Sometimes we get so caught up with the notion of problems holding us us back but we rarely look at problems as second chances for us to reflect and better ourselves. Problems do not hold us back. It is we who allow problems to hold us back.
I have written my reviews on the non-core modules i have taken over the past 3.5 years in NUS and i think it would be also useful to write about the life science modules i had to take, as a christmas gifts for my juniors:)
So for starters, i will go in a reverse chronological order and kickstart this review with the Level 3000 LSM modules.
Firstly, i am a biomedical science (BMS) student, so i will be mostly reviewing on BMS modules. If you are a MCB or Bio student, or are planning to venture into those concentrations, do email me if you would like to know more about the related modules and i will see how i can help you.
1. LSM3211 Fundamental Pharmacology and LSM3221 Human Pharmacology
The emphasis of the module is on the various classes of drugs and their mechanisms, which means one thing: PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY as a prerequisite. It involves a great deal of memory work.
The fun part of the module are the practicals which involve playing around with the lab rats, measuring your heart rate after caffeine intake...etc.
There are two CAs and a final examination. The CAs were generally simple but the final exam was a killer.
I loved reading about the different drugs but i hated studying for it. Ironically, fundamental pharmacology is a popular module among the biomed students but the number that continues on with human pharmacology dwindled considerably.
2. LSM 3212 Human Physiology: Cardiopulmonary System
The module curriculum is divided into three important components of our body: blood, heart and lungs.
Best part of this module is the practicals that are held in the DSO building. We are granted access to the DSO building (the security is super tight!) where we learn about ECG (electrocardiogram) and the stress test. A volunteer among the class is put to extreme physical stress (on the threadmill) and we can determine the level of fitness of that individual. We were cheering on till that guy reached his limit.
There is one CA and the final exam. Beware: the CA questions are very application-based and require a thorough understanding of the concepts.
3. LSM3223 Immunology
An honest opinion here: i regretted taking this module. I truly regretted taking it.
I took it in the first semester and it happened that guest lectures made up the bulk of the classes. Not only were the slides skimpy and full of pictures, it was quite hard to catch up with the lecturers who had a tendency to mumble, or spoke softly, or talked at the speed of light,
The practicals were 6 hours long each session. I guess the exciting part of the module was that we got to cut up lab rats, took out their pancreas and spleen, crushed them to extract T cells and B cells.
4. LSM3232 Microbiology
Microbiology's curriculum is categorized into general microbiology, food microbiology and medical microbiology. Again it requires a memory committed to memorizing names of parasites, bacteria, related diseases...etc. For the food microbiology practical, we worked on food samples from our wonderful science canteen and measured their bacterial counts. Which yielded very interesting and insightful results...
I enjoyed medical microbiology the most because we got to observe parasites under the microscope, and it was very interesting to learn about how tiny microscopic organisms could cause so much harm to us. The photos of individuals inflicted with parasitic diseases were quite disturbing but intriguing.
5. LSM3273 Global Change Biology
This was a module that took me by surprise actually. It was the module that i scored the highest among the other LSM modules (how ironic that my highest score came from a module outside my concentration).
There are two assignments that make up the CA and a final exam. The first assignment involved trekking down into the 'jungle' in kent ridge and studying pitcher plants and their inhabitants over the dry and wet seasons. Results on their growths and inhabitant profile were generated and we had to write a short report on it. The second assignment was to use credible data available online to generate a global trend of anything we could think of (which shouldn't be a 'duh' trend, like increasing number of logging results in increasing concentration of carbon dioxide). We had to think of interesting trends that should capture the interest of our professor marking it. I almost yanked out all my hair that was left on my head to come up with a mind-blowing trend. Seriously.
The final exam is open-book and one observation i have made on the biology modules is that getting the right materials for the open book exam is highly crucial. The amount of materials brought to the exam hall doesn't matter. What matters is the relevance of the materials in helping you answer the question. Always prepare materials that are related to Singapore's context because questions on Singapore have always been a big favourite.
Here's a small snippet of my current status that i have sandwiched in between my entries on my trip.
Accomplished many tasks that i have lined up before i came back:
1. Clean up the entire house that includes: vacuuming, mopping and scrubbing.
2. Did the groceries because we cleaned up our fridges before we headed off to japan.
3. Helped with the never-ending pile of laundry. Never knew we wore so much clothes during the trip *smacks head*.
4. FINALLY the 2m tall christmas tree is up and we have pretty presents placed at the bottom of the tree :]
I decided not to head back to school for my experiments because it is christmas week and i have lots of things to sort out on my own.
Yesterday's all girls' night with my lovely girlfriends was a revisit back to the lifestyle of a young adult, something which i have been deprived of for the past six months. Talking about girly girly stuff with us all dressed up, in an affordable italian place in the heart of orchard.
My crazy life will start again next week. Surprisingly i no longer feel the pressing urge to head back to school to focus on my fyp 24/7. I have come to a realization that my body and mind need a break and it's time to kick back once in a while and ignore the nagging thoughts of having to do your experiments. Seriously, my life is not about having to crystallize a protein. I need to lead a life of a regular 22 year old, who needs some enjoyment above the stress and expectations of university life.
Ojisan refers to 'uncles' in japanese and it was truly a lively ojisan party with lots of booze and sashimi. We headed down to ebisu to meet up with my dad's ex-colleagues and seriously i never knew middle-aged men, including my dad, could get so crazy. The food was great and i was coaxed into having some shochu (焼酎) by my dad's friends. It got me a little tipsy after that though, but not as tipsy as some of the ojisans.
Here comes the torturous part...
FOOD!!!
These were some of the dishes we had, along with a soya milk-based steamboat (豆乳鍋), chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し) and roasted pork slices.
The last event was more like a preparatory lesson for we girls when we step into adulthood (which i have already). It happened that there was a function going on near where we ate, an oyster bar to be exact.
Fresh oysters in their shells were served with alcoholic beverages, and it was really an all-adult place to begin with. It felt a little bizarre to be enjoying alcohol and oysters with your dad around. The taste of fresh oysters was even more bizarre because i never really liked oysters to start with, and i no longer crave for raw food.
Kaminari-mon (雷門) is a definite must-visit place when you happen to drop by asakusa in tokyo. It resides in the heart of a buzzling and beautiful area, vibrant with colours and activity. Whether it's the summer or winter, kaminari-mon looks like the picture above. It never changes.
It holds a sentimental place in my heart because my late grandmother loved it very much and we would always bring her to kaminari-mon.
Apart from the long stretch of souvenir shops that cater to the tourists, one of the highlights of kaminari-mon is the area where visitors would sweep the smoke of incense over to their heads, which is supposedly a sign of good luck. It is very popular among the younger visitors, especially students, who would fervently fan the smoke to their heads, so as to become more intelligent in one way or another.
This was taken outside a ramen shop at ueno, and what's so cute about it is that the chopsticks can lift the noodles up and down as if an invisible person is eating the noodles. It has been at the same old place since i was a little girl and it never fails to amuse me. Thought i should share it with you.
The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time
I am here still waiting though i still have my doubts
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on
I'm barely holdin' on to you
The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead
I still see your reflection inside of my eyes
That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
with a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain (in the pain), is there healing
In your name (in your name) I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')
I'm barely holdin' on to you
I'm hangin' on another day
Just to see what you throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will be OK
The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone
I may have lost my way now, haven't forgotten my way home
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
with a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain(In the pain) there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),
I'm barely holdin' on to you
I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'),
I'm barely holdin' on to you
The trailer for The Time Traveler's Wife was accompanied by this track played in the background.I love the rawness of the track's lyrics, how it brings out the vulnerability of a single man so succinctly. I couldn't find the acoustic version of good quality so here is a image-centered clip of lifehouse featuring Broken. Enjoy:)
I can live on this throughout the winter season because it just tastes so good. The warm fuzzy feeling after slurping down the hot noodles is something you can never experience in a hot humid place like singapore.
This dish is called nabe-yaki udon (鍋焼きうどん). It may vary slightly among different restaurants but the main elements are udon, fishcake, vegetables and not forgetting, an egg in the middle.
I must have eaten this almost every day during my stay because i had to fill my tummy with something warm to combat the coldness outside.
Touched down at six in the evening, along with thousands of singaporean families who took the same flight back. Children were practically everywhere.
I am very very happy and relieved to be back to my wonderful sunny and warm island, after enduring a week of harsh dark winter in tokyo. My hands feel like sandpaper right now, and my face is peeling because of the dryness of the air over there.
Will write more about my stay in japan in the upcoming entries.
Even i AM guilty of telling myself that it's impossible for me to achieve what i want. Getting tied down by their words (including mine) will simply put me in a stagnant state. I will probably be regretting A LOT for not taking the jump a couple of years down the road.
