Lesson learnt

Basically, to cut the long story short: Humility and grace.

Anybody planning to do postgrad in US?

This is for you.

Of Flowers and PCLs

Since I'm quite free after 1st week, followed Ben to visit his church (Glad Tidings AOG, PJ) on Saturday. Felt really awesome.. presence of the Holy Spirit was really overflowing there.. Next, went to Hope PJ on Sunday. Stayed back for bible conference in the afternoon, and the wonderful lessons on 'A Renewed Church' and the performances..

Honestly I don't like to walk into a PCL unprepared (which happened this week unfortunately).. also, a bit hard to start my engine again to contribute more and be more confident since it has been 4 months since leaving Australia. There was a gathering lunch for Years 1 and 2 to mingle together. The theme? Flowers. (I came in a green shirt as a leaf :p, since the guys were labelled as unsporting, how about WE do the theme next time??)

There were a few lessons I have learnt this week.

Since I don't know which area to serve in, went early for CF prayer meeting on Thursday to try it out. Amazed at how the words just came despite me not knowing what to say (although I must admit, need more practice since I kinda lost it a little at tne end after becoming self-aware and self-led). Might want to go for worship team.. Problem: Can't play guitar, can't play keyboard, don't know as many songs apart from mainly Hillsong and Planetshakers.. Willing to learn, but hopefully pride does not rear its ugly head as it did the last time..
CF Theme of the week? Persecution@home.com
Sounds familiar?

The CG I went to was rather small. Yea, yea.. I know.. some people may grumble as to why there is no fellowship dinner, the environment (Clayton ministry house seemed a lot better both physically and spiritually), the size (I mean, what can you do with 5 people?). Honestly, I was guilty of that a little initially, but I think it's more of teaching myself to be humble, to learn to appreciate the fact that we are already more fortunate to be able to gather as such, as well as to think of what I can do for the CG rather than asking "Why is this CG not as fun as Clayton?" But honestly, I had fun on that Thursday night.

There was something I asked Him. And I had a feeling His reply came in 3 waves:
Wave 1: While at GTPJ on Saturday, Numbers 22 (story of Balaam)
Wave 2: Matthew 6:19-24
Wave 3: CG last night, Genesis 11 (Tower of Babel)

Part of what was mentioned has already started to be fulfilled. Wonder how will it turn out next week..

Speaking of next week, it's going to be a challenge. Seriously.
Consecutive classes from 9-5 on Monday and 8-5 on Wednesday. Need to prepare for the CBP interview. And of course the issue mentioned above.

Continuity of lameness

I shared this joke courtesy of Chew (Hope Melbourne) with my batchmates:

US, China and Malaysia were embarking on an archaelogical expedition to discover the possibility that their ancestor's means of telecommunication were more sophisticated than expected.

US dug 100 metres underground and found remnants of copper. Their expedition leader proudly exclaimed, "Wow, I didn't know that we have cable back then, even before the telephone was invented. This is amazing!"

Not to be outdone, China dug 250 metres and found shards of unique glass. Their chief said, "Wow, we have been experimenting with fibre optic back then! This is so cool!!"

Malaysia dug 500 metres and found nothing. Their team leader proclaimed, "Wow, we are even better back then! ... We got wireless!

The joke was supposed to end here. Somehow, Ben managed to do a sequel to it:
Singapore being kiasu and couldn't sit and watch, decided to conduct their own expedition. They dug, and dug, and dug until they couldn't anymore, and found a piece of rubber band. The Singaporean team leader said, "Hey guys, we also got broadband!!"

*sweat* ^_^"

Transition Camp Day 2: Trip to Putrajaya

Lectures, tutorial workshops and mock OSCEs aside, we had a fun-filled day trip to Putrajaya.. tonnes of camwhoring (even the juniors are posers :p) Some of the photos are courtesy of Chris.

Transition Camp Day 1

Monash Malaysia MBBS transition camp for the Year 1s was held at Institut Penilaian Negara (INSPEN) in Bangi. Some of us Year 2 seniors decided to help out. Here are some of the photos from the camp. Nothing much to take on Day 1. Most of the fun stuff comes in Day 2..

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..