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)