DAY 667 & 668

June 30, July 1

1) Today has been another long day in the labs. If you look back at the date you'll find it's a Saturday,  which might seem a bit odd for me to be in school. However, it is important to note that the postgraduate students here (Masters and PhD students) work Saturdays as well, and very often until 10 or 11pm. Also, I'm practically free when not doing research, as there isn't much more to do on a lazy weekend other than waking up late. Hence the decision to come over to the labs, have a chit-chat with everyone while learning many new things etc.

2) As it happens, today was unusually cooler than the previous days. It has been blisteringly hot these past week, and now the rainy season has started. I have come to the conclusion that in these two months of summer (in Suzhou), there are only two types of weather - the very hot, and the very wet kind. When it is rainy it is also quite cool, while when it is not then the temperature soars. I feel this is good practice for when I actually do return home to Malaysia end of this year (keep on touching those planks).

3) I've taken the time to look around the campus, and found the time to walk around the Gold Mantis Business School. Located just beside the Gold Mantis School of Architecture, just one look is enough to distinguish it from the other buildings in the university - most notably its beautiful red brick layout and design. I've googled images of the inside of the building and they look achingly beautiful; almost as if you have been transported to another country.

4) That's basically all I have to write about in this edition of the blog. Thanks very much for visiting as always, and have yourselves a lovely weekend. Cheers! :)

Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases

(on 3F)

On the long road back to the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (from Canteen No. 5/6)

Delicious Beef Soup Noodles :)

Fried Mee (with complimentary soup)

Mix and match your fruits, something I absolutely crave!! :)

Watermelon, grapes, lychee, mangoes, oranges, red beans, mung beans, taro balls - my mouth is watering already :)

The Gold Mantis Business School

(It's ten times more beautiful at night, with the lights illuminating it)

Front entrance

Japanese style fried rice ^^

The long main road to the research building 

(it's on the left, right beside the entrance to one of the many gates of the campus)

DAY 664 & 665

June 27 & 28

1) The past two days have been basically repetition of the experiments in the chemistry lab. After speaking to Prof. Long after the morning seminar, she wanted me to experience the whole story of the research that I'm involved in. Essentially, it's about creating a compound that is effective against cancer cells. After synthesising each compound in a multistep reaction, we send the finished product for testing in the biology labs. Prof. Long wanted me to know what happens in the biology labs, including how they test our compounds for their efficacy.

2) So today was my first day in the biology labs. I've been meeting many new people lately, and today was no exception. I was introduced to Wang Xiaohui, a postgraduate in the lab who showed me around and made sure I knew everyone else in the labs. We visited the cell culture room where they grow tumour cells for harvesting, and I got a chance to see some really cool machines.

3) In the evening, I returned to the chemistry lab to check on my reactions, and to read up on the techniques and methods used in the biology labs. It is a new experience for me working in the biology labs, but one that I really cherish. Looking forward to the coming days for more exciting and educational escapades. Until then, thanks for visiting my blog, and have an awesome day. Cheers! :D

Navigating my way around Biology terms in the Chemistry Lab

(The iPad is not mine haha)

Noodles with fried egg and vegetables ^^

Fried rice

Protocol for plasmid isolation

Western Blotting

(a basic analytical technique used to detect specific proteins in a tissue sample or extract)

The many steps involved in Western Blotting

The Chinese version of it XD

(at least they're diagrams in English)

This shop specialises in "la mian" (hand-pulled noodles from which ramen is derived) and "dao xiao mian" (knife cut noodles)

Ramen with fried egg (this tasted absolutely wonderful!)

My work is never complete... but that's what I like about it ^^

DAY 655-658

June 18 - 21

1) So I've been out of commission for a good while now, right after announcing that I was back with my fixed computer. Turns out the computer wasn't completely fixed, and I had to return it yet again due to sound issues. Fortunately, the guy agreed to fix my computer for free this time around. Anyway, I've been extra busy in the labs these days, as we've managed to synthesize the compounds that we want, and just need to purify them before storing them away.

2) My log book is getting filled in more frequently - a good sign that I'm making some progress with my experiments. I've also started attending the morning seminars with the others. It is a brief meeting where someone gives a presentation on a published article. Usually the seminar is conducted in Mandarin, which really stretches my ability to comprehend. Thankfully, the journals themselves are always in English, which means I can read from the PowerPoint presentation itself to understand the research.

3) Every afternoon and evening, my lab mates would invite me out to join them for lunch (or dinner). There's always a decision to be made on where to eat, so we usually go for one of the four closest canteens - No. 5, 6, 7 or 8. No. 5 and 6 are together, as are No. 7 and 8. Canteens 1, 2 and 3 are in the opposite campus. And the eagle-eyed among you would realise that I didn't mention a No. 4 - which I can only assume is due to the number "four" being considered unlucky in Chinese culture (because it has the same pronunciation as "die").

4) I've grown to enjoy the long walks to school. The only bit that irks me is the steadily rising temperature as July approaches. The Sun is out in full force early in the morning, and by the time I reach the campus I am bathed in sweat. Thankfully, all rooms including the lab are air-conditioned. Anyway, that is all for this edition of the blog. Thanks very much for visiting, and do find some pics of the lab and of some really delicious (not to mention authentic) food! Have a lovely week ahead, cheers! :D

Posing with my colourful chemicals :))

Just look at the beautiful gradient of colours <3 <3 <3

Silica gel column chromatography :)

Trying to purify our compound with this beautiful reaction ^^

Apparently I look quite dark in this picture haha

 Turns out if you get any frozen meals from the convenience store (Family Mart) they'll heat it up for you (yeay!)

That looks delicious and it certainly was :)

("Zhajiangmian" - 炸醬麵 literally means fried sauce noodles. It is made with thick wheat noodles topped with zhajiang sauce - a type of sauce made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty fermented soybean paste)

Noodles with long beans and roasted peanuts, in a hot and sour soup broth :)

The Medicinal Chemical Biology Laboratory,

on the 5th Floor of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Building

Rotary evaporator

Familiar apparatus in a new environment

日式炒饭 - Japanese-style fried rice, served with red bean soup :))

三叔公面馆 - 拌面 

("dry noodles" as recommended by Chris)

A touch of chili paste and it was absolutely heavenly!

Another bowl of fish noodles, this time (if I remember correctly ^^) in a milk-based broth

My apartment living room (there are four bedrooms, two of which are currently occupied)

Kitchen ^^

热干菜 - essentially the same as the "economy rice" we have back in M'sia; where you get a bowl of rice and a choice of meat/ vegetables

I can't get over how amazing the ramen soup noodles are over here <3 <3 <3

DAY 651 & 652

June 14th & 15th


1) These past two days, I've started retaking my cough mixture. Actually, since the Europe trip with my parents, I've been coughing. After seeing the doctor in Mercer Medical Centre, she gave me two types of medicine (an antibiotic and cough mixture) which was supposedly really good at relieving chesty coughs. Immediately after taking the cough mixture I felt totally different. My body felt incredibly lethargic - I could not takeaway food from the shopping centre barely 10 minutes' walk away; instead I had to eat there and recover my energy before coming back. In addition, I began to get chills in my fingers and toes, and would wear jackets in what was really quite hot summer weather. My head was heavy, and I slept for around 10 hours a day, only to wake up feeling sleepy as well.

2) I decided I could not go on like this, and only finished the antibiotics (which is a prerequisite). So I stopped the cough mixture completely, and have done so until today. I was still coughing a little on my way to Suzhou and in Suzhou, and today was especially bad. I woke up in the middle of the night with a coughing fit, and decided I would just finish the bottle of cough mixture (NOT in one go; that would be crazy!). So I took the medicine, went to sleep, and braced myself the next day for the horrible side effects. To my surprise, while I still felt more lethargic and sleepy, none of the other symptoms were there, suggesting that a) I had become more tolerant to the side effects; or b) since I was only on one medication (I have long finished the antibiotics), the effects were markedly less.

3) Either way, I'm now on the cough mixture, and it does work well. It essentially breaks down the viscous (thick) phlegm in my lungs so I can get rid of it more easily. I should finish the bottle in the next couple of days, and if really the cough does not go off, I'll be making an appointment to see a doctor. All that aside, these past two days were really fun too, as I met and made friends with the lab mates in Niamh's lab (on Level 3 of the building). I've gotten around to trying out the Chinese version of a hamburger, called rou jia mo (肉夹馍); and also a very popular dessert (in Malaysia and in China) called red bean soup (紅豆汤). The flavours are absolutely incredible - diverse and complex.

4) That is basically the update of the past two days. Thanks very much for tuning in, and see you soon in the next edition of my blog. Have a nice weekend, cheers! :D

Group photo with Niamh and her lab mates!

(sorry I haven't learnt each of their names yet)

Having lunch with my lab mates ^^

Spicy sour noodles with minced meat and long beans

Chinese hamburger - rou jia mo (肉夹馍)

Red bean soup (紅豆汤)

Their fried rice is very similar to ours, and tastes great too ^^

Niamh's plate of rice with meat and veggies :)

Simple vegetable fried noodles (served with a bowl of mung bean soup)