Pan Mee

It's been a long time since I've taken time out to think.Ever since starting locomotor system,I've only been thinking about waking up early and being on time for sessions with my tutor and registrar.After going on sucessfully for one week,my body just backfired and told me i needed a break.And it happened in the worst way ever.I manage to miss pre-admission clinics where i was suppose to choose a portfolio patient and ward rounds.Ran...just in time to enter surgery,went unprepared for my SSC3 presentation and to make a unsterile error while scrubbing in for another surgery.To cap it all, lost my necklace of 6 years.Nevertheless,there were good times when my serious looking tutor joked about the mallet that flew towards me while the registrar was hammering the artificial joint.All that in one day.

Thank goodness I've had more success with my experimental dinners.For a change, we had salmon with garlic butter rice,reminds me of Manhattan Fishmarket.And my greatest acheivement so far....a proper spongy and springy Pan Mee.

This is actually the same bowl but just with a customised M for Mei..Theo was more adventurous and he tried to make a bear which looked liked like a human figure and a camel/donkey.Who says pan mee has to be the boring thorn or processed long noodles?
Despite the vague origin of the noodle,i came across something interesting while i was googling for the recipe.Pan Mee was originally known as a poor man's dish.It was thought that you could buy a handleful of ikan bilis for a cheap price while the sayur manis harvested form the backyard.No wonder,it's only known in malaysia.It's practically impossible to get ikan bilis or sayur manis here in Edinburgh.

The Road to Edinburgh

There is officially only 7 days left till i leave my beloved homeground of Malaysia for UK.It's equally exciting as it is unnerving.Weird it is that a person can feel two totally opposite emotions at one time.What is even weirder is that i feel a sense of sadness to leave home.It's not like it's my first time but....sigh.The thought of a foreign land and to think that the Uni people actually tried to be funny by place all of us in separate flats.I want my housemate!!!On the brighter side,it's my chance to travel around without my parents chewing my head off complaining about expensive plane tickets.Don't think anything is going to change about the ground arrangement.Hehe.

For the time being,there are like a millions things to worry about but i just can't seem to be bothered.Probably the 8 months of waiting has lowered the excitement level by quite a lot.Many people advise me to do things that students do before leaving for overseas.
"Do the things that you will miss" they say.But what is it that i will really miss?I still haven't answered for myself on that matter.I can tell you what i won't be missing...Hokkien Mee.This will definitely irk my Penang friends, that's for sure.

Could it be spending time with my family?But they're not around most of the time anyways.No need to work meh?If grandma was still around that would be a whole different story.
Food in Pg?Been there done that,anymore will make me obese.
Hanging out with friends?Done most of it but we can never get enough.
Shoes?Clothes?Shopping?
Definitely not going to be able to figure it out tonight.All i can feel is this fear that i will leave something behind,something that i will really miss...but what is it?

Attachments

Emo it is today.In the words of the wise Yoda.

My 5 days attachment is over as quickly as it begun.The just a short span of 5 days,I've somehow managed to bond with the juniors despite the constant mocking (with me being the subject) and mandrine language barrier.Have to admit,till this day I'm still considered a banana.(yellow outside but white inside,a way to call a chinese who speaks english as first language).But if you think that is bad,I wonder how one of our Indian friend,Arvinder feels.

Nevertheless, the extra curricular activities did help a lot in the binding,watching Olympics when we're suppose to be clerking patients and hourly or should i say few hour gossip sessions really pull us together.Really going to miss Soo Han,Ghi Waie and Choon Loo from our group B and definitely not forgetting the rest of the molly crew Sheah Lin,Chih Ying,Jimmy and Arvinder.Trust me when i say that you don't know a person's true personality until you've heard them talk/bitch about someone with dedication.

From the medical aspect,as little as we did,I've learnt that sometime we'll reach a point when there is nothing more we can do except to listen to our patient's whiles about their misfortune.Think about it,if a wife contracts HIV from her spouse,how is it that one is going to come to terms with the illness?The whirlwind of emotions starting from denial,anger to grief isn't going to ease much of the forthcoming burden.That one session really messed me up...so don't plan to do infectious disease as a specialty now.

All in all spending my week in kl was the best thing i could do for myself.Not only did i get back a glimpse of my medical student life,i had a farewell dinner with the some of the BMed students and one Lieo Jiun.So sweet of Yu Ling and Rahel to suggest the outing,Patrick and Shin Yee for choosing the wonderful thai place and the rest for being there in between their busy schedules.On top of it all,i was around during IMUCup week,got to watch some matches and practice volleyball with the current Sem 5.Nostalgia,i miss the M205 volleyball team.

Last Day of Work

The day is over,it started just like any other day.Well not really since i woke up super early.Like Mustaqim said,i need to give my best.It was pretty quiet the whole morning but come the afternoon it was non-stop work,even until the last minute new request were piling up but how could i say no?More words were exchange then usual and farewell wishes flying.I really wish i could stay longer but it's time for new adventure.Seremban here we come.Guess what we're doing tomorrow?

Room for rent...Any takers?

Whoever thought it would be this difficult to rent out a room?I've been fussing about looking for potential takers for my vista apartment this last week.Since i'm working in the marketing department, my colleagues thought it would be convenient to lend me a hand by passing inquiries for rooms.Boy, were they wrong as i was to find out.

Most of them were parents instead of the students themselves,so okay naturally they would be more wary.But these people are overprotective, they bombarded me with questions from the condition of the room down to the very detailed profiles of my housemates (which i apparently know nothing of).Some even made very unrealistic request for me to get them the master bedroom.(for the sake of understanding,i stay in the middle single room and the master bedroom is inhabited by my two other working house mates).Nevertheless after having me answer all sorts of inquiries they always give me the same response "I will call you back some other time".If some other time meant they were giving me a confirmation,that would be fine,but no they just call to ask even more questions like "is the area safe?"For crying out loud,i only want to help my landlady find a tenant.I didn't know i would be sacrificing my nap time.Mental note,always specify which times these people can call you when giving out phone numbers.
Well instead of taking the active role of giving the first call, i have resorted to just leaving my number with Student Affairs in hope of better luck.Hey whatever it is, i don't think my phone will be ringing after the 6th of July.No more entertaining overbearing parents.

Tomorrow...last day of work.Farewell department lunch was today.Won't be seeing my supervisor tomorrow as she is on leave.For the first time,i actually feel that i will miss my seat in the marketing department.

Spread The Joy

I'm happy happy happy today.Why?

Daddy came to pick me up for lunch.

Ate my favourite Bo Lo Pau

Dad gave me something black,flat and shiny in time for Aussie trip.Can't tell, in fear of personal safety.Hehe.But happiness is the result.

Plus tomorrow is friday.Working half day again.

Countdown : 10days till Sydney

How effective is our Health System?

Jpa made a request for me to undergo a medical checkup to ensure i'm not rigged with any bugs or fatal illnesses before flying off to Scotland.And yes once again at my own expense.So i had 2 options; either a private hospital at a minimum cost of RM300 or government hospital at half the amount.Guess which one i chose?

I made a bold choice by choosing government hospital.Bold, i say?Why?It takes 1 month for the medical report to be ready compared to 3days in a private hospital.Sweat!!!Is it that hard to fill in some forms?Pleaseeee.....let my briefing be in August or it'll never be ready in time.

The whole process of getting the checkup done was more like a journey of endurance and patience rather then anything else.I started off towards the hospital at 9am.By the time Ben and I located a building called Wisma Kayu for the medical checkup,it was already 10am.In that short time,we already navigated a huge part of the hospital ground and me being a smart ass wore heels.Ouch!!!

Procedure :

-Queue up for some one to check my offer letter and medical checkup form
-Given a bill,to be paid at the Maternity Building (walk some more)
-Come back,queue again to get waiting number
-Wait,wait,wait,wait,wait.....till number was called...(time 12.45/50)
-Receive instructions,blood was drawn.
-Picked up 2 bottles for urine sample.
-Manage to deposit one at the Wisma Kayu,need to go to another building to deposit the other.But...government office,lunch time close.(which means...throw away sample,collect another at 2pm...major sweat case)
-Walk all the way to X-ray department,repeat ;queue,number,register and wait again.
-Decided to take short cut and run down to get Mantoux Test for tuberculosis.Thank you dear Medical Assistant and nurses who where willing to give us the jab even after the appropriate hours.That was the best thing that happened the whole day.(For your info,Mantoux Test in government hospital is only available on Tuesdays till before 1pm)


Mantoux Jab..
-Wait,wait,wait for X-ray.I'm pretty sure they are not good with numbers because Ben's number was 7081 but he went in much earlier then my 7080.Siau lar these people.
-Went down to do second urine sample...argh..
-Walk back to Wisma Kayu because we were told to.But the Registrar say actually we didn't have to.Would probably smack someone if not for the fact that i wanted to change my next appointment date.

Done at 3.30pm.Took 5 freaking hours...didn't go back to work on that day needless to say.
That's the price for being money savvy or a scrooge some would say.If you were wondering if that is all for a medical check up?The answer is no...the other half will be done when i go back a month later.Talk about efficiency.I love my country for all it's natural gifts,trust me beaches,parks,hills,mountains all international standards but when it comes to the healthcare system that i'm going to serve in the future,I'm not that optimistic.Hopes are up that things will change in the future.Hopefully..

First meal of the day at 4pm.(Well maybe after Dutch Lady Choc Milk)