Penguin news :D

16 December
Penguins offer evidence of global warming
(Antarctica)



The first Adelie penguin chicks of the season – black fluffballs small enough to hold in the hand – started hatching this month, and the simple fact that there are more of them in the south and fewer of them further north is a sign of global warming, scientists say.
Go to article - Reuters

15 December
Dog leaves penguin safe
(Australia)


Allan Marsh with two of his Maremmas.

Little penguin numbers at Warrnambool’s Middle Island have tripled after a world-first trial in which a Maremma guard dog, Oddball, was placed on the island to protect the penguins during their breeding season.
Go to article - The Warrnambool Standard

13 December
Mystery illness kills all but one yellow-eyed chick
(New Zealand)


DIMINISHING POPULATION: rare yellow-eyed penguins are under threat after a poor breeding season on Stewart Island.

Stewart Island’s yellow-eyed penguins are facing an uncertain future after a mystery illness wiped out all but one of this season’s chicks. Regular monitoring of the penguins’ largest population on the island found that of the 32 chicks hatched, just one had survived.
Go to article - Stuff.co.nz

11 December
How to see a penguin in Antarctica? Play it cool
(Antarctica)
Those who come to Antarctica often dream of seeing the regal emperor penguins or the smaller Adelies, but environmental policies require humans let the birds make the first move, and keep their distance in any case. But sometimes penguins’ curiosity brings them into close proximity with humans - and that's what happened for marine biologist Gretchen Hofmann.
Go to article - Reuters

7 December
Public asked to help track penguin vandals
(Australia)
Authorities are calling on the public to help track down vandals who attacked a colony of endangered little penguins in Sydney harbour. Two eggs were smashed and three nesting boxes destroyed in an attack on the colony near Manly last week, triggering widespread condemnation.
Go to article - News.com.au

Gender of zoo's baby penguins a mystery
(USA)


Samson, one of three penguins born recently at the Memphis Zoo, can be seen through the hatchery window. By spring, the trio should join the 24 other residents of Penguin Rock.

The three African penguins at Memphis Zoo have been named Samson, Dee Dee, and Liam - but without a blood test, you can't tell which gender penguins are. So what happens if Samson lays an egg?
Go to article - Memphis Commercial Appeal

I'm in Penang

I'm in Penang..hehe...since last Fri...and will be back in S'pore on Wed :P

Haven't met up with a lot of my fren's for years...hehe...I'm always such a lazy bum when I get home...everyday just eat, sleep, watch tv, surf internet :D

Well this time round I decided to meet up with some old frens...and one thing in common I found out abt this Penang ppl is...they all work in Intel...or knows a lot of ppl who work in Intel!!! How many ppl did Intel hired??!!

First there's my primary school classmate-cum-swimming-cum-tennis fren, Foong Hooi aka Cabbage aka ba4zao3yu2...haha...long time no see...but still look the same...same goes for her sis, Foong Yen, who happens to be in S'pore now!!
Found out from Foong Hooi so many of our childhood fren...be it from primary school, swimming or tennis are in Intel too!!!

Then there's some my secondary schoolmates...Phaik Choon, Yoon Chee and Lee Ying Ying (there r 3 Ying Ying's in my class at one pt!!) also in Intel...but Ying Ying will be coming to S'pore soon...working so near where I stay somemore...cool...there'll be 2 Ying Ying's in S'pore then...haha...Chua and Lee...if Tan Ying Ying comes back to S'pore from US...it'll be a reunion of the PCGHS class of 1997 Ying Ying's!!! haha :P

Anyway, there r more ppl working in Intel...according to my tennis coach, Francis Su...many of his ex-students are there too!! There's even ppl like Julita...din even know she did IT related stuff :P
Oh ya...Francis has friendster now...haha...check it out here...he's still trying to confirm who created it for him...wahhaha...some mischieveous boy :P

Anyway, now I can't rem who's not in Intel liao...wahaha...except those overseas...like my tennis buddy, Sze Pheh aka prawn yeap :P Still studying medicine in Aussie...
Many tennis players seem to be there too...like Amy, Adrian, Siao Yin, Siao Khee...hehe...
Even my NJ-cum-pharmacy senior, Anne, is gg there soon...she couldn't take wat she's doing here...oops...so if u think S'pore pharmacy is bad...M'sia sounds a lot worse :P

It's still a lot of sleep for me back home...somehow there's this drowsy effect everytime I come back to Penang...haha

Will be back in S'pore soon...just in time b4 Kae Woei leaves...and few other frens come back...like Small Ice...hehe...even Oyster and Vorlacks will be back..yippee...IWA reunion!!

Wilson for NMP!!

Go Wilson!! Proud of u!!

NMP nominations attract new faces under 30 years old

Friday December 15, 8:17 PM
Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE: The deadline to apply for the posts of Nominated MPs closed on Thursday.
Some NMPs are seeking a second stint while there are also several fresh faces, some of whom are under 30.

25-year-old Wilson Ang made a dash for it just before nominations came to a close at 4.30pm.

The president of the Environmental Challenge Organisation almost did not make it as verifications were needed on his application forms.

So his friend (Cheung Kar Onn) came to his rescue.

Wilson is possibly the youngest applicant in the running to be a NMP.

But will his age work for or against him?

Said Mr Ang, "Young, being inexperienced but at the same time, I connect closer to the youth from my generation. I hope to be a more informed voice for youth opinions and issues they want to raise (that are) linked to the environment."

Another nominee from the environmental camp is 28-year-old Louis Ng, who is the executive director of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

He hopes to focus on educating the young about animal welfare in Singapore.

And he has already mapped out his plans.

"I hope to engage the youth in a more sustained fashion. I will hold fortnightly meet-the-youth sessions, very similar to the MPs' meet-the-people sessions but just that they are only for youths, for them to raise social community issues," said Mr Ng.

Another nominee is 44-year-old businessman Dr Ameen Talib, who is a board member with the Association of Muslim Professionals.

65-year-old Ooi Boon Ewe also threw his hat into the ring.

Mr Ooi contested the single seat of Joo Chiat in the recent General Election.

He had also made previous attempts to apply for the NMP position.

Three former NMPs, including Nature Society president Dr Geh Min, social work volunteer Eunice Olsen and biotech businessman Tan Sze Wee, confirmed they are seeking a second term.

Six groups representing business, the labour movement and social-community organisations have also nominated candidates.

In 2004, 37 nominations were made and nine were appointed.

A maximum of nine NMPs can be appointed to serve for a term of up to two-and-a-half years.

They will be selected and interviewed by a committee of eight MPs chaired by the Speaker of the House, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, before President SR Nathan approves the recommendations.

Those nominated should have been involved in public service, or distinguished themselves in their respective fields.

Under the Constitution, NMPs must be Singaporean, be at least 21 years of age and have lived in Singapore for the past 10 years.

They must also not be disqualified from being an MP under Article 45 of the Constitution that bars the unsound and undischarged bankrupts. - CNA/ir

Are they Men's Health Enough?

Hmm...just helping a fren promote...hehe...

He's one crappy but fun guy in the lab...damn good looking too...plus he has a black belt in taekwondo...dun mess with him...hehe :P

Vote for Heng Seng...here!!

Publications and I..hehe

Showing off some publications with my name on it...hehe...
2 are scientific papers...one is a testimonial :D

The first one...

A Preliminary Ecotoxicity Study of Pharmaceuticals in the Marine Environment

Authors: Mei Fun Choong, Amy1; Lay-Ming Teo, Serena1; Lene Leow, Jo2; Ling Koh, Hwee2; Chi Lui Ho, Paul2
Source: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, Volume 69, Number 21, November 1 2006, pp. 1959-1970(12)
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd

Abstract:

Environmental fates and effects of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment have been the focus of recent research in environmental ecotoxicology. Worldwide studies of common over-the-counter pharmaceuticals have reported detectable levels in the aquatic environment, but there are few studies examining impacts on marine habitats. These drugs can affect the functions of various vertebrates and invertebrates. The stability of two pharmaceuticals, cyclizine (CYC) and prochlorperazine (PCZ), in seawater was examined under light and dark conditions, as well as the toxicity of these compounds to larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite, which is a cosmopolitan marine organism found in most of the world's oceans. CYC was very stable under all the tested conditions. On the other hand, PCZ degraded in light but not in the dark, and was more stable in seawater than fresh water. For the barnacle larvae, the LC 50 of prochlorperazine was 0.93 μg/ml and the LC 50 for CYC was approximately 0.04 μg/ml.

Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/15287390600751371
Affiliations: 1: Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore

The second one...still in process of publication :P

Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) of indoloacetamides as inhibitors of human isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase
Jo-Lene Leow1, Rudi Baron2, Patrick J. Casey2 and Mei-Lin Go1 ,
1:Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
2:Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Received 18 July 2006; revised 26 October 2006; accepted 13 November 2006. Available online 15 November 2006.

Abstract
A QSAR is developed for the isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) inhibitory activities of a series of indoloacetamides (n = 72) that are structurally related to cysmethynil, a selective ICMT inhibitor. Multivariate analytical tools (principal component analysis (PCA) and projection to latent structures (PLS)), multi-linear regression (MLR) and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) are used to develop a suitably predictive model for the purpose of optimizing and identifying members with more potent inhibitory activity. The resulting model shows that good activity is determined largely by the characteristics of the substituent attached to the indole nitrogen, which should be a lipophilic residue with fairly wide dimensions. In contrast, the substituted phenyl ring attached to the indole ring must be of limited dimensions and lipophilicity.

Article still in press in BMCL (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters) ;)

Yippee....that's like a lot of CPE points for me...hehe...

The third one is a testimonial..hehe



From here...


If u live in the modern world...I'm sure u are under plenty of free radical attack too...from the sun, the polluted air, radiation from handphones/computers, stress or just from exchanging oxygen into carbon dioxide :P
So would u like to try a bottle of g3 or a box of Lifepak? Dun wait till some chronic diseases or worse still cancer develop hor :P

Interesting cards

Nothing much has happened last week...besides work :P

The only interesting thing was helping out in an adventure race on Sun...din even know wat time I'm supposed to get to yishun etc...until I got home on Sat nite and called the race organizer...hehe...slept at 2am and woke up at 5.30? *yawnz*

It was fun though...saw the usual faces in adventure races again...and met some of my frens again...like gabriel, evan and lily...and also linda!! She's in the Singapore Women's Everest Team...used to be from KR :)
Also met some new frens like Edmund, Ken and another boy...oops..forgot his name...we were helping in the same area...which was the last station...so had time to go for kopi together b4 proceeding to the station...haha...the race organizer was frantically searching for us :P

Anyway, last thur was my b'day...got some of these interesting cards...actually one is a coaster :P


This is a coaster from michelle...cute heh :D


This is a card from my twin who's now in China...the messenger was supposed to pass me the card on 7 Dec..no earlier, no later..but she din...haha..I'm supposed to send the penguin of death after her :P


This isn't exactly a b'day present...just something my housemate saw when she was on holiday in Brisbane...hehe...sounds like me...except that this is a postcard for AIDS awareness :P

Eureka!!

After the 5th time...i think...trying to separate my cpd...i finally figured the 2 spots on my TLC is due to the 2 E/Z isomers of my compound!!

Well all this while the NMR and MS results seem to indicate that the cpd I wanted is in all fraction...but I thought it's just because the other cpd I can't identify has similar NMR spectra :P

Hmm...but I still can't figure out y the isomers of my cpd appears as 2 totally different spots on TLC..
...and still can't figure out why it can't be separated if they r 2 different spots...

Maybe my cpd isomerize in solution..so even though it was initially one isomer when it came out from the column...but by the time I spot it on TLC...it has become a racemic mixture??

Dunno lah...anyway, doesn't matter which isomer...it's just an intermediate (oxime) which will be converted into a non-chiral cpd (primary amine)...so who cares which isomer it is...
So I just wasted a lot of time...and plenty plenty solvent and columns...wahaha...

Time to move on :D

Carl Lewis was here!!

Wow...haven't posted for 2 weeks :P
Just realized that I have been so busy that I haven't really kept in contact with my IWA members too...well...we r all busy...IWA mah :P
Also haven't seen my twin, Vorlacks, online since he left for China...his last posting on his blog was one and a half month ago!!

Anyway, what has kept me so busy man???

Deadlines in school!!

Had a couple of presentation to prepare for last week...and also an assignment to hand in...

This week I was just busy trying to separate my compound...failed so many attempts liao!!! Still haven't separate it and I'm still not sure which spot on the TLC is the compound I want...can't really carry on with the next reaction like that!!

My compound is aromatic with an oxime grp...starting material was an aldehyde...and there's a 3rd spot on the TLC which I have no idea wat cpd it is...any idea how in the world I can separate this compound??!! they seem to be separable on TLC...but why can't I separate them using Combiflash or the self-packed column??!!


Check out my TLC plates :P

Oh well...will attempt again with a much smaller load...see if overloading is my problem :P

Anyway, it wasn't all work and no play for the past couple of weeks :P

Last sat we went to play boardgames at Cheryl's place again...I was there for a short while only...Sotong, Roonz and Bala were late...so me played Club Penguin with Eric first...hehe...Eric and Rachel are sooooo cute!!
After the rest arrived...we tried to get Rachel to play hide-and-seek...haha...but she dowan!!! We played Taboo instead...and had plenty of pop corn...yummy!!!

After that I go do facial as usual at Raffles Place...anyone wanna join me? I'm a bimbo there every sat :D

On Sun...went for the beep test by Philip...to check our VO2 max...hehe...the cd player sotong brought din work...so we played the CD from his car instead!!
We ran 20 meter back and forth, back and forth...at increasing pace according to the beep...until we finally can't make it!!

My heart rate when up to 200 beats/min after stage 9...abt 80 laps of 20 m...phew...so my VO2 max was 44.5...hmm...does that mean the measurement using my HRM is quite accurate...according to my HRM...my VO2 max is abt 45-46 :D

Then this past Fri...we had an early "Operation Ninja Ambush" at Cheryl's place...haha...it was her b'day!! Got a giant mumble for her...hehe...luckily I got a ride from sotong...otherwise mumble would have to take a ride on the bus with me :P


Here's a photo of giant Mumble with Tigger...hehe

Yesterday...we met Carl Lewis!!! Nike invited him here for the Vivocity Nike opening on Fri...and also a motivational talk for some athletes on sat...
Thanx to TLR..some of us managed to attend the talk...and I got an autograph from him and a photo with him...woohoo...


Got an autograph from Carl Lewis!!


A photo of Carl Lewis and I!!



Closed up photos of Carl Lewis

The thing he said that really caught my attention was abt his medals...after his 1984 olympics multiple win...someone asked him where he kept his medals, and he casually mentioned they r in storage...
Asked why...he said that the medals represents his past achievements...he doesn't need a reminder on that...he's only focused on what he can achieve in the future!!
This is truly a trait of a successful person we can really learn from...
Dun dwell on ur past achievements or failures...just look forward to what u can achieve in the future!!

Today I accompanied Cheryl for her first 10km run...err..or was it a walk...haha...we walked most of the way...pace was very consistent...abt 11-12 mins per 1km...well...the aim was to complete...not to compete...but we both ended at the finishing line extremely fresh after 1 hr 53 mins of walking and abt 400m of run...haha...


Cheryl after the run...still looking fresh huh?

Oh well...the goal was achieved...so it was all good :D
Next target for would be to complete in 1:30...

Another Ironman inspiration!!

This is truly inspiring...

To me the most inspiring thing abt athletes who manage to complete such a feat is not so much the fact that they managed to complete it...i.e. the results...but more of the process...the amount of discipline and effort that goes into training for the event!!!
These athletes spent almost all of their non-working/sleeping/eating hours training!! Can u do that??!!

Having met Harn Wei b4 at the NUS pool...I also find him extremely humble...a trait that many truly great ppl have...think I gotta learn to be more humble if I wanna be great :P

The Straits Times

Nov 18, 2006
TRIATHLON
Kua completes 10 Ironman races in 10 straight days
By Jeanette Wang

IMAGINE swimming lengthwise across Singapore, then cycling up to Chiang Mai and finally running back south to Bangkok.
Impossible?


AMAZING FEAT: Kua Harn Wei took a total of 156hr 48min 43sec to complete the Deca-Iron Triathlon World Challenge in Mexico.

Singaporean Kua Harn Wei will tell you otherwise.

The National University of Singapore lecturer, 35, covered that distance at the Deca-Iron Triathlon World Challenge in Monterrey, Mexico, last week.

The event was organised by Multisport Andonie, a Mexican company specialising in ultra-distance events.

Starting last Monday, Kua completed one Ironman triathlon - a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.195km run - every day. He did it for 10 straight days.

Competitors had to swim 76 laps in an indoor heated pool, cycle 93 laps of a paved circuit, and run 22 laps of that same circuit within 24 hours.

Once completed, the remainder of the day was free. But each day at 9am, a new round would be flagged off.

Of the 17 athletes who started, only nine - eight men and a woman - managed to finish all 10 races.

Kua is the first Asian to complete the challenge.

The 2006 Singapore Youth Award winner averaged 15hr 40min 12sec for each Ironman. He won the final leg in 13:16.33.

His total time for the 10 races was 156hr 48min 43sec.

The overall results were not available at press time.

Kua, who took part in his first Olympic distance triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km ride, 10km run) in 1992, has also competed in the Ironman and Double Ironman distances.

Last year, he was ninth at the Quintuple Ironman World Championships in Mexico.

His latest feat has left Triathlon Association of Singapore president David Hoong in awe.

'It's beyond the human body. I can't believe he did it,' he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports Teo Ser Luck, a three-time Ironman, added: 'Singaporeans should take this as an example of someone who always sets the bar higher for himself.'

Kua could not be contacted.

So do u think I'll attempt a crazy feat like that in the future?
Neh...dun think so :P
Of course things might change in the future...after all I never thought I would attempt...much less complete...a full marathon...up till my undergraduate days :P

Penguins in the news again :D

National Geographic News

Photo in the News: Penguin Shoes Ensure "Happy" Feet



November 15, 2006—They might not be suede, but these blue shoes are a perfect fit for "Elvis."

The newly shod bird, seen here, is one of 18 "second chance" little penguins now living at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. The penguins, also called blue or fairy penguins, were adopted from Marineland in Napier, New Zealand, which rescues sick or injured marine animals and sends some of those that can't return to the wild to live at regional animal centers.

But not long after their September arrival in Christchurch, a few penguins started to develop calluses on their feet that could have led to infections. Such calluses are common for penguins in captivity, because the seabirds, which normally spend most of their time fishing at sea, occasionally get lazy and spend too much time waddling on land.

"When the penguins arrived … some developed sore feet, and this has proved quite tricky for us to treat," International Antarctic Centre director Richard Benton said in a press release.

So the center's staff began a rigorous treatment regime, including saltwater foot baths, ointment applications, and fashion footwear design. The special penguin shoes—available in blue and green—are tailored specifically for the little penguins and are made of breathable material with light rubber soles.

"We have seen a dramatic improvement," Benton said, "and [we] expect that they will only be wearing their pretty shoes for a very short time."

—Victoria Gilman

Happy Feet

More penguins in the movie!! Must watch this too!!!

Penguins in An Inconvenient Truth :D

U must watch this show!!

Busy life of a mad chemist

Hmm...have I really been that busy the past 2 weeks??

Let me see...
I have finally completed my cell assay work last Mon...yippee...managed to get 3 good readings liao...so no need to do extra...hehe...I feel so lucky...
Anyway, I have killed of the remaining cells...gave them a huge dose of bleach :P

Now I have started on synthesis again...got to use the Combiflash to first purify my previous synthetic cpd that has been kept in the RBF for moons and moons...hehe...
So far I have only synthesized one cpd and but I have yet to separate them...had 2 failed attempt with the Combiflash...first the column I used was too big...then the solvent system too polar liao :P
Oh well...that's part and parcel of synthesis...plenty of failed attempts :P

Besides my research work...I also had plenty of assignments :P
Well this is the last sem I need to do any assignments...have completed my module requirement for PhD...yippee ;)

My first assignment for the "Pharm Analysis" module was on NMR and MRI...due long time ago...that was a boring paper :P

The second assignment was on LC-MS...a grp assignment...we were supposed to come up with a problem related to our research field and come up with a solution involving LC-MS...
My group decided to write up on the standardization of Lingzhi (aka Ganoderma lucidum)...I found out that there isn't a single product in the market that has standardized lingzhi...except Pharmanex :P
Lingzhi is a very good TCM that's potentially very useful as an adjunct in anticancer treatment...but w/o a standardized pdt...which oncologist would dare to let their patient use it??!!

If u r interested, check out the write up here ;)

My final assignment for this very same module (super a lot of assignment for one module hor :P) due on 23rd Nov...is on biophotonic imaging...hehe...sounds familiar?
Well similar to my 2nd assignment...we r supposed to write on a possible application of this technology in relation to our research work...
I'm planning to write abt the use of Raman spectroscopy for antioxidant/carotenoid determination to investigate the potential synergistic effect of antioxidants and my anticancer drug :D

Finally, for the "Emerging Concepts in Drug Discovery" module, I wrote on ziconotide...an interesting marine natural product for chronic pain...which was just approved by the FDA in 2004...

It's a very interesting drug 'cos it has a novel mechanism of action...unlike the usual opioid drugs which works on..err...the opioid receptors...haha :P
Ziconotide work on the N-type calcium channel...it's the first of its kind!!

Also another interesting pt is that ziconotide is the original/unmodified form which was extracted from the cone snail, Conus magnus...most drugs are usually modified/improved form of the original natural pdts...
But in this case even with attempts to improve this natural product, scientists found that the most potent form is still its original form ;)

Well...have I bore u enough? :P
Anyway, if u r interested...u can download my assignment write up here...I have also included the story behind how ziconotide was serendiptously discovered ;)
I hope to do some research on marine natural products in the future...hehe...hopefully I can go diving to get my own samples too...haha :)

Oh...assignments are not all that's keeping busy...
Starting from next week...we r gg to have weekly meetings for all those in my lab...each week, someone has to present briefly abt the work and progress...
I'm supposed to present the following week (20 Nov)...my co-supervisor will be coming along to...save me the trouble of doing the presentation twice...hehe...but I think our meeting with him is long overdue...I hope they have some results on the enzyme inhibition assay for me too :P

Well...that's my busy life for now...but I still managed to exercise at least once or twice a week...been swimming every week...and last week I also went to Sentosa to run with Jayce...it's been so long we ran together!! Hmm...but my ITBS seem to be still there...shucks...I gotta be more hardworking and do some strengthening exercise...otherwise how m I gg to fulfill my IRONMAN dream??!!!

Farewell to my twin?

It's been a while since I have posted...been busy and lazy :P

Anyway, I gotta post something since my twin aka Vorlacks will be leaving for China soon...tomorrow actually...he's been to China quite a number of times the past few months...but this time round...it'll be a much longer trip...at least for a few months...

So I met up with him at Hougang Mall on Thur...it was the only weeknight I was free :P
Wow...I haven't been to Hougang Mall for so long...it's pretty different now after the renovation...renovation is done except some tiny ppl still doing some final touch up like minor screwing and paintings...haha...ok...that last part is crap :P

We had dinner at Cafe Cartel...wanted to order the special combo which contains ribs, chicken, pork etc...unfortunately it's for 4 person...there was only 2 of us and 2 penguins...
Oh well...we had something else instead....forgot to take photo though...shucks!!

Only took one b4 dinner was served...Vorlacks was pretty hungry...so he resorted to eating....my penguins!!!!



After dinner, Vorlacks took out his laptop to get connected to the internet...we found the Hao/How brothers online...How is also in Netherlands with Hao aka oyster...haha...we got a call from Hao which we put on speaker...couldn't hear half the things they said...could only hear them laughing and laughing...typical of the Hao :P

We had dessert after that and it was time to head home...
Of course b4 that...we need took some twin photo...no more twin photos for a while after this!!!

Here's the photo...


So long, twin!!! Till we meet again!!!

Campaign 4 An Inconvenient Truth

Just watch the documentary on global warming at a special screening by ECO at GV Plaza Sing...would like to encourage more ppl to watch it...

It's an excellent documentary that everyone have to watch...and take action!!!
Global warming has to be stopped if u want the earth to live longer than u and many generations after u...

The evidence of global warming is overwhelming and undeniable...
1) The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
2) Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level
3) The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade
4) At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles

...and if the warming continues...
1) Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years - to 300,000 people a year
2) Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antartica, devastating coastal areas worldwide
3) Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense
4) Droughts and wildfires will occur more often
5) The Artic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050 (where would penguins and polar bears go then??!!)
6) More than a million species worldwide could be drive to extinction by 2050

Therefore, take action b4 it's too late!!!
A little effort goes a long way...

Here are 10 simple things u can do...
1) Change a light
2) Drive less
3) Recycle more
4) Check your tires...keep it properly inflated
5) Use less hot water
6) Avoid products with a lot of packaging
7) Adjust your thermostat
8) Plant a tree
9) Turn of electronic devices...when not in use
10) Spread the word!! Encourage your friends to watch An Inconvenient Truth!!

For more information, go to www.climatecrisis.net
Most of the information above are obtained from the website

My favorite quotes from the movie: "Ask your parents not to ruin the world you'll be living in" and "If you are a parent, join your children..."

"It is DIFFICULT to get a man to understand something when his SALARY depends upon his NOT UNDERSTANDING IT."
Upton Sinclair

Just another busy week

It's been busy busy busy again...so busy I can't really rem wat kept me busy :P

Let me see...I have been swimming at least once a week recently...other than that...it's just going to the lab...nothing interesting...

Sat I went to KL for a seminar...left super early in the morning...and came back super late at night...after a yummy dinner at a nyonya restaurant in Malacca...yummy!!!

Sun...even though I went to bed pretty late...still had to wake up early for an interclub tennis match in NUS...it was my longest game!!! 3hrs...3 sets...lost the first one...won the 2nd...then...lost the 3rd...sianz...I think our NUS ladies' team has yet to win a single match throughout this doubles league!!! excluding the walkover we got :P
Eunice and I got real close to winning one...but...sighz...that's kinda wat happen when u dun train...u regret it!!!

After the super long match...I got lift to Suntec for pharmacy week!!! Plenty of free health screening...including blood glucose, blood pressure, body fat analysis, bone density test...and, most importantly, ANTIOXIDANT scan!!!
Well...ur antioxidant score tells u how healthy u are...unlike the other "health" screening which only tell u wat disease condition u have or do not have...for example a normal blood glucose only tells u that u do not have diabetes :P

Whereas if ur antioxidant level is high...it means ur body is better protected against free radical attack...
Free radical attack can cause aging and cancer, and have also been proved to be associated to 200 over chronic diseases!!!

My antioxidant score is 53000 (optimal = 50000+)...wat's urs?


This week...back in school...except on Tue...'cos it Hari Raya!! Worked at TPY instead...
It flooded at the basement due to a burst pipe the night b4!!! Luckily by the time I got there...it was more or less cleared up...nothing interesting except I got so many calls from that irritating aunty again!!!

Wed I was planning to column of the crude compounds I synthesized a couple months back...hehe...jialat hor...leave it for sooooo long...
Instead I was busy editing a paper...that hopefully will be published on the Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters soon...it finally came back after a long review...

Finally I managed to column my compound today...it was really fast using the Combiflash...looks quite clean...I think...hehe...Jianchao doesn't think so :P Oh well...it's just an intermediate...will do NMR on Mon and see how ;)
Had to do another cell culture assay to determine the IC50 of 2 compounds because blur me added the wrong compound in the last assay!!! Waste time and waste money man!!! So I seeded the cells today...tom add drug...next Mon add MTT ;)

After a mad rush...decided to join Wilson at the screening of "The Inconvinient Truth"...it's a documentary on global warming...narrated by former US Vice President Al Gore...hehe...last minute go gate crash :P

I'm still alive!!

Yippee...the test is over...and I'm still alive...haha

In fact, I think the little bit that I studied was all I need for that paper...hehe...yippee...

Hmm...so now I just need to complete my 2 assignments due in less than 2 weeks time :D

...and in the lab it's back to playing with chemicals again soon...well...my boss have been bugging me abt that quite a while ago...but...hehe...cell culture work is really time-consuming...my boss dun seem to understand that...seems like u really gotta do it to understand it :P

I'm so dead :P

Just realized that I haven't had a closed book test/exam for a long long time...since undergrad times...

Being so used to open book exams...I'm usually quite bochap abt tests/exams...until a day or 2 b4...and I'm still quite confident I'll survive :D

But now I have a closed book test on NMR and MRI tomorrow...I know nuts abt this topic...and I just started looking at the notes yesterday!!! Spent a whole day out yesterday, and the whole morning out today...
Can't believe I had a tennis match this morning, and went for an KR alumni gathering after that...as though I'm so free...not realizing how jialat I'm gg to be if I dun spend more time studying...and worse still...I still dun feel like studying now!!!
I feel so stressed for myself :P

Well...if u find me dead tom...this post will tell u y...wahahah :P

Ok...back to staring at the notes :S

Ironman inspiration!!

I have been inspired to do an Ironman race ever since I started participating in various marathon/biathlon/triathlon last year...esp when I see so many fellow triathletes who aim to be an Ironman!!!

Interestingly...even though I have been very active in sports since...err...primary school years?!! I played tennis competitively to a pretty high level and also represented school, college or hall in swimming/track etc...
Yet I have never thought that running 10km or more was an achievable target...

And now I have done various marathons, biathlons and triathlons!!! In fact, the more I participate, the more inspired I'm to go further!!

However, training for a triathlon is really really time consuming...wat more an Ironman??!!!
Not to mention a tribike is pretty expensive and not cheap to maintain too!!! Dun think I can do an Ironman with a mountain bike or a hybrid :P

Today I saw this clip on Youtube...it is really touching to see so much love of a father for his son...so much that they participated in so many marathon/triahtlon together!!! U really have to watch it and be inspired!!

It also inspires me further to do an Ironman...not just for myself...but for a charitable organization!!!

So now I have to work hard to find time and money to do an Ironman b4 I reach the veteran's category for ladies...hehe :P

More on team Hoyt here :D

Are you feeling sleepy/lethargic lately?

I kept feeling sleepy last week...just couldn't figure out why...so decided to blame the haze...haha...actually I thought it must be psychological lah :P

Then someone mentioned she felt the same way too...hmm...then I really started to wonder whether it's the haze...

Last Sat I was referred to the website by the National Environment Agency on the latest PSI readings...
There's this 24-hr PSI at 4pm for each day...where they report the SO2 (sulphur dioxide), PM10, ozone and CO (carbon monoxide) level...

I noticed the CO level was abt 30-40 on Fri and Sat when the air was very hazy...and that is still within the good range of 1-50...
However on Sunday when the haze was gone...the CO level was in the single digit range!!!
Which means there's something like 5x more CO in the air than normal during hazy days...maybe that's the reason for the sleepiness...after all, sleepiness is one of the early symptoms of CO poisoning :P

So that's my theory...haha...
Saying that...increased my dose of Cordymax seem to help elevate these symptoms...maybe from the increased VO max :D


Some facts abt Carbon Monoxide

What is carbon monoxide (CO)?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic gas produced as a by-product of combustion ...well, not surprising there's additional CO in the air with the haze...plenty of incomplete combustion gg on in our neighbouring country :P

What are the medical effects of CO?

Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood's ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Once combined with the hemoglobin, that hemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen ...well, lack of oxygen in the brain can sure make ppl sleepy :P

How quickly the carboxyhemoglobin builds up is a factor of the concentration of the gas being inhaled (measured in parts per million or PPM) and the duration of the exposure. Compounding the effects of the exposure is the long half-life of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Half-life is a measure of how quickly levels return to normal. The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin is approximately 5 hours. This means that for a given exposure level, it will take about 5 hours for the level of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood to drop to half its current level after the exposure is terminated.

What are some symptoms of acute low level CO poisoning?

The earliest symptoms, especially from low level exposures, are often non-specific and readily confused with other illnesses, typically flu-like viral syndromes, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and migraine or other headaches ...anyone experience any of such symptoms recently?

The effects of carbon monoxide in parts per million are listed below:

35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours
200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours
400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours
800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
12,800 ppm (1.28%) Death in less than three minutes.

Better air please?

Wow...the air has been real bad recently...wonder wat's the PSI...

Dunno it's the air or it's just me...but I feel like sleeping most of the time...*yawn* :P

Anyway, that said...I'm real glad the sitting area in my lab has been partitioned off just in time...so at least now we have an air-conditioned place to hang out and do our non-lab work...w/o having the smoky smell from the hazy air...hehe...lucky us :)

...and luckily I went for a swim on Tue afternoon...after the downpour which cleared the air...
Hmm...that means I was swimming in smoky water...oops...

Maybe now's a good time to go diving...we could use more compressed clean air now :P

Interesting weekend?

I think this must be one of the more interesting weekends I had for many many week liao :P

Yesterday...after I had lunch...or rather brunch..went to dreamergal's place for board games...hehe...
On the way there...while I was changing bus at one of the bus stop...saw this young boy with the mum massaging his head...found out that he had knock his head on the bollard 'cos some big guy was running to catch the bus which the boy just alighted from...that guy banged into him and somehow the boy knocked his head...ouch!!!
In the end the mum insisted on that guy gg along with them to see the doc...so much for rushing to catch the bus...that guy has just wasted more time :P

Anyway, when I was near dreamergal's place...I saw this red car with an arm each swinging from both front seat windows...hmm...squid tentacles? hehe...yeah..it's sotong and mrs sotong...
We got to dreamergal's place in time just b4 it started pouring...

Well the rest were not so lucky...renoh had to run in just b4 it poured really heavily...then charlotte, daisiki and roonz came in a cab...

Tiwazz, TLR, Fd, Ripley and Philip came later...hmm...I din even see Philip since I had to leave early...

Anyway, we had loads of fun playing all sorts of games...together with dreamergal's many siblings :D
Started of with Billionaire, then Taboo and finally Pictionary b4 I left...after that they continued playing more games...including Jenga and some "banana" game suggested by...who else...sotong lah :P

Had to leave early 'cos I was working at HBF...

Nothing much happened there except kena scolded by some uncle who wanted to buy 3 strips of lomotil...
I just casually asked him how come he needed so many...'cos usually most ppl just buy 1...and usually a few tablets is more than enough for a case of diarrhea...unless u just wanna get constipated :P
Besides, lomotil can be abused...
Well this uncle not happy...apparently I have asked him the same question b4 and he refused to answer me previously too...
But the last time I worked at HBF was moons ago!!! why so "lucky" kena him again...
so he claimed I dun wanna sell to him and said he wants to complain...hmm...I dun really care leh...but I do care if I'm selling any medication to someone who might be abusing it...
In the end he got the lomotil from elsewhere and came back to show me, make noise and tell me he's gg to complain...ya..watever lah :P

Well...tat evening...I met up for dinner with a fren...hmm...she has an interesting story to tell me...apparently some idiot has been bugging her...and that idiot seem to know me too...though I dun even know him!!!

That's my Sat...

Today...I woke up early to go back to the lab...my cells have not been growing as fast as I would like them too...dunno wat's wrong also...maybe something not quite right with my media? At least it's not killing my cells ;)
Oh...when I talk abt "my cells"...I meant the IMR-90 fibroblast cells I'm growing in a flask :P
These cells are inherently slow growing since it's normal cells...not the usual cancerous cells that are more commonly used...and definitely grow a lot faster!!

Anyway, today the cells have finally grown confluently...finally could seed 2 plates from one flask and subculture the other flask...
It's quite peaceful working in the lab on a Sunday morning...not so recommended to work alone if I'm doing synthesis...but cell assay...not so bad lah hor?

After that...I had to rush off to the courts...hehe...got interclub doubles...that's part of the reason why I went back to the lab...I've travelled all the way to NUS after all ;)
Gloria partnered Pauline, Yunwen and Sherene...then I'm with Mich...
Mich and I were so lethargic throughout the game man...sunday morning tennis matches are not good...but since I can't make it for sat matches...I'm playing most of the sundays instead...maybe I need a younger, more energetic partner...hehe...
Mich and I were committing suicide all the way...so our score ended up with 6-0, 6-0...and we din even reach deuce for any game!!! Hehe..ya...it's that bad :P
We also realized we din sweat much throughout the game...when we decided to hit after the game...and found ourselves sweating away...hehe...we were really not warmed up for the game man!!!

We played against NUSS...so after the game they tried to recruit us (the old ones :P)...heh...nothing new...they've been doing that since my undergrad years...hmm...that made me sound rather old :P

Anyway, after the match, I washed up and went down to Orchard to meet a couple of frens for lunch...2 fellow primary school mates!!! Hmm...I think our parents see each other a lot more than we have seen each other :P
After lunch, it's time to head home...

My back is kinda achy now...hmm...looks like I can't do with that lazy way of hitting where I bend forward and try to reach for the ball instead of running to it and hitting in a more upright position...hehe...signs of old age...oh well :P

So that's my more interesting weekend for u ;)

Zoanthropy

Stedmans.com Word of the Day for Thursday, September 28, 2006

zoanthropy
A delusion that one is an animal (e.g., a dog).

[G. zoon, animal, + antropos, man]

Hmm...am I zoantropic?

Not sure...

I feel kinda sad at times...
but I'm not too sure why...

I think I have done something wrong...
but I'm not too sure what...

I think I shld talk to someone...
but I'm not too sure who...

Even if I think I know who...
I'm not too sure how...

What should I do?
I'm really not sure...

Busy life of a mad drug peddling chemist

Hmm...haven't really posted for super long...the last post that really count was when I was high on Atarax :P
Glad to say that my rash outbreak is now more or less gone...still feel itchy occasionally esp at night..and esp on the face and ears...so still taking Atarax at night...which seems to give me weird dreams that I can't seem to rem when I wake up!!! No mention of such side effect in my DIH (Drug Information Handbook) or Micromedex though...oh well it could be due to something else or I could be the first with such an effect :P
We are all guinea pigs when we take any drugs after all :P

Anyway, I haven't been posting much since it's that time of the year...or rather semester...that I get really really busy!!! So busy that I have been last team to arrive at home every night...either due to lecture, work or just out for dinner with frens like yest and today...

I also haven't really exercise since AHM!!!...until early this week...
It's nothing to do with the workload...I wanted to take a break from land sports due to the injury I had during AHM...then the rashes came along so I din wanna subject my skin to the harsh chlorine in the pool...
But I finally went for tennis training on Tue...then the next day went for a swim...nice relaxing swim :D

I think deadlines and the lack of exercise sure made me feel like a pressure cooker!!
I feel so much better after handing in my assignment on Tue...plus the exercise...phew...

Unfortunately I still have plenty of deadlines ahead of me...a couple of assignments I just got this week...due late next month...and maybe another which will come along next month...and 2 tests...or maybe it'll be 3 or 4 within the next 2 months!!
Well the good thing abt having so many tests/assignments is that the weightage each of them is not very high :D
...and this will be the last sem that all these tests/assignments will get into my way since I have cleared my module requirement...yippee...more time to do my personal work then ;)

Oh and did I mention abt marking lab reports...plenty to mark...since I'm taking 3 classes this sem...but it also means I would be able to fulfill my teach assistant duty requirement in 1 more sem :D
Anyway, hanging out with the students can be quite fun also...esp those who r eager to learn...hopefully they dun learn the wrong things from this drug peddler though :P
Of course there'll always be those who dun like to learn "how to fish"...they want me to "fish for them" instead :P

Hmm...those are my "sideline" work...my main work is research...so everyday I still have to do some work in my own lab...
Now I'm spending time in the not so clean "clean room"...growing cells and drugging them...hehe...that's wat mad drug peddling chemist do :P
Cell culture work seem to be not so flexible though...gotta grow them on Mon and Thur, feed them drugs on Tue and Fri...and check their viability and kill them on Fri and Mon...just so I dun have to go back during the weekends :D
In between still gotta check on the cells and make sure they r growing fast enough in the flask so that I can continuously carry out my assay...and not to mention all the autoclaving of the rubbish generated and some pipette tips etc...phew...
Hopefully I can finish all the cell culture work within the next 3 or 4 weeks...then after that clear some of the assignments and make more new drugs ;)

I feel so WA!!!

That said...next week is term break!! Yippee...I still have to do my lab work...but at least there r no lectures...did I mention my lectures are pretty late at night? 6-8pm on Mons and 8-10pm on Tues...siao hor?
...and no TA duty...just need to finish marking last week's lab report :P Yay :D

Ok...time to go iron my plenty un-ironed clothes :P

Something abt Penguins

Well this article is on the crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin's, death...but there's a mention abt Penguins...and since I haven't posted for a while...hehe...here's a post for u :P

The Straits Times
Sep 16, 2006
Irwin's 'final lesson' was his most valuable
By Ong Soh Chin, Senior Writer


Australian Steve Irwin, host of the popular documentary Crocodile Hunter, was only nine when he caught his first crocodile. He was killed by a stingray last week.

LAST week, a stingray stuck a fatal barb into conservationist Steve Irwin's heart.
Immediately after, his fellow Australian, feminist writer Germaine Greer, got a whole sling of verbal arrows when she wrote an article in The Guardian newspaper suggesting that Irwin had got what he deserved.

Enraged fans attacked her for being a 'bitter feminist' - as if that had anything to do with the price of fish - and even Queensland's Premier Peter Beattie got into the act, calling her argument 'extreme radical rubbish' and stating he wished he could triple the tax on her Queensland rainforest property.

He said: 'We should double the taxation. If I could do it, I would double it or triple the taxation on it.'

Okay, maybe Ms Greer was a little insensitive to Irwin's grieving picture-perfect family, but what she said - about Irwin disrespecting the space that animals need - is painfully valid, whether or not we want to listen. And more often than not, we don't.

Thankfully, on Monday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) came out in support of her sentiments. Its spokesman, Mr Dan Mathews, said on salon.com of Irwin: 'He made a career out of antagonising frightened wild animals, which is a very dangerous message to send to kids.'

Irwin's tale reminds me a little of the tragic story of Mr Timothy Treadwell, an American conservationist who saw himself as a protector of bears.

Mr Treadwell spent a lot of time in the Alaskan wilderness filming bears and 'befriending' them. He would talk to them, give them names and even got up close to touch them.

In October 2003, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were mauled to death by two bears. Parts of their remains were found in one of the animals, both of which were eventually killed by park rangers.

Last year, German filmmaker Werner Herzog released a highly acclaimed documentary on Mr Treadwell called Grizzly Man, using the reams of footage Mr Treadwell had shot of himself and his beloved creatures.

It never made it to Singapore, presumably because the distributors thought it had limited appeal. Documentaries don't normally do well here.

I caught the film - one of the most compelling documentaries I have ever seen - in New York where it did not draw much attention too, probably because it opened at around the same time as another documentary, March Of The Penguins.

Everybody and their grandmother went to see the penguins. In the United States, the movie went on to make US$77 million (S$121 million), becoming the second highest-grossing documentary there, after Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.

Elsewhere around the world, it was a big hit too. In its opening week in China, the film earned two million yuan (S$400,000), taking up a quarter of the total movie takings and making box office history, reported Xinhua.

Worldwide, the movie earned US$45 million and even enjoyed a short run in Singapore.

Its success was understandable. The penguins in the movie were cute and resembled nuclear families - in short, they seemed human.

This was reinforced by the movie's tagline, 'In the harshest place on earth, love finds a way', which implied that penguins were capable of a human emotion.

The American version had actor Morgan Freeman narrating, but the original French version unfolded like a bedtime story, with actors supplying the actual voices of Daddy, Mummy and Baby Penguins.

Many parents dragged their children to see March Of The Penguins, thinking it a delightful and educational movie.

But the lesson learnt - that animals think and behave like human beings - is a harmful and erroneous one.

It was precisely that kind of mistaken arrogant thinking that killed Mr Treadwell and, to a lesser extent, Irwin.

While Irwin never pretended that all the animals he encountered were cute and cuddly, he did, as Ms Greer pointed out, 'barge into' their space to 'manhandle' them.

Her ultimate fear, she concluded was that 'a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learnt to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo owners in their turn'.

Children have always been fed a highly anthropomorphised diet in popular culture, thanks to cartoon characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Big Bird, Speedy Gonzales, Nemo and all the creatures in Madagascar.

But one can easily distinguish between reality and fiction in cartoons. Clown fish do not talk in real life: That much is ascertained pretty quickly.

But when films like March Of The Penguins claim to be documentaries and conservationists like Irwin make it a point to poke and prod crocodiles, that line quickly becomes blurred.

It's one thing to dress your poodle up in baby clothes, it's totally another thing to assume that your poodle likes it.

Irwin's downfall was assuming he knew better than the animals and that he had the upper hand. A few years ago, he was lambasted by the public for dangling his infant son in one arm while feeding a dead chicken to a crocodile with the other. He then baby-walked his son in the compound.

In his defence at the time, he said he always had the situation under control. But he could not have been absolutely sure that the crocodile would not lunge unexpectedly - just like that stingray.

The irony now is that Irwin's death may teach the world a lot more about animals than his life ever did.

Human beings can sometimes be animals, but animals will never be human.

High on Atarax..

Forgot to post last week...wat happened to the weekly posting requirement for IWA??
Oh well...Vorlacks also dun have time to post regularly...and boss...ah...forget abt him...he hasn't been very WA since...u know when lah...hehe
He's now busy enjoying himself in Brazil...with his Pearl :P

Anyway, I haven't been very WA last week too...think i spent abt half the time in bed :P
Well I had a case of pretty bad rashes...so I took a lot of Atarax :P
It all started from the Fri b4...just a small patch on each arm...then it spread to the whole arm and neck on Sun...it was really itchy :P

Went to school as usual on Mon...decided to see the doc at the TPY polyclinic on Tue...wow...the waiting hour is really long...at least they let u know it's 2 hrs...after finding out from the lady at the registration counter that there r 17 (yes..17!!!) ppl in front of me...waiting to see the same doc in the same room...I decided I shall not sit there and fret...I went to get a hair cut at TPY central instead :D

Anyway, the doc thinks it looks like some allergic reaction...but gave me a referral to the Skin Center...in case it doesn't clear in a week...
But...the earliest appt to see a dermatologist in NSC is abt 2 months!! So the nice lady at the counter suggested getting an appt at CGH instead...guess wat...they have a slot for me the very next day!! Well...I would like to wait a while and see first b4 spending my time and money travelling all the way to CGH to see a specialist...so got an appt a week later...

On Thur...the rash seem to have spread to the thigh and face!!! Hmm...weird rash...seem to be on the exposed parts of my body only...
Anyway, decided to bring forward my appt to see the dermatologist...as advised by a caring fren :D

So I went to CGH on Fri...their dermatology clinic seems really free hor? can get appt next day one :P
Wasn't a great visit...with all the wait here and there...typical of a specialist outpatient clinic...generally u dun have to wait long at any pt...usually ard 15 mins or at most 30 mins...but they make u wait 15 mins many many many times!!! So irritating...
Not to mention the MO and consultant I saw wasn't really frenly...in fact u can consider one of them rude :P
Anyway, the consultant within minutes of seeing me...I hope he read the case notes the MO wrote...decided I have developed an allergic reaction due to an insect bite...
I really wonder how come he's so sure it's an insect bite...

Well...tat turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me...my insurance agent told me I'm covered for insect bites!!! wahaha...so I can actually make a claim for this kinda weird condition...not bad huh?

My arms and neck started getting better yesterday...I guess the thigh will be better soon too ;)

Army Half Marathon

My 2nd time participating in this race...and my first incompleted race :P

Oh well...better give up one race for many more to come rite?

Anyway, as usual...had to wake up super early...abt 4am...had a quick bfast, then was off to CTE...kops21 got there b4 me!! oops...thanx for waiting ;)

Got to the carpark by the Bible House at almost 5am...
After we got ready...we walked towards the starting pt...I stopped by Parkroyal for a toilet break..lost kops21 and Francis after that :P

At the baggage deposit area...I saw Jayce, Elaine, Evan and a few other frens of theirs...then as I walked towards the bridge...I saw Balasing and flip...I think...

After we got onto the bridge...suddenly a whole grp of sgrunners appeared..wah...dunno where they come from...anyway, they also disappeared quite as fast...as we walked towards the starting line...I only see renoh and ripley nearby...wonder where have the rest gone...I'm sure ppl like brokie, our chilli padi, was right in front...in her sexy running attire...hehe...

At 5.30am...we were flagged off...I decided to run slowly..as usual..at a comfortable heart rate...
Since I was pretty near the starting line when we started...I was overtook quite a lot :P
I rem seeing Taz, Mythos, Jennifer, run3, and few others who kinda stared at me when they run pass...must be 'cos I was wearing the sgrunners singlet...hehe :P
The rest must have been too far in front...
Elaine and Jayce also run pass me and whacked my cap...I'll pull their hair next time I see them :P

Anyway, as I approached ECP...the side of my right knee started aching a bit...as I slowed down to a walk...the pain kinda disappeared...then as I continued running...the pain came back...so I slowed down again...then run again...after I u-turned back and passed the 9km mark...I decided it's time to stop and ice my knee...

Went to the medic tent at Fort Rd...got "check-in" and was given a piece of cold pack...then the doc came by to check out wat happened...
After that, I hanged ard there as a couple of other gals, a sec sch gal and another one who works with OSIM, came in...
Then a couple of counsellors came by to chat with us...wow...so cool...
Apparently there're quite a number of ladies in the army too :D just like ripley...

Later on...this gal, Harmony, from Brewerkz, came in...apparently she's been walking and hobbling for a few km...b4 someone finally stopped her and brought her here...she was still thinking of continuing the race even though she can barely walk!!!
We finally convinced her to give up this race...there'll be many more to come...esp since she's still pretty young...

At abt 8 plus...we were ferried back to the ending pt...where I found the sgrunners...but not kops21!!! My stuff are still in his car...luckily brokie had her phone with her and she has his no...met him back at his car...
Since he was gg back...decided to take a lift from him...esp since the sky has turned pretty dark!!


A photo b4 I left...

Got back in time just b4 it started pouring at my place...
Took a shower, iced my knee again...b4 Feei and I went out for bfast...

After that, I slept pretty much the whole afternoon!!! slept a couple of hours...wake up...sleep again...wake up...housemates came back from "S'pore-M'sia badminton match"...sleep again...felt like a pig...haha...must be the Atarax I took for the rashes all over my arm...yawnz...

Guess I'll just be swimming for the next few weeks :D Shall skip the tennis training too :P

Anyway, congrats to Brokie and TeeLee for coming in top 20 for their category!!

New Balance Real Run

There r so many events this month...one after another!!

Anyway, I din sign up for this run...not so thrilled abt running on sand...esp since this coming Sun is the army half marathon :P
But since I haven't run for so long...since Penang Bridge run...I decided to head down to Sentosa to run a bit and meet up with the other Sgrunners...after all, the first time we met last year was for this run ;)

Woke up at abt 6 plus on Sun...and I'm considered late liao!!! Siao man!!
Got to Sentosa at abt 7 plus...walked in from harbourfront since the queue was very long for the shuttle bus...and the road was jammed up too...

Got to the gateway carpark at 8am...where I found the support crew...the runners have all run off :P

After we settled our stuff at the finishing pt...I started running from the finishing pt towards the beach...ran past the musical fountain, towards the entrance of the trail...decided to run along the road instead since I din want to interfere with the runners running on the trail in the opposite direction :P
From there I ran all the way to Siloso beach...in the opposite direction on the running/cycling trail along the beach...some of the volunteers were wondering why I was running the wrong direction...haha ;)

Made a U-turn ard the 6-6.5km mark...which means I have ran abt 3.5-4km?
From there I followed the Real Run route all the way back to the finishing pt...somewhere towards the middle of the jungle trail...some "irritating guy" started mumbling "excuse me, excuse me...." behind me...even though I was just running at the side...haha...it was TLR lah...he overtook me and I started speeding up, trying to pace after him...since finishing liao...might as well run faster rite?

As I came out from the trail...someone shouted "penguin!!"...but my shades was pretty fogged up...so din couldn't really figure out who it was...until I saw this photo in KJ's album...thanx, dude :D



I finally reached the finishing pt after abt 40 mins...saw Fd waiting with her camera near the finishing line...but..hmm...she took a lot of blank photos...wahaha...it's really hard to spot ppl and take their photo when there r so many running in ur direction :P

Here's my heart rate curve...showing I was slacking...wahaha :P


After everyone got back...we took a group photo...then the Sgrunners when off to the beach...


Group photo taken b4 the run...I wasn't there :P


Group photo taken after the run...wow...compare with the one taken last year!!
Who is who? (Courtesy of a fellow very tall sea creature...at the back...hehe)
Front Row (Seated): Teelee, TinTin, Penguin, TLR, Andy, T@z, Brokie, Vincent (Brokie's Hubby), Kay
Second Row (Seated): Spyfish?, ?, Bee (Partially hidden), Loneshark, Cyberkinetic, Freddie, Ronnie, Commando (in front of ronnie), Roentgen, Cheow12, ?, Burnz, Fd (half squat)
Third Row (half squat): 136Fallschirmjäger, Daisiki, Charmane, Meteor, cFred84, LaticAcid, ?, Cokiee, Tekko's Wife, Le Charlotte
Fourth Row (Standing): ?, Roonz, ?, Fennel (partially hidden), Bikerchic (Partially hidden), ?, Dasher, Sotong, Alvo, Bug (Behind Alvo), AiChai, Cosmic, Siong, Tekko (behind Siong), ?, Lyn, ? (behind Lyn), SportVenturer, ? (behind SV), Hedgehog, Renoh, ?


A photo of me and one of my many twins...we have the same shades..and similar cap :D
Hey...TLR is trying to appear in our photo...

Merey and Reef came...Merey injured herself a bit...so decided not to run...but she came by to return her championchip and collect goodie bag...
Reef wanted to see turtles, seahorse etc...so we headed towards Underwater World...we din go in though...just hanged ard outside checking out the stingrays and turtles...then Reef was tired liao...

Merey and I had to collect our AHM race pack...so we headed to TPY, collected our race pack, had lunch, did some grocery shopping..hehe...then it was time to head home...yawnz...

Sgrunners forum is back

Sgrunners forum is back!!!

...and so...penghulu will close the temp forum at midnight tonite (17/8)...

Adios, temp forum!!

NUS triathlon

Yet another race...
Not a great one though :P

Pretty poorly organized...from the swim (it's biathlon...swim-run-swim-run-swim-run) to the cycle (think that's the worst...with all the stops at various junctions) to the run (no signs at u-turns...poor kids ran 4-5km instead of the 2km they r supposed to cover)...
...and pretty expensive too...can't say they used much money for logistics at the bike route...there's hardly any marshall and no roads were closed!! Not too mention safety at the transition area was horrible...anyone can walk in and out...why bother giving us the wrist tag??!! wonder anyone lost their bike there?

Oh well...I guess next year the organizing committee shld try to be less ambitious...stick to a simpler route...and maybe try to get help from a more experienced organizer...like TAS or Tribob...no point trying to claim they can handle it when the committee is a new one each year...
Just my 2 cents worth ;)

Anyway, I did enjoy my time there hanging out with some of the other participants...

So wat happened on Sun?

I know I was woken up at 4plus...TLR sms me :P
Bochap..I went back to sleep...finally I woke up at abt 5.15...TLR picked me up at 5.45...with our paparazzi photographer, Ripley, already in the car...hehe...

Got to ECP at abt 6am...waited for our cyclist, Junrong to arrive...he cycled all the way from Punggol...just warming up..hehe...
Then we put on our no. tags...mark myself...while the paparazzi was busy taking photo :P


Told u we had a paparazzi ard...she can't help taking any photos...be it Junrong pasting label on his bike or TLR marking my arm :P

After that we went into the transition area to put our stuff...not many ppl yet...yawnz...still had an hour or so to wait...nothing much to do except to chat and look out for ppl we know...rem seeing sanji182, runalone, mythos from Sgrunners..

Also saw Lee Li, Shawn and Huiping whom I met at the charity swim...hehe...I'm the only slacker doing relay...3 of them doing long distance individual event :P
Well with frens like Jayce and Elaine...slacking seem to be the way to go...hehe...they also participated in the relay event...with their cyclist, San San, who got registered w/o knowing it!!!

Of course Vicky was there too...she claims she haven't been training much..but still came in first in the Women's open...and also beat everyone in the Men's Closed category :P


Team beyond boundaries and frens....

Anyway, at abt 7am...I decided to get ready and walk over to the starting pt...my wave was supposed to start at 720am...but...
...it was delayed!!!
I was so bored...so sleepy...so was Jayce...hehe...yawnz
Finally after half an hour wait...the first wave was flagged off...
Oh man...the tide was so low...and the ground was so muddy...I ended up swimming abt 2/3 to 3/4 of the distance and was on foot the rest...3 loops of wat's supposed to be 500m each...took only 31 minutes...sure or not...that's abt my usual timing in the pool where there's no wave, no current, no one blocking my way...and I dun have to keep looking up to make sure I'm gg the right direction :P

Anyway, after 3 loops...I dashed my way to the transition area...on the way there..photo kena taken by paparazzi again...hehe...
That's the end of my leg of the race...haha...we were second for the long dist mixed relay then...few seconds behind...

Our cyclist sped off for 60km of cycling and a lot of stopping...before he finally got back in first place at the dismount area...but the other cyclist ran faster from there to the transition area...so we were still second when TLR ran off...

After an hour...he was back from his 2 loops of 7.5km...we came in second!!! Woohoo...team Beyond Boundaries rocks!!!


Team Beyond Boundaries in action!!
I just had to make that face since someone is taking photo :P
Guess how old is our powerful cyclist...someone wants his autograph!!


Photo with my competitor, Michelle...her team, MaxOut!, came in first...


A certain flip trying to avoid the paparazzi...not too successful huh?


An ironman-to-be (mythos) and an ironman dreamer (IMD)? Mythos is joining his first ironman end of this year...all the best!!!

Had to leave not long after TLR got back...so I wasn't ard for the prize presentation...


Team Beyond Boundaries again...taken b4 I left...


Hey...Gary gave out the prize to TLR and Junrong...he's another guy I met from the charity swim...even one of my housemates know him...hehe

Got the prize from TLR that evening 'cos we were having a surprise b'day dinner for Fd...
The prize sucks...we each got a medal which was blank on one side...and the engraving was on another piece of metal which was stucked on...oh man...and...
...one bottle of weird supplement and a tube of weird cream to be shared among the 3 of us...haha...we played with it during dinner instead :P
Dinner was good though...with fellow mods (Mr and Mrs Sotong, Cyberkinetic, Ripley, Alvo, Meteor, Philip, Tiwazz, Renohtaram) and some other ppl like commando, flip, Roetgen, IMD, SV (who cycled there...and park his bike in TLR's car!!)...
After that, I was pretty dead...so was renoh...hmm...twin effect? hehe...so we left while the rest probably went for coffee...

Photos are courtesy of Ripley

More penguins in the news..

Unfortunately...this is sad news for animals lovers...especially penguin lovers :(

The Straits Times
Aug 10, 2006
Bird blood bath


PHOTOS: AP

It was a day strictly for the birds after two lorries overturned, sending feathers and penguins spilling onto the roads in Texas.

In a turkey mishap on Monday, the lorry had been carrying about 5,000 six-week-old hens when the driver lost control of his vehicle near Gholson. Thousands of birds were killed and many of the dazed survivors scattered into the woods, though some were later recaptured, the Waco Tribune Herald reported.

A day later, a truck transporting zoo animals also crashed, throwing 24 penguins, an octopus and tropical fish onto the road in Marshall. Four penguins died, including three hit by oncoming traffic, Reuters reported.

'The rest of the penguins kind of stayed together in the ditch,' state trooper Richard Buchanan said. The octopus emerged unscathed.

Penguins in the news

Hehe...

Clean penguins return to sea after spill

By NATACHA PISARENKO, Associated Press Writer
Tue Aug 1, 7:41 PM ET



SAN CLEMENTE DEL TUYU, Argentina - Dozens of freshly cleaned Magellanic penguins waddled into the ocean Monday to the applause of onlookers, the first batch of close to 200 goo-covered birds that were rescued and washed after an oil spill.

The 49 penguins, each tagged with metal identifying bands, were released on a wind-swept South Atlantic beach not far from the outlet of Argentina's River Plate. Another 141 birds that survived an unexplained oil spill off Patagonia in May still await release.

About 220 penguins were found alive in remote Santa Cruz province following the spill but some later died. The 190 survivors were airlifted to Fundacion Mundo Marino, a marine facility in San Clemente del Tuyu, some 185 miles southeast of Buenos Aires.

There the migratory seabirds were repeatedly washed until their bodies were rid of the sticky oil and their feathers realigned to regain their waterproofing against the chill of the South Atlantic ocean, experts said.

About 50 tourists, some waiting for hours, cheered as the caged penguins were brought to the shore in two pickup trucks. They were freed en masse and raced past the tourists, disappearing in seconds under the waves.

"Beautiful! Beautiful!" someone shouted as video cameras whirred. The birds could be seen swimming away from the coast and then they vanished in the distance.

"This makes it all worthwhile," said Valeria Ruoppolo, a veterinarian with the International Fund for Animal Welfare who helped rescue the birds along with government experts from Santa Cruz and teams from the Fundacion Mundo Marino.

Ruoppolo said another 50 penguins would be released sometime before Friday with the rest returning to the sea in coming weeks.

Although the source of the May oil spill was never determined, she said it could have been an offshore ship dumping engine oil and other pollutants. Ruoppolo said penguins are wide-ranging migratory seabirds whose routes make them vulnerable to spills.

In early May, penguins coated in black oil began showing up on rocky coasts off South America's southern Straits of Magellan. Authorities first reported that 70 dead Magellanic penguins were found at the Cabo Virgenes nature reserve on the Straits, 1,350 miles south of Buenos Aires. About 400,000 penguins live there during the warmer months.

Coast Guard authorities sent overflights but could not detect the source of the oil.

"Having all these ships throwing their oil in the water ... it causes a big problem," Ruoppolo said, adding hundreds of penguins were found dead "but the real number we'll never really know."

Ruoppolo said rehabilitation efforts at the initial rescue site near Rio Gallegos, in frigid Santa Cruz province, were hampered by the cold. A decision was taken to airlift birds to San Clemente del Tuyu with its warmer weather, speeding up the recovery process, she said.

The birds regained their waterproofing through a painstaking process of repeated washings and dryings that realigned feathers, she said.

"To regain their waterproofing, they need to get wet and dry off many times. This is how they align their feathers to the normal position, so the feathers interlock together and form a barrier against the cold water," Ruoppolo said.

Why did the hacker cross the road?

To hack into the Sgrunners' forum :P

Anyway, dun fret...the new temporary forum can be found here

Penang Bridge International Marathon

Yes...I participated in the Penang Bridge Run...the full marathon...
Wonder was I plain stupid or just mad...

Why do I think I'm plain stupid?
Well if u know my mileage for this year...dun even talk abt this month...I'm sure u would think so too :P
I believe my mileage for this year (based on the Polar Precision Peformance Software) includes...
Feb...5 + 10 + 6 (very very slow) + 2.5/10 (NUS biathlon mini and full distance)
Mar...5 + 10 (Singapore biathlon)...
Apr...3 + 5 (JP Morgan...also very very slowly :P)...
May...0...
Jun...6...and finally...
Jul...10 (Shape Run) + 10 (Health relay)

...hmm...that adds up to be abt 80km since Jan...and 20km for this month ;)

Stupidity??

Then why could I just be mad?
Oh well...it's not the first time the mileage I clocked is less than optimal...and so far I have survived well ;)
So maybe I'm just mad...a bit screwed up in the head?
After all...I signed up b'cos I happened to be back in Penang...emailed them way after the closing date...and in fact...I was only included in the race 3 days ago...there were only 27 female participants including me!!! :D

So wat happened today?
Slept at abt 8 plus yesterday..and woke up at abt 2.45am this morning...good thing I stay abt 15 mins from the starting pt...
Otherwise the lose screw in my head wouldn't have got me into signing up in the first place :P
Somehow everyone at home is awake too...aunt haven't slept yet...mum and dad just got up...mum wanted to walk with me to the starting line...dad's got a golf game in Ipoh...he has to take the ferry...but not this early!!! :P

Anyway, I reached the starting pt..Sg Gelugor Primary Sch..at abt 3.30am..where we were "locked" inside...hehe...until almost 4am when we were gg to start the race...
The crowd here was definitely a lot smaller than the Stan Chart S'pore Marathon...
Even though I started from behind...I believe I crossed the starting pt in less than a minute...that's how small the crowd was!!!

Stucked to my previous marathon strategy of following my heart rate...din wanna kill my heart :P
Think I started off a bit slow though...HR was less than 140 :P
After abt 2 km...I started to speed up to HR of abt 150-160...which I maintained till abt 30km...then slowly went up above 160...
Managed to overtake quite a no. of ppl throughout the race...esp towards the end...hehe...that's wat happens when u start of slow...makes u feel good even though u r probably at the back of the pack :D

Anyway, the route started off with a loop from Sg Gelugor...towards the coastal rd...U-turn at RECSAM...then the Penang Bridge...very nice run there...U-turn at the end of the bridge...then coastal rd towards the Free Industrial Zone...U-turn near Seagate...along the coastal rd again...all the way to the Marine Police building...then finally back to the USM...phew...dun think most of u have any idea wat I'm talking abt here :P

I saw Angel so many times during the run...first time along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah near RECSAM while she was walking to the starting line (she joined the half marathon)...
Then on the bridge..we happened to meet where there was a gap in the center...most parts were blocked at the center...
Finally I saw her again after the race...while gg to get a drink...hehe

I also saw Jayce and Elaine running on the bridge...din even know they came...and when I was abt to reach the ending pt...I saw them again...I made a dash to catch them even though my leg was almost dead then...wahaha...

Chatted with a few other guys towards the last 10km of the race too...most were not from Penang...a few were from Pacesetter in KL...one told me he always told himself that it would be his last 42k...but ALAS peer pressure prevailed...hehe :P
It was good that we chatted and cheered each other on at that stage of the race...

In the end I finished the race in more than 5 hrs...abt 5:20...I knew I couldn't do sub-5 the moment I hit the 10km mark...it was already more than 1 hr...got to the 20km mark at abt 2:20...after that it was abt 18-19 mins per 2.5km...
Can't say my timing was good...but with the kinda mileage I put in prior to the marathon...wat do u expect :P
I even managed to come in 16th!!! wahaha...since there were only 27 ladies...that wasn't even top 50%...but I still got my medal (given to the top 20)...hehe :P

It was quite a wait to get that medal though...ended up chatting with IMD who came in 12th for Men's Open...woohoo...go sgrunner!!
Hui Ping...whom I met at the charity swim was there too...she came in 7th...just behind Clare...an Australian who's currently staying in Penang with her hubby, Graham...who can't run now due to a previous back injury...almost recovered...but maybe start off with swimming first? ;)
Hoping to see Clare in the coming SCSM!!

I was abt to walk home after an hour's wait...but then...I saw Jayce and Elaine...they came in 17th and 18th respectively for the half marathon!!! Ended up hanging out there another hour...b4 we finally got our medals and left...phew...

Now I'm moving at snail speed...
Supposed to meet a couple of frens tom...Miss Chew, my classmate from PCGHS...just back from US...
and Becky, my roommate in JC!!! din even know she was back!!! Long time no see man...it's gg to be Becky, M.D. in a few more years :P
Maybe meeting my primary schmate...cum swimming and tennis fren...Foong Hooi...

Hopefully I'm not in too much pain tom...hehe :P

...also hopefully I din get any darker...otherwise I would get screamed at soon :P Already kena for participating in such a massive free-radical generating event :P