Trapped!

Once upon a time, this lovely, cute, enthusiastic girl was driving to the Faculty of Agriculture on a fine Saturday evening where the birds where chirping and the rambutan, jambu tree branches were dancing away to the gush of wind. It was 4.55pm (significant information!). She parked her car, careful not to park directly under the rambutan tree as to avoid those chirping bird's sh*#. She entered the main entrance of the faculty, quickly to realised that the faculty was way tooo quiet for her liking, opened the four locks of the lab doors (this takes significant amount of time), trying not to remind herself of creepy lab-ghost stories and then enter quickly. She went on to search for her spectacles, because that was btw the main reason she came all the way here. She soon believes that her "tai-tau-har"-ness is still very prevalent in her life. Well, since she's already there - what the heck - switch on the computer, began to chat and check her mails. Sweet.

Ooooo....5.30pm approaches, she packs up, lock those lab doors, getting ready to drive to another ulu area to do her charity (charity because of low pay) work of teaching kids swimming. She ran quickly down the dark quiet corridor, down stairs, towards the entrance. LOCK. Well, let's try the other 4 entrances door: ALL FOUR ENTRANCES ARE GRILL and PADLOCKED too!! She told herself: you are quickly to panic; calm down for goodness' sake! She phone some in-case-of emergency numbers writen on the notice board. Mr. N is in Rawang! Mr. S was not picking up his phones and Mr. M's phone had this lady nagging "tiada dalam perkhidmatan". Damnit.

Only then did she see the clear notice bluetagged to the door. She slap her forehead hard with her palm and started banging her heads to the wall. PINTU FAKULTI DITUTUP PUKUL 5.00pm. (But why??!!!!) She sat on the stairs with tears feeling up her eyes. Worst case scenario - stay in the lab for the next two days 'til Monday, drink double-distilled (!) water, switch on the computers and chat whole day & night, start breaking into my lab-mates' lockers for junk food. Or just eat the cute little pet-insects away for proteins. Oh... plus having a resident ghost accompanying her for the next 2 days.

To be continue......this is where the fun part starts: a miracle, a hero.

Reading is my hobby since age 7. Check my card 001.

I seldom review a book that I read. There a reason - I just read and absorb every single word from the book and alas....forgot the whole context; I don't know what to say about it. Buy a book, read, forget what you've just read after an average of 200 pages. If you see the my Friendster's typelist, there are a lot of books that I've read and enjoyed, and some authors that I've grown fond with. My fav. books titles range from the Harvard econs geek "Freakanomics" to romantic classics like "Jane Eyre" with no one genre that I can stay focus onto. I think I chose NOT to focus; I CHOSE to read a range of genre as to widen my knowledge and reinvent my worldview about everything to anything (politics, environment, travel, fantasies, history, and romances) that's happening around me (and not). My dad is my greatest motivator in reading. If you come to my home in Ipoh, you'll be surpised to see stacks of fiction and literatures lying around.....they are all my dad's!!! My dad reads more than anybody I've seen in my life. No joke. He loves literature especially those from kuno romantic English authors. There's no wonder he can accept any crap behaviour from me. He understands every woman's mind as easily as Bronte would have feministically pun-it in words.

I just finished reading "England, England" by Julian Barnes. This book was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker's Prize. I never could put this book down once I started. Well, no review here, as I said before: I don't write reviews (my English actually sucks) and every book/story relates to the reader in a different way. However, I totally recommend this book if you want something to mourn, laugh and wonder about. How satisfiying!

Another book I recommend is 'The Road" by Cormac McCarthy which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize. If this sounds familiar to you, yes, this is the same author for "No Country For Old Men" which adapted screenplay has won an Oscar. Though I've not read the latter, "The Road" has actually made me thought of the maintenance of moral in mankind though the world has apparently ended. Can you still believe in God though you know God put you through this s**t? Do I have to behave properly although no one's looking? Will you survive without anyone but your dad who kept bugging you :P ? Survival skills and moral and innocence is the question behind "The Road". You must read it. I gave this favourite book away to Jo Nie on my trip to Bangkok. I NEVER give books away, but I would love to give it to someone I think is special.

Other books I recommend: Middlesex, Animal Farm by Orwell (this is a classic one!), The World Is Flat, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (oooo, I recomm. this for aspiring politicians), 1984 by Orwell (again!).

Books that I plan to buy and read: The Other Boleyn Girl, Atonement by Ian McEwan, Love In The Time of Cholera, Molecular Cloning by T.A. Brown (Muahahaha! had to include this one, sorry!)

Writing off,

Ivy

P.S. I Love You

Condemned on both occasions.

Valentine's day (to my horror) is looming. Watching movies alone (again???!) and no popcorns to share with? My plan on V-day: re-watch Brokeback Mountain.

CNY was a major dissapointment because I was sick. On CNY's eve, the right side of my jaw and cheekbone were killing me. I blamed my wisdom tooth but I realised don't have any Wisdom since hell knows. So, what was it??? I wikipedia-ed the symptoms. Nothing. The pain throbs thru' the whole CNY eve dinner and starts to intensified 'til my neck got stiffened and soon my migrain started. Went to Assunta the next day and the doctor said I have some sinus points blocked. Bla Bla Bla bla bla bla bla.... Then my heart skipped a beat when she said the word: Bell's palsy. I felt like I was passed the death sentence (because it sounded like I was going to get retarded i.e. 'cere-bral palsy'), but who or what is this Bell??? Then I remembered my friend Kelvin Hew had something similar but I forgot the name of the penyakit. My two-week-incurable-runny-stuffy-nose-cum cold could be the trigger of it.

Then, my doctor uncle and aunt came on the second day. I asked them many questions about Bell. I ask JoNie too. All of them scared me to death with their explanation of the disease. Thanks Jo for the help and the fear instilled :P There's no medication. Just rest and let my nerves grow back. 2-6 weeks. Could be 6 months to 1 year. Depends. I really died-ed.

Btw, I still look leng-lui as usual, and my face is not SENGET. Not senget, ok!!? I can still smile and laugh. So, jangan harap ler, Beh!

Happy Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day. H/P: 016-2639631 if you want to watch Brokeback and cry with me.

R-T-F-M by Kingy

I'll backtrack the whole Jonie-BK-Ivy experience in KL last-last weekend. Please click here for Jonie's blog regarding the whole ordeal. Still I have to thank BK for helping me verbally on my molecular work. He's really an expert in biotechnology. Another noteworthy advice from him to me was to always "R-T-F-M" which is an abbrev. for "Read The F**king Manual". It really works! My molecular results were better after I've read the f***ing manual. Step by step and voila - good results. And how I hope life can be soo much better with a manual to every single thing! Just follow and all is well. Don't you think the Bible is a great manual? :)

Regrettably this year, I'll be celebrating my whole CNY in KL. Dad is orang KL/PJ. So KL it is. Mum's family side will be in KL too to hook up with my mum in Puchong. With my mum cooking every year and opens her Ipoh house on so many previous CNY, she wants some good rest this year. Though she enjoys doing it, everyone in her family pities mum for being sooooooooooooooooo tired after every open house and CNY celebration. She usually cook for 50 people or more in once single day. And I never help her; all she wants me to do is to invite a million more of my friends over :P

I know to the horror of many people after reading this: I don't really miss Ipoh and I love KL too much. So, I think I wanna be in KL this CNY too. If I have a choice, I would relinquish all traces of Ipoh from my blood(????!!!). I love all my old friends there, but not the place. Sorry guys/girls. Hah!!! - I'll only return to Ipoh (Timur) to vote in this coming GE (Some people are going to kill me after I say this. Will wear a bullet proof vest when I return to Ipoh). Maybe I should release my Ipoh Timur registration and change my vote to the Puchong Jaya constituency? Even consider changing my I.C. again because I want to change the address from Ipoh to Puchong Jaya.

But sooo many MPs are also not loyal lerrrr.....e.g. from Malacca to Penang, then to Ipoh, to gain votes. Still, Jelutong MP is most loyal to Jelutong. He's quite long there lerrr. And I've never seen a guy more loyal to Sg. Siput than the Sg. Siput MP. Too long for my liking. Wait, are they supposed to be loyal to their constituency arr?

Somebody please give me an Ipoh-manual so that I can read and make me a Ipoh-girl once more!!!

When you are (f***ing) broke

I'm broke.

By being broke, I almost accomplish some of my new year's resolution within 3 weeks into 2008.

By being broke, I drank less Starbucks and McDonalds' coffee - in fact, none for 2 weeks. Yaaaaa-tttaaa!!

Because I'm broke, I ate nasi lemak every day, every meal, for a week, which cost me only RM3.00 max a meal. I didn't put on weight. Hallelujah!

Because I'm broke, I can't do my CNY shopping; any clothes/dress that is relatively new (2 months old) is NEW.

AND because I'm broke, I once more resorted to e-books rather than buying my fav. paperbacks - I am re-reading my ebooks of CS Lewis's Narnia series in anticipation of the upcoming movie.

BUT, because I'm broke, I made that my main reason in quitting California Fitness gym this Feb and Aikido after grading next Saturday. This reason ('broke') was once irrelevant but has now been the most reasonable of reasons.

BUT, BUT, even when you're broke - you watch a movie once a month and treat yourself to a Baskin Robbins.

Thank God for 'broke' because I am not emotionally broke and feel liberated.

What's IN and what's OUT in 2008

As simple, achievable and realistic as I want it to be (thanks Ee Meng for the guidelines), I can surely reveal my 2008 NY's resolution today (6 Jan 2008). Though a week too late, nothing's too late for a change. It's better than having no resolution/goals. I equate 'resolutions' to 'goals'. To me, it's the same thing.

Resolution=Goals:

1) Less Starbucks (reduce to twice a month compared to 2007's once a week)

2) Less coffee in general, as of now, I believed that it has turned into an addiction instead of habitual. This also means less McDonald's drive thru' coffee every morning. Ohhhh.. and also less Old Town Kopitiam Xi Mut Tea. Kinda addicted.

3) Spend less on clothes especially blouses. Buy more shoes and dresses? Hahahahaa :P Kidding!

4) Save more for the future i.e. unit trust, insurance, shares, etc.

5) Travel overseas to at least one location this year. I'm eyeing Macau/HK;

6) Less procrastination on my lab work;

7) Produce one research paper in a journal and get it publish by next year.

8) Sorry everyone, but I'll try to quit Aikido gradually (and I did say: gradually). I think this could be the most hard-to achieve goal. Kill me if I appear at SD or SS4's doorstep again.

2007 is for all my friends.

Year 2007 has been a year of friends & friendship. I will, in this post, dedicate 2007 to all my friends who totally changed my life. I don't like to quote real names in my blog as I respect some friend's privacy, but I MUST this time. Sorry for making your names public today, but mind you, I don't produce sex DVDs on my friends and you don't have to make public statements (hint: Dr. CSL resigned!)

My climb to mt. Kinabalu will not be a success without the help of my personal trainer, Ramesh. He's my no. 1 personal trainer in my world (errr..he's the only one I know of). Then, thanks to Henry for introducing me to his Actuary Society of Malaysia's ppl that was soo motivating during the climb up. They are great friends to hang out with too! Sorry, Henry...this year was not for us, but I treasured every moment with you and we will remain friends forever!

My dedicated Aikido friends at SS4 - I love you guys: Sensei Kow, Fu Yaw, Lipson, Chai, Joseph, Eddie, Brian, Sheau Shin, Yin Wah, 'clubbing' Leong and his beau, Mhong, Kenny (ex-Liverpool), Jong Yang with bionic hands & Yuen, for always making me feel fat after every supper, listening to my woes, my dirty jokes, my love life and many other crappy stories. You guys really listen and gave me good advices, though I've never followed, I respect you every one of it. It's been a great trip at Penang and Gua Tempurung last May too.

My dear group of beloved GIRLFRIENDS: Fee Peng, Yeng Pooi, Sook Jeng, Callie, including self-confessed gurl Chris Thoo have been really supportive of me this year. We commited the cardinal sin of gossiping and eating too much in each & every minute of our meet-ups, but seriously, every meeting with you girls have been fruitful and tremendously life-changing. Girls always support each other, and we may be dubbed the 'Desperate Housewives' previously (not including you, Chris), but I DO love the label thrown to us. Cameron Highlands with you girls really made me a much confident driver now; Jo Nie - our trip to Bangkok was absolutely wondrous! Will not exchange it for anything. Oh forgot: YP esp. for helping me out during our 31st dec open house! Without you, I'll be dead. Seriously.

Thanks to all people who voted for me at SpeakingTomato.com 'most gorgeous girl competition' by Chris Thoo. I dunno who the voters are, but some are damn pretty obvious like "Not Kenny" and "fipink" and "bea" and "Jesse YP" and "Jon" and other Aikido dudes which I forced them to vote for me. Hope the votes helped your blog, Chris in getting more than 20sens a click. Thank you guys/girls for the vote. I didn't know I was gorgeous.

I would love to thank Beh for always been consolling me at my times of trouble last year. It's been an honour that you've visited my lab. Thanks for the treats but sorry if I've not been able to show my gratitute in a nicer way. All my best in everything you do and your MBA, i supposed? :)

Fee Yen - for being the best financial planner ever. Darn, I think my unit trust lapse, yah?? Hahahaha. I still don't understand about a lot of things. Leong EM - for always letting me be editor for his writings. Kenny - for creating such a great blog that it overwhelmes mine :P and esp to Ee Soon for asking me to quit studying & get some life. Nice....

P/S: Some names have links on it. It's their blogs, so please click on them and write comments, and visit their blogs regularly!!! Thanks.

oh, I love my lab-mates too. They're the coolest labmates ever in UPM history!

Don't let them be history

Malaysia Wildlife Conservation
Support The Camapign

I didn't realise that I can get all touche after I read articles on Malaysian wildlife getting extinct, or illegal poachers hunt and brutally skinning tigers for their testicles and skin, or China people (as in Stephen Chow's God of Cookery) cooking bear paws, or in clubbing sea lions in europe, etc. Sometimes I don't think I am able to stomach shark-fin soup after reading about suffering-finless-sharks being thrown back to the sea. Animals do have feelings too, you know. I believe deforestration (for palm oil?) has endangered our wildlife which btw looks cute to me! (in zoos and pics). Don't you think those tapir and rhino look cute and chubby!? Okay, sorry...lame...

Back to reality:

If you think wildlife in Malaysia deserves a chance, please blog about them and tell internet users (just about everyone!) how you feel, and how wildlife changed your life. Please support the campaign (click on the banner). If you don't want to support the wildlife campaign, you can support the illegal poacher. I think they have a blog somewhere for you to support their illegal hunting activities :P

If you remember my friend whom I met in Starbucks in the previous post "A Scientist Near You?", he's from WWF Malaysia (was a save-our-snails champion) and is campaigning for rhinos and tigers in Malaysia :P. Oh, no, no, no,...not the wrestling organisation.

My fungus showing the LOVE

Even my icky, green muscadine fungus is showing me the 'LOVVVE':
P/S: Don't laugh!!! It is a rare instance for a fungus to know it's Xmas next week)

"Merry Christmas everyone!! Have a blessed year ahead."

Love,
Ivy
No-bell prize winner: for producing rare green-lovely-fungi on Xmas.

A scientist near you?

If you read the book "How Starbucks Saved My Live", you will be surprised how some insignificant, everyday, routine, daily activities can change you into a better person. I could relate to that story, all the more, it happened in Starbucks right in the heart of PJ. My X'mas mood plus my daily dose of caffeine requires me to be in Starbucks at least once a week. No doubt by this time of the year, I yearn dearfully for my Toffee Nut Latte and the need to collect 17 stickers before mid-Jan to get my cute little 2008 diary.

So there I was on a Sunday afternoon after visiting an aikido friend in hospital for a fractured collar bone, ordering my ToffeeNut Latte and then filling up some Sudoku numbers. With my Prof.'s reminder haunting me (he haunts me daily by saying: read at least one journal a day), I took out two scientific journals and started reading (well, it was just browsing and flipping those pages). Not even a minute passed, I almost doze off. But I was kept awake by a really cute guy in front of me and it's definitely not science at work.

All of a sudden, the guy beside me with a laptop pat my back and asked if he could join me at my table. I thought: "Hey, you've got your own table, don't take mine! And you're not that cute!" And I blurted out rudely: "Err...yes, anything?!"

He was a Singaporean, started working a month ago with our WWF saving tigers in Malaysian jungles. He claimed he has been in Malaysia for a couple of years doing research near Ipoh, Kelantan, Pahang checking out on snails. He's a snails expert :) He couldn't help but noticed that I was reading scientific journals. Ohhh come on, what are the chances of you meeting a guy who loves biology and .....err.....have an inclination towards snails!!! (weirdo) And yes, he passed me few of his papers, published in high impact-factor journals. And of course (sob!), I have none to pass to him. Malunya! Now I can see why NUS is such a great university, he's just a master student for 2 years, and has published 4 papers (four!!!) in high impact-factor journals.

The rest of the day (and night) was history..... I had a great time, and it's been a long time since I had some nice intellectual, scientific chat with anyone. Especially when someone is interested in your field too. Did he change my life (like the story in the book)? Indeed it has, because from today onwards I swear to publish at least one paper in a high impact-factor citation-indexed journal. What a great motivator.

P/S: I should go to Starbucks more and read journals there...you will never know a scientist is just right beside you.