Hello, my name is Kim! I'm happy to claim a little corner of my own in the World Wide Web. I love to blog about tips, reviews, ideas, and the little memories out of my life. 
Butt Samples for Microbio Lab!
April 22, 2012 @ 9:17 am
To be honest, I hate carrying novels to school. They add a little weight to my bag and I despise getting the cover or corners of my book bent!!! But this quarter is my last one of college and I don't really need to bring much to school anymore so I'm okay with carrying a book. I have to read a novel for extra credit for one of my classes. I'm so glad I can bring a novel to school now – it helps so much during down-times and I've read way more than I would at home.
The novel I'm reading for class is called, The Immoral Life of Henrietta Lacks. She was an African-American woman who died of cancer, but a doctor harvested her cells before she died without her knowledge or consent (this was when African-Americans were still segregated from Whites) and her cancer cells ended up being the first "immortal cell line" for humans. The cells were used for cancer research and helped scientists discover vaccines. The book focuses on Henrietta's life and family, and looks into the issue of how immoral it was to use her cells without asking or informing her.
Microbiology lab has been interesting. For the entire class, we are mostly working with bacteria cells from our own bodies. That means we'll be isolating and culturing our own bacteria for like ten weeks! And yes, we had to do the infamous "anal swab" where we take a sterile cotton swab, stick it up our butts in the bathroom, and put it on petri dishes to grow bacteria from the intestinal tract. Haha, it was very awkward.
And let me tell you, bacteria cultures can smell really bad! Our skin isolated bacteria smelled like rotten feet, seriously! Bleeeck. 
Oh yeah! I am entering the giveaway for a Yonanas machine! If you haven't eaten a frozen banana before, it's delicious. Tastes like a creamy, banana-flavored (duh) popsicle. I've never tried making frozen bananas into the consistency of soft serve ice cream (don't have the right equipment), so the Yonanas machine seems awesome. If you would like to enter the giveaway, check out this link!
Ice cream always makes it better »
What you guys are doing in microbiology sounds fun. Disgustingly fun. I imagine bacteria grows quickly from the intestinal track… If I'd heard of this sooner, I would have done an anal swab for my biology project. Frozen banana sounds tasty. I love banana tempura (kind of irrelevant, but I thought you'd like to know).
I chose the theme death for my birthday because I thought it was deep poetical and beautiful. I think it's awesome that my dads a twin. My uncle moved to Saudi Arabia. He will visit us every 10 months, but hes residence is now there.
April 22nd, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Anal swab!?! Oh geez! To be honest, I don't think I ever knew such a thing existed. Just like everyone else, I'm not comfortable with the idea of putting anything in my butt, and would probably end up failing in that class of your's 'cause I would most likely chicken out for butt swab-action!
Regardless, it still sounds very…interesting haha.
That novel sounds pretty cool so far. I'm not a big book reader, but I'll definitely look this one up. :)
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April 22nd, 2012 at 6:35 pm
I'm currently taking a contemporary fiction class so I always need a novel for that class, which is such a pain. I love reading, but I hate lugging my books around school – especially my fat ones. I'm just like you in the fact that I hate for the corners or pages to be bent, which it always happens when I bring them to school. Such a pain. :P
Oh my, an anal swab sounds really awkward indeed. I honestly wouldn't want to look too closely at anything that came out of my butt, haha.
I love bananas! I've never had a frozen one before, I've never even really thought about it. I'm going to have to try that now!
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April 25th, 2012 at 8:42 pm
I absolutely LOVE biology… was one of my favorite subjects in school
What you're doing sounds a liiiiiittle on the gross side, but I wouldn't care, lol, I'm weird like that I guess.
Bacteria cultures don't sound like anything I would be interested in doing, though, if it really does smell that bad. I'll take your word for it, especially with that little emote that you used.
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April 27th, 2012 at 8:58 am
I dunno if we do that at our school but thats pretty interesting. But its cool that you're culturing stuff. It's like the most valuable skill in Biology. Gotta know how to culture stuff. =)
May 2nd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
HAHHAHA what a funny title for a blog!
Oooh that novel sounds interesting. I carry a book when I don't have to, to try to force myself to read more often… doesnt ever happen!
May 5th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
The book seems really interesting. Maybe in the future one of our professors will let us read that for extra credits too. Btw, I am taking up BS Medical Technology and we will have MicroBio in the future as well. Any tips? :) I am kind of doubtful about it. >.<
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May 6th, 2012 at 12:32 am
Frozen banana tastes nothing like what you're imagining if you think it sounds nasty haha :)
May 9th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
To be honest, I was really nervous about it myself. I was thinking of perhaps just saying I wasn't comfortable with it and not doing it, but everyone did it so I figured it wasn't that bad. And it really wasn't, it's not like I stuck a ten foot pole up the pooper (LOL I'm sorry TMI I KNOW). (Remember, it was like a Q-tip, so nothing crazy!)
It made me realize that college is pretty cool in that everyone is at least some degree of mature and we all are just doing it for science. Do it and get it over with type of mentality :) I think in HS there would be a lot of us backing out of something and making up excuses.
May 9th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Frozen banana is very popular at fairs! Definitely try it :)
May 9th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
No worries, it smelled bad but I have a bit of a weak stomach sometimes when it comes to smells. Not all bacteria cultures smell either, it really does depend!
May 9th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
True, I'm glad I learned how to culture stuff in college before I graduate and leave :)
May 9th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
It's true, carrying a book around really does make you read more often…but in your case I guess not…lol! Try forcing yourself to read when you've got down time like waiting for your next class or while eating or something!
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May 9th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Ahh, microbio! It varies among the different kinds of professors out there, but if your class is anything like mine, I recommend you really pay attention in lecture and understand/memorize everything they say! It really really helps to understand WHY stuff happens. That way on the test it's so much easier to just reason it out and get your answer.
If you ever take microbio lab I recommend you definitely practice sterile techniques to avoid any contamination, and always get a second opinion if you can! Little cells can look so similar!
May 9th, 2012 at 4:17 pm