I'm Back

I missed writing new entries on this blog, but things have piled up in the past two months and I was kept really busy with my new job and the physical biochemistry course I was required to take last semester.  Most of my time, however, was eaten up by phy biochem what with all the makeup lectures and exams in quick succession.  Still, I was relieved and happy that all turned out well, and that I passed the hellish course while still maintaining a respectable (by grad school standards) GWA.  Those sleepless nights spent memorizing nonsense have paid off, and I'm ecstatic at having successfully hurdled my last course in graduate school.  Which means that my Mondays can now be spent in the library searching for prior art on the patents that will be assigned to me by my boss.  Also, I will finally have time to plan my experiments and see to it that I get very good data, so I can march down the aisle in red stilettos come April.  

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the sem that was.  

Take-home exam on basic chromatography. 

Watching "The Big Bang Theory" in the lab. 

Thermodynamics

More thermodynamics 

Haggard after Exam #2

Dear Lolo

Dear Lolo,

My tears are falling in torrents and my hands are shaking as I write this.  Just when I thought I'd had the perfect day - dinner with friends and new-found friends at a good resto - I opened my inbox to a message from my cousin  informing me that you passed away in your sleep earlier today (August 23).  At first I was shocked and frozen, unable to shed even a tear as the news first failed to register in my endorphin-saturated brain.  Then slowly, the sad truth began to sink in, and the tears fell unbidden. 

With your passing, I've officially lost both sets of loving grandparents, and that is such a terrible loss.  After all, I was the one apo who had the greatest tendency of being spoiled by the grandparents.  You may not be my biological grandfather (you being Mommy's stepfather who took on the paternal role when Lolo Euling was killed more than fifty years ago), but you loved me like a real granddaughter.  I faintly recall you giving four-year-old me two one-peso coins - considered a fortune for kids growing up in the mid-80's - while my much-older cousins got only half the amount.  I can also recall that you were firm in your decision - no matter how unfair it was to my school-age cousins at that time - to give me that amount.  Well, I cannot remember what I'd bought with the two pesos you gave me, but it made me feel special and loved.  I guess it was always in your nature to be so generous to us kids, and even to our parents. 

I can also remember one incident on a long-ago summer evening when all of my maternal cousins and I piled into your green car, and you took us joyriding in the streets of Bacolod.  You yelled at us several times because we were all screaming and laughing, and must have gotten to your nerves.  Yet all was forgiven when we reached home and you never mentioned that one pasaway incident to our parents. 

You were funny.  You used to sing your own version of "Mexicali Rose" that sent us into fits of laughter.  You'd say the funniest things at random moments, and these sayings were so unique that we kept them in memory and then go into fresh gales of laughter whenever a saying or two was mentioned.  You were also a frustrated member of the PNP, and you'd always wear your "Bantay Bayan" jacket with pride and visit your "general friends" at Camp Crame whenever you were in Manila (or so you said).  

You were so obsessed with men in uniform that I'd had to warn Strawberry Cheesecake (who was in the uniformed services back then) to not mention this fact to you in the event that you met.  But then again, you'll never meet him so I can put my fears of embarrassment to rest.  

I can go on and on with the fond, funny and embarrassing memories we've had of you through the years, but the space here isn't sufficient to contain them all.  One of these days, when the grief will have become bearable, your apos and step-apos will recount these memories and go into fits of laughter and relive again the unique person that you were.

We will miss you terribly, Lolo, but we are also relieved that you had been given respite after your long hard life.  Sleep well until that long-foretold and long hoped-for blessed morning of the resurrection when the whole family will be reunited.

We love you.   

Back to Basics?

Note: Something happened to my laptop before the long weekend, and I had to have it reformatted to make it run faster.  I was initially worried that the reformatting and repair will continue through the long weekend, depriving me of my precious sci-fi movie time.  Hence this little entry dated August 17, 2012.

My laptop is in the repair shop as I write this, and I have no idea when I'll get it back and how much it's going to cost me.  I shudder at having to pay thousands of pesos, and I'm hoping against hope that my wallet won't be burned that much.

Too bad, it's a long weekend and I have been looking forward to watching all episodes of The Big Bang Theory, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lord of the Rings.  Most of them, unfortunately, are stored in m laptop, so chances of watching them are now nil.  

It is comforting, however, that I'd bought several books earlier this week because they were on sale in Booksale.  There's all three volumes of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, a novel entitled Piano Lessons, and a really geeky book on organic synthesis using the disconnection approach.  Why I bought the geeky book, I have no idea.  Professional curiosity perhaps.  Anyway,  these five books cost less than PhP600, very reasonable compared to brand-new ones which cost twice the amount I'd paid for in Booksale. 

Seeing all these books on my desk makes me want to grab one, head out to the nearest coffee shop and immerse myself in the pages while sipping a cup of overpriced coffee and munching overpriced pastries.  I used to do that when I was a freshman in graduate school.  Strawberry Cheesecake - a classmate in one of my graduate courses back then - and I would stay at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf from about nine in the morning to a quarter of an hour before class. We would then dash out of Robinson's Place and into Salcedo Hall, where biochem lectures are held.  I guess it was also during these coffee-book-and-talks moment that fell head-over-heels in love with him.  I still am, but I'll save the gory details for another entry.

In a way, it feels nostalgic and comforting to be holding an actual book and turning actual pages instead of just opening a file and using a mouse or touchpad to navigate the pages.  It's as if I'm transported to my childhood, a time when laptops, e-books and wi-fi were unheard-of.  A time when I preferred reading to playing with the neighborhood kids, and fancied myself to be one of the Hardy Boys and their friends.  A time when I would go to a real music store to buy a particular piano piece or a music book, instead of just googling it and downloading the file to my sheet music folder.  

Perhaps this momentary absence of my laptop will help me reconnect with my old-school side.  I've almost forgotten the thrill of lying in bed, head propped by pillows, while engrossed in the chapters of a book.  Or the coziness of savoring each page, eating Chips Ahoy dunked in cold milk and being wrapped in a blanket while listening to the sound of raindrops during rainy days. Thinking about these things doesn't make the absence of my laptop horrible.  On the contrary, it helps activate my long-dormant neurons.  

Oh well, back to basics.  For now.  

A Fun Evening

Tonight's equation: 

rice-eating contest + laughter + a little gossip + conversations about old Pinoy soaps = an evening of fun and relaxation

Today is payday, and six of my officemates - the guys whose cubicles are half a kembot away from mine - decided to go to a totally unplanned dinner at Chicboy's Paseo branch.  We have long been talking about going out to dinner, but our plans never materialized until tonight when I suggested that we go someplace to eat.  Hunter (not his real name) immediately searched the internet for restaurants that offer delicious but affordable meals.  The boys originally suggested going to Gerry's Grill, but we settled for Chicboy because they apparently wanted to have a rice-eating contest.  

And so we left the office at around 7pm, having finished our tasks way before it.  Me and six others (not their real names) - Hunter, Kkino, Chemist_King, JV_Chemist, NJM, and NL - walked along Ayala Avenue to Chicboy Paseo, where we were lucky to find a table that seated us comfortably.  We were supposed to order the barkada meal that came complete with pulutan and beer, but since some of us aren't drinkers, we decided to forego the barkada meal and instead settled for individual meals that came with unlimited rice.  

The rice-eating contest started as soon as our meals arrived.  We decided to compete by school.  I, of course, represented UP Manila (due to an earlier decision to not merge the UP campuses).  Hunter and JV_Chemist represented UPLB while the rest represented their respective schools.  It was clearly UPLB who took the lead from the start, with the UPLB guys eating an average of five cups of rice each (we averaged their number of cups of rice to be fair).  On the other hand, I could hardly stand after three cups of rice and three glasses of iced tea.  I was still glad, however, that I did my alma mater proud by not surrendering to the UPLB guys.  Hahahaha. 

Later, we all talked about the local TV shows that we grew up with.  Conversation centered on our favorite cartoons, anime (Slamdunk is the only one that has appealed to me so far), local shows and soap operas.  In addition to that, we also talked a bit about the guys in the office who have always gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and at home.  My sides ached from laughing all throughout dinner and I felt suddenly unburdened of the not-so-good news I'd received earlier in the day.  After all, it's been a long time since I laughed my head off with a bunch of people and laughing helped release the pent-up tension in me.  It restored my positivity and serenity in a wonderful way.  

I shall be missing these terrific guys, but I'm sure evenings like the one we've had can be scheduled so we could get together again and laugh our heads off.  

P.S. Too bad, none of us had the foresight to bring a camera.  It would've been wonderful to include some pictures in this entry. :)

Counting the Days

In twenty days, I'll be leaving my job in order to give my thesis the much-needed attention it deserves.  It has already been given the green light by UP Manila's ethics committee, and my reagents and kits have already arrived.  All I need to do is put on my white lab gown (I need to buy a new one) and latex gloves and work away the days.  It's not exactly work, since I love doing it and the experiments are so designed to give me lots of free time, which translates to Facebooking and tweeting in between PCR runs and incubation periods  - which last anywhere from an hour to 4 hours - and quick trips to Robinsons Place for food, food and more food (a must-have especially during those all-nighters).  

I really miss lab life.  I miss the days when I could wear comfy jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers and not bother to put on face powder or lipstick.  Luckily, I'm going to get those days back when I formally resign from work later this month.  Not that I hate my current job, but some things just have to have top priority for the good of everyone involved.  I certainly wouldn't want to divide my time between the lab and the office as it is an impossible balancing act.  

And so I'm looking forward to being a full-time student again.  Perhaps I'll be able to bag a nice job as I go along, but for now, I'll gleefully anticipate my upcoming independence day.  :))

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

This blueprint-like / microchip-like picture illustrates all the chemical reactions our body undergoes at various times of the day and under different circumstances.  

What makes it amazing is that these reactions do not contradict one another and are highly regulated by a number of molecules.  One mistimed reaction, and the body goes into chaos, resulting in death or sickness to the individual.   Looking at all these reactions and discussing them in class has given new meaning to the Bible verse that I've memorized since first grade: I will praise Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvelous are Thy works.  (Ps. 139:14).   

I admit that I am not a very religious person and that I am far from living the ideal Christian life, but looking at this vast network of body reactions has always strengthened my belief in the existence of an all-knowing and powerful God because such an organized and synchronized system could not have occurred by accident . Only a Creator could made a living machine that is as complex as the picture above.  Only a loving and compassionate God could have designed it in such a way that the reactions do not contradict each other and affect other pathways or produce by-products that are harmful to us.  This metabolic blueprint speaks both of the power and love of that Creator.  

Indeed, "from Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love." (taken from the last chapter of EG White's The Great Controversy)

Geeky Saturday Night

Because I'm still a little under the weather to be going out with a graduate school classmate to watch the latest Spider-Man movie (note: we're not dating or something... just good old classmates), I've decided to download online lectures on physical biochemistry concepts in preparation for my prelim exam on the third week of July and study these concepts in hopes of getting a decent grade.  By decent I mean a grade above the required 2.0.

On second thought, physical biochem isn't supposed to be that much of a horror show to someone who's gone through THE horror shows that were Chem 156 and Chem 157 (a.k.a. Physical Chemistry I and Physical Chemistry II) and the relatively tame Biochem 121 (undergrad physical biochem).  I'm supposed to have known the basics by heart.  Still, I'd rather review my the basics just to be on the safe side because it's been a long time since I'd encountered those heart-attack-inducing problems.

While waiting for a file to download - I have to make do with the dorm's unreliable wifi - I took some screen shots of the stuff I'm currently reading.  They're arranged in no particular order.  

The first law of thermodynamics.  The equation in the slide is another take on the classic ΔU = Q + W that I've known way back Chem 156. 

  

The second law of thermodynamics (and my favorite... hehe!).

Reversible and irreversible reactions (the horror!)...

                                      

And that, so far, is the stuff I've studied.  CJ, who has taken the course before me, has just warned me that there are more horrors to come. He still has the old lecture slides the profs used in his class, and he told me he'd email the files for me to peruse.  Thanks a lot, pal!  You're really a lifesaver.  Hope I won't flunk this penalty course.  Haha!

Bed Day

I'm absent from work as I write this due to an unexpected asthma attack that came just when I was about to leave for the office this morning.  While I'm no stranger to asthma attacks, I still feel frustrated at having to skip a day in the office and force myself to relax and stay in bed.  Commuting to work in my present state is simply not an option, as I might collapse in the LRT or, heaven forbid, in the office.  Thus, I have no choice but to put on my pajamas and curl up in bed with two pillows under my head to help me breathe easier.

Gastronomically speaking, I don't have much of an appetite today.  I'd just had a simple breakfast of wheat pandesal and lemongrass tea with a little bit of honey.  I guess I'll go easy on solids today and consume more hot liquids, juices and distilled water (that's the water I drink whenever I'm sick because it has  relatively fewer virulent pathogens compared to purified water).  I'm thinking more tea with honey and at least a dozen cans of unsweetened pineapple juice.  That'll surely increase my vitamin C intake and give my compromised immune system a much-needed lift.

Medications?  I'm not one who pops a pill at the slightest discomfort.  Rather, I give my immune system a chance to naturally fight any immunogen that might have gotten into my system.  At least that's what I learned during my undergrad elective and my grad school coursework.  Right now, I guess  my IgE and IgM are hard at work.  IgE is the antibody responsible for allergic reactions, while IgM is the antibody secreted by our immune system during initial exposure to an immunogen (substances or microorganisms that trigger an immune response).  I don't want to go into the gory details as to how these two work, the above descriptions will suffice.

I guess I have to take my much-needed rest now, though I doubt it's gonna be restful given my constricted airways.  I can hear wheezing sounds whenever I gulp in air.  Before I sign off, however, let me leave you with pictures of IgE and IgM (pics from Wikipedia).  :))


This is IgE:

And this is IgM, which occurs as a pentamer (consisting of five subunits):

Weekend in Bacolod

I count myself fortunate for having had enough time to spend a weekend with my mom's side of the family in Bacolod. Honestly, they're more than extended family to me - they're practically family since Mommy's eldest sister Mama was the one who raised me for the first three years of my life.  She also cared for my brother for about a year, until Mommy took us both to Davao.   Mama's own children, my cousins, would always introduce me to their friends as their youngest sister and have always treated me as such.  No wonder I grew up a little pampered and self-entitled because of their never-ending love and affection.  No wonder I always feel like a child again whenever I visit Bacolod and stay at their Victorina Heights home.

Compared to the month-long vacations I'd had in my childhood, this one was very short - only two days - and I had to rush from the office last Friday to catch the last flight from Manila to Bacolod.  Just this morning, I also took a cab from the airport straight to the office, where I have tons of work waiting for me.  This is not to say, however, that I regret those hours spent in commuting.  On the contrary, I consider them mere inconveniences that are part of the little sacrifices we have to make to spend time with the people who mean most to us.  

I had a great time bonding with my cousins and my aunts, who played a very important role in raising me and taking care of me when I was a baby.  In more ways than one, I'm still their baby even if I'm about to enter my fourth decade later this year.  There's the endless hugs and kisses that they would always shower on me whenever I'm there, the laughter, the endless talks, fussing over my stressful job and suggesting I quit it (hehe), attending church together, and eating delicious food - all these I enjoy and cherish whenever I'm with these people.  Of course, these people - Mama especially - never hesitate to give me sound advice on everything (from my presently nonexistent love life to my spiritual life).  All these I take to heart and heed because these people only want the best for me.  

I wish I were a child again, so I could spend several weeks in the company of the people who made a very big impact in my life.  I wish I had no commitments at work and at school so I could stay longer with them and really bond with them.  Perhaps, from now on, I'll make it a point to sacrifice a few precious work hours to be with my loved ones.  Family, after all, comes first.  

Molecule of the Day: Phenylalanine Hydroxylase

Other Names: PheOH, PAH, PheH
Classification: enzyme
EC: 1.14.16.1
Mass: 51.9 kDa
Form: monomer
Function: hydroxylation (addition of an OH group) of phenylalanine to tyrosine
Substrate: phenyalanine (an amino acid)
Product: tyrosine (another amino acid)
Diseases associated with: phenylketonuria (from lack of PAH)

Down the Food Memory Lane

I love to eat.  I guess it goes without saying that everybody's got to eat to continue his or her existence.  I have eaten different kinds of food and I have quite a long list of my favorites.  Most of these favorites have special memories attached to them, which is why I entitled this entry  Down the Food Memory Lane. 

1.  Chicken curry, dorm -style.  This evokes fond memories of my last semester in U.P.  I love the spicy-creamy taste of the dish, and I would often request the housemaids in my boardinghouse to prepare chicken curry for me.  I used to crave for a bowl even late at night.  Eventually, I was able to learn to prepare the dish myself, to the relief of Ate Inday and Ate Des and to my great delight.  At least, I would be able to make chicken curry anytime without ordering someone about.

2.  Canned tuna.   When my friend Ruby and I were roommates, we had had several cans of Century tuna in our cabinet as this was the only viand we knew to prepare back then.  We would saute the tuna in lots of garlic and onions for a decent meal.  This was our saving grace, since we were, and still are, never kitchen wizards. 

3.  Doughnuts.  It was my friend Kevin who greatly influenced me on all things donut.  I guess I would be eternally grateful to him for teaching me the ropes when it comes to choosing the best donuts in town.  During the early part of our thesis-proposal-hunting days, Ruby and I became so addicted to donuts that we would go to the nearest 7-11 at uncivilized hours or  spend our last money on a piece or two and never regret it. 

4.  Isaw and fishballs.  These were my favorite food in the academic jungle called U.P. Diliman.  There was a time when my college buddies and I went to the isawan near Bahay Kalinaw and ate all the isaw that we could possibly eat.    We have never had isaw stands in UP Manila; we had our snacks and meals in Robinsons Place, so the whole isaw experience was great for us. 

5.  Coke and chocolates.  These were always on my table during hell week in school.  A can of Coke and a bar or two of chocolate would be enough to supply all the energy I needed to be up all night. 

6.  Chocolate chip cookies.  A large box of Chips Ahoy and a good book were my companions during rainy days when classes were suspended.

7.  Fried Chicken.  This reminds me of my freshman days when, after our 7am P.E. class,  my best friend Vannie and I would go to an eatery called EasyWay for their fried chicken and pearl shakes.  During the latter part of my university days, my friends and I often had lunch at KFC, where the fried chicken is really yummy and affordable. 

Food and memories.  Food and friends.  These add considerable spice to life and make it worth living.

Molecule of the Day: Hemoglobin

Type: protein (tetramer)
Components: mostly alpha helices connected by hydrogen bonds
Co-factor: heme (a heterocyclic ring with an iron ion at the center)
Function: oxygen transport
Diseases associated with: iron-deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia

An Angel to Watch Over Me

"She watched by my cradle through long sleepless nights,
She taught me to pray as she knelt by my side,
She guarded my childhood, and all through the years,
She echoed my laughter, she counted my tears.
In the arms of my mother, I came to believe
That God sent an angel to watch over me.

She taught me the meaning of courage and faith.
She taught me to live with the Lord as my strength,
She taught me to follow the pathway He marked,
She guided my steps when the journey grew dark,
And I know there were dangers that I could not see,
But God sent an angel to watch over me.

She taught to serve with a spirit that sings,
She taught me to seek after heavenly things,
And because of her love and her kindness and faith,
Because of the place that I hold in her prayers,
And because of her goodness, I still believe
That God sent an angel to watch over me."
 - Sally DeFord

Molecule of the Day: Azulene

http://0.tqn.com/d/chemistry/1/0/G/B/1/Azulene.jpg

Systematic Name: bicyclo[5.3.0]decapentaene

Molecular Formula: C₁₀H₈  (an isomer of naphthalene)

Color: Dark Blue (from the Spanish word azul)

The azulene skeleton is found in nature as component of pigments in mushrooms and some marine invertebrates (as per Wikipedia). 

Molecule of the Day: Glucose

from: http://www.bmrb.wisc.edu/metabolomics/standards/D_glucose/lit/3565.png

Another Break

I've been reading and rereading my assigned articles for the past hour, my table is in total chaos, and I'm in dire need of a caffeine megadose to get me through the afternoon.  Unfortunately, I can't have another cup of coffee because I'd already had one this morning.  As a rule, I limit my coffee intake to one cup a day or I'd be spending a sleepless night.  I guess one cup of coffee every morning is enough to keep me awake and rev up my metabolism for the rest of the day.

I'm still on cloud nine, and I don't think I'm getting off it for the next few weeks.  Perhaps this is just a rebound reaction from last month's disaster or perhaps I'm on the verge of falling in love again.  I hope it's not the latter, because I want to give my broken heart chance to mend and recuperate before diving back into the game of love.  Lesson learned: I have to have my gaydar in tiptop shape the next time I meet a potential boyfriend, or last month's disaster will be repeated.  

Not that I've got anything against gays.  On the contrary, I have many gay friends and I get along superbly with them.  I'm just against gays who pretend to be straight, make girls fall in love with them, and afterwards come out of the closet.  It's a huge blow to any girl's ego and heart, and it's cost me a few sleepless and tearful nights.  It's just ego-crushing to fall in love with someone who turns out to be gay and who denies it. 

My heart deserves a detox and a rest, I guess, although I'm still on cloud nine over a guy I'd met a few days ago.  Sad to say, he wasn't able to ask for my number due to the circumstances at that time so I don't think I'll see him again unless some genuine miracle happens.  In that case, I'll let nature take its course and see what happens in the next few months. 

In and Out of the Lab

My life as a lab rat doesn't revolve around the lab alone.  There are times when the lab rats will have to come out of their nooks to mingle with fellow lab rats and ex-lab rats.  I've put together a few pictures of a lab rat's life inside the lab and out of it.  The short hair was deliberate, since I didn't want to be hassled by long tresses.  It was only in late 2009 that I decided to grow it long and attach extensions.  Haha.

2009 Graduate School lab class.  Learning how to use a miscalibrated micropipettor.  It's not obvious, but my hands were trembling while I was pipetting.  

A very biochem Christmas in 2008.  See that arch behind us?  We made it  using our native materials and our suppressed creativity.  :)

Down time = goofing time 

My simple 26th birthday celebration at the NIH-NIMBB office .  

Yes, I can cut my cake and eat it, too.  Hehe. 

An annual tradition - watching the 2008 Oblation Run with my  lab buddies.  

In a ketogenic state during a long meeting.  

Going home after overnight work in the boss's house.  

Goofing around the conference room of Century Park Hotel.  If everything goes well, I'll be doing it for real in 20 years.  

Secretariat duties happily over, we went for a cruise on Manila  Bay.  

The lab geek in action.  I'm isolating and purifying immunoglobulins from chicken eggs.  Cool huh?

Told you, our lives don't revolve around the lab.  Here we're getting ready to attend a simple dinner party.  

We're also capable of creating love triangles.  Hahahaha. 

I miss my slimmer self.  :)

Salcedo Hall hallway that leads from the lab to the front door.  

This is a blatant violation of the wear-your-lab-gown rule.   

Brought to you by Biorad... 

The soon-to-be PhD, CJ - my batchmate, classmate, dormmate and labmate.  

The mini electrophoresis tank.  This is used for visualizing DNA and RNA.  

This is how we visualize DNA and RNA.  

A sexy real-time PCR plot.  

I'm so old school.  I prefer taking notes using pen and paper.  

Our best friend the PCR machine.  

Preparing for the 2010 PSBMB convention a.k.a. convention for lab rats and  lab geeks.  :)

Coke to replenish our lost glucose.  

Registration stuff for PSBMB 2010.

Taking a picture of myself in our Century Park Hotel room, where PSBMB secretariat were billeted.  

We dismantled the double beds so there'd be plenty of sleeping room for everyone.  

Up at the crack of dawn to prepare for Day 1 of the convention.  

A fresh-off-the-bed me.  

Busy, busy, busy... 

At the registration table.  

The Lighter Side of Things

Despite an almost-sleepless night (read previous entry), I'm still grateful for the little things that I consider as blessings.  Such as...

1.  The fact that I'm slimming down without food deprivation.  Three weeks ago,  I tried on an old blazer and was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was able to close all three buttons without holding my breath.  I paired that blazer with a sheath dress and wore it to a recent interview where I met what my gay friends refer to as potential papas.  Unfortunately,most of these supposedly potential papas wore shiny gold rings on their right hand, so I wasn't able to do any subtle flirting because I knew it would be futile.  I simply smiled at them and made small talk with the other ladies who were also awaiting their turn to be interviewed.  Hahaha. 

2.  Glowing skin and minimized fine lines despite being sleep-deprived.  I have Human Heart Nature to thank for this.  Their products are wonderful to my skin.  I also love that they use local ingredients like passion fruit, moringa and lemongrass in their products and that these products do not contain harmful chemicals like parabens, pthalates and lead. As a chemist and a biochemist, I am very particular about the chemical contents of everything I eat or put on my skin.  Discovering Human Heart Nature products is really something I'm grateful for because their products are safe (I read the labels several times before buying) and that in buying their products, I'm also supporting local farmers and the economy.  Human Heart Nature's website is at http://www.humanheartnature.com/.  I highly recommend their moisturizing night cream, day cream and their yummy lip balms. 

3.  Less stressful job.  I might be sitting in front of a computer for at least nine hours a day, but I don't feel stressed or harrassed.  I actually am more stressed by my travel routine than by my new job.  This doesn't mean, however, that my job is a breeze.  It's actually like an extension of Chem 31, Chem 35 and Biochem 131 - my most dreaded courses in college - and I really have to review some basic concepts. Still, I find this job less stresful and more fun than a lab job. 

4.  Being on cloud nine.  I don't want to elaborate on this.  Hehe. 

5.  Being alive.  Again, no explanations needed.

:)

TGIF... and I mean it

Thank God it's Friday!  This has become a cliche among working professionals and students, yet today I'm really and truthfully thankful that it's Friday.

I'd had only four short hours of sleep last night - or rather at 2:00 this morning - because I had to fill out some agonizingly long forms that are required by UP Manila's ethics committee so they can give my proposal the green light.  It's taken me a really long time to complete all those forms, and when I submitted them last week, I was told that the committee has required new forms.  I was, of course, tempted to get mad but there was nothing else I could do except to comply with the new requirement.  Which led to a sleepless night, panda-like eyes, bulging eyebags and a not-so-good temper when I woke up to the shrill ringing of my phone's alarm clock.

I'm thankful, however, that CJ (my classmate, dormmate, and labmate) volunteered to submit the forms for me today. He really is a lifesaver, and has always been like that ever since we started graduate school.  If it weren't for him, I would've panicked because today is the deadline for submission of those wretched forms and I can't afford to miss a day a work (because I love my job... hehehe). 

And so I made it to the office before ten, gave my USB to CJ (he'll be the one to print the forms) and am now about to continue excerpting the article I'd started yesterday.  I'm also looking forward to a much-deserved sleepathon starting tonight. 

Quote of the Day

"What exactly does that expression mean, 'friends with benefits?' Does he provide her with health insurance?"
 - Dr. Sheldon Cooper

Back in the Day

Before we were professionals, we were sleep-deprived undergrads who tried to balance life inside and outside the lab.  Before some of us terrorized students, we were the ones who were terrorized by our profs (okay, I need not mention names here).  This little entry somehow summarizes our experiences as biochem majors back in the day when wifi, social media and laptops were unheard of, and when lectures were on overhead projector instead of Powerpoint.  It's nice to reminisce those relatively carefree days when all we worried about were passing our courses and graduating.  

note: this entry comes from www.peyups.com, but is actually written by vannie and me during the critical period our undergraduate days in UP manila.  we then submitted it to the peyups website and it got published. 

the year was 2002, and for us,  it was the best of times and the worst of times.  it was an age of relaxation, it was an age of toxicity (at least for us biochem majors).  we were going straight to heaven, we were going straight to hell (because of exams)....

TOXIC LIVES - typical scenes in the life of an unfortunate biochem student

SCENE 1: GAB104 (CHEM35)

“Our discussion today will be about reactions at the carbonyl carbon…by the way, our exam will be next week. It will cover reaction mechanisms.”

(Outside classroom): Great! Just great! I won’t be able to sleep for two weeks.

SCENE 2: GAB105 (BIO140 LEC)

“Get 1/4 sheet of paper. Numbers 1 and 2: differentiate DNA and RNA in terms of structure and function. Number 3, what are the building blocks of nucleic acids? Number 4, compute % A and % T given that (G+C)=60%. Number 5, what are the three stop codons?…pass your papers. We’ll start our lecture.”

“Mr.Dagbay, what are the functions of the genetic material?”

“Ms. Genelsa, what is a frameshift mutation?”

“Our exam will be on February 28. It will cover DNA replication, transcription and translation, etc. Bring your own copy of the genetic code as well as 1 bluebook.”

Strudent 1: Grrrrr…

Student 2: Ang hirap nyang magpa-quiz.

Student 1: Ang tanga ko! Glucose yung sagot ko as building blocks of nucleic acids.

Student 3: Ha?

Student 1: I have no business being a biochem student…

SCENE 3: GAB303 (PHYISCS72)

“Magnets have 2 poles- the north and the south. The north pole corresponds to the geographic south pole, while the south pole corresponds to the geographic north pole..”

“Your exam will be on March 1,4-6 pm. You my go now.”

Student 1: Exam na naman?!

Student 2: This is HORRIBLE.

SCENE 4: A. GARCIA LECTURE HALL @ THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE (STS)

“Our topic is war, ethics, and the environment. What are really the reasons for war? In ancient times, people go to war to gain more land and resources.”

“Your case study is due on March 13. Let’s call it a day.”

Student 1: ‘YOKO NA!!! Tama na!!!

SCENE 5: RH 323 (BIO140 LAB)

“Please tabulate your TRC’s on the board.”

Class: Yes ma’am.

“Dagbay, what’s your TRC? 88??!!! You have Dagbay syndrome, a condition where all chromosomes are defective.” (to Dagbay, peace bro!!! ^_^v- ed.)

“Ms. Calizo, your TRC’s 159? Do you have any barr body?”

“Kanino yang 188 na TRC? Ano yan, paa?”

“Your exam will be next week. Coverage will be Experiments 8-10.”

Student 2: This is horrible.

SCENE 6: RH 119 (CHEM31)

“O, class, alin dito yung mas mag-rereact sa nucleophile?”

“Tagal nyo naman…sa exam dapat mabilis na kayo sa reaction mechanism, ha?”

“O sige, hanggang dyan na muna tayo.”

Student 3: Pwedeng pahiram nung notes nya kanina bago ako dumating?

Student 4: Uy, kailan pala exam?

Student 3: Umm…I dunno. Hindi ka na naman pumasok? Late na naman ako. He he.

SCENE 7: RH 114 (MATH170)

“Type this…then format the…to…tapos anong makikita nyo???”

(Students flock together at one computer and read): Dear Heart, Itago nyo po ako sa pangalang…may problem kasi ako sa aking sinisintang si…Ano kayang mangyayari kay…tune in again same time, same computer…

SCENE 8: RH 222 (PHYSICS 72.1)

"This is our set-up for circuit number 4..."

Student 2: Ok, let's measure the resistance.

Student 1: 0

Student 2: Let's adjust the voltmeter from 20V to 6V...

Student 3: 0

Student 2: 0 again? Adjust...

Student 1: 0

Student 3: Tanong na natin kay sir...

"O bakit 0 yung reading? I think sira na yung mga voltmeters natin...umm...I think we should change the set-up for the circuit..."

Student 2: Try natin sa brain ko (puts the end of the wires to temples)

Student 3: Aba!!! May voltage na!!! Paano nangyari yun?

Student 1: The brain is composed of nerves & nerves transmit impulses...

Student 2: Mali noh! Ibig sabihin lang nun, may laman pa utak ko. He he he.

SCENE 9: RH LOBBY (3 students recite the poem: “Three”)

Student 1: I think that I shall never see

Student 2: A grade as lovely as a “three”

Student 3: A three that’s earned by blood and sweat

Student 2: When failing is a serious threat

Student 1: A three that I’ve asked God all day

Student 3: Knowing that praying is the only way

All: Exams are taken by fools like me, but only God can give a “three”.

“WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THAT WE PASS AT ALL.”

“TO HAVE PASSED AND TO HAVE GOTTEN A 3.0 IS BETTER THAN NEVER TO HAVE PASSED AT ALL.”

Central dogma of molecular genetics: DNA--->RNA--->proteins

DNA makes RNA make proteins

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Shye & Vani. ฉ (Shye 022502, Vani added something 030102)