What I'm up to in October 2015?

My blog has been accumulating dust since I last updated it for MTV World Stage in Malaysia. Life has been pretty busy indeed.

One year has passed since I started my PhD at University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus! When I entered my program, I had high hopes. There were a number of PhD students in my previous institution, and they looked fine doing their project. It turned out that I went through countless frustrations through the process, for problems I have unaware of. That went on for one year. On top of that, there are progress requirements to meet, and at a point I was pushed to my breaking point. That feeling is not a joke.



One important thing I've learnt about doing science in Malaysia: the environment is hostile. Not to say scientists in Malaysia are unfriendly people but buying supplies to carry out my work can take up much time. I had to watch the exchange rate, because chemicals are quoted to local (Malaysian) vendors in US Dollars. Orders take weeks to months to arrive, compared to next day to a maximum of two weeks in Western countries. Now with the falling Ringgit, it's reflected in every item I am to buy and that's going to affect the number of things I can do.

If you have followed me enough, you'll know that I'm into K-pop. I'm following mostly cute girl groups, and I do occasionally watch sexy concepts. Indeed I'm a big Pink Panda when I went to MTV World Stage to watch A Pink performing live.



By chance, I stumbled upon Minx 밍스‬ and remarked the unexceptional talent of the members. They are a sister group to Dal Shabet and belongs to Happy Face Entertainment.

No one was doing a fanbase for Minx in Malaysia, so I started a Facebook fanpage for the girls without a second thought. The next thing was to promote my fanbase to other Minx and K-pop idols' fanpages.

That night I was contacted by a fan after the admin of Minx Taiwan told him about it. We talked about our interest for Minx. It turned out that he had the idea of setting up the Minx fanpage for Malayisa, but he was busy following Minx's activities in South Korea and I went ahead of him. In that conversation I appointed him as the second admin of the page.

I hope to step on Korean soil one day but meanwhile, I am focusing on bringing timely updates from Minx!

At the initial stage, I approached AOA and Dal Shabet's Malaysian fanbases to help me promote. I am grateful for their help and mentoring indeed!

At the time I created Minx's fanbase, I couldn't find quality English translations of the girls' updates. There is Minx Taiwan translating from Korean into Traditional Chinese. There is Minx Philippines using Google and Bing Translate and clean up the result. There is Minx Turkey eagerly craving to make updates accessible to their fans, but couldn't do so due to language barrier.

So I came in to translate Minx's updates from Chinese into English. Slowly, the fandom of Minx is being transformed. Filipino fans have access to quality English translations. Minx Turkey is beginning to have more frequent updates thanks to my translations.

My role model is Apink Malaysia, the top Malaysian fanbase for A Pink. I really admire their consistency and breath of content, and their passion for the girls.

My organic likes plateaued at 68. I needed to reach out to more potential fans. So I approached Josh Lim, now the boss of LikesBeforeLove. I am aware that I am spending hard cash on this.



Thanks to his mentoring and effort in creating Facebook ads, my Minx fanpage has hit 1000 likes when I wrote this. This is a feat I've never achieved before, and I couldn't do so on my own strength.

The fact is, Josh Lim has worked with clients from celebrities to businesses to help them gain fans and generate sales leads.

What have I learnt through creating a fanbase for Minx?

• Whether you are creating a social media page for work or leisure, it'll end up as competitive as a business. People come to your page with expectations that you're able to provide them something.
• Spending money to promote so that people notice your work is equally important as your hard work itself
• Work with people to achieve a common goal. While I strive to secure my leadership position in the fandom, I share my expertise and be receptive to collaborations to achieve the common goal, that is to make Minx a success in K-pop.

I wish to talk about many other things I've gone through, but my main limit is time. Before I sign off I'd like to encourage you to have a blog to share your interest and thoughts on things. Yes, there's Twitter and Facebook to talk about the short stuff, but nothing beats the versatility of a blog to fully express yourself. As Daphne Charice has said it, please continue to read, respond and contribute to blogs. Don't let blogging (Malaysian scene) die.

How to gain entry into Walter and Eliza Hall Institute as Honours student?

It's approaching the second semester of study for you, readers based in Melbourne and other Australian cities. Some of you may be at your final year of study, approaching graduation after years of working hard for a tertiary experience. If you are in your final year, moreover in your final semester, I ask you to read on for a future important to you.

What happens after a Bachelor's degree? Should I be looking for a job? Or should I continue to pursue Honours?

Why Honours? There are many reasons to continue for an Honours degree, but I sum it up to a few words: it boosts your credentials tremendously, making you much more worthy. Having graduated with an Honours myself, it gave me a big boost to my confidence. It's an opportunity to put knowledge into practice.

Despite majoring in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, I have chosen to pursue my Honours course at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. With a little exploration, I have found a place that is much more worthier, the pride of the Australians; as a foreigner I was just getting to know its significance.

I almost forgot to tell you - Walter & Eliza Hall Institute is synonymous with Department of Medical Biology of Melb Uni.



The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute is located a street away from The University of Melbourne, on the grounds of Royal Melbourne Hospital, next to a high school.

It is home to many far reaching discoveries in medical science, including but not limited to Bcl-2 in cell death and colony stimulating factors in blood cell production. Colony stimulating factors, discovered by Don Metcalf, allowed chemotherapy to be carried out at stronger doses, saving many lives of cancer patients. Notably, Sir Macfarlane Burnet from the institute got himself a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1960 for the discovery of immunological tolerance.



Why do Honours at the Institute instead of other departments at the University? Imma' tell you some secrets.

First, you are automatically awarded a 5000 AUD scholarship once you're accepted. Secondly, the Institute provides manpower dedicated to take care of glass- and plasticware wash ups, so you can focus more on experimental work that matters. That makes your lab life easier :)

How to apply to Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Honours?

1. Most importantly, decide if you can secure sufficient grades in relevant majors. It's possible to enter with a major in life sciences, mathematics or chemistry, depending on the requirement of the research project. This Institute asks for 80% average for aspiring students, compared to 65% for a typical Honours course.
2. Look through research interests of professors on the Institute website. Contact the professor, discuss the project and reach an agreement with them. When you have reached an agreement, you have secured supervisor acceptance. Get that sorted out before your final year ends!
3. Follow a two-phase application process: applying to the institute and applying to the University of Melbourne. Instructions can be found here.
4. Wait for the offer letter from University of Melbourne. Accept the offer for a project and you're admitted!

Want to study with world class scientists in the prestigious Walter and Eliza Hall Institute? Head over to http://www.wehi.edu.au/ to start!

Malaysian Youtuber JinnyboyTV pokes fun at internship

Many degree or diploma courses offered in Malaysia today include internship or industrial training as part of the programme to "enhance the employability" of students once they graduate. Internship may also count towards academic credit required for graduation. But, does this work experience live up to its name?

Contrary to expectations of gaining valuable experience in the actual workplace, what I heard are stories all pointing to the defeat of the purpose of internship. Stories of interns made to photocopy papers or prepare food for boss is so common lah.

The satirical video by JinnyboyTV says it all. It's named "Internsh*t".

Indeed, unpaid internship experience is now clouded by increasing controversy. This is attributed to laws surrounding internship does not provide clear guidelines and their non-enforcement (US context).

But students are not so lucky in Malaysia. Internship is not sanctioned by labour laws, therefore irresponsible companies are free to exploit interns as they wish. A fellow user in Lowyat.net posted:

I do find it a bit absurd about this internship program in Malaysia, the students have no right in saying 'no' to any company the university has assigned them to, they are not allowed to ask about pay or even allowance, they are to work according to what the company told them to, they are not protected by law or even insurance, they are not entitled to medical leave(s), overtime pay & so forth. A conclusion from myself: They are just a bunch of cheap, if not free, unprotected labour of Malaysia. 

You can read more inside a thread at Lowyat.net here.

Do you think internships should be governed by law?

Biorefresher: Honours year and Eureka Skydeck88!

Biorefresher 1: Starting my Honours year


Boss (Professor David Vaux) loaned me this iMac so that I can work right away! Returned it to him after I got my laptop.


This is my Macbook Pro that accompanied me throughout my Honours year. Changed the wallpaper to Girl's Day to personalise my computer.

I started my Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the prestigious Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, in the Cell Signalling and Cell Death division. Was under the tutelage of Professor David Vaux for my project.

Biorefresher 2: Visited Eureka Skydeck88



Made a trip to the viewing deck of Eureka Building in the hot summer, after finishing my Honours course. You can have a good bird eye, 360 degree view of Melbourne - definitely not a place to miss.

Biorefresher 3: I got my degree: Bachelor of Science (degree with Honours)



After all the hard work, I got an upgrade to my Bachelor's degree! Thanks University of Melbourne, thanks Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, thanks members of Professor David Vaux and Associate Professor John Silke's labs! Not forgetting my family who supported me for this extra year. It's all worth it.

Subjects in my final semester

Good day, folks. I have finished my third year at University of Melbourne but I have not blogged about the subjects I've taken. I'm so excited about beginning my final semester, it was the last chance to put my scholarship into good use.

Cell Signalling and Neurochemistry: Just like humans need to communicate to form a society, cells in our body need to communicate with each other to keep the organism functioning. Growth factors and hormones are key to coordinate activity of cells. What are the inner mechanisms to interpret messages received from exterior of the cell? This subject covers it in great detail. Cell-cell communication plays a big role in disease processes such as cancer, neurodegeneration and metabolic disorders. The central theme of this subject is all about cellular machinery for communication :)

Protein Structure and Function: Proteins are the workhorses in our body. After proteins are made, they need to be formed into appropriate shapes in order to function. This subject covers patterns found in molecular structure of proteins and their biological functions. Interested to create a protein that has a function not existing in nature? This subject will teach you the gist of that too.

Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: Introduces you to how plants function at the molecular level and application of biotechnological techniques to manipulate plants for novel purposes. Topics covered include photosynthesis, cell wall synthesis, RNA interference, genetic engineering, salt tolerance and disease resistance.

Out of all subjects, my favourite was Cell Signalling and Neurochemistry. I didn't have the freedom of fee-paying students getting to sample additional subjects until I find them useful; as my tenure of scholarship has a limited time I have to make no mistake on my subject choice. I have chosen what I've always wanted to do - molecular science, taking all subjects offered by the biochemistry department has served this purpose. All subjects offered by the department are demanding - they want to teach the best things to you and they want the best out of you.

Communication is key whether you're a whole organism, a single cell or a protein inside a cell.

It's Graduation!

For three days in a row, I have been rushing to campus in the afternoon for graduation ceremonies.



Was expecting to graduate with my peers; that did not materialise because I wasn't able to graduate in time. I am cool with that, I am going to obtain my award eventually. I performed academically, as eyes are on me. I know who I am, with a scholarship award bestowed on me I cannot disappoint any of you.

Choosing to take Marine Phytoplankton of Australia has delayed my graduation but it was worth it. Learning a subject involving classification of living things took me to a different world from the usual medical based subjects in my third year; saving the subject for last really made the subject a memorable one.

I can graduate in time had I taken Marine Phytoplankton before I attempted my third year, but I would have felt clueless instead of brimming with confidence after going through thick and thin with tough biochemistry subjects.

There is no right or wrong time to take university subjects. Just make sure you know enough beforehand to handle it.

Playing my role well

At this critical period of my university studies, I am feeling the pressure to perform to live up to my name of a scholarship holder. Recapping my last semester, I'm glad to know that I've done well in one subject; on the other hand I'm not satisfied with the practical subject. The biochemistry practical subject (named Advanced Techniques in Molecular Science) is one of the toughest experience I have ever gone through.

Despite the huge amount of effort put into this demanding subject, the end did not justify everything. In fact, many were not. Frustration burns in my mind, but this is not an experience I'd like to repeat.

Time and time again during my study life, I have been hurt in due process, in some way or another, leaving a scar. Still, I do not call everything quit.



In my third year of university, I'm taking opportunities to handle social media and supporting meaningful causes.

Blogging has given me some opportunities. Now, I'm Chief Information Officer for Malaysian Aspiration Program. My background isn't in IT, but I draw my expertise from handling my own blog, from learning about nuts and bolts that makes up Blogger. There, I used this opportunity to learn about handling Wordpress.



Besides, I'm managing the Facebook page for ASEAN Student Games and also serve as the secretary in the marketing department. I'm performing secretarial duties for the first time, it proved to be challenging but I just simply love the experience of it.

In both cases, I have to play my role well and mustn't allow anything to hinder it.

Instagram favourites + posts coming up!

Since winning an iPod touch 8GB at a singing contest by lucky draw, I've been enjoying like iPhone users do! With any iOS devices, you cannot miss Instagram.

What's inconvenient about iPod touch is that it only comes with Wi-fi connection. I do not have the privilege of sending a photo instantly. The camera on iPod touch actually has less resolution compared with iPhone4 but that does not stop me from making full use of my mp3 player.

Some of my favourite shots are:


Federation Square at the south of Melbourne CBD


Ferris wheel at the bank of Yarra River - took this while walking to Planetshakers conference


Spire of Arts Centre, Melbourne


Some news app I've downloaded into my iPod touch
As die hard science fans, you can't miss Nature and Science!

I've just done with exams for the first semester of my third year. Just found out that I have a few events yet to be written up! So, expect these to be coming up next in the pipeline:

Megatex 2011 at Sunway Pyramid - 14 January 2011
CMG Idol singing competition final at Hollywood Karaoke Bar - 2 April 2011
Discovery Needs Dollars rally at State Library of Victoria lawn - 12 April 2011

Stay tuned at Biopolymath.net!

The grand picture of molecular life science

Drawing to almost half of my third year of university studies, in one semester of my third year, I have covered so many things. Contents were fleshed out in great, intricate details.

My lecturers are from Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at University of Melbourne. Each time, during a lecture, they always have interesting story to tell about what's happening inside cells. Every time when I'm asked on what I'm doing, saying biochemistry to be specific, sounds like something so advanced. The truth is, studying biochemistry in the 21st century is like playing LEGO at the molecular level and involve lots of storytelling about molecular processes.

How to excel in studies? I can't emphasise more and more that you must show an interest in the subject matter, be it academic, artistic or professional. The next thing is to actually understand what you are studying and not simply blind memorisation. With the understanding in a few topics that make up the whole subject, comes appreciation - the big picture, knowing that topics do not exist in isolation but instead connected to each other.

When you can finally appreciate the contents in a subject, you have achieved the learning outcome.

Only upon arrival at third year of university studies, I begin to realise that biochemistry and molecular biology is a grand masterpiece of painting. "Biochemistry and molecular biology" is for the naming sake; in actual fact, the picture consists of parts from the molecular to cellular level, hence it is really "biochemistry, molecular and cell biology". To gain an even greater appreciation, I need to know physiology - how things work in living things at the systemic level - but I admit I'm deficient in it beyond uni first year level.

What subjects am I taking? I shall name them and give you a brief description:

Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics: Study of gene expression (transcription and translation) in great detail, regulation of gene expression and experimental approach to extract information encoded in genes.

Molecular Aspects of Cell Biology: Taking things beyond the DNA level to look at the happenings inside and outside the cell. Proteins are made, but it's the work that proteins do that make the cell comes alive. Each have their role to play to make the cell happening. Also some experimental techniques to see what's happening in cells.

Advanced Techniques in Molecular Science: How to work in a biochemistry/molecular biology lab using your hands. A lab based subject.

Biotechnology in Practice: The business of biotechnology.

Functional Genomics and Molecular Aspects, from the way I see it, actually forms a big picture that you can't really separate from one another into subjects. What's more, both subjects are taught by the same people and use the same lecture theatres - until I can't really tell which subject I'm attending!

I can't stress more on the importance of the lab subject because it's from the lab techniques I learnt, that's how discoveries are made. The methods are always at disposal but it's just how to use them for a purpose.

Semester is drawing to an end, so it's time to go for Gold!

Continuity of life

Hello guys! I have not talked about how I am doing for long, the learning curve come to me again, subjects are getting tougher - this is third year of a Bachelor's degree program (you know!) Assessment in the subjects are getting at very uncomfortable levels - lots of research work needed, may need to read scientific papers to know more about things, etc.

Reflecting on myself, what's the value of university education? People of my age are making do without it, there's so much you need to know to live. University experience is to impart me more, to equip me with the skills needed for a career in my field. Aside from the knowledge, the course you've taken train you to think in a certain way, the approach you need to take to look at something. I come to realise that it's not the factual knowledge is the most important, they change over time - it's how you see things that matters the most.

Looking into the future, things are not going to be the same. I need to answer questions before that are asked, problems tomorrow are not going to have a clear definition and the solutions won't come from a particular approach or discipline. Does my university properly equip me sufficiently tomorrow?

Everyday is an experience of impartation of skills and also confidence. While I receive, I feel that there is a tendency to become passive and not take an interest into matters. You and I can be very capable, many a times we do not know the hidden potential that lies within. All it takes is somebody to say "you can do this".

Ultimately, it's not what I know. Am I confident with myself?

I am asked to do a lot more.

Invitation to Malaysia Open Day in Melbourne

Malaysians in Melbourne, are you studying or working in Melbourne, or simply just looking around? If you answered "yes", then you are invited to Malaysia Open Day by Malaysian Students' Council of Australia (MASCA)!




When?
12 March 2011 12-4 pm

Where?
Flagstaff Gardens - Lawn 7

How to get there?
From Melbourne Central, walk along La Trobe Street to William Street. Flagstaff Gardens is on your right. Or you can take the City Circle tram and stop at William Street or King Street. Note that Flagstaff Station is closed on that day.

What's interesting?
Free BBQ! Free gifts! Free career consultation!

What else?
Malaysians of Melbourne University (MoMU) will be organising a beach outing! You can attend the Malaysia Open Day at Flagstaff Gardens at 12 pm and head to South Melbourne beach with MoMU - departs from Flagstaff Gardens at 2 pm.

See you there!

My results Sem 2, 2010

How am I doing during my second semester of 2010? Look and see...



One word to say: neglect. I didn't put in much effort for Biotechnology. However, I'm happy that my biotech forum reports are very good. For biochemistry practical subject (named Techniques in Molecular Science), I always felt I achieved bad learning outcomes and was so overwhelmed by the workload of practicals.

What I am happy about my result are my strong understanding of theory - Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function I get 89 marks ftw! That's also the subject I read a lot. Also, I managed another first class honours for my breadth subject Learning Cultures. This is the last time I am taking a breadth subject.

On a final note: don't get a bad start for semester.

Bio21 Institute visit with biochemistry students

Just before my semester break on 17th of September 2010, I visited Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute at Flemington Road, Parkville (a suburb of Melbourne) with my coursemates taking Techniques in Molecular Science (a biochemistry lab subject).



What is Bio21 Institute?

Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute (short Bio21 Institute) is a bioscience research institute in Parkville Precinct, attached to The University of Melbourne. The institute houses researchers from various departments in the university involved in cutting edge medical research.

What do people in Bio21 Institute do?

Bio21 Institute is a medical research institute. Researchers in Bio21 perform health-related biotechnology research using input from their field of expertise, be it biochemistry/molecular biology, chemistry, nanotechnology or engineering. With capabilities in key platform technologies, the institute provides opportunity to develop interdisciplinary research. Researchers in Bio21 have interest in the following areas:

• drug discovery and medicinal chemistry
• nanobiotechnology
• dental biotechnology - oral health science
• environmental & agricultural biotechnology - safe pesticides
• free radical chemistry & biotechnology
• health sciences - immunity, cancer, ageing...
• anti-infectives - vaccine, antibiotics, antifungals...
• neuroscience & neurodegenerative diseases - Alzheimers

The Bio21 Institute building features an atrium with biologically inspired architecture.


You can tell that each level features structure reminiscent of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.

We were brought into the labs containing high tech equipments.


This piece of instrument is called a mass spectrometer. It's used to measure the molecular mass of substances. The machine pictured above uses the time of flight technique - telling the molecular mass of a substance by measuring the time taken for the particles to travel in the (tall) tube under a constant electric field.

We moved on into the basement where Metabolomics Australia is located. Inside the labs are several chromatographs.


A sampler for gas chromatography (GC). It has a needle that draws sample and inject it into the device for analysis.


Agilent Technologies - a household name among labs.

Down in an underground chamber houses the NMR lab. It's named "NMR Cave" lol.


Looks like a space capsule ready to take off but it's really an NMR spectrometer.

NMR stands for nuclear magnetic resonance. It works by making use of magnetic properties of atomic nuclei. To know more, head here.


My favourite shot of the day, the cozy sofas in the atrium.

Will you want to take a look at

Thanks to Dr. Dӧne Onan of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of University of Melbourne for organising this trip.

Interested to study biochemistry in university? Take the subjects of biology and chemistry in your school today!

Nokia N97 in power at Tulip Festival

Who shoot using a phone during a Fotoholics outing to Tulip Festival?



At times, when my camera battery runs low, my N97 is my saviour to preserve precious memories :)

Malaysian Aspiration Program (MAP) 2010

On the 25th of September 2010, the Malaysian Student Council (MASCA) Victorian division organised a forum called Malaysian Aspiration Program (MAP) in Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre at University of Melbourne.

The teaser video:


The official video:


This forum featured a few prominent speakers including Tony Pua, Tunku 'Abidin and Associate Professor Abdul Razak Ahmad.


Welcome!


We'd like to hear from you. Tell me what you think!


Say yes or no :)

Camwhoring before talk starts...


With my good friend Farisa Roslan. She's doing business in my university.


Khoo Siew Lynn from Monash University :)

Next up is a foodie post for the after party :)

I am now free + ending of second year + OMG Fridays Jungle Fever Costume Party

I'm so happy being one of those getting to finish my exams early! Finishing the paper for biochemistry practical concludes my second semester of the year, and also my second year!

Right after I stepped out of exam hall I went to uni to collect my newest pet! Hearing about the book I was so excited before it was actually published lol


The Oxford Dictionary of Biomedicine, freshly published from the oven!

There are a few more events lining up. First, I am attending ANZAAS free science talk on November 17, 2010 at Gene Technology Access Centre (next to Walter & Eliza Hall Institute). The speaker will be Professor Andrew Gleadow from Department of Earth Science at University of Melbourne so come and join me if you're nice?

Post exams I wanna party like no tomorrow! There're a few events out there but I think this is fun!



Date: Friday, November 26 @ 10.00 pm
Venue: Eve Nightclub
Address: 334 City Road, South Melbourne, Australia
Admission: General $20, Guestlist $ 25, free for constume clubbers

Till then!

The essence of biochemistry

I'm now dwelling in metabolism, the reason why biochemistry exist in the first place. The lecturer is such a funny guy, he always make seemingly mundane reactions fun to learn.

Multiple choice questions are part and parcel of academic life, from the time I was a kid till university. The answer of MCQ is revealed, all you need to do is just get rid of distractions to be deemed righteous. But when things don't seem to work out (at times), there's still tricks to hit it right, for near silly reasons:

1. The answer sounded good (and grammatically correct! :)
2. Look at the rest of the questions. Do one option seem to dominate your answer choice? Just choose that option, by chance you'll get it right :P (eg. if you notice many questions have A as their answer choice, pick A if you dunno the ans!)
3. The choice with the longest sentence as answer (and it sounds wise!)

In everyday life, we use money to fulfil our needs and desires, nobody provide favour for nothing. The same goes for cells in our body, life processes are driven by energy. Some molecules serve as energy "currencies" in cells:

This is called ATP. Like a one dollar note of energy

ATP is called the "universal currency of energy". Whether you're a bacteria, worm, plant, animal or human, cells in your body uses ATP as "money" to pay for life processes.

This is a 50 dollar note of metabolic energy. It's called NAD.

Central to your use of oxygen to gain the most out of your food, is the grand roundabout of metabolism:

The Krebs cycle.

You ask me, where is the oxygen in the "roundabout"?

Keeping up

My science degree is taking up much of my time, mid semester assessments are coming up, preparation is utmost important, remember I have a contract with my university, my study is provided with a scholarship; it's a prize, it's also a responsibility.


Jason Derulo with a fan.

After watching the final show of Crimson Spring presented by Chinese Music Group (21/8/2010), I was invited to attend the post production dinner. I've had chance to talk to people, otherwise I wouldn't have it, it's a one off opportunity, so precious, the unique combination will never come its way again. There're so many ways to look at things, many a times I've been caught up in my opinion, all it takes is a person to communicate, take a step back, and examine a different perspective.

Since this was the second time I watched the musical, being a person who pay attention to the utmost detail, the character of the blind flower girl was central to the play, not from the question of the storyline structure but from a perspective of artistic portrayal. Upon the first hint of the character being blind, I started to pay attention, has this actor played her role up to the vivid quality I've been asking for? For a sighted person to present the character of a blind is no easy task and vice versa, at some point of the play a subtle mistake can make or break the scene. The cast demanded much acting skill, Soe Yi Jing being placed in her position has played it well.

I can still find the homeless (in Malaysian terms, that equates to being beggar) in the very livable city of Melbourne, so where's the love?

Crimson Spring review

My disclosure: I'm a member of Chinese Music Group promotion department.

Since the success of The Puppets in year 2009, CMG is back this year to present her annual production "Crimson Spring". Having the opportunity to catch this play on its premiere is of course another bonus.

The play opens into a nightclub in Shanghai set in the 1960s. It is a routine, part and parcel of this vibrant Chinese city. Dancers are an integral part of everyday nightlife, along with madam and club owners who hold everything together.

I must say, the beginning scenes may seem mundane. In a series of events, the audience is introduced to Xiao Yun, the blind flower girl, serving as a turning point, and set the direction for the play. Again, the flower girl is going through her everyday life, calling out wares.

Encounter of You Jia, owner of Crimson Spring with Xiao Yun turns the play out of the routine as viewers have seen earlier. Blindness of the flower girl is used as a powerful device to portray the essence of beauty, innocence and purity, shielded from temptations of the world. The encounter turns into a harmonic duet of a beginning romance, that was the highlight of the play before intermission.

Where the story 'kicks in' is the scene of Mo Gu facing consequences of her decision to flee from her former nightclub. In a series of events, the characters are drawn into the whirlpool of conflicts, painting a picture of the society: the diminishing law and order, the neglected familial love and the devaluation of romance, integratively sending a political message. The father and son duet speaks of helplessness arising from the setting. Xiao Yun, now in an altered circumstance, had the thematic of her blindness shifted to criticize naive idealism and corruption.

Crimson Spring drawn the audience into a world of principalities that engages with set values. The play features excellent scores of original music; it's the plot that takes some time to build up.

Outside your comfort zone

After attending the open day of my university, I have some good news! The breadth requirements has been changed, effective from 2011:

• You must take a minimum of four (4) breadth subjects in your degree.
• You can only take a maximum of six (6) breadth subjects.
• Up to three (3) breadth subjects can be taken at first year level.
• You can't take more than 3 subjects as breadth in your first year.

So, the good news is, the irritating "one breadth subject must be taken at 3rd year level" is abolished! This saves most of us from meeting prerequisites and taking subjects we're not interested in. It means, more freedom!

How does this mean to me? In my third year, I can try more science subjects at third year level. Breadth subject is good for early stages of your university to learn more, but you don't need to go too deep into something not of your kind unless you choose to.

Another tip is that, most science practical subjects will not be available as breadth for other degree courses. Why? Places are limited for these subjects, furthermore science people need these subjects to qualify for their degree.

The idea of taking subjects outside home faculty is not new, actually. From keen observations, I've seen people broadening their horizon, and their university enforces similar rules for such practices.

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