Dear younger me...

Well, I am officially in my thirties now....I can't even claim I'm in my late twenties anymore.(Not that anyone would dispute that even if I did....except my mom of course who follows a strange muslim calender and says I'm actually 2 years older than I really am...yikes!)So here's a letter to myself, knowing what I know now.This is a letter of wisdom for a younger me(minus 10 years!)

Dear younger self,

I know you feel you are finally liberated after so many years of cuckolding (by your parents) now that you are finally in med school on your own and out to make an impression.

You may feel you don't know what you really want in life yet except to maybe get through school in the next few years but make sure you make the most of it.Do not get sidetracked.

You are made of good stuff and you stand by it.Do not live for someone else for it shapes the decisions you make,which may not always be the best ones for your own future.

Mistakes will happen but learn from them and do not wallow in self pity.

And maybe you should take up that offer of veejaying you got while walking down Brigade Road one day(it's a big thing these days!)

On the other hand things all happen for a reason and everything works out for the best.Last but not least know that life is too beautiful not to savour it and too precious not to live it.

Love,
Faiza

How not to unwind after a long day....

-have your mom moan about her 'ill health'.
-have her insist that she doesn't need to see a doctor because gee her daughter is one!(doesn't matter that she deals with kids more than scalpels!)
-have her worry herself about all sorts of surgical problems she could be having!
-have your mom lament the fact that she has an uncaring,insensitive, mean daughter who doesn't care about her.
-AND your mom saying that none of this would ever happen if the said mean,uncaring,insensitive daughter was MARRIED!

Phew!

One heckuva week!

Aaarrrrrggghhh!

I am soooooooooooooo pissed!
I feel like physically hurting someone right now and it would be great if it was one of my patient's mom who I saw today just a couple of hours ago, who promptly abandoned her baby as soon as the poor baby got admitted!How could anyone do that?!!It would be sooooooooo satisfying to wring the mom's neck right now!!!If I ever lay my eyes on her again.....

What I want for Christmas

Well I know christmas is still a long while away but then again this is when I normally do my christmas shopping for friends.....And a friend asked me what I would like for Christmas.....
Okay, here's the list folks.....


-a swiss bunny.
-an all year's paid expense for flights all over the world(if one only knew how much I busted this year on flights alone!)
-a chinese shophouse(I hope my dad reads this!)
-another pair of 'jooties' wouldn't hurt of course (oh by the way,I have this fantastic new ones in black which I just adore!)
-someone willing to swap their laptop with my heavy red Ferrari Acer 3000LMi eventhough I do think it's the prettiest laptop I have ever seen(of course I'm no sucker, your laptop's gotta be good enough for an exchange, dude!)
-a ready to cook tom yum recipe that can't be beaten and is authentic enough.
-get a new nephew/niece(s)....(hint hint Nihad!) to spoil....the current ones are all growing at a frightening rate and know too much for little kids!
-a tummy zapper that really works!

and last but not least, I would like a lifetime membership to a Balinese Spa!

So that's all I can think of, folks, at this time.....shall update it more as my ageing brain cells conjure up more things my little heart might desire.............

DeepaRaya....

It's been a month exactly now since Diwali came and went followed by
Raya.But being Malaysians with their fervour to arrange 'makan' for every occasion they can think of, it's not surprising that we still have open houses going on celebrating both festivals!

So the other day the Surgical Dept outdid all the other departments with their very generous and wonderful setting for DeepaRaya celebrations.Food was excellent and the variety unbeatable.In fact it was the only department that invited everyone from all the attendants of the hospital to the top heads of every dept.It also helped that all the surgeons are a boisterous lot and get along well with everyone almost.

And now the Paediatric Dept is planning to have our 'makan' on the 29th when the ever elusive boss could grace us with her presence.....and she isn't exactly the boisterous kind....hmmmm......Oh well, then again people mostly come just for the food anyhow!

....to be on the recieving end.

Recently I took my mom for a check up at the general hospital.I can start off right here about everything that went wrong!But I shall be a bit professional and only complain about the nurse and doc who attended to my mother (as I, myself am in the healthcare profession).It really irks me that we have imbeciles, working in the govt.setting on top of that,in charge of things they have no clue about!!!!Arrggggghh!
To the doc who saw my mom......I hope when your turn comes buddy, you realize what a dog you were!
But maybe I should thank you in a way as you have truly made me aware of what kind of doctor I hope I never become.I sincerely hope I have never hurt the feelings of any of my little patients or their parents intentionally ever.God only knows but whenever I am impatient in future, I hope God gives me the strength and patience to tide things over.
And to the nurse......go-lah and brush up on your English before you attempt to embarrass yourself further!You are a shame to your noble profession!And all that make up on your face isn't gonna improve your sour countenance!Ever.

Congratulations Afifah!

5As!!!!!!
We are all so proud of you, kiddo!

Out to chill after a tough week.....woo hoo!

Good old navy days!

Someone recently sent me a picture of himself in an army getup.Now, there is definitely something to be said about men in uniform!Now before everyone starts getting ideas, let me explain.
I've always secretly felt that I should have stuck it out in the Navy even if it was in a country as backward in weaponry as Malaysia....I still remember the good old days as a rookie cadet and then right when I should have gone on to become an officer, college beckoned and then medical school for which I had to go abroad.Sigh!
Eversince, I always take a second look when anyone is dressed in fatigues....even if it is a woman.I think they look so cool!
I had such a nostalgic day thinking about the good ole days as a cadet and as soon as I got home started digging my old trunk to look for some old pics....lemme put up one up eventhough I shudder even now at how aweful I look!Gosh, I hope my friends don't disown me after seeing me!
The above pics was taken while we were on our way to one of our camps in the early 90s.I still remember clearly the excitement our convoy of trucks (about 8 all in all including officers,cadets,trainees and some top guys in their cushy army jeeps) caused while making our way to the northern region to an army reserve for a 3 day camp....
One of my best buddies, Farah stuck it out and now she's an army doc and has been to more places and helped out more people than I ever could.When I see her in uniform I still get shivers and I know you're gonna get a kick when you read this Farah, as someone who has been presuading me time after time to join the Navy even now.....sometimes i wish......

Sometimes nothing beats a delicious, fatty, cheesy double cheeseburger!Yummmmmmmmm!

You give but a little when you give your possessions.It is what you give of yourself that you truly give.-Khalil Gibran

....you know how some songs get stuck in your head and you keep humming it over and over again???
Well, at the moment the song that does it for me is Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back.
I can't believe I am actually listening his songs!!!Eeeks...but gotta say that this is one of the sexiest songs I've heard in a while....and I thought it was sung by a female when I initially heard it....
.......go ahead be gone with it!

My pet!

I missed her sooooooooooo much!

Hong Kong rocks!

I must say I always had my reservations about Hong Kong, China, Japan and Korea.These are some of the places which never appealed to me all that much in terms of being travel worthy.Chalk it to my indifference toward that region, (I know I'm terrible but hey I'm admitting to it!) and too many Cantonese serial viewing while I was younger and all those Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies definitely did not make it anymore appealing!

So anyhow, I must say Hong Kong at least was a pleasant surprise eventhough I was only there for such a short period of time.It's vibrancy was almost palpable and I was pleasantly surprised how cosmopolitan it really was!It is also quite compact when you really look at it but somehow the city of Hong Kong is just so dynamic.

I have to agree with my some of my friends who think it's got the best skyline ever on a clear night.It even beats New York City!

The ferry rides to and from Kowloon to Central Hong Kong was reminiscent of all those childhood ferry rides in my hometown Penang.

Too bad about the pollution that is clogging up the city though....wish they'd do something about it as the visit to The Peak would have definitely been worth it if there wasn't so much of smog causing poor visibility.

Still gotta say the best part of the trip was soaking in a whirlpool with steaming water outdoors while the weather was windy and chilly, atop a hotel facing the Hong Kong city skyline......was absolutely GORGEOUS!Never felt so relaxed and content ever!

Well, I must say I am looking forward to going again to Hong Kong and maybe I shall venture out to mainland China too and check it out....it might hold some pleasant surprises too.....another vast world for me to explore and see.......

(picture courtesy-East eats West)

Belated greetings!

Home for Raya...

Great to be back home and smelling in all the wonderful and yummy wafts of cookies baking in the oven.
Now it sinks in....the fasting month and the upcoming Eid!
Nothing like being home with all the folks at home gathering together to break fast and feasting in the goodies together.
And the kids have the best time i suppose....brings to mind the good times i had as a kid in a close knit extended family where there was always tons of cousins to hang out with and ah, the night before Eid is the best!
Decorating the whole house with greeting cards, ribbons, and arranging the chairs,tables,couches and sofas so that the next day after the morning prayers we could start having visitors for the 'open house' which is uniquely a Malaysian concept....
This year Eid is going to be different i guess.....celebrating it with friends away from home and would be celebrating Diwali as well.Hope it's fun!

Weeeeeee!

.....a well deserved break!!!!!

The most annoying thing in my life right now...

HMOV.
High Frequency Occillatory Ventilation.
Not good.
Cost:almost 20 thou pounds
Effectiveness: apparently proven but need trained staff to use it and at the moment any baby that has gone on it has not made it...except one whom we had changed to a conventional ventilator.
User friendly:are you kidding me???Need blood gasses very frequently and chest x-rays like 2-4 hourly initially!Pain in the ass!

Updates

Have been lazy again and not updating my blog.

-Fell sick and recovered also in between.
-Still feel sick sometimes....so maybe haven't fully recovered?
-Lots of sick kids at work.
-People at work could be really annoying at times.Sigh!
-I am sooooooooooooo tired.
-Fasting month is just flying by but doesn't even feel like it's the fasting month cause am not doing anything special :(
-Need to write and say hi to my friends....in case you are one of them, "HI!!!!"
-Am sooooooooooo looking forward to Oct 17th!
-I need a facial and pedicure.Badly.
-Mom phoned to let me know that I've got some 3 speeding tickets....yey :(
-Dad called to tell me my time's almost up so get married already.Yeah right.
-Miss my brother and sisters.

rookiebookie??

Woo hoo!
Raj has started a blog too!
http://rookiebookiegirlsbooks.blogspot.com/

........terribly need a break!

God Bless....

Marhizal.

On a recent trip to Singapore i bought some Dunkin Donuts for the kids who live nearby where i stay currently.I thought they might like it as previously when i introduced some Lindt chocolate to them they immediately became bigtime fans of mine and would do anything i asked them to (mainly keep the noise level down when i have had a rough night at work!).Personally i am not a big fan of donuts of any kind but my siblings were always partial to them and so i thought these kids would love em too.....
First off, though the box containing the donuts looked very appealing to them, the donuts itself didn't make their mouth water.In fact they passed it around, sniffed at it,poked at it and all but refused to take a bite!Finally i had to demonstrate how to eat a donut to them....sadly i think i didn't quite make an impression as well (as i would have had it been a tub of chocolate ice cream or choc mousse!).
So in the end i had no takers....we shared a donut among the 5 of us (me and the 4 kiddos)....and even then it took a while to finish it off!
I have like 5 more donuts in the fridge....any takers?

Selamat Berpuasa!

My tough little fighter!

Isn't she a cutie?!

Azan

Was walking back to my lonely little 'call room' when I heard the azan early in the morning today and it's funny how you never notice these things in your daily life but this morning when i was feeling down and frustrated....it was the most soothing sound i could ever hear.....felt rejuvenated immediately!

(darn for the life of me i can't seem to download an azan onto my blog!help appreciated.Anyone??)

Suma's wedding!

"Bravo!"

Well, sometimes one has just got to be proud of themselves on a job well done, so....
"Way to go Faiza on "Thalassemia-An old disease;bracing for new frontiers"!You did a good job, ole girl!"

All eyes on the Lina Joy case

FORTY-two years ago, a baby girl was born and named Azlina Jailani by her Malay parents. The girl was brought up as a Muslim but at the age of 26 she decided to become a Christian.
In 1999, she managed to change the name in her identity card to Lina Joy but her religion remained stated as Islam.
Now having waited many years for the word "Islam" to be deleted from her IC so she could have a legitimate marriage or offspring, the issue may finally be resolved once and for all.
Renunciation of a religion or preference for any religion is a matter of constitutional right.No one should be forced to practice a religion that is not of their choice.
Lina Joy had appealed to delete the word “Islam” from her identity card and to claim that she was free to practice the religion of her choice.
The case first entered the legal arena on April 23, 2001 when the High Court refused to decide on Lina's application to renounce Islam as her religion on the ground that the issue should be decided by the Syariah Court.It also dismissed Lina's application for an order to direct the department to drop the word “Islam” from her identity card.

What Islam truly says - Qur'an 2:256: "There is no compulsion in religion."

Who are we to judge anyone who embraces any religion or becomes an apostate.In the end we only have to fear one God and answer to Him and Him alone.

Currently reading...

And before my mom and my aunts freak out.....nope, I did not buy the book for their slimming/anti-ageing secrets!I strongly believe this is gonna keep me awake during the conference I'm gonna be attending (when really needed, of course!) the next couple of days!

Merdeka!

To mark our 49th year of Independance,let me share why I love being a Malaysian:

-I love that as we chase wealth and success,family still matters.
-I love that the level of service we enjoy in Malaysia can only be dreamt of elsewhere.
-Of course, the glorious food!In abundance,cheap and available any time,day or night.
-We have wonder exotic fruits like durians,mangoesteens and rambutans....not to forget lychees and mata kucing.
-I am proud of the level of health service in this country which provides excellent primary health care.
-In spite of everything,we actually have prime ministers and leaders who have built on what we have and not destroyed what we have.
-I love that I grew up in a multi-ethnic,multi-religious society and went to school where I had friends and teachers of all races...my life is that much richer for this.
-Amazing how we all celebrate Chinese New Year,Diwali,Eid and Christmas together!
-I am proud that as a Malaysian muslim feminist I see no contradiction between my religion and my feminism.
-And oh, I so love the Tourism Malaysia advertising campaign slogan of
'Malaysia Truly Asia'

(thanks for reminding me Zainah Anwar!)

Happy Birthday....

Mom and Teena!
Love you!

Vanilla Raspberry Squares!

Drooooooooooooool!Linda,instead of showing me the pics, send me the real stuff you meanie!

Emotions...

The variations of emotions in a human being just dazzles the mind....no other blessed creature of God possesses the range of emotions of a man,woman or child....and the past one week has absolutely created a wave of emotions in me that ranged from absolute bliss from seeing a loved one on the webcam(thank god for the inventions of modern technology!)and i tell you, the feeling lasted well into the middle of the week, sublime happiness at finally getting my hands on a decent tub of ice cream (it had to be Wall's as i couldn't find any Ben&Jerry's),total numbness by the end of an awefully hectic day that i couldn't even hear the phone ringing, anger and frustration at my parent's neverending meddlesome matchmaking attempts to get their eldest hitched before hell does freeze over,a feeling utter helplessness as I watched one of the sweetest boys I've gotten to know slip into coma and pass away,extreme irritation at having to do my laundry and press my clothes,craving for a spicy and flavourful'Tom Yum' at the one and only place where they really know how to make one........i could go on here.......emotions.....WOW!

Miss my bunny!

My little sumo wrestler!

(picture taken with the permission of the parents.)

Bollywood dancing!

I had to teach a bunch of kids some Bollywood dancing recently and boy, it's not easy!Especially if you haven't noticed how intense and aerobics like some of the dance steps can be.Well, I am first of all not a qualified dance instructress as I have only had a few opprtunities to put on my dancing shoes and show off my skills,usually at Indian/Pakistani weddings (which I valiantly try to avoid these days!)Nevertheless when a bunch of adults and kids looked at me forlornly a day before they actually had to perform, I caved in and tried to squeeze every ounce of 'bollywoodness'in me(okay, okay...i might have used the computer to download some movie scenes to help me by...) and voila...the kids did brilliantly!
However no one could beat my nieces who are all talented and naturalborn Bollywood dancers!!They dance brilliantly especially Afraa and Azza and it's a delight to watch them!I shall include some pics of my nieces for some blogger viewing pleasure.......Here's to Bollywood dancing!

Back to work....

......yup!Fun ends on Monday as sick kids beckon and back to long hours of slogging!Doubt I'd have anytime to blog for a bit.......but am actually looking forward to it.

....the dying art of letter writing.

There was a time during my teens when my cousin Fahima and I would write pages and pages of handwritten mail to each other and while writing one I would at the same time wait anxiously for the postman to bring me another letter from her!We loved to write....also to draw,paint and make our own cards and pictures....why we even made our own envelopes at one time!I have saved all the letters from her throughout the years and it's such a pretty sight when I come across them whenever I am at my parents trying to sort out stuff.

Letter writing brought me and my dad closer during my medical school years as cell phones weren't the norm then and it was pretty difficult to get some time alone on the phone without others at the dorm waiting impatiently for me to hang up.I still remember on one occasion while I was home for holidays with my parents, my dad actually boasted about my wonderful hand writing (ehm..ehm...) and letter writing skills to all the guests who'd come for a visit that night!

It's so sad how we have resorted to e-mails in our daily lives now.
Letter writing is sometimes frowned upon as being an inefficient mode of communication these days.It many ways it might be but there is nothing like the personal touch one gets by writing/recieving a letter or a card.

And to write a letter with a delicious fountain pen....nothing like it!I've rediscovered letter writing and try to write to a few dear friends of mine whenever I can now....it's lovely to write them and I carry a beautiful old Mont Blanc which my dad gave me ages ago(which was in turn given to him by someone else!)just for that.In some ways I don't have the urgency to check my e-mails frantically everyday as I used to anymore and I kinda like that feeling.....

Itinerary of a summer vacation....

-Have a picturesque landing at the airport and have a bunch of people clap their hands after a 10 hour flight!

-Get picked up at the airport by 2 guys with almost identical Bally bags and a cute girl, on their way to work!

-Get introduced to the family of friends and have them take you around for sightseeing while the said friends go off to work on the same day.

-Learn to take the public transport at the new locality.....and boy, you'll learn what an efficient system they have!

-Soak in the sunny weather....which went up as high as 35 degrees at times!(aarrghhh!after the scorching experience in India this should be nothing!)

-Read a book or write your journal by a lake.....and people watch!

-Get hit on by white guys who think the local girls are way too snooty and bollywood dancing cool....ehm ehhm.

-Have salad for lunch.

-.....more salad for dinner!

-Water the plants in the garden of your host.....in between snooze on their garden sundeck of course!

-Eat CHEESE!Yummy!

-Eat even more salad!

-Go out with friends of your friends.....getting to know new people is always fun!

-Oh, yeah.....take your friend's godchildren to the park and play with them and have the little one go tirelessly over and over their slide which has an exceedingly tedious and dangerous set of steps leading up.

-Drive by the countryside and take in all that breathtaking view...ahhh one could get heady just by that!

-Have a romantic dinner nearby a pier and watch all the rich and ?famous parade themselves...some of them quite bizzare!!!(Wow it must be sooo cool to arrive at a dinner on a speed boat which a lot of people do!)

-Watch wild swans gliding gracefully everywhere there is a patch of water.

-Freeze your butt on a mountain and get swollen fingers,nose and ears!

-See how cheese is made.....and any other milk products for that matter and how hard the cows have to work for it.....literally stuffing themselves on green grass halfway up the mountain!

-Get your tourguide to stop along the countryside for a little run and spin on the grassfields ala 'sound of music'....(must make sure the background is scenic and get your tourguide to take a few snaps as well (as proof that you've been there and done that!)

-Eat more salad...(this time with stinky cheesy which actually tastes yummy and maybe some dates as well.....mmmmm!)

-Have Shoreley everyday!

-Climb up and down Brunner Investment's 4th floor almost every other day.....and make sure one still looks pretty and presentable after 4 flights of steps before ringing the doorbell.

-Get drenched in the rain....and freeze your butt a little.

-Look longingly at the ferriswheel everyday but never get on it till the very end!

-Walk the whole stretch of Bahnhoffstrasse and window shop and try desperately to curb your spending habits.

-Never try to read anything in English....you won't find 'English' anywhere anyway!

-Walk the streets in the evening and enjoy every minute of it!

-Check out cool watchshoppes.

-Be a lucky mascot for your friend on a shopping expedition where he gets not one but two designer suits his size just because you wanted a brownie!!

-Go swim in the fresh and clear waters of a lake which apparently has drinkable water quality! and eat veal sausages with Rossti....yummy!

-Get tickets to an awesome Rolling Stones concert with a spectacular airshow prior to that....oh also have guys over 6 feet block any view of the Stones and have 60 thousand people from all over Switzerland gather at a muddy airstrip for the show.

-Lapsit!!!!!

-Eat all you want as much as you want at a national day brunch at your new locality, in a barnhouse!

-Go to the Victorinox factory......and not buy a victorinox cause you already have tooo many thanks to daddy!

-Visit an old, cold and wet bunker and have a wonderful guide take you around....and almost get locked in at the 'watchout' point!

-Make yourself sick on a windy road up a hill so that you can have yummy, witch's seasoned chicken which you eat with your bare hands and have the witch cackle away in the background.....and get even more sick by having people around you puff away on their ciggies.

-Smell the wonderful sweet taste of chocolates from the chocolate factory everytime you passby on a bus!Yummmmmm..

-Get a cuckoo bird....or a clock.....or both rolled into one!

-Serenade yourselves at an open air classical concert in the park in the evening....Beautiful!

-Play a strategic cardboard game with a bunch of foreigners who are sweet enough to guide you along the way....even though they know you are gonna be the obvious loser in the end!And you better be gracious about it!

-Visit one of the oldest libraries in the world.

-Visit an ancient cloister and get to experience an actual mass with haunting but beautiful choir in the background as well.

-Eat Movenpick or Ben&Jerry's ice cream almost every other day!

-Eat salad.....yes more salad with your salad loving friend who makes good salad dressing!

-Cry all the way home to Asia.....and have an Italian who can't speak any English sit next to you on the return flight.

Cuckoo clock!

I recently bought a cuckoo clock...a swiss hand made one, really cute and adorable looking with a cute little cuckoo which pops in and out!.....never thought i'd ever actually get a cuckoo clock but hey....i have one now!

warm,fuzzy feeling!

I always fancied myself on being quite a thrifty shopper.....i am kidding!!!I waste all my hard earned money on shoes,bags and lingeries!Well, lately i haven't been splurging as much as i used to once upon a time anyways.But once in a while it is absolutely lovely to indulge oneself even if one has to overcome some feelings of guilt to appreciate the warm fuzzy flush feeling i tend to associate myself with when i am feeling all nice!I felt that recently when i got myself a Furla wallet which i have absolutely fallen in love with for it's simplicity and it's fine finish....yummy!

Wonderful Zurich

Well, what can i say...i've become a lazy blogger and never could seem to update my blog as frequently as i'd used to.But i just luuuuurve the 'Picasa' features where one could create a collage of sorts with pictures.So i shall just let my pictures do the talking this time round ....once again!And to all the wonderful people who found the time to be around for me....thank you!

sexy docs!

muahaha....eat your hearts out guys!!!

Worst kind of mom!

Today was one of those days that left me sooooo hopping mad and wanting to wring somebody's neck or just punch someone really hard (hmm...actually the person who instigated all this could have very well been at the recieving end if it wasn't for some supreme restrain effort on my part!)!!!

This mom brought in her child claiming the child had practically every illness under the sun and insisted that I admit her.Well, to be fair the child did look sickly and emaciated but I knew something was just not right from the moment the mom opened her mouth.The child funnily also looked very comfortable being examined (unlike most kids her age!) and was already anticipating what I was about to do, ie) oral examination, general physicals and systemic examination, as if she has performed the same old routine a hundred times.

It wasn't long before I suspected Munchausen By Proxy.

(Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS), or Factitious Disorder by Proxy, as it's listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision, also known as DSM-IV-TR).

This relatively uncommon condition involves the exaggeration or fabrication of illnesses or symptoms by a primary caretaker. One of the most harmful forms of child abuse, Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome was named after Baron von Munchausen, an eighteenth-century German dignitary known for telling outlandish stories.

What Is Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome?
In MBPS, an individual - usually a mother - deliberately makes another person (most often his or her own child) sick or convinces others that the person is sick. The parent or caregiver misleads others into thinking that the child has medical problems by lying and reporting fictitious episodes. He or she may exaggerate, fabricate, or induce symptoms. As a result, doctors usually order tests, try different types of medications, and may even hospitalize the child or perform surgery to determine the cause.

Typically, the perpetrator feels satisfied when he or she has the attention and sympathy of doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with him or her and the child.

Because the parent or caregiver appears to be so caring and attentive, often no one suspects any wrongdoing. A perplexing aspect of the syndrome is the ability of the parent or caregiver to fool and manipulate doctors. It's not unusual for medical personnel to overlook the possibility of Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome because it goes against the belief that a parent or caregiver would never deliberately hurt his or her child.

Well, I hope I did not overlook the possibility.

Must read article of the month...FP

I had to search high and low for the magazine but worth a read!!Thanks Johhny!

Whirlwind of a month!

June/July 2006

Ode

Ode
by John Keats.

Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Have ye souls in heaven too,
Double lived in regions new?
Yes, and those of heaven commune
With the spheres of sun and moon;
With the noise of fountains wound'rous,
And the parle of voices thund'rous;
With the whisper of heaven's trees
And one another, in soft ease

Seated on Elysian lawns
Brows'd by none but Dian's fawns;
Underneath large blue-bells tented,
Where the daisies are rose-scented,
And the rose herself has got
Perfume which on earth is not;
Where the nightingale doth sing
Not a senseless, tranced thing,
But divine melodious truth;
Philosophic numbers smooth;
Tales and golden histories
Of heaven and its mysteries.

Thus ye live on high, and then
On the earth ye live again;
And the souls ye left behind you
Teach us, here, the way to find you,
Where your other souls are joying,
Never slumber'd, never cloying.
Here, your earth-born souls still speak
To mortals, of their little week;
Of their sorrows and delights;
Of their passions and their spites;
Of their glory and their shame;
What doth strengthen and what maim.
Thus ye teach us, every day,
Wisdom, though fled far away.

Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Ye have souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new!

(in memory of Shaun Vikas Bhullar)

'Hantaran'

Damn....how does one pack all the stuff above and get them to India uncrushed??!!!Arrrgghhhh!But they look sooooooooooooo pretty!Colour theme:maroon,gold and silver.....such 'indian' colours though!Hahaha...

'Hantaran':exchange of gifts between the bride and the groom in traditional Malay weddings made up mostly of edibles with maybe a Quran, the 'Mehr', and a tapak sirih (betel leaves).But clothes,accessories,jewelleries and other adornmnets make up most of the 'hantarans' these days as decorative pieces 'dressed up'as eye candy for visitors of both sides of the family to ogle at.

Yummy!

The best thing about going to a Malay wedding is the food you get served after the nikkah.I especially love the pineapple,onion and red chillie (yummy-er, when extra spicy!)salad.....It's so unique really and the flavours-the sweetness of pineapple, with the crunch factor of the onions and the spicy chillies together make it sooo addictive and delectable.Last night i decided to binge on some and i did!The pineapples are fast becoming my most favourite fruit of the season.....i'm drooling again....

Mahatma Gandhi said.....

"Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

.....and what a wonderful world it would be if everyone DID!

Support...

Unfinished...

Thanks Johnny...

I looooooooooooooooooooove Thievery Corporation!

random thoughts...

-Everyone's freaking about the wedding except me.Haha.
-I have better things to do in life right now than stress out about it.
-Everyone's booked their flight tickets to India except me.Yikes!
-India is bloody hot right now...everyone's gonna roast or get steamed!
-I am nervous about the next 2 weeks.
-They are still having earthquakes in Indonesia....hmmm...
-I miss Luang Prabang....and the wonderful time I had there.
-I really should buy myself a shophouse in Penang and renovate it!Should scout for one.
-Why is Raj calling everyone 'bitcheeesss' ten million times??Are you pissed or what?
-I feel like having mom's mango pudding right now.
-My butt hurts.
-I actually miss being on call, being away from the hospital so long...I am pathetic!
-I am a meanie.
-I should go sleep right now.....am sooooooooooo tired.

Must go to....

hmmm.....must work it all out somehow!

Clouds!

took this shot from the plane flying from Penang!

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Magical Luang Prabang

Mekong river


The strip of land on top is where the airport is!


Absolute bliss.

Luang Prabang.....quiet, peaceful, clean, quaint and charming, is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1955.Luang Prabang is a city where time seems to stand still.
From the time our little plane landed on a small strip of runaway until our return a few days later, the wonderful serenity persisted and it truly felt magical and romantic.The city is jewel-like: tiny and compact.I would never have thought about visiting Laos if it weren't for my friend Alex.Again it is truly a shame that many other Asians have truly neglected Laos as a must visit place except for a few Japanese and of course the Thai people.But I guess it could also be a blessing in disguise as it is still unspoilt by the tourism industry.

Luang Prabang is small, and just about everywhere can be reached by foot.Walking and travelling by bicycle is the best way to see this tiny city.The french influenced architecture(Indochine) with french headings everywhere was evidently unique to see in this part of Asia.There were splendid and numerous Vats all over Luang Prabang with beautiful buddhas everywhere and I think I only managed to see a few.The tallest peak in the town of Luang Prabang is called Mount Phousi and it gives a bird's eye view of the whole town and the surrounding areas (though i had to huff and puff all the way up in the humid surrounding, it was absolutely worth it!).One could see the majestic and historical Mekong winding past Luang Prabang on one side and the river Khan on the other.

Alm's giving at 6am for the monks and novices is an ancient practice that is even now carried out every morning; tourists and foreigners alike find it a very unique and solemn ritual.Sighting a monk or a novice walking about or doing their everyday chores (this includes playing with cats, catching monkeys, enlightening tourists about buddhism and getting to practice their English and French and watching the world cup among other things!) was truly an experience.One is greeted with a chorus of "sabaidee" (hello)by the warm and friendly Laotians everywhere and at any time of the day.

There isn't any lack of activities for the tourists either.Mountain biking,river rafting,visit to the waterfalls,elephant rides and also jungle trekking are among the activities a tourist could immerse themselves in.I also managed to visit Phet(a cub tiger) and her bear buddies(who to my friend's amazement all stood on their hindlegs whimpering for us to hand over some bananas).

I also managed to indulge myself a bit at my friend's sister, Peng's Spa Garden with a relaxing Laotian massage.Her little spa is in a typical Laotian house painted red and white with wooden interiors and soothing music in the background.The fragrant aroma of oils emanated from within the house before we even entered the place.Services were good and reasonably priced.And for someone who truly doesn't appreciate tea, I found their herbal tea quite yummy.

Breakfast,lunch and dinner could be had at various cafes and restaurants although JoMa Cafe(for their whole wheat bagels) and l'elephant(yummy goat cheese salad!) were my favourites.I was a bit unlucky with Laotian meals though as whatever i ordered always turned out to be a mediocre dish.And to my surprise every place and shop accept USD as 10,000Laotian currency is equiv to 1 dollar and it beats having to carry bundles of Laotian money.

Handmade mulberry paper(which I couldn't get some for myself unfortunately!),umbrellas,silk,cotton sheets,cute little(or scary looking!) handmade toys all could be bought as souveniers at the night market or various shops.

Eventhough I was woken up every single morning at approximately 6am by the friendly neighborhood rooster, I had a wonderful time otherwise and it is truly a charming place to visit.

Justice for the Guantanamo prisoners

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My mom's addicted to...

Sudoku!

This week...

-Haemato-Onco conference.

-a surprise call from a 'kindred spirit' (you know who you are and i was serious about Cambodia!)

-Shaikh's wedding.....green/maroon/purple saree?

-Moonlighting ($$ka ching!)

-Prep for PALS Course(Pediatric Advanced Life Support) with Sett.

-finish reading the journals!!

-Yummy weekend ahead....can't wait!

-Medicines for Shazan and Shammy before their trip to India(MUST remember!Call me and remind me,Tina)

-Help Nurul pack and move.....am gonna miss you sweetie and you're one heckuva gynae...they don't know what they're losing!

-"You're trying to have a kid????What happened to the December plans, you cow?Raj, I swear.... that Canadaian trip doesn't look too promising does it?I think we have every right to know when we are gonna become aunts/godmothers etc!!Teena hasn't even had a chance to have you all by herself yet (which increasingly looks to me like it's never gonna happen at this rate!)"

-Happy Birthday Hooi Ling....I don't know about summer in England....

-At least 200 sit-ups everyday...don't want no 'Delhi-belly'....ugh!



Strive and pray for your dreams to come true and the rest leave it to HIM....(amen!)

Must read article of the week!

And we wonder about the brain drain....

I find the recent survey conducted by the UK Executive Council for Malaysian Students unnecessary, “Poor pay keeping best brains away” (Sunday Star, April 30).

Any Tom, Dick or Harry can tell you why Malaysian doctors and professionals working abroad are not willing to come back to serve the country. Tell us something new, other than what we already know but choose to deny. The fact is, and it has always been this: Low salary and long working hours.

The results of the survey clearly reflect the sad state of affairs, particularly of the medical profession in the country.

It was not too long ago that I worked as a houseman at the busiest hospital in the country. I worked for 36 hours when I was on call, and more often than not, I was on call every other day, which translates to a total of more than 108 hours a week, including weekends!

To rub salt into the wound, housemen at that time were paid a miserable sum of RM25 per call. Talk about cheap labour.

Working condition was just appalling. I can recall those nights that if we did get to sleep at all, even for an hour, it was on the floor.

If we were lucky, we would get to sleep on a bed, the very same one where the patient had died earlier in the day.

Some of my colleagues were so exhausted from work that they dozed off right in front of the patient while taking his history.

Our monthly income was nothing to shout about either. When I met some old friends, they often popped the dreaded question: How much do you earn a month? I never answered them.

Having slogged my way through Form Six for two years, then another five years at a local university, my income now is no more than what my non-doctor friends are earning, and some do not even have a university degree.

The Government spends close to a million for each student to pursue a career in medicine. Thus, it is only right that these sponsored students return and serve the country.

However, the same should not apply to students who were not government-sponsored, as it is not only unreasonable, but also unfair.

If in the first place,the Government refused these deserving students scholarships, what right does it have now to demand and to compel them to come back and serve the country, all in the name of patriotism?

How long would it take to earn back the money spent on studying abroad with the poor pay that doctors in Malaysia are getting?

I want to stress that these students who choose not to return do not, in any way, lack a sense of nationalism and patriotism.

To tackle the problem of long working hours, why not introduce the shift system like in the UK? Let us also learn from our neighbour Singapore where civil servants are paid almost as high as those in the private sector to prevent brain drain and corruption.

It is indeed heartening to see the Government is concerned about the problem of brain drain in the country, and is trying to tackle this at the root of the problem by targeting students studying abroad.

We should applaud the efforts taken by the Government such as legalising locum and promotion of specialists stuck in houseman or medical officer's post. Nevertheless, more can be done and unless the Government is really committed to addressing this issue, conducting the survey is just as good as paying lip service to this chronic problem.

DISGRUNTLED DOCTOR
Petaling Jaya, Selangor

courtesy The Star

Well said disgruntled doc.....you speak for all of us.

Essentials of a perfect bathroom

Yummy!

Strangers in the night.....

You know how sometimes you listen to a tune or a song and you just can't get it out of your system for a while.....well, the song of the moment for me is Frankie's Strangers in the night.Wow....nobody does it like ole Blue Eyes.I keep humming it all day and night...Sigh!


Strangers in the night exchanging glances
Wond’ring in the night
What were the chances we’d be sharing love
Before the night was through.

Something in your eyes was so inviting,
Something in you smile was so exciting,
Something in my heart,
Told me I must have you.

Strangers in the night, two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first hello.
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away,
A warm embracing dance away and -

Ever since that night we’ve been together.
Lovers at first sight, in love forever.
It turned out so right,
For strangers in the night.