SHOKKINGU na kokuhaku ni

O....M....G! I really don't know where and how to start.... (*still speechless).

Well, OK...*take a deep breath*. Last nite, my dearest brother told me that...he's planning to...get...m.a.r.r.i.e.d. HECK, WHAT WAS THAT ????? And t.o.d.a.y, my parents are going to go to my future sister-in-law's home...*yeah, you know what they will do*. Gosh, i have no idea (*not a single clue) that he's thinking about this matter seriously (*more than me...hehehe). Still more, telling his sister (-read : me) about this HUGE thing, via YM...*yeah, sounds like my brother style ^^*.

As a matter of fact, i'm fine if my brother really is getting married quicker than me. I really am. Not to mention that he told me he will give me his BEST RABBIT as "pelangkahan" gift (*hahahhhhaaaaa...IRANAIIII ! Baka Otoko !) and also urge me to buy TWO folding bicycles as his wedding gift. Gyahahahaaaa...you wish!

All in all, i hope later i can be at his wedding. Because he told me that he will get married soon (*ckckcckkkk...dah kebelet, de' ? ;p). I'm just scared that i will still here (read : stuck here) when the D-Day comes. Not able to go home...must doing my experiments...bla bla bla...surely worried me. *Sigh*. Dear lil' brother, i never realized that now you've already become this mature. Hhhhhh...suddenly i miss the old times we've spent together...huhuhuuuu...

A Witty Nobel Laureate

Have you ever heard someone named Kary Mullis ?

Yesterday my Scientific Writing lecturer, Prof. Ku, told me the story about that PCR inventor. Speaking from the view point of the science world, Kary Mullis can be categorized as a "unique" scientist. He also considered as an "intellectual maverick". Prof. Ku said, after won a Nobel Prize in 1993, he shared his $10,000 (-bonus from the company he worked for), quitted and started to....surfing. Hahaha...

One of the media describes him as :

"A man interested in many things in life besides molecular biology and surfing, he has refused to team up with the biotechnology industry or academia. Currently, he consults and lectures around the world about biotechnology or the development of the scientific method, its successes and its failures".

And btw, i found this video of him :

He's surely a witty-one-of-the-kind Nobel laureate^^.

Anyway, from that video, i know that the mixture of potassium perchlorate and sugar will produce an explosion (*hehehe...^^).

It's Not Fair...

A few weeks ago...i was shocked when i heard that one of my friends will getting married. I mean, it was too sudden, considering she was planned to go back to Indonesia during her winter break "only" for vacation (*as i knew it clearly from herself). But then, that news came up. And not long after her marriage, i was getting more flabbergasted knowing that she wouldn't come back here to continue her study. WHAT WAS THAT ? Even I wouldn't just leave like that...at least i will pack up my stuff and say goodbye properly to everyone.

After doing some "investigations", i knew that, personally, she's never planned to do so. I'm started to think that her family "tricked" her. Asking her to go home for other reasons than marriage but then telling her to get married while she's having her vacation. Well, i don't know for sure, though. And then, i was even more shocked, knowing the reason why she has to quit was because she has to follow her husband who will pursue his PhD abroad. Well, i couldn't agree more that we have to be a good wife. But does it means that we have to throw our education out ? If finishing the master degree was my friend's dream...it means that she's just throw her dream out, rite ? Because of her husband. It's not fair, really.

Suddenly i remember back then we i had a long discussion with my father about marriage. I told my father that i don't want to marry the man who will draw the line on my activities nor my dreams. My father said that if i wanted it that way, then maybe before the marriage, i should write down some conditions (black-and-white-document-like) that my future husband must agree with. Hmmm...maybe i will do that, Dad. Just in case...

Conquering Hehuanshan's East Peak (合歡山)

and the story goes.....

After came back from the Lantern Festival (around 11 pm), me and Jeung Dewi were planned to spend our night at Taichung Train Station (*hihihi...hopeless+homeless) while waiting for the daylight to come. But, that stupid (+ risky) plan was soon refused by Bu DWW. Then, she suggested us to stay overnite at Taichung Mosque. But because it was already very late (around 1 am) and we haven't called the Imam of the mosque yet, the four of us were locked outside (*i was wondering why the mosque gate was locked...it is Alloh's House or Imam's House ???). Anyway, after encouraged herself to ring the bell, Bu DWW was successfully "forced" the Imam to go out and unlock the gate for us (*he's grumbling, quite mad and blurting some harsh words out to us while opening the gate). Hehehe...deeply sorry, Imam...

Because we have to catch up the one and only van-like vehicle that will take us to Hehuanshan at 8 am, we already stand by at the bus stop by 6.50 am. We were managed to find the Fengyuan Bus Company which running that van, just right on time^^. Then, the journey...begun. After almost 5 hours (*half of the journey was roller coaster-like. Not to mention that the van was kept zigzag-ing on that mountain-super narrow-road to avoid encountering the vehicles from the opposite direction), finally we arrived there. It was around 1 pm...but the weather was so cold (*around 10 i guessed).

Hehuanshan comprises seven peaks in total. The two peaks, East Peak (3,421 m) and North Peak (3,422 m) are actually taller than the main peak (3417 m). After arguing for a while, we decided to hike the East Peak one. According to the board down the East Peak's trail, the trekking time to the top is 2.5 hours. Non-stop resting, eating, slacking...we reached the peak in 3.5 hours (*hehehe...amateurs!). The best part was when we found snows and saw a beautiful-hard-to-describe sunset. Subhanalloooohhhh^^. And the hardest part was when we have to survive there only with sleeping bag (*i was shaking, shivering and trembling all nite long). Not only because the weather was (damned) cold, but the winds also brought along the snows...so...imagine how cold it was. Well, i managed to keep myself alive til' the end, though:). We were trekking down the mountain early in the morning and successfully reaching the main road only in one hour (*i'm getting good at it^^).

OK, for the one who shows interest to go to Hehuanshan, i'll suggest you to take the Nantou Bus Company's bus (*from Taichung Train Station) to Puli (*it costs 100 NTD). And from Puli, you can take the Fengyuan Bus Company's van (*costs 181 NTD) to Hehuanshan. It will save your money around 153 NTD. Because if you took the Fengyuan Bus Company's van (*accross the Taichung Train Station) directly, you have to pay 434 NTD. Remember that the Fengyuan Bus Company's van only operates once a day, at 8 am. And from Hehuanshan, the same van will only pass at 9.20 am. So, make sure you are manage your time well. And down the mountain, there's a cottage that you can rent for 2850 NTD per nite. If you're not as crazy as us, just stay warm at that cottage. Don't forget to reserve it first. All in all, the beautiful Hehuanshan surely worth it^^.

Foto dulu dong^^

Subhanalloh^^

Kabut udah mulai turun

Semakin berkabut

Tuh puncaknya udah kelihatan

Horeeee...sampai juga di puncak:)

Liat deh saljunya...

Waaahhh...indahnya gunung di pagi hari^^

Taichung Lantern Festival 2009

This annual festival located in Wen-Hsin Forest Park, officially started on 2nd and will end on 15th February. At first, i never planned to go to this event, considering the day after i have to go hiking. But one of Jeung Dewi's friend offered herself to be our guide. Why wasting someone's kindness ;)? So, the three of us ended up there.

I thought i will see some awesomeness in Taichung Lantern Festival. I mean, OK i saw "some" great lanterns (*including some which made by the students). But, only that ? Well, (almost) yes, actually. The giant screens playing Taiwanese folk opera, activity areas for families and street performers were all failed to entertain me, though. Feeling lots of disappointment, we were ended up strolling all around the food stalls (*night market-alike) nearby, finding some foods to eat. Having takoyaki, ice cream, sugar cane juice and fried taro balls as my dinner, i felt like more enjoying the night market rather than an annual festival.

Hmmm...maybe next year i will go to Kaohsiung Lantern Festival (1, 2) the biggest one and located alongside the Love River. Ehehehe...^^

Food Science - Biomedical Science

The fact that Food Science is closely related with Biomedical Science (-human physiology, to be exact) is undeniable. How can food scientists/technologists produce a healthy-safe food, for example for the one who has a health problem, if they don't know the effects or efficacy of the food compounds to the body ? That's why learning about human physiology is undoubtedly important. But sadly, the relation between those two sciences are less common and never been deeply studied in Indonesia.

Conversely, Food Science Departments in Taiwan tend to counterpart with human physiology as in my department shown in some of the courses name, such as : Trends of Food Technology and Chronic Disease, Free Radicals and Diseases, Nutrition and Medicinal Foods, Health Food, etc etc. Sounds "scary", huh ? That's exactly what i thought, at first. Having no basic in human physiology, made me learn even harder about it. It's hard, yet very interesting.

In Taiwan, people are very concern about their health issues. Regular medical check up is a must. Food supplements are very popular. Native herbs and spices are widely mixed or combined with foods and snacks (1, 2). Green teas and its derivatives are everywhere. And so on. Well, i'll just take this phenomenon as a good opportunity to learn. ^^

It's correlated, indeed

Well, after read an article found by Sunett here, i guess now i have to correct my rather-rushed saying below* :

"I knew that you are able to taking care of your own problems". "I also knew that you are very religious" (* WHATTTT ???? ~~~~~> it's not even correlated, Sir*) . "As long as i still can see you hang in there and alive...i feel relieved."

It's correlated, conversely. I really am in PAIN (*Having him as my adviser...painful. Having this kinda environment during my study...painful. Not having my family around...painful). But, yeah, "i have a religion...to help me cope with anything".

"Religion-associated pain resistance is linked to the activation of the brain right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), an area associated with both cognitive down-regulation of pain and reassessment of the emotional meaning of an experience – for example by giving a neutral or even positive meaning to a noxious experience, and so making it much easier to cope with."

See ? So, by accident, my adviser's saying was correct. But now i am wondering why most of people see me as a happy-go-lucky girl. Suddenly i feel that this Happy Go Lucky song lyrics fits me :

The world only sees me smiling

My pillow knows the truth at night

'Cause that's where I hide my sorrow

And they call me happy go lucky

They don't know my heart is dying inside

A smiles a frown turned upside down

I do my happy go lucky so well

I'm even fooling myself

Errrr...except on the part "I'm even fooling myself". Hehehe. I think i'm clear enough about my limits. I'll cry whenever i feel sad...I'll sigh whenever i feel burdened...I'll mad whenever something upsets me...and so on. But i also realize that the new me is (more) lonesome (-in a positive way...i guess:)). Having been a lone ranger, i knew the importance of survival.