My futile attempt at still life drawings

Every time after seeing Jim's blog, I'm utterly speechless, and amazed by his artistic talent. Like what I had told him earlier, I think he might as well make a living off his paintings! Truly a young budding artist, and I'm really fortunate and glad that I have such an artistic friend!

This time round, I'm inspired to try to draw a still life drawing of an apple, after looking tru his sketches... haha.. but sadly, as you can see, didn't managed to rub off some of his artistic talents on myself. Argh.. what a ugly look still life of the apple.. didn't justify the succulent and juicyness at all! What an injustice to the apple! I've never been good at art.. haiz.. I'm not a artistic person at all! What am I even thinking when I try my futile attempt, knowing damn well that it will be futile?!

Well, prob a kid can draw better than me!

Thats the apple model...

Happy Easter holiday everyone!!!

Happy Easter holiday everyone!!! Especially those in Australia... it's gonna be a long long weekend.. Long weekends are hard to come by in Oz... yeah! The locals in my lab was like distributing Easter chocolate to us.. haha.. was a bit suprised.. didn't quite see it coming, since back in Singapore, we don't celebrate Easter all at. Apparently, since the locals are mostly christians (?), Easter would be quite a big thingy to them! Else, why would there always be a long holiday associated with Easter (Good Friday, weekends, followed by Easter Monday)?

Anyway, today I was supposed to go to this sushi making session organised by the what Jap student society from my uni.. I did reply to the International Student Service (who send us the email) as requested, cos as they said, "spaces are limited". But they didn't replied me to confirm my attendence.. Oh well, what the heck, I just went down to the sushi making venue anyway. Well.. I'm totally disappointed when I reached the venue. It's supposed to be a sushi making session, where they teach us how to make sushi?? or did I interpret wrongly? What we saw were bunch of ppl sitting ard a table and eat sushi etc.. doesn't look as though some one is going to teach us how to make sushi at all! What a waste of my time. Moreover, it's disorganised! No one confirmed my attendence, left me hanging in the air and wondering if I managed to squeeze into the 'limited space' available. When my fren and I reached the venue, no one tell us anything, or indicate to us that we need to mark our attendence etc.. basically I think you can just walk in and out without anyone really noticing your presence. Oh well, didn't stay for more than a second, and off we go. Sucks.

Today is the first day of my bench work for PhD as well. Did sonication of the archaea cells to get the protein lysate in the native state. Followed by Bradford quantification. yup.. so finally, a small step into the lunar terrority.

My 300Gb external hard disk drive finally came yesterday!! haha.. it's really worth it. I bought it online on Ebay, for like USD$85, with shipping charges like USD$30. But I think overall, still very much worth it, for 300Gb of disk space. yeah! Definitely a bargain.

Well, can you believe it?! I took this picture at ard 6pm Sydney time, and it's that dark!! Looks as though 7+pm in Singapore! My gosh, we are really moving to winter huh.. where the night is getting long.. and I think that probably after spending a year in Oz come this Dec, I might not be used to the Singapore's way of life?!

My dinner today! A bit sian of eating rice, so I just boil the 'mee sua' and eat it like that with the canned pork. Added some boiled brussel sprouts together with the canned pork as well. Taste really nice.. Bought the fried onion and put them on top on my 'mee sua'.. taste great! With the sambal anchovy chilli.. simply heaven!

Brussel sprouts craze!

Was suddenly hooked to this brussel sprouts craze!! haha.. silly me! Who have ever heard of brussel sprouts craze??! duh! Anyway, I like to eat brussel sprouts, so crunchy, tasty, small and cute! As I was buying these little fellow, I was wondering: how does one grow these?? Does it grow in the soil as a single little thingy by itself? Or that, when that grow up, they actually become the cabbage that we eat? Pardon my ignorance, but I'm a city boy! And, it's really suprising and amazing to see it acutally grows on a plant, like a bud! Cool... wish someday I can visit the brussel sprouts farm or something.. Wonder if Australia has such a farm? Anyway, some pic of the brussel sprouts farms for those who are equally ignorant.

Wow.. didn't know that the sprouts actually twist and turn like a double helix DNA!! Amazing!

Oh.. now I know that the sprouts actually grows on the stem!! Really never seems to stop amazing me. Can the leaves be eaten?

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Farmers harvesting the sprouts.. Hmm.. do they just pluck off the sprouts or what? what happen to the plant? Can the sprouts grow back on the plant, if they left the plant alone on the ground?

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Wow.. never knew the brussel sprouts plant can be used in deco! hahaha..

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Oh well, if you're a brussel sprout expert, pls help me out with my burning questions!! Really interesting.. but meanwhile, a pic of my dinner for today, for the folks back home. The herbal chicken is couteasy of JM, my housemate. It's delicious, and thanks JM!

Looking forward to long weekend!!

I'm really looking forward to the really long weekend here in Australia! LOL.. public holiday from fri to Mon!! 4 days! Woo hoo! 'Cos it's the Good Friday cum Easter Monday.. so that's why there's this long weekend.

I'm planning to go either to the sydney fish market, or go for the bondi-coogee walk... yeah.. can't wait to embark on my walkabout again..hahaha..

Tomorrow I have a presentation to the lab.. it's this weekly lab meeting thingy, where the ppl take turns to present their work. Well, I haven't really started on my work, so nothing much to present, except to talk abt singapore, me, my honours project, and what's install for my PhD! I also included quite a bit of pictures depicting everyday life in Singapore as well,.. so hopefully my presentation will not be a boring one!

Oh! Anyway, today I was supposed to go catch Mr. Bean with my housemate, OP.. 'cos he has a 1 for 1 tix coupon, so each of us will only need to pay AUD$4.. but guess what? Mr. Bean is under no free list and hence we cannot use the coupon! Argh! Spent the AUD$4 on ice cream in the end, at sugar plum in the spot. Ate macademia ice cream.. it's nice and rich.. similar to the one in swenson back in singapore. But, the portion down here is like 1.5x that of the swenson! Was like quite full after the ice cream.. haha.. esp when I had it after my dinner... haha


Well, what's for dinner?? Pork fried brussel sprouts and calamari for dinner... nice! too bad no tar tar sauce.. must go and get some...

Double shocker!!!!

Wow! what a shock I got after gog to this webby: http://www.topuniversities.com

I registered, clicked on the ranking under Life science and biomedicine category... and wolah! guess what? ranking for 2006 for UNSW is 52!!! Come on! UNSW science community, what do you think you are even doing?? Even NUS is way above us, and I seriously consider us to be somewhat on par with NUS!! Then again, I haven't been through undergrad in UNSW b4.. but is UNSW really that bad in terms of their life science and biomedicine, that we lag so far behind??

You know what's worst? back in 2005, UNSW was ranked 40 in the world in the same category as mentioned above. 40 in 2005, and 52 in 2006?!! Wtf! What are these ppl in the life science and biomedicine discipline doing!!! We are like devolving from 2005 to 2006! I can't imagine how it will be like in 2007 rankings!! My gosh!

Come on UNSWians, esp from the life sciences and biomedicine community, wake up your idea!! If NUS can do it, I don't see how and why UNSW can't! Be competitive, and reach for the stars! Being in 'Group of Eight' is no big deal. Put on your battle gear, sharpen your wits, wake up your senses and push forward!

I still can't believe my own eyes!

Impressed with Quickflix!

Wow, I'm absolutely impressed with Quickflix, and the service they provide... never tot I would do up such a review for quickflix..

You see, quickflix is a online system, where you rent dvd of films, from old old ones, to the latest released. The thing I like about it is that, they will deliver the dvds to your home FOC!! and what you have to do to return is to put the dvds into the accompanying return envelope, and send it through post! Woolah! Moreover, I don't need to even pay postage! hahaha.. cool.. That's y I joined it.. so far I'm still trying out their cheapest plan, which is like AUD$9.90 per month, for 2 dvds. I think the rate is still quite alright.. considering the dvd is delivered to my place etc..

Furthermore, I gotta 2 weeks free trial! I can rent 5 dvds within this 2 weeks for free!! cool huh.. simply can't resist such good offer. In addition, their delivery is pretty quick as well, posting through australia post. It's like, they emailed me that it's sent, a day after I indicated what dvds I wanna, and then the next day, it's delivered! Cool! I'm just afraid that I might fork in more money to go for a higher value plan for more dvds! hahaa..

So, for you guys staying in Australia, I highly recommend it! Just click

5 weeks into Ozz...

Am listening to the korean song 'Only Human' as I write, late into the night.. it's the theme song for '1 litre of tears' and the song really brings out the sadness in one's soul.. what a apt theme song for the show!

Well, it's 3.45am now, and I'm still not sleeping! Not suprising since I'm an owl. hopefully as wise as an owl as well! =) Anyway, it's been like 5 weeks into oz.. wow.. been here for 5 weeks already.. how did I survive that? Been to quite a few places and know alot of singaporeans, as well as locals .. but none of them really can be considered friends.. Well, we just met up for one event etc, can hardly even remember their name, and then we go our separate ways after the event. Friends? Acciqutance more like it... Frens, are ppl that u can really click with.. having the same frequency. I mean, if both are like different wavelength, why bother? That's why I hate to socialise in what parties etc.. You can't click with them, and yet u need try to be friendly and smile!! well.. who cares! Then again, it might be just me, being the anti-social one.

I think of myself as being pretty easy gog.. or maybe that I'm just being too picky on my selection of frens?! Certainly, it would be extremely bored to be with someone whom u can't click with, no matter how happening that person might be!

My new ANZ black VISA... cool huh...?

Some of my dinners.... yum yum..

1 litre of tears...

Was watching the first two episodes of the jap show "1 litre of tears" just now, and it's a nice show I must say. A little bit slow, but I'm alright with it. It's based on a true story, talking this young jap girl (only 15 years of age), having an uncurable disease, spinocerebellar ataxia and how her young life changes with it. Seriously, this kinda show is dime a dozen, in all different language, analogus to the Singapore production of "孩有明天". Only differences is that the jap show is longer, and towards the end of each episode, they show the past pictures of the real girl and family. Yup, I said past, as I think she will died in the end, as there's no cure at all.

Anyway, even though I critised it like it's no big deal, but I must admit that I really like the show. It shows the struggle that the gal's family is gog through etc, at least most of which are very real. You get to sympatise with them, and at the same time, hoping that such unfortuate events does not befalls upon you or someone you love. At the same time, it makes u think how vurnerable we humans are. Imagine it's your child, and is only 15 years old! If i am the child, will I fight for my life, or just relent myself to fate, knowing that there is no cure?? I do not know. Live life bedridden? or take sleeping pills while i still can? I do not know. And hopefully, I do not need to make such a decision.

Let me pose this question to my readers (as if I have alot! LOL) to let you ponder about it. You might have a different perspective of life after thinking through it!

--Will there be someone crying for you when you leave this world?--

Anyway, I have attached the herein, so take alot at it. It's a show worth watching...



Ok... on a lighter note, Argh... I'm still cracking my head on my experimental design!!! Well, I'm gonna touch on nucleic acid-binding proteins for my PhD... it's quite an interesting area I think, as there isn't much work done on this area for my organism. Normally, nucleic acid-protein binding sites are sites of control and regulation. Meaning that, these are the areas which controls the gene expression, telling it to be expressed or not! Therefore, by finding out all these controls, it will be analogous to finding out all the switches in a house, and how the switches are turned on or off, and what makes it turned on etc.. cool huh..

Anyway, m having trouble finding a method to end label my RNA.. e.g. RNA with fluorescein labeled at one end??? Anyway have any suggestions!??!

Oh well, chances are someone actually knowing the solution to that is very small... back to cracking my head...

Anyway, was damn lazy today to cook and wash the saucepan.. LOL.. so, just prepared 水蒸蛋 lor.. in it put mushrooms, chicken, chinese dried sausage, pepper, small shrimps, cooking wine..and steam it! after that, put sesame oil... yum yum.. hahaha... yeah.. just steam it, no need to wash saucepan.. lazy way of doing things... =)

Recent update... =)

Well well well.. it's been quite some time since I last updated my blog.. and yup, there has been some happenings gog on for this past week..

1) I have finally receive my first stipend! yeah! hahaha.. damn happy, cos no need to see my money always flowing out, but never come in at all. haha! But gotta save up as well, else in case I need the money down here in future, I will still have some leeway on my side. Anyway, since I got my stipend, no harm pampering myself a bit with KFC ya? *wink* haha

2) KFC.... well.. it's been like a month since I last ate KFC.. finally get to eat one yesterday!! Yeah!??? Think I yeahed too quick! Foremost, KFC in oz has no spicy receipe!! only Original! even their so call zinger burger is made using chicken fillet, like the chicken fillet burger we used to have in Sg!! Unless, the cashier gave me the wrong thing, I'm definitely sticking to my stand that ozzie zinger sucks! Sg zinger rocks, with the spicy receipe! in addition, their fries sucks as well. But I have to be fair in that, fries from Sg KFC sucks too! hahah.. In terms of fries, I definitely prefer Mac.. yeah.

Wicked burger meal + Sara Lee cookies and cream cheesecake.. All bought from KFC

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Well, the meal I bought is a wicked burger meal.. damn wicked without the spicy receipe I say..haha.. the meal consist of a burger, 3 wicked wings, fries, whipped potato, and coke, and I topped it up with a cookies & cream cheesecake! Total is AUD$10.75! Anyway, for those folks back in sg, u didn't hear wrongly. KFC sells cookies & cream cheesecake as well, just like what BK did in sg.. oh.. b4 i forget, Oz whip potato yucks!

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Cheesecake.. yum yum... So, m definitely gog to try other meals the next time round.. =)

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3) During this week, I got myself a oz mobile line and phone as well! It's a yes 49 post paid plan, and I got a motorola v3xx for free! hahaha.. but need two years contract lar.. which is quite ok I think, since I'm definitely gog to stay in oz for at least the next 3 yrs. But calling in oz is ex lar.. they have what flagfall charges which in singapore there isn't. Flagfall is like connection fees for making a call on ur mobile phone.. and its like 25cents per call. So, even if u call and talk on the phone for 1 s, they will straight away charge you for 25 cents, in addition to the 30s voice call block at 29 cents. ex huh?! But strangely enough, if I make a call to Singapore, they only charged me 15 cents per 30s block with a flagfall of 35cents. Apparently it's cheaper to call back to singapore than to call someone locally in oz! hahaha....

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4) before I forgot, thanks dear for your presents. Really like those dino mint coins .. haha.. too bad it's only aluminium bronze and not gold mint! =P haha.. Really appreciate your gifts dear..

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Ok lar.. last but not the least, some of the new food that I tried to cook..haha.. though they certainly look very similar to some old receipes... =P

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Videos of the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk

Follow this link to see all the Sydney Harbour Bridge walk pictures:
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kwy.chong/album?.dir=/53cdscd&.src=ph&.tok=phi2.cGB_WZj1IHP

Some videos taken at the walk:

75th Bday for Sydney Harbour Bridge!!!

It's the 75th Bday for Sydney Harbour Bridge!! And I'm proud to be part of the celebration! yeah!! It's really a magnificent bridge.. the grandeur of bridge.. phew! It's so big and enduring.. enduring 75 years of rain and shine, and overlooking 75 years of Sydney history.. makes you wonder how the hell did those people back in the 1920s-30s built it!

Well, the bridge was completed in 1932, after ~8 years of building, and cost the lives of 16 people. It also costed a bomb too! Back then, NSW has to borrow so much money for the building of the bridge, that it takes them 54 years to repay their debt! Anyway, it was designed by Dr. JJC Bradfield (though some controversial here) and it link the northen and the 'southern' part of Sydney together. IT's good, in that it makes travelling btw these two places so much easier!

Next stop: Harbour Bridge Climb!! Anyone interested as well???

The map for the harbour bridge walk

Interesting characters gog to the bridge walk too! Alighted in North Sydney station






Local police on horses...modern day cavary units? LOL


Walking over to the starting point to pick up free neon hats!

Approaching the bridge

Me!

Moving on...

Me agian!! haha

On the Bridge, I walked...

Interesting poster.. ya?

The 'roof' of the bridge

Loads of ppl...

You don't get to see these signs up close often!!

Bridge exit

Wow.. this guy is damn professional!!

Yup, the group that I walk the bridge with..

Helicopter display over the bridge

Walking towards the Rocks.. looking back at the Sydney harbour bridge.. loads of yellow caps!

Till then bridge!

Lyrics and translation for 猪先生

Wow, found this superb translation and lyrics for the song 猪先生, courtesy of 'telly' in http://www.chinesemusicblog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2286&action=new

许志安-猪先生曲: 蓝亦邦 词: 林若宁 主唱:许志安

虽则天真的蠢猪 我未搏得欢呼赞誉
sui ze tian zhen de chun zhu wo wei bo de huan hu zhan yu
Being a silly pig by nature, I receive no praises or acclaim.

然而有你爱上我的短处 快乐也许不必富庶
ran er you ni ai shang wo de duan chu kuai le ye xu bu bi fu shu
But you fell in love with my weakness: maybe one doesn't have to be rich to gain happiness.

繁盛世界惯了已冷眼 去看我滑稽的际遇
fan sheng shi jie guan le yi leng yan qu kan wo hua ji de cheng yu
The prosperous world is inured to my comical bad-luck.

能令你去发笑 也有用处 我用傻事去捐输
neng ling ni qu fa xiao ye you yong chu wo yong sha shi qu juan shu
But if it makes you laugh, maybe there is some good to it, and I try to coax more laughter from you with my silly antics.

多么蠢的蠢猪 个个也来揶揄
duo me chun de chun zhu ge ge ye lai ye yu
What a silly, silly pig, derided by everyone.

高攀不起公主 并没段段艳遇
gao pan bu qi gong zhu bing mei duan duan yan yu
Unable to befriend the princess, and not even a chance encounter with beautiful women.

悠然面对这悲剧遭遇 齐集给了你当笑话书
you ran mian dui zhe bei ju zao yu qi ji gei le ni dang xiao hua shu
Insouciantly facing the unfolding of this tragedy, becoming your collection of jokes.

多么蠢的蠢猪 爱上那条人鱼
duo me chun de chun zhu ai shang na tiao ren yu
What a silly, silly pig, falling in love with the mermaid.

即使争都争输 仍然从未怪罪于天主
ji shi zheng dou zheng shu reng ran cong wei guai zui yu tian zhu
Even if it competes and loses, it has never blamed the Lord.

自信恋爱运肯特殊 明日你前来叫我蠢猪
zi xin lian ai yun ken te shu ming ri ni qian lai jiao wo chun zhu
Believing that love is very special, you will step forward in the future and call me an silly pig.

讲爱情暗语
jiang ai qing an hua
Conversing in the dark language of love.

即使悲观的乌龟 我亦看出牠的美丽
ji shi bei guan de wu gui wo yi kan chu ta de mei
Even a pessimistic turtle has beautiful points that are apparent.

仍然有你爱我我都矜贵 快乐要先抛开智慧
reng ran you ni ai wo wo dou jin gui kuai le yao xian pao kai zhi hui
I still have you loving me, giving me bragging rights; to be happy, you must first cast off wisdom.

谁又会似只蚁去献世 各有各独一的惯例
shui you hui si zhi yi qu xian shi ge you ge du yi de guan li
Some appear to the world as a lowly ant, each has their unique path.

同样你爱锡我 那有代替 证实人没有高低
tong yang ni ai xi wo na you dai ti zheng shi ren mei you gao di
You love me regardless of my paths chosen, accepting no substitutes, proving that there is really no high or low status amongst mankind.

开心多么简单 要爱有何疑难
kai xin duo me jian dan yao ai he he yi nan
It is so simple to be happy, for there is no confusion or difficulty to loving.

不必苦苦支撑 但愿是是但但
bu bi ku ku zhi cheng dan yuan shi dan dan
There is no need to hang on tenaciously, but one hopes for smooth resolutions to all matters.

谁人自怨说生活艰难 成就似爬完勉强高攀
shui ren zi yuan shuo sheng huo jian nan cheng jiu shi pa wan mian qiang gao pan
There are some who penitentially say that life fraught with difficulties, and completing the arduous process of befriending someone is a symbol of success.

开心多么简单 那怕爱人平凡
kai xin duo me jian dan na pa ai ren ping fan
It is so simple to be happy, even if love becomes ordinary.

A餐B餐C餐 原来无论吃什么早餐
A can B can C can yuan lai wu lun chi shen me zao can
Meal A, Meal B, Meal C... it doesn't matter which breakfast set you eat.

共你的每日都灿烂 而幸福秘诀太过简单
gong ni de mei ri dou can lan er xing fu mi jue tai guo jian dan
Every day with you is scintillating, and the secret to happiness becomes too simple -

于好处着眼
yu hao chu zhuo yan
Just look on the bright side.

I'm proud of myself!!! =)

Yup.. Yup.. I'm very proud of myself today! hahaha... absolutely! ...

1. My dear love the little video that I made for her alot lor.. =) That's good.. it's the first time that I make such a video.. and I'm proud to say that I did it all alone in one night! haha.. maybe it's no big deal lar.. everyone can make it.. but I'm really an IT idiot, and so to be able to do the video for our 4 years anniversary is really an acomplishment for me...

2. Secondly, I stumbled upon a research article on 2D-EMSA! it's like lady luck is casting her charm on me, cos, 2D EMSA will allow me to do global analysis on the DNA, and even RNA-binding proteins!!! Doing global analysis is something I have in mind, but haven't really been able to find a good method to do it. And my boss thinks the method is workable too!! yeah! Now, just need to settle the details of the experiments...

3. I tried cooking lots of new dishes during this period in Oz..haha.. for instance today, I cooked cabbage with chicken!! wow.. never thought that I'm capable of that! it taste not bad as well.. yum yum... here are some of the dishes that i cooked over the week...

Happy four years anniversary my dear!!!

A dedication to my darling Limin...I love u.. and wish that we will always be together..forever.. and even if I should die first, I will be your guardian angel overlooking and blessing you all the way... =)

《肥田囍事》宣傳片

《肥田囍事》宣傳片 part 1


《肥田囍事》宣傳片 part 2


《肥田囍事》宣傳片 part 3