What is it about....?

...lorry drivers with no cargo? They drive on roads like no tomorrow...! Gila! It's as if they are making up for the time they had to trudge along at snail's pace whenever they're carrying loads.

I had just sent hubby off for his weekend fishing trip and was driving back to Permaisuri when I 'met' this 16-wheel lorry in Jerteh. I can safely say he was definitely driving about 110-120km/h (as was I), spraying sand and pebbles everywhere! and then, i berselisih with at least 2 groups of Mat Rempits who obviously had 'ponteng' solat Jumaat, riding their stupid RXZs in the middle of the g****** road as if the govt built it for them and them alone! Nak mampus kena gelek ke? Ko tu dah la ponteng Jumaat, mati kena gelek sesaja je....Aaargh! Tension! You think you are so cool ke with your black t-shirt, cheapo jeans and studded belts??

and what is it about makciks and pakciks and minahs in fake Chanel rings wearing fake Gucci sunglasses, who drive on the right side of the 2-lane road when there are no cars on the left lane??? Dah la tu, kalau bawak laju tu takpe jugak....nie bawak macam siput...! and some more the above mentioned minah in sunglasses just switched lane in front of me, no signal no nothing! You ppl think gomen saja2 buat jalan dua lane ke haaaaa???? Tak reti baca ke "IKUT KIRI JIKA TIDAK MEMOTONG"..???

on another topic, today's my parents 31st Anniversary. I originally wanted to buy flowers but takut my mum scold me for obvious waste of money so I got them both a cake so that the whole family can enjoy it. I got it from LOVE.com.my and was very pleasantly surprised by the professional way they handled the order.

Sindee: Hello Miss Suriana, I think you ordered a cake with us, right? I'm sorry to say but Coffee Almond cake finish already. Would you like to choose another cake?
Suriana: Oh, ok. In that case, what do you recommend?
Sindee: Mocha Dream is nice. Chocolate Almond also nice.
Suriana: You have two sizes of cakes, right? How many kilos is the small cake?
Sindee: Err, the small cake, I think four people can eat one.
Suriana: What about the big one?
Sindee: The big one aa, I think more than eight people also can eat one.
Suriana: In that case, I will take the big chocolate almond cake.
Sindee: Miss Suriana aa, your house is a bit far so I'm sorry we have to charge you for delivery. Delivery charge is 15 ringgit.
Suriana: That's ok.
Sindee: Ok...so, the total is 123 ringgit...I charge you 120, loh? ok?

Nothing like a bit of Manglish to make me feel completely at home...:)

His and Hers

My Jobs..
Cook 'lauk' or spaghetti sauce
Clean the house - sweep, vacuum, scrub toilet
Interior decorating
Decide what furniture to buy
Hang up clothes
Iron hubby's shirts
Keep list of things needed around the house
Remind hubby to pay bills

His Jobs..
Cook rice or boil spaghetti
Wash up
Serve rice or food on table
Do laundry
Hang up laundry to dry while I shower in the morning
Pay bills
Take rubbish out
Iron own shirts when I can't be bothered

so far so good...

Budak-budak PLKN

Among my many job description/requirement is to perform check ups of PLKN students. Anyway, the second batch of 2006 registered on the 19th baru-baru nie. As usual, in the first two weeks, mmg ramai lah budak-budak trainee yang merengek-rengek nak balik.

S, the paramedic staff at the Agro Resort, brought me a few amusing cases this week.

Case 1
Doctor Bekeng ( me lah..): Ok, kalau dah tahu mengandung kenapa tak mintak pelepasan sebelum datang ke kem?
Trainee: Er er, saya dah ckp kat doktor tu tapi dia tak check pun.
Doctor: Bila last period awak?
Trainee: Err hujung bulan 12 atau bulan satu.
Doctor: Bila awak check air kencing untuk mengandung?
Trainee: Seminggu sebelum datang kem cikgu, eh, doktor!
(Dalam garang2, nak tergelak la pulak)
Trainee: Doktor jangan la garang-garang, takut saya...
Doctor: Eh, nie tak garang lagi nie.

On examination, the symphisis-fundal height (SFH) measured 30cm meaning the pregnancy had advanced about 30 weeks. So, the LMP definitely does not tally.

Doctor: Awak nie betul ke mari kotor last bulan satu nie? Awak jgn tipu saya..?!
Trainee: Betul doktor! (muka takut-takut already)
Doctor: Awak kahwin bulan berapa?
Trainee: Bulan lima.
Doctor: Suami kerja apa?
Trainee: Polis.
Doctor: Macamana la awak tak perasan perut awak makin besar?
Trainee: Tak perasan, betul. Saya memang gemuk, doktor.
(She's not fat at all! Pening, pening...)

I did a scan, and told her she will probably deliver end of May or early June. Advised her to return home and book immediately.

Trainee: Mesti saya kena marah ngan misi, kan? Misi tu mesti tua dan garang.
Doctor: Awak jugak yang carik hal. Gerenti la awak kena bebel, lambat sgt bukak buku mengandung.
Trainee: Saya kena balik esok jugak ke doktor? Minggu depan tak boleh?
Doctor: La, balik la cepat-cepat. Kalau awak terberanak kat kem...?
Trainee: Mampos...
Doctor: (Dlm hati, no komennnn)

Case 2
Doctor: Dah berapa lama awak ada ketulan di buah dada?
Trainee: Lama dah. Saya dah buat FNAC di Hospital Besar K****.
Doctor: Habis tu? Dah dapat keputusan?
Trainee: Sudah doktor, dia kata ketumbuhan saya tu 80% boleh jadi kanser.
Doctor: Lepas tu? Bila temujanji yang seterusnya?
Trainee: Bulan lapan.

I gathered there was no urgency if a TCA was given 5 months after the FNAC result, hence the findings of the investigation was probably not as severe as this kid was making it out to be.

Doctor: Okay, kalau result macam tu, kenapa awak tak mintak pelepasan dari doktor awak?
Trainee: Saya dah mintak, tapi dia tanya saya balik, PLKN tu apa??
Doctor: (Whaaa...?? Pening kuasa dua..)

Sunday Blues

I had a hassleful day today, and it's not because of that that I decided to use a possibly non-existant word in my blog today.

I arrived at the health centre where I go once a week for 'ganti tugas', at about 8.30am. Belum apa-apa, reception called and said, 'Doktor, hari nie takde MA' and I was like wha..? whe..? Terpinga-pinga. Apparently MA Atan (bukan nama sebenar) has gone for a course. MA Ali (also bukan nama sebenar) EL (emergency leave) with no phonecall to inform me beforehand. ANDDDD.....MA Abu ALSO decided to go on holiday emergencily (also non existant word)!!!! Called MA Abu and 10 mins later-

Doctor: Ha, awak kat mana?
MA Abu: Snif snif - kat rumah, boss..
Doctor: Kenapa? (dgn tone yang makin garang)
MA Abu: Tak sihat...snif snif...
Doctor: Habis tu, saya nak buat apa? Sorang MA kursus, sorang EL, awak pun EL? Awak nak saya tutup OPD? Awak nie betul ke tak sihat? Tiap2 Ahad ambik EL? Cuba awak bagi idea sikit kat saya...patient dah ramai dah tunggu tu....
MA Abu: snif snif
Doctor: Kalau tak sihat, dtg klinik, ambik MC. Jangan biar staff lain buat cerita pasal awak buat hal. Saya tak tahu la EL awak sebelum nie pasal apa, tapi nasib awak tak baik la kali nie awak betul-betul tak sihat dan jadi pulak macam nie. Okay??
MA Abu: Ok doktor..snif snif...

Aaarrrgghhh!!!!!!!! I couldn't call my clinic as there are only 2 MAs there and my clinic is busy all day. Quickly I called the other M&HO at the other clinic about 15 mins away and called May Day. He said he has only 2 MAs and can't really spare any but he'll call and arrange something as the only other option I have is seriously close OPD for the day.

MA Kanan pun takde - gone AWOL. Dunno if he applied for leave or what. My mind racing like gasing, antenatal clinic patients building up and OPD patients have been waiting since half seven. It was already nine.

Ok, time to take drastic actions - called Reception: Inform all patients wanting to see MAs that there are no MAs onsite and to please come tomorrow. However, Dr Already-Flustered will be more than happy to see if matters can't wait till then. Inform guy at Reception to do that till I call later about possible replacement MA from Klinik Sri Langkap.
Told my assistant Jururawat Masyarakat (JM) to take already-registered-OPD-patients' cards from the MA's desk; I will see some of the earlier ones. By the time I saw 5 cases, ANC (antenatal clinic) punya patient dah membukit. Thank God replacement MA coming soon.

Coincidentally, ANC patients so ramai today. Stopping for break to drink tea and eat keropok for 5 minutes and finally saw everyone at 3.30pm. Letiiihhhhhh.....

I tell you, KKM doesn't pay me enough to deal with all these lah....

Tribute to the Biggart House gang..

Nothing fosters racial harmony more than being overseas.

Being educated in an MRSM, I've gotten used to having mostly Malay friends. Even when I managed to obtain a scholarship to study A-levels and to pursue medicine in the UK, the majority of the group were malay.

When I started fourth year, I moved to Biggart House (the Halls of Residence for medic students) and here I forged wonderful friendships with the best bunch of people I could ever hope to meet.

Chantal Anne is the motherly, no-nonsense type. She was the one who would always manage to cajole people into joining gatherings or outings. Chantal always had the biggest smile on her face (unless you make the mistake of waking her up from her beauty sleep lah!) and has an even larger heart.

Kok Hoon is the sometimes ditzy, most of the time 'blur' one. She's so gullible that I think if I tell her the same lie twice, she'd believe me everytime. Always game for a fun time and so good natured.

Chee Peng and Pek Joo is the golden couple of Biggart House. I remember the time when Pek Joo cut Chee Peng's hair and for ten whole minutes we were so shocked at the result that we couldn't volunteer any comment. I love the lilting way Chee Peng would call Pek Joo 'Daaarr' and just adore the way Pek Joo takes care of his 'Bee' whenever she's sick.

Adzuan can be seen to be superficial but he has a kind heart. His hair is never out of place and he is such a stylo dresser. Which is a shame as he always refuses to take pictures with us!

Yin Min is my 'chicken legs'. I only got to know this guy well when we travelled in India together with Kok Hoon. Getting to know him only made me regret not getting to know him better earlier. A guy so well read you can talk about anything with him.

Ching Yin - so bubbly, so fun to be with. Loves taking midnight trips to the 24 hour Sainsbury's, never forgetting to take us people who are 'car-less'. Many times I'd spend my meals in Chantal and Ching Yin's kitchen and end up talking late into the night while sipping on hot crysanthemum tea. Yes, yes - LATE for me rarely goes beyond 11-12 midnight people but I can't help it if I like to wake up early! :)

I'm sure I've forgotten some names - Chin Lian, Amelia, Alvin, Priya and the rest of you. You guys were my 'family' and made my time in Belfast so much more bearable. I miss those times when we would sit in the kitchen and bitch about the Filipino nurses and how they would cook everything with vinegar and how at one time I caught a bunch of them 'tasting' my chicken curry.

Remember whenever there were Balls or Malaysian Nite and my room would be turned into a makeshift salon? Kok Hoon and Chee Peng looked damn gorgeous in their dresses and Pek Joo and Yin Min almost (almost, ok?) made me swoon at the sight of them in tuxes.

It has been three years now - some of you got registered, got a baby, moved in together, got a gwailo boyfriend (you know who you are!) but I still miss you all. I will always miss you all.

What does your birth date mean?

Your Birthdate: February 12

You're a dynamic, charismatic person who's possibly headed for fame. You tend to charm strangers easily. And you usually can get what you want from them. Verbally talented, you tend to persuade people with your speaking and writing. You are affectionate and loving, but it's hard for you to commit to any one relationship. Your strength: Your charm Your weakness: Your extreme manipulation tactics Your power color: Indigo Your power symbol: Four leaf clover Your power month: December

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I know it's a bit late - and I'm not really a big believer but it's for fun so enjoy!

Welcome to my humble abode

It was about 7-8 months ago when I first experienced this 'magnificient' view. I was informed I'd be replacing the current M&HO (Medical and Health Officer) so as I was on my way to report to Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Terengganu, decided to drop by lah, to see what my accommodation would be like.
If you thought the outside was bad, you don't know the beginning of it! I very nearly collapsed in tears tau! :)

Yes people, this is my home.



It looks like it should be in the Museum of Govt Quarters, kan?
The living room is so big, a small flat by KL standards can fit in it (and still have space to spare). The master bed is a 10m walk from the living area. It has got three bathrooms, which thank god at least works. In order to get decent floor covering, I had to purchase TWO huge rolls of tikar getah!

Spending the night alone can be a nightmare - I can't sleep with the light on, yet I keep imagining noises from the empty spare rooms. Belum lagi citer about the jungle right behind my house. One day, I even saw a party of ungkas happily swinging from the branches of the trees.

There are AT LEAST 4 different species of ants; I have a 100% success rate in catching rats everytime i lay out a trap. During the rainy season, colonies of fungus would sprout on the surfaces of my wooden furniture, clothes and shoes.

On the other hand, at nights it gets so cool that I never need air conditioning, and the quietness can be calming sometimes.

I suppose things could be worse, yeah? :)

Where art thou...

I've always prided myself in being able to see the goodness in things. Regardless of how bad things are, there HAS to be something nice that makes it, not so bad afterall.

Contoh, while I was houseman in Kota Bharu Hospital (now Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II); I'd graduated from an overseas uni about three months prior and I had absolutely NO IDEA how the local system works. No idea how the wards are managed, how ward rounds are done, etc etc. Lo and behold, the head of medicine takes me by the scruff of my neck and throws me at the deep end of the pool. I was posted in ward 4 (medical male), THE busiest ward in the hospital. Tapi at that time still hepi-hepi lagi (naive betul!), actually excited about starting work! As I arrived at the ward, there were fold up beds lining the floor from the counter right to the door! There was barely space to walk. I met the other houseofficer there, Rose, who looked as if she had been in since 5 am - all flustered carrying a basket of investigation forms, taking one blood sample after another like she is the mother lode of dracula.

When the MOs arrived, Dr Noraidah and Dr Zul, it was time for rounds. Memang habis kena belasah lah! Imagine, three months of doing nothing has made my brain non functioning. In addition to that, about half had denggi fever whom I barely heard of while studying in Belfast. I confess, Dr Zul must have thought me the stupidest HO ever to grace his presence. Tu belum citer part kena sindir lagi! :)

On calls in the medical department was pure hell. I guess this is a similar scenario in all hospitals. I remember not sleeping, not eating; I actually lost 10 kilos in the first two weeks! But as I got the hang of it, things got slightly easier, but only slightly though.

Yes, it was tough and I remember thinking I was so tired all the time post call that I only had energy to bathe and sleep. But never once had it crossed my mind to give up or go AWOL and leave my colleagues in a lurch. Despite lashings by specialists (your own or from other departments), i could always count on having fellow HOs that could lament each other's 'nasib' - why oh why la did we do medicine and become doctors! :)

but anyway, today i've gotten almost so sick of work that my silver lining has eluded me. I don't mind having even a hundred patients. I don't mind turning up at 8 for work (while my MAs come in at 8.30am) and most of the time only stopping for lunch at 1.30 or later. but i DO mind when people choose to be so intolerant and so irresponsible that it interferes with my work! Do they feel that they are above the law/rules that they blatantly break them? One of these days I'm just going to go beserk and issue everyone with 'surat tunjuk sebab's.

Maybe it's time to dig out that transfer form and request to go back to a hospital. Give me on calls anytime, man....I'd rather miss meals than deal with conflicting personalities...

Of quiz shows and pingpong balls

One of the few things that I enjoyed while I was studying in the UK was watching 'telly' :). Right from watching Cilla Black on Blind Date (i wonder if they still have that?) every Saturday evening while in form six at Walthamstow Hall to watching Cilla Black on 'The Moment of Truth' while I was in Belfast (I hated the part when the kids start to cry) - British telly became part of my routine. I sound sad, yeah? But it's usually too cold out in Belfast and I'm usually too broke (being a scholarship student who relied only on my 'paycheck' once every three months) to go for movies every week. and I kinda tell myself that I study better with my tv on..heehee..

I love the quiz shows (from William G Stewart to Richard Whiteley and Carol Vorderman), the DIY shows and the talk shows (Ricki Lake, Jerry Springer, Montel, Sally, the Kumars) and the cooking shows (Can't Cook, Won't Cook; Ready, Steady, Cook).




Ainsley is famous for his 'gelek' while he stirs his concoction.

In this show, two contestants bring random ingredients that could be bought at any supermarket. There's usually a set amount, usually 4 quid, occasionally higher. They meet their celebrity chefs and explain to the audience why they bought the stuff they bought. Then, in 20 minutes, the celebrity chefs have to think up a few recipes based on those items and actually cook them on live tv! :) Let's see Chef Wan or Chef Ismail do THAT!

My other favourite TV programme is The Graham Norton Show. Somebody get me his DVD please!! :) I just love his campiness, his forthrightness and his so naughty Irish smile! Once, to celebrate the New Year, he invited this 'artist' who could shoot ping pong balls from her, um, nether regions, if you get what I mean...

Some people don't get British humour, but I just love it. Give me Graham Norton over Anita anytime!

Time really does fly..

nope, i think I really meant 'whiz by' - one minute it's Sunday, the start of the week, and the next minute, it's Thursday and I'm driving back with hubby to his family home for the weekend....

Repeatedly i find myself out of time to do things i had earlier planned..or is that just poor planning..? anyway, the week starts all over again tomorrow. It'll be my third visit to KK Rahmat since the original MO transferred to Putra Jaya. If there's still no replacement by middle of this month, I'll be able to claim 'elaun tanggung beban' - which is "free money" considering I'm getting it for going there once a week only...

anyway, today I chanced upon a blog entry that transported me at least 10 years ago - actually 12 years ago lah (has it been THAT long?). Fresh out of MRSM, I remember how painfully naive I was and how excited that I've finally got the opportunity to finally see what the Big Ben and London Bridge is like, to live among mat sallehs and to feel snowflakes upon my face. Honestly, when i got to London, I was a first class jakun. For the first two days I dare not venture two feet away from Malaysia Hall - but of course, the moment I got the hang of the Underground....:)

People ask me why I came back to Malaysia. They ask me why I decided to come back and work my a** off as a houseman in M'sia for a measly salary when I could work my a** off as a houseman in UK and get 6 times as much?

To me, the money does not matter. I have sacrificed 7 years of my life being away from my family. I missed seeing my baby brother growing up, I missed my chats with my mum - I missed my family and no amount of money could persuade me to spend another year away. Yes, life as a houseman was hell...but I survived and I believe that 'whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger', betul? and I've not regretted one moment making that decision...