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.