DAY 617-619

May 11-13

1) Now it's post-exam season, and immediately boredom has started to set in. No more getting up in the wee hours of the morning to study; no more studying in the freezing auditorium the night before an important exam. All gone; replaced by a lack of purpose or direction, an endless supply of YouTube videos to catch up on, and bright sunny Irish weather (!)

2) But all that's about to change. On Friday, I made yet another trip to the main campus. I met up with Dr. Sarah O'Neill (Director of the International Summer Research Programme), Niamh (who'll be participating in the same summer research programme in China), and Claire (who participated in last year's iteration and was there to give advice). After some slight delay, we met up at the Dispensary of the New Academic Building, where Dr. O'Neill briefed us on what to expect. The duration of the research would be 8 weeks, from 6th June to 3rd August. Two topics had been set for us, one on cancer and the other on Parkinson's disease research. Although I'm fine with both, I would personally prefer the research on cancer.  ; )
                                                             
3) That wasn't the only reason I went to town. I still needed a haircut, and where better to do so than Grafton Barber. The well-dressed gentleman who did my hair was extraordinarily friendly, and we talked about my nationality, where I was studying including what prompted me to come here, and what specialty I was interested in. In turn, I found out that he was the only one in the family practising as a barber, that he had practising for more than 60 years, and that he had a stent inserted for a coronary problem many years ago. It was quite an interesting haircut overall.

4) I'm well aware that this 13th of May is Mother's Day. It would be the most special one yet, as it would be the first time in two years that I would physically meet up with my parents! My host mother, Emma, was extremely kind by offering to drive me to the airport, while I nervously waited for my parents to show up. We found out that a sandstorm had delayed their flight by a while, so I was there slightly longer than expected.

5) In the end, I saw the familiar sight of my parents pushing the luggage cart, and my heart leapt. My mom certainly looked thinner, but other than that, two years had done nothing to change my parents. They looked and acted just as they did before, which made me feel very much at home. After introducing my parents to Emma, we all returned home. Emma went upstairs, leaving us to catch up on two year's worth of chat XD. I showed my parents around and talked for what felt like ages, until around midnight. Then it dawned on us that our flight would be very early the next morning.

6) Indeed, my parents had promised to take me on a week-long holiday trip, to Lisbon and around Naples. As I'm writing this, we are well into our holidays, but due to the really hectic schedule, I will need more time to write about them (I'll do so in a future post). But for now, I'm just elated to be reunited with my parents, and to listen to all their stories and share my own. Here's looking forward to the rest of the trip. Thanks for tuning in, and have an enjoyable week ahead. Cheers! :D

Two long years... :')

Nothing has changed over the past two years - except my face has gotten wider and rounder XD

Mother's Day Card ^^

Bilingual because I think my mum would appreciate it :))

Meet up with Dr. O'Neill, Claire, and Niamh

(at the Dispensary, No.26 ;D)

My new haircut

DAY 458/459/460

Dec 2, 3 & 4

1) So the day has finally come for our JC3 end-of-semester exams. Looking back, it doesn't feel like four months have passed since we started our second year. But now it is time for us to put our knowledge to good use, as we brave through the roughly two-week long exams. While there are admittedly fewer modules this semester (compared to JC2), a couple of them are actually 2-in-1 combos, and in the case of our OSCEs, the content increased dramatically.

2) Nothing of interest has been going on the past couple of days, except for loads of revision in the library. The library staff were kind to offer us some sweet treats to destress, as well as Post-it Notes to write words of encouragement to each other. In addition, they had a stock supply of earplugs for us to use! But nothing beats the RCSI Gym Team, which offered us a new class called "Recharge", where students come along, get a blanket, and have a nap! While that may be very appealing to some, I personally prefer dozing off on the desk where I do my revision. I'm just that lazy to go all the way downstairs... XD

3) Our first exam (tomorrow) is the Data Paper, which combines our ICP (Intro to Clinical Practice) skills from the previous semesters. Lots of slides to go through, and lots of uncertainty on what sort of questions to expect. Next up is OSCEs, followed by our Molecular Medicine module, Anatomy Practicals, Neuroscience module, and finally EBH (Evidence Based Health)/ PHE (Public Health and Epidemiology) module. It is not going to be an easy two weeks ahead, but at least I can look forward to a nice, long holiday afterwards. That has been the summary of the past couple of days, and thank you for visiting. Have a nice week ahead, cheers!

RCSI Expo Stage

Thick cut chips for a buck?

Yes, please :)

Post-it notes!

DAY 441/442

Nov 15 & 16

1) Here I am, staring at a blank screen, wondering what to talk about my daily life. These days, in particular, have become a lot less exciting due to the upcoming end-of-semester exams. Less than a month from now, we would actually have finished our exams, and I will be looking forward to spending my second Christmas away from home.

2) As I mentioned previously, we had Quiz 2 the very next day after I returned from UK. Suffice to say, I did not do much revision and ultimately, my results were subpar. I have three weeks to fix that, hopefully. But before all that, I had time to attend the RCSI Journal Club's Event - welcoming Prof. Arnold Hill (Chair of Surgery), in presenting two of his research papers. It was fascinating how one of the papers, "S100B as a serum marker in endocrine resistant breast cancer", was the culmination of the past 15 years! I can only imagine all the ups and downs that the research team had to go through to get to this stage. A truly remarkable feat, I might add.

3) Today was Oman's 47th National Day! Many of my Omani friends had set up the Expo Stage at the New Academic Building, complete with photo booth and traditional snacks. There were two large posters detailing all the wonderful tourist destinations and points of interest. We took many photos at the booth, and I even got the chance to write a congratulatory note on the board. It was fun learning a bit more about the cultures and traditions in another country.

4) This evening, we had our Small Group Tutorial. Separated into three groups, each group had to tackle a question regarding the "Molecular Medicine" module. We were asked about Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Disease. After some deliberation, we managed to get something written on the canvas provided. Finally, I had to go up and present for my group. It wasn't easy trying to remember lectures which were given at the very beginning of the semester, but at least we did a decent job.

5) The rest of my day has been a repetitive cycle of studying a little, getting distracted, and then just pacing about. I need to get my head back in the game, so to speak. And on that note, I'll end my blog here. Thanks for reading, and have a good day. Cheers!

Happy 47th Oman!!

Journal Club's Event - with Prof. Arnold Hill

(presented by Lanny and Deena)

Over 2,000 contributors went into publishing this piece

The decor was spot on imo

I have yet to meet the person behind the suit ^^

Posters of Oman

Guess which one was mine? :^)

Apparently, it was also Mexican Day at the Dispensary

(They had burritos/bowls for €5.50)

DAY 302/303/304

Jun 30, Jul 1 & 2

1) So finally, I've shifted house! From 48 Leeson St Lower, Dublin 2 - all the way to 11 Sweetmount Drive, Dundrum 14. From sharing a room at a student apartment, to living with a host family for the next half a year. It's been a completely new experience for me, packing and bringing all my stuff with me to my new home.

2) The only experience I have had prior to moving in was coming to Dundrum for buffet with my friends. So at the very least, I was familiar with the location of the LUAS station (not to mention the very reasonably priced and highly rated Global Cuisine Buffet). There is also the Dundrum Town Centre - the largest shopping centre in Ireland! Yesterday, I tried the buffet again, as it was just as good as I remembered it.

3) Today, I did some walking at the shopping centre, before having lunch at Subway (at the Food Hall). It really is a lovely walk, with lots of outlets and beautiful design layouts. After touring around the mall, I walked to Lidl, a German global discount supermarket chain (somewhat similar to the convenience stores we have back home). Everything is just so convenient around here, and all within walking distance. There's even an Apache Pizza, which opens until 5am everyday of the week! Not to mention home delivery for extra.

4) My host family has been very welcoming and accommodating of my stay so far. I'm living with Mrs. Fallon, who lives here with her two daughters. Mrs. Fallon was very interested in knowing where I came from, so I pointed to the appropriate location on the map in my room. We spent some time talking about Malaysia and Southeast Asia in general, and she recounted her stories with past tenants. Then I excused myself to unpack my belongings. Speaking of my room, it is very well furnished, with study lamp and many cabinets and dividers to organise my things.

5) I've to get used to a different schedule from the next week onwards. This is because I need to take the LUAS (Irish tram service) to RCSI everyday from now on, including the summer break as I am working there in the labs. It is really convenient, though, that the last stop for the LUAS is right in front of RCSI, hence it is nigh impossible to get off at the wrong stop haha. (Here's hoping it never happens). Anyway, that is the end of my narrative, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much for visiting my blog, and have a nice day. Cheers!

My house is the one on the left ^^

My room

Plus all the cabinets to put my belongings

The bridge is the iconic landmark for the LUAS station 

(less than 10 minutes' walk away from home)

Came back to Leeson to take the last of my belongings, and to say goodbye )':

The walkway to the main shopping centre

Having buffet lunch at Dundrum Shopping Centre

A stunning angle (imho) of the Food Hall, 

located at the top floor of Dundrum Shopping Centre

DAY 289

Jun 17

1) Today has been a rather mundane day for me, so I'll keep it short. Got up late today, and then made a list of things to do for the rest of the day. I still have much packing to do, as I'll be shifting soon. Also, I have to finish preparing my points and memorising the "Antibiotics Resistance" debate speech. On the same day after the debate ends, I'll be packing up and heading to Co Kerry to climb Mt. Brandon, as part of the expedition organised by the RCSI Climbing and Mountaineering Society. I can't wait ^^

2) In the afternoon, I was chatting with my parents for a while, before taking a nap. Woke up refreshed, and decided to go for a jog. I haven't jogged these past few days (due to various circumstances) so I did not expect to complete 15km today. My legs were burning after exercise, but it was an awesome feeling to slowly return to my *cough* fitter *cough* past self. I used to run 21km (a half marathon) every Sunday together with my dad. Those were some great times, but sadly inactivity and other commitments have meant a steady decline in my stamina. Hopefully I'll be able to build it back in time for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon.

3) In the evening, Zi Yan came over for a visit, and we watched a movie together. We initially wanted to watch "Logan" but after the connection failed a couple of times, we opted for "The Mummy" instead. The quality wasn't great, but at least it was an enjoyable movie. Zi Yan asked me if I'd be able to sleep after watching it (admittedly I'm not particularly fond of any horror-type movies), but I suppose my workout today will offset any difficulties in sleeping from watching the movie haha. That has been my day, and this blog update turned out to be longer than I thought.

4) I'd thought it'd be best to end on a high note. So here goes: Happy Father's Day! To all the fathers in this world, and especially to my own dad. Thanks for looking out for me, tolerating all my shenanigans, and assisting me in every way possible. And thanks everyone for reading this. Have a great weekend, cheers!

Happy Father's Day!!

Another street performance at Grafton St.

Tried Yum Thai Noodle Shop for a change :))

DAY 286

Jun 14

1) Today has been a tiring day for me. I got up early to meet Mr. Keogan in the labs. It seems I've underestimated how tiring it would be to work a 9-5 job, what with all the focus and concentration required haha. Luckily, we have informal tea and lunch breaks in between to boost our energy for the rest of the day.

2) In the morning, I helped Mr. Keogan to complete his own experiments (for his PhD), while learning many new analytical techniques. As an example, learning how to dry organic phase reagents using vacuum filtration apparatus and a rotary evaporator. Besides, we performed TLC (thin layer chromatography) which was taught in A-Levels! For other samples, we brought them for NMR spectroscopy (in York House, just opposite RCSI) for identification.

3) After lunch, we finally started with my experimental procedure. As of now, I need to do some more research on the availability of the reagents, or else some may need to be ordered. We got that far today, so here's hoping things will continue smoothly tomorrow. That's all for today, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Have a nice day, cheers!

A sneak peak in the labs...

Brunch

Lunch

Truth be told, I never imagined I'd be doing this :)

DAY 284

Jun 12

1) So today there are three important things for me to write about. The first, as you may expect if you've been following my previous updates, is of course on my research. I met up with Dr. Griffith (my Principal Investigator) at around 11am, and it was there that I met Ali, who is also undertaking summer research (albeit under a different project title)

2) Dr. Griffith took us on a tour of all three floors of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry. There, we met the PhD students who would be guiding us with our research. After that , we went over to York House where Dr. Griffith showed us the NMR instrument, used to determine the physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained. He also showed us a slew of different apparatus and lab equipment, from HPLCs (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) to THF (tetrahydrofuran). It really was a completely new experience for me.

3) We spent some time outlining exactly my aim of conducting this research, as well as set the list of things I would be required to carry out for this week. For today, he sent some research papers over for me to read, mostly on bismuth and its various potential applications in antimicrobial, antileishmanial, and anticancer therapy. Bismuth is frequently used in quadruple therapy (two antibiotics, a proton-pump inhibitor, and bismuth) for the treatment of helicobacter pylori infections. So the objective of my research is to develop novel bismuth complexes which are effective in these areas of treatment.

4) After the allotted time, I went over to the library. As I've written previously, today is the last day that Mercer Library will be open. After 11pm, it will be shut down for good, and library operations will continue 3rd July at the new academic building. This old building will then be converted for pharmacy students to use. As such, I spent my afternoon there, reading up on the research material that I'd been given to read, as well as taking a nice nap for old time's sake.

5) In the evening, I went for my usual run at St. Stephen's Green. It took a lot of effort to complete 10km (something that I used to do with little effort during my younger years haha), but at least I'm making progress. At least I've the next four and a half months or so to train properly before the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon 2017. I for one, cannot wait.

6) Bought my dinner from Subway, before returning home for the rest of the night. That has been my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks and hope you have a great day. Cheers!

I wonder which "JC2 Student" wrote this? ^^

I've done this before, but which one is mine?? XD

Friendly desk staff

Look forward to meeting everyone again in the new building!!