Sydney, Australia

 One of the reasons why I drifted away from blogger was because my previous pink computer took forever to upload  pictures and open a browser due to its Jurassic features. Now that I bought a new one, hopefully I will be able to frequently visit my blog. The iPad app also didn't suit me due to formatting errors.

So what's going on in my life? As I have mentioned earlier, I went to Australia to visit my bf and finally meet his family for the first time. Those 10 days with my bf were my happiest since the year began. My bf introduced me to everyone. I was a bit shy and often I would stay quiet not until they ask me questions. One time, we went to the Korean bbq restaurant. The owner of that restaurant happened to be my bf's friend. As usual, I sat quietly while contently eating the juiciest barbecued beef in the world (the Wagyu). My bf's best friend asked a random question about genetics, which happened to be my favorite. I spontaneously answered so as not to disgrace myself. Later that night, the owner of the restaurant (my bf's  friend) called my bf just to say, "your girlfriend is very smart." My bf and I nearly died laughing because I fooled the restaurant owner into thinking I am smart.  Hopefully, in the future, the restaurant owner will hire me when I apply for a job as a waitress. I'm kidding. haha. I have always wanted to be a waitress.  But I've always been too clumsy in the kitchen, my grandma would kick me out and ask me to study, study, study. That explains why I ended up studying Molecular Biology. I figured breaking beakers is a lot more noble than breaking dishes.

We visited quite a number of places in Sydney. To tell you the truth, the Sydney Opera House was a disappointment. I don't know why people always say it's "awesome". In my opinion, the structure itself isn't breathtaking. I would rather think it's the performance of every visiting artists that makes Sydney Opera House a tourist spot. 

There are two things I love about Australia: (1) my bf and (2) nature. I suppose there is no need to elaborate number 1.

 As for the second reason, I reckon it's because I am a bit biased. I love nature. And I enjoy going to the countryside and embrace the scenic and unforgettable landscapes. Australia has a very luscious forest. The shrubs are also very abundant; as such, wildfire frequently occurs in summer. I have seen remnants of wildfire which happened some years ago. The trees resembled barbecued Wagyu! 

There are also more kangaroos than people especially in the countryside. Almost every night, my bf had to drive 150 kilometers from his mom's house in Sydney to his farm near Goulburn. Driving is like walking in Australia. It seems impossible to live without a car because the nearest shop from the residential areas in Sydney is around 15 minutes by car. So if a moving car is 4 times faster than a walking person, a human being with an average length of legs will reach the nearest shop in approximately one hour. Because my legs are shorter than average, I suppose I will get there in an hour and a half.

Or maybe 2 hours? haha. I gotta go. See you hopefully this weekend. Good night everyone!

Koln, Germany

 Hello Everyone!

I'm sorry I have been away for a very long time. We had lab practicals last December and exams last January. I was so "busy" I didn't have time to ponder about my one and only life. 

This is  rather an outdated post. I uploaded some pictures of my Germany trip several months ago, but I didn't have a quiet moment to jot down what happened in Germany. At the moment, I have a vague memory of what happened. 

It was winter then. The very first time I walked on snow-covered grass and nearly dropped dead on the floor because it was so slippery and cold. There was nothing else to do there but shop at 6 Christmas markets. So many things to choose from, I ended up buying a German glass as souvenir. 

We went for a slow walk to the gigantic cathedral. It was so massive, I felt like a tiny red ant. The river was also massive. I even thought it was an ocean! Rivers in Europe are like oceans in the Philippines.

I can't recall what really happened that day.  I just know I had fun and I thought I was going to die in the snow!

I'm off to my class-- fresh from Australia! Yes, I finally visited my boyfriend. My one week holiday with my bf went by so fast, I'm missing him again.

Bye for now.

Streets of Paris

Hey everyone, I'm logging in just to take a break from reading the genetic engineering book I borrowed from the library. I want to buy the latest edition of this book because I noticed this was published 2008 and in the course of 4 years, there had already been a lot of progress. One of the statement which caught my attention as I was reading, is the fact that a lot of biotech companies are not profitable. The book says there are around 100 profitable biotech companies. So you can imagine how meager this value is compared to the total number of companies! However, this fact doesn't discourage me from working there. 

Meanwhile, my brain is wandering about again. I feel like travelling to another city. I'm planning another trip this December. I don't know where. Maybe Austria? They said the mountains look majestic during winter. But I'm not sure if I will be able to withstand the austere winter wind. Anyway, Before I end this nonsensical monologue, I would like to leave you some pictures of the streets of Paris. It's the place where you can find cheap and unique souvenirs. An example of a unique souvenir? Well, they just sell really old magazines...like... the playboy magazine! Wouldn't the guys feel a little strange looking at pictures of beautiful girls whom they know already passed away?

Tripe sausage in applesauce

Yesterday, I spent 6 hours revising my paper. I got so tired, I decided to cook to feel better. My friends and I had a western dinner at home. My friend cooked the penne. I made the applesauce. I bought the delicious no-cook tripe sausage.

I actually want to blog about how to make the applesauce. But I honestly feel sick today. Physically sick. I must have been affected by the autumn-winter transition... I'll just stay up in my room and study. Don't worry my immune system will cope with this and I'll feel superb tomorrow.

Ice skating in Belgium

Hello everyone!

Please don't tell my mom I skipped math class and protein chemistry class today. I was physically exhausted when I woke up this morning. I could barely stretch my legs, in fact. It was due to lactic acid accumulation brought about by my daredevil activity last Saturday. I went ice skating with my international friends!

It was honestly my first time to see an ice skating rink. We had skating rinks in my country but not in my city. I was also too scared to try. But then, due to peer pressure, I was initially forced to succumb myself to the frictionless ice rink. It felt weird wearing the skating blades. I also imagined the blades were thin and could cut through skin. Surprisingly, it could carry my entire weight without failing. 

When I landed on the massive ice rink, I could barely stand. But after around half an hour I learned how to balance myself. I thought cheer leading and standing on one foot on one's shoulder was a more difficult endeavour. So then I banished all my fears and let go of the rail. I started to move away from the rail little by little. I noticed that the lesser I feared, the smoother my movement was. I had all my guts concentrated on the skating blades. And then I fell on the floor. I got up and skated again. I fell and landed on my knees. I got up and skated again. I fell. Got up. Skated. The whole duration was a battle between me and my determination to skate. I was mad and addicted to the fact that I badly wanted to learn how to skate. After hours and hours of trying, I finally did one full round without falling down. It takes courage and perseverance to learn how to skate. If you fall, just get up. After all, it's a common knowledge gravity causes everything to fall on the ground.

Have a beautiful day everyone! I'm off to read my books again.

Paris, France

 Once again, I have been away from my blog for what seemed like a century. I don't really have a valid excuse. I have just been extremely indolent to log in to blogger. I haven't been busy. In fact, either I stay at home to read books, I go to school to listen to lectures or go out with my new friends. Today, our classes were cancelled because we will be having a welcome party a couple of hours from now. I will try not to hit the sack so I won't miss the party. Sleeping is so conducive in this country. haha

For the past 3 months, I have been learning a lot of interesting facts about molecular biology. I have also been learning beyond the classroom walls. I was able to achieve the latter through travelling. I went out of Belgium to discover new culture. I went to France. Paris to be exact.

Paris is a city which came so close to damnation but was so lucky, it always came out unscathed. It is a place of rich history! This is evident in the buildings built several hundred years ago which up to now, are still erected on the ground. You will get dizzy scrutinizing each of the buildings. 

If you intend to visit Paris, never miss to climb up the Eiffel Tower. Up the steel tower, you will see Paris in one glance. Also, never miss to the Louvre. I went there but I never saw the Mona Lisa. For this reason, I intend to go back probably in January or March next year. 

I have so many other stories. But I will tell you some other time. In one sentence, this is what I think:

Paris is more beautiful than Brussels but I love the Belgians... XD