Nearly The End

I have been a pig…again. These pass couple of days…sigh…let’s say that the festivities are getting the better of me and my waist line. Lunch was supposed to be oysters, oysters and then more at Genji, PJ Hilton. But that plan was blown to smitterins when we learned how popular that lunch buffet was and that it is always best to make reservations! Plan B took a while to conceive…it never struck us that we would be denied a place…but we decided that since we had Japanese on our minds, then the next place to head to was Sri Hartamas…Sugimoto. Alas, it was not meant to be…Japanese food that is. Sugimoto’s was closed for lunch and we ended up eating burgers at Jarrod & Rawlins. Not a bad place for food at all…but was no match for Jappie food.

PJ Hilton. Really cool train railway set with little towns realistically arranged around it.

Dutch Village

Errmm, can't quite make this one out.

I was totally knackered by the time I dropped Manju off at her mechanics that I just managed to get myself home before collapsing on the living room couch. When I woke up, it was dark outside and I had barely enough time to have a shower before picking Ratha and heading towards our dinner destination. Damansara Village Restaurant (or something like that la…wasn’t really paying attention). It is a fresh seafood steamboat joint. Talk about fresh…the prawns were still alive when served to us and it was really eerie seeing them splash about in the steamboat before…well…you get the idea. The soup was okay…not that excellent (they unfortunately did not have tom yam soup…a major minus with me)…but I liked it because (as they claimed) there was no added MSG. Another cool thing about the place was the minute menagerie maintained in the restaurant itself. I nearly got the shock of my life on the way to the toilet as I came face to face with two gigantic iguanas (please remember my fear of lizards and these were BIG ASS ones!!!). I just had to get Lauren (Ratha refused to budge from the table...ha ha) and my camera. As I was taking pictures of the iguanas, one of the workers approached me and asked whether I wanted to hold one of the iguanas while he took a picture of me and said iguana. Yeah right, like that was ever going to happen! I would eat the iguana but I would NEVER hold one…even if it was dead. Eeeeek! Anyway, I politely smiled and said no. He left. Phew…because the next cage contained a black snake. There is also a giant tortoise, bunnies, birds, a pair of turkey (they managed to survive the Christmas season) and something in a hollow coconut shell that we could not clearly identify.

Loved the fishballs.

Lauren and the iguanas. I think that she would have been game enough to hold those huge critters. I think...

Met a member of the Alleycats at Starbucks...a Chinese one at that too!

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After all that (and mind you, we were STUFFED…akin to really fat teddy bears), it was time for coffee. Starbucks. Ratha left her Starbucks sticker card in her car (which was at that very moment in the basement of her condominium…so too bad) and so I decided to start my very own collection. 18 stickers and a Starbucks Planner was mine to own. And what luck! Amelia walks in to meet a bunch of her university mates and she managed to score more stickers for my card. Yay! So now, I have 6 more beverage stickers and 1 pastry one to go…and that planner is a done deal. Oh…I, of course had my Java Chip Frappe…yummy…the counter fella managed to ‘persuade’ me to get a Venti with his, ‘Just add one more dollar…can get a bigger cup’ sales pitch. By the way, it always works with me. More coffee…more happiness. All in all, it was a good day of catching up and yakking….and also of course of eating. Like I said, I have been such a pig!
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My Starbucks card

White Water Rafting: Selangor River, Kuala Kubu Bahru

I am bitten by the river bug. The thrill of the rapids, the beauty of the surrounding trees, colourful and wonderfully patterned butterflies fluttering, dragonflies buzzing in groups, waterfalls in the least expected places. The best of all…the silence of nature as one float lazily down the river. Bliss…to be able to get away from the city…the fumes…and the noise of man made machines.

That morning saw me getting up early to play cabbie. After picking up Manju, Jenna and B, I handed the driving to Christie who drove us to Lionel’s house and our adventure started….immediately…with us losing sight of Lionel’s car (within 2 minutes of the start of the journey…Christie was apparently following the wrong car right from the start). It was good for us that B knew the way.

Bai (our head guide) was already at the Kuala Kubu Baru Post Office by the time we got there. We were the last to arrive (rather embarrassing since I am the organizer). The others were already chomping away on their breakfast in the near by coffee shops. So, after this and that and a char siew pau (my coffee had to be ta-pau-ed), we were off to the river.

After an extensive briefing from Bai (who turned out to be a pretty funny fella) and splitting ourselves up into four groups, we donned our safety equipment (which smelt really, really bad...and which Chew Cheong Tat...once again...wore his helmet backwards) and climbed into the rafts. Lionel, B, Manju, Su Yin and myself ended up with Bai as our guide.

No turning back...literally...because since we are not salmons, we lack to ability and the drive to swim upstream to lay our eggs. Please don't ask me where that analogy came from...I am hungry...and as usual...craving for salmon sashimi. If I had an oyster analogy...that would have been in here.

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Bai~our head guide...whom I suspect (judging by this photo) has a secret desire to be a super model.
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My raft members.
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More action. It's really addictive. The anticipation and wanting more of that 'feeling' that you get as the raft prepares to lunge downwards.

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Us once again. Look at the smiles on our faces. All natural...no posing.

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A brief stop at a waterfall (it's really cold and really strong...heavy...whatever...you get the idea).

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That's me...swimming...away from a shark (Andrew Poi).

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At the calm parts of the river, our guides allowed us to float carelessly while the current carried us towards the end.

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Nature. No descriptions needed.

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Overall, it was really good fun though I was a little disappointed that the rapids were not as ‘exciting’ as I expected them to be. The setback of having expectations. I found out that we did not really know our left from our right (ha ha ha…took us a few seconds to think before we could obey Bai’s commands). A few rapids threatened to throw us off (Chew Cheong Tat got flung off a couple of times) but it was not until the very last one that Manju, Su Yin and myself succumbed to the river. I remember it in slow motion…the raft going down a series of rather steep rocks…our side of the raft plunging downwards, Lionel and B sliding towards us…their side of the raft rising up, screaming…and then…silence. I knew I had plunged into the river and so did Manju and Su Yin, but I did not know where they were. Because of my contact lenses, I could not open my eyes. I remember kicking towards the surface…upwards…where the oxygen is. But instead of open air, my hands met the rubbery bottom of the raft. Drat! The raft was right above me. I don’t know how I managed to maintain my presence of mind but I did…and thankfully my claustrophobic demons stayed at bay. I scrambled towards the end of the raft and managed to find my way up. Air had never tasted as sweet as I gulped down breath after breath.

Have I had enough of white water rafting? Definitely not! I am already itching for the next trip. Padas river anyone? Okay…so Sabah is a little far to go to. How about Slim River then, folks? Give me a call. It can be arranged. This is your team leader…it’s been a pleasure…over and out.

2007..Sob...Sob...Bye...Bye

As the year draws to an end...I find myself falling into what I call my 'contemplative' moods where I retrospectively glance at the excerpts of my life in 2007. The memories then gets me very melancholic...but it's not a sad depressive melancholy...rather a wistful 'oh I can't believe how the year has swept pass me' that leaves me staring blankly into space for a moment. So if you see me around with glazed eyes...that's me in deep thought...BUT if it's really early in the morning...then it's probably me pre-caffeinated which means: LEAVE ME ALONE!

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I am attempting to compile my list of: 2007 ~ The Leech's List of Irksome-ness & Absolute Delights. I do this every year and distribute to some very close friends...but have never posted it up in a blog before. Hmmmm, must be careful to censore some things...rats and all...unfortunately. Sigh. Anyhow...my target of course is by the end of the year. Ha ha. I will prevail! Or rather...my procrastinative nature will NOT prevail.

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This year, instead of hand making my Christmas cards (in previous years, I used to draw and colour my cards using colour pencils...each card unique a.k.a no repetitions) because it is just too time consuming (and a lot of hard work!) I am printing them out with personal messages in each one. This year...my favourite Christmas quote comes (surprisingly) from Dr Seuss:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
~ Dr. Seuss

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I think that I like things that rhyme. Anyway, it's post call (or nearly...half a day more to go). It has been a pleasant week so far...I have a good houseman tagged to me...always a good thing. The makan in Bibas went well...though I did not top my personal best of 36 oysters...I stopped at 23...actually, they ran out of oysters (can you believe that!!!) and so I was forced to stop. Pictures will be posted up...soon. And oh...apologies to all those I enticed to Bibas with my decription of the grilled cod fish that melts in your mouth...the cod fish was no where to be seen. In it's place was another sort of fish that...yes agreed...was not half as good. Anyway, I hope that you guys had a good time there.

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And as I end this particular blog, I wish one and all a MERRY CHRISTMAS. May His light shine upon you all the days of your lives.

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"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

My DG's Christmas Lunch Slash Gift Exchange

Our DG had a Christmas lunch at Marco's Pizza after church today. The following pictures...you will notice...are not of food...rather, they are of people who ate all the food...hence no pictures of food. No, I am not stating the obvious. The food was served in slow spurts and as each pizza was set on the table, the hoard of hungry post church goers attacked with such gusto that by the time this humble photographer whipped out her SONY digital camera all she had to snap were sad empty plates with remnants of tomato sauce and thin strands of discarded cheese.

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Our DG took up about half the restaurant. We started by 'singing' grace and then proceeded to fellowship a.k.a bellowing at each other at the top of our voices. It was like a Hakka community.

Uncle Swee Ming...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! The food is on the way...really!

Uncle Swee Ming strikes again. Boy, he must be pretty hungry. I'll miss ya Ah Suan.

The 'kiddy' table.

"Hhhmmm, I wonder whether that black wringling thing in my ice lemon tea is edible?"

Eating Out: Prince Hotel Kuala Lumpur

One fine Saturday...an appointment for a pigging out session. I have to confess...I nearly cancelled out on the Pois and Ah Chew. It was two days before the Aseptic Dispensing Course (which went quite by the way)...and well, I was a little stressed out. But was could be more scintilating than an evening of good (well...yet to be determined at that point) food and stimulating conversation with really good friends. So to #^*+* with work...makan here I come! But before I go into the nitty and gritty, my verdict for this particular buffet: it somewhat gets the LEECHES SEAL OF APPROVAL.

The oysters...the oysters...I started with the oysters! Actually, I kind of start with oysters at every buffet that I go to. I just love them. Okay you guys...stop with the disgusted faces. I really lurve them. Sometimes, I get really bad cravings for raw oysters. That cold texture...the mix of lemon and Tabasco sauce. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...the cravings are starting again. BUT...the reason why the buffet just got a 'somewhat' out of me was that I wasn't too happy at how the oysters were served. They were not layed out on a bed of ice and so was warm and did not taste all that fresh.

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Next, I attacked the sashimi bar...or what Andrew calls, "Value For Money Section." Hhhmmm, yum yum. I could live on raw oysters and sashimi and tom yam...but I reckon that my already not too great cholesterol level would put up some sort of resistance to that diet...so alas...maybe once a month.

More sashimi. Triple yummers. Sashimi and lots of wasabi.

Then came time for the cheeses and what better cheese to start with than the blue veined cheese. Oooohhh...the smell...the taste...

The cheesy pyramids. Look at its golden sheer. Slurp.

There was a chocolate fountain there too. Now, some of you would know that I would not normally go near local chocolates because...well...they are just not chocola-tey enough. But this chocolate fondue...oh...yummers...I surprised myself by liking it. It is not too sweet and had sufficient amounts of chocolate in it. Me like.

Cheers mate! This is how we drink our cuppa in jolly ole England.

A slice of cheesecake, a chocolate cookie and a marshmallow covered with chocolate. In other words: DESSERT!

After all that food, we had to take a short walk-a-bout. Right in the centre of the foyer was this christmas tree with weird lights on top. It looked like an UFO christmas tree.

After all that food, I was amazed that Chew Cheong Tat could still stomach more. Tsk tsk...the decorations did not excape his 'wrath'.

Some of the decorations that managed to evade Chew.

This is how Chew looks while attempting to take photos for his blog. Penuh konsentrasi wei!

And my last picture...more decor at the hotel. Reminds me of the decorations in the Korean hotel I went to two years ago...or was it three years? Hhhmmm....

Anyhooo...the next pigging out session...BIBAS @ Mandarin Oriental. Watch out for more pictures (I suspect will be of more oysters and sashimi). So till then...I gotta get back to the Simpsons...I realise that I can't blog and watch tv at the same time.

I Am Legend

After a dinner of crabs, Jess and myself headed over to One Utama for a movie. Our cuz Chris had purchased tickets earlier. I Am Legend...staring Will Smith. Being such a busy bee...and also having to evasively manouvre around a certain back stabbing rodent...I did not time to read through the latest movie reviews. Boy, if only I had...I would definitely NOT have agreed to watch the movie.

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Okay...so the movie started with the discovery of a man made virus that had could completely cure all cancers...a 100% cure rate...complete remission...no recurrence. Sounds pretty happy so far huh? Yeah...whatever. Fast forward three years...an empty New York...overgrown trees...abandoned cars and homes. The plot slowly unfolds. The virus had gotten out of hand. It mutated the 'cured' cancer victims and transformed them into Darkseekers...some sort of nocturnal mutants that fed on the remaining healthy humans who had natural immunity against the virus. It all went downhill for me after the first 30 minutes. I was underneath my jacket for about 30% of the movie...petrified. The darkseekers looked like Voldermort (think Harry Potter). I seriously don't know how this movie got a U rating.

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Anyway, the movie ends with Dr Robert Neville (Smith) finding the antibody against the virus and then heroically (the word exist in my library, okay?!) sacrificing himself by way of blowing himself (and the kazillion freaky mutants) up. THE END.

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Okay...so...I admit...I am the biggest chicken when it comes to scary movies. This heart just can't take it anymore. From now on, it's dramas, mysteries, romantic comedies and all 'feel good' movies for yours truly.

Part Two: The Rat Strikes (Yet Again!) & More Stories...

Sigh. There are so many things that I want to blog about...so many instances when something idiotic, funny or just plain exasperating happens and my mind starts to think in my 'blogging' mode which goes something like this: "Dear blog...the road this morning was exceptionally clear. I just LOVE the school holidays. Seriously...not a car in sight. But as I got on to the LDP, things started to become suspiciously suspicious. For starters, the bright orange cones that are normally arranged on the fly over in front of One Utama were missing. They normally don't place the cones up on weekends...or public holidays. Then it struck me. Sultan of Selangor's birthday and I started cursing (nothing foul...don't worry). Oh...I wasn't cursing the Sultan...it was more the fact that I had to get up early to work while the rest of Selangor slumbers away. An injustice that stings us folks working in a plot of land that sits on the border of PJ and KL (the hospital building is sooo definitely IN PJ) and unfortunately have a KL address." But many a time I don't get to a computer fast enough and the thought floats into the land of 'I Mean To Do It Later But In Reality Will Most Probably Not'.

Anyway...I have still yet to blog about Linkin Park and Crown Prince because I have yet to post the pictures up. And oh do I have some brilliant pictures!

And The Rat! The Rat! Remember The Rat I blogged about? The disgusting filthy rat with mean beady pasty eyes and sharp jagged claws with an unhealthy habit of grabbing things to stuff into its forever chewing jaws. Well in this episode...it rears ist ugly and fat head again. Stab stab stab. Snitch snitch snitch. The Colony suffers because of this one really bad apple. But let's go back in time. A time that finds a proud expecting couple waiting so patiently for the arrival of what was to be the latest addition to their small family of three. They had such grand plans...such big hopes. Unfortunately for them, what came was a howling mean looking ugly shrivelly thing. The Parents got a shock of their lives. Why? What have we done wrong? Why?!!! But like most things in life...we just don't know.

The Rat grew and grew and grew into a disgustingly obese bully. So it was no wonder that The Rat had very little friends in school. You'd think that there must be some good in The Rat for these 'friends' to stick around. Maybe there is...but The Rat's behaviour made it literally impossible to know for sure. The Parents tried to instill good values...morals...but to no avail. But like all good parents...they did not stop trying...though it was soon apparent that their effort, tears and heartache were all in vain. The Rat did not change.

Back to present time. As each day passed by, The Rat was filled with more envy...envy at the successes and even happiness of the others in the Colony. It never occurred to The Rat to be happy for the Colony. It certainly never occurred to The Rat that it could be happy too. Old habits die hard. So instead of building up the Colony, it took upon itself the task of tearing it down. In order to glorify itself, The Rat had to destroy everything around it. If it could not be happy, then the Colony MUST NOT be either.

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PS: Part three will be written and posted when you (and I for that matter) least expect it...but judging by the way things are heating up in The Colony...it may be sooner than you and I think.

What A Relief!

The course is over! IT IS OVER!!! And now, I can sleep. I can close my eyes and not have this part at the back of head continuously processing whether everything is on time, planned and executed. I can watch tv again...and that's exactly what I am doing now...right now. Grey's Anatomy...the latest season that isn't even on Astro yet...one of the few tv series that I still follow...now that House sucks and Gilmore Girls is over.

(2 hours later)

Still watching Grey's. I am up from episode 4 to 8 and that's all I have for now. Boo hoo. Will have to wait for the rest to be %&^*$...he...he...if you get my drift. Just arrived (welll...not just...about 5 episodes ago) from Kuala Lipis. Needed to get away after last week. Drove up yesterday in the wee hours of the morning. I can't concentrate. Episode eight is proving to be a little too exciting for multi tasking.

Tomorrow...the rat race begins...once again.

6th Aseptic Dispensing Course

Oh me...oh my...I have been such a pig and am paying for it now. Last night...Prince Hotel...buffet dinner...oysterssssssss and sashimi (yum...my inner self has to be Japanese...I am sure of it)...and the chocolate fountain. Bliss. Yes, it was bliss at first...then came the suffering. Have not had sooo much in a long time. You could have rolled me all the way back home (or down 5 floors of the Prince hotel car park...it just kept going round and round and round and then more...had to step on me brakes a fair bit...what with Chew adding to the momentum...E=mc2...increased mass (Chew Cheong Tat)=increased momentum!). Even now...I am not in the least bit hungry...my stomach still feels full.

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But enough of that. Will blog more when I have transfered my pictures from the camera. Have not been blogging much because of the above course that I am organising. Boy...it's a lot of work. Hence me being at the hospital today. The caterers and the photostate people are coming in at 3pm. And so...I bid thee adieu for the time being. I still have to 'beautify' my talks. And type out the workshop notes. And arrange the workshop materials. And check my calculation notes. And....

No Time To Even Take A Leak

ALL of my housemen were down the road this morning taking their forensic exam. That left JY and myself...actually...that left me alone to attend sort out the morning's chemotherapy as JY was kidnapped by the methadone sprites. Things were very exciting:

• We had our names (our names being 'CYTO!!!' and 'METHADONE!!!') constantly called out.
• I got a new housemen (hhhmmm...wonder why she did not go for the exams) who I did not have time to brief, so I got to her to read all the SOPs.
• The phone rang every three minutes.
• Patients were lining up to see me in front of the counter.
• Regimen after regimen landed in front of me. I think that my clerks enjoyed the bewilded look on my face as they place the protocols on my table one after another. My hair reflected the condition my cyto table was in: messy and wild.
• A whole stack of my ward's prescriptions landed in front of me...each one had either Tazocin or Tienam in it. As I was on leave for one whole week and missed rounds that morning, I had no idea of what was going on with the patients upstairs.
• A request for paclitaxel test dose came in. I had never done a test dose for paclitaxel before and so I had to squeeze in a literature search in between all of the above.

There was no time for coffee, eating or peeing and we worked through lunch till the said housemen returned at 2 pm. By that time, I was so caffeine deprived that my mouth was spewing sentences that did not seem to originate from my upper regions. I was calling people by the wrong name and had taken to walking into tables and door frames. A classic example of a major system shutdown.

Thank God for the wasabi covered macadamia nuts on my table!

TVXQ/DBSK/THSK

That's the name of the Korean (yes finally established their nationality) boy band we went for last night. The show lasted TWO AND A HALF HOURS...compared to Linkin Park...it was really long. Okay...I know...you guys...I know that I am not going live this down (more like you guys will NOT let me live it down)...but I am going to say this: IT WAS NOT ALL THAT BAD. Really. I had fun with the twins. Their screams are soooo cute. And, I was not the oldest person there (yay!). There were a number of 'aunties'...and they were so not accompanying their young ones.

I would give them points for showmanship. That and stamina. And length. And for the fireworks and in particular this 'fish tank' scene where they really did manage to pull of the illusion of swimming downwards...was pretty impressed with that. And the cute mechanical airplanes that appeared at the very end.

How many points would I give to their songs? Hhhmmm...am not overtly a fan of ballads and plus...did not understand a word...obviously...so their slow songs were somewhat lost on me. But have to say that I liked their faster songs...nice beats...the punk rocker in me tapped and swayed accordingly.

The weather was good...sporadic breezes blew the humidity away. So overall, one enjoyable experience. But one foreign concert was enough for this weekend. When Christie asked whethe I would to go for the Live & Loud concert (chinese singers only) in Sri Hartamas...I cringed inwardly and then politely said no, thank you. And also, no more boy bands for me. It's alternative, punk, rock, jazz and classical from now onwards.

In Response To Chew Cheong Tat's Blog Entry

Finished my clinics at around 3pm...was tired (had nightmares last night where my face broke out with numerous vicious red spots...hhhmmm...is there an outbreak of varicella zoster* in the hospital?) and cold and most of all HUNGRY. Figured that I had some time to blog (hadn't done so in a long time) before heading over to the Lokes to to erm...hhm...'supervise' (for lack of a better word), their twins at a concert tonight. I don't know the band. Ah Suan's decription of them (the band not the twins) was this: "Some Korean/Jappanese boy band. The twins are crazy about them. They are not Linkin Park but I am sure that you'll like them." The first thing that went through my mind: "OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!! What have I gotten myself into? Korean slash Jappie (and by the way Ah Suan...Korea and Japan...two different countries you know...) boy band?!!!" I suddenly felt old. I could just imagine myself (the oldest person in Stadium Merdeka) standing in a crowd of young psychedelically dressed teens (mostly girls I presume...though these days...you just never know) screaming and crying hysterically while I yawn and check my nails for cracks.

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But I digress.

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So there I was...in a state of hunger...hypoglycaemia (if you guys forget the definition of this...I ain't teaching you anymore medical terms) and I decide to read Chew Cheong Tat's blog...and lo and behold as the page load unto my computer:

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http://ctchew.blogspot.com/2007/11/ode-for-pearl.html

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Good grief! My salivary glands went into overtime and my poor stomach growled so loudly (thank goodness no one was around) that I nearly popped another gastric pill (had one in the morning) into my mouth. But being the responsible drug pusher (certified!) that I am...did not do so. But being a woman, I could not let him have the last word and thus my reply to his post:

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Is that Lionel Loke's pig? Mua ha ha! You did say 'his' bed...unless of course you can't differentiate between the male and female gender.

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Last minute invitation. Do not be deceived to think that the Lokes like you so much. It was more like at the last possible minute Lay Suan had a thought,"Oh dear! So much food. Afterwards if not finished...have to put in the fridge...and then don't know whether my kids will it all or not. How can I make sure that all the food tonight is finished? Hmmm, I wonder...."

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And by the way...uncle and aunty Poi was invited along because you obviously could not be trusted to behave in a civilised manner when in the presence of all that food. Only Koko Nut is big enough to physically restrain you. And when uncle and aunty Poi emailed me to tell me about the festivities that I missed...they were kind enough to leave out the details unlike some people I know.

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And yes...darn it! The spaghetti looks really good!!!

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You'll have to read his post to understand all that. Okay...gotta to go. Cute (and very young) Korean boys are all set to serenade me to sleep...or to a really bad headache. Will keep you informed. Peace out!

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*Chicken pox

Wasabi Covered Macadamias

My current favourite thing (food category) in the world!!! I can't explain it but I just can't control myself when it comes to wasabi covered macadamia nuts!!! Put a packet...a tin...in front of me and it has less chance of surviving than a snowball in a preheated (to 200 degrees) oven. Like Pringle's slogan "Once you pop, you just can't stop', I just can't stop!!!

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The packet above is courtesy of Davey Boy who managed to find it (bless your soul!) somewhere in the Perth airport. Sigh, unfortunately, one can only find wasabi covered macadamia nuts in Australia (and I am sure in other countries as well...just not in Malaysia) and thus my cravings are only satisfied a few times a year...at the mercy of kind souls who take pity on me and my ridiculous requests.

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If only I have not layed eyes on you that very first time in Queen Victoria Market. And that time in Perth. Sigh...you had me at hello (yes...it was calling out to me!!!).

Back From Teluk Intan

I am back!!! My goodness. One week without the internet. Felt rather strange. Aunt is recovering well. Will explain in another entry. Rushed back for the clinics tonight. Could not get anyone to take that slot. Anyway, the way out to Bidor was slow...my Formula One instincts hampered by numerous trucks and lorries that woke up (the drivers that is) this morning and decided to leave TA at the same exact time as us. The North-South Highway was not any better. Contruction works narrowed the two lane highway down to a sad sad single lane status. Safe to say...the 'Kimi' in me stayed dormant. Okay...gotta have a really quick shower and battle my way to the hospital.

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Will update the blog later with some pics I took in TA...of food (of course) and a dog with a tongue long enough to lick his entire nose. Such exciting stuff...ha!

Day One in Teluk Intan (Diamond Bay!)

3:40 pm, Grandfather’s Old Room

Events of the past week has left me with a gastric problem that in turn has left me in a rather ‘windy’ situation…if you know what I mean. If you don’t…well, you are probably better off that way. The long stretches of not eating and then pigging out on really spicy food has put a toll on my poor tummy. The problem is compounded by my ‘forgetfulness’ to pop a tab of pantoprazole (a proton pump inhibitor that aids in reducing gastric acid secretion) when my stomach starts growling.

I am the most non-compliant person when it comes to taking pills. The bottle of multivitamins (60 tabs) that I bought half a year ago is still sitting on my table (staring me in the face every time I sit down to work on the computer). The ferrous (iron) and vitamin b complex tablets from my last blood donation stint two weeks ago is also still somewhere on my table. When I remember…I double up the dose (disclaimer: these ‘stunts’ are performed by trained and certified drug pushers…do not under any circumstances practice them at home…EVER…seriously!). Which reminds me that my calcium lactate tablets are also also still somewhere on my table…and that makes me feel guilty because as Abbott never fails to reminds us ‘Bone Loss Starts at 30’…and I am the perfect candidate for osteoporosis because:

• I don’t drink milk. The only time I do (touch the stuff) is when adding the minute-ness of amounts into my coffee. Unfortunately, caffeine is not good for the bones and thus whatever good the little milk I consume is totally cancelled out by all the coffee I drink.
• I will be hitting the big THREE-ZERO at my next birthday and damn Abbott for making that advertisement that is pasted up outside the Kedai PharmUMMC. Not only is it pasted up for the world to see…it is pasted up in such a strategic window…a window I pass by each day on the way to Happy Corner for my cup of mojo. Isn’t it ironic…don’t you think…it’s like rain on your wedding day…a free ride when you’ve already paid…
• I can’t remember to take my calcium tablets (I can hear you guys going…in unison…”That good for nothing pharmacist!”) and I don’t see that improving as age catches on.

But I digress.

Teluk Intan…my kampung (hometown). Grew up here y’all. The first four years of my life and pretty much every other school break. The cousins (Andrew, Jess, Meng, Wen Wei, occasionally Yuen and Kit and then finally Jenna when she came along very much later) and myself have plenty of ‘growing up’ memories in this house. Our parents would dump us together during the said school breaks and we managed to entertain ourselves without the need of an internet connection or cable tv or a computer. Yup...the house is full of memories. I think that it's our get away...now...from the craziness of KL. No jams. Everything is five minutes away. Chee cheong fan. Hakka mee. Cheap bananas. RM 2.50 bowls of noodles. Shall I go on?

Going Out Of My Mind

Life has been a blur. Talk about sporadic blogging. Deepavali...gone. Had a bout of cough (irritating wet cough...stuffed nose...woolly head) that became worse last Friday ...that had me waking up that morning to a spinning room (no...no alcohol was consumed the night before). Contemplated crawling to the bathroom to get ready for work (mind was harping on the amount of UMSC protocols to be done, Voriconazole, Zometa, ward patients...etc...etc)...but the legs just refused to co-operate. Conked right out as head hit the pillow and only woke up at eleven plus to the ringing of the phone (my doctors...).

The weekend of course flew by. The bits that I remember...Kanna Curry House...Georgia Rule...Hair Spray. And then before I knew it...MONDAY!!! Oh Garfield...you are so so right to hate Mondays. Have been on an adrenaline high since 8 am (caffeine probably had a role here). SO MUCH FREAKING WORK TO DO BEFORE I GO ON LEAVE TOMORROW! That's why I am taking a moment here to blog...release some stress before continuing the madness that is pilling high on my desk.

Anyway...am trying to psych myself up about Linkin Park...which is set for tomorrow. I know that the excitement will set in once I get all of this out of the way. The plans are all laid out. We will catch an early bus tomorrow morning which will take us all the way to Novena Square. Get the tickets and keys to Hamish's place. Freshen up. Make our way to the indoor stadium. One hour (hopefully more) of screaming. Winding down for the night. An early taxi to Senai Airport. An early flight back home. Then heading back to the hospital for some data collection (the pile in medical records is still...a high...high pile)...clinics at night. And I am very certain that by the end of Wednesday...I will be so tired that I will opt to wash my hair the next morning (which we know will probably never happen) and just collapse into my comfy queen sized bed with all that pillows (some courtesy of MAS...ha ha ha ha ha) and pigs.

Okay...enough of this procrastination. Back to the drawing block...sigh...and no...to those of you who think I am blogging during office hours...this is AFTER office hours and therefore am doing this work pro bono...basically the only time I get to sort out a lot of things in peace.

Linkin Park...HERE I COME!!!!

A Moment of Silence

I just received news today that someone I know in the medical field passed away yesterday after a battle with ovarian cancer. I first knew her while working together in a society I belong to. She has been in the government service for quite some time now and has somehow managed to maintain her upbeat and cheery demeanor. She is very well respected and has contributed A LOT in her specialised field.

She received chemotherapy in my hospital and you could see that everyone was rooting for her...willing her to get better. When she saw me in the corridors, she would stop and thank me for preparing her chemotherapy so well. I was always very embarass to receive such gratitude when all I could do was so minute a deed.

But as is with life...being the fragile and unpredictable thing that it is...she relapsed. The wake was tonight, but I was working and so could not make it...but I can imagine the multitudes that would make it to her house to pay their final respects.

My heart goes out to her family. I know how hard it is to lost a wife...a mother. Her son was very close to her. I pray that he will learn how to cope...to let go...and to move on.

You will be missed.

Linkin Park Fever

Last night...Starbucks. Slow internet connection. Attempts to book tickets online. Bickering. "No, we should collect the tickets one hour before...no, we should get them sent to someone in Singapore...no..." Discoveries...ecobutterfly. Ecobutterfly??? For real Jules(name changed to protect the person's indentity)??? Ha ha. But finally...THE TICKETS ARE PURCHASED!!! Woo hoo! Time to rock and roll. But that's a different story that has to be told at a different time...I am late for care group!!!

Still Recovering...

After writing that last post about my on call week...thinking that nothing else untoward could possibly occur...it did! Big time too might I add. But I am not at liberty to blog about it...because...well...I'll sum it up in one word: consequences. What can I say? There are some things that unfortunately have to be censored. But I will say this about the incident; unfortunate...should never have happened...it's never a good idea to lie to the pharmacist. Sigh, am still rather mad with the 'people' who made this mistake...still very much incredulous...

Well...I have learned something from this 'lesson'. When your senses pick up something that does not seem altogether correct...then it probably isn't. Assume that everyone are idiots...provide 'idiot proof' instructions at all times. It's better to offend people than to ever allow 'avoidable' mistakes from happening.

These life lessons...very difficult to swallow...but they teach you plenty.

And yes...I got another call at around 1:25am that night. So yes...still recovering from the week's events. God save us all...grant us wisdom to do no harm...and discernment when we are about to. Amen.

Just Another On Call Week?

I dread my on call weekends. You either get it easy or you get it really really bad. The in between sort is few if not rare. This week's call has been exceptionally...not good. Let's see...

• Got a call after midnight (it's never before midnight...trust me on this...just wouldn't be challenging enough) from a doctor...PICU...a request for prostaglandin. The drug is actually in the in-patient pharmacy...stupid woman broke protocol and woke me up for nothing. Anyway, contacted my pharmacy assitant to arrange for supply. Then she (the doctor) called again 15 minutes later...asking for the drug again...when I had just managed to fall back to sleep.
• A defective medibag tubing. The metal detector was missing from the tubing and hence...the portable pump was unable to detect the rotating mechanism...the rotating thingie could not rotate...drug could not be administered to the patient. Summary = had to go into the oncology day care centre to fix the problem. This has never happened before. It had to happen on my watch. I am sure that one day I will look back and laugh in disbelief. Right now...it's just disbelief.
• And then there is that ever exciting problem of us having a no stock or low in stock situation. I just want to point something out here...and this is especially directed to you doctors reading this post...IT IS NOT ALWAYS PHARMACY'S FAULT. There are many reasons why this happens (buy me coffee and I'll elaborate...but not Besta's or DeliFrance's coffee...I have certain standards I adhere to...strictly) and the most common one really is this; the pharma company is unable to cope with our demands. So back to basic economics...in a situation where the demand (whether from judicial use or not is a different debate altogether) exceeds the supply...use alternatives! So anyway, I think that we are out of Pip-Tazo, Meropenem, Cefepime and soon to be octreotide. Wow!
• A six year old surgical patient who was sent back with two month's supply of cefuroxime syrup. Oh joy! Had to break into the store for this one.
• A DVT (deep vein thrombosis) patient that needed TED stockings. Surprise, surprise! My dispensary had all the sizes except for the one she needed. More breaking in took place.

There were some other incidences that have escaped my short term memory...so I will end here. Need more doses of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice...which I will have to thank Christie for...he he...feel all better now. Going to have the Segambut seafood tom yam noodles for lunch. Wow...the salivary glands are fully activated now...better go...