2011 was ……

An eventful and dynamic year, perhaps? Well, I could not really describe it in a few words. I changed my perspectives and interest throughout the year. It was truly a year of change, big decisions and full of delightful and saddening events.

 

I started my 2011 in South Korea. It was a cold winter where I was traveling around the region with my parents. A few days into January, I returned to my home university in Singapore. Same with others, I suffered a significant post-exchange syndrome of missing the awesome Korean culture and spas, where I believe I was pampered way too much. Everything in Singapore seemed not to the proper standards and convenience as the Korean university provided me with. I chatted a lot with friends that I made during my exchange to relieve some of my alleviating withdrawal syndrome. I NEED MY SPA!

 

Not long after that, it was the festive season of the Chinese New Year. It just that, this year, I spent the occasion in my beloved Hall along with my hall mates who did not go back to their hometown. It was a rather delightful experience recalling my first-rather-lonely-Chinese-New-Year in Singapore during my Freshman year. We cooked meals and went to visit friends’ houses in Singapore and Johor Bahru. It was totally an experience to remember. I still remembered how I was so engrossed in this game called “Saboteur”.

 

Around Spring 2011, I engrossed myself in a more physics than chemistry than ever (and more concerts than ever) I started to enrol myself in physical chemistry classes. I also went to a mind-blowing Lion King musical with Kah Chun and Jiyuan, a choir concert in UCC with Louis and Ken Juin and a guitar ensemble (which I always attend every year to support my awesome friend) with my high school friends.

 

Talking about change, around this time, I also started to run every weekend morning (often ended with awesome breakfast) with a few of my friends in Hall. It was a very surprising change considering that I was a total couch-potato a few years ago. I also started to appreciate a better lifestyle; no sweet stuffs, no chocolates, no seafood, no honey, no suppers etc. And guess what, I think I could say I am in a pretty good shape lately. HAHA.

 

Talking about more changes, my gushing interest towards physics at the beginning of the year has made me to take a pre-emptive action of inquiring for some summer research opportunities. Thanks to my outgoing personality that suddenly occur by itself during my exchange at Korea, I managed to secure two places from the professors that I met there. One was in Japan and the other was in Denmark. Long story short, I decided to go for the research opportunity in Denmark and by that, I would begin the story of my Summer 2011.

 

The professor that recommended me for a place in Denmark was Prof. Jean Pierre Schermann, a wise and sharp French with a sophisticated English accent. He recommended me to a Danish professor in Aarhus University for a summer research in gas-phase spectroscopy – a physics-related studies. Coming from chemistry background, I was, of course, confronted; but I was all ready for the challenges. A few weeks into the research, I was getting a hold of the instruments and measurements better. I also managed to have a sneak peek into how a physicist think and talk from the seminars and lunch-chats.

 

However, it was unfortunate that I could not share this joy with the one that I respected the most and the one who made this research opportunity possible at the first place – Prof. Schermann. My Danish professor told me a shocking news of his unexpected leave; I was totally dumbfounded and speechless upon the news. He was one of the professors that I always turn to for advices and motivation. He replied emails of my silly and stupid inquiries and he patiently explained them to me through the same medium. He also listened to my rants (through emails, of course) and gave me a lot of advices. He was truly a motivation for me to be a scientist. He gave me confidence and hope.

 

And now, he’s gone. He would never be able to reply my emails anymore.

 

Despite the gloomy summer, I managed to do some traveling in between my busy schedules to Sweden, reuniting with the friends that I met in Korea. Those were good days filled with chats, jokes and rants about how we missed Korea. After the summer research, I started to begin my journey south to Germany for two-weeks travel. I went to Berlin, Dresden, Lubeck, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Zugspitze peak, Berchtesgaden, Vienna and Fussen. I reunited with most of the friends that I made during my exchange, but most of my travels were done alone without any companion. This opportunity enabled me to contemplate on my resolves and decisions that I had made in the past. “Am I living the life that I want to live?” I was physically traveling, but, trust me, I was mentally maturing and preparing to various adversities that may come in future. Traveling alone was truly a whole new experience, trust me on this.

 

And, oh, it was my first time going to hospital as a patient when I had a bike accident in Denmark! Got a few stitches in my chin and some bad rashes on my palm and knee. I used to cycle to the University; until I took a rash in the knee. XD

 

The end of my epic travel in Europe marked the end of my summer; Then, it began! The epic autumn where I started my days as a full-time undergraduate researcher in one of the laboratories here. Working in Chan Group, I met diverse personas of PhDs here in NUS. Everybody had their own thinking and objectives and I really appreciated that. Moreover, I was particularly grateful to my supervisor who always showed constant support and critiques along my journey.

 

There were a couple of changes in my social circle as well. Two of my high school friends started their voyage to distant countries (UK and USA) around this time for their tertiary studies. Some of my friends started to rent apartments and had house-warming parties. Went to F1 concerts and Symphony concerts at Esplanade. Had an awesome date in Formal Hall Dinner. Went to expose myself to Hindu culture in Singapore as well. Had a crush on somebody. AND OMG, HOW COULD I JOIN THE 6 KM RUN? XD

 

Big decisions for future around this period was my decision to go for a graduate studies. With the seed, first planted by my parents, my environment and experience had nurtured my scientific interest into near maturation. With support given by my friends and professors, I grew confident and stood strong against adversities. For this, I decided to step forward to realize my dream – being a scientist.

 

This bring us into the concluding winter, where snows are white and Singapore is wet. I put my best effort in my graduate school application as well as my on-going research. Frankly speaking, the results that I had for my research was not particularly fantastic and I was rather sceptical on its potential as it being published in any journals. But, nevertheless, I enjoyed the whole process of thinking, doing, rethinking, redoing, re-rethinking, re-redoing (and this would never end).

 

Thus, towards the end of the year, I wanted to thank everybody for a great and awesome year. I am really grateful to meet and spend time with you all guys. I would also like to wish everybody a great Xmas and New Year ahead! I hope 2012 would be epic and awesome; as Barney Stinson would say, “It’s going to be LEGEN….

 

Wait for it.

 

 

 

 

…..DARY!”

LEGENDARY!

 

MAKE YOUR NEW YEAR LEGENDARY, LADS AND LASSES!

 

peace
vixklen