no better summer

I wished I could say more. But am quite lazy to write at the moment. Me thinks research is taking every ounce of my energy. But stop! Cam is not complaining. I really can't think of a better way to spend this summer. The summer studentship at the School of Biological Sciences is going better than expected. A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of throwing in the towel and couldn't fathom why anyone would sign up for a seemingly gruelling although paid training to do research. Four weeks in and after experiencing a silly-SBS Christmas party, this summer is going good. And though I'm not that keen on sacrificing animals for research.. thank God, we're spared of killing them (supervisor Shiva does it), I do like hovering around the surgery room (the room they sacrifice animals, mostly rodents) because chances are you might just experience some cool surgery (like the cardio-plunge which involves you taking blood from a still beating heart.. wicked or what?!)

So far, I've learnt lots. I've had to relearn all the mundane stuff like how to use a light microscope to a fluorescent microscope. Learnt how to train my shaking hand to extract aliquots carefully so I don't disturb the chemical pellet at the end of a tube. Learnt to always wear labcoats when carrying out the wet lab stuff (after getting yelled at by the lab manager.. remembering is not the hard.. haha). Learnt that ethanol is a good steriliser. Learnt that hey, if you run out of nail polish remover, use the acetone in the lab fridge! Learnt that if your results turn out crappy, always blame your method! Or experimental error, error, error! Learnt the real reason behind why tutors get so mad at you when you break a specimen slide. Guys, they take ages to prepare! Seriously. Not fun at all. Learnt that those people who stand in front of you and give lectures aka lecturers are human too and sometimes they just wanna let loose.

I just wanted to have fun for summer. And looks like I'm getting it.

Finally, one of the most beautiful-lest picture I ever produced so far.

It's actually a picture of a pancreas along with a lymph node stained for the cell nuclei. The dense bit at the bottom is the lymph node, with a lot of immune cells, hence the cluster. The scattered bit on top is the exocrine part of the pancreas, involved in producing enzymes to digest food.

p/s: I feel awful.. Danielle's had her baby Zach and I still haven't visited her! Hoping baby Zach won't outgrow the pressies I got him!