Tuesday, March 30, 2004

FIRST TINGE OF STRESS...

As I was studying on muscle contraction yesterday, I have my first tinge of stress... There's juz so much to remember!!! I spent most of my day merely juz to study and understand the lecture notes!!! There's juz hardly enough time for me to commit all the things I've learned into memory!!! Worst, I'm merely in Week 5 of sem 1 now... There's still a long way to go man!!! And things will go harder as I proceed into the coming semester!!! And I'm having problems now already in my FOUNDATION!!! Argh... Well, let's juz hope I survive 1st sem!!! I wonder if there's any hope of me scoring 85 and above... I used to aimed for 90 and above, but I guess it's juz too tough... Guess I'll juz do my best for now and pray that I won't go mad with studies!!! <=(

Sunday, March 28, 2004

GREEN LIGHT FOR TAI CHI!!!

I juz realized that I have not mentioned anything bout my Tai Chi lessons at IMU!!! Yup, I have joined the Tai Chi Society and is now actively learning it! For u guys who think that Tai Chi is for old ppl only, think again. I challenge u to juz try it once, and u'll know how weak ur legs (or in more appropriate medical term, lower limbs) actually is! My thigh was really sore after the 1st lesson!

Anyway, eventhough I'm really interested in learnig Tai Chi, i had always worried that it may come in conflict with my beliefs, cuz I dunno much about its philosophy. I know that Yoga and Qi Kong are definitely a no no for me, but Tai Chi is more... ambigious, since not many ppl know about it (other than "old ppl do one"... duh...). But I managed to ask Rev. Yeo last night after his talk on the New Age Movement... And he sez that it's ok since it does not include any sort of meditation or stuff. In fact, he's practising it now! So there is one less worry for me!

Saturday, March 27, 2004

ARIEL SHARON = MURDERER

I haven't been reading the papers lately, so imagine my shock when I heard of the news on how the Hamas leader, Yassin was assasinated so brutally by the Israeli. I have always been ambivalent about Israel's action against Palestinian resistance, but now, I fully, vehemently protest against this outrageous atrocity commited by the Israeli, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in particular. I nv agree with Hamas' reaction thru suicide bombing, but wat Israel did is juz too much. How can they do that and still treat that shamelessly brutal act as justifiable? And the US actually support this atrocity?! Killing a frail old man on a wheelchair with missiles when he's completely without any protection?! Not to mention the casualties!!! Are Palestinians' life really so cheap in the Israelis' eye?! My whole heart cry against this great injustice!!!

Down with Ariel Sharon! I really want to see him overthrown. Down with Bush, for what is his "War on Terrorism" if he keeps on giving green light for the continual terrorism by the Israelis on the Palestinians? The whole world should sever their political and econimal ties with Israel and maybe even the US. Yes, it it a stupid notion, but it can also teach the 2 of them a serious lesson, that they are no big bosses of Earth or sumthing. Justice!!! >=@

Friday, March 26, 2004

MISSED UPDATES

Being very busy with my studies lately, dun have the chance to blog... So I'll juz cram all entries in this one!

Went to PJ Hilton with my aunt and cousin for a Japanese Buffet last Sunday. I was a bit worried about the food at 1st, since I always have a slight dislike on Japanese food. But since my cousin will be returning to Manipal soon, and this is a rare oppurtunity to experiece a foreign cuisine for free, I follow along. It turns out that it ain't that bad after all. Well, I'm still not used to Japanese food, but they're more edible than I thought! My favourites are tempura and salmon teriyaki (the melt-in-your-mouth sensation from the salmon is really memorable). Guess the price? RM 70 per person! Gosh! That's one of the most expensive meal I've ever had! But it definitely is a memorable meal!

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The indian librarian was unusually nice to me today... I was asking for a Netter's Atlas of the Human Body at the red-spot counter (books borrowed at this counter are not allowed to leave the library), and after she gave it to me, she asked me if I wanted one copy of the book that I could actually borrow out from the library. Since I see no loss in borrowing one, I replied yes. She told me to see her later when I'm returning the red spot book. Later, it turned out that someone has borrowed the book, and she told me that she'll reserved one for me the next time she got her hands on one. Juz a few minutes ago, she managed to get one, and walked all the way to me beside the computer to pass the book to me. Hmmm, I can't help wondering wat has cause this sudden change in her. She gives an impression of being an unpleasent women to many students here... Maybe bcuz I was a frequent library visitor (I spend more time in the library than anywhere else in the uni) and I usually returned the books to the shelves after I finish using them? I wonder... But it's a good thing, I guess.

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After about 4 lectures by 5 lectures from Dr. Reddy this week, I'm glad I won't have to see him again for quite some time. So far, he is my least favourite lecturer. He nv prepare any PowerPoint presentation, and juz speak all the time in his accent (He's from India). Well, it's kinda funny sometimes, how he pronounce spinal cord as spinal card, and cornea as carnea (we were so lost when he 1st pronouce those words!)... But wat is most annoying about him is his lecture notes... In fact, I dun think they deserved to be called notes... It's seriously incomplete and almost useless for some! I spent a lot of my time this week juz making my own notes! Hopefully there aren't anymore lecturers like him!

Monday, March 22, 2004

IMU CLINICAL SCHOOL VISIT

Went to Seremban last Saturday for the IMU Clinical School visit. Whoa, the campus really is situated in a ulu place man! It's rite, right in the middle of a kampung! But man, I really love the open air design of the building! It's really small compared to its Bukit Jalil partner, espeacially the library, which is really disappointing... But somehow, I kinda like it after we have our tour around the place by a very helpful senior, Ng Kheng. Maybe it's the greenery surrounding the whole campus and within in... I really dislike the white cement surroundings in the Bukit Jalil campus. Yeah, it's warm there, but at least the air is natural, not pumped in by some air-cond.

Nevertheless, after a nice long chat with another senior, Joshua, about life in the partner campus, I can't help but feel... attracted to that kind of life. It's probably dull to many ppl, but I find it very... fulfilling. Perhaps medicine truly is my calling after all! Unlike many of my peers, I'm not disillusioned about the hardship I will face for the coming years. I've talked to many ppl, doctors and senior medical students, and I have quite a realistic view of the costs of being a doctor (lack of sleep, stress, harsh treatment from senior doctors, uncooperative patients, on-call duties late at night, and tons of studies). Yet this is the life I have chosen to attain, for I do have this unexplained passion to help the people. Helping others has always been one of my basis for joy, and I know that I'll find contentment and satisfaction in my job...

...But how long will it lasts? My uncle, now a specialist and a consultant, has admitted that though once he was motivated by the need to help others, money comes 1st to him now... So will I lose this...idealism, this enthusiasm I'm having now, say, in 20, 30 years time? Would I become a "bloodsucking" doctor, as Ng Kheng has mercilessly puts it? Or will I carry this passion to help people to my grave? I certainly do hope so... But will I? Will I?

Then again, I'm still in the very 1st semester of my medical studies, and still have plenty of tests to pass b4 I even become a GP (Ng Kheng ranked the level of a medical student as an unicellular organism, and a GP as an amoeba). So I'll juz focus on my studies now, and try to make it to the Dean's List. Yet I guess I have to frequently question myself why I have chosen medicine as a profession, so that I'll be constantly reminded of why I'm struggling so hard for...

Anyway, we left the campus by 12.30pm... Nv get to visit the hospital though. I kinda feel sad when I left the place, for who knows when will I see it again? And all the helpful and caring seniors that I've met, will we ever meet again? Perhaps we will, when we're working in government hospitals in the future... And I'll be looking forward to that!

Monday, March 15, 2004

CHARITY HOME VISIT

Went to Rumah Kanak-kanak Terencat Akal Selangor at Ampang last Saturday, with Orientation Groups 1, 2 and 3. Since I was worried that we may stuck in a jam and died of boredom, I brought along my lecture notes... only to be labelled as a kiasu... Blegh... Anyway, we reached that place pretty fast... and I was kinda freak out when I heard all the cries from the house... reminded me of asylums for the mentally unstable. I'm serious.

The house is filled with 'children' (Between 11 to 41. U heard that right, 41) who have down syndrome or/and celebral palsy. I started out cleaning out the place, since I dunno how to communicate with them. But when we found out that place is seriously very clean already, I have no choice but to enter the house and see what I can do t help out. Well, I ended not doing much in the end. Most of them have already being surrounded by other students... except a few which were really really hard (nearly impossible) to talk to. There's the boy who juz sit that with his back facing us, drooling saliva all over the place, sings himself an unitelligible 'tune', and ignore all of us. I patted at his shoulder, but there was no reaction at all... There's another girl who kept crying and rolling on the floor, and no matter how hard I tried, I juz can't make her stop.

But not everyone was having a hard time there. Some of them really enjoyed themselves. One girl in particular (...er... I forgotten her name...) laughed all the way when we're drawing and singing and dancing with her. Most of us accompany her bcuz she's the only one who really shows interest in what we're trying to teach, and somehow that makes one of her inmates mad. Guess he's jealous or something. I dunno.

I started to feel restless by 10.30am, cuz I really dunno wat to do! I tried helping out the guys with the balloon by shaping them into shapes of animals, but I juz dun have the talent... So there I was, sitting at the window sill, chatting with my friends until it's 12.30pm... My was that a long dull moment. Found out King's father is actually the owner of Food Avenue there, but nothing much otherwise. 12.30pm finally came, and out I ran to the bus, and the 1st to step into the bus. Gosh was I glad to leave!

Well, there will be a presentation soon on the charity home visit to the VIPs of the uni... Let's juz hope I'm not involve in the presenting! XP

Sunday, March 14, 2004

EMBARASSING INCIDENT AT THE MAMAK STALL

I was eating at the mamak stall with Heng Jeng and a few of my batch mates (Brandon, Ling Wei, Darren and Michelle) after having CG at Dexter's place... After we finished our food, it's 2.20am already, and I'm really very sleepy then. We walked to my car, and I was really surprised when somehow my key only fitted halfway thru the keylock. I looked into my car, and noticed that the lock was only half-locked, and the front door at the other side was not locked. I went to the other side, open the door, and tried to open the driver's seat door.

A strong smell of tangerine fills my nostrils when I did that, and I was a little confused when suddenly a man half-shouted at the driver's door side, "Hey man, is this your car?!" (in Cantonese). I was so shocked that I looked around the interior of my car, and realized that IT'S NOT MY CAR AFTER ALL!!! I was like, "Oh shit man this is so embarassing!!!" and kept apologizing to the angry guy. Imagine how this all must have looked like to him... A bunch of uni students surrounding his car at 2.20am in the nite and trying to open the doors! We must have looked like a group of thieves stealing a car rite in front of everyone! Gosh...

I embarassingly rushed towards my car a few parkings down the way. That guy drove his car angrily away, and I was a bit worried then will he be following my car back and bashed me up or sumthing... Thank God none of that happened. My friends then kept on laughing and saying that they're confused when I approached the wrong car and about to ask me whether I git the rite car etc etc. I wasn't really listening then, for I was so embarrassed I feel like sticking my head into the ground! Wat a doofus I am!

Saturday, March 13, 2004

A BRIEF VISIT TO TAYLOR'S...

Went back to Taylor's after my wet lab session today... Seems that nothing much have changed... except everyone's hairstyle! Lol... Miss Betsy actually looked older with her longer hair! Akakaka... Finally got my MUET results (256... only 4 more marks and I'll get a Band 6! Wat a waste!) and the CPU yearbook (I haven't really look it through yet, but it seems... dull...). Kinda amazed that Ms Betsy still remembers that I'm studying at IMU. Oh ya, Ms Chee San is now working at the Exam Unit instead of the CPU office.

Get to meet Kah Yang and Ivan while I was at college. Have a nice chat with them, espeacially Ivan, since he'll apply for IMU for the September intake. Told him a bit of the "awfulness" of IMU orientation (which, although it may sounded strange, becoming a cherishable memory), but even that was a mere glimpse of the true state of the orientation. Ivan's hair has grown quite a bit, while Kah Yang now has sideburns (which looked kinda funny cuz it's a bit curly... Akakakaka...), but other than that, they dun changed much. Kah Yang is studying mechanical engineering now at Taylor's, and will leave for Sheffield by September.

Went back to Vista Komanwel B soon after that. Nv realized how close Subang Jaya actually is from Bukit Jalil. It has been a very worthwhile trip, not bcuz of the cert and the yearbook (although that's my purpose of going there at the 1st place), but getting to meet with old friends again. Hope I'll get to meet more of my college friends in the future!

Friday, March 12, 2004

LIFE IN IMU THUS FAR...

Now that the orientation and induction week is over, classes in IMU officially started this week. We have 2 lectures every morning from 10.30am to 12.45pm, with a 15 minutes break in between. I kinda dislike the fact that our second lecture interrupted our lunch time, for I'm always feel starved halfway thru my 2nd lecture. Though the lectures only lasted for an hour each, they can covered a lot of content. For example, today's sole lecture, Lipid Metabolism, could easily be fitted to a 3 classes slot back in CPU days. I was loss halfway thru the lecture!

After the lectures, I usually have lunch on the rooftop, for the meals at Food Avenue at ground floor are too expensive (cheapest food cost RM 5!!!) I haven't have my own clique so far (I nv have one in my whole life as far as I can remember), and thus I always join with different ppl for my lunch. The seniors are quite friendly and helpful, but too bad we can hardly meet them all the time, since our lecture time slots differ. We students here get along pretty well, and I guess it's due to common interest and aim, for all of us (make that most) will become doctors in the future. Surprisingly, there aren't many nerdy ppl around IMU. I wonder why...

After lunch, I spent the rest of my day studying. Well, of cuz I take my dinner and relax myself by swimming or Net surfing from time to time, but most of my time is spent on studying. It may be dull to many, but frankly I'm fascinated by the wealth of knowledge I can squeeze out from the books in the library. And since Biology has always been my fav subject, the studies has been quite fun instead of tiring. If only the librarians here are more polite... Sigh... I guess u can have everything good...

I usually return to my apartment at around 10pm, and after a short bath, I'll probably read books or, if I still have the energy, scan thru briefly my lecture notes again. Man there's really loads of stuff to study... Luckily I enjoy reading them... Nv have I study so hard b4 in the past 12 years of studies in my life, since I always reserve my "hardwork" for last-minutes mad rush... But I guess no one can get into the Dean's List without sheer hardwork... And I seriously hope I can make it to the List!

So far, I still can't get used to sleeping without turning on the air cond. Among my apartment mates (or is the term house mates?) I'm the only who turn on the air cond almost every night... Can't help it, for the air in my room is juz too still! And the fan is making too much noise!!! Let's juz hope the electric bills won't be too high when it finally comes... I have to pay RM 1 for every 4 hours of air cond usage!

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

TO: THE SPECTATOR

Since I can't tag in the campus pc lab, I'll juz blog here to reply the spectator's tag (whoever u r).

Spectator: u take part in these kind of strange activities and say you are Christian? now i understand what Christians do..

It's not like I want to be the IMCC. Each group has to select one to be the IMCC, and it juz happens that I'm selected, against my wishes. But thank God I dun have to be involve in it, since I'm replaced by someone else.

As for the issue of how u could relate the IMCC thingie to the fact that I'm a Christian, I have absolutely no idea. Wat does the uni orientation got to do with Christians in general? Anyway, I dun see how becoming an IMCC is sinful or anything. It's stupid, and maybe humiliating to some, but it's quite fun to others (namely, the audience). U r free to tag watsoever u want on the tagboard, but I would appreciate it if u keep ur bigotry to urself.

I wish a good day to u, and God bless.

Monday, March 08, 2004

THE BREAKING OF A TRADITION/ I SURVIVED!!!

Around midnight of the 7th of March 2004... the orientation of M1/04 (Medicine Intake 1/ Year 2004) was officially over! Wat a relief! My limbs are aching, my back hurts, and there are scratches and cuts all over my body. But it's finally over! And wat a memorable ending that was!

Variety Night on Friday nite was really fun... or at least for the beginning... Our group were busy having last minute practise for our sketch after 30 minutes into the event. I'm impressed by Jin Aun, our group's IMCC's performance. Gosh, she.. er, he really look like a girl in that dress! At least his figure! As if he's a supermodel or something! I'm dang disappointed when I found out he didn't make it to the finals... He got the look man! As for our sketch, Romeo and Juliet in Star Wars style, it turned out to be a success. The audience really enjoyed it from the laughters and cheers we've heard... And it's a shame we dun won the Best Sketch. Xena Warrior Princess Ballet Style won instead... But to give them credit, their fighting scene in ballet style is really dang funny! Beyonce (I forgot the guy's name) won the best IMCC that nite. She.. er, he reminded me perfectly of the "ah gua"s (tranvestite) I've seen in Thailand, and I'm really impressed by her.. er, his behaviour and actions. Seriously, he can pass as a girl!

We have telematch on Saturday morning. It's very clear that many juniors did not attend it (in fact, there's one group which have only one member attending... hilarious!!), and I dun blame them at all. I myself am very very tempted to skip it as well, after all the mess from the treasure hunt. I dun mind getting dirtied and ragged, but the CLEANING process is really exhausting, not to mention stinking and downright unpleasent. But I can't help but have this sense of duty to my group, and so there I was... It wasn't as messy as treasure hunt, but it's by far, the most painful of them all. All the cuts and bruises and abrasions and swelling... Worse still, it's held at Sri Petaling Field, and I have to drive my friends there AND back... When we're all muddy and messed up! My car is seriously dusty and muddy now... And I've yet to clean it up!

Then there's the BBQ Nite afterwards. Though I promised to help marinate the food on the evening, it turned out that I've slept straight for 4 hours after I returned from Telematch... Fearing I'm late, I rushed to IMU at once, only to find that everything barely started... The seniors soon demanded food from us juniors, and we got to prepare all the BBQ stuff for them... And some of them can be dang annoying at times. I mean, how can they demanded lamb to be on their table at once? Unless they're interested in having raw lamb for dinner. Idiots. It takes time to prepare a BBQ lamb, so be more patient while we busy preparing ur food while starve ourselves to dead u fools!!! Argh... Some of the poor girls (pretty ones) was constantly pestered by the seniors to bring them food. Hearing them constantly hollering their names for food really gets me annoyed...

When the seniors started to take pictures at the near end of the BBQ Nite, the juniors started to move out... Almost all of us have heard of the rumours on the horrible stink bomb throwing session, and none of us want to kena after so many days of mess. Our group left silently to Food Avenue too, along with our OOs. After having my very first bite of lamb steak in my life, I can't resist the temptation for having another piece not long after I reached Food Avenue. Risking the mess, I rushed back to the BBQ spot and prepare myself a lamb steak. When I realized that the seniors gonna start gathering the juniors soon, I ran back to Food Avenur with my barely cooked lamb...

It dun take long b4 one of the senior, Balwinder, asked us to return to the BBQ spot. He actually went as far as swearing that we won't get wet at all. Seeing him desperate for us to return, we gave in, and returned to the spot, fearful of being cheated... My was I shock at the number of juniors remaining. Of the 208 sem 1 students in IMU, less than 20 remain till the very end of orientation. The seniors asked us to gather at the middle of the basketball court, and I can see that some of them were very disappointed and pissed off by the juniors. They surrounded us, and told us to remember that very night, for a long and proud tradition of IMU Orientation has been broken by our batch. They brought out the stuff that were meant to be thrown upon us, and pass around a few of the stink bombs. I almost throw up merely be smelling the stuff they've prepared. It's a mixture of rubbish water, fish intestines and parts, spoiled milk etc, and have been fermented for 3 days or so. I can't imagine what will happed if they actually threw it on us...

Nevertheless, the orientation ended on a happy note, and we're no longer divided into seniors nor juniors. The alcohol drinking Boat Race came next, but I merely witnessed it of cuz. After helping the seniors cleaning up, I returned back to Vista I rest for the day.

Friday, March 05, 2004

TREASURE HUNT

It's already more than 26 hours since the Treasure Hunt has ended, and about 6 or 7 baths since, but I still can't get the stink out of my hair. It smells (combination) of flour, syrup, ketchup, eggs, mud, ink, chicken fat, fishy-stink water (from a pail with a dead catfish in it) and God knows what else. I've dipped my clothes from the hunt for about 10 times, and for the last 5 times, I even added detergen. They still stank, and it seems hopeless to ever to get them clean again. My pink orientation shirt is now dark brown in colour, with traces of mess all over.

The hunt was, indeed, the most disgusting experience I've ever had. Not to say that I hated it, but the stench and mess is damn uncomfortable, and some of the ragging are truly real hard to tolerate. Yet thank God, I did not explode to the seniors. And as bad as the treasure hunt was, it wasn't as bad as it was b4. I juz got a few eggs squashed in my pants (once by myself, the other one by a girl using a forehead, slightly to the left of my groin). My shirt was dipped into water with chicken fat, mud (possibly with shit added), murky water with a dead catfish in it (it was alive at the beginning of the orientation, but was removed from the water to be kissed by the juniors for so many times it finally died), and seriously, I dun know wat else is in the others. I guess it's better not to know.

As bad as it may sound, our group have escaped the worst. A few groups were forced to eat dog food, one guy was forced to eat some kind of worms and drink a cupful of pure whiskey, quite a number of guys were zapped at their nipples using the electric mosquito killer bat thingie (one guy was zapped at his private part), and a lot more that I dunno anything of. A few of my group mates also kena wasabi on their nipples or armpits, but luckily I avoided it. Indra Raja's station was the more notorious station I guess... Really hope that I won't get to encounter him again during orientation.

Well, now that the worst of the orientation has come to past, let's hope I can enjoy the last couple of days. I'll really be very busy tomorrow with the praparation for Variety Night. Eventhough I'm no longer the IMCC, I still has the part of a perverted Juliet character to play. Yes, I'm to dressed up in a bra and a skimpy nightgown (spaghetti strip) in magenta/pink. Let's juz hope I'll enjoy it and forgotten everything about it after tomorrow. Man, it's really hard to wear a bra, and even harder to take it off. In fact, once I was unable to unstrap it, and have to pull it down all over to my feet (like pulling down ur pants) to remove it!

Our group is in the fourth placing now (we almost became the winner of the treasure hunt... sigh), and there's high hope we can win the Best Cheer award. Here's our cheer:

Go go go! Bitchy bitchy bye!
We'll lick you, we'll suck you, we'll make you high!
We're the best and beat the rest, we'll make them cry!

(Stamps and claps)

Bitchy x6 bye!
Bitchy Bye... (Big Cib**)

If u think that's vulgar and obscene, our cheer happens to be the one of the mildest one for the orientation. Future doctors... rite... >=)

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

BIG HEAVE OF RELIEF

Phew... The IMCC thingie has been troubling me for a long long time... Even when I returned home during the weekend, I'm in a very foul and depressed mood. Even the delicious food of Klang (compared to those at Sri Petaling, the food back home is like food from Heaven.. hahaha) didn't chear me up. But now, it's all over! Ohoo!

The great news and high hopes started on Monday, that is, yesterday, during the ice-breaker. Gosh was the ice breaker messy man... We juniors were all sprayed all over with raw eggs, flour, syrup, vinegar, butter, peanut butter, and LOADS of water... But it's still ok la... I was worried that the seniors will use stuff like those from Fear Factors on us... Thank God there's none of those... But there WERE a few very annoying and, to be frank, disgusting, seniors spoiling the day. I'm also a bit disappointed by the senior's sense of organization... The whole event was a scene of pure chaos!

Oops, gtg now. Sufficient to say that I'm NO LONGER THE IMCC!!! Another of my group mate has replaced me! Will update more soon!