May 13, 2007 at 2:51 pm · Filed under Inspiration, My Life
Mum, if you’re reading this, happy mother’s day! 
You’re the greatest – my source of strength, guidance, and the light of my life. I don’t know where I’d be without you. In the brightest day, in the darkest night, you were always there for me.
And to all mummies (and I don’t mean the ones in the pyramids) around the world, happy mother’s day!!!!
As the Malay saying goes: ‘syurga di telapak kaki ibu‘. (translation: heaven is at a mother’s feet) Ok, not literally, but you get it.
May 10, 2007 at 7:54 pm · Filed under My Life
…. and so I wish to acknowledge my lab PI and research fellow who had been so helpful in guiding me during my two months of research.’
And now, the fun part. Q & A time. Where the professors try to screw you over.
I stood in front of everyone in the theatre, ready to be arraigned with a salvo of questions from the audience.
First question from Dr Barrand. Something about the receptor activation and downstream cellular pathway to which it couples. No problemo.
And then….
Prof Taylor and Prof McNaughton shot up their hands eagerly at the same time. Dr Hiley, the chairperson cued Prof Taylor to voice his question.
‘How do you explain the difference in magnitude of EC50 values obtained from your in vitro pharmacology experiments and Lindemann et al. (2005) that showed EC50 values within the nanomolar range?’
Half-expecting that question, I replied ‘Lindemann et al. expressed human TA1 genes in recombinant heterologous cell based assay, measuring cAMP production as an index of TA1 activity. In this study, I used human vascular tissues, measuring vasoconstrictor response’
‘Then why did you measure vasoconstriction? Are you sure that what you see is a result of TA1 activation?’
crap. Why did I measure vasoconstriction? Well, simply because my supervisor asked me to do it! haha. I thought to myself.
Then, Prof McNaughton interjected. ‘I think the vasoconstriction that you’re getting may not be an effect of TA1 activation.’
‘No professor. Earlier studies in our lab showed vasoconstrictor activity EVEN in the presence of classical biogenic amine antagonists. Besides, we used human umbilical veins, which do not have neurogenic innervation, thus precluding the effect of trace amine in displacing classical biogenic amines from the perivascular nerves.’
Shit. What am I saying? The professor is saying that the vasoconstrictor response might not be mediated via TA1 activation, while here I am, talking in a total tangent to what I’m trying to claim. And what I said actually didn’t do anything to rebut the professor’s suggestion that my results were crap. Too late to do anything.
‘Well, that is a well-founded…’
‘OK that’s all the time we have. Next.’ Dr Hiley interrupted.
Back in my seat, Dr Venter turned to me and said ‘I think you did well’.
Yeah, right. 
Did well in giving a dumb answer to a good question.
May 7, 2007 at 4:11 am · Filed under My Life
So, a checklist of countdowns….
-3 days before my research presentation at the Part II Students Departmental Seminar. [done!]
-10 days before my Final Honors Examination (a.k.a. the Tripos Exam!) [done!]
-4 weeks before I finally get something that I’ve been working for this whole three years. (if I pass my Tripos exams, that is)[graduated!]
Need to muster everything in my reserves in this last few weeks…
A quote from a can of an energy drink (well, I’ve been drinking, haven’t I? heh)
It’s GOODBYE to SHORTCUTS, HELLO to the GRIND
NOBODY ever said it would be an easy ride. Suffer for your art!
Hardcore, eh? 
——-
Update: conditional offer states that place is subject to satisfactory performance in the Cambridge final exam.
My thoughts: Right. Nothing beats the fact that satisfactory is totally arbitrary.
I’m now officially a Cambridge BA graduate.
And…… I’ve completed all the requirements to be a registered full time medical student at Barts & The London! Yay!