The Conversation

Situation:
You were out with two of your friends for dinner and while waiting in the the line to be seated, the person in front of you was someone you know through another friend (or from your secondary school). She was just an acquaintance and you guys were never really that close. You were not sure at first as she has changed quite a bit but after a while you figured that it was really her and was quite sure that she saw the three of you standing behind her. She did not make any eye contact/body language/gestures to give you a sign that she knows and remembers you and neither she nor the three of you made the effort to say hi to each other.

Sounds all too familiar? I am sure all of us had faced the same situation or something similar and just because you were not that close or you've only met the person once or twice and haven't seen each other for years, you pretended that you don't know that person or just simply didn't see that him/her.
Most of the time the conversation would be like this:

You: Hie
That Other Person (TOP): Hie! How are you? You buat ape sekarang?
You: Still studying
TOP: Study ape?
You: (insert here)..you dah kerja or still studying?
TOP: Owh..i dah kerja/still studying.
You: Owh...ok..
TOP: Well, I have to go, keep in touch k?
You: Yeah me too. Yes, we have to keep in touch.
**and you have to plaster a big smile on your face throughout this conversation.

Oh, the familiar scene isn't it?
However, the irony is, how ever much we hate those conversation, after those few dreaded lines, it is nice to know that they actually still remember you even though both of you have only said a few lines to each other and that was 5 years ago!
Well, yes, it is not wrong to just say HI and it is polite to say HI to the person you know. But what I'm trying to stress on here is, when I see someone whom I haven't seen for ages, it is nice to have a conversation with a little bit of substance in it and not just something that is forced.

But still, even if you don't have anything to say to me, whenever you see me next, just say hi. Or at least, smile. And I promise, I will smile back. =)

Warholed Me

Ok....
That actually sounded obscene isnt it? I didn't mean it to be that way tho'. At least not on purpose. Haha.
I've always loved this multi-coloured Marilyn Monroe art by Andy Warhol. Been trying to get my hands on those canvas poster of the art to hang in my room(something like the picture below) but to no avail. Anyone know where I can find those that won't cost me a bomb?
Owh well, since I can't find those, prolly I should just blow up this picture of myself and hang it on the wall instead. Haha.
**Adan made it for me as he knows how much I wanted to have Warhol's Marilyn posters. Sweet kann!! =)

Bitter Spinster

I am currently in my 3rd week of paediatric posting. I've never liked paeds before and I still don't like it now. It's not that I don't like kids..I do..that maternal side of me is still intact, I believe (well, with me wanting quite a number of kids once I get married, proves that I do loves kids, no?). It is just that pediatric is so different from the typical adult medicine. With kids, all they do is cry. Or vomit. Or cry. Or, they turn blue. That as a presenting symptom makes your life harder. And if it's not vague enough, there's the whole management for them. Mind you, in paediatrics, the management is quite different and it's more ma fan. Tedious. Different measurements, different doses, all different lah. And to top it off, there are a few "categories" of children - neonate, infant, toddler, preschool, adolescent. They all have different numbers and range values that we, the medical students, are required to memorize. Sigh. As if we don't have enough things to memorize.
Ok. Enough whining.
I've attended a few weddings this month, and the most recent one was today, my classmates' wedding in Slim River. The aposthrope came after the 's' because I know both bride and groom. Both of them are in the same batch as I am. It is actually not uncommon for medical students to marry their own batchmates. One of the doctors even said that it's either the girls have to have boyfriends now, and get married right before/soon after they graduate or they'll become a spinster all their lives. And the boys have to help the girls with this as well (I am not sure if she was joking about this or not). It is because of the work demand as a doctor later that'll prevent us from meeting people and have an actual social life. In a way, it is kind of true...there are a few female doctors who became head of departments and even hospital directors are not married. And oh boy, are they bitter. They are bitter about life, and somewhat became socially retarded. Sigh. Hope I won't end up like that. I don't want to be a bitter spinster doctor.

*this is my personal opinion and I'm not going to stereotype or generalize this to every single unmarried female doctor.

Owh, btw, what do u think of my new layout? You loike?? =) I have no freaking idea where to get a nice-r layout (and no time too!) so I settle with the one blogger is providing. Easy, breezy, beautiful...hehe..


...And there's a poll at the sidebar. If you're free, just answer those three questions. I'm not the one asking. Nuffnang is. =)

M to the E to the L I double S A

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY,
MELISSA ESME ANUWAR!!!!!
Love u bebeh! Will see you this weekend!! =))

Depressed, my dear colleague?

I found this article in The Star Online.

Monday December 1, 2008

Many medical students suffer from depression

By M. KRISHNAMOORTHY

KUALA LUMPUR: Many Malaysian medical students overseas who take examinations in a foreign language suffer from depression when they return.

Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility (PPSR) vice-president Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said that large numbers of young Malaysians were being trained in foreign medical schools in Indonesia, Russia, India, Poland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

At a forum on Saturday organised by the PPSR, it was highlighted that at least five such houseman are found to suffer from mental illnesses every month.

“These countries have varied systems of medical training and different types of patient care, based on the emphasis of the country. As a result, many of the students who go there undergo a culture shock,” said Dr Abdul Ha­­mid.

“Coming from different universities, backgrounds and experiences, they have difficulty relating and working, especially the weaker students,” he said, adding that there had been a sudden sprouting of many public and private medical schools.

While the schools have increased, however, the number of teaching hospitals have not.

Dr Abdul Hamid said that although there was an increasing demand for doctors, the standards and quality of patient care should not be compromised.

“These are the major concerns which the country’s healthcare and medical educational planners have to constantly bear in mind so that the value systems governing the training of our doctors are never lost sight of in the short term and the long term.”

Sigh, even though I'm training locally and I'm not one of the students studying in the mentioned countries above, mental illness is not something that is uncommon among medical students here in Malaysia too. But here, the precipitating factors are not as mentioned above. Our major precipitating factor that can actually lead some to the wackadoodledoo world is the amount of stress for examinations. Seriously. Tak caya tanye semua medical students kat Malaysia.

Tu la...buat lagi soalan susah susah... =p

This friend of mine.

Tengku Mardiah binti Tengku Marzuki.
She was one of my closest friends when I was 10. Biasalah...budak budak mesti la ade 100 bestfriends kan..hari hari pun tukar bestfriend...hehe..we have tons and tons of fond memories back in our school days in SKKT. We used to hang during recess everyday until one fine afternoon, she told all of us that she'll be transferring to another school. Sri Bestari. We swore to each other that we'll stay friends forever, signed each others' autograph book (haha..remember THOSE? kodi kottttt...), promise that we won't drift apart and keep in touch.

Us, before puberty. Hahaha..
L-R: Sakinah (cute gila pls!), Mardiah, Lynda, and I (don't laugh..tau la bughok gile..)

Little did we know, life was about to take place.

Through out those secondary school years, I admit that never once did we contacted each other, and never once I bumped into her anywhere. Until one day, she came to my school's prom night. That was the night that reunited both of us. We chatted for a while and since I was one of the organizing comittee, I was quite busy running here and there that night, I didn't have the chance to sit and have a real catching up session with her.

We did not see each other again after our those polite hellos and this single photo of us were snapped.

Us, after puberty, before makeup and fashion sense.
L-R: Didi Harun, Nadiah Alwi, Eunice, Me, Mardiah

Until, again, we were reunited. This time it was in ASASI. We may not be as close as we were in primary school, but it was enough for me to know that we have a history and we've had our fair share of joy, laughter, and tears together when we were kids. Mesti lah ada soft spot for childhood friend, kan?
Mardiah is the epitome of a lady. Beautiful, intelligent, sopan (bak kata Zaza, tak macam kita yg tak senonoh ni! haha), soft spoken, and sadly for every single single guy in this world, just recently unavailable.
It was her wedding last Saturday night. And just like her, the wedding was beautiful. I only managed to congratulate her and did not get to say a proper wish to her as the que was really really really long.
So, Mardiah, if you're reading this, I wish you a wonderful and amazing life ahead, together with your dearest other half. May Allah bless both of you and your family. Bring more cute babies into this world, k? Hehe..Take care, dear. =)

See? Told you she's beautiful.

Lenka

I've been playing and listening to her song "Trouble Is A Friend" religiously everyday ever since the first time I heard it in one of Grey's Anatomy episodes recently.
Hear it and it will haunt you too. Hehe.
I can't embed the video here, so click HERE if you wanna listen the song k. After you're done with that, click HERE for another dose of Lenka.
Enjoy..=)

I want....

...THIS!

Chanel 2.55
*DROOLS*

115...

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5234461/2/istockphoto_5234461-final-exam.jpg

...days left I have til my finals.

It may seem like I still have ample of time to study but seriously, I don't. Really. Not when I have to sit for the MBBS final exams where the papers will consist of ALL 5 years' syllabus at ONE go (damn u integrated system!) ; AND I will have to face 2 examiners for one long case and 3 short cases (each case 10 mins - back to back!) all from different departments! YIKES!
The problem with me is, I know that I have to study, but it's kinda hard for me to pick up the pace.
And just to compare the level of knowledge between me and my colleagues, I'm still unsure of the drugs in the SSRI group but THEY can tell you not only the generic and trade names but they can even tell you the DOSAGE without looking at the book!
I'm so dead.
Dead.

...and just to make life seem even more gloomy, my external hard drive just crashed. That's where I kept all my downloaded series and movies; and I haven't even watch half of them.
Maybe it is just God's way to tell me to go and study.
Yes. That must be it.

AND....

I MISS MY BETTER HALF!!!! Life's pretty dull, empty and lonely since he went back to Paris 3 weeks ago.
='(


-Sorry peeps...I must have taken my whining pill today. And I'm also kinda hormonal nowadays; hence the synergistic effect.

Last holiday 'til finals..PROMISE! =p

How was your Diwali celebration and that long weekend we all had? Mine was filled with a lot (prolly too much) of fun under the hot blazing Terengganu sun..hehe..I went to Awana Kijal with Adan and his family for a short holiday/weekend getaway; just when I needed some time out from the books (well..I did study for a few hours this month! Hoo-rah-rah)..We did the whole she-bang..the banana boat ride, the swimming in the salty sea water, the swimming in the from morning til hitam, ate authentic Terengganu food (Mee chalong? anyone?)...all those lah..I had a blast..and I got to spend more time with Adan (now, that's a plus!)
Uncle KA and Aunty R, if you're reading this, thank you for having me there!!! =)



And of course, what's a photo-op on a beach without the jumping session?

One more...

...and it's the hardest one of all 6 resolutions I made for this year.

1. Go to Paris and visit Adan.
JANUARY

2. Buy myself a new car.
JUNE

3. Earn more money. Or, learn how to save money at least.
I'VE BEEN EARNING A FEW RINGGIT FROM NUFFNANG. NOT TOO SHABBY =)

4. Understand central nervous system. I really suck at CNS...tolong!!

5. Go to Singapore, Indonesia OR Thailand
WENT TO SINGAPORE WITH ADAN AND IZAN

6. Holiday with friends
PENANG PENANG PENANG!! =)

I hope I'll be able to strike off number 4 soon, as my final exam is just around the corner!

The Week After

I am still dizzy from all the ketupat, rendang, kuah kacang, lemang, roti jala, and whatnots consumption. Not to mention, a few tonnes heavier.
Raya was rather quiet but not a bit less meaningful than previous years. My family (sans Farahin) celebrated raya in PJ and Rawang this time around. Nothing extraordinary however..same routine, same delicious raya spread, same relatives; just that this year, there's a new addition in my family - the uber adorable Adelynn.
I was (and still am) quite surprised to know that there are uncles and aunties that love me much and think that I am still eligible to receive the paket hijau...and there I was, thinking that I am considered "old" to still receive those..But who's complaining, kan? hehe..The packets were filled with a generous amount, if I might add..hehe..Terima Kasih, ye! =) Starting from next year, it'll be my turn to give out the packets pulak..
Here are a few pictures taken at Dalia's, Arshad's and Zaza's house. =)

Eid-fitr

To my family, friends, and silent blog readers,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI
&
MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN
from the bottom-most part of my heart.

I have a feeling that starting from this year, I won't be getting duit raya any longer.

Well, maybe just from my parents and sister.

Shoits.

Tagged!

Tagged by Nadiah Alwi & Rashida

Rules :
1. Each player of this game starts off with 15 weird things/habits/little known facts about yourself.
2. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 15 weird things/habits/little known facts as well as state this rule clearly.
3. At the end, you need to choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names.
4. No tags back!!

Here we go...

1. I hate cats. Or rather, I'm scared of them. Don't let a cat get near me or I'll jump on the nearest table or climb the nearest tree...seriously, I kid you not. It has happened before; where I jumped onto the dining table and spilled everything.

2. I seldom go out for dinner with my housemates. Wanna know why? Again, it is because of the damn cats. I always end up asking them to buy dinner for me and eat dinner all by myself when they get home. I will only follow them to certain places, where we do not go that often. Kesian my housemates if I join them to the places which have stray cats around...they'll end up busy shoo-ing the cats away from our table and they have to watch me squirm every few minutes.

3. I am very fussy when it comes to my work/workplace. Every line on the paper has to be super straight. Books have to be lined up/stacked up properly before I can start studying. All chairs and other things have to be in place. I can't concentrate in class when the chairs are all over the place...Funnily enough, my bedroom is the only place I can stand disorganized things.

4. I suffer from severe PMS. I can get very hormonal that time of the month.

5. I trust people easily and I am a poor judge of a character. I tend to befriend with people who will either use me for their own benefits or who will just hurt me in the end. And with many many experiences, I still haven't learn my lesson. I still trust people way too easily.

6. Smart and knowledgeable MEN turn me on. Good looking ones only turns me half-on. =p

7. Deep deep deeper down inside of me, I am somewhat a lesbian "not that straight". I have secret crushes on Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Bush, Alexis Bledel, and Leighton Meester (to name a few!).

8. I like to make lists. List of things to buy, list of things I wanna buy when I have the money, list of things to do, list of places to go..and yes, I'm even listing the lists right now. Heck, I'm enjoying this thing because well, I get to make a list!

9. You know when you watch those movie trailers, the voice that narrates it is always the same person? I wanna meet that guy. I think his voice is rather sexy. Haha..

10. Don't bug me while I'm driving. I'll turn into someone else when I drive. Short-tempered, swearing off other drivers, and very very serious. Just ask Adan and Lan. And, I don't like to be behind other vehicles and I always need to be in front of others. I'm kiasu in that way.

11. I bruise easily. The slightest pinch will result with a blue black. No, I don't have any blood discariasis whatsoever..I'm just born fragile..haha

12. I am a sucker for punctuality. I need to be punctual. I don't like to make people wait for me. So don't tell me to be there at 8 when really, you're coming at 9...coz I'll be there at 8..standing like a fool waiting for you. And of course, I don't like waiting.

13. At times, I wonder if I have made the right decision to be in this profession and I often silently pray that I did. Sometimes I doubt myself whether I can do this or not. But well, I got this far and I'm at my last hurdle right now so I might as well just go through with it..get it done and over with. But then again, as they say, undergrad is just the end of a beginning...I will just get a licence to start learning medicine after my undergrad.

14. I am a compulsive shopper (Well, well, I guess that one is out of the closet!)

15. I hate those crocs shoes. I think they are ugly and I really wanna tell that to the designer. It doesn't matter how comfy those shoes are...the fact is still that they are butt ugly.

There you go. All 15 of them.

People I wanna tag:
Zaza
Sakinah
Yusma
Maria
Iqah
Izan
Kak Iza
Faiza
Azam
Nama

Dirt Cheap Buffet

Burp!
I just came back from Syuen Hotel for buka puasa with my housies and I'm so full that the food is at evel of my esophagus already. Syuen is celebrating their 15th (I think) anniversary and they have a special offer for the buffet spread. We had to pay only RM20 each person and well, for RM20 buffet, don't expect much, of course. The spread was ok and the choices were rather limited, I'd say.
***
Since we left school, merdeka's eve has been one of the few events we've never missed to celebrate. Every year it has been all about the fireworks...but this year, we wanted to do something different and go somewhere else other than The Curve. Somewhere which we don't have to deal with the traffic, the almost-impossible parking spot, and somewhere rather laid back and not too crowded with sweaty people. We went to Jaya One for the Rantai Art Festival where there were booths selling clothes and accesories (some of them are those online boutiques I've been blog-hopping to) and there were also those wonderful underground singers performing that night. It was a rather casual get-together and of course, a whole lot of camwhoring. At midnight, everyone gathered around the stage and stood up and sang 'Negaraku' after the routine "Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!". I was looking around while singing the anthem and it was kinda nice to see people my age singing the song wholeheartedly and sincerely.
****
This year, our dearest Jepun, our fair lady's birthday fell in the month of Ramadhan...thus, the celebration is slightly different from our usual birthday celebrations. With Ema as the kepala, and Hashley as the main man (kesian u kene menipu banyak, Hash..) we organized the surprised birthday via facebook. Our discussion was so long that the thread became as many as 130 messages and as long as 5 pages!...but of course, there were times we were slightly off tract sikit (discussing benda lain la tu..hehe). We planned to make zaza feel sad and dissapointed (too much, no?) before her birthday by telling her everybody was busy on that day and we can only celebrate her birthday by buka puasa together at muhibbah 3 DAYS after her birthday...kesian zaza..
The celebration turned out awe-shheeme! We all were eating endlessly sampai tak payah sahur the next morning..there were Tasha and Hash's kuih sampan (so banyak that it was almost like pesta kuih sampan), Shida's yummy spaghetti, Faratiya's mum's famous seafood pasta, and...semualah! The cake we ordered was scrumptious! I ate 3 slices (and of course it went straight to my waist, thank you). The highlight of the night has to be us playing CRANIUM!! Best k! I think next time whenever we have another get-together(s) nih, we have to play this game! hehe..I still can't get over the fact my boyfriend did that Beyonce move!
Well, all in all I (and the rest) hope that Zaza enjoyed herself that night (u did, didn't u?? hehe) and we all hope that she loves the Polaroid camera we gave her..love you Za!= )

In The Pink Land Again

My hands are itchy to update this blog. Will update once I get those Merdeka pictures and also the ones where we celebrated Zaza's birthday =)

Btw, I have started Obstetrics and Gynaecology posting, yet again. This time I have to conduct 5 deliveries..(Maria, u dah buat O&G?)
And, my addiction is soo not wearing off anytime soon. Sigh. I really do need help.

Welcoming the Holy month

Credit to: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-_FAzqrXPG6yzeakRm4e__gf7e-nYTtcJk-SPbjuGbhsMsOtbNlpo-99ZB0uBDcrJvbi4TQfJSiELBMBha3SYdcS0SClatZyEBdLHldtL-8iqBzE86JkJ9WWHJK4X2T61iREJa7qwa8/s1600-h/ramadhan2.jpg

Selamat menyambut Ramadhan Al-Mubarak 1429 Hijrah to all my Muslim brothers and sisters.
May Allah bless us all.
Amin.

51 years old today

Credit: http://images.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://bp1.blogger.com

It's our birthday today.
Is it just me or, after half a century, the celebration is way quieter this year? There were less flags around, less TV adverts (other than the always amazing Petronas ad; the one with Afdlin Shauki in it), and less hoo-haa about the whole independent day celebration this year.
Prolly it is overshadowed by the current affairs which everyone is still busy discussing about.
As a younger generation, I wish that the "powerful" "wiser" people would concentrate more on how to help the RAKYAT instead of their own agendas; whatever that may be. Concentrate more on the real stuffs please...such as the rakyat's health and the medical care.

Anyhooo...who am I to say anything pun..haha..shy only.

Happy Merdeka, peeps! =)

ESA (e-shopaholic anonymous)

Hi everyone.
My name is Farissa and I'm an e-shopaholic.

Omg...This whole affair with e-shopping has got to stop. But somehow it is so addictive (plus seductively easy!) and I just can't help it!!! I have end of posting exam for all 3 departments I've been to for the past 6 weeks and all I did for the past 2 hours was surfing and browsing and jumping from one e-boutique to another. And when I actually realized what I was doing, I did some math and well guess what, I have just spent over a hundred ringgit for a few dresses and tops plus a pair of denim leggings and a high waisted shorts.

Yikes!

Beyond ordinar-e

Credit: http://www.movietrailers.org.uk/wp-content/img/2008/02/wall-e.jpg

This movie is, by far, the most enjoyable animated movie ever produced. It is so charming and hilarious at the same time, even without any script at all for the two main characters other than the occasional "wallie" and "evaahh".
Utterly adorable.

"Aaaayang angat" says Ema.

(Above: Everyone + Ema; Below: Everyone +Dalia)

After our gastronomic holiday in Penang, we've been wanting to go for another round of holiday + good food. It's almost impossible to find a date (let alone a whole weekend) where everyone is free. After a lot of failed discussions, we decided to just go with the seafood dinner idea (I'm not sure whose). Hashley took us to a seafood restaurant in Port Klang and we had ikan siakap 3 rasa, sotong goreng tepung, udang masam manis, and kailan and kangkung goreng. YUMMMMEH!

So when's the next BGFFs and BILs dinner, girls? I miss you guys already! =(

"Stay" is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary.

Well, if you think that sad SOB liar is worth or even equivalent to our 11 years of friendship, very well then, go ahead. I'm tired of trying to make you not forget 'you & me', of trying my level best to not grow apart, and of trying my best to not care about you being so ignorant of how I feel when you made that decision. It's not that I did not try to reason out your actions but each time I think about it, or talk about it, the conclusion is always "You should've known better if you really are a friend."
I'm tired.
And I'm sad.
You were my dearest friend and I loved you dearly.
And this is what I get in return?
Thanks, babe.
Whatever lah, as long as you're happy.

Listen

This girl is really really gutsy! She stood in front of hundreds of delegates during a United Nations meeting and gave them a piece of her mind. Hear what she has got to say..

The Girl Who Silenced The World

The 23rd

Ahhh...I finally have the time to write this overdue entry..I've been very extremely busy with Ophtalmology (eye) posting for the past one week that I don't even have time to eat lunch..Every morning I had to leave home for clinic at 7.30am and will only be back at 7pm and there were no breaks in between.
Anywayyyyy, I've been wanting to blog about the eventful weekend I had last week. As some of you may already know, my birthday was last week and this year the date was 080808 (banyak 'ong' laa). My BGFFs, BILs (boyfriend-in-laws, that is...Zaza came up with it) and of course my beloved boyfriend planned a dinner for the August babies (Me, Ema, Tasha and Arshad) at a beautiful restaurant, Vincenzo in One Bangsar. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and we've got our own room complete with our own private bar(not that we drink, just to give u an idea of how spacious the place was). The dinner was amazing..we ate scruptious italian food, we laughed, we sang, and best of all...we took gadzillion pictures! Hehe..Dalia just bought a DSLR so now we have 2 DSLR in the family! =)
I had loads of fun that night...thank you Sayang, Zaza, Dalia, Shida, Mel, Sakinah, Faratiya, Nurul, Hashley, Pez, Zaim, and Haikal for the green and purple balloons (our fav colours!), the cutest cakes ever, the dinner, everything lah! I am blessed to have such amazing friends, Alhamdulillah...=)
Here are a 1/500 of the pictures that we took that night..enjoy!!


**
Ema's cake: Little Miss Chatterbox
Mine: Little Miss Naughty
Tasha's: Little Miss Greedy

August Babies

HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY TO THESE 3 BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING FRIENDS OF MINE..MAY ALLAH BLESS ALL OF YOU

Azlul Malihah Zaghlol (1st August)

She has the energy like the Energizer bunny. Funny, witty and a true blue friend. Spreads joy and laughter wherever she goes. Our very own Little Miss Sunshine. =)

Tasha Qhairunnisa Ahmad Mahir (1st August)

A friend since the first week of primary school. We became closer as time went by and now we are closer than ever before. Btw, can't you just tell from this picture how kinky she is?

Azlan Abdul Malek (4th August)

He was there for me for the past 10 years. The ups and the downs. He's my best friend, Azlan =)

And last, of course, not the least, to my other half, my reason, my everything-lah,

Mohd Rushdan Khairul Anuar (3rd August)

You know how much I love you and you know how much you mean to me; how important you are to me. My life's perfect just because you're in it.
Happy 23rd Birthday, peach.

And to the rest of you whose birthdays are in August, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you too!! =)

Summer is officially here

Some of you may know, come summer (in the western countries), I will be M.I.A during the weekends and my blog will somewhat become "quieter".
Yes. He's back =) and this time, he's gonna be here until end of October!!! Yay!
My weekend was busy but fun fun fun! On Friday, we had dinner with my family at Tarbush Restaurant in conjunction of our birthdays (mine is on the 8th and Adan is on the 3rd) and also advanced farewell dinner for my sister who is leaving for US next week. The food was ok..I went there with high expectations as I've read reviews from a few food critiques' blogs where they said that the food was exceptional. For me, I prefer Bukhara in KLCC. They serve better lamb briyani.
Next morning we went to KL Convention Centre for PICOM PC Fair because I wanted to get myself a printer. The place was packed with people (expectedly) and this year it's bigger than ever..they used the whole building, all 3 floors, all 6 halls plus the banquet and the 2 ballrooms. Those who weren't there, I bet you can just imagine the sight, the humid-ness, and the smell (bau tinggal teruk k!). Went to Ema's for lunch after that where we had delicious pasta and fruits and chocolate fountain (Zaza was in heaven). After Ema's, we went to Jeumpa d'Ramo for Bijou Bazaar...I was hoping to get a few things but I guess since we arrived kinda late, the nice stuffs were already gone and plus, there were just too many people which made it hard for us to see and find stuff. At least one of us did purchase something...Adan was a happy camper when he saw there was a booth selling soda kampung; which according to him, it taste different from today's soda (F&N, Coke, etc)...my opinion was otherwise. I thought it tasted the same...hehe
After Bijou, we went for a nice dinner at Bubba Gump (he has been pestering me to bring him there, and so I did..) and, that was it for the day..=) wanted to watch a movie..but since it's the weekend, so of course there was no tickets available...I guess we are the only one in this planet who hasn't seen The Dark Knight...sigh..next weekend hopefully...

4 stories, 1 post.

It was an eventful weekend for me and my family. My sister organized a cukur jambul for my brand new niece, Adelynn and the kenduri was also a doa selamat for my younger sister, Farah, who is flying off to USA in 2 weeks. Ugh, I still can't believe she's going soon...I will have to buy my own clothes since she was my source of baju-s whenever I have nothing to wear (which is ALWAYS). Of course I'll miss her but I'll miss her tops and dresses even more..sigh..
Adelynn is now BALD. The last time I saw her she was still really really tiny and looked like any other newborns..but now she's bigger, cuter, chubbier, looks more and more like her mother (my elder sister), and as fair as her grandmother (my mother). Just look at her chubby cheeks! Don't you just feel like pinching it and bitting it off?
***
On Friday, I had lunch with my "Paris Girlfriends" (Haha..really? Is that what I'm going to call you guys now?). These 2 girls, Yusma and Maria, are the ones whom accompanied me in Paris earlier this year, and pretty soon, they'll be my colleagues. After much planning and persuations (for Maria to skip class), we went to Chilli's in Mid Valley to have lunch and some catching up session..we gossiped and b*tched just about everything, we dreamed and planned for another holiday/trip and we went window shopping (I still want that dress k korang...)
These two really are something...not only they are fun to hang out with, they are uber brainiacs jgk ok!

***
One of my bestfriends was admitted to Pantai Hospital for a stomach infection on Sunday. She's still in the hospital and insyaAllah, will be discharged tomorrow. Hopefully she'll be up and about again in no time =)

***
I'm done with psychiatry posting and I am currently in Accident and Emergency department for 2 weeks. Need to brush up my rusty CPR and clinical skills (those cannula insertions and whatnots). My first day was...boring. I could only observe as I have forgotten how to do minor procedures and I (embarassingly) admit that I have forgotten my Medicine and Surgery cause it has been a while since the last time I clerked a patient from those wards. Ugh..how to sit for finals la like thissss? Sh*t..I really need to work my a** off these few weeks..
Sigh..

Raw-shark

Have you ever heard of Rorschach Inkblot Test? Well, maybe you know what it is but you just don't know the name of the test. I'm sure you've seen in movies where the psychiatrist will show his/her patient a few abstract pictures and the patient has to interpret what they see. It's a second most used psychological evaluation method after MMPI. Above is an example of a picture showed in a series of tests.
In my humble opinion, I think life itself is just like a Rorschach test. We see and perceive things in life the way we want to see it. We might be oblivious to the obvious or we might misinterpret certain things and actions. Some might see the glass is half full and some might see the glass is half empty. Some might say it is sunrise or but to some, it is sunset. Everything depends on each individual. I guess, we are the author of our own life story, our own autobiography. The way we perceive life, is the foundation of the storyline we are going to write. So, let's write a story we all wanna read and can put smiles on others. =)
*I have to start practicing what I've preached;I need to be less of a pessimist and more of an optimist..hehe*
***
Anywayyyy, talking about abstract pictures, take a look at the picture below..it is not part of Rorshach; it is just a eye-mind-trick picture. What you see might be different from what the "unpoluted" kids will see and you'll be surprise to know what they actually saw! Hehe..
After you've seen the whole big picture, clear you mind and focus on the darker areas and you'll see what the innocent ones saw...It took me quite a while I must say! =p






So, how long did you take to see the dolphins? Or did you see any at all in the first place?
=D

Is It Really A Wonderful World?

During one of my psychiatric classes, the doctor showed us an inspiring slide show about life. It was really deep and uplifting. We were so amazed at how true the things mentioned in the presentation. I can't upload and show the slide show here but I really wanted to share it with all of you, so I figured that I just have to type it out. Maybe some of you might have read it elsewhere but for those who haven't, enjoy. =)

Paradoxes Of Our Times.
Today we have bigger houses and smaller families
More conveniences, but less time
We have more degrees, but less common sense
More knowledge, less judgement
We have more experts, but more problems
More medicine, but less wellness
We spent too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast,
Get angry too quickly, stay up too late, read too little
Watch TV so much, and pray so seldom
We've multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values
We talk too much, love too little, and lies too often
We've learned how to make a living, but not to a life
We've added years to life, but not life to years
We have taller building, but shorter tempers
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints
We spend more but we have less
We buy more and enjoy it less
We've been all the way to the moon and back but we have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbours
We've conquered the outer space, but not the inner space
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice
We write more, learn less; plan more but accomplish less
We've learned to rush but not to wait
We have higher incomes, but less morals
We build computers to hold more informations, but we have less communications
We are long on quantity but short on quality
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion
Tall men and short characters
More leisure but less fun
More kind of food but less nutrition
Two incomes but more divorces
Fancier houses, but broken homes
I propose, that as of today, you don't keep anything for a special occasions because everyday your life is a special occasion
Search for knowledge, read more
Sit on your front porch and admire the view without paying attention to your needs
Spend more time with your family and friends
Eat your favourite foods and visit the places you love
Life is a chain of movement of enjoyment, not only about survival
Remove from your vocabulary phrases like "one of these days" and "someday"
Write the letter you have thought about writing
Tell your family and friends how much you love them
Don't delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life
Weveryday, every hour, and everyminute is special
You don't know if it will be your last.

So, did it touch you in any way?

Birds and Feathers

A friend of mine once quoted not too long ago, that, birds of the same feathers flock together.
Do they?
Maybe...people have been commenting on how my BGFFs and I look the same in pictures; but well, maybe that's because the way we smile are the same. I can't help but to think of other similarities that we share. Not physically but mentally, the way we see life, and the problems that we have (individually)..I realized that we are all the same but in a totally different way. Geddit? No? Hehe..I can't and will not disclose why I think we are all the same but all I can say is that, yes, I am convinced and I do agree that birds that have the same feathers really do flock together; but I just wanna add that they might not fly together all the time, but they know where they belong if they are away from each other.
=)

Here In My Home

I totally totally love this song sang by the contingent of Malaysian Artistes For Unity entitled Here In My Home since the first time I heard it on radio a few weeks back. It is really what we (and the leaders especially) should focus and work on..and not waste our precious time and money on unnecessary political games.
This video is directed by Yasmid Ahmad and Ho Yufang.
Song is written and composed by Pete Teo
Disclaimer : This song is very catchy and you will catch yourself humming to the melody in no time. It will be stuck in your head for a few days. =)

Dayang's Birthday

My dear housie, Dayang Zahratul Hamrak Abang Jamari, better known as Dyg (pronounce it as either Dayang or Deek), turned 23 yesterday and we celebrated it by having a barbecue at our house here in Ipoh.Happy 23rd Birthday, OCD! May you will not face another panic attack anytime soon! =)
xoxo.

Food, Oh Glorious Food!

I just got back from my much needed and much deserved holiday with my BGFF (Best Girl Friends Forever =p) and man, how I wish I don't have to go back to reality so soon. And how I wish my other BGFF could've joined us there. It was a gastronomic holiday first and beach holiday second. You wouldn't believe the amount of food we ate during our trip there! It was so much so that we've all gained 3kg at least! All those things I've heard about Penang and its food are true and exceeded my expectations. The cendol, kuey tiaw goreng, asam laksa, pasembur, rojak buah...damn, I'm salivating already just thinking about it...=D
To Little Miss Confused, Little Miss Greedy, Little Indian Girl, Little Miss Nasty and Little Miss Kalut, I loveeeee you guys so much and I can't wait for our next annual holiday and gemukkan badan and tan kan diri!!!

...and I've crossed one more (No.6) in my "got-to-do-in-2008" list!!!!=)
1. Go to Paris and visit Adan.
2. Buy myself a new car.
3. Earn more money. Or, learn how to save money at least.
4. Understand central nervous system. I really suck at CNS...tolong!!
5. Go to Singapore, Indonesia or Thailand
6. Holiday with friends

Psyched about Psychiatry

It's my 3rd week in psychiatry posting and I have to admit I am just starting to enjoy myself. I did not like the posting at first because it is rather dry and boring compared to the other departments like surgery and medicine. But somehow, after 3 weeks of mixing around with a "different" type of patients, psychiatry has grew on me. The patients never failed to amuse me with their stories and antics everyday. Looking at them and listening to their stories has made me realize how lucky we all are. It also reminded me of how insignificant and primitive we all are as human being and how great God is. He has created the brain, the most sophisticated and magnificent machine and even after thousands and thousands of years, human still can't understand how it works. Subhanallah.

The next 3 weeks I will be posted in Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (commonly known as Tanjung Rambutan). =)

Shida's 23rd

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL

THE GIRLS : (Clockwise) EZLYN, SHAK, DIRA, ZANA, TASHA, SHIDA, ZAZA, FAIZA, FELISHIA, SAKINAH, DALIA, MELISSA, AND I

We celebrated Shida's 23rd birthday last night at Rakuzen, Hartamas and it was so much fun!!! The food was great and the company was awesome as usual...=)
I love my girls very very much! hehe

Read what the birthday girl has got to say about it here
=)

Aunty Sha

How adorable is this tiny little creature? Everything about her seems so small, so fragile, so pure, so beautiful.
She is my sister's first child, my first niece, my parents' first grandchild, and my grandmother's TWENTIETH great grandchild. She is still being referred to as "The Baby" because her parents are so fickle that they can't settle and decide on her name...hehe..but I guess it is crucial to take your time and put the 'right' names for your kids because it is one of many other things that will stick all throughout their lives and hereafter.
Anyway,
Welcome to the world, Little Alien. =)

***Update: She finally has a name! Hehe..Introducing, Nur Adelynn Sofiya Bt. Mohd Afzal!! =)

Thicker Wallet and Deeper Pockets

RM2.70

Are u effin' kidding me?

Seriously?

It's not even funny, man...80cents more per liter?

We all know that the world is really running out of blood for us to suck out and burn. Petrol prices are hiking up everywhere in every part of the world. Is there anyone to blame? The U.S? Our government? Beats me, I dunno...
What I saw tonight was amazing, and crazy..cars were queuing up to 2 kilometers away from the petrol station to get the tank filled by 12am tonight. I went out quite late, thinking that the traffic won't be as bad. I was wrong. At 10pm, the line was just starting to get longer..it was almost up to 3km..ok, I might have exaggerated a bit (given the fact that I am lousy with measurements) but basically, the queue was very long and it was so congested that I figured I should just forget it and go home. Didi told me it took her 2 hours to get to the freaking station. No way I would've waited that long.
Come to think of it, with all the problems nowadays, maybe it is a good idea for us to start using bicycles and roller blades again. It will solve not only one, not two, but three of the world major problems.
Cycling does not use fuel..so we can save money on that.
Cycling is a form of exercise..if everyone starts to cycle everywhere, obesity won't be an issue.
Cycling does not release any form of carbon monoxide to the air...which later will solve the ozone problems..

So, yes, it is a good idea to start pedaling peeps.

But then again, every morning I start off the day by saying "Malasnyeee"

So how?

Mari-eyy and Birthdayy

Lan has this may-jah crush on Marie Digby (well, not as major as Missy Higgins) and so did I...Marie brings my inner lesbian instinct out of the closet..haha..owh c'mon, don't tell me that Japanese-Irish (Japirish?) girl does not make u feel like pinching her cheeks and the sight of her makes you go "Awwww..."
Anywayyy, to beat the traffic, we went to OU at around 6pm (the showcase was supposed to start at 8pm), and since we were a bit tad too early, we decided to have dinner first with Tasha, Munir and Ajib at Sushi King. No need for me to tell you that good food+friends+jokes and laughs = lost track of time. Not until 7.45pm that we remembered we were there for Marie Digby. By the time we got to the place, it was packed (see picture above). All I could see was...other people's heads. Hudaa, Dira and I tried to find a spot where we can see Marie clearly...we went up and down but to no avail. Everybody got tired of trying to see what we can't see, so we all went to have drinks instead. I caught a glimpse of Marie from above and man, even from far, she looked gorgeous.
Here I have a video of her thanking her fans in Malaysia and Singapore. Even Marie was overwhelmed by the amount of people that came to her show.


***
Last Saturday Hudaa had her 23rd birthday party. It was a themed party and everybody was asked to dress as "Famous Musicians". I was having trouble figuring out what to wear and who to be. Hudaa gave me the idea of going as Lisa "Left Eye" from TLC which was easy to pull off and me, being desperate for a "musician", agreed. The thing is, I knew exactly what I have to wear, but I've never imagine me wearing it, let alone try it on before the party.
An hour before Dalia came to pick me up, I put on the cargo pants, the tank top, tied my hair in a crazy ponytail, and drew a thick black line below my eyes using liquid liner. I thought I was ready, until when I went to my parents room to see the full length mirror. I looked like a friggin' Jinjang!! *I AM half Chinese so I have the rights to say that without being racist..=p* I didn't know what to do so I panicked. Farah, my sister, such a doll that girl. She helped me out by giving me ideas and let me borrowed her clothes since all my clothes are in Ipoh. We tried on a loose white dress and a hat, trying to look like that crazy version of Britney, and well, I did look like her. But again, when I looked at the full length mirror, I changed my mind. I looked like an overdue pregnant lady...yes, I was that huge in that dress.
Basically, the next hour saw me changing from one clothes to another...and finally, I got tired of all the thinking and changing clothes, I decided to put on a pair of leggings, a stripy oversized top and a belt, thinking that I'll be able to pull of as a fat version of Lindsay Lohan. Ha-ha. I did not go and see the full length mirror, scared shitless that I'll change my mind, but ugh, that was the biggest mistake of the night. I should've looked cause I looked awful. I did not look like the fat version of Lindsay, instead I looked like one of the Kardashians, no thanks to those junks in my trunk. I figured this out when we took photos and well, when I saw the picture, I stayed away from cameras after that...away, far far away.
What was I thinking?! Should've just dress as Left Eye.
The Chinese version, that is.
Btw, everybody looked sooooooo pretty, and unlike me, they obviously have planned what to wear ahead of time. The birthday girl, Hudaa, looked so gorgeous and she imitated Christina Aguilera very very accurately. She even did the Candyman dance, ok!

This is the gorgeous Jihan and her boyfriend..and look at all the (fake) tatoos!! Amy Winehouse never looked this good before! And yes, that's George Michael sitting next to Amy. Hehe.

Cameo Chua

I've never been a huge fan of hockey. Never in my life have I thought of going to a hockey game. And never in my life have I thought I would appear in ESPN; but guess what? Those things really did happen. Haha.. =p
I followed my friends last night to watch a hockey match. For those of you who aren't a hockey fan (I know I'm not alone here), I'm sure you're not aware that there's an International Men's Hockey Tournament (Azlan Shah Cup) currently going on here in Ipoh. It is an annual event, one not to be missed by many. This year there are 7 countries competing.
It was my first time watching a live hockey match..I was reluctant to go and join my friends before because I knew that I will not be enjoying the game as I will have to rub shoulders with tons of Mat Rempit. Since I figured that this is my final year here and the stadium is just 5 minute away, I might as well go and give support to the Malaysian team.
My prediction couldn't be more accurate.
Yes, I was having fun watching and laughing with my friends...until a troop of Remps came and sat right in front of us. From the look of it, most of them seemed younger than us. They did what all rempits always do..which is, annoy people. They sat there, rooting for Argentina, instead of their own country Malaysia, screaming and shouting at how lame team Malaysia was, and worst of all...they lit up the cancer sticks...continuously. They blew the smoke right at our direction. Yana J, one of my friends there, had enough and she actually went up to them and told them off. One of the pakciks there backed her up and only one of the rempits actually moved. There rest, well, they didn't budge at all. I swear to God that I was on the verge of throwing my shoes at them. Pissing me off.
Anywayyyyyyy, the thing about Didi, Ummu, Ayuni, Yana, and I making an appearance (haha..kononnya lahh..) on ESPN, well, that, I don't know. Raden was the one who told us and I, myself haven't seen it. I shall check if they have any repeats tomorrow since I'm going back to PJ tomorrow (no Astro here..huhu).
Btw, Malaysia lost 5-0 to Argentina. And I have to admit...minus the stupid Remps, last night was fun..and yes, I would go again and root for team Malaysia.
=)

I've been tagged...

...by Rasyiqah Anuar, all the way in NZ =)

7 random facts about me:
1. A struggling doctor wannabe
2. Hates cats and reptiles
3. Hates rempit and have something against people who looks like rempit or act like one
4. Loves F1
5. Loves fireworks
6. Loves roller-coasters
7. Always always always always always mistaken as a Chinese.

7 things that scare me:
1. GOD
2. Losing someone I love
3. CATS
4. you know when you use your fingernails to make this screeching sound on a board? yeah..that sound scares the hell out of me.
5. CATS
6. Losing my health
7. Natural disasters

7 random music at the moment:
1. Anyone but you - The Mouldy Peaches
2. Take A Bow - Rihanna
3. Say It Again - Marie Digby
4. Finally - Fergie
5. Bittersweet - Kanye West & John Mayer
6. All I Want Is You - Barry Loius Polisar
7. 4 minutes - Madonna & Justin Timberlake

7 things I say the most:
1. No, I'm not Chinese and I can't speak Chinese, sorry.
2. So sweeeeeeeet
3. I love you
4. I miss you
5. Jom makan!
6. Malasnyeeeeeeeeeee
7. I dah habis duit dahhhhhh

7 things I treasure the most:
1. Handphone (the only way for me to talk to Boyfie everyday)
2. Laptop (I know it's old..tapi dah banyak berjasa)
3. The spankin' new car =)
4. Stuff that Adan gave me
5. Old pictures and videos
6. The pearl earrings Mama gave me
7. ???

7 "first time" things I ever did:
1. Went to Paris
2. Went to Disneyland
3. Performed a minor operation (best kan Maria? hehe) + other procedures (which can cover number 4 - 7...so lazy to recall or think...huhu)

7 people to do this:
1. Rushdan Anuar (so that you have no choice but to update your outdated blog...=p)
2. Azlan (I don't care if u think you're too cool for this...buat jgk! haha)
3. Yusma Lyana & Hana Hussein (Share no.3 k? korang kan housies...hehe)
4. Maria Elina
5. Zaza
6. Faiza
7. Azwa and Azween (since you guys are twins, kira macam satu jgk la..hehe)

Ipoh Has Doughnuts.

Whenever I crave for Big Apple, I have to wait until I get back to PJ to have it...now, I no longer has to wait to enjoy the delish doughnuts in PJ because they have finally opened a branch in Ipoh!! Wooohooo!!
Btw, fyi, the nearest shop was Dunkin' Doughnuts situated approximately 70km from Ipoh at Tapah R&R..huhu...

Mute

I have been putting up with Proton for a few weeks now...and I am getting angrier and at the edge of yelling at someone in Proton.
As I've mentioned here, my parents bought for me a new car (yes, I'm still living out of my parents' money...student, mah...) which was very very exciting at first. They bought me a Persona...kinda big since I will be driving alone most of the time here in Ipoh. Anyway, everything was great since it arrived from the factory, except for the radio...there has always been a problem with the radio..we had to send the car back to the factory twice to get it fixed...first they thought there was a problem with the radio itself...they took out the radio and sent it all the way to Penang just to found out that there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. And then they asked us to send the car to the service centre because it was a wiring problem, not the radio itself...The whole wiring thing was fixed a week later...and it was ok for a few days, until one day, the radio went mute again, on a Sunday, thank u very much...of course the service centre was closed that day...
I just left the radio on while I was driving the car even though there was absolutely no sound coming out from it and suddenly...Chris Brown's voice was blasting through the stereo...the radio miraculously fixed itself.
And then I took the car back to Ipoh.
For a good four days, there weren't any problems. At all.
Until yesterday...the radio decided to go on a strike again. Silent. Stupid.
It is Saturday today and the service centre only open for half day and I've arranged an appointment with them on Monday at 730am...and I have my clinical exam at 830am on the same day. I asked them if I can change the appointment at 1100am..but the lady said if that is so, then my car will only be fixed the next day...ughhh..
Seriously. Stop pissing me off, Proton. Can't they just fix the damn wiring properly? It is not like I've used the car for 10 years already..and I bet, even those 10 year old cars have no problems with their radios or whatsoever.
I'd like to have music in my car, and blasting away the stereo. Peace and quiet in the car is not an option for me.
Thanks, Proton.

**Picture above is not my car. Just a picture I took from the internet. =)