Finally, I have some time to write

I guess it's been a long time that I haven't updated this blog. Yeah. A friend had asked me about that earlier.. And yah. I'm working now, in that same old brand new lab. There are more people now, compared to three of us last year. It's merrier, but at the same time, it's been harder to work at the same rate as I did before. Well then, now I've got to work on Sat but I am entitled one day off-duty in weekdays. Not bad. It's quite tiring, and I spend most of my time in my lab since I am doing the tedious process of preliminary results, so I'd be more active in tumblr since it has the application for phone so that I can easily post whatever I want (short posts only, that's what my tumblr is for, aside of reblogging) from my phone while I'm running the program for my experiment. So yep, I'm still around. Don't worry.

Anyway, I've been using my days off to work with the school as helpers in chemistry workshops for JC and sec students, so apparently, they are another kind of labwork. But these few days had been fun! The last time I taught chem in A-level prep in Indo, I didn't think that I did very well, because one, I communicate by writing better and two, it's quite hard to me to communicate in Indo properly now. Furthermore it was organic chem which was (and still is) not the field that I am interested in and am currently working on (but yeah, it's relatively easier to understand compared to quantum chem and kinetics). Alright, no excuses! On the positive side, the lesson earned from the past experience combined with my love to labwork have brought me to understanding of the teaching and learning process itself. Plus I speak in English more, so that's good since I am working on speaking fluently and correctly, which I am struggling on because of the Singlish-around-me atmosphere.

One of my friend shared this to me.

"A US chem professor ever said that, if an undergrad, even PhD student can't make even secondary school students understand about the chemistry they're doing, then they are not a good scientist at all."

So? It's like telling me to be a gracious and respectable chemistry student who are reliable, knowledgeable, fair and considerate. Specially like those research students who are blessed enough to do good projects with a superb and helpful professor and mentors and labmates and chances to publish papers afterwards.

At the same time, I'm worrying about my grade as well as hall allocation. The NTU system is somehow mysterious. I've even lowered my standard to "no F in the transcript". So yah. Please God. Please.

I only hope this hardwork pays off. The nature of my work now is a die-die-must-finish-in-one-day, so I must try to come as early and work as efficiently as possible if I don't want to spend my night in the lab and not on the mattress provided by my hall, which I have been close to. Even though it's not King Koil anymore, it's much better than carton boxes on the floor. The synthetic lab training had given me some useful skills to be applied in a general labwork, even though I am far, far, far away from synthesis and organic chemistry.

And I've been treating someone badly today. It was nice that the person did something good. But then I did not treat that person properly. I feel like I'm reeeally a bad person who can't appreciate the blessing that God has given me in the form of friends. I must be more grateful to the people who stick to me through thick and thin, aren't I? Sheesh.