First post of 2008

Wow! I'm getting really irregular here...hehe

It's almost the end of Jan and this is just my first post of the year :P

Anyway, life's been hectic...which is actually very good for me :D
I'm planning to be a rich PhD graduate by next year 2009...the progress is gg very well so far...just keeping me really busy...haha...

In memory of Picant

It's been quite a while since I last posted...been crazy travelling ard...
Anyway, this time round I dedicating this post in memory of a fren I had the honour to cross path with during my days in Kent Ridge Hall...

It was totally a shock to have received the news of the passing of picant...especially from a fellow Kentridgean I just happened to bump into at the mrt station!!

Just the day b4 I received an odd sms from silverfrye abt a gathering in hall where the details is posted in a blog...which at that point kinda made me wonder y they used such an odd name for the blog...inmemoryofpicant.blogspot.com...y would picant have such a weird sounding blog...he can't be dead...he's abt my age!!

Well I was really busy then since I just touched down from US abt 24hrs b4...and was busy getting prepared for my trip back to penang in abt 48 hrs time...frequent flyer huh? so I kinda forgotten abt the sms...until fortunately, I bumped into Li Peng at the mrt on my way to a business talk at raffles place...just a quick 5 mins chat and I found out that the gathering silverfrye mentioned was this sun and it's a memorial for picant...I could feel the chill down my spine then as I heard abt his passing...how could someone so young that I know passed away so suddenly...he's just abt my age!!

However, as I was at the talk, I was quickly cheered up as everyone ard was happily and attentively listening to the speaker...
The news of picant's passing never really sank in..although it stayed at the back of mind throughout the talk...

That night when I got back...I decided to check out the blog silverfrye sent...it was really touching to read the words left by so many of his frens...I left my piece...and I was so tired I went to sleep after...it still haven't really sank in...

Until this morning when I got into the lab and started doing the mundane work of "washing" the beads in my assay tubes...I switched on my computer halfway through and saw the news on picant's passing...it finally sank in...

I started really pondering abt 2 points...

Firstly, even though I had known and stayed in the same hall as picant for 2 years...I never really got to known him very well...I knew he was a nice guy...but we never really worked on the same stuff...I'm more of a sports person..he was more in drama and rag...so he was more of just a hi/bye fren...
It really made me wonder how many more of such wonderful ppl that I have had the fortune to cross path with...that I did not really got to know better...

Secondly, even though picant was only 26 years old...he has accomplished so much in life...his life might have been short...but he has positively affected so many ppl in this short 26 years...I really feel so honoured to have known such an amazing person!!
At the same time, this made me wonder abt myself...can I say the same abt wat I have accomplished so far...have I made a difference? I'm in fact a year older than him...

Picant has indeed touched so many this past 26 years...he'll forever be in the hearts of all who had the fortune to know him...we'll always remember 18 of Nov...

P.S. On a lighter note...I would like to thank my many frens from 642...for their influence...which made me think so profoundly of this event...
Thanks to WL, ML, YY, XR, KS and last but not least, Mr and Mrs Wang!!

2 months have passed!!

Wow...amazing...I forgot to write something last month...and this month is almost over too!!
Time really flies!!

Firstly let me congratulate the "boss" aka Oyster..and his Pearl on their wedding!! Just attended their wedding 2 days ago :D
So IWA is not solely work...even our boss has time for social life :D
So Vorlacks...when's ur turn...hehe :P

Anyway, life has been crazy recently...fun but crazy...

Went to Salt Lake City, Utah last month...which part explains my disappearance from the internet world...the other part is my cranky computer that has been in and out of the "hospital"...now I have finally gotten it reformated...but need somemore time to put all the necessary programs back in ;)

Anyway, back to Salt Lake City....the trip was superb...attended a convention there and had loads and loads of fun...so much fun I've so many photos...I haven't really uploaded them :P

...and even b4 I have time to settle down...I'm gg to Korea this Thur!! That's after a couple of trip back to M'sia...once to KL, once to Penang...after my US trip...I feel so IWA!!!

Korea is more of a fun vacation trip...so I'll probably nua for once...stay out of IWA for that few days...hehe

Then a few days after I touch down from Korea...I'm off to US again...this time to Duke University at Durham, North Carolina...woohoo...another working trip...so exciting!!

So do look out for photos from me...or more likely...u shld come look for me in person...I'll probably take a few months to put up those photos on the internet :P

Till I come back from US...
Adios!!

August is almost over!!

August is almost over!!
...which means another month has passed since I last posted something...
time really flies man!!

As usual...I'm just busy most of the time :P

Well...rem I mentioned abt all those safety audit thingy?
My boss has prepared a safety dossier...and she's indeed humourous...wahaha...let me quote one section...on appropriate attire...

"(v) Gloves, when worn for an experiment, must be removed before leaving the laboratory. Do not touch the telephone, a door handle or a computer keyboard whilst wearing gloves. One more word about gloves (and other “take and throw” items): spare a thought for the environment and your PI’s budget. If you are one of those of reach out for a new pair of gloves every hour (10 pairs a day !), it is time to change or the PI will change /exchange you."

That's my boss...very environmentally friendly :D

Well besides this safety audit that's keeping everyone busy for the rest of their life in NUS...there was also that hole digging from the lab upstairs...heard our lab was really dusty and inaccesible then...hehe...I was conveniently away in KL then...perfect timing huh?

Talking abt KL...I went for this interesting talk by a well known oncologist from Taiwan, Dr David Chung...he's really cute for his age...hehe...
Here's a summary of some points mentioned...

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental,food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (reishi, green tea extract, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, fish oil etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

Wat else can I say...

Oh ya...oyster and pearl's wedding will be on 28 Oct!!
If u guys still read my blog...congratulations!!! Looking forward to seeing u at the wedding!!

It's july!!

Almost another month has past since I last blog!!
Time really flies man!!

As usual...I've been busy busy busy...

Interestingly I was looking at my previous post abt the little explosion I created in the lab last month...and this month...we r doing a lot of preparation work for safety audit...where we as grad students have to do a lot of SOP and risk assessment write ups...
Somehow I have been asked to write an SOP for the procedure of a hydride reduction reaction...haha...that's the one that caused the little explosion which nobody in the lab knew abt...wahaha...interesting coincidence!!

Anyway, that's the only more "interesting" thing that happened this month...haha

Oh ya...another thing is I have finally got quite a no of compounds synthesized till their final step...now the only problem is that they r not all that clean after purification once...so gotta do a lot of column chromatography next week...that means...a lot of solvent wasting, solvent inhaling and test tube washing for me :P

Anyway, time to write some SOP now :P

June update

It's been more than a month since I last posted something...time really flies man!!

Oh well I'm always busy...hehe...been catching up with sooooo many ppl...

So wat r the "interesting" things I have noticed ard me recently....

Quite a number of weddings among my frens!! to be exact...it's 3 within a period of abt 30 days...well..tat's pretty much wat happens to ppl of my age i guess...haha...soon I'll be attending weddings with my fren's bringing their children along!! That's gg to be scary!!

Quite a number of frens back from overseas...like sylvia back from canada and headed to australia next, oyster's pearl back from the hague, my cousin is back in Penang from Russia, eng hui back from sweden for hols, huiwen back from KL for hols...

Quite a number of frens has gone overseas too..haha..like my housemate is in Japan for hols, my dad is in shenzhen/HK for work, my mum is in S'pore to visit a fren..haha..audrey gg to Australia to study, many fellow postgrad, lecturers are in shanghai for a conference, some of the nus tennis players are in HK for a competition...sighz..i never train so cannot go :(

Hmm...and quite a number of ppl I know are not well or hospitalized...such as cancer, cyst, some growth, stroke, immobility due to nerve problems...and the list goes on...half of them happening to ppl who r just abt 30 years old...such as the cyst, stroke and benigh growth!! sounds so scary...and extremely expensive!! that's y better take care of ur body when u have a choice while u r young and healthy!! dun wait til something happens man...u've no choice then...and u'll still be suffering!!
So how to take care of ur body...hmm..that'll take another whole post to cover it comprehensively man :P

Ok..better get back to my work now...
Hmm..talking abt work...I just created a minor explosion in the lab yesterday...which I believe no one in the lab knew abt...but got me rather "stoned" that whole day...oops
Well now I learn...LiAlH4 shld be added in small portion for very good reasons...it's not to be added in a whole chunk...it'll go *poof* and u'll see fire!!

Tom I'll be attempting that reaction again...since the reaction did not go into completion when I carried it out yesterday...got a whole load of un-reduced acid :P
At least some reactions are working now...after months of dead ends working on some of the amines and amides...so damn demoralizing...
The good thing abt all these failures is...things can't get any worse...haha...yippee!!!

NBTY Shark Cartilage Capsules Recalled

MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

NBTY and FDA informed consumers and healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of 3 lots of Shark Cartilage Capsules the company manufactured in 2004 and distributed to consumers through mail and internet orders, and retail stores throughout the United States. The product was recalled because of possible contamination with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. Customers can return the product back to the place of purchase for a full refund. Read the press release for specific names and lot numbers of the recalled product.

More on this issue here

Hmm...this thing is manufactured in 2004...and recalled in 2007...I wonder how many has ended inside the consumers already...
Looks like there shld be a cautionery label stating "Take at your own risk" for such supplements that do not go thru screening for contamination prior to ending up on the shelves...esp since supplements like those from deep sea source are highly prone to contamination!!

Moral of story: "Understand thoroughly the company which u take ur supplements from!! Get a chance to visit their facilities if necessary :P"

Interesting household tips

Saw some of these interesting household tips that came along with my electricity bill...

Tip 2:
You can remove ink from your clothes by spraying any kind of hair spray on your ink-stained clothes. Dry the sprayed area with a tissue and wash your clothes as soon as possible.

Comments:
Sounds like u r using some kinda hair spray with some ethanol inside...I doubt an alcohol free hair spray would have the same effect :P
Ethanol is a very good solvent which is miscible with water...it sure would dissolve the ink and carry it away :P
At the same time...if u use hair spray containing ethanol, it'll dehydrate ur scalp as it carries water along with it when it evaporates!! So dun blame hair loss on genes if u r using the wrong hair product :P
Not to mention ethanol is flammable...make sure nobody smokes ard u when u r using the hair spray :P

Tip 3:
Want to remove stubborn stains such as chilli sauce, blood, and soya sauce on the collars of shirts, blouses, skirts and kids' uniforms? A bar of bathing soap should do the trick. Apply the bar of soap on the stained area and scrub it before soaking it in a pail of soapy water (powder form). Your stained garment will soon be spotless again. Try it out, it works.

Comments:
Wah...soap can remove stubborn stains...that sounds pretty harsh!! Are u sure u wanna use such harsh soap on ur skin!! I'm sure the soap I'm using won't be so effective in removing stubborn stains...
If u try testing the pH of ur soap...it's probably pH 10 or higher...very alkaline...which is very good for removing stubborn stains...just like how we use sodium hydroxide to clean the stubborn stains off our glassware in the lab...but err...r u really all that dirty...and have u tried testing the pH of ur skin? (wet a piece of pH paper and put it on ur skin...see wat color it turns into and match the color to its pH)
I think it's time to change ur soap...and just use that bar of soap for stubborn stains on clothes!!
Alkaline soaps can dehydrate ur skin too...as it removes the acidic protective layer of our skin!!
So next time if u find ur skin very dry...maybe u shld change ur soap besides using a moisturizer...no point destroying ur natural moisture protective layer and use a synthetic one over it which may not be as effective :P

So if u happen to use hair spray that can remove ink stain OR soaps that can remove stubborn stains...it's time to use them just for stains...and get some new hair spray and soap for ur hair and body ;)

Chemical glassware on Ebay?

Wow...I din know u can purchase chemical glasswares on Ebay too!!

I was searching for companies where I can get quotation for this particular glassware used in distillation...which now I know is called Vigreux distilling column...

Besides Sigma-Aldrich...I noticed is sold on ebay too!! No wonder ppl can have their own mini chemistry labs in their basement...doing funny things like small scale counterfeit drugs? Oh man...it's really scary!!

Back in S'pore!!

I'm finally back in S'pore!!
...being hardworking and all...I'm now at work on Labour Day!!
Unfortunately, for once, the construction site just outside my room is all quiet!! I shld have stayed home and sleep...zzzzz :P Oh well...

Anyway, the flight back from Amsterdam was quite good...din sleep much though...was watching a few movies in the dark instead ;)
Let's see wat I have watched over this couple of weeks....

On the flight to Amsterdam...
First I watched Casino Royale...
Then..Freedom Writers...based on a true story abt how a teacher made a difference to a group of teenagers of various minority races in the US...facing hopeless life of poverty and crime...I think it's really good educational movie...
Slept the rest of the way..

On the flight back...I watched Coming to America, The Guardian and Beat the Drum...and part of Beverly Hill Cops and Night at the Museum...hehe...I slept less on the way back :P
Anyway, I think the best movie was Beat the Drum...another good educational movie abt AIDS in Africa...a very true depiction of the understanding of HIV/AIDS in many rural villages in many developing countries...even at this very moment...resulting in millions of orphan kids each year...
The result of ignorance can be very scary hor??

Check out the webiste on Beat the Drum movement...

I'm in The Hague!!

I'm now in The Hague :)

Leaving for Amsterdam soon though...hehe..then it'll be back to S'pore!!

Din do much here...just stayed in the IPSF flat...pretty messy place...haha...
Visited the beach...
..and gg for a bbq later at Boyan's place...then gotta catch a train back to Schipol to catch my flight back to S'pore!!

Okie...time for bbq :)

I'm in London!!

I'm in London now...been here since Wed nite :D

Met up with some sec sch frens, JC fren and now I'm headed to the north to meet a fellow pharmacist, Lindsay...b4 I head back to Amsterdam...then to The Hague to meet Oyster again...and I'll be leaving from Amsterdam soon!!

Gotta catch a train now!!

I'm in Amsterdam!!

I'm in Amsterdam...been here since Thur morning!!

Left Singapore on Wed nite...and arrived in Amsterdam on Thur 5am!!

On Tue...the day b4 I was supposed to leave, I had a cold!! Was sneezing away in the lab and having a headache...but with my various supplements and the yummy g3 drink...I felt very perfectly fine on Wed...haha...so started packing that day :P
I'm totally not prepared for this trip...haha

When we (Ana, Peiling, Hanyi and I) arrived in Amsterdam...we started figuring out how to get to our hostel...it was still early after all...no need to rush...won't get to check in yet :P
Met an Indian guy instead...he saw us carrying the poster...apparently he took the same flight as us...he flew in from Australia and transferred to our flight...

We went to Keukenhof on Wed where we saw plenty plenty plenty of tulips of various colors...it was soooooo colorful...sooooo beautiful!! But I'm a lousy photographer...so dun think the photos I took turned out that great :P

Thur was spent at the pre-satellite congress...at Vrije University...as usual Asian tend to get together whenever we r in a International event like this...esp since we r the minorities ;)
We had ppl from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, China...many studying in Europe...interestingly I have yet to meet anyone from S'pore or M'sia in the pre-satellite congress :P

Today...after sleeping thru the keynote speakers' talks...Ana and I followed a free tour in Amsterdam...it's up to us how much we wanna tip the tour guide...
It was a pretty interesting tour...the tour guide was, Per, from UK...his background was in Architecture...but his full time job now is a tour guide...hehe...he found it more fun ;) Anyway, he's pretty good at it now...very humourous ;)

Now it's time to go zzzz....oh ya...Oyster is in Amsterdam already too...with his Pearl...hehe...hope to see him tom!!

Wat's up since CNY??

So wat's up since CNY??

Hmm...let me see...I think 2 is a lucky no. for me :D

I have gone back to Penang twice...including the time I went back for CNY :P

I have attended 2 weddings...both weddings I know the bride and groom...one pair from KR..the other pair from SGH :)
Ronald and Vivien has been together forever...since b4 my first year in hall...glad to see they r finally married :D
Meanwhile...proud to say I'm part of the matchmaking group for TG and PL...hehe...basically we just tease them all the time while we were in outpatient pharmacy...and well...apparently our talkativeness (i.e. not paying attention) while TG was discussing various topics with us got his attention on the only gal that paid attention...hehe...

I have also participated in 2 swimming related events...one charity event at NTU on a wed...swam 3k...and the S'pore Biathlon that same week's sat...swam 1.5km and din run :P

I have only exercised twice...not counting the 2 events I participated in...hehe...I know some tigger would just say I'm a slacker :P
Anyway, I swam once and ran once...ran ard my home...and found out there's a Sheng Shiong nearby...at McNair Rd...wow...new discovery after staying here for more than 2 years!!

I have also found a couple of long lost secondary school classmates in S'pore!! One staying just a couple road from me!! More to be found soon :D

IN SCHOOL...

I was "arrowed" to do an oral presentation of my QSAR paper..2nd presentation on it in this 2 months...well being "arrowed" is not bad lah...that meant I was assured of a chance to win some prize money :D
Unfortunately I din bribe the judge enough...so we ended up with a tie..
Come to think of it...I have 2 presentations this month...hehe...lucky no. 2...

I have gotten 2 compounds out...actually these r the only 2 since last Jun...no wonder I'm stressed out...need more compounds out for testing b4 I go to Amsterdam!!
Since the no. 2 seem to be good for me...I shall try to get 2 tertiary amines and 2 esters out...sure hope they r not as much of a problem as the primary amine!!



Amine and ester I hope to synthesize :D


Problematic primary amine I need for the amido and ureido analogues

I know I must be pretty stressed out when...

I haven't posted anything for more than a month!!
I can't stop scratching away!! argh...it's not even itchy...
I feel totally lost when I dun have that little notebook of mine with all things I plan to do or discuss in it...
The list of things I need to do seem to be getting out of hand :P
I can't figure out how to purify that stupid primary amine and I need it to synthesize a couple of other compounds...time to move on to something else first...b4 I kill myself or someone else :P
My boss is expecting some compounds out b4 I leave for Netherlands mid next month...I sure hope my new strategy will work *keeping fingers crossed*
My room is in a mess again...well I wonder is that the cause of stress or the result of it...hmmm...chicken n egg...
My BP gets quite high...esp at night...I need more Relaxation formula?

Happy Lunar New Year!!

A very happy lunar new year to all Chinese frens out there!!!

...and happy holidays to all!! :D

Also happy collecting ang pow for the unmarried..
and happy giving ang pow for the married? hehe :P

Improved short-sightedness

I've been short-sighted ever since primary sch...not too sure when it started...but when it was detected at the age of 11...my power was a few hundred on the right side...and perfect on the left side...hence, I always felt I have perfect eye sight :P

A set of specs was made which I still never wore since I could see everything clearly :P

Finally in 1996, when I was at my peak of my competitive tennis "career"...I decided it's better to have good eye sight on both eyes...otherwise games in the evening tend to be quite a problem :P
Then..my power was 400 on the right and 0 or 50 on the left...so I got contact lense on 1 side only..hehe :D

After I started to use the contact lense for a year or so...my left eye start to "balance" itself with the right eye...hehe...
So I switched to specs...since I hated the contact lense :P

From then on...my power just kept climbing every year I went for a check up...
So I get new specs every year!! :P

Anyway, it continued to climb until early last year...it was 550 on the right, and 350 on the left...told u the left one was trying to balance with the right ;)

After I started taking Lifepak (multivitamin/mineral and antioxidant supplement) for a few months...my power actually dropped to 500 and 300...
I added g3 (a high antioxidant health drink)...and now...it has dropped further to 475 and 275...cool right!!
...and I now read a lot more on the bed...haha :P

Maybe if I stop reading on the bed...my eye sight will perfect itself in a year or so :D

Check out the graph of how my power has increased over the years...got the record from my optometrist :D


Lifepak and g3 rocks!! :D

I know I'm just very busy when...

My room is in a big mess and I just can't be bothered...
The kitchen is also dirty and messy...
I have books surrounding me on the bed...hehe
I have thousand over emails in yahoo unsorted...and another 750 in outlook express unsorted...
I haven't been backing up my data as regularly as b4...hmm..maybe I better back it up real soon...
I iron my clothes every other week instead of twice a week now...luckily I have enough clothes for 2 weeks...hehe
My letter tray is piled with weeks of unsorted mails...

Yeah...I'm busy...very IWA indeed :D

No more extremely sensitive nose??!!

I was just cleaning up my super super dusty room...haven't really clean it for weeks I think...or is it months??...hehe...it's still pretty messy now...but much cleaner :P

Previously if I attempt such a massive cleaning...I'm pretty much sneezing all day long...the only way to stop it is to take an antihistamine and sleep...

Amazingly...today...other then some slight sniffling...I'm totally fine...

Hehe...all the supplements I have been taking is doing their work very well indeed...yippee!! :D

U know u ought to be stressed out when...

Ur synthesis is not working...
U can't figure out which is the compound u want from the many many spots on the TLC plate...
U r spending a lot of time trying to confirm the compounds u r synthesizing...
The compounds u r synthesizing seem to be degrading as u r trying to purify it or confirm its identity!!
U bought the wrong starting material for ur synthesis so u r stuck...(how blur can one get :P)
Ur boss is starting to hint that u r getting slack...(and it's true!!)
U have to read up a lot on ur synthesis but u just hate reading such stuff :P
U'll also probably have to start reading up on homology modeling as ur boss has conveniently collaborated with another PI to do some computer work...
U have presentation deadlines staring at u...hmm...but u dun seem to care abt it...
Oh ya...u totally forgot abt ur teaching assistant duty...that'll sure screw up ur plans for lab work :P
Ur email is piling up with plenty of unimportant seminar announcements and u dun even know if u have missed out any impt emails??
U have yet to make any plans for ur trip to Amsterdam in April...air tix and accomodation price may be gg up...
Ur room is starting to get really messy but u just dun have time or the mood to tidy it up...
U just have plenty of other things to do besides ur lab related ones!!!
Finally, u dun really know who to "complain" to...oh well...