... you meet a friend from edinburgh (khek jian) and another from london (yu jeat) at london stansted waiting for our respective flights, and pei hua at the vatican city.
by the way, ciao from Rome! it is mind-blowingly beautiful.
last day tomorrow :( but Paris after! merry christmas all of you!
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
yuletide cheer
hohoho. i'm already in the christmas mood! this month kicked off really well and i know the rest of it is going to be amazing.
nicholas came down to manchester from edinburgh that day so we went to the christmas market! it's really nice but unfortunately it was raining and packed to the brim so i didn't get to eat and buy as much as i had liked. an umbrella in one hand and a stick of chocolate-coated strawberries/giant macaroon/hot christmas fruit punch in another while trying to manouvre through a crazy crowd: not very fun at all. plus it was so difficult to take pictures as well! so i went back home after awhile.
also this month: i finally joined the gym! hahahahaha. honestly i wouldn't have joined if i didn't have friends (vanessa & kx) going, cos i am shy like that. :P and it's always nicer to go with friends anyway. goodbye to flabby arms and a bulging abdomen. i hope.
ALSO (and this is the most exciting one): guess who bought tickets to watch Muse in manchester next september?! woohoo i know i know it's like a year away but I AM ECSTATIC!
last night: christmas dinner with preston medics. massy showed up at my door an hour earlier than she was supposed to with a bottle of smirnoff ice in hand, of which she finished 3/4 of it while i was getting ready. lol.
and then, of course, one round of camwhoring before leaving to the restaurant.
pbl mate mairi & i with our turkey! pretty good turkey. very filling.
christmas pudding for dessert.
the other end of the table.
lucy!
tipsymassy. hahaha.
james, another pbl mate.
walking home at night - freeeeeezing!
woohoo are you feeling christmassy yet? :)
nicholas came down to manchester from edinburgh that day so we went to the christmas market! it's really nice but unfortunately it was raining and packed to the brim so i didn't get to eat and buy as much as i had liked. an umbrella in one hand and a stick of chocolate-coated strawberries/giant macaroon/hot christmas fruit punch in another while trying to manouvre through a crazy crowd: not very fun at all. plus it was so difficult to take pictures as well! so i went back home after awhile.
also this month: i finally joined the gym! hahahahaha. honestly i wouldn't have joined if i didn't have friends (vanessa & kx) going, cos i am shy like that. :P and it's always nicer to go with friends anyway. goodbye to flabby arms and a bulging abdomen. i hope.
ALSO (and this is the most exciting one): guess who bought tickets to watch Muse in manchester next september?! woohoo i know i know it's like a year away but I AM ECSTATIC!
last night: christmas dinner with preston medics. massy showed up at my door an hour earlier than she was supposed to with a bottle of smirnoff ice in hand, of which she finished 3/4 of it while i was getting ready. lol.
and then, of course, one round of camwhoring before leaving to the restaurant.
pbl mate mairi & i with our turkey! pretty good turkey. very filling.
christmas pudding for dessert.
the other end of the table.
lucy!
tipsymassy. hahaha.
james, another pbl mate.
walking home at night - freeeeeezing!
Friday, 4 December 2009
all i want for christmas...
a blender, a deep fryer and an ice-cream maker.
and someone kind enough to clean my disgusting oven.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
whoops
feels like ages ago since i updated my blog. i just don't have much to write about these days. if only my life was slightly more interesting.
but i really shouldn't complain, should i.
well except that i should. because preston sucks and i have virtually nothing to do outside the hospital. i do go to manchester often but not as often as i'd like to, and what i'd like is to be there every single day. but it is not feasible. well actually it IS feasible just that it'll burn a hole in my pocket. so i should stop complaining. OR i should just get a car. hmm.
aww i love trafford centre. it is my favourite shopping mall in the whole wide world. yes more than the siam paragon and hong kong's harbour city mall. christmas decorations already up, including a carousel and a skating rink! and santa's grotto which you have to pay £4 to go through a cave thing to sit on santa's lap. err no thanks. but still the atmosphere is lovely all around. did some damage to my bank account while i was there... as always. but hey it's not like i go shopping everyday.
my most worthy yet unworthy meal at Rice in trafford centre. worthy because the indonesian fried rice and thai seafood noodles were really good and reminded me so much of home. unworthy because they were £9 each. :\ heck i wouldn't even pay RM9 for either in malaysia. but but. i had to satisfy my cravings!
happy birthday peihua and dominic! :) celebrated peihua's birthday at a szechuan restaurant in chinatown last week, and going to celebrate dom's later today.
can't wait for christmas. at the eiffel tower. :) :) :)
but i really shouldn't complain, should i.
well except that i should. because preston sucks and i have virtually nothing to do outside the hospital. i do go to manchester often but not as often as i'd like to, and what i'd like is to be there every single day. but it is not feasible. well actually it IS feasible just that it'll burn a hole in my pocket. so i should stop complaining. OR i should just get a car. hmm.
aww i love trafford centre. it is my favourite shopping mall in the whole wide world. yes more than the siam paragon and hong kong's harbour city mall. christmas decorations already up, including a carousel and a skating rink! and santa's grotto which you have to pay £4 to go through a cave thing to sit on santa's lap. err no thanks. but still the atmosphere is lovely all around. did some damage to my bank account while i was there... as always. but hey it's not like i go shopping everyday.
my most worthy yet unworthy meal at Rice in trafford centre. worthy because the indonesian fried rice and thai seafood noodles were really good and reminded me so much of home. unworthy because they were £9 each. :\ heck i wouldn't even pay RM9 for either in malaysia. but but. i had to satisfy my cravings!
happy birthday peihua and dominic! :) celebrated peihua's birthday at a szechuan restaurant in chinatown last week, and going to celebrate dom's later today.
can't wait for christmas. at the eiffel tower. :) :) :)
Sunday, 15 November 2009
rejoice
didn't sleep a wink last night. yes not a wink. fecking loud people. fecking thin walls.
got up early to go to church this morning, only to find that my kitchen counter was full of bread crumbs, the kitchen counter that i scrubbed so intensely yesterday.
took deep breaths, wet a cloth, and wiped the crumbs off.
decided to make taiwanese vegetarian instant noodle - because it always effectively feeds my soul on cold and miserable mornings like this. tore open the packet and SPLAT. noodles broken into pieces came flying out and landed all over kitchen counter and floor.
took deep breaths, wet the cloth again, and wiped the noodles off.
also used up a lot of energy to hold myself from screaming while at it.
then i decided that i wasn't going to go through the day being angry and frustrated.
so i savoured my breakfast, got dressed and put on my makeup to avoid looking like a zombie. walked a half an hour to church with an open heart as i enjoyed the fresh crisp morning air.
at church, i was as usual greeted by warm and friendly smiles. i felt at peace while thoroughly cherishing the worship and the sermon. simply amazing.
Philippians 4:8-9: Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
how appropriate.
after church today, for the very first time since coming here, i feel as though the Christian in me is alive again.
how your days are made is how you decide to live them. so as of today i am only going to think of happy things. or at least try to.
it is a good good day. :)
got up early to go to church this morning, only to find that my kitchen counter was full of bread crumbs, the kitchen counter that i scrubbed so intensely yesterday.
took deep breaths, wet a cloth, and wiped the crumbs off.
decided to make taiwanese vegetarian instant noodle - because it always effectively feeds my soul on cold and miserable mornings like this. tore open the packet and SPLAT. noodles broken into pieces came flying out and landed all over kitchen counter and floor.
took deep breaths, wet the cloth again, and wiped the noodles off.
also used up a lot of energy to hold myself from screaming while at it.
then i decided that i wasn't going to go through the day being angry and frustrated.
so i savoured my breakfast, got dressed and put on my makeup to avoid looking like a zombie. walked a half an hour to church with an open heart as i enjoyed the fresh crisp morning air.
at church, i was as usual greeted by warm and friendly smiles. i felt at peace while thoroughly cherishing the worship and the sermon. simply amazing.
Philippians 4:8-9: Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
how appropriate.
after church today, for the very first time since coming here, i feel as though the Christian in me is alive again.
how your days are made is how you decide to live them. so as of today i am only going to think of happy things. or at least try to.
it is a good good day. :)
Thursday, 12 November 2009
headaches
i've always been plagued with terrible headaches since i was small, even had an MRI done many years back which results came back normal, thank goodness. but i realised that lately my headaches have gotten worse in frequency and severity that i've wasted so many days away lying in bed not able to do anything. popping pill after pill of paracetamol doesn't work unless i have a 12-hour sleep to go with it. and 12 hours is a bloody long time to waste, mind you. i slept through the whole weekend with the worst headache i have ever had, and it could be a side effect of the swine flu vaccine i had taken last friday, i don't know, but it was SO bad i had to cry myself to sleep each time i woke up. and that was one weekend gone.
yesterday i had a class cancelled so i headed down to uni campus to settle some stuff and took the opportunity to go shopping! now i can gladly say i am fully equipped for the cold winter, leather gloves and puffer jacket and all. but as i was halfway walking down the high street my head suddenly felt as though it was going to explode. i couldn't concentrate on what i was doing or where i was going that I LEFT MY NEWLY BOUGHT COAT IN A SHOE SHOP!!!! as i was going to take the train back home, niha realised i wasn't holding on to my paper bag and asked me where it was. i screamed and rannnnnnnnnnnnnn back to the shop, and thankfully it was still there! what a fright. that's what my headaches do to me - they make me so unaware of everything. came back home in the evening, and slept till this morning. would have slept in more but i had to go for a simulation class (which was damn freaking cool by the way, i LOVED it), and now i'm back home typing this entry with a little residual headache still.
don't know what the heck is wrong with me. headaches are really annoying, one of those medically unexplained symptoms. sometimes i wonder if i'm going to die of a stroke. :P CHOI!
haha i know this is entry is like a primary school essay but whatever la, couldn't be bothered.
be gone you bloody headache.
btw i love band of skulls. check em out. awesome stuff. hope to catch them in manchester soon! (and at a VERY REASONABLE PRICE, too)
yesterday i had a class cancelled so i headed down to uni campus to settle some stuff and took the opportunity to go shopping! now i can gladly say i am fully equipped for the cold winter, leather gloves and puffer jacket and all. but as i was halfway walking down the high street my head suddenly felt as though it was going to explode. i couldn't concentrate on what i was doing or where i was going that I LEFT MY NEWLY BOUGHT COAT IN A SHOE SHOP!!!! as i was going to take the train back home, niha realised i wasn't holding on to my paper bag and asked me where it was. i screamed and rannnnnnnnnnnnnn back to the shop, and thankfully it was still there! what a fright. that's what my headaches do to me - they make me so unaware of everything. came back home in the evening, and slept till this morning. would have slept in more but i had to go for a simulation class (which was damn freaking cool by the way, i LOVED it), and now i'm back home typing this entry with a little residual headache still.
don't know what the heck is wrong with me. headaches are really annoying, one of those medically unexplained symptoms. sometimes i wonder if i'm going to die of a stroke. :P CHOI!
haha i know this is entry is like a primary school essay but whatever la, couldn't be bothered.
be gone you bloody headache.
btw i love band of skulls. check em out. awesome stuff. hope to catch them in manchester soon! (and at a VERY REASONABLE PRICE, too)
Friday, 30 October 2009
general practice
i just finished my 2-week placement at the GP for this block. good riddance to waking up extra early and paying £5.30 for transport A DAY, which i don't get reimbursed for. i can go on about this but i've complained so much in the last 2 weeks that i am sick and tired of it and have made peace with the fact that i am never going to get my money back. just treating it as a "nice relaxing ride to and from the clinic" (honestly i do enjoy my bus/train rides) and going out of Preston for a change.
my favourite day was with a french doctor who ran a women's health clinic at the medical centre - she's really nice and has that (positive) french air. she was willing to teach but she didn't allow me to take cervical smears and fit in intrauterine devices (boo). but she did let me "assist" her, so whatever. obviously i saw many vaginas and cervices. they were NOT pretty.
also met a lot of underage mothers - underage in my opinion but not necessarily underage by law. i mean, i can't fathom how anyone in this day of age can have babies at 22. i can't imagine myself having babies at 22! OR in the next 5 years for that matter. but of course there were many other mothers WAY younger than 22, which is worse. sigh. a few even turned to me and said, "Don't ever get pregnant!"
and it's words like these that make you realise how much they regret their actions and you wonder what will happen to the child when it is brought into the world (will most likely end up like them - but who am i to judge).
sad.
not so good days at the clinic: having to sit in with 2 practice nurses only to listen to them bitch about the lead doctor WHO, FYI, IS THE NICEST, MOST SOFT-SPOKEN DOCTOR ON THE PLANET, completely ignorant of my presence. bloody bitches.
anyway. 'twas still a good break from my normal hospital routine. but i do look forward to going back to it and being on the wards and theatres again. 2 more weeks of GI surgery and then i'll be switching to a medical firm. i cannot believe that it is almost november.
going to nottingham tomorrow for the weekend. :) finally, my first place OUT of manchester and preston since coming here. haha. oh i was in bolton last saturday but that's not counted.
my favourite day was with a french doctor who ran a women's health clinic at the medical centre - she's really nice and has that (positive) french air. she was willing to teach but she didn't allow me to take cervical smears and fit in intrauterine devices (boo). but she did let me "assist" her, so whatever. obviously i saw many vaginas and cervices. they were NOT pretty.
also met a lot of underage mothers - underage in my opinion but not necessarily underage by law. i mean, i can't fathom how anyone in this day of age can have babies at 22. i can't imagine myself having babies at 22! OR in the next 5 years for that matter. but of course there were many other mothers WAY younger than 22, which is worse. sigh. a few even turned to me and said, "Don't ever get pregnant!"
and it's words like these that make you realise how much they regret their actions and you wonder what will happen to the child when it is brought into the world (will most likely end up like them - but who am i to judge).
sad.
not so good days at the clinic: having to sit in with 2 practice nurses only to listen to them bitch about the lead doctor WHO, FYI, IS THE NICEST, MOST SOFT-SPOKEN DOCTOR ON THE PLANET, completely ignorant of my presence. bloody bitches.
anyway. 'twas still a good break from my normal hospital routine. but i do look forward to going back to it and being on the wards and theatres again. 2 more weeks of GI surgery and then i'll be switching to a medical firm. i cannot believe that it is almost november.
going to nottingham tomorrow for the weekend. :) finally, my first place OUT of manchester and preston since coming here. haha. oh i was in bolton last saturday but that's not counted.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
weekend
i'm slowly gaining my social life back. thank goodness.
i love manchester at night. :)
was at pitcher and piano at deansgate locks for melody's 21st birthday. melody is my one and only friend over at hope hospital (one of the other hospitals under uni manchester. like mine is preston). met her on induction day in uni. she's schweeet.
and peihua was nice enough to accommodate me last night. hahaha. love her place. love herrrrrrr! and also her flatmate louisa who's a year older than me and is already an F1 doctor at the manchester royal infirmary. :/ how is that even possible.
pfft. but both of them are lovely. peihua i will come stay with you again and i promise i will not leave at 7am the next day.
yes i left at 7am this morning to catch the earliest train back to preston so i could make it for church. yes i am churchy. well actually i wanted to go to church this morning because i skipped church last sunday to have dimsum (and shopping thereafter) with edwina and huiling. and the sunday before i was in church for a free lunch. so i didn't want people to think that i was only there for the free lunch and that i wasn't planning to regularly attend church. ok i know that they wouldn't judge (cos they're church people) but i am overly conscious and really, i am quite insecure.
well and also, actually, i really love church here. i'm so glad to have found this church (although i have to walk an insane 30mins TO and FROM church - i'm sorry if you think 30mins is not a big deal but i only need to walk 30secs to the hospital each day, and that's the only walking i ever do over here). it's probably the only church in the whole of preston that gives me a sense of familiarity, since it's similar to the churches i'm used to back in msia. it has a big congregation, a good worship team, wonderful pastors, friendly people, free coffee and tea and biscuits... i'm at home!
---
pictures! it's been awhile. :)
last weekend: huiling's visit to manchester from dundee! and edwina came from notts again. because she loves me. and also cos she's very rich.
eh seriously.. wongwong @ chinatown's original pearl milk tea is THE BEST. always £2 well spent, for me!
last night: melody's 21st at pitcher and piano.
louisa, peihua, me. spot my cosmo.
peihua! the next time i stay at your place we will talk talk talk till 3am again ;)
this is my ghost, on oxford road.
ed and huiling said they prefer my outfits here, as in, in the cold.
obviously they haven't seen me in preston, especially in the hospital - black, white or grey blouse with black formal pants and black Clarks shoes. and the same grey knitted sweater. OR if i'm lazy to think of what to wear, or feel like i dont wanna do much laundry that week, i'll just wear my ugly scrubs (which are grey as well), because i can send them off to the hospital laundry after. that's as fashionable as i can get in preston.
grumpy on the train back to preston this morning, sans makeup and still in pajamas underneath my coat. it was so damn early and so damn cold! had mcd bfast (McD, woohoo! i love you and always will!) alone while waiting for the bus after i got off the train. dropped my bag back home, and off to church i went. yes i went to church in pajamas.
and now... i need to sleep.
i love manchester at night. :)
was at pitcher and piano at deansgate locks for melody's 21st birthday. melody is my one and only friend over at hope hospital (one of the other hospitals under uni manchester. like mine is preston). met her on induction day in uni. she's schweeet.
and peihua was nice enough to accommodate me last night. hahaha. love her place. love herrrrrrr! and also her flatmate louisa who's a year older than me and is already an F1 doctor at the manchester royal infirmary. :/ how is that even possible.
pfft. but both of them are lovely. peihua i will come stay with you again and i promise i will not leave at 7am the next day.
yes i left at 7am this morning to catch the earliest train back to preston so i could make it for church. yes i am churchy. well actually i wanted to go to church this morning because i skipped church last sunday to have dimsum (and shopping thereafter) with edwina and huiling. and the sunday before i was in church for a free lunch. so i didn't want people to think that i was only there for the free lunch and that i wasn't planning to regularly attend church. ok i know that they wouldn't judge (cos they're church people) but i am overly conscious and really, i am quite insecure.
well and also, actually, i really love church here. i'm so glad to have found this church (although i have to walk an insane 30mins TO and FROM church - i'm sorry if you think 30mins is not a big deal but i only need to walk 30secs to the hospital each day, and that's the only walking i ever do over here). it's probably the only church in the whole of preston that gives me a sense of familiarity, since it's similar to the churches i'm used to back in msia. it has a big congregation, a good worship team, wonderful pastors, friendly people, free coffee and tea and biscuits... i'm at home!
---
pictures! it's been awhile. :)
last weekend: huiling's visit to manchester from dundee! and edwina came from notts again. because she loves me. and also cos she's very rich.
eh seriously.. wongwong @ chinatown's original pearl milk tea is THE BEST. always £2 well spent, for me!
last night: melody's 21st at pitcher and piano.
louisa, peihua, me. spot my cosmo.
peihua! the next time i stay at your place we will talk talk talk till 3am again ;)
this is my ghost, on oxford road.
ed and huiling said they prefer my outfits here, as in, in the cold.
grumpy on the train back to preston this morning, sans makeup and still in pajamas underneath my coat. it was so damn early and so damn cold! had mcd bfast (McD, woohoo! i love you and always will!) alone while waiting for the bus after i got off the train. dropped my bag back home, and off to church i went. yes i went to church in pajamas.
and now... i need to sleep.
have a good week all of you. i'll be on gp posting for 2 weeks and i'm not looking forward.
Friday, 9 October 2009
i want to be a gastroenterologist
i've been on my gastrointestinal surgical firm for 2 weeks now and i'm really loving it. not so much the surgery part (which is cool, i admit), but because i have had a fairly good foundation on GI back in IMU (as compared to other systems :P) so i know exactly what is going on. surgeries haven't been particularly interesting so far, having only seen a couple of staging laparoscopies, a parathyroidectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomies and felt gall bladders with multiple gall stones (multiple is an understatement, really. let's just say there were SO many they made the hair on my back stand on end). there were a few major surgeries going on like ileostomies and gastrectomies when i was unfortunately posted elsewhere for clinics and ward rounds, and it's seriously frustrating when some of your group members get to see (and do) stuff which you've missed out on. but i've got 3 more weeks on this firm so fingers crossed i'll get to see something cool before i move on to a medical firm.
another reason why i like this firm is because i have a really good firm leader who used to be an apparently-very-famous liver surgeon in Manchester but is now teaching full-time. we have long hours of bedside teaching with him and he takes time to really drill us (like how we can spend up to 3 hours standing around ONE patient, omg bless my back). he is the stereotype surgeon, only 5 times more extreme. haha. but he's a fantastic teacher and although we have to bear with his self-worshipping sessions, i actually enjoy listening to why he thinks he's so great. it's amusing that someone can think SO highly of himself, but the thing is, you can't really deny that he IS great; he knows everything, it's not funny. we were in ICU yesterday (ICU is a sad, sad, sad place :( ) learning how to operate those scary machines and going through what i thought was 2.5 years of physiology crammed into 3 hours; and you know what, i actually understand physiology of ALL systems more than i ever did before. i love medicine i really do. especially when i REALLY get it.
we also had a basic surgical skills class with him one afternoon where we were introduced to surgical equipment, learned how to tie knots and practiced suturing on pigs' legs! it wasn't pleasant at all, the smell of raw meat, but it was one of the best afternoons of my medical school life! though i still don't think i'd want to be a surgeon. :P
oh and i'm quite happy with my PBL sessions here because i have a good group with an even better tutor who's an endocrinologist. and since i'm actually doing a GI, Renal and Endocrine module (just that i'm currently on a GI surgical firm), we discuss cases from all 3 systems so he has been really helpful with his expert input (although he's technically not supposed to really TEACH us but he does anyway, and we like it). AND he makes us bring cookies to share! someone did suggest to bring alcohol but obviously that wasn't going to happen - how sad -because our tutor can't drink while he's at work, we can't too. it would be funny though, drinking while discussing liver cirrhosis. hah.
well that's basically it, really. i'm enjoying it although it's a little more hectic than i expected it to be (hey they told me 3rd year was "REALLY FREE AND EASY"). my schedule seems to be very tight especially this week, having to go to Chorley (another hospital) by bus in the mornings and coming back to Preston for afternoon sessions. one more week of this and then i'm off for 2 weeks of community posting in Leyland (another godforsaken place), and then i'll finish off my remaining 2 weeks with this firm before switching to a medical firm.
:)
i'm so glad the weekend's here. i need to clean my room.
another reason why i like this firm is because i have a really good firm leader who used to be an apparently-very-famous liver surgeon in Manchester but is now teaching full-time. we have long hours of bedside teaching with him and he takes time to really drill us (like how we can spend up to 3 hours standing around ONE patient, omg bless my back). he is the stereotype surgeon, only 5 times more extreme. haha. but he's a fantastic teacher and although we have to bear with his self-worshipping sessions, i actually enjoy listening to why he thinks he's so great. it's amusing that someone can think SO highly of himself, but the thing is, you can't really deny that he IS great; he knows everything, it's not funny. we were in ICU yesterday (ICU is a sad, sad, sad place :( ) learning how to operate those scary machines and going through what i thought was 2.5 years of physiology crammed into 3 hours; and you know what, i actually understand physiology of ALL systems more than i ever did before. i love medicine i really do. especially when i REALLY get it.
we also had a basic surgical skills class with him one afternoon where we were introduced to surgical equipment, learned how to tie knots and practiced suturing on pigs' legs! it wasn't pleasant at all, the smell of raw meat, but it was one of the best afternoons of my medical school life! though i still don't think i'd want to be a surgeon. :P
oh and i'm quite happy with my PBL sessions here because i have a good group with an even better tutor who's an endocrinologist. and since i'm actually doing a GI, Renal and Endocrine module (just that i'm currently on a GI surgical firm), we discuss cases from all 3 systems so he has been really helpful with his expert input (although he's technically not supposed to really TEACH us but he does anyway, and we like it). AND he makes us bring cookies to share! someone did suggest to bring alcohol but obviously that wasn't going to happen - how sad -because our tutor can't drink while he's at work, we can't too. it would be funny though, drinking while discussing liver cirrhosis. hah.
well that's basically it, really. i'm enjoying it although it's a little more hectic than i expected it to be (hey they told me 3rd year was "REALLY FREE AND EASY"). my schedule seems to be very tight especially this week, having to go to Chorley (another hospital) by bus in the mornings and coming back to Preston for afternoon sessions. one more week of this and then i'm off for 2 weeks of community posting in Leyland (another godforsaken place), and then i'll finish off my remaining 2 weeks with this firm before switching to a medical firm.
:)
i'm so glad the weekend's here. i need to clean my room.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
good morning preston
today is my first saturday in preston, having spent the last 5 weekends in manchester. i've got to say... i'm liking it so far. if i were in manchester today i'd be spending lots of money shopping and eating, and torturing my legs with all that walking. but i'm in preston today, and i woke up later than usual, fixed myself a nice and complete english breakfast, did my laundry, emptied my bowels, talked to friends... and it's only 11am! was supposed to head up to blackpool but there's a hari raya open house at 2pm. £30 for train ticket + entry into blackpool beach amusement park vs free lunch of malaysian food? wow, REALLY tough decision to make. :P
good riddance to the 3-week introductory course we had. next week onwards i can finally do what i came here to do: start using my brains and get my hands dirty! G.I. surgery! woohoo. we'll see how well Dr HA trained me in G.I. back in IMU. :P also liking the fact that there are 2 surgeons to 6 people in my group, on top of the SpR's and SHO's and FY1's and FY2's. so really there are more doctors than students.
i can never understand how assy some people can be to others they don't even know. but it's okay cos karma will come back and bite them in the ass. it's not like i believe in karma, but i know that one can never have too much pleasure in life. which is why i should not let anyone get to me. not worth the time and energy, really.
stupid people.
that aside, i'm quite enjoying it over here. i do miss home a lot, but i'm alright being here and there hasn't been a day when i woke up regretting anything. so i hope you're all doing equally well wherever you are!
cheers!
good riddance to the 3-week introductory course we had. next week onwards i can finally do what i came here to do: start using my brains and get my hands dirty! G.I. surgery! woohoo. we'll see how well Dr HA trained me in G.I. back in IMU. :P also liking the fact that there are 2 surgeons to 6 people in my group, on top of the SpR's and SHO's and FY1's and FY2's. so really there are more doctors than students.
i can never understand how assy some people can be to others they don't even know. but it's okay cos karma will come back and bite them in the ass. it's not like i believe in karma, but i know that one can never have too much pleasure in life. which is why i should not let anyone get to me. not worth the time and energy, really.
stupid people.
that aside, i'm quite enjoying it over here. i do miss home a lot, but i'm alright being here and there hasn't been a day when i woke up regretting anything. so i hope you're all doing equally well wherever you are!
cheers!
Friday, 18 September 2009
the resistance
currently in love with muse's latest album. i especially think the exogenesis symphony is brilliant. matthew bellamy's a freaking G E N I U S.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
settled down (more or less)
things i made the past week (without guidance or recipes!)...
ayam masak merah - not bad at all, i must say, considering i cooked this out of impulse!
spicy vegetarian fried rice - WHAAAAAAAAAAAT? sweeleen + vege fried rice? made this for the international students' potluck dinner and since niha (housemate)'s a vegetarian, we had to go green. niha's ingredients, my cooking and teongrhen's cutting of vegetables & washing up. combined effort! used basmati rice, chilli powder, turmeric, veges, and loads of garlic and onions (surprise surprise). it actually turned out really well that everyone at the party loved it! especially the angmohs. i is proud.
bibimbap - hehe so happy, managed to buy my korean gochujang (chili pepper paste) from chinatown the other day. my bibimbap was yummy! :P but of course not as good as the ones in restaurants la cos i dont have stone bowls.
curry chicken & potatoes - bit too watery..bleh..but good enough to last the whole of next week. :p
-----------
some photos!
niha & i @ uni. pity we wont be spending much time here, though. =/
pond @ our education centre in preston hospital. people find it serene to stand and watch the ducks and swans. all i get is an intense craving for peking duck. i kid.
edwina came from notts to nurse my homesickness! this is us queuing up outside tai wu. cheap and good dim sum!
international students' night which i made aforementioned veg fried rice (sorry cant help it, i dont like vege but i loved my fried rice)
weather was crap the first two weeks i was here. rainy, windy and cold. but it was so lovely the last few days. still pretty cold but at times i can feel the heat of the sun, which is nice!
peihua, vanessa & i @ red chili. BIG gathering for everyone and anyone who's from imu-manchester, many of whom are already doctors.
-----------
some photos!
niha & i @ uni. pity we wont be spending much time here, though. =/
pond @ our education centre in preston hospital. people find it serene to stand and watch the ducks and swans. all i get is an intense craving for peking duck. i kid.
edwina came from notts to nurse my homesickness! this is us queuing up outside tai wu. cheap and good dim sum!
international students' night which i made aforementioned veg fried rice (sorry cant help it, i dont like vege but i loved my fried rice)
weather was crap the first two weeks i was here. rainy, windy and cold. but it was so lovely the last few days. still pretty cold but at times i can feel the heat of the sun, which is nice!
peihua, vanessa & i @ red chili. BIG gathering for everyone and anyone who's from imu-manchester, many of whom are already doctors.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
things i learned the past week
- Siobhan is pronounced as Sho-vahn. i kept thinking to myself what a funny name it was when i was reading the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. but there's a staff member in the hospital with the name Siobhan and they call her Sho-vahn.
- baby swans are called signets and not swanlings. =/
- the first KFC in the UK was opened in preston (who cares).
- the best KFC is still in malaysia.
- seagulls can swim.
- if you quote your own work but not put it as a reference when writing a report it is considered plagiarism.
- pork in britain stinks.
- dimsum in manchester is better than in ipoh.
- always take umbrella out even when weather is nice.
- i no longer like bathing.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
home away from home
some pics of my room in preston for those who are curious. it's big and comfy, and i like it especially because it has a built-in wardrobe. :) and the view is of my neighbour's well-trimmed garden and 3 of their giant fat cats who always roam around.
love my double divan bed :)
fresh flowers to brighten things up
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
landed
hello from manchester/preston. i'm in no mood to blog (and take pictures- that's really something isn't it?), so this is just an obligatory post to say that i am here, alive, but with my left arm still a little sore from the meningitis C vaccination i received two days ago. my manchester uni campus is so pretty, i love it. but i was severely jet-lagged when i went there for my health checkup that i didn't get to explore much. oh well, there's like 3 years to do that :p
preston is where i'm based. it's this little city 40mins from manchester. it's alright but lacks the hustle and bustle of what we call a CITY (why it has been bestowed a city status is really a mystery). it's more like the suburbs actually. the houses are cute and most have nice gardens. i can't imagine a better house location with mine being directly opposite the hospital and literally 20 seconds from the bus stop, and another 30 seconds away is a supermarket with a quaint tea room, a dry cleaner's, a magazine/convenience store, a pharmacy and a hair salon.
ASDA (hypermarket) is about 5mins bus ride away and the city centre and train station (which trains i take to go to manchester) are about 20mins away.
can't ask for more, really.
the city centre has this high street with decent shopping outlets and restaurants. the Marks and Spencers and Debenhams here are pretty big, and there's Argos and all that... so i'd be lying if i said i won't be able to survive here. but of course i have the liberty to go down to Manchester whenever i want/need to (which i WILL, probably every other weekend or so).
so. yup. that's about it. can you believe i haven't taken out my camera from my bag since i left malaysia? wow england is really changing me.
but i'll be in Manchester tomorrow until the weekend to do all that touristy stuff, so i'll definitely take some pics.
:)
preston is where i'm based. it's this little city 40mins from manchester. it's alright but lacks the hustle and bustle of what we call a CITY (why it has been bestowed a city status is really a mystery). it's more like the suburbs actually. the houses are cute and most have nice gardens. i can't imagine a better house location with mine being directly opposite the hospital and literally 20 seconds from the bus stop, and another 30 seconds away is a supermarket with a quaint tea room, a dry cleaner's, a magazine/convenience store, a pharmacy and a hair salon.
ASDA (hypermarket) is about 5mins bus ride away and the city centre and train station (which trains i take to go to manchester) are about 20mins away.
can't ask for more, really.
the city centre has this high street with decent shopping outlets and restaurants. the Marks and Spencers and Debenhams here are pretty big, and there's Argos and all that... so i'd be lying if i said i won't be able to survive here. but of course i have the liberty to go down to Manchester whenever i want/need to (which i WILL, probably every other weekend or so).
so. yup. that's about it. can you believe i haven't taken out my camera from my bag since i left malaysia? wow england is really changing me.
but i'll be in Manchester tomorrow until the weekend to do all that touristy stuff, so i'll definitely take some pics.
:)
Saturday, 22 August 2009
go, going, gone
a very melancholic greeting from klia as i await to board my singapore-bound flight, a 2-hour transit and to manchester thereafter.
i left my home with my heart at the bottom of my feet. who knew saying goodbye to my dogs was just about the most difficult thing i had to do? sorry sorry sorry was all i said to them. because they don't understand why i have to leave them behind and they never will. and that is the worst part.
bidding farewell to my dad at the airport was harsh. i don't even want to think about mum leaving next sunday (she's here with me). but they are only a plane ride away and they can come whenever they want. AND they understand why i have to do this. so i don't feel that bad.
6 months back home and i don't regret one single day. i thank God for giving me the best time of my life, for letting me have a much needed rest and the chance to recharge my energy for the next phase of my life, for my wonderful family, dogs and friends, for the bonds that we've forged and for the temporarily broken bonds that were reconciled over the past months.
i also thank You for the opportunity to further my studies to where i've always wanted to study at (although right now i don't know why i so badly wanted to go over, but thank You anyway).
people say they're worried for me, that i will find it difficult to get back on track and start studying once more. i say why worry about me when you have wayyyyyyy more things to worry about. if i have to struggle for awhile, so be it. if i am able to give my now very rusty brain a fresh new coat of paint to ease myself into clinicals, all the better. this is my life and i choose how to live it.
i am generally happy. really.
just very sad to leave my comfort zone.
-----
some last minute memo for my lovely ipoh friends:
jiangmun: feel free to bring your brother to play with my doggies while i'm away. they'll really like that. i've already told my kakak, "kawan saya jiangmunyang ada buntut besar itu mungkin akan datang tengok si ginger dan si kiki. kalau dia ada datang tolong buka pintu!" :)
phuiwhye: thank you for teman-ing me the whole year. hehe looks like you're going to have to look for another movie buddy.
eli: my mum said whenever you're back for the weekends, call her to arrange playdates for potato and ginger!
pris: you'll be alright in seremban!
zhi: just saying hi to you and your 5 unborn children.
-----
and i will say hello again in approx. 18 hours.
goodnight malaysia.
i left my home with my heart at the bottom of my feet. who knew saying goodbye to my dogs was just about the most difficult thing i had to do? sorry sorry sorry was all i said to them. because they don't understand why i have to leave them behind and they never will. and that is the worst part.
bidding farewell to my dad at the airport was harsh. i don't even want to think about mum leaving next sunday (she's here with me). but they are only a plane ride away and they can come whenever they want. AND they understand why i have to do this. so i don't feel that bad.
6 months back home and i don't regret one single day. i thank God for giving me the best time of my life, for letting me have a much needed rest and the chance to recharge my energy for the next phase of my life, for my wonderful family, dogs and friends, for the bonds that we've forged and for the temporarily broken bonds that were reconciled over the past months.
i also thank You for the opportunity to further my studies to where i've always wanted to study at (although right now i don't know why i so badly wanted to go over, but thank You anyway).
people say they're worried for me, that i will find it difficult to get back on track and start studying once more. i say why worry about me when you have wayyyyyyy more things to worry about. if i have to struggle for awhile, so be it. if i am able to give my now very rusty brain a fresh new coat of paint to ease myself into clinicals, all the better. this is my life and i choose how to live it.
i am generally happy. really.
just very sad to leave my comfort zone.
-----
some last minute memo for my lovely ipoh friends:
jiangmun: feel free to bring your brother to play with my doggies while i'm away. they'll really like that. i've already told my kakak, "kawan saya jiangmun
phuiwhye: thank you for teman-ing me the whole year. hehe looks like you're going to have to look for another movie buddy.
eli: my mum said whenever you're back for the weekends, call her to arrange playdates for potato and ginger!
pris: you'll be alright in seremban!
zhi: just saying hi to you and your 5 unborn children.
-----
and i will say hello again in approx. 18 hours.
goodnight malaysia.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Thursday, 13 August 2009
one more week
just received my term calendar.
2 weeks of winter vacation and 1 for spring.
i am not liking it.
2 weeks of winter vacation and 1 for spring.
i am not liking it.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
stupid
today i received a letter in the mail which did NOT make my day.
Dear Swee Leen,
Congratulations! You are among the first 100 all-correct entries for the GSC Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince contest. You have won yourself one (1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tattoo!
Again, congratulations and thank you for participating in our contest.
Yours sincerely,
Golden Screen Cinemas.
actually there are 6 tattoos: one with the wordings Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, others with the Hogwarts emblem, the Gryffindor & Slytherin emblems (why so unfair no Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff?), and Ron Weasley and Harry Potter Quidditch badges.
Dear Swee Leen,
Congratulations! You are among the first 100 all-correct entries for the GSC Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince contest. You have won yourself one (1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tattoo!
Again, congratulations and thank you for participating in our contest.
Yours sincerely,
Golden Screen Cinemas.
actually there are 6 tattoos: one with the wordings Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, others with the Hogwarts emblem, the Gryffindor & Slytherin emblems (why so unfair no Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff?), and Ron Weasley and Harry Potter Quidditch badges.
as much as i am a huge harry potter fan, i will not be caught dead wearing fake harry potter tattoos.
(actually i was aiming for the harry potter bag/t-shirt/tea cup. ok la and also the notebook. and the square buttons. but then they gave me tattoo pulak. go die la.)
p/s: i know i said i'm not going to waste time blogging for now but apparently i do have quite a lot of time anyway.
Monday, 3 August 2009
hello goodbye
today i went to mcdonald's and bought 6-piece nuggets and found that they gave me 7.
that really made my day.
i've decided that i'm not going to waste time blogging for now. i need to continue to relish all the simple pleasures of my current life before i start anew.
less than 3 weeks, people! wait a minute, isn't it still march?
that really made my day.
i've decided that i'm not going to waste time blogging for now. i need to continue to relish all the simple pleasures of my current life before i start anew.
less than 3 weeks, people! wait a minute, isn't it still march?
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
harry potter & the half-blood prince
went to watch the newest harry potter movie this morning with the people i grew up watching all harry potter films with. :) it's really hard to believe how quickly time has passed since the first movie, as cliche as it may sound. but it's nice to know that we still laugh and groan over the same things and take turns to tell chongkz to quit embarrassing us with her sound effects. seriously, woman. shhhhh!
wokay about the movie. considering i am a big fan (though i'd say 'big' is an understatement, but we'll leave it as that), i may be a bit biased when giving a review but i'll try my best to be as honest as possible.
(spoilers ahead)
ok let me see. what i didn't like:
wokay about the movie. considering i am a big fan (though i'd say 'big' is an understatement, but we'll leave it as that), i may be a bit biased when giving a review but i'll try my best to be as honest as possible.
(spoilers ahead)
ok let me see. what i didn't like:
- lupin, tonks, mr & mrs weasley only in ONE scene (the burrow attack scene- which wasn't even in the book actually)! would've loved to see more of them. i always found their parts interesting. but also they could've done without that scene and replaced it with another important one straight from the book.
- was very upset to see luna instead of tonks rescuing harry in the train.
- all that teenage romance shit was uncanny. funny some parts, not funny others. and i never liked ginny anyway. she was annoying in the book and even more in the movie. but really, the teenage romance shit should've been replaced by the one between lupin & tonks. :P
- ok i will shut up about lupin & tonks.
- could've included more of tom riddle's memories in the movie. there were quite a few in the book and i remember being so absorbed into reading about his life. then again they couldn't have possibly captured every single thing mentioned in the book, but would've loved to see more.
- i read about them omitting dumbledore's funeral prior to the movie, but it didn't affect me that much until i actually watched it. i thought his death was so abrupt (actually it was quite like that in the book too wasn't it?) that they should've done justice to his character by at least showing the funeral scene.
the good stuff:
- heavier and darker, with more action and better effects than the first 5.
- i thought the beginning was really nice with the death eaters' attack on diagon alley and the millennium bridge. it's like the movie series stepped up a notch as it started off with a bang. found that somewhat refreshing.
- i didn't like michael gambon when he initially filled richard harris's shoes as dumbledore, but i thought he acted really well in this movie. especially the part at the lake when they were trying to retrieve the horcrux.
- horace slughorn was exactly how i imagined him to be!
- ron was quite funny. i liked the quidditch scenes.
- draco's character was played very intensely by tom felton. he very yeung sui/face got problem now (he used to be so cute!!!) but i thought he did a great job.
- i really liked the whole astronomy tower scene (the death of dumbledore and the takeover of hogwarts), as sad as it was. it was so dark and gloomy, totally in line with that part of the book. i was so upset when dumbledore died. i mean i knew it was coming, but seeing it being played out on screen was even sadder than reading about it.
- the movie provides good anticipation for the final installment, split into 2 parts! yay! 2 more potter movies. :)
basically i did enjoy the movie. duh. haha. i always enjoy potter movies even after watching over and over again. i don't think it's particularly my favourite of the potter movies. somehow i prefer the first 3. cuter. haha.
can't wait for the wizarding world of harry potter to be unveiled! HEY EDWINAAAA...orlando, florida in 2010 okayyy? PROMISE??? :D :D :D :D :D
Thursday, 9 July 2009
idiot's guide to chee cheong fun
today i feel the dire need to educate you folks on chee cheong fun.
though ultimately i only have one important thing to say: ipoh has the best chee cheong fun. if you think otherwise, people will just laugh at you and spit into your face.
so don't think otherwise.
basically there are many types of chee cheong fun. of course there's the hong kong/dim sum chee cheong fun, which everyone knows of and loves. i love that one with prawns not char siew. a variation of the hong kong/dim sum chee cheong fun is the char leong, which is the same type of noodle wrapped around yau char kwai. omg that one is yummy. hey mich howai merv, remember the one in Mayim, Singapore?! amazing.
then there's teluk intan chee cheong fun which is stuffed with meat and vegetables. that one i know ben likes. but i don't really. there is also penang chee cheong fun which is served with prawn paste. that one ok ok la, not bad, but i generally don't like prawn paste.
AND THEN. there's super shitty chee cheong fun which is found all over KL, the type where they flood noodles in disgusting black sweet sauce and horrible chilli sauce, served with oily factory-made liew. (e.g. the van outside imu which i'm very embarrassed to say i used to eat quite often because i had little choice. if you think that one is nice aiyo so sad la you, please give me a call.) this chee cheong fun copy ipoh one. but totally FAIL.
finally... there is ipoh chee cheong fun. fresh, smooth, dressed with soy sauce and oil, and topped with good har mai/hae bi/dried shrimps, fried onions and sesame seeds, with an option to add sweet sauce and green chillis. and mushroom sauce, too, though not recommended by me. i don't get why people want to drown their chee cheong fun in mushroom sauce. i mean, i really don't see the point.
now not all the chee cheong fun in ipoh is nice, obviously, but there are really REALLY good ones- the BEST one in my opinion is found in pasir pinji!the shop has no name (or maybe it has, i don't know- but everyone i know just calls it pasir pinji chee cheong fun/ping yi kong chee cheong fun). i just found out it's called Ah Tuck Chee Cheong Fun LOL! actually it isn't even a shop. it's just a stall set up in the porch of their tiny little house along a very narrow lane.
pic taken from here
it is SO GOOD that the world's most impatient people (i.e. me and chongkz) are willing to sacrifice our time to sit and wait. sometimes you'll have to wait more than an hour just to get a taste of those glorious noodles, but we don't mind! once you're there, don't be fooled by the lack of crowd. most people come by to order for takeaway, and then they go somewhere else and come back later. and these people are nuts. they tapau 20-30 packets at a go. =/ (LOL chongkz's dad even tapau-ed like 50 packets once cos he was so proud his number was in the top 10! haha kiasu!)
nnnYUMmmm i'm going back again tomorrow.
i sincerely hope this superb recipe doesn't die off with the very old uncle and aunty who make the chee cheong fun when their times come. i will be in distraught!
it is VERY rare to find chongkz and i grin from ear to ear when we have to wait for food. so this must be something! and it is!
i heart chee cheong fun.
chongkz hearts chee cheong fun.
oh and do tapau a few packets when you're done eating. you'll always want more later. :)
address: 1455, jln pasir pinji 5, 31650 ipoh.
opens at 1pm until they're sold out, which is pretty quickly! so do go early! and bring someone to talk to or something to read!
though ultimately i only have one important thing to say: ipoh has the best chee cheong fun. if you think otherwise, people will just laugh at you and spit into your face.
so don't think otherwise.
basically there are many types of chee cheong fun. of course there's the hong kong/dim sum chee cheong fun, which everyone knows of and loves. i love that one with prawns not char siew. a variation of the hong kong/dim sum chee cheong fun is the char leong, which is the same type of noodle wrapped around yau char kwai. omg that one is yummy. hey mich howai merv, remember the one in Mayim, Singapore?! amazing.
then there's teluk intan chee cheong fun which is stuffed with meat and vegetables. that one i know ben likes. but i don't really. there is also penang chee cheong fun which is served with prawn paste. that one ok ok la, not bad, but i generally don't like prawn paste.
AND THEN. there's super shitty chee cheong fun which is found all over KL, the type where they flood noodles in disgusting black sweet sauce and horrible chilli sauce, served with oily factory-made liew. (e.g. the van outside imu which i'm very embarrassed to say i used to eat quite often because i had little choice. if you think that one is nice aiyo so sad la you, please give me a call.) this chee cheong fun copy ipoh one. but totally FAIL.
finally... there is ipoh chee cheong fun. fresh, smooth, dressed with soy sauce and oil, and topped with good har mai/hae bi/dried shrimps, fried onions and sesame seeds, with an option to add sweet sauce and green chillis. and mushroom sauce, too, though not recommended by me. i don't get why people want to drown their chee cheong fun in mushroom sauce. i mean, i really don't see the point.
now not all the chee cheong fun in ipoh is nice, obviously, but there are really REALLY good ones- the BEST one in my opinion is found in pasir pinji!
pic taken from here
it is SO GOOD that the world's most impatient people (i.e. me and chongkz) are willing to sacrifice our time to sit and wait. sometimes you'll have to wait more than an hour just to get a taste of those glorious noodles, but we don't mind! once you're there, don't be fooled by the lack of crowd. most people come by to order for takeaway, and then they go somewhere else and come back later. and these people are nuts. they tapau 20-30 packets at a go. =/ (LOL chongkz's dad even tapau-ed like 50 packets once cos he was so proud his number was in the top 10! haha kiasu!)
nnnYUMmmm i'm going back again tomorrow.
oh and you have to take a number. when your number is called, they'll shout across to you and ask how you want your chee cheong fun, and you'll have to shout back. haha. how very old school.
i sincerely hope this superb recipe doesn't die off with the very old uncle and aunty who make the chee cheong fun when their times come. i will be in distraught!
it is VERY rare to find chongkz and i grin from ear to ear when we have to wait for food. so this must be something! and it is!
i heart chee cheong fun.
chongkz hearts chee cheong fun.
oh and do tapau a few packets when you're done eating. you'll always want more later. :)
address: 1455, jln pasir pinji 5, 31650 ipoh.
opens at 1pm until they're sold out, which is pretty quickly! so do go early! and bring someone to talk to or something to read!
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
over world of warcraft?
hahahahahahaha what a frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreak! i'm just SO relieved he didn't strip off his boxers.
thanks sherms for the vid. really made my day. HAHA!
Monday, 6 July 2009
ridikulus
i hate it when people have this unreasonable fear towards dogs. perhaps it is QUITE acceptable if one is afraid of big dogs like rottweilers and doberman pinschers especially since they have been unfairly portrayed time and time again in the media... but to be scared of smaller dogs and toy breeds? completely baffles me.
seriously people. have you seen my dogs or not. do they look like they can eat you up.
okay so kiki may seem scary with all her barking and her (very unfortunate) devilish look but she is SO small that if you gave her the slightest kick, she'd fly to my neighbour's house in a flash. and omg, don't get me started on how anyone in their right mind can be so afraid of GINGER! that one is totally beyond me. i mean, to jump onto my antique chair while you flail your arms around like a chimpanzee and scream your lungs out at the sight of my two tiny dogs... now that is REALLY annoying. especially when you're 25 years old, not 5.
and to ask - no, demand - for my dogs to be caged up just for you? you can go eat your own shit lah ok.
so please lah. if you want to come to my house when i don't really know you/don't give a damn about you AND be so afraid of my dogs, i'm sorry but you are most welcome to stand outside my gate.
stupid retarded fool.
seriously people. have you seen my dogs or not. do they look like they can eat you up.
okay so kiki may seem scary with all her barking and her (very unfortunate) devilish look but she is SO small that if you gave her the slightest kick, she'd fly to my neighbour's house in a flash. and omg, don't get me started on how anyone in their right mind can be so afraid of GINGER! that one is totally beyond me. i mean, to jump onto my antique chair while you flail your arms around like a chimpanzee and scream your lungs out at the sight of my two tiny dogs... now that is REALLY annoying. especially when you're 25 years old, not 5.
and to ask - no, demand - for my dogs to be caged up just for you? you can go eat your own shit lah ok.
so please lah. if you want to come to my house when i don't really know you/don't give a damn about you AND be so afraid of my dogs, i'm sorry but you are most welcome to stand outside my gate.
stupid retarded fool.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
The only thing left to do is to brace myself.
- visa... approved.
- flight ticket... booked (allowed 40kgs! ahhahaha)
- hsbc uk account... activated.
- accommodation... settled (sort of).
- manchester student id number... received (not like it really matters now anyway).
- health checkup appointment... confirmed.
- luggages... bought, discounted. :)
but am i really prepared to go? no. dont think i ever will be. 6 weeks may sound far away to you but not to me. i am not looking forward. sometimes i feel really nauseous thinking about it. last time die die also want to go overseas but now i dont understand why i thought that way. hate! hate hate hate. just want to stay at home!
ps: finally succumbed to the twitter madness. only follow me if you're interested to keep up with my bowel habits and what i have for breakfast...
Thursday, 18 June 2009
I LOVE BRITISH ROCK BANDS (and an Australian)
edit (26 June): O.M.G. Michael Jackson is dead! i'm just really sad that he passed without having the chance to redeem himself after being in all that negative limelight. rest in peace MJ. you are a legend.
these are my all-time favourites, deemed legendary by me (and many many many many others i'm sure). watching these videos over and over again gives me goosebumps- in a very good way!
and they can all sing so brilliantly live.
is it just me or are all the lead singers freaking sexayyy? well except for liam gallagher (oasis). i dont like his hair.
damn it lah when... WHEN... can i see these people in concert? coldplay in manchester coming september SOLD OUT! already! why do bad things only happen to me. why.
oh yeah i've also added adam lambert to my "MUST SEE CONCERTS BEFORE I DIE" list, which includes all of the above and justin timberlake. oh and katy perry! you cannot NOT want to see katy perry. actually there should be more on that list but most of them are 'dead' (michael jackson), or are actually dead, like queen (freddie mercury) and the beatles (john lennon).
totally unrelated, but i just met up with chongkz after almost a year! her belated birthday gift for me was a harry potter 2009 wall calendar and a mini lumos wand that ACTUALLY LIGHTS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahahhahahhahahahahaha. LOVEEEEEEEEEEE! needless to say i went nuts. but all i got her for her birthday was a silly piece of polka-dotted underwear =/ geez. i feel so bad.
these are my all-time favourites, deemed legendary by me (and many many many many others i'm sure). watching these videos over and over again gives me goosebumps- in a very good way!
and they can all sing so brilliantly live.
is it just me or are all the lead singers freaking sexayyy? well except for liam gallagher (oasis). i dont like his hair.
damn it lah when... WHEN... can i see these people in concert? coldplay in manchester coming september SOLD OUT! already! why do bad things only happen to me. why.
oh yeah i've also added adam lambert to my "MUST SEE CONCERTS BEFORE I DIE" list, which includes all of the above and justin timberlake. oh and katy perry! you cannot NOT want to see katy perry. actually there should be more on that list but most of them are 'dead' (michael jackson), or are actually dead, like queen (freddie mercury) and the beatles (john lennon).
totally unrelated, but i just met up with chongkz after almost a year! her belated birthday gift for me was a harry potter 2009 wall calendar and a mini lumos wand that ACTUALLY LIGHTS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahahhahahhahahahahaha. LOVEEEEEEEEEEE! needless to say i went nuts. but all i got her for her birthday was a silly piece of polka-dotted underwear =/ geez. i feel so bad.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Mumbojumbo... and maybe some relevant things.
last night i was cracking my head to recall my first concrete memory (clearly i have a lot of free time on my hands) and i can still remember rather vividly my trip to perth when i was 4, on an airplane (qantas, to be exact), sitting next to my grandma. funny i can only remember the flight there and not the trip itself. hmm. anyway. there was a very nice airsteward who gave me crayons and a colouring book among other goodies for kids. i also remember a miniature lego set. gosh, who didnt love lego! there was also a tiny block of cheese which i nibbled into slowly, and that instantaneously kicked off my love affair with cheese.
16 years down the road and i no longer get free crayons and colouring books on planes, i dont quite care about lego anymore, qantas is on the verge of going/has gone bankrupt and my brother says that i should be ashamed of calling myself a cheese lover if the only types of cheese i eat are cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, cream and cottage cheese. i hate cheese from sources other than the cow, and i especially cannot stand blue cheese. uekkk.
why cant i still be 4 where i could colour outside the lines and not give a damn, create things with lego without being anal about how they must be built symmetrically like how i am when i play the sims now (i get really frustrated if the rooms i build have uneven number of squares per line), still receive free exciting goodies on flights, and still be able to proudly tell people that i am an avid cheese lover without anyone bursting my bubble and telling me that i, in fact, am not.
pfft. life is complicated.
you know what's not good? complacency. and excessive comfort. NOT GOOD.
because i have reluctantly begun whatever preparations for the next phase of my life and i am already complaining. like visa application and banking and searching for accommodation and all that shit. it's not easy, people. especially when you have 'better' things to do like sleep and watch tv. actually i dont quite mind going to the bank. especially when you're with hsbc premier! heeeheeeheeeee. only cos i like the coffee. maybank private banking gives you 3-in-1 nescafe. and YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT YOURSELF. what is this.
things to do next week:
1) xray wisdom tooth. fuckit.
2) take ginger to the vet to remove stitches. my doggie has been spayed!
3) go imu take graduation cert
4) go old vista apartment take things (lol yes i still have stuff in that apartment. so terrible la me)
5) settle whatever visa stuff and go do visa
6) meet up with a certain someone (dunno can reveal her name yet or not. since got some surprise thing. so susah. but you know who you are la, right?)
7) buy dad's bday/father's day gift (both days are around the same time. can kill 2 birds with a stone)
8) buy mum's bday gift
9) korean praise&worship..hopefully it's not in korean =/ but mum wants to go so i must teman
10) compile photos
:)
have a good week ahead, people. and please. dont die in the heat.
16 years down the road and i no longer get free crayons and colouring books on planes, i dont quite care about lego anymore, qantas is on the verge of going/has gone bankrupt and my brother says that i should be ashamed of calling myself a cheese lover if the only types of cheese i eat are cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, cream and cottage cheese. i hate cheese from sources other than the cow, and i especially cannot stand blue cheese. uekkk.
why cant i still be 4 where i could colour outside the lines and not give a damn, create things with lego without being anal about how they must be built symmetrically like how i am when i play the sims now (i get really frustrated if the rooms i build have uneven number of squares per line), still receive free exciting goodies on flights, and still be able to proudly tell people that i am an avid cheese lover without anyone bursting my bubble and telling me that i, in fact, am not.
pfft. life is complicated.
you know what's not good? complacency. and excessive comfort. NOT GOOD.
because i have reluctantly begun whatever preparations for the next phase of my life and i am already complaining. like visa application and banking and searching for accommodation and all that shit. it's not easy, people. especially when you have 'better' things to do like sleep and watch tv. actually i dont quite mind going to the bank. especially when you're with hsbc premier! heeeheeeheeeee. only cos i like the coffee. maybank private banking gives you 3-in-1 nescafe. and YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT YOURSELF. what is this.
things to do next week:
1) xray wisdom tooth. fuckit.
2) take ginger to the vet to remove stitches. my doggie has been spayed!
3) go imu take graduation cert
4) go old vista apartment take things (lol yes i still have stuff in that apartment. so terrible la me)
5) settle whatever visa stuff and go do visa
6) meet up with a certain someone (dunno can reveal her name yet or not. since got some surprise thing. so susah. but you know who you are la, right?)
7) buy dad's bday/father's day gift (both days are around the same time. can kill 2 birds with a stone)
8) buy mum's bday gift
9) korean praise&worship..hopefully it's not in korean =/ but mum wants to go so i must teman
10) compile photos
:)
have a good week ahead, people. and please. dont die in the heat.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
i'm in love with sydney
i can't get over how nice sydney is! i know some of you would beg to differ but i fell in love with the place the moment i set foot on its soil. suddenly, unexpectedly, australia came alive. yeah. 4th time's a charm. i mean, i liked melbourne. it's pretty but it was mostly enjoyable because it wasn't with family but with hiew and her friends. so there were a lot of things to do and i had lots of fun! brisbane/gold coast - well, nobody thinks less of gold coast, but it still lacked a certain something. and i can't remember perth cos i was too young when i went but i doubt there's much to it. haha.
what i love about sydney is the blend of its old british colonial charm into its fast-paced metropolitan lifestyle. while you cant help but constantly be on the go to keep up with its city life, you'd still find yourself stopping in your tracks just to be in awe of how beautiful the place is. how you're always surrounded by the sparkling sea. how, while you're admiring modern buildings and skyscrapers, you find lush greeneries greeting you out of nowhere. then there are the gorgeous beaches and beautiful suburbs, and endless eateries tempting you with only the best cuisine from all parts of the world. and the ancient sound of the didgeridoo amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. and its huge shopping malls, and also its quaint little cafes and specialty shops in little nooks and corners. there is just so much to sydney! much to see and much to do, day AND night. i can go on and on and on. hey, you won't believe this, but at one point i was hating myself for not considering going to UNSW! haha.
the only complaint i have about sydney is that things there are SO expensive. i mean.. you can hardly find anything below AUD3. a bowl of plain rice costs AUD3. PLAIN RICE. even to use trolleys at the airport you've to pay AUD4! what is this? why so ridiculous? shopping there is great in that there is an astounding variety of things, from low-end to high-end, but yeah... expensive! haih. of course, if you're lucky and smart and patient enough, you'd be able to find some great bargains, just like i did. teehee.
oh sydney i love thee. i'll go back again and again if i could! i don't mind even doing postgrad there. :P
anyways. pictures! shall say it all.
what i love about sydney is the blend of its old british colonial charm into its fast-paced metropolitan lifestyle. while you cant help but constantly be on the go to keep up with its city life, you'd still find yourself stopping in your tracks just to be in awe of how beautiful the place is. how you're always surrounded by the sparkling sea. how, while you're admiring modern buildings and skyscrapers, you find lush greeneries greeting you out of nowhere. then there are the gorgeous beaches and beautiful suburbs, and endless eateries tempting you with only the best cuisine from all parts of the world. and the ancient sound of the didgeridoo amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. and its huge shopping malls, and also its quaint little cafes and specialty shops in little nooks and corners. there is just so much to sydney! much to see and much to do, day AND night. i can go on and on and on. hey, you won't believe this, but at one point i was hating myself for not considering going to UNSW! haha.
the only complaint i have about sydney is that things there are SO expensive. i mean.. you can hardly find anything below AUD3. a bowl of plain rice costs AUD3. PLAIN RICE. even to use trolleys at the airport you've to pay AUD4! what is this? why so ridiculous? shopping there is great in that there is an astounding variety of things, from low-end to high-end, but yeah... expensive! haih. of course, if you're lucky and smart and patient enough, you'd be able to find some great bargains, just like i did. teehee.
oh sydney i love thee. i'll go back again and again if i could! i don't mind even doing postgrad there. :P
anyways. pictures! shall say it all.
opera house
opera house & harbour bridge from mrs macquarie's chair on a very good day
view of harbour bridge from the circular quay station
darling harbour at night. so pretty!
wonderful view of darling harbour from our dinner place at hurricane's. yes people. this was the view from our table.
queen victoria building - shop shop shop! beautiful place too. oh did you know did you know. some Ipoh company owns this place. or used to own. haha. but still!
sydney hyde park - view of sydney tower
sydney hyde park - st mary's cathedral
dee why beach. the waves were awesome!
manly beach
max brenner! we meet again. muahaha.
milsons restaurant in kirribilli - great place for fine dining
in sydney i had: chinese, japanese, korean, malaysian (dont ask), traditional english, southwestern, modern australian, oh and lots of fresh seafood! yummy yummy. LOL. all very good! except for malaysian. nothing beats malaysian food IN MALAYSIA.
recommendations: hurricane's grill and bar, makoto sushi bar, milsons kirribilli
hunter valley, about 140km from sydney. beautiful, serene place. lots of vineyards.
'twas a cloudy day. rained quite a bit, in fact, but was still good!
i tried searching for pierre but he was shy :(
wine-tasting. cheers! :)
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