Apr 30, 2009

FOOD!

1. Click on the post title to read an article on 7 important things that should not be done after a meal.

2. Realised the topic on food never gets OUTDATED.

3. One thing in COMMON some of my lecturers have is the knowledge of best food around.

4. Always makes us HAPPY!

5. Also makes us GUILTY.

6. We say it's okey to INDULGE once in a while.

7. We successfully coax ourself with that EXCUSE.

8. Then, look at an old outfit and say "I used to fit into this."

9. Somebody comes up with a CHOCOLATE bar and we take it... complaining that we'll put on those extra pounds!

10. Don't we all just LOVE it anyway :)

This Week in My Life...

1. Had to skip FACEBOOK for a few days. The longest I have done since I joined.

2. Tomorrow is a HOLIDAY. Yehhhh!!!!! Labour's Day.

3. Got a rehearsal for the PLAY with my new partner. She's a dancer!

4. Changed the BLOG template. Just needed a change :)

5. Attended a tea party at grandparents' house which turned into dinner and turned in late. Grandparents' WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. Tiredness lingered for 2 days...

6. WEDDINGS. Lots of people getting married this month. Interesting wedding cards, too. Love it that they're not following the traditional layout.

7. Created a QUIZ about 'how well do you know me' on Facebook. Everyone is welcomed to join in the fun. Note: Some answers may not be accurate as I have more than 1 answer for some. Try your luck anyway hehe :P

8. Need to get new SOCKS. The ones I'm using are worn out.

9. Got to update notes for certain subjects. Love studying them. Continuous effort. Gives me satisfaction.

10. DRIVING around nearby. Getting used to the big car. Still needs practice.

Apr 24, 2009

Football Mania!!

Right, I'm not a fan of football but have witnessed the impact on people around me!

1. Facebook
Quizzes, comments, yeah, ppl r voicing out and I've no idea what they're talking abt!

2. Ronaldo
Only reason I know him is coz Losh talks about him ever so much. She even made a speech on stage ''LIVE" about her life in the future as Mrs. Ronaldo. She knows EVERYTHING about him, maybe even more than he knows himself *giggles*

3. Dreams
My cousin bro is so into football, he collects cards, etc. He plays football every week and just loves the game. Says that he wants to play in a national team. BIG dreams, indeed! When his mother wants to punish him, she would just stop him from playing that week and that is good enough!

4. Hobby
My uncle plays often. The other day, he said that he'd even created his signature move which he's still working on. More of a PASSION for the game, I believe.

5. Restaurants
Nowadays, they come equipped with a mini tv in so that people come flooding in just to watch the game... and order something while at it. You will never find people more unified when watching a game.... and unless you are used to people shouting at unexpected intervals, you may want to consider a different location.

6. Distraction
A major one it is. Once, we were driving past Tmn DR and I noticed people just pulling up at the side of the road to watch a game. Cars, bikes, bicycles, you name it, they STOPPED to watch!

7. Common game
What really amazes me is the sight I see every evening when we pass by fields. You will not fail to catch a group of boys battling it out, rain or shine. How come I only see boys do that? Never seen a group of girls meeting up to play netball. AMAZING!

8. Hook
I do mean both the role of Capt. Hook and the common fish hook. Football fans are hooked to the game that even if you shouted their name out loud on a speaker, they would not have moved an inch. You just can't grab their attention and that's why the name Capt. Hook for the game. It grabs them and never lets go.

So, football... what can I say? A group of guys running around one ball? Or something more? They fill up the newspapers every morning, radio programmes, blogs, magazines and straight into the HEARTS of people.

The work, perseverance, exhaustion, pressure... there is a lot of sweat and tears behind it. I may not be a part of this MANIA but, it was good enough to make me BLOG about it right? I gave it a thought. What an IMPACT!

Apr 21, 2009

Preparing for A-levels

I'm studying the following subjects: Maths, Business Studies, Accounting and Law. Therefore, my pointers would mainly revolve around these subjects :)

1. Get minimum one file for each subject and fill them up with papers.
2. Remember, books are expensive so, save up for those, too.
3. There is no particular book for each subject although there are endorsed texts which can be found in www.cie.org.uk
4. Books published by Cambridge University Press are encouraged to be bought.
5. Be sure to do a lot of reading and updating of notes from time to time.
6. There will be more flexibility in time now, so manage your time wisely.
7. Surf the net for extra resources. Relevant sites are listed in the above mentioned site.
8. Maximise class time. Revise and read ahead of class. Ask questions and note down important points along the way.
9. Don't rely on lecturers' notes only. Think outside the box. Read relevant books to widen perspective and increase depth in the subject.
10. Apply that knowledge into your daily life. See the world in a whole new light. Make sense of what you learn by running through it with examples of your surroundings.

other stuff ~

I was reading through Shalani akka's blog and noticed how colourful and exciting it looked. Every time she started a new topic on her blog, she had a different colour and used that same technique to highlight her expressions. (What a way to review someone's blog)! Anyway, I've had fun reading her daily activities although I don't know half the people she blogs about hehe :)

Anyway, just had a phone call from one of my friends from secondary school. I miss you, Gurpreet and all the fun we had :) ( She was the Head Prefect, by the way) Yes, she was garang when she had to be :)

Sis says that I should pay people when I write about them. She also says that I don't love her when I refuse to teach her homework. I mean, I can't teach her everything. She's got to learn and can't expect me to teach her word for word (which she demands of me at times).

Oh yeah, going back to Gurpreet. She was asking me how A-levels is. She had just gotten a call of acceptance for one of the colleges she applied for. Congrats, girl! Just the other day, Jasmine emailed me asking the same thing. I gave her a word of caution though, since my pointers would mainly refer to the subjects I'm doing and not the Science subjects she intends to take. So, you may have guessed it by now. My next post: Pointers to prepare for A-levels :)

I suddenly recalled the cartoon, 'The Wild Thornberrys,' today when having breakfast. The show was about a girl who could talk to animals. Her parents did documentaries so, the girl, Eliza, and her sister followed their parents everywhere they went in their 'part house part vehicle' (can't recall what you call it). Used to imagine how great it would be to travel around and meet new people of different cultures while staying close to nature. Of course, it would have been cooler if I could talk to animals, too :p

Apr 18, 2009

Like I said, what a week!

This week has been a handful. Last week ended off with a superb weekend leading to an interesting week. Today is a Friday and the computer's time display is 1.44am.

Have I mentioned how much sis, bro and I have become hooked to Merlin? Since we can't watch TV on school nights, we watch the repeats on Fridays. Today, sis and bro turned in early because both of them have programmes on tomorrow. As for me, got to do lots of reading and complete my work. Sis has marching competition and bro has poem recital comp. in the same school. Good luck, guys!

As for college, my friend and I had shuffled around our timetable (with the help of our ever understanding lecturers) to accommodate Moral, hoping that we could cross out 1 subject for the next semester and focus on Pengajian Malaysia. Don't get me started on those 2 subjects!!!

So, at about 2.30pm, we walked into a room full of students (about 30+) and noticed that the teacher was handing out their previous assignments (Note: the subject was not in our timetable initially and we were entering a class which had already commenced a few weeks before). I informed the teacher and we took a seat on a chair alongside a table that we had to bring in ourselves. Both my friend and I were brewing inside as the class was packed and the stream of students flowing in hadn't ceased just yet. Students were scrambling around looking for a suitable way to position their tables and chairs so that it won't hinder the walkway.

I suggested to my friend that we should just pull ourselves out of the class. She said that we may want to wait until break time so that we could talk to the teacher about it. I gave it a thought and instinctively got up, walked to the teacher's table and told her that the both of us will join her class next semester. Phew! As soon as she agreed, I picked up my bag and walked out of the class feeling satisfied that I spoke my mind out and laid firm what I wanted. What a moment!

Apr 16, 2009

Ways to get Happy :D

Came across this article in Shine! from Yahoo. Do click the post title to read full article :)

No.3 has proven to work for me. There are those times when I just don't know what's bothering me. During one of those times, my sister introduced me to the chatting world. Didn't like the idea of chatting with a complete stranger after watching all those movies about the dangers of the Cyber World. Anyway, she just clicked her way around and before I knew it, I was chatting with a guy from India. Honestly, it did make me feel a bit better. Just chatted about simple stuff like movies and all. So, that's a good tip.

No.4 is a really helpful point. Sometimes, procrastination can hit you hard for various reasons. A good tip is to relax, sit down and plan it all out. Always makes me feel better :) It doesn't end there. Make it a point to follow what you have planned, keeping in mind that you will feel much better. In fact, you can already feel it when you have started!

No.8 hmmm.... act happy. Not that easy if you ask me. In fact, doing so can sometimes make you more irritable. I would suggest watching a sitcom instead :)

No.9 is a yes but, it works in a different way for me. I think more about 'doing' rather than 'learning.' Of course, the learning process is continous during that time. I like to think about projects that I could do like volunteering, picking up something new, continue something that I've left off, etc. It gets me excited.

For related articles, do check out the links in the article as well. Have a Happy Day :)

Apr 14, 2009

What a week!

Woke up at 4am today. Why?
I slept at 8.30 yesterday. Why?
Woke up at 4am yesterday. Why?
Hadn't done homework. Why?
Spent my weekend in grandparents' house. Why?
Celebrated bro's and cousin's bday party and it was FUN!!!!

We had about 18 boys (cousins and neighbours) running around the house and everyone pitched in for the food. Both babies were such a delight. The party was on Saturday from afternoon right up to night. We continued the following day until night, again. I'm trying to upload the photos but something's wrong. Will try again later :)

Apr 11, 2009

Saturdays....

Today is a Saturday. I remember when I used to wake up early and watch cartoons non-stop until afternoon and feel really sick after that. I even knew what channel was playing which show at what time by heart!!! Then, I'll groan and moan about not using my time wisely and attempt some work.

Nowadays, I can even forget about my weekends. I loved Fridays because the feeling that the following day is going to be my 'cartoon day' was ever so exciting. Also, my Fridays were spent 'very wisely' watching cartoon right after school on NTV7. Sad they don't have that now :(

Anyway, now, if I don't use my time to finish my work during the weekends, teruk lah later 'coz I'll be having a tough time throughout the week!!!! Today, I woke up running the to-do-list in my head. Let's see:
1. Maths homework
2. Accounts homework
3. Update notes for Law
4. Help prepare for bro's surprise bday party
5. Prepare speech for tomorrow's event
6. Run through my lines for the play
7. Clear up the mess on my table
and some other stuff which is better left unsaid.

That's it :) .... for now :)

Apr 5, 2009

Happy Birthday

Today is my brother's birthday. He just turned 13!!!!! Not a small boy anymore.

Haaaa.... Amma bought KFC for lunch. Sister and I wanted (really, really wanted) to get him something but, isk isk :( we didn't and feeling kinda bumped about that. I mean, he just turned 13 and it was just like any other day.

He got up late (it's a Sunday, by the way), relaxed a little, TV for a while, practised piano, did his daily exercise, went for Taekwon-do class and now, getting ready to go to bed. Where is the fun????

Anyway, we are planning to throw a party for my cousin and him next week. Oh, and amma got him this Spongebob balloon that floats in the air (helium-filled, yes) and it's soooo cute coz the guy who was selling it tied a shell at the end of the string. So, it looks as if it is standing beside you straight up!

So, happy birthday dear brother. All the best as you move into your teenage life. We'll be here for you, always.

Trying a hand in performing arts

For those of you who already know about the play, read on. If you are still in the shadows, go on to this blog created by my sister to record our (my cousins, siblings and I) progress.

Today, I attended the first practice for the short play I'm going to be in. Something new for me. Before that, I was supposed to memorise about 8 pages of script within 3 weeks. At first, what with all the excitement, I managed to go up to 3 pages. Then, the procrastination factor kicked in and I delayed it right up to today. Yes, today. I woke up bright and early and started to gush down 5 pages of lines within 1 hour. Impressive, right?

Anyway, I was to do this play with a guy. Yup, only two of us. I didn't call him to check on our progress or even attempt a practice session before meeting up with the coordinator today. I know, I hang my head in shame :(

So, we reached there at 9.30am, half an hour before practice and had to wait outside as the doors were all locked. We waited and waited and I was only hoping that he'd show up early so that we could have a short practice run. When our coordinator finally arrived, she told me that he had pulled out of the play. Shocking!

I was aware that he had mentioned about not being able to do the play but, didn't think it was this soon. She went on to tell me that a new girl will be joining and she'd be my partner. Yes, they changed the gender of the character!

Then, we went on to practise the script. Being the newbie (I have no prior knowledge about acting in plays), we had to go line by line and since my character is deceitful and conniving, it wasn't that easy. I had to know how to manipulate people (expressing myself right), compliment with an ulterior motive in mind, etc. all at the same time. My coordinator did mention that this was one of the tougher plays and I was too trusting (read: innocent) to play the 'evil' character.

Anyway, it was definitely a new experience and I have to pick up fast. Am enjoying it and can't wait for the next session. And to meet my new partner :)

Apr 1, 2009

Another brilliant idea! (ehem)

Looking around for options after SPM has got me fascinated at what people have done or are still doing. Many go into a career they studied for and others don't. Some pioneer new fields while others set a benchmark for many. Getting to the point, I want to include these stories into my blog. It gives a certain inspiration and a tinge of imagination to just live life to the fullest. I shall give a common name to tie up these stories. Um, let's see... think, think, think. Ah, got it. 'Footsteps.' That's it. Love it. Okey, got to go out there (or sit right here) and look for those stories. Byeeee!!!!

Footsteps: Fancy Biology?

So happy that I got in touch with my cousin, Nethia, through Facebook. Asked her what she did after SPM and was very impressed. Take a look at what she replied. One word: perseverance. Oh, and another: passion. hehe :)

I went on to do STPM as I did not know what to do. Along the way, I realized that I was good in Biology, therefore I applied to USM to do a major in Biotechnology after my STPM. When I got into USM, I realized that I couldn't do Biotech as I was in the Pure Science program, therefore I opted to major in Microbiology. I had no regrets till now for opting Microbiology, as it made me appreciate and learn Science better.The fact that viruses could cause cancer by disrupting the normal cell cycle in the body, sparked my interest in Cancer Biology.

There was no turning back after that, my interest in cancer biology just grew and decided that was what I wanted to do. As Cancer Biology was not offered in Malaysia, I had to do it at the University of Nottingham in UK. I had to find a niche within the cancer biology field for myself and I was very interested in the physiological death machanism in the body termed Apoptosis.

Upon returning to Malaysia in 2006, I applied for the Malaysian Government Scholarship in 2007, so that I could do a intense research on apoptosis and cancer. I worked for the Nilai Cancer Hospital and the Institute for Medical Research in between. With God's grace I was awarded the scholarship one year after my application and I am where I am now.

My PhD project is to look at the Apoptosis Pathway in the Drug Resistance and Pathogenesis of Melanoma. Although its a lot of hard work, I enjoy carrying out the project. Science gives me a lot of satisfaction and joy.

Thanks for letting me add this into my blog, akka. All the best for the PhD project.