MI$ADVENTURE

2009-08-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

I've moved to a new site! Click here

That trip to the big durian, Jakarta (part 1)

2008-12-30T07:19:00.000-08:00

So I’m back in my hometown Kuching, and feeling reassured to have survived another year of medical school…and waiting for what’s in store next year. I am actually looking forward to it as we finally have the company of the juniors. More drama I’m guessing..heh heh heh

Going back to the main premise, the Jakarta trip was unplanned. Bangkok was the planned destination, until the whole yellow T-shirt fiasco that closed the airport for a week. My travel partner Brian was more worried about the riots and bombs going off in Bangkok’s streets. It actually made me keener on going as I could watch history in the making. I have that foolhardy suicidal journalistic streak in me (if it wasn’t for Medicine, I would have chosen a degree in journalism..but that’s another story)

But alas, Jakarta was the only other option. Big bustling city, street food, poverty, grime and dirt…it sounded like another Bangkok. Or was it?

So we hopped on a flight to Jakarta and touched down at Soekarno-Hatta International airport. The airport was pretty old and run down compared to Changi or KLIA. It resembled the old Kuching airport with its wood carvings and cultural décor. Most of the taxi drivers seemed dodgy and we could not find the recommended Blue Bird cab, so we opted for the slightly pricier Silver Bird cab. It cost us Rp 200,000 ( about 60 ringgit) for a Merc C-Class cab. Quite posh indeed.

Street artist, Jakarta

Among the first things you notice about Jakarta are its chaotic streets. No matter where you go, people are incessantly honking. And for no reason at all! Secondly, no one follows road markings. I was able to see three to four cars in a 2 lane road. In every street in Jakarta, you will also come across three-wheeled rickshaws similar to the tuk tuks of Bangkok. They are called Bajaj (pronounced as Bajay) over here and we had to agree on the fare with the driver before getting on one. The ride can only be described as bone rattling, but it grew on me as it felt more fun and “adventure-ish”.

We chose to splurge on a mid range hotel, Hotel Ibis Arcadia. It has a nice central location, and is just beside Jalan Sabang, a street full of street side hawkers selling everything from Sate Usus (Intestine Satay) to Nasi Goreng Gila (Crazy Fried Rice). I thought the fried rice was okay but Brian loved it and kept mentioning it throughout the trip. Other things to try are Bakso, Bakmi, Soto, Teh Botol and Soda Susu. I could not help but notice that the hawkers were washing plates in muddy brown water, but as they say, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger…

Teh botol, a very popular drink in Jakarta. Sort of like sweetened jasmine tea.

Soda susu, sweetened condensed milk topped off with ice cream soda.

Bakmi, which is very similar to Kuching's kolo mee, but pork is substituted with chicken

The exchange rate is about 1 ringgit to 3000 rupiah, so a calculator might come in handy as converting currency can get a bit tricky when shopping. We had a few million rupiah to spend, and felt like high rollers for a while.

Another thing you notice in Jakarta is the huge gap between the rich and the poor. Even more interesting than this is their proximity with each other. In the streets, you see luxury cars like Bentleys with black tinted windows. In the same street, a young child walks from car to car begging for money. It’s rather mind blowing to stare at such a scene. You can walk out from a glitzy Gucci boutique into the pungently smelly slums beside it. Surreal describes it rather aptly.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Jakarta

These extremes also apply to Jakarta’s shopping areas. They can range from the squalid Blok M mall to posh Plaza Indonesia. We had a chance to visit both. Blok M is an underground bus terminal converted into a shopping complex. This is supposedly where the local youth shop. I was nevertheless disappointed by what I saw. Everything was very “Mat Rok” and tacky looking while not being very cheap. The shoppers themselves looked the part as well.

Block M Plaza, Jakarta

Plaza Indonesia was a different world altogether. It was obviously classier and the people were a better dressed bunch. The “tai tais” wore designer and also wore rather heavy make up. Maybe the thick make up is an Indonesian thing…Armani, Brioni, Bang & Olufson, LV: all the big brands were there. A suit from Italian maker Brioni costs around 50 billion rupiah, even more that what most Indonesians make in a year.

Grand Indonesia, a premier mall in Jakarta

Next up, Jakarta’s night life…

On women, appearance, boobs, and all that jazz

2008-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling this could get interesting. I have been doing a little soul searching after some guy talk. Actually, yes, talking about women is what we do best. You can quote me on that one.

Sooner or later, a sticky question emerges. Why are you still single? Easy enough to answer huh?

The common answers come up; haven't found the right one...not confident enough la...not handsome...too busy...I'm gay and single, wanna drink *wink* *wink* (Just kidding, yet to find such a response...not that I'm waiting for it...sorry gay readers! Strictly platonic..)

Guys, let us be totally honest here. Too busy? Then what are we doing here talking about girls.

Not confident enough? Well you know what to do then. I know women enough to know that they really like confident guys. They have the ability smell fear and insecurity with the an acuity of a hunting beagle. Good girls love bad boys? Pah, it's all in their confidence. Learn to love yourself a bit more.

Haven't found the right one? Acceptable. But we have a host of things to figure out. Firstly, what do we guys (aka myself) look for in a girl...Told you this is going to get interesting.

What chris observes (and implies) when he sees a girl:

Physical appearance.

Well duh. What did you expect? Her personality? I heard they were selling personality lenses at the local optometrist. Oh wait, they're sold out.

Before you jump onto the "oh, he's so superficial" bandwagon, I would like to acknowledge that a good personality and a heart of gold matters as much or even more than a pretty face or a proportionate body.

But as we say, better SEE it to believe it.

I have to be brutally honest here. The first "filter" that a girl passes through when it comes to analyzing "potential" is physical beauty. I appreciate beauty. The beauty of classic victorian architecture, the beauty of hand crafted Italian shoes, the beauty of an azure sea contrasted with golden sand, the curves and patina of a well aged Stradivarius violin.

The beauty of a delicate nose, smooth healthy skin, sparkling eyes, full lips, legs, curves. A living visual testament to God's craftsmanship. (or evolution as some believe)

The complete package. Believe me, there is a whole book in the Bible praising a woman's beauty. Good ol' SOS. Women have been obsessed with looking good for a few millennia and it's all our fault. Not that I'll fault that :)

The problem is that I never settle for just passable. My standards will be the death of me.

Towards greyer matters. (Unmyelinated grey matter, geddit?) Med school is mother of all lame med puns, so bear with me.

The way she dresses: It does matter. And also gives clues about her personality. How much she loves herself. How confident is she. Her values. Her taste, or lack of it.

Pink? She's youthful...or young at heart. T-shirt and jeans? Girl next door, down to earth, not too high maintenance. Revealing? Obvious "branded" labels or a walking billboard? A desperate attention seeking personality. How cute.

Besides that, if a guy like me maintains(kinda) his appearance, is it not too much to ask for a girl to attempt to look half-decent? Oh right, sorry, I probably didn't notice you.

Her size: Touchy touchy. Touchy issue. Grab your pitchforks and torches!

My verdict. It does matter. On a subconscious level at least. Sure, more to love, as I want to believe. Blame it on my testosterone driven instincts. I am wrong, and it is okay to fault me on this, but extra flesh flips on a switch in my head that goes....poor self control, mood swings, low self esteem, inactivity, passiveness, stubbornness, osteoarthritis, artherosclerosis, diabetes, cushings syndrome, hypothyroidism, cholecystitis, ascites....

Not exactly picture perfect there ay? As you can see, health professionals do a lot more judging, or assessing as we call it.

Medically, it has been proven that some people can not lose weight despite their genuine attempts. So don't be too quick to blame yourself or anyone. Take it from a quack doctor like me.

BUT WHAT ABOUT PERSONALITY. I'm tired. Will cover it in another post.

What chris does NOT observe:

Chris is not a boob man. I repeat, chris is NOT a boob man. Personally, I don't really get many guys' fascination with these fine female features. Sure, it adds to a nice silhouette and complements the wider female hip. And I for one do appreciate a perfectly proportionate figure.

But what bothers me are men (some friends, names confidential) who seem enthralled and awed by what they not too creatively describe as melons and what not. I'm neither impressed nor disgusted by them. The breast size I mean. Here's something from 4 years ago:

Chris: And here's a pic of a friend and me

Guy: OMG. They. are. big. They must be double D's! *Continues to stare intently at the pic and wipes drool off*

Chris: Have some respect lah. Would you like a woman to comment on your (use your imaginnaaattiioon) size? Lay off the weird hentai dude.

Digressing, did you know, in med school we have a term to describe saggies:

Pendulous. I rather like the way it rolls off my tongue. I can say it all day. Pendulous, pendulous, pendulous, pendulous, pendulous....

I will be doomed to eternal singlehood for this post. And go the way of Nicola Tesla...

Random assortment of phone pics

2008-09-17T04:24:00.001-07:00

We just had a 'field trip' to a condom factory today. It was part of our occupational health and safety module. Mostly got to witness the process of making condoms from latex. It's mostly automated. The flavorings for some condoms (choc, caramel, tutti fruity etc.) were actually of a better grade than your run-of-the-mill cake flavoring.

Fun Fact: Casanova, the most well known playboy, never once left home without his "English riding coat". I guess the other guys who slept around without a rubber got STDs and died early. There was no such thing as AIDS then (It was discovered in the 1980s, most likely someone screwed a chimp and later screwed someone else)

Free samples! Male and female "genicare" cream, a condom and lube. No naughty ideas..*chuckles*

This hairstyle is called the shag. Named after the look you got after shagging! I applied hair wax to my hair just before bed, and got up with whatever mess that developed throughout the night. Simply perfect for lazy asses like yours truly. A comb? You p**sy!

Just bought a shoe rack from Giant supermarket. Never been happier seeing my shoes arranged neatly. Call me a rube, but I love simple things like that.

My place when the sun goes down. Time to cook up some dinner...

Thrift shop finds: Shoes

2008-09-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

There is an abundance of valuable treasures you can find, if you know where to look for it. You just have be patient and have some background knowledge about the genre you're looking for, eg. shoes, watches, jeans. And rid yourself of the Chinese phobia of having "old" things (I prefer to call them vintage). I found these shoes at junk shops in JB for a good bargain (yes, you need basic bargaining skills too!)

Shoemaker: Cheaney of Northampton (owned by Church's, which is in turn owned by Prada)

Origin: Made in Northampton, England

Shoe type: Plain black bluchers (derbys)

Construction: Goodyear welted, leather sole

Shoemaker: Cole Haan

Origin: Hand Made in Italy

Shoe type: Brown balmorals/oxfords with brogueing

Construction: Blake stitched, leather sole

Note to self: Fight Negligence

2008-08-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Do you know what's worse than doing something wrong?

Failing to do something right. Or more appropriately,

NEGLIGENGE

It's downright more insidious.

I mean, you won't really feel that guilty NOT exercising, NOT taking care of yourself, NOT giving a damn about the needs of others.

Inaction can be more damaging than how we perceive it to be.

Take for instance, a relationship. A passive-aggressive person abuses their spouse psychologically by withholding love. And the damage is unseen, a mere specter in the eye of the public as compared to the physical scars and contusions of domestic abuse.

In medicine, there is a term called Medical Negligence, where medical practitioners do a half-arsed job or fail to observe precautions....and often get into trouble... all because they can't wait to finish the bloody long shift. Pardon me, I was just channelling some imaginary hapless interns. And it's all hidden to the unassuming public eye, the only traces of incompetence scribbled illegibly in the cryptic medical records.

If you ask me, I'd rather not have all these "learning experiences", if its gonna cost a life or two. A wise man learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise man can learn something from others' ****ups.

Since I might be heading that direction, bah...gotta buck up and quit being apathetic.

And that doesn't just apply to the field of medicine. Not good to medicalise everything. It applies to

my friends, whom I fail to appreciate to the fullest.

my blog, which I left for dead.

my health, which I may be ironically neglecting. Quack doctors make the worst patients.

my numerous intimate relationships with Venezuelan and Brazilian supermodels, which remain unconsummated.

Back online

2008-08-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Firstly, my utmost apologies for my long absence from blogging. It has been many long months since I've uttered anything online.

Mostly due to a lack of motivation. And a schedule that rivals Russian gulag work camps.

But I've realised that all my ~~elaborate schemes~~ ~~eccentric obsessions~~ ~~ambitions~~ ideas would fade away if I don't stash it somewhere for future reference.

But all that's due to change.

The only important thing to take home is I'm back.

Hugs anyone?..........

........

......anyone?...

Snapshots: Not quite home

2008-03-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

I've been in JB for around 2 months now. Getting used to the new surroundings too: new people, church, places to eat..life's good!

Anyway, here are a few photos of my studio apartment, my new home for another 2 years!

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

We joyfully welcome thee, O Two Thousand and Eight,
Downed some wine and pasta I ate,
Finished it off with a real good cheesecake,
By then it was getting really late,
Was anticipating the change of date,
Have a blast my good ol' mate,
And pray we do not suffer this poor man's fate,
It's much more unfortunate than being named Nate,
To be caught under a big asses' weight.

This rhyming is a bit childish, I must state,
But hey, they say cool people dont hate...

Have an awesome 2008!

Hiatus. Haiya Tus

2007-12-20T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'm officially on a hiatus because ~~I'm too lazy to bitch and rant~~. Just because. Results just came out, meaning I officially survived 2nd year med. With my sanity intact. Sweet!

Quiz for you meddies: Which hiatus is this?

A) Aortic Hiatus
B) Esophageal Hiatus
C) What hiatus? Looks like bak kut teh *smacks lips*
D) Va-gyy-nuhhhh....giggle
E) Quit ruining my holiday, geek!

Get your priorities straight

2007-12-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

From the dusty hallowed hallways of Oxbridge to the chilly tute rooms of Monash, various personalities flavour the big cooking pot that is med school. We'll always have the med geek poobahs, criers, ghosts, clowns, ass-clenched acheivers and one trick wonders. As a meddie myself, I appreciate and even celebrate our differences....as medical school would not be as fun without all the drama.

But things usually take an ugly turn when each one of us places certain expectations on other students which turn out unfulfilled. When this happens, a guy usually takes out his AK-47 assault rifle and runs amok, pumping hot lead into every infidel in sight........my bad, the little voices in my head must be talking again! What I really mean is the formation of rivalry, enmity and distrust among the students themselves. I'm sure that at some point in med school, most of us may wonder how 'that someone' got through the med interviews in the first place.

Coming back to the point, it doesn't really matter if we have conflicting personalities. The last time I checked, it's not really our God-given mandate to shove our ideals down everyone's throat, or on the other extreme live to please everyone. Not everyone would be that eager to attend every lecture, buy the latest textbooks, examine each other or dress up neatly to tutes for that matter.

What really matters is our shared passion in the field of medicine, most importantly our compassion towards those entrusted in our care. I might not be experienced enough to make the best judgement, but I hold on dearly to some unshakable principles. We might not get along with each other as well as desired, but what keeps us together is our shared responsibility towards our patients.

Contrary to popular belief, the most important education we receive on the way to becoming medical practitioners does not come from med school itself. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means downplaying the necessity for top rate medical skills and knowledge. I would just like to reemphasize the fact that not even the best education from John Hopkins would hold a drop of value if we do not genuinely care for our patients. No amount of lectures, textbooks or tutes would teach us compassion. And such wordplay comes to mind:

Patients will not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Can I have an A-M-E-N to that brothas and sistas? :P

The question

2007-11-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

Firstly, what gave me the idea of writing this post? Its not so much the fact that I am single, which is pretty obvious. Trust me, I'm used to that. I've only just realised how many times this year I've been asked the same question, "Have you had a girlfriend before?"

And every girl who asks this question would somehow slip this into normal conversation so casually, almost too casually. It somehow goes like this:

AB: So you like Switchfoot, that's cool.
Me: Yeah!
AB: So, um, I'm curious lah...
Me: *is she asking THAT question?*
AB: have you ever had a y'know, a GF before?
Me: *mentally slaps forehead...D'OH!*

Me: *Fakes a surprised look, smiles, pauses a second, and tells the truth*

It irks me a little to guess what they were thinking after I answered them. It could be.."This guy is such a NOOB" or "There must be something really wrong with him...he's never even had one!" Or worse still, "this one good catch lerr, less emotional baggage!" *shudders* I just can't help but feel self conscious after the question.

I'm sorry to be so frank, but why don't you girls just go the whole way and incorporate it into your greeting. Instead of "Hi, how are you doin" you should just say "Hi, did you have any past girlfriends?"

"Hello sir, fine weather today..have you had any lovers lately?"

or in Chinese,

In place of the usual greeting "ni chi fan le ma?", say "ni you ni peng you le ma?"

"Ni you ni peng you le ma?"

A simple fact: I haven't found a suitable person yet. I'm quite a particular person, maybe to my disadvantage, and there are certain criteria considered which would be covered in another post. So stay tuned :)

Short talk: The world is falling apart. Hilary Duff, bubblegum teen popstar, is hot! Times have changed.

Video: Me Singing?

2007-11-23T02:14:00.000-08:00

I watched a "Music & Lyrics" a while ago, and I like it, despite it being kitschy and predictable. There was a song sang by Hugh Grant titled "Don't Write Me Off Just Yet". I really liked it, so I tried it too on my guitar. Enjoy:

MSN Conversations: Confessions

2007-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

I've been using MSN Messenger more often these days, as there's no better way to communicate with friends without the trouble of getting my ass out the door. Plus its free, as opposed to the phone!

But the longer I go on MSN-ing, the more I realise how lazy I have been with real life expressions. Blame it all in the emoticons and shorthand such as "LOL" and the like. It has gotten too easy to express feelings, and even fake them online.

Messenger: That's nice to hear :)

Real Life:

A smiley is a good substitute for actually smiling. Because smiling uses too many facial muscles. And creates unnecessary wrinkles. Oh, yeah...I see a lot of smilies in SMS messages too. Makes me wonder if the sender is smiling in real life each time I see it. Maybe I'm thinking too much...

Messenger: LOL. That's so funny!

Real Life:

No one really ever laughs out loud while typing LOL. Imagine how silly it would look laughing like a maniac in front of the screen. Especially when typing out "LOL"

Messenger: This is just too funny, my tummy's aching! ROFL (roll on floor laughing)

Real Life:

Well, even if I were very amused, the most I could manage is a slight chuckle or an ear-to-ear grin. Rolling on the floor laughing? Never actually tried it before. It would be quite cartoonish to see, I think. Who even invented the term in the first place?

Messenger: No, you're not boring me. That's so interesting :P

Real Life:

Messenger: I gtg. Very busy lor. Gotta do assignment/finish chores/do laundry/end world poverty/...

Real Life:

Excuses, excuses, excuses :P

Short talk: I met this cutie working at one of the shops in pyramid. She had this really awesome smile. Like when she beamed at me, I couldn't help but smile back. Didn't bother to go beyond small talk though. And ALMOST felt guilty for walking out not buying anything. Heh heh

Chinese T-shirt

2007-11-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

Calling all readers who can read chinese characters! Your assistance is kindly requested.

Okay, enough with the formalities. I just bought a T-shirt from sunway pyramid today. Cheap too, less than RM20. But that wasn't the reason for my purchase. The T-shirt was not so fancy, just some chinese text in front. The shop assistant said that the characters meant "Sarawak". Feeling super patriotic and proud of my home state (we have Starbucks you know), I bought it before you could say "Cehh, Stabakks only at airport nia le..."

Wait, I can almost read it...is that two "huos" on top of that thingamajid for the second character?

So, does it really say Sarawak? Or were they trying be funny and fooled this poor banana into wearing a shirt that said "lala leng zai studmeister" or "Me love u long time"(I'm getting paranoid here)

For all I know, it could mean "No.125-Roast Pork Belly"

The lesson here is, I must learn how to read Chinese. Past kindergarten level I mean. Hats off to you if you could confirm this with me!

My cover of My Chemical Romance: Cancer

2007-11-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

I just listened to a song today and I thought it was nice. Well, nice in a sad way. because it was about dying of cancer. Found the chords and tried it out on my guitar a bit...Here goes

Get this widget

Track details

eSnips Social DNA

On a brighter note, I had a great week following the final exam. Went out with Li Wen to check out The Gardens shopping mall in mid valley. Was nice to get to know her better as there wasn't much time for hanging around when I was in medical school. And I spent the whole of today with my relatives, many of whom I haven't met in years. I got to shop in the newly opened Pavillion mall..and it was huge and fascinating with its range of upscale brands. Had a wonderful meal at Parkroyal, and guess what? I got to choose the wine, more specifically french Sauvignon Blanc red wine. It was good :P

And I did not even fork out a single cent!

Old school: My Girl

2007-11-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

I like oldies, so here's my cover of My Girl originally sang by The Temptations. Not like I have a girl to sing about or anything, but oh well...

I'm Yours cover

2007-11-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

Su Wen introduced this song to me...and I kinda liked it, especially towards the end. As usual, I tried singing along, but Jason Mraz sings it really high. Man, I do envy his voice, but I tried one part anyway. Words kinda get jumbled up :P

IL EXAMINO...

2007-10-25T05:38:00.001-07:00

The exams are closing in, with only about 2 weeks to spare! And I'm pretty much still unmotivated to study, for a medical student at least...the others are all scrambling to finish their revision. Meanwhile, I'm still daydreaming about the year end hols, when I get to go back to Kuching and meet up with my old pals ~~and pretend to still have a social life~~ and chill at Damai beach again.

I haven't been getting much sleep lately, making me sluggish and lethargic in the daytime...which only adds to the un-motivation. And I've been getting huge eyebags, typical of some medical students.

say hello to my eyebags. I may look happy but I was really very tired when I took this pic...

I've got 2 full years of medical stuff to cram into my tiny head, so I'm resorting to devious methods to finish my revision. Behold, my textbooks:

Medical Immunology Made Memorable

Master Medicine: Microbiology & Infection

Anatomy & Physiology Made Incredibly Easy. Damn straight I wish they had more books like this! See, it even has cutesy cartoons and all:

Meet the pancreatic cells!

But, I was even tempted to buy this:

If I ever graduate and become your doctor, Be Afraid. Be VERY VERY AFRAID

I can imagine all my classmates shaking their heads in disapproval. Yeah, I'm one big a$$ lazy bum! And not worthy of the grand title of med geek :(

By the way, there's this one memorable way to remember the cranial nerve distribution. It's another dirty mnemonic, like most medical ones. Here goes:

Ooh-Olfactory
Ooh-Optic
Ooh-Opthalamic
To-Trochlear
Touch-Trigeminal
And-Abducens
Feel-Facial
Virgin-Vestibulocochlear
Girls-Glossopharyngeal
Vaginas,-Vagus
Such-Spinal accessory
Heaven!-Hypoglossal

Makes me wonder if the creator of this is some horny gynae? *shudders*

Anyway, it has served me well, and I'm sure it'll be useful to you if you're doin med. All the best to those having exams now, and to all meddies too!

I slaughtered Chris Daughtry

2007-10-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

Haha..my attempt at singing Over You by Chris Daughtry. Imagine a zombie singing and you're not that far off...Key is too low for me. But who cares, I still like the song

Get this widget

Track details

eSnips Social DNA

Jejak Langkah

2007-10-15T01:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so annoyed with the pile of assignments in front of me. Can't it just do itself? I'm so flustered to the extent that I'm singing in Malay to soothe my nerves. I recorded it. It's Jejak Langkah by Tohpati. What next, Mandarin or Cantonese songs?

Get this widget

Track details

eSnips Social DNA

How to Be Yourself

2007-10-14T00:18:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been told to just be yourself? Or told that you're not acting like yourself? Or told that you should be more Malaysian? I guess this has flustered and confused many people, myself included.

Ah, young grasshopper, how do you react to this?

My best guess: We would try to prove them otherwise, that we are not fake poseurs. But I would advice you to do nothing and ignore it. ANYTHING you do to prove that you're being yourself would make yourself seem more insecure and more importantly, FAKE.

On weekends, I work part-time as an ah long (loan shark). Honest!

To be frank, that is not even a valid question, as we are all ACTORS in life. Yes, you heard it. We act out our lives based on how we perceive we should be acting. The obviously fake people are just horrible actors, and stumble around awkwardly like drag queens. To be natural, you have to be talented and convincing. Think George Clooney in ER. Or the cast of Grey's Anatomy who make convincing, if overly dramatic, doctors. To paraphrase Shakespeare, life is a stage, and we are actors in a play. Confused already?

We behave and act based on our ideals of who we should be. We hem ourselves into different roles in society. We feel accomplishment as we selfishly seek and gain approval from around us. For example, a doctor should be respectable and authoritative. A teacher should be nurturing and stern. An emo guy should be, well, emo. A nerd should stay with his books. All feminists hate men. ALL BLONDES ARE DUMB. Thus society places expectations on us to stick to our stereotypes. So, we are not permitted to act contrary to these expectations. Any nail that sticks out will be hammered back in.

All blondes are good in...um.....making beds, right? Damn straight they are!

I beg to differ. I stand firm behind my conviction that everyone is entitled to act however they like, and not be criticized for it. We should be allowed to find our true selves, to experiment with roles, and not stick to the status quo. We should be striving to improve ourselves daily, to try new things, to think outside the box once in a while. Change is imminent for some of us, as we metamorphose into hopefully better people. We are given the power to choose who we want to be. That's why God gave us a will.

So, my sage advice to you would be to reinterpret "being yourself" as "being more confident". After all, confidence is sexy, no? We wouldn't be accused of being fake if we were comfortable in our own skin. Feel free to be different, but don't do it for anyone else's sake other than yourself. Insecurity and people-pleasing behaviour are as obvious as Micheal Jackson's nose.

Nerding

2007-10-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

I can't blog for now. Really too busy. Lots of stuff to cover within a month. Two years worth of med school. Here's something I found rather funny:

1 You have ever said “Netter is god”.
2 You can discuss autopsy/ anatomy over a meal [x]
3 You own a 4 color pen
4 It just isn’t enough colors for you
5 You use more than one color to take notes
6 You have use up more than 6 highlighters in the past 6 months
7 you have ever highlighted something YOU wrote
8 you retype handouts given in class
9 you haven’t had a date in 3 months [x]
10 you haven’t had a date since entering med school
11 you have not been able to remember the normal term for something because you were thinking of the medical term (ie reflux for heartburn)
12 You get more sleep in lecture than at home
13 You know the correct spelling for pruritus
[14 - you also know what it means [x]
15 You have ever asked a question in class [x]x]
16 - The prof. didn’t understand the question
17 - you didn’t believe the answer the prof. gave
18 - you went to look it up to see if they were right
19 You can’t hold a conversation on anything other than medschool
20 You skip class to study [x]
21 You’ve said you didn’t do well on a test on which you beat the mean [x]
22 You spend more than 15 hrs a week on e-mail
23 You have a callous on your finger from writing
24 More than one professor knows you by name [x]
25 When you ask a question, a new professor has said “Oh, I’ve heard of you”
26 You can name more amino acids than past presidents
27 You use more than 5 acronyms an hour when talking [x]
28 you actually know what PERRLA stands for
29 You know all the steps of the TCA cycle
30 You do not read PTA as parent teachers association
31 You can remember the muscles in the forearm [x]
32 You know the structures in the urea cycle
33 You know the dermatome distribution [x]
34 You can’t remember what you had for breakfast
35 You can’t spell world, much less backwards
36 You’ve ever been sexually aroused by the breast shadow on an X-ray
37 You equate “morning stiffness” with Rhematoid Arthritis
38 You actually know normal values for plasma Na
39 and for K
40 Missing class causes you extreme stress
41 You have seriously asked someone “So how does that make you feel?”
42 You have asked will this be on the exam [x]
43 -Just after the prof. said it wouldn’t
44 You identify with Deb on E.R.
45 You have made a medical joke [x]
46 -no one laughed [x]
47 -You figure they just weren’t that far in their studying [x]
48 You wear your stethescope around your neck on the bus
49 - you don’t even know which way the thing goes in your ears
50 “SOB” means shortness of breath to you [x]
51 You have gone to student health with suspicion of a disease you have studied [x]
52 -within 3 days of the lecture
53 You have answered a question in class
54 -asked by the professor
55 -it was a rhetorical question
56 You can quote lines from the movie “Malice”
57 -you believe them
58 You can flip your pen over your thumb
59 - with both hands
60 - you do so throughout class
61 You have corrected a professor in class
62 - the rest of the class didn’t understand the lecture to begin with
63 You know how to calculate specificity [x]
64 - positive predictive value [x]
65 - anion gap
66 - you can’t balance your checkbook [x]
67 You don’t know what the weather was like for the past week [x]
68 You don’t know what the weather is like right now
69 You actually talk in open ended questions
70 DIC isn’t a slang term for the penis in your book [x]
71 You think B- is a bad grade
72 you have stressed about a pass/fail class [x]
73 You study during most of your meals [x]
74 You saw nothing abnormal about the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
75 You draw all of the slides not already provided in the handouts
76 -including the cartoons (humourous type)
77 Anatomy makes you hungry [x]
78 You would even consider saying “Ease back on my finger at your own pace”
79 You know the size of a RBC
80 - you don’t know the size of a football field
81 Your eyesight has worsened by 10 pts or more in the last year
82 You have the library hours memorized
83 You have your own seat in the library
84 You score more than 95 on the Epidemiology final
85 You own more than one white coat
86 You have debated between giving up sleep or eating in order to find more time to study [x]
87 You started studying for boards more than 2 months in advance
88 You have never received a personal invitation to discuss your grades with the dean [x]
89 A tie is the only addition necessary to what you normally wear when you go to see patients
90 You wear scrubs to tests
91 You have made plans to study on a beach during vacation [x]92 - you actually did
93 You have a designated seat in lecture
94 - You have ever asked someone to move from “your seat”
95 You sleep less than 4 hrs a night
96 - you think that is plenty
97 - you have thought about cutting back
98 You study more than 35 hrs outsid of class
99 - you think you are a slackard [x]
100 You think everyone answers yes to most of these questions [x]

My total score: 32

Scale
<20 You’re not in Med school. Go back to your party and leave us alone. We have work to do.
20-35 Either Med school is a breeze or you like the sound of “Senor doctor”35-45 Gotta love that Primary Care
45-60 Well, I never really thought about MD/Phd, but now thatyou mention it…
60-75 Your social life is shot, might as well try to earn lots of money
75-90 Which surgery subspecialty did you say you liked?
>90 All hail, great Med School Nerd master.

Segamat sighting: DotA

2007-09-01T08:56:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long hiatus..Not really in the blogging vibe at the moment. Here's a filler for you all.

I'm currently doing my rural placement in Segamat, Johor.

Segamat is your run-of-the-mill small town. A few shops here and there, plus a supermarket or two. Well, at least it still has McDonalds.

Everything here sort of screams LALA. Sorry Dar Ray.

Anyway, most Malaysians would know what DotA is. Well, the younger ones at least...you know who you are!

In the game, there is this thing called a Chicken:

Here is the same Chicken. PWNED. In Segamat:

....

Another silly tag

2007-08-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Layer One : The Outside
Name : Chris
Birth Date : 5th Nov
Current Status : Single and loving it
Eye Colour : nicer than yours!
Hair Colour : nice :P
Righty or Lefty : Righty

Layer Two : On The Inside
Your Heritage : 50% Foochow, 50% Teochew...100% confused about why that matters so much anyway
Your Fear : Losing a loved one
Your Weakness : A nice smile
You perfect Pizza : Real italian ones, with paper thin crust drizzled with olive oil..

Layer Three : Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Your Thoughts First Thing When You Wake Up : Can I have five more minutes?
Bedtime : Not yet..
Your Most Missed Memory : Chilling on a beach in Australia

Layer Four : Your Pick
Pepsi or Coke : Pepsi
McDonald's or Burger King : Maccas
Single or Group Dates : Single dates.
Adidas or Nike : All Day I Dream About S**
Tea or Nestea : Tea. Nestea sounds real "nasty"
Chocolate or Vanilla : Chocolate
Cappucino or Coffee : Cappuccino

Layer Five : Do You ...
Smoke : No
Curse : Try not to. Doesn't sound good to the ears.
Take a Shower : Hah! Smell me!
Have a Crush : Yeah.
Think You've Been In Love: Yeah. Note the word "think"
Go To School : Yep.
Want To Get Married : Yeah.
Believe In Yourself : Hell yeah!
Think You're a Health Freak : No medical student is one anyway :P

Layer Six : In The Past Month
Drank Alcohol : Just a can of shandy. Dead sober otherwise.
Gone To The Mall : Yep.
Been On Stage : Yep. Once a guitarist, always a guitarist.
Eaten Sushi : Yep.
Dyed Your Hair : Nope. I cut off my dyed hair though

Layer Seven : Have You Ever ...
Played A Stripping Game : No
Changed Who You Were To Fit In : Fit in? Ahahaha! I CREATE the rules

Layer Eight : Age You're Hoping
To Get Married : early to mid 20's

Layer Nine : In A Girl/Guy
Best Eye Colour : Sparkling Brown
Best Hair Colour : Dark Brown
Short Hair or Long Hair : Long

Layer Ten : What Were You Doing
1 Min Ago : wasting my time on this
1 Hour Ago : nap time
4.5 Hours Ago : hugged and bid a friend farewell
1 Month Ago : Breathing?
1 Year Ago : Still breathing?

Layer Eleven : Finish The Sentence
I Love : hugs...and smiles
I Feel : happy and contented with my life
I Hate : insecurity and neediness
I Hide : my billions in a swiss account
I Need : more direction from Him up there

Layer Twelve : Tag Five People
Anna
Ben
Gary
Ji Keon
Anyone else on my contact list

Note to self: One saturday night

2007-07-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Was unusually silent last night...and of all nights for this to happen, bbq nite. Given the array of technical issues, the night sailed on through...on a bright note at that. Thank God! :)

well..although the same could not be said about the cleaning up. Stayed behind until 1am toiling with a small bunch of meddies clearing up the unsightly mess. Frikkin tired thereafter, my bed never felt so good..

But throughout the event,

I was by no means being myself that night. I was so exhausted. Drained. Not physically, as I had my emergency caffeine fix (2 red bulls!)...but in every other imaginable way. My appetite went down the drain. Neither was I in the mood to chat anyone up :(

Photographed the event, people and food. Tried my best to capture the atmosphere. Not eveyone enjoyed the attention by my freelance papparazi-ing. Forgive me, I needed something to keep myself distracted.

Got acquainted with some new faces. Enjoyed the company. Could have been better if I weren't feeling so detached.

Failed to pay attention when I should be listening. My words came out in bouts of verbal diarrhea.

Played the guitar and attempted a few songs. My lack of enthusiasm showed, I suppose. My voice quivered, lacking emotion..and you call that singing?

Just needed to write this as a reminder, a note to myself.

Perhaps I need a breather. I need a good laugh once in a while.

But I shouldn't let my current mood influence upon how I do things. But I suppose these things happen when you least expect it.

The Idiot's Medical Dictionary

2007-07-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Nabeh, very simple leh! No nid to becum loctor ah!

Antibody: against everyone

Artery: the study of fine paintings

Bacteria: back door to a cafeteria

Caesarean section: a district in Rome

Cardiology: advanced study of poker playing

Coma: a punctuation mark

Dilate: to live longer

Genes: blue denim slacks

Haemorrhoid: a male from outer space

Impotent: distinguished, well-known

Labour pain: hurt at work

Organ Transplant: what you do to your piano when you move

Protein: in favour of young people

Red blood count: Count Dracula

Secretion: hiding anything

Tablet: a small table

Terminal illness: getting sick at the airport

Urine: opposite of "you're out"

Varicose: very close

Vein: conceited

It's finally here

2007-07-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

It's out...

Done drooling yet?

If you buy me one, I'll be your best friend forever* :P

*until I grow bored of it, that is (sooner than you think)

Materialistic: My Fave Watches

2007-06-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

A watch is a watch right? They all serve the same purpose, obviously. To tell time. But alas, times are changing...and more people are using their mobiles for this purpose. But I can bet that the wristwatch's popularity will prevail well into the next century.

So what seperates a run-of-the-mill Swatch or Casio G-Shock from a top of the line Patek Phillippe? (or Rolex, Breitling, Vacheron Constantin or Omega for that matter)

You'd be surprised, but the cheapo G-Shock is no doubt a lot more accurate than any of its pricey cousins. A quartz movement trumps a mechanical movement anytime. But a mechanical movement is a hell lot more complex and difficult to produce, making it more desirable to enthusiasts and collectors. And a high-quality mechanical movement is truly a wonder to behold and gratifying to own.

But in the end, it all boils down to a matter of personal preference. Aesthetic values vary from one person to another. Just choose whatever suits your personality (and budget, duh!)

In my eyes, some watches seem to blow others out of the water when it comes to design or pure classiness. I personally like chronographs because they look functional yet sophisticated. I'm a sucker for minimalistic designs too. I'm not so much a watch enthusiast, but here are some of my picks. As the prices are OBVIOUSLY out of my league, I won't even consider purchasing one of these (until I start working). But what's wrong with just admiring? :)

1. TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph. Price: Around RM 10k

2. TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph Tachymetre. Price: RM 8-9k

3. Panerai Luminor GMT. Price: RM 20k

4. Omega Speedmaster Professional. Worn by astronaut Neil Armstrong when he first walked on the moon. Price: Around RM 10k

5. Bell & Ross BR01-92 Limited Edition. Price: Astronomical..You don't want to know!

AND

6. Swatch Irony Chronograph "Dark Phoenix". My current everyday watch. Price: RM 4xx

Be Glorified

2007-06-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

Originally by Chris Tomlin. Had a bit of time on my hands (and a guitar), so I recorded this short clip.

I dedicate it to no one else but the Creator.

Best excuse to be horny

2007-06-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Man...of all excuses horny men come up with to ogle women's assets. This one even looks official-ish. Read carefully...LOL!

I just wonder how they advertised for participants in this research...

Throw away your gym memberships, and wank away to porn instead? What is the world coming to.....

Happy Burp Day

2007-06-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my brother Frederick.

Sorry this is so late...but better late than never

Happy birthday bro! Glad to see you're enjoying yourself in sunny Brisbane.

May your faith and passion for Christ be as strong as ever.

And try not to break too many hearts along the way dude!

Q&A Time

2007-06-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

Q: Does being a medical student suck?

A:

literally

Q: Will she kill me for posting this?

A: Run for your life!! Dammit! RUN!!!

Getting up

2007-06-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

"The measure of a man is not how he falls

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

but how he gets up again."

Thanks Kern for sharing that with me. It has been 3 years since.

I'm normally quite averse to this, but my Archilles heel I decide to reveal.

My belief is that it takes a real man to admit his shortfalls.

I do so for my own personal growth.

Over these past few days, my confidence has been shaken. At times, I have been reduced to this anxious, cynical shadow of myself.

A hidden alter ego revealed.

My past scars reveal themselves, fresh as they have been years before.

Words unspoken have hurt me more than those audible. Silence has that effect on me. Makes me assume the worst.

Passion reveals its true form as pure pain. I've learnt the hard way that love is a constant sustained sacrifice.

It gets difficult when I feel I've got something to lose.

My aura of confidence, coolness and invincibility is nothing but a facade.

But this will not end as a recurring tale of defeat. It will be one of hope. And victory.

I will not let myself live in defeat.

Neither is it God's will.

So I'll pick myself up. And arise a stronger man.

Anomaly: A normality

2007-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Said a 1st year meddie friend about a colleague, "He talks a bit weird."

That unwittingly triggered a few stray neuron connections. A new revelation emerged from Davy Jones' Locker (Too much Pirates). Half baked as it is, it still registers in my frontal lobe as pure logic.

Whoa! This is bad...I'm relapsing into mediocrity.

I'm getting normal. Far too normal. This is a bad sign. Especially when I'm in my 2nd year.

I still yearn for what other people my age yearn for. Social acceptance, relationships and good ol' fun. Which is a BAD omen indeed. Plus, I'm still blogging!

Complacency has reared its butt-ugly head, especially after the exam postponement.

I'm supposed to be a mad med student. Literally. Those who sleep 5 hours a night, even alternate nights. Those who make flash cards months before exams. Those who can memorize the trade names of beta blockers and ACE inhibitors. Those who rub their hands with glee when asked to perform a prostate exam. Which reminds me, I should be anal. Anal retentive I mean. If I still harbor hopes of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. Or neurosurgeon. Or maxillofacial surgeon.

Surgery. That means giving up a lot of things in life. The warmth of friendships/relationships.........for the coldness of a scalpel.

Dammm...I'm supposed to be abnormal. See ya, blissful living. Goodbye simple things.

Just a thought

2007-06-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ah Sher, you said that a picture says a thousand words.

But doesn't a word paint a thousand pictures as well?...

Geek post: My Ex-es

2007-06-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

2006 was a crazy year of sorts. The number of laptops I bought and sold off within that year would astound even the most seasoned computer geek. If having laptops can be compared to having wives, I would be an amorous Mormon in Utah. Sans the inbreeding of course.

Here's a short catalogue of my past and present systems:

1. NEC E6000, Pentium M 1.6 GHz. My first laptop. Sold off to a guy who looks like Che Guevara.

2. HP Compaq, Pentium M 1.8 Ghz. A gaming beast. Sold off.

3. Apple Powerbook G4 Titanium, 550 Mhz. Spray painted it gold. Nickname, "Goldy". Serves as my second system.

4. Apple iBook G4, 1.33 Ghz. Reliable, but its tiny screen put me off. Sold off.

5. Apple iBook G3 Special Edition 366 Mhz. The 'toilet seat'. A snail, but in a nice shell. Sold off with a good profit margin.

6. Apple Powerbook G4 Aluminium, 1.0 Ghz. Nicest looking laptop. Very good speakers. Sold off because I wanted the macbook.

7. Apple Macbook Core Duo 2.0 Ghz. My current main system. Very reliable and serves me well in photo editing, video producing and sound mixing.

And the most interesting sight. Four Apple laptops in a row! ....

CF camp photos

2007-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Great setting at Genting

People

and finally sleepyhead Li Wen! Just don't kill me for posting this :P

Emo/Goth day

2007-06-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Med students are emo. Low thyroxine levels maybe?

with tak yee

From left: Yours truly, Anna, Shantz, Ben, Min Chiee

So emo they're killing each other. Alex looks like one of the rockers from 80's glam rock band Kiss

Craig Hassed, we NEED you! Mindfulness exercise, relaxation techniques and all that jazz.

What not to name your store

2007-06-05T08:20:00.001-07:00

Spotted at Sunway Pyramid:

"Mama, look at the fourskin cap I bought today."

Man, that is so wrong.

Racist washing machine

2007-06-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

My washing machine is racist. And you thought apartheid was long dead.

Think again...

Why the segregation? So the colors won't run! (Geddit?)

That's why I always choose whites and colors.

Phimosis Magazine: Make it happen!

2007-06-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is for all you monash medical students out there. Well, I don't usually publicize anything on my blog, but here goes:

Phimosis is a magazine by medical students, for medical students. The only way we could do this was through an official association, MUM Meds.

So, do contribute articles or other things to the mag such as recipes, jokes, and whatever you can think of. Regardless of whether you're a member of MUM Meds or not. Remember, only you can make it happen!

Submit them to me either personally or by email at chrizman2001@hotmail.com

Note to self

2007-06-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

The multitudes seek Happiness. And at the same time fail to appreciate Joy.

Happiness is circumstantial. It has to be fed through material, social and egoistical gain. Happiness is often selfish. Hence, the exclusive pursuit of Happiness is termed hedonism.

Joy ISN'T

Joy is rejoicing in the Hope you have. That comes through Faith. Faith in the Creator. Faith in His provision.

I'll choose Joy.

Memories: Beaches Down Under

2007-06-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

If you so happen to ask me what I miss most about Australia, one of the first few things that come to mind are its beaches. Here are some pics:

Bondi Beach, Sydney

Clear azure waters...

Breathtaking blue skies

Freemantle, Perth

When the sun sets..

stephy the poser :)

West Beach, Adelaide

Sorrento Beach, Melbourne

OCF Victoria Easter Camp '06

Mau Ren & Justin

and here's my hometown's beach in comparison:

Damai Beach, Kuching

No less beautiful, just different

Moving on

2007-05-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

I should have seen it coming,

I know, it was fast swift and cruel,

A heavy blow.

I'm sorry it didn't work out.

No one to blame but myself.

Hope you'll be fine again.

I took out the guitar,

and sang these lines till my fingers hurt.

I dedicate it to you.

When you're down and troubled

And you need some love and care

And nothing, nothing is going right

Close your eyes and think of me

And soon I will be there

To brighten up even the darkest night

You just call out my name

And you know wherever I am

I'll come running to see you again

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there yes I will

You've got a friend

What I've Learnt: 1st half 2007

2007-05-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

It has been approximately half a year since the last time I said my goodbyes and embarked on yet another journey in a new place, albeit one closer to home. New challenges, new passion, new distractions, new people and most impotantly, new hope. But I won't exactly call it a roller coaster ride. Life's been good, almost too good. I am grateful, truly grateful for the many blessings generously poured out for me. To describe it more aptly, my cup overflows.

Which brings me to these questions lingering over me. Have I learnt anything new? Have I grown into a better man, a better doctor (wannabe), a better friend, a better son? Those who know me may see things I've overlooked, and as my friend Anna eloquently puts it, I have changed substantially over these past one-and-a-half years. For the better, hopefully.

In brief introspection, here are the things I've learnt within this period:

1. I've learnt the importance of managing my priorities. If I fail to get them sorted out, nothing would be accomplished.

2. I've learnt the importance of relying on God, but I realise that He gave us brains to use, so why not act with wisdom...instead of whining helplessly to heaven?

3. I've learnt to appreciate people for who they are, to scratch beneath the surface and discover new perspectives on life. To savor their experiences and enjoy the warmth of company. And yearn for more, perhaps :)

4. To appreciate my parents for what they have done for me; their sacrifices allowing me to fulfill my potential and realise my dreams. Though I may not voice it out explicitly, this sense of gratitude has always been within me. And the older I get, the more I cherish them.

5. I've learnt the importance of being more decisive. Trust me, it really is the substance that seperates the men from the boys.

6. I've learnt to control myself from solving things I should more appropriately leave to God. It contradicts No. 2

7. I've learnt that obedience is better than sacrifice. God's Word can be powerful when I least expect it.

8. Advice can be the most valuable thing, or the most worthless. It depends on how the intended recepient takes it.

9. Too many bananas will stop the heart. And too much garlic will cause you to bleed to death!

I've experienced more than a new hairstyle.....

Plus new questions yet to be answered:

1. Will I ever get some privacy? I wonder if everyone with a room mate feels the same way. It gets me worked up in ways I do not expect. It's not a pretty sight.

2. Will I ever get the same amount of sleep I would like? Or would I have to adjust to the increasing workload and give up those few precious hours in the morning. You know, sleeping in? :P

3. Do some people deserve the problems they face? Have they brought it upon themselves?

4. Is it wrong to tell someone the truth about how you feel about them, even if it might offend them? But not telling them would be cruel, no?

5. Will I ever tell someone my true feelings for them? Eh-HEM...you know..I'm still new to this concept. I'm not that confident, even if looks may betray it. Must I act promptly, or take it easy? I'll opt for the latter at this moment, even though I may regret my decision later!

6. Am I metro? I do very well hope not

Or a change of cup size...but it's not my experience ;p

What They Say

2007-05-26T23:18:00.001-07:00

You know that song by Christina Aguilera that goes,

I'm beautiful
no matter what they say
'cos words can't bring me down...

I hear it blaring out in shopping malls and cafes around town. And I bet it must be the rallying cry to those who feel misunderstood and despised and all, yeah?

But that song makes me wonder sometimes, to what extent do I care how others perceive me to be? On one hand, there's this part of me that goes,

Be yourself. Yea, you DAA MAN. Don't give a damn what others think. It's their loss anyway.

on the other,

Oh, he/she said I'm a bit too nice/harsh/being an a**hole. I must not displease him/her. The sky is falling. God have mercy on me a forsaken sinner!

Well, I take for granted that I know this. It's in the balance. You must not be on either extremes. But there's something else really bothering me. You see, over these years, I've come to despise this line:

Oh, he's a nice guy

Perhaps I'm a bit sensitive, but it never fails to upset me when a friend of mine uses that to describe me. It sounds like reading an eulogy for a stranger. Well, to be honest, its not his or her fault. Maybe we're just not that close. Overly sensitive me.

But it really hurts when someone says that, and you know you could describe them better yourself. When you thought you knew each other better. Insults would be better, seriously. And we drift apart. With not even a passing thought about each other for the remainder of our ephemeral (note: mmmm...nice complicated word) life. And I thought we were friends.

Enough of that, here's what some of my friends or acquaintances have described me:

Shy, introverted- Ahh...that was true. Back in those days. And I thought I'd never grow out of it. But praise God, I can look back on it as a phase. A phase in life. But there are still some remnants, cookie crumbs you might say.

Sweet- Mmm....that's nice. Let me imagine how the conversation would continue:
Me: My, how sweet of you to call me sweet
Friend: That's awfully sweet of you to call me sweet
compliments continue indefinitely.......

Religious- Don't like that word too much. Implies snobbishness, 'holier than thou' aura, mindless adherance, routine. Which is not the actual case.

Clever- I'm flattered. But grades don't determine your level of intellect.

Hardworking- I'm sorry. Nothing could be further from the truth. I carry the anatomy book around just to remind me to study. It's all out of guilt.

Handsome- Haha, this pumps up my ego easily. Mostly from my friend's parents and old 'aunties' :P ....and disturbingly, the compliments come, disproportionately from those with the Y chromosome. Creepy. Enough said.

A Dipsh*t buddy- Thanks Brian! Really appreciate that. I'm not being ironic either. Miss being called that.

Marvin- The robot from "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". Ever depressed. Hopefully that's part of the past.

Chrissypoo, he needs to be more gentleman- from Steph Sii. Point taken.

Aiyoh, he cannot take care of himself. He's so absent minded- Mum, you win. But I'm learning.

But at the end of the day *cue random Grey's Anatomy music*...I'll repeat it...It's all in the balance. Halfway between being totally oblivious and being a crowd pleaser. Just remember to be true to yourself, no double life. And try to be like Him up there.

How would you like to be described anyway?

You know you're in med school when

2007-05-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

-You blame neurotransmitters for anything going wrong in your life

-You can have a conversation about the abscess you drained today while eating cream of broccoli soup without any problem at all. Or for that matter, over any kind of meal.

-You have named a dead person…and talked to them about your stresses while finding their lumbar plexus

-You know that specialties are pre-defined by personality type.

-When you go out with non-medical students, you're abnormally quiet, because you don't know what to talk about besides med school.

-You can name the four people in your class who are the question-asker, the arguer, the bigshot doctor's son/daughter and the stoner/alkie/druggie who's never IN class.

-You know countless dirty mnemonics for parts of the body, but couldn't tell anyone what the front-page headline today is.

-Your life consists of three parts: studying, drinking, and sleeping.

-You refer to the semesters you took organic chemistry as "The Good Old Days."

-You consistently tell people that they just don't understand how bad it really is.

-You don't bother dating because the divorce rate is 70% for physicians.

-You question every day if you should drop out and open a coffee shop, then realize that as soon as you were two semesters into med school, you were too far in debt to be anything but a doctor.

-People assume you know something when you tell them you're in med school, but you know that you haven't learned anything.

-You can name 3 specialties you're interested in, then immediately rule two of them out because they don't pay well enough to pay off your debt.

-You can name at least three people whose parents pushed them into med school, when they really wanted to be a vet/beautician/teacher/etc.

-A "study group" is you, your syllabus, and your red bull.

-You assess beverages for amount of caffeine before buying only those with more caffeine than coffee. Then you explain to the cashier how caffeine works for you.

-You've done physical exams on your roommate, boyfriend, girlfriend, and any close friends.

-You think "AWESOME!" if someone keels over in front of you.

-You're still excited to see "real patients."

-You speak only in acronyms and abbreviations; HIV, CMV, USMLE, Dx, Px.

-You meet someone and have to put off a date for months because you're crazy busy.

-Advisors tell you that you have to balance your life with med school, and then are baffled when you ask them how to do it.

-You've been told by at least 2 mentors that you really don't want to go into medicine.

-You're really frightened by the thought of some of your classmates becoming doctors.

-You go a week without sleeping with no problem at all.

-Grey's Anatomy, House, Scrubs, Dr. 90210, Nip/Tuck and ER are your favorite shows, but you point out all the wrong things in them all the time.

-You have diagnosed yourself or others with at least 5 rare diseases (PML, Kaposi's sarcoma, Measles, Rheumatic Heart Disease, etc.)

Reflection in chaos

2007-05-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

1500 word essay on Critical Learning Incident

Due date: 3 days

Current progress: 0.5% (I wrote my name)

Chaos, total chaos. But in this chaos, I begin to introspect. And experience another shift in perspective.

From that of a busy medical student, drowning in a heap of assignments and holding on for dear life to my spartan schedule. Meeting new people, keeping up with friends, remembering names, forgetting names. Maintaining exam grades. Cramming towards exams. Studying to avoid failure. Living in fear of failure. And hoping for the day when all of this will finally end, and enjoy the fruits of my labour. All in a day's work.

A mistake was made somewhere. Being stuck within that frame of mind.

Of living day to day

Where's my joy in seeking knowledge? My passion for people? My fondness of wisdom? My love of life?

I won't be another person trapped within the intricacies of life. A person too busy to live.

Walking through a forest: Exercise for the terminally bored

2007-05-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

Got tagged by a friend studying in Melbourne, for this. Seems interesting enough.

Section I: Write a story, by answering these questions as if you're telling a story.
So you're walking along in a forest. What season is it?

After a while, you come to a wall. What kind of wall is it? (height, material, shape, etc..)

What do you do about it?

Further in the forest, you happen upon a cup. Describe the cup.

What do you do with it (if anything)?

Next you spot a knife. Describe the knife.

What do you do with it (if anything)?

Next you come across a body of water. What type of body of water is it?

What do you do about it?

Finally, the path you seemed to have made for yourself looks like it ends at a cave. What do you think of it?

What do you do about it?

The End.

Section II: Here's what your story means:

The journey through the forest represents your life. The way you feel about the season you picked represents the way you feel about life. If it's winter in your story and you love winter, you are enjoying your life.

The wall represents your problems in life. The height, material, and shape is your view of your problems' surmountability. What you do about it is how you face your problems.

The cup means your friends. What you do with it is you feel about them or how you treat them.

The knife is your view of marriage. What you do with it is how you feel about it.

The body of water is your view of sex. Was it a large ocean of opportunity? Was it a dirty puddle? Did you jump in? Did you drink it up? Did you pass it by?

The cave is your view of death. If you went in, you are not afraid of death.

Here's Melissa's:

I’m walking along in a forest; it’s an autumn - silent. Everything is like a still photograph. Nothing moves. Nothing breathes.

After a while I come to a wall, half buried in foliage, and rising up to my breast – I can see the horizon, still.

I touch the wall, and say something out loud. And then I move on.

Someone’s left a cup – it’s disposable, used. Small, plastic and discarded, with water left on the brim – not coffee, not wine – water. It too, is clean, like the wall. No dirt, no soil – just like the person holding it had let it fall from their fingertips and vanished.

I leave it. It feels like its final resting place.
Someone’s bread/cake knife is lying on top of the leaves as if deliberately placed there.

I leave it, and move on.

I come across a lake, an opening, in the forest that’s large.

I sit on the wharf, lean on a post, and dip my feet in.

I come across a shallow cave, It’s dry, untouched. I feel mildly disappointed; I’d wanted a way out, to somewhere better than a cave. Somewhere better than a dead end.

WHAT THE FUCK?!?! I WROTE ALL THAT FOR A STUPID CAVE?!!

I pick up a sharp rock and draw a simple message into the back wall, and walk away.

The End

Here's how mine goes:

Im walking through a forest, its summer, the air is moist but cool.

I come across an old stone wall. It's all covered in moss...and I stare at the creepy crawlies scurrying around.

I chose not to climb it because of the bugs. A section of the wall is in ruins. I walk through the gap.

I stumble across a cup. It looks more like a bowl. A wooden bowl with intricate tribal carving on its outer surface. I pick it up and peer inside it. Dark rusty colour. Must have been sacrificial blood. I flung it away in disgust.

I found a knife. Cool. Antique bronzy thing. Same intricate carving around the handle. I balance it on my hand. Mmm...nice craftmanship. I wonder how much I can get for it on eBay. It goes in my backpack.

Nearby, I spotted a spring. I immediately felt thirsty and drank from it. Nice cool refreshing water.

Hmm..the path leads to what looks like a large cave. Seems interesting. I enter it, expecting to see more remnants of some ancient tribal civilization.
Ze End

I hereby tag: Anna, Ben Gary, Min Chiee,Su Wen, Faye, Mau Ren, Li Mae, Ah Sher, Ji Keon, Li Wen, Pinkster and whoever else I know. Sorry, but too many names to remember. The more the merrier :P

Tagged?

2007-05-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Been tagged by Faye. Getting late, but here goes..

1. Color of most clothes you own?
I don't keep track. Do stains count?

2. Number of pillows you sleep with.
One and a half. I place the bigger one over the smaller.

3. Where are you right now?
Why are you stalking me?

4. What are you doing 12 AM last night?
You won't know :)

5. How old will you be in 10 years?
29

6. What do you think you'll be doing in 15 years?
Brooding and being cynical...wait.......that's Dr. House

7. Do you have braces?
Never. They look good on some girls ;-)

8. Are you paranoid?
I'm paranoid of being paranoid.

9. Describe your wallet?
A bit garish, Topman, in black and red

10. Your alarm clock?
Is my Nokia N70

11. Your hair?
Kame-hame-ha. A cross between dragonball and ultraman

12. Tooth brush?
Manual, plastic, cheap

13. What color are your eyes?
Black? Brown? Somewhere in between

14. Unforgettable enemy?
Myself

15. First play/musical/performance?
Don't remember. Probably as a band geek on the snare drum.

16. Last movie seen in cinema?
Shooter...not bad, but pretty confusing story

17. Last person you yelled at?
My room mate when he scratches himself in the wee hours..drove me nuts

18. Last crush?
She doesn't know, probably. Let's keep it that way for now.

19. Last shoes worn?
Nikes. Don't like the logo though. Too flashy

20. Last ice cream eaten?
My daily Blackforest Blossom Cornetto :)

21. Last word written by hand?
My name

22. Last time you wanted to die?
When I die

23. When was the last time you went out at night?
To a mamak with a friend, sat night

24. What was the last song you heard?
You Get What You Give, New Radicals

25. What is about the opposite sex?
Takes a deep breath... :)

26. What do you want to do now?
Catch some shut eye, its getting late

27. What’s the first thing you ate this morning?
My toothpaste...accidentally

28. What’s the one song you never get over?
Your Heart Will Lead You Home, Kenny Loggins

30. Fav day of the week?
Monday

I hereby tag: Anna, Ben Gary, Min Chiee,Su Wen, Faye, Mau Ren, Li Mae, Ah Sher, Ji Keon, Li Wen, Pinkster and anyone else reading this.

note to self

2007-05-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

obedience beats sacrifice

The double dare

2007-05-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

Finally completed the hair dye double dare thing with Hui Sze (pronounce her name fast enough and you get "weasel")

Result.

Venipuncture

2007-05-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Definition: Jamming a needle into someone's (another meddie's) arm and praying that you really hit a vein.

Puncturing a vein would result in haematoma (mine won't go away for a few weeks), an artery (a nice red fountain), a tendon (intense pain), the median, radial or ulnar nerve (loss of sensation/function or both)

Ignorance is bliss.

I felt strangely patriotic after that, because my arm ended up speckled in Malaysia's flag colours. Red, yellow, blue and white.

Too bad we couldn't bring back vials of our own blood. That would have been cool. Ah well.

Breast Examination

2007-05-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

a.k.a. "how to ~~stare at~~ examine and ~~prod akwardly at~~ palpate female assets without being an actual pervert"

Tons of good clean fun for the kids. Or not.

Everything Fades Away

2007-05-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit depressed, so I wrote this song to pass the time. The chords are for guitar obviously.

And an early recording:

Everything Fades Away

V1

E A
The storm clouds gathering
B A
Little Voices telling me that
C#m B A B
The future's quit smiling back at me

E A
Joy's sitting in a prison cell
B A
Suffering's out on a long parole
C#m B A B
When will justice come on back

V2

E A
The shades of fear and hate
B A
Starts rearing its ugly head
C#m B A B
Will forgiveness cease to prevail

E A
My tongue's a lashing whip
B A
Belts out all hostility
C#m B A B
It's victims are closest to me

Pre-chorus:

F#m B
I wonder if I'll make it
F#m B
And finish this race called life

Chorus:

C#m A B
But when I'm in your presence
C#m F#m B
Everything fades away
C#m A B
You pick me up when i've fallen
F#major A
And give me hope to believe

Silence

2007-05-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ever felt the urge to speak disappear when you're with someone?

And whats left is a silence, a void of sound...save for the background noise, crickets chirping etc.

This silence can either be comforting or painfully akward, depending on who you're with. I suspect the latter is more common between the two genders.

As for me, it's a strange mixture of both. Communicating is not all about talking. Nor about being funny or interesting. Sometimes, chemistry between two souls is strongest when no words are exchanged at all. When I stone, it does not mean I lost interest in you. My mind's just blank, like a slate. Still appreciate the company though.

Silence speaks volumes.

Perhaps this gives new meaning to 'SHUT UP'. Just my five cents.

Remembering Australia: The first few moments

2007-04-17T06:24:00.001-07:00

It was in January 2005 that I first stepped foot on this land called Oz. The first sentence of Aussie I heard was from the the guy arranged to pick me up from Perth International Airport:

Driver: G'day, you must be Chris
Me: That's right. Nice to meet you.
Driver: So, you came here TO DIE?
Me: .............

Go figure.

Priceless

2007-04-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

Taxi ride to Sunway Pyramid: RM 5.00

Getting hair cut at 'A Cut Above": RM 40.00

Fulfilling lifelong desire to be a walking billboard: Priceless. Bloody Priceless.

1st Year Posers

2007-04-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

I thought that I was the biggest poser......until I saw this piccie. Looks like the first year meddies are total pros at this. A-high a-five! (Borat voice)

From left: Shazeea, Joel, Ali, Hui Sze+Raye, Wee Shuan, Aiman

Who's this old guy?

2007-04-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

One week to exam, so I'm desperately hitting the books. After about an hour of studying in the library, I decided to take 5 and have a short stroll to relax. Guess who I saw? Some old white bearded guy in an off-white suit. With a bunch of eager-looking college staff following him around. Naturally curious, I went to take a closer look.

As I suspected, he wasn't just a random person coming for a visit. I learnt from a staff member that he was Sir Chris Bonington, a mountaineering legend and adventurer in Britain. Apparently, he led many expeditions up Everest, K2, and other dangerous peaks over the past 40 years. Plus, he's still climbing after all these years! And I read his book 'K2-The Story of the Savage Mountain' a long time ago. Pretty inspiring. So, yeah...on to photo op time with shameless me..

The famous Chris with the not-so-famous Chris

Looks can be deceiving eh? I guess I should give climbing a try when I have the time. Probably not K2 or Everest. Mount Kinabalu anyone?

Funny restaurant

2007-04-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Went to Anna's CF along with Alex and Laura on Friday. After that, we had lunch at Asia Cafe. Walking towards the food stalls, something caught my eye and I coudn't help smiling........................

A restaurant painted pink, and appropriately named Pin Kee (pronounced as 'Pinky')

And guess what? Just above it is CSI: ~~Las Vegas~~ ~~Miami~~ Muzik Studio!

I can only imagine how it looks like inside there:

Being a man: Being decisive

2007-04-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry ladies, this may not really be of use to you. Maybe otherwise. But I target this at the guys, the men, the males, my brothers. It also serves as a personal note to myself. You may call it self improvement, I call it self awakening.

As a male, a man-in-the-making, a growing Christian man....I have always wondered, what qualities make a true man. Would it be enjoying sport and be good at it? Or enjoying a few pints with some mates? I guess girls would generally dismiss most manly behaviour as childish, even undesireble. But come to think of it, God hardwired or brains differently. Ask any girl what their perfect male would be, and they would likely answer..

"oh ya, i'd like him to be tall, smart, articulate, caring, good husband material, sensitive, charming..bla bla bla..."

Yeah, you got that clearly. But then, when such a man comes along, the girl would say:

"hmm, he's too perfect. He's probably gay"

But I'm digressing here. Guys, wer'e not talking about what women want in us, we're talking about what we want in ourselves. In my opinion, there is something important seperating boys from MEN.

It's DECISIVENESS. That's right, DECISIVENESS...or rather the lack of it, INDECISIVENESS

Men are decisive. Better, men are SUPPOSED to be decisive.In prehistoric times, men HAD to be decisive. If there was a female nearby, you had to think fast, club her over the head, and drag her back into your cave. Failing to decide and act meant failing to spread your seed, and you know what that means..extinction.

But these days, the qualities of an ideal man has gone through some transformation. For the worse I fear. Just watch sappy TVB and Korean dramas. We are expected to be accomodating and tolerant towards the fairer gender, and among ourselves to boot. While I do agree to some extent that we should be sensitive and all, I believe that a lot of us have taken it to an extreme. And thus, we have the whiners, the people pleasers, the fence-sitters. Indecisive boys we are, and I'm still in the process of escaping.

"our level of manliness nowadays"

Firstly, let's look at the factors preventing us from being decisive.

BEING A CROWD PLEASER.
Definitely something I'm avoiding currently. Back when I was in primary school, I was the good boy. The one getting good grades, the one pleasing the teachers and my parents. Boy, it felt good to receive approval. But I knew it was wrong. If you really love others, be honest with them, even if its brutal. To sugar coat things and refrain from critism would be plain selfish. This isn't kindness, it's manipulation.

FEAR OF REJECTION.
I can safely say that most of you wll share this fear to some extent. Probably one of my deepest fears and I'm still overcoming it gradually. Its like: "I cant decide, because you may not like it, it may be wrong, you may reject me." That is just cowardice. If someone rejects you for a wrong decision, accept it and move on with your life. It's not easy, but that's crucial to being a true man.

FEAR OF BEING WRONG.
For the anal-retentive among you out there. Sure, a lot of us are perfectionists. But sometimes, we are put into situations where quick decisions need to be made. Just like the last PCL, where a junior doctor was left with a dying patient with an acute hemothorax. He performed a chest drainage, but a slight error cost the patient her life. He found it difficult to move on. But he did what he had to do. A quote I remembered while watching Battlestar Galactica (a sci-fi series) goes something like this.

A true man may not always make the right decisions, but he accepts his mistakes, though he may not admit it publicly, and moves on.

WANTING TO KEEP OPTIONS OPEN.
Face it, we can't be indecisive when it comes to important things. When I chose Medicine, it means I'm choosing against Music or Arts. Don't blame me, I'm also very interested in them. But sometimes you have to let things go, because they may affect your effectivity. I do not regret my decision, even though I'm sacrificing things dear to me. But I still hope to teach my children guitar when the time comes :) Same applies to when it comes to God. As Jesus said: "You are either for me or against me. Whose side are you on?" There is no grey area. If your heart is not fully with God, then you are against Him. Ah, I struggle with that sometimes. Lots of temptation and doubts. Alcohol, social life and expectations. What's right and what's wrong. Sometimes, I put one foot in godly things, and the other in worldly things. I want the best of both worlds, though I know it's wrong. Many of us do that. I'm in the process of changing that, though I find it difficult.

I want to be a man, a better man. I'll start by overcoming indecisiveness first. One step at a time. Here's another quote I found to be so true:

"Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton

Audioblog: Better Together

2007-03-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Trust me, I'm not so into singing. But I can't help but like Jack Johnson's Better Together. So, hear this pirated malaysian cover by me:

Thanks Christine for lending me your guitar.

And for the laydees, the fumbling sound in the background is of gary changing :P

Of Being a Banana

2007-03-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I'm a banana. A member of the Chinese community with almost zero proficiency in Mandarin. I can't speak Mandarin to save my life, yet alone have meaningful conversation with a pure Mandarin speaker. I might be able to pick up a few words, but pair me with a Mandarin speaker and we'll be like a chicken and a duck in the same cage.

And knowing a few Hokkien and Mandarin profanities does not count either. That still makes you a banana. A twinkie. You know, as they say, yellow outside, white inside. A 'guay lo' or 'ang moh' in yellow skin. Heck, bananas think and dream in one language; English. And to American/Australian Born Chinese (ABCs), I feel you too.

Bananas blend in pretty well

With almost a quarter of the world speaking Mandarin, bananas may feel a little bit left out. Well, maybe VERY left out. As bananas are of Chinese descent, they are considered outcasts by some of their Mandarin speaking cousins, as a Chinese not knowing Mandarin is like Spongebob without Patrick. I know, BAD analogy, but you catch my drift. Bananas often have bad encounters with older generation Chinese, who scold them for not knowing their mother tongue. Face it, they probably think we are retards! Some bananas try to speak Mandarin, with weird intonation...and their conversations may probably end up like this:

(At a local Malaysian hawker centre)

Banana(thinking): I need to take a piss. Where's the damn toilet? I'm gonna ask that laksa hawker.
Banana: Err...excuse me...Wo Yao Chi Cheh Suo ( I want to eat toilet)
Hawker: Hah? Sheh Mer? Ni Yau Chi Sheh Mer? (Huh, what do you want to eat?)
Banana: Wo Yao Chi Cheh Suo! ( I want to eat toilet!)

...Hawker takes it as a personal insult and beats up the poor surprised banana...

Among some Chinese communities, bananas are thought of as snobs as most of them speak somewhat superior English. However, this perception is wrong in most cases as most bananas are like everyone else. Some of us at least try to speak Mandarin, okay? Only those bananas who insist that the "Queen's English" is the only civilised language should be frowned upon. Luckily for us, they are a but a tiny minority among bananas. Male bananas are also placed at a disadvantage, as most Mandarin speaking chicks are beyond their reach. As for the female bananas, you ask them yourself! :P

Should I be proud of being a banana? I can't answer that question, but yeah....I'm definitely not ashamed of myself! Diss us and face the consequences.

Back in the fray

2007-03-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while since I last blogged, and I apologize for the hiatus.

Anyway, it's already into my fourth week of 2nd year medicine. It's pretty much the same as what I had last year, only with a smaller bunch of meddies, plus 60 fresh-faced 1st years. I'm already starting to feel a tinge of regret for leaving some of my close pals behind in Melbourne.

But alas, due to inevitable financial reasons, here I am, smack in the middle of bustling Bandar Sunway, hopefully awaiting the moment when I can finally swear the Hippocrates Oath, and then get treated like sh*t as a hapless intern. Its worth it, I repeat to myself. Just worth it.

As the new university campus is still under construction as of now, the only faculty available is, you guessed it, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Everyone else will move in by the next semester, July being my best guess. In my opinion, the facilities in the new Malaysian are comparable to those in Clayton, except for the damn plastic lecture theatre seats. Everything is brand new and shiny. I do miss the sickly sweet smell of cadavers back in Clayton, as these are replaced by plastinated (think petrified like in Harry Potter) human beings in the new campus. Prodding the brain with my fingers didn't feel too special, as the cadavers are literally part-plastic and part-organic!

Lectures, tutes and pracs are conducted in the same way here, with local professors-cum-doctors replacing their Australian counterparts. The lecturers are more accessible to students and are way more flexible compared to some of the more jaded and weary professors we had back in Clayton campus. It's a plus in a way, and hopefully it'll stay that way in the future.

I'll be having my clinical visits soon (tomorrow!). And my biggest challenge here is yet to be overcome, more specifically dealing with patients who may or may not speak English. After all, I'm a banana...the species of Chinese incompetent with their mother tongue. I can just imagine myself interviewing my patient:

Me: Good morning, Mrs Tan. I would like to ask you a few questions. Would that be fine with you?

Mrs Tan: You ask me for what? Oke lor.

Me: Thank you Mrs Tan. Firstly, what brings you here?

Mrs Tan: My husband drive me here la.. Why u ask??

Me: Uh, sorry...I mean, what are you here for?

Mrs Tan: Ni hui zhiang hua yu ma? Wo de tu zhi hen tong.

Me: Erm..(long pause)..tu zhi tong....you mean your stomach hurts? I'm sorry Mrs tan, I can only listen to Mandarin, cannot really speak.

Mrs Tan: Aiya, ni bu hui zhiang hua yu? What lar...even three year old can speak better than you! Not malu one! And you call yourself doctor summore! -_-"

Me: :-(

Damn! I only had experience interviewing Aussies. I guess I've got a lot of learning to be done. My Malay is still functional, and my next stop, Tamil! Wish me luck cos I'm gonna need it.

Gone for a moment

2007-02-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

I've just started 2nd year med in monash malaysia...no internet sadly. Will be back once i get the aforementioned.. Be patient lah!

/>
New campus, new lecturers, new beginning...same long hours...zzzzzz

If I Had a Million Dollars: Hokkien vs English

2007-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've listened to these two songs before, and I figure they pretty much mean the same thing. Enjoy!

Maybe in 10 years time...Bwhaha!

If I Had a Million Dollars (Barenaked Ladies)

Na Si Gua Ooo Ji Pa Ban (Some Hokkien Singer)

Who's a friend, who's an acquaintance?

2007-02-14T01:18:00.000-08:00

Adult Friend Finder: Now that's friendship!?!

I know, It's supposed to be Valentines Day. But like anyone who's still reading this, and not going out with their soul mate/life-partner/other half/fuzzywuzzum babypoo...my heart reaches out to you. But don't go on and masturbate to hentai, monkey porn, or whatever you're into after this. Now that's just plain sad. Instead, stop whining about being single and move on with your life.

I did.

So instead of writing about the usual mushy lovey dovey stuff on Valen-stein Day, I'm gonna talk about friendship.

"to have a single friend is better than having many acquaintances."

I came across this on jamie's blog. It kept me awake thinking about it. Yeah, I'm an insomniac, but it's nice to settle down and do a little soul searching once in a while.

First of all, how do I define a friend? Reminiscing about my friends produced this list:

Someone who...

enjoys long meaningless conversations that lead nowhere
and listens too..
gets into heated arguments, but it dies out eventually
enjoys a nice cold beer sometimes
has annoying habits
compromise, compromise, compromise
treats me to lunch when I'm broke
enjoys a game of pool
goes to church with
does not got to church with
is taken for granted sometimes
someone I'm comfortable with
gets worked up over petty issues
never keeps a grudge
vowed to see each other again after parting ways
shared interests...................and the list goes on

But what differenciates a friend from an acquaintance? Sometimes, we tend to drift apart as friends after a while. It's a normal thing. But we remain friends for a reason. The answer that came to me was plain, straight and simple...But that's the Zen of it.

'SOMEONE YOU CAN TRUST'

So, I've somehow figured it out...According to the Theory of Chris, friendship is a form of social contract. The contract is sealed and binded by mutual trust. If trust is broken, the social contract is broken. So, friendship ends. That's how many friendships tragically end. Relationships too.

What are your thoughts about this? I'm interested in hearing your opinion. Perhaps I oversimplified it somewhere.

Ah Beng: Malaysia and Singapore's Pride

2007-02-13T00:59:00.000-08:00

In continuation with my post on Ah Lians, let me continue with their trusty male counterparts, the Ah Beng. There are not many Ah Bengs, the sole reason being no one wants to admit being one!

The Ah Beng

Ah Beng is a type of race found in Malaysia and Singapore. They can be divided into two sub-races, the Hokkien Ah Beng and the Canto Ah Beng. The Hokkien Ah Beng is usually found in Singapore and certain parts of Malaysia such as Kuching and Penang. Canto Ah Bengs are usually found around the Klang Valley.

Distribution of Ah Bengs in South East Asia, c. 2007

The Ah Beng are of often mistaken as Chinese gangsters. Although all Chinese "pai kia" are Ah Bengs, not all Ah Bengs like to fight. Nows-aday, most Ah Beng can be found in cybercafes playing DotA or in snookeriums or pubs. Ah Bengs are also known as 'Lala Chai'.

"Kua simi kua, lu lan pa tua? KNNBCCB!"

Ah Bengs are unique because they evolve into another subculture, the ah Pek. But sometimes, they may even turn into the renowned CheeKoPeks(tm)

Identifying an Ah Beng is a simpler task than identifying an Ah Lian. First, look at their hairstlye. Towards the end of the last milennium, Ah Bengs used to sport the 'Golden Monkey' hairstyle. Nows-aday, the Ah Bengs try to match their hairstyle with the Japanese youth or their favourite Taiwanese/Hong Kong/Japanese/Korean boy band. Sadly, most end up looking like the unholy spawn of a drunken night between a rooster and a monkey. Most of them are usually quite skinny too.

Golden Monkey hairstyle, circa 1997

The current Ah Beng hairstyle, circa 2006

Ah Bengs are less fussy about their style of clothing than Ah Lians. The current trend is towards tight-fitting button downs. The first three buttons must always be undone, and a metal chain necklace is preferable. Dragon or punk inspired designs are a plus. Fake designer jeans with a boot cut are fashionable. Basically, anything that can make you look like a Korean/Taiwanese/Japanese pop star will do. The Ang Mohs (westerners) tend to view their fashion as totally gay.

F4: Who the Ah Bengs want to be

The Ah Beng are famous for their colourful language, which can reduce the most fearsome of pirates into nervous wrecks. Most of their language revolves around mothers, genitals and procreation. The most famous of these is KNNCCB. Other than their mother tongue of Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka or Cantonese, they speak a form of english called Benglish.

Eg. "You listen to him karaoke. His voice kana sai lai dat."
Translation: "Listen to his singing. He sounds like sh*t."

Ah Bengs are wannable Japanese boy racers. As some can't afford japanese cars like the Nissan Skyline or Honda Integra, they make do with heavily modified Kancils or Kelisas. Every Ah Beng is a master of zng-ing(pimping) their ride. They usually kit their cars with custom spoilers and side skirts. Not forgetting the most important of them all, the bone rattling, rthymic(hmmm) subwoofer. This serves to announce the Ah beng's royal presence to everyone within a 500 metre radius.

Ah Beng's dream car

Ah Beng's real car

So ends my observation on our proud Ah Beng heritage. A final word of advice:

If you ever get into a fight with an Ah Beng and he challenges you to a one-on-one brawl, never ever trust his word. Chances are, his kakia Ah Beng Ah Seng will be hiding behind dustbins ready to join their brahder if he needs help. And they will hoot you upside down. So, always bring along your own kakia. :P

For your entertainment, here's a video clip of Ah Beng tetno by some Singaporeans:

and this:

Doctors Recommend..

2007-02-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, let's go back to those good ol' days, when there was no such thing as lung cancer.

Little surprise there, bacause most doctors back then were literally chimneys.

Valenstein Day

2007-02-12T00:50:00.000-08:00

In Malaysia, Valentine's Day is commonly mispronounced as Valen-stein Day. So, here is a card I made, specially to all you 'lomantiks' out there!

Uhh!! Need love....

Uniquely Malaysian: The Ah Lian

2007-02-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

In accordance to Visit Malaysia Year 2007, I would like to do my part in promoting Malaysia's rich and vibrant tapestry of cultures and traditions.

In Malaysia, in addition to our different races and religions, we have subcultures that transcend all of these...for example, bananas, mat rocks (endangered species in East Malaysia), the usual Bengs/Lians, trendy Minahs, high-achieving elitists, CheeKoPeks (tm) and the now famous Matt Rem-Pitts (Brad Pitt's adopted children?) to name a few.

Brad: Adoptive father to Matthew Rem-Pitt

Some of you will dismiss all these as stereotypes, and your eyeballs are probably halfway rolled up into their sockets already. Everyone hates being put into a box, right? Haha, cool down..cheer up emo kid and stop cutting yourself...and take all this with a pinch of salt!

Today, let us look at a group of special people that make Malaysia (and SIngapore) such a unique place to be:

AH LIANS

According to legend, Ah Lians can trace their heritage way back to the great matriarch Xiao Gurrl. The honorable Xiao Gurrl was said to have invented neoprint camwhoring. But the accuracy of this statement is widely disputed. The 16 year old Japanese schoolgirls, who also stake claim to this acheivement, beg to differ.

"They stole it from us", testifies angry japanese schoolgirl

Now let us proceed on to identifying them. The physical characteristics of an Ah Lian varies greatly. In layman's terms, got some pretty and some not-so lah! Ah Lians typically have long rebonded straight hair, athough some may choose the more "romantic" wavy style. Ah Lians love to dye their hair into a dirty-blondish colour. But nows-aday, it's fashionable among women to have rebonded hair, so you'll have to look harder!

Ayumi Hamasaki, with Ah Lian hairstyle

Ah Lians also have a dress code they adhere religiously to. The typical Ah Lian wears a revealing tube top or spaghetti strap. Tops should be tight-fitting and small, regardless of body size and shape. They usually match this with tight low-cut jeans or denim miniskirts. The risk for zao geng is notoriously high compared to the general female population (CheeKoPeks rejoice!). Certain brands have become more popular among the Ah Lian crowd, most notably PMK, Giordano and VonDutch (the ones bought at a bargain from pasar malams)

"Good place to find branded stuff, budden hor, donno why so cheap", says Ah Lian

On to the less superficial stuff. Ah Lians are amazingly social people, and they are often seen with their group of Jie Meis ("sisters" in Mandarin, for the uninformed). They tend to prefer their JieMei's to be a bit less chio (pretty) than them. Their favourite haunts include Sungei Wang Plaza (KL) and Wisma Saberkas (Kuching). They tend to frequent boutiques that sell ~~slutty~~ ~~sexy~~ cute outfits, and most importantly, pink ones! Bubble tea bars rely on the Ah Lian/Beng community to survive. They speak a loose mix of mandarin, hokkien, cantonese and broken english. They are exceptionally fluent in "Hokkien chau wa" but reserve this for catfights and so on. The best place to find an Ah Lian is at a Wang Lee Hom or Jay Chou concert. Leng-chais (Handsome Guys) such as them have a huge Ah Lian fanbase. On Valentine's Day, they would expect a ton of plush animals from their Beng "lomeos".

Ah Lian Sentral, in Kay Elle

Lee Hom: Object of worship

Ah Lians are also prominent on social networking websites, namely Friendster. You can identify them by their screen names, which tend to be super-cute. Some people consider these plain annoying or stupid. But I myself consider them unique in a Malaysian way :)

Eg. MILKster PINKy baobei Pinkalicious missiprincess dolli CoCo LaLa xiaokeaiix. Note that they tend to name their pets similarly.

Typical Ah Lian Profile

In their friendster profiles, they include strange details about themselves, namely their height, weight and pet names. They also tend to add friends indiscriminately, necessitating the creation of several accounts. The more friends they have, the more secure they feel. They have a distinct vocabulary, with liberal use of "wOr" "nEhz" 'kEkEx' "mAhz" and usually TyPE LiKe tHis as they regard this as cute. Ah Lians are notable camwhores, and together with socialites account for more than half of all camwhores in Friendster. They try their best to make their profile photos as cute as possible. Some edit their photos with Microsoft Paint to emulate neoprint stickers. AND the more demure ones tend to use Jay Chou or some other celebrity as their profile pic.

Typical Ah Lian profile

A chio Ah Lian camwhoring

So ends my short observation on our unique and wonderful Ah Lians. Without them, Malaysia will just not be Malaysia. Malaaayyyssiiiaa Trruulllyyy Asssiiiiaaa!

..

...

....

.....

......

My Ah Lian Pic, kekexz

DAMN GHEY ONE!

Remembering 2006: Monash Anatomy Museum

2007-02-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Monash University Anatomy Museum, off-limits to anyone else to the uni but medical and science students. Here's a sneak peek.

Not for the easily disturbed.

Good if you're curious..

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

The anat museum hosts a variety of human specimens (couldn't find a better word) ranging from plastinated models to wet specimens preserved in formaldehyde solution. Hence the sweet smell emanating from the museum.

The preserved head and upper torso. I can't seem to determine his/her gender. May be disturbing to some. But gives me a sense of peace, if not dignity.

Upper limbs in various stages of dissection. Students usually gather around here post dissection for a de-briefing and summary by the facilitators. This is when you start asking questions if you have doubts.

Bible quiz?

2007-02-10T07:40:00.001-08:00

You know the Bible 93%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

93%?, 93%? Right.

This is utter crap.

But it reminds me what I'm missing out on.

God save me.

That said, it's better to be a doer than claim to be knowledgeable. And that includes me!

Short reflection: 2006, Melbourne

2007-02-09T23:49:00.001-08:00

Recycled from my old blog, 16 Dec 2006

It's been a while since I returned from Melbourne. A short year by my standards I suppose, but what a year! A flurry of warm friendships, ridiculous cramming, lecture-skipping, drunken nights, online shopping, jaywalking and other such pursuits. And what have I gotten out of it you say?

you know that already

male-burn city

the usual drunk bastards :D

Plenty.

Throughout this year, I'm aware that I've changed in some aspects. I have all but lost my sense of competitiveness, a legacy of the early years dad hounded me over my results. So, no more Mr. Kiasu, for now. However, I'll keep in mind not to let complacency take over....Rome wasn't built in a day you see..

"narcissism is necessary...don't barf just yet!"

Personal appearance and taste in clothing, something that has taken a back seat in my life for ages, ahhh..that's becoming more important. A taste of something better, courtesy of the likes of armani or versace...has left me quite smitten. And you can bet I'll be back for more.

Just kidding there!...i'm not that into that sort of excess. Very metro. Not forgetting my obvious lack of mullah, or "something-that-rhymes-with-honey". But as you can see, i'm sadly becoming more superficial. and hating myself more for that....the angst! :P

Sad to say, I think I've gotten more cynical over these months..my pal calls it maturity...i'd think otherwise. I'd see the negative side of things...a departure from my usual rose-tinted view of the world. Politics,events, policies, mostly from my home county..leave me flustered and irritated. Same goes for matters closer to heart..friendships, relationships, God..Don't give me that half full half empty crap. I NEED rehabilitation! X-(

And, God, not forgetting God,......who brought me there...watched over me...provided...fed....though I still have unresolved doubts and issues...there's still unmovable faith...ahh, faith, that's what keeps me moving on.

Oh yea, let me also announce a vacancy for a personal back scratcher. The humid weather has left me itchy...very itchy. Scratch my back and i'll scratch mine!

Dissection Revisited

2007-02-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

This excerpt was taken from my old blog, dated 22 Sep 2006.

There has always been a morbid fascination among people (including yours truly) concerning death. As a medical student, death is something I have to come to terms with, and most physical experiences I have dealing with this would be in the dissection hall. In small groups around a cadaver, we would learn a lot about human anatomy through observation of dissection by the demonstrators. Following that, we would be the ones dissecting, but not rarely without disasterous results :P

To be honest, I was initially rather disturbed by the place in general, even a touch disgusted by it. The place seems to have a rather peculiar aura emanating from it, not least from its distinctive smell. The sickly sweet aroma of formaldehyde barely masks the underlying stench of decay and faeces, especially when approaching the cadavers. Buckets below the dissection trays serve to collect bodily fluids and excess formaldehyde solution. Rows upon rows of body bags serve as a grim reminder of how ephemeral life is.

Months pass by, with the dissection hall losing its initial shock factor and mystery. The smell is something I got used to, as with "carving" skin, fat and fascia with the scalpel and prying them apart with my fingers. The often confusing task of identifying muscles, nerves, and blood vessels provides me with a sense of detachment from what, or more appropriately who im working on.

The cadavers are devoid of much dignity, with intimate members fully exposed and some with split or missing heads. Body details such as manicured fingernails and tattoos are eerie relics of a life once lived. The only thing that seperates them from us is time.

Contrary to the perceptions of most people, you do not often lose your appetite after dissections. As dissection times are placed before, say, luchtime or dinner...you tend to get hungrier during and after dissections. In fact, some medical students go on to say that "the smell of formaldehyde makes people hungry!" 0-o

In retrospect, this ongoing experience makes me think twice about donating my body to science. While I really look up to those who have made the decision, I doubt that they will be pleased with what they see...but I guess they wont be living by then anyway. It brings a new meaning to the saying "ignorance is bliss".

I truly hope this brings some insight into what goes on here in the dissection hall.

Canto song by African Brit

2007-02-09T04:54:00.000-08:00

This dude is good. For a Brit of african descent. Puts Honkies and other Chinese to shame.

Here's his myspace site.

Lazy Ass Gourmet Sandwich

2007-02-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

So it was 3 a.m.

I'm a nocturnal creature. Well, until semester starts. And I got really hungry. I remember watching those "heavenly Chilli Philly" commercials on Aussie telly, so I got this idea. I know it's really bo liao to post this. But trust me, it really is heavenly!

Here's how to create the "chilli philly" sandwich:

What you need:

1.White bread

2. Cream cheese. (philly cheese)

3. Life Chilli Padi Sauce. (any sweet chilli sauce will do)

4. Tabasco Sauce. (optional)

Now, just spread cream cheese on a slice of bread. Shake out a few drops of chilli sauce, then slap together two pieces to form a sandwich.

Voila! ITADA-KIMAS!!

Download Youtube Videos

2007-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a video on Youtube that you really liked? Pretty sure you did.

The fact is every movie on youtube can be downloaded onto your hard disk for future use. Here's how:

1. Copy the html address of the youtube

2. Go to keepvid

3. Paste the address and select "youtube" from the drop down menu

4. Download the linked file.

The main problem here is that the downloaded video will be in .flv format. You can convert them into other formats (avi, mpeg, wmv) with the right software.

Here's one such.

Alternatively, you can download a flv player to play the .flv files.

Racial Stereotyping Enforced!

2007-02-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

Advertisers ordered to drop models with non-Malaysian looking faces

The Malaysian modelling and advertising industries are in shock after the government announced it was reviving a ban on the multiracial Asian faces that dominate billboards and magazines.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said yesterday that models with so-called "pan-Asian" features were not representative of Malaysian demographics.

"Using pan-Asian faces means downgrading local faces," he said. "We have to give priority to models with local looks."

Okay, so why are Pan-Asian faces banned? According to Bolehland's Information Minister, they aren't Malaysian.

So youre saying they should look distinctly Indian, Chinese or Malay? SO what about the native East Malaysians, of whom some naturally look Pan-Asian. What about Malaysians of mixed ancestry? What about the Babas,the kaum Serani?

What about the so called "pure blood" Malay, Chinese, Indians, Dayaks, Kadazan etc who look distinct from the others? Are you going to ban them from the media because of their looks?

To be frank, this makes no sense at all. So the gov only recognises people of homogenous(pureblood) heritage as Malaysian. Or is this perpetrated by those who are envious of the Pan-Asian look? The Chinese should have "sepet" eyes? The Indians should have dark skin and curly hair? Malays should look...well...Malay?

"No one should be more sexay than me!"

Maybe the answer is simpler. The bigwigs up there simply using the "divide and conquer" method to segregate the different races. They simply don't accept the possibility of different races mixing. They want racially distinct races. There is no such thing as a Malaysian race. Which also makes no sense. Bolehland promotes racist stereotypes. Face the hard facts. The gov policy is face-ist.

There is an entry in wikipedia that describes this prejudice: Lookism

But the biggest irony of it all is that I'm supporting the beautiful people over the average masses. Think about it.

XXX Screenshot

2007-02-08T04:06:00.000-08:00

Title caught your eye ay?

I came across this review of a game titled Prey. Its due out this year probably on the PS3 or Xbox 360

This screenshot caught my eye:

What does it look like? C'mon, please be honest here.

IMHO, it looks like a VA-GI-NA. A ~~yeast infected~~ evil-looking one at that. Someone call the gynaecologist! ~~I wont ever do gynae~~

Not forgetting that the gun looks strangely phallic. (It looks like a man-stick)

hahahaha...vaginal doors and penile guns!

Makes me wonder what the game designers were thinking at the moment. Or something for the poor depraved teenagers living in their parents' basements.

Well, if you ask me, if you don't repeatedly enter and exit this door while playing the game, no one's gonna suspect anything! :P

Average Asian rules!

2007-02-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Love these skits. Makes fun of racism and ignorance.

He's an average asian
Just a normal guy with asian persuasion
He's an average asian
Not good at differential equation
He's not dumb he's not smart
Just an asian guy with art
He's an average asian

The song's getting to me...

My Tribute to the Nice Guys

2007-02-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Haha, girls, dont feel offended!

This audioblog tribute was inspired by Charmaine's and Robin's posts about nice guys finishing last.

Do feel free to flame me. I'm ready :P

I am a Malaysian

2007-02-07T02:08:00.000-08:00

I feel strangely patriotic/malaysian today. This is based on the "I am a Canadian" commercial for Molson Beer. Enjoy!

DIY Recording Studio

2007-02-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Only 2 weeks till uni semester begins again. I can't wait!

What to do if you have:

A) A bored geezer

B) An old acoustic guitar

C) A pair of drumsticks (not of the edible variety preferably)

D) A mac with Garageband software

E) An hour to spare

Create some sound, ya'll!! Rough around the edges...my first sample. Nothing more than a simple riff, repeated. Em, C, G, D

Aptly named "crap". Coudn't think of anything else to name it. Enjoy!

MOH is nuts. Welcome to Bolehland.

2007-02-06T05:45:00.001-08:00

I am not going to be eloquent in this post. Forgive me for being biased due to my chosen course in uni.But damn, was I appalled when I came across this piece of news. This was what ~~grated~~ greeted my eyes when I logged on to MMR:

It may not seem like much at first glance. Then the magnitude of the situation came into focus. What frustrated me was the fact that the MOH had just doubled the starting salary of medical specialists...to....wait for it....LURE them back!! What about recent medical graduates? The poor, overworked interns and MOs..

That coupled with the fact that Bolehland's Health Minister, Dr Chua Soi Lek was once a medical practitioner. He, of all people, does not seem to understand the plight of his (former) fellow practitioners. Perhaps he was wise enough to enter politics instead.

This was confirmed in a report by the Star:

"The Chinese have 5,000 years of history". That's your main reason for implementing this? Pathethic is an understatement.

How did it come to this? First, they say we need more qualified medical practitioners. Now, they are ~~encouraged~~ allowed to go to China to study for a up to five years. Who needs doctors you say? Lets just turn them into sinsehs instead.

I have absolutely nothing against traditional medicine. I'm personally interested in acupuncture and may even take it up to complement my practise. But you see, Complementary Medicine should stay complementary. Not alternative, as what this situation implies. This ~~bowel~~ motion by the cabinet isn't helping much either.

But "its about the job, not the pay", you say. I'm sorry to ruin your ideals. Medicine is one of those careers where you truly earn your pay. It does not help that doctors working under the government are mostly overworked and underpaid. Just getting into the course is hard enough. I haven't even begun to mention the high tuition fees and long study hours. To add salt to the wound, any tom, dick and harry can take a course in China and earn more than a medical specialist with more than ten years of experience under his/her belt.

There you go, another masterpiece courtesy of Bolehland's administration. So that's what we pay them for.

TV Phone

2007-02-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I wish I was Japanese. This is Japan's latest incarnation of the TV phone, the Softbank 911SH by Sharp.

With a screen that can be tilted for widescreen viewing:

Ridge Racer arcade game preinstalled:

Widescreen TV mode:

Man, this makes my Nokia N70 and even my jap Docomo D902is phone look like this:

I'm not worthy!

Dare to Fail

2007-02-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

I was always ~~head-bashingly~~ ~~moderately~~ ~~quite~~ slightly ashamed of Monash Uni's over-agressive marketing, which in my opinion is over-the-top and tacky:

But nothing prepared my virgin eyes for this:

....

.....

......

.......

........

.........

photo courtesy of lim kit siang

What the procreating horny monkey were they thinking? Wasn't this NUS's sister university? I heard it was the UM Vice Chancellor's doing too. Do Bolehland's universities, or "varsities" as they call them celebrate mediocrity, even failure? I do bloody well know that Malaysia's failure guru Billi Lim was inspirational, but WTF?

What? Ultraman?

2007-02-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

Man...it's been ages since I watched this series, way back when there wasn't any Astro or computer games to distract me. Just wondering why ultraman has to go through the same routine every time: You know, he(?) starts losing, then the flashing lights thingy, then his "super power"...Ahhh...simpler times...

now, can you try naming them all?

Men, prepare to sheild your groins

2007-02-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Board of Directors preparing for free kick ~~to the groin~~

Windows Vista was recently released, but does the "Wow" justify the expression on their faces? Where's the enthusiasm, the "wow" factor? Looks more like an EPL match to me. Maybe they were worried about their competitor, ~~the OS they copied~~ Mac OS X? I wonder...

watch this too:

Friendster's mid life crisis

2007-02-02T02:03:00.000-08:00

Friendster is fun and annoying at the same time, just like a little bro/sis. Like most other people (read: approval desperate addicts)..I use friendster on a daily basis, browsing for ~~hot girls~~ long lost aquaintances and friends.

But first, let me get this straight: I'm perfectly cool with friendster. There's the joy of meeting this friend from ages ago and reminiscing about how things were in simpler times. And meeting amazing people with potential *wink* *wink*

As with anything that's good, its inevitable. Ever since friendster's been swarmed by overenthusiastic kids pretending to be older (well, the minimum age is 16 I think) and super-kiasu friend collectors, its fun factor is going the way of the dodo. Take for instance, the annoying trends perpetrated by the aforementioned people:

1. The friend collector:

Well, no problem with me that you're cute and all, but honestly! 3 accounts? 3000+ friends? I could barely make it past 200 people I at least know about. And with all those ~~desperate guys~~ friends, what are you asking for? An ~~orgy~~ army? And from your testimonials all I can see is "ummm...i dunno this girl, but i think she is pretty" and "stay cute cute always!"

Case in point:

2. ASCII Art Testimonials:

Nuff said. Not only are they an eyesore, they are hollow, meaningless and HUGE. Not to mention they screw the true purpose of testimonials: genuine wishes and fun facts about the person.

3. Flash Testies.

As above. Only more annoying as they feature stupid music and Beng 'tetno'. Sad thing, even my real friends are starting to give me these.

4. CAps loCK mALfuncTIOn

Maybe some of you think this is cUtE, but its downright frustrating with me trying to read your message. I suggest that you type properly, or risk breaking your fingers, cOuRTeSY oF mE. I can only imagine how they got to type like this:

Ahlian: Didii, ken eu help cheche pressz pressz tis buton while cheche taipingx?
Didi : Thowan! Sianzzz. -_-#
Ahlian: Haiya, don liddat la. Afterdz cheche buyz eu toyx oke?
Didi : Heeeeexx! ^-^

But friendster is intriguing in its own right. Where in real life do you get to add and delete friends at your whim?
Now leave me alone to listen to my tetno music.

iPhone, iWant!

2007-02-02T01:41:00.001-08:00

I guess it could be the effect of Steve Job's reality distortion field (RDF), but ever since I got my Macbook, I've been raving about Apple's products. I guess if Apple sold a tin can, I would praise Steve for being a "minimalist genius". Unfortunately, this lust inducing object will only be out in Asia by 2008....so i guess I'll have to rely on trusty 'ol Ebay to get my greasy fingers on this early.

Genesis

2007-02-02T01:26:00.001-08:00

With this post, i'm officially moving from multiply to this blog. I'll commit to updating this site with stuff, after a long hiatus. My old blog: http://chrizman2001.multiply.com

In the beginning...

2006-11-09T05:38:00.000-08:00

I will start this blog pretty soon...it's birth should coincide with the beginning of a new chapter in my life; my return to Malaysia after 2 years in Australia. As you may not already know, this blog will be about only me, myself and I. Not to mention life-shaping encounters and experiences. And God guide me through! Medicine year 2, HERE I COME!!!