How marine natural product students struggle in their life

Hi guys, people out there who are struggling with chemistry or related field especially about absolute configurations. Well, I would say the hardest part of (marine) natural product research is defining absolute configurations.

Base on my knowledge, here, the estimation time of natural product researchers need:
1. Sampling, the longest time that needed is about 1 month. Well, make it simple, I would say 1 day is enough for us to take samples.
2. Extraction, there are several methods that people use for extractions, one of them is maceration. Let say we can get crude extract in 2 days.
3. Purification, several chromatography steps are used to get pure materials. The method that usually basically used are open column chromatography, PTLC (conventional technique, you are recommended to use this method if only your is tiny amount, otherwise no way), and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). To get pure compounds, at least it takes 1 week to 1 month.
4. Spectrometer analysis. The data at least we need to get to elucidate structures are 1D and 2D NMR, mass, FTIR, specific rotation, and UV absorption. Basically you need those data are just to confirm that your structure is right. Usually time that you need to define the planar structure with those data is 1 day (for known compound) to 2 months (new compound, depend on structure's profile).

Those are steps usually natural product researchers need to get compounds. We need at least 3 weeks to get planar structure. we can say that it is quite fast, with in 3 weeks we can get at least 1 compound, what if 1 year in which there are 48 weeks, by mean at least we can identify planar structure at least 16 compounds. Can you imagine what if we make those compounds to be a published paper? Great, we can be a excellent researcher easily, but the reality is nope! That is only roughly estimation of compounds that we can elucidate.

The misery is not gonna be ended smoothly like that just by elucidating planar structure. There is another hell that you should go through. why do I say "misery or hell"? the answer is because this step is really breath taking, time consuming, and sometime make you so that desperate, but you have to survive instead because it should be cleared otherwise you can not publish it! Especially for those PhD students, I know guys, it's not easy for us, LOL. I have to publish two papers internationally recognized as first author during my PhD. The step that I mean is determination of absolute configuration of your compounds. Hell naaaah! it is like you are about 10% ahead to finish your project but you got your self stuck in nowhere. You want to cry, but you can't, you want to work hard but you don't know what to do, you want to sleep but you can't, and time flies LOL! That is me!

Now, I am struggling on defining the absolute configurations of my new compounds, you know? it's been almost 1 year I try to solve. Ways that I've been through such as synthesis, degradation on my new compounds, calculations and etc, but you see that is not an easy thing. It sucks guys! LOL

Well. I have no choice, I should do it and solve the problems. For all PhD students out there, let's fight and publish them, LOL! Never be so that desperate, sometime we just need to be smacked right in the face to realize that we can do more than what we thought! Ganbatte for us!Good luck guys!

Respect each other

As human, there should be a humanity.
Well, we can not live alone in this world, we need friends sometimes even though you are strong, smart, energetic person or whatever you are, we are human.
Rich or poor, black or white, curly or straight, muslim or christian or hindu or budha, we are the same one, human, just respect each other and treat other the way you wanna be treated regardless they are different from you.

It such a breathtaking when you see someone treat another people so carelessly, even though you are rich, smart or whatever you are, that can never be right. Who knows our future? it could be you are their slave or some thing or may be in the future they gain success more than you now. Hello, if we can dive to future, and see what would happen, you may regret with the bad things that you do now. I am just saying, Life, who knows? God knows.

Well guys, I am not telling you, but it is also a note for me, just sharing. I want to be treated well, so I have to treat other well. I guess it does make a sense, in chemistry we have such a nice words "dissolve like dissolve" it does refer to polarity and non polarity, polar compounds can be dissolved in polar solvent and the same thing for non polar compounds can be dissolved in nonpolar solvent. If you do a good thing then you will surrounded by good things, and it also happens when you do a bad thing, you will automatically surrounded by bad things.

I am so irritated when some of my friends in FB or IG or twitter write/post a negative status or comment. I just feel like, who the h*ll are you pointing to? is it me or somebody else? If you have your private problems, please solve it with the person you have problem with, not by saying on social media. If you want to share something good, fun, informative, supportive, I would really appreciate it, but not with negativity. I just don't want to let one useless status/comment ruins my day, I just want to fill my day with positiveness and enthusiastic. Let's start our day with something positive and respect, it is not only for your self but also people around you.

I said that "treat people the way you want to be treated", I have one story. My Prof has a flower garden in our campus, he takes care of the flowers, I guess he really likes the garden. Every day he is watering the garden except rainy day. One day, he had to go abroad for scientific meeting. Before he left us, he did not say anything about his garden, though he was watering the garden before he left. After he arrived, he sent me message in very polite words (you know that he is my Professor, he could ask me anything related to academic, research or campus) but it was surprising me when my Professor asked me with that very polite words to watering his garden, I just did not know how to reply his message, but I did my best to be more polite to him. You know the essence of this short story, now matter how expert he is, he still respects me as a human. Actually my Professor has been so much inspiring me, he is one of my inspirations. I just want to be a better woman, and let's be a better person than ever together guys!

I hope this can inspire you also, stop to hate, and start to love..
love you guys....

"Cologne" of Selena's new song comment

Hi guys, it may out of science or knowledge or something but it just about what happening right about now, fun!
I just can't help my self to write a review on Selena's album "revival", there you go...

Do you know that Selena Gomez's album "Revival" has been coming out since October last year?

The first single from this album is "same old love", first time I heard the song it was "ummm, well, easy listening" but the more I listen to it I feel like "um, I like it, she sounds different and getting mature, I'm impressed of her improvement, I was like who the hell Selena and I didn't like her voice and music, I mean I was just saying and not about to judge her, I just didn't like who she was without hatred." I've seen she sang this song in AMA 2015, wow her voice was awesome, so much different, I guess she just moved on from her comfort zone, she killed it man!

The second single is "hands to my self", the reactions of people about this song that they are in love with this song, the official video shows her sexy side and the voice is really awesome. My impression of this song was "omg, the beat is so good, kind of sexy beat, but I dont really like the official video, it just doesnt make sense for me, why do you have to to be naked, you have good music and voice already, I guess you can make your official video without showing your naked body, like Taylor, she didnt do it but she got million viewers and her song always hits. I am just saying but it's just up to her, after all Im so in love with her album.

I hope the 3rd single will be "cologne", I like the music and lyrics, her voice fits with the music, she is just like master piece in it. Anyway, the album is so amazing, I like it and I hope it will be her 3rd single, hope coming out soon, I'm so excited to see her official video.

Well, she is about to have world tour in 2016, if you are one of her fans you should not miss it. If you like her music and want to hear her music, it is available on iTune, grab and enjoy it, it's very recommended (she didnt pay me at all, Im just saying LOL).

There is a short story that last time when I went to shopping, I heard Selena's song was played in one of department store, Wow it was surprising me that everyone so that update with music, LOL!

How do you get driving license in Japan?

Driving in Japan...

I would say it is another survival way in Japan, it is awesome that you can drive in Japan like on your own.

It is highly recommended for you guys who want to stay in Japan and have your own driving license here, neither car license nor motorcycle license. There are two ways to get your license, first, if you have your driving license in your country, you can just transfer or translate it into Japanese license. In this case, there are two condition, if your country license are internationally recognized you do not have to take test, you just need to translate it in Japanese license, but if your country are not recognized you should take another driving test here and then after you passed, you can get the license. There should be bold that the test it self is not easy, I am really telling you, at least you can pass after 2 or more test depend on your "ability" (take it seriously). Second, if you do not have your license in your country, you should have test in police driving station or something. There are two tests, first is written test and after you passed, you have got another second test, driving test (the hardest part of test in your entire life LOL :D, I said so because I made it after 8 times test with in almost 6 months, the test it self was taken once in two weeks). Anyway, after you passed those two tests you are not going to get your license hahahhahahahha. Another test should be done to make sure are you really can be trusted to drive in Japan. You should take another class and another driving test in driving school. The class that I took was emergency class, wow it was so interesting for me, I was thought how to help people on accident in this country. I recommend you to take license in Japan, not for your happy riding but for your experience how hard you will get it and how happy when you get it. After you did those classes, then you can get your driving license in Japan. Congratulation guys for you who did it, and if you have not passed the tests, good luck! we've been there guys hahahhahaha :D

Well, I have been living in Okinawa, Japan for three years and I just got my driving license last year on August. Now, I can go anywhere easily but it is strongly prohibited to drive under alcohol or drugs influences, not only endanger your self but also other people, so respect your license and other people.

I hope it can help you.
Good luck guys....

Some sea weeds that you definitely can find in Okinawa

Hi guys, do you like sea weeds? some sea weeds are edible and some are not. In Japan there are various foods are made contain sea weeds or we call it "Nori" such as onigiri, sushi roll, and some "bento" food (packaged lunch box). Not only that, we also can find some snacks with nori taste, it sound weird right? but you know it taste good. Rather than good in taste, nori also has been known as a source of bio active compounds which is good for your body.

Well, I am also doing research on sea weed, but so I am not really sure that I like sea weeds because sometime it feels fishy, but you know it is conditionally depend on how it was cooked hihihihihi...

Here some sea weeds that I can find in Okinawan beach, well I took pictures while I did sampling and I am gonna share it with you. As you know, there is a season for sea weeds to grow, in Okinawa sea weed bloom can be spot on March to late May, but I guess it depends on where the sea weeds live, we can find sea weed in Indonesia in entire year. Wow what a lucky Indonesia!!!

Here it goes.......

Some shoots around University of the Ryukyus

Somehow, I just open my old draft and I found this. actually these pictures I collected about 2 years ago, but it is worth it tho. I just feel want to post it as another memories of my adventure in this University.

Please have a look on same nice parts of this University, hope you like it and can feel it as something beautiful and natural awesomeness.

Pic.1 I am not sure what this is, but it is some kind of memorial when this university was created. It looks so natural with sakura trees surrounding. I guess it is better for me to take the picture on sakura blossom but let say it is fine tho.

Pic.2 We have pond in the middle of campus and we can enjoy it so much or just to refresh your mind it is good for you to see or hear water (a book said so), so for students who have a lot of things to do and you got stuck in the middle of life, this is another way just to fresh your hectic mind.

Pic.3 You also can spot some organisms around here, such as various of birds, turtle, giant cat fish and "habu" which somehow poison snack can be spot.

Pic.4 Another side seeing of ponds. Some people enjoy jogging around campus especially you can run beside this pond, but please pay attention on snack.

Pic.5 Dry leaf that I can find around the pond.

Pic.6 Another entrance of the university (south gate) by pedestrians.

Pic.7 Another entrance of the university (south gate) by pedestrians.

Pic.8 some trees around campus.

Pic.9 Nice trees and grasses, they are organized very well.

Pic.10 Black stem tree.

Happy new year 2016

Happy new year 2016!!!!
New year, and new us!
May happy, love, positive and success always be with us.
Stop hate and spread love!