Déjà vu

April 28^th, 2012, overwhelmed me with a feeling of déjà vu. It was very much like the black day in the history of Malaysia to see the citizens finally standing up for their electoral rights and democracy in the country.  Nostalgia of July 2011 could be seen in the uproar of protestors in yellow take it to the streets, rains of teargas and water cannons, brutality of police personnel, damage of public property, allegations of violence, deaths incurred and arrests of rally protestors. Everything seems to be impossible to tell apart. All I could see was pandemonium broke out crushing out the actual intention of Bersih 3.0 last Saturday. It was an unethical attempt by some other individuals (I don’t need to spell it out loud!) to tarnish the effort rolled in by Bersih organizers. This rally is definitely not spun out to create mayhem to the solidarity of our beloved Malaysia. Rather to safeguard Malaysia from injustice and uphold the democracy of ‘rakyat’ per say.

This Bersih 3.0 sit-down came in with gusto and left with an uproar in quest for clean and fair elections.  This is the talk of the town right now. Last Saturday, more than twenty thousand protesters marched through the centre of Kuala Lumpur city, several other states in Malaysia including other parts of the world calling for fair elections and greater accountability. Once again people took it to the streets to show their solidarity in quest. It marks the humanity struggle to realize the democracy.  I hope the fight for a good cause will be worth the effort. Only when the elections are fair, the citizens can have real democracy of their life and expect the public servants to act accountably.

As I watched the day through the news and global network, I saw the rays of hope, unity and aspirations to make our home Malaysia a better place to live in each and everyone’s eyes. This rally sit-in arose not from hatred but for tranquillity, solidarity and the spirit of oneness.

Although I was not present in the sit-in physically but my silent yet loud and tolerant yet unwavering pledge to have justice, fairness and solidarity in my homeland one day for my kids to appreciate and savor it. It did send a resounding signal to the other corners of the world to bring a difference in this blessed country. People from all walks of life came together simply because of civil obligation to uphold the liberties that rightfully belong to all of us, democracy restored and peace culminated. This event is a moment of truth for all Malaysians and one for future generations to come. Politicians of the ruling party and other inconsiderate citizens of Malaysia blindly toss accusations on these Bersih organizers for tarnishing the reputation of our country in the eyes of the world. Actually, this is defining the reality for the world to witness the justice voice to be heard and reinstated, making this place a better place to live for everyone.

I hope all the effort put in will not be vain. Someday we might be the torch-bearer of democracy. The beauty of this effort will be all Malaysians irrespective of their ethnicity and social differences, they stand united and holding the vigil for a better Malaysia.

Malaysia Boleh!

Yet another child abduction

Child kidnapping cases has been on rise in Malaysia lately. You may have heard the news of abduction of 12 year old Nayati Moodliar in Kuala Lumpur few days ago. This is yet another case after Nurin, Shalinie and Dirang. I rather feel it is no longer safe for parents to leave their children to be alone and unattended in the public especially in this country. The regret for leaving their son walk to school would be exactly how the parents of Nayati are feeling right now. Indeed the entire social media fraternity and the humanitarian community have been poignant about the little boy disappearance since Friday morning. This kidnapping case sparked a massive buzz across the social networking sites, TV news and also has been the talk of the town.

It was no rare news for all on the abduction of a 12-year-old Dutch boy in Kuala Lumpur on last Friday, 27^th April 2012. The boy, Nayati Shamelin Moodliar was dragged into a dark-colored Proton Gen 2 with number plate WNH 1356 by two men before the eyes of his classmates in broad day light (the police confirmed that the registration number of the vehicle is phony). He was abducted around 7.40am early Friday morning on the corner of Jalan Kiara when he was on his way to the Mont Kiara International School. Since then nothing has been heard of him.

Nayati is a 12 years old with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is mixed origin of Indian and caucasian. He is 1.5 meters tall. He was last wearing his Mont Kiara International School white school shirt and green shorts. The boy Nayati Moodliar is the son of a couple from South Africa, Shamelin Moodliar and Janice Moodliar of Dutch nationality. The family had just moved in to Malaysia for the relocation of the boy’s father as management consultant in KL.

His parents are too distraught and plead to whoever has taken their little boy to return him home safely. All they want is to have their Nayati back home. For the past couple of days, various social networks are providing updates, flyers and photographs of Nayati have been put up to spread the news to get to his whereabouts across the country. A video of the parents going public with their plea is seen flashing on internet. I am just one of the compassionate strangers who feel for their family’s plight and helping to spread the word to let others know about Nayati in the hope that somewhere he will be found and returned home safely.

This is a little help that we all can do on our part to help spread the awareness of this missing child and pray that he will be able to return home safely soon. I hope fellow Malaysians can spare a few moments to pray for this little boy’s safety and spread the news alert on the lookout for Nayati.

A new couch to siesta on!

It was time for furnishing our living room with a new couch. I and mom have been flickering through the brochures by Courts, Lorenzo and Macy’s discussing for weeks about which sofa we were going to go with. I wanted something that looked classy, comfortable to nap on after work and also reasonable in price. Last Saturday, we took a drive to the nearest furniture gallery and hopped in with excitement. Bear in mind, getting a sofa is not as easy as we think. It has to satisfy all of us in terms of quality, pricing, color and design, material and comfortableness. That’s mouthful huh?

After about nearly two hours of contemplating on the various couches we saw in the gallery, we manage to spot down to two couches that were actually worth the buy. After back and forth discussion, we decided to pick the one with most reasonable sofa set with a complimentary coffee table. It costs us RM 2000 even though we wanted something less pricey since we are planning to move in to our very own home in near future. So getting a pricey couch will be not a good idea since it’s prone to damage during the moving. But then again on second thought, duh! Let’s get it anyway.

I really look forward to sink myself into the comfy couch while watching the TV. I am a home person and love to be accompanied by TV during leisure weekends. So the thought of getting a better sofa was something I looked forward to. At last the couch was delivered the same evening and I was super excited to see it! It's exactly what I was looking for. The color is perfect.  All four of us fit on it. The seat is deep and it's nice to have a sofa with an arm rest wide enough that doesn’t strain for hours long that we get glued to the TV. It comes along with abundant of fluffy cushions to keep us cozy all day long.

Mom and I are planning to make it extra cozy by adding up some furry drapes either from IKEA or other stores to give some texture to it. We have a nice carpet to keep our legs warm since the vicinity around my house is naturally cool than usual. If it rains, it feels like we are in some highland resort. Another splash that is worth to light up the ambiance of the room will definitely be flowers! Time for another shop for interior décor!

There you go my salary! But I'm loving it!

I hate gossips

Anytime I am asked to list down what I hate the most, only gossip comes to my mind. So much so that it simply spoils the aura around me. It has become a culture by its own but something intolerable. Juicy gossips or tittle-tattling happens to make its round more happily than ever regardless of where you are. Believe it or not, there is almost no place without at least little bit of gossips and backbiting. It resembles a wave that can create nonsense in any academic institutions, in corporate organization, in a social occasion and even among family circle. I can tell you it is very contagious and spreads like a pandemic.

It just never ends. Over the years, as I grew up, the more I run into people that loves gossiping and backbiting. Both are just about the same. I always wished this would not be the scenario. Somehow I can relate both these social stigma with immaturity and fallaciously assumed that older people don’t talk behind people back. But on second thought, my assumptions deceived me. Occasionally, I experienced seeing older and wiser (or so?) people happily talking about others without a clear conscience. I was completely wrong. Can you believe that men out beat the women when it comes to gossiping? Yes it is. I will cover this topic on my next post. He-he. 

Gossips are usually never about the real news that goes around but it is a spin off from the original news with extra ‘spice’. The moment the distorted news is set on fire, it goes all around and around. Trust me it just never ends. Is it impossible not to talk about others in your conversations? How does it do good to you? Maybe some people finds talking about academic, politics, business etc can be plain boring but juicy gossips can be entertaining to them. What I just said could be contradicting but sad to say this is how the society works.

It is inevitable to bitch about people you don’t like or even the people that you like too. My close encounter would be in a wedding I attended sometime ago. A wedding would be a joyous occasion where we get to meet old friends and family members that we don’t get to see often. It is a time for catching up from where we left. But it baffled me when I overheard one conversation (I wasn’t eavesdropping btw, it was loud and clear enough for me to be make out what they were talking about). The bunch of ladies and men were talking about the newlyweds! Does it matter how they met and what they have been doing? It is none of their business any way.

This is just one of the worst waves of gossips that I have heard. I am totally against of gossip and it is simply because I was (and perhaps still) a victim subjected to gossips. It all came from the root of jealousy. I just don’t get it why people just love to bitch about me when they know a little about me. I know I am smart, bold, independent, beautiful and blunt lass that can spark the jealousy of anyone. Ha-ha I am not being smug here but this could be why they are lashing behind my back. I am sorry for those folks. You think you can stop me from me being successful and being everyone’s sweetheart. No you can try but it just never happens. Why? Because I don’t harm others, I don’t ruin their lives or I don’t have bad intentions on them. It doesn’t bother me if they are doing well or they are going down the drains.

Perhaps gossips and talking about others are merely the way a person is conditioned. It reflects in their nurturing from young or it could be a genetic factor. I came across an article last year that there is underlying genetic factor identified to be associated with aggressiveness trait. So who knows gossips, backbiting and jealousy also has underlying genetic factor?

But I don’t think it is fair enough to talk ill about someone and ruin their lives in any way. If you can’t do something good for everyone around you, then might as well you don’t have to do bad to those around you. It makes a difference at least. I just wish people would learn to mind their business although other people’s business seems to be more entertaining for them. 

I am a pretty private person. A private person with a blog about random parts of her life you might say? Well let me tell you, there’s a lot I don’t reveal about myself and what I do tell you is up to my discretion! It puts me out of my comfort zone when people ask me about me, and my life. It is not for them to know anyway (unless you’re my close-knit family and friends).  It’s my life and it doesn’t concern you. I guess it is worth to choose handful of acquaintances to fit into your closest social network. I am sure only a few will shine out above the rest.

Barong dance truly an experience

Bali is famous for their exotic art and culture. One of it is definitely none other than the Barong dance. The Barong Dance is a powerful battle of good and evil and most well known in Bali. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality.

There is a story line to the Barong dance, but really the dance is entertaining with a touch of sacredness imbued with the soul of Barong. The story is about Rangda battling against the King of Bali, Erlangga in the 10^th century. Erlangga seek the help of Barong to battle with Rangda and her strong black magic troops. Here the Barong battles the evil Rangda. Rangda uses magic spell to force the warriors to turn their knives on themselves. Instead, the warriors turn to Rangda and started attacking. This is when things get interesting. In the end, Barong triumph.

It is hard to tell what is going on during the dance show. To us, the dance is entertaining, mystic and an air of sacredness surrounds the stage. However to the Balinese people, this dance is an opportunity to keep the cosmos in balance. We can see the performers in masks and holding daggers stabbing themselves (for sure not hard) but the Barong’s magic protects the warriors from Rangda’s spell.

The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerings must be presented. This is one show that is performed at various tourist attraction spots and one should not miss it.

I was actually slightly in a bundle of nerves when my husband urged me to go and take a snap with the dancers. Having a close-up shot with them was truly an experience. But the dancers look very bloodcurdling with their ruffian look masks, make-up and costumes that tickled my feelings for awhile. It is a great show, though...

Pre-wedding portraiture - a romantic bliss

Of all the things we've planned for our wedding, my husband and I didn't expect that our most priceless moments would be the pre-wedding photo shoot. Before we got engaged in November, neither of us had the idea to go for a pre-wedding shoot. These days, pre-wedding photo shoot marks the start of wedding planning and the celebration coming ahead. It has become a trend for most couple to capture the priceless moments as marriage celebration happens ‘once in a lifetime’. It sounds ridiculous, but in the wedding business, pre-wedding shoots are now seriously making big money. It is a must-have when you get into serious wedding planning. Of course I didn’t want to fall into the mainstream of modern day couples. But my husband told me, “We are only going to go through this day once and through these photographs only we can re-live the day in years to come ”. “I am sure being a new bride, you wouldn’t want to miss these precious moments”. I gave it a second thought and the next thing I knew I had already sign up for the photo shoot.

I remember one of my friend told me that at the end of the pre wedding photo shoot, I will have a collection of pre wedding photos that will become very special to both of us, marking the start of our wedding bash and capturing that special bond. Besides, it was a perfect way for us to get to know each other even closer before the big day. A great deal of fun is promised! Both of us wanted our photo shoot to be chic, simple and memorable. I just don’t fancy flashy concept of backdrop. I had always wanted something very subtle and sweet. Not being particularly well-versed about wedding trends, Raj gave away the task for me to survey and pick the right studio for the portraiture photography. I browsed several bridal studio websites and also never missed the wedding exhibitions to grab a fairly reasonable package (Only after getting to the bottom of the task, that I realize it is not as straightforward as I thought since there are innumerable bridal studios in the city offering various attractive packages which can tempt us). Somehow the package happened to fit my requisite to keep it simple and sweet without exaggeratedly pricey and too many flamboyant outfits. All that matter is YOU. It is our inner persona and how we bring out that shine into the portraiture.
The portraiture didn’t happen immediately since both of us weren’t ready for our portraiture in quintessence. As an enthusiastic bride-to-be, I did some homework on the worldwide web to get an idea of styles of pre-wedding shoots. I was flabbergasted to find cheesy poses, groovy expressions, public display of affection, I vouch you that this is not going to be me at all. I can’t believe myself what I am up too. One thing for sure, I am going to agonize over the chunky accessories, bulky gowns and fake expressions! Ha-ha. We wouldn't have gone out of our way to book this pre-wedding shoot if it hadn't been thrown in with a reasonable deal. But that's the idiotic thing about weddings. You somehow end up doing stuff that's not even YOU.

This photo shoot involves spending the day being photographed in casually yet carefully co-ordinated outfits, gazing into each other's eyes while onlookers keep looking at us. The essence of portraiture is to capture the love-in-the-air and let’s-get-cozy expressions. The atmosphere at a pre-wedding shoot was quite casual, full of fun and laughter. I and Raj chose to have the shoot at Lake Garden KL, a public park that was a privately landscaped garden with a lake, blooming flower garden and fountain so loads of great spots for shooting. As a pre wedding photographer, Jack knows the perfect poses and location for us to capture our moments. Both of us right away could establish the rapport with Jack and that made us comfortable in our shoot which I believe would help us achieve natural looking photos. We sat on a grassy patch in Lake Garden. We were in love embrace in midst of a garden. We sat under a tree. We looked out over the horizon. He looked at me; I looked away into the distance (and vice versa). I cast my glance away from him, and he looked romantically at me. We were meant to gaze into each other's eyes a lot - romantic, yes, but it also makes you laugh in shyness, especially when you both are deliberately doing PDA (something I don’t favor).
Our photographer is pretty funny guy as he made us pose in the right angle as to capture the flawless shots. He made us feel comfortable with his easy-going nature so as to create a good rapport with him the entire day. Our muscles were flexed to the max with his joking skills and perhaps that’s how despite being tired, I was still able to continue the shoot. In the end, we had a laugh playing up the cheesy factor, but it's definitely not something we'll be doing it again. It’s also wonderful to work with thoughtful and discreet photography team from Universal studio. They allow the moments to unfold naturally. Well, I’ll let the film speak more for you. The outdoor shoot was something we wanted to opt for a more informal and fun photo shoot. Weekday was our pick since it will be lesser crowd at the garden. And I must say that Jack is a good photographer whom knows what exactly works best for you. He shows us some great photography tricks which give us more confidence for the rest of the shoot.
In fact, one of the reasons photographers themselves are so keen on the idea is that it lets you, see exactly how much fun photography can be. It's the ultimate ice-breaker where we can get a better idea on how to respond to the camera, what angles do and don't work for you, and how you interact together.
After 2 months of waiting, the much sought after photos from our pre-wedding photograph is here (it arrived about 2 weeks ago). A mere glance across the photo album cover, I was already walking down the memory lane to that beautiful, sunny day, 31st December 2011. A day we both shared and captured our romantic moments prior to the big day.

I am in love with my wedding album and all of the pictures that were taken on the day. I get a bit teary every time I look at the album or the slideshow of the pictures. Everyone loved it and the feedback has been amazing. The whole day was just magical and the pictures which were taken really captured the feeling of the day. I just loved them all! The whole experience from the pre-wedding shoot to the wedding day was fun, relaxing and exciting and I want to thank you all for that rapturous celebration.Our pre-wedding photo shoot was really fun and unforgettable experience but super tiring. I am glad we manage to squeeze a little time to capture these priceless moments.

 While the photos outcome is pretty good but I was looking for more uniqueness and classic shots. I must tell you that I am just not good in poses till our photographer; Jack had slightly tough time to get me picture-perfect for all the shots. We had hilarious time with Jack teasing me for being so ‘plastic’ in my expression while my husband cheekily enjoying me being bullied. The quintessence of the photo shoot was articulated at the end of the day. It brought us even closer, made us appreciate our bond and prepared us for the big event. Probably, I am just not the typical girl that loves the flash and glam life like some do. I am rather the girl-next-door person that loves to be plain and natural. On the other hand, I must admit that my husband looked very natural in his pose and smile away getting accolades from Jack for being easy to shoot. Ha-ha. Even the make-up and outfits did complement to my bona fide personality. Everyone who saw the photos complimented that I look almost natural.
At the end of the pre wedding photo shoot, we both have engraved the beautiful memories in an album that will become very special to both of us for years to come.

Paradox of life

Did you ever dwell on the absurdity of life? There were days in one’s life that you are boisterously happy, some days that you’re just alright, and other days one wish we could either wind back and start all over again, or fast-forward through. I do. On one fine Sunday evening as I was sitting on my balcony while enjoying the cool breeze, my thoughts started to drift away far into the horizon overlooking the mountain opposite my house (my house is on a hilly top btw). It made me contemplate on the meaning of life and why things happen the way they do. Is it the destiny of life or our own actions that make up our life? Why do things happen the way they do? One thing I believe is, the Lord is steering our lives from up above.

Since last year, I have been awakened by the painful news of people living this world unpredictably soon. When someone you know passes away, no matter how close you were or distant acquaintances, there is a gut-hitting-the-floor feeling when you hear that horrible news. The most recent was just a few weeks ago. And while I did not spin in the same social loop or necessarily be the nearest and dearest with any of these individuals, but that overwhelming loss is just the same. In some ways, I feel like I should not be enduring the sadness that those who were closer to them should. Somehow, I have the tender heart which goes all out for other people’s loss. My husband admires my compassion so much so that he feels behind this resilient girl; he could see a beautiful heart in me. J

It is not only on the grounds of humanitarian values inherent within me, but I feel it speaks on their influence on those around them and the fact I know them distress me a great deal. I just feel some of them went too soon away from this world. They may have left a lasting impression on us, their contributions to those around them, the smile they put on your face, their affection that made a difference in your life, and their presence could brighten up your dull day.

It all comes back to the enigma I had in the beginning. It makes me wonder why things work out the way they do. I have yet to find the answer to my conundrum. Perhaps, the realm of our existence elucidates that each one of us is a gift while we are here. The continuity of life despite their demise is our obligation to go on. This I would call the paradox of life. I hope those that have left too soon from this material world would be able to find peace. All I can say is God love them too much to be taken away too soon.

There are some moments in life; there are no words to describe. And I believe all that happens has a reason behind it.

Wretched Wednesday

I was on my way to my SDTC office in UPM-MTDC. It was a sunny Wednesday with rays shining through clouds. I was looking forward for a beautiful day as I have a list of agenda to work on for the week. As I hit the KL-Seremban expressway, a spin off from the Mahameru highway, I didn’t suspect there would be an abrupt traffic crawl ahead of me. Rush hour is far from over. It was 8am and I was driving on 90-100km/hour speed. As the Desa Petaling road draws closer, the traffic started slowing down gradually to about 30-40km/hr. I knew it was an accident otherwise congestion is unlikely for this direction of passageway. As a quick response, I dash for the volume panel of my car radio in order to get an insight of traffic report for KL-Seremban expressway. Fly Fm was my favorite radio station particularly in the morning as I commute to work laughing away to Prem and Jules shenanigans.
After 5 minutes into the area, I saw there was a traffic wedge on the opposite lane of traffic where police were gathered with an ambulance stand-in on site. I still couldn’t visibly see the accident scene till I my car inched up further. The moment I glanced across the road on my right, I froze for a split second. I couldn’t speak and my emotions were fluttering. There was a casualty as I noticed a body on the road was covered with black cover. I sneak a quick look through the lifeless body lying motionless on the road. It took a few minutes for me to understand what had happened. The accident happened earlier and all that was left was a large motorbike toppled with everything shattered on the road. The police personnel were clearing up the mess. My mood swung immediately. A grim atmosphere and a sense of melancholy serenaded the Wednesday morning.
The traffic flow eases in 20m after the site of the incident. As I hit on the accelerator, making my way to work, the scenario keep playing in my mind and from behind I heard the siren of the ambulance rushing the injured victim to hospital. I prayed for the victim to survive and to give them the strength to cope with the death of their partner. This was very tragic accident I saw ever in my life. It was certainly not an encouraging sight to start your day with.

I just hope the rest of the day will be good though!

Late Night Dessert

Last Saturday night I was out with my husband to do something we both loved to do together. It is late night dessert treat. Just the both of us only. Out of blue, my husband quizzed me to go out for a drive and catch a fruit cocktail in Rainbow City food outlets. My eyes brightened in excitement since I was craving for some late night dessert. We both changed into something casual and hop into the car for a light and easy drive around Ipoh city before we hit the famous dessert outlet.
I must confess the taste of this fancy fruit cocktail is sinfully delicious and a cool treat. It cost you about RM4 but it has many ingredients-varieties of fruits, a scoop of ice-cream, syrup and other jellybeans. It is something cheap and fulfilling treat on a hot day. I have not had any better shaved ice treats in KL that can be comparable to this one. I gave a peck on my hubby’s cheek for fulfilling my cravings for such a long time. Thank you baby!
The fruit cocktail was so icy till it kindled my rhinitis and now I am accompanied with stuffy nose and headaches. Ha-ha-ha. But no regrets. I still loved it no matter what!

Flora the sophisticated signature

I figured I should review the perfume I bought, since I’ve been wearing it for a month (although not almost every day). When I was returning from Bali, I couldn’t resist stopping by the duty free shop at the airport to buy perfume. I tried out as many samples as I wanted in the presence of my hubby, I decided I didn’t particularly love any of them but had a slight affinity to Gucci Flora EDT. I thought why don’t I give it a try.

Now after having worn it for 1 month, I feel that it’s good, but not my favorite definitely. It has a sweet and citrusy scent, but not too strong in either direction. So what I ended up smelling at the end of the day is what could be called an orange dreamsicle (oranges and cream). Flora is subtle; the floral scent of course evokes any young women, and has a wild, daring side. It smells very of the moment. It’s light, clean, fresh and sweet. My husband was the one helped me to decide which perfume to go for at the duty free shop. He says it smells like Cotton Candy which I really hope is true!Gucci’s Flora fragrance fits into the larger scheme of things. It has a blend of citrus, peony, rose, osmanthus, pink pepper, sandalwood and patchouli, but they don’t matter too much: this is a sheer. I feel it is floral but not too floral, it’s vaguely peach-y but not too fruity, it’s sweet-ish but not too sweet. I believe that those who love Flora might well have a hedonistic, daring side but they prefer not to express. This is exactly what Flora is like.
It has an ageless quality: it’s obviously geared towards someone young. In one word, I would describe Gucci Flora as fabulous. Oh well! I guess it’s time to start looking for a new perfume. I really like citrus and fresh scents, and I am still looking for my signature scent that to-date I have not found it yet.

Close encounter with laboratory mishap

Research laboratories can be extremely dangerous workplaces if they are not monitored with caution. They’re home to toxic substances, chemicals, reactive compounds, infectious pathogens, radioactive isotopes, and numerous other materials that can be extremely harmful. Even with proper training and sound safety practices, accidents do happen if workers aren’t extremely diligent. There are many things in a laboratory that can cause accidents which is why scientists and students are often given induction training when they first begin to use the lab. This is extremely important to ensure the users are aware of all the potential hazards so they can avoid an accident. But it is also vital that everyone must know exactly where they exits are, where the fire extinguishers are located and what to do in the case of emergency.
There is always a risk of an accident, no matter how strictly a company adheres to stringent health and safety measures. The last thing you want to become is an example of what not to do. But that’s exactly what happen in my lab today. We were so close to a mishap that was curbed before it was too late. A fire could have sparked from the dryer oven in our lab if only we would have been negligent. It was close to mid-day when I and my colleague sense something amiss when we started getting a strong whiff of burnt plastics as we walk into the lab corridor. This is far than usual. Our hunch was right when my colleague much to her horror found several plastic tips boxes melted through the bottom rack of the dryer oven. What are left behind the rack were thread-like substances protruding inwards facing the heating element.
As immediate to respond in case of mishap, she quickly switched off the dryer and informed the other lab mates. We both dashed to the dryer to salvage the remaining boxes and also to scrape of the hardened plastic containers from the steel rack. But to no avail. Later on we got to know that this has never happened before as our colleague has dried her items in that bottom rack before and it was totally fine. She was shocked to know this actually happened! However, we should be relieved that we manage to curb the mishap beforehand. All we fear that if this happened during the night when no one was around, a fire would be the risk. We can’t blame the new mate since it was safe to dry their stuffs in the bottom rack. Logically, the bottom shelf is in direct contact to the heating element and inevitably this could explain why the temperature was higher than the above compartments. The manufacturer instructions didn’t state this in their booklet but somehow I never like drying things in the bottom rack due to high temperature and I never like the idea of squatting down to dry my items.
This scenario adds further momentum which calls for a stringent monitoring in safety regulations. A safety culture should be inculcated in the attitude of scientists to improve safety. Most of the labs' safety standards are too lax. A good laboratory practices in safety relies on far more than regular inspections. Each and everyone should have shared responsibility for the safety of everyone doing science in the laboratory. It is the matter of attitude and responsibilities.

I can’t run away from Murphy’s Law!

Nothing is certain in a life of a scientist. Being in this field for more than 7 years, I have experienced that things don’t go right all the time in a research. And Murphy’s Law is a lucid evidence of anything that can go wrong, will go always wrong. For the past couple of months, I have been experiencing the manifestation of Murphy’s Law in the following scenarios:

1. I will be running stacks of PCR plates, all of sudden there will be a power outage that screws up the whole set
2. Only on peak period, the samples that need to be centrifuged urgently, the centrifuge rotor will malfunction and locks the tubes inside
3. My master mix cocktail volume runs out low when it comes to the last few samples just prior to loading into the thermal cycler. It happens to any experienced researcher also.
4. I just take a few minutes of a busy day to check my email and read online paper, only to be walked in by the superior to ask about the current project updates
5. The laptop will be working fine throughout the day, not until the moment I am generating the final genomic analysis results dataset
6. If I have forgotten to switch off the instrument I was working on one particular day, that’s when the lab manager makes her inspection
7. Worst case will be precious samples collected from field comes to lab in browning condition and that will be the only samples available since the plant has been felled off.

I didn’t even know about Murphy’s Law until I got into this research career. Only when I first encountered this dilemma in my undergraduate project that I realize Murphy’s Law is certainly reflected more in a life of a scientist rather than any other profession.

Easter fête

Easter is a festival of overwhelming joy. The joy that celebrates life. Or, rather, the victory of life over death. Why is Easter celebrated for? Most important, why Jesus is so remembered on Easter? The simple reason behind this celebration is – Christ resurrection, the ultimate symbol of rebirth. The rise of Christ on this day brought the joy of life. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him.
In short, I would say Easter is all about new life and hope. The beauty of this celebration lies in the colors of assorted candies, eggs and bunnies on this day. It brings so much of life! Easter is thought to be derived from the 8th century Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess Eostre, whose name may be from "eastre," meaning spring. Therefore, Easter is a celebration of the new life that is spring. It usually falls as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.
Easter is the sacred celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. Easter is the holiest holiday of the year for Christians around the world. As Christians believe, because the Bible says that Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion, Easter is celebrated by Western Christians on Sunday. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion around 33 AD is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter.

Spa Retreat

During our honeymoon stay at Bali, I and my hubby deliberately plan out for self-indulgence at Arum spa centre in Seminyak Sunset Road. After a long day out in the sun, we both seek for some pampering sessions for our tired souls. Bali Spa and wellness centre are famed for their assorted spa treatment, luxury rooms with calming music, friendly therapists, warm ambiance and also wide range of aromatherapy oils simply takes care of freshness in our mind and soul. We reached the spa centre at about 6 p.m. after our Tegalalang Rice Terrace visit. We pampered ourselves with aromatherapy foot massage and full body massage to rejuvenate ourselves. The scent of eucalyptus floats us into relaxation and it feels heavenly.

One hour Balinese full body massage cost about Rp 50k in a clean decent massage center. We couldn’t find this kind of price in any decent massage center in Kuta area. It easily costs Rp 75k for a full body massage in other places. So if you love massage, you may want to get it in less commercialized areas like Seminyak.

After the invigorating massage, we headed for our dinner in Kuta. My husband felt his muscle flexed and also revitalized. It is a good way to keep us zesty throughout the vacation. We were treated to a nice and delicious Chinese cuisine in Golden Restaurant. It didn’t have a Balinese ambiance and taste but it did tantalize our taste bud. For the first time we had non-Balinese food in Bali. Even then, we were quite satisfied with the food. Simple and fresh.

Tanah Lot: A paradise on earth

One of the places most visited in Bali is none other than Pura (Hindu temple) Tanah Lot which swept me off my feet when I first caught a glimpse of the breathtaking panorama. It was such a beautiful sight to behold. Tanah Lot is one of the best attractions in Bali till today. This Balinese Hindu temple stands majestically in the middle of the sea and constantly hit by gushing waves from the Indian Ocean. It’s located in Tabanan, about 20km from Denpasar. Pura Tanah Lot is famous for not only the sea shrine which is guardian gods of the sea but also the sacred snake said to be guarding the temple in a cave on the mainland. This temple has been part of Balinese mythology for centuries.

It was believed that Pura Tanah Lot was built in the 15th century by a priest named Nirartha. The priest was travelling along the south coast of the Indian Ocean when he caught a glimpse of the rock-island’s beautiful surroundings and decided to rest there. Some fishermen saw him, and brought him gifts that persuaded him to spend the night on the lovely island. Before he left the next day, he told the fishermen to build a shrine on the rock because he felt it to be a holy place to worship Balinese sea gods. Till today there is holy spring water that arises beneath the rocks which is deem to be sacred and guarded by priests. I and Raj got our blessings from the priest there sprinkling the holy water, some rice grains (Bija) pressed onto our foreheads with some Frangipani flowers.

The uniqueness of this temple compared to the rest is, the entire temple is surrounded by seawater during high tide. But on days of low tide, you can easily walk to temple. A giant snake purportedly protects the temple, which was created from Nirartha scarf when he established the island. The legacy of Tanah Lot believes that the snakes protect the temple from evil spirits. Therefore local people pay a great respect to the snakes. Even though this place has already been heavily flocked with tourists and shops, but its true beauty never ceases to amaze people from those who merely seek for pleasure to the ones who are searching for profound meaning of this very place.

We were told by our tourist guide that one of the best moments to go to Tanah Lot is during sunset. However that day we had plans to watch sunset at Jimbaran Bay with delicious seafood, so we did not stay longer. There were many stalls along the way from the entrance till the exit of the temple. Varieties of souvenirs, wood sculptures, stone art, batik attires, and food stalls were tempting as you know being a woman, it’s my natural flair to love to shop around but I had not much time for this and not much of a choice to overspent my cash. On the whole, I felt like I was in a paradise on earth.

Start each day with a grateful heart

Start Each Day with a grateful heart; it is something like a prayer to live my life by.

Isn’t it true? We should be grateful to God for all that He’s blessed us with. All the little things and big things in our lives carry a meaning in our lives. Shouldn't we all? Looking back at the harsh reality of life, I begin to appreciate the gift of life and feel blessed. Thank the Lord for each day that I get to rise and shine!

Sometimes I just feel that we all get carried away in our daily chores and every other thing in life that we tend to forget what is the essence of life. Do you ever realize how beautiful the hues of twilight sky? Or the scent of dewdrops in the morning? Perhaps the love of your pet dog could be forgotten. All these does not seem important to everyone but it does. The post indicates that we should be grateful for the simple beauty around us. All the things around us have been here for ages and will be around for years to come. And trust me; it is far more important than our daily chores.

It always brings me back to the essence of living our lives with gratitude in our hearts. It has to be made as our life mantra. It opens up my eyes to be grateful in both heart and soul of the little things and beauty that surround us.
Lately there have been a whole lot of changes going on for me. Changes for the better or worse for which I have no idea. It’s easy to get caught up in these changes and get too absorbed into it. I took a leap of faith and pursue my journey. I have bring out the best of me that I have faith I can be. So why not start today? I’ve found that gratitude has this way of turning what we have into something positive. This is my life and each day that I am blessed with should be lived. I decided to kick my shoes and live my life.
I am grateful for all that I have and all that I am. It doesn’t get much better than that! Life is beautiful and take some time to savor the beauty that is everywhere around us. And it just makes life a little bit better.

A sluggish Monday to start with

When Monday comes, almost everybody will see things very. That’s why it is called Monday Blues, folks! So what does it take for us to smile all the way, keep our spirits up and have a dynamic personality throughout the weekdays? It just takes a simple attitude and a right focus to get things going.
There are days I loathe at the thought of Mondays. This is when the mere thought of Mondays brings me closer to bad mood. Sulky, quiet and prefer to sit at my cubicle all day long trying to tune myself to work mode. After having a leisure weekends with bits and pieces that I chose to do, now I end up at work and facing the reality of hectic schedule, datelines to meet, meetings to be attended, staffs to be supervised and journals to be read. I have a string of to-do list on my sticky note pasted on my cubicle. Arrgghhh. So many things to do but so little time.
Ohh and I just remembered that I have tax declaration to be completed by end of this month! (Thank God by friend reminded me).
What’s even worse of all the days, when I try to be happy today morning only to be awakened by a cold breeze and raindrops falling on my rooftop? It’s Monday and even worse it’s raining, man! What the heck? Right away, I sunk into my cozy bed and wishing it was a weekend. I had the sloppy feeling to start the day when the weather is conspiring against me.
I know I have to take some control back and make myself feel good. No, no, no. I’m not talking about eating chocolate strawberry fondue which I have been craving to have since Saturday! I’m talking about doing small things that can redirect energy and focus to what I am suppose to achieve this week at work. After having a sluggish work experience today, I am ready to say good bye to Monday soon. Hope the rest of you had a better start to your week than I did. Happy Monday, folks!

Going beyond earth hour

I have always reflected on how much energy the world would have and supply the mankind? What if the natural resources run out and what will we do without all the resources that we need to run our lives? Have you ever wondered how much energy the world would save if everyone shut off their lights for just one hour or everyday throughout the year? Well, this event is joint endeavor throughout the world one day a year, for just one hour to fulfill our social obligation as Earth habitants!

Last Saturday, March 31st at 8:30 pm marks the 6th consecutive year that we are pursuing WWF’s noble effort, Earth Hour. Earth Hour is an global collaborative effort where millions of people around the world show their support for climate change action by turning off their lights for one hour. It all started in year 2007 where Earth Hour was advocated as a noble act to get us being considerate of our planet and since then it has become a worldwide annual event in an aim of conserving our energies. But more than that, it’s a conscientious initiative to start an environmental pledge for this is not only about one hour in the dark; it’s about a brighter future in years to come. People from over 135 countries pledge to participate in Earth Hour in a community or individually. At the end of the day, a message is conveyed across and it reflects that each of our actions add up to one big change.

Switching off the lights and electronic appliances for one hour doesn’t mean I had to sit in dark and whining. Earth Hour can be made fun and entertaining by making your one hour completely off-grid. I went for a walk with my mom to check out the spirit of Earth Hour in my neighborhood. Sadly, there is a lot to do to create awareness of Earth Hour in the city. And it is about going beyond the earth hour!

March bade adieu with a noble thought till next year!