Sunday, November 25, 2007

I wish....

...I can go somewhere for a holiday, I badly need one. When I see pictures of my friends going places, I wish I could go somewhere too..

...I don't have to go to work during weekends..

...that I have more time to spend with family..

...that I don't have to answer phone calls with "I'm busy, can't talk now.." (That is, IF I actually answer those calls)

...I have more time for my niece, as it is I can't even let her sleep with me anymore..

Saturday, November 17, 2007

On being a medical houseman in Malaysia

*Note : This entry is my opinion and my opinion only.*

Initially, when I first went to the UK I had the intention of coming back after graduating. Somewhere along the line, I thought it would be good if I stayed behind a few years until I finished the Royal College exams (whichever I decide to do). And then the UK government came up with immigration laws that made me decide to pack my bags and start fresh as a doctor after graduating from med school.

I'm currently doing my first posting in the Medical department at Hospital Kuala Pilah, considered as a district hospital. Whether it's any better or worse than the General Hospitals I don't know considering this is the first hospital I'm working at.

So far, it's been busy. To be honest, I haven't had time to do anything else. Last month I did EOD (every other day) on-calls for a month. I celebrated night before Raya being on-call. On Raya day I donned my baju Raya, visited a relative's house, went back home and slept. I woke up the next day and went back to HKP, and was on-call again. At sharp 12 a.m. on my birthday I 'celebrated' it with a patient who came in feeling breathless. Currently, there are 6 housemen so on-call days are approximately every third day, so it's not so bad. I haven't had time to read a story book and my niece is puzzled why I avoid sleeping with her whenever I come back during weekends (takut she wakes up at night & buat hal, I can't afford having interrupted sleep).

Being a houseman you have to do rounds during weekends so effectively you work 7 days a week (in the medical department, at least). You work like a dog, and sometimes you get treated like one. If you are lucky, you get nice MOs and consultants. Otherwise you get yelled at by your boss at least every other day, in full view of the nurses, patients and their relatives. After a while the skin on your face become so thick that whenever you get a scolding your mind automatically teleports you to a sandy-white beach, with you sitting on a nice deck chair sipping your favourite beverage...but at the same time praying that while you're having this nice vision of yourself the consultant doesn't end his tirade with a question that your didn't even hear because you were busy sipping iced lemon tea in your mind's eye.

When I first started, it was quite frustrating mainly because I had to adjust from being a medical student to a fully-qualified doctor, and to make things more complicated, in a different environment than the one I was trained in. I was just as ignorant a doctor as I was a student, the only difference is the MBBS certificate I now hold. I am still ignorant in many ways, there's so much to learn, but I AM learning.

Someone posted a question in the previous entry, "rasanye kalo lepas 2 tahun balik mesia, competent ke nak jd MO?" Maybe experience-wise you'll have a different exposure compared to doctors here, but don't discount yourself too much when you compare yourself to doctors here. Being a doctor, you learn new things all the time, and this lasts throughout your career (at least, that's what I think). And in this business of life-and-death, I take this approach : if you are not sure, you don't know what to do, ask someone who knows. Doesn't matter who. Sometimes when I don't know what to do and my MO isn't around, I ask the nurses for their opinion. Never underestimate the nurses. Many of them have years of experience under their belt and can be invaluable.

If you think that your peers in Malaysia have more experience, so what? You'll pick things up when you come back. Just don't be shy to ask. And make sure you maintain a good rapport with everyone.

Do I regret coming back here? No, I don't. (Although there are times I wish that I could just run away from all the work stress and lead the life of a lady of leisure...*sigh*)

p/s : to mr. scary_movie, actually abt prospect postgraduate studies tu, I'm still a bit clueless about it...nantila saya find out okay...

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Sape nak kurus?

......jadilah houseman kat medical ward.

Weighed myself yesterday, lost abt 6 kg in 1 month. It's so scary!! My clothes all seem loose, the hemline of my jeans and slacks sweep the floor, my watch dangling on my wrist all the time.

Really exhausting work being a medical HO, I can tell you.

Just finished 2 weeks' worth of EOD (every other day) on call, my Raya didn't feel like Raya,
I only come back home to sleep during weekends, only to leave early in the morning for work again.

I love my job (I try to convince myself).

I said before, there are good days, there are bad days. But today I feel a bit whiny, so you hear the horror stories.

Don't think I'm cut out to be a physician. When you have to clerk a patient who comes in with diarrhoea at 3 am in the morning, you wonder perhaps it'll be better if you become a full-time housewife with a medical degree.

Well, I'm not seriously thinking it. At least, not really. No...not really.....hmm....

They say surgical rotation is much more fun. And O&G worse than general medicine.

I SO can't wait.

Speaking positively, I'm learning lots. I do make mistakes sometimes, but I pray all the time that it won't be at the cost of someone's life.

It's a life-and-death business after all.

Friday, September 28, 2007

It's been almost two weeks of working life, there's only one way to describe it:

*Penat gilerrrrrr sehhh!!!!!!!*

Hospital Kuala Pilah's not that big, but there are 3 medical wards (Yup, I'm doing my medical posting first) and I happen to be on the one that's always 'active' (meaning that it accepts patients everyday, rain or shine, contrary to the other 2 wards where they take turns being 'active' and 'passive').

It's been tiring, it's been fun. There are good times, there are bad times. There are times when you get scolded by the consultants, there are times when you joke with them. Same goes for the nurses...actually the nurses are wonderful on the ward..they've been the ones who watched over me.

So far, so good, alhamdulillah.

Someone named 'Anonymous' posted a comment in my previous entry entitled 'Posting', and this is my reply to you, whoever you are:

You said that you're 'selling [your]self extremely short working with people who were formerly [your] schoolmates and had very poor medical education in countries like Ukraine etc,and they were very substandard students in school'....let me tell you this, just because you go to a renowned medical school, where ever it is does not make you a good doctor by default. Just because I graduated from the UK, from the place where I brushed shoulders with the authors of 'Kumar and Clark' does not make me the best houseman that ever graced Hospital Kuala Pilah. Being a doctor means that you're a student for life, and learning does not stop the moment you graduate from medical school.

And seriously, you don't need to be an excellent student to be a doctor. Brains is not the only requirement, you need to be able to work hard and have interest in people. The people whom you think were substandard may one day be renowned doctors in various fields. One thing I learned is that it really doesn't matter who or how you were in school, and it doesn't define your future. It's how you build yourself up afterwards.

I'm sorry if I sound too critical, but one word of advice : don't come back to Malaysia with the mindset that everything here is 'substandard', be it people or how things are done. It's just different, we'd have to adapt, but it's true no matter where you go. True, there's a lot of bureaucracy here, people who are your superior in rank sometimes act like they're at the top of the social strata. Just give them no mind. Coming back with the misconception that you're better than your 'substandard' peers will cause a lot of damage, all of them to yourself. To put it mildly, you'd be 'fed to the dogs'.

So far, I've not regretted my decision to come back.

But hey, that's just me saying. And I just finished my 2 weeks 'tagging' period. Starting my first on-call tomorrow. Let's see if I change my mind afterwards.




Saturday, September 15, 2007

On being blooming stupid

Waaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhh!

I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!!

Make that an idiot and a half.

Why didn't I go?????

Been mentally cursing myself the whole day (considering it's fasting month, I didn't use the entire selection in the vocabulary, but you'd be surprised how many words were still left to be used)

Is there a hole somewhere I can crawl into and hang myself upside-down?

I really need to have my head examined.

Don't think I can forgive myself for this one.

Addendum 3.27 pm : How DOES one crawl into a hole and hang one's self? Yeah...I wondered myself after re-reading this entry. Explains my state of mind currently.

Today's SUCH a Jonah Day...

Friday, September 14, 2007

Posting

Dr. Azhani Akmar binti Azhar
No K/P : ******-**-****
(Alamat)

............

2. Tuan/Puan telah ditempatkan di Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah untuk menjalani Latihan Siswazah di bawah ......... ..... selama satu (1) tahun mulai dari tarikh lapor diri dan satu (1) tahun lagi untuk menjalani "Obligatory Posting" ......... Sila lapor diri kepada Pengarah Kesihatan Negeri Sembilan pada 16 September jam 9.00 pagi

***(16 September?? Bukan hari Ahad ke tu? Sape keje? I'll report hari Isnin lah..)



***********

For anyone who wonders where that is, the hospital is in Kuala Pilah. In my application form I put only one option : Hospital Tuanku Jaafar (i.e. Seremban GH) and left the other two options blank. Quite foolhardy on my part, silap2 haribulan diorang hantar pergi Borneo (nasib baik tak, alhamdulillah).

To be honest, I don't mind the fact that I didn't get where I wanted originally. True, Kuala Pilah is abt 45 mins drive from home, and the road to K.Pilah through Bukit Putus isn't for the faint-hearted (2 lane woooo...dahla berkelok-kelok...kalah F1 punya circuit) but strangely enough I'm perfectly happy. The hospital pun takla besar sangat, looks kinda nice. Mak isn't too happy the fact that I'm starting waktu bulan puasa but hey, insyaAllah I'll survive.

Let's see if my optimism lasts.

Wish me luck! Your prayers are also appreciated.

p/s : They're building a highway to Kuala Pilah, bypassing Bukit Putus. That should cut down travelling time by half. Unfortunately the construction of the highway is still in its early stages. Perhaps I should send an appeal letter to Dato' Seri Samy Vellu to speed things up.



Thursday, September 06, 2007

Without Love (OST Hairspray) - I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!!!!

The movie 'Hairspray' is coming to Malaysia soon. Kinda late if you ask me, they've been playing it in the UK for quite sometime already. Anyways, WATCH THIS MOVIE!! In my opinion it's the best musical-turned-movie so far. All the songs are so catchy you won't be able to resist humming the tunes.

The plot outline is as follows (I'm too lazy to do it myself, so I nicked it from IMDB):

"Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With all of the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do!"

If that doesn't convince you, consider this : John Travolta dressed as a woman.

Well, what are you waiting for?

The soundtrack's great, been playing the song below on my computer over and over and over again.


***********************************


~~Without Love~~
[Zac Efron, Nikki Blonsky, Elijah Kelly, Amanda Bynes]


Link
Once I was a selfish fool
Who never understood
I never looked inside myself
Though on the outside, I looked good!

Then we met and you made me
The man I am today
Tracy, I'm in love with you
No matter what you weigh
'Cause...

Link & Tracy
Without love
Life is like the seasons with
No summer
Without love
Life is rock 'n' roll without
A drummer

Tracy, I'll be yours forever
'Cause I never wanna be
Without love
Tracy, never set me free
No, I ain't lyin'
Never set me free, Tracy,
No, no, no!!

Seaweed
Living in the ghetto
Black is everywhere you go
Who'd have thought I'd love a girl
Whose skin as white as winter's snow

Penny
In my ivory tower
Life was just a hostess snack
But now I've tasted chocolate
And I'm never going back

Penny, Seaweed & Ensemble
'Cause without love

Seaweed
Life is like a beat that you can't follow

Penny, Seaweed & Ensemble
Without love

Penny
Life is Doris Day at the Apollo

Penny, Seaweed & Ensemble
Darling, I'll be yours forever
'Cause I never wanna be
Without love

Seaweed
So darling, never set me free
No!

Penny & Seaweed
I'm yours forever
Never set me free

Ensemble
No, no, no!

Link
If I'm left without my baby doll
I don't know what I'll do

Tracy
Link, I've got to break out
So that I can get my hands on you

Seaweed
And girl, if I can't touch you
Now I'm gonna lose control

Penny
Seaweed, you're my black white knight
I've found my blue-eyed soul

Seaweed & Ensemble
Sweet freedom is our goal

Link
Trace, I wanna kiss ya!

Tracy
Let me out at the next toll!

All
Without love

Seaweed
Life is like a prom
that won't invite us

All
Without love

Link
Life's getting my big break
and laryngitis

All
Without love

Penny
Life's a '45'
when you can't buy it

All
Without love

Tracy
Life is like my mother
on a diet

All
Like a week that's only Mondays
Only ice cream, never sundaes
Like a circle with no center
Like a door marked "do not enter!"
Darling, I'll be yours forever
'Cause I never wanna be...

Without love

Penny & Link
Yes now you've captured me

Ensemble
Without love

Seaweed & Tracy
I surrender happily

Ensemble
Without love

Penny
Oh seaweed
Never set me free

Penny & Seaweed
No, no, no

Tracy & Link
No, I ain't lyin'

Penny & Seaweed
Never set me free

All
No, no, no
No, I dont wanna live without

Penny
Love, love, love

Link
Yeah, yeah, yeah

All
Darling, you had best believe me,
Never leave me
without love!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Some things never change

It's 4.22 a.m., and I spent the last few hours watching 'Anne of Green Gables' and reading excerpts from the Anne series. Of all the books I have, none other can claim a hold on me stronger than the stories about the red-headed orphan girl. No, not even Pride and Prejudice (sorry Jane Austen).

After all these years, I still feel just as strongly as I did more than a decade ago about Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. I still wear the same dreamy smile after finishing the last chapter of 'Anne of the Island'.

Some things never leave you.

Or perhaps, I am just as big a fool now as I was then.

There's sentimentality for you. Must be a sign of mental fatigue. I should sleep.


Friday, August 17, 2007

This time it's different

One and a half months since my last post.

A lot of things happened since then :

#1 : 13th July 2007 - I graduated!

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Finally, a degree! *Sigh*

#2 : 14th July to 19th July 2007 - Trip to Lake District & Scotland

Lake District was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Toured the East Lakes only, didn't manage to go along the West Lakes due to time constraint (I overestimated how much my dad can drive in a day, and how much can be covered in a day). Scotland was nice as well, although it rained when we were there. It was a different experience altogether. Firstly, because all 6 of us (Abah, Mak, Yana, Makcik, Mak Busu and moi) went in a motorhome and stayed at caravan sites. It was sometimes tiring, occasionally vexing (I had to plan the whole thing, and trying to accommodate everyone's wishes was VERY challenging), but mostly fun.

3 rules for anyone who wants to plan a holiday for a group with a majority of ladies above 50 : (a) take them shopping, (b) take them shopping, and then (c) shop some more!!

Any bad experience during the trip was forgotten after they came out from the Royal Doulton factory outlet. Honestly, the purchase of coffee sets and teapots and cups did wonders!

And the excess baggage - boleh pengsan okay! And they all blamed it on me, saying that I brought lots of stuff home after staying in the UK for 5 years. Well, out of the 47kg, I think 20kg would probably be mine (giving them the benefit of the doubt), tapi lagi 27kg??

Nasib baik lepas kat airport (alhamdulillah, ada org yg tolong)

Anyway, pictures!

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Pictures 1&2 : Taken at a park by the lakeside in Ambleside.

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The A592 route - said to have one of the most beautiful scenery in Britain

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Aira Force Waterfalls

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Me in Scotland

#3 : 20th July 2007 - Flight to Malaysia

Back in Malaysia for good. Don't think I'll be going back to the UK in the near future. Feels a bit weird, after 7 years living mostly away from home (including those 2 years in Banting), I am now a permanent fixture at 9486, Taman Guru. At least until something else comes along.

#4 : 24th July 2007 - Welcome to the world, Arif Imran!


Now I have a nephew as well!

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Arif Imran, 2 hours old

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Close-up of Arif Imran. Primary occupation : sleep, and minum susu. Mostly minum susu (scary wooooo....tak henti-henti!!!)


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Arif Imran, Azureen Sofia and their Mak Ngah


As of now, I'm just enjoying myself being unemployed, not really worrying about that fateful day when I get my posting letter. At least, not much. But I HAVE started doing a bit of reading, to jog my memory a bit...after all, final med exam WAS 7 months ago.

Anyways, if anyone's in Seremban, don't forget to give me a shout. Save me from my idle life!


Sunday, July 01, 2007

There's more to life than......

You've got to see this.

Read about it in the newspaper, and I searched for it on youtube almost immediately.

Mika Brzenzinski, you have my profoundest respect!



I have mixed feelings about the two co-presenters. On one hand, they seemed like they were trying to prevent the situation from being too tense, keeping it light. On the other, they were quite patronizing by being absolute jerks with regards to the whole thing. Maybe they were scared about being fired or something.

What do you think?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Tag ver. 3.0 - this time it's for charity

Yes, another tag. But this time it’s for a good cause. Found out about it from Kit.

The rule is:

If you are tagged, you need to write an entry related to the meme. At the end of your entry you just need to tag as many person as you like. You will then leave a comment in their blog to let them know they have been tagged. And to include this message, "By doing this meme you are contributing rm127 to the Darul Izzah Orphanage".

For more info please go to http://bakpo.blogspot.com/ . The author of the blog (Mr. Idham) will contribute RM127 on the behalf of every person who does the meme.

I won't be tagging anyone in particular for this one, I feel that I should give you the choice to do it or otherwise. If you decide to do this, please remember to do it by 26th August 2007, and leave a msg on Mr. Idham's blog to let him know you've done it. (**Edit : the dateline has been moved forwards to the end of July. So if you wish to join in do it before that date)

It doesn't take too long, we've all done longer surveys / questionnaires / memes. So why not join in?

Here’s mine:

*******************

1) A person is only as good as how he treats other people

2) Friendship is always important when two people decide to spend the rest of their lives together.

3) To love is to open yourself to the other person, wholly, although it leaves you very vulnerable.

4) Money makes me - actually, it doesn’t make me feel anything. I try to live within my means. As long as I have enough, I’m happy

5) I miss the times when we (family) go on trips. Just us.

6) My way of saying I care is by fussing over people, doing things for them. I’ve lately learned to say “I love you”

7) I try to spread love and happiness by smiling at people, even strangers (no, not the ‘come hither’ kind of smile, the friendly kind). The human touch is also very powerful. I do this especially to patients.

8) Pick the flowers when you can, and give them to another to brighten up their day

9) To love someone is to accept him/her as he/she is. Never be blind to faults, but sometimes it helps to close one eye.

10) Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I believe this strongly.

11) When I was thirteen, what I remember the most was getting my first ever letter from an unknown boy from another school. It really scared the heck out of me! (Takut mak marah…but when I told her, she just laughed and told me to keep it. It really changed the way I looked at my mom..from then on I realized that she was also my friend, not just my mom)

12) When I was twenty-one, I remember not being able to vote because I was overseas. (Hahahah!)

13) I am most happy when I’m surrounded by family. Or with him.

14) Nothing makes me happier than when I feel I’m needed. Sounds strange, huh? I didn’t realize it before. But it’s true.

15) If I can change one thing, I will change – actually, I don’t want to change anything. Even the bad. I’m sure things happen for a reason, and I can only pray that we have the strength to overcome those obstacles, and emerge stronger at the end of those trials.

16) If smiles were the cure to all worries then I would offer it to everyone

17) Wouldn’t it be nice if we could settle all conflicts by talking through them. Then there won’t be needless killings and suffering in the world.

18) If you want to get things done your way then you have to do them yourself

19) Money is not everything but having enough takes your worries away. If you have a bit more then you can share the joy.

20) The most touching moments I have experienced is Azureen (my niece) getting up from her playthings and tried to rub my back when I muttered having ‘sakit belakang’. Having a 2 year-old rubbing your back isn’t very effective, but I was touched by the gesture nonetheless.

21) I smile whenever I think of Azureen.

22) When I am happy, I smile and laugh a lot.

23) If only I don’t have to pack all my things to ship back to Malaysia, then I’d enjoy my last few weeks in London more.

24) The best thing I did yesterday was talk to a lonely elderly lady.

25) If I ever write a book, I will give it this title, “Never lose your sense of humour. No matter what.”

26) One thing I must do before I die is hmmm..I have to think about this one.

27) Doing this meme, I feel like I’m contributing to a bigger cause. Kudos to Mr. Idham for coming up with this! (And may Allah bless you for what you’re doing)

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Are you up for the challenge?

Got tagged by Kit. And I think the game's kinda fun.

Here's how it works. I'm gonna put my music player in shuffle mode, take the first 25 songs and post a line or two for each song, not making it too obvious (well, I'll try). So if you think you know the song, make a guess.

Let's see if you can identify them. And the song will be crossed out when someone gives the correct answer. Let's begin!

(I'm actually gonna do Malay and English songs for this one. Have lots in different languages, don't want to make a fool out of myself trying to spell some of the words)

*********

1) With eyes that knows the darkness in my soul // And how you've suffered for your sanity - Vincent by Don McLean : AmyDoll

2) Take a look in the mirror and I see what you're doing to me // Everyday I try and I try and I try

3) That's all, and that's no joke // These guys don't appreciate I'm broke

4) You been spreading lies that I was untrue // You're gonna be sorry you were ever born - My Boyfriend's Back by The Angels : AmyDoll

5) Through the years as the fire starts to mellow // Burning lines in the book of our lives

6) Bawalah pesanku ini kepada dia yang kucintai // Engkau bisikkan lah yang aku akan kembali menyempurnakan segala janji - Bulan dan Juga Angin by P Ramlee & Normadiah : katakbesar (katakbesar - I give this one to you, coz I never thought anyone would guess this one :))

7) You might need time to think it over // I'll ease your mind if you give me the chance - Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney : AmyDoll

8) Meraba aku dalam kelam // Ada kerdipan ada sinar - Kau Ilhamku by Man Bai : AmyDoll

9) But I've got all I want when it comes to loving you // You're the love that rescues me when the cold winds rage

10) Want to breathe, can't find air // Well maybe you should know just how it feels - Left Outside Alone by Anastacia : AmyDoll

11) I knew how much we had, I've always been so glad // I've learned what love's about, by loving you

12) Tanpamu sepinya waktu merantai hati // Tanpa dirimu aku merasa hilang - Dealova by Once : katakbesar

13) I kept my distance but you still catch my eye // Well it's been a year it doesn't surprise me - Last Christmas by Human Nature : AmyDoll

14) It's your happiness that matters most of all // Just remember, I love you

15) Hari demi hari ku tetap menanti // Seringkali terjadi bila kau disisi - Manisnya Senyumanmu by Elite : katakbesar

16) Well, it's three o'clock in the morning // Well, I hate to leave you, baby - Goodnight Sweetheart by Rockapella : Kit

17) Aku adalah aku, nyanyi lagu yang rindu // Di sini aku berdiri - Misteri Mimpi Syakila by Wings : katakbesar

18) Thought I was alone with no one to hold // This feeling's like no other

19) I saw you smiling at me // Close enough for me to feel your heart beating fast - Eyes on Me by Faye Wong : AmyDoll (ehehe I think I know why you're laughing)

20) When those girls start hangin' around, talkin' me down // Hear with your heart and ya won't hear a sound

21) In a restless world like this is // Seem to cool in the warmth of the soon - When I Fall In Love by Celine Dion and Clive Griffin : Kit

22) You hang on every word I say but the truth sounds like a lie // Let another round begin

23) Bagai kau di depan mata // Bila tersedar semula, disisiku kau tiada

24) The gentle way you look at me // You've given me the freedom no other love has known

25) It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon // I'm turning my head up and down - Lemon Tree by Fool's Garden : katakbesar

************

I know, I know, I'm being too obvious with some of them, but there you go.

And yes, I know Google is very useful. Let's not take the fun out of the whole thing, okay?

Friday, June 08, 2007

Let's play 'tag'

Ah, another tag! This time it's from Kit. So let's begin right away, shall we?

Layer One: On the Outside
Name: Azhani Akmar Izhar
Formal name: Hani Izhar (I prefer this one somehow, mostly because not many people can pronounce my name properly)
Casual name: Hani
Birthdate: November 6, 1982
Current status: Status of what?
Eye color: Dark brown
Hair Color: Shocking pink with neon highlights (hehe..xdela..dark brown)
Righty or Lefty: Left! (although sometimes I forget that I'm left-handed and get confused)

Layer Two: On the Inside
My heritage: Bugis + Melayu minangkabau
My fears: I have quite a few, and then some
My weaknesses: Chocolate; Azureen (hehe); roses, i guess
My perfect pizza: Hmm I'm not really a fan of Italian food. But my favourite is Pizza Hut's Island Supreme. Not THE perfect pizza, but the best I can come up with at the moment

Layer Three: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
My thoughts first thing when I wake up: What time is it?
My bedtime: Nowadays after 2.30 a.m. - have to wait for Subuh.
My most missed memory: Forms 4&5, years in Banting, anytime with 'him'

Layer Four: My picks
Pepsi or Coke: Don't do carbonated drinks. Sorry
McDonald's or Burger King: Not a fan of either. Burger King, I guess
Single or Group Dates: Single
Adidas or Nike: Don't do either. No preference
Tea or Nestea: Tea
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Cappucino or Coffee: Cappucino. With a bit of cinnamon

Layer Five: Do I
Smoke: Nope.
Curse: Not usually, although I did mutter an expletive yesterday when I got a splinter in my finger. Caught me by surprise, that one.
Take a shower: 'Course I do.
Have a crush: Hehe I can't answer this without getting into trouble. Actually, no one (else)
Think I've Been In love: Yes I do, I have, I am.
Want to get married: Even if I didn't I have people who'd pester me to do so (read : PARENTS!!)
Believe in myself: Yes I do
Think I'm a health freak: The words 'Health freak' & 'Hani Izhar' are antonymous

Layer Six: In the past month
Drank alcohol: Nope. Never had. Unless you take into account the alcohol gel that accidentally got into my mouth in hospital (bleahhhhh!)
Gone to the mall: Yes
Been on stage: Nope
Eaten Sushi: Nope
Dyed your hair: Nope

Layer Seven: Have I ever
Played a stripping game: Nope. Haven't had the inclination to. Yet. (eheheh)
Changed who I am to fit in: Not that I can recall. I usually don't really care. People either accept me as I am or they're free to leave.

Layer Eight: Age
I am hoping to be married: Before 60 would be nice....
(Laaaa...satu soalan je ke?? The person who did this questionnaire sure didn't have much imagination!)

Layer Nine: What was I doing
1 min ago: Looked out the window
1 hour ago: Kickboxing
4.5 hours ago: Had Life Support course
1 month ago: Can't remember
1 year ago: Nothing earth-shattering, or else I'd remember

Layer Ten: Finish The Sentence
I love: the sound & smell of rain early in the morning when I wake up
I feel: I'm ready to graduate and move on to the next phase of my life. At the same time, a bit apprehensive about the whole thing
I hate: it when I'm not given the privilege to decide what goes on in my life (can also be day-to-day things). If you give me options and the freedom to decide, I'm less likely to fight you
I hide: when I have mood swings/get angry. To avoid doing/saying things I don't mean
I need: to stop obsessing about the 'Chand Sifarish' song. It's all I listen to for the last 1 week!

Layer Eleven: Tag 5 people
Yatt, Peah, Niesa, and sesape lagi nak buat, buat la....

Sunday, June 03, 2007

"If the moon was to recommend me.."

Watched the hindi movie Fanaa a couple of days ago. Haven't seen a bollywood movie for...oh, quite sometime. Mostly because I don't have the stamina anymore to sit down for 3 hours to watch something, and also I feel that the hindi movies nowadays are the kind you can't watch while you're baby-sitting your niece (yeah...I've taken the roles of the censorship board where my niece is concerned..that's why all she watches is Playhouse Disney and the news and Discovery channel..hehe)

Went off on a tangent quite a bit there. Anyway, back to the topic. The word 'fanaa' means 'destruction' in Hindi, or 'annihilation' in Arabic, according to Wikipedia. The word carried many meanings in the movie, and was mentioned several times in the dialogue as well as the songs. The storyline of Fanaa was very much like Dil Se, but with the male and females roles reversed. While with Dil Se I didn't feel like watching it after the first 10 minutes (sorry, SRK!!), I was enthralled by Fanaa from the start to the end, ESPECIALLY the first half of the movie. Quite a lot of poetry said by the main characters (some of my friends found them to be cheesy, but I felt they were quite charming).

The chemistry between Aamir Khan and Kajol was so believable, I couldn't help but wish they'd worked together in more movies (Fanaa was the first movie they starred opposite each other, quite sometime ago they acted together in the movie Ishq, although paired with different people). Aamir Khan carried his role so well that I'm convinced that Shah Rukh Khan couldn't have done it with the same calibre (ack, sorry again, SRK! I love you as an actor very much, but it's true). After a 4-year hiatus from acting Kajol returned to the silver screen with this movie, reminding us why we thought of her as one of the best actresses of her generation. She was simply mesmerising and in her element for this movie. There is no one like her. So it was only natural that she won Best Actress at the Filmfare awards. And I've just got to mention the boy who played their son, he was so adorable! Managed to make me sigh wistfully a few times...

Well, anyway, moving on..

The songs were beautiful, one of the best collaboration by the Jatin-Lalit pair, with Prasoon Joshi as the lyricist. My favourite is 'Chand Sifarish', sung by Rehan (Aamir Khan) to the blind Zooni (Kajol) in the movie. I loved the intro music in particular, reminded me a little bit of A.R. Rahman's song in the movie Swades (which was also awesome, by the way).

While watching the movie my focus was mainly on the love story, not so much on the ter*rorism bit, although it was a bit unsettling the fact that they showed KLIA as a place of transit for Aamir Khan en route to Bangkok for one of his 'missions', showing the MAS crew at the check-in counter a Malaysian passport, no less! Just an issue I have with regards to the movie. Anyway, moving on again..

The ending of the movie wasn't the typical ending of Bollywood movies. With a movie title meaning 'destruction', what would you expect? Still, it was one of the few movies that moved me, can't remember how long it's been since it last happened. Definitely worth a watch for anyone who has an afternoon to spare.

So, you might wonder, what's with the title of this entry? It's the first line to the song 'Chand Sifarish'. The video is posted below. Enjoy!




*************
Addendum : The subtitles for the songs in the video sounded somewhat suggestive, I'm sure the real meaning was lost in translation. I found a better one (which I prefer)

Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah
Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah
Lord be praised!

Chand Sifarish Jo Karta Humaari Deta Woh Tumko Bataa
The moon, while giving us its blessings tells you that

Sharmo Haya Ke Parde Giraake Karni Hai Humko Khata
We have to drop the veil of modesty and transgress

Zid Hai Ab To Khudh Ko Mitaana Hona Hai Tujh Mein Fanaa
Now I'm determined to obliterate myself and get destroyed (in your love)

Chand Sifarish Jo Karta Humaari Deta Woh Tumko Bataa
The moon, while giving us its blessings tells you that

Sharmo Haya Ke Parde Giraake Karni Hai Humko Khata
We have to drop the veil of modesty and transgress

Teri Ada Bhi Hai Jhonke Wali Chu Ke Guzar Jaane De
Your charm is like a breeze which touches me and passes

Teri Lachak Hai Ke Jaise Daali Dil Mein Uthar Jaane De
You're as supple as a young branch, which moves me no end

Aaja Baahon Mein Kar Ke Bahaana Hona Hai Tujh Mein Fanaa
Find some reason to come into my arms, let me get destroyed (in your love)

Chand Sifarish Jo Karta Humaari Deta Woh Tumko Bataa
The moon, while giving us its blessings tells you that

Sharmo Haya Ke Parde Giraake Karni Hai Humko Khata
We have to drop the veil of modesty and transgress

Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah
Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah Subahnallah
Lord be praised!

Hai Jo Iraade Bataa Doon Tumko Sharma Hi Jaaogi Tum
If I tell you my intentions it'll make you bashful

Dhadkanein Jo Suna Doon Tumko Gabrah Hi Jaaogi Tum
if I let you hear my hearbeats it'll scare you (with it's intensity)

Humko Aata Nahin Hai Chupaana Hona Hai Tujh Mein Fanaa
I can't hide my feelings, let me get destroyed (in your love)

Chand Sifarish Jo Karta Humaari Deta Woh Tumko Bataa
The moon, while giving us its blessings tells you that

Sharmo Haya Ke Parde Giraake Karni Hai Humko Khata
We have to drop the veil of modesty and transgress

Zid Hai Ab To Khudh Ko Mitaana Hona Hai Tujh Mein Fanaa
Now I'm determined to obliterate myself and get destroyed (in your love)

Monday, May 28, 2007

D*rink u*p m*e h*earties, y*o h*o!

Been kinda busy.

Yeah, shocking isn't it? There IS life after final year exams. I never would've guessed.

Been meaning to blog more, have fantastic stories to tell. But then again, I've always told fantastic stories full of wisdom and wit....

...in my head only, that is. Somehow I'm always more impressive in my mind's eye. Not very consistent with what you see in real life. Ah well..

Neways, here's a summary of what's been going on :

1) The weather was kinda 'summery' earlier this week, so I wore my new pair of wedges (kasut la...not the KFC side order). By the end of the day, my feet were crying for mercy. Sigh...one of the things I hate about new shoes...you have to wear them for a while before they become comfortable. Until then...

2) Went to Waterstone's to buy some travelling guide books. Have to plan for holiday to Lake District when family comes for graduation.

3) Early last week and the week before that, the weather was kinda warm. And I had a mini crisis - I had NO summer clothes at all, only formal blouses to go for firms! Left them all at home, forgot that I would need some over here (was a bit over zealous in trying to bring as little as possible to London after my elective break). Neways, I went shopping and got some clothes, and guess what happened? The weather's been chilly ever since!

4) Watched Pirates of the Caribbean 3 : At World's End (AWE). Enjoyed the story, although I like Dead Man's Chest best of the three. Won't spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it, but DO stay until after the credits coz there's something extra. I didn't, and only found out about it when I wikipedia-ed the movie to read the synopsis. Due to the editing of the movie I felt that there were a couple of things not explained clearly, but hey, as it was, AWE was already almost 3 hours long. And I think if you see the three movies back-to-back then some of the things would make more sense.

5) I got a new toy! Sandisk Sansa e280. Said to be the ipod nano killer. Double the thickness of nano so it's not too flimsy, it's a flash drive compared to nano's hard drive. Can play videos, has FM radio (American version, that is. The UK version doesn't have this feature. Mine's American), expandable up to another 2gb on top of the original 8gb. In short, I'm a happy camper!

Not exactly what you'd call a summary, huh?

Friday, May 18, 2007

Setelah lama ku cari, akhirnya ketemu jua.....

....lagu dari filem 'Musang Berjanggut' dibintangi oleh P. Ramlee dan Saadiah.

Memula memang tak tau tajuk lagu, cari punya cari akhirnya terjumpa kat YouTube (mmg bagusla website nih! Macam2 ada...)

The title of the song is 'Jangan Adik Angan-Angan', sung by Allahyarham P. Ramlee and Rahmah Rahmat. I think it's one of the most beautiful songs by P. Ramlee, although it's not quite as popular as his other songs.

Below is the video. Sesiapa yang ada lagu ni, please please please let me know..I'd like to have it. Many thanks!

(Amaran : sesiapa yang rasa dirinya 'allergik' kepada adegan2 chenta filem Melayu lama, korang tutup mata la ye. I have to say though, those were innocent times. The most they did was tunduk tersipu-sipu malu & berbalas pantun. Kalau compare dengan zaman sekarang......aih...)




~...~Jangan Adik Angan-Angan~...~

Jangan-janganlah adik angan-angan
Merayau ke alam impian
Duduk termenung kesepian
Tiada teman
Tujuh gunung lautan-lautan
Sembilan lautan ala intan
Umpan kutabur dah makan
Ikan dah makan

Bagai-bagailah mana indah syurga
Bertaman bunga aneka rupa
Kalau si bunga tak dijaga
Terkulai juga
Dari hari purnama-purnama
Sehingga purnama ala nyawa
Bunga menanti pawana
Dihembus pawana

Nyanyian: P Ramlee & Rahmah Rahmat
Senilagu: P Ramlee
Senikata: S Sudarmaji
Filem : Musang Berjanggut


Thursday, May 17, 2007

..............................(PART 2)

I OBJECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY WHY WHY????????

Can't even sleep now.

Current mood : Frust menonggeng

.............................

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..


....


.....


......


.......




Melinda Doolittle was voted off American Idol.

Stuuuuupid people. Can't even vote properly. !@%*&^%#$!!!!

Pls excuse the language, it's half three in the morning, and I actually stayed up to find out the results via live blogs.

Sparks vs Lewis. Why bother watching the final episode?

Monday, May 14, 2007

'5'

5 years...

Well, fancy that.

It has been wonderful.

Looking forward to many, many more

Friday, May 11, 2007

Kenapa mahu menjadi doktor?

Found a very interesting article on the internet. 'Kenapa mahu menjadi doktor?' To read, click here.

For most us who have come to the end of the road of medical school, perhaps it's too late to turn back. And yet, it is something we must reflect upon.

To those who are considering medicine as a career, there are a few more issues you have to think about.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

What drives me absolutely bonkers....

The sound of water dripping from the tap of the sink in my room.

Arrrrgh it's so annoying! I keep getting up from my chair trying to turn the darn tap off!!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

What Medical Specialty is for You?

The medical specialty for you is.... OB/GYN

OB/GYN is the best of all specialties. As an OB/GYN, you have chosen one of the most noble fields in medicine. You will work longer hours than a surgeon, but without the high pay. But you will still do it because you have a passion for the field. And after you rush to the hospital at 3 in the morning for the third night in a row to deliver a baby, the parents will turn around and sue you if there were any unforeseeable complications, which is why your insurance rates are so ridiculously high. Come to think of it, OB/GYN?? What were you thinking?

To find out what specialty best fits your unique personality, go to:

What Medical Specialty Is For You?

*******************************************

Oh boy......am I ready for this??

Monday, May 07, 2007

American Idol

Got hooked on American Idol when I was back in Malaysia doing my medical elective.

As of now, it's down to the last four :

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Blake Lewis


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Lakisha Jones

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Jordin Sparks

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Melinda Doolittle



Now, back in London, watching the show is not an option for me, so I've been depending on YouTube and Google to find out abt the latest news/performances.

Blake Lewis is quite okay, and although vocally he's not the strongest competitor, he has a lot of originality. His beat-boxing of Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love A Bad Name' last week was a courageous attempt, which I thought sounded very fresh. I think he'd do very well in writing/producing songs. Although he won't win American Idol, he'll add something new to the music scene.

Lakisha Jones? She's a great singer, and if other singers like Melinda or Jordin weren't around, she could win AI. But she lacks personality, nothing to endear her to the audience. That's gonna cost her. In fact, I think she's most likely to make the exit this coming show.

Jordin Sparks is, in my opinion, one of the two best singers, apart from Melinda Doolittle. Sparks is 17, and can sing all right, although her songs sound a bit too saccharine for my taste. She may even win American Idol, mostly because people think she has the whole package (talent as well as looks, not to mention that she's really young; a fact that Randy Jackson keeps pushing into our faces)

My favourite? Melinda Doolittle, without any doubt. She has great vocals, can sing ABSOLUTELY anything (yeah, she even nailed the Bon Jovi night!). Someone said that if she sang the phone directory it would still sound fabulous. And I agree! To top it off, she has a down-to-earth personality. She comes across as a shy person, but when she starts singing, she has a different persona. She's destined to be among the great singers and entertainers. Simply amazing. She deserves to win.

But hey, it all depends on the viewers' votes. The Americans messed up a bit by keeping someone undeserving on the show for so long (read : Sanjaya) but they mostly got it right. Right now I have more faith in them than Malaysians who vote for their idols without any regard for talent.

In two weeks' time, all will be revealed...

In the meantime, here's Melinda's latest performance. This woman is unstoppable!



p/s: Jon Bon Jovi is actually 45! Darn, he looks like a man in his early thirties...

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Spiderman's Back!

No, don't get the wrong idea. I'm not a big spiderman fan. But I did watch Spiderman 1, 2; and today 3.

Overall the movie was good entertainment. It was quite nice watching it at the cinema, where there were lots of people to laugh along with you.

I have to say though, Spiderman's the geekiest, nerdiest hero ever. Don't know what Mary Jane saw in him. And he was quite full of himself in this movie (those were the comic moments, but there were times when I felt like slapping him on the head).

Highlight of the movie : James Franco (who played Harry Osborn). Now THAT'S really a....really a...sigh... *dreamy eyes*

Hey, I'm human too okay.

Too bad we're not on the same continent...(LOL....ada hati lagi tu...)

Addendum : I have to declare here that I'll be over James Franco by tomorrow (or else I might get into trouble hehe). It is just a passing phase. Just enjoying it while it lasts. At the end of the day there's ONLY ONE PERSON. Capiche?

Ack, that's almost a romantic declaration. God save us all.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Contentment

You know what is nice?

Doing work - no, that's not the nice bit..wait for it.. - while listening to songs you grow up with.

Last couple of days, I found several websites with loads (and when I say loads, I mean LOADS tahap super gaban) of Malay songs. Lots of lagu melayu lama, e.g. songs by R. Azmi, Normadiah, even the soundtrack to 'Marah marah sayang'!! (anyone remember this movie??). Been downloading like there's no tomorrow.

And I found lots of lagu pengantin (NO, it's not my time yet, but I like those songs because they're so fun. Also reminds me of the days when my cousins got married..good times they were..).

So yeah, sesape nak lagu orang kawin, just let me know! (Come on...you know you want to *grins*)

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Cool, cool doowop

Watch this.

I love love LOVE how well their voices blend together.

Reminds me of the good 'ol times in secondary school....

If anyone can tell me where I can find the mp3/album, I'll give you ANYTHING you want!! (Within reason, that is. I'm not THAT silly. But I AM close to being desperate....)

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Story of your life (shower acapella)

Been surfing youtube for acapella groups. Love acapella songs. Came across a group, 'The Randy Bandits'. Their original song 'Story of your life' is very fresh, very fun (if you like acapella). Thought I'd post it here. Enjoy!

And yeah, they sang the song in the shower. Better acoustics I guess. Hehe.


Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Start of something new

My first day of SSM (Selected Study Module). I'm doing Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology for 1 month.

Saw a post mortem on a 24 week old baby in the morning. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. After lunch, the Specialist Registrar showed me quite a few slides of tissue samples from babies and placentas. And I made a new discovery. One can get motion sickness looking down the microscope as the pathologist moves the slide from side to side.

Also found a healthier way to de-stress. Instead of moping and moaning all the time, I do kickboxing. Does wonders to all the pent-up rage. I seriously recommend it.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Back again

First entry in London after almost 8 weeks in Malaysia.

Had a very good flight. When Abah bought the ticket I was allocated a window seat. I hate window seats. Managed to change it to an aisle seat when I checked in at the airport. When I went to the gate to enter the waiting lounge the guy told me my seat was changed. He wrote '17A'.

Window seat again. Just my luck. I was about to protest, then I saw him writing 'UPGD GCCL' (i.e. upgrade to Golden Club Class).

Oh. OH...

Hehe. Naib baik tak sempat cakap pape, silap2 dia tukar balik.

So yeah, I got an upgrade!! My 3rd time these last 5 years. Someone up there likes me! (Rezeki..alhamdulillah...)

But this time around, I don't know why, tetiba rasa macam jakun pulak. I sat beside a Chinese lady. She seemed so at ease, as if she flew Business Class all the time (won't be surprised if she did). Felt a bit clumsy sitting beside her, especially during mealtimes. There she was beside me, sitting with her back straight, eating nasi lemak with such timing it looked like a dance from the corner of my eye (well I couldn't blatantly stare at her, kan?). Me? Well, at first my head got confused by the different types of knives and forks they gave. Then I mentally cursed when I had difficulties handling the prawns (they did peel the prawns save the end bit..that was where I had the problem). When they gave soft rolls I was unsure how to eat them (should I cut into half then spread the butter? Or should I not bother and eat whatever way I want?). I was worried that if I didn't meet the standards of a Business Class passenger, they'd banish me to the Economy Class where I belonged.

Sounds ridiculous, huh? My exact thoughts. And yet I actually felt like an awkward schoolgirl. Strangest feeling for a 24 year-old.

So well, here I'm back again in London, nasib baik tak jet-lagged. I slept 3 hours the night before flying, and then slept on the plane using UK timing. Didn't actually plan it, it just happened that way - and it worked!

Did a bit of grocery shopping today and spring-cleaned my room a bit. It was really dusty! And I hate wall-to-wall carpeting. With a passion. What's left to do is to sit down and do my elective report. Starting my SSM (Selected Study Module) on Monday, I'll be doing Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology for 1 month.

Apart from Azlin, all the other Malaysians are still at home and won't come back for another month.

Gonna be a bit lonesome I think, but I've got 120Gb's worth of anime to watch! So it's not so bad.

If you read my previous entries, you'd notice that I was a bit down. I'm quite ok now, I think I went through a period of PMS or something. Seriously, I never had PMS before 6 months ago, didn't even believe in it, but I can tell you now, it's real. During those times my mood swings got so terrible, I started thinking and feeling and saying things that was out of character.

Either it's PMS, or I'm going crazy. I'd prefer the former.

Missing Azureen already. Abang Onny sms-ed me and said she asked "Mana Mak Ngah? Een nak Mak Ngah, Abah.."

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Uhuhu..

Takpe, only 3 months to go. And then I'll be back for good, insyaAllah.


Thursday, April 05, 2007

Haven't been myself of late.

Still am not.

So many things in my head.

Wish I could tell someone.

But I can't.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Fickle mind

What if you're the kind who knows what you want in life (or so you thought) and so dead sure about things, and then you wake up one day wanting something else?

And this 'something else' may or may not be real; may be something tangible or just a passing fancy.

Perhaps you're tired of being so predictable, and you want to break the monotony. Maybe a change would be welcomed.

But what if that change would rearrange your whole universe?

Or what if it IS a passing fancy? When are you gonna snap out of it?

Sometimes I would like to give myself a good shake and shout : "GET A GRIP!!!"

As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm no angel.

Yeah, what a shocker.

Addendum : I just realized it's 1st April. I must be the biggest fool of all.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

I am not...

a good person by default.

I have to remind myself many times in a day, that I should speak kind words, do good deeds, be thoughtful. Remind myself of who I am, and what I am.

There are times when I can be completely thoughtless towards other people. I’m not proud of this at all, it usually happens when I’m not paying enough attention.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m any less sincere in my actions than other people. It’s just that I have to try harder.

I’ve seen people where being good is like second nature to them. I wonder how they do it?

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Ask me no questions....

..and I'll tell you no lies.

I'm not one to tell you things only to make you feel better.

I prefer to say things as they are**. And I appreciate the same from others, no matter how brutal.

At least that way, we'll always know where we stand.

**Of course I'll put it nicely la. I do understand the power of a well-phrased criticism compared to a poorly delivered one that can be seen only as an insult.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

On being weird..

Hey.

Yes, I’m still alive.

Back in Seremban for the weekend, going back to Kota Bharu early Monday morning so I can meet my elective supervisor by 9 am (hopefully)

Have done 2 weeks of anaesthetics. Having a really good time, really nice doctors and nurses. Hope I’ll have lots of colleagues like them when I start working.

On another note, got tagged by Kit and Niesa. So here goes….

*****************************

Rules : People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them..etc, etc. (The instruction’s too long, I’m sure you got the gist of it)

6 weird things about Hani Izhar

#1 : I love airplane food. Don’t ask why, I just do

#2 : While on a long-haul flight, no matter how many hundred movies there are to watch, I’ll always end up watching the same movie over and over again.

#3 : I clean my room when I get stressed. Usually in the wee hours of the morning

#4 : I wash my hands with soap hundreds of times a day. Even when I’m taking my shower

#5 : I can sleep soundly even though my next door neighbour and his friends scream their lungs out while playing computer games, but the sound of water dripping from the tap against the dead silence of the night drives me crazy.

#6 : When it comes to movies and the music industry, I have more in common with your parents who grew up during the 50s/60s/70s. I think I was born in the wrong era. *I've actually changed this entry. Reading the original made me a bit embarassed of myself*

If you do any of the things I’ve mentioned you wouldn’t think of it as weird. Everyone has his/her own little quirks.

Oh yeah, the rules also said that I’m supposed to tag 6 people. Most of the people I know have done it, so I’m tagging anyone else who hasn’t done it.

It’s 11.30 p.m. I’m already sleepy. I must be getting old.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

FINAL YEAR EXAMS : THE VERDICT

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah

Friday, February 16, 2007

It's been a week (and one day, to be exact) since I first set foot on Malaysian soil after quite sometime (okla, okla, 5 months and a bit, but that's a long time considering my track record).

Feels like I sat for the finals in another lifetime. It's like a distant memory (cewah). But it'll come back to haunt me; next Friday to be exact, when I get the results. Just hoping for the best.

Still in Seremban. Had to postpone my flight to Kota Bharu due to circumstances. Going on Sunday.

Been spending time with Azureen. She's all grown up! Has quite an impressive repertoire of songs she can sing. In fact, she sings most of the time. Pantang tengok orang masuk bilik. She'll knock on the door and say "Mak Ngah, Een (that's what she calls herself) nak masuk Mak Ngah.." several times.

Cammane org tak cair?

Also saw the movie "Cinta". Bought the original vcd**, but the somehow the quality wasn't that good. The movie looked dark for some reason, even after I changed the tv settings. Have to try it again on my laptop.

Will review the movie once I watch it again properly. Have to say though, despite its shortcomings it wasn't half as bad. I did have a few bones to pick after watching it yesterday night, but I thought I'd see it again before forming a fixed opinion (yeah yeah..as if the fate of the local movie industry hangs upon what I think). Besides, having a two year-old running around the living room while I was trying to watch the movie didn't help much with my concentration.

On another note, the new season of Naruto has been released! Woohooo!! Punyalah lama tunggu diorang nak sambung citer tu. I hated the filler episodes. But now it's back!!

**Although I AM guilty of supporting the pirated dvd industry (or anything I can get from the internet) for some reason I always make it a point to buy original vcds of local productions. Maybe because they don't do them on dvds (I may be wrong, forgive my ignorance) and pirated vcds are just bad (in all aspects). Original vcds are affordable enough, I guess

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

One down....

Three to go.

Had my EMQs+SBAs (extended matching questions + single best answers) papers last Monday.

Alhamdulillah, they weren't too bad. Hope it's not a case of overconfidence on my part (as they say, pride cometh before a fall).

Gonna have OSCEs 5th-7th February. Have to brush up on my clinical skills.

Neways, went shopping yesterday. Had some stuff to buy to bring back to Malaysia. And I also bought this :

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Love love LOVE the scent.

I'm not usually a fan of perfumes. Whenever I walk through the perfume section in any department store I'd walk as fast as I can. And I don't fancy standing beside a person who smells like he/she just had a perfume bath. I get headaches, see.

But Pure White Linen has a very clean and crisp smell. Not overwhelming at all. To be honest, it gives the kind of freshness you get when you smell a newly-laundered piece of clothing.

It IS the fragrance to live in all year long. *sigh*

For more info about the scent, click here


Thursday, January 18, 2007

Sound advice

Stumbled upon something when I was surfing. Struck a few chords and pulled a few heart strings. Best reminder one can receive, or give to another person. To view the original post, click here. Or you can just read it below.

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Another graduation speech that I would have loved to give…

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.

Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

~ Mary Schmich, Chicago Tribune

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Song of the month

I was listening to the soundtrack of Shrek 2 when a song caught my fancy. It's titled "You Belong to Me" sung by Jason Wade of Lifehouse with a guitar as accompaniment.

It turned out, the song's been around for quite sometime (1952!).

Not THAT surprised actually. Old songs are the best.

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You Belong to Me

See the pyramids around the Nile

Watch the sun rise from the tropic isle

Just remember darling all the while

You belong to me


See the market place in old Algiers

Send me photographs and souvenirs

Just remember when a dream appears

You belong to me


And I'll be so alone without you

Maybe you'll be lonesome too


Fly the ocean in a silver plane

See the jungle when it's wet with rain

Just remember till you're home again

You belong to me



Oh I'll be so alone without you

Maybe you'll be lonesome too



Fly the ocean in a silver plane

See the jungle when it's wet with rain

Just remember till you're home again

You belong to me