Musings

Since when have I become this terrible human being when I am with my patients? I tried to deny it at first yet the truth has turned around and made a head on collision with my conscience. So I've been asking myself, since when have I become this jaded, disillusioned, cynical human being when it comes to dealing with patients?

Does Dr House ring a bell? Hmm, I don't watch it much; a lot of people have been telling me what brilliant tv entertainment it is (I'll just get the DVD compilation) but what little I have managed to catch does make me think that I must be the female, Malaysian version of him. The jaded, disillusioned, cynical part, that is. Not the the brilliant diagnostician part. Unfortunately.

It wasn't a particularly bad on call last night. Only managed 2 hours of sleep - itupun tidur ayam, as you usually get during on calls, tapi biasa lah tu. Up at half two attending to a sudden barrage of labour room cases from Jeli (their 6-(apparently) bed ante-postnatal ward were full - tambah la katil weii) and had this TOS (trial of scar) that I had to keep a close eye on. After she delivered (lega!), there was another first time mother who had trouble bearing down. She finally managed to deliver (with 15 mins to spare) and I trudged off to my on call room at 6 am.

Thursdays aren't usually busy at our OPD tapi today it was particularly bad. Maybe everyone wanted to stock up on medications in view of the long weekend (long weekends are really bad for OPDs, I think). I was getting through the cases as fast as I could and couldn't spare much time for pleasantries. and one of my patients took offense.

Making a long story short, I just kept quiet while she lectured me on such poor service I am giving. I wasn't even listening to what she was saying. The pounding headache blocked out much of it. Normally I would have given some back to her, tapi post call punya pasal, kita diam aje lah. I told her, 'Nama saya Dr Suriana. Komplen lah kalau awak nak.' Dengan nada yang selamba gitu. Macam gangster la plak bunyinya, kan. Tapi seriously, I was so tired I really couldn't care less. I could deal with whatever later but not then.

Bengang, memang la bengang, tapi now, hours after the incident, I am thinking - I somehow deserved that. Regardless of how tired I am, I should have shoved that all aside and treat my patients as if I have all the time in the world. It doesn't matter that makcik Semah has turned up for registration at 7.55 am and still haven't managed to be seen at 10, tapi if a mak datin wanna be comes into my room and demands her BP be checked despite getting hundred-ringgit-per-visit-consultations at a private specialist hospital, I guess I must hide my contempt and trudge along.

I must sound as if I'm making excuses for my behaviour but I'm not. This is just me thinking myself out. I wish there is a way for me to turn up for work and not assume anything of the person sitting at my desk. Not assume he's just here to get MCs so that he can get off for Raya. Not assume that pakcik Mat tells me that he takes his diabetic medication yet scoffs on nasik berlauk three times a day complete with fat laced sup tulang and extra sweet teh beng.

Because all this assumption is just making it worse. I mean my jadedness, my disillusionment and my cynicism.

*sigh*

*Another Big Sigh*

I seriously am not liking myself much right now.

and I'm on call Raya Haji.

Selamat Hari Raya Qurban.

Bummer

I did a verrrry bad thing today. Though at the time I did it, I didn't know it was bad.

Now, I realise what a huge mistake I did and I really feel like an idiot.

I wish I could turn back time.

Oncall - bleurgh......

Post call - yeay!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember when I went for my induction course, a fellow medical officer listed 'benda yang dibenci - oncall. benda yang disukai - postcall'. Ada gak another fella who said, 'benda yang dibenci - oncall. benda yang disukai - claim elaun oncall' - hehehe....smart alec la tu.

Yesterday I had my first oncall in 17 months.

My senior MO gave us a month to get used to managing patients, since the roster had been set up and it would only be a waste of time to reconstruct it just to accommodate us two new MOs. I had the good intentions of 'tagging' - some call it shadowing - but of course, my good intentions remain as intentions, hehe.

I've long learnt that particular MOs are 'jonah' - which simply means, when these jonah people are oncall, the worst and the most bizarre cases will trudge, be rushed or be wheeled into the A&E that day. We have one of those in my hospital. Thank goodness she is only oncall a day a month! Imagine, during the one weekend that she was on duty, she referred a total of 12 cases! From upper GI bleeds to severe metabolic acidosis to multiple fractures. Surprisingly she remains good natured about it. Pass a cup of that positive thinkin' my way, kak TJ!

I've noticed that even though I'm not generally jonah, I'm not that particularly 'cool' either. One lucky MO once told us envious lot, that one night, she didn't get a single call from casualty and slept very soundly from 9 pm till the next day. How come I'm never that lucky?

I turned up early on my oncall day. The fact that I couldn't get much sleep and was wide awake by 5 am didn't help either.

We don't do rounds per se; usually we just do the discharges for post natal cases and then review cases that have been passed over by the MO in charge or oncall the previous day. Apparently it was rather quiet the night before and I was crossing my fingers and my toes that the quietness will extend to my period of duty.

and in a way, it did. The labour room only started receiving cases at about 5 pm. Staff syif pagi lepak siot. There were no life threatening cases - only a bunch of epigastric discomforts and two cases of multiple bee stings. The makcik I saw was stung about 20 times and still had stingers on her face! Nasib baik no anaphylactic reaction.

Tapi, at night it became busier. I only managed to drag myself to bed at 3 am and itupun, bukan boleh tidur lena. I kept anticipating the phone to ring. So, again, at 5 am, I was wide awake; must be the adrenaline. So, a quick shower later, I dragged my sore feet and very sore and now callused thumb for a quick round of the cases I admitted. While waiting for the next MO to take over, I even managed a quick discussion of a case of afebrile seizures that I admitted last night.

Tapi, yang pelik sungguh tu......there were NOT A SINGLE motor vehicle accident case at all last night, which is maha weird for HTM.

Tired as I am (still unable to get any sleep since returning home this morning. Even managed a leisurely shopping trip for beads in KB), I have no complaints. This is my job. This is what I've been trained to do and I love it. but of course, not as much as I love the sensation of being post call.......

Odds and Ends

I made a big decision today.

However, whether my big decision becomes a reality or otherwise remains to be seen. But I guess, something has to be done. Things cannot stay the way it is, regardless of how content I feel I am right now.

An unfortunate case came into casualty today. Sundays are never a good day. It seems like a majority of ill patients like to 'ok' - kelantanese for persevere or stand ground - in the moments of illness during the weekend and then turn up in droves on Sunday. This guy was doing some wiring job on top of a ladder about 10-15' high and subsequently fell to the ground, hitting his head. He seemed like he was awake and at one time attempted to get up but when we asked what his name is, he appeared not to hear us.

We thought he could have been mute or maybe a foreigner - Siamese ppl look a lot like Malays over here in Kelantan, you can hardly tell them apart - but his friends tell us that he isn't. I left him to the care of the MO in charge and went to tend to my OPD patients.

Apparently later he fitted and had to be intubated. Poor R had to deal with the difficult intubation - it must have been one hell of a difficult one because she has a year's experience in Anaesthesia and still had to call for help!

On a more bitchy note - I just hate ppl who throw rubbish out of their car window. Why oh why do ppl do this??!! I guess these same ppl are the ones who nonchalantly throw rubbish out their house windows as well. Why can't parents be more responsible and teach some good manners to their kids? Buang keluar tingkap pun still kotorkan rumah sendiri apa....? Eeee,....rasa macam nak kutip balik sampah tu and buang masuk balik dlm rumah aje.....

and Last but not least, a special mention to one of my oldest friends (I've known him since I was 17, my god I just realise how ancient I am...) who has passed his MRCPs!!!!!!!!!! Yeay!!

Cuba teka....?

This is taken in Permaisuri. Abang and I always have a good giggle everytime we pass by the shop.

Any ideas what it's selling?

Open for a month a year

This is the gerai makan that I was talking about previously. As you can see, siap ada tempat jual air lagi. Seriously, this was taken at 11 am okay. Who buys air for buka puasa at 11 am?



The second picture taken after Raya. Noticeably vacant.



Only Allah knows....

Familiar faces

When oh when will I get my own phone line? Before I transferred from the other place, I'd already made arrangements for the old line to come here but Malaysian customer service being the way it is, guess what, four weeks on and there's still no news.

But anyways, it's been three weeks since I came back to HTM. I just love being in a hospital. As bad as being on call is, the quietness of the corridors and the sleeping patients (as long as they're not restless or gasping la) calms me. At least I've firmly decided on where I would like to work.

I had said before, during one of my farewell speeches, that whenever I leave a place, I only remember the good stuff. and when I left HTM, I kept missing the good natured ambience that the staff has. I forgot about when I whined about colleagues who took advantage of us junior ones or when it got so busy that I ended up escorting a patient twice in 12 hours. So naturally, the moment I spent my first day, they all come flooding back in a huge tsunami...hehehe.....and long suffering colleagues all rolled their eyes as if to say 'Macam la kau tak pernah kerja sini...'

Not only the staff are familiar, even some patients I still remember and they, in turn still remember me. Two chinese girls and their grandmother and aunt came to see me one day. The last time I saw her, she was this scrawny, pale thing who was stuck on oxygen and her mum. She had been my patient while I was in HRPZ II (formerly HKB) too. and now.....she's still scrawny but she's all grown up! :) Sadly her mother had died about 2 years ago.

Two days ago, my colleague referred a case which had equally saddened and enraged me the first time I met her. She was taken care of by her aunt. Her father, an IVDU had passed away and the first time I met her, the mother had passed away as well. The next I heard, her other two siblings also had died. Tell me, what other types of sadness and grief can you possibly wish on this unfortunate being? A year and half ago at least she was well. I could barely recognise her that day. Her limbs were like matchsticks, her tummy distended and her skin had multiple rashes. She looked exhausted; maybe she had finally given up on fighting for her life.

I've a hunch she might not return to Tanah Merah....and perhaps that is for the best.

It was a cold and rainy day....

The monsoon rain beats heavily on her silver Kenari windshield. The grey clouds mirror the heaviness in her heart. Once in a while she clumsily wipes at the tears flowing on her cheeks.

Why are men so idiotic sometimes? She cries silently. Husbands in particular....! Is it so hard to show your appreciation towards your wife, whether it by words or by actions...? Teasing you may be but the word still smarts.

A muffled sob escapes her lips. She drives slowly pass the silent schools, the small roadside sundry shops and looks for a place she can stop by. She needs a moment to think.

Her phone rings. She glances at the display. Let it ring, her heart says. Serves him right for treating you this way. He's probably calling to admonish you for leaving the house without permission. He probably just wants to tell you off for letting him face the puzzled expressions of his family members, for he, does not know where his wife is. He, who ALWAYS knows where the wife goes. For she does not go anywhere without him.

But that was before. It's time to teach him a lesson. Let him know that he cannot treat her like chewing gum he accidentally stepped on and now wants to get rid off.

The beginnings of a headache throbs in her head. I need to get home. Regardless of how angry I am, I miss him already.

She starts her car and makes a three point turn. The rain still falls but already the clouds look a little less grey to her.

The house is empty. His car isn't parked at it's usual spot. Her heart lunges to her feet and beyond. Sampai hati.... The tears start to fall again. The throbbing becomes more intense. She should really get some sleep. A couple of paracetamols should take care of the pain. Her last thoughts as she dozed off was of him, laughing as he enjoys the weekend lunch at his sister's home. Happy to be rid off her.

Two hours later she wakes up. His arms are wrapped around her, his breath consolingly warm against her neck. She turns around and he opens his eyes. She starts to pull his arm away from her but he resists.

Stop it! Do you know what matters of things have been going through my head the past four hours? Do you know the moment I realised that you'd left, I rushed out to find you that I left my wallet at home and when I got to where I thought you'd be, I still couldn't find you and now the gas tank is empty and I didn't have money to fill it up?

She ponders upon his words, deciding if she should believe him but deep down realises that he has never lied to her so why would he start now?

Do you know how worried I have been, and how sorry I am that I'm such an idiot and please not do that to me again?

She turns to face him. She knows he's telling the truth and that he indeed has gone round and round all the usual spots they frequent, hoping to catch a glimpse of her silver Kenari. She knows that for everything that she thought was bad about him, there are 10 other things that are wonderful about him.

She pulls him close and embraces him. I didn't go far, no matter how mad I am at you, I wouldn't dream of leaving you....I didn't go far. I'm sorry.

Hush, it's ok yang, it's ok. Now come and eat lunch with me, I'm starving.

and that day, she had the best ikan goreng she has ever tasted.....

Rut rut rut

I'm in a rut.

and I don't know how I'm going to get out of it.

Yesterday was my first day back at work. It was nice in a way, starting in a place where you've worked before. Now and then ppl kept stopping and saying things like 'Macam pernah tgk je muka nie...' and I don't resent that. It was nice of them to say that. But I don't think I'll be making myself comfy here. I'd like to advance at some stage.

But most of all, I'd like to get my own house.

With my own things and where I don't have to tread softly everywhere I go and get permission with anything I use.

Bleeuurgh.

I'm back to sharing spaces for just 2 weeks and already I'm resenting it.

and I'm resenting it so much that it's taking a toll with the people around me.

Someone tell me how I should get myself out of this rut...

Overwhelmed

Imagine trying to fit the entire content of a house into a room.

That is precisely what dr bekeng has been attempting to do for the past 2 weeks, bar the few days she had to celebrate raya.

and now she is totally overwhelmed.

She has tried putting some stuff at Ma's house in Pengkalan Chepa. A single seater sofa, the bed, the ironing board, the fan and the TV cabinet resides there now. The TV, on the other hand is currently sitting in a corner of the kitchen at FIL's house, a sad reminder of my currently (proper) homeless state. In her room, she has set up the PC (complete with her printer) AND another TV (albeit a much smaller one) and the DVD player. Some stuff has been replacing older equipments in FIL's house - the fridge, the washing machine, the ASTRO decoder (thank god no more interrupted dialogues!) and SIL will now be getting the microwave oven that used to sit on the kitchen counter because another microwave oven will be sitting there now.

BUT I still have about a tonne of other stuff that seriously needs a new home. What about my books - leisure and medically related-? What about my collection of DVDs? What about my stationeries? I now have two sets of toiletries and my lovely stainless steel, heavy bottomed crockeries are just sitting there in boxes....OUTSIDE, NEXT TO MY CAR......

Sorry, but I did say I'm overwhelmed...............

McDreamy, McSteamy and McVet

Warning, spoilers may be ahead.

I just spent the last 5 hours of my morning cooped up in my small and very messy room watching the complete second season of Grey's Anatomy.

When I watch and get hooked to any TV programmes - which I don't really, not that often - it's usually because I identify with the story and their characters. In this case, obviously it's the medical thing, y'know. I love Cristina and her barb wired comments and over achieving streak. I think I used to be like her before I mellowed down (or is it out? Ntah....). I love Miranda Bailey and her no nonsense attitude, because really we all know she's just a human being under all that talk.

I love watching Burke and Cristina and how they got together despite their major differences and how despite not so obvious gestures, the affection between those two still shine through.

and I love how all the characters gel together, weaving in between those stories that each of their patients tell - making each episodes such a gem and even though now I have completed all 20 odd episodes, it's not satisfying me but just making me hunger for more. I guess good TV series are supposed to do that to you.

GA is really one of those TV watching experience that makes you feel all the human emotions possible. Cristina's one liners always made me laugh till my sides hurt and I got angry that I felt like going into the TV and shaking some sense into Izzie when she fell in love with Denny (but of course, with charm by the bucketfuls, who wouldn't?) and I cried like a baby at so many scenes that I've lost count.

Yeah, it's OTT (ever seen a Katherine Heigl look-alike in your hospitals lately, huh????) and over glamourising the profession but who cares.....it's TV, it's escapism and we all need a little bit of that once in a while.....

Customer service part II

Ho hum, another Raya gone by.

It always seems like the whole of Malaysia's population ends up in Kelantan during the Raya festivities. Mind you, KB is no longer the quiet town it was 20 years ago, but come Raya, the whole state is transformed. Roads get congested, restaurants are full - even Renaissance's ramadhan buffets are fully booked by 8 am in the morning! and strange as it sounds, I can almost always tell which ones are local and those who are just here for the holidays.

Despite the slowly westernizing influences, Kelantan girls are still rarely seen without their tudungs. Though, when I see them in their tight jeans, almost sleeveless, low collared baby Ts, I seriously feel like going up to them and asking "Why do you even bother huh?" - most of them are still reluctant to take the tudungs off. But seriously la weyyy...why bother? The tudungs are either a)ikat mulut itik bawah dagu and so short that they expose the nape of the neck or the skin on the chest or b)all properly tied up but for some strange reason hair is allowed to fall out of the tudungs - most of the time can be seen on motorbikes at kampung roads.

KL girls on the other hand, expose their hair unashamedly, 9 out of 10 hair has been dyed - honey blond is quite popular. In fact this isn't exclusive to the girls, KL makciks also tend to exhibit a hair colour that isn't their own. They also have a different type of walk - maybe it's the air of confidence they naturally obtain from staying in a big city. and of course, the way they speak almost always give it away too. It's the Manglish that I usually can't stand.

But anyhow, me digress. I went to KB Mall on the second day of Raya. There's a new store next to P*ci**c open. So, Abg was looking for a suitable wedding present for a colleague and we were getting desperate. Browsing through the household section, I saw some bean bag covers (though I can't really imagine seeing a bean bag in a typical Kelantan home). My old one had become dirty and covered in mould due to the lack of use but I don't really want to throw the beans away. So I chose one of a neutral colour and proceeded to the cashier. So this guy with a fancy walkie talkie asked me I wanted to pay and when I said yeah, he mumbled into his equipment, I presumed looking for the staff in charge.

Okay, you know me, I'm a stickler for customer service, yeah....if you're already open for business, get someone manning the cashier la weh! The store has been open since 10 and my watch showed 10.20 and you still had to find someone at that time? 10 mins passed by and all I get are a bunch of temps walking in a group in between the aisles, zombie-like and of not much use to me. I was already starting to grumble, in a voice loud enough that the group of temps started to walk away from the vicinity of the paying booth.

After 15 mins of futile waiting, I left. Stupid idiots. Didn't even get my chance to exhibit my bekengness to anyone. If this had happened at Jusco, I'll be heading straight to the customer feedback booth pouring out my discontentment on a piece of their stationery. But the thing is, this sort of thing wouldn't even happen in Jusco in the first place.

You people at KB Mall, yeah, you management people....you can copy the physical aspects of big chain stores all you like, but if your staff is as crappy as they are that day, jgn harap la. I only visit your store because of the lack in choice. If Jusco were to open in KB, jangan harap la nak jumpa muka nie dekat P*ci**c/H*me M*rt ok?

Think that's the end of the story? No way Jose! Later that evening brought the gang out for dinner (tip for future KB Mall visitors, if you're planning to catch up on stories and having a nice conversation with friends, don't bother eating at the shop next to the bowling alley, it was so noisy I can barely hear myself think!) and Abg decided he'd get the Visions set. We chose quickly and queued up to pay. Sebesar-besar second floor of P*ci**c tu, they cleverly opened only one cashier and of course, the slowest, most stupid staff was working that night! After ten mins of waiting, the first customer in line still haven't left! The makcik standing in front of Abg started to get restless. Promoters were starting to pile things up on the counter. Then came this Ah So (supervisor kot) and Abg stopped her in her tracks and said "Tak boleh ke awak bukak counter lain untuk bayar?" - she asked what Abg was paying for and even lifted the box, walking towards the outside of the store where an idle cashier is waiting for people to buy clothes at the longgok section. The next thing I know, the rest of the queue followed us!

Hello! What crap management is this? A thousand of Zings are just waiting to be bombarded but Ah So left quickly, so takde can I nak laser dia.

Okay la, I bukan management oriented but even I can tell that you must be doing something wrong if this is how you manage your store. Why don't you go to other successfull chain stores and see how they do it? I've always enjoyed shopping at Jusco - the staff are so friendly, the advantages of the loyalty card are endless - they even give discounted parking if you're a card holder.

Ini, parking in KB Mall dah la already tak cukup to cater to the post gaji, weekend group - last time I saw, they actually converted the first floor parking to expand the store! Apa punya plan nie? So ppl actually park anywhere they want, blocking already narrow roads and what nots....

My solution? Apart from hoping that Jusco might be interested in opening in KB, be there at 10 am on a saturday morning and leave by 12 noon, saves me the hassle and heart ache and much easier on the blood pressure....

ZINGing....

Bengangnya I hari nieeeeee....!!!!

Kenapa I bengang? Well firstly, I luuuurrrrve the movie You've Got Mail. Tom Hanks isn't really the first guy I'd pick to play a hugely wealthy, highly desired, big boss of a chain of successful bookstores, tapi tak kisah lah tu. There is a part in the movie where Hanks emails Meg Ryan's character about what happened when both characters meet for the second time, where Kathleen finally discovers that Joe Fox is indeed of the Fox and Son's Bookstores.

Joe starts by saying this:
Do you ever feel you've become the worst version of yourself?
That a Pandora's box of all the secret, hateful parts, your arrogance, your spite, your condescension, has sprung open?
Someone provokes you, and instead of smiling and moving on, you ZING them?
"Hello, it's Mr. Nasty."

In this case, Hey there, meet DR Nasty....

Ask my staff, ZINGing is like my favourite pasttime or something. and I almost always regret it, the moment the zings fly out of my mouth and I spend a good portion of the day thinking that maybe I could have handled it better, or become more patient.

*************************I actually started writing about what happened this morning which made me so mad but as I read through my entry, I thought so what.....so what if one silly girl decides that she could feel better by applying sarcasm to me. Yes, I should have handled it better, I guess. I could have had more patience, and acted more maturely. I'll even go as far as admitting that maybe I was asking for it. Tapi if I was perfect, I wouldn't be human pulak, kan......?

So, anyone know where I can buy a barrelful of patience..??

Tiada hala tuju...

Seems most of my friends are making a headstart in the advancement of their careers. Most already have decided what they want to do. Some have taken steps in forms of taking professional exams and joining Masters programme.

The same thing can't be said about yours truly though. Sometimes I think I wanna do Paeds, yet sometimes I think I might make a good lecturer and sometimes, I wish I have the option of retiring and becoming a housewife or something (but naaahhhh, I'll be too bored).

The thing is though, sometimes I feel as if I haven't learned much more than I did when I was a med student (and even THAT is not a lot - believe me when I admit that it was totally luck when I passed medical school). What little I learnt, I think a good portion has been forgotten in between the pages of my Kumar and Clark's Textbook of Medicine. Truth be said, sometimes I think I might even know less stuff now than I did 4 years ago!!

Life in a small KK (Klinik Kesihatan to you) hasn't helped much either. Seeing diabetics and hypertensives and headaches and eczemas and jaundice day in and day out can be quite monotonous that you find yourself feeling so discontented that you start venting it out on your patients.

The fault isn't them. It's me. Could it be that I'm just angry at my procrastinating self; added to that a pinch of envy at seeing how my friends have progressed?

I seriously think true happiness comes from complete contentment. Even if you have only ten ringgit in your wallet, if you're content, who is to say you're not happy, betul?

So tell me....what should I do to feel content again..???

Countdown

It's my last three days at my KK. and frankly, tak rasa nostalgic pun. I definitely will not miss the headache of dealing with staff and patients whom I don't really see as sick.

Hmmm, that did not turn out as well as I thought it in my head.

It's like this. When you're working in an A&E, ppl come to you sick. Sampai sometimes tak leh bangun. This, I can sympathise with. When ppl walk into my room all fine and dandy, this, I cannot register in my thick skull as being sick. OK tak cakap macam tu..?

But anyhow, talking about my line of work, I found this great blog called Dari Bilik Ini - it's written by a GP (from what I gather) and it's sometimes about interesting diseases, and sometimes about the patients that he encounters. Cool. and he's the first runner up of Blogger's Idol 2006!

but anyway, again, dr bekeng digresses. Since I'm off for a long holiday after Raya, we've decided to pack and move stuff this Thursday. So Abg decided that we should spend the few nights here. (Pish, pack apa.....tu dia dok melepak depan tv....:))

Anyhow, I told Abg to settle the termination of api, air and telepon and it turns out they needed my IC since the accounts are in my name.

Masa nak gi fotostat IC, Abg kata 'Nak tgk kedai jual nasi untuk org tak puasa tak? Heeheee, siap tgh tuang nasi lagi...' and it was only 12 noon, ok???!!!

and right in front of the JKR Depot and just a few strides away from Masjid Permaisuri, terang-terangan (walaupun berjerubu) dua tiga lelaki melayu sasa (actually tak la sasa pun, kerempeng aje, tu yang dia beli nasi at 12 noon tu kot) sedang seronok mencedok lauk ke dlm take away styrofoam diorg! and according to Abg, the stall has been open since 10 am!

Okla....bersangka baik all you want....tapi WHO buys food for berbuka at 12 noon???? and I was relaying this story oh-so-enthusiastically to Kak M and kebetulan my patient at that time tu a police officer. Dia siap boleh gelak sakan lagi. According to him, the stall owner already has been reported to Pejabat Agama - tapi obviously no action has been taken lah kan kalau dia masih menjual nasi dia dgn meriahnya!

It's one thing if ppl buy nasi bungkus ala spy buat transaction siap ada code word and disguise kit, but to buy it in the open with absolutely no shame at all?? What is the world coming to? and in Terengganu some more!!??

and what is the district Pejabat Agama doing? Why are you not doing your responsibilities and go tear down the stall or something. I'm sure it's not even built on her own property - macam duduk atas rezab jalan aje...

Tomorrow I will post a pic of this stall ok.....tunggguuuuuu.....

Well, gotta go wake Abg, I can hear his melodic snoring already...:)

Kisah dr bekeng disengat tebuan..

I kena gigit tebuan 2 nights ago. Sakitttt....

Abg and I just had dinner and I was in the kitchen washing up. Then I wanted to straighten up the dining table. Masa nak tolak kerusi tu masuk, i felt this intensely painful and burning sensation in the middle of the palm of my right hand. Memula tu ingatkan masuk duri ke selumbar ke apa but those type of pain goes away and you can usually see the culprit, tapi ini tak nampak apa.

When I returned to the kitchen after I told Abg what I thought had happened, I saw this humongous tebuan (hornet kot...) on the floor.

For an instant, my mind rushed over the possibility of me being allergic to the sting, but then I remember, those are usually with bees....hehehe...melodramatic la plak.

Abg put some gamat oil on the sting but the pain was OMG....there was absolutely NO position that I could put my hands in to relieve the pain. Last-last tried putting it in ice water, - helps a bit but then tangan plak beku.

The throbbing discomfort lasted all night. I kept waking up due to the pain. Abg gelak je when I refused to go to the clinic - 'takut kena cucuk'.

The next day my right hand had swollen up so much that I couldn't make a fist. The pain, still there but much less in intensity, thank god. I called in sick - couldn't drive or write and was too 'mamai' from the lack of sleep....
and then malam semlm, the swollen area got so itchy, rasa macam nak garu ngan berus besi je....

I know I don't want to go through that again so I think I will keep an extra look out for humongous tebuans next time I'm clearing up the kitchen....

Public speaking

I had to give a ceramah today.

Ibu Berisiko semasa Hamil serta Faktor-faktor Kematian Ibu dan Anak.

The thing is, I don't think I have problems speaking in public, yet when I'm up there, all good sense goes out the window and brings a speed train in.

So, I end up talking like one.

But I think today it wasn't too bad. The mothers were nodding to what I was saying, and there wasn't that many expressions of complete puzzlement, so I guess I didn't do too bad.

The one thing that I seriously detest is people talking when someone else is giving a speech. If it was something emergency that simply couldn't wait, takpe la jugak. Once, I was at a conference in Ipoh, the guys (who says being a doctor automatically gives you good manners?) behind me were actually giving a review of how Brazil sucked big time this World Cup just past. Ada ke patut???

Hello brother....kalau kau tak nak dgr ceramah, sudah la, gi keluar la ok....jgn la plak mengganggu konsentrasi org yang nak dengar niee.....

That was what I was tempted to say to him and his gang, tapi of course la buat diam je. But one of these days......

and how is it that I am the one who always ends up sitting next to, or in front of or behind, the yakkety-yakking makciks whom, at that precise moment, chose to share her you-must-try-this biscuit recipe?

and what about people who simply cannot be bothered to switch their phones to silent mode? Takkan la beli phone mahal siap ada camera 7 juta pixel takde silent mode kot? and how is it that these same people, would end up with the most ridiculous, annoying ring tones and proceed to take hours to locate the said phones when they ring?

A productive day

I seriously think, the best days are the ones where you are on leave and everyone else isn't.

I had a day off yesterday. Since I'm reporting to JKN Kelantan today, I really couldn't be bothered to drive for an hour and ten minutes to Permaisuri and then drive for an hour and a half back at the end of the day. Afterall, the other MO is finally back from her induction course, so, let her take care of some of my patients for a change...(pembuliiiii.....:))

I'm weird in the sense that when it's a working day, I often wish for just ten more minutes of sleep, but on my day off, it's get up and go, people..! It's already 6 thirty y'know!!! and off I go doing my errands or gardening or whatever. Yesterday was like that. The moment FIL has gone off menoreh and Abg and BIL has gone for work, I started on my beadwork for about an hour and then started to lay down the rest of the tikar getahs and then went off to the shops to get some staples to tack them down. Berpeluh2, okay...after that, I started on my ayam percik which took a good 2 hours jugak,just to get the santan to thicken nicely.

I really wanted to take pictures of the dish, tapi terlupa la pulak. I haven't made this in ages. When I was studying overseas and residing in Biggart House, I loved making it, much to the delight of the other Malaysian students tapi sejak kahwin nie, rasa macam malas la pulak. and it is quite cumbersome, first you have to boil the chicken pieces in some garlic and ginger and salt. Then the sauce takes about an hour to boil down to the right consistency. Then the process of barbequing it takes about an hour - but I must say, the fact that Abang had seconds and thirds was worth everything....

Me: Apa rasa?

Abg: Sedap.

Me: Boleh buat lagi?

Abg: Bolehhhhh.....

Me: *happy*

a boring entry...

I love blogs. I'm so addicted to blogs that the first thing I do when I'm logged on is to click on all my bookmarked blogs and see if they have any new entries. Yang patheticnya, when I'm on my lunch break and I'm at home, I STILL drop by to see if they have any new entries!! :)

To me, blogs give an insight into other people's lives and how they think. Sometimes I think I should be a psychologist - I just luuurrrrrve analysing what people say and why do they say the things they say. It's like, reality TV but you read instead of you watch. You get me..? :) and as I've said before, I believe that there is a voyeur inside each and everyone of us, and it's because of this trait that reality TV has become so successful today. But apart from a handful of those shows, I'm not really a fan. I've always loved reading. I can't stand having nothing to do so that's why I always have a book with me. I'm the type of person who reads in the toilet and I have a mini library in them!

I spend an average RM200 per month on reading material and I'd rather spend my dosh on books than the latest make up line or clothes (not that I can find many that fit me....Hahahaha..). When I was studying, the place that you'll definitely find me during the weekend is the public library.

In short, take away my TV, take away my chocolate covered digestives, but don't you dare lay your grimy hands on my Harry Potter collection! :)

But I digress - so anyhow, I think my blog is rather boring compared to the others that I've read. I love reading about Zetty's antics as she goes about her life, juggling work and family. She has a fantastic comedic (is that even a proper word? Sounds like something that grows on your face) sense about her. Her entries (apart from the recent ones about the loss in her life) almost always make me laugh out loud. RotiKacangMerah talks so sweetly about her husband and how they enjoy life together. Her cats are cute too!

Blogs add an extra bit of oomph in my other wise hum drum life. I will be sorry if/when my work gets a bit more hectic, that I won't have such pleasures anymore.

Here's to blogs and freedom of expression and the voyeurs in all of us! :)

A period of change

Yeay, my transfer has been finalised...!!

My FMS told me that my transfer letter has finally been sent and I am to report to Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Kelantan on the 2nd October. Yeay! Tapi sedih pun ada...

Life is a bit hectic what with fasting month coming soon, and me having to transfer stuff to the other half of the house so that the contractor will be able to complete renovation works by the beginning of Ramadhan...

FIL came with a lorry today to get some stuff away. Mostly the large stuff - my sofa (pleeeeease la don't smudge my lovely cream sofa okay......), the divan and the headboard (which has been rendered useless since we've been sleeping on the mattress, on the floor in front of the tv) and a wardrobe which has only been collecting dust in the master bedroom. Talking about that, I think from now on, I won't be needing wardrobes for my clothes. I'll just get those racks with wheels on, that you can hang clothes from. Kinda like the ones you see in supermarkets.

All you need are tons and tons of hangers. Easy peasy. Angkat je baju, just hang them on. No clutter, no folding (letih wo, lipat kain...:)). Yes, it won't look nice, but who'll see anyway, kan....

Had a weird day at the office this morning. I have a patient who has had 8 or maybe 9 kids already and currently at 32 weeks gestation. She's been complaining of contractions for the past one week and had just been discharged from the hospital in KT the day before.

This morning, she was rushed in, claiming she wants to 'teran' already. So my nurse pun kelam kabut put on her apron and got ready all her stuff to deliver this anticipated premature baby.

Put her in position, rupa2nya benda yang dia nak teran tu rupanya her vaginal wall prolapse! Even when my staff nurse dah 'relocated' it, she still insists that she wants to push. Walhal os is closed! Adduuuiii.....tension i..and this patient, when she's in between pregnancy, totally refuses contraception, that my nurses told me that at one time they had to chase her around the kampung to give her the Depo injection.

I'm not against having children. I tell my patients, kalau awak mampu dari segi zahir dan mampu bertanggungjawab pada anak2 awak, saya tak kisah awak nak berdozen2 anak pun. Tapi kalau anak berderet2 sampai awak tak cukup makan, selalu letih, anak sekolah keciciran, itu kah cara yang terbaik untuk menjaga amanah Allah ni? Memang betul tiap2 anak ada rezeki masing2 tapi rezeki tu masih perlu dicari. Bukan duduk saja di rumah pun masuk duit.....I think some of them go home and tell their husbands what I said, they must be thinking dr suriana is teaching wives to go against their husbands!!! :) :)

People-watching

Do you love to watch people like I do?

When I go out to places - hotels, shopping malls, hospitals, pasar malams - I tend to observe people. I love seeing kids and how easily they can make friends; one minute they are shyly peeking from behind mummy's skirt, one minute later they are holding hands and running all over the place. I love watching the mummies, often with a small one, chatting with other mummies about how Danish is just so 'buas' and how Qistina just loves playing with her lipstick.

I watch the dating couples - some so brazen, hands in each other's pockets and bodies so close together I can't tell which is which; and some so coy, they were walking about a feet apart.

I see the Politeknik students walk by. Boys, usually, in a group of 6-10 of them. T-shirts 1 size too small, thick rimmed plastic frames (which are usually non prescription glasses) and hair spiked in all directions. Not to forget the metal dog chain hung nonchalantly from the back trouser pocket to the front trouser pocket.

But most of all, people who line up for food are the ones that amuse me the most. I hate going to hotel buffets, mainly because I then become the hateful, laser mouthed me. What is it about free food that makes us monsters?

The first in line usually heap food like there's no tomorrow. And they take EVERYTHING. Prawns are usually very popular. Once they finish with the main dish counter, off they went again, this time heading to the dessert station and the process starts all over again. I tell you, I've seen some people actually trying to pull off the sugar decoration from the dessert table!

Me and Abg just love to watch and 'mengumpat' these people. Kiasu sungguh. And y'know what's the worst thing? They usually take a few mouthfuls and push the plate aside. Hello!!!!!! Ada org kebuluran, tau tak? Kat Malaysia pun ada org makan siput babi and you membazir makanan!

Why why why???? Just because you paid RM100 for your buffet, doesn't mean you can waste you know. Just take a little bit, actually put the food in your mouth and if you feel like having more, get up and take seconds la.....aiyo.

We used to love frequenting buffets (well, the only one worth going in KB for the fasting month is Renaissance and that isn't so great, but it's only RM55, so, fairlah...) but we figured, if RM20 is more than enough to get both of us food for both berbuka AND sahur, then we might as well stay at home and save our pahalas from being given to all those people that we are busily badmouthing...hehe...

Seperti kucing kehilangan anak...

Little kitty stayed with us that night - when Abg came home, it unashamedly went to bug Abg and menggesel2 ke kaki Abang and totally ignored me. Jeles saya! :)

Fed her chicken pieces and then left it to sleep outside.

The next morning it was still there, waiting for me to open the door and let it in. As I got ready for work, she was playing with the stuff that I have all over my floor. She looked so adorable...and I'm sure Abg won't object to me keeping her.

I left her at the porch this morning as I left for work and when I came back for lunch, she was nowhere to be seen....:(

Even later that evening, whenever I would hear a cat miaowing, I'd jump and run to the door, hoping it'd be my little kitty.....apa nak buat, takde jodoh jadi kucing I la tu....As I said to Abg, 'macam hilang anak'.

The first cat I remember us (my family) having was a mongrel persian. We named her Parsen because she looked like a 'kucing Parsi' but not really. Parsen had a bad case of cat sinusitis and early in the morning, she'd sneeze and sneeze, just like my Ma before she had her op. Parsen was a model cat. Even when she was hungry, she'd never steal anything from the kitchen table. Whenever we'd bathe her, Parsen would never make a fuss, even when we shaped her long fur into mohawks..:) and would sit still when we were blow drying her.

She stayed with us the longest before she suddenly disappeared one day. Ma said maybe she went away somewhere else to die.

Later on we accumulated all sort of cats; all strays but still beautiful nevertheless and they all had their own sweet and sometimes naughty personality. Ponstan (yes, the painkiller) was the 'I-couldn't-care-less' type of cat. Brutal was as brutal looking as his name suggests. Mary and Harry came next. At one stage, Ma even named her kitten after a Cantonese drama serial character, I think! There were numerous others but I can't remember since I wasn't at home much those times.

But we would never forget Ma's favourite cat - Deeque. He was a short haired ginger. Nothing special but he was soooo manja and could never resist whenever Ma is reading the newspaper, Deeque would be jumping up and down, often would be sidling up to Ma's face to kiss her.

If Ma was sitting on the footstool watching TV, Deeque would climb unto her lap and sit among the folds of her housecoat, sort of being in a hammock. Come meal times, whatever his escapades are, Deeque would be running back whenever he'd hear Ma call his name.

I think Ma never recovered from Deeque's passing. Someone put out poison - we weren't sure if it was meant for rats and Deeque mistook it for food - and Deeque was found in the drain. We all cried that day.

After Deeque, Ma decided she wouldn't keep any more pet cats. I think she didn't want to run the risk of being hurt as she gets easily attached to her pets.

I guess when I found little black kitty under my silver Kenari, I was secretly hoping for my own little Deeque.

Here kitty kitty

Hectic day today. Pemeriksaan bakal haji is well underway and I've been trying slowly and surely to finish my 105 bakal hajis. Can't fit too many, as I'm worried about how my counter/registration staff is going to cope, what with the usual number of regular patients. I've gone through about 50-60 of them and the other clinics have yet to start. They all takpe la, ada 23 and 51 org aje....can finish in one go.

Anyway, I was the last person to leave the clinic as usual and found a lovely 'surprise' snoozing underneath the shade of my silver Kenari. The small black kitty wouldn't budge even when I started the engine and I didn't want to risk running over it as I drove out. So I very graciously (NOT) went on all fours and scooped it away.

For a split second I wanted to leave it there. I'm sure it belonged to either Kak K or Kak Yah's ever growing clan of cats, but it looked so adorable and soooo cute...


So, as I am writing this, the yet unnamed kitty is currently snoozing by my feet. I have no idea what I'm going to feed him tonight or where he's going to sleep. and furthermore, where am I leaving it when I leave for courses or FIL's house?

But I really really really wanna keep ittt.............!!!!!

Bila Abang Meredah Hujan

Di suatu petang, hujan turun lebat sekali. Dia menunggu dan menunggu hujan reda. Tempias hujan makin membasahi lantai porch klinik. Dia buntu. Di tangan kanannya, segugus kunci; untuk keretanya yg terletak cuma 100m tapi dihalangi hujan yang masih terus mencurah-curah. Di tangan kirinya, telefon bimbit yang hampir ditinggalkan di rumah tapi disuruh oleh Abang untuk dibawa - takut ada apa-apa nanti.

"Abang.....Abangggg.....!"

"Huh, apa dia?"

"Tak leh balikkkkk....hujannnnn....."

"Hahahaha...habis tu?"

"Marila amik Yanaaaaa.....amik payung, lepas tu kita balik ngan kereta...boleh ek?"

"Ish....takde kerja...."

"Alaaa....mai aaa. Kejap je...."

So Abang dan payung ungunya, berseluar pendeknya, berselipar orennya, meredah hujan lebat, meredah lopak air semata-mata untuk mengambil isterinya pulang.

Not a Siti related post, folks!

I will NOT write about Siti.

I will NOT write about Siti.



I wonder if my blog has any purpose? I see it as a place to let off some steam. I love to talk, yet I think some people might find me hard to digest. I tend to see things in a different perspective; one of the traits of an Aquarian, I guess. Here, I can write what I want and I don't have to worry if people get me or not, cos I don't really care...haha!

Which is why I am (most of the time...hehe) thankful that I somehow managed to find Abang among alllllll those people in the world. I mean, how lucky am I? To find the one person who seem to see things MY way. Yes, he has his own opinion, yet he respects me enough to accept my views too.

so Abg, yes, I might throw a temper tantrum now and again. Yes, I might stomp around when I see you snoozing in front of the TV when I have to cook in my lousy kitchen. Tapi, when you go and fry fish for dinner, slice onions for my favourite kuah kicap, and serve dinner, hati ini sejukkkkk kembali.

I love you Abang....

If only I had my camera

I now only have my living room and my kitchen....mana aku nak mandi weehhhhhhh?

Semlm, me and Abg berhujan membasuh tikar getah that we took off the floor. Kang bagi kat contractor buat, terkoyak rabak plak kang. Since the rubber mats are in relatively good condition, and are in big pieces, we were thinking we'd bring them back to FIL's house to replace the rubber mats in his house which are tahap nazak already.

This morning, the contractor came, took off a chunk of the wall and started tearing up the floor. Just now, I came back to two huge mounds of sand (habih pokok bunga akuuu) and just chaos.

I expected Abg to be home but his car buat hal, so he's stranded in Tok Bali with a leaking oil tank. He better come home cos I'm not cooking in this condition!!!

Waaaaa......rumah dinding reput and berkulat pun, at least I had a bathroom then....!

New arrival

Hannah's a big sis now.

Baby Blues - II

Lately, everyone seems to be having babies.


Sis got her number 2 - a nephew I am yet to see. They just named him yesterday, Wan Nazmi Hariz. It's supposed to have a meaning but I didn't ask. Wan Nadiah Hannah (niece number 1) seems pretty excited on the arrival of her baby brother. Unlike her mummy who cried and came down with a fever when sis Yanti was born...hahaha.

My FIL's neighbour's son, who got married about three months after I married Abang, also gave birth recently. Their first child, Natasha Aishah, is a frequent visitor during weekends. Abang's nieces just love her (when she's not crying, of course). They got a second daughter, Alia Nabila about a month ago.

Abang's friend who got married about 6 months after we did, also apparently just received their second bundle of joy.


and why am I telling you all this? Ho hum....I'm not sure really.

Lately, I feel as if I've got multiple personality disorder...if that's what you call it. On one hand I'm so eager for details of my nephew - everyday I'm texting my sisters asking this and that. Is the baby ok? Have the parents named him yet? Is he feeding well? All the things a good auntie should ask.


Yet.....every sliver of information I get, seems to tear at my heartstrings. Yet another reminder that all the feelings that sis Yanie is experiencing right now is still an alien thing to me. Regardless of how happy I am for her, I can never comprehend what joy it is motherhood can be. Abang has caught me crying - to him, for no particular reason, and I can't seem to bring myself to say all these thoughts out loud. Maybe saying it will only make it more hurtful...and sometimes I don't think I can stand it anymore.

Abang would always tease me that no matter how bad a situation is, I would always find something 'nasib baik' about it. For instance, if I saw someone by the roadside with a flat tire, I'd say "Nasib baik hari siang and tak hujan." "Nasib baik aje..." he would tease me.

Somehow, I can't seem to find any 'nasib baik's in this matter.....

Teka dialog mereka

referring to a newspaper article which mentioned their 'nama manja's for each other..

Siti: B..B....Tgk la, semuorg kata Mummy pakai tudung tak lawa, baju Mummy serabut, inai Mummy hitam sgt. Mummy sedih la B......
Datuk K: Iyer, B tau. Nanti kita buat press conference kita marah semuorg yang ckp macam tu, okey Mummy? Mummy jangan la tarik baju B macam tu, okey Mummy?

p/s: the nephew's name is Wan Nazmi Hariz.

Renjis-renjis dipilis...

Enough already!!!!

Tiap-tiap hari siti and datuk K, tiap2 hari siti and datuk K....boring giler.

Other people get married too, y'know, ...wait, other CELEBRITIES get married too, y'know tapi don't get OTT laaa....people are actually dying and homeless in other parts of the world....!!

I don't care if she's marrying a duda or a bachelor. I don't care if now a lot of her 'kipas susah mati's (die hard fans laa...) have now decided that their icon are no longer worthy of the space on their walls. I don't care that people are now saying that maybe a lot of the bad things they used to say about siti are probably true...and I certainly DO NOT care how much her wedding costs and how much is sponsored....

Maybe all this frivolosity will end after her marriage ceremony, some people may have thought - but I don't think so. After this people will wonder about their honeymoon, then when are they having their firstborn, where will they set up their marital home bla bla bla... and I just want all of it to end!

Seriously, you know it is getting ridiculous when there are newspaper articles suggesting Datuk K switch to boxers, or that he calls her Mummy!!!!!!!! (gross kinky or what...?)

Warning, this is a whiny post...

I seriously am not liking my life at the moment.

Dah la tak happy kat tempat kerja - having to deal with 'multi problematic' staff, heavy work load, patient and employer expectations etc etc, it is NOT helping that I live in a shitty house.

I live in my living room. My wardrobe, my bed, my TV, my computer is there - the only thing I am happy about is the amount of space.

I am NOT happy about the amount of rat faeces and rat pee that I find in my drawers everyday. I am not happy about the ant colonies that live in all the cracks that they could manage to find. I am not happy about the smelly, damp, useless cabinets that they installed in my kitchen - these only serve as homes to the abovementioned rats. I am not happy with the fact that my bathroom is so gross that I happily shower with the lights off. No amount of bleach or tile cleaner can make it less yucky than it already is. I hate that my toilet can't flush properly no matter how many pails of water I pour into it.

I hate the fact that I have two extra rooms that only serve as storerooms to the useless furniture which my employers say have no money to replace YET have to wait for 'kebenaran pelupusan' in order for me to get rid of them.

I find it ironic that KKM campaigns about eliminating rats, flies, cockroaches yet have no allocation for their staff to pay pest terminators.

I hate that my stupid employer are so lembab about fixing the phonelines at my workplace - when one phone rings, every goddamn phone in the whole building rings and I had to resort to using my own handphone to call and consult reagrding cases, or get appointments, - that my phone bill has reached a record amount.

and finally, I am pissed off by the fact that contractors are entering my house next week, shutting off one half of my stupid house so that they can replace the woodern floors with tiles. Dah la I am only able to use one bathroom, now you're shutting that off?

So in protest, I took the liberty of giving myself a day off today.

Baby blues

As of today Ma and Pa are now very proud grandparents to TWO grandchildren!! Yeay, congratulations to Tok Mama and Tok Papa......

Sister Yanie had just delivered a WHOPPING 4.5 kilo baby boy today via caesarian section. I think it must be all those restaurant meals that she's been having (under the pretense of getting toys for Hannah...hehehe) that has resulted in her little (NOT!) bundle of joy.

Anyway, everyone's relieved that at least the operation part is over. Ma has gotten her insides in a twist thinking about leaving Yanie in confinement by herself at home, now that she has to go send Yanti off to the in-laws. I guess a mother's job really is never done.

Dalam happy dpt anak sedara baru, ada jugak rasa sedih. Feeling sorry for myself lah........

Ada duit setambung pun tak guna juga kalau tak dapat apa yang diidamkan...

Seronoknya kahwin....

First things first, congratulations berjuta-juta lemon to my sister Yanti and her significant other, the newest addition to the family, Shaharani.



The couple were joined in matrimony on a sunny Friday afternoon and had their simple but joyous reception the next day.

Many a hair were teared out on nearing the day, but in the end, everything ended well and although I fell asleep, everyone else (including the bride and groom) watched Faizal win his Vios.

I am the first to admit that my relationship with Yanti hasn't been that great. Yanti and Yaya had always had a special bond, being closer age wise, sharing a room and having a penchant for cute guys on TV. So I was rather taken aback when she asked me what married life is like. I told her, 'Seronok.'....hehehe.... The truth mah. Betul apa. Regardless of what has happened between me and Abang, we still have a lot of fun together. Yes, tears have been shed, angry words have been hurled (mostly by me) but all that only makes the happy bits even more ..happy.

I told her to be patient, to put each other's needs first and first and foremostly, to have fun getting to know each other.

Tapi, as I watched the day fold out, I kinda envied Yanti. I envy the feelings of excitement, nervousness and thrill that only a bride can get on her wedding day. Of knowing that a whole new world is just waiting for her to be explored.

Not that I dislike what I have with Abang now. I love the familiarity and quiet contentment that we both share....but it will never be the same, kan?

Ma and Pa looked happy. Ma basically ran on adrenaline that day. Sampai ke Faizal 'senyum sokmo' nak nyanyi pun dia still takde selera nak makan. But she looked content. Maybe after three weddings, she's finally gotten her act together - which will be good, considering there's still Yaya left.



Yaya has jokingly said that she is now open to receiving marriage proposals from Ma's makcik friends. Guys she knows from Uni just aren't good enough. Anyone know where I can find a Fadzley double, call me, ok?

(plain) water, (plain) water everywhere...

I'm undergoing a detox programme at the moment. Two tablets of Inte Cleanse each night for ten nights before bed and lots and lots and lots of water. It has now been 5 days and I've lost a total of 2 kgs! and bukan berat air ok? :) and my skin...even hubby has commented on how smooth it is looking lately. and Abang never notices anything, ok? :)

So, this programme definitely gets a big thumbs up from the both of us.

Two more days and I'm off on an 8-day break! Whoo Hoo!!! We're driving down to Kuantan, to spend a night. The next morning, we're off to Kluang to see and taste for ourselves the famous Roti Bakar Stesen Keretapi Kluang. Apparently, a waiting of half an hour is the norm. Then it's off to Air Hitam, Batu Pahat and Tangkak. and just before getting us to KL for my sis's wedding, we'll be spending a night in Melaka for ikan bakar galore in Umbai.

Now, if only my moss green baju kurung is ready, we'll be all set to go....

Exercising my rights as a customer

My pet peeve is crap customer services. Do you feel the same way?

There were many instances when I was seriously thinking about shoving my phone up someone's butt when I called up their so called Help Line.

ASTRO is one of those people. Imagine charging the customer money to get your technical shortcomings fixed. Siapa yg ajar nie huh? You get millions a year from subscriptions and collaborations with telcoms, use that money to employ technicians la pandai...!

Today I went to Pizza Hut in KB Mall. Was buying birthday gifts for my two anak sedara. Who would think that buying clothing apparels for two kids can be so exhausting? So, off we went to get some light snacks. Nasib tak baik la the trainee waitress had to get us as customers.

First, on addition to eating in, we also wanted to get a pizza to take away. She actually said that she couldn't take our order because since we're sitting in, orders can only be made for eating in. What..? So you expect me after sitting comfortably, to walk all the way to the take away counter to order? So I told her, jadi even after saya dah duduk sini, saya kena jalan ke kaunter luar sana untuk order take away? Tak boleh ke saya beritau awak then awak pergi beritau kawan awak kat luar sana? Trainee waitress dah start berpeluh2. Then she said she would inform the take away staff to come and get our order.

Next, I wanted to order the Kid's Meal for my nieces. Since we're going home shortly after eating, thought we'd just order one and then order an extra Milo. First trainee waitress said there's no Milo. Fine. I asked her, if you have no Milo, what do you substitute it with? Pause, then 'apa2 air yang akak nak'. After 10 mins of clarifying my order, and actually asking her if she understood what I said, this other waiter passes by and said, Kakak, air milo tak boleh substitute dengan air lain.

Apa lagi, marah lah I....your waitress here just said there's no Milo!

Hello...I understand that you're just a trainee and to make matters worse, they probably asked you to start work today. A saturday. But tell me, how can you not know if you have Milo or not?

After waiting 10 minutes, still no one came to get our take away order. So, off I went to the counter to order my large Island Supreme with chicken sausage stuffed crust.

Imagine my amusement (well, I wouldn't call it amusing, really) when the staff at the counter told me to place my order at the table! Apa lagi, meletup kali kedua la makcik. "Saya sudah bagitahu waitress tadi. Dia kata dia akan hantar org lain ambil order take away saya, tapi tak ada org datang pun. Saya nak ambil la order take away saya semasa saya bayar bill..ok?" Coincidentally the shift manager was there and promptly came to my table to get my order.

and to top it all of.....trainee waitress DID get my order messed up. So, makcik pun meletuplah untuk kali ketiga.

Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me instead. Was my grumpiness unjustified? I didn't think so. When I clarified my order with trainee waitress, I tak marah lagi. I was actually very patient with her.

and this isn't the first time I got so pissed off with the waitresses at Pizza Hut. Once, my waitress got my orders wrong and brought me a cheese stuffed crust pizza. So, the next time, I stressed TWICE that I wanted the chicken sausage stuffed crust. DUA KALI I cakap kat dia. Angguk2 waitress tu. But of course, what did I eventually get? Yup, a cheese stuffed crust. So tell me, was my anger unjustified? I don't think so.....

Childhood revisited

Conference, schmonference - tapi, ronda-ronda buat jugak...hehehe.
Ipoh will always be special to me. I was born there. I spent a part of my growing up years there. I learnt of comradeship, of laughter and sorrow, of childhood innocence and when my only worry was when I forgot my homework or if Yanie tattled on me. We lived in no. 15, Tkt Pasir Putih 4 from ever since I could remember until we left for Kuching, Sarawak. I remember Tan Ee Lyn lived a few streets from me and that Stephanie Choo lived at Sinfar Garden; her house facing the small 'padang' across the main road.

Map in hand, I guided Abang to my childhood home. So much has changed in Ipoh, but I could still remember the pagoda that we used to pass by on our way to school. The Yamaha music school has now become a Sen Heng outlet. I remember having to go through the smelly 'pasar' on the way to Super Kinta. Yik Foong still stands. The railway station looks as majestic as ever. I forgot to ask Ma where MGS stood, kalau tak, I would have gone there too.

I think the slanted building near Jusco used to be a market. It's now been converted to a shopping arcade of sorts. As I passed the Jalan Gopeng roundabout on my way to the Royal Casuarina, the yellow crown shaped fountain made more and more childhood memories flood back. In the car, I kept repeating "I remember that!" - I think Abang pun boring dah...:)



In front of HillCity Homes, near the temples, is this row of pomelo stalls. As I stepped out of the car, eager faces of pomelo sellers greeted me. Intimidating tau! I avoided all eye contact and rushed to the nearest stall. Two minutes and two slices of pomelos later, I was already back in the car. Aunty pomelo seller must be thanking her lucky stars to get such fuss-free customers. Note to self-must learn the art of haggling from Ma. Abang is just as bad at shopping. He just goes straight for the things he wants and pays.



I managed to stop by at Bonda's Cafe and Restaurant, whose owner is a family acquaintance. Best giler her cafe, ok? Anyone in the Ipoh town vicinity, do stop by. Her lunch time deal of nasi campur is very the sedap and very the murah. I ordered Shrek, a concoction of banana, green apple and ice cream. Nice. Tapi, so difficult to get parking one lahhhh.....First time I passed by, pusing tiga kali but no parking but I was determined to see Kira that I got Abang to drive me there again the next day.



Ingat nak masuk diam2, makan diam2 and pay diam2 AND THEN baru cari the owner, tapi the moment I stepped into the kedai, she already recognised me....Apa laaaa. Thanks Kira for the fantastic lunch! Next time I bawak my whole family ahh...?



Our last (unintended) stop was Cameron Highlands. I was surprised at how near it is to Ipoh! Tapi the jalanraya very squiggly lah. It took only about 45 mins to reach Blue Valley (junction Gua Musang - Kampung Raja) where we found this shop where we could 'Pluck your own strawberries!'. It turned out every other shop was doing the same thing....:) One shop even had giant replicas of strawberries along the perimetres of the store. Tak plan nak naik Cameron pun, but we made the silly mistake of not fuelling up before leaving Ipoh so we had to go to Brinchang to get petrol.

Then it was another hour and a half to Gua Musang and a most welcome late lunch at my SIL's house in Tanah Merah where the strawberries were greeted with much excitement.

Sampai je rumah, I was so exhausted that I didn't catch the moment Lotter was voted out of AF. Sis Yaya must be jumping with joy at home.

These things that I miss most..

..unlimited movies.
Cinemas in the UK had this deal where you pay a certain amount of money for a period of a month or a year, you get a pass with your pic on it (initially there were no pics involved, imagine the 'salah guna' that went on especially among us 'kayap' students! :)) and voila! Unrestricted movies at any branch of the cinemas. The Biggart House people seriously used this to the max. I'm quite choosy about the films I watch, so this didn't really work for me, but sometimes I got away with free films too! You know la kan, 'You asian people all look alike!' thing. I wonder if this would work here...



..well planned, efficient public transport.
Sometimes I jokingly say to Abang that maybe there's a conspiracy going on. You give crap public transport, so people are forced to buy cars. There are equally crap road systems so people are forced to get stuck in jams, so high oil consumption. I seriously sympathise people in KL. I mean ORDINARY people lah, like you and me. Not some suited, nearly bald, pot bellied politician who says we should change our lifestyles yet go about with 6-motorcycle, 10-car convoys just to get to a hotel 20 minutes away. Maybe I'm being naive, but what is so hard about buying more carriages and rearranging LRT timetables so passengers can get to work with ease?

While I was studying, I got around fine with public transport. Sure, I had to get up extra early to get the first train out to Craigavon or Antrim, but hey, biasa lah tu. If I had rich parents, I'd get a car solely for the convenience of it, but that's it. Buses were on time and comfortable, time tables were frequently updated; I didn't see the need for my own car. and I sure as hell got more exercise those times. So, already 2-in-1 benefits what...?



..old friendships.
Not that I'm regretting married life, but ever since I jumped on the marital bandwagon, contacts with friends have been almost non existant. It's not that I don't think about them; I do but I guess being shut away in this place has contributed to that too. I miss my girlfriends. I mean, you can't talk about how sexy Colin Firth is with your husband, can you?



..Thornton's Chocolates.
or any chocolates for that matter!! *laugh* Thornton's chocolates are just heavenly. I can't recall their exact names but they had perfectly done crisp outer shells and sublime, melt-in-your-mouth fillings. Price wise, they were of course more expensive than your Woolworth's pix-and-mix variety, but I assure you they're worth every pence. Yang best sekali, if they happen to sell their Misshapes variety. The exact, same chocs but sold at a fraction of the price, simple because they were 'misshapen'- geddit? :) Patutla badan aku tak turun-turun even after 7 years of dieting..:)



..the little things that Abang does.
If you're wondering why so rajin writing entries one, it's because Abang is away for the weekend. I kinda like being by myself; I can watch my TV without Abang constantly switching to either Tennis or Football or whatever sport season it is. I don't have to worry about cooking as I can easily make a sandwich or something simple like that. Yet I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, missing the feeling of his warmth next to me; or the sound of his snoring..:)

Marilah mak...!

I was faced with this incident about two weeks ago I think. You know escalators? I guess most of us don't give them a second look, purring slowly up and down those departmental store floors. That day I was waiting for Abang while he was withdrawing money. Coincidentally the ATM was placed between 2 escalators.

Then came this - kakak I think. She didn't look that old. I remember vividly her yellow baju kurung and faded kain batik. Her 7, maybe 8 year-old son was trying to persuade her to go onto the moving steel steps. Her hesitation and fear was almost painful to watch. People were rushing left and right, getting past her, stepping effortlessly in sync with the mobile stairs. She started to step off but then hesitated. Again she tried but the fear of something so alien to her must have been too much.

The son got on, as if trying to convince the mother how harmless the act is but she was not persuaded and I nearly cried as I looked at the son stepping down against the direction of the escalators trying to reach his mother. Finally the mother waved at her son, telling him to go without her, she will be waiting downstairs.

We tend to take a lot of things for granted; our health, financial stability, our parents, friendships - the ability to get on escalators. As I held Abang's hands as we went on with our weekly shopping trip, I hope I will always remember the kakak in the yellow baju kurung and be thankful for what I have been given.

Why Why Why..

Do people feel that it's ok to throw rubbish out of cars??? You throw rubbish in your house meh? I guess these type of people are the same ones who simply throw rubbish out their windows at home. I felt like chasing the car and throwing back the junkfood foil packet unto their stupid faces.

Do people think it's ok to cut queues? Whether you're waiting at the traffic light or waiting for your grapes to be weighed and priced, it's all similarly irritating. This morning, I went to Pacific at KB Mall. I was first in queue, wanting to get oranges priced. There were several people behind me. Then come this nyonya and put her veges on the counter and left to get other stuff. Imagine my disgust when the weighing person 'slumberly' took the veges and weighed them! Hey, the nyonya wasn't even there, ok! And there's another counter for weighing veges lah! Kalau nyonya was waiting, I tak kisah la, warga emas la katakan. Nyaris-nyaris aku tak tengking dia kat situ jugak. You should see the face I give to drivers who try to cut queue in front of me at traffic lights and jams.

I had many other things to say but I've forgotten them. Later lah...

Conference

My good boss ajak gi the 10th FMS Conference in Ipoh. Should be a nice break from routine clinic work. Travelling expenses, fees, hotel rooms semua kira beres, sape tak nak pergi. Tambah lagi this year's theme is Childhood and Adolescence, so should be good in case I decide (seriously) to do Paediatrics. Managed to drag Abang to come with me. At first he's a bit reluctant. Boring jugak duduk dlm bilik hotel sorang dia.

Prior to that, I've got a short course on eye care. Bagus jugak. Can finally brush up on my dire ophthalmoscopic skills. Serious, everytime I use those things, my eyes get all disorientated. and worse, can never see anything apart from the optic disc. Haiyah.

So, that means, these feet won't be stepping into the clinic for at least a week! Yeay! No more seeing b**** piang's face and hearing his annoying chipmunky voice!

Okay la ok lah - i promise no more reference to, nor entry for annoying tahap gaban si b**** piang after this.

Entry org sakit jiwa nak giler

Aku la tu yg sakit jiwa. Aku buat conclusion nie sebab mmg jiwa aku sakit, sampaikan Abang dah berdengkur lena pun aku masih mengetuk keyboard.

Aku ada seorg MA. Dia mmg b**** piang. Aku tak rasa aku biased sebab ramai-ramai staff aku, aku takde la obvious favouritism pada mana-mana staff pun. Yg mana aku nampak rajin, aku hargai. Yang mana aku nampak cuai buat kerja aku akan tegur.

Aku perfectionist. At least aku rasa kita kena ada 'pride' dalam kerja kita. Biarlah kita nie tukang buat rumah mahupun tukang buat kuih sekalipun. Kalau kita tukang buat rumah, biar lah dinding rumah yang kita buat tu nampak macam dibuat dgn tangan dan mata yang celik dan bukannya macam 'buat dgn punggung' - nie Abang yang kata. Dia kata buat ngan kaki pun mungkin nampak cantik. so kalau tak cantik tu mungkin dia buat dgn punggung kot. Kalau buat kuih, biarlah kuih tu boleh dimakan. Jangan sebab org lain buat kuih, awak yg takde bakat buat kuih pun nak buat jugak; bila org makan kuih awak, habis disumpah seranah sebab takde rasa kuih.

Aku paling benci kalau org buat kerja dgn objektif hanya untuk completekan kerja dia. Contohnya, tugas Abu adalah menjahit 100 pasang baju. Kalau Abu org yang takde rasa tanggungjawab, dia boleh jahit 100 pasang baju, tapi mungkin jahitan dia senget atau jahitan dia tak kemas dan sebagainya. Tapi kalau Abu adalah seorg pekerja yang ada 'pride' dlm kerja dia, dia akan pastikan kesemua 100 pasang baju dia dijahit kemas serta cermat. dan Abu merasa bangga kerana telah melakukan kerjanya dgn sempurna.

MA aku yang b**** piang nie mmg tak makan saman. Berkali-kali aku perhati mutu kerja dia yang ntah apa-apa. Sudahlah doktor dah start ubat untuk pesakit, nak harapkan dia sambung ubat dgn betul pun tak boleh. Pandai-pandai dia nak tukar dos ubat. Bila pesakit darah tinggi, bacaan tekanan darah setinggi Menara KL pun masih 'cont same' - apa kejadahnya tu? Bila bacaan gula dlm darah pesakit tinggi pun masih 'cont same'. Kau belajar apa kat sekolah MA kau tu?

Seminggu nie aku mulakan sistem baru di klinik. Sebelum nie, ibu-ibu mengandung terpaksa beratur menunggu giliran di bahagian pesakit luar. Kebanyakan dari mereka mengeluh panjang terpaksa menunggu lama. Aku cuba nak ubah sistem itu dan aku syorkan klinik ibu mengandung aku dibuat di klinik ibu dan anak. Sementara aku nak 'iron out the glitches', aku minta kes pesakit luar dibincang dgn aku dulu. Tapi MA aku yang b**** piang nie sorang je yang rasa dia lebih bagus and pakai hantar saja pesakit.

Sedangkan aku nak rujuk kes ke boss aku pun aku bawak sendiri berjumpa boss sebab aku pun nak belajar juga 'manage' kes yang pelik2 nie. Tapi MA b**** piang aku nie rasa dia lebih hebat kot yang dia tak leh nak jumpa aku dan tanya cara nak merawat pesakit dia.

Bila aku marah, biasanya aku ada dua tahap. Tahap satu bila mulut laser aku start bekerja. Tahap nie aku biasanya akan kadang-kadang mengeluarkan perkataan-perkataan yang mungkin aku kesali kemudian. Tapi sebenarnya tahap nie aku takde la marah sangat sebenarnya. Boleh lagi buat lawak and cepat cool down. Tapi tahap kedua lagi teruk. Tahap kedua nie bila aku betul-betul marah sampai aku tak mau cakap apa-apa. Aku akan mendidih perlahan-lahan, memikirkan tentang betapa sedapnya kalau aku dapat pulangkan balik paku buah keras aku. 'Hit it where it really hurts'. Hari ini aku marah sakan sampai dah mencecah tahap kedua. Aku terima je semua referral si b**** piang nie sebab aku dah tak kisah dia nak buat apa. Sebab makin aku lawan, aku pulak yang sakit hati. So, why bother? He will always be an MA. Paling tinggi pun kau cuma akan jadi MA Kanan. I will always make more money than you and will always be your superior. And kau ingat la, sekarang kau kurang ajar dengan aku. Hujung tahun nie aku yang isi borang penilaian kau, walaupun cuma sebagai penilai kedua, markah kau adalah purata markah dua org penilai.

Now I sound like an egotistical, power crazy boss. Menyalahgunakan pangkat aku.

Tapi sorry la...aku tau aku betul. Org jenis apa yang keluar dari rumah pukul 7.45 pagi, gi punch card dulu then gi makan breakfast dulu, and pukul 8.30 baru nak hantar bini ke tempat kerja? Lepas tu, pukul 10 kau keluar makan lagi?

Memang kau tgk patient cepat. Tapi apa gunanya kalau ubat yang kau bagi tu tak ubah macam makan angin? Takde kesan apa-apa pun pada pesakit?

Abang kata sejak aku kerja di sini aku selalu balik rumah marah-marah and bad mood. Dulu aku kerja di hospital, ada on call pun aku jarang-jarang meroyan macam nie. Obviously, I really need to get back to a hospital.....

Benda remeh temeh

It seems like the whole of Malaysia has gone agog with the news of Mawi vs Ina. Did he or did she? Pengsan ke tak pengsan? Mawi salah ke Ina salah?

Bosan.

These people lah, don't you have anything better to do? Org Israel dok sibuk buli Palestin takde pulak korang nak kisah. Penagih dadah 1 juta (mostly Melayu) takde pulak korang nak risau.

There are more important things in the world lah people....

Road trip!

I love making travelling plans.

In fourth year med school, when we had the choice of doing electives anywhere in the world, I knew I had to go to India. The whole year before the trip, I was researching, reading up, asking ppl who had gone the year before, so that I could be fully prepared. I bought the guide book to India, which by the time of the trip, was full of Post-Its with tips and reminders on what to do or avoid.

I figured since it was gonna be a once in a lifetime experience, I'd want to utilise every single minute of it, taking up everything. So I planned travelling during the night so we could go sightseeing during the day and didn't have to book hotels. I alternated trips out of state with local ones during the weekends so that we wouldn't be too tired. I even had lists of restaurants that we should go to. What can I say, I'm a control freak..! Hehehe. Nasib baik my travel companions were more than happy to let me do all that.

I guess it gave me a sense of having something to look forward to.

The past 2+ years, my trips have been confined to going back to KL to see the parents. There was once when we travelled to Penang and then Langkawi for sister-in-law's graduation ceremony. That was fun. I guess Abang had noticed how easily his wife has been getting grumpy lately so he suggested that we go for a road trip before Yanti's wedding. Yeay!!!

Abang wanted to have a taste of the famous roti bakar and coffee at the Kluang Railway Station. He also said we should have dinner at Umbai, Melaka (ikan bakar galore). I wanted to see what Tangkak was all about, if their reputation is worth all the hype. Melaka has been somewhere that I've been wanting to go too.

So since about two weeks ago, I have been surfing the Net, googling Melaka and Johor for places to stay. A map of Malaysia has been bought. Calls have been made, inquiring room rates and making reservations. All this with the all familiar shiver of anticipation that I usually get when I'm in my planning mode.

The itinerary's quite relaxed and laid back. The only things fixed are the places that we've to spend the night at. Other than that, apa-apa pun boleh.

Next, should be a similar trip to the northern part of the peninsula, followed by Sabah and Sarawak.

I've made Abang promise that we should get passports by the end of this year so that we could make use of the cheap flights Air Asia are offering, and I know that I want to go back to India.

So here's to more travelling plans and the world...! :)

Odds and Ends

Genap lah setahun I kerja di Klinik Kesihatan Permaisuri. Sometimes I don't know how I managed to last this long without going crazy. Sometimes I think, hey, this place could grow on me, y'know..?

Last week, S brought me a PLKN trainee. I dread the registration of the third batch because generally, they are the 'problematic' ones. Usually, the third intake consists of students who probably didn't make it past Form three, OR did get through but not usually your run-of-the-mill, IPT applicants. The week before he had already brought me 5 of them, a malay boy who was crying (yup, crying) because he didn't want to stay, two chinese lads who could barely speak 10 words of Malay and two girls who needed treatment. The malay lad whom he brought that day looked quite normal. In his form he didn't state having any physical illness. S sat in front of me and I must've looked at him with this puzzled expression.

In response, S asked the boy "Cuba cakap apa nama sebenar awak?"

Boy: Tuan Hoshigaki pertama (at least I think that was what he said)
Me: (Whhaaa???) Apa dia?
Boy: Tuan Hoshigaki pertama.
Me: Habis tu, siapa dia Mohd ****** bin ******* nie?
Boy: Ntah la, sape tu? Tak kenal pun..?
Me: Ayah nama apa?
Boy: Adam.
Me: Mak awak?
Boy: Hawa.

S: Adik awak nama apa?
Boy: Naruto.
Me: (biar betul budak nie) Naruto adik awak?
Boy: Iyer. Semalam dia datang jumpa saya, zuuppp masuk badan saya. Nie dia ada dlm badan saya nie.

According to S, the night before he was up half the night, convinced that he saw a ghost and he has been scaring everyone by saying that from the 144 trainees who had bothered to turn up (out of usually 300+), 5 of them were already dead and it was their spirits who have turned up for PLKN.

I even called the boy's father and according to him, his son is only 'slow' in understanding instructions - BUT he has been seen to be smiling and talking to himself and on one ocassion, act agressively at home.

On discussion with my FMS, we both agreed that he should be sent home.

Which is sad, really. He could have had a lot of fun at camp. At home he'd probably be confined to the house, watching Naruto vcds all day.

'cos I'm worth it!

I'm a sucker for testimonials. And by that I mean testimonials for skin care, slimming products, etc. Especially ones that come with before and after pictures.

You get what I mean?

My skin routine has been the same since about ten years ago. Cleanse twice daily, with an off the shelf foaming wash, RM9.90 (RM8.90 on sale). Moisturize post wash, a serum guaranteed to fight the seven signs of aging, RM38.90. At one stage I even got myself to tone, but it got fiddly so it was later abandoned. I don't go for facials, I do masks probably once in a blue moon, the same can also be said for exfoliating. Heck, even before my wedding reception, I didn't bother with mandi lulurs or what nots. I don't think Mr Anuar would appreciate me taking leave just for the purpose of indulging myself...:)

So, as a result of my lack-a-daisical attitude towards my skin care regime, my skin has started to retaliate. I've been experiencing more break outs, my skin has become uneven, you'd think I've got a map of Australia permanently tattoed on. The only thing that I didn't have to be worried about was having to fuss with skin whitening stuff. Thanks to my chinese genes.



Anyway, I've been hearing about this product a lot lately. It's Canadian and a 180ml bottle of cleanser can easily buy me a posh meal in a five star hotel. and of course, it was the testimonial which snared me. It was a picture of how gorgeous the skin looked after 'just 4 weeks!', but to me it translated as - fantastic skin, 20 kilos lighter and all the chocolate I can eat.

Funny isn't it, advertising?

Anyhow, my latest miracle worker is probably going to arrive next week. Let's see if it's as wonderful as those testimonials say.

If it doesn't, well, I can always start going for facials....

Cruella de Ville on de road....

Today I pissed off a pakcik in a dark blue old Datsun.

It was a two-lane way somewhere near Jerteh. I had just dropped Abang off in KB for his male bonding fishing weekend. It was Zohor and there was virtually almost no traffic.

So, I was zooming past, averaging 110km/h when I came across this pakcik. I flashed my light, no response. Fine. I overtook him on the left lane and turned into the right lane, right in front of his car and took my feet off the accelerator.

Apa lagi, bengang la pakcik. (and what was he doing on the road anyway, tang org lain semua gi solat Jumaat?) When I saw him try to overtake me, I pun pecut la. Bengang pakcik honked at me. Truth be told, I was glad he didn't hide a turbo engine under that bonnet of his, kalau tak....

These people aa...can't they read? JKR dah buat signboard terang2an, IKUT KIRI JIKA TIDAK MEMOTONG. Itu pun susah nak ikut ke? or your stupid car's steering wheel cannot turn to left mah? The worst offenders are makciks in fake Gucci sunglasses (at 7 am in the morning pun mau pakai sunglasses) and equally fake Chanel rings. Kalau laju tu tak kisahlah sgt, nie bawak 40km/h pun terhegeh2 nak duduk lane kanan. Tension wehhhhh......

So, next time you're driving along Setiu-Jerteh or Machang-KB road and you see a silver Kenari (most likely very dirty also) zooming on the left lane past all those cars lined up on the right lane, that'll probably be me.

Al Fatihah

Received call from ex colleague in Hospital Pasir Puteh. My ex MO, ex colleague Dr Suriani Abdul Kadir had passed away in Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II at about 8 in the morning.

She had been induced for labour which proceeded badly so she had to be operated on. Apparently earlier this morning she had complained of chest pains. She collapsed in ward and attempts at resuscitation had failed.

I'm still in a state of shock. Kak Su (as I affectionately called her, despite being the same age, her birthday only one day before mine) had always been so accommodating, so friendly and so adored by the staff at Tanah Merah Hospital.

The twist is, ever since I knew her, as a naive, stupid houseman in HKB, up to when we worked together as MOs in Tanah Merah, she had been trying so hard to get a baby. Good naturedly she would always keep us up to date with the latest food supplement, or treatment that she had gone through.

Senior, colleague, friend, daughter, wife - I'm sure she will be missed by all.

Al-Fatihah.

Dr Bekeng on the prowl again

Yesterday I marah2 to my staff again.

I guess it all started on Tuesday morning. Since I had a court appearance on Monday, I had taken leave on Sunday. Abang was reluctant to drive back to Setiu on Monday since he had some work in KB on Tuesday. So aku la kena bangun pagi and drive dlm gelap subuh to make it to work by 8.

As I opened the doors of my house, the sound of running water greeted me. Pelik. I don't think I left the tap running last week. Gi jenguk dapur, air melimpah all over the kitchen floor, siap ada sediments lagi all over the kitchen sink and floor. The tap had broke at the connection and god knows how long it has been that way. Lari ke meter, (70 litres of water had run - abih bill air!) tried to switch it off-didn't work. Tap was loose. Nasib baik jumpa another main switch on the wall.

In the end, tak masuk kerja. Called CC at the office to get someone to fix it and then spent the rest of the day cleaning the muck off my floor.

The next day was antenatal clinic day. Dah tak masuk kerja for three days, berlambak2 la cases tertangguh. Ibu mengandung la, medical check up la, jaundice la, hypertension la. I completed seeing patients at two. Abang bought nasi ayam, bless him. Returned to clinic slightly later than usual, another heap of cases waiting to be seen.

What made me 'meletup' was a case from the other clinic, referred to me for insertion of IUCD. It was already 4.15, I still had one scan to do, two more cases to see and a patient waiting at the MCH for IUCD exchange. Aaarrrghhhh!!!!!

Dr Bekeng (on calling the other clinic): Siapa yg hantar pesakit nie untuk masuk IUCD?
Unlucky staff on the other side: Kita cuba call doctor tapi kaunter kata doktor keluar sekejap. Jadi kita pun suruh patient pergi aje.
Me: Doktor awak mana?
Staff: Dr *tut* ambik PM off.
Me: (What the h***????) Awak tau tak saya ramai lagi patient saya? Sekrg dah pukul 4 suku, saya ada scan lagi, kes OPD lagi, patient saya sendiri untuk masuk IUCD. Kalau awak telefon saya, ckp sepatah pun saya tak marah macam nie.
Staff: Kita dah try call tapi doktor takde...
Me: Ye la saya takde, klinik pagi saya pun habis pukul 2!!!!
Staff: Takpe la doktor (tone suara bengang giler), hantar balik la patient tu.
Me: Senang la awak cakap. Lain kali, ada courtesy (ntah2 staff tu tak paham pun apa makna courtesy) nak call saya and beritahu sepatah kalau awak nak hantar pesakit macam nie...
Bang, letak telefon.

..............me, fuming mad......

Balik rumah, Abang had to suffer through another barrage of all types of discontent and disatisfaction from me.

Tak sabarnya nak balik semula kerja di hospital.....

Dah demam?

It's that time of the year again. Yes, apart from wedding season when you can't drive 2 metres without encountering one kenduri kahwin after another, it's Akademi Fantasia season!

Last year, ASTRO caused quite a stir when they announced that there won't be any Akademi Fantasia (AF) this year. I said, takkan lah! How can you abandon your most successful money churning enterprise? In the second year of AF, apparently 15 million SMS votes were cast. With tie-ins including SMS competition, endorsements, magazine sales, think of how many million ringgits ASTRO made? So I confidently told Abang last year, mesti ada lah AF tahun depan....and I am right, as usual...hehe..

Again I am amazed at human nature. Reality TV is fantastic for study of human behaviour, I tell you. I love reality TV; while I was in med school in UK, every saturday evening, nothing can tear me away from Big Brother. I booed at Melanie the tease, I gawped at what's-his-name's hard on and I cheered when Craig won. I guess it's the voyeur in me. I'm sure there's a voyeur in every one of us; that's why reality TV is so popular. It's the same reason why we peek through the curtains to watch our neighbours and their new bought sofa/car/girlfriends.

Everyone seems to have their favourite and some go a step further by setting up fan clubs for their favourites. They pledge their undying love and devotion (and money) week after week and sob hysterically when their star gets the boot. Puh lease la.... org tu tak tau pun kau exist, tau tak...? Don't be a saddo la...get a life. Kau derma kat tabung BersamaMu lagi baik. Some of these pathetic beings actually admit to spending RM100+ permonth for SMS votes. Gila ke apa...?

Anyway, I watch it purely for fun. When I go home, we all get together at Ma's house to watch it on TV. We all have our own favourites - ....I know Ma loved Aidil from the last season and she pestered us to vote for Mawi in the finals. It's one of the very few TV programmes that she would watch with us. It's a great way to get your atuk, nenek, cucu and cicit together. THAT is what I love about AF.

p/s: my favourite to date - Faizal...:) :)