Friday, October 31, 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 3:15 PM

*Brushes cobwebs*

Sorry I know I haven't been blogging for some time.. but I've REALLY been very very busy.

Only yesterday, maybe I realize all have been for naught. Approximately a couple weeks after I found that my research in IMB might have been scooped, yesterday I met with the most major setback in my fledgling scientific career. Although I must say, its a setback waiting to happen. Yes, I've been scooped yet again. This time, majorly. The exact same project I've been working on, the highest impact paper ever for the tumor type I've been working on, in Cancer Research, Priority report. DAMN!

I remember browsing through the ejournals I subscribe to as usual, and commenting to my fellow grad student in the lab that our boss has yet written yet another review on medulloblastomas for Cancer Research, and we were whispering and ooh-ing and aah-ing, and then I scrolled down.. a familiar word caught my eye.. P.A, the tumor type I was working on... and then I was still half-browsing, another word in the title caught my eye.. BRaf.. the gene I was working on... somehow that shot adrenaline through my system and got me right awake.. as I continued reading the title, it slowly hit me.. I opened the paper, and my eyes turned hazy with disbelief as I read the abstract..

I remember running half dazed through the lab to my post doc and breathlessly telling him, almost choking on my words, "The UK group published.. Cancer Research." He stared at me, I could see realization dawn in his eyes as he pushed off his desk and shouted, "BASTARDS!" And then together we went in to my PI's office.. the paper still printing from the printer.. and we broke the news together. I got the still hot paper from the printer.. and we went through it together.. my PI said, "Did they cite us?" and then flipped to the reference page.. and after finding that they didn't shouted yet again, "BASTARDS!" And then after a long furore, things finally died down and I dejectedly went back to my desk to read the paper. Which I don't think I really understand much of anyway.. I was just too upset thinking about this whole issue.

Everyone in lab started being really gentle to me that day. I guess they probably understand how I must be feeling. Especially my boss. Before he left he consoled me, even though he's a really busy man.. telling me how he's actually glad they published so we won't have to waste time trying to get the same results as them and how we can move on.. and telling me how the guy who did the work is actually a PhD student so probably they will now move on to a new project since he's graduating. So we can take over that project.

Even up till yesterday, the boss was really gentle to me. Sat me down and chatted with me, asking me how my rotation was, when will it be until, whether I was doing fine with classes, etc etc.. hehe.. I didn't even wanted to tell him I was actually already feeling much better about the whole thing because I craved his attention so much.. LOL just kidding. But he's a really nice guy.. I love the lab so much because of people like him.


So anyway... moving on to less boring stuff... why I love people in my course.. most of them anyway.. hehe they are such nice and funny people! Even though they started teaching me all the wrong things that I never taught I would learn.. things I needed to go to urbandictionary.com to get the meaning of.. bad things wrong things.. lol I'm not gonna go into the details here but u guys can ask me on MSN if curious.. if I appear to be offline all the time, thats exactly what I'm doing.. I'm just always appearing offline! So drop me an offline message and I'll reply!

Anyways, just came back from a halloween party at my friend's at 4am yesterday, going to my boss's party tomorrow, and exam is in 2 weeks, plus lots of homework.. gotta go!!! Hope to be able to blog soon!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Philosophy 7:39 PM

I just read this buddhist teaching of the day...

"Conquer the angry man by love. Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness. Conquer the miser with generosity. Conquer the liar with truth."

How true. Yet how tough. I need to keep this in mind more often.. when the roommate drives me crazy, when the classmate irritates the shit out of me, whenever. I will be a happier person then!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Exam 3:10 PM

Exam is over!

That said, I realize one thing, post docs should really take students seriously from now on.. I mean, my time is worth as much as his time.. sigh... it really sucks when u spend almost a week on an experiment and then he tells you oops! Sorry I think I gave you the wrong kit.. I mean, its not really his fault, but my gripe is that, he didn't even really sound sincere in his apology.. I guess he was really stressed out. He's usually a nice guy. Well.

Anyway, I'm getting too stressed out over the exams, having all sorts of problems.. but now I'm feeling slightly better with some help.. JHU DOES have great doctors. But nothing.. and I mean NOTHING beats retail therapy. The feeling after burning about 100 bucks on online shopping in one night is totally indescribable.. and I'm not even near done yet. For my defense, I really needed the shopping.. I horribly underestimated the weather here. I have warm outerclothes, scarves, headgear etc, but not enough warm inner clothes. Not thermal underwear nah uh.. thats disgusting.. just like normal clothes. Like sweaters. Thus, shopping is necessary. Plus it was on sale! The amount of money I saved more than covered the delivery! Hehe..

Yup.. Baltimore is getting cold really quickly. Its not even gradual, it was crazy sudden. Last week, it was averaging 26 degrees celsius warmest everyday. Suddenly this week, Monday morning it was below freezing. There was frost on windows everywhere. In the afternoon it rose to 16 degrees celsius again.. walau eh.. how not to fall sick like that?! Need more clothes need more clothes!!! LOL

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Baltimore 5:53 PM

Baltimore is such a depressing place to be.. especially if you can't get out of the city and you are stuck at home and you have so much more to study for and so much more to do. Such a helpless lonely feeling. Sigh.. I need to find myself again.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Bush is not dumb 5:46 PM

Despite what many others would like to believe, Bush is not dumb. Even if you argue that he got into Harvard by pulling strings, he would probably need to be of a certain calibre to graduate from there. Unless you're saying its that easy to graduate from Harvard. And no matter what mistakes he made, he somehow managed to lead the U.S through 8 years of his presidency, without much mishap. Unless you're saying its that easy to be the president of the US of A.

What just further convinced me that he's in fact much better than McCain, Palin and whoever shit is his latest action of taking N.Korea off the terror list before his term ends. All his actions are more altruistic than one might think. Despite knowing that his popularity will drop, he did many things no one in their right mind would do unless there's some underlying reason. I mean, which president doesn't want to be well-liked? Yet he chose the hard way. The latest, was just to honor his promise, to ensure that N.Korea will honor theirs. To ensure whoever takes over his job doesn't go back on his words and enrage the N.Korean leaders and make the people suffer more from the UN sanctions. I believe in him and everything he does. And I hope the American public will soon come to realize that too.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

6:55 PM

Just learned that my post doc actually got my number... without my knowledge.. and the friend who gave him my number didn't inform me either.. sigh.. I forsee no peace in future.. "Results! Results! Data! Data!" LOL! Nah just joking.. my post doc is really nice.

Anyway, I found out from him today that the breathless + shaking hand syndrome I'd been experiencing a lot of lately is actually caffeine overdose, or coffee poisoning. I just drown myself in coffee everyday, trying to cope with lab, never ending exams, assignments, lectures, readings, researching on troubleshooting tips for my project.. blahblah.. guess its too much.. LOL should stop! Except post doc ain't stopping, why should I? He should know best right.. Hehe.. but then again, this is the same post doc who touches Ethidium Bromide contaminated things with his bare hands... =.=

Fall has come.. its getting colder everyday. Today on the streets, a black guy shouted racist comments at me. I wanted to beat him up, but I was late for class and it was bloody cold so I decided against it. Wanted to walk into some building as quickly as I can. In a separate incident today, a guy driving by in the streets pulled up beside me today. I hastened my pace, afraid he might have a gun or something. Then he shouted out, "Excuse me!" I paused.. turned hesitantly.. he was holding a cell phone, dressed in office attire, and he looked kinda flustered. Ok, no gun. Safe. He continued, "Do you know where the ICU is? The ICU in the hospital." hmm.. safe.. I directed him to the hospital and told him where to park.. all the while keeping a safe distance in case he draws out a gun and I can run.. LOL

I think staying in Baltimore is making me paranoid.. I can go up stairwells and when I hear footsteps behind me I will start running. I guess its cos the stairwells are so dark and tiny its making me claustrophobic. I feel uncomfortable and afraid staying out late in the streets. I have no real sense of security wherever I am.. LOL best la.. I am developing paranoia!!!! Save meeeee!!!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Today 11:27 AM

Today I almost chopped off my ring finger while trying to chop onions to cook curry. LOL. Luckily it is on my left hand, and I am a right-hander. I miss my mummy.. hahaha. Btw, the curry tastes fantastic! No... there was no blood or flesh in the curry.. at least not from me. Hee hee

Welcome to the blog of 武林盟主. In this space of hers, she is entitled to and responsible for her own thoughts and comments. You are welcome to give your few cents worth in the tag, but do not force her to accept your thoughts should they differ from hers. If everyone thinks the same way we would all be robots no?

武林盟主 is this pugilistic genius everyone calls a deranged lunatic. But that's cos they haven't witnessed her great powers yet! She can be regarded as the best product coming from the Pugislistic World in the past 100 years, and 武當, 少林 and 峨嵋 are scrambling to get her to be their 掌门人. She likes think of herself as the next 杨过, 郭靖 or 张无忌.

武林盟主 also has this slightly straight slightly crooked sexuality. At times when the Estrogen triumphs, she preys on hot guys. Other times when the Testosterone levels peak, she preys on hot girls. Some say that is a side effect of the 葵花宝典. Her doctors are still working to establish that.

Many say she's invincible. But that's not true. Bring a DURIAN in front of her, and she will ditch her sword and raise the white flag. She's still desperately trying to master the 闭气功 so she can overcome this weakness.

She now resides in a tiny little room in a tiny little building in a tiny little university/hospital in the tiny little city of Baltimore, studying her tiny little life away in the hopes of getting some Permanent Head Damage. If you feel you can communicate at her level and wish for her to be your soulmate, feel free send her a note of pugilistic admiration and alliance!