SELFISH!

Waaahh! For the first time in my life I told someone he is selfish.
I was not able to sleep that night partly because I told this person that he is selfish but mainly because I was still very very angry with him.

I was angry because he told me I am creating a problem when in fact I was just trying to ask him some things about our HPLC equipment. Maybe I am creating a problem for him but I think I am just exposing the problem that he is so S-----D not to know much about our new HPLC equipment.

But what prompted me to say to him that he is selfish is when he said that it is not his responsibility to teach us about the HPLC equipment, when in fact, as far as everyone in the lab can remember he was asked to be the one responsible for that equipment and that includes learning as much as he can, preparing the standard operating procedure and teaching everyone how to operate it. Furthermore, he said that there is no teamwork in the lab for him and he works only for his research. What a selfish guy!

Sometimes we really really get so angry that we want to explode with anger and I was really at the point of cursing him but thanks to my family and to all the people that I have met before who taught me the value of control that the worst word I could say to him is only the word, selfish.
Waaahh!!!! but at that time I really thought that it was a disability for me not to be able to get angry and tell that person frankly that he is blah blah blah like my friends would have done...

Eversince, I have never been exposed to many situations that I really have to get angry. Thanks to my family and friends for loving me, for pampering me sometimes and for dealing with me in a nice way.

The sad thing is, when I get really really angry, I just cry...
When I am with my family, my mama would just hug me while I cry, my Kuya Edgar would let me punch him, my kuya Rony would pamper me and symphatize in his own way, my Ate Na would curse with me, Iping (a.k.a. Doc Jen) would really really take good care of me and tells me jokes and my Little Bani would just make me smile...


and my Adrian would do all of those things plus tons of jokes and fiunny faces to make me smile again...

But since I am in Taiwan, I missed them so much.
I miss my ANGER management team and I did realized how lucky I am to have them.
so I just cried...and the next day I was able to let it out to Alaine that I felt better.

I also felt better because I think of all the bad things that could happen to this selfish guy. But then this afternoon I read the blog of Candy Pangilinan in PEP.. (hehe)
She said that she read this story book to children. This is what caught my eye in her blog>

Jonah and the Whale talks about Jonah waiting for God to punish the Israelites. He was so full of jealousy and hatred because God easily forgave them...Cut..ouch! I am guilty of this. As I was reading it, I was getting really curious, why nga naman? Is it okay to be bad because God will forgive you anyway? The story ended with a simple remark, " God loves you and these people that hurt you. Do not wish for the misery of others. You cannot judge others because you too have done bad things in the past and was forgiven." What an epilogue for a story book.

Yep, so clear. I have to forgive this selfish guy who now I pity because he declared that he is not part of our team.

And to close all these hatred and anger to this selfish guy....ayy to this guy, I wrote this blog. :)

P.S. But I still won't talk to him..hehe..forgiveness takes time. ;)

an updated version of ME

Yep, I’m back! I’m back to blogging, I’m back to writing my thoughts but huhuhuhu, I’m also back in Taiwan.

I had a 2-week vacation in the Philippines to deal with my documents for DOST. Hays…but I won’t share that one for now, I’ll tell you about myself- yep, an updated version of me.

why????? see the picture when I went home to the Philippines.
and my picture days before I left for Taiwan...

aaaaayyy..maybe too small to notice but ei!!!!

..................................................................................
it maybe just a tiny dot in the picture but getting that dot really hurt.

I had my ears pierce..yep the dot I'm referring to is my new earrings.

waaaahhh!!!! it did hurt so much. It was so quick, they used a "gun", I just felt a searing heat followed by intense pain in my ears. And for hours after I had them pierced, I felt dazed, confused, afraid and shocked. If not for the greenwich pizza and blouse-shopping after, I would't be able to recover until the next day.

I haven't change my earrings, nor even tried to move them.
(still afraid..hihihi)

but nevertheless, with my ears pierced...
I really feel different!!! :)

Every time I look in the mirror, I see myself wearing different kinds of earrings..
hihihi..so exciting...

thanks ping! (my sister who was so courageous and
a little bit pushy to force me to endure ear piercing)

I'm really excited to wear beautiful earrings but waaaahhhhhh,

I still need to get over my fear that if I touch my earrings it would hurt again.

Anyways, I feel new not only because of my earrings but because I had my teeth clean and got retainers. thanks again ping (a.k.a DOC JEN)! I also had "facial" (hmmmnn...I dont know why they call it "facial"....hmmmnn....hehehe..maybe short for facial massage, facial cleaning, etc.)

and most of all I feel revived because I had a "vacation"......

birthday...

My birthday this year......

...was really sad being away from my family and my Ga but a lot of surprises came and

ONE DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY,

I had 4 yummy Cakes

<(chocolate cake from alaine and neil; blueberry cheesecake,red bean cake and teramisu from our lab)THANK YOU!>

and now I'll share my birthday with you ONE MONTH AFTER

as I wait on what will happen exactly ONE YEAR AFTER MY BIRTHDAY.... ;) hehe!

my PROFESSOR

You might be curious who's this person responsible for the everyday UNITED NATIONS. The one who "inspires" us to come to the lab everyday.
hehe..He celebrated his birthday last May 25 and I made this video for him which we presented during our lab meeting.

yep..I had to put a little about Phantom of the Opera because my labmates requested it, they said that movie and that song are my prof's favorite..hihihi..

and the bird is ANTU, one of my Prof's bird. He also has Olang and Buru.

presenting LAB 820

ni hao, mabuhay, em hotep, selamat, chào!

These are the faces of Oil/Lipid Biotechnology Laboratory in E2-820 National Taiwan University of Science and Technology/"TAIWAN TECH" .

Everyday we have to go to the lab because our Professor would really look for us. He is often in our lab.....So we also have to be in the lab always and that means, everyday is

"UNITED NATIONS DAY".

Tom, John, Boki and Steven are Taiwanese.
Ahmed is from Egypt and Milkyas is from Ethiopia.
Elda, Siti, Gunawan, Novy are from Indonesia.
Huong is from Vietnam and of course me, representing Philippines!!!!

Its so nice to learn things from other country but everyday is also a big challenge for each of us.
Whew, staying in the lab....doing experiments is really tiring and even the mouse who dwells on the darkest corners of our lab feels as agitated as us with all the pressures, solvents, etc....

then, there are so many people with different culture and personalities......
One is just insensitive and selfish.

Another is too sensitive about his country...

hays, and many many more...........

when life is miserable, it can really get more miserable sometimes.

but good thing, PROUD to be PINOY po! Kayang-kaya makisama!!! still surviving....

On the other hand, with the occasional dinner and free vacation trips, life in the lab isn't really that miserable, I guess...

Manila Bay Sunset

Hello pips!

I managed to get into the bay side last Sunday afternoon to take once again a nice and warm view of the sceneries there. It's the so-called "Bay Walk" of Manila where expensive, colorful and vibrant street lights are installed to lit the kilometer-long sunset watch port in the city.

We just got there on time (around 5pm) yet the waves are already throwing some welcome splashes (be careful, it's from the bay, watch out!). Roxas boulevard (see photo below) is known as the only street with digital traffic lights and with the famous pedestrian sign "Ped Xing".

The Roxas Boulevard nowadays! (what do you think after 20 more years, hehe)

Well, I would not spoil the time and will just give u the shots I've taken of the bayside.

"Lover's Bench"

"Farewell"

"Towers of Fire"

"Dark and Light"

"Silhouette"

I hope you had fun! 'Til next time.:)

Dragon Boat Festival

When I arrived in the dorm this evening, I saw these things on my desk.

The chinese item is really cute!!! hihihihi...

Well, our dorm is celebrating the dragonboat festival tomorrow, June 4, 2008.

I checked with Mr. Google and I found this site: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/DragonBoatFestival.htm

It says that the Dragon Boat Festival for this year will be on June 8, 2008...hmmnn..double 8.

Anyways, let me share with you what is written on the dorm's invitation.....

The Dragon Boat Festival is traditionally celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar and is therefore, often called "Double Fifth Festival". In Chinese, "Duan Wu Jie".

The celebration commemorates the life and death of the Chinese scholar Qu Yuan (340 BC-278 BC or 343-290 B.C.). He was betrayed by the other officials of the court and the king sent him away.

While exiled, Qu Yuan met a fisherman, who never cared about the country.

He felt hopeless and he drowned himself in the Milo river.

Many fishermen tried to rescue him, but his body was never found.

The fishermen worried that the fish would eat his body. So they thought if the fishes were not hungry, they would not eat Qu Yuan's body. The people then threw zong zi, a food made from sticky rice and meat wrapped in bamboo leaves, into the river to feed the fishes.

(hehehe, I had my first zong zi for this year yesterday....hmmnn, I just miss the kakanin, like suman de latik in the Philippines,which tastes better that these sticky rice...hehehe..I still love my own!!!)

They also tried to scare the fishes away by splashing the water with their paddles and beating their drums on a long narrow boat.

Later on, some tales said that a fisherman saw a dragon in the river with one piece of Qu Yuan's clothing found in between its whisker. Thus, came the name, Dragon Boat Festival.

.....with the Dragon Boat race and the beat of the drums....

yep, they are from the Philippines who joined the race here in Taipei last June 19, 2007 and I watched them with my Ga..

That time, my Ga was also able to let an egg stand ....hihihi....

let a chicken egg stand on the floor.

They say since Dragon Boat Day is usually in June, which is a Horse month. Horse hour in astrology is from 11:00 AM to 13:00 PM. It is believed that you will be lucky for the coming year if you can make an egg stand during Horse hour on the Dragon Boat Day.

I guess my Ga has been lucky...

Endless Longganisa

Hi people!

Been busy again for quite a while. Anyway, have you ever experienced eating the same food (not because you're pregnant, hehe) almost everyday? Well, I did. My friend and I always go to the same food resto to remedy our hunger after the day of tiredness. After several months of eating sizzling pork or chicken (50 pesos only, hehe), we decided trying the newly-opened store then, the "Cusina de Tapa". I sometimes called it as "tapahan" because I had no idea of using the whole name. It can be found in the corner of Mataba and P.A. Bernardo streets of the busy Arayat, Cubao area.

Well, I really like their 48-peso worth longkalog (longganisa, kanin, itlog) much better than their 49-peso takalog (tapa, kanin, itlog), hehe. Thus, the start of endless longganisa nights. Aside from longkalog and takalog, they also serve burger steak with egg (36pesos) and pizza a-la tapa (25pesos for a quarter slice). We befriended the ladies in there but tell you, they're tough! Haha, we can't get discounts other than additional garlic in the rice and more tissue, haha.

Yah, ang tapahan! (hehe)

Longkalog for only Php48.00 (with free soup and cold water!)

While waiting for the longkalog again! Hehe.

Nice smile there, haha, just got you on cam! Well, I managed to take a shot to one of our chitchat friends in the store, Nelfa from Sulu!

If I got heart attack, well, you know the reason... hehe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

In Filipino..

In Chinese...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY... LuV U!

Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus - Gian Dapul

Hi folks, I would like to share to you the winning piece of Mr. Gian Dapul, a 3rd year HS student of the Philippine Science High School, in the recently held English Speaking Union's International Public Speaking Competition in London. (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20080517-137159/Filipino-wins-London-public-speaking-title)

Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus - Gian Dapul

When I was in 6th grade, I hated Mathematics. You would have, too, if you had my teacher. He would drop huge workbooks on our tables and croak, "Thirty problems, fifty minutes." A lot of these problems seemed unsolvable, so we complained: "Sir, there are no answers to these!" But then he’d reply, "To every question there is an answer, to every problem there is a solution."
Although I’m only sixteen years old and an incoming 4th year high school student, I know that my country has more problems than any Mathematics book. Strangely enough, the answers to some of our problems are fish mucus and foot fungus. These seemingly improbable items are products of what we call scientific research.
Research turns our guesses into real knowledge, serving as the sifting pan of our hypotheses. It challenges what we assume, because, as they say, if you only learn from what you ASS-UME, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
In the early 1800s, someone warned that the streets of London would be filled with horse manure due to the uncontrolled use of horse-drawn carriages. Of course, that never happened. Combustion engines, products of research and invention, replaced horses, and the manure piled up in Parliament instead.

Coffee and droppings
While on the subject, few people know that the most expensive coffee in the world is taken from the droppings of the Asian Palm Civet found in the Philippines and Indonesia. The small mammal excretes the coffee berries it eats, and forest trackers recycle the fruity feces to create what is known as Kopi Luwak in Indonesia or Kape Alamid in our country. Research has led to a synthetic process that simulates the droppings' exotic flavor and quality.
So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast? Well, soon nobody will have had coffee and breakfast if the looming global food crisis worsens. Are you all feeling fine? Well, nobody might be fine for long if some new disease creeps up on us.
Health can be enhanced and life can be extended. The nudibranch, a beautiful, soft-bodied creature unfairly called a "sea slug" — a favorite among underwater photographers for its marvelous colors and shapes — has actually been used in tumor research. Samples of fish mucus have also displayed certain antibacterial properties.
And as the Home Shopping Network would say, "Wait! There’s more."

Science fair like Idol?
Certain types of infectious fungi that coat some of your toes here form beneficial relationships that support plant growth. The International Rice Research Institute based in the Philippines continues to develop ways to improve rice growth and help alleviate the current food crisis.
New challenges are coming, and they will always confront us. What we need is an army of scientific researchers that will help find the solutions in advance. I want to be part of that army that would cross the new frontiers first.
If only we could make science fairs and contests as popular as the thriving "Idol" franchise. Although I’m not sure if Simon Cowell’s sardonic comments will sit well with my peers. But we need the same hard-hitting passion in research and invention.
To conduct research is to be innovative; avant-garde. Researchers are like artists with test tubes and lab gowns instead of paintbrushes and smocks. When I graduate from the Philippine Science High School next year, I want to begin my "masterpiece" and apply for a university degree in Biochemistry.

New frontier
But sometimes, I am discouraged by those who say that a researcher from a Third-World nation is like a Jesuit adhering to a vow of poverty, or worse, like a Benedictine monk observing the vow of chastity. It is indeed a challenge, but it’s also another frontier to cross, for me and many young people like me.
We Filipinos are well known for their dedication to service, in foreign homes, hospitals and hotels. In our hotel, I found three Filipinos working at the front desk. I want to be one of the pioneers that will make the Philippines known for its excellence in scientific research, as part of the driving force that will expand our horizons towards tomorrow. And I intend to have a lot of fun while doing it.
Going back to my math teacher, I eventually realized that, well, he was right. As he said, "To every question there is an answer, to every problem there is a solution." We just have to go looking for the right ones. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll be answering the questions that haven’t been asked yet.

Article:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=118279

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqzL3xznfiU

Mother's Day

Its Mother's day!!!!!

I tried to find a song for my Mama.

But listening to this one song, I used up rolls of tissue.....just want to share it with you, too.
(do prepare a tissue if you don’t want to ruin your make-up or wet the things in front of you)


I just miss my Mama so much. She’s in Dipolog and I’m here in Taipei.
I just miss hugging her and sleeping beside her at night.
I love you, Mama!!

To all the Mothers, Thank you!!!
Thank you for helping us to become who we are today….The video of the song My mother for another roll of tissue!!!

;) -yin

Naruto Fan

Hi folks!!! Ni hao ma! It's been a while....

I never imagined that work really would demand most of my time, that's why, sorry, I wasn't able to share to you a tell tale or so (hmmm, I guess some are quite happy tho' for not reading stupid stories, hehehe). Well, I had several long weeks in the past and got easily tired from work.

Naruto? Hmm, yaa! Kagebunshin no justsu!!!! Oopps,,, hehehe!!!!
I'll hope I have his stamina and chakra to stay longer for work. I can imagine how world would be so easy when it happens.. haha.

Well anyway, I am a Naruto fan (thanks Dattebayo)! I kinda enjoy watching the episodes of the vids and even on manga. Its a great story and you'd surely be amazed of how the concept was and is conceived--- really out of the galaxy ideas!

Well, just wanna share to you pics of my Naruto model....just bought it from SM North Edsa for only Php99.00 (shot using Canon IXUS 850IS).

birth of my guppies

Its been a long time since I posted an entry..welll..hihihi..got to have some reasons so I can fool myself and of course you that I’m not that lazy.hmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnn...
The reason???? because I had a hard time editing my videos of the fish giving birth and upto now my videos are not that clear, just use your imagination..hehehehehe

Anyways, my fishes gave birth again!!! My 2 female guppies are so fertile….hehehehe.

Some juicy details about these guppies:

• Once the female guppies come in contact with male guppies, they can become pregnant.Hehehe! That's how probably our grandparents think of us, guppies who can become pregnant by the mere presence of male guppies, so they really react right away if you go out on a date without a chaperon.
  

• A 3:1 ratio with guppies– 3 females to every 1 male is advisable because the males will constantly chase around the female guppies. (the male guppies are so sexually active so gotta give the female some rest)

• If the male guppies are active, the females also are!! A few hours after giving birth, the female guppy is ready for conception again. As in ready to entertain the male guppies!!!!!! And if the male does not wish to mate soon after the female has given birth, the female can use stored sperm from the last mating. hihihihi!!! even self-sufficient!

• Guppies are live-bearers, which means that they do not lay eggs– the babies simply pop out.

see my videos!!!

But what's sad about these guppies, they don't have the instinct to take care of their babies.

Worse, both the male and female guppies will eat their babies that’s why the pregnant female guppy should be placed into a breeder compartment so the babies can drop down below to avoid being eaten.

Yep, I have a breeder compartment I borrowed from my labmate, John.

que Horror

Yesterday, I went to the National Taiwan University to do my experiments on Kjeldahl analysis of protein. The building I went to is one of the oldest buildings in that University.

When I went there, it was still very early and I was alone in the lab.
(hihihi! before 10am is still early for students here in Taiwan who sleeps so late and wakes up so late)

After setting up my samples in the digestion apparatus, I went to a corner and took a seat. There was an old radio and I just turned it on. Since I was just a visitor there, I did not change the dial even though the music played was a classical type which gives you goosebumps.


It was a little eery being alone in that lab with that classical music on that gloomy day.

This is the place I went to and this is exactly the background music in the lab.
(hihihi, please increase the volume of your speaker to hear the background music because I just recorded the audio with my cellphone)




wheeewww! ...... A little scary but I had no choice so I busied myself reading articles on protein and polysaccharide interactions.

I read about the electrostatic interaction of these two macromolecules (hihhihi! just want to convince you that I was seriously studying at that moment ;)

I was not facing the door and my mind was wandering on proteins and carrageenans

when suddenly someone at my back just said "Ni shei..." My heart almost dropped because I did not hear someone entering the lab and suddeny he was very near me.

WAaaahhh, I turned and face him and waaahhh it was actually the professor of that lab!

good thing I did not shout..hehehhehe...

but after the incident, I realized,
Was he also afraid why someone in dark brown garb (yep that's the color of my jacket) and with long black hair is in his lab at that moment??
Was he a little scared that's why he walked cautiously towards me.
and my friend told me..when he said "Ni shei.." probably he wanted to ask me "You are???"
hehehee, we've already met so he knows me already...

waaahhhh..mag-aapela sa barangay!
Please don't get me wrong, I am definitely not scary there!!!!!

:)
see my pic!!

.....wait...please no offense to NTU pips.
I am so grateful to the Professor and the people in that lab for allowing me to do my experiments using their glasswares and apparatus.

My 15-NT Laundry

I am doing my laundry now!!! :)

I used to hate doing laundry but now I do it with a smile because doing laundry in my dorm is really easy and sooooo cheap!!!!!

Just 15 NT (PhP 21)! for a week's clothes....

.......

This is our laundry area in the dorm. Each floors has 2 washing machines, 1 thermal dryer and 1 spin dryer. Only 5NT for 1 washing cycle, 5NT for 30min of thermal drying (I usually dry for 1hr so my jeans get totally dry) and free of charge for the ordinary spin dryer.

And since you just have to load your clothes, drop a coin and push some buttons....really convenient for me!

so have to do my laundry now...

and in about 1 and a half hour..I'll be done with my 15-NT laundry...


so come now...hihihi..let's wash our clothes here in my dorm!

Kalayaan Escapade

Yesterday, Iwas busy thinking what should I post again in this blog. My ga had her weekend story and I somehow am not on the agility to write (besides, I am still having my way out of my virus, hehehe, flu virus).

Anyway, I thought of sharing to you the place I've been last year.

Kalayaan is a municipal town in the province of Laguna, and is composed of three major barangays, namely: San Juan, Longos, and San Antonio. During my childhood, I can vividly remember when my parents decided to stay in San Juan because my father's father (lolo ko po) has an ilness and nobody would want to take care of him. In short, we were the ones requested by my lolo Inggo to stay with him during the last days of his life. He, unluckily, got a tuberculosis and add it to his age, so the old man really can't live alone. And that's sometime in November 1990, few months after the historical quake in the Central Luzon.

Well, there are lots of childhood memories I had in Kalayaan--- have stayed there for almost six years (from my first grade until I finished my elementary course). There I had enjoyed playing with other kids, learned how to ride a bike and swim, had flown my first kite in "wawa" (or the downside of the barangay), had been educated about flooding and typhoons (hehe, nice experience), made lifetime friends and loved ones, been exposed with the ranks in the society (mayaman vs mahirap, hehe), etc. Well, after two years or so, I was never been there, that's why I just went there abruptly.

First thing in my destination is "Wawa", where fishermen has their concrete rip-rap aisle goin' to the Laguna de Bay for fishing. See the pic on the side. Wawa is my getaway place when I wanna feel Kalayaan's morning mist and freshair, my place for nice sunset, and during the summer, a place for kite flying. The concrete pavement serves as walkway for the townfolks who would want to see the scenery like me, for the fishermen to guide their way for fishing, and as a flood-preventing wall. I am luckier to see a rainbow that morning when I went there (see the othe pic).

Yup, rainbow showed up for me during my visit. I was really surprised, 'coz it added to the soothing views I am seeing at that time--- green hyacnths, misty air, cool weather, nice sunrise, fresh scent ----a real Wawa's pride.

Also, the Twin Falls of San Juan is surely a recommended place for resort lovers. The water is so cold that you dont dare to stay too long in the clean, running water of the pool. The resort's name was coined from the fact that a twin-like fall serves the place (just see some pics below). You will be welcomed by this odd phrase (see the pic on the right). Though it was simply writtern, you'll be surely pampered by the soothing cool water from the falls. I even glimpsed at the restrooms where I laughed at the phrase written there, "Pakihugasan ang baul" (Kindly wash the bowl). (Warning, no to eating folks, hehe).

Well, just enjoy the pics, I'm sure you'll have a good time....