Singapore | Paulina Werner

NNI Research Day and “Move to beat Parkinson’s”

by Paulina Werner | April 27, 2019 | 1 comment

My time here in Singapore is rapidly coming to an end. Today it is only two weeks until my flight home, which means that I’m spending a lot of hours in the lab in order to get the last pieces of the puzzle for my project. During my stay here in Singapore I have had the opportunity to participate in various different events and go to a lot of interesting lectures. This week for instance I have been to the NNI research day, where there were some interesting talks about clinical research and how to facilitate research for clinicians as well as an interactive poster session where results from clinical research, basic science and translational research were presented. Worth mentioning is that one of the members of my lab received a commendation award with the title “Best Junior Researcher” for her abstract.

I also went to a very interesting lecture given by Professor R. Manjunatha Kini with the title “Toxins are not villans but unsung heroes: Fascinating future in toxin research”. In his lecture, Professor Manjunatha Kini explained that even though toxins from venoms often are associated with death and debilitation, these compounds have contributed more to improving our lives than they cause deaths. For instance, these substances have the potential to be used as therapeutic agents or for diagnostic purposes. In his laboratory, the approach to solve various health related issues has been to focus on characterizing new toxins, understanding its function and identify possible medical applications as opposed to the traditional approach in the pharma industry where the target is first identified to then search for a compound that can act as a key to the lock.

To increase the awareness of Parkinson’s disease, my host-lab and I participated in an event called “Move to beat Parkinson’s” earlier today. To all of you readers that had been joking about the fly mascot costume that they have in the lab – today it happened. I was the fly mascot. Even though many people did ask me if I was one of the Avengers or a butterfly and that the costume was crazy warm, it was a lot of fun to explain to the public about what is done within Parkinson-research and what is known to be protective at the moment.

On Friday next week I am to present my results to the group and show them what I have done during my time in their lab. It almost feels unreal that I’m almost done with this master, but I still have a lot of studying to do before the graduation ceremony the 5^th of June. Next time I post something on this blog I will hopefully have finished collecting data and be more or less done with the thesis. See you then!

//Paulina

Macritchie reservoir

by Paulina Werner | March 31, 2019 | 0 comments

Today Ashley and I went for a hike to the Macritchie reservoir. This reservoir is the perfect place to go to if you want to experience a calming, evocative jungle escape. There are plenty of different trails, both along the water’s edge and through the secondary rainforest where you can also encounter long tailed macaques and huge monitor lizards. On our hike through the rainforest, we actually met some of the wild long tailed macaques, but we did not see any of the huge monitor lizards. The highlight of the hike was the TreeTop Walk, where we walked on a 250m-long suspension bridge, perched 25m in the forest canopy.

It was a perfect day for a hike since it was cloudy and not too warm. Our original intention was to visit the reservoir yesterday, but due to the thunderstorm and heavy rain we could not go. It was noticeable that it had been raining a lot in the forest since the ground was still wet at some places, and we had to jump on rocks to pass by without getting our feet wet.

The Macritchie reservoir is one of the most popular trails to visit for cross-country training. This could definitely be noticed by the number of people that ran passed us during our walk. Ashley and I really enjoyed this walk, and I think that if you ever would visit Singapore, do not miss the Macritchie reservoir!

Have a nice Sunday!

//Paulina

The week of the NUS Biathlon 2019

by Paulina Werner | March 24, 2019 | 0 comments

In order to prepare for the race this weekend and to get prepared for the long distance run we have to do at the end of our stay, Ashley and I decided to go for a hike at Southern Ridges on Sunday last week. The weather was amazing so it was a great day for a hike.
We got to see a lot of things along the 7 km walk. Among other things we saw the Henderson waves, which is a remarkable and undulating sculptural walkway suspended 36 m above ground. Worth noting is that this bridge was awarded ”design of the year” in 2000 by the president’s design award.

There were a lot of people out that day and it was nice to see that so many people were enjoying a nice Sunday stroll in the park. When we came to the end of the trail, Ashley and I decided to walk a bit further so that we would have walked at least 10 km. Hence, we ended up walking almost all the way to Clementi mall, where we treated ourselves to some sushi before going home to study.

Since the track for the running part of the race was announced, we have decided to try it out before the day of the race – so we ran the loop on Monday. I think this was a great decision since we were more prepared for what the loop would look like, which hills to be aware of and when one could run a bit faster.

Yesterday the day we’ve been waiting for finally arrived. It was a lot of fun and I think both Ashley and I finished much faster than our goal (we still don’t know yet since they haven’t sent out the finishing times, but I measured with my watch). However, when we saw the races before our timeslot, at least I regretted that I didn’t go for the full race (800m swim and 5 km run). Nevertheless, I’m happy about my achievement and am looking forward to the next race in the beginning of May. After the race, we went with Crystal (who came by to support us during the race) to our favorite sushi-place in Clementi mall before we went home to hang out by the pool and enjoy the sun. We finished this lovely day with taco-night in good company.

Two happy girls that just finished their first biathlon!

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post and have a nice weekend!

//Paulina

60 days (and counting…) in Singapore

by Paulina Werner | March 16, 2019 | 0 comments

The other day I realized that 60 days have already passed since I arrived here in Singapore. For this reason, I would first of all like to acknowledge the comments I got from some readers about the speed of which I am updating my blog. I admit that 30 days is a bit long, and I did not even realize how fast time is passing by. This past month has been filled with a lot of lab work, Chinese New Years celebrations and exploring of Singapore.

On Friday the 15^th of February, Ashley and I went to the parade Chingay, which is a parade that occurs as a final celebration of the Chinese New Year. It was an amazing experience to take part of this event and I am so happy that we had the chance to go. The parade was filled with playful and creative acts and creations. For instance, at several occasions, the audience was invited to take part in the acts. At one act, the parade was filled with ballet dancers dressed as butterflies and the air was filled with bubbles from bubble guns that all of the people in the audience received. Also, during the parade they displayed a first-of-its-kind painting that was 270 meters long. Due to it’s size, the painting was carried by a lot of people. This year, the theme of the parade was the past, the present and the future of Singapore. For this reason, they ended the parade with a futuristic creation. This was my favorite as so many things happened at once and it was really impressive.

On Saturday that same weekend, our condominium arranged a lion dance for all residents, which was really fascinating. It might not look like it is a hard act to perform, but considering that I was bothered by the heat just standing there and watching the show, one can only imagine how exhausting it must be. I’m still amazed how they can be two people in the same costume, moving in a way that makes it look effortless.

The week after the Chinese New Year ended, I was invited to a “steam-boat” at one of my lab collegue’s house. Steamboat is when the food is cooked in a broth, and traditionally Singaporeans have this dish at the end of the Chinese New Year. The food was really good and I appreciated that they invited me to join!

Last week my family came to visit me. I took them around to show what I think are the best parts of Singapore. Unfortunately you can only do so much in 4 days, so I never got to show them everything that I would have liked to. However, I was really happy having them here and spending time with them.

Next Saturday it is time Biathlon Ashley and I have been training for. For that reason, we tried out a swim-run at the pool by our house earlier today. I’m still not sure how we’re going to make it next week, but as Ashley said earlier today the most important thing for us right now is not to win, but to actually finish the race. I’m very excited about the race, and I think the most important to remember on the actual day is just to have fun and enjoy it!

Hope to see you here again soon!

//Paulina

30 days in Singapore

by Paulina Werner | February 5, 2019 | 1 comment

Today I realized that I have been here in Singapore for 30 days already. I guess it is like they say that time flies when you are having fun and I have most certainly enjoyed my stay here in Singapore so far. I’ve spent a lot of time in the lab since the working hours here in Singapore are from 9.30-18, but I have also attended many different lectures and seminars. Many different aspects of neuroscience have been discussed at these seminars and lectures, which I have found to be very interesting and sometimes even eye opening. My supervisor Dr. Lim stated that he thinks it is good to explore different fields of research, not only your own and I couldn’t agree more. I think in order to be a good researcher, you have to try to see the bigger picture of things and get inspiration from other fields of research to apply to your own.
Moreover, two of the speakers at these seminars and lectures have been professors at the Karolinska Institute and it has been almost a bit ironic that I had the opportunity to meet them here and not in Sweden.

Last week my friend Aida came to visit me in Singapore, and we took the chance to go see Kuala Lumpur (also commonly called KL).
Many people warned me before I went to Malaysia that pickpocketing and robberies are common, but luckily we did not experience this side of KL. I did however feel less secure in KL compared to Singapore. Despite this I enjoyed my time is KL and I am happy I got the chance to go. Also, Aida and I were very lucky to have a personal guide, as one of the interns (Shee Man) in my lab just went home to KL and took some time to show us around, which was very much appreciated. It was very interesting to see the differences between Singapore and Malaysia. Despite these differences, there were many similarities between Singapore and Malaysia in terms of cuisine and culture. For instance, many of the dishes people have told me to try in Singapore come from Malaysia. If you want to go shopping however, Malaysia is the country to go to since most things were half price there compared to Singapore.

Yesterday was the start of the Chinese New Year’s celebration. Therefore, we had a Chinese new year’s lunch last week. It was very interesting to take part of this celebration and everyone really took the time to explain all the different parts of the traditions of the Chinese New Year, which I am very grateful for. For instance, we did a prosperity toss (yee sang). The different ingredients in this prosperity toss represent different things:

Fish – “abundance through the new year”
Pomelo or Lime – “Good luck and smooth sailing”
Pepper – “Attract wealth and treasures”
Oil – “Make 10 000 times of profit with your capital”
Carrots – “Good luck is approaching”
Shredded green radish – “Forever young”
Shredded white radish – “Reaching higher level with each step”
Peanut crumbs – “Household filled with gold and silver”
Sesame seeds – “Prosperity for the business”
Plum sauce – “May life always be sweet”
Deep-fired flour crisps – “Floor full of gold”

This dish is often served as part of a multi-dish dinner and it is served in steps by a leader amongst the diners or by the restaurant server. First, the ingredients that make up the base are served, and the person serving then proceeds to add the ingredients such as the fish, the crisps and the sauces. As the ingredients are added the person serving says “auspicious wishes”, typically related to the added ingredient. While this is done, all diners at the table stand up and proceed to toss once everything is added. Wishes are said a loud while tossing and the height of the toss is believed to reflect the height of the diners’ growth in fortunes. In other words, you should try to toss as high as you can.

Hope to see you here again soon and happy Chinese New Year!

//Paulina

5 things that I have learned about Singapore (so far)

by Paulina Werner | January 20, 2019 | 3 comments

It has been almost two weeks since my arrival in Singapore, which means that I have had some time to discover some things about this little country. To tell you more about it, I have written a list of 5 things I have learned about Singapore so far.

1. They have their own “language” and use “can” a lot
There are 4 official languages in Singapore (English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil, but there is also one inofficial “language” – Singlish. It is therefore not uncommon that Singaporeans will say “can”. As far as I have understood (please correct me if I’m wrong), this word is used to acknowledge that you can do something as if they were to say “I can do that”, “You can do that”, “It is possible to do that” or simply instead of “Sure”. It is also common, just like in Swedish, to say things twice – for instance “can can”. They can also combine “can” with “lah” or “leh” and it is common to use phrases like “can lah” or “can leh”
“Leh” is used when you are not sure about something and is used more like a question. An example is:
– When does the concert start?
– I don’t know leh. Aren’t you the one who booked the tickets?
They do sometimes also use “lor” or “sian” at the end of their sentences.
“Lor” holds a sense of resignation and finality when used at the end of a sentence. It can be used when there is nothing to do about a situation and one just has to move on. An example is:
– Why are you so sad?
– Because life happens, lor.
“Sian” is a word that is used when you are expecting boredom, lack of enthusiasm or are just tired of life. Basically this word can be used in a multitude of contexts. An example is:
– Time is passing by so slowly, sian.
Last, but not least, there is my favorite of them all – the phrase “die die must try”. Imagine that you have tried the best food you have ever had and you want to tell all your friends to try it out – then this is the phrase to use. An example is:
– I’m not kidding, this place has the best laksa I have ever tried. You die die must try!

2. Most of them do not cook
In Singapore, eating out is pretty cheap. There are plenty of restaurants that could fit any budget, so if you don’t like to cook you basically do not have to. In the food courts I have been to so far the prices range from 2-8 sgd (13-53 kr) and most dishes are around 5-6 sgd (33-40 kr). If you want even cheaper options, you could go to one of the many Hawker centers. Since Singapore is such a small country, most of the food at the supermarket is imported. For this reason, the prices for certain items in the supermarket are higher then what they would be in for instance Sweden. Also, when cooking at home there’s a risk of getting an invasion of red ants, which are very hard to get rid of. Therefore, it is most of the time more convenient for people in Singapore to eat out.

3. The law against not wearing clothes around the house makes sense
In Singapore there is a law that states that you can’t walk around in your house without clothes if there is a risk that someone could see you. That is basically any room that has windows. Before my arrival I thought this law was a bit peculiar. However, since I got here I’ve noticed that due to the heat, everyone has both doors and windows open at all times (or most of the time anyway). This means that it might be uncomfortable for your neighbours if one were to walk around the house naked. For this reason, I think this law actually makes sense.

4. You will get fined if you eat or drink on the subway or at the station
Singapore is a very clean country and there are very strict laws about littering. In order to have less risk of littering in the subway or at the MRT stations, they have a rule of not allowing people to eat or drink on the subway or at the station. If you do so, you will have to pay a fine of 500 sgd (3.320 kr). So, if you like to have a coffee in the morning while you travel, you should reconsider this habit. Most Singaporeans buy a cup of coffee once they arrive at the station they are going to and there is always a long line to the closest coffee shop.

5. If there is a queue, that is a sign of something good
People in Singapore like to queue, just like Swedes. If you see people queuing there is probably something good that they are waiting for. When I first got here I got the advice to just start queuing as soon as I saw a queue, since there is most likely something good at the front of the line. So if you have a hard time deciding what to eat in the food court, just look for the queue and you will most likely find something good!

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post and I hope to see you here again soon!

//Paulina