Poll Result on Twitters (鳥鳥族) CNY & Valentine Blog Post Contest

Refer to my previous post on blog contest @

http://limchoonkiat-ck.blogspot.com/2010/03/may05utar-biotech-bloggers-twitters-cny.html

The poll valid for one month, and please find the result at the following website:

http://polldaddy.com/poll/2772610/?view=results

The reasons of this contest were to allow our friends to share their celebrations, feelings, opinions etc, and also serve as a channel for us to communicate through the advancement of IT. Although we can’t meet each other, but we still know our friends are doing good, etc. I believe joy/fun comes and prize/rewards comes second.

Congratulations to Rou Zhing and Yee Kai for the top 2 posts in the poll. For souvenirs, I will be collecting precious natural product that only available in harsh environmental condition, that is rain water from the UK…haha, I will keep in a vial, then dispense 20 ul to Yee Kai (the first place) and 10 ul to Rou Zhing (the second place)..haha.

Hmm, sounds like the winner, Yee Kai got similar supporting rate (37%) as the winner in the recent MCA’s presidential election, while CK placed no3 or the last place..haha, such a coincidence phenomenon, jk jk jk..

Article from Bitesize Bio.com: When your partner is not a scientist

An interesting article from bitesizebio.com

Good to let your companion know the nature of researchers, and get mutual understandings.

This maybe useful to me one day, if my couple is not a scientist..haha

Article available at:

http://bitesizebio.com/2010/03/24/when-your-partner-is-not-a-scientist/

Plant Journal-Volume 61 Issue 6 (March 2010)

SPECIAL ISSUE Arabidopsis: A rich harvest 10 years after completion of the genome sequence.

Open access papers that maybe of interest.

available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118488398/home

camera, bag bag & iphone

Found interesting comments on facebook wall post between my buddy Mr. L and his companions.

The dialogue as below:

Mr. L：“donno who own herself canon bombastic camera,gucci bag,high end handphone...i speechless!!”

Ms. J：“kns, canon bombastic camera? - its jz a beginner cam..gucci? its jz one! handphone? i dun even have an iphone! i everyday gardenia only T_T”

Ms. M：“WAH! tu la.. High maintainance wei!
talk from my point of view, not directing to anyone in here.. just my point of view as a women. ”

 

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I wrote a blogpost (in mandarin) to share about my humble opinions, but I have no strength to prepare another copy in English, therefore feel free to read the chinese version at:-

http://limchoonkiat.blogspot.com/2010/03/iphone.html

Blogger in draft-Template designer

Received email from Blogger team. we can design new template easily using features in the “Blogger in draft”

More info, visit the following site:-

http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2010/03/blogger-template-designer.html 

I have used it to re-design two of my blogs, as below.

http://limchoonkiat.blogspot.com/

 

http://limchoonkiat-ck.blogspot.com/

Have a go!

 

Some may noticed that I have another blog at wordpress.com

http://limchoonkiat.wordpress.com/

Actually I used this blog to integrate all contents from both Chinese and English blogs at blogger.com

So, no worry, all contents are same. You can leave your comment anywhere.

One may ask, why do I put extra effort to create another blog at wordpress.

The reasons were:

1. It allows me to set up 3 column blog easily as I’m lazy to change code in the original template (before that, this service is not available on blogger)
2. Direct yahoo profile, facebook & tweeter notifications available once new post has been published. So I don’t have to share post each time on social networking site
3. import posts from blogger easily.
4. Less spam pop-up

messy desktop

before

after

it takes a great courage to sort out this. LOL :-p

Another hectic and challenging day awaiting

I came across many questions by friends, juniors, prospective postgraduates regarding life as a researcher (I think consultation is my sub-career, LOL). 

First of all, I want to stress that you can’t do a PhD for the sake of ‘Dr’ title. Doing research is challenging and hard, you will be facing many obstacles throughout your studies. This is especially true when you are doing a lab-based doctorate.

Taken me as an example, I not solely doing my own research. In fact, I am working with other colleagues in other projects too. Furthermore, teaching activities, annual progress report, professional/soft skills development etc are extra commitments which I have to bear with.

For a while, I don’t have such a hectic day. Of course this is not my typical daily routine, and don’t worry you are still a normal human being to enjoy your life, to have fun, etc apart from your research. Self-discipline is a must in pursuing research career.

In this hectic day:-

I woke up @ 4am, performed chlorophyll fluorescence analysis until 7am. Breakfast and back uni. Reached uni@ 830am, checking test questions I set previously.

Then 10am, I had a presentation to show my research progress, followed by school’s buffet lunch. Attended a talk by prominent researcher in plant pathology @ 1pm.

From 2pm onwards, I had a series of workshops on new skills development and Systems Biology PhD student discussion. This finished at 6pm, and then we can off to pub.

However, I went to another meeting and discussed about organisation of the coming 3rd year undergrad student course assessment test.

Such a bloody hectic day is not happen every day, but it’s happens very frequently. I enjoy every single moment of this challenging life. Thinking of people in 3rd world/ under-developed countries who are under severe famine situation, I shouldn’t waste time.

However, no matter you are, remember play hard, work hard, play smart, work smart.

That’s why I try to post tweets everyday, to keep my friends, families, secret admirers, followers, & possibly rivals (if there is any, haha) update on latest happenings.

Feel free to talk with me, if you have any problems with your research, life, etc, queries on career planning, evil ideas etc. I am happy to be your audience.

Cheers!

Spring has sprung, I simply like this lovely weather.

Lap Cheong (pork sausage) Dinner

I did not share food posts for a while and also I did not try Lap Cheong for more than one year. Still I am happy to get it from local oriental market, despite of the expensive price.

 

 

stir fry mushroom, celery, & onion（would be nice, if have cashew nuts) and steamed lap cheong with gingers

 

 

lap cheong—product of canada

腊肠

Top 20 institutions in molecular biology and genetics

Data provided by Thomson Reuters from its Essential Science Indicators database, January 1999-October 2009

 

source: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=410342&c=1

A hoax email

I suspect my friend email account was hacked. She did not come to the UK when I received this email.

Stay alert.

I found that one good thing for me to keep in touch with friend through email is I can understand their writing style. This indirectly allow me to verify validity of the message.

Papers from Nature

Three interesting papers from Nature recently. I am going to read it, make a review and share my personal opinion on these thought provoking issues.

More info, can visit

Interview questions

i attended two interviews and one presentation before obtaining the studentship at Exeter. Some questions asked by the interviewers are as follow:

 

Interview questions:

1. Explain about additions skills/ additional course have undertaken (with reference to CV you sent)

2. How do you feel with cross-disciplinary studies? Any previous experience?

3. Why PhD?

4. Tell me about your previous works

5. What statistic training you have?

6. What paper (beyond plant science) that you are interested with?

7. Your understanding on the project?

8. Do you have any teaching experience?

9. Other skills that you can contribute to the research group?

10. How do you overcome depression/ failure?

11. Career aspiration

12. Why do you like plant science?

 

Hope these may help in your future interview..

 

cheers

(May05Utar Biotech Bloggers (部落族) + Twitters (鳥鳥族) CNY & Valentine Blog Post Contest

Hi folks,
Hope you have a great CNY and Valentine celebrations. The lists below are blog post entries on the fb group activity mentioned last time—many apologies for not getting permission from the authors :-)

Boss Nicole:
Spring flower fair:
http://www.msxeroz.com/2010/02/spring-flower-fair.html

My lifes good with kris allen:
http://www.msxeroz.com/2010/02/my-lifes-good-with-kris-allen.html

My valentines day:
http://www.msxeroz.com/2010/01/my-valentines-day.html

FGS Dong Zen Temple:

http://www.msxeroz.com/2010/02/temple-of-lights-fgs-dong-zen-temple.html

Yee Kai:
新年感想，我已退化。New Year's feelings, I have degraded
http://lykqiang86.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!B6B32ADC70A1E53E!1838.entry

choon kiat

February-Chinese New Year Celebration:

http://limchoonkiat.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/february-chinese-new-year-celebration/

Tian Chad:
SM3Y'04 CNY
http://www.tianchad.com/2010/02/random-sm3y04-cny.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FTianChad+%28Tian+Chad+%40+%3F%3F%3F%29

CNY greetings TianChad =)
http://www.tianchad.com/2010/02/cny-greeting-from-tianchad.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FTianChad+%28Tian+Chad+%40+%3F%3F%3F%29

Valentine’s Day
http://www.tianchad.com/2010/01/my-valentines-day.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FTianChad+%28Tian+Chad+%40+%3F%3F%3F%29

Jia Pei
煎年糕(CNY cake?)
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/cny-cake.html

what do you like about cny
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-do-you-like-about-cny.html

CNY 2010
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/cny-2010.html

spring clean
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/spring-clean.html

balik kampong cny feels
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/balik-kampung-cny-feels.html

early-valentine
http://rumtumblurpei.blogspot.com/2010/02/early-valentine.html

Rou Zhing:

新年快乐&情人节快乐

http://rouzhing.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post_25.html

*****************************************************

I have set up a poll and we can vote on the best posts (max 3 votes). This poll is open for public, anyone can cast their votes & will be expired after one month. Feel free to tell your friends and families read these posts and vote :-p

Please let me know if I missed out any entries. Thanks .

You can cast your vote at the following site:

http://polldaddy.com/community/poll/2772610

p/s: blogger and tweeples: feel free to share this message on your sites . :-p

** by the way, I will be coming back later of the year and will be travelling around Malaysia, Singapore. Hoe to see you guys then

Keep in touch and share your latest news to us on our fb group.

Cheers

Best wishes
Ck