Moving

Here is a news from me, I've decided to move my blog.

To visit my new blog, please click here.

Play Hard Study Hard

Figured out that I need to write something about the coming semester, which is just nine hours away.

I resolve to be more hardworking, and make full use of my text books.
I need to understand the notes well, and pay full attention in the lecture (I actually managed to do that in the first semester, if occasional drowsiness does not count).
I need to constantly remind myself that I'm not doing these solely for passing the exams, but for my future career as a pharmacist.

Enough of break, time to continue my journey. I'm one step closer again!

Winter Warmth

There is always a reason for me to “chocolate” during winter. Due to this reason, my holidays started with chocolates, and ended with chocolates too!

This sticky date pudding and dark chocolate are from Bracegirdle at Glenelg. The mug of dark chocolate was great, but the chocolate dip for sticky date pudding was way too sweet.

Chocolate filth from Chocolate Bean is one of the most temptingly delicious chocolate dessert I have ever tasted. Sitting in the middle is a bigger piece of Death by Chocolate surrounded by shot-glasses filled with chocolate, mousse and cream. I can hardly get my hands off this. Double thumbs up for chocolate filth!

No, I’m not advertising for Chocolate Bean.

You can opt for Death by Chocolate if you are after a smaller piece of cake. It’s simply irresistible for chocolate lovers!

Oh yeah, don’t miss out trying their hot chocolates or you will miss the chance to be melted by chocolate. :D

  A must-go place in Adelaide

I like this place so much not just because of its chocolates, there are heaps more reasons for me to like Chocolate Bean. Firstly, the people are nice. They always entertain you with a smile even though they are really busy in the day. Secondly, the place was cosy and unique. Situated in a quiet street in the city, it offers city dwellers a “chocolate escape” at anytime in the day (as long as it is opened). Thirdly, I have no reason not to like chocolates! :D

Winter Break Experience #3

Laser Skirmish

Hide-Runnnnnnnnn-Shoooooooooot

It turned out to be much more fun than I had ever expected, and it made me sweated amidst a rainy winter day!

What-I-Played: Laser skirmish is a shooting game involving two teams and each team consists of ten players. Team members can recognise themselves through coloured vests. Each game lasts for about fifteen minutes and we played a total of three games. Before the start of a game, all players randomly find a good position for themselves in the battle field, get ready and when the game is announced start through the laser guns, SHOOT! The aim of this game is to shoot as many members of the opponent as possible with great accuracy. Only shootings at the chest and back are taken into account. The team with highest overall score at the end is considered as the winner. There are also individual scores with accuracy available on the score television.

How-Did-I-Play: First of all, I’m not good in shooting game… And it was my first time so… I was one of the lasts in the first two games but a surprisingly big improvement to number four in the last game :D

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

and I watched that right after laser skirmish, on 15th July!

I’ve never read any Harry Potter books before,

but I’m sorry to say that the long conversation in the beginning was boring, and it nearly put me into sleep…

Maybe I had expected too much from the movie :D

Winter Break Experience #2

The idea of visiting Himeji Garden came across our minds on official results release date. How cool was that? And yeah, I passed my SP2 (not with flying colours though) but I’m more than satisfied. :)

First of all, some introduction to Himeji Garden. This Japanese Garden was built back in 1985 as an icon for the bonds of friendship between Adelaide and Himeji Region of Japan. They are sisters, cool.

This small garden blends two classic styles, the senzui (lake and mountain garden) and kare senzui (dry garden). Before entering the garden, there was me posting with the flowers. *say cheese*

Next, I shall step out and let the pictures do the talking…

       

Picture on right: The “equipment” was cool! When it fills in enough amount of water, it will automatically pour them away.

     Remark: It is not a big garden, but definitely one that is worth visiting.

It was a Saturday afternoon so after 5pm, everything was closed except for night clubs and pubs. We hang out in the casino waiting for dinner and when the clock ticked six, off we were at the Pancake House. The meal was satisfying but unfortunately, I didn’t keep any pictures of them.

After pancakes, we went back to the casino, walked around and waited until 8pm coz it was the time when crowd started to swarm in. (for fun)

All in all: A great day. A sumptuous meal. Perfect companion.

Winter Break Experience #1

Touring around Adelaide Hills would be hard without a car and yes, I mean it, a car would be just nice for travelling.

My first destination of the day – Mount Lofty. It was an easy climb up with magnificent view of the city, hence a worthy climb. Along the way, I managed to snap a few photos:

    

There were a few waterfalls on the way to the summit and the one shown in the picture was my first encounter at the foot of Mount Lofty. Albeit with morning drizzle, the hike was awesome for I had been locking myself up for a long time for the exams. Now that the exams are officially over, it’s time to stretch and breathe in the fresh morning air! Upon reaching the summit, I had a relaxing cup of Mocha in a restaurant and continued to explore the beauty of the nature.

Two mountains in a day sound impossible yet possible and hence my next destination – Mount Barker. (Don’t worry, I did not hike this time.)

 

There wasn’t any city view on top of Mount Barker. Instead, I saw wide and wide and wide and green and green and green grasslands. Believe me, they were definitely soothing!

Next, I visited a few small towns in the area. Forgive me for my poor memory, I couldn’t remember their names. Also by chance, I visited an old-fashioned small chocolate factory – Melba’s.

And finally, a delicious hotpot wrapped up my adventure for the day.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

H. pylori

It was a bored bored day, not until I found out about this!

Remember Dr. Nisbet mentioning about Nobel prize winners from Perth? They are Barry Marshall and Robin Warren!

The interesting part was, one of them drank culture of H. pylori to prove that he was correct. My question is, who was the one?

--- The story of discovery ---

“On his birthday in 1979, Robin Warren, a pathologist with an interest in gastric ulcers, noticed spiral-shaped bacteria wherever he saw signs of inflammation in biopsies from patients with gastritis and ulcers. When Barry Marshall, who had recently completed his medical training, decided to find a research project, he talked to Robin Warren about his unusual observations.

Working together at the Royal Perth Hospital, over the following years their research showed that bacteria, not stress or lifestyle, caused the majority of gastric ulcers. It defied accepted wisdom that the stomach was too acidic to allow bacteria to survive, grow and cause disease. Their work was to rewrite the text books and go on to earn the greatest scientific prize of all, the Nobel Prize.

The discovery has lead to a greater understanding of the link between chronic infection, inflammation and cancer. Doctors world-wide routinely treat patients who suffer from painful ulcers with a simple course of antibiotics.

Since then, Warren has retired, but Marshall continues his research at the University of Western Australia on the bacteria that causes gastric ulcers.

They traveled to Stockholm in December 2005 to receive the award from the Nobel Committee. And it all started as an interesting observation by Warren on his birthday.”

(Quoted from Australian Academy of Science)

Up to this point, I haven’t got an answer yet.

Intuitively, would you predict a bacteria to be the cause of gastric ulcers? Of course not! So do the rest of the people at that time.

“To demonstrate that H. pylori caused gastritis and was not merely a bystander, Marshall drank a beaker of H. pylori. He became ill several days later with nausea and vomiting. An endoscopy ten days after inoculation revealed signs of gastritis and the presence of H. pylori. These results suggested that H. pylori was the causative agent of gastritis.

Marshall and Warren went on to show that antibiotics are effective in the treatment of many cases of gastritis. In 1987 the Sydney gastroenterologist Thomas Borody invented the first triple therapy for the treatment of duodenal ulcers. In 1994, the National Institute of Health (USA) published an opinion stating that most recurrent duodenal and gastric ulcers were caused by H. pylori and recommended that antibiotics be included in the treatment regimen.”

(Quoted from Wikipedia)

Barry Marshall and Robin Warren – This is how they write their stories. How about you?