Lessons taken to a whole new level

I had the most interesting tutorial today. We, the biochemist to be, were told to meet in a different location for our tutorial this week. I went to the location and was surprised to see that the doorway leading to the lecture room was draped with long, dark curtains, like those you would find in a cinema. The room was like a mini-theater. The seats are those cushioned types and you have to pull it down before you can sit on it. The 3D glasses were located below the seats. Yes, you saw it right. We were in a virtual reality classroom.

We were learning about protein-protein interaction and our tutor, Grant, thought it would be best if we could see those proteins in real life. And omg we love that guy! Once we put on our 3D glasses, he took us through many different types of proteins. Most of which we have heard of in his lectures. And we saw more than the 3D conformation. Grant rotated the molecules, zoomed in, zoomed out, removed their residues, added side chains, I felt almost like I was in the magic school bus!

I now see the wonders of my university. I am not in some ancient and forgotten building. Hidden behind those brick-red walls, are great facilities which can enhance teaching and learning. The uni of adelaide, I see you in a different light. But are there more of you which I don't see?

Missing

Dear Key

I am sorry for not treating you well enough. For always placing you with other not-so-important keys together in a key ring when you're the only one I need. For throwing you on my table every time I am tired. For taking you for granted every time you open the door for me.

I am sorry I didn't tell you how important you are in my life. And always placing you in weird places and will only search for you when I am about to leave the house. I am sorry I didn't cherish our time together more.

Please come back to me. I promise to treat you better. I'll give you your own key ring and place you in a special pocket in my bag. I'll thank you everyday for opening the door for me. Forgive me and come back.

I love you always and forever.










Unless I move house.

Your owner

Happy Birthday Mama!

Happy Birthday Mama!

I wish you good health, good fortune and good luck! May you have whatever you wish for.

Although I cannot be there to celebrate this day with you, know that I miss and love you dearly.

Please be well and safe back home.

Don't worry, I'll be by your side soon.

Your daughter
Ling

Growing up, a distance apart

So, I was walking home the other day when something strange happened. It was a hot day so I kept my eyes low and just as I turned into the road leading to my house, I saw it. Standing silently, on the opposite side of the road, was the tree. My tree. The one that wasn't supposed to grow.

I walked towards it slowly, dreading the feeling of disappointment once I knew it was my mistake. I reached out and felt its bark. Yes! It is the same. Excitedly, I placed my face closer to inspect its leaves. It's the same! My heart exclaimed again. But hang on, the leaves of every tree looked the same to me too. So I backed up and changed my approach. Walking around it, I searched for traces of evidence that would prove me wrong.

"Hello there," someone from behind me said.

I turned and met his eyes. " Oh, hello!" I said, slightly startled.

It was an old man in his 60s. He was dressed in the most peculiar manner. Donned in a sports outfit with a baseball cap, he would be thought as an athlete if not for the walking cane he held in his right hand.

"Do you like that?" he asked, pointing to my tree.

"Yes," I replied, "I think I have a similar one in my backyard."

And that started our conversation. I told him of my failed attempts to cultivate the tree and he joked that I must have picked the most stubborn seed of the lot. I soon learned that he was botanist and was amazed by the amount of things he knew about my tree.

"The seeds of this tree will only germinate when they are of considerable distance of each other to prevent competition of nutrients," he said.

We stood there, beneath my tree. Talking, laughing and listening to each other's story.

"Isn't it great?" I told the tree in my backyard when I got home, "you've got a family."

And if trees could smile, I am sure my tree would be smiling its bestest smile then.

The end.

This fictitious story is a continuation from the one I wrote in March 2009.

HATE

There is someone in my life whom I absolutely detest. I dislike him with all the hatred one's heart can bear. Everytime I talk to him I feel like a good part of me died and the ugly side of me wished him dead. I cannot put into words why I dislike him but I just feel that he does not give me the respect I should have as a person. And this is cleverly done through subtle hints he gives during our brief interation. I hate him so much but without a good reason, I cannot fight him. So all I can do now is to avoid him. This is easy enough if he would just stop bothering me.

Un-depress me

Alright guys, as promised this will be a more positive post than the previous one. So lets see, hmm.. happy stuff... oh! I've just been to Jeremy's house warming party. That was great. There was Wii and mah jong and tonnes of never seen before people. I met someone by the name of Tan Li Leng, which was rather interesting seeing we share the same name.

So that was one happy event of my current life.

And today's a public holiday for us in australia. No school! No pract! Yay!

And erm.. well, that's about it. I must say I am surprised I came up with two happy things. Frankly, I am surprised I came up with any. This shows that the good stuff's around, I just have to look harder. Till next time my friend.

Depressing

Hello and welcome to my almost non-existent blog. I am back in Adelaide and have barely survived my first week of school. Despite the fact that I have only 2 subjects to juggle with, namely genetics and biochemistry, I still end up reaching home at 6 everyday. And all the credit goes to my 4-day pract week. However, that's not the most pressing issue right now. Currently, the hot water tap in my bathroom is broken, forcing my housemate and I to bathe in Arctic cold water! And that's not it! Because of Clipsal, a annual car racing event held just outside my house, the main roads are closed for a week and I have to take an extra 15 mins to get around the road block.

Ah, life.

On the sunny side,


actually, I'll tell you the sunny side(s) in a day or two. I need some time to think.