Monthly update

Woah, have been ages since my last post and I dont think anyone cares including me. Rubbish blog this is anyway. Just to say I'm freaking out because finals is less than 3 months away and I'm so not prepared. Fortunately Ramadhan is only a week away and I hope this month is a month where I could redeem myself.

Just Do It

Clik on the link below to enter a free draw for stuffs from Automobile Association New Zealand. If you win, I win. Answers to questions at aacarfair.co.nz

http://comp.aacarfair.co.nz/r/36465

tired

4 days ago I touched down in Malaysia after going through Sydney, Darwin & then Singapore. It wasn't fun dragging a huge luggage on Singapore's MRT & then public bus through the causeway link to JB. Nevertheless it was cheap & feasible, albeit barely, & I managed to get to Larkin at 15 minute to 1 am, just in time for the last bus to Shah Alam. Now, after days of shopping, I'm knackered & sitting idly at home. Terengganu's recent flood has receded at the moment but Malaysian meteorologists predicted that there will be a new flood over the weekend, so if the forecast remain as it is, my plan to go there will be postponed. On another note, interestingly Selangor MB held a talk on Palestine issue as part of an opening ceremony of a local hall here not far from my home. Impressive indeed. I tried going but as I got there, the talk started late, it was outside & with my failure to adapt to Malaysia's humidity & subsequent profuse perspiration, I just went back before it started. Maybe there was a hint of laziness. Maybe...      

Cuti

74. Cuti musim panas terakhir aku telah pun bermula. Pada bulan pertama, aku merancang untuk kumpul duit sikit dengan berkerja. Aku perlukan duit untuk perjalananku sepanjang cuti ini. 

82. Susahnya tulis dalam Bahasa Melayu setelah sekian lama tidak menulis. Terasa kekok dan hampir setiap ayat aku perlu berhenti untuk menterjermah perkataan dari Bahasa Inggeris kepada Bahasa Melayu.

23. Aku telah kembali bermain Dota. Usaha untuk meninggalkan permainan komputer menemui kegagalan sekali lagi. Apa-apapun, sekarang tengah cuti, jadi sepatutnya tidak akan menganggu pelajaran aku. Sudah setahun tidak main dan kini Dota sudah versi 6.56 dengan peta baru (creep scourge tukar dan ada creep baru), watak baru (Admiral Proudmore dan Sylvias Windrunner),  barang baru (phase boot, magic stick, dan bole naikkan armour tower) dan arahan baru (boleh buang orang afk). Sesiapa yang belum berkecimpung dengan Dota, saya nasihatkan jangan cuba, nanti ketagih. lol. Bermain permainan komputer ini telah menjadi satu budaya dikalangan pelajar Malaysia tidak kira dimana. Menghabiskan 1 malam bertarung dalam alam maya merupakan satu kebiasaan dan ini 1 fenomena yang aku ada juga risau dengan masa yang terbuang tetapi tidak berdaya untuk berhenti atau nak menghentikan. Seronok. Eratkan silaturrahim. Kita menyesal kemudian.

41. Gambar dibawah merupakan satu papan tanda yang terdapat di Wales. Bahasa dibawah merupakan Bahasa Welsh dan bukan tafsiran sebenar ayat Bahasa Inggeris yang tertera di bahagian atas papan tanda tersebut. Tekan pada gambar tersebut untuk baca penjelasan lanjut.

50. Anda mungkin perasan yang bahawasanya aku cuba menulis dengan gramar yang betul dan bahasa yang teratur dan ejaan yang betul. Skema kata orang, tetapi seperti aku pernah tulis sebelum ini, rugi kalau kita tidak tulis betul-betul selepas meluangkan masa untuk menulis. Jika saya berjaya belajar Bahasa Arab, saya juga akan tulis dalam bahasa tersebut.  

What a save

People do stuffs that they know it's wrong or dangerous for them. Why? If you think that at the end of the day you'll get away with it, then why not. Usually, the dangerous and wrong stuffs are fun and gives you a quick dose of 'high' and is often easier than the alternatives that are commonly more laborious or demand perseverance and patience. Human are not built to experience easy 'high's and body builds up tolerance to such an experience. It is perhaps this mechanism is built into mankind so that they don't get complacent and to continue to strive for 'high's. It is a mechanism necessary for survival. But in modern lifestyle when survival is easy and obtaining 'high's is easy, the body & mind become corrupted & diseased chasing those 'high's & surviving & functioning in society become secondary to these. lalalalala...b***s***. All I wanted to say is, be patient & persevere.

break

Just a random entry for a break from writing - guess what - another ethic assignment. yippeee. If you want a doctor well versed with ethical theory, choose an Otago graduate. Theory doesn't translate to practice though, just like someone who has spent years in a religious school doesn't necessarily mean that that guy is a pious person. Does that mean to hell with education? Of course not, as you're never certain who will turn out alright or when the effect of the education is going to come. A person who is made aware of certain things will perform an action with that knowledge subconsciously working to guide that action IMO. 

--- 2 hours later ----

OK, I'm actually stuck with this essay and I need my brain to get going so I'm going to blabber on here for it to work. So, there was this handicap guy with some bowel problems. The team popped in a urinary catheter into the guy while he was under GA for a CT scan. What is wrong there? Nothing. lalalala apart from the fact that he wasn't told about it. Does it matter? He's retarded and doesn't understand anyway and would it just be a futile exercise? 

--- 2 hours later ----

aaargh, still haven't finish this damn essay. Its due tomorrow actually, thats why I'm burning the midnight oil. Anyway, things going on with me: I'm only 2 weeks + 1 day away from my summer holiday. OSCE on last week of october. This ethic essay is my last assignment for the year. I'm going to stay in NZ for a month, possibly doing odd job then head to Malaysia via Melbourne and Bangkok. Direct flight to KL cost $500 more than going to this route - I'm not sure why. I will also leave my current shitty cold flat and will rely on my friend who is staying over the summer to find a new flat. What will I do in Malaysia? So far, planned to travel to Kuching and possibly Johor. Balik kampung to Terengganu is always a feature. I reckoned December will be filled with wedding invites so I'll be staying in Shah Alam during those time. I also have a plan to learn arabic if I could find some intensive course somewhere. I plan to do my electives in Egypt, now that my brother is studying medicine there. I'm surprised he chose that since I thought he was adamant not to follow his brother's and sister's footstep. Anyway, good luck to him and I'll be sending my no-longer-needed textbooks to him. When I get back home, it'll be just me, my baby sister (happy birthday!), mom & dad. Mom will be busy with her PhD (I think). Dad is always busy. Baby sister is a baby & watches soap drama all day long after her SPM. The others who wont be at home - sis being a teacher somewhere in Kedah & another sister who is studying medicine in UK. Yes, I'm still staying with my parents. sigh - people my age are married off, having kids, living by themselves - here I am lagging behind as always.

Down

#*!@#$%^&. I wanted to write an emo entry like Nuha but then the machoness of this blog will forever be erased and turned into a wussy blog. But I could see the perks - you get to clear your head and your heart without directly bothering anybody else. However, I'll rather retain the machoness of the blog than capitulate to such level. Anyway, back in Malaysia I had someone to do that, now here, not anymore. sigh. miss her & i need replacement :D.
The truth is, when your heart is anxious and your head in shambles, who else is best at setting them straight than Allah a.s. It's a pity that I always forget about this.

Eid Updates

More photos:

Pelangi Bonda
Pelangi Bonda again
Another Pelangi Bonda
Yazid 1
Yazid 2

If you are coming to Christchurch, make sure your camera is a DSLR or don't bother to use it. Better option is to steal photos from those who have those fancy cameras. Anyway, not much of me in these photos - not photogenic enough :(

Still Eid Mubarak

More Eid photos. Stolen from Christchurch photographers with their spanking brand new DSLR, which made my 5 year old kodak camera embarassingly pathetic. I'm gonna go and bury it safely somewhere. The photos:

Atoy

Yazid

Also added some more blogs on my blog roll. Eid mubarak again and happy syawal fasting, something I have doubts I'll able to do this year.

Eid Mubarak

Eid mubarak. Photo of me with some Canterburians for "Salam Perantauan" photo session. Theme: Red -  but apparently there are some outrageously colour-blind chicks, but the more the merrier...

Daylight saving

After almost 9 years living in UK and NZ, only now have I confirmed my hunch on why they observe day-light saving. According to a "reliable" source, Daylight Saving Time is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. The practice is controversial. Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but causes problems for farming, entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun. Extra afternoon daylight reduces traffic fatalities; its effect on health and crime is less clear. Although an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity, modern heating and cooling usage patterns greatly differ and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited and contradictory. 

Class resumes tomorrow and how I wish for a valium to correct my sleeping habits.

Shoelace how-to

Back in high school, washing those white shoes and relacing them was one of those mundane that I had to do weekly. Who the **** gave the idea of white shoe as part of school uniform in a tropical, wet and muddy country. Luckily for me, I only experienced a year of it as I quickly volunteered to be a librarian so that i could wear black leather shoes instead. Anyway, to make lacing those shoes more interesting, I have stumbled upon this website last year - Ian's Shoelace site. So far, my favourite is Over Under Lacing, which happen to be the author's favourite as well. Its not too fancy but remain stylish over the normal lacing method:

Lacing Technique:

1. The lace is run straight across the bottom (grey section) and is fed into both bottom eyelets.

2. The ends are crossed over underneath and emerge from the next set of eyelets up the shoe, then crossed over on top and fed into the next set of eyelets.

3. Repeat step (2) until both ends reach the top eyelets

Note: If the shoe has an ODD number of eyelet pairs (eg. 7 pairs = 14 eyelets, like my shoe at left), start with the bottom (grey section) underneath in order for the last crossover to also be underneath when you reach the top eyelets.

optimism or delusion?

More from Worth1000.com - a cool website with collection of photoshop galleries and contests.

()*^%$!@*%&%

First, I almost finish that damn ethic essay. Took me too long to finish it as with my extremely short attention span, I would spend 15-30 minutes break per 100 words typed. This entry is also part of my break btw.

Second, it snowed yesterday and I snapped a photo of my car covered in snow and wanted to share it on the blog but unfortunately the photo is too crappy as (1) I took it with my pda-phone that is only 2mega-pixel and no exposure adjustment so the photo is overexposed (2) behind the car is a white shed which meant no resolution of snow.

Third, one of those break I mentioned earlier was spent watching this movie called Hot Fuzz. A cop comedy movie from the makers of Shaun of the Dead and same actors too. Hilarious with interesting plot to boot. I would recommend it for anyone who want to take a breather now and then. Its a bit gory so don't get pissed at me for not warning you beforehand.

Fourth, its )*&@!#)^ freezing now. Heaters is definitely required at the moment, and I am anticipating electricity bill that, for the first time in my years in NZ, to exceed the $100 mark. Just for note, my usual bill averaged out to $50 per month and never exceeded $80 in a single month.

Fifth, Ramadhan is near. Moonsighting in NZ would be on 31st August. I remember when I used to join those back in Dunedin at the scenic Signal Hill. I never saw the moon because it always was cloudy back then.

Sixth, occasionally there will be some random people who would skype me. Normally, I ignore but on the odd occasion, I just chat along just for the fun of it. Its interesting to note that some Malaysian doesn't know what NZ stands for. Need more geography lessons I say. We don't want to fall to the same level as the US do we. Remember Miss South Carolina..

Seventh, happy birthday sis.

Eighth, I edited this entry three times. Too many grammatical error that makes it unbearably embarrassing..

Ignore last post

This weekend, I have to coop up in my room due to another ethic essay write-up, again. Sigh, and it such a nice day outside. Felt like summer coming early with the sun beaming unchallenged. I've managed to finish tweaking the blog as mentioned. New features:

- Blog roll (titled as 'others' on the sidebar): this is gadget from blogspot where I just add the url of the website/blog I want to follow and it will display the latest updates of that website. The website requires RSS feed for it to work. Apparently, blogspot's blog have these inherently.

- Updated 'labels' list on sidebar

- Improved shoutbox

So, lots of things have been going on this past week. First, Olympics is on and the curtain raiser for EPL, the Charity Shield, finish with Man Utd as the victor again. In the meanwhile, there is that war in Georgia. I just have to mention about this war, mainly because of somebody ironically said this: "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century." Guess who? His name is synonymous for backwoods or shrubs. In Malaysia, this article from The Star came out. I think the medical officers has every right to be aggrieved by the perceived unfairness of payment. If this is not addressed, more and more docs will opt for the lucrative private practice, leaving the public health system understaffed and stressed.

y so srs?

Just couldn't resist...

..posting these:

Gaming

So far, my plan to stop gaming is going smoothly. It is now 3 weeks since I last played any computer games. My record was 6 months, so I'm still far away from breaking that record. Just after 3 weeks, I'm starting to see the fruition of my abstinence, I get more schoolwork and clubwork done, and also able to slip in some other activities as well. Gaming doesn't just take your time out, it can also induce violence (see newspaper article below) and death:
"A South Korean man has died after reportedly playing an online computer game for 50 hours with few breaks. The 28-year-old man collapsed after playing the game Starcraft at an Internet cafe in the city of Taegu, according to South Korean authorities. "(more from BBC).

Queenstown Revisited

Whazzup peeps? I'm here chillin in front of the comp here after that sweet as Teppanyaki dinner. First time tried it and though the food is a tad oily, the cook showmanship and the whole experience was quite good. I've been kept busy this week with exam as I might have alluded before but don't worry, I'm back writing this blog to quench those appetite for another of my entertaining yet meaningless blog entry. :D If you have not scrolled down yet, you should, as I have made some nifty addition to the blog - a FeedJit javascript to keep track of the traffic of this blog. I'm just curious. Anyway, back to my holiday stories and me and my flatmates went to Queenstown after having enough of Wanaka. We took the Crown Range route, a scenic route passing the mountains in between Wanaka and Queenstown:


This road provide access to Cardrona, a ski resort, which I have never been actually. At Queenstown, we stayed two nights to enjoy 'luging', bungiing and jet-boating. There's heaps of things to do here but you sure have to have a bank balance to match. This is not an exhaustive list but other stuffs to do here are paragliding, ski/snowboarding, lake cruise, and skydiving. Here are some panoramic view of Queenstown taken from Queenstown Gondola and Luge Ride:

The lake shown in the photo above is Lake Wakatipu and this is where Lingam went on holiday.

Obesity Cured!

Obesity is up there among the most problematic public health problems that plagued most parts of the world now. Complications related to obesity is plenty - sleep apnoea, increased risk diabetes, IHD, osteoarthritis, almost virtually every disease there is. OK, a bit hyperbolic there, but the point is it is a HUGE problem. (see what I did there). The prevalence of obesity and overweight is as follow:
US: (2004) = 116 million people or 64.5% of population
China: (2004) = 27.3% of population ("reference")
MYS: (2008) = 50% of population (from my memory of a result from a recent public health survey. I can't be bothered to find a 'proper' reference)

But there is a cure. And it's all natural so it must be good for you: