Traumatising

What could possibly ruin a perfectly wonderful and enjoyable 3 days spent at transition camp with the other medical students?

How about:
1. News that SMC refuses to recognise Monash Malaysia, choosing to adopt a wait-and-see approach until the first batch graduates, resulting in most of our Singaporean batchmates choosing to go back to Melbourne..

2. Some dodgy idiot coming up to you while you are having dinner at KFC Puduraya, interrogating you for your personal details, threatening you by saying he is one of Petaling Street's triad bosses and demanding that you sponsor his bus ticket to Singapore, and his gang members will leave you alone in peace (otherwise you won't guarantee your safety if they bump into you in Petaling Street)..?

Lost RM20 today just like that.. stupid bugger.. to report or not to report to police..

Begin the begin..

This is a community service message to the more than 10 or so Malaysian 1st year med students whom I mingled with briefly at the pre-departure briefing who will be starting their MBBS course soon in Clayton.

HAVE A BLESSED YEAR AHEAD AND ALL THE BEST!!

New Year, New Hope..

Happy Chinese New Year to everybody.. Will be away til semester starts in Sunway..

You just can't make everybody happy - Part 2

14th February - Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Time for people to share and express themselves to their closest loved ones. I remember back then in Taylor's when chocolates and flowers used to the trend. Guess they still are today. Yet, I can't help but wonder, behind the bouquet of roses and heart-shaped cards, what does the word 'love' actually mean to the people who give and receive them.. Does it just mean sharing your joys and blessings with people close to you, treating them well, while ignoring others who do not know you or still harbouring grudge against those who have wronged you. As mentioned before a lot of times, today the word 'love' has been used way too loosely.

On a separate note, one thing bothered me when I returned the other day from KL after helping out with the pre-departure briefing.

An old lady came up to me while I was waiting for my mum to pick me up from Kuantan bus station.
Old lady: Dik, baru balik ke? (Hi there young fellow, just came back?)
Me: Ya, baru sampai dari Kuala Lumpur. Tengah tunggu mak datang ambik. (Yup, just arrived back from KL. Waiting for my mum to pick me up)
Old lady: Oh, macam tu.. duduk mana? (Oh, I see.. where are you staying?)
Me: Kuantan Garden.
Old lady: Dik, mak cik datang jauh dari Pekan. Boleh tak kasi sedikit duit, lebih kurang lima ringgit.. mak cik nak beli beras.. (I came from a town which is quite far away. Can you give me some money, around RM5 to buy some rice?)
Me: *stared at her with a blank look* Err.. makcik, takde duit kecik lar.. (Err.. I got no small change lar..)
Old lady: Sepuluh ringgit tak ada ke? Semua duit besar? (What about RM10? All big denominations ar?)
Me: Maaf ya, makcik.. (I'm very sorry)
Old lady: *looks disappointed* Makcik tak kisah kaum apa.. makcik cuma tanya saja.. (It's ok then.. I don't judge people by their own race.. Just asking..) *walks away*

Digged into my pocket and found 6 RM1 notes.. To be honest, yes.. that old lady might have been trying to con people of money (you do see plenty of these in urban areas).. Sometimes it is essential for wisdom to come into play. Occasionally I do give a small sum to beggars (although I would prefer to give it as an offering and hope for works to be done in their lives) However, in this case, if I had taken out money, I might be conned or robbed (who knows if she has an apprentice). Although she is an old lady, looks can be deceiving though.. But she could also be in real need, and probably have been turned down by numerous individuals who didn't really care (and my paranoia probably didn't do her much good). A grandma; one who is to be loved and cared for..

Looking back at that scenario, sometimes I just can't help but think, apart from prayer, is there any other way in which one could have acted to make things better turn out better for both in such situations without putting ourselves in potential harm's way, or people thinking that we are selfish (ie a win-win situation).. Maybe I think too much..

Anyway, as we celebrate this coming season when love is supposedly in the air, let's not forget that there are others in the world today, from all walks of life, who have yet to come to know and experience what true love means.

Pleasant surprise

Last week I received something from Hong Kong which really made me laugh..


Thanks for that! :-)

Moving backwards

In a modern era when everybody is talking about practising evidence-based medicine, we, on the other hand seem to be taking a giant step backwards. Came across that news last week..

Ridiculous is an understatement.. not having adequate skills to evaluate these TCM practitioners from China but yet paying them such an exhorbitant amount of money to work here. And we were taught in uni that traditional and herbal medicine from China is largely unregulated and may contain large quantities of heavy metals.. How much is the starting salary of a doctor already ar? No need to study so hard to become doctor already lor like that, everybody can just go open a shop selling packs of herbal medicine.

Despite the widespread information available online in this tech-savvy era, there are many reasons why people turn to complementary meds. Bad experience at the doctor, side effects, reading some stuff on the internet, luck (ie it works due to placebo effect) or even family traditions. Not to say that I disagree that all complementary meds are useless.. But apart from acupuncture, which has proven benefits, I wonder how many more people have to suffer because of this nonsense.

Pathetic, and an insult to the medical profession.

Tonight..

...the return of one of my favourite TVB drama series. haha..

For chocolate fans only..

The day before I left Melbourne, me and a few mates decided to go for a treat in the city.. and what better way to enjoy a chilly day than to indulge in some nice chocolate.. Koko Black is famous for its Ice Chocolate, but since we are short on time, for a change, Max Brenner will do.
Yup, that's the bald man..
Outside the shop..
Man, look at all those chocolates..
Chocolate Souffle
Chocolate crossaint
Dark chocolate in a mug
A view from another angle
Well, one thing's for sure.. Let's just say it burnt a BIG hole in our pockets..

End of a chapter: Goodbye Melbourne (for now)

Hmm.. back in Malaysia after a year in Melbourne.. I must say that a lot has happened in just a year..So many ups and downs.. A broadened perspective on Christianity and many lessons learnt. It is not just about being a church-goer (or some might say Sunday seat warmer), or attending CG, or helping others. It's more than that.. Looking back, I am thankful indeed for the chance to study in and experience one of Australia's best cities, for the friendships and memories in my batch and also CG. I felt so blessed despite my moments of inadequacy..

Am inspired after reading my friend's blog post quite some time back, which made me realised that there were times where I blindly place emphasis on doing things, rather than what really matters; relationship with God. Then, there is that occasional lack of faith, "God-can-wait" mentality, plus the negative-minded judgemental thinking of others(ie I'm better than you). There are many things which I took for granted, failing to be thankful for the little things that count. Yes, like a friend has said before I left, I have my own issues to deal with.. I'm beginning to realise what some of them probably are.

So one thing I'm pondering now is; "Now that I'm back home, how have I changed in the past year? In what ways can I put it into practice?" It will be tough, especially before classes resume in Sunway.. This year will be a challenge, I have my own goals as part of my New Year resolution.. I don't know whether I'll fulfil them all at the end of the year (one has already been fulfilled). If yes, I don't know how or when, but I'll look forward to it and put my trust in Him.

Yes, I miss Melbourne. I miss Australia. I miss CCM, my CG mates and my shepherd (ehem, haha..). But it's the beginning of a new year, with new hopes, and new things to look forward to. We'll see what happens.

p/s: Oh yes, I do intend to expand and improve on my lameness.. lolz :p

Happy Birthday to me

How did I spend my 21st birthday? Woke up at 6 am. Took the 8 am bus to KL to help out at the Monash pre-departure briefing at The Regent, Bukit Bintang (2 - 5.30 pm). Unfortunately forgot to bring my camera to snap some photos. Overall, the briefing was successful. (With so many questions that the students could have asked, I couldn't help but wonder why the first thing that always comes to the minds of med students is "What books do we need to buy?")

Anyway, helped to hand out some CCM brochures and got some of the new 1st year students to fill in their particulars and any areas which they may require assistance in when they arrive in Melbourne (ie accomodation, airport pickup, shopping, banking etc). And praise God! We got 28 contacts, 7 of which are medical students.. Well, like Rachel said, it does not really matter whether they are Christians or end up becoming one, or whether they join CCM or not.. do it for the glory of God and to bless them.. but do pray for these people during orientation :-)

Hopped on the 7.30 pm bus back to Kuantan and arrived at 11.30 pm. Tired.. but on the whole, a day well-spent..

Why I need my Streamyx broadband

1. Photo uploading.
2. Youtube.
3. Stuff to read for QT.
4. Can blog in the comfort of my own home.
5. Can MSN at night, since that's when most people go online.
6. Need to update my antivirus.

Currently stuck at the cyber cafe in the mornings, smoky and noisy.. Takes a few more days to fix my TM Net..

They think we are robots..

Have been following the news lately on the working conditions of housemen in Malaysian hospitals.. If UK, US and Australia can recognise the dangers of long working hours and hence limit the working hours of doctors to 30 hours per shift, 80 hours per week, it is hard to see why Malaysia, with an improving healthcare system and more doctors poised to join the profession, cannot follow suit. As an additional insult, it was quoted in the papers:

“We want to see those from local universities having high quality and with the necessary soft skills, having commitment and willing to work as a team,” he said, adding that housemen must be prepared to work on call for 36 hours at a stretch.
“Doctors have to look into the welfare of patients before their own comfort. If not, they are not being fair to the patient.
“If you cannot work, don’t be a doctor, look for another job.”

Medical graduates doing their housemanship are being accused of treating patients without care, lacking in dedication and commitment, and taking unapproved leave of up to 15 days.
Due to such complaints, every year, about 5% of the 1,400 housemen do not qualify to become medical officers and have had to extend their training by six months to a year.

How can you expect doctors who are tired and burnt out to provide quality healthcare to patients? Read this in today's The Star newspaper.

One of the reasons for me to contemplate taking the USMLE in Year 3..

Holding back

..... Something's just not right..
It shouldn't be like this..

Chosen Generation Dinner: Masquerade

Theme Song: I Will Be Your Friend
by Michael W Smith

Verse 1
So many memories and so many miles
The road that stretches behind us
We've had some laughter and our share of tears
But all these moments unite us

Chorus
I'll be your friend for a lifetime
Against the wind and the rain of every season
Won't walk away in the hard times
I will be your friend
I'm saying I will be your friend

Verse 2
Sure as the river runs to the sea
High as the mountain that reaches
You were there by my side till the end
(and) helped me on my feet again

Bridge
So in the valley walk on
Don't have to face it alone
Cause in the hard times
We keep growing strong
As we learn, as we live
That we live when we give

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Despite the Boxing day tsunami and Easter day earthquake that occured, God so loved the world that in the hottest summer season in 50 years, battered by the worst bushfires, He Australia gave the best Christmas gift ever on 25 December.. tonnes of RAIN !!!!

Want to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007!!! Sorry haven't been blogging much coz not much internet access..

Addendum

For those who remembered my previous post on AMC accreditation achieved for Monash Malaysia, you can find the summarised report here.

Victoria burns

The weekend was a scorcher, with temperatures peaking at 42.1 degrees (hottest sumemr day in 50 years) thanks to the bushfires. Then, came the rain on Monday, and it was freezing cold. Yesterday, it was smoky, with haze blanketing Melbourne (kind of resembles back home in Malaysia)..



Today? The wind threatened to blow my clothes off.

Melbourne weather. Enough to drive a med student anxiously waiting for his results nutz.

View from the scenic lookout
From left to right: Rachel, Ian, me, Lilea, Michael, Ivy, Lionel

Strawberry farm (too bad didn't get to pick strawberries because of hail damage.
Cherry picking


At the beach



Umm.. father and son? :p
Ian: How in the world does this camera work?
Lilea and Ivy: Oi, playing hide and seek ar? The grass not tall enough for you leh :p lolz

We got AMC accreditation!

A friend of mine received an email from the AMC:

Dear Ms Lim,
The Australian Medical Council resolved on 24 November to grant accreditation to the Monash Malaysia course.
This decision be on the AMC website in due course.
The teaching of the Monash medicine course geographically in Malaysia will commence in 2007.
Regards

Karin Oldfield
Medical School Accreditation Officer
Australian Medical Council
Ph: (deleted)
Fax: (deleted)
email: (deleted)

and the best thing is, in another email received from the faculty:

I am pleased to tell you that we have just been informed by the
Australian Medical Council that they are giving full and equal
accreditation to the Monash MBBS degree in Malaysia as they are giving
to the degree in Australia.

Now that AMC accreditation has been attained, MMC accreditation will most probably follow suit. One hurdle down, one more to go: Singapore Medical Council (will be a challenge due to the Malaysia-Singapore politics and hardcore NUS people who mostly make up the board). Note: Singapore does not recognise any qualifications that come from Malaysia.

Jacinta's 21st Birthday

Ok, we celebrated the birthday of Jacinta, one of our dear CG members, earlier last month. The theme: Around the World / Multicultural. Enjoy! Pictures courtesy of Anto and Robby..
Food, glorious food..












Chronicles of CG6b:The 'Datuk', the coffeeshop owner and the Sarawakian village head chief :p
















Me and Angelina (Miss Himalaya Singh ;p lolz)

Me and the birthday girl
Group photo

30 years from now..

haha.. i was browsing other university's website and guess what I found? :p lolz
http://www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers/researcher/leonggm.html