High on sunshine

This week is definitely a great week!!!
Except for the little incident where penguin had a couple of hours out on his own...thank god he din get lost...phew..

It's been superbly busy at the lab and pharmacy...yet I had lotsa sunshine and fun this week!!!

First was NUS biathlon at Sentosa on Sun...I'm now branded criminal 6018

Left: Can u see the nos...
Right: Well...in case u can't see it :P

Then went wakeboarding/kneeboarding at the cable ski park at ECP on Thur...it rained intermittently...but there was still plenty sunshine and fun...
Coincidentally, I met a fellow KentRidgean, Sunshine, there...haha...but that's not the only sunshine we had there ;)

Tomorrow...it's Tenses Games...a friendly tennis game between NUS, NUS alumni, RJC and ACJC...why is it called Tenses Games? No idea...haha :P
But I do know it'll be another day (8am-4pm) out in the sun :D

So next time u see me I'll prob be super chao ta penguin!!!
And somehow chao ta penguin kena arrowed to pose for some photo-taking in the lab...must act like I'm working hard at the bench...haha...
Again...this is for some weirdly named event...T-Rex exhibition??!!!

Penguin's day out...

Penguin had a really interesting day out today!!!

Penguin owner aka mad chemist cum legal drug peddler, having spent 10 straight days in school and many days at the pharmacy too, decided to spend the morning wakeboarding at the cable ski park at ECP with Vorlacks and fren...
Since it's a water sport...penguin decided to come along...haha :P

When penguin owner and frens arrived at ECP...it rained heavily...so they ran from the bus stop to the underpass and waited till the rain stopped...that's abt 5 mins wait only ;)


Tourist, Vorlacks, had to take a photo while we were waiting at the bus stop...
As usual..penguin looks troubled...

At the cable ski park...penguin owner din have time to look after penguin and can't bring penguin along for wakeboarding...so penguin ended up in the locker...oops...


Wakeboards n kneeboards...

After multiple failure to get up properly on the wakeboard...penguin owner decided to change to the kneeboard...which was so much easier...but just as tiring on the shoulders :P
Managed to go a couple of rounds b4 deciding to let go ;)

Tried the wakeboard again...damn...this cable ski is not for lefties like the penguin owner...angle is so off :P
Oh well...penguin owner also no skills lah :P


This is where they started off...check out the very unnatural angle for lefties like penguin owner who's dropping off the edge...but still couldn't resist posing for the camera :P

Vorlacks and fren, E Hunt, did very well though..managed to go at least a couple of rounds and wakeboard with one hand too!!! :D

Some photos of us...

Penguin owner with wakeboard...before and after...trying to look damn shack

Jon with wakeboard...before and after...very happy to be in the water?

E Hunt with wakeboard...before and after...very happy to be almost back at the start off

After wakeboarding, they showered and penguin finally got to come out of the bag again!! Haha...
Penguin owner and vorlacks being posers had to take photo with the pro wakeboard and penguin...and with shades!!!
But penguin owner's shades is with the original Oakley lenses now...instead of the prescribed lenses...so penguin owner see blur blur :P
The frame is new though...few days ago penguin owner found the shades broken at the stem near the lense...hmm...dunno how that happened...but luckily she managed to get it replaced at Oakley's service center :D

Here are the photos...

Poser photos...

A must have in all Vorlacks/penguin outings...a group photo...hehe

After photo-taking...it's time to leave for lunch...
So they walked back to the bus stop to take a bus (135) to Marine Parade...but...
on the bus...suddenly Vorlacks remembered he forgot to return the locker key...so his $10 deposit is still at the cable ski place!!! Nvm..he'll go back later to get it...

Then when they arrived at the Marine Parade...it was raining..and suddenly penguin owner noticed penguin is MISSING!!!!
Oh no...gotta chase the bus...
Quickly got onto a cab and had a bus chase...haha...so exciting!!!

Finally managed to catch up at Aljunied Rd...phew...
But...penguin was not in there!!!
Damn...gotta take bus back to the cable ski park...can return the key also...and hopefully find penguin along the way...


Bored on the bus...

Ah...penguin was sleeping just at the exit of the underpass...phew...penguin had a good scolding from penguin owner...



Well..apparently penguin decided to jump out of penguin owner's bag when he noticed that Vorlacks still have the locker key in his bag...maybe he figured they'll notice him...or worst case they'll definitely be back to return the key and find him at the same time!!!
Oh man...penguin will be grounded for a while man!!!

After that, penguin owner, Vorlacks and E Hunt went for lunch at 3pm!!...at Carl's Jr in Suntec...hey...this is the second time Vorlacks and penguin owner had Carl's Jr in 2 weeks!!! :D
Again...they found that Suntec is quite empty...haha...
Dun go Marina Sq..it's crowded one :P


Penguin wanted to have a burger for lunch too...

Had a satisfying lunch...then it's time to head home...
Everyone was quite nua liao...

Penguin owner went back...messed up her room, do laundry...then it was time to go to work at TPY...
Hmm...so TPY had a pretty chao ta pharmacist today :D

Meanwhile after the day out...penguin decided to sleep at home with tigger...


Photos courtesy of Vorlacks :D

NUS biathlon photos and results

Results are out...
Included below are my time, range and median for the women's category...

Bi-lite
Swim: 0:08:40 (0:05:49-0:19:35; 0:10:35)
Run: 0:16:02 (0:14:10-0:27:01; 0:18:34)
Overall: 0:24:41 (0:20:14-0:45:26; 0:29:20)

Full distance
Swim: 0:38:00 (0:24:18-1:00:20; 0:40:13)
Run: 1:03:40 (0:43:13-1:21:54; 0:58:17)
Overall: 1:41:40 (1:17:14-2:12:30; 1:39:32)

Interestingly for bi-lite event...I was 15th out of 53 for swim leg...and 12th for run leg...I'm usually faster in the swim than the run...this time round it's the opposite...
For the full distance event...as expected my run for damn slow...I was 24th out of 32 participants!!! Haha...slacker :P

But then come to think of it...my results are not too bad lah...hehe...esp since haven't exercised much since last month...and after CNY...I only managed to swim/run once, and run (less than 10km) twice...one of the time was a super slow and relaxed one...HR was approx 130 all the way :D

And maybe if I reduce all those effort and time on posing and smiling to the camera...I may be faster too...haha :D

Check out the photos...

Bi-Lite photos

Top left: Happy to be out of the sea?
Top mid: Happy to leave the transition area....hey..I see Denise right behind...she caught up with me 'cos of my super long transition time...haha :P
Top right: Just happy...
Bottom left: Posing with the victory sign and tongue sticking out :P
Bottom mid: Trying hard not to smile too much...
Bottom right: Happy to have finished!!!

Full distance photos

Left: Very happy to be out of the sea again!!
Mid: Saying hi...again...to the official at the transition exit...
Right: Just happy...

I seem to have a lot more bi-lite photos than full distance photos...cameraman must have seen me until sian liao :P

NUS biathlon

This has to be the most exciting biathlon I have participated!!! Haha...
Instead of participating in one event...I participated in 2...Bi-lite and Full distance!! :D

It all started with me working at HBF on Sat afternoon...told Jayce abt it...so after work (at Sentosa) she came along with her race pack...she wanted me to help her return the championship chip and get back the $20 deposit...as she had injured her ankle in the recent HK marathon...and seem to have worsen a bit on Sat...

On my way home that night...this crazy idea came to my head...why dun I run for her??!!! Her event is at 9am...mine at 10.20am...Bi-lite shld need less than 30 mins to complete...so I'll still have some time to rest...hehe...only thing is need to wake up early...by 7am...oh well...at least it's still later than weekdays when I wake up at 5.45am to go school so that I can avoid the traffic jams and crowded buses ;)

So today I woke up at 7am...had bfast and off I go to the MRT station...all excited!! Haha :P
Got to Tanjong Beach at abt 8.30am...

Went to the body marking station first...hmm...they want me to put on my wrist tag and the body mark me...but I dun have Jayce's wrist tag...which means they'll have to mark my full distance no. 6018 instead of the bi-lite no. 1019...oops
Anyway, after they marked me...I went to the transition area...dumped my stuff...then came out to meet up with some sgrunners...and start rubbing of the 6 and 8 from my arms and legs!!! Haha...
Since I dun have a usable marker...I was left with 01 on my arms and legs :P


Before...

After...

This was how I removed the markings...

Then it's time for the 1st wave (my wave) to start...quickly made my way to the starting line...listened to the briefing...blah blah blah...then pehhhh...


Do I look bored or wat?
Wonder wat's on my mind then...why the hell did I do this so early in the morning? why is the briefing so boring? why are there so many kids ard me (can't see them in this shot...but they r definitely ard :P)

Wow...the first 200m was messy...arms and legs all over the place...kena pulled by someone somemore :P
After the U-turn...it was so much better...managed to escape from the pack...


Hey..I have finished the swim leg...say cheese :D

My transition time is as usual..damn long...take my time to put on singlet, shorts, socks, shoes...take a sip of water...then shades, cap, and race belt...who cares how long I take as long as I look good for the cameraman...haha :P
My run strategy was to maintain my pace at a comfortable heart rate...for the bi-lite...it was approx. 175-180...
Guess wat...it turned out to be abt the same pace as Denise...the top triathlete for her age (think she's 9 or 10 this year)...haha :P
Who cares...can't run too fast too...later get top 3 how...kena disqualified??!! haha...like real :P


Ah...finally I have finished...say cheese again :D
Told u there were lotsa kids...that's Denise just in front of me ;)

After the bi-lite event...rested a while...met some trifam ppl...also saw vorlacks and angel...and meli!!! ya...her dad is here to race...he joins all these bi and tri events quite regularly!!!

At 10.20am...it's time for my race...again!!! wah...a bit shack leh...hehe :P
Got to the starting line just in time for the start...again the first lap...400m...was a big mess...next 400m was not bad...3rd one was the best!! last one was ok...no idea how long I took...but guess it's abt 37 mins?? Not very fast leh...must be too shack liao...haha...excuses!!!

Then again the slow transition time...and this time my run was maintained at a pace of approx 170 beats/min...with an irritating fella pacing me...

The route is quite interesting...can see the sea all the way...and there's an extra loop after the bi-lite/sprint dist turn off to the finishing line...which I think a lot of ppl r not aware of...haha...they sprinted to early :P
A lot of ppl complained that it was very hot...but I seem to be immuned to the heat leh...din feel very hot leh *scratch head*
Anyway, it was a pretty slow run...over an hour...think abt 1:02 based on my heart rate curve...forgot to stop the stopwatch :P

After the run, got my stuff from the transition area...then met up with Elaine and Jayce (who has just arrived!!)...Elaine's run was good...I came up from the water first but she overtook me during the run ;)
After Evan, got back...we (Elaine, Jayce, Evan, Sharon and Amelia...my new found twin)went for a shower...then had lunch at Harbourfront...sgrunners were there too!!

After lunch...I actually went back to the lab to do some work!!
Wat to do...fellow workaholic from Holland was encouraging me to go back to lab after the biathlon...during a previous MSN chat :P
Besides, I'll be working at TSP on Mon and Wed night...gotta compensate a bit...haha :P

Spent 4 hours there...managed to do TLC and run 2 columns...amazing!!! Yesterday I only managed to do one within 4 hours...and was almost late work!!! :P
Tomorrow gotta go clean up the mess...then play with cyanide again...hehe :D


Photo of penguin taken while he was in custody of the sgrunners support crew...hehe

Will post the official results and photos when they are out...hehe...I smiled at the camera a lot!!! :P
Let's hope sportsphotox dun get confused seeing me twice :P

Above photos are courtesy of IMD and kellylim...thanx dudes :D

Interesting labelling?

I have to use potassium cyanide for my synthesis now...so I have to prepare a waste bottle for that...hmmm...but seemed to have used the wrong paper for that purpose...

Read closely the finer prints on top...



In case u can't figure out...it says...Open up and breathe...

Shld I do the same with the silica waste?

Valentine's/Friendship Day

This year's Valentine's day seem rather eventful for me...not in the romantic way :P but eventful nonetheless :D

Started off waking up "late"...well I woke up at 7.30am...not exactly late since I have flexi school hours...but I intended to wake up early for a run b4 I go school for my TA duty...oh well...no harm getting more sleep rite ;)

Got to school at abt 9.30am...in time to clear some mess on my lab bench...then off for TA duty at 10am...nothing interesting...until lunch time...

Went back to my lab...where my lab mates are getting ready to go visit our boss...who's on MC for a while...initially thought I couldn't join them...but looks like I can...hehe...

After lotsa delays...trying to get all the necessary stuff together...including some books etc from her office...hehe...at the rate, she asking for stuff from her office...it'll be empty when she comes back!!! We finally took caught a cab to her place...

Wow...her house is really spacious and beautiful!!! She has 2 dogs...one she just got on CNY's day...
Had a chat...she told us her story...we update her on wat's happening in the lab...

She showed us ard her house...wow...each son's room is at least twice or 3 times my current room...and she has 3 sons!! Then I really have to go liao...gotta be back for TA duty...haven't even have lunch...oh well...

In the evening...had singles' outing with Vorlacks, Weiyi and Faith...wah...it was damn shackening...all the laughing from the lame jokes really made me tired!!


Top: Weiyi and Faith...Faith giving Weiyi a "kiss"???!!
Bottom: Vorlacks and I...do we look like twins with the same hairstyle...scroll down for more of us...


Top: Weiyi and I...red and green...we look like x'mas tree?
Bottom: Vorlacks and Faith...wat's happening?

Anyway, we had dinner at Carl's Jr at Marina Square...yum yum...it was packed though...some couples actually went there to eat!!! Cheapskate!!
We ordered 4 burgers which we cut into 4...so we get to try all the burgers...chilli cheeseburger, portebello burger, guacamole bacon cheeseburger and santa fe chicken sandwich...yummy!!! Since we ordered 3 combos...we had a chilli cheese fries, waffle fries and onion rings too!! :D



After eating...we continued chilling there...those with lame genes...Faith, Vorlacks and I (Faith's lame genes is the strongest!!) continued laughing at lame jokes...oh man..i almost died laughing there...thank god oyster is not ard to add to the lame jokes man!!!

We finally managed to get our butts of the seat at almost 10pm...where we decided to go check out the Carl's Jr at Suntec City...we had quite a long walk...as though we r trying to burn off all the burger we just ate...
Hmmm...the one at Suntec is quite empty...shld have eaten there :P

From there, we went on to look for a dessert place...thought of Gelare...but by the time we reached there...it's closed liao...so we decided to check out the one at Citylink...hmm...also closed liao...almost everywhere closed liao lah...by the time we decided where to go...we kept changing our minds...that's y we seldom do wat we intend to do in the first place :P


Hmm...Vorlacks and I thought we can drive to Citylink

In the end we had cakes at Cafe Cartel...it's 50% off...and finally, it's time to go home...


Top: Ehh...some Aunty's Amy blah blah cake...haha
Bottom: Oreo Cheesecake


Vorlacks, Weiyi and I at the Dhoby Ghaut station waiting to the the NE line...


Twins photo...front view, back view and side view :D

Was last "team" to arrive at home...it was past midnight by the time I got home...even lawyer was asleep by the time I finished showering!!!

Had a chat with oyster on MSN...he was trying to kill me being lame...since I told him how lame we were and if he were there I would have died laughing...

Today it's back to normal...except I went for a short, relax run with my housemate, Feei...she suddenly had the urge to run at abt almost 10pm...haha :P

Photos are all taken by Vorlacks :D
U can also view Vorlack's report on our singles' outing in his blog

High on solvents

Haven't been exercising much lately man!!
Very busy in the lab and no tennis training for this week since there's inter fac games (IFG)... din bother to sign up and somehow Science has no team... so dun need to play... hehe ;)

Since I came back from Penang...I went for a swim/run once...swam abt 2k in the TPY pool followed by...err...one round along Lor 6, 1 and 2...



Then I cycled to Ang Mo Kio Town Garden for Unity's nature walk last Sat...and today I ran there... that's abt all... hehe


Red line: Cycle route last Sat
Blue line: Run route today
Yellow line: Nature walk route

Other than that it's been lab all the way...Mon and Tue was poisoning my lab mates with my synthesis that involves the use of benzene!!! Wed, Thur and Fri..I had to run my column chromatography...that's how I got high on solvent...used up abt 10 liters of dichloromethane running 4 big columns!!! I shld do most of my work in the fumehood but there's not enough fumehoods to go ard!!!

Oh ya... I also went for pharmacist training on Wed morning... pretty interesting... on herbs by Himayala Drug Company... and yesterday I was working at TPY2... busy night man... forgot it's housemate, Mei2's, birthday... oops...

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, MEI2!!!

Today I'll work at BPP... tomorrow I'm gg to meet up with my Sri Lanka YEP frens :D
Yippee... not inhaling any solvents this 2 days!!!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Not talking abt the Jim Carrey movie here :P

There seem to be a few unfortunate events that happened ard me lately....

All started off with someone close that slipped and fell on a slippery floor which has just been mopped (by someone else) and was still wet...
That person ended up with a broken thigh bone and had to be hospitalized!!!
In case u know who I'm talking abt but do not know the whole story...that person did not slip and fall while mopping the floor at home...hehe...that was the rumour I heard :P

Then the next day...I had to cut myself while washing my glassware in lab...and it had to be a pretty deep cut on my all important right thumb...never realized I used my right thumb so much until I injure it man!!! Can't squeeze the dropper properly, can't turn the knob on the retort stand properly, can't left click with my right hand when I use the track point on my laptop etc etc etc...

Then later I found out another person I know was on MC for due to a bad URTI...

So if u know me...pls be extra careful...hehe :P

My housemates

Today Siow Feei and I realized that we dun have a recent photo of our housemates...when her fren came by and asked to see one...

The only one we have is from 6 years ago...when we were in NJ!!!


Can u find us?

So when Mei2 came back from M'sia at night...we decided to take one...hehe...
Wei Lee is still missing though...

Check it out...


Will take another one when Wei Lee comes back...wonder when's that...

Hey...she's back...so here's the photo we took...

A not-so-typical Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is slightly different this year....why?

1) My bro is back...finally...after dunno-how-many years of absence he's finally back from Chicago...he got back on the night of the first day of new year though :P

2) Related to (1)...I only collected ang pow for my bro on day 1...hehe...and I dun get to keep his money anymore...hahahaha...

3) Used to go visiting only on the first day...morning father's relative on the island...afternoon mother's relative on the mainland...but this year...we visited my mum's relative on the second day...hehe...my bro's fault...we din wanna go Butterworth twice...so gotta wait for my bro to come back first :P

4) I had steamboat 6 times!!! My bro's fault too :P Used to be 3-4 times...i.e. eve dinner, 1st day bfast, lunch...then another day with my uncle (mother's younger bro) and family...this year an additional 1st day dinner and 2nd day bfast :D

5) 2 of my cousins are missing...actually they have been missing b4 the past couple of years...one cousin in Russia studying medicine, the other in Aussie...eh..working? used to be studying some computer stuff :P

6) My 9 year old cousin, Sam, decided to come along for visiting this year...after skipping last year...he wants to collect ang pows...haha...unfortunately, the amount collected actually just a fraction of wat we get from those collected on the eve...hehe...wonder if he noticed that...

Otherwise...it's pretty much the same old things...eg.

1) Weather is terribly hot!!!

2) We have the same yummy steamboat for reunion dinner...this time "hosted" by my uncle from Sabah...at his bro's place...we take turns to host since 4 years ago...starting from the eldest to the youngest...next year is my family's turn again (my dad is the eldest)
Anyway we have the usual yummy stuff in our steamboat...plenty of seafood from Sabah...my uncle always bring plenty of seafood back regardless of who's hosting :D
Of course...we also had our traditional "secret recipe" smoked duck...yum yum!!

3) We go visiting together (5 families) in 2 cars (actually a van and a car) after the yummy steamboat bfast from the night b4...wonder if we could all fit into 2 cars if my bro were back earlier...probably need 2 vans then...

4) Keep eating and eating everywhere we go visiting :P


Now that I'm back in S'pore...it's back to workaholic mode :D

A Pain in the Neck

by Grace Chow...



I'm currently reading an autobiography of a very inspiring lady who was dying of a rare tumour in the neck...a chordoma...

She was borned and educated in S'pore but couldn't wait to leave the country after her tertiary education...
She finally managed to escape to Netherlands where she found her first and last love...Ton...
Unfortunately, she was struck down with a rare, slow-growing tumour, not long after...
This book is an attempt for her to share her thoughts...before she succumb to the the cancer...

Here's a description of the book I got from Amazon.com...

"A Pain in the Neck is a humorous, ironic, autobiographical story about a young, well-educated Chinese girl who desperately plots an escape from Singapore, and finds love and happiness in Europe. The moment that she finally has the world at her feet, however, she is struck down by an incurable disease that only occurs in one in a million people. This book invites the reader into the grungy world of Singapore politics and the intricate dreams of a girl growing up in a family she detests for their sheer mediocrity. It is written in a unique style that combines story-telling with essay. Each chapter has a different theme, but this eye-opening journey remains led by the constant, strong voice of the author’s narration. It pursues the poetry of life with Schopenhauer, Descartes, and The Smiths as chorus; it does philosophy to a soundtrack of pop music."

Grace Chow also started a blog...approximately 2 weeks b4 she was peacefully taken away...on the 6th December 2004...hmm...that's one day b4 my 24th b'day...ok...out of point :P

Do check out the blog and the book...it can be humourous yet very inspiring :D