Still Snowing

No joke. They certainly weren't kidding when they said it could still snow in April. If the photo looks foggy, it's probably because it's snowing rather heavily. The forecast was for 2 inches of snow in the day and 1 at night.

It's the last day of March and it's snowing again. After many many days of melting snow.

I'm not complaining. I'm enjoying the last vestige of winter and snowfall. In any case, the ground is now a beautiful sheet of white.

Do they know... (två)

...that I did something to save my arse today?

OK... This shouldn't be in this section of 'Do they know' since it doesn't affect the people in Sweden. But I did something today to save myself from more work when I'm back in the little red dot. This can go two ways. Either the way I want it to be, or it'll backfire and I'll land up with more shit and worse still a mosquito following me around. I hope I succeed.


...that the Swedish song for the Eurovison Song Contest is translated as 'Invincible'?

I always hear this phrase in Church (daily Mass in Swedish) 'evigheters evighet' and I took it to mean 'forever and ever' as translated into English. Since the prayers are the same, I simply put two and two together. But Corola's song 'Evighet' is translated as 'Invincible'. Am I wrong? I checked an online dictionary (How reliable? I don't know.) and it translated 'evigheters' as 'aeons' and 'evighet' as 'eternity' not 'invincible'. So my personal and unprofessional translation is closer to the online dictionary. Who is right? Perhaps this word has a double meaning? But according to my sources, she sang a rather Christian song so 'eternity' seems right. Then again, so does 'invincible'. Oh well. I'm no expert. Heck, I don't even speak or understand Swedish. (There's just no push to learn the language since I can survive on English.) So I'll take it that both translations are right, until someone corrects me. Perhaps more can be uncovered from the lyrics?


...that the buses here seem smaller than the ones back home?

It's true! I think. I don't measure the seats but I believe they are of the same dimensions. But it's the aisle that is narrower. We can squeeze two people almost back to back on a single aisle, sometimes with one carrying a backpack. If you consider a person my size and carrying a bag the one I have now, there will still be space, albeit limited, for another person to squeeze past me. However, there isn't enough space for that in the buses here. Moreover, the seats seem closer to one another, so I can confirm that the aisle is narrower. Why? The people here are much bigger sized, so isn't more space practical? Or are the streets just too narrow for the wider buses that I'm used to back home?


Do you think I'm asking too many questions today and I have too much time on my hands?

Do they know...

...the differences between light and dark soy sauces?

I was searching for light soy sauce recently and all I saw was a mess of different brands of soy sauces; from the house brand ICA to Kikoman; from soy sauce to mushroom soy sauce. But do they know the difference between light and dark soy sauces? There was absolutely no indication on the bottles on which was dark and which was light. I finally settled on Kikoman, a brand I'm familar with, and ended up with dark soy sauce. KNN... Waste of money. I don't like the saltiness of dark soy sauce but prefer the light version. Plus, it's just so wrong to be frying rice with dark soy sauce. I'm not trying to fry kuay teow (炒粿條) here. Even then, that uses the sweet kind. (I doubt they even have the sweet soy sauce.) I don't want the rice to turn black, can? What to do? I got the big bottle and can only deal with the wrong decison and make do.


...the wonders oyster sauce can do to making vegetables taste good?

Just stir fry some veggie, add oyster sauce and if necessary, a little corn flour to thicken the sauce since vegetable will chut zui (Hokkien for 'expel water'? Help me out here. What's the proper English term? Grammar God doesn't mean Vocabulary God.). No, I haven't seen oyster sauce here yet. Perhaps mushroom soy sauce will do? Don't dare to try it just yet.


...how milk is made?

Or do you know that too? I don't know about how our milk is processed but at least here I know how they get the fat content of the milk. They will first remove all the fat from the milk and add the appropriate amount in; 0.5%, 1.5%, and 3%. It's not what I thought; to remove some, leaving behind the amount of fat you want in the milk. All the fat is actually removed in the begining. But when you think about it, this method makes more sense. Which brings me to another question. Why would someone buy 0.5% milk? It tastes like shit, even worse than plain water. I get at least 1.5%. Actually, I normally drink 3% milk. It tastes much better.


...that I'm typing this during office hours?

Oops.

Depressing Day

Ugh... Drizzle, rain, drizzle. Dark, gloomy, dark. I thought spring is upon us?

I haven't been able to wake up on time ever since the time change. I've been practically running to the bus-stop for the past three days.

What can top gloomy weather? Dumb-assed experiments gone wrong. Purification of my PCR amplicons with Qiagen purification kit somehow didn't work as expected. I still see the bands after the process, albeit weaker. But since there was some dilution, I don't think that's a huge issue. However when testing the concentration and quality on the Nanodrop... ARGH! A total mess. There is absolutely no peak at 260nm, worse still some result in negative concentration. Less than the blank? How can that be possible??? I saw the bands after purification! What do you think is wrong? The Nanodrop, Qiagen kit, or me?

*fume*

The handle on my laptop carrying case is falling apart. I believe the stitching has come loose. Dang. Must I buy one here? I haven't seen any nice ones. Then again, I haven't been looking for one. But I have seen some rather nice ones in Singapore's Apple Store that I've already shortlisted in my shopping list for when I return. Sekali the handle breaks without warning how?

*fume fume*

And for some reason, they are shifting me out of my table/room at SLU. Some other person is coming and the department head wants to seat him there. And the icing on the cake is... He's going to be at SLU for only a very short period of time. When he leaves, I'll still be around. They are giving me another table/room on the same corridor. Er... Why can't they put the new guest there, instead of moving me around like some object? This goes to show how much I'm wanted here.

*fume fume fume*

Quick, somebody tell me something that will cheer me up.

One-Third Time Analysis

I’ve finally realised why I’m not moving as fast as I wanted or expected to be. The reason is actually very simple. I’m straddling both sides and two labs. I need to do not only the biological and technological analysis, but also the design and material fabrication as well. I have no experience in the latter, so it is expected that it’ll be a little slow. As for the former, most analyses or preparatory steps are time consuming. PCR takes more than 2 hours then running gel electrophoresis takes another 30 minutes.

Soap, lather, rinse and repeat.

What’s worse is that in straddling two labs, I have to split my time unequally between the two, and I need more time in both labs in order to accomplish anything. If only the labs were in the same building. That way I would be able to fabricate the device while running PCR or the gel, instead of what I’m doing now. Whenever I’m running PCR or gel, I will return to my seat and read some research articles (i.e. eventually fall asleep), surf the internet or sleep. This is really tiring. I’ve not found anything constructive to do while waiting. Back home, I wouldn’t give a damn, but here…

The world is full of haves and have-nots. I don't have to live a life of a begger here. In fact, since the apartment's rent is being paid for, I can actually live a rather comfortable life here. I did my accounts and eating out, watching movies are not going to break my bank account at all. In fact, I'll still have sufficient left for a 15-percent saving each month. However, there is no need to be too extravagant, is there? Especially after you see the differences in financial burdens of the exchange students here.

The ones from cities or developed countries are rather well-off and are willing to spend. Those from the less developed countries or towns need to be a little more thrifty because of the high standard of living here and correspondingly the high expenses. That's why I was so touched when Jana gave me the box of goodies even though she has to be careful of how she spends her money here. And that's why I was so disgusted when I heard a Kenyan speaking as though the poor deserved to be poor and he had no moral obligation to help them at all. While I understand that in order to get good medical attention and a good education in Kenya, one has to go to the private institutions. And that means money. But to say that and to add 'That's why the people who cannot afford these things cannot advance and they remain poor. That's just too bad.' This reeks of elitism. Yes, his father can afford to give him a good education and a good life. That's why he's here working on his Masters, but to belittle those who cannot afford the luxuries he has? To ignore their needs? Come on. He has such a good life not because he deserves it, but because of his father. Shouldn't he think of his fellow countrymen who cannot afford a good education or proper medical attention?

Education is key to breaking out of the poverty cycle. That's why my friends and I are sponsoring a child each from Cambodia, giving a little each month to help pay for his family's needs and to pay for his elementary education. One person can only do so much. But if it means helping just one other person out of the poverty trap, its already a step in the right direction. I'm sure everyone has heard of the starfish story. It's true. So long as it makes a difference to one person, it's already an achivement.

If you want to do your part, visit any World Vision website. For Little-Red-Dottians, visit http://www.worldvision.org.sg/. A little child out there needs your help.

Ah... My one-third time analysis has turned into a social project. Oh well...

Reborn's rebirth and Reborn's unwanted membership

After having had ascertained the identity of the mysterious person from Uppsala, Sweden, who searched for the exact phrase 'Reborn in Sweden', Reborn is safe to return to the public listings and has done so.

The name 'Reborn' is just so apt. All. The. Time.

Things are going well now. Although I haven't shifted into third gear yet, I'm well into my second. The primers for the ladder have arrived, and I'm more comfortable with the fabrication process now, so great. My prayers were answered with such grace. And to think I only asked for the study group to pray for me last Monday. What speed.

And again, it's a Monday. And again, I want to rave about the Bible Study group. But I'm not going to do so. All I'll say is this. I really enjoy the meetings and the people there. Although many people didn't turn up today, the small intimate group was great as well. The people are friendly and encouraging. And best of all, they make you feel at home. This is excellent!

OK. That's all about the rave. Let's move on to what I hated about today.

It was just so dark. The kind of depressing darkness you feel just before a thunderstorm in Singapore. And it both snowed and rained. OK, it was more of a drizzle. But, I still hated it. The cold raindrops falling on your face and wetting your jacket... In case you haven't noticed yet, I hate cold water. I hate showering with cold water. And for me cold water equates to water at room temperature in Singapore. So can you imagine how cold water at 5C will feel?

I also hate it that being out here in Sweden, I'm still being arrowed to do things that I do not wish to do back in Singapore.

What do you mean participate in the new guy's project??? How can I? It's his thesis that he has to write and conduct experiments on. How can I be helping in that? My project has nothing to do with his, and I already have my plans on what I want to do. What? Change them? I'm more than willing to teach. Follow me around, learn from me what and how I do things. And ask when you need to do them yourself. But to join in your projects? As if I don't already have enough on my plate. Conduct simulations? He should learn about it by himself! I did. And so should he. No one f*****g taught me how to use the software and the theoretical details. I have to learn more about what I'll be doing in that project of his. Anyone up to be a detective? Plus the IME thing may drag till I get back and they may also want to conduct further studies as well like what was discussed before I left. Those studies have absolutely no link to my work. Not one bit. Perhaps I should find some means to add it in. Difficult but not entirely impossible.

I've been offered membership to join the League of Shit. Membership that cannot be refused nor transferred. My membership should become official upon my return to the little red dot. Shit.

Is that native Singapore language?

Singlish has truly developed into its own breed of language that non-native speakers cannot understand.

I was talking to this Singaporean guy at Church this evening. It seems he missed the clock adjustment thing and as expected missed Mass. So there I was, informing him of the fact that he should have adjusted his clocks yesterday and Robert (from Poland) overheard.

And so during fika, Robert asked if we were talking in some Singapore language. After telling him that we were conversing in English, he had this bewildered look on his face. It was like, 'Are you serious? English? I didn't understand a single word.'

Hilarious! You should have seen the look on his face! We had a really good laugh after he got over his initial shock.

But seriously, I didn't even use pure Singlish. Our conversation was not even peppered with the typical Singlish words, but with Singaporean accent and bad Singlish grammar (i.e. Closer to proper English grammar than Singlish grammar. If I used proper Singlish grammar, I'll call it good Singlish grammar.). Imagine if I used real Singlish tonight. How much will he understand?

Singlish has certainly graduated into a language in its own right. Now we start building a culture of our own.

Perhaps I should be glad that I'm able to switch to standard English when conversing to non-Singaporeans. Perhaps I should be glad that I'm capable of making myself understood by speaking in proper English. Or perhaps it's just me, because I'm the Grammar God. *grin*

Game night and the day you turn your clock

In place of the Marieudd weekend, we had a game night today. But it is really a let down to see that those who signed up for the weekend didn't turn up for the game night. In the end there were only 8 of us. Not a bad number but considering over 12 people signed up to go to Marieudd, it is rather disappointing.

I baked too many apple-orange muffins because of that. And of course, as usual, there was a rather good demand for my chocolate chip cookies. I'm the cookie expert; not cake baking, even though the muffins turned out pretty well too.

In case I made Marieudd sound like some magical place, it's not. The place per se is beautiful, but the weekend I was at wasn't. It was very much Swedes one group and others in another. Fellowship doesn't seem to be very important to them. Shy mah. That's their excuse. But I have to qualify. Not all are like that. There are a great number of Swedes who are very inclusive, and try to get you involved in their activities. Truly, no harm though. The other exchange students more than make up for the lack of interaction from the locals.

Plus I expected so much more from the weekend since it is organised by a religious group. But prayers and learning the Word are the furthest things on their minds. In fact, the Thursday meetings are very non-religious in nature. The only prayer they make is the grace before fika. Disappointing. And to them that is already very religious! What the... We (the Catholic groups back home) can show them what religiosity really means if they give us a chance. Heck, they don't even have to search too far to see how non-religious their meetings are. In comparison, the Moday meetings with the Protestants (It's more accurate to say that the meetings are attended by a very diverse group of people, from Catholics to non-Catholics.) are way better, both in terms of religiosity and fellowship. But if I'm not wrong, most Swedes are non-religious, so perhaps that amount of prayers, be it only the grace, may seem like a great deal. Any more, and they'll flee. In fact, I often hear stories about classmates looking at you as if you were some freak if you profess to believe in some kind of faith. Good thing this hasn't happened to me here. Science and religion cannot mix??? Bull.

I digress.

Anyway, we didn't play Settlers today. Heck, I wouldn't be able to win. I never do, at that game. Next to win, but never the winner. Always the best man, never the groom. So not playing the game wasn't a total loss, even though I would love to win at it some time. Instead, it was Cluedo. Ha! Finally something I know! And yes, being the great detective I am, I won! Ha!

And during the conversations, I found out that tonight before you sleep, you should turn all your clocks forward by one hour. So instead of 2340 it is showing on my clock now, it should be 0040 instead, so when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be on the right time. It's daylight saving. Since it gets bright early, the clocks have to be adjusted to reflect that. No wonder it's already bright when I awake these days. Good thing I learnt about this. Imagine if I didn't know and when I turn up for Mass tomorrow, it would have been over or half-way through since I'm always early. Or on Monday I turn up one hour late for work. Or worse still miss the bus or something. Lucky me. This is so confusing. How do they know when they need to adjust the clocks, be it forward or back by one hour. Is there a public announcement or something?

It gets really dry these days when it's warmer now. I noticed that the humidity (RH) fluctuates with the temperature changes. When it's below 0C, the RH is high. At about -10C, the RH can reach close to 100%. But when the temperature rises, the RH decreases. Down to about 40% at 2-5C. No wonder my skin's peeling so badly now compared to before.

Ooo... it's already past 12 midnight, close to 1am, with this clock turning thing. I wonder if this will be reflected on the clock you see on the right... Anyway... Time to sleep. Must get used to this new timing.

What are Asian Values? A Miss Singapore Universe Perspective

Asian values. If I'm not wrong, this term was coined by the first and so far the longest serving prime minister of the Little Red Dot.

Somehow, people have been brainwashed, or are so enamoured by the larger than life personality of the creator, that they started to use the phrase over and over again. This phenomenon has lasted over a decade now, and I still hear or read about people sayng 'Asian values'

What the f**k are Asian values?

I remember debating about it in GP class back in 96/97. I simply cannot understand what these values are. You hear them but can anyone give me a concrete example of an Asian value?

"Respect for parents and elderly."
Is this not a virtue much valued in the Western world as well? Do you see people throwing their parents out in the streets when they are old and unable to care for themselves? No!

"Respect for Society and the community."
Pardon me for saying this, but from what I can see people living in the Western world has more respect for Society and the community, and I'll even throw in the environment, than most Little-Red-Dottians.

Aren't those examples of what Asian values are supposed to be, also universal values that the world holds dear? Do we, Asians, have a right to claim that those virtues are ours and ours only?

Crap. Perhaps the Miss Singapore Universe 2006 contestants should brush up on their Q&A skills. Asian values indeed.

And fantasy tutor. What the... It comes across as really bimbotic. Pity the NTU students. Good thing I'm not from that University.

Plus give it a rest on being an ambassador of Singapore. Our beauty contestants remain just as the name suggests. Beauty. Although I have to seriously rethink about the beauty part as well. I haven't seen a single winner who can make me weak in the knees or cream in my pants. What kind of an ambassador can you be when you don't even travel out of the Little Red Dot, except to participate in the one contest you signed up for? What kind of an ambassador can you be if the charities you are involved in do not get any publicity from you, or is the winner even involved in any charities at all? Give me a break. Ambassador indeed.

Some days are just not meant for working

Especially Fridays.

I can't believe it. Nothing went right today. Nothing horrendously wrong, but nothing I did went right either. Absolutely nothing. I was hoping to accomplish so much more today, but in the end...

And a visiting group went pass, peering into the lab just when I was cursing about the failures. I felt like a cornered animal on display. S***.

I just need to vent my frustrations a little. Blasting 'Zephyrs' on the flute? Crap. I don't have mine here. 'Hurricane' on the clarinet? No can do. Blasting music off my laptop. Daniel Powter's 'Bad Day' will be a good choice.

Fridays are meant for shopping, watching a good show, eating good food, and for relaxation, not to get myself all hot and bothered about work, not to be frustrated about being unable to accomplish what I set out to do. Perhaps I should aim for much lesser to be done each day, especially Fridays. That way if I manage to do more than my target, I'll be estatic.



I should print this out and place it where I can see it all the time.

Can't Sleep

For some stupid reason, I can't sleep.

I felt really tired during the meeting, and left immediately after. Usually I would stay and have a cup of tea or something, but I was simply too tired this evening.

Why, then, can't I sleep???

A worm at work, a dragon after. This sounds much nicer in Mandarin than in English.

The throbbing headache miraculously disappeared in the evening.

Anyway, the weekend to Marieudd was cancelled. Dang! I was looking forward to that (I even had my bag semi-packed), and the sauna again. Perhaps this time it could be rolling in the snow rather than dipping in icy cold water, IF the snow hasn't melted. BUT... not a chance. The weekend was cancelled because the ground is absolutely frozen, which resulted in iced pipes. There is no water going in or coming out of the houses. It's a real pity. I could have taken some photos to see how the weather changes the scenery. I heard that the ground frost could last for some time, making Easter celebrations there only a possibility. I hope it pans out. I certainly want to celebrate Easter in English and not in some language I can't understand.

But some of us a planning a game night at Church on Saturday in place of the trip. We've gotten permission from the sisters to use the basement lounge room. So that will be fun. Each of us has to bring something for the evening, so it's a game cum pot-luck session as well. Ah... my spices came in time. Well, when one door closes...

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

Is anyone else playing The Wicked? Challenging game and it doesn't kill as many brain cells as reading research articles does.

What do you do when you can't sleep? Count sheep? All I know is that I should not focus on the fact that I can't sleep and should do something else first. What? I feel more awake than ever, and it's already past 12. I may get a revisit from my good friend, throbbing headache again.

Sleep... perhaps I should take a saucepan/frying pan and knock myself unconscious. That'll work.

Hangover

I feel like I have a hangover today. The. @#*(&*)! Entire. Day. My head is pounding like the bass drum on parade. Not fun. So I'll be sleeping almost immediately after I get back from the meeting tonight. That means no updates. That's why I'm here now in spite of my condition.

See, I'm so nice to keep everyone informed of my exciting mundane life.

*puke*

And I missed the King and Queen. Shucks. I was so looking forward to stalking them from my window seat and taking a few photos, hopefully one of the King picking his nose when he thought no one is looking. Plus there was supposed to be some dignitaries from Botswana as well. Shoot... missed it.

There was a fog this morning though. A really heavy one, to my standards at least. It's like our haze situation at its peak. You can't even read what's written on a signboard 100 metres away.

No, the window isn't dirty.

Funnily enough, the fog lifted just like that.

*snap*

It's true! One moment I was walking along the streets in foggy conditions, unable to see 100m away. 5 seconds later, it was as clear as crystal. I actually saw the world coming into focus in that short span of roughly 5s or less! Amazing.

There was also a robbery here in Uppsala this morning. I was told this afternoon and it is indeed reported in the news. Exciting, ain't it? But good thing I wasn't around.

I've also taken a serious liking to watching South Park these days. Odd. I didn't like it before, but it just seems so hilarious now. Eric Cartman simply cracks me up.

"Respect my authorita."

Plus Prison Break (only a few more episodes left to its end) for excitement and entertainment value.

To my mental alertness. Cheers!

EDIT: The first few episodes of QAF seemed good because of the complex sociopolitcal issues involved, but they were not dealt with in-depth (Hey, I expected too much for a show made for entertainment value.) and the over-the-top scenes are one too many and irk me. I was absolutely wrong. Not my cup of tea. Give me South Park any time.

Oh Happy Day!

It was a good end to an extremely taxing day.

I spent the entire day reading trying to solve a particular problem in my work here. Killed thousands of brain cells...

"Spent the whole day trying to figure something out, only to be futile."

Familar words, anyone?

But it was a great end. I received two care packages today. Count them. Not one, but two!

Old friend sent me local pre-packed spices from Asian Home Gourmet. There were spices for bak kut teh, chicken curry, and tom yam soup. Great! But too little lah. How do you expect those 6 packets to last my remaining time here ah? How come no laksa paste ah?

*grin*

As much as I appreciated those goodies, they simply cannot beat the other package I received today.

It was from Jana, the Czech girl I met only less than two months ago. She had her parents send me chocolate biscuits (dark chocolate), chocolate coconut candy, honey banana chips, ground coconut flakes, and a bar of dark chocolate. All the things that I said I like. It was a really pleasant surprise. I mean who would go to all that trouble for someone you only recently met? I really appreciate that gesture. And she added little notes on every pack, on the box, and on the wrapping. It's really sweet.

She wrapped them up in a box, sent it to a soon-to-be-ordained friend of ours, Juan (from Colombia), in the Jesuit community here to pass it to me. She wanted it to be a total surprise. It worked. I didn't expect anything like that. Little gestures that only girls would care about.

I don't regret coming here at all. The experience has been great. Although I am out of my comfort zone a lot, not knowing what to do, how to pay my bills, what to expect, culture shock and cultural differences, etc., I certainly met many good people. As much as I hate shopping alone (Something I would never do back home. If I had no choice, it would be chop chop kali pok.), I've learnt the pleasures of taking my time to window shop, to buy groceries, and to be thick-skinned when necessary. But of course, having company is definitely better.

To the arrival of one or more care packages! Cheers!

Private

Reborn in Sweden has decided to remove his profile from Blogger's listings and become a private blogger.

After realising that there was actually a query conducted on 'Reborn in Sweden' (exact words no less) from the Blogger Search tool, and that person was, of course, directed to this site, Reborn was spooked. This wouldn't be a big deal if only that person wasn't in Uppsala, Sweden. And he revisited the blog a few more times thereafter.

That's frightening. My words can very easily be misconstrued once again.

Since Reborn isn't seeking readership but for a means to chronicle his stay in Sweden, there is no need for him to maintain a public blog no matter how educational it may potentially be for strangers. Therefore, Reborn has decided to become private.

Everyone who wishes to continue reading his entries are welcome, but are advised to add the link into his 'Favourites'.

Reborn in Sweden no longer exists in the pubic domain. Not for the time being anyway.

All Things Southeast Asian

Perhaps I come from a less developed world. Surcharges for paying a bill seems ridiculous to me. Do we have surcharges when we pay our bills at the post offices back home? I don't think so, but if I'm wrong, someone tell me. I pay all my bills by GIRO.

Perhaps I come from a much more humid and hotter world. People don't seem to understand that trash needs to be cleared very day. Not here maybe, but back home, food waste especially, stink really bad after just a few hours. And the trash here is cleared once a week, or less. Of course it doesn't stink as bad but it still smells nonetheless.

Perhaps I come from an Asian world. When I have stomach discomforts, the first thing I think of is the Po Chai Pills and/or charcoal tablets. I used to be repulsed by swallowing Po Chai Pills. The Reborn many years back, in his secondary and JC years, was a snob and turned his nose on all things remotely Chinese. Cheenah equates low class (lc).


Until the army that is. When I had no choice but to self-medicate taking the lc Po Chai Pills and found its miraculous powers. It is really effective. And worked just as well as lomotil or charcoal tablets. LC packaging nonwithstanding, the Po Chai Pills are effective. In any case, they have a different packaging for sale in Canada - Po Chai Pills of the 21st century.

Perhaps I come from a country that is blinded by its apparent harmonious relations between races that we think we are colour blind. When in fact, we are not. When I see an Indian or a Malay, I'll automatically switch to English, but when I see a Chinese, Mandarin may be the choice language for conversing. But this anomaly doesn't really occur in other countries, I think. When someone in Sweden sees me, he'll automatically speak to me in Swedish. No matter what colour your skin is, people from France, Sweden, Spain, and so on, will converse in their national language first, without a second thought; by instinct really. So are we colour blind, when we 'see' race and skin differences so much more acutely than others? Of course not. We are far from that. Perhaps the first thing we should do is to remove the 'race' portion on our identity cards. What good does it do? And now when there are more mixed marriages, what determines your race? I come from a rather mixed heritage, but I'm still labelled as a Chinese. Is this label necessary in the first place?

Perhaps I'm a southeast asian through and through. Global citizen, I am not.

Cooking with Reborn 2

I can’t believe how much the banks or post offices charge you for each bill you pay. 35SEK for filling up a form and placing a chop on it!?! It comes to nearly SDG$10 for each transaction! That’s tantamount to extortion! Oh my goodness, no wonder everyone I asked pays his bill by internet banking. Good thing I don’t have a lot of bills to pay, otherwise I’ll beg to open a bank account here. Since each ATM transaction charges 5% is doesn’t really matter when or how much I withdraw each time. Since I’m going to be here for only a few more months, I think I’ll survive.

But 35SEK for each bill!?!

I made fried rice for lunch tomorrow. It tastes great! Although I have to admit, I added a little too much water when cooking the rice, so it turned out to be a bit nuah, and I didn’t leave the rice overnight to dry out, so the fried rice turned out looking like mashed potatoes instead. It tastes good nonetheless.

But it’s just too much work. There’s too much washing up to do. Unlike cooking pasta, I have tonnes to wash when making fried rice. I’ll only do this very occasionally.

Reborn's Fried Rice
Ingredients:
Rice (cooked, and left overnight)
Mixed vegetables (microwaved)
Sausages (cooked)
Meatballs (oven-baked/boiled)
Butter
Onions (diced)
Egg
Salt
Pepper
Light soy sauce
Chicken granules

Method:
1. Melt butter in a wok/saucepan.
2. Beat eggs with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Fry the onions in the butter until fragrant.
4. Add rice into the wok and pour the beaten egg over the rice. Mix quickly.
5. Add the meat and vegetables. Mix.
6. Add light soy sauce and chicken granules accordingly to taste. Mix.

And it's done! Try it!

An Engineer by Training

I'm certainly living up to my training as an engineer.

We engineers are called to solve problems, and solve them we do. In the process, however, we create new problems.

Deja vu. See Outward Expressions.

An engineer by training is one who finds solutions to current problems but in the process, creates new problems to solve. An engineer's work can never be completed.

News versus Commentary

I know I may have come across a little harsh today when I mentioned that I didn't want to learn more about what was going on back home.

Being in Uppsala and all, I'm still not immune to being influenced by the comments everyone makes. This is compounded when I'm not even there to see for myself what was truly happening. Getting information second or third hand or after being repeated, even by the same person, for the umpteenth time, can result in rather distorted 'facts'. Therefore, I hope everyone can understand why I prefer to remain neutral on such issues.

Heck, from what I know, even if I were back home, I would stand far, far away from the fray as well.

So, I do apologise if I came across as unfeeling or harsh, but as much as I empathise with all who are affected, I just don't want to get involved or be influenced by all others especially when I'm not there to see it unfold first hand.

I would still like to know what goes on back home though. So, in this aspect, I would prefer to receive news, not commentaries.

Thanks all, for your understanding.

Cooking with Reborn

Did you know the Czechs take their Sunday lunches very seriously? They need to have a proper meal for that. No shoddy work at all. They explained that it is the only time the entire family can come together at the table and have a meal at the same time. It's very important for them since they are unable to do it the rest of the week. Amazing! I like this family time. It's really good for bonding with your family members.

Anyway, today's lunch was excellent. Good Czech food. For soup, we had a traditional, only-made-at-home-cannot-find-in-restaurants yeast soup, and the main dish was something called french potatoes. It's really simple. And really delicious. Sedap I tell you.

How do you make french pototoes, you ask?

Simple.

Ingredients:
Potatoes (Pre-boiled, peeled and sliced)
Onions (diced)
Meat (Any meat, e.g. sausages, or ham, or salami; sliced)
Eggs
Milk
Salt
Ground black pepper
Cheese (Any cheese)
Butter

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
2. Greese a casserole dish with butter.
3. Place a layer of potates, followed by a layer of onions.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
5. Place a layer of meat.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until ingredients are used up.
7. Beat eggs with milk.
8. Pour over the layers, into the casserole dish. The liquid should reach the topmost layer.
9. Place into the oven and bake until slightly browned. (Just slightly browned)
10. Place a layer of cheese on top, and return to the oven until cheese has melted.
11. Serve hot.

It's this simple. And you can replace the potatoes with pasta, or noodles; onions with some other vegetable. It's a very versatile dish, simple to prepare and tastes great. Oiishi neh!

Try it!

Farewell Sal and Karl

Two medical doctors have finally finished their studies here and are moving back home to South Africa.

Farewell, and fare well, Sally and Karl. While we haven't known one another for a very long time, we were brought together by our love for Christ and your warmth and openess towards me are greatly appreciated in this foreign land. I wish you all the best.

Thanks for the great evening at your place, for the goodies and the good movie.

The time spent was short but the memories last forever.

It was a great movie - Shawshank Redemption. Because of the movie, I reached home late today. Much later than usual here in Uppsala, past 12 midnight. The streets were still bustling with activity mainly because of the many pubs and nations around where I stay.

I like the Bible Study group so much better. People are much friendlier and more open. The Swedes in the group don't have the tendency to keep amongst themselves or to speak in Swedish even when there are people who do not understand the language present. In fact, they make it a point to speak in English, the language everyone understands. They invite you to their homes and gatherings, no matter who or what religion you are of. This openess is sorely lacking in the Catholic group, sad to say. Try as they might to make excuses for themselves (Swedes are shy, and so on.), I can't help but to compare the two groups, and my preference leans towards the Christian group, both in terms of fellowship and religiosity.

This evening was also the finals of a major singing competition in Sweden. I believe the winner will take part in Eurovision Song Contest. And the winner was rather expected. She was the crowd favourite and definitely the best one on stage. No wonder everyone was cheering her on. Singning contests are big everywhere. We have so many of them in the little red dot, and yet not one of them, contestants and winners alike, can compare to the participants here. Not a single one of them. In terms of talent or stage pressence, they can be likened to heaven and hell. Seriously. We are deviod of real singing talent in our competitions. I really wonder why they are still such big things back home.

By the way, has anyone else sent me cards or such? I received two emails about them. They were sent from Singapore in early February, but I haven't received them. I checked the mailbox again today, and nada. All I found were bills that I had to pay. Just curious to know how many people sent me stuff, and I didn't receive or haven't received them. So far, two and counting. Jana and Eva have been getting so many packages. So lucky of them and it takes 5 days from sending to receiving. Lucky.

Silver Lining

It was a rather horrible end to the working week. I have a feeling that the big guy here thinks I'm moving along too slowly.

I have to admit. It is rather slow. But can I help it, if I needed to alter the designs, learn the fabrication methods from scratch (and my tecnhique is not even perfected yet), wait for the primers to arrive (not my fault), try to get PCR amplicons, test and get weird unexpected results (again, not experimental errors on my part, but unforeseen factors), analyse the results, wait for new primers to arrive again, and so on. It just wasn't pleasant to hear 'there may not be any good results at the end of 6 months'.

I hope I'll be able to prove him wrong.

Then again, who's to define what's good? While I cannot promise results, at the end of the 6 months, I'll be leaving with new skills, a new set of knowledge. I win. But will there be a loser? I hope not.

The silver lining of this is the start of the weekend, and even better, when I saw the monstrance in church.


A monstrance! That can only mean two things. Either a Novena, or a Holy Hour. Since I seriously doubt they will hold a Novena here, it must be a Holy Hour. I was right. One whole hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

What bliss.

I’m rejuvenated. Time to work my arse off.

Official Personnel?

My profile has been added to the personnel list of the Material Science Programme of the University. This makes me sort of semi-official as a guest researcher since it's stated in the groups' staff list.

Of course, the picture of me isn't the rabbit. I edited the screen shot. Search for it if you want. I sure ain't gonna put my picture online again. Once is more than enough.

And the one-line description of your research project is extremely important. I heard someone actually received fundings from NASA because of that one line description in his personal profile. Cool. Maybe we should start one of our own. Makes absolute sense, and it doesn't require a lot of effort too. Just very simple html knowledge is sufficient, especially for such plain, fast-loading webpages. Don't you think theirs is very professional looking? We should have one. Someone suggest it to Boss.

Why so expensive?

Idiot.

My neighbour is an idiot. We agreed to share the cost of getting internet into our rooms, while I buy a wireless router so that he'll be able to use it as well. Since I had plans of creating a wireless network back home in Singapore, it wouldn't matter to me that much although the cost of getting a wireless router here is slightly more expensive. Now, he's bloody complaining that it's too damn expensive.

Idiot.

I had already informed him that Telia gave us the wrong information on the costs, and was later informed instead of the previously quoted 419kr/month, it would be 794kr/month due to the differences in the phone line or something to that extent. I'm not the expert here, but possibly because the apartment is run by a something like a commercial enterprise, they are being charged commercial prices instead of residential prices. It's as simple as that.

And so I asked him if he wanted to continue. He agreed.

This evening, when we were talking about the internet connection, the cost issue came up again. So I had to reiterate the 794kr/month story.

"What? Why so expensive. I thought it was only 400kr/month?"

What world is he living in? I had already informed him of the changes and he agreed to continue. And he thinks it's too bloody expensive now?

Idiot.

He wants to cancel the connection.

Stupid idiot.

If you want to count pennies like that, then don't bother living it up. Try to get what internet connection. Go sit in a dump and eat shit.

And he's a much heavier user than I.

Moronic stupid idiot.

"I think we should cancel the internet. But I need to use..."

I totally ignored him after that.

Give me a break man! What do you want? Go screw yourself. Don't waste my time.

You don't want the internet connection? Fine. I'll retain it. I'll simply change the security password to the wireless connection and stop you from using it.

Jackass. Moron. Stupid. Idiot.

To think he's a bloody Singaporean as well.

Go take a long walk off a short pier.

Season of Rebirth

Spring suits me. Leaves start to slowly appear back onto trees, flowers start blooming. Colour start becoming more vibrant. I like the idea of spring.

Tulip buds have started to show in certain parts of Sweden, I was told.

I think I'll like spring.

Just not the transition from winter to spring.

Snow started to melt yesterday. The temperature is above 0C. They are carting away truckloads of snow on the ground after placing it in neat piles along the sides of the road.

The shops have started to change their window displays, from heavy sweaters to spring clothes. Shoot. I have to wait for people to come in the begining of May to pass me my spring clothes. One and one-half more months to go. You guys coming in May, remember to get them from my home!

It's no longer beautiful white, but dull grey. Worse still, the ground is wet, grey, sloppy. Absolutely disgusting. At this point in time, I would prefer it to continue snowing instead. I have gotten used to the cold, really.

The transition is horrible. Why can't the seasons change with a snap of the fingers. Immediately. No mess, no fuss. Mother Nature works very slowly indeed.

Things that shock, amuse and amaze me (Part 3)

I heard of signs along highways about moose crossing or some other animal like the elk. But can you imagine seeing signs about cat crossing in the city? Yes! I actually saw that sign board, right under the usual pedestrian crossing one. The background is yellow, and has one mama cat with two kittens followng her. Cat crossing. Amazing!

I'm also amazed at how slow my reaction was to the alarm yesterday. The alarm in the clean room rang yesterday afternoon, while I was doing some lab work. And the first thing that came into my mind when I heard it was, "Oh, an alarm. Oh well. Time to continue pouring the epoxy into the mould." 5 seconds later, "An alarm? S***, I need to leave this place!" And as expected, I was one of the last ones out of the place. Although I had been told about it, it just didn't register in my brain that I should leave when I heard the rings.

I'm rather lucky I think. Two piles of snow slid from the roof of a building while I was walking to the bus stop this morning. At the same time. One directly in front of me, and the other behind. I was right smack in the middle of the two. What luck! A few seconds earlier or later, and I would have been hit by the falling snow. I wonder how it would have felt. Good thing it wasn't icicles too.

If you can't see me...

With everyone having fun with yet another face recognition software, I simply have to jump onto the self-whoring bandwagon. Myheritage allows you to search their database for your celebrity look alike.

And my result? 61% to Justin Timberlake.

Wireless

I like the router that I bought. It's Netgear WPN824. It looks really sleak, without antennnas sticking out. It's just a flat white box, with a blue circular light on top. Very mac-like.

But it's irritating the hell out of me! I hate the flashing blue light! It reminds me of some Ah Beng in the early 1990s. Coloured flashing lights emitting from their mobiles. Irritating I tell you. What's worse is that this light is strong. Very strong. Totally ruined my ability to sleep. I had to resort to placing layers of paper over the cool logo so as to dampen the effect of the lights.

Boys and girls, aesthetics come with a very high price to pay.

Whoopie!!!

I'm typing this post using my own internet connection, with my new wireless router!

Thanks default! I don't have to steal borrow bandwidth from you any longer.

Although I'm happy to be connected to the internet whenever I want, the cost of getting this broadband commection is a little too steep for my liking. But what to do? This apartment doesn't come with internet connection, unlike the other student housing that I know of, such as in Flogsta and Sunnersta. This fact should be in the 'Things that shock, amuse and amaze me' section. Do they expect people to live without internet???

Rather good day today. I'm pleased. Are you?

Except that...

Can I request all Christians who read my posts or simply anyone who prays, to pray for a friend of mine - one that I made here. The Nepalese girl, let's call her G. She's pregnant, and is two months away from full term. Her checkup this morning revealed that her baby is not growing as it should, and she needs an ultrasound and further checks. It's her first child, and naturally, everyone's worried. May I implore all to kindly pray for her, her health, and her baby.

Thanks all! God bless you too!

Things that shock, amuse and amaze me (Part 2)

Fads. I can't believe my eyes when I say landyards sticking out to jeans/pants pockets. The girls back home love putting tiny/huge accessories onto their handphones (mobile phones), and leave them hanging out of the pockets. Here, they like to do the same thing. The only difference is that instead of small soft toys, they use landyards. You know, the thing you hang round your neck and clip your pass onto the end. And is it that the longer you have it the better? I've seen some with the ends reaching past their knees. Is it cool to do that? And I couldn't believe it when I saw guys doing that as well. OMG! Girls, or Ah Lians and wannabes, I can understand. But guys? Studying in the university level some more. Grow up!

The way jeans are worn is the same everywhere I guess. Or maybe we are too influenced by western trends and the hip-hop culture. Younger kids like to extremely baggy jeans. I like mine low rise, but not to the extent that half or more of your butt or underwear shows! It's simply amazing! If I trip, and grap onto their pants onto for support, do you think the pants will drop?

That's it for now.

Fisherman

I'm tired but I have to add one moment that happened today before I forget.

I finally collected the long awaited ADSL modem this evening. And again, they didn't ask for any identification or for my signature after collecting it. When I asked if I needed to sign anything, the receptionist said no. I can't believe it. They are still so relaxed about the collection.

And I can't believe the instructions are all in Swedish! Aren't instruction sheets supposed to come in all major languages? I can't understand Swedish, how am I to install the bloody thing? I can't be bothered to figure it out tonight. Will do it tomorrow, when I am more awake.

Anyway, I was at the International Bible Study Group this evening (Meetings every Monday evenings from 2100hrs.) and during our prayers in the small group sharing session, I requested for them to pray for my ability to devote more time to prayer than I did last week, which I have to say was really too little for my liking. And so they did.

But the amazing thing was that after the prayers, Sara told me during the time when they were praying for me, she had an image of me as a fisherman. Fisher of men? Really? Just when I was questioning my direction in life again (It was only on Saturday Jana asked if I considered a religious life.) and this happened. Is this a sign or mere coincidence? It hasn't been once, or twice but many, many times, even back in Singapore.

Perhaps I am truly being called.

Are we colour blind?

Someone commented this morning that I haven't been updating my blog these days. I don't think a weekend without news is long, but...

So, I'll just briefly describe my weekend. I baked for the first time in Sweden on Saturday. The chocolate fudge I made was delicious (agreed by everyone who tasted it), although I do think I can afford to add a little less sugar next time. The apple-banana muffins I did didn't rise, possibly because I waited too long before putting them into the oven. So they ended up as apple-banana pancakes instead. Tasted good nonetheless.

Anyway, something more important has been in my thoughts lately, after Friday.

I was told about 'Black Labour' in Sweden. What do you think about when you first hear this phrase?






I thought about a labour force that is black. Cheap labour?






Not exactly. Black labour in Sweden represents those who work without paying taxes, get cash for their work done, and no benefits.

But why did I think of the skin colour first? The gahmen likes touting our racial harmony and diversity as examples of the country's achievements, especially in the volatile world of today. But does focusing on our diversity do more harm than good? What good is it to mention about my race in application forms? Or if you need minority representation in the parliment? Are we not focusing on merits or talent? If so, then is there a need for the race issue?

We may be living harmoniously together, but integration is a long way off. Only when we are able to see one another without colour, can there be true integration and harmony.

Coincidently, children do not know how to distinguish the differences in race and skin colour until about age 4, when they are influenced by us, the adults. The change has to begin with us.

Confessions of a Catholic Schooled in Secular Institutions

Warning: Long, boring post ahead.


We had a very engaging discussion about Catholic Universities and Institutions in the students’ group this evening. I’m sorry to say, but I failed to see their point of view, regardless of how open I am to the idea.

They had various models for Catholic Schools.

1) Catholic schools run, taught and attended by purely Catholics.
2) Catholic schools run by Catholics, but taught and attended by people from all religions.

One of the most ludicrous ideas I heard this evening was an entire loop of education. Study in an affiliated elementary and high school, attending an affiliated university, then working in the same university after graduation. Hello? Stagnation anyone? Cloistering does no one any good, unless you are a nun or hermit. Would the person be able to deal with the diversity in the real world?

One of the arguments for a Catholic school, especially a university, is the provision of a well-rounded education, with aims not only to provide for the student academically, but physically and socially as well. Hello? Except for the religious aspect, which one can easily obtain from the religious institution, which secular educational institution these days does not aim to provide a holistic education?

I am not against the idea of a Catholic school per se. In fact, I rather enjoy the thought of having Mass everyday and being taught in a faith enriching environment. But if having that means imposing my values onto someone else, I would give it up. Evangelisation does not mean imposition. And if it means having 10% Catholics and 90% others, then how different is that from a secular school? And if being termed a Catholic school causes people to have a pre-conceived idea that all students are or must be Catholics, thereby turning away from the school, would this educational institution have many students other than Catholics? This is a vicious cycle.

I come from secular education institutions and never had I felt embarrassed about my religion, and never did I try to hide my catholic identity. There were always societies such as the Catholic Students’ Society in NUS to provide for my spiritual growth. And this is not run by some two-bit non-religious teacher who may give you wrong information like what Lucy suggested. But the spiritual direction is an ordained priest. Can this be bad? There are the Awareness Weeks for Catholic and Muslims, CAW and IAW, respectively for civilised, educated religious dialogue. Can this be bad? In fact, being exposed to a whole range of faiths may end up strengthening yours especially when you have to defend it against over-zealous evangelistic Protestants.

And don’t forget, our mission is to spread the Good News to the world. Can this be achieved if all our education and lives are spent around people of the same type? Are we building clones here?

Perhaps I’ve misunderstood the entire concept of university life completely. Perhaps NUS and Singapore universities are very different from the rest of the world. For the limited time I’ve spent here, I’ve not seen or heard of any societies, like what we have in NUS. Societies where groups of like-minded people come together, be it a love for kayaking, religion, sports or music. There are only nations or frat houses. Perhaps that’s why they find it so difficult to accept my model of a secular institution that is able to provide for its students spiritually as well, no matter the faith.

Until Fr. Philip pointed out that that is an up-and-coming school model in the States. A similar concept of having a religious neutral university where students are able to attend courses and obtain spiritual direction from the various affiliated religious centres in the neutral university.

Then some smart-aleck had to point out the there cannot be any separation of the spiritual and the material. It whole aim is to bring the spiritual into the material.

I don’t disagree but I don’t see why this can’t be done in a secular institution. I have not, and never will deny my Catholic identity. I have not been harassed for my faith. And in all the secular institutions I’ve been schooled in, never was I made to hide my faith. I maintained my spirituality, not in spite of, but together with a secular education. Perhaps the little red dot has this done correctly.

Things that shock, amuse and amaze me (Part 1)

Lee and Wrangler are considered more trendy jeans than Levi's, here in Sweden I heard. Really? It had really never crossed my mind that the first two brands of jeans would be more popular than Levi's. At least back in the little red dot, almost everyone would own a pair of Levi's but not the other two. Perhaps it's because the first two brands are normally associated with two-bit wannabe rockers.

It's really common for the fire alarms to ring in my apartment building. And all of the incidents were false alarms. We have taken every subsequent ringing with lesser and lesser concern. Until I heard about the fire at Flogsta, that is. Fires are real. And they do occur.

Coincidently, would you run out of your room wearing nothing but your night/sleep clothes? Remember, most people sleep in nothing more than a pair of pants/shorts and T-shirt, and often even lesser. I would grab something to put on before running out. Would you?

And on that, it amazes me how guys have very little modesty. There are men walking about in the corridor in nothing but their underclothes. Remember, we wear nothing more than a piece of triangular/rectangular piece of cloth at the pools. What can be worse than that? That's not a really big deal. Until... some girl makes a fuss about it. Don't you think we are disadvantaged here? If a girl wants to make a big deal out of it, something like outraging her modesty, we'll have to bear the brunt of the blame. Just think of how the ladies stare at you when THEY lose THEIR balance on the bus and THEIR hands hit YOU in the nether regions. It's always our fault for just being there and for just being a man. Unfair. Discrimination. I should sue every time something like that happens. Outrage MY modesty.

The word 'wee' still amuses me for some reason. Some person has that as his nick on MSN and I'm simply tickled by it. Granted he has it in his name. But use your imagination. Wee. Small. Early. Urine. lol!

Daylight comes very early these days. It's bright before 0600hrs and remains bright till 1700hrs or later. I don't get to see the sun rise anymore.

I'm shocked at how some girls here like to dye their hair till the shade of platinum/very light blond. Given that many of them are natural blonds, that light a shade coupled with a little of the natural hair colour, makes them look slutty. And it's not just my opinion.

Day I have Already Lost Count

I’m well into my second month now, and have lost count of the number of days I’ve been in Sweden. Is this a good sign?

I’ve acclimatised to the weather (somewhat) and am now rather comfortable (somewhat) with the cold, so much so that I walk back to my apartment from church everyday quite slowly. Is this a good sign?

I’ve gotten very comfortable with the life here, to the point that things may be a little routine. Is this a good sign?

Even then, I still see things that amuse and amaze me.

Let’s start from last evening after Mass. I was lounging at the small table in the main hall, reading The Tablet, a weekly English newsletter from Britain (Simple deduction, since the articles are written mainly with a British angle.). At the table were Janka (Jana) and Maruska (Marie). They prefer to be called by their pet names. I’m told in the Czech Republic, they prefer to have their names called with a softer end to them. Think of the Japanese who add –san, and –chan to the end of the names. Anyway, we were there minding our own business when a man came up and talked to me. It’s still normal till now, yah?

Anyway, I couldn’t really understand what he said because he had a little stutter and wasn’t very clear when he spoke in English. Plus he kept mumbling something. But I managed to understand most of what he said. The first thing he asked me was if I were from Hong Kong.

“No, I’m from Singapore.”, I replied.

Still normal, yah?

Somehow he totally ignored Janka and Maruska. When asking questions supposed to be naturally directed to them, such as where they are from, he asked me instead. Huh? I’m not their mouthpieces.

Then he mumbled something to himself about girls from the Czech Republic are always very pretty. And asked me again if I’m from Hong Kong!

Hello? I said Singapore. But of course, the polite me replied properly.

“Ah… Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau. They are the same.”

Please loh. Even though we are in the same time zone, and I’m of mainly Chinese descent. Even though both Singapore and Hong Kong were British colonies, and are rather well developed, these three places are very different in nature. Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China, and Singapore is an independent country loh. Moreover, our cultures are very different, even though Singapore has no unique culture to speak of, unless you consider the rojak of cultures a uniquely Singaporean thing. I resent being called a Hong Konger. Try calling an Aussie an American; a Malaysian, Singaporean; a Swede, Finn.

And he went on about how Singapore and Hong Kong are in the same country… Blah, blah, blah…

Argh! I’m from the little red dot!

Good thing we managed to get away after 5 minutes.

Now, let’s fast forward to this evening.

I witnessed my first protest! The very first time in my life! You never get to see such things in Singapore. They had banners, posters, loud hailers and a crowd watching. And this is considered a small scale demonstration. I recognised the words demonstration and protest in the posters they pasted around the town. But I didn’t understand what they were protesting about. I only caught two words – Uppsala and international.

Perhaps they are against having too many international students in Uppsala? Better run before they start shooting me make an example out of me. I obviously do not belong.

Anyway, I was going to be late for Mass.

Do they have to get a permit from the police to speak in public or a permit to hold a demonstration? We do. Ah… the freedom of speech. Without consequences. Boon or bane?

Cool. I saw a demonstration; a protest. Will I get to see a strike, a protest march or a sit-in during my time here?

Day Whatever: Are you from Sweden?

OMG!!! I can’t believe Mitchell (Aussie) actually asked me that question this evening! Are you nuts? Do I not have the Singaporean accent honed over the years? Admittedly, some people say that I don’t sound like a true Singaporean; a little Ang Mo, a little Indonesian, or a little something else. Make up your minds, people.

I’m a global citizen. The world is my home. Can?

The weekend passed so quickly. I had a great time with the guys over. It seems gossip is the operative word of the weekend. Who got promoted, became pregnant, gave birth out of wedlock, etc. Hey, I have to be updated about the things going on back home. I cannot afford to go back and offend people, can I? Imagine asking a recent divorcee on her marriage. It would be a social faux pas, just short of a social suicide.

I had my first duty as the lectern yesterday in church. I took the first reading and it was one of my more familiar parts of Genesis, so I was very comfortable with it; Genesis 9: 8 – 15.

8
God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
9
"See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you
10
and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark.
11
I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth."
12
God added: "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you:
13
I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
14
When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds,
15
I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.

I thought I did a pretty decent job until the end of the passage. Then I realised. Shoot. That was too fast. The English speaking worshippers should not have problems understanding what I read, but those who do not have English as their first language or as their mother tongue, will feel that it was too fast. True enough, they did not catch what I read. My bad. I must and should read much more slowly next time.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

I reckon I know the passage so well that the words simply flew out without me needing to think too much about them. My bad. Next time, I should choose a passage that I’m less familiar.

I’m officially stuck at SLU, experimentally that is. No, they are not with PCR, purification and whatnot. These are only the precursors to the real deal. The experiments with the machine are going nowhere. The results obtained after modifying matrix are utterly rubbish. Nothing seems to work unless we (I) use the matrix supplied with the chips. What now? Even the people at SLU are lost. We have to consider our next steps really carefully now.

My brain hurts…

Today’s study group had a tough discussion. It was a very heavy theological session. Enjoyable but it kills too many brain cells. Not fun when one is tired. Mitchell said it best. We shouldn’t humanify God; his time is not our time; his actions are not ours.

My brain really hurts…

I chatted with Mitchell and Grace (both from Australia) this evening after the Bible study group though. For some crazy reason, Grace had the impression that Singaporeans love wooden spoons a lot. She caught a scene on TV where there was this huge group of Singaporeans chanting ‘Singapore, Singapore’ and banging on wooden spoons. I’m guessing it’s our National Day. Seriously, if someone (like Grace) caught that on TV, not knowing its context, he must be thinking we are mad. Perhaps some are, particularly those at the stadium. But I don’t enjoy such activities, so it doesn’t apply to me. I’m perfectly sane, hor?

Everyone is just so interested to hear some Singlish. I’m really sorry. But it’s not like tap water. I can’t sprout Singlish at command. It comes naturally like spring water when I’m conversing to Singaporeans otherwise I sub-consciously (or naturally) use Standard English. But explaining the use of lah, loh, meh, and so on is not that much of a problem. They are, in actual fact, only particles. But getting them in the right context for foreigners is a rather difficult. I hate it when they add lahs to every sentence and think they are speaking Singlish. It’s an art, ok? There is a lot more to Singlish than you think. Lah is not everything.

And guess what. I have musical hands. *grin* Mitchell asked if I play an instrument out of the blue. I had to question why he asked that since that was so sudden and the conversation was not heading anywhere in that direction. It seems he feels my hands looks like they play some instrument; my fingers look musical in nature. They do??? Thank you! It looks like my years of playing music did make my hands obtain more class. Oh well, maybe I should start playing music professionally then. At least my hands will suit the occupation.

One last note. Why is it not spring yet? It’s so freaking cold today! And for the last few days as well! Winter seems to have been extended this year.

Update: The weather has been more than 10 below zero for two days now. Freaking cold can?

Day 39: The Day I First Skated

In Sweden, that is. (I have a life, okay? I tried skating before back in the little red dot. But that was many many years ago. And yes, we have an ice skating ring there.)

And somehow, everyone kept asking me if I thought they were crazy for skating today. Granted that it wasn't the best of days; it was snowing, windy and very cold; but still it was not too bad. I can't imagine sitting still though. That would be way too cold. And no, I don’t think anyone is crazy here. Crazy would apply to the people who will be willingly torturing themselves by skiing 90km tomorrow for the sake of doing just that – skiing 90km. And I heard that tons of people actually do that. It's a really BIG event.

We went down to Lake Mälaren near Sunnersta, in the late morning, and had a small picnic lunch before strapping on the skates. These skates I used today are unlike the ones I’d used before. The blades and the shoes were separate, and the blades are much longer than the length of the boots. I am told that these are meant for long distance skating and are much more relaxing while those that I used before are meant for speed or ice hockey. Hmm… I didn't realise that there are so many differences in the skates and skis. But, it’s not surprising, I guess. I come from the little red dot, and am not the most sports-inclined person in the world.

It was fun nonetheless. Let me state for the record that I did not fall! I managed to start gliding on the ice towards the end of our trip at the lake. Maybe there’ll be another trip soon, and in much better weather. I kind of like the feeling of gliding on the ice. It looks so easy when they are doing it, but when it takes a lot of effort on my part. I wonder if I’m doing something wrong.

Anyway, this was a bad day for experiments. Somehow, my PCR products were ‘eaten’ after purification. That means I have to redo the entire amplification process once more. More work on Monday. Hopefully what’s left of the purified products is sufficient to run some tests on the BioAnalyser but 3ng/uL? That may be pushing the limits of detection. Oh well, if it works, at least I’ll know that the machine is highly sensitive. If it doesn’t then, it’ll need more work.

And I’ve just been informed that there’s something wrong with the internet connection that I’m trying so hard to get into my apartment. The price quoted to me was wrong. The new price is almost double of the previous now. But I simply cannot live without internet, so I have to pay up. The administrator will only order it again (for the third time) after confirming that I want to carry on with the order despite the huge increase in price. So that means the modem will arrive, at the earliest, next week. Freaking long, okay? Service is really slow. I got my cable connection in Singapore the next day, after I called. And their customer service hotline and support are open 24/7. Being used to speed (though it may not be efficient), this waiting is simply irritating me. It’s just too long.

And you thought queuing is Singapore’s national pastime. You are wrong. The people here like queues. A. Lot. The only difference is that they queue for a purpose. Take a number, sit, wait for your turn, or stand in line and wait for your turn. The whole idea of queue numbers and queues are meant, I guess, to indicate some form of efficiency. For us, we stand in line simply because everyone else is doing it. We don't have to bloody know the reason at all. Cannot lose out mah. People queue, I also must queue. However, I have to qualify. This mentality applies to the older generation much more. I certainly don’t stand in a line if I don’t know what the queue is for. In fact, I try to avoid them as much as possible.

I seem to have gotten some kind of reputation, of which I have no clue about. This evening when I was leaving SLU to catch my bus, some person stopped me in the middle of the hallway and asked if I were (my name). He heard about me but had not seen me around before, so he was wondering who this person was. Now he knows. But the weird thing is that he sits very far from me. We are not even on the same level! How and why would my name spread like that??? I keep a very low profile. I wonder if things said about me are good or bad. But then again, who cares. I can't stop people from gossiping about me. Neither will I lose sleep if someone thinks horribly of me. I've had my share of persons who dislike my guts (Check the archives of Reborn for that.). Oh well, I have to live with the fact that I'm famous. Am I a celebrity now? Will they actually celebrate my pressence? *grin*

To more days filled with fun, and more days with experimental successes as well. Cheers.

Question for All at Home

Can anyone tell me if MOH has lifted its advisory on ReNu contact lens solution?

I'm holding on to it here but do not want to use it because of the warning. I don't want to get some fungal infection and end up having to cut or thin my cornea.

So if anyone knows, do let me know, okay? Thanks y'all.

Day 38: Professor Reborn Teaches

Professor Reborn will be teaching today. The lesson may be short but extremely useful. By the end of this lesson, you will how to frustrate a person even though he may not be around you.

How to Irritate a Person from Afar
Step 1: Keep emailing him with URGENT in the subject.
Step 2: Ask the same question or variants of it over and over again in the emails.
Step 3: Ignore his claims that the data are not with him, but back in the home country.
Step 4: Keep hounding him for the data.
Step 5: Ask one of his colleagues to irritate him by asking him for the same data.
Step 6: Treat him as though he is non-existant now.
Step 7: Do not give him all the information he need, or only reveal at the very last minute.
Step 8: Act as though he is the devil and you are the angel.
Step 9: Keep smiling at him, while you are throwing daggers and stabbing his heart.
Step 10: Always remember that you are the boss and everyone else is your servant.

Irritants from the Idiotic Morons Enterprise have perfected this art. Remind me never to work with them again.

Pass the method on. Everyone has to learn this skill.

Remember Professor Reborn is always right.

What Do People In Sweden Look Like?

Some person in the United States searched for answers to that question and landed in my blog. Too bad he/she didn't spend any time reading through the posts though.


So, someone help me out here. What do people in Sweden look like?

Like any normal person lah.

Photos From First Marieudd Weekend and More

25 February 2006: Marieudd weekend.

25 February 2006: Main house at Marieudd.

25 February 2006: Cottage.

25 February 2006: 0700hrs.

25 February 2006: 0715hrs. Begining of a new day.

25 February 2006: 0730hrs. Daylight streaming through the trees.

25 February 2006: 0730hrs. Sunrise.

25 February 2006: 0800hrs.

25 February 2006: Chapel and Mausoleum.

25 February 2006: Inside the chapel.

25 February 2006: Altar in the chapel.


25 February 2006: Tree decorated with icicles; on Chapel Island.

25 February 2006: Marian grotto on Chapel Island.

25 February 2006: 1700hrs. Sunset in Marieudd.

25 February 2006: 1700hrs. Chapel Island in the sunset. The footprints in the snow were made by us when we walked across the frozen lake earlier in the day to get to Chapel Island.

25 February 2006: 1700hrs. The dying sun, seen from the middle of the lake.

25 February 2006: Footprint of some animal in the snow.

25 February 2006: 1730hrs. Sunset from the forest.

26 February 2006: 1030hrs. Mass on the frozen lake at Marieudd. Fr. Philip is the celebrant. You can see the toast bread to be consecrated, not unleavened wheatened bread. Look that the huge expanse of white snow on the lake. To keep warm, we ran about on the ice before the Mass started. Crazy times called for crazy actions.

01 March 2006: 1510hrs. Snow covered branches. Microbiology Building at SLU.

01 March 2006: 1515hrs. Sculpture and tree in front of the Microbiology Building at SLU.

Just Wondering

Why is there a cup dispenser in every water closet I see? I can understand that the water here is portable, even in the toilets. It's just like back home. But disposable cups? What are these used for? Drinking? Er... Force of habit but not until I boil the water. Then again, I haven't seen any water coolers, so those cups could be for everyone to use for drinking. Are they?

Why are the windows in the bathrooms so big? Look at them!


My bathroom windows span almost the entire width and at least two-thirds of the wall! Oh come on. When I stand, the bottom of the window is lower than my hips. Heck, it's somewhere between my hips and the middle of my thighs. How low can that be? And this doesn't seem to only apply to my bathroom. I've heard two Germans, and Lucy (the Australian) commenting on this as well. Why do they have such big windows in the bathrooms? I mean if the buildings are far apart, and you live in a penthouse, above everyone else, and you want a view, by all means, go ahead. But pigeons like us? Good thing the blinds provide some privacy.

But who am I to complain. I've seen some action (hips up) in the building across my room once when they forgot to close the blinds. *grin* Boys and girls, always remember to draw your curtains or blinds.

Day 37: The Day Snow Fell from the Heavens

It was snowing really heavily this morning, at least according to me. If it were raining, it would be considered a downpour. But I enjoyed the walk. It was invigorating. And it was simply snowing, and snowing, and snowing the entire day until 1530 thereabouts. I reckon there was at least 2 inches of snow on the ground after that. And it has been reported that this will continue for the next few days. Will they be as enjoyable as this day?

Perhaps today felt so good because my PCR finally worked. I found the problem. Yes, it was the template. But there were problems with the dNTP as well. Who knew adding too much dNTP could potentially inhibit the PCR process. My bad. I saw the wrong concentration; 10 times lower that stated. Oops.

And today is Ash Wednesday, which indicates the start of Lent. As per previous years, I'll be fasting again. But this time it’s not going to be food. I think I’ve gotten past the gluttony stage, haven’t I? And I only told people that fact so that they could help me maintain my fast, and not tempt me to the excesses of food. I'm giving up something else this year but I will not be going to reveal to everyone here. There’s no point, isn’t it? It’s just a personal sacrifice. Just so everyone knows, fasting doesn’t need to apply to food only, it can be applied to smoking, drinking, and so on. The whole point of the fast is to try to break a bad or immoral habit for a length of 40 days, and hopefully by the end of the Lenten season, one would be free of the bad habit. Excellent.

And I received my first ashes in a foreign country! I’ve spent all my Ash Wednesdays, Good Fridays, Easters, Christmases, etc in Singapore so far. This will be the first time I’ll be having Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter away from home. I’ll be able to see how people here celebrate these holidays. Easter Sunday is a holiday in Sweden, unlike in Singapore. So they have a long weekend, starting from Good Friday until the Monday after Easter Sunday. That makes it a total of 4 solid days. But maybe I won’t see much since most Swedes are non-religious. Perchance the people don’t give a flying hoot to these holidays. Possibly.

Ashes on forehead.

Ashes on tissue after cleaning my forehead.

I’ve confirmed my attendance for the skating trip on Friday. So that means, out of personal selfish reasons, I’ll spend an extra day at SLU, and one short at Angstromlaboratoriet this week. But, heck it. I do have some things to do at SLU as well. Like purification, and testing the chip with the modified amplicons and with new markers created in-house, so it’s not like I’m loafing. (But seriously, I find it really tough to be working on both ends. It's going to be very difficult to make ends meet. There’s just too little time.) I can’t wait for Friday. Maria is going to bring an extra thermos for me and a pair of skates. Cool.

I hope the modem comes soon. I emailed Staffan this morning, and he replied with a ‘this or next week’. At least I know he ordered it on 22 Feb, so the modem should arrive soon. I need to get my hands on it, and obtain some permanent internet connection. Plus, I want to get a wireless router as well, so that I don’t have to sit near the modem. I prefer my position now; on the bed. And when Ben is here, he can also use the internet, if I have wireless and the modem ready then. Fingers crossed for the email from Staffan tomorrow.

And just to let everyone know, I’m feeling much better now. So no worries, alright?

To good weather on Friday! Cheers!