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.

Jootis!!!

Due to popular demand and raves about my collection of jootis (ie. shoes), I shall post more pictures of them in future.But i've also gotto clarify that i'm not an abnormal shoes fetishist.Okay since that question is out of the way, lemme present to you, me and my niece furby,who also shares her aunt's passion for shoes and is starting off young!Her poor parents!

The Little Prince

Bought a few new books today....I had to get a brand new 'The Little Prince' for my niece!All time favourite....i seriously even considered taking up french so that i could read the original version once upon a time.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery was a french author, journalist and pilot who wrote The Little Prince in 1943, one year before his death.

The Little Prince appears to be a simple childrens tale.But some would say that it is actually a profound and deeply moving tale, written in riddles and laced with philosopy and poetic metaphor.

So I lived my life alone, without anyone that I could really talk to, until I had an accident with my plane in the Desert of Sahara, six years ago. Something was broken in my engine. And as I had with me neither a mechanic nor any passengers, I set myself to attempt the difficult repairs all alone. It was a question of life or death for me: I had scarcely enough drinking water to last a week.

The first night, then, I went to sleep on the sand, a thousand miles from any human habitation. I was more isolated than a shipwrecked sailor on a raft in the middle of the ocean. Thus you can imagine my amazement, at sunrise, when I was awakened by an odd little voice.

It said: "If you please, draw me a sheep!"

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I made Ivan ambulate today.
After almost 4 months of being bedbound!
Made his mom bring his wheelchair from home and sat him up on it and took him for a spin.
I could seriously tell that he was mighty pleased!
I'm sure if he could express himself he would have gone, "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" and squeeled in delight!

I smell nice thanks to....

....."Promesse"!(my last birthday gift from my sis Nihad)
The nicest compliment I'd ever gotten in a long time was from a 6 year old patient of mine who greeted me yesterday with a,"you're the nicest smelling doc with the nicest smile ever!"Boy.....did it make my day!

Anyways, what has prompted me to write about my perfume???

As mentioned earlier went for a wedding yesterday.
Since I don't consume alcohol I was the designated driver so imagine a car loaded with 4 women(including me!) all decked and perfumed to kill!I mean literally!
I almost gagged and passed out by the time we got ourselves to the ballroom.....and needed to take a few deep breaths before I seated myself at my table for the sumptous meal.Even then it took me a while to start enjoying my meal!

Why do people do it???

Drench themselves with perfume??

Silly question....all I have to do is probably just ask my sisters/mom/dad all of whom have given me perfumes as gifts one after another (hey....was it a subtle way of telling me something??) and who are big fans of huge bottles over overpowering scents made to make faiza's tummy churn and who cannot fathom how someone (insert "Me") could use a whole bottle of perfume for more than a year and still have more than half the bottle leftover!

Hmmmm.....still.....I smell good and I know at least I do not make other's stomach churn!

Thank God for an ultrasensitive olfactory bulb!

Vertigo!

http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/bangkok/vertigo-bangkok.htm

Unos, dos, tres, catorce

Lights go down
It's dark
The jungle is your head
Can't rule your heart
I'm feeling so much stronger
Than I thought
Your eyes are wide
And though your soul
it can't be bought
your mind can wander

Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called vertigo (¿Dónde está?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
Except you give me something I can feel
Feel

The night is full of holes
Those bullets rip the sky
Of ink with gold
They twinkle as the boys play rock and roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know

I can sell the beat
I'm askin' for the cheque
Girl with crimson nails
Has Jesus 'round the neck
Swinging to the music
Swinging to the music
Woooao
Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called Vertigo (¿Dónde está?)
It's everything I wish I didn't know
But you give me something I can feel
Feel

Check mated
Oh yeah
Hours of fun...

All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
Just give me what I want and no-one gets hurt

Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called Vertigo
Lights go down and all I know
Is that you give me something I can feel
You're teaching me ...aaahhh
Your love is teaching me how
How to kneel
Kneel

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!


Lyrics:Bono & The Edge

The most romantic wedding ever....

Went for Adrian's wedding yesterday.It was a nice simple wedding but out in the outdoors with greenery and birds chirping with a select group of the couple's family and friends.So it was all the more a personal experience for all of us and I swear i had goose bumps as did everybody else when they both took their vows.And there couldn't have been anyone who also did not shed tears of joy when Eilynn started crying during her vows...and when the couple sealed their vows with a kiss!
It was just soooooooooo romantic!
Ooooh...let's not forget the reception afterwards with an 8 course meal which was simply scrumptous~I normally don't like weddings or going for one....it's so overrated!Especially Indian weddings!The clothes, jewellery, the music and all those hundreds of people at the wedding some of whom the bride and groom have probably never ever met before in their lives.It's all for the benefit of the 'press' (aka people who gossip about the wedding afterwards!) which is really sad because who gives a rat's ass anyways about these gossipmongers and why oh why should we even invite such people to the most important event of your life?
So i hope somebody out there is taking notes on all this...... :)

SOS!!

I NEED A VACATION!Seriously!
This sudden urge for a break was triggered by various factors strongest one being the recent short stint in Bangkok last weekend.
Was fortunate enough to experience firsthand the Songkhran festival in Thailand.
Quite fun getting drenched and powdered but it wasn't so fun for a bit when i couldn't stop shivering thanks to people 'shooting' with ice water loaded waterguns....
Sometimes i wake up bright and shiny eyed and just long to get to the hospital.
But there are some days when all i wanna do is stay in and call in sick.....no kidding!Read the newspapers today about the survey and i seriously do not know what my feelings are....are doctors really that trustworthy??I'd like to think that we are but certain parents i've come across whilst at work certainly didn't give me that impression!Especially with the threat of a lawsuit if anything should go wrong these days and all the negative media review in the local newspapers about medical professionals......
Well,....all i want now is a vacation!!!Don't care much about whether people think i'm trustworthy or not~
Humans are soooooooo fickle minded anyways.

A story untold

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5137581991288263801&q=loose+change

sick birds, dead chicks and breeding mosquitoes...

Ugh!
Avian flu.
And now Chikungunya......
10 points for anyone who can say 'ckikungunyachikungunyachikungunyachikungunya....'10 times really fast!

The most beautiful bride ever....

Arpana!

Penang rediscovered....

It's funny how one has to see one's own hometown in the eyes of a stranger or in my case, a foreigner, to really get to know the place.

I was born and brought up in Penang.Yet i never really 'knew' Penang as I thought I had until last weekend.Thanks to a Swiss friend of mine who was down for a visit, I had to play a 'pathetic tourguide'.

A pathetic tourguide I was because I realized how little I actually knew about my own hometown!A guided trip (by a professional tour guide of course) down the Heritage Trail really did open my eyes and senses in a way and boy have I fallen in love with the little shophouses here which I have always been oblivious to!

It was also a trip down memorylane for me as I walked through the tiny lanes and rode on trishaws or better known as "beca" over here.Now I look twice when I pass a shophouse and know what 'elements' (water/fire/earth/metal/wood) the owners wanted, and which era they were built in, and how wealthy/or not the owners were, etc.

The Cheong Fatt Tze mansion of course takes the cake but then again some other places with exceptional restoration done would include the Swiss restaurant, 'Edelweiss',the few art galleries along Armenian street and Little India.

All in all it was a wonderful experience and I'd do it again!

I am now even more proud to be a Penangite.

Must watch movie of the month.....

The Inside Man.

Hui Yi

Meet Hui Yi.
The most adorable girl i've ever come across!
She's 3 years old and suffers from nephrotic syndrome.....this would be her 8th relapse and she's on steroids....probably will be for a very long time.
She's been warded for 2 weeks now and she's still not responding that well to medications.
The reason i adore her so much is because no matter how long she has been at the hospital and no matter how much she hates blood taking or getting pricked,she's always ready to greet anyone with her smile and her toys.She's well behaved and despite her condition (some kids take advantage of their parents when they are sick), she's not a drama queen and is very considerate with her mom who tries to be with her as much as she can(she's expecting another child in a month's time) cause she can't wait to have a baby brother with whom she can play.
In times of personal adversity.....think of Hui Yi....
(Darn blogger!i can't put up hui yi's picture...i promise i shall put it up...taken with the permission of her mom.)

almost complete weekend project....

Arppy's wedding album.

Killer week ahead......

Wowee...just checked out my itinerary for the next 10 days....somewhere along i think i got over-ambitious and i'll be paying the price for that the next couple of days.....sigh!

Justice!

Slobodan Milosevic's death.

aaarrrrrggghhh!

Doc:so, looks like your son most probably has leukemia as we told you earlier.

Dad:(quiet)

Doc:i need your consent to do further invasive tests and you should know about treatment options.

Dad:(quiet)

Doc:i know this is very hard for you to come to terms with right now but we need to save him.

Dad:i don't want him to suffer anymore.

Doc:but it's still too early to opt out of any treatment....he might have good chances.

Dad:can you guarantee he won't die?

Doc:i can't.but we can't just not do anything now.let me go through treatment options for him, pros and cons of it all....i'll get the oncologist to talk to you.

Dad:no.no more pricking doc.one more needle mark on him and i'm taking him home!

Doc:but you can't just not let us do anything.what's the purpose of him getting admitted at all then??

Dad:i don't know.but just keep him happy here....

Doc:??but i thought you're not letting us do anything.

Dad:yeah.....but i shall come see him everyday.

Doc:??and yet why would you want to keep him here if you don't want us to do anything for him.

Dad:he's in good hands....but you'll let him go when his time comes.

Doc:you can't give up this early!we still can do so much more for him....

Dad:no.one more mark, and i i will sue you, doc.

Doc:????????

Dad:i hope we understand each other.

Doc:you're a dad and i know what you must be going through now.but if you're unhappy with me maybe i should let someone else manage you kid?

Dad: oh no....you're good.just so long as we understand each other....

Doc:so are you saying that you would be responsible for your actions and agree to sign for no active resuscitation.

Dad:no.i am not signing anything.

Doc:(if i could do a bone marrow aspiration on you, i would you moron!and i'd make sure you feel all the pain in the world and think of what your son has to go through because you're being a p....!sue me????talk about being grateful, you lousy cow!you have no right whatsoever to decide when a child should be left to die....even if you're the Dad.i am not playing God but i know when a kid still has a chance!And you're not even man enough to be responsible for your actions, dumbass!Why won't you listen????!Ohhhh i am so gonna use the child's protection act!)

Betrayal,war,futility,past/future

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
--From Macbeth (V, v, 19)

"Et tu, Brute?"
--From Julius Caesar (III, i, 77)




Dear sisters and brother,
"we will pull through this together, Inshallah."

Amar's lovely books that i've 'kidnapped' temporarily

Mr. God, this is Anna by Anna Fyn.
A cry for mercy by Henri Nouwen.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Poems of Tagore.

Weekend project

So my best friend Arpana's getting married and she coudln't find the 'Bombay Store' stuff in Canada and guess what, I've valiantly offered to MAKE her photo album for her.Yes folks, I'm gonna put on my artistic cap and bring out the tools of the trade(gotta dust off first after being kept dormant and rotting for months!) and make her one heck of a Wedding Album that she's gonna keep until she becomes an old biddy and shows it to her grandkids!And this will definitely have to look better than the one I made for Sheetal and Nehal.Hmmmmm....I can't wait to rush off and buy some paper and stationary!I love projects!!!Anything that is not related to work!Oh....will definitely put up a picture of the 'artwork' once it's done...ehm, ehm....And Arppy you cow, you owe me one!

Yummy!

My baby made a yummy banana and strawberry dessert today...and ate it all alone??!!Meanie!

I'm feeling mushy today.....

If You Forget Me


I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

Pablo Neruda

Zzzzzzzzzz.........

Sleep

Though wakefulness my domain
In sleep I remain,
For wakefulness is sleep
One shallow and one deep.

© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
May 11, 1997

Weekend!

......Garfield!

So, I heard from an old pal of mine today.....she was a very good friend of mine from grade 9.We didn't have a lot of things in common except for the fact that she was the only other muslim girl that I was close to from school those days.And we shared the love for Garfield.....I know it's lame....head over heels in love with Garfield when most girls our age were already beginning to develop their first crush on guys.Man.....if Garfield was a real person, he would have been impressed with our dedication to him!We'd swap Garfield stickers, t-shirts, sit for hours and diligently draw and color huge Garfield posters, get Garfield memorablias,and even.... eeeeks.....i'm embarrassed to admit now, talk the 'garfield talk'!!Anyways....my fellow Garfield lover has moved on to better things and was writing to let me know that she was going for her confinement soon as she's expecting her second kid anytime now.
What about me??I still follow Garfield comics on the local daily without fail!

I am craving for.....

.....RIGHT NOW!!

bleaghhh...

10 things that annoy me now!

1)my digital camera that 'refuses' to click pictures at nights!What the hell's wrong with it??

2)my phone that always seems to slip through my hands and come apart...thank god have been able to reassemble it each time!(need to get a shock-proof one when this crashes into smithereens again!)....I'll never forget the time when it actually fell out of my coat and hit the person i was trying to resuscitate, on the head!

3)....all that mush around now...ugh!Ashlee Simpson's L-O-L-O-L-O-L-O-V-E is sooooo incredibly annoying that i am gonna puke if i hear it again!!

4)Dr Lau.A real pain in the ass if there ever was one.(Oh, I know this is a long shot but I hope you're reading this!)

5)'educated' Malays who speak such terrible English!Stick to Malay y'all...problem solved!Tak perlu berbahas dalam bahasa yang tidak difaham!!

6)Islamophobia!

7)A very very stubborn Dad.

8)the heat....what an energy sapper!

9)My stupid webcam!

10).....the fact that I can't be where I want to be right now~

Ivan and his Dad

I recently got to know Ivan while I was moonlighting.
He's a 7 year old kid with Cerebral Palsy and severe spastic quadriplegia.
Ivan's been through a lot.
His parents however, have stood by him through thick and thin.
They've pretty much foregone a lot of life's little pleasures just so they could be there for him....
So, when the assisting nurse asked me, (while Ivan and Dad were still in the examining room), "So Doc, what's the plan for Valentine's Day?"
"Bah!Valentine's Day indeed!", I scorned.
To which Ivan's Dad said, "come on Doc, you gotta have a Valentine.....mine's right here (affectionately ruffling Ivan's hair),.....and I thank God everyday for giving him to me."
I felt like an ass....
I'll never make fun of Valentine's Day again.
Ever.

BLUR-red

Did we have fun or what???

The many adventures of Raj and Faiza!

Evil has no easy explanation.....

Evil has no easy explanation.
Everyone is evil and is good.
Sometimes we watch ourselves do something evil
Frozen in a scream that's never heard.
We cannot stop ourselves, so we go on,
Knowing somewhere else the horror plays
And plays and plays until we are forgiven,
Healed by someone's gift of unearned love.

When someone has been tortured as a child,
Evil, like a mad dog, crouches near.
One buries it deep in a vaulted, lead-lined chamber,
But zombie-like it stalks the world within.

It's strange that darkened children need forgiveness
For evil that they suffer, innocent.
But guilt's the trademark of humiliation,
Burned into the flesh of memory.

Love washes over evil like an ocean,
Sweeping over seething, fisted anger,
Drowning it in cold, unquiet depths,
Leaving you weak and weeping on the strand.

You wouldn't be yourself without the pain
That twists inside like penitential dancers,
Making you the stage of some strange beauty,
Like no one else, the host of our redemption.


The above poem is dedicated to a 2 year old child I met yesterday.

Unbelievable!!!

.............got my car whacked again!

And now i proudly present to you....

......the work of artistic kids!Brilliant ain't it??

Another one bites the dust!

So, Shabir is finally getting married.We were the only 2 'rebels'out of our huge clan...he's the male version of me in short.And he's finally agreed to an arranged marriage.After all these years....it was great hearing from you again even if it was to tell me, albeit sarcastically, that good things only happen to 'good' people....what are you implying, you ass??Am so happy for you though and i hope you have a wonderful married life.I know you're an excellent hubby material so don't you worry!

Boredom!

How does Fawwaz know all these wierd websites???
http://www.mysticalball.com/

Airports

Have landed at plenty of airports in my lifetime but I have to say that the Bangkok Airport sucks!Even the one in Karachi was better in my opinion....it had McDs open at 4 am!Was layed over for a couple of hours before my connecting flight to Kuala Lumpur and boy did it suck or what!It cost a bomb to even get a bottle of mineral water there!They had some seedy looking 'beauty parlours' and foot massage centres.Even their dayroom looked like some cheap joint!There was just simply nothing to do and the first time ever, I, Faiza Wahab, an airport junkie, was bored with nothing to do but read my John Irving for 5 whole hours before my flight.Will never ever complain about the KLIA.....

Pakistan

Finally made that trip to Pakistan.....SOLO!
Have no regrets and am priviledged to have met so many wonderful people.
Had a brilliant time!
Wish I had a longer break....but oh well.....worth every minute!

Statistics

Apparently, if we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be-

* 57 Asians and 21 Europeans
* 8 would be Africans
* 52 would be female, 48 male
* 30 would be white, 70 non white
* 80 would live in substandard housing
* 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth
* 70 would be unable to read, 50 would suffer from malnutrition
* 1 would be near death, 1 would be near birth
* 1 (yes, only one) would have a college education
* 1 (yes, again only one) would own a computer

Random thoughts

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* Met Zee after ages....her love story is never ending...feel sorry for her but ugh....

* Also went for King Kong....quite a dissapointment actually.Was 2 hours into the show and they still hadn't caught King Kong....I was like what the heck, my bladder is full already!!Highlight of the show was King Kong and T-rex having a go at each other!Most disgusting part of the show....monstrous insects and...were they leeches??....ugh!

* Bought a nice new handbag.....and now for shoes to go with it :)

* Heard from Fahim after ages...gone are the days when we used to write pages and pages of mail to each other!Why do we have to grow up??

* Really looking forward to that trip to Goa with Raj(hopefully Teena and Arpana could make it too!) and meeting Farah in Pakistan.Also meeting up with Shafaat!!

* Miss Mom and Dad tons at times....It's sad to see them aging out.Then again living on my own does have its benefits....Mom can't breathe down my neck whenever she wants to!

* Elene sent this guy, Liam from Glasgow over for an externship at our hospital....he's such a hoot!!Wow....lunch hour is so much more fun and edible..."Stiff upper lip!" and tartan skirts!

* Am 30!!Unbelievable!

Profound shopping experience

Went shopping the other day with a friend of mine.
While she was trying out some clothes I was standing near the fitting rooms.I noticed a couple walking in and while the girl took some clothes in to try out, the guy stood with me and smiled at me a couple of times.I told him he must have a lot of patience shopping with women to which he just shrugged and rolled his eyes and smiled some more.
Then the girl opened the door of her room and then began a very intense and interesting conversation about the outfits....and the whole conversation was going on quietly with very rapid movements of the hands and fingers!
I realized then that either both of them or one was deaf/dumb(hearing/verbally impaired if i want to be politically correct!).
Both of them then turned to me and asked me in a sign language that I could understand, for my opinion.To which I promptly pointed out to the maroon and the chocholate coat and both of them beamed at me and seemed to agree!
It made my day!
Got me thinking how difficult it must be to have a handicap like that and still lead a normal life.Even to have someone special who understood and accepted you for who you are no matter the handicap.
I got myself a book which was written by a deaf and dumb author that day......have just started it but I already find it very moving and profound....Some excerpts from the book:

I walk in dreams. I rely on a vibrating clock to get up in the mornings and I stay up at the night when I cannot follow the day's discussions and must rely on myself to study. In twenty-four hours I start and end the day differently while adapting myself to your world.

If I could take the boors of society into my life for a day, I would stop the deaf from being mistreated mocked every day.

If I could show the world the adversity we face every day, the world would gain a newfound respect for the courage of the deaf.

If I could show you all that I have faced, the discrimination and prejudice, you would begin to see me in a different light.

The 21st century world is full of promise for people from all walks of life, deaf and hearing alike. But the deaf community will always walk in dreams until the world acknowledges their existence and importance in creating a better society for everyone.

I walk in dreams

The irony of it.....

Well, this isn't funny and in fact am really upset it happened to me.....but I can't help feeling so ridiculous that it ever happened at all!
Realized yesterday that my licence had actually expired about 2 weeks ago (yeah...been bravely driving with that and if at all a cop had stopped me...which has happened to me a couple of times, I'd quickly whip out my Doctor's ID card which I always have in my car and get away with it!)....
So anyways asked my colleague to cover me this morning and was on my way to get it renewed when this dumbass came and knocked my car....and it wasn't just a simple dent, my whole front passenger seat door caved in!Mind you this whole scenario took place just outside the hospital!The guy wanted to settle it out and not involve the cops but I was like no way!Then again I remembered that my licence had already expired and I would be in hot soup if the traffic cops came or if we went to the cops to report it.But I'd need to get a police report for my insurance claim......Imagine my predicament!
So this wierdo for some reason just wanted my phone number and took off as soon as he could...I could only come to the conclusion that he probably didn't have a licence either or that he was running away in a stolen car!
Whatever!
So I rushed off and got my licence renewed and then went to the cops and reported the crash....he looked at me funny at one point when he skimmed through my licence but I just put up the sorriest and the most pathetic expression ever that I could muster.I guess it worked in my favour cause then we both quickly went through the whole ordeal and he even asked me out for a drink!
I guess I have to be thankful that nothing really happened to me and even though it's gonna cost me (the car!)....it's a lesson learnt for me....never procastinate things till last minute(I'm a champion in that!).

Me with my pet!

Ms Sagittarius

Okay so normally I don't bother with the star signs etc.
But since I would be hitting the big 30s soon,
I thought i should give this a read:

She's a straight shooting rebel who's always looking for the next adventure.She's smart, loves studying stuff that interests her but her relaxed attitude can often let her down and she tends to ignore routine and authority.

The tomboy of the signs, Miss Sagittarius loves the outdoors with the chance to travel as much as she can. She emanates a positive air and has a lot of energy to burn and dislikes getting into a routine; often she will have a list of things she wants to do before she will consider settling down.

Positive, free and easy she may be, even a flirt at times (although she does not even notice!) Miss Sag is very loyal in love, just as long as she does not feel fenced in; never try to clip this beautiful butterfly's wings or she may just hop over the fence to try a different garden.

She's impossible because she's easily distracted and will change her plans at the last minute and is slack at returning calls.Has no patience for whingers or shy people who won't ask for what they want.

Hmm....interesting.....

Pink Panther!

Came back from work to find a parcel for me!
A complete DVD set of Blake Edward's Pink Panther from Avi all the way from Glasgow!Christmas is still a month away but am not complaining....
Although there are no funny one liners, Peter Seller's riotous perfomance makes it so hilarious!
Henry Mancini taps his baton on the podium and the jazz band begins to play.....I do not even like jazz yet I practically worshipped the soundtrack as a kid.

Lewellyn and Lovelyn!

Was a lovely day at work where everything just clicked!
And I actually met a surgeon called Lewellyn and a little girl called Lovelyn!
Strange but true.....

Muiz

Muiz, our ex-prem Downy with multiple complications since birth came back one day after we discharged him from the SCN.
The fact is, no matter how much we teach and train the parents in the end their care could never be as good as the nurses' especially with their jobs,other kids and other commitments.
So, he's back and he's terribly sick again.....poor darling.....he's so cute.
Don't know if he is going to make it this time.

"My Way"

It was a wierd day of swapping lyrics and 'singing' songs via e-mails....
Just wanna share excerpts from one of my all time favorites by Frank Sinatra....
(While chomping on pancakes with ooodles of maple syrup on it , of course!.....)

"Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way....."

Thundercats!

Ended up having a 'deep' conversation about how cartoons affected our childhood and developing years.
I seriously think all the Japanese animation these days are crap!
We had the best cartoon period ever- 'Smurfs', 'The Care Bears', 'Jem', 'Voltron',and who could ever forget 'The Thundercats'??
One of the best cartoon series ever!
For old time's sake, "Thunder....thunder.....thunder.....thundercats!!!"

Helpless...

Dad's health is giving him problems again....and worrying us all no end!But it really is no use being a doctor or even having 2 docs in the family when 'The Don' refuses to listen to anyone really......just feel like pulling my hair out sometimes but even that wouldn't help!Aaaaaarrrghhhhhh!!!!!(had to let off steam somewhere!)

To tame the bird flu

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The jury is still out.No one knows whether the increasingly threatening bird flu will ultimately hit humans in China in the wake of three major eruptions among poultry in the country within a month.
But we, the rest of the world, must make the best preparations for the worst case scenario.
As with SARS, avian flu respects no borders.Close global cooperation is a precondition for bringing an epidemic under effective control.

To marry or not to marry....

Was at my aunt's place the other day visiting for Eid.As always when there are family get togethers like this, invariably the topic swings in the direction of upcoming weddings and matchmakings waiting to be made since most of my cousins are all in their twenties now.

So anyways I found out that one of my guy cousins in India would be getting married soon.This is a guy who depends on his Dad's wealth to keep him going ; though he thinks and calls himself a devout muslim, I know at one time he's tried almost everything under the sun....(well, people change for the better so I have to keep my mouth shut here!)and he thinks he's ready to have a wife and a family.
As simple as that!And his parents have found him a girl whom they think would be suitable for him......actually they found a couple through various means and he got to pick whom he wanted!

I just find it mighty amazing that somebody like him is going to be settling down soon.....to what I wonder!!If I were in his shoes, I'd worry about standing on my own two feet first and then worry about making my spouse miserable.But some of my family members think in fact this is a blessing in disguise for him as this would make him more responsible and would mend his ways.HOW???!!!!It's not logical!

The funniest thing though was that most of the objections were from us, the girls while my other male cousins mostly just kept defending him somehow...now I don't know if it's a male solidarity thing but come on....you gotta put yourself in the girls' shoes too.I mean what kind of life would she have living with someone like that?(Though it's a different story that her family and the girl herself know what they'd be getting into!!)

Moral of the story is.....people marry for the wrong reasons these days....pressure be it social/family and ideologies have gone for a toss.It is true in a way that our parents had it a lot easier when things and relationships weren't so complicated.When marriage, having a family, buying properties, educating the young ones and retiring to a good life with the wife was the norm and not divorce,infidelity,job insecurities,worrying about having how many kids,saving enough for the retirement home etc.....

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

________________________________________________________
"Maaf Zahir dan Batin".
My friend Linda said it well,

"Ampun dan maaf andainya,
Terkasar bahasa,
Tersilap bicara,
Termarah yang tak kena,
Tertanya tak tentu hala,
Tersasul yang tak sengaja,
Terpukul kat mana-mana,
Terpekik di telinga,
Terhantuk di kepala,
Terpinjam harta benda,
Ter'moody' tak semena-mena,
Termacam-macam lagi yang kena-mengena....
Semoga dimaafkan!"

"And He gives you all that you ask Him: and if you count His favours,you will not be able to number them....."

Have a blessed EID everyone!