Photography tips from Alex Majoli

i'm not a regular reader of the Digital Camera Magazine...dunno why... kiamsiap guar...
rather learn from forums and tutorials online...free...hehe...

the other day at Queensbay while my dear browsing for magazines, i wander off (as usual)...found this issue...and bought it

what i'm interested is not the brand battle (it will be years before i get another camera)
or HDR (never have much interest in them)
or how to get creative with lenses (no money buy)

it's the 50 tips from 50 top photographers...
not that i expect a few lines from the pros will make me a pro...
just interested to know, name and faces, who are among the top photographers of today...
and see what do they have to say, in a few lines, about this art...

in a nutshell most of them are more or less the same...
some technical advises...
some philosophical insights...
some sharing of experience...
try and keep trying
don't stop learning
keep the passion burning
know your gears well
read your inches thick manual
follow your instinct
do your research
use your imagination
use a tripod (so disappointed...it's photography 101...no need a pro to tell me that)
don't use a tripod (contrary with photography 101 leh...but hey these are pros...they dun follow rules)
bla...bla...bla...
nevertheless...it's an interesting read...
interested? still can get the issue online...

just want to share one that i find the most interesting
it's from Alex Majoli (multi award-winning member of Magnum Photos)...
1) Read. My suggesstions are: Amos Oz, Pirandello, Saramango, Musil.
2) Learn how to choose a good wine and know one or two recipes.
3) Walk 5 to 10km everyday.
4) Read the Herald Tribune everyday.
5) Shoot a slide film every six months.
6) Be light on your equipment - one lens and one camera and in your hotel/b&b/tent, plus a back-up.
7) Buy good shoes - make sure they're light, waterproof and comfortable.
8) Don't try to understand things/people/cultures, before a trip.
9) Try not to organise your assignments too much before you leave home.
10) Enjoy photography, remember that it's not a contest.

my favourite line is of course the last one...
gotta constantly remind myself that...
it's not a race...Enjoy!
(by the way...he uses dummy Point and Shoot camera)

a small pharmacist in a small hospital...

in a zapp...i spent a month in Hospital Gerik...really fast...

there are definitely major differences between working in a big state hospital compared to a humble district hospital...

a humble district hospital with 4 wards...only

but talking about "pharmaceutical care" that the lecturers kept repeating millions of times back in the university...i have more opportunity to practise here...perhaps it has nothing to do with the hospital...just that i'm no longer a very very lazy PRP but just a lazy FRP...

in Ipoh...it's either
i see their case and counsel them in ward...
or...fill their in-patient medication...
or...prepare their cytotoxic medications...
or...prepare their Parenteral Nutrition bags...
or...analyse and interpret their serum drug level...
or...find information for their attending doctors...
or...purchase their medication...
or...lastly...dispense medicines to them before they go back home...
its either...or...

at best we can do 2 of the above at one time...or 3 if we happen to dispense to the same patient we see in ward when relieve at the pharmacy counter...

here at this tiny little hospital...
i see their case and counsel them in ward...
and...check their in-patient medication...
and...find information for their attending doctors...
and...dispense to them at the counter
and...lots of time to counsel (i.e chit chat with) them at the counter before they go home...if i do the same thing at HRPB...definitely will be flooded by trays and medicines...

and...interpret their serum drug level...
tests were done in HRPB...and results do come with recommendations...but i'm no longer a PRP...so i can choose not to agree with them...heheheh

in short...here i can give one dragon service from beginning till the end...

the good thing here?
lots of time to learn and study...
time to pick up...again...the knowledge lost somewhere along the way...

the bad thing?
the other day i was following a case...until he had an acute exacerbation and transferred out to Ipoh...
there is a limit to what we can do here...thus a limit to what i can see in the ward...
but then...at ipoh...u can only see the patient during and after the attack...
here i can see before...still something different to learn...

but still...
no matter how hard we complaint about the chaotic large hospitals...
no matter how hard we bragged about the the peaceful small hospitals...
deep down we do want to return...because that is where we are from...Ipoh...

in case i have the opportunity...i want to return as a better me...

Finally...i'm away from home again...

announcement: my new workplace is a small hospital (75 beds) in a town (pop: 2000-5000) 2 hours drive at 120km north of ipoh...

yeap...my new posting is at Gerik (pronounced Grik) Hospital...

last weekend transported some of my stuffs there...
and to show my dear how wonderful and nice and rural and peaceful her dear's working town will be...

started working since tuesday...so much different to work in a small hospital...so much warmer...
the pharmacy staffs were welcoming...especially the pharmacists...

there are now 3 Mr Lims...luckily i'm not one...otherwise all the pharmacists are Mr Lim...would be very interesting if Lim Ming Teng was posted here instead...people will surely think he is Lim Ming Hee's brother...haha...but one look already know they aren't

(*my media player is playing wonderwall by oasis at the moment...damn i still love this song*)

thanks to another Mr Lim for helping me find a place to stay...really like that place...though a bit lonely and scary...but i prefer that way...

thanks to yet another Mr Lim for tumpang us to lunch...

to quote from Mr Lim the boss...a nice and small town...small hospital...lighter workload...no staff problem...just a bit far from Ipoh...but still travel-able...so far all are true...so far lah...

i'm taking over Miss Chan(the only female pharmacist there for the past 2 years)'s in-patient pharmacy and clinical...
congratulation Miss Chan on your big day!...and your new posting!...though we will only be colleagues for less than a month...but will definitely miss you...good luck to you!!!

so...with Miss Chan moving out...it will be all guys affair at HG...until another lady arrive to dilute the testosterone...

interested with my routine?
wake up...breakfast...WALK to work...cool eh...
finish work...go back rest...7.30pm go dinner with colleagues and friends...chitchat...go back read some book and comic...bedtime...end of a day...VERY interesting leh?
not to forget the badminton session...
well i can foresee things can get better once i transport my running shoe and camera and subscribe to wi-fi...

i'm glad to be part of the small family there...meet some new friends...very friendly friends...
so far i enjoyed my first week there...and i hope i can enjoy the rest of my time there until i got my transfer...dunno when...in the meantime...enjoy life as it is!!!

for those who don't know where on earth is Gerik...or have the very slight motivation to see how ulu the place is...feel free to visit me lar...

for all my dear friends at faraway "ulu" places...
take it positively...
take it as an opportunity to serve those who needed your knowledge and service much much more than mere dispensing...
take it as an opportunity to explore places that we never imagined living...
take it as an opportunity to leap out of that coconut shell...at least for once in our lifetime...

to fill my "free time"...i'd drafted my SKT (Sasaran Keriangan Tahunan) 2010:
1) go to Betong (thai border) to smuggle in Singha and super hot but tasty TomYam instant noodle...
2) to hike the Belum reserve forest
3) to visit Tasik Banding
4) to go wild boar hunting
5) to look for the best wild boar curry in the district
6) to visit Temenggor dam...if can lar...cos it's restricted area
7) lastly...quite a difficult task...to have a photography portfolio on Gerik...and, if possible, surrounding areas...

Finally...the last day of my journey as PRP...

when i started my blog...i used to start all my titles with "Finally..."
it is as if i had done waiting...and hence wanting to share the results here...
after a while...i stop doing that...
because the titles got a little less personal...hence "Finally..." is no longer relevant...

today...i'm doing it again...because it is personal...

Finally i ended my training at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), Ipoh...today (30th Sept) was the last...

when i first got posted here...people were telling me this is a good place for training...
indeed it is...
there countless opportunities to learn...the seniors and experienced colleagues were ever willing to share...only thing is to ask...and a little initiative to learn...

learn to practise what we studied...
learn to work as a team...(not as a group)
learn to make friends...and avoid making foes?
learn to respect each other...and earning respect from others

as you can see...only 25% is related to that stupid degree...
the rest...it is personal...

looks like i'll have to end here...haven't write for sometime...got stuck here and there...
after this will have more time to write...

before i end...want to take this opportunity...to thank again all my seniors and colleagues for all the advice and help...really appreciate them...

FAQ:
1) my favourite department?
it has to be satellite 7...when i was there...no need to do paeds wards...
with mr kris, mr tan, kak shamala and kak ina...working under miss eng...in my opinion was the best team i ever work with in HRPB...of course with us little PRPs just make the team even better and interesting...haha

2) the department i enjoyed working the most?
it is a little different from the previous question...
i enjoyed working at FKP the most...
though it is not the easiest place to work...but the atmosphere and the interaction among colleagues...for someone as busy-body as myself...it has to be the most enjoyable place to work...as PRP...FRP don't know lar...haha
special thanks to all the FRPs there...
miss chong, miss wong, miss khor, miss yeap, miss ng, miss saras, miss chou, miss kat, miss munyan, also miss choo...for answering all our silly questions...
all the best to you all...just bully the new FRPs and incoming PRPs...no need give me face one...

we will meet again for sure...

saya memahaminya...

before anything else...for those who never heard of Tan Hong Ming...check out this video...

kanak-kanak memahaminya...but how many of us do when we were kanak-kanak?
my guess is...not many...
but i can say i do

i studied 4 years (primary 1 to 4) in a Malay school in Kampar by the name of a French guy...De La Salle...
my batch...only 4 of us are chinese...majority Malays and very few Indians...the rest are Orang Asli...
how many of us have Orang Asli friends?

those were the real 1Malaysia...

by the way...why do i say i memahaminya...
because at that time my relationship with the Malays was so good i was quite sure i would end up marrying a Malay girl...

and of course that time there was this really cute and pretty Malay girl whom i had a crush on...
just like Tan Hong Ming...

but as i grow up...i slowly lost all my Malay friends...ALL
they all went off to some colleges that i couldn't join them...
back then i didn't know why...now i do...

my message...if you want a real 1Malaysia...
have a real good look at our education system...

1Malaysia marching towards Independence anniversary in the holy month of Ramadan...(part 2)

continuation from the last entry...

should've continued writing last week...
i wanted to comment a little on the "cow" story...
but then got too lazy...and the news became a little bit too old...
but it's still mentioned a little bit in the paper today...so i guess its still quite hot...

in the meantime...i found a good article by Prof Mohd Tajuddin Haji Mohd Rasdi
the article told everything i wanted to tell...only in a more matured and organised manner...
so instead of writing my own...and potentially using the wrong words...i decided to share this article here...
i don't know where is the source but i found this article here...

________________________________________

Of cow heads and arrogant Muslims
(Sep 1, 09 2:04pm)

I wish to comment on the 'cow head' incident in Shah Alam. As a Muslim and as a Malaysian citizen I do not support such a wanton display of disrespect for Islam and for Malaysia.

As a Muslim, my readings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad's traditions or hadiths have taught me to respect animals and other religions.

With respect to animals, the Prophet warned Muslims against overburdening animals in carrying objects. The Prophet explained a story of how a prostitute was forgiven her sins by the simple act of giving a thirsty dog a drink.

The cow is one of the animals which Muslims slaughter not just for food but also as a sacrificial offering of our thankfulness to Allah as well as remembering Abraham's 'sacrifice' of his son Ismail.

The cow is thus 'holy' to Muslims as well as to Hindus. Muslims sacrifice a cow for the aqiqah ceremony or during the Qurban celebrations.

Thus as a Muslim, we must respect animals that become our food as well as our symbolic act of sacrifice.Standing or putting once's foot on a dead cow is a 'biadab' act that speaks of a person steeped in racial bigotry and of a person low in education of Islam.

With respect to other religions, there were occasions where the Prophet taught me about my attitude towards them. Once, the Prophet stood up as a sign of respect when the body of a Jew was carried to the grave.

When dispatching the army to a campaign, the Prophet warned the soldiers from desecrating houses of worships, those who reside in them, the young and the old and even trees should not be cut down if necessary.

Never had the Prophet taught me to desecrate another person's religion. The great Indonesian scholar Hamka wrote in his magnum opus, Tafsir Al-Azhar that there are hundreds of thousands of 'Nabi' and they might even be the founders of other religions.

It is common to find other religious faiths making fun of Islam and Muslims but as a Muslim I will never be allowed by my religion to make fun of other religions much less to desecrate them.

As a Malaysian citizen, I wish to ask why these people who showed such contempt for the religion of the Hindus not be arrested under the Sedition Act?

Were these people given permits by the police? If so why were they granted permits to desecrate another religion? Why were they not stopped and told to disperse? If Hindus can tolerate the Muslim call for prayers five times a day for the rest of their lives, what disruption can a Hindu temple be?

I live next to a Hindu Temple about 150 meters away and I observe a procession thrice or twice a year. It is quiet 362 days of the year.

Lastly, if these residents were proven to be members of any political party or parties, their membership should be revoked in order to ensure that we should not tolerate any political entity that uses racial hatred as their means of achieving political ends.

If not, then the said party or parties should be outlawed and their registration terminated immediately.

After more than 50 years of merdeka, I still cannot raise five children without the threat of racial disharmony and hatred. What does that say about our present leadership and future of our country?

_______________________________________

my view...
i don't care whether its politically motivated or otherwise...
peaceful demonstration is ok...
but to march with a severed cow head...deemed to be sacred in Hinduism...is definitely very insensitive...
moreover this is the holy month of Ramadan...and that time (last week) was our "National Day" week...
not to forget this is just a small group of people...they could be minority and may not represent the rest of the community at large...

but still....this has to be the best 1Malaysia joke ever...

p/s: for more updates...dig the news yourself lar...

1Malaysia marching towards Independence anniversary in the holy month of Ramadan...(part 1)

National Day is 2 days away...normally at this time of the year...i'm a little bit excited with a lot of patriotism running in my blood...seriously!
with all the articles in the newspaper about our founding fathers' battle for independence...
all the patriotic advertisement shown on TV...

but this year...perhaps my perspective had shifted a little...
these historical events reminding me how poor and weak and selfish our leaders are today as compared to our founding fathers...
and the advertisements keep reminding me of Yasmin Ahmad...

i feel the strongest for the one advert about a little indian boy...woke up early in the morning...dressed nicely by his mother and getting ready to go out with his father...for a very special day...

although the advert is a reproduction (a very good and emotional one)...but i can imagine on the 31st of August 1957...in Stadium Merdeka...the seven times "Merdeka" by Tunku...and 1 Malaysia (should i say Malaya?) with him...was filled with real emotion and exploding patriotism...

* to be continued...out for lunch with my lawyer

Why do we have to march?...he asked

last weekend...there was a "peaceful" gathering to protest against ISA...
and then our dear PM asked why do they need to march when the government is going to review the act "soon"...
here i found a good article with plenty of answers to that questions...
as its published in TheSun...and i believe not many of us read TheSun...i'll just share them with you here...(original article at http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=36441)

Why do Malaysians march?
Yeo Yang Poh

On the move ... a section of anti-ISA protesters near the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?

One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?

Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them.

Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.

Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful.

Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears.

Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented. Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse.

The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness. Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march.

And now you ask, why march?

Because you gave non-marchers a false name! You called them the “silent majority”, who by virtue of their silence (so you proudly argued with twisted logic) were supporters of government policies since they were not vocal in raising objections. You claimed to be protecting the interest of the “silent majority”. Now some of them do not want to be silent anymore, and you are asking why?

Yes, because double standards and hypocrisy cannot be covered up or explained away forever; and incompetence cannot be indefinitely propped up by depleting resources.

Because cronyism can only take care of a few people, and the rest will eventually wake up to realise the repeated lies that things were done in certain ways purportedly “for their benefit”.

Because the race card, cleverly played for such a long time, is beginning to be seen for what it really is – a despicable tool to divide the rakyat for easier political manipulation.

Because it does not take much to figure out that there is no good reason why Malaysia, a country with abundant human resources and rich natural resources, does not have a standard of living many times higher than that of Singapore, an island state with no natural resources and that has to import human resources from Malaysia and elsewhere.

Because, in general, countries that do not persecute marchers are prosperous or are improving from their previous state of affairs, and those that do are declining.

Because Gandhi marched, Mandela marched, Martin Luther King marched, and Tunku Abdul Rahman marched.

Because more and more people realise that peaceful assemblies are no threat at all to the security of the nation, although they are a threat to the security of tenure of the ruling elite.

Because politicians do not mean it when they say with a straight face or a smile that they are the servants and that the people are the masters. No servant would treat his master with tear gas, batons and handcuffs.

Because if the marchers in history had been stopped in their tracks, places like India, Malaysia and many others would still be colonies today, apartheid would still be thriving in South Africa, Nelson Mandela would still be scribbling on the walls of Cell 5, and Obama would probably be a slave somewhere in Mississippi plotting to make his next midnight dash for the river.

And because liberty, freedom and dignity are not free vouchers posted out to each household.

They do not come to those who just sit and wait. They have to be fought for, and gained.

And if you still want to ask: why march; I can go on and on until the last tree is felled. But I shall
obviously not.

I will end with the following lines from one of the songs sung in the 1960s by civil rights marchers in the US, without whom Obama would not be able to even sit with the whites in a bus, let alone reside in the White House:

“It isn’t nice to block the doorway
It isn’t nice to go to jail
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways have all failed
It isn’t nice; it isn’t nice
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice
But if that’s freedom’s price
We don’t mind ...”

Yeo Yang Poh is a former Bar Council president. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com.

a nice movie for the weekend...

while having my lunch...instant noodle with Vietnamese ham and chicken meatball...and a cup of iced white coffee...
watched a DVD...a good one...

found this DVD in the shop one day...
to begin with...it won the Oscar for the Foreign Movie of the Year...
having seen...and impressed with Oscar's Foreign Movie of the Year for 06 and 07 (German and Austrian respectively)...i'm very curious with this one...
moreover...i'm a big fan of Japanese movies...

there's something charming about the way the Japanese's style of story-telling...
perhaps its the similarity of our culture...i mean as a Chinese...not Malaysian...
i like their stories...i've seen a few movies whereby their stories are simple...yet they have many little but significant characters...interesting little sub-plots...little twists...each little stories delivering messages of their own...

not to mention their brilliant soundtrack...and how they make the mature ones look so charming...the young ones look so beautiful...and the little ones look so so cute...

back to this movie...it's an interesting movie as it brings us to look into the traditional Japanese encoffining...putting a deceased into the coffin...something i never knew of...
and along the way...there are interesting people and interesting stories...each looking at death at a different perspective...

do check this movie out if you need something alternative to the over-commercialized transforming metals...

an old assignment...my favourite course

finally my laptop is up and running again...after 1 whole year of resting in the cabinet...its a Toshiba...
i broke the adaptor a year ago...and lazy to get new one...another reason being its expensive...but at the end i got one...but not from Toshiba...cause its ridiculously expensive....

while going through some old files...found this...
my assignment for my favourite course in USM...
the course i enjoyed the most...although German tailed closely...but this is still the best...
LHP 453...Creative Writing...

my English isn't really good...and my story isn't really creative...but i'm tak malu lar...just want to share something i wrote...felt it wasteful...wrote it only for my teacher to read...

here's the intro...hope you enjoy it...
..............

“Come on Papa, you must take these medications accordingly,” Ei Leen reminded her father, as she always did whenever she comes home from her college in KL.

“I did,” Papa told Ei Leen, although he never did.

“No, you didn’t! I counted your tablets. They do not tally with the doses you should have taken since the last time I counted them. Papa, you always forgot your medicines.”

“Not always. Sometimes I forgot.”

“You also didn’t take them as instructed. I saw you took your medicines after dinner just now. You should have taken them half an hour before meal. That’s why you always feel dizzy and having stomach upset.”

“That has nothing to do with my ‘kencing manis’ medications.”

“Of course they do. They are supposed to lower your blood glucose level after meal. If you take them without eating, your blood glucose will be so low that you could faint. And don’t ever forget your medicine for your heart.”

“I am only tired and having my gastric pain. I had been having gastric pain for the last 40 years.”

“Papa, please don’t make me worry. Only 6 months left to my graduation. After that I will come home and take care of you. Meanwhile, Papa, please take care of yourself.”

“Ok,” he got up from his rusty metal recliner, headed to his room and closed the door.

“Papa, I’m serious. I really…ring ring…ring ring…ring,” the conversation was interrupted by her ringing mobile phone. As she was reaching for the phone, the ringing stopped. She reviewed the missed call.

“Papa, I’m going to pasar malam with some friends. Don’t wait for me. They will fetch me home,” she told Papa through the door.

“Be careful. Don’t come home too late,” he replied.

“I will. Good night Papa.”

She grabbed a pair of sneakers from the shoe cabinet, wore them and walked out, closing the door behind her. Closing the main gate, she walked down the peaceful road until she reached a junction, two doors away. She turned left and walked towards a waiting navy blue Perodua Kelisa. Yew Vern was waiting inside the car. As he sees her approaching, he reeled up the window and started the engine.

to be continued

back from an interesting workshop...

just completed a two-day workshop...officially pontenged work...yay...

it was my first workshop since started working...and it was a good one...an interesting one...lucky me
Research Workshop: Developing a Research Proposal & Tools...

it may sound boring...but for someone who did, and very much interested to work on a research project...this is a great opportunity to learn...

first of all...it was organised by Clinical Research Centre (CRC) Perak ...very experienced in conducting medical research...

and the speaker was the head of CRC Perak...a very good speaker...very experienced researcher and a very kind man...generous to share his knowledge...

the best thing about this workshop is the efficiency and the dynamic...
we started with very brief ideas...old ideas got killed off...and new ideas generated...
the brainstorming and the discussion were very productive...
first time participated in brainstorming session with professionals and experts in their respective fields...except me...

at the end...we have a handsome looking proposal...and a very workable research plan...
in just two working days...i think it's amazing...

best of all...it totally opened my eyes to the real world of medical research...every single details were look into carefully...must not compromise ethical issues and safety...
i hope from now on...whenever i read a medical journal...i will look deeper than the printed words and figures...

by the way...there are now reported human-to-human transmission of Influenza A H1N1...now i'm a bit worried...things may certainly get worse...i hope there will not be more human-to-human transmission cases in our country...

B.Braun moving to Indonesia?...oh man

this entry is a little long...cause its dealing with a serious issue...so i must quote my sources right...just glance through if you must...pay attention to the bolded...

first of all...a little introduction from their official website...

"As a worldwide company with an established history of supplying medical solutions, B. Braun in Malaysia stands second-to-none in corporate excellence.

Our broad range of surgical, pharmaceutical and healthcare management products consistently satisfy customers like hospitals, healthcare professionals and strategic business partners.

At B. Braun, we share knowledge and know-how. We share ideas and insights. We share improvements and advancements. At B. Braun, we share expertise."

in summary...its a damn big multinational company with its plant as big as USM in Penang...ok?

now a piece of news a year ago (NST Business Times and Star Biz, 5 March 2008)

"Germany’s B. Braun is set to spend in an additional RM450 million to expand its operations in Penang over the next two years. This will make its plant, under B. Braun Medical Industries Sdn Bhd, one of the largest intravenous (IV) standard solution facilities in Asia.

Some RM350 million would be invested under Phase 1 of the expansion, which would see an additional 6,000 sq m of production area, as well as the setting up of a new research and development centre for IV access products, B.Braun Industries President, H.D. Kim, said at a media conference in Penang.

Work on Phase 1 is expected to begin in mid-2008 and is targeted for completion in 2010. The new advanced facility, equipped for high–end production, would adopt the latest automation technology that would provide a quality working environment for its skilled workforce, as more engineers and technicians are expected to be recruited for the expansion.

A subsequent expansion scheduled in 2011 would involve an investment of another RM100 million and this would increase production capacity by 1.5 times, he added.

Kim said B. Braun Penang was designated as the group’s Global Manufacturing Headquarters for IV access products in 2006. In addition, the Penang facility also operates as B. Braun’s Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) for Asia.

B. Braun, which has a strong three-decade investment record in Malaysia, has to-date invested some RM900 million and employs 4,800 workers in the country."

in summary...its a damn big multinational company which is investing A LOT of money and hiring A LOT of employees in Malaysia...ok?

now a piece of news today (The Star 2 June 2009)

"The Health Ministry has always practised the open tender process when buying pharmaceutical and medical products, says Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said those registered with the Ministry of Finance could go through Pharmaniaga Bhd that had the exclusive rights to distribute pharmaceutical and medical products to the ministry. However, he said that companies which had issues with the matter could write in to the ministry.

Liow said he had always championed for pharmaceutical companies to be more competitive.

The minister was commenting on a statement by B. Braun corporate controlling, finance and information technology vice-president Dieter Gemmer that the company was considering to move part of its operations, specifically pharmaceuticals, from Penang to Indonesia because it did not wish to go through “medical middlemen” to sell its products.

Gemmer had said that all the company wanted was to be allowed to participate in open tenders instead of having to sell their products through a third party.

“If there are specific allegations, the company can raise the matter to me. The ministry will investigate the matter,” Liow told reporters yesterday."

and if you don't see the problem in the above article...let me explain...

B.Braun...a damn big multinational company is considering to move partly to our neighbour, Indonesia...

they had been in the country for 30 year...expanding and commited...but suddenly they wanna move out...what could be the reason?

all they asked for is to participate in tenders directly, not through middlemen...

and how my dear boss responded?

"oh...we practise open and fair tender...all companies can participate through Pharmaniaga...can write to us...we will investigate...bla bla bla..."

anything about "middlemen" or "third party"?...definitely not in the above article...

ok...i was attached briefly to the hospital integrated store...my boss then was in charged of purchasing medications...specifically the big-shot expensive meds...

for certain meds...we must open-tender...invite all the companies to quote their best price...

at the end of everything...we have to decide from which agent to purchase...and most of the time the lowest price wins...this i can assure you...no cronyism or favoritism by my boss...as far as i'd seen lar...of course we don't compromise safety and efficacy

but this is not what B.Braun is asking for...

they are asking to participate directly, bypassing the "medical middlemen"...

i guess i'm not supposed to comment more on this matter...but i doubt my dear boss can fulfill B.Braun's request...and being Germans...i guess they will be walking their talk...walking towards Indonesia...

thanks for chasing out a damn big multinational company...my dream potential future employer...

since they are moving out their pharmaceuticals...now i must go to Indonesia for my interview...

BTN teaches disunity?

came across this letter in the star
reminded me of my Biro Tatanegara (BTN) course in USM...

before i proceed...in the aforementioned letter...it says
"...participants are repeatedly told not to question Malay rights and so on. The course coordinators keep talking about social contracts and telling non-Malays not to question Malay rights and so on..."

when i attended in USM...i didn't recall anything about Malay rights and social contracts and so on...i wish they could tell me more about the social contract...i dun really understand the principle...

maybe because it was held about a month before the General Election...ya rite..."THE" 8th March GE...

in the BTN course i attended...they were too busy telling us not to believe foolishly what was told to us...to analyse information before we choose to believe them...

being a well trained university students with "kemahiran berfikir secara kritis dan kreatif"...my immediate reaction was this...

hey man...if u meant what the oppositions said wasn't the real truth and ask us not to believe and follow blindly...i can say the same to the government...can't i?

especially in this new era...with more and more educated urbanites...you can't really cover up...and definitely can't lie...

try give a ceramah at Bintang Walk or Bangsar or Pandan Jaya...bragging about how "developed" our country is...see how much cheer you can draw...come on get real...
with the cheap air ticket...more and more ppl had been to singapore or hong kong or shanghai or beijing or tokyo or seoul or sydney or paris or frankfurt or london or new york...ppl can compare their "developed" country with ours...

when issues raised...you can choose to cover up or ignore...but the moment an issue come to light...it spreads so rapid that by the time you respond...it's too late...and when you ignore it...the ppl don't...they punish you in GE...and you wonder why u lose...funny huh?

since i am a public servant...i MUST attend another BTN course...
i eagerly await...hopefully it can give me more input on social contracts...so i can share my view with you all...

two parties...back to back

last friday had a BBQ at colleagues house...to celebrate Babies of May's birthday...
the next day...saturday...went up Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut) at Taiping for a small LifeGuard (LG) reunion...there were...quite a bit of differences between the two...

Friday...
it was supposed to start at 7pm
i reach around 6.30pm...turned out to be the earliest...
i brought over the chic wings and porks, charcoals, foldable table, platic chairs with my loyal Iswara...started the fire...burn some chics...

i also brought over a box of Lindemans red wine (its a 2 liter boxed wine, not a box of 12 bottles)...in case any of my colleagues is actually an alcoholic in disguise...it turned out none of them were...

my colleague brought mahjongs and cards too...in case any of my colleagues is actually a gambler in disguise...it turned out none were interested...maybe due to the volume constraint

we had good laugh...but have to keep our volume down cause the neighbours are senior citizens who sleep before 9pm...

at the end of the party...there were lots of leftovers...i was there dumping all the proteins into my ever growing tummy...

we talked and chatted and laughed and gossiped...till around 12am...we finally have to leave and go home...

Saturday...
suppose to meet at 11.30am at the foot of the hill...i arrived at 11.20am...turned out to be the last...the gang were already there...as usual...LG punctuality...the 8 of us then took the jeep up the hill...another 2 guys joined us later...

besides my personal stuffs, i brought the same box of wine, in addition...7 cans of Carlsberg...leftover from chinese new year party (also with my colleagues)...
then my buddy also brought 8 cans of beer...and another bottle of red wine...

as soon as we settled down in our well isolated bungalow...while preparing for lunch...they already started to pour out the mahjongs and red wines...
at the dinner table...during dinner...everyone was either drinking green (carlsberg) or red (isn't obvious)...
at the end of the dinner...you cannot see a single plate filled with food...i don't recall any leftover in any LG gatherings...

after dinner...we were playing cards and mahjongs...intoxicating ourselves...yelling and screaming and laughing out loud like nobody's business...till 3am...who cares...there were no other human beings within at least 500 meters from our bungalow...i guess...

only a few of us who were really drinking...but by bedtime...we managed to gulp all the beers and red wines...killing our livers...damn fools...


they were friends from two different stages of my life...and the way we enjoy a party were so much different...
i enjoyed both the party...but if i have to choose...i have to admit...the crazier party was a little bit more fun...



by the way...if you carry a DSLR to Maxwell Hill and want to try some panning shots...there is a good spot...
there is an observation tower...wait there for the jeeps to pass by...i think you can have some good panning shots from there...
but not much trial and error...cause its not that common for a jeep to pass by...so grab your chances well...
here's one i took with my compact PnS (point and shoot)...i'm sure you can have much better and sharper picture with your dear DSLR...

your camera don't have anti-shake meh?

last week...as bragged earlier...haha...went to a concert at genting...
in the arena...wanna snap a photo of me and my dear...so ask for help from a heavy-make-up ghost-like girl sitting behind us...we prefer not to use flash to capture the ambience...cheh...

after snap...the photo is blurry...she asked us
"your camera don't have anti-shake meh?"...a cocky "meh"

we didn't argue...we gave up...we just took the camera and thank her very much...we knew taking another picture will not help...cause her hand don't have "anti-shake"...

yep...my camera don't have anti-shake...and i don't know any Point n Shoot (PnS) camera that has...

1st of all...about my cam...Canon IXUS 80 IS...IS = Image Stabiliser

(ours is a brown - far right)

we bought it about a year ago...RM999...
now still selling...RM799...
i guess not many below 1k PnS cam can achieve this...more than a year in the market and only depreciated Rm200...
what does this shows?...it is a damn good and popular cam...
still remember your PnS?
when you bought it and how fast it depreciated?

now about the anti-shake...
most of the PnS now do have a system to stablise the image...

Canon named it IS - Image Stabiliser
Nikon named it VR - Vibration Reduction (i think is the coolest name of all)
Panasonic named it OIS - Optical Image Stabiliser
Sony named it SSS - Super Steady Shot (i think is the lamest name of all)
Fuji named it DIS - Dual Image Stabiliser (not our stupid DIS)
Olympus (also) named it DIS - same as above

all comes in different names...but their function's the same...
it's a brilliant mechanism to cancel the minor movement of our hand while taking photographs...especially under low light...

but why no anti shake?
i guess if your hand "shakes"...no brilliant mechanism in the world can anti it...

all these systems are designed to stabilise the "lens and the sensor"...cancel out minor movement of the hand...not your shaking hand...

so...even your camera got "anti-shake"...still you must try to keep your hand as steady as possible while taking photographs for better quality picture...to avoid blur

by the way...the battery of my family's faithful 6-year-old IXUS 400 went kaput...fully charged can only take 8 pictures...hebatnya...

since the battery alone cost more than rm100 (not canon sumore)...daddy decided to get a new cam...
my top recommendation...IXUS 95 IS...(yes....i am an IXUS fan)...the updated version of my dear's 80...
daddy say too expensive...ok lor

we settled for a Panasonic...Lumix DMC-FS15...

in fact i recommended Lumix for a few of my "girl" friends....
reasons?
1. cheap...can get good cam for below 1k
2. slim and light...fit nicely in handbags
3. OIS...very important for girls
4. wide angle...important because girls like to take group photos at parties and gathering...
5. and most important of all...the iA mode...intelligent Auto...the cam will select the best mode...we don't have to select any mode AT ALL...
(still for girls...if can afford...i recommend IXUS...stylish colours...can take very nice indoor pictures...since girls rarely go outdoor...apatah lagi take outdoor photographs...ehem)

so this is our new family cam...cause most of the time...mummy is the one using it...

for myself?
i don't really like this cam...
maybe later after i know the cam better...can do a mini review to share my opinion...


a little something extra...
notice there is a nice little logo with the letter "L" at the corner?

i used to think it was "L" for "Lumix"...
but now i think its "L" for "Leica"...the lens fitted on this camera (in fact all Lumix)...

if you have no idea wtf is a Leica...check this out...

one range-finder digicam that looks like ah pek cost 16k...welcome to the unknown world of photography...
if you think Canon and Nikon are KINGs of cameras...wait till you know the GODs...Hasselblad, Rollei, Mamiya and gang...

back from my first concert...

correction...
i'm back from "a" concert...not "my" concert...
it was Hins' (张敬轩)...last Saturday at Genting Arena of Stars...

yep...it was the first time i attended a proper concert in 24 years of life...
what to do...waited 24 years to get my first proper pay check...

when people knew i was going to this concert...they asked a few questions...

1) u know chinese meh?
i dunno...but i enjoy music...regardless of language...

2) u are his fan meh?
nope...but i recognise his talent and enjoy his music...

3) u teman ur girlfen go leh? she is his fan leh?
yep...i teman my gf...
nope...she is not his fan...
but we enjoy his music...

did i enjoyed the show?
of course!!!...the price was one of the factors...

it could be disappointing for some...but not me...cause i didn't expect much...
no need for flashy costumes...impressive stage...pretty dancers...graceful dance routines...

all i expected was some good music...and Hins delivered them perfectly...
the sound system was good...and i can swear it was much much exciting to listen live than on CD, MP3, etc...regardless of whatever pod you're using...

thanks my dear for bringing me to this nice show...

looking forward to the next...dunno who and when and where...
hopefully at Genting again...why?

1) no traffic jam
2) no headache looking for parking
3) no rush
4) less crowd
5) arena is small...thus closer to the artist...and better sound system...

also had a great time with my dear's (crazy) gang...her o' time buddies...
looking forward to our exciting trip coming June...

what? zebra crossing? can eat ar?

if I remembered correctly...when I was still a little kid...the 2 things I 1st learned about road safety...
1st is traffic light...red stop...green go...
2nd is zebra crossing...we MUST use the zebra crossing when crossing the road...great

today I sent my grandpa to the bus station...
on the way back came across a few old men and young girls trying to cross the road at a zebra crossing...

me having my 1st world mentality...I slowed down my car and stop to let them cross...I made sure I did not stopped abruptly...

the young girls smiled at me and gestured to thank me...ehem...

right at that moment I received a few honks...3 if i'm not mistaken...

em...what had I done wrong?
cause I stopped my car when there were old men crossing the road?
am I supposed to run them down?
I supposed its their fault that they don't "see car" when crossing the road...
I really don't know lar...maybe 1st world mentality can never understand 3rd world mentality...and otherwise...

in my opinion, this is a very classic example of 1st world facility...
we have loads of cars...new and fancy...running around the roads...and zebra crossings SUPPOSED to ease pedestrians...
but with 3rd world mentality...em...lost of words...hope you all can understand what I'm trying to convey...

we always see in TV news...when they interview foreigners, they will comment malaysia very nice, friendly, bla bla bla...all the good things lar...
but in reality...when they go back...they may tell their friends we don't stop our cars at zebra crossings...
and I have heard with my own ears...my foreigner friend jokingly asked if there is no traffic laws in Malaysia...

recently in the by-elections...our dear Tun M was giving speeches...I came across one comment...
he was saying if we look at KL, she definitely looks and feels like a developed city, not a developing one...

from the balcony of my aunt's condominium...KL definitely "looks" like a developed city...nice and modern sky scrappers...
but inside the city? I would say it is as chaotic as Bangkok...

in my opinion, one very very basic attribute of a developed city...both facility and mentality...the moment you stand by the curb of a zebra crossing...the cars will stop...even without zebra crossing...when you look like you want to cross the roads...they will stop...
I don't know lar...i not living in KL mar...maybe they got leh...nowadays their people so educated wan...

oh...did I forgot to mention the floods?
how often do we hear flash floods in Singapore or Tokyo or New York or London or Paris?
(pls don't tell me Venice...she is supposed to be flooded)
I guess definitely not as often as our KL...that's why its called KUALA Lumpur...
when flooded, does she still looks like a developed city?
I think she looks more like a sawah padi...

photo from The Sun

don't worry...still got time...
Vision 2020 mar...forgot already meh?
still got 11 years...
Malaysia CAN!!!

during my lunch break...

at the moment attached to Integrated Store...have an old PC of my own...to do all the paperwork i'm supposed to do...

today technicians from IT came to fix the computer...can online already...but restricted access lar...

so i purposely came back early from lunch...plan to read some news online...save some money mar..somemore office got aircon...

came across this strip

hahaha..funny isn't it?
but then...am i not laughing at myself?
chit...

i saved our earth...

in replying to my dear partner's comment:

i'm sure u know i didn't turn off my lights...haha...as rebellious as i used to be...

i certainly support the idea to create awareness...
but i do hope the campaign did not pass on the wrong message...

we CANNOT stop global warming by turning off our lights...even for one hour...if we waste energy for the next 8759 hours (until the next earth hour)...e.g. leaving computers on even though not using...or let your car engine idle while waiting for your girlfriend...whatever...

i certainly agree each and everyone of us can play a role in environmental issues...i do refuse plastic bags whenever possible...and save as much energy as i can...
i don't use air-conditioning at night, i don't use water heater, i don't leave my computer on over night, i drive without air-conditioning in the morning and at night...
thanks for turning off the lights for one hour...

but the real solution really has to come from the big people...
and so far the big people are still in denial state...
we need big projects...real research...real solutions...
alternative, clean, renewable, self-sustaining, self-generating energy...whatever the term is...

until then...perhaps what we can do is for every 8759 hours we are consuming the earth...we can give her an extra hour to live...

by the way...i DID turn off my lights...
and i save one hour of the earth's life...good job...

congratulations UMNO...now can start work already?

it has been emphasized many times...its not just an UMNO assembly...it marked the change in our nation's leadership...
being a Malaysian...can't help but "keh poh" a bit...concerned Malaysian mar...


read in paper today that our incoming PM got his "dream team"...his deputy and the the 3 vice presidents...
somehow...since i first know about this man (forgot since when)...i feel Muhyiddin is a good man...and he was my favourite for DPM since the start of the race...congrats!!!

and the 3 VPs...one of them is my favourite UMNO man...Hishammuddin...again...since i know about him...i feel he is a good man...congrats!!!
politic is all about public perception...
so i perceived...

and the supreme council...i'm certainly not "keh poh" enough to know each and everyone of them...but i certainly don't like (i guess "hate" is a little too harsh) a few of them...why should i care...its not my party...

but really dissappointed Shahrir lost...somemore he wants to resign his cabinet post...
i thought he was doing a good job as a minister?
perhaps not so good as politician...not fair!

next up?
the new cabinet lineup of course...interesting...
and the 3 by-elections?...not interested...too far...and don't know the candidates...

now that the party election is over...can get back to work?
thanks...

cuti cuti malaysia...anyone?

we often read in newspaper or hear in radio...our tourism ministry hard selling our tourism industry...urging us to cuti cuti in malaysia...

first reason...economics...
i definitely agree...
spending money in malaysia...no need to buy foreign currencies...especially now when our ling-it so weak...
prevent our money from flowing out...give business to the locals...stimulate economy...bla bla bla...
very understandable...very logical...

second reason...economical...
this is definitely very arguable...

in the newspaper...there was one small article encouraging us to cuti cuti malaysia...
then there were pages of ads from tour agencies and airlines...

1k thailand
1.5k bali
2k taiwan
2.5k china
3k australia

all the way till

10k carribean islands
15k continental europe
20k continental europe AND great britain

of course more than 10k is out of the question here...
but ranging from 1-3k...there we have a problem...

return flight to KK (Kota Kinabalu) only RM200...everyone can fly...
trip up Mount KK...about 600...
trip to sipadan...about 1.5k...excluding SCUBA diving lesson...
i havent include hotels and food, transportations and other expenses...souvenirs...etc

"lu siao ar? 3k i can go shanghai-hangzhou-suzhou and a few other zhous lor...all 'pau' already"

"go bali oso no nid 2k lar...now airasia everyone can fly mar...pigi balik 200 ling-it nia"

"go hongkong disneyland free n easy oso 2k jek lar"

which is true...we covered thailand and cambodia (siem reap) in about 2k...
how to convince people to cuti cuti malaysia?

weekend travels ok lar...road trips with family, friends or loved ones...
vacations?...serious competitions...

but at the moment...i insist on cuti cuti malaysia...
reason?

from my last trip...
on the way to...i met an australian...who comes to malaysia every one or two years...
he would hoop on and off our ktmb...throughout malaysia...stopping at train stations, taking photographs, collecting memorabilias, observing changes...
and he were showing me photographs and telling me how beautiful these train stations are...
damn...i've only been to a few...
should i include LRT, Putra and Monorel stations?

on the way back...we met a Brazillian who works in Australia...
we talked a bit about how we admire samba football, how ronaldo is getting fatter...
why Melbourne is a good city to live, how beautiful a city Sydney is, and how damn boring Perth is (seriously damn boring...but the parliament house is nice)...

and then he were telling us stories about brazil...
how beautiful are the beaches and the babes...how crazy and colourful is the Carnaval...how they can fill the streets with beers and bikinis...drunks and hot babes...large speakers and loud music...
why we can just pass by rio de janeiro (the capital city) briefly and head straight to sao paolo (where the real party is)...

"how about your country? what should i do when i go to your country?"

we looked at each other for a moment?
even our intelligent Mr Lim also got caught by the question...
of course we successfully promoted our beloved country...

but the fact is...i know...i don't know my country very well...
i can't even sell my country to a tourist...who keep selling his country to me...

and that is why...for the moment...i want to cuti cuti malaysia a bit more...there are still a few places i'm very curious about and want to have a look...

i believe with my dear in one hand...and a camera (maybe two) in another...any trip is good...



by the way...my favourite place in Malaysia is Cameron Highland...
the driving up the hill is real fun...and i love the weather and the freshness...

of all the places i been to so far (em...not that many lar)...
my favourite...is a small town (co-incidentally) on a highland in Vietnam called Da Lat...
again...i love the simplicity...and this place really makes me feel good...

if you are adventourous enough...skip the shopping in Bangkok and the spas in Bali...
head to chaotic Ho Chi Minh City...
and then check this place out...
see if it makes you feel good too...

chaotic Ho Chi Minh City

back from a "funeral"...

its a "funeral"...cause i dunno wat its called...
its not a real funeral...just that when someone pass away...we will go to the house...pay last respect...
that someone was my colleague...an Assistant Pharmacist...our favourite "uncle"...

i do understand...its all part of our life process...when we start to work...sooner or later we'll have to deal with this...but so soon?...and so sudden?...
i really got shocked today...in fact the whole Pharmacy Dept...especially the OPD got shocked...

we aren't really close...but having worked in OPD for 2 months...with him...really felt close with him...we can laugh and chat behind the counter...

and he was a nice guy and very helpful too...

he used to yell "jangan manja ar"...
in the end he was always there to manjakan us in the OPD...
perhaps now we really can't manja anymore...

i miss you uncle...

Back from Penang...AQN 09

just back from Penang...attended the annual Aquatic Nite...as a full fledged ex-Lifeguard...
i always wonder how will it feel to attend one...when you are not in the corps anymore...
of course the members would say we seniors...will always be part of them...
but in reality...especially us who aren't in Penang...aren't around the pool...we aren't...

Evan asked...why i so quiet...
i replied...generation gap...we laughed a bit...
but the truth is...its true...
i guessed i didn't really enjoy the nite as a member...

but i enjoyed as an ex-LG...
to see some old pal...of my generation...my bros n sis...
have a little chat...catching up with each other...reminiscing ol' times...

and to see some new faces...
pretty and handsome faces...
young and energetic...

and the performances...
sad cause i may never have the opportunity to do those crazy things anymore...
but enjoyed them...cause they were real funny...
the juniors just get more creative...and crazy...
fun will be in the air...always...

co-incidentally it was also the inter-university swimming competition...MASUM...
joined in the crowd...
pegawai kerajaan yelling and cheering like crazy...
only with the USM swimming team...

sad to see our USM stars not competing anymore...
but happy...cause we got some new stars...
keep up the good work guys n gals...
dun get lazy...

also got the opportunity to swim a bit (to be exact...500m only)...
since leaving USM...been jogging a bit to keep in shape...
but today...dive back into the pool...reminds me how much i miss the pool...

i guess my generation really gone through a lot with the pool...
from big to small to big again...
from blue to green to blue again...
from doors to no doors (in the shower)...
from pigeon hole to storeroom...
a lot of sweats...and for most of us...even blood...broken tiles cutting our legs...

seeing the pool today...really happy for the juniors...
new pool...clean bathrooms...new LG room...with proper lockers...
well...i guess really no fate...

but then i still miss the heavy wooden sliding door...

english malay dilemma?

before i start...i have to admit...there will always be bias in all my comments on this issue...

first of all...my education background...i had never studied in a "National Type School"...
secondly...i was raised and studied in urban Ipoh...a lot of good schools...good tutors...thus good students...(good is a relative description)
thirdly...i was lucky enough to get a good degree and currently working in the public sector...

yesterday there was a "peaceful" march in KL to the King's Palace...to protest against the use of English in teaching Maths and Science...

i was surprised and a little disappointed by two pictures i saw in the New Straits Times...

the first...one of our national laureate was against the use of English in Science and Maths...i really appreciate his hard work for our Sastera Melayu...
but my first reaction...how does teaching of Science and Maths in English going to hurt Sastera Melayu?
one is logic and reasoning...one is creativity and emotion...almost two extremes
is he worried that a few years later a new policy will come out to teach Sastera Melayu in English?
i think he should be more worried about the quality of our Sastera Melayu than which language to use in SCIENCE and MATHS...

the second...university students were holding banners...

KAMI SEMUA
MAHASISWA MEMBANTAH

hello...have you asked all the mahasiswas?
if no...then i think your banner should be

KAMI SEMUA
MAHASISWA YANG LEMAH DALAM BAHASA ENGGERIS
MEMBANTAH

i thought...studying in a university should make them appreciate the importance of English...reference books...online resources...presentation...academic writings...viva voce...interview...most if not all are in English...and yet they are there protesting...
i hope studying in Malay did help them solve a complicated "persamaan kuadratik" or "logaritma" or "pengamiran berganda" or understand better the "mekanisma suap balik negatif hemostasis darah"...

i know we had a lot of problems with teaching in English...the main being teachers who are not properly trained...
this is because they studied in Malay...and they are poor in English...admit this...period...

we are now in the transition period...
what we have now is a generation who studied S&M in Malay (including myself)...
and what we need is a new generation who studied S&M in English...and to have that we definitely cannot stop now...we had gone through 6 years...half way there...

my cousin is now in Form One...she studied S&M in English all her school years...when she graduated and decided to become a teacher...i guess she won't have any problem...

her generation is what we need...can't we wait till they come out?
if we stop now...we can never achieve what we wanted...and we wasted 6 years for nothing...
if i wanted to do a study...and stop halfway after spending so much time and money...my supervisor would kill me for sure...

and language is not the real issue...really...
it is just a tool...
we should be worried more about understanding the content...
what differences does this make?

metabolism = metabolisma
haemostasis = hemostasis
haemoglobin = hemoglobin
leucocyte = leukosit
quadratic = kuadratik
deoxyribonucleic acid = asid deoksiribonukleik
benzoyl peroxide = benzoil peroksida

my friends from Chinese schools...when they study S&M in Malay in secondary school...they got a shock...but they work hard and always carry a Malay dictionary with them...
when they got to university and study in English...they got shock again...still they work hard again and always have an English dictionary with them...

don't tell me you are super genius when studying S&M in Malay...
and suddenly you are a retard when studying with English...
stop the jokes and address the real issue...

1st week in new dept...almost kill a patient's kidney

just finished 2 months in the outpatient and now in "Therapeutic Drug Monitoring" (TDM)...

when you take certain medication...there is a window, a range...take too little its ineffective...take too much its dangerous...
most of the drugs...the window is quite wide...for example...Paracetamol (better known as Panadol)...
1000mg is effective for pain relieve...and you can take up to 4000mg a day...
so the upper range is 4 times the lower range...and it is generally safe as long as you don't take more than 4000mg a day...

but some drugs are very sensitive...the window is very narrow....especially when used in ill patients...for example...vancomycin...the last of the antibiotics which is active against the notorious Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)..

therefore we need to monitor the level of the medicine in the blood...and to adjust the dose to be given accordingly...to ensure it is enough to be effective...but not too much to cause any side effects...this is done in the department i'm currently in...

we get the blood sample...process...analyse...and interpret result...more or less like lab technician...but i don't mind at all...for more than a year i wasn't working in the lab...and now i'm enjoying myself again...with all the vacutainers...blood sample...micropipette...centrifuge...instruments...hehehe...
but i have to constantly remind myself to be really careful with the samples...these are not from my rats...i took good care of them...i knew they were disease free...
but these are real hazards...confirmed cases of bacterial infection...often notorious bugs...we don't even know if the patient had Hepatitis or HIV...

the workplace is like a mini lab..but ironically i find this department do even more clinical work than when i was attached to clinical pharmacist...
i feel more involved in a team...where we can discuss with the doctors and make decisions together...i mean real critical decisions...
i follow the case...monitor the drug level...suggest new dosage...discuss with the doctor...which to my surprise really taken into consideration by the doctors...

and the next day i will want to go up to the ward again...monitor my patient's progress..to see if my patient is still alive (i'm serious)...to check if there is any improvement...if the antibiotics are killing the bugs...as well as my patient's kidney...
i can really feel i'm doing real patient care...not just based on the texts we read in the university...
by the way...i don't think we need a course to teach people how to care for other people lah...its natural...either you have it or don't...this also have to study meh?...if i tell Mr Lim this...he will say...for exposure mar...create awareness mar...

sometimes i wonder how will i feel if when i go up...my patient wasn't there...
i know some day i may have to experience this situation...
sometimes i do hope i can have this experience...at least for once...
but not now...please
i hope when i go back on tuesday...my patient is still there...please...

(i really want to share some stories from the Out-Patient Dept...maybe later...the patients i met...1st world mentality? 3rd world mentality? kiasuness? considerate? inconsiderate?...i guess you can see them all in OPD)

curious about Benjamin Button...

yesterday...wednesday...movie day...went to a movie with my dear...
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"...



we watched the trailer a few months back...and it immediately got us interested...and curious...
of course its curious enough to watch an old man getting younger as he grows older...
but for me...i want to watch Brad Pitt...i love to see him acts...i think he is one of the few hunks who can really act...

i don't know how to write a movie review without revealing any spoilers...
but even from the trailer you can already guess the story...

just want to share...i like this movie...
its really an amazing experience to see a couple in love...both are my favourite (Brad and Cate) on screen...one growing old...while the other growing young...

although the storyline is easy...it is actually a movie with great depth...philosophical...as it deals with life and death...

one line that i could recall...
when someone left us...we feel very sad...but if they don't...how else can we know how much we miss them...

all in all...the visual experience was great...come on...3 oscars for art direction, visual effects and make up...expect nothing less...
the story is simple yet special and very meaningful...left you something to ponder...
value for money...RM6 (ipoh price) for 2 hours and 45 minutes (bring a pillow if you want) of Brad and Cate...can i ask for more?
perhaps its too long...but towards the end, i still felt a bit in a hurry to end...
if you want to watch a romantic and "extraordinary" movie instead of bats fighting with wolves...this is it...

收工过年!!!

friday...4.30pm...i was still busy in my little "kitchen"...my colleagues told me through the little window...

"30 minutes to go"

"what?" i asked...

"收工过年 lah"

it was the first time for us to declare that...
all the time we just say that for fun...but this year...this time i can finally realise the significance of this phrase...

on this day...we put down our works...rest for a few days...balik kampung...meet up with old buddies and distant relatives...and have fun...

appreciate this precious holiday (especially us poor tiny little creatures who have to work on the 3rd day)...have fun...but dun drunk n drive...
wishes all a very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year!!!

(for those who drive back to hometown...while you leave your stressful works behind...can you leave your "skillful" driving as well?...once in a year...drive your car at your hometown...your hometown's way...remind yourself that you are on holiday...relax...not rushing to meet any deadline...if you told your friends you are on the way...and you are bringing loads of cash...they will not stop gambling until you arrive...don't worry)

my fantasy..

when we talk about fantasy...especially guys...one thing always come to mind...SEX...
nope...i'm not going to tell you my sexual fantasy is xxxxxxxxx...

recently picked up my guitar again...
clean the dust...spray some WD-40...tweak a bit...and voila...guitaring again...

perhaps due to the boringness of working...need a lot of good music...
came across a good song from my old mp3 collection...which can be played easily and nicely with guitar...



even the lyrics is good...gave me some idea to write a simple love story...really wanna write...but lack motivation...as usual lar...lazy mar...

then came across another song...which is even easier to play and even nicer...



and the lyric is also as good...give me more idea for my simple love story...but still i'm lazy...

and suddenly...these 2 songs reminded me of my fantasy...not a simple love story...
that is to sing and play guitar live...unplugged...surrounded by a small crowd...
and the crowd don't have to sing along with me...just move their head or tap their feet to the rhythm...enjoy the performance...em...so fun...

but too bad my singing is like a frog...my face is like a frog...and my fingers are like frog's...can't really play that well...so fantasy remains fantasy...

the closest i had to my fantasy...was the experience of my lifetime...the best 10 minutes of my 5 years of secondary school...to play in a band in a Scout's gathering...
i guess it was form 4...or 5...not sure...
back then Hitz.FM was still Hitz FM...and still playing a lot of Westlife and Backstreet Boys instead of Kanye West and Justin Timberlake...

first song...Blink 182...who cares what a bunch of noisy fellas doing on stage...



ok...we don't play half as good...we don't sing half as good...the crowd was not half as big...in fact no crazy excited crowd at all...but i can assure you our drummer was almost half as impressive...damn he was so cool at that time...i mean our drummer...
but we shiok sendiri on the stage...it was fun...

second song...Linkin Park...



it was still the Boy Band, Pop era...so we didn't really expect anyone to know this song...most them thought it was licking park...but we just want to play for the fun of playing...

but when we started...suddenly a small group of girls rush to the front of the stage...and they were singing (em...screaming) and jumping with us...though it was just a small group...i guess the rest of the hall just wanted us to stop the noise...

but damn i tell you it was the best feeling in the world...
girls screaming with a rockband...
at least for once in life...i could experience the rockband high...really high...

"my fantasy"

my favourite alcoholic beverage...

friends who had seen me drink before would realise...most of the time i take...BEER...
i always enjoy beer...

nowadays most of the young people were into wine...especially red wine...duno why...
perhap the other spirits such as whiskey, cognac or brandy were too "ah pek" for the young people...or i think the main reason is that they are just too damn strong...
and beer is too cheap?
perhaps the tempo and "kick" and status of wine is just nice for them...

personally...i like wine...but if i were to choose...i would say i enjoy beer more...
the keyword is enjoy...

i find wine too formal...in fact a bit pretentious...
hold the glass by the neck...stir the glass...sip by sip...let it linger in your mouth...savour the after taste...

wtf...
with beer...just grab the bloody can...pull the damn trigger...gulp as much as you can...and let it "kick" you...
in the mean time...go ahead and laugh and yell at your buddies as loud as possible...or flirt with whoever around you...who cares...you are drinking BEER...

the science of Beer...
there are always a few question that people want to ask...
perhaps with my freshly graduated knowledge...i could help answer a few...

1) why drink beer?
Unlike drugs like ecstasy...which is a stimulant...Beer is actually a depressive agent...
in your brain there is an inhibitory centre...it acts as a brake to your brain...
and beer depresses this inhibitory centre...and two negative gives you a positive...

for example...under normal circumstances, you may not laugh as loud...because the inhibitory centre is there to stop you...telling your brain that it is inappropriate to laugh out loud in the public...

but with beer...this brake stops to function...so nothing to hold you back...and you laugh and joke and flirt and do things that you are normally "inhibited" to do...this effect is called disinhibitory...again...two negative gives you a positive...

also when the inhibitory system could not function...you feel a little elated...a little happy...
and i begin to enjoy alcoholic drinks when i began to recognise these effects...damn pharmacology...

2) why easier to get drunk if drinking without food?
food, especially fatty food, delays absroption of alcohol into your blood stream...

3) why beer has to be carbonated?
perhaps carbonated drink tastes better...
but carbonated drink absorbed into the blood faster as compared to non-carbonated drink...this help to get the "kick" faster...

4) why have to go toilet more often while drinking?
the obvious answer would be the fluid from the drink itself...
but the main reason is that...being a depressive agent...it inhibits the secretion of the anti-diuresis hormone from the brain...
this hormone act by concentrating urine...thus less urine output...
when secretion of this hormone is inhibited...urine become more diluted...thus more volume...

5) why beer belly?
alcohols are actually ethanol...short chain carbohydrates...
when ingested...they will then be converted into carbohydrates...energy...
unused energy will then be converted to fats...
thus...ultimately...the ingested alcohol will be stored in the body as fats...
and belly is one of the "storeroom" for fats...

6) Can we (mainly guys) make "mistakes" while drunk?
if you are totally drunk...my answer is no...
first of all...if you are really drunk...chances are you are unconscious...
secondly...you may have problem getting an erection...

but if you are not totally drunk...yes...
when slightly intoxicated...you become disinhibited...thus...you could be doing things that you wanted so much...but normally inhibited to do so...for example...use your imagination...

(also interested with cocktails...curious with the taste of a few types of drinks mixed together...currently experimenting Red Eye)