I Was Lucky...

to score above average on my pharmaceutical chemistry exam! It was mostly luck that I knew all the structures being tested, didn't make a mistake on the things that I did know, totally derived the pKa equation out of my understanding of basic chemistry and blanking out on only one question out of the whole test. I did study quite a lot before the exam and felt that I had a pretty good handle on things, but a lot of materials were covered in class prior to the midterm. The test, like most, could not truly reflect what a student really knows. Although I did pretty well on it, it does not mean that I know more than someone who has a lower grade on that exam. It just means that I had a good day and everything went my way.

Study Break

After a whole day of hiding in my room, I decided that I should reward myself with a very pleasant activity: jogging along Ocean Beach during sunset! When I got there, the huge round orange sun was sinking, from my car, I observed as it dipped below the horizon. The chill almost prevented me from getting out of the car, but I figured I needed to get some more oxygen in my muscle and brain, as well as putting some "stress" in my body so the glucagon and epinephrine can kick in for some glycolysis and lypolysis.

I really wanted to be right beside the water. Instead, I used gravity as an excuse to take the lighter workout by jogging on the sidewalk along the Great Highway. After a while, I was thinking to myself: "This sucks! I don't want to smell the smog from all these cars and hear their loud noise!" So, I bravely headed to the shore and was so glad that I did.

Since I was quite a distance south of Judah (the Muni stop), there was not anyone by the beach, and I had it all to myself. Although my leg muscles were sore from the over-production of lactic acid, the soothing sound of the waves, the pastel-colored sky and the endless ocean completely satified my soul with the fuel that I will need for another long study session.

Intellectual Development

After four weeks of trying, the pressure of exams (I have three midterms next week!) has finally molded me into a very good student. My daily routines now consist of eating, going to classes, reviewing notes, reading and reading. Of course, I take a break here and then, but most of the time, I'm glued to the study desk in my room when I'm not in class.

It sounds pretty boring, but I rather enjoy it. In a way, I feel so lucky to have the means to put education before everything else at this stage in life. I don't have to worry about money (at least not right now...I'll worry about repaying my loans later), kids, dramas, etc. Having the time to devote solely to learning about the human body and pharmaceutical products is such a previlege. Although I do not like exams, I must say that they have pushed my persistence in the pursue of knowledge to a whole different level! Without them, I don't think I can sustain reading and studying for over twenty minutes at a time. Hooray to good old exams! Hmm...maybe your won't hear me say that when I get my scores back next week!

More Butterflies

After an afternoon of frustration trying to study and not being very successful at it, I decided to take advantage of the free admission day at the Flower Conservatory and see the winged beauties at the Butterfly Zone before the exhibit ends on November 2.

I had a very relaxing hour clicking on my Canon 40D with the macro EF 100mm 1:2.8 lens. Although I was only able to use the tripod as a monopod (facility restriction), the images turned out really great. These are the three pictures that I really like.

While taking pictures, I met another amature with almost the same camera as mine. We started to talk about how the stripes of the zebra butterfly looks white instead of yellow in the picture. He told me a little bit about using RAW format instead of JPEG so I could preserve the real colors in my subjects. It all sounded good but I don't really have the time to edit the image after shooting. Besides, RAW files will take so much more memory, something that I am not really looking forward to dealing with right now. Therefore, I am sticking with JPEGs for a while.

A little bit into our conversation, he started offering his lenses so I could try using them (his backpack was full of lenses, used ones that he bought from other photography enthusiasts). I felt kind of bad holding his camera to try out the lens that he claims to be "a very good lens," but I didn't want to offend him by not taking his offer. I wonder if, someday, I will become as generous with my photo equipment as he was. As of now, no one is touching my "baby." I was even reluctant to lend it to my dad! Talking about obsession!

I was so sure...

that I got 100% on my first midterm exam in pharmacokinetics (PK)! I found out my the grades a few hours after the exam and learned that my it was at the bottom of the totem pole again. Most of my classmates got an A but I didn't. I still don't know what I did wrong (b/c I didn't care to pick up my exam). I thought I had the strategies and logic down for figuring out the half-life and concentration of a drug at anytime during an IV infusion. I guess I was wrong.

I was shocked...and then disappointed...for a while. Then I realized that I had done my best to study for the exam. I read and tried to understand the materials as much as I could. That's all I can ask for of myself right now. Something is not clicking and I see it as a confirmation that PK is really not my thing. It's so sad that this seems to be the easiest class out of the five that I have this quarter. Physiology, pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry exams are next week and I am barely going over the first week's lecture notes and reading materials for all of those subjects. As much as I enjoy learning about prostaglandins, hormones, and NSAIDs, I just can't keep up!

Dinner at Mary Anne Koda-Kimble’s Home

I just had the most amazing dinner with the dean of the best pharmacy school in the UNIVERSE, Mary Anne Koda-Kimble. As an effort to raise money for community outreach activities, Mary Anne has been offering 12 dinner tickets every year during the School of Pharmacy’s Spring Auction. Last spring, I was one of those lucky 12 who paid $70 for a seat at her dinner table. It was one of the best $70 that I have spent thus far in life. In fact, I would venture to say that was one of those priceless memories you can rarely buy with money, but Mary Anne's generosity had made it possible for me to do so.

Despite her extremely crazy schedule as a dean, a healthcare provider (and who knows what other leadership activities and personal projects she manages to squeeze in with her time), MARY ANNE KODA-KIMBLE made us a uniquely delicious gourmet dinner at her cozy and artistically decorated home!

The night started in the living room, an additional unit built on top of a roof, so we enjoyed a panoramic view of the city, including the famous Golden Gate Bridge, as we mesmerized at the beauty of the high rises, lit by the golden late afternoon sun. While chatting about school, we were served drinks of our choices (including red and white wines) and a few rounds of hors d'oeuvres infused with Mary Anne's originality, such as the create-your-own type of appetizer, where you can choose from the homegrown and homemade fig or quince jellies and three different cheeses to top a paper-thin wafer cracker. The textures of the different ingredients and sweetness of the fruits complimented each other perfectly. Figs also tasted surprisingly sweet when wrapped by thin pieces of smoked salmon. Another one of my favorite appetizers was the cream puff with cheese, which was baked to crunchy, creamy and buttery perfection. I could not help but reached for more of the cute tiny treats, even though I wanted to save room for dinner.

Dinner was a buffet-style meal with a selection ranging from bread, salad, chicken, prime rib, Morrazella cheese and stuffing, each uniquely and deliciously created and made by Mary Anne. I wanted to try everything so I took a little bit of each (and went back a second time for another helping). As someone who has been in the work force, I was able to pay for some expensive meals, but never had a better gourmet dinner. All of the dishes were wonderful, but my number one choice was the salad, made with a mixture of green leaves, walnuts, pears and pomegranates in a light and slightly sweet vinaigrette dressing. I have never seen, or even though of, making salad with pomegranates before! What a clever idea and great combination of antioxidants to balance out the meat dishes! We sat around the candle-lit dinner tables, listening to Mary Anne and her husband, Don Kimble, tell stories about the pharmacy school experiences and love life while savoring the mouth-watering food on our plates.

Dinner would not have been complete without Mary Anne’s special dessert using apples from her own backyard as the main ingredient. The apple cubes were baked with crispy macadamia nuts and caramel on top and served with a scoop of homemade ice cream. Although my intestinal tract had not gotten a chance to process all the hors d'oeuvres and the generous dinner portion, I managed to clean up my dessert plate.

Everything was wonderful about the night: the ambience, the food, the city view and the soft music playing on the background as we talked throughout the evening. Most of all, what I will remember are the interactions with my classmates, who are intelligent and caring individuals, and the honor to be present at Mary Anne’s house, talking to her and calling her by her first name (which she had insisted on ever since our first day at UCSF). As a first-generation immigrant and a first generation in college, I had never even dreamed of socializing with so many well-educated and genuine people. The evening was so real and unreal at the same time. It is DEFINITELY an experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Balance and Adjustment

I find myself dosing off or being really distracted every time I touch the book. When I manage to stay awake during my "reading sessions," I goof around with my pictures and do other things...like writing on this blog. It's hard adjusting to school and finding the energy to sit through hours of reading. I hope I will get into the swing of things sooner rather than later, like when midterms are days, instead of weeks, away.

I know I will be able to do okay with a little cramming before the exams but that's no way to learn. I'm trying to read before attending lectures so I can actually understand and take in more information. It's hard to keep up with the crazy pace of pharmacy school, though. It's only the fifth day of school and we have already gone through about 60 condensed pages of physiology, about as many for pharm chem, one chapter of immunology and a lot of review for pharmacokinetics. I can hardly keep up with the reading.

On top of classes and studying, I'm learning how to say "no" and stay away from my computer so I don't spend too much time on emails or pictures. There are so many extra-curricular activities that interest me, but I have to constantly remind myself that I need to do well in what I have already committed myself to do. I can't have it all....It's so hard to find the "golden mean."