Thursday, April 28, 2011

Change Change Change

Yeah, if you have been visiting regularly you would notice that my blog header changes more frequently than erm.... Baskin Robins has 31% discount on their ice cream? Hahaha :P

But this is life. Change happens all the time. You could sulk over what's gone and get left behind. But I would like to think that I can stay ahead and embrace what's new. So much for loyalty haha. Well it depends on the thing or type of situation. In the case of a blog header, if you get bored with what you see, then it's bye bye and good riddance! It's always exciting to see what's new and WHAT'S NEXT! Didn't I give my blog a good name hehe ;)

OK this post is a little random. I guess when you're on a week long break with too much time on your hands, you get a little fidgety and start doing random nonsense. At risk of sounding like a babbling nut job, I think it's time for me to sign off.

Good night everyone! :)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Mid Sem Break Woohoo

Finally the much anticipated mid sem break is here! Muahahahahahahahaha

Just the thought of sleeping long hours everyday for the next 9 days puts a smile to my face. My initial plan was to curl into a ball, hide under the sheets and hibernate for the entire week in cold, dark conditions. Just kidding... as much as I want that to happen, I know I'm no furry animal bracing harsh weather. Plus, I forgot to gather a pile of fruits and nuts prior. Heck, maybe I will go into hibernation if it starts snowing tomorrow. You know what are the odds. ;)

OK I'm done trying to be funny. Sue me, it's the holidays, my humour bone is ticking.

Realistically this short break ain't all fun and laughter. Due dates are always lurking, and this week would be the ideal time to catch up or should I say, pull ahead of schedule. Hard work never goes to waste, so I should be doing something productive with the time on my hands. I just went from light and fun to serious and boring in as many sentences. Such is life.

Maybe I'll go somewhere this week... like a day trip or something. And definitely will spend more time exercising! Am itching to play tennis... problem is, there's no 'kaki' to play with. :(

Do you like my new blog header? It's back to basics really, I'm over with the outrageous in-your-face colours and bold styling. That was like an experimental phase to go more organic. But not really feeling it now. Let's go dark again haha.

:)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I survived

This past week has been really tiring... the amount of sleep I got was minimal (broke my personal record), combined with the stress equals pimples and dark eye circles. But I wasn't alone. All my course mates were having long nights too, so I tried my best to suck it up and focus on the work and not waste time because TIME was indeed the limiting factor.

I have never been more glad to be on the other side of adversity. It feels like I have been released from physical and mental torture... Picture an abused bird finally flying out from a cage and zooming around the sky freely like crazy. The most important thing was to clock in on some sleep. Felt awesome not being rudely awoken in the morning by the familiar sound of the alarm. It's like you're suddenly jolted and your eyes pop open and you rush to put an end to that loud, in-your-face noise. Never realized how getting sufficient sleep really puts one in a much better mood.

Spent much of the weekend dining out with family. It's therapy for me. Good food with good company. :)

And for those of you who don't already know, my internship application has been approved!!! Was really surprised how quickly the company responded. The HR department was efficient and friendly. That strengthened my liking and faith towards the company. I think I'm really going to learn a lot working for 3 months in the food industry. And since it's quite a big and established company, I would expect a professional work setting and up to standard laboratories.

I have been assigned to the Quality Assurance department, which is one of the major career paths for a Food Science graduate. The other options include R&D, product development, technical sales, government regulatory, etc.

But the industrial training doesn't start until I finish my exam in November... so it's a long time to go. I'm definitely looking forward to it, but the long work hours are slightly intimidating... Hope I don't get burned out by the hours!!

Writing way too much already, I have a feeling you're about to close this window. So BYE for now, and BE HAPPY!! If you're going through a tough time now with assignments, work or just life, stay strong alright, because every time you pull through a rough patch, you become that much stronger and wiser. Very true.
:)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Working it out

The best way to eliminate fear and stress related to studies is just to force yourself to sit in front of your desk and WORK. There's no shortcut. I know I have the habit of worrying and whining prior to the actual working, but once I got started I realized it's not all dark clouds after all.

Been working extra hours yesterday and today.. now I feel so much better (though at the expense of my weekend)!!

Finally caught up to where I'm supposed to be. Already went through two thirds of what I need to study for my Microbiology mid sem test. Finished one assignment. Now I just need to start working on a much dreaded lab report that's gonna be due on Thursday. If I start now, I just need to work on it part by part each day, so I won't have to torture myself on Wednesday night like the previous weeks.

The key is to be consistent. Cannot afford to slack off anymore. Need to keep the momentum going!!

Gosh, I feel like such a nerd for writing an entire post about assignments and time management. You guys probably don't wanna read about this anyway rite :P

Going to have some FUN later, but right now it's report time!
Just want tomorrow to be better than today :)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

AHHHHH

Screaming. That's what I feel like doing now.

This week and the next is going to be the busiest and toughest fortnight of this semester. It's that week where you have a major assignment and a double lab report due, and top that off with a mid semester test. It's scary when you don't completely understand some of the content being taught.

Honestly I'm completely overwhelmed.
There's just too much going on, to the point that I don't know what I should do first. It's like fire coming at me in all directions. Which do I put out first???

Yes, isn't life dramatic? Or at least I am.

Pardon me.
Life is stressful now.

Then again it's Monash. This happens every semester. It's THAT week.

I hope I don't end up submitting a half ass job. Becoz that isn't what I want to represent.
I have standards. Anything that has my name on it needs to pull through.

Bahhhhhh....
I should stop blogging and get on with work.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Balance

I think I've finally found some balance in life.

Went to consult another Gastroenterologist in February who was recommended by another physician. I think this time the diagnosis + treatment plan was finally right. Well at least it feels much better now after one month of medication.

Turned out to be 3 words: Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Irregular bowel contractions result in food not being properly moved as it should be, trapping air in the bowel resulting in bloating. Subsequently the bloating makes me feel full all the time, resulting in poor appetite and weight loss. Bloating also forces the stomach acid up the esophagus, causing acid reflux and the discomfort that I'm so terrified of.

The downside is that there is NO CURE for IBS. Just prescriptions for symptomatic relief. Well, it's better than nothing. If it means feeling better and being able to eat, then I don't mind taking meds long term. Some people get better on their own after taking the course of medication, but for most the chance of relapse is high. It's been a week since I finished my meds, and so far I'm still feeling OK, so fingers crossed that it stays that way!!

Apparently some ppl are just born with this condition. For others, it is triggered by lifestyle, namely stress. That explains a lot. But anyway, physically I feel good now, even gained a little bit of weight which is a seriously welcoming sign! I was afraid that eventually I would be nothing but skin and bones.

Being physically fuller means being able to play sports better! I feel fitter than usual. Can go for jogging and do sit ups without feeling tired as quickly as before. More energy. Stamina is getting better, just need to maintain it now by exercising regularly.

And that gives me the opportunity to really rebuild my tennis game. I know what needs to be done tactically, with the technical and mental skills to back it up, and now I will be able to execute my game physically which was always the aspect that was hindering my progress.

Feeling healthier also means being able to deal with assignments and late nights better! Or maybe it's the fact that I'm in week 5 now, so the body naturally adjusted to the student lifestyle again.

Whatever it is, I'm glad the good times are here.
Pray that they stay.