The Story of Joash Mabs

FINAL POST

2011-07-09T10:09:34Z

After 3 years of blogging here, I have decided to call it quits and move on to something else. It has been a good experience writing here and I have learnt a lot. Thanks to all who dropped by and all that read and commented.

I am now done with my undergraduates degree and will hopefully start a graduate program in MSc. This doesn’t mean I am going to stop blogging. I am going to continue blogging but in a different place.

For now I am active on Twitter and i have another Blog at My College Days. This Blog will remain open in the near future so you can check out Archives for the several years I was active (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).

For current information about me, check me out on Twitter or My Current Blog.

Great Blogging here and Good Bye.

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OCTOBER 2010 wk3

2010-10-19T11:49:59Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Tuesday, 19th OCTOBER 2010

11:36
Can't update

Because of my very busy schedule lately, i can't update as often as i used to because i don't have the time. So my posting here is going to be very rare except on special occasions or when i get some free time.

However, my twitter page will remain active so you can keep updated on what i am doing there.

I will also be posting on My College Blog, so you can catch more updates there.

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OCTOBER 2010 wk2

2010-10-09T11:47:57Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Saturday, 9th OCTOBER 2010

11:36
VERY BUSY
The past few weeks have been a nightmare for me. I rarely have any free time as i have to read for tests, write my Research Proposal, attend extra classes (Swahili), attend discussions, attend social events.... It's been crazy for me.

However, now i am going to cut down on whatever things i am involved in and i will focus on more crucial things like raising my grades and studying hard.

To accomplish this, i decided to stop taking Swahili classes (since they are not essential), drop some courses and reduce on my social time (fun will come later).

My frequency of posting here will also reduce as i have to seek more time to do other stuff. Hoping for the best.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 wk4

2010-09-30T13:45:26Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Thursday, 30th September 2010

13:37
BEACH BASH
I will be attending a Beach Bash on Saturday, 2nd October 2010 that is being organized by fellow students. I am looking forward to socializing with fellow students.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 wk3

2010-09-15T17:30:54Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Tuesday, 21st September 2010

16:14
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
On Thursday 23rd September (This week), all Biochemistry students in my faculty will be attending the first Biochemistry Students Association General Assembly which is being organized by the Executive (which i am part of).

During the event, we shall discuss several matters concerning students and the Lecturers will speak to us about careers and recent advances in the field of Biochemistry.

I am hoping to turns out okay because we have invested a lot in it so failing is no option.

INTERNSHIP REPORT PRESENTATION
We met the year 2 class coordinator on Monday and decided that we should make the power presentations of our internship reports in the second week of October. So the presentations will be made on 15th October 2010.

They had initially put a notice telling us that we should make the presentations tomorrow (Wednesday, 22nd Sept) but we all protested and so they had to change the date.

Handing reports will be a week after the presentations. I will be posting both my report and presentation to My College Blog

Wednesday, 15th September 2010

17:28
DONE WRITING 1ST DRAFT OF PROPOSAL
Today i finished writing the first draft of my research proposal and i will now be submitting it to my supervisor for review.

Supervisors can be very nagging especially if your supervisor is a professor. So i am expecting him to recommend lots of additions, subtractions and corrections. But i am good with all that as long as he doesn't tramp my research design (took me lots of time to draw it up).

For now i have left out the section about Statistical analysis because i am still consulting about the best statistical test i can use for my study.

I am submitting the draft tomorrow (Thursday)

SUBMITTED INTERNSHIP REPORT FOR APPROVAL
I also submitted my Internship report for approval by the lab this week. I will be collecting it on Friday and then submit to the university for marking.

A date for presentation of the reports has not yet been set but i am certain it’s soon.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 wk2

2010-09-12T08:44:40Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Sunday, 12th September 2010

08:34
WRITING PROPOSAL OF RESEARCH PROJECT
I am currently writing a proposal for my Research project in Zoology.

The research project is about the effect of temperature on the viability of mosquito eggs. The first draft has to be ready by mid next week so there will be no sleep for me in the next few days.

FINISHED WRITING INTERNSHIP REPORT
During the week, I finished editing the draft of my Internship report and I’ve submitted it for printing. If all goes well, i will be submitting it for approval mid next week.

DROPPED OUT OF TAEKWINDO CLASS, TAKING SWAHILI
Yesterday was orientation for the Taekwondo class but i unfortunately realised that the classes will be held everyday. This schedule was not favourable for me so it prompted me to drop out of the class and change to Swahili.

I was looking forward to Taekwondo but my schedule can't allow me to have it. But i will certainly take it up in future when i have time. For now i have so much to do.

The Swahili classes will be held on only Friday and Saturday, and this is very favourable. I am looking forward to it.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 wk1

2010-09-03T08:14:37Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Monday, 6th September 2010

15:59
TAEKWONDO CLASSES
I am going to start taking taekwondo classes over the weekend. It's something i decided on because there is this organization that is offering them for free so decided to take up the opportunity.

I am not a very busy person so i hope these classes will fit into my schedule. The good thing about them is that they are on weekends starting on Friday and since i am not so taken up then, i hoping they won't be a problem.

I don't know what to expect but i hope they won't be a big surprise.

I will be submitting my application for the classes on Wednesday and i will attend orientation on Saturday 11th September. I will update on any developments.

15:56
GUGANDA
Last Thursday (2nd September), i attended Day 2 of a Google event called GUganda for Tech Entrepreneurs & Marketers. It featured lots of presentations about Google tools that can be used by Marketers and Tech Entrepreneurs.

I got to learn about Google Apps, Blogger, Google Analytics & Website Optimizer, Google API's and Maps among others.

It was a fun day and i loved the food. Looking forward to future events.

Friday, 3rd September 2010

07:56
FAVORITE SONGS FOR AUGUST

Eminem ft Rihanna - Love the way you Lie (video)

Eminem - Not Afraid (video)

Ciara ft Ludacris- Ride (video)

Dirty Money ft Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & LIL Kim- Hello Good Morning(remix) (video)

Proff - Data (video)

Edward Maya - Stereo Love (video)

Trina ft Diddy & Keri Hilson- Million Dollar Girl (video)

Jackie - Agassi (video)

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AUGUST 2010 wk4

2010-08-23T08:49:02Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Monday, 30th August 2010

15:30
PICKED INTERNSHIP REPORT DRAFT
Today i picked the First draft of My Internship Report from the Lab. The Lab has made a review and recommended that i change some parts of the report.

I will make those and then submit the final copy for approval hopefully by the end of this week.

14:40
LECTURERS CALL OFF STRIKE
Last week, Lecturers finally called off their strike after meeting government officials. They decided that they would suspend their strike for 3 months pending an investigation into the actual amount of pension money they have with the insurance company.

This is big relief to me and fellow college mates as their mess was getting to me.

Now Lectures have began and I've now copied the Lecture timetable which i will be posting to my college Blog as soon as possible.

Details about the strike on My College Days.

Thursday, 26th August 2010

11:22
FREE THINKERS' NIGHT OUT & PUBLIC LECTURE
I will be attending a free thinkers' night out today and we shall be watching an award winning documentary by NOVA called, “Judgement Day – Intelligent Design on Trial”. I've read reviews and i will most certainly like it.

After watching the documentary, we shall discuss Evolution and why it matters. Looking forward to it.

Then tomorrow (Friday, 27th August), i will be attending a Public Lecture about "The Relationship between Genetics, Nutrition and non communicable diseases". It starts at 11:00 GMT and i am hoping to learn lots of new things.

Monday, 23rd August 2010

08:20
LECTURER'S ON STRIKE
Today was supposed to be the start of the semester but there is news all around that the lecturers have gone on strike due to some issues concerning their pension funds. Most University Buildings are closed and we can't access the timetables. If we don't have timetables, we can't have lectures.

I don't think going on strike is a good idea because when most students return and don't have any lectures, they will go on strike too and judging from previous strikes, those can get messy and the lecturers will have everything to lose. I also don't think lecturers should punish us (students) and yet we have nothing to do with the mess they are in. They should go sue the Insurance company or the people concerned.

This is my last year of college and the last thing i need is an extension.

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AUGUST 2010 wk3

2010-08-15T07:18:54Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Thursday, 19th August 2010

10:59
INTERNSHIP REPORT
I finally finished writing the first draft of my Internship Report and i submitted it for review yesterday. After review i will make corrections and then submit the final copy for approval.

NEW SEMESTER
The new semester starts Monday, 23rd August. I am preparing for it and hoping it goes well.

Sunday, 15th August 2010

06:33
FRESHERS
Freshers (a.k.a freshmen) started arriving on campus yesterday (Saturday) and they all look naive about what goes on here. I guess to them, joining college is a privilege and they have all these fantasies about how life here goes on.

Little do they know about the hardships experienced when one joins college! Of course they have no idea about the system and getting used to it is going to be one hell of a job.

But we all went through it and they will get used it anyway. They just have to be careful and focused because without those, they will fall victim to various predators out there.

Just have keep those eyes open

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AUGUST 2010 wk2

2010-08-11T10:21:43Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Friday, 13th August 2010

11:43
FINISHING REPORT
Yesterday was a busy day for me because i was putting final touches to my Internship report. I did a lot of work and now i am typing out the last chapters. I will then compile everything and submit the first draft on Monday.

I was supposed to submit it by today but i couldn't because of my commitments at the just concluded workshop. I hope they won't reject it because of the late submission.

10:43
EXAM RESULTS
Yesterday, i got to see my results of last semester's exams. As you might expect, it was a torturing process waiting for the results because i was worried about my performance in some courses and i was wondering what grades i would get. However my results were very good and it's actually my best performance since i joined college 2 years ago.

I got 3 A's and good grades in other courses. My best done courses were Microbial Biochemistry, Advanced Enzymology and Evolutionary Biology. I was worried about Molecular Biology because i found the exam hard but i got a B+ in it (which is very good). Basic Parasitology and Microbiology were fair. The Biostatistics results have not yet been posted but they will be hopefully posted soon.

10:07
WORKSHOP: DAY 10 (13th August)
The Clinical Research Training Workshop has finally come to an end. All groups (A, B, C) presented their proposals and group B won. I was in group A and we didn't win but the good news is that we are still going to get a grant.

I have certainly obtained a lot of knowledge and skills from this workshop, especially from the Lectures given by DR. Robert Bortolussi and DR. Noni MacDonald. Great thanks go to them for all the great work.

We were handed certificates after announcing the winner and i am glad its going to add value to my C.V.

Now we have to present our proposal to the Ethics boards and lots of other committees before we get the grant. The Research we are going to do is going to be about "The prevalence of malaria leading to Hospital Admissions in pregnant mothers and it's association to Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) use"

We will hopefully do it in less than a year and we will have the results then.

WORKSHOP: DAY 9 (12th August)
I didn't attend because i was busy writing my internship report but my colleagues had a lecture on Community Engagement and my group members put final touches to the proposal.

Wednesday, 11th August 2010

09:44
WORKSHOP: DAY 8 (11th August)
We had 2 lectures by DR. Noni Macdonald about "Knowledge Translation (KT)" and "How to move research into policy". These are very critical issues as research that is not applied is not very relevant. So researchers have to ensure that their research has to be applied in form of policy change, community engagement or change of curriculum in schools & universities.

During the group session, we refined the budget, refined our case definition and reflected on how the research would be applied.

WORKSHOP: DAY 7 (10th August)
Had a Lecture on "Effective utilization of time and resources". These were done by both DR. Robert Bortolussi and DR. Noni MacDonald. During the group session we got refine our proposal and started on the budget

WORKSHOP: DAY 6 (9th August)
We had a lecture on "How manuscripts and grant proposals are reviewed". During the group session, we refined our Research question and got started on the case definition.

ONE HEALTH INITIATIVE
After attending the workshop i attended a public lecture about the "ONE HEALTH INITIATIVE". This is a worldwide initiative which aims at looking at Human and Animal health as one thing. This is because most new pandemics are due to diseases transmitted from Animals to Humans. For example SARS, Ebola, HIV among others were transmitted from Animals to Humans.

Therefore, studying Human and Animal health as one component would reduce such transmisions in future. Learn More about the Initiative

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AUGUST 2010 wk1

2010-08-02T11:45:21Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Saturday, 7th August 2010

06:10
WORKSHOP: DAY 5 (6th August)
We had a lecture on "How to write a report and a research paper". The speakers also talked about "What editors look for before publishing a paper".

In the afternoon, we had a heated group session and we were deciding on the specific research question we would use in our final proposal. We also had a discussion about what methodologies we would use to collect data.

Discussions will continue on Monday (DAY 6) and we have to come up with a final proposal by Friday next week.

Thursday, 5th August 2010

11:14
WORKSHOP: DAY 4 (5th August)
Today's lectures were very interesting and helpful. We got to learn how to write an Abstract for a presentation / meeting and the difference between an Abstract for a meeting and that of a paper. Later we were showed how to make an oral presentation and a poster presentation.

These topics are of particular interest to me because i am currently writing my Internship report and later this month i will have to make an oral presentation to the Department staff about what i did during the internship. So the lecture on oral presentations was very beneficial to me. I also got to finally know what meeting organizers mean when they ask researchers to submit their abstracts. That was unclear before but now it is now clear after the lecture.

After the lectures / talks, we had a group session and we had to refine our research question and also work on the proposal. We have to figure out how we shall go about doing the project in case it's approved and how much we shall need to carry it out.

It's going to be hard work in the next few days.

Wednesday, 4th August 2010

12:53
WORKSHOP: DAY 3 (4th August)
We chose the question we would research about and it's about "The effectiveness of using a malaria drug called fansidah as prophylaxis for malaria in pregnant women". We now have to prepare a proposal for this question and it has to be good because we are competing with 2 other groups and they all have great questions.

We also had a lecture about Research Ethics. We got to learn what to do and what not to do when doing research. We were told about the ethical guidelines used to approve clinical trials or studies involving human subjects.

Yesterday's lectures were about Principles of Clinical research and Pitfalls in Research. Mondays was about How to define a good research question.

Tuesday, 3rd August 2010

11:31
WORKSHOP: DAY 2 (3rd August)
We were put in groups and each of us raised their research questions. Mine was about the possibility of reducing Malaria deaths of children under 5years in Uganda by administering prophylaxis drugs to them.

Un-fortunately, it didn't make it through the group stage because it wasn't feasible considering the size of our budget and i didn't have sufficient literature about the various prophylaxis drugs for malaria to back my question.

But my colleagues had interesting questions too and we managed to zero down on 2 questions. One is malaria related and the other is related to diabetes mellitus. After making some literature review, we shall decide on which question to go forward with tomorrow.

Monday, 2nd August 2010

11:01
CLINICAL RESEARCH WORKSHOP
Just returned from Day 1 of the Clinical Research Training workshop and it went great. Today was basically introduction and we were given the details of what we would learn and do in the next 2 weeks.

Today we were told to come up with research questions related to our backgrounds. These questions would then be presented to our our respective groups and each person in a group will be required to present their Research question. The members of each group will then decide on which question to go forward with. So basically the member who has the best research question, will have their question chosen to research about.

After choosing the question, each group will work on the question chosen during the next 2 weeks and at the end of the workshop, each group will present a research proposal for the question chosen. The best proposal will win a grant.

Personally, i am hoping to come up with a question in Biochemistry or Molecular Biology but it must be related to Clinical Research. Honestly, there are lots of questions in my head right now and i don't know which one to go forward with. But i hope i will have figured that out by the end of today because time is limited.

Hoping for the best.

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JULY 2010 wk4

2010-07-23T12:02:54Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Friday, 30th July 2010

11:49
FAVORITE SONGS FOR JULY
Gyptian ft Nicki Minaj - Hold Yuh (audio)

Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris- Break Your Heart (video)

B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams - Airplanes (video)

Shakira - Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)(video)

Nicki Minaj - Your Love (video)(audio)

10:57
INTERNSHIP: DAY 34 (30th July)
Today was the last day of Internship and marks the end of 8 weeks of work and frustration at the Lab.

Today of course was a unique day and it was emotional for some of my colleagues so we exchanged contacts so that we can still communicate in case we don't meet again.

Now it's going to be 2 weeks of report writing and the first draft has to be submitted by the end of next week. After approval of draft and making adjustments to it, we shall then make final copies which we shall submit for signing and stamping.

Wednesday, 28th July 2010

13:44
INTERNSHIP: DAY 33 (28th July)
I worked again in the water Lab. A client of the lab brought dozens of water samples for testing and he wanted them urgently.

On each sample, 9 parameters had to be tested and since it can take forever when samples are tested by one person, me and my colleagues were called in to help and each of us was given a water sample to test. We tested for Alkalinity, Chlorides, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electro Conductivity (EC), Total Hardness, Calcium, Phosphates and Nitrates.

I won't be attending tomorrow because i will be attending the Clinical Research Training Workshop Briefing at the Department of Pharmacy.

Tuesday, 27th July 2010

13:00
INTERNSHIP: DAY 32 (27th July)
Worked in the water Lab. We tested a water sample for alkalinity, Chlorides, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electro Conductivity (EC), Total Hardness, Calcium, Phosphates and Nitrates.

Monday, 26th July 2010

10:58
INTERNSHIP: DAY 31 (26th July)
I am now writing my Internship report and today i wrote about Toxicology and methods of extraction. I am now going to type whatever I've written.

I will be training in the water lab tomorrow (DAY 32).

Sunday, 25th July 2010

06:50
LAST WEEK OF INTERNSHIP
Tomorrow is going to be the start of the last week of my Internship. I've so far done 7 weeks and after next week, i will complete the mandatory 8 weeks that my programme recommends.

There were weeks when i would attend only 4 or 3 days. But i at least showed up every week.

Now i am working on the Internship Report and it has to be ready by the end of the 2nd week of August 2010. So i have roughly 2 weeks to get it done with.

After i am done writing the report, i have to submit it to the Lab for approval then i will submit it to the University for marking. After i will do a Presentation for the Department Lecturers during the next semester and i will present what i did and i will also take their questions about my Internship.

I guess i still have a long way to go!

CLINICAL RESEARCH WORKSHOP
Between 2nd and 13th August, i will be attending a Clinical training workshop at the Department of Pharmacy. I was chosen with 24 other people to participate and i am hoping to learn something new. See details on My College Blog

Friday, 23rd July 2010

11:51
INTERNSHIP: DAY 30 (22nd July)
I read about Gas Chromatography and made some notes about it. It's been a major topic during this internship and it's going to be one of the major things i will talk about in my report.

I also started typing my Internship report and it's going well.

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JULY 2010 wk3

2010-07-15T10:24:00Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Wednesday, 21st July 2010

11:04
INTERNSHIP: DAY 29 (21st July)
Was a little lazy today so i wasn't in any moods of doing any tests. So i spent the whole morning in the Pesticide Residue Lab hanging out there. I was there because the Library was being used for a meeting by the Lab staff.

Tuesday, 20th July 2010

10:07
INTERNSHIP: DAY 28 (20th July)
We finally had introductory training in Ballistics and Explosives today. We got to learn what Ballistics and Explosives are and how they work.

Basically, a ballistic is a projectile that is launched after ignition of explosive material such as gun powder. An example of a Ballistic is a bullet which is launched from a gun after ignition of gun powder by a spark in the cartridge case.

Every gun makes unique markings on the bullets that it fires because of differences in it's manufacture and handling. So every bullet fired can be connected to the gun where it was fired from.

In order to identify the marking made on a bullet by a gun, a comparison microscope is used and the suspected bullet is compared with a control (which is fired from the suspected gun). If markings are similar then it's confirmed that both bullets were shot from the same gun.

Explosive materials like bombs and grenades cause damage because they contain primary projectiles such as ball bearings. Once the explosive material is ignited, the projectiles are launched and these cause launch of secondary projectiles such as surrounding objects. These increase extent of damage and injuries.

Monday, 19th July 2010

15:17
BIG BROTHER AFRICA ALL STARS
This years season of Big Brother Africa kicked off last night and there is a twist this time as all housemates are former Big Brother Contestants from the past seasons.

Unlike last year's season (Big Brother Revolution (which i think was a flop)), this one is going to be more fun as they've brought back most of the former contestants that made the previous seasons great.

My favorites this yeah are Sheila, Meryl and Tatiana.

The house this time has 14 housemates from 14 African countries which include South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola and Malawi.

If you want to catch the action, get updates on the Website at http://bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com/

13:43
INTERNSHIP: DAY 27 (19th July)
Supposed to be in Food and Drugs Lab this week but i have done many tests there already so i won't go there unless my other colleagues decide to.

For now i am doing research for the report because it's so much work and if i don't start now, i will never finish in time.

Tomorrow (DAY 28), we shall have "Introductory training in forensic ballistics" and i am going to keep time this time round. I am looking forward to it and hope i will enjoy it.

Friday, 16th July 2010

13:26
INTERNSHIP: DAY 26 (16th July)
The pesticide trainer didn't go by his promise to train us today. He claimed that i approached him late and yet i had gone there earlier but he wasn't in.

That means i have had a whole week of no training and i since i was supposed to be in pesticide residue and didn't do anything there, i won't include it in my report. That's good for me because i have less things to research about and less work to type.

Next week i will be in Foods and Drugs Lab.

Thursday, 15th July 2010

10:44
INTERNSHIP: DAY 25 (15th July)
We did nothing productive. Just sat in the Library all morning then had tea and left after.

The Ballistics trainer sent out a memo informing us that we would have "Introductory Training in Forensic Ballistics" with her on Tuesday 20th July. We have to keep time.

I talked to the pesticide residue trainer and scheduled tomorrow (DAY 26) as the day we would train with him. Hoping he doesn't disappoint.

RESEARCH GOING GREAT
For the last couple of weeks, i have been doing research for the various tests we have done at the lab and it's been going good so far.

After the research, i hope to start typing the report, then i will compile it to make a final copy which i will submit for approval.

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JULY 2010 wk2

2010-07-10T06:31:12Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Wednesday, 14th July 2010

12:36
INTERNSHIP: DAY 24 (14th July)
I was supposed to train in Ballistics but i couldn't make it to the Lab early enough. My colleagues didn't make it either, so there was no training in Ballistics today. The Ballistics trainer was furious with us and warned us against time wasting. She said she would schedule another date for us. Hope i won't be late this time.

In the afternoon i went to the Pesticide Residue lab since i am supposed to be training there this week. I didn't do anything new, just wrote about what pesticides are and how they are extracted and analyzed.

I hope to do more tomorrow (DAY 25).

Monday, 12th July 2010

09:43
BOMB BLASTS IN UGANDA
I woke up this morning to terrible news that there had been bombings in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The bombings were done a Rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant where world cup fans were watching the World Cup final between Spain and Netherlands on Sunday. About 64 people have been confirmed dead so far and dozens more injured.

It's sad that this happened and i know whoever is responsible will pay one time. I am sending out my condolences to all Ugandans and may all those that lost their lives rest in peace.

Here's coverage by BBC, CNN, ALJAZEERA

NO INTERNSHIP TODAY AND TOMORROW
Just came back from the Lab and unfortunately we were told that there would no training for two days (today and tomorrow). Training will resume on Wednesday.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SPAIN
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Spain on winning the World Cup. I was supporting Netherlands but unfortunately, it didn't win. But football is football and all teams played their best but the best team won.

SUNDAY, 11th July 2010

06:14
GOING OUT TO CATCH THE FINAL
Today i will be going out to watch the screening of the World cup Final at a local stadium. It's going to be fun and there will be performances from local artists too.

I will be hoping Netherlands takes the day. I will be adding updates to my Twitter page.

Saturday, 10th July 2010

06:37
PAUL THE OCTOPUS WILL BE PROVEN WRONG
On Friday, Paul the Octopus predicted that Spain will beat Holland in the World Cup final on Sunday. I know he has predicted most of the games correctly but this time Paul will be proven wrong.

I am not superstitious and i believe he's been getting them right just by coincidence or some form of bias like color preference.

So come Sunday, Netherlands will be taking the World Cup.

NEW BLOGGING FORMAT
Today i started a new format of blogging. Previously, i've been adding one post per month but now posts are getting larger and larger so i decide to add posts per week. That will tone down on size of posts and also increase frequency of Blogging.

06:20
INTERNSHIP: DAY 23 (9th JULY)
We did tests to determine acidity, fat content and pH of wheat four.

We've done this before so it was as boring as hell. This week has been generally boring and we haven't done any hardcore tests like those we did last week.

I was also supposed to train in DNA but i didn't because the people seem so busy and don't have time for interns. Next week i will be in Pesticide Residue Lab.

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JULY 2010 wk1

2010-07-01T10:38:39Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Thursday, 8th July 2010

13:43
WORLD CUP FINALS
It's been about a month since the World Cup kicked off in South Africa and now it's coming to an end. Lots of matches have been played and I've witnessed lots of disappointments, celebrations in this world cup just like all other world cups.

Now it's come down to the mighty 2. Netherlands vs Spain in the finals which will be played on Sunday 11th July. According to what i have seen so far, this world cup has been full of surprises and i am certain there will lots more in the final.

Personally i am hoping Netherlands takes the day but i am open to any result. This time i will be going out to catch all the action on large screens.

I am looking forward to a great game.

13:43
NO MORE STATUS UPDATES ON FACEBOOK
After some deep thinking last night i decided that i will not post anymore status updates on Facebook.

I decided to go in this direction because i feel Facebook is not the best platform to communicate publicly. I am aware that Facebook is not entirely private but it's not clear how public your messages can get.

I am a big fan of sites like Twitter which have a straight forward privacy plan. Your either private or public on Twitter. However Facebook is quite tricky, somethings are private and others public depending on how you set your settings. So this has prompted me to lessen my usage of the site and give more time to Twitter and my Blogs.

Therefore, from now on, my main forms of communication will be my Twitter page and this Blog.

This doesn't mean i am going to delete my Facebook account. I am only going to stop posting of status messages to my wall. However i will continue commenting on cool posts, adding friends, liking and joining pages and groups respectively and also communicating via private messages.

13:11
INTERNSHIP: DAY 22 (8th JULY)
I've given up with the DNA people and now i don't care if they train us or not. Everyone seems to be so busy and it's hard to approach any of them. So for now i think there will no DNA training this week. However if it's conducted in future, i will try to attend.

We finished the Kjeldahl method on beef and wheat that we started on Day 21. We also did tests to obtain alcohol content of spirits using their specific gravity.

INTERNSHIP: DAY 21 (7th JULY)
We did tests to determine moisture and protein content in Beef. For the protein test we used the Kjeldahl method. For Moisture used the Oven Method.

We did nothing in DNA.

Tuesday, 6th July 2010

11:50
INTERNSHIP: DAY 20 (6th JULY)
I spent the whole morning sitting at the Lab and did nothing. The DNA technicians are still busy and can't attend to us for now. I will try checking on them tomorrow (DAY 21) and see how it turns out.

Monday, 5th July 2010

14:46
INTERNSHIP: DAY 19 (5th JULY)
I was supposed to train in the DNA Lab but everyone there was busy so no one was available to take us through the drills. However, i talked to the person in charge and he said he would take us through everything when he has time (wondering when that will be!!). He gave us notes about Gas Chromatography and use of DNA in Crime investigation. He also gave us a lecture about the use of GCMS (Gas Chromatograph & Mass Spectrometer) .

After the realization that we wouldn't train in DNA, i decided to join the group in the Toxicology Lab. They were observing extraction of suspected poisons from body organs such as the Stomach, Liver, Blood and Kidneys. It sounds creepy but that's what they do in Toxicology. They look for poisons so they have to look in places of the body where they can be stored.

Friday, 2nd July 2010

09:43
INTERNSHIP: DAY 18 (2nd JULY)
We had the opportunity to examine banknotes that the authorities had submitted to the lab to ascertain whether they were fake or genuine. This involves comparing known genuine notes of the same denomination with the suspected notes.

You compare different features in the notes and if they don't match, then the suspected notes are confirmed fake.

The Video Spectral Comparator is used to carry out this examination and the notes are examined both in UV and Visible light.

Also, the person in charge of Ballistics gave us an assignment about what ballistics are, how to keep safe around them. She also assigned us different dates when we would train with her. I was allocated Wednesday, 14th July 2010.

Next week i will be training in DNA & Serology Lab.

Thursday, 1st July 2010

10:33
INTERNSHIP: DAY 17 (1st JULY)
Since i finished having sessions in Questioned documents yesterday, today was supposed to be a free day for me. However staying dormant all day was not an option for me so i decided to join the group in the food lab.

Initially we were supposed to analyze a certain poison in a drink but we didn't proceed because some items were lacking.

After that realization, we were given a lecture about poisons and their effects on the body. We got to know the types of poisons and how they are detected in the Lab.

Contact Me

JUNE 2010

2010-06-02T07:48:12Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Wednesday, 30th June 2010

10:56
INTERNSHIP: DAY 16 (30th June)
We had out last session in Questioned documents and we got to see the different equipment used to analyze documents.

The first and most important instrument are your eyes. Your sight must be good and you shouldnot be color blind. Other instruments include lenses, microscope, Video Spectral Comparator (VSC) and an Electrostatic Detection Apparatus (ESDA).

The VSC is used to analyze and compare ink, paper, invisible marks and writings that can only be observed in UV light, number of strokes and closing points when writing characters and lots of other tasks.

The microscope analyzes pressure and direction of writing. The ESDA is used to detect fingerprint lifting and develop indented documents.

Tuesday, 29th June 2010

12:34
INTERNSHIP: DAY 15 (29th June)
The person supposed to take us through the usage of equipments used to analyze questioned documents had a meeting all day so we didn't have a session with him like we agreed yesterday. However he gave us textbooks about Document examination. So I've been reading them all day.

I also got to observe the GCMS (Gas Chromatograph & Mass Spectrometer) being used. They were analyzing plant and soil sample extracts that we prepared last week on DAY 12.

Monday, 28th June 2010

13:01
INTERNSHIP: DAY 14 (28th June)
This week, my group is scheduled to train in the "Ballistics and Questioned Documents division" and today we had a 1hr session with the Analyst who deals with Questioned Documents. He took us through what Questioned documents means and how they go about their work.

He talked to us about Forensic examination, handwriting, types of Questioned documents and what questioned documents involves.

Tomorrow (DAY 15), he will take us through the various equipments used in analyzing Questioned documents.

Sunday, 27th June 2010

06:50
BBC Reith Lectures 2010
During the weekend i had the opportunity to listen to this years edition of the BBC Reith Lectures done by Martin Rees.

They've been going on for 4 weeks and the titles of the different Lectures that have been done this year are "The Scientific Citizen", "Surviving the Century", "What We’ll Never Know", "The Runaway World".

I was particularly intrigued by Lecture 3 which was titled "What We’ll Never Know". In this Lecture, he talked about The future of Space Science, Possibility of Alien Existence, Technological Evolution, and Levels of Science among others.

In Levels of Science he said if various fields of Science were placed in a storied building, Physics would occupy the ground floor followed by Chemistry, Cell Biology, Psychology and Economics would occupy the pent house. That was interesting.

He also talked about open mindedness about the existence of Extraterrestrial Life, the possibility of small groups of Humans living away from earth, and the technological evolution of machines which would take over from us. Check out Lecture 3.

Saturday, 26th June 2010

05:32
FAVORITE SONGS FOR JUNE 2010

Gangsta Love - Snoop Dogg ft. The Dream (video)

Broken Hearted Girl - Beyonce (video)

Each Tear - Mary J. Blige (video)

All Good Things (Come To An End)- Nelly Furtado (video)

Wavin' Flag - K'naan ft. David Bisbal (video)

INTERNSHIP: DAY 13 (25th June)
We did tests to determine Fat content and acidity of milk. For the Fat test we used Petroleum ether to extract the fat and then evaporated it. The remaining fat was then quantified.

For the acidity test, we titrated the milk with Sodium Hydroxide using an indicator and the volume of Sodium Hydroxide used was noted and used to calculate acidity.

Thursday, 24th June 2010

13:40
INTERNSHIP: DAY 12 (24th June)
Things are beginning to get more interesting at the Lab as we have started doing the hardcore analytical work. For example, we did tests to determine the presence of Methanol in samples (this is a continuation of the Methanol tests that we did on Day 10). The tests were done using a Gas Chromatograph & FID (Flame Ionization Detector).

The tests involved analyzing peaks from Chromatograms obtained after injection of sample into the Gas Chromatograph. The peaks were then compared with those of standard samples (samples of known concentration) and if they match, the area under the peak is measured and used to obtain the methanol concentration using a calibration curve.

We also did preparation of Soil and Plant samples for Herbicide detection tests. Final detection by the Gas Chromatography will be done at a later date.

Wednesday, 23rd June 2010

14:05
INTERNSHIP: DAY 11 (23rd June)
Day 11 was another busy day and we finished tests on Soft drinks that were started on Day 10 in the Foods Lab. We later carried out UV scans on the soft drinks to get their UV profiles.

In the Toxicology section, i partially observed Benzodiazepine extraction from Blood samples. We didn't see the results because this test was Forensic.

INTERNSHIP: DAY 10 (22nd June)
In the Toxicology section, we did analysis of Methanol content in various samples but we didn't get the exact concentration in each sample because there were problems with the Gas Chromatograph.

We also got to see Guinea Pigs that are used in Toxicological tests.

After, I then decided to join other groups in the Water and Foods Labs.

In the water Lab, we were instructed by the Head to clean all the cupboards and arrange all reagent bottles in alphabetical order. It was quite hard to do considering the fact we had to clean dozens of bottles and we were only 3 interns.

After cleaning the reagent cupboard, we then had to clean the records cupboard (i wondered if cleaning was part of training). According to the head, she says it's part of quality management in the lab so it's essential.

I applied for Internship because i hoped to do Biochemistry, NOT CLEANING CUPBOARDS. But i am an INTERN so i have to do whatever i am told (that's the rule).

After cleaning, i headed to the Foods Lab where other Interns were doing physical examination, pH testing, & Sugar determination on Soft Drinks.

INTERNSHIP: DAY 9 (21st June)
After the placements in week 2, we had to work in the different sections according to how we were placed. In week 3, i was placed in the Toxicology Lab so i have to train there.

However most Toxicological work is Forensic. Forensic work involves collecting evidence for criminal investigations. So to prevent leakage of sensitive information, Interns are allowed minimal access to such work. All we see is the procedure used but we don't get to know the results.

My group didn't attend DAY 9 because we couldn't make it to the lab. Other groups such as that in the Water Lab did tests to determine Aluminum, Manganese and other ions in water samples.

Sunday, 20th June 2010

06:34
FACEBOOK: Good or Bad??
Lately i have been meeting old friends on Facebook. For most people, this would be a great opportunity to catch up on old times but personally i don't know how to take it.

First it's good because, i am meeting old friends. So that's good. But it's also bad because it brings back bad memories (there are good memories too). But the bad memories are the ones that i tend to to remember most. So it's both good and bad for me.

I am now just adding them (old friends) hoping i will overcome all the bad times because i know it's all in the past. Have to move on. Also looking forward to the future. Never know what the future holds because the future is unwritten.

Friday, 18th June 2010

11:57
INTERNSHIP: DAY 8 (18th June)
It's been one of those annoying days where you wait for hours and no one shows up to train you. So we had return home without doing anything.

It rained all morning so that would explain why no instructor showed up. Going to go back on Monday 21st June for week 3.

Thursday, 17th June 2010

11:48
INTERNSHIP: DAY 7 (17th June)
We determined Refractive index and Sugar content of 3 samples (2 samples of Honey and a Sugar solution). We used a refractometer to determine both.

We also finished the fat in fish test. First we had to recover the petroleum ether we used to extract the fat then the remaining oil was quantified.

INTERNSHIP: DAY 6 (16th June)
We did 3 tests on Fish. These were determination of protein, moisture and fat concentration in Fish.

The protein test (Kjeldahl method) was quite long but interesting. I had never done it before. The fat test (using petroleum ether) didn't involve many steps like the protein test but the extraction process takes a lot of time.

We also did bacterial analysis tests on water in the Water and Environment division.

PLACEMENTS
We also, finally got to know the sections we would be working in, in the coming weeks. The training coordinator finally released the placements.

The placements are structured in such a way that, each group works for 1 week in each section. So it's going to take us 6 weeks to work in all the 6 divisions of the lab.

My group has 3 interns (including me) and this is how we were placed;

Week 3 (21st June - 25th June) - Toxicology

Week 4 (28th June - 2nd July) - Ballistics & Questioned Documents

Week 5 (5th July - 9th July) - Serology & DNA

Week 6 (12th July - 16th July) - Pesticide Residue

Week 7 (19th July - 23rd July) - Food & Drugs

Week 8 (26th July - 30th July) - Water & Environment

Tuesday, 15th June 2010

13:31
INTERNSHIP: DAY 5 (15th June)
We finally kicked off week 2 of internship today. We did tests on acids and esters in alcohol. In the afternoon we did tests on determination of total hardness of water (measuring calcium carbonate concentration).

The most important thing now is that i have to do lots of research about the theory behind the tests that we did. I also have to calculate the final values from the volumes that we got.

I will have to present all these in the report that i am going to write at the end of the training.

Training continues tomorrow (Wednesday, 16th) for day 6.

Monday, 14th June 2010

07:15
NO INTERNSHIP TODAY
Just got back from the Lab and according to the people in charge there, they are carrying sensitive analytical work so they can't allow us to work with them today. They told us to go back tomorrow and that's when we shall start.

Personally, i would have loved to be there to see what goes on during such investigations. Un-fortunately, the authorities don't agree with me so i have to go by their decision.

I will go back tomorrow for Day 5.

Friday, 11th June 2010
FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP OPENING

15:14
INTERNSHIP: DAY 4 (11th June)
After yesterdays disappointment, i thought we would be disappointed again today so i didn't plan to go initially. However after getting a call from a fellow intern telling me that they had been taken through certain experiments, i had to reconsider my decision so i had to go for the afternoon session. I missed the morning session though!!

We did experiments which involved testing for alcohol, nitrate and phosphate concentration in various samples. I missed alcohol and phosphate tests but i was able to see the nitrate test.

Thursday, 10th June 2010

15:31
INTERNSHIP: DAY 3 (10th June)
The training coordinator was supposed to allocate us (interns) to different divisions of the Lab but after waiting for 3 hours, he didn't show up. So we resolved with fellow interns to leave since there was nothing constructive we were doing there.

After today's disappointment, i might not go tomorrow. So i will return for Day 4 on Monday 14th June.

WORLD CUP
Tomorrow (11th June) is the opening the FIFA 2010 World Cup and for the first time ever, it's going to be played on the African Continent (in South Africa). I am excited just like anyone else and hoping it goes well.

So let me take this opportunity to "WISH ALL AFRICANS AND SOCCER FANS A SUCCESSFUL WORLD CUP"

INTERNSHIP: DAY 2 (8th June)
On Tuesday 8th June, i had my second day of internship at the Analytical lab. Just like we hoped, we toured the different divisions of the Lab and we got to know the various people that work there.

We visited the following divisions; Food and Drugs, Toxicology, Water and Environment, Pesticide residual division, DNA division and the Questioned documents divisions. We were not able to visit the Ballistics division because the person in charge was not available.

During the tour, we got to know the different heads of each division and also got to know the work they do in each division.

We also got the opportunity to see the equipment that they use to do analytical work. We got to see Gas Chromatographs, Mass spectrometers, DNA Analyzers and a couple of other equipment.

Monday, 7th June 2010

12:18
INTERNSHIP: DAY 1 (7th June)
Today i started Internship (Field Attachment) and it wasn't so bad except for the fact that we had to wait for close to 3hours before the training coordinator briefed us about how the whole programme would be conducted.

After the long wait, the coordinator talked to us about Administration of the Analytical Lab, what they do and what they expect of us. He also talked about the Reports we are supposed to write at the end of the training.

He said that, they are going to post us (interns) to specific sections of the Lab and by Thursday, all of us would know the sections in which we would train.

In total there were about 9 interns in today's session. But they expect a total of 20 interns from different Universities. From my University, we were 5.

After placement to a particular section, each of us will be required to work under that section and if need arises, we can move to other sections provided we seek permission from the section head.

The Lab has a couple of sections and some of these include DNA Analysis, Food & Drugs, Pesticides, Water & Environment, Ballistics among others.

Tomorrow, we shall be going back to tour the different sections of the Lab such that when we are posted on Thursday, we know where to go.

I have no idea which section i will be posted in, but i am thinking that since i do Biochemistry, i might be put in the DNA Analysis section. Just have to wait and see.

Saturday, 5th June 2010

06:30
BIOCHEMISTRY ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
I am happy to reveal that i have fulfilled one of the pledges i made for the Biochemistry Association of my University. As Project Coordinator of the Association, i promised to set up a website for the Association and yesterday i finished designing it and i am now putting final touches to it before i launch it next semester.

My next pledge is to organize a get together (preferably a Beach Bash) and come next Semester i am going to fulfill that pledge too if all goes well.

OPTIONS IN THE MILITARY
When i chose to do a BSc degree in Biology, one thing that never crossed my mind is what i would do after the degree. All i wanted, was to study Biology and further my knowledge in the subject i have loved most.

When the realization of what i would do struck me, i started hoping that there would be someone or some organization out there that would would be willing to take me on when i finish studying. But for someone to take you serious in my degree, you must have an MSc or a higher degree. That way, you stand a high chance of being taken up.

However, MSc is not an option now for me now because i feel i have had it with school. I want to do something different. Something other than school.

So, my chances of practicing what i have learned through the years (especially in Biology) will be greatly reduced.

Since i have to earn a living after my degree and i have to stop depending on my parents, i have to get a source of income as soon as possible. That made to think about the Military as a possible medium i could achieve most of the things i wanted and probably improve my life too.

I have researched the pay and it's good compared to other jobs and since i will have a degree that will make it better for me because once i am successfully recruited, i get to become an officer. Being an officer attracts good pay and a good rank too.

Another thing that made me consider the military is that, there is lots of traveling involved and since i love traveling, the military will definitely help me achieve this.

I am aware of all the risks involved with the military but i think i can overcome them all.

Tuesday, 2nd June 2010

07:31
FIELD ATTACHMENT
We were supposed to begin Field Attachment yesterday but they have now postponed it to Monday 7th June. So i don't know the full program and the structure of the Attachment yet. Come Monday next week, i am quite sure i will have all the details.

WORLD CUP
I am not a big soccer fan but i guess i can't fail to talk about the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

This year's World Cup is unique because it's going to be first World Cup to be played on the African Continent (in South Africa). I am so looking forward to it although i don't have any specific team that i am supporting. I guess i will figure out which team to support as the tournament goes on.

Everyone here is excited. The Radio Stations keep playing all these AD's and promotions about the World Cup and it's crazy. It's only 9 days away and i can't wait.

CHANGES AT COLLEGE BLOG
At the end of last month, i made changes at My College Blog. I added a new page containing the courses that i have done in the past years and those i will do in 3rd year. check it out.

i also changed the theme and i like it. check it out.

Contact Me

MAY 2010

2010-05-01T15:05:28Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Sunday, 30th May 2010

09:15
NEW DESIGN OF HOMEPAGE
I have implemented a new design at my Homepage. The new design includes a top drop down menu, social network widgets (Twitter, Buzz, Facebook) and a bigger logo.

If you want to check it out go to http://mabsj2.host22.com.

Special thanks go out to SupaLogo, MyGosuMenu for the new design and my Host 000webhost.com for hosting my site.

Saturday, 29th May 2010

07:00
FINISHED EXAMS
I had my last exam (Microbiology and Biotechnology) yesterday and unfortunately it did not go as well as i expected. It's sad since Microbiology was one of the exams i expected to do very well. Now i just have to wait and see the result i get but it shouldn't be very bad since i did well in the course work, practicals and test.

Now i have no exam left and i am now preparing to start Field Attachment next week on Tuesday (1st June). It's going to last almost the entire Vacation (2 months).

The Training will be in DNA Extraction and Sequencing, Food and Water microbiology and lots of other stuff. I haven't gotten the official Course outline but i will tell you about it when i get it on Tuesday.

After the training i will be required to write a Report which i will present for marking at beginning of next Semester.

Monday, 24th May 2010

13:07
FAVORITE SONGS
This month, i am starting a new segment about my favorite songs for every month. At the end of every month, i will be publishing a list of songs that i like and at the end of the year, i will review all the songs for every month during the year. So here is my Favorite Song list for MAY 2010

Billionaire - Travie Mccoy ft Bruno Mars (video)

If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland ft Katy Perry (video)

Alejandro - Lady GaGa (video)

Telephone - Lady GaGa ft Beyonce (video)

BIOSTATISTICS EXAM
I had the Biostatistics exam yesterday and it was good. However studying for it was a pain because i hadn't read it before. so i was reading most things for the first time. But i read what i could and made sure i was ready for the exam in time.

Now i am remaining with only Microbiology on Friday 28th may and i am looking forward to it too.

Friday, 21st May 2010

13:02
EXAMS
Today i had my 5th exam so i am now remaining with 2 (i do a total of 7 courses). The exam was Evolutionary Biology and it was fair this time. I don't expect to get a bad grade.

On Sunday 23rd may i have Biostatistics. After i will have Microbiology next week on Friday 28th May.

NEW TITLE
I have changed the title of this Blog again (3rd time this week). But i am hoping this new title is going to be the final change because it has impressed me for a while now. The new title is "The Story of Joash Mabs: a transition to reality". i guess i don't need to explain the title. it explains it's self.

Wednesday, 19th May 2010

09:31
NEW TITLE
I think i am going nuts, but once again i felt their is a need to change the title of this blog again. The title i gave it yesterday (When Reality Sets in) did not convince me much. So the new title is "The Transformation"

I have chosen this title because this blog is about the things that i do in my daily life. I have been posting to this Blog since high school and now i am at college. Very soon i will be working and i will still be posting here. So this Blog reflects my change from one stage to another. So it's about My Transformation from one stage of my life to another thus the title "The Transformation".

As always, all opinions are welcome and i will change the title if i find this one inappropriate.

Tuesday, 18th May 2010

16:32
EXAMS
Last week i did 4 exams. One on Monday 10th(Microbial Biochemistry), another on Thursday 13th(Advanced Enzymology), Molecular Biology on Friday 14th and finally Basic Parasitology on Saturday 15th.

Molecular Biology didnot go well at all and has been my hardest exam so far. Basic Parasitology was fine although i was afraid of it most. But it turned out to be better than i expected.

This week i have Evolutionary Biology on Friday 21st and Biostatistics on Sunday 23rd. i am currently preparing for those.

FIELD ATTACHMENT
i have finally paid for Field Attachment / Industrial Training at the Analytical Laboratory. I will start training in June. Hoping it all goes well there.

CHANGING TITLE AGAIN
Today i decided to change the title of this Blog again because the previous title (My World), did not reflect what this Blog is about.

So now i am changing it to a new title. The title will now be "When Reality Sets In".

i know it's quite vague and all opinions are welcome. But that title tells what my life is about. Throughout my childhood, i had lots of fantasies and i thought i would one day live them. But now all those fantasies are gone so "Reality has set in". that's why i chose that title. Any suggestions and opinions are very welcome.

Thursday, 13th May 2010

15:49
EXAMS
So far i have had 2 exams. I did Microbial Biochemistry on Monday and today i had Advanced Enzymology.

Everything is going good so far and none of the exams has been hard. Right now i can't predict what i am going to get because every result i get i always a surprise. However i am certain that my grades won't be bad.

Tomorrow, i will be having Molecular Biology and on Saturday it will be Basic Parasitology. I am looking forward to them.

Follow my updates on Twitter

Sunday, 9th May 2010

07:28
EXAMS START TOMORROW
Today is the final day to exams and i will doing my first paper tomorrow. I am starting with Microbial Biochemistry and on Thursday i will have Advanced Enzymology. check out the Exam Timatable for more details.

I am almost ready for the Exam, just have to read a few things and i will be ready. You can follow my progress with the exams on twitter

FIELD TRAINING
On Thursday (6th), i collected Bank forms for paying for Field Attachment so it's official that i will be doing my Field Training at the Analytical Lab.

I will be doing DNA training and i think that's a good area for me to train because i hope to do further studies in Molecular Biology (which is mostly DNA studies). Once i pay, training starts in June.

Tuesday, 4th May 2010

19:35
EXAM TIMETABLE
Just posted the Exam Timatable. check it out

18:34
NO TEST
I was supposed to have the second Basic Parasitology test today but fortunately it was removed. We only did a practical.

I personally wasn't looking forward to that test since i hadn't prepared for it. So i was so glad when it got scrapped.

EXAM TIMETABLE
The final exam timetable is out and unfortunately this time, i have 3 consecutive papers. These papers will be done next week (starting 10th may) and in total i have 4 papers next week. The other 3 papers are scattered out in the remaining 2 weeks (after 16th may).

This timetable is not a good one but there is nothing we can do now. Me and my classmates tried to change it but it didn't work. The authorities refused to listen to us. Now we have to do them as they are.

I will be posting this Timetable to my College Blog soon.

Saturday, 1st May 2010
21st Birthday

15:08
Today is my 21st Birthday and it's been a good one for me. I went out yesterday and had a great time. I got to relieve all the stress that i had. It was fun.

DISAPPOINTMENT
Yesterday, i went to a Virus Research institute to find out whether they had accepted me to train with them during my Field Attachment. Unfortunately, i wasn't taken and the reason is because i do Biochemistry and Zoology. They only took people with Biochemistry and Chemistry.

I don't know the rationale behind this but i don't think it's fair. They have to give all us equal opportunities. With this kind of discrimination, they make it seem like doing Zoology is a crime.

They have made their decision and there is nothing i can do about it. For now i just have to look else where. The only option i am left with is to pay at the Analytical Laboratory and train there. It's sad that i have failed again but i know my time will come and i will be on top of the world.

TESTS
On Tuesday 4th May, i have a Parasitology test and Thursday 6th May, i will be doing the postponed Microbiology test. It was postponed from last week (Thursday 29th April)

Contact Me

APRIL 2010

2010-04-06T14:34:52Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Tuesday, 27th April 2010

06:53
TESTS
Last week , i had 2 Biochemistry tests (Advanced Enzymology on Tuesday and Microbial Biochemistry on Sunday). They all went great and surprisingly, we got the results of the Enzymology test the next day (that was remarkably fast). My result was the best.

This week, i have 2 tests in "Microbiology and Biotechnology". The class coordinator is yet to confirm the exact dates but everything indicates that they will be on Thursday and Friday.

EXAMS
The final Exam timetable is yet to be released but the current drafts are not bad. If the current draft is adopted as the final timetable, then my exams will be well spaced. i will post the final timetable to my college blog soon.

EXECUTIVE MEETING
Yesterday, we had the first Executive meeting of the Biochemistry Association and as Project Coordinator of the association, i am part of the executive.

We discussed various issues and hope we shall be implementing them soon. Our term lasts only one year so we have to do everything fast.

21st BIRTHDAY
On Saturday this week (1st May), i will be turning 21. And as usual, i will adding an entry to the extension of this blog to commemorate the event. so make sure you check it out.

Wednesday, 23rd April 2010

17:33
MICROBIAL BIOCHEMISTRY TEST POSTPONED
The Microbial Biochemistry test which was supposed to be done yesterday (Thursday) has been postponed to Sunday. At first it seemed like a bad thing to do but now i've realised it's the best thing because now i have more time to read everything i had not understood very well.

NOT GOING FOR CHARITY RUN
Since the test has been pushed to Sunday morning and that's the same time that the Charity run will take place, i am going to have to skip the run because the test is more important. I can always run another time.

It's sad that i will be skipping it but i guess it's for the good. Just have to keep my grades up.

Wednesday, 21st April 2010

08:43
BIOCHEMISTRY TESTS
Yesterday, i had the Enzymology test and luckily it went better than expected. I did all the numbers and i am expecting good grades.

Today i am reading for Thursday's Test (Microbial Biochemitsry) and everything is going fine so far although i am worried that i might not finish reading everything in time. But like always, i will do my best.

EXAMS
The EXAM timetable is out and i will be publishing it soon. Just have to make sure that there are no collisions.

Sunday, 18th April 2010

06:41
CHARITY RUN
I will be participating in a Charity Run next week on Sunday, 25th April 2010. I will be running 10Km as usual and i am hoping to get better results this time round.

As always, i will be Tweeting about the event on my Twitter page.

Friday, 16th April 2010

14:32
TESTS
Next week, i will be having 2 Biochemistry tests; Advanced Enzymology on Tuesday 20th April and Microbial Biochemistry on Thursday 22nd April. We were supposed to have Advanced Enzymology today but it has been postponed.

BIOCHEMISTRY ASSOCIATION
I am now the Project Coordinator of my University's Biochemistry Association. The Elections were done on Monday but i was unopposed so i went through unchallenged. Our term starts on Monday when the hand over by the previous government takes place.

We hope to organize lot's of things once we get into office.

TRIP PICTURES
I have posted some pictures of the trip we had last week to My College Blog. check them out. I will be adding more soon

Monday, 12th April 2010

05:22
HOW THE TRIP WENT
On Friday, we had the long awaited Trip and as you might judge from my writing, the Trip was fantastic. I can't express how it went with words. You only had to be there to experience what i experienced.

I will never forget that trip. It's going to stick forever in my memory. While there i took some pictures with some of my Classmates and if everything goes well, i will be uploading some of the pics to my College Blog. I will leave an entry here once i have posted them. so check back soon.

NO MORE TRIPS THIS SEMESTER (unconfirmed)
According to what i have heard from a friend of mine, we are sadly not having any more Trips this semester. I have not yet confirmed this but i hope to confirm as soon as possible.

It does not really matter whether or whether not we have another trip. What matters is that i had fun on the first one. Besides, we shall have more trips in future (Zoology trips). Looking forward to those.

FIELD ATTACHMENT APPLICATIONS
Tomorrow if everything goes as planned, i am going to 3 organizations to deliver my applications for Field Attachment. It's been long since is thought of this but i have been taken up by lots of things lately including Summer School applications, Trips, Tests and Lectures.

Now i have some free time so i will ensure i deliver my applications before the deadlines elapse.

ELECTIONS
Today, all Biochemistry students at my Faculty will be voting for new members of the Biochemistry Students Association Government. I am standing for Project Coordinator and luckily, i am unopposed (no one is standing against me). So it means i am automatically already part of the Association Government.

Will update on what transpires at today's event.

Wednesday, 7th April 2010

11:19
BIOCHEMISTRY TRIP
We've been given some details about the Biochemistry trip taking place this Friday 9th April. We have to arrive on campus by 7:00am local time and then we shall set off at 7:30am.

All updates about the trip will be posted to my twitter page. You can also get updates via the twitter hush tag #joashtrips. looking forward to having a good time.

Tuesday, 6th April 2010

14:17
PARASITOLOGY TEST
Today we had the Parasitology test and it didn't go well at all. It was made up of mainly multiple choice questions and although these are supposed to be the simplest questions, they weren't good.

The test was about classification of parasites and since i am never good at memorizing such things, a bad outcome was expected. I am hoping the coming tests in this course will be simpler such that my marks increase a little. Otherwise i am doomed with this performance.

DRAFT TIMETABLE
The 1st Draft exam timetable is out, but i have not checked on what dates i will be doing my exams. i am hoping there is no collision.

BIOCHEMISTRY TRIP
The Biochemistry trip is on this Friday. I will be updating about what happens on Twitter. So check me out there.

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MARCH 2010

2010-03-03T09:33:59Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Tuesday, 30th March 2010

12:58
TESTS
Tests are back in action again. Last week i had one in Evolutionary Biology and it went fine. i didn't know what to expect but i did great still.

Next week i have another in Basic Parasitology. Soon i will be having tests in Microbiology and Microbial Biochemistry (dates not yet confirmed)

TRIPS
The Biochemistry trips are still on and next week on 9th April, we shall be having the first trip. The next one will be between 13th and 16th April. Read about the trips at My College Blog

TWO MONTHS INTO SEMESTER
It's now about 2 months into the semester and it does feel like 2 months. We've had lectures, experiments, tests and now we are going to have trips. Very soon, exams will be starting and hoping i will be ready for them.

Tuesday, 23rd March 2010

16:00
MISSED SUMMER SCHOOL
This evening i got an email from Switzerland informing that i have not made it for their summer school.

Switzerland was my last option so that means i am not going for summer school this year.

It's sad not to go but not everyone is lucky. I am certain the best candidates were chosen to participate. If i am still able, i will try again next year.

Monday, 22nd March 2010

14:49
POLITICS
This is weird but for some reason i am standing for a political post. Today i was nominated for Project Coordinator for the Biochemistry Association of my University. This is not real politics but it's a first for me.

The Elections will be soon and i am hoping i go through unopposed.

Thursday, 18th March 2010

17:09
CALM AT LAST
After two days of Rioting, calm has finally returned to my University. Considerable damage has been done but the losses would have been more if some precautions weren't taken.

Now Lectures have resumed and everything is normal.

TRIPS
Today we have been given details about the upcoming Biochemistry trips.

We shall be visiting several places and among them will be a sugar and beer factory on 9th April. Then between 13th and 16th April, we shall go to a research institute in another town where we shall spend 3 days and during our time there we shall have a series of lectures and other activities. Details will be posted to my College Blog.

More trips will be scheduled after we return on 16th April.

DE-REGISTERED COURSE
All the paperwork is done and i have now officially de-registered the course “Basic Bacteriology” and Virology. So this means i won't have to attend it's lectures any more and also won't do it's tests and exams.

So i am now doing 7 courses this semester.

Tuesday, 16th March 2010

15:14
RIOTS
Riots broke out early today at my University. They were caused by the death of some students who were reportedly shot yesterday night at one of the Hostels.

It's been campaign period here for the past 2 weeks and during one of the campaigns yesterday, 2 camps of different candidates clashed and in the process some students were shot.

Now everything is paralyzed here at the main campus and we can't attend lectures because all buildings have been closed. I am hoping everything returns to normal soon.

Friday, 12th March 2010

05:36
SUMMER SCHOOL
Last week i received an email from Austria saying i hadn't made it for their summer school. It was disappointing of course but they said i could try again next year.

My only hope now is the Switzerland summer school and the shortlist will be coming out any time from now.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TEST
Yesterday, i had the long awaited Molecular Biology test. It went very well since i had studied enough for it.

Now we have started Microbial Biochemistry Lectures and they are going better than i had imagined.

BIOCHEMISTRY TRIP
It's been confirmed that the Biochemistry trip to various places will take place next month. The trips will be on several days since we are going to many places but the first one will take place either on 8th or 9th April.

We are going to a Sugar Factory, Beer Factory, and several Research Labs. Looking forward to it.

Wednesday, 3rd March 2010

09:32
DROPPING ONE COURSE
Today i have decided to drop one of the courses i was doing this semester. The course i dropped is "Basic Bacteriology and Virology".

I have decided to drop it because most of the topics we are doing have been covered in previous courses and dropping it will also reduce on my course load.

I have informed the Faculty Registrar about this change and all the paperwork will be done soon. Once the paperwork is done, i will be doing 7 courses.

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FEBRUARY 2010

2010-02-04T07:11:55Z

ALL TIME IN GMT

Sunday, 28th February 2010

08:15
ONE MONTH INTO SEMESTER
Today is the last day of February. It's been a short month but lots of things have happened though.

Next month, if everything goes as planned, we might have Study Trip to about 4 places. The dates have not yet been communicated but we were told we would have one anytime.

I am looking forward to it and i hope i will learn a lot from it.

Wednesday, 24th February 2010

13:10
FINISHED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
It's just the 4th week and we have already finished learning one Course. I had my last Lecture in Molecular Biology today and it was much briefer than i thought.

End of Lectures in a Course doesn't mean end of the Course. Now i have to read the Textbooks we were recommended and this is the hardest part. There are about 3 books i am supposed to read and there is simply too much information that i have to grasp in a very short time. So i have to ready myself for the ride.

I will also be having a Test for the Course on 11th March 2010. I have approx. 2 weeks to prepare for that. I will be having Microbial Biochemistry Lectures next.

SUMMER SCHOOL
This week, i sent in my final application for summer school and i am now waiting for a reply in case i am chosen.

If i am not chosen, i will try again next year.

Thursday, 18th February 2010

07:10
SUMMER SCHOOL
It's that time of the year when everyone applies for Summer School. Well i am not going to be left out too this year. For the first time ever, i am applying for Biology Summer School.

I have already sent my application to one place (Vienna, Austria), but i will be sending another application to Zurich, Switzerland once i get my recommendation signed.

It's very difficult to get a place since their are so many applications that are sent in. So i am applying in various places to increase my chances of getting in. If i don't get a place this year, i will try again next year.

For now i will just apply.

Monday, 15th February 2010

15:37
LECTURES GOING NORMAL
Everything is now going fine at College and all Lectures are taking place as planned. I just came from my first Evolutionary Biology and i loved every bit of it. First because it's the smallest class i have ever attended (4 students). i hate big classes because it's harder to concentrate.

I also liked it because everything we studied today was interesting. I loved every bit of it.

FINISHED REGISTERING
Last week, i registered all courses i am supposed to do this semester. i registered all the courses i planned on doing. these include Microbial Biochemistry and Genetics, Advanced Enzymology, Molecular Biology, Basic Bacteriology and Virology, Biostatistics, Basic Parasitology, Evolutionary Biology, Introduction to Microbiology and Biotechnology.

Monday, 8th February 2010

17:10
STARTED LECTURES
Today i had my first lecture of the semester. The Lecture was in Biostatistics and ironically we had a Test after. It went fine and few students showed up so many missed the test.

I have posted my Lecture Timetable to My College Blog, so you can check it out if you can.

ONLINE REGISTRATION
My University has started online registration of all students this semester. so this means that i will get to register for all courses i am going to do online. Previously, we have been registering at the registrar's office, which was time wasting and slow.

We all have to register by 15th February, so i have about 6 days to decide on which courses to do. i hope i won't have second thoughts after registering some courses because once you register something, it's permanent. You can't undo it.

Thursday, 4th February 2010

07:10
NOT HAD LECTURES YET
It's 4 days into the new semester and i haven't had any lectures yet. i am quite frustrated because this semester is going to be very busy for me so i need to start now if i am to go through it successfully.

The reason why we haven't had any Lectures yet is that some of the Lecture timetables are not yet out so we can't know when and where to have lectures. Another reason is that, there are few students that have shown up (since it's the first week) so even if the timetables were released now, very few of us would attend.

But i am hoping everything will be sorted out this week and by next week lectures will start as usual.

WATCHED AVATAR
Yesterday, i watched Avatar (the Movie). I've been looking forward to doing so since it's release last year.

I must say it's one hell of a movie. it has a unique story line and the graphics are too good. It's a must watch for everyone and it's my number one recommendation for 2010.

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