A valuable-hard life for success
Hello, my name is Rika (complete name: Rika Rifana Sari). Unlike Japanese name, I don't have family name on it. I am Indonesian. My hometown is West Sumatera, in Sumatera Island, one of big islands in Indonesia . I came to Japan in 2005, to study under Biotechnology English Course Program, Dept. of Biotechnology, Grad. School of Engineering, Osaka University. Today the name of the program is International Program of Frontier Biotechnology. I got the granted from Japanese government (Monbukagakusho scholarship). Now I am in my 2nd year of PhD program.
Coming to Japan and study biotechnology is something I never imagined before. From internet, I got the information, and then I just said to my self: “Why don't I challenge my self for this? Study in Japan is outrageous!”. Japan is one of role-model country for technology. I don't know about biotechnology (my basic is pharmaceutical). But I want to give a try. I am sure there is nothing that can't be studied. So, I started to introduce my self to Prof. KOBAYASHI Akio, and he recommended me. Thanks God. I chose his lab simply in my mind: I like working with plant (as if I worked with plant in my undergrad). Now my research theme is about the effect of lights on plant secondary metabolites.
Experiencing 2 years in Master degree here, almost made me give up. I felt hard (I think nobody will feel it easy). All of them are very new for me. This is not something as easy and simple as I thought before. I graduated from Dept. of Pharmacy, University of Indonesia. Then I am also a master degree holder in management. What a different background. However, I realized, this is the way I chose 3 years ago. Imagined how many people out there couldn't get the blissful chance as I have now. Coming with new spirit, I start to enjoy my life as biotechnology PhD candidate. When I got stress, I will do my hobby: baking. This is a hard life, but this is valuable. Just enjoy it! And you will see, once again, you will graduate from one path of your life. (Rika, 2008)