DAY 299/300/301

Jun 27, 28, 29

1) The past week has been rather taxing on me. Having to pack up and shift houses is something new for me, and I grossly underestimated how much effort it would require. Thankfully, I've (almost) finished packing, and the weekend is coming too.

2) For the most part, my past three days have been spent in the labs as usual. Counting today, we've set up eight experiments so far, all of them related to some form of bismuth complex which we're trying to create. The two earlier experiments had failed due to contaminated DCM/ methylene chloride solution, but the third one we did (with a better batch of DCM) turned out fine. So it's all systems go, as we seek to combine that product with another ligand, to form Deferasirox, an iron chelator. So the idea is to combine Deferasirox with bismuth (chloride, nitrate etc) to form an organometallic complex. This delivers a double-whammy to the bacteria (iron chelators bind iron so bacteria can't take up iron from the surroundings, and bismuth itself is an antibacterial/ antimicrobial). Hopefully, we'll get there soon haha...

3) Yesterday I bade goodbye to my good friend and housemate George. George hails from Cyprus, and we've been really close friends ever since I met him last September. His mom and brother came over the other day, and they brought some lovely treats from Cyprus - soutzoukous (churchkhela) and loukoumi (Turkish delight). I'm really grateful to have met such a kind and sincere friend in George. Wishing you every success in your future endeavours! :D

4) Today's story has pretty much been the same. Dr. Griffith came himself to work with us in the labs, and I started a new experiment using PBT2 - an experimental drug candidate intended to be a successor to clioquinol and a potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Huntington disease. Only time will tell if it's yeay or nay, so I'll just have to be patient then. Anyway, that sums up the past three days here, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for visiting, and have a great day. Cheers!

George and I

"loukoumi" or Turkish Delights

Soutzoukous- a traditional, chewy sweet made from grape juice,

that has a unique appearance (it looks like a candle!), and is popular at traditional festivals.

Burrito from Pablo Picante for dinner

DAY 280

Jun 8

1) Today has been a nerve wrecking day for me. We had been informed that our results would be released somewhere around this week, so wait we did, for most of the week. Then, two days back, we received notification that our results would only be released at the end of the week. Not counting the weekends, that meant that we would get it by Thursday or Friday.

2) I, for one, was quite concerned with my results as I felt there were one or two papers that I did poorly in. And the last thing I (or anybody, for that matter) wanted was to have to take the supplemental paper later next month. So you can imagine the anticipation that had built up, right until this morning when I refreshed my email list (for the umpteenth time) and saw the message pop up that our results were out.

3) By the skin of my teeth, I managed to obtain First Class Honours. It's definitely a wake up call to focus more on my studies, and not to get caught up in so many activities for the next academic year. Anyway, I have three months to contemplate how I'm going to balance my studies with other activities haha.

4) My research begins this Monday, so I'm definitely looking forward to it. The following nights I'll sleep that much more soundly now that I've finally gotten my results. To all my friends at RCSI who are reading this now, firstly thanks for visiting my blog - I really appreciate the support and love - and secondly, I hope you got the results that you were hoping for. For those who haven't got their results, all the best! That's been my day today, and thanks for reading. Cheers!

Congratzz to all the graduating students from RCSI :D

It has become customary for me to have a nice cup of Nescafe at night haha

Dinner from Pablo Picante ^^

DAY 276

Jun 4

1) As the holidays progress and I get lazier, there's much less stuff for me to write about, as there's much less stuff that I do. So instead, perhaps I'll share something different with you today. I'll tell you about the things that I like about Dublin (and contrast them with my experience in other countries).

2) First off, friendliness. I'll admit, when I first heard from seniors that the Irish are extremely friendly, I thought they were exaggerating. But after two experiences on my own (the first being when I was running to catch the last train home from Cork, and the second when I got lost in Phoenix Park during the Purple Run Volunteering Event), I definitely agree with them. The only country that I consider on par with this level of friendliness is Japan.

3) Next, safety. Of course, there are exceptions to this and touchwood, I've been very lucky not to encounter any dangerous i.e. confrontational situations. But for the most part, Dublin is definitely a safe place to be. I actually do not feel unsafe walking back in the wee hours of the morning from the library back home. Even those that have had a little bit too much to drink, are generally (again, touchwood here) non-violent and will not confront you unless you provoke them first.

4) Lastly, and this is the best of them all - free hair cuts. I know this concept exists in the UK as well, but back home (in Malaysia), you can dream on about barber shops offering free haircut service. But here in Ireland, expert student trainee barbers will do your hair for free, and even thank you  for the opportunity to cut your hair! I don't think it gets much better than that. Especially given that I can't really tell the difference between a paid for haircut and a free one.

5) So that's that. Several things that I simply adore about Dublin (or at least the location I'm staying at right now). What do you guys think? Anything I missed out, or disagree with? Let me know by commenting on the Facebook page haha. That's the end of my blog today, and hopefully you enjoyed it. Have a nice day, cheers!

Yes, I signed a deal with Subway to advertise their products 

in exchange for free Subway sandwiches all year around XD

Throwback to when I was still on holiday mood ^^

DAY 256

May 15

1) Today I expected to spend a leisurely day contemplating on life, idling about with nothing in mind- just before our trip tomorrow. But instead, I found myself moving to and fro, sorting out everything and encountering some hiccups in the process.

2) The first thing I did was go to the bank to withdraw some cash. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember my PIN number and had to call up customer service. Worse still, the lines were all haywire today, which meant I could not reach anyone even after close to an hour of trying. Finally, it dawned on me that I could find a way to retrieve the number, but I had to come back again later. In the end, after close to three hours, I managed to withdraw some pocket money for the Europe trip tomorrow.

3) In the afternoon, my friends and I met up at the Coffee Doc to discuss on the exact details of our trip, down to times and transportation. We also sorted out all the necessary documents, printing extra copies for each other just for good measure. Zi Yan and Kuhan had to pack up earlier, as they were moving out from Mercer today. Meanwhile, I was fortunate enough to be able to exchange money for Croatian kuna (their currency).

4) By and large, our travel itinerary is complete, save for a few empty time slots. Here's hoping all goes well, since it's our first time travelling together for a long period of time. I cannot wait for tomorrow, as it is the start of a wonderful adventure haha. I'll be taking a nap soon, as our flight is at seven tomorrow and we plan to reach the airport before five. That's all from me today, and the next blog update will be from somewhere in Germany (I hope XD). Thanks for reading, and have a nice day. Cheers!

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..."

Keeping my fingers crossed that this adapter will work in all European countries haha

Lunch from AK Henry's today ^^

DAY 150

Jan 29

1) Today has been a typical Sunday for me. I woke up early as usual, before making my breakfast and dropping by Mercer Library. Thus began my usual stint of studying, which lasted till around noon. The thing I dislike is I feel that after learning something new, some of my previous knowledge will inadvertently be forgotten. Makes it difficult to retain what I previously learnt XD

2) Come afternoon, I reheated the leftover chicken rice (that I took back yesterday after the CNY event) and it still tasted fine. Took a short nap afterwards, before continuing my second round of studying. The focus now was on anatomy, as our Friday Quiz will cover that as well.

3) Soon, I was joined by Stephanie and Esther, who had come to study at the library too. Not long after that and it was dinner time. Went over to Mercer Cafe and to have my dinner, all the while unwinding while keeping myself occupied by watching YouTube videos.

4) A final bout of study later, and that was it for the night. Had a light supper (I'm a creature of habit haha), before walking back home to Leeson St. That would be a typical day for me, and I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks very much for reading, and have a great day. Cheers!

DAY 44

Oct 15

1) Today was a long day for me. Woke up to have breakfast, before trying to study. Covered some chapters by afternoon, before deciding to pay Boojum a visit.

2) Lunch at Boojum was great. I ordered the burrito bowl which cost me €6.00, but was really filling. Afterward, I went to Tesco Baggot to get my groceries for the week.

3) Came back to have a short nap, before continuing my studies for a bit. Then I went down to prepare food for dinner. Today's special was spaghetti with mince meat in tomato sauce. Tasted really good on a cold day like this.

4) I couldn't bear the noise in my room, so I came over to Mercer, where I am studying at my friends' apartment. Will be done soon, then I'll walk back home to my apartment, for a good night's rest. That's been the gist of my day, and while not the most interesting, I hope things will get sorted out soon. Goodnight!

 Big bowl of cereal to start the day!

 The trees look so beautiful this morning!

 Burrito Bowl at Boojum for lunch

 What a pleasant day for a walk!

 Walking towards my apartment...

Boojum Loyaty Card - my first two stamps! XD

Dinner by the maestro!

DAY 31

Oct 2

1) Today was a tiring day. Woke up at around 8, after coming back from Belfast yesterday. Went out for a nice, slow jog around St. Stephen's Green. Ended up doing 15km according to the distance tracking app that I use. Was completely exhausted after that, but then I remembered I still had to do the groceries!

2) So off I went, dragging my fatigue driven legs to Tesco Baggot, still in full running gear. Bought my supplies to last me a long time, and came back to freshen up. For lunch, I made some spaghetti, finishing the last of the packet of pasta I bought weeks ago. It's amazing how long these dry items last.

3) After that, it was an afternoon riddled with study, naps, and chatting with my family. To be honest, I am starting to miss home more and more as time passes. Family, friends, relatives, teachers, students (haha) and the environment in general. At least I have great support here in Ireland.

4) I had an early dinner. Meal was simple yet satisfying, and afterwards it was back to surfing the net, watching vids online etc. Tomorrow class starts at 8a.m., and the only comfort lies in that it will not drag on until the evening. At least I'm grateful for that. And on that note, I bid you all a pleasant evening! Cheers.

Entrance to my room

It was a lovely day today!

Lunch a.k.a. spaghetti

 A random picture of my veins XD

The dining room

Ta-da! Dinner is served, my way