Here and there

This is the time when everyone seems to be scattered everywhere. Chong Yen, Kai Ling, Mithran,  and Su Yun have all gone to Singapore to start their tertiary education. The others who have enrolled into public university like me should be so envious of them. Why? They get CLEAN single rooms with proper toilets. Unlike the ones I have at the hostel. How I wish I can have the toilets I once used when I was in Australia over here.

Well, the purpose of this post is not about the toilets. With everyone being all over the place, I find it very hard to keep in touch. Uni life has been pretty hectic for the past few weeks and I expect it to be more hectic as the course progresses. So I guess that there will no longer be anymore mamak sessions for a long time to come. But we all still have blogs and Facebook to continue keeping in touch. Please use the ingenious invention called the internet.

Staying out of home is a new experience to me. To even stay for 5 days a week in the hostel seems so long and I can’t wait to go back home. I wonder how the others do it. The people here come from all over the place and they have to be like totally independent. I really adore them for being able to survive here. But staying out will make you appreciate home and family better.

Till then, people. Take care

UPDATE!

Time flies wei. And it is already the fourth week I’m at UKM.

Entering Medical School is like such a great relieve to me and well, of course, my dad’s wallet. Not going to talk much but I have some pictures to share.
Future medical students from UKM. Haha great people, and most of them are younger than me by a year or two.

My PBL (Problem-Based Learning) group, during the PPD (Personal and Professional Development) Camp

My PBL group together with our facilitator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Goh

Eye on Malaysia

The lecture hall, which can probably fit nearly 500 people. My batch has 214 people.

And this is what some do when they can’t stand listening to the lecturers.

Overall, UKM is still okay. Seniors have been great, especially Chee Inn who has been helping me throughout the adapting process.

The only problem I have is the TOILETS! Some dumbass, future medical doctors by the way, DO NOT FREAKING KNOW HOW TO FLUSH AFTER FINISHING THEIR BUSINESS!

And by the way, I got a new laptop, Toshiba M300. Another reason for me not to focus and study like how a medical student should.

Oh ya, for those who I haven’t been contacting, please do not feel that I don’t bother or care about my friends. Maybe today, I shall start contacting everyone. And if you have read this post before I call you, please call me.

She’s coming back next month!

UPDATED!

I’m glad

I got Medicine at UKM!

Just so glad that I do not have to worry about financial difficulties.

This is the breakdown of the fees structure for the entire 5-year course:

Amount to be paid by student - RM 14,155

Amount to be paid by government - RM 222,235

That’s like so cheap. Going to IMU would easily cost more than RM 300,000. I believe I can live like a king during my 5-year course and still not spend more than RM 50,000.

And yeah, I will be starting the orientation and later, lecture this Sunday so I won’t be updating my blog for at least two weeks.

Take care, peeps

Carrots, please?

Taken by tyrone

Finally…

As usual, I’ll check my gmail and my application status for NUS.

And, also as expected, I got what I have expected.

Application status

The general stages for the application status are
Application received –> Application processing –> Outcome of application

Your current status is Admission denied.

And, no matter how much I have expected it and am ready for it, when the moment comes, I couldn’t help but to feel disappointed.

But I’m over with it.

Now, I am waiting for the third week on June.

Wonders with numbers

Remember this question?

Given these numbers:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

By only using them once, fill in the blanks to satisfy the equation without using a calculator. (This follows the Mathematical rule: Multiplication and division should be done first.)
(0 has a meaning. It may not be used as ‘03′. I.E. : 10 or 30.

__ __ x __ __ - __ __ /__ __ + __ __ = 1000

I didn’t know that quite a few of you tried doing this question. Frustrated, right? After so many tries but still couldn’t get it. Anyway, I have the answer, of course with some hints.

46 x 20 - 57 / 19 + 83 = 1000

Wonders with numbers.

The Wait

Without fail, every time I switch on my PC, I will check my gmail for a reply from NUS. And everytime, there wouldn’t be any new mail, even if there is one, it’s not from NUS. I will then check my online application status.

It always reads:

Application status

The general stages for the application status are
Application received –> Application processing –> Outcome of application

Your current status is Application processing.

The moment I stepped out from the room for the first interview, I knew I have blew my chances of getting a place in NUS. I have only one chance to impress the interviewers and I didn’t take that chance. I told myself I will not get a place and I will be satisfied with a place from UKM or USM.

And so, that is what I told everyone who asked me how the interview went.

But no. Deep down in me, I do want a place in NUS. I won’t be satisfied with a place in UKM or USM; even UM wouldn’t make me happy.

It is not just about NUS which makes me want to go there. It is the environment, the new life and most importantly, my future.

Realistically, I know my chances of getting a place. It is just next to zero.

Looks like my life changing hope is gone, almost.

Kids nowadays

Out of nowhere, I find myself chatting with this standard six boy whom I know from BB.

Here’s our little chat.

I tell you, kids nowadays are so lucky. I can’t remember using MSN or even ICQ when I was in primary 6.

And the chat continued…

What can I say?

Global Warming

Is it me or is it really hot nowadays? I don’t remember not sweating for a day. Every time I take a nap in the evening, I’ll wake up, sweating. Gosh, I don’t think I can survive without air-cond.

Well, this may be largely contributed by global warming. According to some statistics, the 10 hottest years ever were recorded in the last 14 years. If you have the chance, please watch ” An Inconvenient Truth”. I think HBO is showing this movie now.

Not that I want to complain, but it’s really hot!

Of funeral rituals, autopsy and organ donation

I have just finished watching Taboo on National Geographic Channel. It was about dealing with the death, as in the rituals involved during the funeral according to various religions and beliefs. I found this topic rather intriguing.

Being a taosit/buddhist myself, (I’m still confused of whether I am a Taoist or a Buddhist) funeral rituals may be elaborate and there are so many rules which we have to abide. The elders would know very well about the pantang larangs / rules involved, but most of the youngsters now wouldn’t know anything and thus, we just follow and never question why this or that should be done.

Boy : Ah Ma, how come we cannot do this, this, this and this during the funeral? And why must we do this?

Ah Ma: Aiyo, don’t ask so much questions la. Just follow only.

You know what, I think the elders do not even know why they are performing the steps involved during certain rituals.

According many religions, the body acts as a vessel in which the soul stays in until death. The body of the deceased should be given utmost respect. Most of the time, people do not want the body of their relatives to undergo autopsy as they have the thought that autopsy may disfigure the body of the person and also the soul.

Well, at least according to my religion or the thoughts of my relatives, the body should be in a perfect condition with all the parts of the body intact during the funeral. Although questions may surface on how the person has passed away, they would not want an autopsy to be done and prefer to speculate on the reason of death.

Being a man of science myself, I came to understand that we are what we are because of the tiny functions and minor reactions which occur in the billions of cells in our body. I would not say that souls exist but I would definitely not say that souls do not exist. This issue is brought down as beliefs and there is no way of proving it wrong or right.

Anyway, the idea of this post is whether or not autopsy should be performed. In simpler terms, autopsy involves cutting the corpse open to find out the reason behind the death. The body will definitely be disfigured but I believe the person performing the autopsy would do what he or she can to ensure that the body is in the best condition possible before preparing it for funeral.

This is also closely related to organ donation. To me, organ donation is a noble thing to do. Anyway, we would not need our organs when we are dead. Our hearts, livers, lungs, kidneys and eyes would rot and go to waste anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to donate them? Well, my parents, along with many other parents out there disagree. They have the thought that our body should be in perfect condition during the funeral. I still can’t convince them to give up that thought.

I know it is a scary thought of having your body to be cut opened when you are dead but there is a purpose behind it. But well, it all comes down to beliefs.

Would you abide by the funeral rituals or go on with autopsy or organ donation?