Saturday, April 30, 2005

Something I've known all along





You Are 40% Normal

(Somewhat Normal)






While some of your behavior is quite normal...

Other things you do are downright strange

You've got a little of your freak going on

But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself



The Golden Age

Went to Sainsbury's in the afternoon for some shopping. The usual. When I was at the checkout counter I noticed an elderly couple behind me with a cartful of shopping items. I smiled as I watched them unload their shopping onto the counter, but I was stopped short by the wife, who was reprimanding her husband for not doing it properly (you know...dry foodstuff together, frozen items in one lot, etc etc..). She kept going on and on and even scolded him when the french loaf fell on the floor. During the whole ordeal, the husband just kept quiet, not a cross word escaped his lips.

I fought the urge to come to his defence. There he was, helping with the shopping, unloading the cart (how many men actually do that?), only to be nagged at. I actually felt like telling her to be nicer to her husband.

Do excuse me for my impertinent intentions. I have a soft spot for kind elderly men (not in the twisted way, of course).

My favourite type of patient is the elderly. I've met quite a few of the elderly men, who mischievously winked at me during ward rounds, and shared their stories from the 'good old days'. I adore the ladies, some of them are lovely to the core. Their eyes always light up when they see you come for a chat, always insisting that you visit them when they've been discharged.

That's how I plan to be when I'm old. Mild tempered, very nice to everyone, never complaining about anything. And whoever I grow old with, I hope that I'll never nag him just because he doesn't place the grocery items in groups.

As I was walking back from Sainsbury's, I saw another elderly couple, the husband with a walking stick in one hand and holding his wife in the other.

Life is beautiful after all...

Friday, April 29, 2005

You know you're watching a Malay movie when....

Hahahah....I love this one.....

You know you're watching a Malay movie when....
======================================

1.The hero looks too old to be a 20 years old biker (read: Rosyam Noor in KL Menjerit), the heroin looks too 'Erra Fazira' (Wait a minute. It is Erra Fazira celluloid invasion!) and the mother of the hero looks too underaged to be a mother.

2. To resolve matters of the heart, the venue of choice is always at the beach. The girl, with a pair of fake Gucci sunglasses on her head, will occupy the space under one coconut tree, while the boy will take an adjacent one. They will refer to themselves as 'I' and 'You', and the scene will climax with the girl's face streaked with tears 'You beritahu I sekarang, you masih cintakan I ke tidak', and the boy will run his hand through his hair (An expression of Malay angst, described by the word, 'frust menonggeng'). Oh yeah, they will then spend 10 minutes bellowing some sappy-romantic tunes on the top of their lungs even when the passerby are ogling curiously.

3. On the deathbed, the terminally-ill will tend to see the light, especially when surrounded by those who he or she has wronged. There will always be time to beg forgiveness from everyone (full grammatically-correct sentence, mind you) before the last breath is exhaled, usually reserved for the all-important mengucap(repentance), which is the definitive sign of insaf (konon-kononnya lah)

4. At the hospital, a doctor will always be ambushed by anxious relatives,who will ask: 'Bagaimana keadaan dia sekarang, doktor?'.The doctor will look serious and tentative (most of the time, looks too dodgy to become a doc) maybe sigh a bit, before finally replying, 'Keadaan dia stabil.Tetapi dia perlu banyak berehat.' The doctor will also be carrying a clipboard.

5. The hero can gasp in awe looking at Sepang F1 Circuit, KLIA and The Petronas Twin Towers as he had just realized how developed Malaysia is after studying abroad for 7 years. (read: Cinta Kolestrol). Ever heard of Internet, Yusry? Pathetic.

6. Rendezvous/date is carried out at some dim-litted coffee house or fancy restaurant and the only drink you and your partner will order is orange juice. Other drinks like sirap limau or teh tarik are not classy enough. Somehow during the conversation, you will sip your drink bit by bit but never finish it all in gusto.

7. The boss of a company sits at his desk, usually writing longhand notes. There is no laptop nor computer on his desk. There are many ring files at the cabinet behind him. To show how important he is in the company, when he leaves his office, he tells his secretary, 'Kalau orang telefon, cakap saya ada appointment dengan Tan Sri/Dato'/Tengku. Bimbo looking secretary
would smile sheepishly while playing with her chemically damaged hair.

8. Only baddies, like delinquents and drug peddlers go to nightclubs. The only good people in nightclubs are undercover policemen.

9. Brain tumours are cancers of choice, because sufferers get dizzy and tend to faint melodramatically. Cervical and breast cancer are like, you know, private. As for lung, colon and testicular cancer, they're just not as aesthetic on those CAT scans as the ghostly cerebral ones.

10. Hari Raya is the best time for character transformations. The sound ofthe Aidilfitri prayer call on Hari Raya morning is enough to send drug addicts, glue sniffers, drunkards, adulterers, street gang members and girls who wear too much make up into depths of remorse. Unbelievable, isn't it?

11. There is always a Tan Sri/Dato' Sri/ Dato'/ Tengku...and their children are the stereotypical "anak Dato'" complete with accent and bitchy attitute.
H

Thursday Therapy....

I live for Thursdays. It's the best day of the week because the day after that would be Friday, which would lead to the weekend. It's also the best time to sit back and reflect on what had been going on throughout the week, and still have one more day to do things if need be.

But best of all, it's because when I wake up in the morning, I know that I'd be able to switch my computer on and download the Naruto Episode of the week.

Watched Episode 132. As usual, it stopped at the most crucial part.

Arrrgghhh kenapela diorang suka buat camtu????

Just have to wait for next Thursday then...

Next Monday is Bank Holiday Monday! Can't wait for the weekend!!

Think I'll call home. Wonder how Azureen is doing?

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Tuesdays with Morrie....

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Tuesdays with Morrie : an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson
by Mitch Albom

To tell the truth, I'm a cynic. Sad movies don't usually move me; beautiful words make me smile and at most, give me a sense of dull ache in my heart. None had been able to make me cry.

I bought 'Tuesdays with Morrie' because a friend recommended it. Read a couple of pages at the bookstore, and it was interesting enough, so I made my purchase.

I expected a good read; but I didn't expect it to affect me so much. To my surprise, I actually cried.

Twenty years after graduating from college, Mitch Albom (the author) discovered that his favourite professor, Morris Schwartz, was diagnosed with ALS (amoytrophic lateral sclerosis). They were reunited, meeting on Tuesdays and during the last months of his life Morris taught Mitch the most valuable lessons regarding life...and facing death.

Most of his words rang true. In my life, that is. Thinking about death makes you wonder about so many things: 'Am I ready to die?', 'Have I been a good person?', 'Will anyone think of me after I'm gone?'

My favourite lesson : The Sixth Tuesday : We Talk about Emotions

(excerpt from the book)
"..by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only then you can say, 'All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach myself from that emotion for a moment.

...I thought about how often this (detachment) was needed in everyday life. How we feel lonely, sometimes to the point of tears, but we don't let those tears come becuse we are not supposed to cry. Or how we feel a surge of love for a partner but we don't say anything because we're frozen with the fear of what those words might do to the relationship.

Morrie's approach was exactly the opposite. Turn on the faucet. Wash yourself with the emotion. It won't hurt you. It will only help..."

I wonder if what he wrote is true. That fear of saying too much to a loved one is something I know very well. After reading the book, there is another fear that keeps playing on my mind : The fear of not being able to let the other person know your true feelings, should there come a time when it would be too late to do so.

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Woman in Black

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Saw Woman in Black at Fortune Theatre today. QM Msian Society organized it, went with a few juniors and friends. For those who haven't watched it, I suggest you do so.

It scared me quite a bit. More than a bit, actually. It scared me enough to make me feel silly about myself. It was a 2-man play (not including the Woman in Black of course). But it was fantastic. Absolutely spine-chilling.

Nope, I won't tell you the storyline. That would spoil the whole thing.

I still have the image of the Woman in Black in my mind...I confess, my imagination ran away with me quite a bit when I was in the shower. It was sort of Woman-in-Black-meet-Psycho kind of thing. Not very pleasant.

Gonna hunt for the book (it was adapted from Susan Hill's novel of the same name)....

Speaking of books, I bought 'Tuesdays with Morrie' by Mitch Albom. Will let u know what happens.....

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Anime marathon....and other things...

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Shin Hann (my supplier of movies, especially Japanese anime) struck again 3 nights ago. He said "Hani, you should watch Full Metal Alchemist, it's damn chun, you can download from me". And I thought "Great...that's it..I'm done for.."

So that was my activity for 2 nights and a day (Wed night, Thursday, Thurs night). I watched 51 episodes of Full Metal Alchemist, stopping only for essentials (e.g. bathing, eating, sleeping...not much sleep, though). Didn't have clinical attachments on Thursday (hence the all-day watching nothing but FMA). Came in today morning with red eyes, as if I'd spent the whole night studying (hahahahah!). Well actually, I looked as if I was on weed or sth.

But it was worth it. Boy, it was worth it.

FMA isn't like Naruto (which is another obsession of mine at the moment), the story line is a bit on the heavy side but it still has its light moments. What I love abt Japanese anime is that in all of them (the ones I've seen la) there's that heart-warming camaraderie among the characters and they teach you the value of friendship, courage, determination...that sort of thing.

My, my. Here I am, writing my two cents' worth of opinion about Japanese anime....

Do excuse me, it's just that I've turned to animes for my feel-good moments out of reality world. Can't take anymore American movies (a few years ago Independence Day was one of the best feel-goods, now I can't bear the sight of it....I've grown cynical I suppose...)

Neways, apart from that life's pretty normal. I just realized that I've impulsively borrowed no less than 8 library books but I've not opened any one of them. That's another crazy hobby of mine. I love borrowing books from the Medical Library, I'd just grab what I think I'd use or need - a bit like shopping, actually, only much cheaper - only to return them again when they've reached the maximum renewal limit in the same condition as when I borrowed them i.e. unread.

Oh well, consider them as lifting weights. Who says I don't do my bit of physical activity? *winks*

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

When I should be studying....

Advanced Global Personality Test Results
Extraversion33%
Stability66%
Orderliness70%
Empathy63%
Interdependence30%
Intellectual63%
Mystical56%
Artistic43%
Religious76%
Hedonism16%
Materialism36%
Narcissism50%
Adventurousness43%
Work ethic43%
Self absorbed56%
Conflict seeking36%
Need to dominate63%
Romantic56%
Avoidant56%
Anti-authority50%
Wealth56%
Dependency16%
Change averse56%
Cautiousness63%
Individuality63%
Sexuality36%
Peter pan complex36%
Physical security63%
Food indulgent50%
Histrionic10%
Paranoia50%
Vanity56%
Hypersensitivity50%
Female cliche56%
Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com
Stability results were moderately high which suggests you are relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.
Orderliness results were high which suggests you are overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense too often of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun.
Extraversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.
trait snapshot:
secretive, organized, clean, rarely worries, solitary, high self control, dislikes large parties, prefers organized to unpredictable, prudent, observer, tough, self reliant, very good at saving money, introverted, perfectionist, mind over heart, not controlling of others, hard working, confident, resolute, solitary, does not make friends easily, finisher, does not like to stand out, very practical, intellectual, unsympathetic at times, honest, respects authority, follows the rules, cautious
****************************************
This is what I do. I blog-hop and go to interesting links ppl have. So I did the personality test. Funny, I seem more impressive in writing. Wish I met that side of myself....unfortunately, I've never seen me in that light before...

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

The power of persuasion....

'All the privilege I claim for my own sex...is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.'
~Anne Elliot, Persuasion~

I recently bought BBC's Persuasion online, it's the dramatization of Jane Austen's book of the same name. It wasn't as long as Pride and Prejudice (which plays for 6 hours); it's only about 100 minutes but it captured Austen's book perfectly.

Of all Jane Austen's books, I had always loved Pride and Prejudice best, but now I'm persuaded to think - excuse the pun - that Persuasion ranks just as high in my esteem. While P&P is all bright and sparkling - NO ONE can escape the charms of Elizabeth Bennet - Persuasion was written in a more subdued manner, which is not surprising, since it was written by a more mature and wiser Austen, the last completed novel before she passed away. Anne Elliot is almost too good, although not sickeningly nor infuriatingly so.

The storyline? Seven years before the events in the novel took place Anne Elliot, second daughter of Sir Walter Elliot turned down the proposals of Captain Wentworth after being advised to do so by her most intimate friend, Lady Russell, despite her very strong attachment towards the gentleman. Persuasion tells the events that occurred when they were once again thrown into each other's paths, and as the story unfolded, each found that the other still harboured strong feelings, after years of agony and disappointment for one and endless regret in the other.

Read it. If you like Wuthering Heights, you'd like this much better (I've never fancied Charlotte Bronte myself, due to the fact that she criticized Austen -jealousy, in my opinion- and because I'm an ardent Austenite).

Monday, April 11, 2005

I want them back!!!

Okay, when it comes to lending things, I consider myself as generous as any average person. Even more than that at times. There's only one thing that I ask : Return the item to the appropriate place, in the same condition as it was before.

When I first moved into my halls of accommodation, I told some of my flatmates (who are also my course mates) that they were welcomed to borrow any of my kitchen items. 8 months from that blessed day, I can tell you that they took the invitation to greater lengths that I ever thought possible.

During some days, I'd walk into the kitchen to see my pots and pans near the sink, used but unwashed.

Other days I'd find eggs totally gone. Once, I even bought 2 boxes of them (6 eggs each) so that they can have one box and the other one for my own usage. After I put them in the cupboard, I never saw them again. Actually, I did....the containers were still there without the contents.

A few days ago, I discovered that my knife went missing. Haven't found it since.

Generousity doesn't pay sometimes. Now I keep most of my cutleries in my room.

As for my pots and pans, I guess cleaning up after them is not so bad after all. Since they all are non-stick pans, I'd be REALLY annoyed if they scratched them while washing.

Feel like putting a note in my cabinet and kitchen drawer, so that the next time anyone opens them to find anything, they'd see the note, saying:

"Looking for something? Can't find it?? Annoyed? Good, that's how I feel!"


Friday, April 08, 2005

Hani the extremist

Well okay, if you asked me to tell you something about myself, there's one thing that I myself can't deny : I am an extremist. Both ends of the spectrum are covered. Good and bad. Nothing in between.

When it comes to doing things, it's either I take a passionate interest in it, or none at all.

What am I getting at? It's just a way of explaining why I've spent the last few hours downloading and poring over dozens of Naruto mangas. Episode 129 of the anime came out today, and I wanted to know what happened next, and since the manga is ahead in the story line I decided to update myself.

The manga is still unfinished, and so I'm still left hanging. I hate that feeling. I hate unfinished stories. Now I have to wait a week each time for the updates when the manga and anime are released online.

I know, I know. Patience is a virtue. But I never said I was virtuous.

A thought crossed my mind. Now WHY am I not this eager when I read Kumar and Clark? Maybe if they put in a bit of background music and fighting scenes I'd be more passionate.

Hahah. Later.