Developing

2 weeks away from another OSCE and just finish the latest one last Friday, but I couldn't push myself to study tonight so I ended up writing an entry for this blog. So...what to write? well what about the issues that my friend moeh points about in his blog, on how the standard of service in Malaysia is appalling and how creativity of workers are stifled for 'stability' sake if that is actually can be achieved through that method. I couldn't really comment on the latter issue and the reason being I am at least 3 years from getting the qualification to get me drafted in working for a government agency. However, the former is quite familiar to me as it is I would expect be familiar to most Malaysian. In his blog, moeh points out to these example:
"I had to ask my uncle, who works in TM, to speed up the transfer process of my home line and sluggish streamyx connection. Just because my uncle is high ranked in the organization, they respond to the request quickly"
Beforehand, he was waiting for months to get a simple repair done. It could be high demand some people say? But months is pretty long, and it reflects the inefficiency that TM is handling their repair service. Honestly, I couldn't really recall any bad experience. I attribute that to the fact that I am an apathetic guy, who doesn't regularly reflects on problems of the community and someone who would happily circumvent problems because of not wanting to bother anyone when it is actually helpful to complain. But, I do feel that these frustration is vented by many Malaysians, not just my mate here. And if it is true then I see it as one of the major stumbling block in Malaysia achieving that developed status in 2020. I feel that a characteristic of a developed nation should be that it has efficient services that can cater its citizen. That is more important than having the tallest building in the world or having a man-made lake in a city purposely built for administration.
Lets take a look at New Zealand a small country of 4 mil. Nothing flash there in terms of man-made infrastructure such as the tallest building in the world but they are not considered developing because they have the services that are efficient and sufficient to cater for their citizens. How is that achieved? I think they have better accountability, healthy competition between providers, and better attitudes among workers.
My point is that I think some people had this idea that infrastructure is what defines a country status when in fact the services and the attitude and thinking of the citizens that truly defines it. Infrastructure will come later. Whats the point in having the tallest building, when hospitals are overcrowded, and trains and buses unpunctual? Hmmm couldn't really think of good example..but you get the idea. I think.

more updates

The new run, Health care of the elderly, is a bit busier than I thought. A bit busier than surgery I reckon. But, I managed to nicked off some precious study time to get more rest and update this blog. Added is new links - Alumni Hira' and blogs to people I know. Will get back to posting on blog on the weekend. Till then, here is a link for hadith database that could be useful. Please read the warning first and think about some of those interviews, documentaries and articles that had used hadith or quran out of contexts:

Hadith database

O2 Atom Pure

Enough of the random ramblings. I will start some serious post with this review of the newly acquired O2 Atom Pure. After 4 years of reliable service from iPaq 1930, I finally decided to upgrade to the pdaphone when my handphone of 2 years, Nokia 6610i finally succumbed to the unintentional abuse I inflicted upon it. I was pretty fed up of carrying both phone and pda all this while, so pdaphone was the logical upgrade. What I was particularly looking for in a pdaphone is that it must have Wifi capability and is compact enough to actually fit into a pocket. It must also fit my meagre budget of NZD 500. So, after some searching, 2 fit the descriptions: O2 Atom and iMate K-Jam. O2 atom were the slimmer version so that give it the nod for the purchase.

Pros: It is really compact. The smallest pdaphone on the market at the moment. And no more carrying a separate handphone and pda.

Cons: Vibration can be sometime annoying because it vibrates rather loudly and last quite a while. Not good when you are in occasions such in the middle of lecture. Text messaging is slower due to lack of keypad/keyboard. Windows Mobile 5 can't access certain features quickly like a handphone menu.

I found text messaging quite troublesome with the software given. One way I got around that problem is installing a third party software, SPB Full Screen Keyboard. It turns the whole screen into a qwerty keyboard, and you can just use your fingers instead of that fiddly stylus to key in texts. In fact, to get the most out of your pdaphone, I suggest installing the following software:

SPB Mobile Shell: Converts Win Mobile 5 into easily accessible handphone-like menu and enable you to use the pda-phone with one hand, just like normal handphone.

Pocket Islam: Includes prayer schedule, Quran with complete tashkil, Hijra calendar, qibla direction. Its free too.

SBSH PocketBreeze: A today plug-in that displays multiple appointments on the today screen. Also display tasks, notes, and messages.

post-advertisement

I got lonely. So I put up a link to this blog on my YM status and, voila, an increase of 30% hits for the past 24 hours. It is more impressive given the fact that the previous hits counted were hits taken for a 2 year period (roughly 100 to be exact). If the same marketing scheme is continued to be implemented, we can extrapolate that hits will be increased by 100% of the current hits by the end of week. By using the same logic, at the end of the year it is expected this blog will have an estimated 7560 visits.

If you are looking for some Muslim-flavoured news, look no further. Try this link: News

post-OSCE

As mentioned in the previous posts, I will continue the rambling about WW1 or rather specifically the fall of the Ottoman Empire and how that epoch should be pondered upon by fellow Muslims and take heed its messages after I've sat my OSCE. Unfortunately, I think the topic is too hard for me to explain. I need to do extensive reading before I embark on writing such topic. Plus its kinda serious. Intrigued? I hope you are. Read up on the topic and leave a comment. I would like to know too.

In case you are not associated with medical student, then its probably right to say that you do not know what OSCE is. OSCE = Objectively Structured Clinical Examination. It consists of a number of stations where in each station a participant would perform a task/answer quiz and after completing that particular station, he moves on to the next one. That is the common way medical student are examined. Apparently, OSCE also means = Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. For those who dont know me, I do not have any association with that OSCE. Having mentioned that, I remembered an anaesthetist pointed to us in a lecture of a common but neglected health problem: acronymophilia. Those afflicted with such condition suffers from excessive use of acronyms and abbreviations. Symptom usually depends on the person's occupation. For vets, they will utter words such as: BDSD, DSTO. The latter is more serious = Dog Smarter Than Owner.