Tagged!! (yet again..)

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....

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

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!

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.

Had a late night last night (don't ask me why, coz I'm not gonna answer you..you may guess though *winks*) and I set my alarm to wake up early, had resus training skills at 9 am. Tengah sronok2 tido, had a nice dream even, I was woken up by a loud knocking at my door.

"Sapela yang datang pepagi bute ni..." I looked at my clock.

It was 8.33 a.m.

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I somersaulted off my bed onto the floor (hehe drama la sket..) and opened the door and told a much-surprised Shar "Go, go! Don't wait for me!!" (ala2 citer perang gitu...)

I got changed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, even had time to put on my contacts, packed my stuff. Ran from Floyer House to the bus stop in front of Royal London. Bus came just as I arrived (God is really great!)

Called Shar to ask where she was, and discovered I was only on the bus after hers. Met her at the bus stop, walked to the resus building.

I made it on time.

The duration from when I jumped out of bed to the time I got on the bus was 10 minutes. TEN FREAKIN' MINUTES!!

Well, if you're not impressed, I am. Me, who usually take 45 minutes on average to get ready in the morning.

Hehe I know what you Malaysian people out there think : "Tak mandi la tu" with smirks on your faces. Well, darlings, nasib baik la kat UK ni sejuk lagi....so you can get away with not showering in the morning and not smelling like you haven't. Kalo kat Malaysia, alamat memang ponteng la kelas pagi....

Begitulah drama pagi ini. Sekian.

-TAMMAT-

Howdy folks! Here I am again, trying to avoid doing the Paeds essay I have to submit tomorrow. The progress? Abysmal. Nope, I'm not very enthusiastic when it comes to doing this essay. I find that the older I get (as I am INDEED getting older, like it or not), the harder it is for me to make myself do the things I don't like or do not want to do. Can't even bribe myself with chocolates or shopping trips or anything!

See, even I myself am having trouble to manage me!

I've heard people say, 'It's all in the mind', 'The only thing that's stopping you from going far is yourself,' yada yada yada. Well, they didn't say that to me la. Might as well actually. But it's usually one of those things those self-motivation gurus tell people.

Of course, those darn perky, sickeningly optimistic people are right. But that does not change anything. I am still sitting here after three hours (cumulatively), after chanting 'You can do it!! It will be over by tomorrow' for the gazillionth time, I haven't moved that very much.

Ah, well.....just have to do it v.e.r.y. s.l.o.w.ly I suppose. With me kicking and screaming and swearing as I go along. (Ok2, not swearing la...thought I'd dramatize it a bit more).

Found a little something of Friendster, someone posted it on the bulletin. With the thought of qualifying sometime in July next year (insyaAllah), this certainly does not lift my spirits any higher.....

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Malaysian Govt Doctors Criteria

Criterias for becoming a Malaysian Govt Doctor.

There's no need for an aptitude test. Students should consider these requirements:

1. No life outside medicine; this includes dating, sports, clubbing, chores for your parents and
visiting the toilet.
**Even now I feel that I need a life!!!!!

2. Not to live with your parents. Move out ASAP as they will never understand the ludicrous working hours that u go through. Furthermore, chores are not suitable for u as to rule No. 1.

3. Not to be married until completion of all 4 years of Govt Compulsory service as u will be transferred left and right to some of the most remote Govt clinics in Malaysia. Having wife and kids to follow you to your new working area may increase high level of stress on all parties. Furthermore, if your spouse is a Govt Doctor, he/she will also be transferred away from u and
no matter what appeal is made, KKM will put up a deaf ear (unless u have big cables or of a certain skin color).

4. If married, not to have children until u finish all 4 years of Govt Compulsory service, as to
which u and your spouse will not have much time for your child/children or they end up not recognizing u and refer the Indonesian maid as their mother (change in language patterns commonly follow).

5. To obtain life insurance once your govt service begins as there is not many claims for accidents during work. Don't be fooled, Doctoring in Malaysia is hazardous.

6. Able to withstand 36 hours of non stop work and stress without mistakenly labeling Left for Right or uvula for vulva (or Volvo S40)

7. To buy a car with complete safety features (like I'm doing) which includes multiple airbags, ABS, EBD, side-front-rear-top-parallel and diagonal impact bars and seat belts to ensure survivability if u are involved in an accident because your driving resembled a drunkard maniac after working in the hospital for 40 hrs non stop.
**With the pay doctors get? Is that even possible??

8. Constant supply of coffee

9. Nicotine Patch as u will have the urge to start smoking due to overwhelming stress

10. Interest in watching medical sitcoms such as House MD, Scrubs, ER, Grays Anatomy and Chicago Hope to inspire u to continue your life as a doctor as the exciting things u see on TV does
not resemble the real life of a Malaysian govt doctor.
**This is true ANYWHERE actually. You don't see the doctors on tv doing hours of paperwork.

11. Not to have any pets or plants (not even cactuses) as u will have no time to feed or care for them and eventually all will end up in your mortuary.

12. Able to endure the stench of your own sweat as to when 36 hours "on call" does not permit u time to bathe or freshen up.

13. Able to carry on working without food or water over 15 hours. ( I was in OT for 16 hrs without food, water or bathroom breaks). If during fasting month, able to break your fast with water for injection as u had no time to buy food.

14. Able to come to work with fever/cough/illness or physical disability (sprained ankle etc) as to
which doctors do not deserve MCs. (My MO was on crutches during rounds)

15. Able to stand scolding, destructive criticism, kiss ass behaviors, racial bias, finger pointing, scape goating, and incompetency from your superiors.
**Sigh...this is one of the things I dread most. They treat junior doctors as if these people are less than human. How can we aspire to be a first-world country if we can't let go of our third-world attitude?

16. Able to withstand the jealousy when your friends call u up for some fun and ur stuck in the hospital during on call.

The list goes on. These requirements should be sent out to all doctor wannabes and for them to determine if their life coincides with the Malaysian Medical Health service of doctors under KKM. I LOVE THIS JOB!

Slow and Steady

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

How Do People See You?

Uh huh....tell me something I don't know.....

A note from outerspace...

Hello everyone.

This page has been inactive for a while (yes, I warned you). For those who still come and check whether I'm still alive or not or whether I've been kidnapped by aliens, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I am still alive and kicking. As for the latter, the aliens found out that I'm an anomaly and I wouldn't represent the human species accurately so they decided not to kidnap me (the nerve!!). And I forgive you for the curses you muttered upon finding that my blog hasn't been updated for the one gazillionth time you've visited.

Was blog-surfing today - yes, although life's been busy, I've not taken leave from being a very kay-poh person, so I still know what's going on with people I spy on!-...where was I? Oh yeah, I was blog-surfing today, and then suddenly I miss my own blog. Thought I'd visit to say hi.

It's already February, where did all the time go? Must have sped forwards when I wasn't looking.

I made a career decision. To be exact, a career change. I want to do O&G. No more Paeds for me. I still love children, more than ever, but I don't think I want it as a career. Of course, the fact that I had the most fabulous time during my O&G placement might have something to do with it. Amazing consultants, amazing doctors, amazing midwives, amazing nurses. What more do you want?

Am actually doing Paeds at the moment. After the fast-paced O&G, Paeds seem paler in contrast. It's still nice to play with children, but I keep getting distracted by them anyway to notice the important clinical signs. So yeah, I don't think I'd be a good Paeds doctor although my rapport with children is great.

Went to the Royal Academy of Arts yesterday to see the 'China : The Three Emperors' exhibition. It was beyond words. You have to be there to understand. Really, it was one of the best I've seen.

Okla, dah penat cakap dah. Till next time!

Happy New Year!

December passed without a single entry. It's been a week since 2006 came. Goodness, I'm such an inconstant blogger.

Apologies friends, apologies.....haven't much time for blogging nowadays. Been busy living my life, I guess...not much time to impart my 'wisdom' or vent my frustrations here.

What's been happening this past one month and one week? Let's see....hmmm..had my Locomotor exam, learned a few dance steps here and there, made new friends, and most importantly, I WENT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

And I didn't tell anyone abt it. Well, not many people. When it comes to keeping in touch with people, I'm the worst. Not that I don't think of them, I do..I'm just not one of those who call the whole neighbourhood to announce my homecoming.

Neways, went home for abt 10 days, had a BLAST! My niece is now approx. 9 months old, and she's SO ADORABLE!

Now I'm back in London, been 1 week already. Started O&G rotation, absolutely loving it! Have a brilliant consultant, one of those people who can inspire students to do better.

But of course, Paediatrics still rock my boat. O&G a close second.

Just wanna announce to you ppl out there faithfully checking my blog that I won't be blogging often (it's nothing new, I know, it's not as if I've been a regular blogger these days, just thought I'd make it official....lessens my guilty conscience I suppose..).

If you want to read nice blogs, go to my links section. Those people are fab!

Over and out!!

I have an exam coming up, and I'm nowhere near finishing my revision.
I have a project outline to hand in at 10 am tomorrow, and yet I'm still struggling to read through the journals.
My dirty laundry is spilling out of the laundry basket.
My room's a mess.

And yet, despite of all that, the world seems bright and beautiful. It's great to be alive!!

That sounds wonderfully optimistic of me, does it not?

Either that, or I've totally lost my marbles (which is most likely)

Ah, well...

A long overdue update

Hello kengkawan! Lamer tak update. So very sorry. Have been caught up with lots of things, and during that time all my modal + ideas for my blog remained only in my head. Jangan risau, you didn't miss much, it's the usual lawak kering and my cynical comments.

Neways, update!! Kenape tetibe nak update ni ye? Senang saje jawapannye. It's because I have Locomotor exam next Friday and I'm trying to get away from studying by doing other things (seperti biasala...korang takkan tak kenal yours truly by now!).

What's been happening this past month? (In chronological order - well, sort of)

1) Hari Raya Puasa

Masih lagi bulan Syawal kan? So I'd like to wish you people out there Selamat Hari Raya. Had a really great Raya this year, with lots of visiting and makan2 (biasala, kita kan org Malaysia). I would like to (regretfully) report that all the weight lost during fasting month have been recovered plus 5% interest (ehehe takpe...seluar masih muat lagi...)

Lepas solat Hari Raya at Msia Hall

2) I turned twenty- erm...one er..two..okay okay, twenty-three lah!

It's official. I'll be turning into a crone soon. Dah tua!!! (ehehe no offense kepada insan2 yang berumur 23+1, 23+2 dan seterusnya....)

"Eh alamak! Ade coklat jatuh ke?"

Since I'm 23 now, does it mean I have to start acting like a responsible person??

3) I played netball for Nottingham Games

For those who know me, I bet they're having cardiac arrests right now. You see, Azhani Akmar and sports had never been mentioned in the same sentence. You can only find the association between the two in the book of antonyms (figuratively speaking, of course). The only type of sport I specialize in is 'berenang gaya kuat lentang statik'. When I told my dad about it (netball, that is), he actually laughed! Now my dad is the nothing-more-than-smiling-when-it's-funny kind of person, but I actually heard a nice hearty laugh from him! Talk about parental support! (but then I guess Abah knows me more than most people...)

QMUL netball team and Westminster netball team

In my defence, it's not that I avoid sports like a plague, it's about finding the right people to do it with (ehehehe...alasan...alasan..).

Oookay! Next!!

4) I picked up gardening!

Okla, I exaggerated a bit. Received a flower pot of purple African violets, which are gorgeous! According to Terren (who gave me the violets) it's really easy to take care of, even a person like me can take care of it. Sure hope so. Even cactuses can die if put under my care...no kidding!

BUT, nevertheless, I am happy to inform that the violets are flourishing, I do water them religiously (twice a week so takla susah sangat) and to add to my collection I bought myself a pot of patio roses!

Couldn't stop myself. Saw them at a shop at Homerton Hospital. But I read that they can grow up to 2-4 feet...hmmm...macam maner eh...

Ah, who cares. We'll cross the bridge when we come to it.

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So yeah, that's the update for now...At the moment, am crazy over Malay songs..been downloading quite a few from jiwang.org...hai...inilah nasib orang di perantauan...bila dah jauh baru rindu lagu2 Melayu...

Short announcement

Yup, I'm back.

Did you miss me? (Rhetoric question, DON'T answer that. Really.)

Will write more soon (you can take it as a threat if you want).

Maybe in a few days' time.

Oh, well....

The Phantom Menace!!! (err..kitchen menace)

I guess you get them every year; those nutcases that think other people's kitchen utensils belong to the general public (What is this?? Communism???).

I thought what happened last year wouldn't repeat itself with new tenants in the flat. Looks like these people help themselves with pots and pans and whatnots that don't belong to them.

Don't get me wrong, borrowing is fine with me, AS LONG AS they wash them and put those things back from where they came from. AND if they took good care of them.

Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!! My non-stick periuk!!!!!! Habis calar!! *howls in frustration*

(If I knew the culprit, abis kena pelangkung hantu tu!!)

*takes deep breaths in and out* (Sabar Hani....bulan puasa.....)

If I believed in karma, I'd think that I did some unpardonable sin in the past.

Seven things to...

Hello people.

Back again. Been quite busy (ahah what else is new?)

Playing tag again, this time it's a bit different. Peah, thanks for tagging moi, kalo tak alamat tak di'update' la blog ni.

Neways, here it is!!

7 things you plan to do before you die

1) Go for hajj with with my own earnings

2) Travel around the world. Would love to see historical sites in China and India, also Egypt again.

3) Hopefully, insyaAllah, memorize more surahs from the Quran, if not all

4) Do my part to help starving children around the world

5) I want to learn ballroom dancing (weih, jgn aaa gelak!)

6) Learn one or two other languages

7) Skydive

7 things I cannot do

1) Stay awake during lectures (yeah! it's true!)

2) Lie. Susah giler. Mesti terkantoi

3) Hold a grudge for long. No matter how bad that person is.

4) Having said the above, if I don't like someone, it's very difficult to change my opinion

5) Sit still for a long time (No 1 of this question a good example)

6) I can't skate (though I wish I could)

7) Wear high heels for long. My feet would kill me! I don't know how other women do it!

7 things I can do

1) Balance things on my head. No matter what shape and size (as long as tak berat sangat la)

2) Use utensils with both my right and left hand (I'm a leftie)

3) Sew (ehehe Peah...saja jek taruh yg ni ;P)

4) Dance the waltz

5) Touch type

6) Sing all the songs from the musical 'Les Miserables'. If any of the actors fall ill, I'll probably be able to take his/her place (ahaha fantasi semata-mata). Oh yeah, also songs from 'Sound of Music'

7) I can remember the most nonsensical and useless facts in the world (e.g. what's Barbie's full name? And also what was the first phrase said on the phone by Alexander Graham Bell when it was invented?) and yet I can't remember simple things like people's names.

7 celebrity crushes

**This is a bit tricky. I can't recollect having crushes on celebrities, but I did have crushes on people/characters as below:

1) When I was very young = Prince Eric from Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'. Because he had dimples (pathetic giler kan?)

2) Luke Skywalker. I used to think that if I married him our children would be strong in the Force (isyk...fantasy..fantasy..)

3) Gilbert Blythe from 'Anne of the Green Gables' (played by Jonathan Crombie). My pre-adolescent crush...he seemed like the ideal guy to me at the time.

4) Adam Sandler's character in 'The Wedding Singer'. How can a girl not have a crush on a guy like that?

5) John Truitt from 'Meet Me in St. Louis'. Only when he wore the tuxedo.

6) Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) from Pride and Prejudice. Enough said.

7) Ummm can't think of anyone else so I'll have to leave this vacant...

7 often repeated words

1) Busuk giler!

2) Gila ah Labu!!

3) Suke hati jek..

4) Tak senonoh betul...

5) Apekah??

6) Ooo yeke?

7) Ntah pape ntah

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex (in no particular order)

1) Smile

2) Eyes

3) Good rapport with people (esp. own family members)

4) Excellent rapport with kids (penting!!)

5) Gentleman-like behaviour (what can I say...I'm old-fashioned)

6) Character

7) Someone I feel I can respect

7 tags to go to...

1) Suedemokhtar

2) Raihan Rozlee

3) Yatt

4) Niesa

5) Kitte Pryde

6) TeaDrinker

7) Sesape yg terasa nak jawab soalan2 ni...

Ooooo iye ke....

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (73%) high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.. Orderliness (63%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun. Extraversion (36%) moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

trait snapshot:
secretive, organized, clean, rarely worries, solitary, high self control, dislikes large parties, prefers organized to unpredictable, prudent, observer, tough, self reliant, very good at saving money, introverted, perfectionist, mind over heart, not controlling of others, hard working, confident, resolute, solitary, does not make friends easily, finisher, does not like to stand out, very practical, intellectual, unsympathetic at times, honest, respects authority, follows the rules, cautious

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*ala korang....bagi chance la...skali skala nak boost ego sendri...*

Working weekend

I'm working this weekend (work, but no pay - the life of a medical student).

Yup, have to go to hospital for the 9-4 shift.

When you have to go in on Saturday and Sunday, you don't look forward to the weekend as you would do if you had both days off. Feels just like any other day.

And I tell you, it's NO fun.

People usually don't like Monday, coz that means the week has started and it's time to go to work after the weekend. Wednesday, well, that's when you feel that life is pushing you towards the edge of the cliff, but you console yourself that it's halfway through the week so things can only get better. Friday - everyone's favourite day (after Sat and Sun) because it's the last day before the weekend. Saturday + Sunday - favourite days of the week; the time you sit back and relax, doing whatever you want.

So when you have to work 7 days a week, there's nothing to look forward to! Every day is the same!

Suddenly realized the importance of weekends in keeping me sane. I want my personal time back!! (Please! Before I go crazy!!)

Well, actually this is my last working weekend for this rotation (ehehe saje jek melodramatic sikit tadi). Will be following the paramedics on the ambulance tomorrow...wheee!! (isyk...nampak benor ke'jakun'an ku yang tak pernah naik ambulance....neeenoooneenoo!)

Yup, I've gone mental. The day has finally arrived.

Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical

You blog like no one else is reading... You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose. Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily. But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

'Long-winded' huh? I SO know what you mean. That sums up my personality quite well.

The cow jumped over the moon

Hello kengkawan,

The subject today takde kena-mengena dengan yg idup atau yg mati. Just thought of the phrase.

Started A&E rotation last Monday. Memula slow giler, tapi skarang agak best jugak. Saw some very interesting cases. Chaperoned for a VE the other day, am quite convinced that O&G is SO not my thing.

Doing night shifts today, and this coming Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

Tiring, but fun

You are my ice kacang....

Did I ever tell you I ADORE acappella singing? Have lots of mp3s of acappella songs, mostly by Rockapella, an Australian group. Yesterday my sister sent me a song by this Singaporean group, it's SO chomel!! Been playing it so many times.....

Just wanna share the song with you. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll email it to you ok? (Kalau nak la, kalau takmo takde kecik hati de....)

::Ice Kacang::

You always say I'm unromantic

Don't know ways to make a girl tick

I must say you're right about it

For I am truly unpoetic

But I am not dumb

I'm not that stupid

It's just that sometimes brain not working

So I didn't sleep

Use my little wit

To write this little bit

You are my ice kacang in this tropical heat

You are my favourite dessert (ooh la la!)

So inviting so sweet

Would you like to bubur chacha (chachacha!)

Come along and dance with me

For you are my love, my tutti frutti

Someone I like to eat

Everytime when we go dating

First the movies then go shopping

You always hint I'm unexciting

It has been so since the beginning

But I am not dumb

I'm not so stupid

It's just that sometimes I'm a blur king

So I didnt' eat

Use my little wit

To write this little bit

You are my ice kacang in this tropical heat (my heart melts for you..)

You are my favourite dessert

So inviting so sweet

Would you like to bubur chacha

Come along and dance with me

For you are my love

My one atap chee

Someone I like to eat

Each time I look into your eyes

I see some pretty colours, very nice!

I wouldn't mind paying any price

I'm kacang over you

(I say go honey dew!)

Tagged!

Been tagged by Peah..thought it'll be fun to play along...

20 years ago, 1985

To be honest, I can't quite remember much...my eldest sister was seven, I was three, and my youngest sister - my playmate and confidante - was born. We were staying in Klang at that time. I must have done what every 3 year-olds would do (or not), but as I said, I can't remember that much....

10 years ago, 1995

Gosh, has it been THAT long? This was the year I entered Form 1, was one of the pioneers of the newly-built SMK Puteri. I remembered the first day of school, wearing the baju kurung with the light blue kain, looking at the prefects with awe. I thought that they were so grown-up then. I was a shy first-former. Most of my classmates in 1 Sigma were from my previous school (SRK Convent..in fact, SMK Puteri IS actually a Convent school in essence, we had to change the name when we moved) so it was not hard to settle in.

1995-1999 (Secondary school)

**This part saje tambah sendiri....**

Some of the best years of my life. I felt that I truly bloomed (ewah) from an awkward, shy person to a confident teenager capable to take on the world (hehehe a bit of dramatization here). Spending my years at Puteri school shaped me to become the person I am now. There were lots of happy memories : the gossips in class, the pranks we played, the Canteen Days, Teachers' Day etc. Going to the field for PE and doing the UDTA (you know...jangkauan melunjur, bangkit tubi, tekan tubi, lari 1500m). We'd come to school the next day (if we ever came at all) having sore legs, abdo and arms (biasala....tak biasa buat exercise..hehe).

During pre-exam period, many of the girls in my class would mysteriously disappear from school...no, not to go out lepaking at Terminal One, but actually to study. Kiasu giler.

One of the sweetest memories of school was when my class put up a musical - Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cincerella - in the (then) new school hall. We were Fifth Formers then, and we thought that if we didn't make use of the hall, we'd never have the chance again. So there we were, amidst preparations for SPM, we took time to rehearse, do the props, paint the backdrop, choreograph the dances. I had to choreograph the waltz, and I remember the hours my sister and I spent in front of the tv trying to find inspiration from the original movie as well as some others. We never had a full rehearsal before the actual show, so on the day itself, we just did the best we could. Raised quite a bit of money, we did (it was open to the public) and the proof of our hard work can still be seen in school, our class name immortalized on the two stone benches bought with the profits 'Sumbangan Ikhlas daripada 5 Sigma 1999' (hehehe benches..but hey, at least we contributed something to the school)

5 years ago, 2000

Lots of things happened this year. Went for Haj with family, which was most memorable and uplifting experience. Entered Kolej Matrikulasi Melaka for 1 semester, my first time being away from home. It was a bittersweet experience : more bitter than sweet. Opened my eyes to many things. Got my scholarship (alhamdulillah..), enrolled into Kolej Mara Banting. Had the funnest 2 years, can't forget the Block F parties we had!! We SO rock!! (heheheh).

2 years ago, 2003

I was in my 2nd year Med course. For some reasons I can't share with you, it was the most depressing year of my life, can't remember how many tears I shed. Thank God for my parents, who were always there for me...and God sent me my guardian angel, who kept me sane and never failed to cheer me up.

Last year, 2004

I was halfway through 2nd year, and then started 3rd year in September. Things turned out for the better when I entered 3rd year, so it was half good, half bad.

This year, 2005

3 and a half months left. My niece was born 22nd March this year. Had the best summer holiday. Am very happy, alhamdulillah. Looking forward to the days to come.

Next year, 2006

I'd be a finalist September 2006! (InsyaAllah..) Ackk!! I hope that by that time I'd be equipped with the knowledge and skills to become a PRHO...

10 years from now, 2015

33 years old huh? When I was 13 I thought 23 was a green old age. InsyaAllah by this time I'll be making progress in my career, thinking of paediatrics as my main specialty (maybe sub-specialize even further..what do you think?). Hopefully I would've settled down by then, with ummm a few kids of my own? How many? Hmmm entahla, have to discuss with their father *winks*

Since this is a game of tag, I'd like to tag KittePryde, Teadrinker, Amydoll, Yan and Yatt.

TAG! You're it!!

A review on 'Pride and Prejudice' (aka 'Hah! I told you so!!')

(Word of caution : The person writing this is a die-hard fan of Jane Austen and the 1995 BBC dramatization of Pride and Prejudice. There will be a lot of criticism in this piece, so if you're faint-hearted, please do not read further. Don't say I didn't warn you. )

The new 'Pride and Prejudice' movie was released for public viewing last Thursday. Can't really recall what the comment was on the movie poster, but I won't sport your intelligence. I recall my vehement refusal to watch the new movie when I last wrote about it, and until yesterday I still objected strongly towards contributing even a single penny towards the movie. But when a few friends wanted to go and watch it yesterday night, I went along. It was Friday night, and I had nothing else to do. Besides, I was curious.

Spent 4.20 pounds on the ticket (thank God for concessions!) and we sat almost at the front row (no, the cinema's not like the one in Malaysia, where sitting in front will result in the inability to move your neck afterwards).

It was the longest 2 hours of my life. When the movie started, I think the first expression on my face was a wince. My thoughts (or rather, objections) on the movie are as below (it's easier to list them down, I think..):

1) Everyone rushed through their lines. I know it's hard to squeeze everything into a 2-hour movie, but it gave the impression that none of the characters paused to even think of what they were saying or going to say.

2) The Bennett family was portrayed as a family living in poverty (well, almost). Living conditions were almost pitiable, Mr. Bennett looked as if he's never owned a comb before (Donald Sutherland's talent was totally wasted). They seemed almost savage, no traces of a genteel family whatsoever. As I understand it, the reason why the Bennett sisters were considered 'poor' was because their father's estate was entailed away from the female line, and thus they had little to inherit from. Although they were not well-off, they lived comfortably, NOT as how it was portrayed in this new movie.

3) As Austen wrote it, out of the five Bennett sisters, Jane and Elizabeth were the mature and sensible ones and were regarded highly by people in general, Kitty and Lydia were the wild sisters, and Mary somewhat ostentatious. There is a marked difference between all the sisters. In the movie, I thought all of them were equally ridiculous....Mrs. Bennett wasn't particularly impressive either. Come to think of it, EVERYONE was ridiculous.

4) Bingley in the movie looked like a silly chap who didn't have his own mind. And where is the chemistry between him and Jane? They were more like two teenagers infatuated with each other.

5) Wickham didn't seem like a real villain to me. The character's on-screen time was too short. The whole scandal between Lydia and him as well as the story involving Darcy's sister just went unnoticed. It did not leave much impact.

6) Mr. Collins was so kayu.

7) Mr. Darcy.....was he a proud man? He was more like your average rich man who was misunderstood by everyone. And what's with the puppy-dog eyes? I was quite disappointed with the fact that they didn't portray him as how it was in the book. But, as I said before, Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy, so anyone else's effort would be futile.

8) The only good point about this movie was that they made it more like a comedy (although it was ridiculous more than anything), and thus the average person (who's not an ardent Austenite like yours truly) would enjoy it nonetheless.

Jane Austen must be turning in her grave. Judging from how the movie was, she must be turning over and over again (macam ayam kena panggang atas api kat Kenny Rodgers tu...metaphorically speaking, that is, I mean no disrespect).

Throughout the movie, there were a few times when I closed my eyes/closed my ears/slapped my forehead/buried my head between my knees/shook my fist at the screen. Most of the time I looked at my watch. Couldn't wait for the movie to end.

As I said, it was the longest 2 hours of my life......hmmm....I think I'll spend my time tonight watching the BBC version...5 and a half hours of pure pleasure =)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Dear citizens of planet Earth :

I would like to proudly announce that I HAVE OFFICIALLY MOVED IN!!!!

Well actually, I finished unpacking late Saturday, went to IKEA on Sunday to get a few things (a pillow, 3 glass jars and a wooden stool - which was originally a plant stool but who cares?) and now my room is all set!!

My room when i first moved in

My room now

Staying in the same halls on accommodation as in 3rd year, and I actually got my old room again (which is VERY good luck for me, students usually get reassigned new rooms....rezeki...alhamdulillah...). Saves the headache of trying to figure out what goes where. Anyone who saw my room last year would still see the same kind of arrangement, only with less clutter.

Boring, you say? If anyone wants to redecorate my room for me, you are more than welcome...

The motto for this year is : Do NOT buy anymore things!! When it comes to packing you'll be sorry!!

Started 4th year officially today. Doing Locomotor module, started with Sexual Health & HIV lectures. I must say, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Actually found the lectures interesting, although I do still lapse into my old habit once in a while (i.e sleeping during lectures...I'm notoriously known for it among my course mates). If ever anyone wants to evaluate his/her skills as a lecturer/presenter, I would like to extend an invitation to run that lecture/presentation by me. Only the most enthusiastic and interesting of lectures can keep me awake...So, any takers?

Ack, gtg. Have to cook. I know some of you visit my blog just to get a glimpse of my niece (I know Yana does!) and not to actually read my ramblings (no offense taken at all!!) so as a word of thanks for bearing with me, here's her picture :

As you can see, that's the wallpaper on my laptop. Simply adorable, isn't she?

Back in London

Summer holidays have officially ended! Arrived in London yesterday morning at 5.30 a.m., arrived at Floyer House's doorstep at approx. 7.45 a.m...Wai Kah opened the door and offered me breakfast, bless him..

Waited until 9 o'clock for the site manager's office to be open, got the keys, put my stuff, and headed straight to Perrin Lecture theatre. Lecture started at 9.30. The 2 morning lectures were nothing much, just touchy-feely stuff. Had an informal quiz on neuropharmacology from 2-5 pm. The last time we did neuropharmacology was in the 2nd year, when we did the Brain and Behaviour module. I can now officially declare that I know NOTHING about the matter (except recollections which lecture covered what, who gave the lecture, which PBL mentioned about them, but nothing about the drugs themselves).

In this case, ignorance is NOT bliss. Habis la macam ni!

Note to self : Must borrow ALL the books from the library and read from day one!!

Ah well. Actually by 4 pm I was literally dying (so penat....my sleeping time kalau kat Malaysia) but I fought so hard to keep awake. Did some shopping at Sainsbury's, Zahari cooked dinner for the rest of us (Bless him! I couldn't lift a finger to masak!), chatted with friends and went to bed at about eleven.

That was my first day back in London. Having only one lecture this morning. Can spend the afternoon moving my stuff from the storage and unpack. SO not looking forward to it.

Oh yeah, my parents called. They said whenever they mentioned 'Mak Ngah' in front of Azureen, she'd actually frown macam nak nangis. Uwaaaaaa! I SO miss her!!!

Takpe, takpe...Christmas hols will come before I know it.....

Just something to fill in the gap

Greetings!

Yup, it's been a while.

Sorry.

Been really busy.

Will be going back to London next Monday (5th September), and I suspect that this blog will be more active once I'm there (since I have nothing else to do but entertain all those silly thoughts in my head that I put here).

In the meantime, here's something for you to read before I swamp you with my nonsense again.

Enjoy!

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

You're a 70s or 80s baby if...

1) You grew up watching He-man, Transformers, Thundercats, Silver Hawk, Space Cop Gaban, Ultraman, and Mighty Mouse. Not to forget, Ninja Turtles, Mask and Smurfs too. You grew up brushing your teeth with a mug in primary school after recess time. You squatted by a drain with all your classmates beside you, and brushed your teeth with a colourful mug. Remember the days when the school nurse comes with a list for the dentist appointments, the sound of the drilling when your friend has a fill in his tooth.

2) You remember the packets of milk (Projek Susu Segar) and milo we get in primary school to encourage us to drink more milk. And when we had to line up just to get one cup, and some of us would line up again for another cup of cold milo. And remember we use to buy susu sekolah and get stomach-ache the next day. During primary (some KBSR & 3M) school days, the teacher will punish you using a long ruler to hit your palm. A bowl of noodle soup cost only 40c in primary school days.

3) When you were in primary school, girls like to go to the bookshop to buy cute stuff such as animal erasers, sharpeners, notebook etc. Play with these paper doll... with all the paper clothes..etc etc. In secondary (some KBSM) school, girls go to the library to borrow their favourite romance storybook. In secondary school, girls altered their school skirt to shorten it and guys will go to the school appointed school uniform tailor shop to tailor make their school trousers to the then fashionable "baggy pants", or the GQ one with all the 'batik' or buckle at the edge of the pocket! the straight cut jeans.. or codroy... In secondary school days, you buy the Bata BM Turbo school shoes. Some guys like to wear those china made ankle high shoes. Some even like to wear those very thick socks with their school shoes. remember the panda, carefree or warrior shoes.. :)

4) Internet? E-mail? What the hell is that? So you thought a decade or more ago. Your friends don't have pagers or handphones in school. CDs? What's that? Cassette tapes were the norm. Movie tickets used to cost less than $5 last time. there is no KLCC.. Pertama or Bukit Bintang the only place we have..The goodies from Mamak shop used to be Mamee, Ka ka,Kum Kum, Ding Dang choco balls (with toys in the box) + the Mat Sentul voices as a jingle, colourful hard "egg", "cigarette" chocolate, pink bottle of bubbles, and small tubes with yellow sticks to blow "more lasting" bubbles that you can pop more air in or slam it on. You never forget 'Ti Kam'.

5)When exams are over, the board games (eg: UNO, Monopoly, CLUEDO) & hand held video games will be all over the class room. Girls will start playing 'batu seremban'. Guys with 'tudung botol oren'

6)Your favourite sound is the bell! For it's the homemade ice cream man. The cream that tops Haagan Dazs! The pink colour ice-cream with eyes plus a wide smile. Another bell is the recess bell, a time to get away from school work and to eat.Another time when there is no bell but all guys will anxiously wait for it...ThePJ, PE time (time for football!!)

7) Your favourite childhood games were playing "guli"(marbles), five stones, zero-point, catching, and/or "Pepsi-Cola one two three"! The best thirst quencher of all times is the yummy colourful ice tubes you can buy from provision shops. To eat them, break the tab and suck while holding the freezing tube!

8) All gals had barbie dolls, My Little Pony, Pound Puppy, Polly Pocket and etc, while all boys had Star Wars figurines or a rubber band catapult that shoots folded paper or eraser bits. Once was the era whereby ice-cream sticks were valuable items, than came the paper aircraft, chalk fights.

9) Everyone envied the class monitor and his assistant, cos they were the ones who came up with the daily duty roster, giving names to teacher on who makes the most noise and who's running around the class. The elite group are the prefects, the one with license to move around, they consider themselves above the law when not many students actuallylistened to them, and that's when the PK Hem comes in.

10) Some boys made their own guns from wood, and used 'Bacali' as the bullets. Some even used matches to shoot and burn kids'lanterns during Latern Festival..and you also rather to 'ponteng sekolah juz to watch final episod of Moero Attack...summersault berpusing...

Cheers to the 70's and 80's babies!!

When I have nothing to do..

Can't think of anything original to write. So I cheat. Enjoy.

1)Who's at home now?
Kak Sih, Kak Kiah, Azureen (Her Royal Highness is sleeping), me

2) Did u go out yesterday?
Yup. Saw Cikgu Azizah at Kolej Mara Seremban; Cikgu Zarina and Cikgu Jarini at the latter's house.

3) Who did you go out with?
Technically, Ariff and Adzreil. But we went in separate cars.

4) What time did u wake up today?
6:11 am. I get wake-up smses in the morning =)

5) Did u go anywhere today?
Breakfast with Abah, then to the bank. Might go out again, it's only 11 am

7) What did u have for dinner?
Semalam? Dalca kambing + ikan bawal goreng. Best woo...

8) What do u call your mother?
Mak, mom, omak, oh bonda!!! (hehehe when I'm feeling cheeky)

9) Are u and your mom on good terms?
Yup, I tell her everything

10) Are u the only girl/boi in ur family?
No. My dad is the only man in the family. That means that there are a lot of us gals

12) Who did u last talk to last night?
Ramai la. Mak, abah, my sisters, my bro-in-law.....Oh, over the phone ke? My youngest sister

13) Are u spoiled?
The middle child is not spoiled by his/her parents. It's almost an impossibility. Being spoiled is only the privilege for the eldest and/or the youngest (I'm using the word 'privilege' here...)

14) Do u want to get married?
To whom?

15) With who?
Didn't I just ask u that? (okla....to the person who's fated for me..)

16) Where do u think your friends are now?
Ntahler. Atas katil / bawah katil / dalam bilik mandi / tengah berdating /tengah termenung / dalam kapal terbang

17) Do u think your friends need u now?
Phone's not ringing so I'm saying no (yang species suka hantar telepathic message tu...sorila kawan...I've not been 'upgraded' to that level yet).

18) Where do u wish to be?
Exactly where I am, also exactly somewhere else

19) When will u be buying a car?
Ntah la. Haven't thought about it. When I can afford one

20) What type of car do u wanna buy?
I'm not really fussy. As long as it doesn't look too bad and is convenient to drive

23) Do u wanna meet britney spears?
No. What for?

24) Who do u approach when u have a prob?
A small selected group of people.

25) What do u want for your birthday?
Entah la.....I still haven't thought of what I want for my 17th-22nd birthday...

26) What do u wish for xmas?
Cuti lebih 2 minggu! But since I don't celebrate Christmas in the first place I guess I won't be getting anything...

27) Any piercings on u?
Ears, tongue, belly button and another place I don't wish to mention. (Haha dusta je tu....only my ears)

28) Would u like to have a tattoo?
No

30) How many kids do u want?
Hmmm....the right amount so that I can fit them into my car and I don't have to consider buying a lorry. Heheh.

31) Any homeworks?
No.....summer holiday.....

32) Are u listening to any music now?
'How am I supposed to live without you' on Light and Easy. Michael Bolton

33) Do u believe in miracles?
Yup....I met a few =)

34) Do u believe in fate?
Yes

35) When did u last cry?
Can't remember

36) When did u last smile?
Am smiling. Just thought of something

37) When did u last receive a gift?
My last birthday

38) Who has the cutest smile u ever seen?
Me! Me! (hahahah tak senonoh betul..) Takdela....Azureen Sofia wins hands down!!!

39) What do u want to tell your crush?
No crush la. If I did, I'll be in trouble with someone *winks*

40) Why are u answering this survey?
I feel very self-conscious about the fact that I haven't blogged in a while so I'm taking the easiest way to do so

41) Do u kiss your parents good night?
Of course...will continue to do so as long as....

42) Your hair colour?
Very dark brown

43) Hairstyle?
Can't tell anymore. Need a haircut.

45) Any wishes?
Loads. Don't care to mention here.

Short update...

Just a short update....

1) I am now a proud owner of Ixus 40!! Woohoo!!

Initially I thought of getting Ixus 50, but the difference is only the effective pixel. Price-wise Ixus 50 is more expensive by RM200. Neways, I am never gonna print pictures more than 4R most of the time, so I'm quite happy with Ixus 40.

2) I have less than one month in Malaysia =( . Starting 4th year Med on 5th September, will be flying back to London on the same date (ehehe that means I'll miss one day's class...*not-so-guilty-smile*)

3) Heard this one song on Light and Easy by Il Divo. Keeps playing in my mind..in fact, I'm hearing it now over the radio :

::Everytime I Look at You::

I used to think that I was strong

I realise now I was wrong

'Cause everytime I see your face

My mind becomes an empty space

And with you lying next to me

Feels like I can hardly breathe

I close my eyes

The moment I surrender to you

Let love be blind

Innocent and tenderly true

So lead me through tonight

But please turn out the light

'Cause I'm lost everytime I look at you

And in the morning when you go

Wake me gently so I'll know

That loving you was not a dream

And whisper softly what it means to be with me

Then every moment we're apart

Will be a lifetime to my heart

I close my eyes

The moment I surrender to you

Let love be blind

Innocent and tenderly true

So lead me through tonight

But please, please turn out the light

'Cause I'm lost everytime I look at you

Lost...everytime I look at you

Hidden Talent??

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others. You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around. The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it. Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Well, well, well.....what do you know....hehehe *wicked grin*

AF lagi....

*Before I begin, I'm obliged to give a word of caution to anyone who reads this : What is written below is MY OWN OPINION. It may be unpleasant to you, especially if you're one of the avid viewers of the show. So, if you are very sensitive about the subject, ABORT! ABORT! (i.e. Please exit this page NOW!!)*

I guess this topic does not need an introduction. AF = Akademi Fantasia. A group youngsters aspiring to be the next big discovery of the entertainment industry are 'enrolled' into the academy, where they are taught by a team of people on the art of singing, dancing etc. Reality tv style. Every week the students perform, and each week one student would be expelled. Whether a student stays or goes depend on how many votes received via SMS from the public.

AF is in its 3rd year now. I followed AF quite closely in the first year, watched a couple of the concerts in the 2nd year, and tonight was the first time I watched the concert for this installment. Ever since the first year, one thing is evident : It's all about looks. Talent is secondary (or even further down the list).

Oh, I don't deny that some of the winners deserved what they got. Vince was good (he was blessed with a complete package of talent and looks). Zahid was undeniably a very deserving winner of AF2 due to his versatility. Some others...well, the fact that they went so far despite their inability to carry a tune to save their own skins is the eighth wonder of the world to me. Huge talents like Sahri AF1 and Bob AF2 were pushed aside because 'package tak complete'; when it came to physical attributes they didn't inspire admiration in screaming girls and their mothers, the same people who spend RM50 a week just to make sure their favourites reach the finals, regardless of talent.

Malaysians are notorious for preferring things based on face value instead of real quality, so it's not really a shocker. Because of that, the fact that some people said Sepet didn't deserve to win the Film Festival over another lavish and yet inferior production didn't exactly make me go into a cardiac arrest and collapse on the floor.

But I'm going off at a tangent here. Ok, back on track. Some of my objections towards AF are as follows :

1) The whole crying thingy when someone is eliminated out of AF. Malaysian crowd has always been very emotional, but I think reality tv has brought the meaning of the word 'emotional' to greater heights. I don't know if those people even cry THAT much if their children get expelled from school. Or follow as closely of their children's progress; if parents are as interested and as passionate in their children's education as they are watching AF, I can assure you, we can stop worrying about the quality of tomorrow's leaders.

2) And hugging between men and women? I think this subject has been exhausted by many people; in newspapers, on the internet etc. The fact that many of the people involved are Muslims, they should know better. And please, don't give me that he's-like-my-brother/son/father/grandfather (and vice versa with females) rubbish. The fact is, these people are NOT your relations (to be specific, your muhrim) so PLEASE behave accordingly. The sight of tudung-clad women, even, behave in such a way on national tv makes my heart bleed. Youngsters nowadays are very impressionable, and they always follow by example. At the rate tv shows are going with this new 'trend', I'm starting to feel that the only channels I feel comfortable showing to my niece (and my not-yet-existing children) are Animal Planet and Discovery Channel (no, not even cartoons, but that's another story...).

3) SMS voting. Whoever came up with the idea is a pure genius. What better way can there be to make the public willingly give their money? But I guess I can't say much about this subject. What people do with their money is their own business...just wish that they have more sense to put aside that money spent for their children's education, instead of complaining that the government doesn't give enough scholarships (without realizing the fact that our country is possibly the only country that gives out scholarships on such a large scale and amount, and yet they are not thankful...but again, that's another story....).

AF3 will reach its conclusion next weekend. The winner of this season is fairly obvious, for some reasons, whatever they may be. The interesting bit is guessing who the runners-up are. Undoubtedly, this whole week, fingers will be flying on mobile phones to submit votes; tongues wagging, talking about the finals; and plans are being made to keep Saturday evening free. One thing for sure, on Saturday night, there will be a lot of crying and hugging, on a larger scale than before, befitting the finale of Akademi Fantasia 3.

Azureen's song...

Whenever Azureen cries, I'd pick her up and sing her this song : "Under the Bamboo Tree" from Meet Me in St Louis. I know, it's not exactly the most imaginative song you can sing to a child to soothe her or to get her to sleep, but the first time I sang that song it was the only one that came to my mind. And it seemed to work. And since it does, I don't see why I shouldn't continue singing it.....

::Under the Bamboo Tree::

Down in the jungle lived a maid

Of royal blood though dusky shade

A marked impression once she made

Upon a Zulu, from Matabooloo

And every morning he would be

Down underneath the bamboo tree

Awaiting there his love to see

And then to her he'd sing

(To her he'd sing...)

If you like-a me

Like I like-a you

And we like-a both the same

I like to say, this very day

I like to change your name

'Cause I love-a you

And love-a you true

And if you-a love-a me

One live as two

Two live as one

Under the bamboo tree

It's a little silly, but she seems to like it, so, what the heck....

Back at last....

It's been a week since I've been back....lots of things have happened...here's a gist of what had happened so far:

1) Exams were tough. Written papers were killers, I actually had thoughts of repeats in September.

2) Packing my things out of the room was a bigger killer. Note to self : DO NOT buy anymore things!!

3) Met abah & mak at the airport. Saw Azureen for the first time since March. Mak aih!! She's chubbier than her pictures!! I definitely recommend breast milk for any baby....

4) Met up with a certain someone I've not seen since my last birthday. Had a great time (as we always do, even when doing nothing..)

5) Had a majlis cukur jambul & berandoi for Azureen today. Penat giler.

6) Oh yeah, my exam results came out! I PASSED!!! Fourth year, here I come!! *ehem* What I mean is : Alhamdulillah....God is certainly very good to me....

7) Okay, now for some pictures (Azureen punya la, saper lagi....):

Now THIS is how chubby she really is

Beautiful girl....

Azureen (trying on her baju kurung the night before majlis bercukur) and Kak Sih

Azureen and (bits of) her mak ngah after all the guests went home

When my sister wanted to get the headband, I said "No, you're NOT gonna put that on my niece's head!" Tapi dah pakai tu comel la pulak..(which goes to show adorable babies can pull off anything - or maybe, just my niece...hehe)

Terror in London

The sound of the radio-alarm woke me up this morning at about 10 a.m. Over the radio I vaguely heard the news about two underground trains colliding with each other. "Hmph. Such a great impression this city is giving after winning the Olympic bid," I thought as I drowsily turned off the radio.

Not long after that I received missed calls from home and smses from my mom. She sounded worried ('worried' is a gross understatement) and urgently asked me to call back. Mobile network was bad in the morning, and when the call from home finally got through, that was when I realized what had happened.

A bus blew up in Tavistock Square in central london. 3 other explosions happened on the London Underground, one of it happened near Algate East station, not very far from where I live.

After September 11, 2001, many expected London to suffer the same fate as the US. Almost four years down the line, it finally happened.

With the G8 Summit happening today and Londoners still unrecovered from the exhilaration of being chosen as host for Olympic 2012, the timing is almost impeccable that you almost have to admire the twisted minds behind this. They could not have chosen a more perfect timing.

After the phone call from home, I spent the next hour receiving calls from friends and making calls to others to find out if everyone's okay. Alhamdulillah, no one was involved. Then another friend called to say that they needed help from medical students at Royal London Hospital, where most of the victims from Algate East were taken to. Our halls of residence is just behind the hospital, so it did not take long for us to get there.

Almost 300 people were sent to Royal London Hospital, and the hospital cafeteria had to be converted into a temporary A&E Minors. Doctors, nurses, hospital staff were everywhere.

Security was tight, they only allowed hospital personnel and medical students with IDs onto the premise. We were directed to the lecture theatre where we sometimes have our teaching sessions, and there were quite a number of students already there, watching the BBC news projected onto the screen. After about half an hour, one of the doctors informed that they had enough manpower as all the staff were sent to help out at the A&E, and told us we could go home.

Madness, absolute madness.

A group of people calling themselves the Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda of Jihad Organisation in Europe claimed to be responsible for the attack.

When the terrorists launched their attack on America in 2001, it felt to me more like a horror movie on television. Turn the tv off, and things would go back to normal. When people asked about my opinion of it, like other people, I condemned the actions of the terrorists, saying that the usage of violence wasn't in the teachings of Islam. However despite that, secretly I actually thought that America received its come-uppance for their policies regarding the Middle East.

I know better now. And I am very ashamed for ever thinking that way. In all these attacks, innocent people were victims, and nothing in the world can justify such actions. Hutang darah tak boleh dibayar dengan darah. Every life is precious, and no crime in the world can be atoned with further violence.

Countdown : Four (and a half) days to go..

It's Wednesday afternoon, approximately four and a half days to go before exams (I'm too lazy to work out the details, i.e. number of hours and minutes and seconds, my math's atrocious these days..).

Revision's going slow....I have this tendency to cross-reference almost everything I read, opening books and stuff (which is not very ideal at this stage), but my brain absolutely refuses to remember anything it doesn't understand (it used to be more obedient before). It's good in a way though, after three years in medical school I finally understand the mechanisms of lipid metabolism and bilirubin synthesis (hehe a bit of a confession there...*sheepish grin*).

Oh well.....

Almost everyone in my year is stressed. Whenever I bump into any of them, he/she would tell me "Omigod! I can't remember anything! I've only gone through the lecture notes three times, and I'm SO gonna fail this exam!"

My reaction? "Well buddy, you've done revision THREE times; I'm barely covering it the first time, and you're telling ME you are gonna fail??"

Hah. Well, at least THAT'S what I would like to say. But I don't, obviously.

For the past week I've been locking myself in my room, going out only when necessary, to avoid people as mentioned above. Am not one of those people who can function very well when stressed, let alone study, and so I separate myself from the civilization as much as possible to prevent contact with external stress factors. I like to keep my cool, thank you very much.

Having the EMQ (extended matching question) exam on Monday, Data Interpretation on Tuesday, short OSCE stations on Wednesday and the long OSCE stations on Friday. After 10.30 a.m. on Friday next week I'll be free!!

I hope the exam will be okay for me. God, give me strength.

After the exams, have to pack in a frenzy! Will have to clear all my belongings, and put them for storage by Sunday morning. Flight back to Malaysia is at 10 p.m Sunday, will touch down on Malaysian soil by 5.30 p.m. Monday, insyaAllah.

Can't wait to go home....

But, in the meantime, I shall have to persevere and try to revise as much as I can, and so this site will be on hiatus until I'm back in Malaysia.

Ciao!

p/s :

Thanks so much for the comments about the new layout. The credit, however, goes to Silent Whimpers, the creator of this awesome skin (you can check out her designs at blogskins.com). However, don't you DARE use THIS skin!

Kidding. Do what you like. I'm not one of those people who's very bothered abt these things. Who am I to say, anyway, since it's not my creation in the first place...

Taaa!