eDNA

I fell asleep and woke up to nonsense because my face was on the keyboard…  And I thought that sort of stuff only happened in movies T.T

I haven’t written anything on Tumblr for a week, which is unusual given my compulsive blogging these days.  In the context of my previous table-flipping posts you would think I jumped off a cliff or something, so this is a post to clarify what has actually become of me and also to give me something semi-meaningful to write about.

Being too comfy at home.  Much as I complain in Berkeley about being swamped, sleep-deprived, annoyed at everyone, living in lab, and constantly in fear of getting mugged, I was always learning something new that I would exclaim on Tumblr with naive fervor.  Now I’m getting plenty of rest at home, but I find myself only able to write Yelp reviews.  (Probably on my way to Yelp elite, and when that happens I’ll be able to walk into restaurants with finicky smugness.)  Although I have encountered profound lessons from volunteering, clinic stories are not clearly not blogable (#HIPPA).

But my temporary latency will not last long—the eDNA will, inevitably, soon return to the Bench >:)

Angsty run (or more like sprint) = accomplished :)

If there is one redeeming quality among twenty-something-year-olds that can help to neutralize the cynicism, it’s resilience. 

Okay I’m going to stop with all these emotional posts now… it’s getting weird, and I’m sure that by now all my FB friends/Tumblr stalkers think I’m weird -_-;; 

In any case, I hope my sustained optimism despite the sporadic #LosingIt rants has some sort of positive influence >:)  Everyone encounters setbacks at some point, and IMO it’s comforting and almost empowering to know that you’re not alone—it’s like that giddy relief when you see those memes that you can really relate to.

Within the past 24h, it seems that I’ve seen my personal beliefs, values, and plans all turn upside-down.

Welcoming myself to that point in your 20-something-year-old life that’s punctuated with cynicism.

Sorry I know no one likes unhappy posts….. but this suffices as my metaphorical table-flip until my angsty run later today. 

#RunningAwayFromMyProblems

#NotReally

#ButRunningHelps :) #<—SmileyFace!  #TheresHope

I auditioned to be a graduation student speaker since I had written a blog post draft that has the same elements of thoughtfulness, humor, and inspiration required of speeches.  The actual speaker did have a very nice speech that I liked more than mine (and was Elle Woods-esque, which my roommate and I have found to be true of most student speakers and indeed quite charismatic).  Since so many people have been curious about what I had written, here is a blog post of my originally intended blog post.  Enjoy!

What does it mean to be an MCB major?  Is it about snickering over inside jokes that non-MCB majors don’t understand?  Is it about being able to answer those age-old questions about how life works?  Is it about knowing how to tackle the unresolved feat of finding a cure for cancer?  

MCB is well-known to be one of Cal’s most difficult majors, and we have all accepted the challenge with enthusiasm because we are all driven by an eager, inquisitive mind wishing to learn more about the molecular world.  Taking our lower-div prereqs, we memorized all the body systems from phylum Porifera to Chordata in Bio 1AL, arrow-pushed and reversed synthesized complicated reaction in ochem, and braved through the most obscure and unintuitive corners of science in physics.  When we moved into upper-divs, we all survived the rite of passage of reciting all the enzymes and intermediates of the Krebs cycle, not to mention the all the other countless pathways that somehow all regulate and connect to one another.  MCB is admittedly difficult, but the rewards are great.  We have shown a strong commitment in confronting the high energetic barrier of what it takes to comprehend molecular and cell biology.  In surmounting this formidable activation energy, we now benefit from a great deal of free energy at our disposal in the form of our MCB expertise.

Molecular and cell biology is innately interesting.  First of all, we gain a different perspective on biology and everyday life.  Biochemistry, our first upper division MCB class, transforms enzymes from purple blobs with ambiguously magical catalysis superpowers, to elegant machines that catalyze reactions with logical mechanisms.  We see all of life through a thermodynamic lens, realizing that everything in the world happens because of free energy.  We are endowed with a unique point of view, because we know the molecular basis behind activities as common as eating—we know how exactly how every molecule of each morsel that we eat becomes metabolized and converted into energy.  Even after we graduate, we never really stop learning MCB as ongoing research continues to contribute novel discoveries.  When I took biochemistry, my professor showed us the crystal structure of photosystem II, fresh off the grill because the data had just been published a few weeks ago.  The scope of current research is unfathomable and ever-expanding; I’m sure that at some point we’ve all come across the mind-blowing revelation that billions of chemical reactions occur in our bodies every second, yet it takes an hour of lecture to analyze a subset of them, and still our understanding is incomplete and awaiting discovery.  Practical knowledge aside, we gain a fulfilling sense of appreciation as we delve into the molecular realm.  Majestically designed groundbreaking experiments are always worthy of adoration, and there is something quaint and charming about serendipidity.  Molecular and cell biology is beautiful in itself; one of my professors described the elaborate loops, helices, and barrels of protein motifs as “jewelry from another planet”.  In addition to crafting a unique perspective, becoming a lifelong learner amidst ongoing research, and appreciating the quintessential beauty of the natural world, as MCB majors we can always count on biologists’ quirky sense of humor when we come across zinc fingers and leucine zippers, map kinase kinase kinase kinase, and the sonic hedgehog gene.

With a solid background in MCB, we have infinite opportunities to make applications in whatever career path we choose.  We may pioneer basic science research to unveil more about the fundamentals of biology.  We may embark on translational research to advance drug therapy for better clinical outcomes.  We may serve as a health care provider to help patients and improve health in the community.  We may pursue a new, non-science related direction, but we will take what MCB has imprinted upon us, teaching us to think mechanistically, step outside the box, and spark our intellectual curiosity.

Thank you to all our wonderful professors for their inspiration and mentoring, to our fellow MCB classmates for their positive feedback loops of encouragement, and to our parents and family for their heart-felt support.  Congratulations to all MCB graduates: you can now have a chuckle over using the Starbucks name ELISA, you can explain the Inner Life of a Cell video in its entirety, and you literally have what it takes to cure cancer.

You know something’s unusual when you consider it a rather satisfying accomplishment to finish two episodes a day ^-^ 

hehe and thanks to MCB 136 for teaching me about subdural hemorrhages, carotid arteries, diabetes insipidus, etc.

Started packing for school this fall already!  #Overprepared

jk I’m not actually that neurotic… I’m only packing because it makes unpacking (and future packing) more convenient.

Today I officially moved out of Berkeley :) :(  It finally feels like summer because I don’t have to deal with all this graduation/packing craziness. 

What better way to start off summer than with a medical Kdrama about neurosurgery (the cool hospital stuff is getting me excited for all the medical “drama” next year ^^) and writing Yelp reviews (especially in light of my last-minute restaurant adventures as I scrambled to finish my complete my bucket list, though only with partial success).

“Suffering leads to endurance, and endurance leads to hope.”

The more I think about this, the more it makes sense.  Overcoming adversities makes us stronger.  Ready to take on the world as a Cal graduate!  

(Though I am a bit embarrassed that I ended up wearing basketball shorts and bringing an MCAT book to my last time at church because of the way plans turned out -.-;;)