Imagine

Imagine - John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

7 Things...

Oh dear, I didn't realise I was tagged. So blur... Sorry Sze Yuen! I read your entry much earlier, but didn't really take a good look at the tag list! :P

K, this will be fun...:)


7 Things You Plan To Do Before You Die
1. Graduate from medical school and be a good doctor.
2. Visit Kyoto during the springtime, to see sakura blossoms falling like snowflakes...
3. Get married and start a family.
4. Visit the Galapagos Islands to see real live GIANT TORTOISES!!!
5. Go clubbing (sad, no?).
6. Witness the Olive Ridley turtle nesting ritual (arribada) in Mexico with my own two eyes!
7. Draw and paint well enough to produce my own manga.

7 Things I Could Do
1. Learn the speak and write Mandarin and Japanese fluently.
2. Play more computer games...
3. Watch more anime...
4. Get some exercise... been sitting on my ass here for way too long already...
5. Improve on my drawing and painting skills.
6. Get my black belt in karate! (hopefully, soon...)
7. Learn how to fully utilise Photoshop.

7 Celebrity Crushes
1. Hmm.. Brad Pitt. *grin*
2. Wang Li Hom
3. Does Cho Hakkai from Saiyuki count? :P:P:P
4. ...
5. ...
6. ...
7. ...

7 Often Repeated Words
1. Tortoise.
2. D*****g
3. O*****
4. ****-****
5. Mah...
6. Huhh...
7. Shit.

7 Traits I Look For In The Opposite Sex
1. Loves me for who I am. Someone who I can talk to bout everything under the sun. :)
2. Someone I can be comfortable with at all times, even when I'm leaking tears full of eyeshit. :P
3. Sincerity and honesty.
4. Patience and understanding. It's ok if we don't agree all the time, what's more important is that we listen to each other and try to accept our differences.
5. Commitment. Someone who I can share the best and worst of my life with, and count on to be there for me, just as I would for him.
6. Someone who can tolerate my eccentric tendencies... (turtles, anyone?)
7. Most importantly, someone whom I can love with all my heart and soul, without any doubt or hesitation that we feel exactly the same way for each other.

My 7 Tags Go To:
1. Seng Kiat
2. Johan
3. Christine
4. Baxter
5. Cindy
6. Yaw Yee
7. Anyone who wants to be tagged, you're welcome! :)

Dedication

To my Darling.


Sonnet XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)~

It's a fungus, not a root

A kind soul told me that this caterpillar-looking root is actually a fungus called cordyceps. Searched the net a little and found that this particular species used in Chinese herbal soup is Cordyceps sinensis (冬虫草).

Here's something from a traditional Chinese medicine website:

http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/dongchongxiacao-properties.htm


Dong Chong Xia Cao (冬虫草)

Also Known As: Caterpillar Fungus, Cs-4, Dong Chong Xia Cao, Dong Chong Zia Cao, Hsia Ts'Ao Tung Ch'Ung, Vegetable Caterpillar. Cordyceps sinensis.

Family: Ascomycetes or Clavicipitaceae.
Properties: SWEET - WARM
Dosage: 4.5-12g.
Meridian: KIDNEY, LUNG

-strengthen kidneys, tonify yang impotence, sore/weak back
-tonify kidney yang, nourish lung yin and transform phlegm
-cough, wheezing, bleeding, Xiao Ke

Also Used For:
Orally, Dong Chong Xia Cao / Cordyceps is used for strengthening the immune system, for reducing the effects of aging, promoting longevity, treating lethargy, and improving liver function in people with hepatitis B. It is also used to treat coughs, chronic bronchitis, respiratory disorders, kidney disorders, frequent nocturia, male sexual dysfunction, anemia, heart arrhythmias, high cholesterol, liver disorders, dizziness, weakness, tinnitus, wasting, and opium addiction. It is also used as a stimulant, a tonic, and an adaptogen which is used to increase energy, enhance stamina, and reduce fatigue.


Yay. I learnt something new today. :)

World of the Weird Part 1 - Caterpillar Root

Firstly, Happy Deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya to all my Indian and Muslim friends. May you and your families be blessed with joy and merriment this festive season. ^_^ Weather's been really cold (for Malaysian standards) lately. It's been raining heavily nearly every evening. Sometimes it feels like I'm up in Genting or Fraser’s Hill again. Absolutely lovely. :)

This thing here is supposed to be a root, used in Chinese herbal soups. I fished it out of my soup one night. My mom has been using it occasionally alongside the more common kei chi (boxthorn fruit) and dong guai (another Chinese herb) for as long as I can remember. Although my mom keeps reassuring it's just a root, I can't help but think it may be something else… Look at it closely, doesn't it resemble a certain larvae stage of a certain insect? The little curled head, multiple segments, complete with wrinkles, sucker-like feet, and a tiny breathing pore in the middle of each segment. -_-"

I used to be a little freaked out by it, but nowadays, I've developed enough courage to pick it up, pop it into my mouth and chew it whole. It tastes well, tasteless. And a little crunchy. Has a slight nutty/herbal taste to it.

After much thought, I've come up with 3 theories regarding what this strange ingredient is:

1. It is a root that looks like a caterpillar.
2. It is a caterpillar that looks like a root.
3. It was a caterpillar that became assimilated with a certain plant, becoming a caterpillar-root hybrid (hence the crunchy, nutty taste commonly associated with grubs, plus the rooty, herbal taste).

Anyone out there who knows what this thing is?

Rotation postings, movies and clams...

Hmm... It's been a while since my last entry. To be honest, there were lots of things I wanted to talk about, but was a little lazy to put them down. Thoughts fly through my wobbly mind faster than I can grasp them. :P Lets do a quick run-through of recent events shall we...

Endocrine system is over, and rotation postings are here. *Sigh* I made so many mistakes in my end-of-system assessment; hope it's enough to secure a pass. After the test, Wei San, Sue Wei and I went to Mid Valley Megamall to watch "Flight Plan". It's been a while since I went out with them. :)

Blooper of the month - I asked Aida if she was going to lunch. God, I'm such an absent-minded idiot. People tengah puasa somemore go ask if they're going for lunch... *slams head onto desk*

I've just concluded my GP postings at a clinic in Subang. All in all, it was a fun learning experience. The doctor was nice and patient with us bungling medical students, and even gave us some tips and bits of wisdom. Got to see a number of cases ranging from common colds to chicken pox to hematomas on the foot. And as for the occasional break from the norm, there were patients who seemed to need psychological counselling more than medical treatment.

Watched Doom with Xian-Nian yesterday. It's a typical action movie, and the monsters are really cool, way scarier than they are in the game. *Spoilers ahead!* Best line in the whole show - The Rock a.k.a. Sarge: "I'm not supposed to die...." There's even a part where the movie goes into first-person shooter mode. Probably to entertain gamers and Doom-fans. Now I feel like re-installing the game and picking up where I left off... We then proceeded to have dinner at a Chinese coffee shop in SS19. According to him, the boiled clams (si ham) there were quite good (although he doesn't eat them). Heh... my poor beloved sat there in silent amusement and disgust, whilst I mangled the clams, spilling their juices all over my fingers.

I'll try to put up some IMU Cup cheerleading pictures soon. Sorry Wei San! I know you're waiting to see them, but there seems to be some problem in the uploading... Hopefully it'll be up before I go to KKB next month. Have to go for dinner now, until next time!

Condolences

Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood, our prime minister's wife passed away earlier this morning after long struggling with breast cancer. Beloved wife, mother and First Lady, her passing is a great loss for us all. Heartfelt condolences to YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Badawi and his family.

Nonsense post

There's this cat that keeps dropping its faeces in the hallway leading to my parents' apartment. The first day, there was one watery brown glob (I think the cat had diarrhoea), the next day there were two. And after the cleaner wiped the whole mess up, another one appeared at the exact spot where the first one was (the third one looked more solid). Has someone been training his cat to plant its shit strategically by our front door, or has the cat spontaneously taken a liking for that particular area of tiled floor?

IMU had a blood donation campaign a few days back. Tried to donate blood on Tuesday and failed. According to the doctor, my blood pressure was too low (90/80) she suggested trying again tomorrow. Came back the next day and my blood pressure was even lower (90/60). Apparently your blood pressure must be at least 110 systolic to donate. I must be naturally hypotensive. :P

Today's one and only lecture was cancelled because the lecturer was on MC. Today's PBL (problem-based learning) session was also pushed to another date, so I didn't have to go to uni today. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I hope the replacement lecture won't be scheduled at some inconvenient time like 8 in the morning...

I had more than half a dozen "wrong number" calls by 3 different people today. Some people can't seem to understand the concept of "wrong number". When you tell them that they've dialled the wrong number and that the person they're looking for doesn't own this phone, they'll call again in 2 minute's time. And they'll do that at least twice. *grr*

Yesterday my mom received my phone bill. It said that this month's bill was RM 1000++. What a shock for my mom. My phone bills are only around RM 30-40 per month, so that's like 25 times more than the usual amount! She went straight to Telekom to complain. Seems like there was something wrong with the computers, some people's bills were as high as RM 5000.00. My guess is, in order for a bill to reach that high, one must be talking on the phone for like what, 12 out of 24 hours in a day? (I dunno actually, didn't bother to count. If anyone is actually bored enough to try calculating, do let me know the exact figures...)

Thyroid acropachy - looks like clubbing, is clubbing, but is not called clubbing...

The title is an excerpt from this clinical skills text book called "Clinical Examination: A systemic guide to physical diagnosis" by Nicholas J Talley and Simon O'Connor (nicknamed "Talley's"). Reading it gets a little confusing and tedious sometimes, but it's fun to see some humour injected in the form of little sentences like these.

After 2 months of lazing around while leaving my brains to rot, it's time to get back into gear, and trudge on once more in the crazy, monotonous-but-yet-not-so, stress-inducing institute called medical school. The first week of the endocrine system is nearly over but my mind hasn't fully defrosted yet. *sigh* Some more we had to take an English Placement Test on the first day. Had to answer some comprehension questions as well as write an essay about virtual universities. I think that was the first time in 2 months that I held a pen for so long...:P Hope I don't end up having to take English classes. Fortunately, there aren't any major exams in Semester 4. And it's good to see my fellow batch mates again. :)

Did yoga for my elective this time. Since my classes were only once a week, I couldn't get to learn a lot. Wah... some of those aunties can really stretch! There was this pose called "The Plough" where you had to lie flat on the floor, then lift your legs up and bend them until they go over your head and touch the floor ahead. I could hardly come close to the floor on my first try, but these ladies made it look so easy... So embarrassing, I was one of the few people who couldn't get my toes to touch the floor. The yoga classes were a very good experience though. I was glad that I went for them. Now I know how to get into the lotus position :)

Hmm... wanted to write some more, but forgot what was it I wanted to write... Oops. Until next time then... Goodnight!

Fairytale

I know this song has been around for quite a while, but I discovered it only recently (talk about being outdated...-_-"). The music video is so sad!!! I can't help but cry when I watch it...



童话 by 光良

忘了有多久 再没听到你对我说你最爱的故事
我想了很久 我开始慌了 是不是我又做错了什么
你哭著对我说 童话里都是骗人的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后 我的天空 星星都亮了
我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你

你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局

你哭著对我说 童话里都是骗人的 我不可能是你的王子
也许你不会懂 从你说爱我以后 我的天空 星星都亮了
我愿变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局

我要变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局
我会变成童话里 你爱的那个天使 张开双手变成翅膀守护你
你要相信 相信我们会像童话故事里 幸福和快乐是结局
一起写我们的结局



TONG HUA (Fairytale) - Guang Liang

I have forgotten how long was it,
Since I last heard you,
Telling me your favorite story,
I have been thinking for a very long time,
I'm beginning to feel paranoid,
Did I make any mistakes again?

You came and tell me with the tears in your eyes,
That fairytales are all lies,
It's impossible for me to be your prince charming,
Maybe you will not understand,
After the moment when you said you loved me,
The stars in my sky, are beginning to shine and shimmer.

I'm willing to be, the angel you love,
In the fairytales,
Open my arms wide,
And let it become wings, to protect you,
You have to believe,
Believe that we will be like the fairytale,
With happiness and joy as the ending.

Everything is our beautiful ending.


Lyrics from http://www.jameschia.com/2005/06/guang-liang-tong-hua-lyrics.html

Of Beaded Turtles and Impossible Dreams

Two Nights ago, I dreamt the impossible came true...

I dreamt that my university had suddenly transformed from a dull entertainment-deprived ex-shopping mall into a 5-star student haven, complete with luxurious condos, palm trees and posh restaurants. There were shower rooms for students and the ground floor of the uni was lighted up with beautiful deco lights. There were even glass doors and polished tiled floors...and bazaars selling all sorts of exotic delicacies...and...and...

Then my alarm clock rang, dragging me back to harsh reality.

As some of my friends already know, I have this certain fondness of turtles and turtle paraphernalia (though as the years go by, I feel that my liking for them is diminishing slowly, but surely). My mom borrowed a beaded turtle (a turtle figurine that's made entirely out of strings and beads) from her yoga teacher and asked my grandma if she could figure out how to make it. During her next visit she produced two orange beaded turtles. She's amazing, my grandma. I couldn't even think of how to start and she, being over 70 years of age, still has the wit and creativity to replicate such a complicated piece of work without any assistance. That's her special talent, and I admire her for that. :)

Last Saturday she came over to our place and taught me how to make the turtle. It was harder than expected. Seriously, bead art should be recommended to all aspiring surgeons, and it would most definitely help improve their dexterity. With Grandma's help, it took me almost three hours to complete a single turtle. Even now, I can't remember the steps exactly. Fortunately, she left me a sample of the starting piece. But it still takes a lot of effort to figure out which hole to put the string in and where to connect each bead, so on and so forth.

Holidays are ending in less than three weeks... *Sigh* I have a feeling that it'll all be over before I know it. Wanna complete playing my computer game and watch anime...

Langkawi Trip

More pictures more pictures more pictures...

The Langkawi trip was before the reunion, but I managed to get these photos only a few days ago.

Every year for the past three years, I go on a trip with my group of close friends. Usually it's during the middle of the year, when Ching Ee and Shiau Wei come back from overseas. As stated in the title, we went to Langkawi this year from the 21st till the 24th of July. Actually we felt that the trip was too short (spent more than a day from that duration travelling to and from Langkawi), but what to do, I was having exams before that, and after the trip we had to tend to the reunion. For this trip, the people who went were Andrew, Vee Han, Calvin, Meng Lee, Shiau Wei, Diyana and me. CHING EE AND SENG KIAT WHY LER YOU COULDN'T GO??? Wasted... We had so much fun there. :)

And without further ado...

On the way to Langkawi. The bus ride to Kuala Kedah was a gruelling 5 hours+. Thank goodness for Vee Han. After reaching the bus station in Kedah, we took a taxi to the jetty and subsequently a ferry to the island.

In the van we rented. Since they were the only people who had experience driving manual vans, Meng Lee and Vee Han were officially Driver and Co-driver for the duration of the trip. :P

Scary cable car ride... but wonderful view.

Breath-taking view from the summit... The sky looks like it's blended with the sea, you can barely make out the horizon. It wasn't hot up there, cos it was late in the evening before sunset. It's so utterly serene and romantic...

...that isn't water.

Having dinner at an ikan bakar restaurant.

In the speedboat, going to Pulau Beras Basah. Luckily there's no such thing as taking sampan there or something... If not, Andrew and I would have puked all over the boat already...

On the beach in Pulau Beras Basah. Dunno why everyone's leaning towards on side...-_-" The sand feels a little like wet rice, hence the name Beras Basah.

Found this hermit crab while strolling the beach. It wasn't happy to see us though. It kept trying to pinch me with its claws. Poor crab... feel bad for harassing it like that...

*Highlight of the whole trip: being 'ambushed' by monkeys at Telaga Tujuh.* After spending half the day at Pulau Beras Basah, we decided to soak our sticky and sandy selves in the waterfalls at Telaga Tujuh. We bought an ice-cream cone each to eat on the way up to the waterfalls. Little did we know, there was a troupe of monkeys waiting at the side of the road. The minute they saw our food, they closed in on us! There were so many of them, got mommy, daddy, baby, uncle, aunty, grandma and granpa monkeys, practically the whole extended family was after us. It was like a scene from the movie "Congo", only these apes were much smaller and less malicious. The worst thing was they weren't afraid of people. In the end, we had to fend them off with a large stick. We didn't hit them, of course. Just swung the stick around to frighten them. Later, one brave primate lunged at me and tried to grab my ice-cream cone. I screamed like crazy... That scared the poor fellow off. Then I could see a couple of caucasians laughing at me from a distance... So embarassing...

At the waterfall. Finally.

We also celebrated Meng Lee's birthday there. Unfortunately, we could only get him a slice of cake from a cafe in the Petronas gas station... Sorry Meng Lee, but glad you enjoyed it anyway.

Andrew, me and Diyana in a Berjaya Resort Chalet. Lovely place. :)

Photo of Hail

This picture is from http://www.nst.com.my/Thursday/National/20050811093950/index.pda
It was taken after the freak five-minute hailstorm in Subang Jaya on Wednesday. Now I wish I went downstairs with my camera too...

Comments

Changed the comments settings so that now anyone can post their comments on this blog.

Hail in Subang

Me: Hello?
Calvin: Eh Leng Hui! Got hail lah just now! Did you see?
Me: HAHHH??!?!?

Apparently it HAILED in Subang Jaya yesterday evening. But I was too absorbed in my computer game at that time to bother walking to the window, which was just 10 feet away... *Sigh* I missed one of the weirdest occurrences in Subang this year. Just because I was too lazy to get my atrophied butt off the chair.

Vee Han's brother was even funnier ("Vee Han! The world is ending! Got stones falling out of the sky!").

Yesterday's rain didn't ease the situation much. My sisters have today and tomorrow off from school because the condition in Petaling Jaya has worsened. Some people must be thinking: "Why is this girl always blogging about the weather? Doesn't she have anything else to blog about?"

Well...

Was talking to Vee Han yesterday about his Semester 2 Kuala Kubu Bahru posting. He told me there was this 15-year old girl who committed suicide and her body was sent to the morgue. It's so tragic; many young people these days are taking their own lives. The reasons are varied, be it exam pressure, family problems, drug addiction, or being jilted by their boyfriend/girlfriend. But does all this justify the act of taking a razor and slashing it deep into your throat? Why down a whole bottle of Paracetamol because you didn't pass your PMR? I mean, there're bigger things in life than a set of multiple choice questions (wait... now some of the PMR papers have subjective questions, but still...).

I suppose I have to try to look at this from his/her perspective. What was the most important thing to you when you were 15? Personally, I can't really remember, most probably it was (and still is) my family. What were your goals in life? Perhaps when we were that age, little things like PMR meant the world to us. Nothing comes close to being as challenging and gruelling as that. "I have to pass I have to pass I have to pass. If I don't everyone will think I'm stupid, I can't get into science stream, I won't be able to find a job and the world will end." Thoughts like this run through the heads of some students. It's devastating and all-consuming, this feeling.

In retrospect, the trials and tribulations of my adolescence seem pretty diminutive compared to the things I'm experiencing now. And in the future, when I'm past my prime, I'll be saying the same thing about my university life. It's the fact that when we've overcome an obstacle, it doesn't look so daunting anymore. Someone once told me: In adversity, we find strength. It's in rising to life's challenges and fighting against its current, despite your fear and insecurity that we discover the true beauty of being alive. And at the end of the day, when all's said and done, it isn't whether we succeed or not which is most important. It is the satisfaction sense of fulfilment we give ourselves, knowing that we tried our very best. For what is life, without struggle?

Heh. Easier said than done. Wait till EOS 5 comes along...

To my fellow batch mates who didn't make it the first time around, don't despair. There's still another chance. I respect your perseverance. Fight on! I'll see you all in Semester 4. :)

Prefects' Reunion 2005!!!

Was supposed to post this earlier but was lazy...
Also lazy to write a 1000-word essay about how the reunion went, so I'll let the pictures do the talking. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words...

Prefects' Reunion 2005
Date: 30 July 2005
Time: 7.00 pm - 12.00 am
Theme: Kaleidoscope of Memories
Venue: Selangor 1, Sheraton Subang Hotels & Towers

Organising Committee: Meng Lee (Organising Chairperson), Calvin, Vee Han, Andrew, Seng Kiat, Jennifer, Ivine and Irene and me.

Weeks before the reunion: A frantic scramble to make datelines for hall payment, dance rehearsals, ticketing, contacting seniors, writing letters to schools, settling the sound system, balancing accounts, etc etc etc...

The outcome: A brilliant success! Despite some technical difficulties and minor hiccups in the beginning (Am not bragging, this is based on comments from some prefects and guests who attended the event).

From my point of view, the performances saved the day. No event can be successful without good entertainment. Vee Han and Andrew, you and your dancers were fantastic!

Many thanks to Meng Lee and gang, as well as everyone who contributed to this event. We did it!

Shiau Wei, Meng Lee, Ching Ee and me.

The Three Stooges: Vee Han, me, Andrew.

The finale of the Destiny's Child dance.

What they used to get those 'gorgeous curves'...

Exposed!!!

Flaming swords: Opening to the Marmalade performance.

Kudos to the men of Lady Marmalade. It takes real guts to prance around on stage in heavy make-up and skanky Ah-Lian clothes.

Footloose session.

This is my favourite picture. :)

Hazy Entry

Don't know what to write about, being my first entry and all... Finally decided to hop on the blog bandwagon (with inspiration from Johan, the only person I know who updates his blog REGULARLY during EOS 3). Am having my semester 3 holidays right now, so I've got plenty of time to waste crapping about whatever that comes to my mind/crosses my path. Being in medical school, there is seldom the need for writing grammatically correct, whole sentences. Guess writing a blog will help prevent my language skills from deteriorating to the point of no return.

Please bear with me. My writing skills were never good to begin with.

It's been horribly hazy recently. This morning it seemed pretty fine. But just when I thought it would be getting better, the whole area suddenly became engulfed by suffocating, white, smoke-smelling smog-like thingys once again. Even my room reeks of smoke. Really feel for those people suffering from asthma and bronchitis and other various lung conditions.

Here's a picture taken from my apartment window:

That's all for now. Will be back with more soon, since things like creating a new blog are classified under 'hangat-hangat tahi ayam' activities...