Change is good

Lamer tak update. Sengal giler.

2008-09-08T22:37:00.002+08:00

Mungkin sebab kemalasan, atau tak se-enthusiastic lagi untuk memblog.

Mungkin kedua-duanya sekali.

Previous post, I was starting as O&G HO, in a week's time I'll rejoin the Medical department, this time as an MO.

Takut giler.

Yeah, I did ask for it, but it still scares the heck out of me.

Fresh after finishing Medicine as a houseman, I could confidently say that I'd be able to handle the bread-and-butter cases. Uncontrolled DM? Check. Hypertensive crisis? Check. Asthma? Check. Pneumonia? Check. Procedures? Central lines, peritoneal dialysis? Done, and done. No problem.

But that was two rotations ago. More than half a year. 8 months, to be exact. Sekarang ni nak baca ECG pun lembap sikit. Ye la, asyik tengok CTG jek. Nak order ECG utk patient pun selalu tersasul cakap CTG.

Nevertheless, I AM looking forward to become an MO. No more 7 am start for me! I'll start at 8!! Muahahahahahahah!

Poyo ah.

My weekends are mine if I'm not on-call. Gonna need lots of free weekends from now on. Several projects on tow. All very exciting.

During my last few days in the department, I'm in charge of the Gynae ward. It's like the forgotten ward of O&G. We have to do night rounds, and have to wait until the on-call MO comes to see the patients. Most of the time Gynae ward is the last one. Which means your other colleagues from other wards would've gone back earlier, and there you are, sitting at the counter, looking at the clock while the MO rushed into the OT for an emergency Caesarean section.

It's SO not fun, I tell you.

I love Obstetrics, it's one of the most enjoyable rotation I've had (out of three, ha ha) but I find Gynae not as stimulating.

And because of that, I can't wait to finish (although I'm sorry to leave the department, as a whole).

Neways, apart from work, there are other things to look forward to. Don't want to jump the gun by saying too much, but let's just say that I'm *almost* officially off the shelf.

Makes me sound like a grocery item. Bleah.

Oh yes, I'm aglow with happiness. Really.

Hi. Just random thoughts

2008-05-28T22:13:00.005+08:00

* Yes, I'm alive.
* Am in O&G department now. So far, so good..
* 4 months to finish housemanship. Yay!
* David Cook won American Idol 7. For once, America got it right!
* Can't wait for next month. Waiting for a silvery-blue object on wheels. Super duper excited! Finally my very own car!
* As Yana puts it, there are lots of things under the rug. Waiting for the time to sweep them clean (just hope I don't chicken out).
* You know what, I'm starting to believe that change IS good
* Or maybe I'm fooling myself again
* Either way I'm preparing myself. Come what may. I don't care. Well actually, I do. Either way I'll be damned if I let it get the better of me.
* Surprisingly, I'm happy. Most of the time. Although 'TIRED' is the operative word.
* It's surprising how you know someone so little after so long. Or maybe all this time you're just fooling yourself.
* Sometimes I do the things I do for the sake of self-preservation. Nothing against you, but I have to start looking after me. I'm tired of being considerate all the time.
* Gosh, this entry's going downhill. Let's think happy thoughts.
* I'm gonna watch David Cook again. =)

Song in my head

2008-05-09T20:17:00.001+08:00

Escapism

2008-05-03T19:47:00.000+08:00

I can listen to this song over and over again....

Strange, isn't it?...

2008-05-01T20:21:00.003+08:00

....that you can hide unhappiness, even from yourself. You immerse yourself into whatever you're doing for the day, working non-stop until you have no time to sit down and think. After a while, you actually think that you're all right with everything...

...until you stumble upon a picture, a song, or a note..something that acts as a reminder.

Then it starts to feel like the world is crashing down.

Ignorance IS bliss. I prefer my former state of oblivion.

2008-04-28T00:25:00.000+08:00

It's 30 mins past midnight and I'm still listening/watching David Cook.

I need help.

Just a short note

2008-04-27T20:52:00.004+08:00

I know I more or less made a declaration that I won't be watching anymore American Idol after Melinda Doolittle was eliminated last season, but I just have to say that I LOVE DAVID COOK!

America, please get it right just this once.

Michael Johns wasn't too bad either, unfortunately he was eliminated.

Almost ending my surgical rotation, planning to take my remaining holidays for this rotation, will be blogging more then (hopefully)....

In the meantime, enjoy David Cook's version of "Hello"

Watching the world go by....

2008-02-05T22:09:00.000+08:00

Hari ini adalah hari saya menyibukkan diri baca pasal update orang lain di laman Friendster dan Facebook. This is what I discovered:

2 friends got engaged
2 *possibly* engaged to each other (if my deductions are correct)
1 friend is expecting a baby
1 friend had a miscarriage
Quite a few have moved to other countries, looking for green (doesn't have to be greener) pastures

Being here in Kuala Pilah, I sometimes feel that I'm stuck in another world. Barely having time to read newspapers (honestly, kalau bom meletup pun mesti x perasan - unless there are patients admitted to Hosp. K. Pilah) I'm 'cut off from civilization', so to speak.

Reading about my friends make me feel as if time is passing by quickly; and I'm just a bystander watching from the sidelines.

Strange feeling, I can tell you.

Makes one feel left out, somehow.

No, it doesn't mean that I want to go in the same direction as they are going, it just feels like life's happening to them, and mine's just......static.

I need some excitement, quick. Somebody get me a ticket to an exotic vacation somewhere.

Damn..all this idleness is not helping.

February's post

2008-02-05T19:29:00.000+08:00

My 3^rd week as a Surgical HO

So far, so good. Life’s not as hectic as when I was doing Medical rotation. But somehow, I miss the chaos of being a Medical HO. I guess it’s because I was just starting to get really comfortable doing what I was doing, and then it was time to move on.

Otherwise, I’m appreciating the relaxed lifestyle I’m having right now. We start early, but work so far hasn’t been too bad. Now I have time to sit down and catch up on my reading (the gaps in my knowledge are appalling). Weekends are mine unless I’m on call. I actually have time to go to the cinema, and interact with family members again.

Life’s good, alhamdulillah..

You know what would be absolutely divine? A trip somewhere, anywhere (to a place I’ve never gone before, that is). I see pictures of my friends on Friendster & Facebook on holidays around the world, makes me wish I went somewhere too. Just a week’s escape from normal daily routine. *sigh* Wishful thinking, I know. Oh well…

Blinks it's 2008 already??

2008-01-06T17:39:00.000+08:00

2007 ended almost a week ago.

Happy new year to everyone (if it's not too late).

Haven't blogged for quite some time, been busy with you-know-what (work la..), and when I have off days I'm just too excited not to be working to blog (hahaha).

Read the messages some of you posted. So sorry I didn't reply to them, especially to Justin (if you're reading this). I've seen you down the corridors of Kuala Pilah Hospital so I guess your questions would've been answered by now. Hope you're finding working life okay. If you think life's good at HKP, wait until you get into the Medical department (hehe).

10 days to go before I join another department. Either O&G or Surgery. Haven't found out which one yet (never found the time to go to the office to check).

My 4 months' rotation in Medicine is almost coming to an end. I wanna say something shocking, although I realise after this revelation some people may advise me to get my brain scanned, or seek psychiatric treatment. You ready? Here it is :

I ACTUALLY ENJOY MY MEDICAL ROTATION.

Think I'm crazy, huh? Yeah, I think so too.

I'm gonna miss being a medical houseman. Although I won't miss the crazy on-call nights. And it seems to me that all these patients wait until the day (AND night..especially at night..or very early morning) when I'm on-call to come to hospital. My colleagues have good on-calls, there was one time when there were only TWO admissions for that day (jealous betul...I'm still jealous..). Moi? During my last on call I slept for only half an hour. Had eleven admissions that night,one after another. Good thing I had a good on-call partner who helped me out. Once I was just so tired that I put my pen and stethoscope down, declared to the staff nurse that I SIMPLY had to sleep or go bonkers.

Kena mandi bunga nih...

Otherwise, I'm quite happy. My MO told me that my boss praised me the other day. Being a houseman can make you feel overworked and underappreciated, so any good word (especially from your boss) goes a very long way. That actually keeps me going. (This is what we call 'positive reinforcement'. To all bosses/future bosses out there, remember that your subordinates need a positive word or two once in a while).

Work's not without its funny moments though. I had a schizophrenic patient in the ward who had a crush on me. He was always hanging around the ward counter whenever I was there doing my work. And I actually had a marriage proposal from him! Of course I said no, and then he declared that he'd remain single for the rest of his life.

It was kinda funny, but I became a bit wary of him after that.

Darn. I must be slipping, only crazy men want me.

Any sane takers out there??

Just kidding.

There was another funny incident involving another schizophrenic patient, but it's kinda embarassing so I won't share it here (but if you're curious, ask me personally and I'll tell you).

Well, 2007 has passed, welcome 2008! As the years before, I won't make any new year resolutions since it's simply a waste of time. I'd forget my resolutions the next day. Let's just wish for a good year, and may we improve ourselves in many ways.

I wish....

2007-11-25T17:01:00.000+08:00

...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..

On being a medical houseman in Malaysia

2007-11-17T15:18:00.000+08:00

*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...

Sape nak kurus?

2007-10-21T15:15:00.000+08:00

......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.

2007-09-28T20:45:00.000+08:00

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.

On being blooming stupid

2007-09-15T15:09:00.000+08:00

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...

Posting

2007-09-14T21:13:00.000+08:00

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.

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

2007-09-06T21:39:00.000+08:00

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!

Some things never change

2007-08-30T04:22:00.000+08:00

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.

This time it's different

2007-08-17T21:17:00.000+08:00

One and a half months since my last post.

A lot of things happened since then :

#1 : 13th July 2007 - I graduated!

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!

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

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

Aira Force Waterfalls

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!

Arif Imran, 2 hours old

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

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!

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

2007-07-01T00:52:00.000+08:00

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?

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

2007-06-27T23:15:00.000+08:00

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)

Are you up for the challenge?

2007-06-21T04:34:00.000+08:00

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?

Let's play 'tag'

2007-06-08T01:57:00.000+08:00

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....

"If the moon was to recommend me.."

2007-06-03T19:51:00.000+08:00

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)

Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

2007-05-28T09:33:00.000+08:00

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?

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

2007-05-18T09:14:00.000+08:00

....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

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

2007-05-17T10:52:00.000+08:00

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

WHY WHY WHY????????

Can't even sleep now.

Current mood : Frust menonggeng

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

2007-05-17T10:26:00.000+08:00

.

..

....

.....

......

.......

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?

'5'

2007-05-14T08:00:00.000+08:00

5 years...

Well, fancy that.

It has been wonderful.

Looking forward to many, many more

Kenapa mahu menjadi doktor?

2007-05-11T20:38:00.000+08:00

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.

What drives me absolutely bonkers....

2007-05-10T01:10:00.000+08:00

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!!

What Medical Specialty is for You?

2007-05-08T00:20:00.000+08:00

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??

American Idol

2007-05-07T00:44:00.000+08:00

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 :

Blake Lewis

Lakisha Jones

Jordin Sparks

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...

Spiderman's Back!

2007-05-05T07:25:00.000+08:00

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.

Contentment

2007-05-01T04:09:00.000+08:00

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*)

Cool, cool doowop

2007-04-29T07:46:00.000+08:00

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....)

Story of your life (shower acapella)

2007-04-24T06:17:00.000+08:00

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.

Start of something new

2007-04-17T01:45:00.000+08:00

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.

Back again

2007-04-12T22:48:00.000+08:00

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.."

Uhuhu..

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

2007-04-05T11:39:00.000+08:00

Haven't been myself of late.

Still am not.

So many things in my head.

Wish I could tell someone.

But I can't.

Fickle mind

2007-04-01T17:51:00.000+08:00

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.

I am not...

2007-03-28T12:16:00.000+08:00

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?

Ask me no questions....

2007-03-10T15:02:00.000+08:00

..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.

On being weird..

2007-03-03T22:57:00.000+08:00

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.

FINAL YEAR EXAMS : THE VERDICT

2007-02-24T18:15:00.000+08:00

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

alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah

2007-02-16T23:55:00.000+08:00

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

One down....

2007-01-24T08:42:00.000+08:00

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 :

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

Sound advice

2007-01-18T05:31:00.000+08:00

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.

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

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

Song of the month

2007-01-16T00:25:00.000+08:00

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.

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

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

Stress reliever

2007-01-13T02:16:00.000+08:00

It works!

First entry of 2007

2007-01-11T05:11:00.002+08:00

It is ten days overdue, but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Just a quick note. Apologies for being quiet lately. Am in the midst of preparation for the final exams. Written exam on 22nd Jan, and then OSCE exams (that's practical exams to you) 5th-7th February.

And on February 10th, I'm flying home!!

So you won't hear much from me until then. After that date, if you still don't hear anything, it is safe to assume any of the statements below :

a) I totally burned out that I didn't even make it to the final exams.

b) Due to my ghastly performance I arrested (cardiac, respiratory, whatever)

c) Exams went fine, and I'm celebrating my brains out

Jokes aside, please pray that everything goes well for me. This is my final hurdle in med school, and I have to do justice to all the taxpayers' money.

Oh yeah, have a good year, everyone!

2006-12-30T04:05:00.000+08:00

Howdy.

Had the best Christmas break ever.

Now I've to strap myself to the chair and revise like there's no tomorrow.

No space for teh tarik

2006-12-19T03:36:00.000+08:00

I don't know if you can read that. I almost can't.

Read the article here.

Well, well, well.

We DO have decent experiments to perform in space

No, I'm not going to say "I knew that...they can't be REALLY playing batu seremban and making teh tarik.."

My uncle mentioned in his blog about the dangers of light-hearted statements made in jest being misquoted by the press.

The person who made the statement may well had been misquoted. I do hope, for everyone's sake, that this was the case. Being misquoted is one thing, but I guess one's got to be careful not to make such comments in the first place. Look at how ridiculous we looked in the eyes of foreigners.

Let's see what happens...

Confidentiality issues

2006-12-16T08:55:00.000+08:00

I started my 2-week GP rotation last Monday.

It's been a good experience so far, the GPs are excellent teachers. I have, however, ruled out general practice as a career option (reasons why will be discussed another time).

Anyway, as I was entering the consultation room today (yesterday actually, since it's already Saturday), I bumped into a friend, who's also a medical student in my year. She was a patient registered under the GP surgery, and I guess she came in for a consultation.

When I went back home later in the day I mentioned to another friend that I saw so-and-so at the surgery. Only just a few moments ago I realized I've breached confidentiality; revealing a patient to another.

Every patient has a right to confidentiality. This includes his/her identity and anything discussed during a consultation. Health professionals have the duty to protect this and reveal to no one except those involved in the patient's care. This responsibility holds true even after the patient's death. Only in certain circumstances can the patient's information be revealed, e.g. if required by law or if the patient can potentially cause harm to another (e.g. when an HIV-positive patient refuses to inform partner of HIV status, and doesn't practice safe sex).

If the patient-doctor relationship is strictly professional, I guess it is easier to maintain confidentiality, by virtue of the fact that when the doctor leaves his office at the end of the day, he leaves his work behind. When the patient is also a friend, and known to others in one's social circle, all it takes is a slip of the tongue to reveal all.

Back to the friend I saw yesterday. You might think it's not that big a deal, since the only thing happened was that I met her in the corridor. It's not like I was present for the consultation or anything. But it IS a huge issue. She has the right to remain unknown.

The reason why I'm relating this story is to remind myself, as well as some of you who, like me, will become doctors soon, God willing. Better make mistakes now than later. Despite my occasional self-deprecating remarks about being a lousy medical student, I DO plan to become a good doctor. Borrowing Aunt Eller's line from Oklahoma! : I don't say I'm no better than anybody else, but I'll be damned if I ain't just as good.

Kamus NOGORI

2006-12-15T09:13:00.000+08:00

Got this from Aniz, my childhood friend.

Although I claim myself a Negeri Sembilan girl through-and-through (I was born in Terengganu, but it wasn't my fault my dad was posted there), I have to confess my loghat nogori is abysmal. Oh, I can talk basic nogori, we often crack jokes using the dialect at home. But I can't talk the proper version of it. That's why I won't even attempt to write anything here in nogori, takut kena buang daerah hehe.

Neways, you Negeri Sembilan people out there, how extensive is your vocabulary? Below are over 60 words. I know 25, so I guess it's not that bad. How about you?

Enjoy

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

KAMUS NOGORI

1) ANGEK..............hangat, loghat

hangat

- angek boto badan budak ni, domam, gek eh!

2) AMBA...............tak ada rasa, tawar

- Apo lak amba yo gulai ikan semilang kau ni timah!

3) ANGKEK.............angkat, loghat angkat

- piah, tolong angkek air lam baldi tu....

4) ANCUK...............copulate, lucah ni

- beghancuk yo kojo eh budak ni

5) AGEH.................sejenis ulat agas, loghat agas

- ghumah onyang ni banyak na ageh, maleh la nak tido

6) SUKI = cukup

- ayam tu kalau suki makan eh..sihat la dehhh

7) GHOSAN = basi

- lauk ayam nia kok buh dlm poti sojuk..tahan la deh. kok bia

yo kek luar..ghosannn deh

8)MELANGSIT = tido yg bersungguh

- ekau ni kan, melangsit yo kojo kau. cubo la poie motong gotah

9) SENUGHEH : senonoh

- ekau ni tak senugheh boto lah. den lompang kang!

10) CHEMAT = rotan

- budak dogey ni cemat yo hukum eh. tak mau di koba org..

11) BOGIK = dogei mak amek

12) HOBIN - ho-bin : pukul atau belasah

ekau hobin yo muko dio tuh!

13) KITAI - ki-tai : mengibas atau merenjis (badan dan selalu nya utk kucing)

kucing tuh lopeh dimandi an memang gomar mengitai an badan eh

14) PELAIH- pe-la-ih : endah atau amik tau

bukan dio nak pelaih an apo yg den cakap!

15) TETOYEK - te-to-yek : mcm lebihan terutama bg rendang

banyak boto tetoyek ghondang nie

15) GHEMAH - ghe-mah : saki baki nasi yg bertaburan lps makan

apo la makan cam tuh... bersepah ghemah

16) ONTOK-ONTOK : diam-diam

heh, duduk lah ontok-ontok sikit

17) MENDODA - men-do-da : terlalu kuat

sampai mendoda bunyi eh dio bukak lagu tuh!

18) LELAN - le-lan : cuai

lain kali bawak keto, jgnlah lelan... bahayo

19) MENTENENG - men-te-neng : besar, boroi etc

menteneng poghot dan lopeh makan lomang nie

20) DODAT - do-dat : minum terus tanpa cawan

jangan lah dodat air tuh camtuh, amik lah cawan, karang ado org lain nak

minam!

21) BELOBAU- be-lo-bau : terjatuh

jangan ditolak kucing tu, belobau dlm kolam tuh karang!

22) KECENG - ke-ceng : kenyit

apolah terkeceng-keceng mato tuh

23) AMEK - sangat

Kau jangan bawak motor tu laju-laju amek jang, kang kok terjungkang kek

topi somak tu kang.

24) TONAR - kedengaran sangat kuat

Mak oi, kuek bonar budak tu menangih tonar sekampong.

25) LUNYAH - dipijak-pijak

Abih tompek tidur den di lunyah dek bebudak ni

26) TEBOK - tanduk

Semalam atuk den di tebok kek kobau nasib baik tak apo-apo

27) POLAK - rimas...

polak eh la pulak...ekau kipeh den sokojap../ polak tolingo den dongar

bebel kau ni..apo mulut kau tak bulih diam ko

28) BEJEOH (be-je-oh) = untung besar

Kalau dapek duit pelanting, bejeoh den.... hehehee......

29) PORUN (po-run) = bakar semak-samun/sampah-sarap

lopeh tobeh somak tu tolong porun sekali biar torang, nanti sonang nak

tanam apo-apo.

30) CENEKEL (ce-ne-kel) = tipu/ngelat

ekau main cenekel patutlah kau buleh monang

31) HONGEH ~ ho-ngeh - mengah/keletihan

"den tongah hongeh ni sobab baghu lopeh dikojar dek lombu garang"

32) HONGAP ~ ho-ngap - nafas

"hongap kau ni bebau rokok"

33) NGICAK ~ ngi-cak = minta

"tak habih2 budak ni nak ngicak kueh den yo kojo eh"

34) KELOKAIAN ~ ko-lo-ka-ian = habiskan

"mano ado tinggal laie, habih dikolokaian eh kek budak ni"

35) NONGGOK = duduk, tinggal

"ekau nonggok mano sokarang"

36) PEMONGAK = pe-mo-ngak = pembohong

"usah kau pecayo cakap2 eh tu, pemongak nak mampuih"

37) NGENDENG ngen-deng = mendekati seseorang untuk dapat sesuatu

"apo kau buek ngendeng yo ni jang, nak apo laie?"

38) SEJOGHENG se-jo-gheh = secebis

"ado ko patut dibori eh den sejogheng yo, padohal banyak laie tu

hah..."

39) MENYONGOK = me-nyo-ngok/menjongok men-jo-ngok = menziarah

"aghi rayo aghi tu den balik kampong menyongok gf den...hehehe...."

40) KECEK = ke-cek = minta dgn muka kesian

"cubo kau kecek ado laie tu...."

41) BEGHAMUK = be-gha-muk = bergaduh

"apo dibuek eh kek bobudak ni, beghamuk yo kojo eh"

42) DOGHEH = do-ngeh/dedogheh de-do-ngeh= cepat

"jalan lah dogheh/dedogheh, agi dah nak malam ni"

43) BONGKAR = bong-kar = bangun

bongkar la copek..dah subuh

44) MENTOKODAGHAH - men-to-ko-da-ghah = makan

kuek amek mentokodaghah ko ni milah..abih duit den

45) POLOSER - po-lo-ser = pemalas

poloser amek ko ni jang

46) POLOSIT - po-lo-sit = jahat

Huh anak si Jang katek tu, polosit sungguh, mencurik ajo kojoeh.

47) BOSOLUMAK - bo-su-lu-mak = comot

humang aiii!!.......bosulumak boto mulut kau lopeh makan aiskrim tue

48) JEWAT - je-wat : capai

lupo lak eden nak jewat baju tido tuh tadih

49) METENG - me-teng /peteng - pe-teng - perati

apo yang dok peteng tuh jang.. berio bonar lak nampak eh.

50) TITIEK - ti-tiek / TALO- ta-lo = rotan

Ekao nak kono titiek tak ngan abah kao?"

Bang talo sikit Bidin tu, dogee bonar pulak dio

51) OCUP - o-cup = tenggelam

jangan mandi kek lubuk tu ocup kang

52) BUNGKO - bung-ko = bingai/bengap

apo bungko bona si acai ni, den dah koba bokali-kali masih tak faham2 laie

53) BENGOT - be-ngot = herot

bengot mulut kau konon kono mato kail tu

54) BOLENG - bo-leng = bogel

ajis jangan mandi boleng kono sekodeng dek anep kang

55) MOH DOREH - moh-do-reh = mari cepat

moh doreh kito poie beghayo ko ghumah tok imam

54) GODANG - go-dang = besar

godang eh lubang hidung kau

55) GOLO- go-lo = parah/susah

alahai kantoi lak dengan bini waktu dengan dating dengan senah tadi..golo

lah den

56) PENGOLAN - po-ngo-lan = pengait

bak sini pongolan tu fana..ekau duduk ontok ontok kek situ

57) OKAP - o-kap = tamak

okap bonar kau ni im..sumo asal cun sikit kau kobeh

58) KOBEH - ko-beh = kebas

ekau monyangkung lamo lamo tak kobeh ko kaki mizz

59) LOHONG - lo-hong = barai

lubang hidung jiman somakin hari somakin lohong sebab selalu korek hidung

60) KOMAN - ko-man = ketinggalan zaman

apo koman bona dressing kau ni sarip

61) BALUN = belasah

apo tersongge songge baco posting den..nak kono balun

itu ajo la setakat nie.........bhaso jiwo bangso!!

Ayat yang membuatku kembang tak terkuncup lagi..

2006-12-13T21:18:00.000+08:00

Weh korang!

Guess what?

I had GP attachment this a.m. Had a quick chat with the receptionist. Pastu dia cakap :

"You look like you're not even out from school.."

Ehehe.

Now, before you start leaving bubble-bursting comments, hear (or read, rather) me out first. I KNOW she meant that I look young, mostly because at five past nine in the morning I hadn't the chance to make a monkey of myself, and she wasn't able to asses my competence (incompetence, actually) as a medical student from a 5-minute encounter.

What say you now?

Wooohooooo!! *melompat-lompat sambil menari tarian sumazau*

So I guess I have a few years yet before I need anti-ageing thingies. Maybe if I invest the money I put aside properly I'd be able to afford botox! Muahahahahahah!

Eh. Takdela. Gurau je. Ko ni cepat melatah la senah!

It's SUCH a beautiful day...don't you think?

"I've had..time of my life.."

2006-12-12T06:17:00.000+08:00

I'm listening to Dirty Dancing's soundtrack right now.

Watched the movie for the first time a couple of weeks ago (don't know why I never got around watching it before), when I visited Leicester and stayed with Peah.

Everytime they played a song in the movie, I went like "Ouh! I know this song!!" and then sang along, much to everyone's disbelief. (I'm sure they thought : WHAT DECADE is this crazy woman from??)

What can I say, I am more at home with songs from my mom's era. Should've been born in the fifties/sixties. I would've been SUCH a cool person back then! However, living in the current time and place, with my taste, I am doomed to be a geek and totally, totally uncool (by virtue of the fact that I can't connect with my peers, but can sing along with their parents).*sigh* Oh well. You people just DON'T KNOW how to appreciate me *pbbtthh*.

Now I have all the songs from the Dirty Dancing movie, thanks to Peah who delivered them to me and to Sid who obligingly downloaded them for me!! Remind me to belanja you fantastic people later!

If you'd excuse me, I'm gonna put on my 60s retro sunglasses and sing some golden oldies. ALOUD.

2006-12-09T09:19:00.000+08:00

I WANT TO GO HOME.

The only place where I think, act, feel like myself.

Being away drives me positively nuts. It's like being on a roller-coaster ride. I'm not even pleasant company most of the time.

Everything's moving too quickly for me.

Astagfirullah. I know that I am ungrateful. By right I should feel nothing but happy.

So why do I feel like crying for no apparent reason?

**Addendum 09/12/06 9:40 pm: I'm fine. Just had a bad case of PMS. All is good now.

WOULD. YOU. LOOK. AT...

2006-12-08T09:35:00.000+08:00

THAT.

Saw the advert on tv.

Introducing Nintendo's Wii (well I'm sure most of you already know about it anyway).

Has a wireless controller, which acts as a handheld pointing device and can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions.

That means, if the character in the game you're playing is in a swordfight, YOU are executing all the moves. If it's a golf game, you are literally the player (although I can't imagine anything less exciting than that).

I've given up my game controller ages ago (cewah macam bagus je) but I think Nintendo's latest release has taken gaming to another level.

Please excuse me while I drown in my puddle of saliva.

Ummm Santa? I've been a *ahem* good girl this year...do you think you can put this up on my list? Pretty please?? *with big shiny eyes ala2 kartun Jepun*

Owh. I forgot. Santa Claus doesn't exist. And I don't celebrate Christmas.

Drat.

Well, how about a belated birthday present? Anyone?

Hello?? *distant echoes are heard*

Ah well.

Too revealing?

2006-12-06T09:43:00.000+08:00

Interesting piece of news on The Star Online today. To read it click here

Or if you're too lazy, the picture below sums up what's going on :

There's a RM500 fine for those who go against it. As expected, the 'Do's and Don'ts list' has sparked protest and outrage in some quarters (as reported here)

Their arguments were, in my personal opinion, valid points. Women have always been blamed as 'the source of evil'. It is unacceptable to say if a girl dresses a tad 'too revealing' and gets assaulted that 'she asked for it'. Honestly, does anyone still buy that argument?

How are they going to determine what's 'tight' and/or 'revealing' and what's not?

Before doing IB, I spent one semester doing matriculation locally (in Malaysia, that is). After spending 11 years in an all girls' day school where most of my friends were non-Malays, I got my very first wave of culture shock there.

My first Pendidikan Islam lesson, the ustaz threatened us with his 'kad kuasa', and said that he was authorised to 'tangkap khalwat' any couples seen doing anything funny. I was like, "oookay..."

That was a 'nice' welcome.

The whole environment of the campus was...well..to put it in a way, very religious. Now, I had no arguments against that (in principle, that is). I was ok with the fact that they tried to take care of everyone's 'spiritual well-being'. But I objected to the way they did it, and how they targeted only us girls.

Friday night ceramah focused mainly on how girls didn't wear camisoles with their baju kurung, or how thin the fabric is, or even how some girls don't wear socks. They made jokes at our expense, and the boys snickered at the front while us girls seethed with anger at the back.

We were proper second-class citizens, the female students. Actually, even worse than that. I felt the scavenger cats at the canteen were treated better. Then a sequence of events took place which left me properly traumatized. But that's a story for another day. Let's just say I never felt so happy to leave a place in my life.

Back to our main topic. Yet another article here (sorry! I make you read lots this time around). Statements such as, and I quote “A woman who wears an indecent outfit does not respect herself, so how can she expect men to respect her?” and 'there was no denying that men would be aroused by a scantily- dressed woman, as this was human nature' are ludicrous.

What is THAT all about?

At the same time, I do feel that we Malaysians have become too westernised - our clothes, our thinking, heck, even right down to our American accents we picked up from tv. Scantily-clad girls are no longer found only in 'large cities', as small town people would say. They now can be found in your own hometown. She can be your neighbour. Or your best friend. Or even your sister. It's such a norm now that people rarely bat an eyelash when they see such things.

A few years ago (when we Malaysians were still conservative...remember those times?), at a wedding reception, my mother made a remark about the bride, who wore a sleeveless, a-bit-on-the-sexy-side dress, saying that she 'tak tau nak hormat majlis,' showing her underarms to guests and her elders. At that time, I didn't understand what the fuss was about. Now I think I understand where my mom was coming from.

If you were to attend, let's say, your best friend's kenduri, you'd choose what you wear carefully. Or if you were to go to meet your relatives, your mom will surely ask you to wear something 'decent' (that is, if you have one like mine). If you go for a job interview, you'd spend hours deciding what to wear. Even in the medical profession, there are standards on what doctors should and should not wear. You may ask, why? Out of respect for the other person. You do not dress simply for yourself, it's also for every single person you meet that day, whether you know him/her or not.

As it is wrong for people to criticize you on how you dress, it is also unacceptable to impose your dressing on other people.

I guess what MPKB is trying to do is 'protect' their people from being keBaratan, while still trying to preserve eastern; and most importantly, Islamic values. And to be honest, when I went to Kelantan last summer, it was really nice not to see people 'flaunting' themselves, that everyone looked so well ummm... decent.

I feel SO old saying that.

But I still object to the statements made in the papers. Totally devoid of respect towards women.

That's the problem. They blame us for everything, and teach their brothers and sons that women are the root of all evil. They never taught their sons to respect their mothers and sisters, to love and cherish and protect. Instead they are taught to look at women with contempt.

And seriously, if you want to fight 'immorality' and 'indecency'? EDUCATE the people. EDUCATE them. EDUCATE them. Teach them good values; show them how to think for themselves; teach them the importance of respecting others, and also one's self. Only then will we stop being the mindless sheep we have become.

Not so easy, huh? We always prefer the quick-fix method, washing our hands off the problem afterwards, claiming we've done all we can. How myopic. How irresponsible. How typical. (Oh dear, it's the 't' word...again).

Hmmmmm

2006-12-01T19:59:00.000+08:00

Just look at that.

I'm usually a neat person - well agak neat la. In my younger days (cewah) I loved spring cleaning, everytime I got stressed I'd clean the room from top to bottom - usually after midnight. (I know...I have weird habits, like bathing after 12am..there are even weirder habits you'd find out about if you get to know me better). Can't even be bothered to clean up anymore. Everytime I do, it gets messy again double quick.

The state of the rest of the room is more or less the same. Oh, I can still see the floor,thank heavens, but things are cluttered in groups - in an 'organized' sort of way.

You should see my laundry basket. It's like a volcano ready to erupt. In fact, it has a slightly smaller twin - the 'handwash' pile and the 'washing machine' pile, you see. Sometimes I yell at them : "Why can't you wash yourselves??"

My dishes get that a lot too.

I also wish that the food in the freezer would defrost themselves and voluntarily jump into the cooking pot.

I really marvel at my friends who are still studying and are also married +/- with kids. Cammane korang cope haaa? Aku kat sini diri sendiri pun tak terjaga. Mungkin sebab tu la jodoh korang awal and mine is still on suspension.

More friends are getting married within the next few months. I wish you all infinite joy. Me? Everytime anyone asks about 'my turn' (tak serik2 lagi ke?), my standard answer is now "Rabu. Datangla ye..bawak hadiah sekali.." (well I haven't used the 'hadiah' bit, but I think it's a good addition. Gonna use that next time).

Not going home for Christmas holidays. Somehow that thought makes me depressed...

Past the point of no return

2006-11-30T06:44:00.000+08:00

I've done it.

I wrote to the medical school, and my name has been removed from the MTAS (just found out what MTAS is..it's Medical Training Application Scheme).

For better or for worse, Malaysia, here I come.

Burning the bridge (warning : ramblings ahead)

2006-11-22T00:09:00.000+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, the job application forms for PRHO FY1 (Pre-registration House Officer, Foundation Year 1) came out. Final year medical students who are applying for FY1 posts have to fill in the application form, answering questions six questions on why he/she will make a good doctor, giving examples etc.

Yup, pretty wishy-washy.

Based on the new system of application (in its 2nd year this year), applicants are awarded 85 points in total, with academic ranking contributing 45 points maximum. The rest of the points are academic achievements, other prizes/awards, etc. To be honest, I don't know what's going on exactly.

Why? Because I'm not applying, that's why.

When I first started med school at Barts and the London, I intended to go back straight after qualifying. When I started my clinical year (year 3), I thought that staying would be a good idea, so that I can at least clear all my membership exams before going home, making it easier for specialist training. Last year, the UK Home Office came up with new immigration laws, affecting all non-UK/EU citizens across all professions, I'm sure. Because of the new laws, international students who qualify from UK medical schools are allowed to stay for the Foundation Year training (FY1 and FY2), but afterwards we'll be treated like any other foreign doctor. After finishing FY2 we'd have to apply for job permit, and employers are allowed to hire non-UK/EU citizens only when there is no one with a UK/EU passport who can fill the post. Even if we do get the job, work permit lasts only for the duration of the employment, afterwards the whole job application process repeats and work permit has to be acquired all over again.

If that doesn't stink, I don't know what does.

So, being discouraged by what's happening, my plans changed again. I'm going back to Malaysia. Those who are staying are either hoping to save some money before going back (to buy a car, a house, get married..that sort of thing), and some want the GMC registration before going back.

The GMC registration sounded attractive at first. But then I asked myself : will I ever use/need it? Now that prospects of postgraduate training in the UK are very slim, what do I need the UK GMC registration for?

One reason why I want to go back quickly is that since I'm most likely to go postgraduate studies back home, it helps to get into the civil service earlier to those who are staying behind. As it is now, my peers in Malaysia are already in their 1st year of housemanship. And back home, seniority counts (salary-wise, career progression-wise). And with the government sending SO MANY students to do medicine worldwide, as well as having medical schools practically in every state in Malaysia, I can foresee an major influx of doctors in the near future. Better get into the race sooner than later.

I've informed my medical school of my decision of not applying, and an email was sent to me and several other Singaporean students who've had job offers from Singapore, stating that :

"if, at a later date, they (i.e. non-UK/EU graduates from UK medical school )want to return to the UK to practice or undertake clinical research, they will find it very difficult – despite full registration with their home GMC or equivalent body - to update their UK GMC registration from provisional to full. The GMC does not accept retrospective approval of PRHO posts and also does not allow UK graduates to undertake PLAB. Thus even if a UK graduate is fully registered with their "home" GMC or equivalent body they will have difficulties in gaining registration with the UK GMC on return to the UK."

Reading those words, I faltered.

Oh, I knew about it even before, but having those words coming from THE authoritative source made me doubt myself.

Not enough to change my resolve, but enough for me to question whether what I'm doing is right.

I'm supposed to reply to the email, stating 'my intentions' and request for my name to be removed from the FY1 application process.

Do I burn the bridge now? Or simply wait for the application deadline to pass quietly?

With all my 'big talk', I'm not a brave person after all.

What is a typical Malay?

2006-11-20T00:35:00.000+08:00

I have heard of (and also guilty of using) the phrase 'typical Malay' often enough.

What does being a 'typical Malay' mean? Saying to someone that he/she is acting like a typical Malay is akin to accusing him/her of being lazy, narrow-minded, short-sighted, too complacent, easily swindled, prone to petty jealousies....etc...

I was reading Nik Nazmi's thoughts about our Malaysian astronaut playing children's games in space, and someone accused him of (and I quote) "perasaan hasad dengki dan iri hati orang melayu kepada org melayu yang ingin mencapai kejayaan..Another ol typical malay!!!!"

Sadly enough, when someone uses that 'typical Malay' phrase others know exactly what he/she means.

The question is : how long are we going to stay 'typical'? The negative traits mentioned above (and more) are pathognomonic (using a medical term here, meaning diagnostic for a particular disease) for being Malay.

Doesn't anyone else think it is getting old? Malays acting 'typical' and other people accusing us of being so. Somehow it sounds worse than Chinese or Indian people being called 'typical Chinese/Indian' (whatever they mean).

As you can see, I rant a lot nowadays. Pre-exam fever has kicked in. Oh yeah.

More about Malaysian in space...from a non-Malaysian's point of view

2006-11-18T19:56:00.000+08:00

My sister sent me this article by Michael Backman, an 'internationally renowned author and columnist' - While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry. To read the article, click here

Also by the same author : read this

Bitter pills to swallow, and yet there's truth in them. I wish I have the resources to send them to every Minister in Malaysia; via email, snail mail, text message, voice message...heck, I'd even enlarge and paste them on every billboard available in Malaysia.

Someone MUST be made to listen. This has got to stop before we lose the last precious shreds of dignity we have left!! (Although at this point I even doubt its existence...)

Today's News....

2006-11-15T23:37:00.000+08:00

I was reading The Star online (yes, I do keep up with news from home) and this piece of news caught my attention. (note : I've added comments in between...just to express my sentiments)

Malaysian's first astronaut to do what no one in space has done before -->why do I get a feeling it's gonna be something silly?

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's first astronaut will do what no one in space has done before: play traditional Malay children's games without gravity. --> yup, I was right

The astronaut - yet to be selected - will play "batu seremban,'' or "five stones'' and spin traditional Malay tops in space--> WHAT THE...???!!??, Agriculture Ministry parliamentary secretary Rohani Abdul Karim told parliament on Wednesday.

Rohani, who was replying on behalf of the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry, said the astronaut would also do batik painting and making teh tarik-->errm excuse me, but HOW does this benefit anyone?? Roti canai takde ke? Correct me if I'm wrong, but being in a zero-gravity environment, won't the teh tarik fly everywhere? The Russians might be a bit peeved for messing up their space station...you know, nanti lekit and the space ants will come in no time.

She said this in reply to comments made by MPs on what the Malaysian astronaut might do in the International Space Station.-->I'm sure they were expecting a more intelligent answer, but then I might be wrong....

Rohani said the training programme for the Malaysian astronaut in Russia would not cost the Treasury a single sen.--> and as such you think it's okay for the astronaut bearing Malaysia's name to make an intergalactic fool of himself???

Replying to Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan), she said the programme was provided free of charge as part of an offset programme for the purchase pf Sukhoi fighter aircraft from Russia.-->*snorts* was it a second-hand plane? (probably the Russians felt bad for swindling us so easily and offered the programme to make amends)

She said the benefits of the programme for the country were numerous, including the opportunity to conduct scientific experiments in space.--> yeah, so why don't we?? If we actually are I'm sure people are more interested to know about that than making teh tarik and play batu seremban

Such experiments will also be studied by our own scientists in the medical, science and educational fields.

Schoolchildren will be further motivated to increase their interests in science and technology when our astronaut holds a live teleconference with students from several selected schools,” she said, adding that the astronaut would also conduct several experience on micro-gravity in front of the television camera.-->to be honest with you, schoolchildren will be interested in ANYTHING if there's a scholarship offer attached to it...don't have to go through to all the trouble of sending a man to space.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Kapten Dr Faiz Khaleed, who had been selected for Malaysia’s first astronaut programme, are now undergoing training for a year in Russia before departing for the International Space Station.-->what? a year to learn how to play batu seremban and gasing and make teh tarik? What do you need those doctors for? Might as well send a teh-tarik man and the johan kebangsaan in batu seremban to accomplish those things.

Only one of them will board a Russian rocket for eight days of space travel on Sept 2 next year.-->so, how do you choose? Undian SMS? My bet is on the better-looking one then...

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

Reading ridiculous articles like this makes me so angry I want to cry.

Another piece of news from the same source:

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is now recuperating from a mild heart attack, had received information that he would be booed if he attended the Umno general assembly. Mukhriz said his father had been booed before, even when he was still the party president...

*sigh* This is how we treat the person who's done so much for the country. Grown men playing schoolyard politics...they even act like children. We applauded him when he spoke out against the Western giants, but can't take it when we receive the same kind of treatment. I'm not saying he's always right, nor am I siding anyone but surely things can be solved by acting maturely. Not all this bickering that comes out in the papers. It's just downright silly.

Birthday reflections

2006-11-06T23:00:00.000+08:00

Turning twenty-four makes me realize that:

1) I am old(er). Sigh. Wiser? Maybe not.

2) I will be thirty-four in no time. Ack!!

3) By UK standards, I still look twenty at the very most (wahahahahahahahah!*gelak evil*)

4) I can be just as childish as I was ten years ago, but with more serious consequences.

5) I feel comfortable going out without fussing about my appearance like I used to a couple of years ago. (Yes, yes, I have my share of vanity, so sue me).

6) Lots of my friends have gotten married/engaged to be married. My sister started her "I was engaged at twenty-four" spiel officially today, joining my mom who started a while back. Sigh..nantilah ye...

7) My biological clock is ticking. Caught myself a few times looking at adorable babies thinking "I want one of those..."

8) I want to graduate and get out of medical school!!

9) There are some people you went to school with that you never dreamed you'd be close to after leaving school. Surprisingly, they are now your closest friends.

10)I rather spend the night talking to a few close friends than go out gallivanting with a large group of people

11)I sleep no later than 12am. It's almost impossible to stay awake after that time.

12)There are quite a few things I regret doing. Wish I had done things differently

13)There are a few crazy things I wish I had done when I was younger.

14)Most of all, turning twenty-four makes me realize that every second of my life has been a blessing, and I have so much to thank God for.

Dusting the cobwebs

2006-10-28T00:06:00.000+08:00

Berposing di pagi raya...

Yes, this blog has been neglected for quite sometime.

No, I've not been kidnapped by aliens and having my internal organs rearranged. Am very much alive and well. Thank you for wondering (or not).

It's not too late to wish Selamat Hari Raya! Hope your Eid was a good one. My last Eid away from home (insyaAllah), am looking forward to celebrating Raya in Malaysia once more with great expectations.

Final exams are looming over the horizon, 12 weeks to go! Even yours truly, who usually is a last-minute crammer is starting to feel the heat. Having exams is one thing, but the thought of being a full-fledged doctor by August positively terrifies me. It IS a welcome change, after being in med school for 5 years and 2 years IB before that. Most of my friends have started work ages ago. But I hate change. At the same time I look forward to it as well.

Another reason to be intimidated is because I'm planning to work Malaysia once I graduate. Having medically trained in English, my Bahasa Melayu comm skills is gonna stink big time. You might see me saying the following a lot:

Anxious relative : Bagaimana keadaan dia, doktor?

Me : (In my white coat, looking at clipboard). Keadaan dia stabil. Tapi dia perlu banyak berehat.

Or........

Anxious relative : Bagaimana keadaan dia, doktor?

Me : (coming out from the operation theatre, in my scrubs, slowly shaking my head at the patient). Kami telah cuba sedaya upaya. Bersabarlah, ini semua kehendak Tuhan.

Arrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!

All the times I laughed so hard at those corny lines in Malay films/drama!! It's gonna come back to haunt me!

On a different topic altogether, for those who are on Friendster, have you noticed that it has turned into a site for new moms and dads to showcase their offsprings, and for married/engaged people to show others how happy they are?

Is it just me or did you notice it as well??

The ranks of single people of my age are thinning. Fast. How depressing is that? (Of course I'm happy for them, just saying that I'm not getting any younger. Gonna be over the hill before I even realize it).

That's life, I guess

2006-09-18T00:06:00.000+08:00

As soon as I say I won't be blogging often, here's another entry.

Typical.

Been hooked on youtube this weekend. Saw Lea Salonga's (now Lea Salonga-Chien) wedding in 2004 video, I LOVE the song she sang to her husband!! *sigh* What a dream. Her husband actually cried (kinda cute actually..who wouldn't?).

Also watched Les Mis in various languages on youtube. Now I SO wanna go around the world and watch all the Les Mis production there is!

(Since $$$$ is not unlimited, I guess there's plenty of room to dream....)

Yana, let's GO!!! We'll sing along every show!!

2006-09-16T17:47:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since my last post.

Been busy with final year (yes, I'm a finalist!!). The big exams will be in Jan-Feb, so no time to play much.

Before I go into hibernation again, just wanna share this video I found on youtube.com. It's hilarious!

Till next time

With love,

Hani

Hooked on...

2006-08-10T12:40:00.000+08:00

ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA

(Heck, I wasn't even a rock fan before this)

Now THAT'S what I call a reality-tv show full of talents!!

A Picture Says a Thousand Words....

2006-08-06T01:19:00.000+08:00

This is for Azureen's Mak Su in Australia :

She sends her love and lots and lots of wet kisses!! (Believe me, they ARE wet!)

Back in Malaysia

2006-08-02T00:48:00.000+08:00

Alhamdulillah, dah selamat sampai

Had a really good flight home, I got upgraded to Business Class!! (hehe..*gelak evil*)

Been spending time at home with Azureen, she's quite a handful but TOTALLY ADORABLE! Pictures later.

In the meantime, my hp number while in Msia is 017-3575130. Sesape yang nak pegi berpoya-poya, panggillah saya, ye?

One more!!!

2006-07-25T16:53:00.000+08:00

Three down, one more to go!!!

OSCE 10-min stations this afternoon.

And then.......habis!!!

*dances a little jig around the room*

Ermm...on a sober(er) note, hopefully I'll do okay...bab2 bercakap under pressure nih yang susah sket...

Countdown...

2006-07-19T22:26:00.000+08:00

5 days before my OSCE exams

6 days before I'm free from the shackles of 4th year medicine (to be fair, it's the best year in med school, but it feels too long..). I hope all goes well with the exams. For what I've done for the written exams, the most I can do now is tawakkal and make dua' that I did allright. InsyaAllah.

And in 9 days' time....I'm going home!!! Can't wait!!!!

I know, I know, for a person who goes back at every opportunity I shouldn't be missing home as much as other people. But I do. Can't do anything ab0ut that.

2006-07-13T06:42:00.000+08:00

I Believe in You : Il Divo with Celine Dion

I love this song!!!

p/s : you know the guy on the far right? Don't you think he's beautiful? (as in, pretty boy kind of beautiful...and what a voice!!)

World Cup 2006

2006-07-10T08:40:00.000+08:00

It has officially ended.

The Azzurri won.

France played well, but they got unlucky. (Zidane : WHAT were you thinking???!!!)

But the most important thing is : ITALY WON!!!! Woooohoooo!!!

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

2006-07-09T09:40:00.000+08:00

Firstly, I just like to say :

I've finished my SSM, 3 weeks before the deadline. Go me!

Well, technically I have. Just have to fix the intro and conclusion a bit, and do my references properly. Have sent the draft to my tutor. Hopefully I won't have to change too much, insyaAllah.

It's a good thing I've finished it too, since I SO have to start revising for my exams. It's next week, by the way. So spending the next 8 days doing nothing but revise and sleep and sleep and more sleep (hey, I need to consolidate my memory okay! Ask any neurologist!)

Neways, had an interesting incident last Friday. Had my revision lectures in Mile End, so after it finished I took the bus back to halls. It was packed, but I managed to squeeze into the back door (it's the long n bendy no. 25 bus with 3 doors). Near the door stood this guy (let's call him Mr X) probably in his twenties, who had weird tics and he was making strange movements and gestures and had conversations with persons only he could see. Since I just finished my psychiatry rotation, I think that Mr. X probably had a schizo-affective disorder, who had not been taking his meds for a while. He kept jumping off the bus whenever the door opened and then jump back in, making Michael-Jackson-like movements.

Moving on with the story, the bus was packed. It was really hot. There were lots of preschool children making lots of noise. I tried to get as far away from the strange guy as I could. At a particular bus stop, a guy with a small dog wanted to get down. Had to push a lot of people, and I had to move closer to Mr. X. And then before the guy with the dog could get down, the door closed and the bus moved again.

So there I was, trapped. With Mr. X right in front of me and the dog near my right foot (I have nothing against dogs, I love to look at them, but you know la, kalau pape susah la nak samak). And Mr. X kept jumping up and down. The dog was restless. I couldn't move.

Then Mr. X suddenly turned around and gave me a smile. I gave him a constipated grin, I think. At that moment, I thought, I'd rather take my chances with the dog. Luckily at the next bus stop Mr. X jumped out for good, as did the guy with the dog...but wait! There was not only one, there were two dogs!! The other one was probably behind me. I was properly cornered. Good thing I didn't notice the other one.

Ah well....

Okay, moving on. Saw 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest' today. It was SMASHING!!! Probably the most entertaining movie I've seen in a while. It was so good, I didn't even mind the fact that annoying Keira Knightley was in it (WHAT'S with her and the pouty-lower-lip thingy?? Was that supposed to be sexy??). Amazing effects, really good adventure story, really funny, albeit a dark sequel to the first one, but much much better.

It ran for 150 minutes, just the right length. It didn't feel too short like X-Men 2 (I remember thinking "Was that it?") nor was it too long like Lord of the Rings 3 (I was practically dancing in my seats - my bladder had passed its maximum capacity). Great, great music score.

So if you were contemplating whether or not to go, contemplate no more. GO NOW!!

The downside of it all is the fact that we've got to wait until next year for the 3rd instalment to be released (although they filmed it back-to-back with the second one, kinda like LOTR).

Oh, bugger.

2006-07-05T08:43:00.000+08:00

To Germany : Muahahahahahahahah! *gelak evil*

Viva italia!!

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-02T05:18:00.000+08:00

Brazil lost!!!

*wails*

whywhywhywhywhyWHYYYYYYY??????????

well, I know why, so you don't have to point it out to me (seriously, DON'T), but even so, I was hoping....

*sigh*

frust giler seh.

heck, I'm not even a football fan usually.

p/s : despite their lost against Portugal, I thought England played well. It was a shame it ended as it did...

I'm (not) what?

2006-06-29T20:16:00.000+08:00

You are 28.57% jealous!

For this test, the average jealousy percentage is 35.54%.

524789 people have taken this test to date.

This percentage means that :

You have very few jealous traits.

You rarely over-react and have a handle on the severity of situations.

Whatever jealous attributes you do have will not present a problem in relationships, and will sometimes help.

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

**Eh, macam sikit je...

if you want to find out about yourself, click here

Psychiatry no more

2006-06-29T19:53:00.000+08:00

This week's the last week of my Psychiatry rotation.

Had my last ward round last Tuesday. I got to write in the notes again. The SHO was on leave so I took over (hehehe...*gelak evil*).

At the end of the ward round, sat down with the consultant for assessment and signing of my log book.

The consultant was really nice. He actually wrote in my logbook 'excellent social graces'. Well, for my lack of knowledge I have to make up somehow by being enthusiastic.

It WAS a good firm. I'll miss each and every patient there, crazy or not.

It was one of the best rotation I've had this year. I still want to do Obs&Gynae, but I think I'll take up Psychiatry as a special interest.

What keeps me going...

2006-06-25T08:26:00.000+08:00

**4th year med is just too long. Can't wait to go home. **

1) The thought that I'll be home in a little bit more than a month

2) Thoughts of Azureen and my parents' reports of her progress. Video clips of her that I took whenever I was home help a lot

3) That midnight phone call

4) The thought that I'd be seeing that someone after 11 long months

5) My next-door neighbour (also my best friend, my ex-classmate, my ex-roommate), who knows me more than anyone else (in many ways)

Weddings....

2006-06-10T02:11:00.000+08:00

Wow.

That's all I can say.

There are SO many weddings!

Everyone I know got married/is getting married this year!

Is it something in the air? Something in the water?

There are nine so far....I suppose I can expect more.

Don't get me wrong, I adore weddings, and I'm glad that everyone who's getting married is doing so...I wish them all the happiness in the world.

Just astounded by the sheer number, I guess. I'm also painfully reminded of my age...well, 23 (ok ok..24 this year) is not old, but that's about the time pressure sets in, isn't it?

Ok...it's scary.

Being grown-up doesn't seem like a good idea at the moment.

Better be prepared to dodge nosy questions from nosy makciks this summer hols....

Comic relief

2006-06-09T09:43:00.000+08:00

As I was blog-hopping, wasting time (as usual), I found sth on someone's blog. Twas quite funny. And since my own blog has been filled with my teenage angst (although I'm not a teen anymore I sure feel like one, so just go along with me on this one) I thought that it'll be nice to lighten the blog a bit with this little piece...enjoy!

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

You might like this. This is hilarious... even an Englishman could not construct sentences using numeric, which is exclusive only to Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Ah Lek was asked to make a sentence using 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10. Not only did he do it 1 to 10, he did it again from 10 back to 1. This is what he came up with... 1 day I go 2 climb up a 3 outside a house to peep. But the couple saw me, so I panic and 4 down. The man rush out and wanted to 5 with me. I run until I fall 6 and throw up. So I go into 7 eleven and grab some 8 to throw at him. Then I took a 9 and try to stab him. 10 God he run away.

So, I put the 9 back and pay for the 8 and left 7 eleven. Next day, I call my boss and say I am 6 . He said 5, tomorrow also no need to come back 4 work. He also asks me to climb a 3 and jump down. I don't understand, I am so nice 2 him but I don't know what he 1.

When she was bad....

2006-06-06T05:26:00.000+08:00

Finally recovered from perpetual 'crabbiness', all is bright and beautiful again *grins*.

Had psychiatry lectures today. It. Was. So. Boring! For the first lecture, the consultant was quite pleasing to look at *winks* but even that didn't help save the lecture. Or perhaps it has something to do with the late-night marathon I did...hmm...

After the first lecture, one of my friends wanted to get her ticket to go back home for the summer. Since I knew I was gonna sleep anyway if I stayed, I decided to accompany her. (What?? I was SO going to sleep, and besides, I haven't been to Central London in ages! And they have the lecture handouts online, so it wasn't that bad, was it?)

So off we went, had to go to two travel agents to find a decent deal. After that we stopped at my favourite shoe shop - Clarks!!

The only reason why all my shoes over here are Clarks shoes is because their shoes are some of the most comfortable I've ever worn. And my feet are kinda fussy about shoes. I needed some summer footwear.

I saw one casual wear I've been eyeing for a couple of weeks, so I grabbed that pair in about 5 minutes. Paid for those at the counter, and then my eyes fell onto another pair - oh! They're so pretty!! Tried them on - VERY comfortable heels. Looked at the price. Hmm. It was ok (a little bit pricey but still not too bad) but then I'd already bought a pair. Had to think. Went walking around the shop with the shoes for about 5 mins. Then I felt a bit conscious since one of those guys working there kept looking at me with the shoes, asking if I've made my mind up. So I took them off. Walked around somemore with the shoes in my hand. Ignored the guy. Then I thought "Oh, what the heck" so I marched to the counter and told the cashier firmly "I'll take them".

Now I have 2 more pairs to add to my collection (not that they're THAT many, compared to other people I know, they need a whole cupboard to keep all their shoes!). Mine is just lined up near my door.

So yeah, I've been a little bit naughty today...didn't go for lectures, spent quite a bit...

I promise I'll be very good from now on...

VERY, VERY good.

2006-06-03T10:21:00.000+08:00

**This post has been removed**

The Cuckoo's Nest??

2006-05-24T21:29:00.000+08:00

Started Psychiatry early this week. Had lectures the past 2 days, and today was my first day on the wards.

2 students per firm, and I was assigned to the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (with another guy who's to be my firm partner).

Initial thoughts within 5 minutes of arrival on the ward:

"Double doors? Locked all the time? Hmm...."

"Where are the beds? Single rooms? Darn, they have it good here"

"Oookay...they are all males.."

"Ermm..why is that guy staring at us from outside the locked office?"

"What IS he doing?"

Had a tour around the ward, we were told to carry bleeps with alarms whenever we're there (security reasons, just in case..apparently the patients can get violent if you're not careful). Were told to always go in pairs whenever we wanted to see a patient.

Talked to a schizophrenic patient just now. Has quite strange delusions. He was found walking aimlessly by the policw on the motorway. He claimed he was 'on the way from Hell to Heaven'.

Mental illness aside, he was a really nice person to talk to. But dear God, I was trying so hard not to giggle or laugh. The other patients were really 'keen' to talk to us too...one guy actually requested to be interviewed.

I don't think I'd choose Psychiatry as a career, but this coming 6 weeks will surely be interesting...

2006-05-15T07:26:00.000+08:00

I'm tired.

With everything.

The smallest things can frustrate me nowadays.

Looking at previous entries and judging from the current one, I haven't been my optimistic self for a long time. Haven't written anything worth reading for ages.

Sometimes I feel like leaving everything and run away.

I know this is a phase, and it will pass.

Till then, Lord, give me strength.

Thinking out loud

2006-05-07T17:47:00.000+08:00

I don't know. I just don't know.

Everything's uncertain. I hate uncertainties. That's why I always choose the path where I can see the end point.

On the other hand, it's unfair to hope things will go my way.

I'm more than willing to go down the other road; but I need reassurance, anything that can convince me to make that move towards the unknown.

Update

2006-05-03T02:58:00.000+08:00

It's been quite sometime since I wrote a proper entry in my blog. Partly because I've been lazy, mostly because I've been so busy.

Started Neurology module at Oldchurch Hospital. It takes approx. 1 hour to travel from my place. Have to take the tube, then the train, then a bus. It's been only 1 week, but travelling kinda wears me out. And I usually have to be in by 9 am (thus I have to get up at 7 latest to get ready) and arrive back at Floyer House usually abt 6.30 pm. The timetable's really packed, we hardly have time to clerk and examine patients. Have to do a minimum of 2 per week, even that is quite a challenge.

But having said that, I have to admit I asked for it. I applied for Oldchurch Hospital because my seniors said they have excellent teaching. And they do. If only we have more time to do things....

I've crossed out Neurology as a career option. I do like Neuro, but I can't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. Sat in during clinics today, and SO many patients come in with headaches and fatigue and pins and needles yada yada yada. Some of the complaints can be psychological. And consultation of each patient takes SO LONG! Don't think I have the energy to cope with that.

I think I'll stick to Obs and Gynae. Things are more structured and less complicated. You are either pregnant or you're not. You are either incontinent or you're not. Not so much grey area there.

So yeah, now I'm in my 2nd week of Neurology out of a total of 4 weeks. Next rotation will be Psychiatry, the branch of medicine I've struck off as a career option a long time ago. Can't listen to people talk for a long time, you see. I get restless...or even worse, I fall asleep! Nevertheless, I'm sure it'll be interesting an interesting 6-week rotation.

We'll see........

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

(this entry is for Kit)

Kit! I'm really sorry that I'll be missing your wedding. Wish I could be there, I always thought I'd be part of it too....

Apapepun, I wish you all the happiness in the world! Although I won't physically be at your wedding, please know that you have all my love and best wishes on that day!!

Tell Althie he better treat you right. Or he'd have to face me (and Amy too!). I'm sure he will, though ;)

Lots of hugs and kisses!

In love with.....

2006-05-01T17:59:00.000+08:00

Michael Buble's 'You'll Never Know'

Well, it's not exactly his song. The song's been around for quite sometime. Frank Sinatra sang it, Barbra Streisand sang it. But I gotta say, Buble's rendition gave me goosebumps.

::You'll Never Know::

Darling, I'm so blue without you
I think about you the live-long day
When you ask me if I'm lonely
Then I only have this to say

You'll never know just how much I miss you
You'll never know just how much I care
And if I tried, I still couldn't hide my love for you
You ought to know, for haven't I told you so
A million or more times?

You went away and my heart went with you
I speak your name in my ev'ry prayer
If there is some other way to prove that I love you
I swear I don't know how
You'll never know if you don't know now

You'll never know just how much I miss you
You'll never know just how much I care
You said good-bye, no stars in the sky refuse to shine
Take it from me, it's no fun to be alone
With moonlight and memories

*this is Frank Sinatra's version. Other singers usually leave the 1st and 4th verses out. Can't imagine why.

2006-04-23T22:08:00.000+08:00

Arrrrrggggghhhh!!

Why am I so restless?

Been surfing the net aimlessly for hours, coz I can't focus

Must be having withdrawal symptoms...I miss home

Can't even sit and read for five minutes!

I think I'll go and cook something...chop some things up

Chop things up....hmmm....that sounds like a good idea....

Random thoughts (or, not-so-random..)

2006-04-21T19:48:00.000+08:00

1. Back in London

2. Bummer!

3. Why does London seem so alien to me for the first time in four years?

4. I'm actually finally doing my essay (three cheers for me!!)

5. Wonder what Azureen is doing right now?

6. I miss Baskin Robbins' Banana Royale with strawberry topping

7. Can't wait to graduate

8. After graduating....what?

9. Laundry - ack!!

10. Can't wait to leave this country for good

2006-04-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

Hello.

I'm back in Malaysia.

Hehe, I know, I can hear you say: "Again??"

Well, I had 4 weeks of nothing to do in London, what was I supposed to do there?

Neways, had a little bit of money saved for times like this one, so I bought the ticket home.

And also, I was starting to miss Azureen a little more than a bit.

When I saw Azureen at the airport last Thursday, she looked at me appraisingly (at least that was what it felt like) and then extended her arms out to me.

Heck, I'd spend triple the ticket price for that.

Here's her latest photo:

She really is the cutest little girl of her generation. Hehe.

Been lazing and idling around so far, I still have my SSM essay to do. After the ordeal I went through with my 3rd Year SSM, I am determined not to go through the same headache again. So I'm gonna officially (re)start today. I'm telling you this so that I will actually start; it's harder to lie to other people than yourself. At least, in my case.

Went back to SM Puteri yesterday. Mak called from school and said that an O&G consultant was giving a talk to the students. Went there coz I figured she'd be a good person to get career advice from. She gave a lecture on gynaecological problems. It was quite a good one, but the Q&A session had me floored. The students were asking questions about labial piercings and torn hymens and how to (surgically) restore it and masturbation!! What the....!!!!???

Things have DEFINITELY changed since I left school. I don't think anyone in my year ever thought of such things to ask! I'm pretty sure that a number of us at that age were still ignorant of such matters, while the 'enlightened ones' wouldn't dream to raise such issues in front of 200-odd students and 15 teachers.

I'm starting to feel too old (fashioned)....

After leaving the school, I decided to go to Jaya Jusco in Seremban 2. It was opened late last year, thought I'd go and see what it had to offer.

The place is quite all right, although looking at the facade you'd expect more stores inside. But it's okay, we now have TGV and another bowling place and MPH (YAY!!!). Went to MPH, wanted to look for a book highly recommended to me; 'The Sealed Nectar' by Safi-ur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri. It's a biography of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and it won first prize at the worldwide competition on the biography of The Prophet in 1979.

Neways, as I was saying, I saw the book, and when I placed the book on the counter, the cashier (who was an Indian lady) took a look at the book and asked me "Ni Quran ke?"

I was a little bit confused at first, and then I caught her meaning. When I said "No" she then proceeded with the transaction (with calligraphy on its jacket, I suppose the book does look similar to the Quran on the outside).

The point I'm trying to make is that I felt quite touched by her sensitivity. We live in a multi-cultural society, but how much do we know about the people who are of a different race and religion from us?

The Malays - well, since we are the majority in this country, chances are people know our taboos, our dos and donts e.g we don't eat pork, only halal meat, and other cultural and religious needs. But how many of us Malays are aware about the needs of other races? I still come across Malays working at eating places who don't know that Indians don't eat beef and kick up a fuss when they are politely told so.

Sensitivity is great, as long as it applies to us.

Does that sound fair to you?

Ah well....that's just me saying. Other people may have other thoughts regarding this matter, this is mine.

That's quite enough I think...

OUCH

2006-03-24T06:21:00.000+08:00

Went to a roller-skating rink for a friend's birthday today. Never skated before in my life, I have one of those moms who says 'no' to almost anything.

Now I know why.

It wasn't as easy as it looked. Spent most of the first half-hour clinging to the railing. After that, I could actually skate forwards, but the problem was I didn't know how to stop.

Fell down quite a few times. I think I set a new record for that place. Fell on my rear end a few times, once I even collided with another person. Another time I fell on my left leg, I felt something cracked. Probably I pulled a ligament or two.

I am SO gonna be sore tomorrow.

That experience was like a reality check for me. I liked to think that I'd be able to do anything, learn new skills easily. Although I'm sure I'd be able to do it if I practiced long enough, but the fact that I'm not a very fast learner is a very sobering thought.

Ah well, so I won't be able to make it for the cast of Starlight Express. I guess I'm just one of those people more suited to have both feet planted firmly on the ground.

Tagged!! (yet again..)

2006-03-23T00:24:00.000+08:00

Hello kids! (I know, I know, most of you people are old enough to be mak and bapak orang, but don't be offended...just humour me okay?)

Post-Human Development exam, I am still alive. How did it go? I have no idea. It was one of those strange papers where they asked the most trivial things. Just hope I did okay.

Neways, having 1 week of lectures now...kinda boring to be honest - with all due respect to the lecturers of course...it's just that ENT is not my thing. Snotty noses and waxy ears. If you're a medical student / junior doctor, and you're deciding on which area you want to specialize in, I've been told that you're supposed to choose something that doesn't gross you out. Yes people, it's not merely blood we have to deal with. There are other bodily secretions and a few other bits and pieces. For example, if you're comfortable looking at patients' sputum pots, then you can consider respiratory medicine. If you can look up people's as*es and still maintain your dignity, hey, we'll make a colorectal surgeon out of you!

Oookay, I'm sure most of you are put off already. So we'll move along swiftly. Sorry folks, if you mix around people in the medical profession long enough you'd notice that they'll bring their work wherever they go; at the dinner table, family gatherings, in conversations with random strangers. As long as there's an audience. It's just that we tend to think that other people are just as enthusiastic about the topic as we are, no matter how disgusting. These last 4 years, I've learned that no one in my family can stand the descriptions of the gory side of medicine, nor are they interested in it. So I've decided to keep my enthusiasm to myself.

Sheesh, it's like I'm having verbal diarrhoea or something (not exactly verbal la, since I'm typing them down). Neways, as the title suggested, I've been tagged! Kit's the culprit. So here goes....

Tag : 4 Things

4 jobs
1) Mak's secretary
2) Everyone's driver
3) Everyone's errand-girl (or woman, whatever)
4) Azureen's photographer

4 movies I love
1) Meet Me in St Louis
2) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I don't care..this counts as one)
3) Robin Hood : Men in Tights
4) P. Ramlee's Bujang Lapok Series and Sarjan Hassan (I don't care!! They count as one as well!!)
**This goes to prove that doctors can't count..

4 places I've lived
1) Terengganu (I was born there...don't remember much for obvious reasons)
2) Klang, Selangor
3) Sabah
4) A private halls of residence down the road. In my 2nd year

4 tv shows I love to watch
**I hate it when they ask this question. It's assumed that EVERYONE owns and watches tv. I don't have a tv here..only watch tv when I got back to Msia. But to answer the question:
1) Whose Line is it Anyway
2) CSI
3) CSI : Miami
4) Lonely Planet. When it's Ian Wright

4 places I've been on vacation
1) United States of America (California, Florida)
2) Australia
3) Egypt
4) Indonesia (I do go to countries in the SE Asia region...)

4 blogs I visit daily
1) Kit-and-Althie's
2) Kenny Sia at kennysia.com. That bloke can really write!
3) Afdlin Shauki's blog
4) hmm sape lagi ye?

4 favourite foods
1) Mak's chicken rice!!
2) Tom Yam
3) Mak's laksa johor
4) Ayam berlada

4 places I'd rather be..
1) Home
2) Home
3) Home
4) Where the heart is..(apart from home la...)

4 albums I can't live without
1) Michael Buble's self-titled album
2) Kumpulan Vokal Berharmoni album (hehe...what can I say..)
3) Sudirman Dwidekad
4) Francesca Peters' Suara Rindu Fran

4 vehicles I've owned
1) Ermm...basikal
2) Basikal
3) Basikal
4) Kelisa (which is technically my sister's, but I share it with her)

4 taggees
Ermmm...
1) Peah
2) Yatt
3) Niesa
4) You!

Jalan2 cari makan....

2006-03-16T09:45:00.000+08:00

Been having GP attachment beginning this week...thursday's the last day (it's technically today, since it's already 1.45 am..). Wednesday's half day, the afternoons are reserved by the college for sports activities, regardless whether you're inclined to do it or not...no prizes for guessing my preference..hehe..

Neways, since I had the afternoon off, my mind began to think of ways of keeping myself occupied for the day. Nevermind the exam on Friday, I just had to take a break...

And I decided to go to Central London. Purely because the on the previous night just before I fell asleep I felt like eating chinese fried rice with sweet sour chicken at Chopstix.

You might wonder why I actually travelled 45 minutes on the bus for a Chinese takeaway...well I wonder myself. Must be my upbringing. Growing up, I remember the whole family going on a long trip just to eat something.

1) Before Pizza Hut came to Seremban, my parents took my sisters and I to Malacca whenever we felt like having pizza. We would then stop by at Jusco on the way home coz my mom loves the danish bread there. Apart from Malacca, we used to go to The Mall in KL.

2) Ming Court Hotel in Port Dickson had the best ice kacang ever!! We'd go to PD during hot afternoons to treat ourselves. Don't know what happened to that hotel. Last I heard it was closed for renovation

3) There was a time when we'd go to KL just because we wanted to eat steak at Victoria Station.

4) Oh yes! Nasi daun pisang in PD Golf Club...one of our frequent haunts these days

5) Port Dickson again....on Saturdays or Sundays we used to go to this particular stall for breakfast..they have the best nasi lemak ever

Come to think of it...it wasn't so much because of the food...it was the family trips that mattered..

Just about enough

2006-03-09T21:18:00.000+08:00

To be perfectly honest, I feel that Paeds is the attachment (so far) that I've enjoyed the least.

Strange, the one specialty I had been planning and dreaming to do eversince I decided to go into medicine, it let me down.

Or rather, I've let myself down.

Maybe it's because of the circumstances, I didn't really enjoy the hospital rotation. It was done in such a way that you don't have any particular attachment to the department. Perhaps it's also because I had such an amazing time in O&G that when I started Paeds, it did not meet my expectations.

Don't get me wrong, paediatrics itself is an interesting subject.

But then, why do I wake up in the morning, trying to find excuses not to go for lectures although it's just 2 minutes' walk away? I still attend, of course, but more often than not, I sit there being (overly) critical of the lecture, and feeling cross at the same time.

I know I'm over reacting, but I cannot help it, no matter how many times I try to psych myself up, trying to be optimistic.

You see, I'm one of those people who can't change their minds about something once they've made their mind up. VERY unfortunate.

Disappointment was the first emotion I felt when I started this rotation. And it stayed that way, mostly because my mind refuses to see the silver lining around the dark cloud.

I've had just about enough. With the rotation, and with my negative attitude.

Not again!

2006-03-08T10:19:00.000+08:00

Yup, changed how my blog looks. Not that it makes any difference, but self-satisfaction is important, u know..

Have O&G and Paediatrics exams on 17th March, which explains why I suddenly have the burning desire to blog + change the template instead of studying.

Can't wait to go home.

It's 2:19 am. I better sleep.

Change is good

Lamer tak update. Sengal giler.

Hi. Just random thoughts

Song in my head

Escapism

Strange, isn't it?...

Just a short note

Watching the world go by....

February's post

*Blinks* it's 2008 already??

I wish....

On being a medical houseman in Malaysia

Sape nak kurus?

On being blooming stupid

Posting

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

Some things never change

This time it's different

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

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

Are you up for the challenge?

Let's play 'tag'

"If the moon was to recommend me.."

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

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

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

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

'5'

Kenapa mahu menjadi doktor?

What drives me absolutely bonkers....

What Medical Specialty is for You?

American Idol

Spiderman's Back!

Contentment

Cool, cool doowop

Story of your life (shower acapella)

Start of something new

Back again

Fickle mind

I am not...

Ask me no questions....

On being weird..

FINAL YEAR EXAMS : THE VERDICT

One down....

Sound advice

Another graduation speech that I would have loved to give…

Song of the month

Stress reliever

First entry of 2007

No space for teh tarik

Confidentiality issues

Kamus NOGORI

Ayat yang membuatku kembang tak terkuncup lagi..

"I've had..time of my life.."

WOULD. YOU. LOOK. AT...

Too revealing?

Hmmmmm

Past the point of no return

Burning the bridge (warning : ramblings ahead)

What is a typical Malay?

More about Malaysian in space...from a non-Malaysian's point of view

Today's News....

Birthday reflections

Dusting the cobwebs

Hooked on...

A Picture Says a Thousand Words....

Back in Malaysia

One more!!!

Countdown...

World Cup 2006

Between the devil and the deep blue sea

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm (not) what?

Psychiatry no more

What keeps me going...

Weddings....

Comic relief

When she was bad....

The Cuckoo's Nest??

Thinking out loud

Blinks it's 2008 already??

Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

OUCH