Dr. Thet Thet Htar Farewell Party, 28 March 2009

Dr. Thet Thet Htar teaches Medicinal Chemistry as well as Organic Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy. She has been teaching UCSI University students for more than 5 years (will double check) and has been consistent in delivering the best to the students. For most of us, we really grateful that she is the one who bring the world of medicinal chemistry to us. None can beat her in terms of knowledge and expertise in chemical structure, structure activity relationship and chemical mechanism of action. She is simply the great and the marvelous. During each lecture session, she never failed to deliver the content precisely with cheerful smile and humours. Besides, she emphasized a lot in understanding the lecture and ability to explain in our own words when given only chemical structure. In addition, she provides us adequate tutorials to train as well as to improve our understanding. As we all know, chemical structure involving drugs are too complex and involve mutlti rings or branchings. One should really appreciate her hard work in drawing each of the structure using the computer. She will spend time in doing the drawing as well as the tutorial questions for each topic she had taught.

The saddest thing to announce is that she is leaving us. SOB. She will be teaching in new place, the Monash University. What a great loss to all of us, be it the students as well as other lecturers. Her never ending smile had never failed to cheer you back and her soft tone of voice can really sweeten your heart. However, during class session, she used to project her voice loudly than normal. During the class session, she loves to call our name at certain point of time. When we do not know the answers, we will look at her and she will do so back and starts to smile and laugh alone. Even during halfway in lecture session, she can laugh out of sudden when something small matter stimulates her. Want to hear something even sadden us? Mr. Jony, the man beside Dr. Thet had left us even earlier. You can check my previous post to read on. Why all the good lectuerers left the university?

She taught us Organic Chemistry in Year 1. She is expert in ring structure. There was one time when we do our lab session, we were unable to locate her in the lab. When she is in her lab coat and mixes around with us also in lab coat, one can hardly identify where she is. Physically, she is quite tiny and when she mixes around with us, she looks like our friend rather than a lecturer.

All the tutorials hand in to her will be returned in an appropriate manner. For unknown reasons, I used to get extra written notes from her after marking my tutorial papers. As such, I would like to thank her very much.

Arhh... look at her cheerful face! Whenever we have a problem, she will never fail to help us and guide us till we understand. Although, she always ask us to read the Medicinal Chemistry textbook, I guess none or majority will not do so. Reading medicinal chemistry textbook is a very boring and unpleasant event. Haha. She recommended us to buy Graham Patrick textbook and we did but I don't think we used it as frequent as we should. (maybe less than 10 times) Reading her lecture notes is good enough but we only need to find references book to do her challenging tutorials questions.

I will always remembered her for calling my name wrongly repeatedly. She hardly pronounce Chinese name correctly and most of the time, she prefer to call an English name. I guess many of us have many new names given by her. For my case, I do not know who started it first who told her my nickname is Stephen. I guess she did not hear it properly and my nasty friends are suggesting Stephanie, Steven and many more in which she end up call me 'STEVE'. Haha. There was once when I went to see her at her staffroom discussing about tutorial question, an ANT crawled in front of us. A normal reaction for normal people will simply press the creature down. When I do so, she was like screaming and asked me why did I kill it? She looked sad after that and I had been a killer in front of her. Haha. Looks how loving she is. Haha.

How can we ever forget her? Without her, we know nothing about chemical structure, SAR and so on. Without her, we will just read and memorize the structure and SAR without having the capability to deduce it by our own. Without her, our brain is so empty and will just choose to ignore medicinal part like now.

*Above pictures were taken before the farewell party so that we can print a class photo and give her together with a photo frame as token of remembrance to her. Photos credit to Meng Fai. Below is the actual farewell day. Pictures taken using my own digital camera.

She gives us a big heart. In return, we gave her these cute, tasty cupcakes specially ordered for her. These 12 cupcakes cost Rm 50 but money just cannot substitute how deep our love to her.

The party began with a slide presentation showing her photos with the students. The slide was a bit touching and sentimental that made her run out from the classroom and went to the washroom I supposed to continue her sobbing. She never returned after that till we need someone to calm her and to escort her back to the classroom. When her condition was stabilized, we proceed to the next activity. A farewell card signed by all of us and a present were being presented to her by our class rep, JY. She really felt touched and was about to sob again.

She unwrapped the wrapper of the present carefully with her usual slow speed. Up to a point, she just can't resist with the warming farewell party we organised to her. Look at her happy face which later turned sad when she saw the group photo taken earlier being framed up.

Next, we asked to her to open the farewell card. Aiks..once she saw the touching wordings written by us, she waited no more to express out her touched feelings by crying. For a soft and sentimental person like her, such wonderful treatment was just irresistible. And guess what.. my fellow friends joined along. I must tell you one thing which is it is not easy for a lecturer that will make her students cry for her. And I must honestly tell you that I was deeply saddened with her leaving and even when I am writing this post, my eyes are watery.

Fellow mates were also irresistible in controlling their emotion. Every meeting will have an ending. (is that correct phrase) That is the nature of life that is unavoidable. What we can do is to immortalize the great moments we have been gone through during these 3 years into our memory.

After the tearful events, we then proceed to the sort of luxurious lunch. Credits must be given to Yueh Teng and her teams in preparing all these foods earlier in the morning. Some even stayed at her house.

Hungry mates!~ The ladies. Can I ask which group out of these three score better? Haha.. or this one? Smile..everyone smile..

It was me with Dr. Thet & Dr. Nala. Since it was on Saturday, only few lecturers were on duty. Dr. Nala, Dr. Loga and Miss Priya came along to celebrate her farewell together with us.

The power puff girls of my classmates~

While some were busy digging information with Dr. Thet (experience sharing including families topics), I spent most of the time taking photos around while some others focusing on their lunch. Haha. I had no idea what I did at the bottom pic that made everyone laughing towards my right direction.

Picture of the day! We will always miss you Dr. Thet!!!!!