop at ueno, and what's so cute about it is that the chopsticks can lift the noodles up and down as if an invisible person is eating the noodles. It has been at the same old place since i was a little girl and it never fails to amuse me. Thought i should share it with you.

broken

2009-12-22T23:24:00.000+08:00

Lifehouse

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time
I am here still waiting though i still have my doubts
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on
I'm barely holdin' on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead
I still see your reflection inside of my eyes
That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
with a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain (in the pain), is there healing
In your name (in your name) I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')
I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day
Just to see what you throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will be OK

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone
I may have lost my way now, haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
with a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain(In the pain) there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),
I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),
I'm barely holdin' on to you

The trailer for The Time Traveler's Wife was accompanied by this track played in the background.I love the rawness of the track's lyrics, how it brings out the vulnerability of a single man so succinctly. I couldn't find the acoustic version of good quality so here is a image-centered clip of lifehouse featuring Broken. Enjoy:)

the best companion during winter

2009-12-22T23:03:00.003+08:00

I can live on this throughout the winter season because it just tastes so good. The warm fuzzy feeling after slurping down the hot noodles is something you can never experience in a hot humid place like singapore.

This dish is called nabe-yaki udon (鍋焼きうどん). It may vary slightly among different restaurants but the main elements are udon, fishcake, vegetables and not forgetting, an egg in the middle.

I must have eaten this almost every day during my stay because i had to fill my tummy with something warm to combat the coldness outside.

jet-lagged

2009-12-20T22:39:00.000+08:00

Touched down at six in the evening, along with thousands of singaporean families who took the same flight back. Children were practically everywhere.

I am very very happy and relieved to be back to my wonderful sunny and warm island, after enduring a week of harsh dark winter in tokyo. My hands feel like sandpaper right now, and my face is peeling because of the dryness of the air over there.

Will write more about my stay in japan in the upcoming entries.

off for a break

2009-12-11T12:20:00.000+08:00

Will be off to japan tomorrow for a short getaway from my current crazy and stressful life.

See you guys when i'm back:)

watch me

2009-12-02T00:00:00.013+08:00

Even i AM guilty of telling myself that it's impossible for me to achieve what i want. Getting tied down by their words (including mine) will simply put me in a stagnant state. I will probably be regretting A LOT for not taking the jump a couple of years down the road.

So who says i can't do it?

Watch me.

[icanread]

stuff i ♥

2009-11-29T12:14:00.006+08:00

Am into inspirational and beautiful images that speak more than a thousand words currently.

I found these gems over the net and i am addicted to them ever since, constantly checking up on my google reader's feed updates.

So i thought of sharing these treasures i have found with you which will definitely bring a smile to your face even on your worst days:)

This new column will be titled stuff i ♥, and i will be posting one item per post from anywhere i can scour from.

To begin, here are one of my absolute favorites:

[ fffound ]

a good entry that i really want to write

2009-11-27T00:10:00.001+08:00

I was inspired to write a long and oh-so-philosophical entry on something relevant on an individual level, a societal level or even a global level. Like how to cure all cancers or solve the global poverty problem, you know thought-provoking stuff.

But alas, my brain which finally got unshackled from its slavery under the evil books and lecture notes (read the previous entry!), refused to generate any new ideas for me to come up with a good entry that i was originally planning to pen.

With lifehouse's acoustic version of 'hanging by the moment' streaming at the background as i lay here typing this, i realized that i haven't done this for a very long time. I can't remember the last time i actually had some "me time" when i could pamper myself and not think about work for even one second.

Sometimes i think i have transformed into a machine programmed to accomplish whatever tasks that have been set for me. I evaluated my life for the past six months, and it is a cycle of never-ending work work work - labwork, classes, revision of modules, rewind. And suddenly i have a vision of the future me: a middle-aged ratty looking woman toiling over piles of paperwork on her office desk late at night. A workaholic in the making?

It's like the hunger pangs phenomenon. Initially the hunger pangs can get so bad you get jittery and edgy, because you are in desperate need for some sugar rush. And then it reaches a threshold when suddenly, for some unknown reason, you no longer feel hungry at all despite not having anything since the last evening.

Working on my tasks is just like the hunger pangs phenomenon. I would moan on and on about my endless list of work to do, how exhausted i am and the layers of dark rings under my eyes. I will try to act defiant and chuck the work away at one side, resisting any form of urge to go anywhere close to it. But it would end up me getting weak, and i would eventually resume my work dutifully and once i get started on something, i find it hard to stop.

I know this entry is getting a teeny weeny boring (perhaps more than that), but it is like a new revelation to me. The idea of being so goal-oriented to the point that i push myself beyond my limits is rather frightening. The fact that i have no qualms about sacrificing a huge part of my social life just to get work done adds onto the confidence level of me being a workaholic in the future.

I am working on changing this mindset currently even though i am aware that this will take time.

(after 5 minutes of snoozing on the mac)

First step to changing mindset: Go get some proper sleep.

cease the torture

2009-11-26T23:16:00.001+08:00

FINALLY THE EXCRUCIATINGLY TORTUROUS PERIOD ALSO KNOWN AS THE EXAM PERIOD IS OVER!

Sorry i needed to write this in caps but i wanted to get the message across to whoever is reading this :P

Not satisfied with how i performed during the exams because i felt that there was room for improvement if i had more time to study and not get a massive panic attack during the exam itself. But exams are over and really, there is no need to mope around it because there's nothing you can do about it.

I will try to get plenty of rest before i kickstart the new week with lab work.

mac's visage revamped

2009-11-22T20:31:00.003+08:00

My current desktop layout and i'mmmmmmm loving it!!

PASTEL PINK ROCKS :D

To think that i used to detest pink so much in the past...

Oh welll, girly genes are starting to kick in.

the exam jitters

2009-11-21T14:06:00.001+08:00

My first paper starts on monday and i am starting to feel the jitters:(

The past two weeks were spent burying myself in my books at the school library, having minimal contact with the outside distractions.

In all honesty, it has been mentally exhausting but something i have to put myself through if i needed to excel in the exams.

Okay, back to studying now and i promise more entries when i give myself another breakie from studying:)

*p.s. lots of amusing stories about my library experiences coming up!

♡♡ paul and joe ♡♡

2009-11-10T22:21:00.008+08:00

I love paul and joe. No, i'm not in love with two guys called paul and joe, but the cosmetic brand that i have been faithfully committed to for the past 4 years.

The most distinctive feature about p&j is the pretty packaging that comes along with the product. With the chrysanthemum as the brand's symbolic representative, p&j focuses on designs associated with nature and feminity, fusing soft colours of pink, green and brown that are both alluring and all too pretty to look at.

The thing i love about p&j, besides its packaging, is the soft feminine style that exudes from every product. The colors are sweet and soft, which i hardly find in other cosmetic brands that focus more on stronger and eye-catching colors.

I just indulged myself in getting a lipstick, shade 13 and a face powder, shade 16. Both are more on the peachy side, which brings out a glow on those with fairer skin.

Can't wait to start using them:)

beautiful hair and makeup

2009-11-08T22:14:00.003+08:00

Came across these hair and makeup tips when i was surfing the net. I love the colour combinations used on the model. *drools*

My favorite is the beige theme. What's yours?

library day

2009-11-06T09:04:00.004+08:00

Time flies and i am back in the good old library, all ready to start on my intensive revision session. The smells of books and carpets (it doesn't stink though), together with the quiet drone of the photocopiers at the back, bring back the nostalgia of my early undergraduate years as i sit here typing this.

Exams are two weeks away, and i have yet to start on my first round of proper revision. Drats.

Printed a stack of scientific journals to read on, but relatively untouched. Unlike my earlier undergraduate years when the content learnt is mostly based on textbooks, my current modules in the final year require us to keep in touch with latest discoveries published in journals. Which is both interesting to read, but taxing for the eyes at the same time.

Time to shelve away the jeans and covered shoes (my usual outfit for wet labs) and dig out the shorts, sweaters and sandals because it's time for studying!

bushed

2009-11-05T23:36:00.000+08:00

Experiments are put on hold for the moment so that i can focus on my revision for the upcoming final exams in late november.

Feeling extremely bushed right now. In fact, i fell asleep halfway while typing this entry.

..:*･yuka･*:..