state of entropy

22nov.

2009-11-22T23:01:00.003+08:00

I was saying yesterday how the weather's been gloomy this whole week, and I never mean to say these things but statements like that slip anyway. Today I read a quote that went 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather'. And then a friend posted a note on Fb about the same thing, people complaining about rain and all the rest of it when its really God's gift to us. Ok, will stop lest I sound preachy. I thought it was a good reminder, for myself.

Lesson learned.

3.10pm

(2.10am in Melbourne - Happy Bday Al!)

A Retrospective: Ricky Gervais & Steve Merchant

2009-11-20T05:41:00.008+08:00

Cracks me up

annie hall

2009-11-14T07:56:00.002+08:00

All sense of normalcy out the window every time exam comes along. No gym, no TV, no going out essentially, not even one-page articles in magazines or leaving the music on. Good that its over, for now.

I watched Annie Hall, and it was amazing like I thought it would be. The fashion back then, and the clothes Diane Keaton had on! Woody Allen might very well be the best director, screenwriter and actor Hollywood's ever seen.

only slightly disappointed

2009-11-06T08:11:00.002+08:00

but hey, if I didn't get placing in the competition then it probably wasn't mine in the first place, right?

Hoping for Noah and the Whale to make it better.

29oct.

2009-10-30T03:26:00.004+08:00

He wants to tell you stories
Stories of boys who stomped their feet saying,
Shut shut up I am dreaming of places
Where lovers have wings.

Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings - Sunset Rubdown

Such a beautiful song.

Its the night of the big Halloween party, and I almost regret not getting tickets for them. They were on sale last week but I felt really lazy about the whole thing then. I still do a bit, although dressing up would have been fun. Like we did last year. I remember the place was packed, and so many classmates turned up as well. I may have missed a good bet.

I've noticed now that increased visits to the gym makes me hungry all the time. Really, I even have tea time now. (Not really tea time but those after-class pre-dinner snacks. Tea time just sounds better.) On the plus side though, I'm usually hungry for salads and fruits and whole wheat bread so I'm starting to think my body knows when I'm trying to put in the effort in being healthy. Those times when I did nothing and just slept in bed were the times that I craved the most for unhealthy snacks and junk food.

But I'm pretty theoretical, and by pretty I mean extremely. Its probably a sudden subconscious awareness for better health, I mean good physical habits naturally manifests in eating habits and overall attitude on well-being without overt, conscious efforts. Just the other day I became aware of my calcium intake, which was pretty random. I don't drink milk and like 90% of the population I have no idea what other sort of food or drinks provide calcium besides those categorised in dairy items.

Ok, this website here recommends collard greens, sardines, green peas, baked beans, salmon, kale.

Meant to get huge supply of carrots tomorrow. Eyesight not getting better. So its a bit like self-medication.

I wanted to write about the amazing debate that was held last week but didn't really find the time. The motion was 'Is development aid doing more harm than good?' (or something like that). I couldn't have come up with a better motion, it was like a dream topic for a debate however nerdy & uncool that sounds. And the people who presented and participated in the discussion afterwards were really good too. It touched on everything; the Marshall Plan (or the European Recovery Program), tied aid associated with trade barriers and disadvantages, and untied aid, the fact that not one country has shown improvement in GDP despite trillions in aid, the widespread corruption of governments and the system as a whole, and all that really. It was really, really good.

The book I ordered, Dead Aid, is still not here. Its been more than a month. Amazon's asked me to rate my satisfaction with the transaction twice already. I'd give a good review, if only it'll arrive already.

29oct.

2009-10-29T08:43:00.001+08:00

small crush on Taylor Hanson

21oct (25 minutes to badminton)

2009-10-22T03:20:00.001+08:00

(Google)

Was in London for the weekend, and met up with Illy, Jamal. The trip couldn't have come at a better time, we were just done with the first continuous assessment MCQs and work was still relatively minimal. I loved everything about it; great company, the perfect length of stay, a day longer and it would have been slightly exhausting (the amount of walking we did, seriously). More importantly though, not once did I feel like I wanted to go back to Ireland the entire time, which is really what defines a holiday for me. Anything that makes me not want to go back home. A lot of times I've gone for 'holidays' but found myself counting down the days to the trip back. I'm not impressed with foreign places per se because at the end of the day, they all look alike. They have roads, and trees, and cars, same as everywhere else. Unless I'm going somewhere completely different like the north pole and US. US is a huge exception for me, I don't know why but I desperately want to go there. Something about America that fascinates me to no end.

Going out for a supper in KL with close friends constitutes as a holiday for sure. For the entire time that I'm there, I don't really want to go home just yet.

oct14.

2009-10-15T02:29:00.004+08:00

I wrote about Eckhart Tolle once. His books were a huge hit, in America especially. Everything he says makes so much sense I'll sometimes find myself reading the same lines over and over again, like it was something I couldn't afford to forget.

Excerpts, (I won't inundate):

From chapter All Structures are Unstable.

Whatever form it takes, the unconscious drive behind ego is to strengthen the image of who I think I am...the hidden motivating force is always the same: the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more. There is always a hidden agenda, always a sense of "not enough yet", of insufficiency and lack that needs to be filled.

The underlying emotion that governs all the activity of the ego is fear. The fear of being nobody, the fear of nonexistence..All its activities are ultimately designed to eliminate this fear, but the most [it] can ever do is to cover it up temporarily with an intimate relationship, a new possession, or winning at this or that.

From chapter Allowing the Diminishment of the Ego.

Automatic ego-repair mechanisms come into effect to restore the mental form of "me". When someone blames or criticizes..that to the ego is a diminishment of self, and it will immediately attempt to repair. It is much more interested in self-preservation than in the truth. One of the most common ego-repair mechanisms is anger, which causes a temporary but huge ego inflation.

A powerful sprititual practice is consciously to allow the diminishment of ego when it happens without attempting to restore it.

...when someone criticizes..-do nothing.

When you no longer defend or attempt to strengthen the form of yourself, you step out of identification with form, with mental self-image. When you...remain in absolute non-reaction, not just externally but also internally, you realize that nothing real has been diminished, that through becoming "less," you become more.

From chapter Lose Yourself to Find Yourself

Some ways in which people unconsciously try to emphasize their form identity:
Demanding recognition...and getting angry or upset if you don't get it; trying to get attention by talking about your problems, giving your opinion when nobody has asked for it and it makes no difference to the situation; trying to make an impression...through possessions, knowledge...through angry reaction...; taking things personally, feeling offended; making yourself right and others wrong through futile mental or verbal complaining, wanting to be seen, or to appear important.

Manhattan, 1979.

2009-10-12T00:46:00.004+08:00

I fell in love with it within the first five minutes and I didn't look back. Woody Allen is a genius whom I'd salute a thousand times over. Everything I look for in a movie I find in Manhattan, nothing ever came close, and I'll easily put this as my favourite film of all time.

sept28.

2009-09-28T19:57:00.006+08:00

Its weird, I don't like to see laptops switched on with no one using it. Its like the laptop is all up and ready but the person meant to be using it is too busy doing something else and ignores it. And then I pity the laptop and am tempted to shut it down. I'll put it to sleep even if I'm away from it for 5 minutes, like "Here, have some rest while I go make some tea." I don't like to watch movies on laptops because I think its too taxing for it, I think it gets exhausted at the end of it.

the kindle

2009-09-24T11:22:00.008+08:00

I was thinking about kindle the other day. I know its been out for a quite while now but I've never seriously considered of getting one until now. How cool though would it be to have access to thousands of books at the click of a button? I only go to the bookstore every so often, and although it doesn't get anymore convenient than Amazon or Ebay, I'd still rather skip the whole 'waiting in the mail' part. Wondering if this particular advantage outweighs kindle's many disadvantages: the fact that its not a real book, the fact that its called an 'e-book' (very 90s term? like Y2K). The fact that I've taken a liking to highlighting my books doesn't help.

Reading 'The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It'. Still waiting for Moyo's 'Dead Aid' to arrive in the mail.

selamat hari raya!

2009-09-21T06:04:00.004+08:00

and this probably gets thrown around lightly but maaf zahir and batin to everyone, for all the times that I could have done better and said better, and for the times that I should have apologized anyway but didn't because I simply didn't know how to.

Good raya, not too different from previous years. Raya prayers in the morning, after which people came up to ask me if I had just woken up (baru bangun??), or if I was tired, or if I was jetlagged still cause it looked like it. The thing is I spent quite some time getting ready before going out. Oh well.

Thank you for the open houses. The food!

sept09

2009-09-17T03:54:00.002+08:00

There's finally internet at home. So many things to write about but I wouldn't where to start. Start the way normal people start conversations. The weather has been amazing, perfect for everything except being confined inside lecture theaters. Victor's planted colourful flowers outside on the small patch of grass that overlooks the window. Its so pretty, I love it. Michael is old and hardly looks at me when I walk pass. I don't know if I miss him gnawing at my shoes. Probably not. I wish the day was longer, so I could fit in more TV & nap time into my already TV & nap laden days. I miss everyone and the things we did. The best days were the ones where we didn't do anything but talked. We'll hopefully have that again, in due time. I should stop, or I'll be late for class.

twitter & fareed zakaria

2009-07-21T13:28:00.004+08:00

I'm starting to wonder if Twitter is the new blog, seems like everything that needs to be said at a point in time can be done in less than 140 characters.

I'll be the first the say I was vehemently against it because the whole concept was crazy to me, I thought there was no way this was going to catch on. But Twitter was so crazy that it worked. Turns out people do want to know what you're up to all the time, its mindless and interesting all the same, it lets you in on things about friends you wouldn't have otherwise known. Maybe privacy got overrated.

My desktop is a mess; a clutter of documents and lecture notes from the past semester but I'm so busy I can't find the time to clear it. Busy sleeping and watching TV. I don't hate the gym as much as I used to anymore, finally developed a level of tolerance for it. A friend told me we're supposed to love the things we hate, I thought that made a lot of sense. I talked to an elderly guy at the gym once, he was asking why I go there and I said it was just a way for me to keep fit, he said 'wait until you get married, you'll put on a lot of weight and you wouldn't want to go to the gym anymore'.

Nothing more exciting than watching Fareed Zakaria on CNN every Sunday, he's the new flavour of the month. He's incredibly well-versed in politics and finance that you can't help but be impressed. Its as if he has absolute knowledge on everything and can solve all of the world's problems..in one day? Editor of Newsweek International and a regular columnist, his articles range from terror attacks in India to the global economy. Listening to his views makes you feel slightly smarter and leaves you completely inspired.

2009-05-20T23:28:00.006+08:00

EngrishFunny

Suze Orman

2009-05-06T19:44:00.011+08:00

TIME magazine recently published its annual Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Suze Orman is probably my favourite figure off the list. She is a microcosm of the strong, intelligent, confident and successful woman and has the kind of influence and power on people that very few people have regarding matters that are able to confound so many. I am in complete awe of her, I mean I am in awe of any female figure who knows what they're talking about when it comes to money but Suze Orman is leaps and bounds ahead of her counterparts in the category. Her best advices aren't even the ones that involve the management of money per se, its those that advocate self-empowerment that is gained through wise and careful planning of personal finances. She is who everyone measures up against.

Note: Suze Orman calls everyone girlfriend/boyfriend. It cracks me up. On that note, must start emulating..

2009-05-04T23:24:00.002+08:00

oh noo, how addictive is The City? One day before exams no less.

I wonder if I could get this and get away with it. Tag Carrera Automatic Men.

you dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake.

2009-05-02T03:40:00.002+08:00

I found out abt Chuck Norris' facts. They're the most hilarious thing, I'll post them up sometime.

I've been watching a stream of videos on youtube as a way to not study. My mood has waned.

five minutes

2009-04-29T05:23:00.006+08:00

I went into the watch shop the other day, just to ogle at their collection. I felt like I could stay in there for hours but there was normal societal conduct to adhere to, and well, damn. I probably stayed for a good ten minutes before deciding I should probably leave. The lady was really nice, gave me a v cool hardcover catalogue (together with price list, of course, lest I forget these things came at a price). I know they're all things that I don't need and I probably need more self control when it comes to watches. Very unhealthy obsession. I spend way too much time browsing them online and always one click short of the online checkout counter. If only we could have it all, man.

Heard for the first time the term 'taxidermy' today. Its uh..let me get wiki..

"the art of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display (e.g. as hunting trophies) or for other sources of study."

I was looking at the videos on the New York Times' 'One in 8 million' website and came across one on 'the urban taxidermist.' Really cool site, showcases random New Yorkers who tell their stories through a series of snapshots. A new story is added every week. The link here.

Back to studying (my head hurts).

OSCE

2009-04-24T16:28:00.007+08:00

Sleep pattern has been incredibly whacked these past few days. Loads of material still to cover for the exam and I've been trying to see if I could get by with only 1-2 hours of sleep at night. And apparently I can't, I'd spend the night up but end up sleeping during the day so I'm not really gaining any extra study hours.

OSCE exam today, the practical exam where you have to either take patient history or perform a number of clinical examinations. Mine was scheduled for 8am and we were supposed to be there no later than 30 minutes before. Made the mistake of sleeping late the night before (not entirely intentional but I won't go into it) so I actually didn't respond too well to the alarm. It kept going off every 10 minutes but I kept disabling it. Wani came down at 740 and woke me up even though her session was later than mine (THANKYOU!THANKYOU!). By then I was way late already, I was meant to be there at 730. Rushed like crazy, ransacked the cupboard and threw clothes on the floor, trying to look for something remotely professional. Needless to say, I ran for my life. By the time I got there I was panting like crazy and couldn't talk properly. My hair was almost in the same state as when I woke up (although not as bad). The examiner wasn't at all angry, as long as you were there by 8. Referred to as 'Ms Sleepyhead' when attendance was being taken...it must've been obvious.

Baby Dancers

2009-04-16T20:21:00.003+08:00

She's 10. She looks like a pro already.

Madoff Allocution Statement, the 50bn scam.

2009-04-12T08:24:00.006+08:00

Guilty plea statement by Bernard Madoff

'Your Honor, for many years up until my arrest on December 11, 2008, I operated a Ponzi scheme through the investment advisory side of my business, Bernard L. Madoff Securities LLC, which was located here in Manhattan, New York at 885 Third Avenue.

When I began the Ponzi scheme I believed it would end shortly and I would be able to extricate myself and my clients from the scheme. However, this proved difficult, and ultimately impossible, and as the years went by I realized that my arrest and this day would inevitably come.

To the best of my recollection, my fraud began in the early 1990s. At that time, the country was in a recession and this posed a problem for investments in the securities markets. Nevertheless, I had received investment commitments from certain institutional clients and understood that those clients, like all professional investors, expected to see their investments out-perform the market. While I never promised a specific rate of return to any client, I felt compelled to satisfy my clients' expectations, at any cost. I therefore claimed that I employed an investment strategy I had developed, called a "split strike conversion strategy," to falsely give the appearance to clients that I had achieved the results I believed they expected.'

More here

How a fraud of this magnitude ever went unnoticed for well more than a decade is perplexing. There wasn't any proper trade to speak of, no investment in stocks or securities, the money received was simply funneled into a bank account elsewehere. Investors delved into something they did not completely understand but as long it gave good returns, no one asked any questions. Most who invested were very wealthy people with personal investments in the billions. All of it turned into nothing the day of the arrest, magically transformed into thin air.

I actually dislike that title.

2009-04-07T06:38:00.009+08:00

Only a collection of watches I'll never get to buy. Prices of luxury swiss watches are way astronomical. Not too sure why I waste my time browsing them online. Satisfies my watch-obsessed side, probably.

Retail price: $8,600. Pretty steep but considering its Patek Philippe.

Retails at $2,995. Design is probably a bit much for me, I think it'd look amazing on less scrawny hands.

Back then I thought: This is the one. I've seen loads of people wearing this particular model or something like it since then. Only slightly crushed to find that other people got to it first. I've had a rethink and I don't know if I'd save up for this. I still think its very nice. 1,250 pounds (not bad!)

I've posted about this one before. Tag Heuer is basically a sports watch specialist. This particular one, the aquaracer, has specifications for aquatic sports (eg. screw-in crown and caseback for water resistance to 300 meters.) and all these other features that a normal person probably wouldn't need. It's the brand. Price is not too bad (for a millionaire.) It might take me a good 5 years to save up for this.

I think men's watches are way, way easier to shop for. Better designed with excessive variety in the market. They also tend be sexier which I still can't get to grips with.

Great minds think alike (a solution)

2009-04-03T22:43:00.008+08:00

I've mentioned him before, I think his videos are amazing. Here's Sal Khan on CNN, discussing a possible solution to the crisis.

More on the possible solution (from KhanAcademy.org)

The videos are relatively long. Essentially its using the bailout money to build new banks free of toxic liabilities (thus making credits more readily avalaible to the public) rather than pouring it into 'insolvent' banks that aren't guaranteed to free up as much credit as the government would want anyway. The argument is that considering their balance sheet, the banks are more likely to either keep the money or be very stringent in lending (ie. high interests).

New banks would mean bankruptcy of certain banks that are operating now. I don't know about the systemic risks involved, but he thinks it wouldnt be such a bad thing.

Tun Dr Mahathir gave a speech in London on 1st April 2009, at an event preceding the G20 summit. He too calls for a stop in the bailing out of banks and suggests the set up of new banks. Excerpt from The Star:

The Alternative G20 Agenda: Real Financial Fairness

LONDON: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for the closure of banks that caused the global financial crisis instead of bailing them out.

The former prime minister lambasted the West for pumping in billions of dollars to resuscitate these “failed institutions”.

He said they should be allowed to go under as bankers were rewarding themselves with fat bonuses rather than be punished for their inefficiencies.

“Let’s start new banks. We don’t need to have banks with those names anymore as they are a disgrace.”

He questioned the logic of rewarding bankers who caused the economic crisis, saying those who created trouble were normally put in prison.

Dr Mahathir also took a dig at hedge funds, saying their borrowings should be limited and not be 20 or 30 times more than the investments.

KenKen

2009-04-02T07:56:00.004+08:00

Much like sudoku where you are required to fill in the boxes with numbers without repeating them in the same row or column. The difference here is that the game involves actual calculations rather than simply allocating numbers. Rules are slightly more complex, which makes for a better play than Sudoku although I doubt it'll ever get to that same level of hype and craze Sudoku managed to achieve over so many different countries.

Tutorial from its website, a 3x3.

Addition is the most basic. Beginners could probably start off with a 4x4 with all addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.

Looks abit like this.

A 4x4 box will only involve numbers 1-4, 5x5 box are 1-5, 6x6 are 1-6 and so on.

The 8x in the topmost left box simply means what two numbers when multiplied will give the number 8? So the numbers in the heavily outlined boxes must be 4 and 2, although the position can't yet be determined.

The official website makes for good further clarification.

Am being a nerdd, I knoww I know.

Khan Academy

2009-03-28T22:03:00.005+08:00

Came across Sal Khan's videos on youtube (under the username khanacademy) that explains the economic crisis in a way that even a 10-year old (and indeed myself) could understand. I know the topic is a bit passe but its really interesting once it starts to make sense. Loads of videos, from credit default swaps to understanding derivatives. I'm envious of the people doing a degree in commerce. I feel like I'm missing out. But anyway, here's one example.

Credit Default Swaps.

MC.

2009-03-23T03:40:00.008+08:00

The trailer for Harold Ramis' 'Year One' is finally out. I don't know where to start because it stars Michael Cera and the minute I mention his name I have to write a whole paragraph about how amazing an actor he is. Maybe I'll let the trailer do the talking this time.

Also, alongside him are Jack Black, David Cross and the guy who played a supporting role in Knocked Up, can't remember his name now. Better established comedic actors, but not necessarily all that funny. That's my only word of caution.

Here's some Rick Astley.

I'm a sucker for quotes

2009-03-06T07:51:00.006+08:00

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

Danny Boyle, director of Slumdog Millionaire, mentions the quote by Plato in one of his interviews. Stepping out of yourself, to withhold judgments, to make allowances. I thought it was one of the good ones..

Suri

2009-03-01T19:59:00.012+08:00

photos taken from tomkatcrazy.

I'll usually look over pictures of Suri Cruise when I get bored. That or Ashley Olsen. Ha.

How gorgeous is she?

I went down Warehouse, and as usual I came out (almost) empty handed. The items are ridiculously priced but they all look amazing.

nak ni :(

I'm excited about Bollywood Night that Maria was talking about. Its probably just a screening of a film at a lecture theatre (the title of which I can't recall) but its been ages since I've watched a proper one. The singing and dancing, the colours. And drama. I don't think you can ever find out everything there is to know about India. I'd love to go there someday (fingers crossed!). I imagine the place to be concentrated with the most competent doctors and novelists. They're so well known for it.

I'm sorry I'm all over the place.

..and another one

2009-02-27T04:46:00.002+08:00

Google docs.

Got this from the multimedia class. Interesting stuff.

search me

2009-02-26T08:11:00.002+08:00

This is pretty neat. A search engine that displays the picture of the webpage as opposed to listing words the way google (and every other search engine) does now.

Its called SEARCH ME

2009-02-18T00:52:00.005+08:00

I've gotta start putting more work in, tons of things to do but I never get started because I am excellent at planning and nothing else. I've made my to-do list Everywhere, in my phone, on the test pad, in my diary. And thats as far as it goes, what a waste.

If I'm walking around carrying Eckhart Tolle's work, its not because of premature mid-life crisis. I get conscious bringing it around, people's judgments and thoughts scare me but I'm gradually starting to not care too much as well.

What is it about the mind that keeps wandering either to the past or to the future? He points out how for most people the mind is never happy with the Now, there's either regret about things that has past or anticipation of things in the future. Especially with the latter, I used to look forward to certain dates like end of exam, summer holidays. I thought "Ok, things are good now but imagine after exams how much better it will be". Exams come, and go, and then I think "Ok, this is good, but now I can't wait to go back home, then I'd be really happy." I know now that sort of thinking gets me nowhere, I wait for something and when it comes I want something else. I'm never satisfied and I'd get frustrated because I couldn't understand what it is I wanted. Those things are trivial, for some people it might be different (and more important) things like "I'll be happy once I get a good job" or "I know I'll feel content once I get married" etc. Tolle says the trick is to appreciate all the things that you have now and know that right now, you are in your best situation. Not 5 minutes in the future, not 2 months down the road. I'm starting to get that.

Apparently results are out. I'm not keen to find out, test was fairly hard and despite my best efforts I still know squat about microbiology.

25 Things.

2009-02-07T21:03:00.006+08:00

I think that by now everyone knows about the '25 Things You Need To Know About Me' list that is furiously circulating in Facebook, and has read maybe a couple of them if not all. 25 random things about the person and honestly, I have nothing against it, I think its brilliant, I love reading those things. There's an article on TIME's website on the subject which is really entertaining to read. Its called '25 Things I Didn't Want To Know About You.'

Excerpt from the article (No. 1-5):

"Below are 25 facts I wish people hadn't told me about themselves. They come from friends, friends-of-friends, friends-of-friends-of-friends and coworkers. They are all real, though I wish some of them were not.

1. I eat tacos with a fork.
2. I was fat in middle school. The wake of that horror has yet to subside.
3. I keep forgetting that Barack Obama is our President.
4. I have been pooped on by a monkey.
5. I am addicted to the ass-slap dance move. Sometimes I don't even notice I'm doing it."

Continue reading here.

SSO ramble, really.

2009-02-05T02:46:00.009+08:00

Part of the professionalism module we're doing this year involves a Special Study Option (SSO) in which we're able to take special interest topics from a range of really interesting subject matters like sign language, psychiatric imaging, pre-emergency care, basic surgery skills, complementary medicine, and adolescent medicine.

Adolescent is generally a vague term, if I were to ask 20 people what they thought the age range for an adolescent was I'd probably get 20 different answers. Age is subjective, although the average answer would be around 10-20 years for Europeans. Slightly different for people in different parts of the world (surely). A better way of defining adolescence is probably by way of grading biological and psychosocial elements. There must be certain criteria that must be met biologically. Psychological assessment would involve grading their level of maturity, among other things.

In the hospital, there's the paediatric ward and the adult ward, and nothing to cater for young adults. If a 14 year-old girl was admitted into the hospital, its more likely that she'll end up in the ward that has the clown-themed wallpapers and animal-style bedsheets than the other one. It presents potential embarrassment (and trauma?) for the patient. I'm not sure how the hospital decides who gets into which ward, I'm sure its entirely age-based. And even if it didn't involve hospital admissions, patients in that age group, say 12-17, who goes to their GP and is then referred to a specialist, would they end up seeing a paediatrician? I think there's a stark difference in the way certain groups of patients should be managed, the three main ones being infants, young adults and adults. Trying to place adolescents in any one of the two other groups is an unreasonable solution where no one wins, the patient receives ineffective counselling and the GP would have only wasted their time.

Paediatrics as it is now probably covers a wide scope, I used to think it was just infants and small children but they probably extend that to adolescents seeing as how there's not a specific field of study for that particular age group. I'm not sure why that is despite the fact that adolescents represent a substantial percentage of the patients that come in every year. It doesn't seem like there's much emphasis on the issue.

I like the idea of personal GPs. It makes sense, the doctor is able to gauge a lot more from a patient if she (or he, in rare cases) is able to keep a track record of the patient and more importantly understand them that much better which means they're better equipped to sense changes in behaviour. 1 in 3 people suffer from depression. Its a shocking figure and the reason the prevalence of the illness is not known is probably because 1) people don't readily admit depression and if even they do the doctor would probably be the last person they'd tell, especially if the doctor is not their personal GP 2) It goes unnoticed and thus rarely diagnosed, which is the most depressing thing. Better diagnosis is such a huge area for improvement in this case, but the importance is (probably) greatly understated.

If a doctor sees a patient regularly then they'll know HOW and WHEN to make that gradual transition in communication since they already know the patient's level of maturity and comprehension whereas if a young patient simply comes in into any clinic the normal approach would probably be either like that of an adult, if the patient comes in alone, or a child of they come in with a parent.

But how different can it be really? If they have flu, then they have flu, its not going to make a difference if it was a 15 year-old or a 50 year-old. But what if it was a sexually transmitted infection. For the 50 year-old you'd probably go 'Right, (not again!) here: medication' but if it was the 15 year-old..I mean underage sex and the legal implications, telling the parents, finding out the details and explaining things to her. The level of maturity can be so different in some people, I don't know how doctors go around that. You probably get a sense of what to do when you've been in the profession for a long time but at the same time I don't think its reasonable to think new doctors are 'allowed' to make more mistakes just because they're lacking in experience.

That's it, I won't ramble on. Sorry, I've realized I've used the word 'probably' in almost every sentence, and thats because most of it is conjecture, I assume certain things and stick 'probably' in the sentence as opposed to doing proper scholarly research on the subject.

jan 2009.

2009-01-28T07:08:00.010+08:00

So many things to do and so little time, I miss our first semester already.

I'm sorry to say I still post pictures here using a camera phone like it was 2004. My picture-taking abilities has improved since the first time I ever held a camera in 1995. It was a snapshot of the ceiling.

I don't what else to say that is worth writing. Maybe I won't for now, and for a while.

Malaysian Society has set up a charity account as part of a Fundraising Campaign for Gaza. Anyone who wishes to donate can do so by transferring money into the account.

Name: Malaysian Society Charity Account
NSC (Sort Code): 90-40-18
Account No: 19951228

I wish there was more that could be done to help.

The product of US deregulation

2008-12-17T22:20:00.005+08:00

Bernard L. Madoff, former Nasdaq chairman arrested on 11 Dec 2008 for securities fraud that could total to 50bn dollars. He had been paying the investors with new money that was coming in from new investors, also known as the Ponzi scheme. He kept it going for several years until recently when the US market took a nasty turn for the worse at which point he must have realised he could not keep it up because incoming cash flow was no longer sufficient to sustain the operation. He exposed everything to his son, calling it 'one big lie' and 'basically, a giant Ponzi scheme' before the whole thing had time to implode on itself.

Dec 2008

2008-12-14T21:22:00.011+08:00

My exams aren't over and I still have time to do this. Yikes.

2008 is coming to an end (already!), completely whizzed by. I don't remember much, there were birthday parties, Fairlands barbecue, Paris, Men's Basketball Olympics, Ramly burger, teh o' ais, the lousiest basketball shoots at Alia's farewell, the best gatherings with friends, the day I ate so many cakes, malaysian bazaar, Galway Games (which I think we should have more of), and poker nights. Could I also include Total Collapse of the US Economy.

I'll end the year with a list, which has nothing to do with anything.

My 4 obsessive compulsions, or OCs ("Don't call it that". AD anyone?)

1. I never drink any water in a bottle til the last drop. I have to leave around 5-10ml remaining and throw that away. I get this impression that there are microorganisms and foreign particles precipitating at the bottom. My sister thinks its ridiculous, I sort of agree.

2. I have to wear a watch all the time except when in the shower. I wear it to sleep, so I have a day watch and a night watch. You'll never see me without one, I get uneasy and irritable without it. Its been like that since I was 11 probably. Consequently, I obsess about watches all the time, I get weak in the knees walking into a watch shop or browsing them on websites.

3. If I'm walking on a surface with tiles I'll try to keep my feet in the boxes and not step on the line resulting in this weird gait. I don't do it too often and I don't get obsessive over it. Its just something to do.

4. I have severe packing anxiety. My stomach gets funny everytime I'm about to pack, I need for the bag to be as light as air if not lighter. The packing itself is fine, but deciding what goes in it takes forever. The amount of stress that goes into it is nonsensical. I stress about handphone chargers, hairdryers, books, the amount of clothes. At the check-in counter at the airport, just before they weigh the bag, I'll get incredibly nervous, with rapid heartbeats and sweaty hands.

There's this one Mr. Bean episode where he has to pack all these things for his holiday but his bag is only ye' big so he goes on and cuts his pants into shorts, empties the toothpaste tube so its near empty, agonizes over which Hawaiian shirt to bring. So apparently, out of all the people in the world, I relate most to him.

Mindy Kaling is A-maaaazing.

2008-12-14T04:00:00.006+08:00

Actor and writer for The Office (US).

Wasn't a big fan of the US version when it first came out. I thought it was trying way too hard to stay true to the UK version and didn't really know what they wanted out of it, which I think was a fair assessment at the time. The first episode was a direct copy of the British version. They've only gotten better now, I think the writers are up there in terms of quality; BJ Novak, Paul Lieberstein and others I can't quite remember. Some episodes are better than others, and there'll be times when you watch a scene meant to be funny but you end up going "Yea, that didn't quite cut it". And then out of nowhere comes a line so funny and ridiculous, its Fun-diculous, so you sit back and realise that maybe this is worth it.

Exam Week.

2008-12-10T06:44:00.007+08:00

(And the mess I have created for myself)

One down, no more hypothalamus/hippocampus what have you. All that cramming was nauseating.

I found a website online few days back that had the most interesting and beautifully crafted videos and animations of topics related to this semester's subjects. Mostly on DNA recombination and the Human Genome Project. I may be exaggerating but it may very well be the best thing since sliced bread (and that crazy Nutella invention.) Or wait, that's way much.

But still,

Some of the videos are made to look extremely realistic, especially the ones featured on InsideCancer. I found that the most impressive.

And on the opposite side of the pole are cartoonized ones complete with fictional green men working around building the DNA, stacking nucleotides. Some had cartoon chefs demonstrating in simplistic term How It All Works.

Since then I've stumbled on more sites. The addiction must be a subconscious mechanism to distract self from studying.

Subconscious? More like very, very conscious.

I'll try to stay away.

sites:
GeneAlmanac
PCR/ELISA
RFLP1
RFLP2

Quotes

2008-12-06T02:13:00.007+08:00

Attempt at studying at the library only left me feeling riled up after the two girls sitting next to me suddenly felt the need to go on an incessant chatter, lasting an hour or more (whoops, that's slightly oxymoronic). Simply couldn't stop talking, and I realise it must be nice to have empty conversations once in a while but goddamn IF YOU REALLY MUST then the door's right there and the last I checked these chairs had surfaces free of superglue material.

Those little quotes in Talley & O'Connor's are pretty neat.

(On the cardiovascular system)

"The heart...moves of itself and does not stop unless for ever."
Leonardo da Vinci

(On the respiratory system)

"A medical chest specialist is long-winded about the short-winded."
Kenneth T Bird

And

“We don’t believe in rheumatism or true love until we have been attacked by them.”

Marie Von-Ebner Eschenbach (Austrian novelist, 1830-1916),
courtesy of Ger'superdoc' Fla

weekend (plus one) break.

2008-12-02T00:56:00.007+08:00

Still on break from studying although I really should get started soon. Weather was good all afternoon, so it was a stop at town to de-stress. It was perfectly justifiable.

I know the standard practice is to reward yourself AFTER the exams but uh..

Two DVDs I've been wanting to get for the longest time, namely
Love Story (1970) starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal (the only love story of this nature that I'll tolerate) and Howl's Moving Castle (2005).

Howl's was released quite some time ago and received rave reviews. From the same person who directed Spirited Away which was a remarkable animated feature, with 97% rating on RottenTomatoes. I watched 80% of that movie and slept for the other 20, not because it wasn't good but the TV room at home is extra conducive to naps. I was watching 'There Will Be Blood' and slept after the first 12 minutes. Gotta throw those extra cushions. But back to Spirited Away, it was impressive, and highly interesting and enjoyable. I didn't have much expectation for it and thought it was one of those cartoons you watch because there was nothing better to do, clearly a poor judgment in retrospect.

I'll watch them after the exams, self-discipline permitting.

semester end.

2008-11-29T07:44:00.004+08:00

I was reading few of the older posts (as in Trinity days). Its surreal how different I sound back then. That must have been a different person altogether. Way too cheerful and optimistic. Heh.

But anyway,

Sem 1 is coming to an end, only left with final exams that'll run for a week starting 9th dec. And then...:D :D :D

Thats 3 open-mouthed smileys for home :)

I've been extremely homesick this semester, wrapped in elevated levels of anti-social tendencies. No idea why. I used to laugh at the very idea of homesickness.

The weeks been slightly draining, confined in the room for hours on end facing books and lecture notes. The most frustrating part must be waking up the next day and realizing you don't remember jack of what you studied the day before. So you start again. A cycle of genetics, reproductive system and that brain system..thing.

Spot test and "dry" test earlier. Spot test is time-based, only one minute at each station (one question per station) and then you have to move to the next station 3 steps ahead. That alone puts pressure and will leave me blank at the few odd ones. Alot of people came out of the spot test and went "Whew, that was easy. Just really straightforward". And I thought "But not really, right?".

That's never a good sign.

Molecular medicine is one of the more interesting subjects this year, it mostly deals with molecular basis of cancer. Knowing basic facts about it is one thing, but studying it is a different thing altogether. The texts and researched articles are gibberish, alien-speak. Proteins and drugs of all possible kinds with names resembling high-security email passwords: RAD51, bcr-abl, CyclinB-CDK1. Discovery for chemotheraputic agents must be headed by the most advanced technology, backed up by multi-million dollar fundings and yet they've only barely scratched the surface. Thousands of years on, biology is still as confounding as ever.

Teh tarik and roti canai prices have dropped, if I'm not mistaken. As if I needed more motivation. Driving home from KLIA my dad will usually offer dinner at some mamak stall, or nevermind, there's laksa at home anyway :)

2008-11-27T23:08:00.008+08:00

What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now.
-U2

Profound, in all its simplicity.

the human development.

2008-11-18T06:59:00.011+08:00

Human development has me overly excited. But maybe I should tone it down slighty lest I exude too much of this nerd-like persona.

But seriously:

One cell.

Cell divides.

Cut to four weeks.

Embryo.

"By four weeks, the embryo has a head, tail, backbone and limb buds - which will eventually become arms and legs. The beginnings of ears and eyes are also visible. Its heart is already beating, and the other organs are forming fast."

WHAT?

Where is the logic that one single cell which had initally only replicated itself to form identical cells suddenly differentiate to have different functions and form different parts and precursor systems of the human body. In fact at week 3 or so, a cell destined to become the heart suddenly starts beating, without the slightest hint of a stimuli and to this date no one knows exactly what triggers it. Adjacent cells soon begin to beat in the same rhythm and thus begins the process of cardiac contractions. Same thing happens with everything else. One group suddenly happens to know that they'll be forming the lungs, and another the kidney and so on. I'm sorry but how does it know to do that? Whats stopping it from going erratic and producing 4 lungs, 5 kidneys, 3 fingers, no spleen, no stomach etc.

Jakun, I know.

A total of 9 months, and a potential of a million and one things going wrong, and yet they rarely ever do. Biological architecture of the human being amazes me and leaves me speechless more times than I can count. The process that it takes to produce a fully-formed being must be the essence of perfection.

update: Ironically I missed the 9am lecture on the topic, accidentally slept back after alarm went off. :(

Sports Carnival 08.

2008-11-17T11:01:00.005+08:00

I get excited just looking at the December '08 calendar. Nothing particular planned but just the thought of being home. I miss laughing senseless with family and friends, they're funny beyond words.

Malaysian Society hosted its first ever Sports Carnival this weekend. The fact that a lot of people came down and that there were hardly any glitches throughout the 6-hr event is a Huge Deal. Alhamdulillah. I'll use this space to thank everyone involved and give credit to Izzul and Amin as Auditor and Event Organizer respectively for being so tireless and tenacious in planning the entire thing and fine-tuning every single detail. I can't imagine the amount of stress that came with the job but I hope that with the event being a success it was worth all the effort. I especially commend everyone for giving everything they had and not simply doing a mediocre job. All the planning was not just talk, and what a rare thing that is nowadays.

Games include pool, chess, badminton, volleyball, futsal for both boys and girls and takraw for boys. Entire Malaysian community divided into Houses, either Red, Blue, Yellow or Green. My proposal of having them as Gryffindor, Ravenclaw etc. was firmly rejected. Will try to be more creative at next meeting.

one heck of a p.o.v.

2008-11-13T23:46:00.003+08:00

I have to admit, I was blown away by THIS ARTICLE. Goosebumps while going over it midway through. That never happens.

The writer, kijangmas, possesses amazing insight into the causes of racial divide that has only become more apparent these days, and what it takes to create a true 'Bangsa Malaysia'.

Its rather extensive, but worth the read to the end.

stand ups.

2008-11-10T07:34:00.003+08:00

These postings are testament to the kind of non-productive hours dedicated to youtube on weekends. Gloomy weather all day yesterday and today, so an all-weekender stay in.

Its not too bad.

Rhod Gilbert. Featured on the set of Rove, probably dated 2007. One of the best stand ups I've seen, I found it again by pure chance whilst searching for Charlie Pickering.

Demetri Martin. This generation's comic genius.

Give me your eyes I need sunshine.

2008-11-09T20:19:00.002+08:00

One of the few songs of past years that never ceases to amaze me.

Wolf Parade-I'll Believe in Anything

But I'll believe in anything and you'll believe in anything.

winter essentials.

2008-11-05T04:47:00.008+08:00

Finally, a proper heater in the room that provides Proper heating. I had to go down to Argos to buy an additional heater because the one I have, a mounted oil-filled radiator isn't too efficient and doesn't do much to alleviate episodes of unremitting shivering. The only thing it does do is to melt any chocolates situated nearby, and as brilliant as that is, I'd rather have an appliance that keeps me warm for now. Outside temperature is unforgiving.

Shopping for that was quick and simple, what was surprisingly difficult was looking for a pair of gloves. I had assumed these sort of things were easy to find and I could go into any shop and get one within minutes. I wasn't being picky but I had decided there be no glitter, diamonds or anything too fancy or too loud. I figured I'd settle with 'boring and straightforward' this time. But I guess I was unlucky and the only ones I did end up coming across, after going inside some 5 shops, were fancy and colourful gloves studded with diamonds/glitter/sequins. Nowhere could I find the normal old lady gloves, this is apparently the age for strap leather and glittery suede. The theme seemed to be fancy material vs fancy colours, take your pick.

Anywho, what I was really hoping to find was this;

but they all seemed 3 sizes too big. The ones they had in kids' section were perfect fit. They just had flowery/fairy motifs suitable for, well, kids.

p/s: I don't know how I get away with putting up posts about heaters and gloves.

Michael.

2008-11-03T04:28:00.006+08:00

The last time I wrote about Michael he was still a puppy and had 'playfully gnawed' at my ipod and paperbag in all his canine curiosity.

Michael is bigger now, and I have a feeling his owner is training him to be a watchdog. He has his own personal watchtower and barks whenever anyone passes by. Alot more obedient, he won't disturb us as much whenever he sees us. When I say disturb, I mean he circles you and finds for things to bite but that's only because he wants to play with you. He'll be the one that looks for a stick and comes to you with it, fully expectant for a game of fetch.

My friend took this video of him.

This is sensitive. 30% equity.

2008-11-02T06:01:00.009+08:00

I really like A. Kadir Jasin's take on the matter of 30% equity for bumiputeras which has surfaced yet again. He writes objectively without giving too much of his opinion or stand on it, although it is clear. Again, as he points out himself, there is a clear difference in the mindset of the older and younger generation simply due to the fact that those who lived in the era of pre-Merdeka or the few years subsequent to it have a nostalgic bond to the principles that make up the constitution and a holistic understanding on how the now highly-debated social contract came to be while the present generation clearly do not. It is to us a series of information that were contained in books and fed by History teachers. In the end what everyone did was to memorize the whole thing blindly. Maybe the students are not to be blamed, logically its hard for anyone to relate to things that they haven't come to experience and are of seemingly no consequence to them. People have said that if something like instilling understanding and appreciation for the principles this country was built upon can't be done even at school level then something is clearly amiss.

Excerpt:

"But as the country grows older and the population becomes younger the knowledge and respect for the past becomes hazier. The older generation that is rooted in history becomes the minority and the new generation that is not schooled in the history of the country becomes the majority.

Without knowledge and wisdom, they become easy targets of hate campaign by unscrupulous and usually ignorant politicians and chauvinists of all shades and colours."

Other views/related comments to the article (some disagreeing with him) which are equally interesting:

penangumnoboy says: "I do not care of whatever race you are, if you can work hard, honest and have a high a commitment, the person, again regardless whatever race he is, should be rewarded with the best job and the best pay.
If you are weak, you lend a helping hand. But if the person does not want to help themselves, it is useless if you want to go a step further.
People say, that I do not give enough opportunity to my own race.
It is not that actually. It is my race who fails to take the opportunity to go a step further."

niger loh says: "All this is the result of progress and if you believe in sticking to those terms...maybe it is better for you to go back to that era and stay there.
For you to argue that the social contract is unalterable or unchallengeable like the term Keling is pure hogwash."

Asia Times

"Judging by Najib's remarks about liberalizing the NEP, the country must grapple simultaneously with long-held and deeply entrenched race-based policies while defending itself against global financial and economic turmoil."

prelude to winter '08.

2008-10-29T02:15:00.010+08:00

Nothing much, except that its been exceptionally cold, and the days are getting shorter.

In a country such as Ireland, its hard to imagine there'd be a situation where you'd find yourself not having access to clean water to drink at home. But this was the case since last month or so where it was reported that tap water in the area was discovered to contain high levels of lead and and thus unsafe to be consumed. Luck would have it that I found out about this right after taking in an entire mug of said lead-laden water. I'm not sure about the effects of lead consumption, and its times like these I choose to place blind & absolute faith in the Human Immune System.

Apparently the situation with it now is that the water is safe to drink again. I hope this is the case, I have prematurely downed an entire mug of it as of 4 minutes ago.

Genetics lecturer has this to say (not verbatim):

"When my dad's sperm hit my mother's egg..his gene was homozygous recessive for blonde, so because it was homozygous, [the traits] couldn't be masked. My mother was also recessive blonde, and so I am homozygous recessive for blonde. And as a child, I was Absolutely Gorgeous..."

Funny. And yes, its Mendelian genetics all over again.

what it all means

2008-10-24T20:57:00.017+08:00

Shares plummet on recession fears

"The pound fell to $1.52 at one point, the lowest level in six years, on expectations of further UK rate cuts.

The UK economy shrank for the first time in 16 years between July and September, confirming that Britain is on the brink of recession."

Euro and UK sterling against Malaysian Ringgit:
1.00 EUR = 4.52377 MYR
(1 MYR = 0.221055 EUR)
1.00 GBP = 5.59230 MYR
(1 MYR = 0.178817 GBP)

Australian dollar against the Ringgit
1.00 AUD = 2.20986 MYR
(1 MYR = 0.452517 AUD)

Live rates at 2008.10.24 13:00:35

(Exchange rate for Euro in Sept was 5.019)

2009 is shaping out to be bleak but trust the economy to get better and stronger than ever before. America is paying the price for years of excessive deregulations and unfettered markets, but the US dollar doesn't seem to be hurting as much as the UK Sterling. It probably still holds stronger value following its position in international trades.

The price of oil per barrel is expected to go down in the coming months as the global financial crisis continues. This is no way solves Malaysia's inflation, traders won't be quick to lower the prices on goods, not in the same way that they raised it anyway.

The 78 cents hike up in fuel price (40% increase) was too drastic a change, too big a difference. People started charging more for everything, from basic household goods to normal meals in restaurants.

Now the PM claims to be saddened by the fact that people aren't reducing their prices to mirror the lowered petrol price. Their excuse being that the decrease in fuel charge was too small, 15 cents, and later 10 cents. It doesn't seem like a substantial enough amount to warrant a price decrease in anything.

Ergo, try lowering petrol price by 78 cents then maybe we'll think about it. But who's idea was it to apply such a drastic increase on it in the first place? Shouldn't the price hike been done gradually to minimize the impact?

Oh right, its this current government.

UMNO Elections is postponed to March '09 because...what was it again? I heard it the first time but it didn't quite make any sense. Supposedly for smooth transition and to work on, in the very little time they have left, whatever goals and visions set out 4 or so years ago that have yet to be accomplished.

So 4 years and nothing to show for it, but give it another 5 months and every promise would have been kept, every vision attained.

Sorry, my mistake, that makes plenty of sense.

Charity Week 08.

2008-10-23T22:10:00.008+08:00

Good day, but weather could have been better.

Charity Week this week for all of UK & Ireland, proceeds go to orphanages around the world. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, I have a tendency to convert assumptions to facts on a whim.) Organized by MYS. (Fact.) They decided to go with selling cakes and pastries to raise the money. (Fact.)

I have a weakness for cakes. Naturally, I prodded my fork on various cakes of friends to 'have a taste'.

It was an assortment of everything; carrot cake, lemon cake, banana cake, chocolate cake etc. We got to make some as well. They had requested earlier for people to donate 'edible' cakes for the event, and edible was exactly what we did.

(The most questionable concoctions can still be edible, in my mind.)

Sorry I don't have pictures of the event itself. It was a good turnout for a good cause.

Al-Fatihah.

2008-10-21T02:28:00.003+08:00

Your strength is an inspiration to so many. You stood up in times when many would have crumbled. An amazing human being, words can't begin to do you justice. You will be greatly missed. My prayers are with you and your family.

Rest in peace, Sara.

memory.

2008-10-14T05:00:00.014+08:00

Came across an article in a paper once that decribed ways to improve your memory. Nevermind the fact that intial intention was to read the entertainment section.

So, memorization of words or concepts requires out-of-the-ordinary associations. Apparently the trick is to create a story around whatever that needs to be memorized so that it becomes completely ridiculous. The idea is that the brain finds it easier to retain absurd and ludicrous information. The example given was that if anyone today was asked the question "How was Snow White poisoned?", the image of a red apple immediately pops up in everyone's mind without them having too think too much into it. Red apple? Its farcical but nonsensical things stay in memory that much longer.

EXAMPLE

1)Climbing fibers originate from olivary nucleus.

Associate olivary nucleus with Olive Oyl from Popeye and imagine her climbing up to everything she sees, trees, boats, you name it. She is hyperactive.

There thats it, short and ridiculous.

savings shmavings.

2008-10-12T19:35:00.007+08:00

I am scrimping and saving every penny (penny? no, cent) because I get assaulted with pangs of guilt whenever I spend on anything that borders on the unnecessary. Trying to be more thrifty this time round, even buying kitchen sponges have become an issue.

Then I find that back home, two new members have joined the family, namely:

HTC Diamond

Samsung Omnia

Aw, come on!

10, And counting.

2008-10-09T21:25:00.003+08:00

"US debt clock runs out of digits"

The US is, as of last month, in debt of over $10 trillion. An unprecedented amount that couldn't even fit into the debt counter which could only go as far as $9 trillion. This limit was set in March 2006.

Classic example of not spending within means. The US government has spent approximately 700b dollars on the war in Iraq under the Bush administration and the figure is expected to reach 1 trillion dollars by term end. Budget surpluses that were inherited 8 years before have now become insurmountable deficits.

Way to go.

"The clock's owners say two more zeros will be added, allowing the clock to record a quadrillion dollars of debt."

When was the last time anyone heard of a quadrillion dollars?

Off day.

2008-10-09T06:04:00.005+08:00

..more like off week.

How weird is it to think that you could ever run out of things to say to someone? The feeling that everything that needs to be said has been said, even if its not true, and asking something would only elicit an answer you would have anticipated in the first place. Conversations become filled with record-long silences, the only form of small talk comes in the most banal of questions. These are awkward times.

Here's my golden rule this time round: 'Don't ever say things that you can't repeat.' A guy said that once, and it may be the best advice I've come across. Its easy to make off-handed remarks and caustic comments, especially in jest, but there's always that off chance that someone might take offence. Being funny is not all that worth it, not when you haven't taken the time to evaluate the situation.

That's not to say I don't commit verbal gaffes every once in a while, in fact I'm pretty sure I have 'frontrunner status' in matters involving faux pas but hey, I am trying.

MCQs are next week and I don't think anyone's deluding themselves into thinking that because its multiple choice they don't have to study as much. I'm trying to find time to study but writing up posts is evidently a bigger priority.

Thats my cue.

ps.
good news: Badawi leaving by March 09.
bad news: KJ likely to win UMNO Youth chief post? what?

hello gorgeous

2008-10-06T04:02:00.003+08:00

US subprime mortgage crisis made easy.

2008-10-03T05:46:00.002+08:00

So the fascination continues. I'd have jumped on the commerce degree bandwagon if not for my ineptitude with numbers.

I was attempting to understand the 700b proposal since the presidential debate. The workings of the US financial system is not something you can grasp in one week, let alone one day. Where do you start with these things? Turning to Wikipedia ended up in me getting bombarded with more jargon because of the detailed nature of that site. It was a cycle in which I couldn't pinpoint the exact origin; understanding Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac required understanding of subprime loans, and these in turn required understanding of existence of mortgage-backed securities, etc, you get what I mean.

But then I found this.

3 tutorials on The Subprime Mortgage Crisis by InformedTrades.com
The first video explains it from the borrower's point of view, the second the lender and the third how the crisis came to be. Its for anyone who's trying to make sense of it all because I know how frustrating it is and I think the video's brilliant. Enjoy.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

And a cartoon.

Raya and the US bailout.

2008-10-02T22:04:00.006+08:00

"Telah datang bulan Ramadhan yang penuh berkat kepadamu...Pada bulan itu Allah (s.w.t.) melihat perlumbaan dalam mengerjakan ibadah dan membangga-banggakan kamu dihadapan para malaikat. Oleh kerana itu, tunjukkanlah kepada-Nya kebaikan-kebaikan dirimu. (Riwayat al-Nasai)

The idea that humans could ever be worthy of such a thing is astounding. I'm almost moved to tears seeing people doing unrelenting charity work. This is overdue, but anyway, selamat hari raya & maaf zahir batin :)

Palin v Biden tonight in the first Vice-Presidential Debate. Rejection of the 700b billion bailout plan is only the hottest topic around, the issue will probably take up a large portion of the debate. More on it here. Should the American government now find alternatives to fix the now ailing Wall St or keep pushing for the bailout that sees taxpayers paying for illiquid mortgage-backed assets?

Here's a link to a video overview of the issue. (click.) 10 mins or so worth, and biased against Obama which does not reflect my personal opinion whatsoever, but a good insight anyway into the cause of the problem.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi discusses the bailout before the voting which was speculated to contribute to the overall rejection of the plan by the House of Representatives. She makes some good points.

ps. CD Payne's Revolting Youth reaches expectation :)

Fakebook

2008-09-25T05:35:00.010+08:00

Here's a great socio-political blog for those following the circus that is Malaysia's political scene. r o c k y b r u. Already 7 million hits so I'm guessing most people are already aware of its existence. On the site there'll be links to numerous other political blogs including chedet.com, of course.

Revision of the 2010 transition plan is called for, for the sake of party, and the country. Judging on the recent outcome of the Supreme Council meeting, people can now afford realistic expectations to see a change in the Premiership ASAP.

On to real pressing matters,

Raya is one week away! I'm more excited about it this year than I've been in the past few years. Maybe its because there's kuih raya awaiting to be ingested in the cupboard. And yes thats reason enough. I've cleared my morning classes for next Wednesday, no more appointments with Fabio & Co. in anatomy lab as was scheduled earlier so the whole 'Morning Raya Fuss' (ie. having baju kurung ironed last minute and rushing out for raya prayers because there is only one bathroom in the house for crying out loud) is ON :)

I've lost not-so-considerable weight (this is a longshot, but I think its got something to do with fasting) and I wasn't that affected by it until I realised that my most of my well-fitted jeans have gotten baggy and thus weird-like. (More reason to go shopping.) My clothes hang off me in the most unflattering way. Gotta start drinking the full-fat milk, they say its works wonders, but alas, I am allergic to its taste.

I've been listening to Yo La Tengo after recommendations from a mix on Itunes titled 'Soundtrack to My Depression Problem.' 'Our Way to Fall' and 'Did I Tell You' off the Fakebook album is amazing. I wasn't relating to the mix btw when I clicked it, it was out of pure whim and curiosity, so before anyone starts diagnosing..

The iMix is probably the best way to look for new songs (and one might argue to waste time) and usually the ones with the most depressing titles give the most beautiful songs, but try them all anyway.

I feel abit like Oprah closing this post with a book recommendation, like how she announces her book club selection in the last 10 minutes of the show. Next thing you know I'm hosting a weekly talkshow program albeit in my own lowly living room and discussing less-than-stimulating topics such as "So what's up with vegetable and fruits?"

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING.

I picked it up funnily enough because of the cover (not the one pictured. It was one of a sketched dog. I judge all things this way) but I realised very soon this wasn't just another fictional novel but a story that the author has created which incorporates his philosophical theories. He, Kundera, explains how this life is lived only once and the choices that are made, whether it be right or wrong, along with its consequences can happen only once because there is no other lifetime for us and thus if the things that we do never occur again and never return they are subject to eventually being weightless and empty and light, hence the unbearable lightness of being.

'The myth of eternal return states that a life which disappears once and for all, which does not return, is like a shadow, without weight, dead in advance and whether it was horrible, beautiful, or sublime, its horror, sublimity and beauty mean nothing.'

The book was written in 1985 and was regarded as something of a post-modernist work at the time. The story itself of Tomas and Tereza, the two main characters was interesting but it was mostly his personal snippets that had me voraciously flipping the pages. That said, I don't think the book would suit everyone, the style is very different and I've read comments which regard it as tiresome and unimaginative. It'd really depend. I was crazy about it.

Its Here!

2008-09-23T00:38:00.009+08:00

The postman finally came by today with a delivery I've been ridiculously eager to receive.

'REVOLTING YOUTH'

So someone slap me already :D

2008-09-12T08:11:00.002+08:00

Home :'( please.

pleasepleaseplease.

Please.

here's something to get used to.

2008-09-10T18:11:00.003+08:00

Nothing more welcoming than being soaked in the pouring rain early in the morning to class. My shoes are the colour of my jeans, it feels fantastic. And thanks to a certain red pen, my off-white bag once again assumes that lovely pink hue I most definitely love. ..Not.

But then I think I shouldn't complain, rain improves agriculture and quality of sleeping, among other things. I come home and switch on the radio for news, I find the farmers complaining that the rain is No Good for them. Right, so cancel that first one.

last days.

2008-09-03T23:24:00.005+08:00

I hate packing. Gives me anxiety attacks. I get paranoid over the baggage limit. As if the worst thing that could happen is paying for excess weight. This time I looked for the lightest bag I could find, a small hard shell Samsonite as opposed to the ginormous soft bag I usually take which I now insist weighs 5kg when empty. I think it started as an assumption on my part but has now turned into actual fact due to repetition. "DO YOU KNOW THAT BAG WEIGHS 5KG WHEN EMPTY? ITS TRUE."

I'm trying to limit the things that I have to bring. So far its gone okay but my hands are itching to take out more clothes to make the bag lighter. If it was up to me I'd bring an empty bag. Then swing the bag casually when at airport and say things like 'This feels like air!". Someday.

Most of the things are in, I'm left with last-minute items like contact lenses and perfume. Small items, but I keep worrying that collectively they'll weigh 2kg and be the culprit that renders the bag overweight. And these things like Ipod and handphone chargers? How is that affecting the weight of the bag? I need to know.

Paranoia. The limit bugs me like crazy.

Its me subconsciously not wanting to leave. Or consciously wanting to be smug abt not exceeding airline baggage limit.

The best thing so far is being able to have a few days of Ramadhan here. Its well worth it, everything from buying too much food at pasar ramadhan and terawih. I've missed it.

I don't know if I'm particularly excited or sad at the prospect of going back. I'm ambivalent, that's the word. Ambivalent and terrified, abt what I'm not sure.

BTN

2008-08-29T16:44:00.008+08:00

The 5 days turned out to be "okay" as I put it to my mum, my general answer for everything. As in, "How was exam?". "Was okay." and "How do you find Ireland?". "I think its okay." I think I've made my point.

As much as I wanted to believe that the course was a place where they brainwashed students into being extremely pro-government (and by government I mean UMNO), it wasn't exactly that because the points that were repeatedly brought forward were valid. The issue of Malay Supremacy is tricky, and lies at the very foundation of Malaysia's current political turmoil. How do you protect Malay rights without upsetting social equality? PKR has apparently found a way to do this but theories and promises are what they are, mere words, and until its practiced, no one can be absolutely certain that it will work.

The problem is the huge contrast in perception and way of thinking between the older and younger generation. The reason the opposition party achieved that much success in the last general election was not only that the people had lost faith in BN following rampant corruption and political feuds within the party itself but also because they are looking for something new, something to change the constitution to make it more relevant. Why must we tie ourselves to a set of rules that was made 51 years ago, a time when the country was still burdened by social issues and political uncertainty? Many things have happened since the conception of Malaysia. All the different races have learned to unite and work together in developing the country and not just that one race. Surely we should make room for change.

On the other hand, its easy to say "Right, change everything, scrap the old constitution and we'll make a new one" because we don't regard these things as highly as do the older generation. We take it lightly and don't bother to understand how it came to be. It is what it is, half a decade's old set of laws. But to them, it is a sanctity. What it took for them to reach that stage where they could finally make decisions for their own country in a land that is rightfully theirs. The amount of pain and suffering that they'd had to endure whilst under sovereign control, some as we know willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of independence. Thus, after all the tears and blood poured into the fight against the British empire, it is important that the sanctity of the constitution (mostly referring to Malay rights) as written by them be upheld to ensure that never again will they have to capitulate to foreign invaders. Change everything, and all the effort would have been for nothing.

The truth of the mater is that Malaysia is a country occupied by different races and it'd be near impossible if these social groups didn't argue amongst each other and have difference in opinion once in a while. But we as humans have the virtue of tolerance, and that is what makes for a peaceful and harmonious country. Nowadays its people wanting more, demanding for everything but not willing to give anything. In the end no one wins.

31st August is around the corner, but the leaders are too busy thinking of ways to move themselves up the neverending political ladder and the people are on a constant lookout for the next big issue.

Happy 51st Birthday.

p/s: Thanks fifa, jijat, yana, ji, sarah, kara, gp5 for making things less awkward and the experience that much better for me because as much as I take solace in being alone, it also has its limits. Hopefully we'll meet again.

finally, redeemed.

2008-08-24T23:47:00.009+08:00

So in the end US wins the gold medal after defeating Spain in what was the most thrilling and exciting final match in the Olympics. They were without a doubt the best team out there judging by the quality of play and teamwork they've displayed throughout their matches in Beijing. Also, they got through without ever losing a match so again, they were highly deserving of it.

I won't go on and on with this, I just want to mention no. 5, Navarro, Williams and boy-wonder.

Rudy Fernandez who plays for Spain and dons the number 5 jersey was simply put it, insane. With so many exceptional players on court you didn't always know where to look but I couldn't take my eyes off Fernandez everytime he was on. Impeccable shooting with back-to-back 3-pointers from way outside the line besides producing many other notable points for the team. Maybe better than Pau Gasol in this one.

Juan Carlos Navarro, more than anyone else, left me awed and speechless. He creates opportunities when there is none. He has this distinctive way of shooting where he throws for the 2-point in mid-air. It almost always goes in. I don't know how to describe it in technical terms. I have no idea how to do him justice with words.

Deron Williams. Scored the most points for the US team. (I think, but I'll have to check.) He has no problem shooting from outside the line, he just has to throw it and it'll go in. No problem.

Lastly, two words: Ricky Rubio. Probably the best non-NBA player there is. Turned pro at the age of 14 (WHAT?) and is the youngest player to play in the Olympic's basketball final at 17. Half the time I couldn't believe what I was seeing, he's not a kid trying to make it big, he's already big. Adept at steals and rebounds and probably caused the most turnovers. (I think, but I'll have to check.) Absolutely phenomenal, like nothing you've ever seen.

But we all know how good players like Bryant and James are and in the end going past the US defence proved to be an impossible feat, even for Spain.

Its 118-107 at final whistle to Redeem Team, and boy did they finally prove something.

ESP VS USA

2008-08-23T14:36:00.006+08:00

Final showdown between Spain and USA in the men's basketball gold-medal match happening tomorrow following the bronze-medal match where its Argentina vs Lithuania. Spain advanced into the finals after securing a win over Lithuania with a mere 5-point difference whilst US defeated Argentina at a more comfortable 101-81 final score. Doesn't do much to inspire confidence in Spain especially after they'd lost to Team USA once already in the preliminary stage.

Nevertheless, trust Pau Gasol to bring his best game to court after world-class performances so far in Beijing.

Arguably the best basketball player in this year's Olympics, scoring the most points and coming in 5th in rebounds.

He'll take on the likes of Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James and that's enough names to make anyone playing against team USA sick to their stomach.

(Wade, Anthony, James)

Anthony boasts a 100% free throw statistic and has a formidable 3-pointer skill to boot, Tayshaun Prince also immaculate with 3-pointers at the far end of the court. Spain has alot on their plate, who knows what will happen tomorrow. I can hardly wait.

9.69

2008-08-17T00:18:00.005+08:00

Its been all abt Olympics this past week. Some stats.

Jamaica's USAIN BOLT wins the gold in the eagerly-awaited, much talked about 100m men sprint final, setting a new world record of 9.69. Clear winner ahead of Richard Thompson and even had time to celebrate well before crossing the line. Only the fastest man on earth.

Everyone's pumped abt LCW making it to the finals, myself included but this pair deserves a mention-Indonesia's Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido. Olympic gold medallists in men doubles badminton after defeating China. Witnessing Kido's backhand cross-court and Setiawan's smash at the net time and time again was to watch this game at its best.

Nothing much to say, I just thought I'd put her picture in. The game is always unpredictable when Safina's playing due to her inconsistency in performing. Produced 12 double faults (12! unheard of) in the match against China's Li Na but luckily was able to make up for it in the end and will now play in the gold-medal match where she'll meet fellow Russian, Elena Dementieva.

Considered to be the best basketball team in the world, the US team is determined to get it right at this Summer Olympics after dismal performances in Athens and the 2002 World Championship. Once boasting itself as the 'Dream Team', the newly-renamed 'Redeem Team' is set to reclaim past glory and cement its power-status with an insane line-up consisting basketball's biggest names such as Bryant, Anthony, James, Wade and Boozer, to name a few.

Not a current Olympian but someone to watch out for. Too cute, nevermind the fact that she probably doesn't know what that helmet is for.

"because it kept being sick.."

2008-08-11T23:05:00.005+08:00

So Malaysian archers bow out of the semis after losing to Italy in a 213-218 final score. Both teams were neck and neck coming into the final round and just when it seemed the national team would make it past the Italians after scoring two perfect 10s, a blunder by the final archer threw them again into a setback and ultimately cost them the loss. The one team everyone wanted to see win, more so than the shuttlers. But making it to semis, and being ranked World No.4 is still something.

Enough Olympics. Here-The Ricky Gervais Show.

Taken from a radio show, Xfm, so the picture is not meant to move. Ricky's voice comes on first, then Steve Merchant's. Karl is the one talking nonsense.

........

(update) When I said semifinals, I really meant quarterfinals. sorry.
On a completely different issue, the process of filling out MARA forms seem to be neverending. I hate reading the fine prints so I'll usually go JUST TELL ME WHERE TO SIGN. Not the most advisable thing to do, I've wasted plenty of fuel and time going back and forth to the same places over & over again because I don't bother to read everything at the first go. Meeting commissioner for oaths tomorrow with a semi-fake birth cert. Hope it goes ok.

hello, is this thing on?

2008-08-08T00:02:00.008+08:00

Melbourne's not too different from how I remembered it a year ago. I realize I'm saying this as if I haven't been there in 20 years. "oh how the roads have changed! and these streetcars!"

I knew we'd attend atleast one gig there so after a 'collaborative discussion' with sister, we decided we'd get tix for Tokyo Police Club and Band of Horses. All this using her card with no intentions on my part to reimburse the money. I have no real income, have mercy. (Everything was eventually reimbursed so no worries.) It was Tokyo first, then Horses few days later. And verdict is: Simply amazing. Nothing beats seeing your favourite songs performed live, especially with ones like 'Citizens of Tomorrow' and 'The Funeral'. I thought Ben Bridwell surpassed every expectation I had and performed to perfection, and Tokyo was just pure fun.

Went to Philip Island as well which I was pretty ambivalent towards throughout the entire time. I like penguins like everybody else but the whole idea of watching them make their way to the burrows from a distance was pretty..unexciting. So that's it? Where's the part where they perform tricks for food? No, kidding, I hate that even more.
The best part abt Melbourne Zoo-orang utans. Brilliant creatures. Maybe one day I'll spend all my days taking care of them in Borneo, and teach them to read and do chores for me. Kidding, it's cruel, I'd never force them to read like that.

So I come back here and the camera is filled with endless pictures of orang utans and 'scenery on the way to Philip Island', taken at every possible angle. Digital cameras, and we click on anything and everything. I'll just put up one I think.

Snuck this orang utan into the souvenir shop without having anyone noticing...because it blended in...so well.

everything comedy.

2008-08-06T20:04:00.009+08:00

I can't quite make out what to write and what to leave out so here's my being selective. Firstly, most importantly,

1. Michael Cera (I know it, I keep plugging him) will star in Harold Ramis' YEAR ONE alongside Jack Black. They've finished filming the movie and are now working on the post-production (wow thanks IMDB).

"When a couple of lazy hunter-gatherers (Black and Cera) are banished from their primitive village, they set off on an epic journey through the ancient world."-IMDB

There's probably a better synopsis for this movie elsewhere but I like the brevity, it exudes a sort of laziness which agrees with me. Once I summarized 'Superbad' as "just two boys getting drunk and getting in trouble...with cops" and 'The Kite Runner' as "just two boys..playing kites" which, let's face it, were way off tangent from what the movies were really abt. Back to Year One, the premise seems funny enough, I find that the more simple and straightforward it is the better. And what's not to like abt hunter-gatherers? Expect it to be out in cinemas next year. That's 2009 for Americans, and twothousandnever for everyone else.

Saw the trailer for 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' in which Cera is starring as well. The part where he says 'B-Day' is hilarious but I'm not particularly excited abt this movie only because the whole thing looks abit contrived and like everyone else I'm slightly tired of seeing Cera typecasted into those same roles in which he plays an awkward teenager.

2. Also look out for Ghost Town which stars Ricky Gervais. I think I've mentioned the movie here before but I am big on repetition so here's me talking abt it again. He didn't write the script, unfortunately, but having him playing the main character warrants a viewing anyway. It looks to be good, judging from the trailer.

3. Speaking of him, the podcasts (Ricky Gervais Show) are still very much alive and ongoing and I got a chance to listen to the new stuff after stealing them from my sister's laptop. They're still as funny as ever, Karl is still full of drivel and Ricky can't get enough of it. Hysterical, I get afraid of listening to it in public.

That's it for now. I basically talked abt Cera And Gervais and nothing else, which wasn't the plan but my mind's less scrambled now, so some good must have come from it.

Full analysis, The Dark Knight.

2008-07-19T00:58:00.009+08:00

..but not really.

Imagine people googling 'The Dark Knight Analysis' and coming across this site instead. Phew, sorry. I haven't watched it.

In between throwing fits at Tesco and receiving calls regarding forged signatures, there's really not much worth writing about. Oh yea, decided to apply for Australian holiday visa through a travel agent. Let's call this agent Angela. (Her name really is that btw). So the Australian Embassy faxes her a letter for me to sign, and she decided, out of convenience, to sign my name herself. That might have worked if you were 13 years old and forging your parent's signature for a field trip to Planetarium but come on. The Embassy is really not the place to pull high school stunts because they actually take measures to authenticate the signature by calling you. So I took the call and naturally went "I don't remember signing anything, but I am known to experience bouts of amnesia every now and again. Describe to me how it looks like."

Not really, I just said I didn't sign anything.

The matter is solved now, my mum got slightly livid with the travel agent.
"How could you forge the signature?!" and she goes "I told you whaaat, I'll handle it". Proudly defending her actions without so much as an apology.

But it wasn't a big deal. So seemingly professional people act in blatant unprofessionalism. What else is new?

I'm no longer motivated to finish the booklet, and sorry izzul if you're reading this. Every design I try to incorporate into it ends up looking either tacky or plagiarised (or both), and I take it out on the sample document, deleting everything I see. But I will send it in time. Reminds me abit of Form 5 and the ridiculous number of hours I'd put in for the 'Majlis Anugerah Cemerlang' booklet up to the point that it, dare I say it, consumed me. Imagine my surprise when I realised the booklets were merely tools to keep one cool by way of fanning oneself in the midst of the scorching heat. Next time I'll know to design it so that it looks like a real chinese fan.

I can't so much as walk into a watch shop nowadays without drooling all over the counter. That's an exaggeration, I merely emit noises every 5 seconds that goes abit like ""Ohhh look", "gorgeousss" and "wawawewa". Not true with the last one.
But I really do get overly excited, no prizes for guessing where my first paycheck is going. (Assuming I'll work. One day.)

2008-07-10T21:11:00.002+08:00

Babyyy.

2008-07-06T01:11:00.005+08:00

Can't get to sleep. TV is..boring, but not boring enough that I'd fall asleep in front of it. A surefire way to get the job done is to finish watching 'Lars and the Real Girl' because god knows how slow that movie is and the last time it was playing I definitely, definitely slept halfway.

We finally went to Pavillion after months of empty talk abt getting there. Easiest way to get there is probably via Monorail but make sure to time it properly so as to avoid peak hours. Try using public transport at 530 pm and you'll find yourself forced into a 'packed-sardine' situation. Getting in takes plenty of shoving, and once in you find yourself literally pushed against a door that has a specific 'Do Not Lean' sign.

The place is basically sectioned into two...sections (there must be a better way to say that.) Designer stores on one side and low-key, affordable stores on the other. Ferragamo and Tod's made items at TopShop look ridiculously cheap in comparison, and having been tricked into this very psychological ploy, I proceeded to grab any old thing in TopShop thinking "This isn't too bad" when really it was.

I've convinced my sister into liking Dr Robin Smith after continuously pointing out to her abt how amazing she is. She appears on Oprah ocassionally as the show's psychologist. Nothing like Dr Phil, she is..amazing, always knowing exactly what it is that needs to be fixed. I am in awe of her in a non-obsessive way, and I wish I could get her name out more but have so far only recruited one fan (sister). I'm optimistic with this one.

Oh yea, currently running a (Boston Legal) marathon. Is it not the most underrated show on this side of the world? If only for James Spader and 'Denny Crane'.

holiday, so far.

2008-07-02T01:29:00.003+08:00

I've realized how much I want to stay here and not go back. I think Ireland's great but being home is...great. er.
Wow, think I'm losing touch...with the English language in general.

I've been meaning to apply for work but have realized now that 'meaning to' and 'actually doing it' are two very different things and thus have produced nothing tangible so far. I've worked it all in my mind, but that is as far as it goes. There's the resume to be typed out (really though? I thought I'd simply come in and "charm" the boss into employing me, whatever that means) but I've put it off until a to-be-announced date. I think my dad is finding it slightly incredulous that I'm willing to sacrifice my sleep for money. I do too somewhat. I used to think my extended sleeps were priceless, and that for everything else there was MasterCard. (BAM! NOTLAME)

I'll see how it goes (standard Malaysian answer). See how. If can then can, if cannot then cannot. Wait, what?

Job of the year must be an Olympic games reporter. Get paid to watch the games live in Beijing. It doesn't matter which sport, I'm sure table tennis is just as exciting as synchronized swimming and rowing if not better. Bad news is you get employed only once every four years hence for every year of luxury, there's three years of extreme poverty and destitution. I don't know what my point is anymore. That's it for now I think.

Intermission

2008-06-14T00:15:00.002+08:00

the list.

2008-06-13T01:28:00.010+08:00

I don't usually do this. Filled it out in true mediocre fashion. Also, changed the question slightly. Enjoy, I'll come up with something proper but not necessarily profound soon. Bye. :)

Name 5 people/unicorns you can think of right off the top of your head.

1. ESSO Burgerman
2. charlie the unicorn
3. entire portugal football team
4. tina fey
5. Lz (aka tagger.)

1. How did you meet number 1?
Felt like having burger one day.

2. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your friendship with 1?
We don't talk much. I tell him what burger I want, basically. Around 8.

3. How long have you known 4?
All my life. (I wish)

4. How do you know number 3?
TV appearances, mostly and entirely.

5. Where is 5?
Home.

6. A fact about number 1.
Not there on Saturdays. Fact. Drove all the way one time (on a supper-empty stomach) only to find the place empty.

7. Who is 4 going out with?
You. (you wish)

8. What does 1 do for a living?
Sells burger, although that might be a quarter-time job.

9. Would you live with number 3?
The answer is no with a hint of yes.

10. What do you like about number 2?
excuse me?

11. Do you miss number 5?
yes.

12. Would you make out with number 4?
no.

13. What’s you opinion of number 2?
what do you mean?

14. What’s your favourite memory with number 5?
All the ones at Dunaras. :) Hilarious.

15. What would you do if number 1 and 2 were going out?
I'd say 'good luck' (and good night?)

16. Ever had a long conversation with 5?
I think so but I can't remember abt what exactly.

17. Have you slept at 2’s house?
I'll be damned if a unicorn had its own house. To answer the question, yes.

18. Do you hang out with 3 alot?
No. Mostly due to the vast ocean separating us.

19. Who have you known the longest?
skip. (if you answered skip, move to 20.)

20. How often do you talk to 1?
LOL!

21. How about 2?
he doesn't really exist. surprise.

22. Have you ever thought 3 more than a friend?
Have I? *wink* not really.

23. Would you go out for a date with 5?
Course.

24. Do you dream about 2?
I really do.

25. What did number 4 do to you that you can never forget?
MILF Island. But not to me specifically, I don't think.

26. What have you done for 1 that the person never forgets?
LOL!

27. Whats 3’s hobby?
LOL!

charlie

2008-06-08T02:28:00.007+08:00

My brother made me watch this.

I'll just say;
Don't watch it if cartoons and talking unicorns annoy you. Also, if you despise laughing in general.

This site will probaly turn into a video archive in a year's time where I store my favourite videos, if this lazy streak and fascination for random cartoons should continue.

Again, you have the right to not click. (I'm testing out this new thing called 'reverse psychology')

Charlie the Unicorn.

roland garros.

2008-06-05T01:12:00.018+08:00

Don't have much to write and may take a shortcut into this one by going on & on abt tennis.

Looking out for Gonzo but his play has been mediocre since getting into the finals at the 2006 Australian Open. He's been absent from a few Grand Slams prior to this, a case of simply not cutting it. Good to see he's made it to the quarterfinals this year, but he's lost to Federer as of minutes ago in a 4-set match. Nadal's the one to beat but I have a feeling he won't make it all the way this time despite his strong performances so far.

Gonzo's racket, and what became of it after it was mercilessly slammed onto the ground following lost of a point to Federer. Received a warning for 'racket abuse'. So apparently he hates losing.

Safina-Dementieva match was the one to watch. Just when everyone thought Safina was done for, what with her opponent at match point, she turns everything around and gives it her all to eventually win the match at 6-4, 7-6, 6-0. Amazing.

FOTC

2008-05-29T00:32:00.001+08:00

finally home.

part dos.

2008-05-26T06:20:00.009+08:00

So much for not being ready for anyone right now bullshit.
But I'm being unfair.

Watched Shawshank Redemption, and then Lost In Translation (again). I've lost count how many times I've seen it.

Charlotte: I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.
Bob: You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.

That line would have sucked if it had been in any other movie. It works with Coppola's somehow.

I'm excited about going back, but maybe not so much as everyone else here. I keep imagining myself wasting 3 months doing nothing like I always do at home. This thing of always making tomorrow better than today is hard work. Might look for something to do, and I want to mean it this time.

from Spain:

me: ok, so nak bayar separately kan? how to say?
erra: uno by uno.

me (to cashier): um..can we separate the bills?
cashier: uh?
me: separate them
cashier: separado?
me: oh, right, separado.

some things are pretty obvious in spanish. tuna is 'atuna' and ham is 'jamon' (pronounced ha-mon). but some things are still totally different for sure. brother is still 'hermano', and not 'brothero'.
(Arrested Development anyone?)

Valencia. (At Center of Arts and Science)

looking forward to roland garros.

The Weepies-Somebody Loved
Missy Higgins-I'm All For Believing

Back

2008-05-25T03:09:00.013+08:00

Wani just bought an iphone (!!), after making 3 trips to town. Its gorgeous, and I'm jealous.

Bought a new handcarry luggage for KL. Just as I was lugging it around town, I feel someone following behind me closely. Its a small boy and he comes really close up to the point that he is stepping on my flip flops. I turn around and he grabs the handle, pulling it towards him, and has the look on his face of wanting to have it, like it was a toy he could stroll around with. He keeps his grip and just then his dad (I assume) comes and calls after him.

"Brendan! Brendan! You don't even know the girl!"
He pulls the boy away.
"So sorry about this."
"No its okay."

I kept thinking what he wanted with the bag. It was no toy, I'll tell you now, lugging the thing around town was really no fun for anyone.

Valencia and Paris was good. The plan was 2 nights in Valencia first, then 3 in Paris. For starters, we actually missed the flight to Valencia, we looked at the flight departure time wrongly. Took the train from Galway to Dublin and arrived to find they'd closed the check-in counter 10 minutes prior. The alternative was a flight to Girona Airport in Spain for an additional 75 Euros. With little choice left we took just that. From Girona its a one hour bus ride to Barcelona and from there another 5 hour bus ride to Valencia. I was more annoyed with the unnecessary money we ended up forking out to get there than the extra time it took for the entire journey.

6 am, and finally at the hostel. Sticky and tired, messy, hungry and drained. We ring the bell and go up hoping to check in and get some rest but no, the guy who runs the place says:

"Now is 6am. You don't check in at 6 am! People are sleeping. You check in at 9!"

Not verbatim, but it was along those lines. None of our sad, dejected faces helped, he didn't want us there and that was that. Couldn't argue much, he had a point, but I thought he could have cut us some slack. Forced to wander around for 3 hours, kept looking for places to eat but none of the shops were open. The place was empty and dead that morning. It was just us 3 girls, and the only people around were drunks/sleazy boys coming back from clubs hollering god knows what. Bad start I know, but it gradually got better. (how could it not?)

I'll continue this later.

time constraints (and shrinkage of the already miniscule creative part of brain) yields random spurts of words.

2008-05-15T23:56:00.024+08:00

Was it really just yesterday that Whitney Thompson trumped over Anya Kop in the latest cycle of America's Next Top Model? yikes, what is happening with the world.

A parent names her baby in what is meant to be pronounced as 'Asholey'. When asked by the nurse on the spelling, she said A-S-S-H-O-L-E. Tough luck.

Can't afford to lose all this optimism I have right now, I think everything is made up of sunshine and rainbows. (come to think of it, yuck)

Leaving in 2 days! City of rampant pickpocketeering (not a real word). My hands glee with excitement as I type this. I'll get you pretty things, promise. :)

p.s. Lykke Li-Little Bit. Basia Bulat-Little Waltz (thnks to K.)

lake michigan.

2008-05-08T07:11:00.006+08:00

Studying 'brains of the gut' and 'the little voice in your stomach', as google puts it. Its great how they uncomplicate things, soon there'll be things like 'heart of the knee' and 'eyes of the foot.' Thats what happens when you rely on the internet too much, you start memorizing their expressions which you hopefully never use in the real exam. Unless you meant it as a joke in which case it'd be perfectly fine. You could even accentuate your comedic talent by drawing faces in the letter 'O' every now and again, as if to say 'Hey, take it easy.' (They might fail you.)

Nothing too interesting has been happening, its been the basic confinement week. Although I did get ice-cream today which cost just above 1 Euro and was freshly made (whatever that means). The ice-cream was cold (like ice) and creamy.

That's as eventful as its gonna get, I'm really sorry.

I have Rogue Wave, The Buffseeds' Sparkle Me, Rosie Thomas, The Weepies, British Sea Power, The New Amsterdams and Neverending White Lights (only just found out abt this) playing in a repetitive cycle. Iron & Wine RIGHT HERE sometime in June. Won't be here though. yeesh.

I've been trying to upload this particular picture of a cat but Blogger won't cooperate. Damn, the kitty was all magical and everything.

..

got it.

the cat comes to watch me study (what stalker is this?)

magic.

wizardity (not a real word)

2008-05-05T06:07:00.015+08:00

Dwight: There is this yellow zigzag that does give Ryan the authority to dicipline Stanley,--
Michael: Great.
Dwight : However in so doing, it zigs past your name, hence zagging you and making you appear weak. That's the yellow color, yellow, for cowardly.
Michael: What's the pink?
Dwight: Menstrual cycles.

Brilliant, from the latest episode of The Office. If that part doesn't get you laughing out loud then I don't know what will. Season 4 is turning out to be pretty weak, the recent one (Chair Model) written by BJ Novak remains to be the best so far. The one where they introduced the word 'shorn't' which I still find hilarious. May be my new favourite made-up word starting with the letter 'S'.

I was messing with the templates earlier, came up with the most ridiculous colour schemes. Then I browsed online and found one that had Harry Potter as the background and I was this close to putting that up. I don't know why I see that character as the ultimate comedy element of everything. There's so many characters/things you can't take seriously but thats especially true with Harry Potter. I'd love to one day just buy this book

and use it to take down lecture notes in Uni.

..

(seems the book is not a book at all but rather a ..."playful plush (8" wide). No batteries needed. ™ & ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc." incase someone was interested.)

2008-05-03T06:50:00.015+08:00

Tell me stories of children in poorly developed countries and how they keep drinking that water from the well because its the only one they have and 'murky' was normal until someone pointed out it wasn't. Or the families in villages who live on bare necessities, scrimping and saving to have food enough for one, but shared by five.

We could never completely list down the things that we should be grateful for. There'll never be enough paper, and never enough time. It is endless and thus, impossible.

the art of not studying

2008-04-26T05:53:00.015+08:00

my work.

Netter's work.

I'm getting there.

turn on me.

2008-04-24T02:34:00.006+08:00

Try not to get distracted these days, what with exams nearing. But that sort of thinking works against me. Couldn't help watching America's Next Top Model cycle 10, the show has a knack for making the girls look like complete airheads, which they are not I'm sure. They scream at anything and everything.

'Turn on Me' by The Shins has been on repeat this week. James Mercer astounds with the lines he comes up with, the song is amazing. And here's to hoping it never ceases to be.

You always had to hold the reigns
But where I'm headed you just don't know the way.

I don't know why and I don't care (well hardly anymore)

You had to know that I was fond of you
Fond of Y-O-U.

Those old pious sisters were right,
The worst part is over now get back on that horse and ride.

this side of the truth.

2008-04-16T03:28:00.010+08:00

Ricky Gervais is working on a new movie- 'This Side of the Truth' which is set for release in 2009. The movie is written and directed by him. Oh, and stars him as the main character. Perfect.

"Gervais, who created the British version of The Office, has lined up an all-star cast: Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Louis CK, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, and Jason Bateman. This Side of the Truth tells the story of a world where Gervais is the first person to tell a lie. Filming in Lowell begins April 1."

Unbelievable cast line-up. Never thought I'd see the day where Fey, Bateman and Gervais would appear in the same movie. Geniuses in their own right. Includes a cameo by Steve Merchant (the most underrated comedian). Now if only they'd swap Jonah Hill for Michael Cera, or would that be asking for too much?

They've only started production for the movie, and Gervais keeps a blog of it on his webite. Or the link here.

I won't comment on the premise of the movie, I feel like a movie is only as good as the writing so until its actually released, there's no telling how good (or godforbid, bad) it is.

sugah

2008-04-13T23:41:00.010+08:00

cake!
thankyou! the sweetest people evah. :D

Marketing project is constantly in the back of my head. The project was given months ago but we're only starting tomorrow. Great time management, pat me on the back. 3 days to do it, getting it done would be a miracle.

kraak & smaak

2008-04-12T03:37:00.001+08:00

pretty cool.

OSCE

2008-04-09T16:44:00.009+08:00

Had the OSCE, a practical exam to assess clinical method and communication skills. All in all: it went pretty bad. Messed up the BMI and blood pressure, the worst was urine analysis.

Me: Ok so we'll take a look at the urine. (turns back to patient) um. (turns to face patient) um, the urine is pretty dilute..
Patient: Wha..?
Me:The urine...its dilute...not concentrated...or anything....
Patient: Uh...
Me: Its good.
Patient: ...............Ok.
Me:.......k.

So stupid. Shouldn't have skipped the urinalysis workshop, didn't know anything about it. Didnt wear gloves, threw the dipstick into the bin before the results had time to appear on it and simply commented that it was ALL NORMAL. YOU ARE FINE.

Patient: Whew! Phew! I'm relieved. So why have I been peeing so much lately? My sister has diabetes and she had the same problem last week.
Me: Uh um...you've been drinking much?
Patient: Um, not really.
Me: Ok, um......I think its your kidneys..something..um..its filtering too much...uh.....yea you might wanna get it checked....but the urine seems normal so......

Dumb.

With the BMI I told him he had a healthy weight, eventhough really he was overweight.

Me: Your BMI is perfectly normal. So I'll get you to maintain the weight that you have now.
(Checks waist circumference)
Me: Ok, your waist circumference is above the healthy range, I might ask you to maybe reduce your weight.

So bad.

On the way back home I was holding a paperbag, inside were shoes and ipod. This annoying puppy from the neighbour's hse comes along and starts jumping to grab hold of the bag because it wants to fuckin play. The dog was no rottweiler but still, I'd appreciate some distance. It kept jumping for the bag, and reaching up for it. Such unnatural bipedalism. Kept biting the bag and at one point clenched the ipod inside until finally the bag gave way and the ipod fell through the bottom, onto the grass. All I thought was "Oh no, please don't, please, that thing is like family". It saw it (course it did) and started gnawing the thing. I got desperate. Running out of options, I resorted to the ol' slapping of the dog's head. I must have looked ridiculous, bending there, pounding it. I ask that you don't pity the dog and instead think of ipod wellbeing. The dog did let go at which point I quickly grabbed it (but not before exclaiming 'HA!' to illustrate smugness.) I'm holding all sorts of things now and the dog still follows and bites at the bag persistently. In the end took out everything from inside the bag, and threw the bag for the dog to catch. Which actually worked, it ran off with it. So annoying, really, I feel like I should write a note to the neighbour that just says:

'LEASH? XX'.

The ipods working fine, thankfully, its just..dirty.

teng.

2008-04-08T01:09:00.008+08:00

In an attempt to not study, here's a new one.

(feck me its cold.)

Thankyou/Teng/10q/thank/thanks/thanx/thankx/tengk/tenk/tenks. This can go on forever, am bursting with creativity.

But seriously, thank you, you guys are awesome. (few people missing from picture,but equally awesome.) I'm not good with surprises, I never look appreciative enough, my tear ducts don't always comply. It was good fun, I love you all Marta. (Arrested Development anyone?) Thanks again. :)

And friends everywhere else OFCOZ. Miss you guys.

And Izzul, Happy Birthday!

ok, gotta study.

(really cold, really. gah.)

benihana christmas ep.

2008-04-03T07:00:00.003+08:00

I dont mean to be such an addict but The Office US keeps getting better and better.
The Bro's before Ho's clip.

so the episode was aired early 2007, and I'm a bit behind, I know.

catch-22

2008-04-02T19:08:00.003+08:00

Extremely funny and intelligent. Such a good read, its not always easy to find a book where the writing is as good as the story.
Yossarian makes for an excellent main character, may be the best I've come across for a long time. So here's to hoping Yossarian lives forever&ever.

one, please.

2008-04-01T21:21:00.010+08:00

I can't see my parents agreeing to let me buy it though. Plus its a selfish request. :'(

On to better things,
Only 3 weeks of Uni left, which means only one month to the final exam. Haven't done any studying but will get to it soon (if I know whats best for me). Looking forward to end first year and start packing for KL. Missss people there.

Have decided to go Valencia and Paris with Erra, Wani and the boys this summer, just before I fly back. Pretty excited, I'm more inclined to settle accomodation and plan the itinerary on this rather than worry about the exam. Just the right attitude, I know. I checked the sites on 'Attractions in Paris' and one had said "In France, we just call them fries". And I can just imagine someone saying that and winking at the end like it was the smartest joke they had.

I hear Europe, and France especially is the place ripe with pickpockets. Discovery Channel told me so. You see them at every turn, which explains why tourists opt to wear fannypacks whenever they travel there. And those who don't should know better, those people are skilled to the bone. I'd sew my belongings to the insides of my skin if it didn't require so much bleeding on my part.

Belfast was good, thanks to K anis and K didi who drove, we must've spent more than 10 hours in total in the car. Pictures on FB. Apparently 2.5million photos are uploaded every single day on Facebook. Its pretty crazy.

trip.

2008-03-30T07:20:00.004+08:00

all abt it, soon. uni is starting (dread) and the assignment is nowhere near to being done.

p/s: can't upload the video still :(