incompletetask

moving

2010-11-22T15:58:00.001+02:00

i am moving to this new site http://wwjj1982.blogspot.com

In perspective

2010-02-08T15:48:00.003+02:00

Just last Sunday we received news of a tragedy that occurred in Kota Kinabalu involving 3 young doctors. I simply cannot imagine if I was one of them or even if I was one of their parents. how would I react? Having your son/daughter - young, ambitious and just starting to create a name for themselves in the medical profession and boom! disaster strikes. Malaysia is a small enough country where almost everyone knows everyone else somehow and all 3 who died somehow had friends who were friends of mine. My condolences goes out to all of their family members and this event has made me take one step back and realize once again that we simply cannot take the people around us for granted.

Secondly, I came across a blog of daphne iking. yes the model cum mother cum hostess cum fashion designer cum whatever it is. I had a strong interest in her blog from the very beginning because her thoughts drew similarities and i could relate to her. After a while she closed her blog to only invites only and that's when i relied on the newspaper for updates. Then one day news of her private life surfaced and I was wondering what happened to her almost becoming fairytale life. Recently she once again made her blog for public viewing again and I feel what she had gone through. You are indeed strong Daphne, God Bless.

I think today's entry is very non specific as many of my previous entries but I assure you that it is intended. I have never been a lay it bare for public kind-of-person as many of you already know and I will never be one. Then again this blog was to update friends and at the same time a sort of diary to record certain moments in my life.

Chinese New Year is coming again and I will be heading over the good ol' Penang Island for a 4 days 3 nights reunion with the entire Wong family. Yes, geting myself ready for endless eating, laughing and loud noise not forgetting the mahjong and karaoke'ing. For the rest of you folks, Gong Xi Fa Chai. May this year of the tiger bring joy and prosperity.

Special greetings to my two most (only ) readers of this blog as I've only received comments from the both of you over the years. Mei, I've been reading your blog regularly and I'm very happy that you are doing so well career wise and relationship wise. I'm just waiting for the day you announce the happy news (wedding bells?) So keep up the good work of updating your blog (unlike me). All the best for you girl and for god's sake let's meet up the next time you come down to Kuala Lumpur. It IS about time. innit?

Also to Mr. Thum Wai Khong, hey ... why did you put your blog to an invite-only? Now I can't read your blog. Congrates on your engagement or did you get registered already? everyone around me is somewhere around there including my dear old friend MUSLE. But i'm glad for everyone. We should take part in some marathon / walk this year... aim to join you guys one day k.

As for myself, I'm currently in the bones department and is having a fantastic time being back in the operation theater and having the opportunity to cut, Cut, CUT! been away from it for far too long and now it feels good. Ward work day in day out is monotonous and was almost driving me up the wall. being surrounded by fantastic seniors makes things lovelier. Been having more time to get back to soccer and more time to relax at home.

So yea, let's hope this long winded entry does not result in another super long gap before the next entry comes around.

Happy new year

2010-01-02T14:50:00.002+02:00

So happy new year friends and family... for those who did not receive my sms ; wishing you all the best that 2010 can offer in terms of family, work etc. For those of us who blog, wishing us persistence in updating our blogs (look who is talking) and hopefully fulfill some of those over-zealous new year resolutions we have written down somewhere.
As for me, I've got a whole list of things that i personally want to achieve by the end of this year... It is a BIG year for me, I will finally be completing my Housemanship by the end of August and will then take my first big step towards specializing. Can't wait for that to happen. Let's take things one step at a time and hopefully by the end of the year we can look back proudly and say "mission accomplished".

August 2009

2009-08-25T16:18:00.002+03:00

YES! im done with another posting. I'm not relieved but more like happy that i'm inching ever closer to completing my 2 years as a house officer here in malaysia. It's been great fun during the 4 months attachment in Pediatrics Institute of Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. Had the opportunity to work with some of the nicest souls on earth and learn t a great deal of how to deal with kids and diseases that are normally associated with them. On a more personal level i now know how to deal with kids a little better and actually learn to like them more. Still at times there are a lot of difficult kids and not forgetting parents to deal with. The staff nurses were great and competent and that made life easier.

When i was posted in the neonates division, i had the opportunity to work closely with the staff nurses over in the labour room once again. oh , the fond memories of my first posting still lingers in my head. The experience certainly didn't disappoint and i'm missing the place more than ever. These past 4 months were great times with wonderful competent colleagues. There were certainly some rotten apples about but I'm just glad that I dont have to deal with them anymore. Not till i get posted to the next department where rotten apples are definitely lingering somehow.

I'm on a week's leave at the moment. Getting some time to spend with family and friends and myself. Been able to catch up on things i love like soccer and Manchester United. more on that on another post. There was something i wanted to share which is my consultant was speaking to me about returning to pediatrics sometime in the future if I was interested in it. coming from her was certainly an honor. Made me ecstatic for almost the entire day. But I did tell her that I still uncertain about my future plans.

Plan to go somewhere tomorrow, beach side or perhaps genting highlands... we shall see

awaiting for a new saga to come...

2009-07-25T18:58:00.001+03:00

and when i mean saga i mean literally the proton saga that we malaysians are so familiar with =) ive chosen a white saga blm as my first ride. I must admit that i wasnt too keen on purchasing this car but settled on this model and brand after much pondering... and I must also admit that i did not bother test driving it because whatever the performance was going to be during the test drive i was still going to get one. Been patiently awaiting the arrival but due to the systems currently down in JPJ - i'm still left waiting... apart from that I'm currently posted back in the labor room... this time to take care of the newborns and to make sure they leave that place nice and pink =) challenging at times but very fulfilling still.

fooh

2009-06-25T15:25:00.001+03:00

another night duty has passed me by. it wasnt too bad, managed to catch a couple hours of sleep but these ankles and calves are killing me. feels like it belongs to a 80 year old man... fooh. makes me feel so tired come evening everyday. early signs of varicose vein setting in?? NO!!!

the truth hurts

2009-06-18T15:18:00.001+03:00

i knew that this day might come one of these days and it did. i sort of saw it coming when i received the phone call the other day... don't worry it's nothing devastating . its just that my supervisor took me out, single handedly skinned me alive and layed my weaknesses out there for me. Not good enough! this will be the last time it will happen to me!

a day with the kids

2009-06-16T16:06:00.001+03:00

hey folks ... as the title suggests I am currently doing my posting at the pediatrics department. I deal with sick kids everyday from really sick ones to those coming in just because their parents are too anxious. The highlight of the work is seeing those cute boys and girls smile again when they get discharged. I thought i wouldnt enjoy this posting as i never enjoyed this subject back when i was a medical student but its the total opposite now. Work is still work, how is everyone else doing?

another in the bag

2009-05-01T18:07:00.001+03:00

so im done with my surgical department posting at long last. not that it was dreadful. as a matter of fact I think i benefitted a lot from the posting. The superiors were strict and at times pushing us for a better performance but it only made us stronger from the whole experience. Met a lot of people along the way. Managed 3 appendectomies and many more procedures that will be priceless for my future postings to come. Now for pediatrics! here i come...

My first time

2009-03-15T07:07:00.001+02:00

I finally came out of the OT (operation theatre) as the surgeon instead of the assistant. Big thanks to my generous MO who granted me the opportunity and assisted me in every step of the way. It was definitely scarier than i thought it would be, i did not sweat profusely like how i always do when i get nervous but the whole experience has upped my surgical appetite. From the second i cleaned and draped the patient till i closed up the skin... wow. There is much improvement to be made but that day was one of the days i ended my working hours feeling full of pride. In the end of the day it might just be an appendicectomy but for a house officer it certainly was some kind of feat. thanks MO. you were an excellent mentor.

another opportunity out of the window...

2009-03-10T23:39:00.001+02:00

I've been searching for so long, every night and every day... i thought yesterday was going to be it. Kept my hopes soaring high but in the end it was still not to be... it will come soon i just know it and i can just feel it :)

2009-03-09T12:00:00.002+02:00

Hey folks,
do excuse me for the long hiatus. Been really busy at work and really lazy at updating my blog. Went through the list of bookmarked blogs of some friends and realized everyone's been having the same syndrome except one, yes Mei - you defy all odds and still pretty much update your blog on a much regular interval compared to the rest of us, kudos!

Just want to say a quick hie to all my friends.
Boys back in Ukraine, Privet... finally the blog is out. Looks pretty good and the updates are regular. Will be looking to post up a thing or two to say hie.
Thum, what happened to your blog? last input was last year october? looking forward to more from you dude. Dont know who else reads this blog anyways, so leave me a note or something.
will "attempt" to revive this blog from this day on.

woman who conducted her own caeserean section

2008-12-24T04:18:00.001+02:00

Alone in her one-room cabin high in the mountains of southern Mexico, Ines Ramirez Perez felt the pounding pains of a child insistent on entering the world.

Three years earlier, she had given birth to a dead baby girl. As her labour intensified, so did her concern for this unborn child.

The sun had set hours ago. The nearest clinic was 80km away over rough roads, and her husband, her only assistant during a half-dozen previous births, was drinking at a cantina. She had no phone and neither did the cantina.

So at midnight, after 12 hours of constant pain, the petite, 40-year-old mother of six sat down on a low wooden bench. She took several gulps from a bottle of rubbing alcohol, grabbed a 15-cm knife and began to cut.

By the light of a single dim bulb, Ramirez sawed through skin, fat and muscle before reaching inside her uterus and pulling out her baby boy. She says she cut his umbilical cord with a pair of scissors, then passed out.

That was March 5, 2000. Today the baby she delivered, Orlando Ruiz Ramirez, is a rambunctious 4-year-old. And Ines Ramirez is recognised internationally as a modern miracle: She is believed to be the only woman known to have performed a successful Caesarean-section on herself.
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In an interview at her isolated home, she described her experience in halting Spanish, accented by her native Zapotec language.

"I couldn't stand the pain anymore," she said. "And if my baby was going to die, then I decided I would have to die, too. But if he was going to grow up, I was going to see him grow up, and I was going to be with my child. I thought that God would save both our lives."

Although there were no witnesses available to confirm her account, the two obstetricians who examined her 12 hours after the birth are wholly convinced.

Dr Honorio Galvan and Dr Jesus Guzman were so stunned by what they saw that they told Ramirez's story at a medical meeting the following year. But the birth got little attention until it was reported in March in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

The doctors relied on the testimony of the village health assistant, Leon Cruz, who initially was summoned to help Ramirez and who described in detail what he saw when he arrived.

Ramirez said she thinks she operated on herself for about an hour before extricating her child and then fainting. When she regained consciousness, she wrapped a sweater around her bleeding abdomen and asked her 6-year-old son, Benito, to run for help. Several hours later, Cruz and a second health worker found Ramirez alert and lying beside her live baby.

Cruz sewed her 17-cm incision up with a regular needle and thread. The two men lifted mother and child onto a thin straw mat, lugged them up horse paths to the town's only road, then drove them to the clinic over two hours away.

IM ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-18T16:02:00.001+02:00

Hey folks, its been too darn long but im leaving a note here just to say im alive and kicking. Tomorrow's my last day of my first rotation as a houseman. O & G that is... strangely enough im gonna miss that place, so how is everyone else doing?

First cup in the Bag

2008-08-10T16:59:00.000+03:00

So Man. Utd. added yet another trophy into the cabinet tonight beating Portsmouth 4-1 in the penalty shootout. I watched the game at d nearest mamak stall cause i didnt subscribe to Astro and this could be one of those rare moments where i will be able to take time out to catch their matches starting this season. The reason is pretty clear-W.O.R.K. but i'll be trying to do my best by keeping myself up to date with internet news, blogs etc.

Also,I went back to my old school the other day (Victoria Institution) and took a walk around the compound. It brought a flood of memories back just going through the corridors once again. Read through the notice boards to update myself on the latest happenings. Saw the burnt down scout den for the first time and i was shocked. I think the school authorities should at least clean up d place. It looks so shabby. Overall i thought the school looks rather unkept. But hey, budget's tight.

As i was driving back that evening, two idiots knocked into my car... darn it. Thankfully nothing happened to me. But just some slight damage to my posterior bumper otherwise all's good. Culprits banked in $$$ today so i can get it fixed tomorrow. No fuss which i like very much.4 more days to induction. woohoo?

Still fresh in my mind...

2008-08-09T08:04:00.004+03:00

The hostels for d msian students

Crimean tartarian traditional food, sharslik (their version of satay) and Plov (their version of nasi goreng)

With the Plov man :)

A sneak peek at the lake located in the centre of the park near our hostel grounds.

Me just fooling around...

Some pictures of Ukraine during the last week of my stay there...

08-08-08 8:08:08 pm

2008-08-09T07:53:00.001+03:00

The fire-lighting ceremony to cap off a wonderful opening ceremony

For those of you who missed the opening ceremony last night, SHAME ON YOU! It was a masterpiece not because
I'm Chinese but it really was. At one moment I had this sense of pride overwhelming me from the inside. The show was brilliant, from the opening drummers to the fairy lighted green costumes to the giant scroll and lastly the torch lighting ceremony. AMAZING!It was certainly worth the wait. Speaking on another note, i was at the toto and 4D centres yesterday, you know la... but d number i wanted like everyone else...0808 was sold out! nothing suprising in a place like Malaysia.

Thum, I don't know where I will be working as of now. Come Merdeka Day which is the final day of my induction course... i will be given a letter of appointment. In it I will open and find out my fate for the next two years minimum.Finger's crossed I will get one of my choices which I submitted to the ministry of Health.

7 days later...

2008-08-07T17:50:00.001+03:00

Dark Knight was highly entertaining, they should really make movies as long as this...haha, at least the ringgit was well spent ;) The late heath ledger was brilliant in his role. Sadly he will not be gracing the silver screens no more.

Secondly, sorry thum n musle because i wont be able to join u guys in d KL marathon on the 24th. Am already summoned for my induction course beginning next thursday in JB. It will last till the 31st , yes Merdeka Day and a couple of days after that I am expected to report in for duty at the appointed hospital. SO yes, i'm going off to work pretty soon.

I actually wanted more time to hang around, spend more time with my family, friends n to just sit back n relax. The government seems to have other ideas, what to do?? they are my employers... i employee-NO SAY

At the same time i'm leaving home, my sis is also leaving home for her stint with Starcruises... how cool is that? wished i could swap places but i doubt she wanna swap places with me to see blood and all the patients in the wards... not that im complaining, i am very eager to begin my work as a doctor. My ambition achieved and being put to good use at last!

I have still a long list of things to do and people to meet before i begin work. No time to lose.

2 weeks later

2008-07-30T20:32:00.002+03:00

2 weeks later and ;

got myself a job with the government, went for the interview and now awaiting the posting letter from KKM.(Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia)

visited Tamarind Springs Restaurant which in my opinion has wonderful ambience and indo-chinese cuisine. Pretty romantic setting, a must visit for the couples looking to celebrate Valentines, Birthdays, Anninversaries etc.

Still haven't watched "the Dark Knight"

Got in touch with futsal once again, msian kaki's are waking up!

still trying to get re-acquainted with every msian hawker dish out there!

trying to meet up with old friends but still a long way to go!

and many more... Friends, for those of you who do not / have not gotten in touch with me.my contact no.is in the previous post. plz sms, miss call, mms, 3G, 4D whatever la k. just get in touch.

Negaraku?

2008-07-30T20:23:00.002+03:00

16th July- * Touched down at KLIA.
*Operation 'simba' = 100% success
* Had my first msian meal (curry mee & satay) in 2 years- yummo!
* Saw my pet shitzu which has grown to be an obedient and people friendly but smells a lil"doggie"
* slept soundly knowing i don't have to wake up and go to the 'renak'(market in russian) or anywhere else in Ukraine just to waste time waiting for the days to pass me by.

p/s: my number is 012-2402836. thank you anandini, hung yee, wern may and Thum for the wishes;) same to you to Dr. Anandini.

Graduated!

2008-07-01T00:49:00.003+03:00

So finally i put on the robe and set foot on stage to receive my scroll last Friday. It certainly happened too fast but I guess I'm officially a Doctor now. Thanks for all the congratulatory wishes from you people.

meanwhile, I'm just counting the days for my flight back home.

class of 2008

2008-06-24T03:06:00.000+03:00

Phew! at long last my journey here in Ukraine is coming to an end. I sure am glad that it is and there are too many memories to pinpoint as my most memorable. I cannot forget my very first day here. I arrived here back in August 27th 2002 together with some familiar faces back from school which certainly made things easier. The send-off 17 hours earlier in KLIA certainly wasn't easy but here I was, in Ukraine about to embark on a brand new chapter in my life. I didn't know what to expect but I was prepared for the worst. The first sentence uttered by one particular 2nd year senior seated in front of me as soon as we landed certainly didn't help with the nerves. It went like pilot : welcome to Simferopol ïnternational"airport (in some broken english) 2nd year senior: daym, welcome back to sh**-hole. myself : whhat did he just say?? no no...

Since it's out first time in this country, the immigration registration took ages. I think it lasted well over midnight. One thing i discovered quickly after a visit to the loo was that Ukrainian cockroaches was 1/10th its flying, filthy counterparts which was a point for Ukraine (Ukr 1 - 0 Mas). Many hours later, we finally boarded a specially arranged bus by my agent to bring us back to the hostel. I just remembered seeing endless darkness until the familiar "golden arches"appeared which was a good sign of civilization or so i thought.

Upon reaching the hostel, the temperature took a dip and it was around 17 degrees celcius ( genting highland temp.) so being the msian who just arrived, it was certainly uncomfy and shocking. I just remembered the arrival being very low_keyed and we were quickly brought into a room. 3 of us, Suresh, Puvanesh and myself. Water, HOT water was a luxury here. Russia and Ukraine switches off HOT water supply during the Summer months and August is still considered summer. Cold water that runs from it's pipe is 15 degrees so I struggled a bit, ok.. a LOT because i didn't enjoy cold baths even back in Msia. Food was what maggee and anything that we knew how to order and back in those days, it was Cola Abalon and Chicken Chilli. Mind you it was the most popular set meal.

These are all still very clear in my head. It will certainly replay once more as I walk up that stage to receive my scroll this coming Friday. :)

The finish line...

2008-05-25T16:08:00.002+03:00

I'm almost there folks, my 6 years marathon of med school is nearing it's final 100 metres. The most important part of my 6th year was the MCQ (multiple choice questions) and that i have passed with flying colors. Now I'm left with 2 final exams and I'll be walking up the stage collecting my scroll in no time.

Thank you to all the well-wishers and I hope you see everyone soon back home.

Notice for grads from unrecognized universities

2008-04-12T23:34:00.002+03:00

Reported in the Star today:

Medical graduates from overseas universities not recognised by the Government now have the option of transferring their credits to recognised local establishments to pursue their goal of becoming doctors.
This option is being given on a one-off basis instead of them sitting for a competency examination.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday that this was useful for those who had failed the examination for a maximum of three times.
He said the easing of the rule was until Dec 31 this year for graduates who completed their studies by Dec 31 last year.
“The Cabinet has agreed that graduates from unrecognised institutions, especially those who have exhausted all chances of sitting for the exam, be given the chance to continue their studies via credit transfer to recognised institutions,” he told reporters yesterday.

The Health Minister goes on to say:

Under the new arrangement they would have to undergo one year of pre-clinical studies and two years’ clinical studies, adding that this period depended on courses they had taken previously.
Liow added that the students could transfer their credits to institutions like the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology.
Once they are accepted for the credit transfer, the students will be absorbed into the recognised institutions, sit for examinations as usual and become housemen at hospitals.

The NST report on the matter states:

Medical students who want to take up the offer should apply to the Malaysian Medical Council on or before Dec 31 with proof of acceptance to a local university.
The applicant must obtain written approval from the MMC before pursuing the course. The MMC has the right to reject incomplete applications.

This would be good news indeed for those who have graduated from unrecognized universities, but have failed to pass the MQE. Undergoing at least 3 years of extra study should help to ensure the standards and competency of the graduates to practise in this country.

Taken from medicine.com.my

He has done it again (Sir Alex)

2008-04-10T18:10:00.002+03:00

Sir Alex, manager of Man Utd has done it again. When i was watching the live telecast of yesterday's match, the starting line-up certainly suprised me a wee bit. Silvestre at left back? leaving Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes and Evra out on such an important match?? but i was quietly confident as the man himself and those 11 players he trusted certainly didn't dissapoint at all. I thought to myself as the end of the match, "that is why he is SIR Alex Ferguson".

Now to look forward to the semi-finals against Barcelona. Glory Glory Man Utd.

Man Utd. Vs AS Roma

2008-04-09T18:52:00.002+03:00

I am predicting a tight contest tonight between these two teams. Roma will once again send high balls into the centre of manchester's defence line where it is the most weakest this whole season. Both Vidic and Rio are out due to injuries so i am hoping Pique and Brown will be paired together. I am also expecting Gary to play as right back but from reserve football to the Quarter-finals of the CL is asking for a bit too much from the veteran. Perhaps they should put O'shea as right back or hargreaves for that matter. Absorb the pressure and go for the counter will be the order of the day as they do not have to take risks in this game unlike Roma. My choice of the starting 11 would be Van de Sar, hargreaves,Evra,Brown, Pique, Anderson, Scholes,Giggs,Ronaldo,Carrick, Rooney . 1-0 for Manchester.

Economic Recession

2008-04-09T18:43:00.002+03:00

According to the BBC;

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the world economy will grow much more slowly in the next two years as a result of the credit crunch.

In its latest economic forecast, the IMF says that world economic growth will slow to 3.7% in 2008 and 2009, 1.25% lower than growth in 2007.

So folks, do start saving up some $$$ for the rainy season ahead of us, this is expected to last till' 2009.

For more details, head over to www.bbcnews.com

A lil'something

2008-04-08T22:55:00.002+03:00

Well, today i'm going to share a lil something with all of you out there who have high-speed internet.
First of all, if you wanna catch the old/latest Tv sitcoms, documentaries, etc and if you don't want to download anything, head over to www.ovguide.com. Very friendly interface.

Next, for sports fans who don't have access to Astro for eg. Head over to http://www2.myp2p.eu/ . Go to live sports , football for live telecast of almost every match played on the planet. However, you will need to download certain players for that to work. I use TVU player and Sopcast. For those who are NOT soccer fans, downloading these softwares will enable you to watch other channels around the globe as well, ranging from american channels, Hong Kong etc NO MALAYSIAN channels though.

If you don't mind watching backdated news like Buletin Utama of TV3, head over to TV3.com.my. that's how i've been keeping myself updated with news from back home. That's a wrap.

The 'Hurdle'

2008-04-06T20:13:00.002+03:00

Ónce again, we have stumbled on that very same hurdle. Spirit, determination, teamwork, skills, dedication and desire was 100% but it still wasn't sufficient. This year's recently concluded annual Futsal tournament marks my 6th and final attempt at winning the cup. I cannot say how much sweat, time and $$$ has been spent and no matter how much confidence and preparation has been made, it still isn't ours. I doubt I will be playing any more competitive futsal after this but it's still too early to say. But if any of you young ones from team 'Tiempo' is reading this; never give up the dream, continue working harder till'you achieve it. I have given my all throughout these fine 6 years and it has been an honour to play in one team as you guys. salut!

Novayah Zemlyah

2008-02-19T21:35:00.001+02:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Pereval Skiing Trip

2008-02-19T08:18:00.001+02:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Dont Jail Doctors!

2008-02-15T08:19:00.001+02:00

GONG XI FA CHAI

2008-02-14T23:42:00.001+02:00

Gong Xi Fa Chai to all dear family and friends wherever you may be. CNY celebrations here were not too bad, had a small open house at the hostel inviting close friends ... plenty of good food, gambling, drinks, cny songs blasting away, mandarin oranges, ppl chattering loudly and everything associated with the CNY was there to make the environment perfect. I received a sms earlier from a friend in Malaysia asking me to celebrate it as chinese as possible... i guess its 'chinese' enough kwa...

The year of the Rat is a rather important one for me because i'll be graduating and finally stepping into the hospital as a qualified doctor. Well, my email's add has been changed to drwilsonw@gmail.com already. forwarded mails etc are still very welcomed thanks to its generous storage space of up to 6. something gbs of space . Thanks google.

So once again, wishing everybody good wealth and good health in the year ahead. May 2008 brings us good memories.

xmas 2007

2008-01-09T00:01:00.000+02:00

Just a warm lil pic of me and my housemates last year during our xmas party at our place. Stuck in the middle is baby bala getting her nose all squashed up by us. I sure had a fun xmas exchanging gifts and having a nice meal with a bunch of close friends... how was yours?

tempang on snow

2008-01-08T23:17:00.001+02:00

Au revoir 2007

2007-12-27T21:35:00.000+02:00

2007 was an Okay year in many sense, i certainly experienced a lot and achieved certain things that i set out to do in the beginning of this year but i certainly missed out on certain goals i set for myself. oh well, im writing this while waiting for my hainanese chicken rice to cook... and yes.. that's the beautiful sound of the rice cooker's button unclicking.. which means its MAKAN time.!!! later..:)

Graduation CSMU 2007

2007-12-11T00:52:00.001+02:00

oh my, this is the tune that the VI school song goes by... this ukrainian students from CSMU during last year's graduation function..

Moebius Transformations Revealed

2007-11-24T23:37:00.001+02:00

the mathematical beauty

The English National Team

2007-11-22T08:42:00.000+02:00

I was a england fan once upon a time ago, but recently i came to realize that it was because i was blinded by my love for the english premiership. I don't and have never enjoyed a match that involves the english national team. Their press lifts the players up to the heaven's yet the players play like kampung kids having a kick-a-bout in their local playground. yesterday night was the height of it all. It was a joke, the players, the manager, all of it. I no longer adore the players cause i think they are too comfortable with their fat paycheck that they don't bother playing with enthusiasm no more. I blame the english FA for electing McLaren cause he just wasn't up to it, though he was excellent in assisting Ferguson... but hey, assisting is one thing, to actually handle the english national team by himself is another. Look at where he brought middlesbrough?? nowhere! well, thank God i'm malaysian and not english cause i cannot imagine how it felt like being an english football fan sitting in wembley and watching how the team let them down.

Green Leaves will turn brown and new green ones will grow again

2007-11-20T14:36:00.000+02:00

As the title suggests, im feeling sad yet *i saw it coming* right now. I know that this is part of growing up but to drift away from friends, good friends slowly. Its not that we dont keep in touch no more but you know how it is. Their lives are different now and so is mine. Life was so much more simpler and fun back then. I guess as the title once against suggests, friends come and go as we move ahead in life but its up to us whether or not we are smart enough to keep those that are truly valueble to us with us.

Malaysian-Made Deepavali Ad

2007-11-11T23:57:00.001+02:00

Just a lil something sempena deepavali.. hilarious!!! SAM??!

of Deepavali and much more

2007-11-11T23:50:00.000+02:00

To my dear friends who celebrate the festival of lights, Happy Deepavali!

Celebrations here were a lil low keyed compared to previous years but nevertheless, the true spirit of Malaysians celebrating something was still kept alive. I was involved in open Rooms (houses) endlessly and the food was amazing. Thanks again people! I must admit at one stage i was struggling to stuff myself. Now, the procrastination programme i got going are starting to bear some fruits which is a good start. I wonder what everybody did during deepavali? drop me a mail,friendster message or better still sms me aite..

How to stop procrastinating

2007-11-01T12:39:00.000+02:00

Make a list of everything you have to do.
Write an intention statement .
Set realistic goals.
Break it down.
Make your task meaningful.
Promise yourself a reward.
Eliminate tasks you never plan to do.
Estimate the amount of time you think it will take you to complete a task, then increase that amount by 100%.
I am giving myself till tomorrow to see changes... on the long run, this "S.P." campaign will be re-evaluated same time next week. Good Luck. If you think you face similar issues as i do, try it out. This is just a rough outline, read more on the internet for details. I'm sure you can figure out the details on your own once you read through the 8 guidelines.

Saturday morning....

2007-10-06T07:47:00.000+03:00

Good morning Ukraine =) Malaysia =) World =)

I don't know why i woke up with one big smile on my face this morning. But suddenly i recalled about the cyber cafe i used to visit on a regular basis when i was out of internet. Out of the many part time operators that works there, i only can commend one guy for good manners and service. The rest were there to play games themselves! HELLO! well, then again... for those of you not used to living in former communist states... they are plain lazy,useless and think they are the boss of you and not the customers! madness u think but it's the norm in this country. They are also plain rude and ya know what... i'm sure as glad to be having a connection of my own... never gonna have to go back to you guys for the overly charged internet services...

phew... i feel better now for letting that go. ya know peeps, you guys sure have it easy for u back in Malaysia despite all the crime rates and nonsensical events happening , it's still very much "nice" to live in compared to THIS land. So be thankful!

i am ONLINE

2007-10-04T10:11:00.000+03:00

Folks, I am finally back online on a daily basis. Thank you guys from ardinvest, once again there's life in my laptop. Been heck of a long time since i last blogged. Speaking of which, i think there's too many things to update nowadays esp for the youngsters.. imagine updating your friendster account, personal and impersonal blogs, WAYN, facebook, myspace ...and the list goes on. It's total madness ya know.

Facebook looks pretty impressive, i suppose that's why theres so much hype about it in cyberspace in the last couple of months. But the thing is, i dont even have time to do everything that i want in a day, how am i suppose to make time for all this unnecc stuffs? simple, dont! i think a blog is more than enough... i think most of you would agree with me..

The final lap

2007-09-03T18:50:00.000+03:00

So the first day of my final year as a med student went on fairly well. I must admit halfway through the small lecture my teacher was giving i felt a little light headed. Gotta go straight into my books tonight. Having this cycle called "allergology" dealing with allergic diseases... should be interesting. Summer holidays went by just like that. Only having a week of holidays somewhere at the end of this year.

Tired first day'er

at the finishing line...

2007-08-22T04:35:00.000+03:00

Its 3:36 am here in Krakow, Poland... educational and cultural hub of poland. This place has the age-old feel to it, every street and building seems to have a story of its own to tell, in a way similar to Prague, Czech Republic.
Its my final night of my euro trip before i begin the long journey back to Simferopol, Ukraine and "phew" , has it been one helluva a ride... so much memories in a space of 3 weeks, can't believe that i'm almost done with my long termed planned euro trip.

So much to blog and will do so when i have the capacity to do it, i'm, actually on a toilet break halfway through my sleep!!!

goodnight and sleep tight krakow...ZzzzzZZzz

So long , farewell...

2007-07-10T18:12:00.000+03:00

9th July 2007 will always be remembered as a special day for me... the day my beloved grandpa departed for the heavens... received a sms from my mum yesterday afternoon...informing me about the sudden news.. didn't know that his condition was already deteriorating

Dear grandpa, i will never forget the memories we had and all those lil' chats we've had eversince i knew you... love you grandpa...

strawberries

2007-07-04T12:21:00.000+03:00

Strawberries, i cannot speak more highly of them... full of flavour and full of vitamin C...
The S-season comes once a year... from the month of June to end of July over in Europe.. more specifically Ukraine... where i am in. Up till date i've eaten a meagre amount of about 10 kgs of strawberries... but my average amount would be somewhere near double... but this time of the year of course... it's like 6 ringgit per KG here people..=P

however, TRAGEDY has struck SIMFEROPOL,UKRAINE... due to the unexpected heat wave that hit this part of the world too soon in this season, my beloved S-season has come to a pre-mature end... how could this ever happen? don't they have any back-up plans, shouldn't they have predicted this since global warming is on the rise? what are people like me going to do when we have that unsatiable desire for the S-fruit..? oh well....

sincerely,

strawberry addict turned watermelon addict ...

Hooray!

2007-07-01T19:53:00.000+03:00

yes people, one more year to go. For those who know me, that's 365 more days before i can return to "tanahairku" for good. Then again, it depends on whether i'll be practising back there. I can't really say at this point. Got a call from my dear old friend yesterday, thanks man... good to hear a familiar voice from back home =) As how the quote goes, time does indeed flashes by u. Was talking to my housemate last night, and we were just sipping down a cold can of *juice* and just reminiscing the good times and bad times we've had over the years... everything that happens during our final year will probably be the last ones we're ever gonna experience as students... yes, i'm finally going to STOP being a student. Took me a long while but i hope it'll be worth it.

For those who would be saying,"ur coming out as a doctor..."... you know people. it's not as glamour as you think it is and it's not even financially rewarding as you really think it is. Our malaysian medical system is somewhat far far away from achieving the developed nation's standards...

Well, all in all i'm glad that my exams are over... now to just kick back and relax....

Distractions

2007-06-27T18:03:00.000+03:00

I can't concentrate enough ~argh. =(
My concentration span is worse than a 3 year old's =(
It's my last paper in a few days time =)
Then i'll be officially in my final year as a med student =/
i'll be having a good trip before that =)
but i know there's no turning back this time next year... =/

Exam fever...

2007-06-25T17:14:00.000+03:00

Argh... the summer exams are killing me...it's been so draggy. 5 exams all in all with 3 days of break in between. What's even worse is seeing my friends leave this dreaded country one by one while i'll be staying put here throughout summer. then again, it's a personal choice. I've decided to use this final summer break to go see some parts of europe. More on that after my exams.

Internet connection is not as convenient as it used to be, i'm actually blogging from the Cyber cafe... not very comfortable but i just needed to write something... just felt inspired to update after such a long while.

My small sis is over in the states... working n travelling... the last i heard she was stranded somewhere but i hope she's arrived safely in the states and already embarking on a brand new adventure in her life. Also, a belated Congratulations to you upon your graduation. I should be joining you soon in the next phase of life... how embarassing...=P

That's all for now.

no wonder

2007-03-02T08:39:00.000+02:00

i seldom browse through my blog and see how it actually looks like , till today that is. And something struck me hard, real hard... something was amiss...and i scrolled further down and found the reason. My blog lacks pictures, just bla bla bla and no pictures. I'm sure you'll know which famous sentence i'll be using next.

I'm suppose to be getting ready for lecture which begins in another hour but somehow i felt this urge to write/ type something. Can't believe it's March already... another year and 3 more months before i complete my degree. Most of the time, when i chat with long lost friends on MSN/yahoo or messages on Friendster... everybody's almost asking the same question all over again.. no no, don't get me wrong,i'm not a lil bit irritated but just for the record.. its June 2008. why does it seem like i'm studying forever? well, the course is 6 years to begin with... and i started in 2002.. so do the math. It's just the system here in comparison with Malaysia or India for example. That's why Dr. Ben will be graduating by the end of this year.. lucky him=)

Just in case i don't post in the next few weeks... i want to wish all my lady friends.. a Happy Women's Day.. it's next thursday by the way. Its a REAL BIG DEAL here in Ukraine.. public holiday somemore!! So guys, do make some effort to celebrate this day ...

of friendster and blogs..

2007-02-27T22:16:00.000+02:00

proud to find out that two of my close friends have hooked up lately... their abstinence in the couplehood since secondary school have left me wondering if they were actually straight or were actually planning to apply for apprenticeship in the Shaolin temple... but yes, they finally gave in.. and congratulations to the both of u.. may it long prosper ...

i was listening to this bagpipe song earlier today and it was one of the songs my school band used to play... just listening to it brought back a stream of memories of my days in the VI... so nostalgic...felt like just burning that song and sending it to everyone of my Victorian friends...i might actually do that!! the school gave me so much...

and then, i was just looking through my friendster list and it just struck me how everyone has grew up...everybody have their own lives now... can't wait to actually meet these people and catch up like old times... ahh..

Gong Xi Fa Chai

2007-02-26T20:10:00.000+02:00

Chinese new year celebrations this year was live'lier compared to previous years... there was the reunion dinner over at chowlet's place followed by a gambling session which the 'swindling couple' xin yi and prabhu swept all of my $$$. Food was great especially the fishy that chowlet made =)
the cocktail conjured by murali was very tasty and it knocked chowlet out cold very early in the night...so cute...

besides that, there was the CNY celebrations at the Cultural House where Loong and I emcee'ed. Had loads of fun doing it with him. Its been ages since i last emcee'ed and it felt good being on stage doing it once again. The show went on very well and actually ended on time. Credit to the sketch director "double Oo". Hilarious sketch which drew praise from everyone.

The martini league that my futsal team "tempang united" had been taking part ended on sunday. We ended the league with 5 wins and 4 draws and that earned us 2nd placing overall. One brandless new ball and a medal each to show for our efforts... but the last match was very fullfilling... wouldn't you agree with me matt? Vike my man took the best keeper award and we ended the league as the only unbeaten team and the team with the best defence of only 1 goal conceded througout the entire league...

Next in line will be the CNY gathering this coming friday at my apartment...looking forward to that..

p/s: pictures next time...

first things first..

2007-02-12T09:21:00.000+02:00

To dear Mr. Thum, yes you are in that list...of course u are... ooh aah, that's amazing..lady bird;)

Valentines is just around the corner.. wondering how everybody's going to celebrate ?

Romantic Dinner , home-cooked cuisine over candle lights, or just sitting at home hoping that time passes us by ever so quickly so the 15th would come sooner...whichever it is..
i would like to wish all my friends out there a wonderful Happy Valentines day=)
Attached or not attached.. make well of this day..

just felt like ..

2007-02-07T00:26:00.000+02:00

just felt like blogging today, seems to me... most of us are finding it harder to blog as constantly as before... reasons could run to a million of em' but most of it boils down to lack of time? nothing much to talk about..? for me, im just pure lazy... the com's just right in front of me but why can't i just spare a sec/day to type my thoughts down...

just as i was about to revise... i figured.. it shouldn't be that difficult.. it shouldn't be a chore..
right now.. i'm into my Pediatrics Surgery cycle.. in other words.. learning how to deal with kids that come into the hospitals with cases that require surgery..erm.. such as appendicitis... simple fracture and others... now.. i still remember those times when our elders used to tell us... we shouldn't run right after eating because we might get 'nga nga cheong' aka appendicitis... after going through the topic... i never came across any form of explaination to justify their advise... too bad so sad... but well, its just an asian thing ya know.. for the elders to pass down advices that sometimes we can't and shouldn't argue about..like we shouldn't shake our legs ...(shaking our luck away).. we shouldn't play with babies and kids too much otherwise they'll have nightmares... and much more.. couldn't possibly list them all down at this time of the day...

i was chatting with my mum last weekend and it dawned upon me how much i missed her... best of all , im not afraid to admit it.. i do miss u mum. too bad i won't be back this summer hols..
i even went to the extend of listening to Boyz 2 men's "song for mama"... its amazing that song i tell u;)

and last but not least... to my friends... miss ya all too... been thinking about everyone suddenly and everything ive gone through.. would gladly go through eveything again with you people...

2007-02-04T23:26:00.000+02:00

Time waits for no man...
procrastination is man's number one enemy...

Time is gold?

i'm finally graduating next year??

what have i been up to...?

standing still...

2006-11-28T23:02:00.000+02:00

Am i standing still while everything around me is dashing past me? am i being too comfortable with life as it is? tonight the light bulb suddenly "ting" and appeared above my head.. tonight i suddenly feel like being procrastination's number 1 foe... tonight i feel alive.

11.05 pm 28th November 2006... this shall be the date i attempt to beat procrastination for the 1955th time in my entire life... buckle up.. we're in for a rough ride...

Clutter- no more...

2006-10-27T00:16:00.000+03:00

Today is the day i finally made time for myself to get rid of all the clutter i had in my room. Urgh, why did i take this long? procrastination is the evil of all evils ! but i'm feeling pretty good bout' myself right now... room's almost reaching the very comfortable level and my life's reaching that very fulfilling stage as well... As i'm typing this, i stare across the room and see a pile of laundry waiting to be arranged neatly somewhere in the closet. Life's all about setting and placing everything in it's right place, at least that's how i can associate my sudden midnight spring cleaning with life at the moment.

Weekend's just around the corner. The week had past by me in a flash. There's this 3 in 1 birthday party at Club "Zeon". Of course this is one of the clubs over here in Ukraine. Can't wait to start the weekends... after clubbing session will be football training on Saturday and then the resumption of the Martini league against Team Vastus. It's just a leisure league my futsal team is taking part in the university.

okay, got loads more to get done by tonight before i head to la-la land... goodnight

found this on my yahoo inbox...

2006-10-24T01:23:00.000+03:00

Before Marriage and After marriage...

Before marriage.
Darling here.. darling there...
After marriage.
Baling here... baling there..

Before marriage. .
I die for you. . .
After marriage.
"You die, up to you. "
Lagi lama married. .
You die I help you!

Before marriage. .
You go anywhere. . I follow you.
After marriage. . .
You go anywhere. . up to you.
Lagi lama married. . .
You go anywhere better get lost!!

Before wedding
you are my heart, you are my love"
After wedding
"you get on my nerves. "

Before wedding
"you are sweet and kind just like Cinderella"
After wedding
"you are wor se than godzila"

Before wedding
Roses are red, violets are blue. Like it or not, I'm stuck with you
After wedding
Roses are dead, I am blue. You get on my head, I will sue you

Before wedding
Every makan he brings you to Shangri-La
After wedding
You want to go, he says you wait-la

Before wedding
She looks like Anita Sarawak
After wedding
Don't know whether katak or biawak

Before wedding
Weekends at Cameron, Genting and Fraser's Hill
After wedding
Furthest you go is Maxwell Hill

Before wedding
He opens the car door
After wedding
He opens his mouth and snores

Before wedding
She / he was your ideal
After wedding
She / he becomes your ordeal

I must say that i don't agree with what's written here but it still did tickle my funny bone =)

To all my Hindu Friends, Happy Deepavali and to all my Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya.

is this true??

2006-10-17T22:24:00.000+03:00

i can't believe i actually managed to log into this blog account after so long... i encountered some problems with it for months and today i decided to make one last attempt before i write an email to the developers of this site.. hmmm. i must have carelessly forgotten my username or password.

to those who still actually keep frequenting my blog, thanks... i hope to revive this blog beginning with today's entry. doesn't matter to me if anyone reads it or not... i just need it to keep track of my life.

eversince landing in the ukraine somewhere around the first week of september, life has been full of ups and downs.i shifted into another room in the same apartment and had to rearrange my furniture etc, then the piping system in my apartment building decided to run 'amok' by regurgitating waste products to *where it doesn't belong*... to those who understand what i just typed... "trust me, it ain't a very pretty sight", then there was some mishap involving russian people, then there's this whole need of finding a direction in life and there's so much more to tell but i doubt i want to just rush it all into this entry.

so this entry is basically a shout out just to say that "I'M ALIVE!!!"

fear transformed to liking...

2006-07-17T13:45:00.000+03:00

I did it. Yes, finally after 23 years of living n breathing on earth.. i did it. Makes me wanna sing that Frank Sinatra song all over again... haha.. I've always had this fear for roller coasters and every other ride that makes me feel that my heart is gonna regurgitate from my mouth... don't get me wrong... i'm all GO for adrenalin pumping activities but roller coasters and wild rides has never been under my "must do" list whenever i visit Sunway lagoon...

It all changed this time...

I found myself in the sunway lagoon dry park around noon yesterday. Took one deep breath and forced myself to line up for the wild rides... the first round.. my eyes we shut tightly, hands were gripping the safety harnesses and i was screaming on top of my lungs... but somehow this time, there was an element missing... where did the *heart popping out *feeling go? I stayed on for another round and this time... it was with my eyes opened wide... and Voila~ it just went away... i don't know why and how it just went away.. but it did... ;) i'm still going like 'wow'... i went through it and i actually want MORE!! i know it's no big deal to many of you out there but to me... this is as BIG as eating bugs in thailand, bungee jumping, skydiving...etc... simply amazing... i've gotta go read more bout this whole dear mechanism...

getting a lil jersey headed...

2006-07-16T02:04:00.000+03:00

Have anyone ever stumbled upon a soccer or any kind of jersey that is SOooo Sooo nice..? i Need some feedback on this issue... cause im planning to make one.. More like
A futsal team i play for back in the uKraine wanna make one but we have no idea on the designs n all..all we have up there is just science and chemistry.. no freaking idea on good and stylish designs.. so hmmm...

durian buffet!!

2006-07-15T09:47:00.000+03:00

Kicked off the weekend by going for a "durian" buffet somewhere near Armada Hotel. ~sounds one of a kind right? muahahhaha. It was real good... there were durians-Doh~ together with durian porridge and durian roti jala! it was a family kinda outing together with my aunt n couz. We went strolling stall to stall stuffing our empty stomachs with seeds after seeds of creamy and rich durians! what else could we have done in a durian buffet anyways?? after nearly 45 mins of durian feasting... we decided we never wanted to touch another seed of durian for at least another week or so.. but then again, who are we kidding?? ill have durian tomorrow if given the chance... muahhahah. Cheers to the King of Fruits... my favourite DURIAN!!

Overdue

2006-07-14T03:09:00.000+03:00

Its been quite a while... totally lost ground in any form of writing eversince my exams ended like a month back. Trip back to Malaysia this time have been fairly productive, emotionally quite satisfying though it can be bettered. Met friends that i intended to meet though not everyone of them (YET~).

This trip back however undeniably gave me a different feeling. Friends have all made their step into the dog-eat-dog world and in another 2 years, ill be following suit. It just feels like stepping into this other phase of life i suppose. This is only a temporary feeling because i'm here. Back in the ukraine, with the campus life n all, im sure i won't feel anything.But that does not mean that i can run and hide from the fact that it's heading my way or vice-versa.

Today is one of those mornings that started off really well... so i intend to draw inspiration from today to kick-start the holidays ... been wanting to think of ways to make it a more meaningful one.

The final standings...

2006-07-14T03:04:00.000+03:00

CSMU

#	Team	Manager	Game	Tot
1	LosersBelowMe	Peng Hoong Ng	26	328
2	FC Desperado	wilson wong	33	325
3	Joga Bonitaz	rajievraja sakaran	29	311
4	ademantium	Razaleigh Yusof	30	303
5	Tempang FC	matthew mohan	29	289
6	Poyoz KB	Kevin Yew	38	281
7	Martin XI	LitYee Loo	25	273
8	GerakGempur	khairil arham	8	261
9	JANDES FC	Desmond Lai Fuyi	11	248
10	krishlangers	Balakrishna Balaravi	7	213
11	LuN@t!c_fR3@k	varma gonzalez	5	209
12	sepeh	al-zilal abd wahid	5	196
13	Change Name	yugaraj raju	4	169

Over the last month, 13 EPL manager wannabes took part in this Lovely fantasy football league. Big thanks to Mr. Rajiev for introducing it to us. I'm sure 75% of us enjoyed it thoroughly though it was a quite a hassle updating it from time to time when it was our FreakIng ExAm PErIod!!! Nevertheless, i would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Manager Matt for assisting me and providing vital infos here n there throughout the campaign. I couldn't have done it without the players as well. So i hope this fantasy league managed to whip up some fantasy football appetite amongst the csmu'ians... thinking of starting one for the EPL, with a pool of money $$$$ as the ultimate prize at the end of the season.

The final hurdle

2006-06-18T11:31:00.000+03:00

Finally took some time off my revision to pen in a few lines... for the past month or so...i've been indulging myself in medical books and medical books only! can't say that i'm sick of it... i'm actually enjoying it but there's just insufficient time to complete my reading. This semester ends with 4 exams...Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Therapy...i have already completed 3/4 papers in a space of 5 days and i'm having the final one tmrw! after that, i'll be flying home the very next day!!! i can't tell how excited i am to be finally leaving back for malaysia... c ya'll back home.

It's been a fantastic year for me over here in Ukraine and a 2 months break back home will do me some good... don't know what i'll be up to though... hope to catch up with my old friends back home.. that's for sure...=)

Its been a while

2006-05-22T22:41:00.000+03:00

Finally logged into blogspot to write another entry for my blog after a week's absence. Just got back from the hostel where we were celebrating my housemate's 24th birthday. Beer supply appeared endless to me:) had a few cups but was still able to stand steady unlike another one of my chinese friend who was as red as a tomato=P bday was smudged all over with cake again and again ..haha. funny like mad. slowly made my escape back to my apartment soon after as i had to cook ler.. i actually manage cook without a glitch despite bein' a lil tipsy...

so let's see, what has been happening in the past few days... they had some elections today for the Malaysian Student association... to me it's all a big joke... two individuals who probably have nothing else better to do. attempting to unite everyone in this uni? *achoo*... it sure ain't gonna happen in a million years... so obviously i stayed away from the elections.. moreover i had my housemate's bday party to attend:)

I've only got another month of so in this god-forsaken land before i board the freedom flight back to my beloved country... as ive mentioned before.... i'm freaking feeling home sick ler... malaysia... i'll be back home k.:)

Went to this mountaineous area last saturday for a bbq bday party... it went on very well... my housemate, matt n i even managed to get ourselves lost when we were heading down from the mountain peak... thank god we found our way back... unfortunately, there was no camera with us, otherwise i can let the picture do all the talking. the view from up there was magnificient. it was worth every single drop of sweat on our body. best of all, matt n i didn't have anything on us, we climbed n climbed as though we owned the place n feared for nothing in the world. fantastic climb matt ;)

meanwhile, exams are nearing and i'm panicking as usual... gotta start !!!
yARGH!!!

compilation

2006-05-14T13:46:00.000+03:00

Since the term is drawing to a close... i figured i should post up random pics of everything that happened during my 4th year in Ukraine. So here goes...

A pic taken in my room in Ukraine... guy on the left... Sara, i take my hats off for him for his 110% dedication in love.. guy came all the way from Msia to visit his girl. Which girl wouldn't want a guy like him? Been a long time since the 3 of us took a pic... i think the last one was back in 2000. Hope you had a great time here Sara:)

The Silat Master and the Kung Fu Sifu... Ee and I backstage preparing for the cultural show... this is a pic taken out of pure boredom.

Victory day celebrations in Sevastopol. Did i mention that the locals are really friendly in that part of Ukraine? see for yourself. And this is only one of many similar pics with other locals on that day...

Prom 2006. "Retro Fever". My first time on stage doing a sketch... Unforgettable crew... i had a lot of fun just coming up with the entire thing. For those who watched it, hope you people liked it.

Still Prom 2006, all posing for a quick pic before the crowd fills up the venue. Check out the retro styles...

Winter holidays in London. Posing at the gates of Buckingham Palace. is that thing made out of pure gold??

London Chinatown... it sure brought me some sense of familiarity when i stepped foot here. I even saw Durians being sold... but it costs something like 8-9 UK pounds...per KG!!!

Medical quiz team. Pic taken right after we emerged as runners-up in the inaugural competition.

A pic taken during the pub crawl over in Berlin. met this bunch of fabulous guys at the hostel earlier ... thanks for the drinks guys;)

So there you have it, my 2nd semester in a series of pictures:)

Rojak of news

2006-05-14T13:23:00.000+03:00

Been trying to rest as much as i could during the past one week, it's sort of a ritual of mine before i start my 'intensive' revision for exams. This time exams are starting mid of June and in my case ending on the 20th of June... i've already circled that date on my calender.

My futsal team was involved in some events just a few days back. A *suppose to be just another regular game* turned out to be a disgusting showdown of physical power. The russians were having a go at our feet instead of the ball... referees did not do their job... for heaven's sake.. they did not even have a FREAKING whistle to begin with. Match was suppose to end at 3-3 but it was 3-2 in their favor... there was more commotion after the match which i think didn't end too well... heard from certain sources that both teams might be disqualified. It only serves to drill in the message that asians are simply the minority here and the ukrainians organising this whole tournament simply don't want to see us advancing further. what racism? happens everywhere...there's nothing much we can do about it. As for me, i just felt the whole commotion could've been avoided if only the referees had brains and brought their whistle along or simply postpone the game till' they finally get hold of a whistle la... stupid dungus!!!

Eversince the old lady came down from the second floor to make noise at my place... we were supposedly talking 'over the limit' ... what in the world does that mean? things between us and our landlord has took a turn for the worse. They brought like 3 russian people to come take a look at the apartment a few days back... we were like... HARLOW?? we're still renting the place now we think? have some decency and respect for ukraine's sake!!! worse of all, only my housemate Matthew was around and when they screamed at him... he couldn't understand a single word... poor matt..
So the rate things are going, we'll have to relocate by the end of this semester and we have to do IT fast!! again, old lady... racist!! i'm not making accusations for no reason here... another old man who lives in the same building says that we are quiet people... and that the old lady is extra sensitive... only complains. when she hears some language apart from russian spoken because it would be us... and if other russian speaking people scream ... she wouldn't say a thing...!! now be the judge... i'm gonna go kill her dog one day... so busy busy month ahead...

and did anyone read on BBC about the 4 year old boy who can run 65km non stop. He's a so-called marathon runner... has a personal coach and all... but the government finally had the senses to ban him from running after the medical research team found some his heart to be overloaded and that his protein metabolism is way too high for his age?? 4 years old people!!! give him a break will ya. On the other hand... isn't he like dem talented and all? at that tender age... imagine when he is at his peak?? hmmm.

and oh yea... heard bout that MP from Jasin that made a fool out of himself back home... embarassing to say the least... will be very interesting to see what the Prime Minister will do though... and oh yea... don't forget 2020 is coming yar... no excuse for it not to work!!! so malaysian... NATO

besides that, im broke !!

Victory Day Celebrations

2006-05-10T00:37:00.000+03:00

The participants: (from Left to Right) : Praveen, Vike and Yours truly.

Victory Day... what is this?
According to Wikipedia.

Victory Day marks the capitulation of Nazi forces to the Allies (the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and other principal Allied nations) in Berlin on May 8, 1945. It is celebrated in the successor states to the Soviet Union on May 9, because when the German Instrument of Surrender was signed (in the midnight), it was already May 9 in the USSR and Eastern Europe. The US, UK and most western European countries mark Victory in Europe Day on May 8.

Victory day is celebrated in Ukraine on the 9th of May annually. This year, a few of us decided to join in the celebrations over at the port city "Sevastopol" which actually means "Magnificient" when translated from it's greek roots.

The 3 of us gathered at my place the night before. Suppose to head to bed earlier to get some rest but ended up sleeping only at 4 a.m. Vike dragged us all up at 5-plus. We were rushing as we were trying to catch the first train out at 6 a.m. Left the apartment only at 5.50... thank god it's just around the corner... but we still ran. Arrived a few minutes earlier just to find that the train is only coming at 7.14 a.m. How sad... wasted all that energy running but still a very good morning exercise. Walked to Mc'Ds for breakfast and later decided to take a bus down instead of waiting for the train.

Picture Description: Such an honor to be standing next to a world war veteran bestowed with dozens of medal of bravery. (mind the picture quality, fella holding camera probably was nervous to take the veteran's pic)

Journey there took about an hour. Found ourselves to be one of the early birds at the parade ground. Familiarized ourselves with the parade route and chose a lovely spot for ourselves. Not before long, the whole place was being filled up. Parade started at 10 a.m. sharp. It was basically a parade of all the war veterans. It was lovely to see all the appreciation by the crowd. Praveen and I certainly did not miss out on all the cheering.

( This has got to be the picture that make people go " Awwwww". My guess is that they are two veterans that ended up marrying each other)

Parade ended before we could really soak in the entire atmosphere... from there, we started our tour around the lovely sevastopol town. local people here are so warm and helpful, a HUGE difference to Simferopol, the town i'm studying in. Local People in Simferopol, if u are reading this... PLEASE learn a thing or two!!!
Walking next to the seaside definitely brought this sense of calmness over me... i'm sure everyone would agree with me.:)

Picture : Sailors from dunno which battalion marching by us.

It was not my first time in this city, therefore there the whole sightseeing experience wasn't something new though it's really good to be back after 2 years. Every trip i made to this city has only brought me wonderful memories ;)

Boarded the train back to Simferopol bout 5-ish in the evening. Super duper tired now...

getting to know Ukraine a lil' better

2006-05-08T18:00:00.000+03:00

After giving some thought on the future... i realized that i needed to know Ukraine a lil' better... and moreover, it's a good opportunity to show the others living outside this place what this country is all about... of course i'm not going to feature everything in one go... ill start off with one of the more tasty dishes around.

First thing up is "PLOV"... one of the first dish here that i consider tasty enough, and able to compete to a certain level to some mediocre ciplak msian hawker food of course.

Here's some short history...

Palov (Russian: 'плов') is the national dish of Uzbekistan. It is a rice dish consisting of carrots, onions, spices (cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, and Barbaris), lamb, cottonseed oil, and medium grain rice. It is traditionally cooked in a deep, metal dish known as a "qozon". Plov can be made either at home or over an open fire. Several different types of simple salads are served with Palov. The most common of these is a mix of very thinly sliced tomatoes and onions which are then mixed with salt and pepper.

Preparations and recipes can vary from region to region, however the contents of the dish will always be based on the above carrot/onion/lamb/rice mix. (called "sabzi" in Uzbek) Ingredients such as whole heads of garlic, garbanzo beans, chilis and quinces can be added while cooking. A special "wedding palov" will include saffron in its preparation.

The origins of Palov are somewhat lost over the course of history. However, stories abound of it having been served to Alexander the Great upon his capture of Maraqanda. (modern Samarqand)

Palov is from the same family of Turkic rice-based dishes as Afghan "Pulao", Turkmen "Osh", Tajik "Palov" (see also Pilaf). One can also find variations of Palov (Pılaw in Tatar) in the Tatar regions of Tatarstan, Russia and the Crimea, Ukraine.

During the years of the Soviet Union, the dish spread throughout the other Soviet republics, becoming a favorite in such diverse places as Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

Gotta post up some pictures of plov eating sessions so that you can see the happiness in our faces. Meanwhile, we'll make do with just the plov without anyone around it.

Basically, it taste like good ol' nasi goreng with beef pieces scattered all over. All i'm saying is... i'm missing Msian Food la! I miss wantan mee,curry mee,pan mee,roti tisu,roti dunno what what la... and i miss malaysia and my friends la! Will be back by the end of JUNE... can't wait:)

LaZzZZzZzzy marathon

2006-05-07T18:43:00.000+03:00

Picture Description: Varma and Vithiya, the only couple in the competition , matthew with the PS2 controller and yours truly not being able to resist the temptation to pose.

Starting from last night, 7 people with completely different background converged upon an old style ukrainian apartment to partake in the Lazy Marathon 2006. Held officially for the very first time with one aim and one aim only, who is the laziest of them all?

First night report

Met at the Lenin Boulevard around dinner time, participant Vithiya prepared a scrumptious meal made of chicken meat and some unknown vegetables. Meanwhile the guys channeled their fullest energy towards the PS2 machine.

Picture Description: Praveen and Varma choosing their respective teams while matthew simply loves to pose :)

Praveen and I made it to two consecutive finals (night and morning session) but i lost both!!! nevertheless, good game prav!

We spent the rest of the night planning for a BBQ outing at a nearby beach named "saki" but after much discussion we decided to cancel/postpone it cause' it was way too late to get anything confirmed.

By the time everyone settled down and finished posin' for the camera... it was already like 4 a.m. Oh, not to forget my 2nd floor neighbour... a 110 years old grumpy lady(age is purely fictional) came knocking the door and started pressing on the doorbell like a lunatic... (not her first time!!!) at around 3 a.m. As soon as i opened the door, it was like opening the door on the lion's cage... well, that's another story but it was hilarious... the whole episode lasted about 15 secs. Unfortunately i didn't have enough time to take a pic of her face... next time folks! ;)

While the rest of the participants nicely settled into bed, Praveen and i figured that we could still squeeze in one movie before we head to bed... so off i went and insert a CD. It was "win a date with tad hamilton"... after 5 mins, i dozed off. Woke up somewhere like 10 mins later and found my movie partner snoring off. Switched it off and the next phase of the competition started... aptly called who can sleep the longest competition.

Next day Report

Almost all the participants woke up from deep slumber at around 12 p.m. We gobbled up some yummy food like the chocolate cake matthew baked last night, some leftover Mc'D chocolate sundaes, and we even had Chic Kut Teh!!! once again thanks to Vithiya. Enjoyed this whole competition thoroughly. A few of them will challenge themselves further for another night... the winner shall be announced soon. :)

I'm all out for more Lazy marathon to be organised in the future... of course after the finals lar bugger!! ish..

A meowing experience

2006-05-06T01:38:00.000+03:00

Pic Description: 32 models of the Fashion Show last nite... notice the 'sesat'(lost) fella squating down on the right side spotting a golden robe)

Actually i've nothing to say at all about the Cultural Show that ended here last night. I wasn't even bothered if it went well. Simply because i minded my own business and was more occupied snapping tonnes of pics backstage which turned out to be loads of fun among ourselves. It was another opportunity to dress up nicely and just be snap-free. From the comments i've received from my friends that were among the audiences that night, the entire show ranged from boring to really boring... with the fashion show being an exception of course!

Came home after i became too weary from all the flashes... but it was more like there was on one else left to take pics with... *boohoo*... and this was using a borrowed digicam... imagine if i had one of my own...;) the journey home was slow and lonely... the streets were pitched dark but thank god this street i'm living in is one of the safest in this state (of course there are no facts to back me up on that, but that's how i feel la!) took like 2 more pics with my housemates and then got down to business.

Case report dateline tomorrow first thing in the morning... just finished it a while ago and i'm stuck in this junction. deciding whether to go straight to bed or to have something light cause i'm super duper hungry rite now. But how could i possibly eat something if my eyes can stay opened?

Worse of all, there's class tomorrow cause next monday's a holiday and we are required to replace that holiday... then why did they call it a freeeeeeeeaking holiday??!!!

All in all, the catwalk experience was my first and my last i think... and if any of the models are reading this... thanks a lot people... enjoyed every second i spent with u people during practise. cheers~!

Holiday Period... or is it???

2006-05-05T00:51:00.000+03:00

Heading towards this coming holiday period (saturday,sunday,monday and tuesday-dunno because of what ukrainian celebrations). I can't help but feel that i'll come out of it feeling more exhausted than i already am. Been spending my past 2 evenings having rehearsals yet again!!! This time it's for a fashion show during the Cultural Show organised by the Malaysian Student's Association. I'm actually doing this as a favor for a dear friend. There u have it, don't simply owe people favors... cause they'll ask for it at the most innapropriate time. Show's tomorrow evening and i've still not found a traditional costume for myself. Feels a lil' depressing to know that i'm a chinese boy but i've never owned a traditional costume ever in my life.

Moving on. We're expected to attend class on saturday as a replacement for next monday's holiday... so there u have it- SATURDAY ruled out as rest day. then on sunday... i'm suppose to referee a women's handball tournament... so SUNDAY ruled out as well!... monday... friends might wanna go BBQ by the beach... MONDAY-ruled out!! and finally tuesday... suppose to go to another town n watch some victory day parade 8 am in the morning... TUESDAY also ruled out!!!... So i've gotta sit back n think which one of these events to kick out of my schedule so that i can recharge myself properly at least on one of the holidays.

Last but not least, thanks for ur comments on the blog. Keep them coming. Really appreciate them.

Another Kodak Moment

2006-05-05T00:45:00.000+03:00

Charlie's angels?? Close enough huh. Guy in the middle with three lasses around his arms... Pic description: Outside the Prom Venue: Zilioni Theatre(Green theatre)
Girl on right hand : Ranjini, Girl squatting down: Premila , Girl on Left hand: Baby Bala.

Growing Pains

2006-05-03T22:57:00.000+03:00

Growing up is hard to do... in the first phase (13-21 years old) also known as" a hell lot of fun " phase but then came the 2nd phase (22-26 years old)also known as the "slowing down" phase.
I was having lunch with some close friends of mine and somewhere along the line of our conversation came the topic of "growing up sucks etc..." After giving a second thought bout what my friend just blurted out... i realized that the increase in responsibilty makes it all complicating and less fun... very much unlike the fun-filled days of secondary and campus life.

We went on and on about working life, marriage,kids, arranged marriage even!!!, dealing with in-laws, relationships and basically everything that's bound to happen in the next couple of years... i read a friend's blog bout a week back and the entry was about one of her cousins getting married. That time it didn't affect me much but TODAY... BOOM!!! it struck me hard like never before...

This is as far as my thoughts wandered... walking any further might lead to a no-man's land.
Growing up is hard to do :) But when the time comes... i hope i'll be all geared up by then.

2006-05-03T00:23:00.000+03:00

Manage to obtain one pic of the prom. This is one with the guys :)
Just in case you are wondering why everyone's dressed 'one kind'... the theme of the night was "Retro Fever".

Understanding the addiction

2006-05-02T17:27:00.001+03:00

Yes... i am talking about my addiction to blogging. It all started off when i started reading blogs and then before i knew it... i had one of my own and now i can't stop filling it with stories of my nonsensical life. I still don't understand this addiction of mine and i was wondering if there's anyone out there who could shed some light on this scenario. Or perhaps anyone who could help me overcome this addiction...

Unforgettable

2006-05-01T12:28:00.000+03:00

That is how i would sum up last night's prom in one word. The organizers did a fantastic job running the whole show so smoothly... people were having so much fun that by the time they chased everybody out of the premises... people were actually complaining that the event, simply went by too fast. I, for one bear witness to their feelings.

The sketch that we've been practising for the past 3 weeks or so received multitudes of good response from the audience and it inspired us to a level of performance we never thought possible. Thanks again "Kalaoke Boys+ Girls" (karaoke boys + girls)... it has been a fantastic journey all around with u guys and it's gonna remain in my memories for decades to come. The remedy to calm down backstage worked like charm (remedy= BEER...muahhahahaha).. not forgetting, i hoped the sketch did not offend any parties or person. But based on the responses i got from my peers, no one complained lar... but that was only like half of the crowd... who knows what the other half had in their minds...??? In short, the sketch was very open in a sense there was no holding back on the vulgarities... jokes were of typical malaysian "apeks" but it was brilliant lar...

Brought a manual camera along for the event... blardy hell... so difficult to get a digi cam from friends nowadays lar... then of course i only started asking around in the 11th hour. My roll of film finished in a flash, i knew i should've bought another roll. damnit. But i'm hoping the good people out there who have taken pics with me will send me those precious precious pics so that i can post some in here.

And now comes for the highlight of my night. Knew a week before that i was nominee for "prom king"... ;) i know... of all people right?? hahhaa. i too was laughing when i found out bout' the nomination. I'm actually still wondering if people actually nominated me for it.Anyways, they dragged all of us nominees up and grilled us in front of everyone... blardy hell... had fun didn't u MCs :P?
To cut a long story short, i answered a question, laughed a lot on stage... sang two sentences of a tamil song and at the end of the day... the crown was mine!!! :) woohoo. Though i did not physically get a crown but it's all good. ME??? PROM KING??? i'm still laughing while typing this. But many thanks to my peeps out there who supported me and gave me support throughout this entired period right up to yesterday night.

Not to forget, thank you to all who made me drink!!! (no lar- thank you all who belanja'ed me a shot of vodka). I was in 7th heaven without a doubt. ahhh... thank god it's labor day today. once again i'm gonna kick back and relax and just soak in the moment.

And oh yea... the girls last night were simply gorgeous... each and everyone of them... when i do post up some pics... you'll understand why i said it... :) simple a sight for sore eyes ;)

out of words

2006-04-29T23:58:00.000+03:00

I'm all drained out. My motivation is level is subzero. My focus is lost. It was a bad saturday. Everything i ever envisioned happening today did not even come close to materialising. Have u ever felt and wanted something so badly and worked so hard for it but you don't even come close to getting it? It's very demoralising... spent all my energy and i don't know if i have any reserves left in me. But i have to go on... one last push for one more event. I just hope the sketch goes on well tomorrow nite... and hopefully that'll compensate partially for whatever happened today.

p/s: i need to get hold of a digi cam so that i can post up pics on this blog...

2006-04-29T05:46:00.000+03:00

*Yawn* it's 5.45 am over in ukraine right now. Had to get up this early to attend a team breakfast session before the tournament. Tournament's bout' 3 hours away. Couldn't sleep all that well last night with thousands of thoughts racing through my mind. I probably slept for 4 hours?not a very good thing to do when i have a whole day of playing futsal to look forward to.I'm just counting on the adrenalin to keep me going.

The next 48 hours will make or break my entire month's hardwork.Been training really hard for this event.Really can't afford to not win it this time.Pressure's on and the spirits are high.

p/s: thank you ashlin for becoming the first visitor to my blog;)

WARNING: Not all entries in this blog will make sense.

Clock is ticking

2006-04-25T20:25:00.000+03:00

Actually found myself some free time to write an entry despite the hectic schedule i am currently undergoing. Had light training earlier this evening with the rest of the boys. Groupings for the Futsal tournament was held and it's a very HOT topic at the hostel grounds at the moment, seems a lil' funny to me that everything's so hyped up. Perhaps it's because this is already my 4th tournament and all the butterflies in my tummy have already settled down. Leaving to the hostel in a moment's time to practise the kalaoke boys sketch. Sketch seems pretty fine to me but it still requires some fine tuning here and there.Not forgetting we still need to add in the final topic and then we're done.

Paeds cycle have been very fullfilling. Class ended at 12pm today according the the timetable... it's the first time any of my cycles ended at 12pm. Best of all i did not feel the time dragging by me... i truly enjoy this cycle. Gtg now... will write more in my next entry.

TGIF

2006-04-21T23:29:00.000+03:00

I never really appreciated the abbreviations "TGIF" till today. The past week have been swamped by multiple activities which coincidentally will peak at the end of this month. A part of me wishes that i have more time while the other part of me just wants to get it over with. Personally, i feel both extremes in the different hours of the day... when i'm tired... the latter obviously. Rugby boys are organising a BBQ at the 'marino lake'. Nothing beats having BBQ when the weather's fine and it's about blardy freaking time anyway to have one right? Good place to go to and just escape from the hustle n bustle i'm going through right now. To better understand what i'm talking about... there's this ball coming up which my friends and i are putting up a play...play's about how typical chinese businessmen interact when they get together. Practise have been fine so far... but script still requires some editing... bad thing is, we've got to perform it at the original venue this coming sunday... no time la bugger??!! Well, one things for sure... i have always wanted to act in front of a crowd... so i guess this will be the ultimate litmus test la... another important event coming up is the Annual Futsal Tournament , also at the end of the month... (buggers, timing all dem good rite??!!!%^*&8&^*^) so training's on a daily basis more or less... right now, all i want is just to take a hot shower... sit back , watch some movie and doze off. Been helluva day ... think i deserve to chill a lil' while before the whole dog eat dog world starts all over again...

Getting the word 'procrastination' out of my system...

2006-04-17T19:32:00.000+03:00

Been a while since i last had one of these life changing moments... where i feel that life has been such a letdown in the past few days... not because of any dissapointments in particular. This is about making a bold move to once and for all kick the procrastinating nature of me out the window... it's been so me since i can ever remember it... i cannot recall the countless times i had to reset my system so that i can start anew and begin the living again. So here i go again, hopefully this is gonna last longer than the previous one did. There are many reasons why i have always needed to reset. It normally happens after having a very long holiday, some setback in life, ended a relationship, been too freaking lazy out of a sudden and can't take it anymore... ya know.. stuffs like that. so this time my reason to resest is because exam's just around the corner and i feel it's high time to just turn over a new leaf and kick start my life- albeit ONCE AGAIN! so writing this blog on a more frequent basis is one of my ways of writing down how successful i have been in my attempt. I'll be ending this post right here right now... got a LOT of reading to attempt tonight.

p/s: received an email filled with pics of the latest mercedes roadster... it is a babe.
check it out.

2006-04-01T20:19:00.000+03:00

Starting up my futsal team's blog (http://tempangfc.blogs.friendster.com) has increased my appetite to create one for myself. One where i can talk about anything at all. Woohoo! So i'm not going to spend my first post ranting so much... just wanna sit back and just soak up the moment. Cheers!