it has been a long time since i sat down and decided to blog.
well, i was just feeling it today so here's a little update and just my personal thoughts i guess?

it has been a strange year, a pandemic that threatens millions life, a pandemic that makes me realize how fragile are humans and how selfish can a person be, but at the same time, it also makes me realize that together, we can stop the situation from getting worst.
it hasn't been that difficult for me, i expected to stay during the summer vacation for my internship so it wasn't in my plan to go home. well, i was initially planning to go home for a week or two, but i guess i will not be able to do that now. i am lucky to have my friends, and my boyfriend by my side in korea and thankfully, the situation is korea is under control. i miss my family and friends in malaysia, and my two little puppies but all i wish right now is everyone to stay healthy. going to the airport is risky, flying on a plane for six hours is also risky, i don't want to bring the virus back and spread it to my family especially my old grandmother may not be able to fight with this virus.
so i guess staying here is the best for me and my loved one.

oh, and i have been cooking for almost 2 months! i failed a few times but it was also really fun to cook and eat what i crave for! instead of eating in the cafeteria or just from a convenient store, it is so much better to cook by myself! a simple and hearty meal always warm my tummy after a hectic day. working in the lab was enjoyable but at the same time it's tiring on someday with long experiments. i worked overtime a few days, one time until 9pm? that day was crazy! i get really frustrated sometimes because it is not even because i am slow.. but i have to wait for the purification process yeap, drop by drop. and it just takes a crazy amount of time! also, working in a lab make me realize why research takes up to years! before you can actually perform a certain experiment, you have to first synthesize what you need if it is not available, and for me, i have a synthesize mutated polymerase, introducing mutation to a plasmid is not difficult, it can be done in a week but.. protein purification takes forever! i have also decided to continue with my lab internship, well to gain experience and also i want to finish my current project! (at the same time earn some income to buy things that i want ㅠㅠ since it will be online semester, let's hope it will be do-a-ble! :) its summer in korea, stepping into fall soon, a season that i love! beautiful scenery, with perfect weather! i wish we could all breathe in the cooling autumn air without having the need to wear a mask soon! during last semester, i was able to travel to seoul once a month, and stay over for five days or so. it was great and i enjoyed every single time, but this semester, maybe not since i will be working in the lab but i guess a short weekend trip to seoul wouldn't hurt that much! there's a malaysian's restaurant in hong-dae, owned by a malaysian and i really want to try the food there, all the reviews said the food tastes just like authentic malaysian cuisine! (well, a lil over priced but guess this is the living standard here! because of this, i was inspired to make nasi lemak, and also, so coincidently, my friend decided to "prank" me with a rice cooker as a birthday present. i was totally speechless when i saw my name written on a box of rice cooker, i was praying that it is not mine, i was just someone with the same name... but yes it was mine. i was literally shouting inside for a while now, but to think about it now, i will just make use of it and cook some nasi lemak! i managed to buy sambal online let's hope it will taste good (finger crossed) i miss the taste of malaysia food so bad! especially granny's cooking yum yum.

nasi lemak w/ sambal shrimp!
i am stepping into my sixth semester in a week, and i am not sure what to feel about it.
i am excited but at the same time, i am scared. it means it's almost the time to think about what do i want to do after graduating from my bachelor degree. do i want to continue with master degree? or do i want to work in a company? honestly, the idea of working in a company, dealing with many people with my not so fluent korean is so stressful. but it is a process of growing up right? or maybe i will end up continuing master degree and work in a lab heh, comfort zone. oh yes, talking about lab! i did a presentation to kind-of give a conclusion for my summer internship. i received so many good feedback from other students and professors, and i am so so so happy know that i did a not bad job! a master student told me the presentation was easy to understand and i know what i have been doing all this while, and i did not look nervous during the presentation. we also had dinner with section heads from our branch, i heard this was the first time that interns were invited to have dinner together. (maybe we did a great job! hehe)
i have decided to take a week break before a new semester begins! so i guess ill spend this week mostly in my bed, hopefully i will be motivated to study in advance and prepare for the sem (unlikely......)
guess that's all for today,
bye!